Manchester United leap to the front in bid to sign Sanchez.

Manchester United stole a march in the battle for Alexis Sanchez when David Gill flew to Spain to seal the deal on Tuesday. And the Old Trafford chief executive hope to wrap up a 27 million pound transfer for football most wanted man within the next few days.

If Gill pulls of the audacious swoop - pipping Manchester City, Barcelona and a  host of other European giants - it will take manager Alex Ferguson summer spending to an amazing 82 million pound. Gill met Udinese president Gino Pozzo on Tuesday, ironically in Barcelona where the italian supremo lives to thrash out an agreement. It will come as a crushing blow to City. They believed their massive financial clout had swayed the chilean winger, 22.

But agent Fernando Felicevich said " An agreement with City? Sanchez future is still very much wide open." "We are working on it and after meeting with City we have other new appointments". The 19 time champions are increasingly confident of getting their man even though 27 million pound is about 4 million more than they had originally hoped to pay.

But they have had to up the offer to beat off Barcelona dan City. Ferguson has already captured England winger Ashley Young from Aston Villa, Blackburn defender Phil Jones and Atletico Madrid, goalkeeper David de Gea for a combined 55 million pound. City sources insisted they are still in the hunt for Sanchez, who shone for Chile at last year World Cup.

Yet the crucial factor in United favour is that the player himself  far prefers the idea of a move to Old Trafford than a switch to East lands. Barcelona are also close to signing Kiko Femenia from Hercules and they will now concentrate on trying to take Villarreal former United striker Giuseppe Rossi and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas to the Nou Camp instead - Stay Tune !

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McLeish resigns as Birmingham manager

London - Alex McLeish resigned as the manager of Birmingham City on Sunday following their relegation from the Premier League, with the club saying he had told acting chairman Peter Pannu in an email he was leaving the Midlands site.

Birmingham City Football Club can conform Alex McLeish has resigned as manager, " said a statement on the club website. Acting chairman Peter Pannu received an email resignation from McLeish earlier today (yesterday) while away on business in Amsterdam.

No further comments will be made at this moment in time and updates will be released in due course, "the statement added  - Stay Tune!

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Dalglish calls for delay to new EPL season

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has called for the English Premier League season to kick off on a Sunday so that players do not have two games in less than 72 hours at the start of a 10 month season. Dalglish is dismayed that football over-crowded fixture list will leave top stars having to play for their countries in international friendlies all over the world on Wednesday, August 10, before flying back to their clubs for the opening league fixtures three days later on August 13.

The Premier League unveil their fixture list for the 2011/12 season on Friday and Dalglish is hoping common sense will prevail. He said "It's an important season for everyone, with a European Championship at the end of it. So how can it be helpful for players to play Wednesday-Saturday right at the beginning?". Stay Tune!

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Devil's Jones deal in tatters

London - Manchester United multi-million pound signing of teenage defender Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers lies in tatters. Blackburn Indian owners have reacted furiously to what they perceive as United attempt to railroad them into selling the 19 year old and have told United "We will not be bullied".

And in a stunning 11th-hour development on Saturday, Liverpool have told Blackburn they will pay 22 million for Jones, a move that will ruin Sir Alex Ferguson holiday mood as he  takes a break in the south of France. Arsenal have also belatedly submit ted a bid that tops United 16.5 million offer and with Chelsea showing serious interest in the player, too, an auction appears to be unfolding. It will come as a bitter blow to Ferguson if he misses out on Jones, and it will sting all the harder if the player ends up at United fierce rivals at Anfield.

Rover owners have been angered by United attitude and at a meeting on Saturday in Pune, india which was attended by manager Steve Kean, straight off a plane to Mumbai they resolved to prevent the deal going through. United have offered to make Jones the highest-paid teenager in the history of English football with a startling 80,000 pound a week contract but Blackburn are even prepared to top that.

Rover's chairwomen Anuradha Desai made it clear to Kean and fellow executives who made up a "war council" in india that they must try to persuade the defender to stay. The prospect of being a future club captain is also being dangled before Jones. Money is said to be "not an issue" for Desai's family who are billionaires through their Venky's poultry conglomerate. They want to keep their best players, especially homegrown talents such as Jones.

But if they fail to persuade him, they will do all they can to elicit the best price from one of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, United or Tottenham, telling Jones "if you go, you go where we get the best money" A source close to Rovers said " United can't do what they want in this case. Jones is a Blackburn player and while there is a clause that could mean he leaves, it's far from the straight forward issue everyone assumes it to be - Stay Tune!

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Bellamy stunned by demanding City

Manchester - Manchester City have placed a 4 million pound price tag on Craig Bellamy and put him on a collision course with boss Roberto Mancini. Bellamy was stunned that they are demanding any free for him.

City tough stance has scared off Everton and Bolton but having paid the bulk of Bellamy's wages during his loan to Cardiff, they do not see why they should let a player who cost them 15 million pound and has two years left on his contract go fot nothing. - Stay Tune!

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Neymar keeps Roman waiting

London - Brazil striker Neymar has insisted on keeping Stamford Bridge owner Roman Abramovich waiting on any move to London. "Let's see how things are as i don't want to make any decision right now. 

Abramovich is ready to pay Brazilian club Santos 35 million pound for him and then line the player pocket's with 20 million pound deal over four years. But Neymar may prefer Real Madrid and that is why he wants to keep his options open until after the Copa Amerika. 

He also wants to see whether Guus Hiddink takes up the coaching reins at Chelsea as expected and whether Mark Hughes comes in an his No 2. This all means Abramovich must play a waiting game over his top transfer target a game he is already used to as the Hiddink saga rolls on. 

Sources in Turkey said that Hiddink's future as their national manager will be resolved in the coming week - Stay Tune!

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Bayern join United, City and Chelsea for Nasri

Cash-rich Bayern Munich are poised to slug it out with the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea for the capture of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri. The Germans whose repeated profits in recent years are said to have made them the fourth richest club in the world, have 200 million pound to spend and want Nasri to line up alongside and then become an eventual replacement for 28 year old, Franck Ribery, who is nearing the end of his contract.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is concerned that Nasri,23, and felow Frenchman Gael Clichy, who have a year left on their contracts are vulnerable to big-spending clubs. United's interest is genuine, especially as Wesley Sneijder's 250,000 pound a week pay demands have priced the Holland midfielder out of their reach.

That wage though would be no deterrent to City or Chelsea. Yet even then they would still have work to do in persuading the midfielder  to switch after he said he was happy at Inter Milan. United are also cooling their interest in Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell, who has become a target fot Tottenham where he could replace Luka Modric.

Despite the protestations of Manager Harry Redknapp, his Croatia midfielder looks certain to leave White Hart Lane. However anybody wanting Modric will have to see off Chelsea's longstanding interest in the player - Stay Tune !

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