Football news

Andrei Arshavin's transfer to Arsenal should be concluded this week, his agent said.

Reports suggest that the Gunners will secure Arshavin's signature for a fee likely to be worth more than £15 million, beating the club record sum of £13 million Arsenal paid for Sylvain Wiltord some nine years ago.

"The deal should go through this week," Arshavin's agent Dennis Lachter told the News of the World.

"Andrei wants to go, Arsenal want him and Zenit accept they have to sell.

"It's just a matter of sorting out the sums but the indication is it'll happen soon, perhaps within days."

Bruce hints at City bid for Palacios

Manchester City may have joined the race to sign Wilson Palacios, Wigan manager Steve Bruce has hinted.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was reported to be close to agreeing a £14 million deal for the Honduran midfielder but rumours suggested Manchester United had also expressed an interest in Palacios.

Bruce made it clear that United were not vying for Palacios but hinted that the new suitors could be City, who beat Wigan 1-0 on Saturday.

"The club involved is not far from where we are now," Bruce said. "And it is not true that it is Manchester United."

No rift with Parry, says Benitez

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has reacted angrily to reports that he turned down a new contract at Anfield because of a difficult relationship with chief executive Rick Parry.

The Spaniard, who has 18 months remaining on his current agreement, rejected a new deal on Friday because he wants to have the final say on transfers.

"I just want to work with the budget I have. I have no problem with Rick (Parry) or any other chief executive," Benitez was quoted as saying.

"This is about how I can manage the club in the best way for the future. If you have £20 million, you can spend £5m on four players or £20m on one player. Who knows the right value? The manager."

Beckham urges Kaka to stay put

David Beckham is confident Kaka will resist the temptation to join Manchester City in this month's transfer window.

Kaka started in Milan's 1-0 victory over Fiorentina at San Siro on Saturday night and fans displayed their support as the 26-year-old was thought to be saying his goodbyes.

But Beckham, who is currently on loan with Milan, expects Kaka to stay in Italy because of his 'love' for the Rossoneri.

"Every club in the world wants Ricardo, not just because he is a great player, but he's also the nicest man you'd ever hope to meet," said Beckham.

"We all want him to stay and I think he will stay, as he loves Milan and he loves living here."

Messi wants to remain at Barca for life

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is keen to stay with the Catalan giants for life.

Asked if he would consider his future should he receive a similar offer to that Manchester City made to Milan playmaker Kaka, the Argentina international said: "I would love to stay here for my whole life. Let's hope it turns out like that!"

Messi was again in scintillating form on Saturday night, scoring the opener and providing an assist for Thierry Henry as Barca thrashed Deportivo 5-0.

A typically humble Messi remarked that his team-mates deserve all the credit for his excellent performances. "The team helped me to play well," he said. "We are all in great form."

Adams confirms Vieira interest

Patrick Vieira could be reunited with former Arsenal team-mate Tony Adams in a loan spell at Portsmouth, according to reports in the English media.

The French midfielder has been plagued by injuries in recent months and has not played for Inter since a 1-0 win over Juventus on November 22.

"He is definitely a player I'd like to bring here if he was available," Adams said.

"I will be speaking to Inter manager Jose Mourinho and asking about him.

"With Patrick you know what you are getting - he is a proven winner and a great character."

Al-Fayed calls for cap on transfers

The Premier League should introduce a cap on transfers and salaries, Fulham owner Mohamed Al-Fayed has suggested in the wake of Manchester City's £100m-plus offer for Kaka.

Al-Fayed believes such a deal would harm the game. "It's madness," he told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek.

"If you have one fantastic striker, what about the rest of the team, the players around him? All this is still in the hands of the Premier League and the FA. They have the power not to allow things like this to happen and I hope they wake up and realise it's not acceptable.

"They can put a cap on transfer fees and salaries."