“The example Barry is setting to the younger players is that it is fine to sell out your principles for money” - Sandy Macaskill

Comment & analysis round-up

Quote of the day: “I don’t know who it is but I think there’s someone on the board who’s not pro-Arsene. I don’t know who it is but that’s what I’ve heard. People on the board - and the fans - want more. But they can’t actually back it up with financial weight to do it. They’re not financing Arsene and I don’t think Arsenal have got any finance… Arsenal are crying out for experience and the fans are not silly. They know the team needs experience at the back and in central midfield. Arsene knows, too, he’s not a silly man. But you tell me a player they can get for the money they’ve got. It’s unrealistic.” - Tony Adams.

Runner-up: “I honestly know as much about it as everyone else. I read the papers, listen to the radio and I am genuinely surprised, given that no actual offer from Chelsea exists. Clearly we are talking about one of the best clubs in the world, who regularly compete at the highest level. It is very possible that I would say yes. But before that I would have to weigh up the pros and cons. To sit on the bench and only get on the pitch from time to time doesn’t interest me, not even at Chelsea. Moreover, I have nothing to lose [by staying in Moscow], given that CSKA now have a very interesting team who will begin competing in the Champions League in the autumn.” - Yuri Zhirkov.

Today’s overview: They have tried, but it remains hugely unlikely whether Chelsea can actually persuade Kaka not to sign for Real Madrid in favour of West London.

Remaining optimistic, James Ducker lonely suggests that Chelsea may be able to snap up Kaka, writing “sources in Milan said that Chelsea - who were also targeting Andrea Pirlo - had offered the player ‘extraordinary’ personal terms after they were advised that there was a hitch in the Kaka deal [with Real Madrid].”

Most, however, discard Chelsea’s chances of signing the Brazilian, even suggesting the Blues’ next targets. According to David Hytner and Sid Lowe, “Real Madrid remained confident that they would hold off the London club and secure the £65m signature of one of the game’s most sought after players… The 19-year-old Manchester City forward Daniel Sturridge is also on Chelsea’s radar as his wage demands scuppered City’s hopes of securing him on a contract beyond this month.” For Jeremy Wilson, “if negotiations collapse over Kaka [Ancelotti] remains hopeful on 19-year-old Pato and also that a compromise can be reached over Andrea Pirlo despite his former club quoting an initial transfer fee of £20 million.”

Unsure of whether the hack was being sarcastic or not, Matt Lawton splashes with the ridiculously over-hyped news that “Chelsea have kicked off Carlo Ancelotti’s reign in spectacular style by luring Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City and preparing a £45million bid for another wonderkid, AC Milan’s Alexandre Pato.”

Taking a step back, Oliver Kay looks at Florentino Perez’s obsession with signing galácticos and his methods of getting the men he wants. “It is a remarkable way of working, one borne of self-confidence or, to put it another way, arrogance… It had been an open secret that Perez was in contact with Kaká’s representatives long before his return to the presidency was confirmed on Monday. Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, strongly suspects that there has been contact between Real and Alonso.”

What is the reward for being a temperamental striker with a perchance for spitting out your dummy? As reported by Jeremy Wilson, “Chelsea will offer improved terms on his existing £80,000-a-week contract, with Drogba expected to accept the deal… Chelsea’s desire to keep Drogba will surprise some after injury and controversy interrupted his start to the season.”

Manchester City are the first Premier League side to splash the cash this summer, and it looks to be only the tip of the iceberg.

Laying down the facts, Andy Hunter and Stuart James wrote “Manchester City kicked off an ambitious summer of rebuilding by completing a £12m deal for Gareth Barry last night and the club will follow that with an attempt to lure Carlos Tevez from Old Trafford later this week.” Tony Cascarino defends Barry’s move to Eastlands arguing “Gareth Barry will be earning about £100,000 a week at Manchester City and he deserves every penny… Barry has hit the jackpot and I don’t know any player outside the top four clubs who would not jump ship if City came calling.”

Wait. How much will Barry be earning again? Never ones to blow matters out of proportion, the Sun’s Neil Custis farted “Barry last night agreed a £12million switch to Manchester City worth around £110,000 a week.” But, trumping their media opposition, the Daily Mail’s Ian Ladyman happily coughed that Barry is “on a staggering basic salary of around £130,000 a week… after agreeing a five-year contract.”

Others, though, lay into Gareth Barry for selling out. Sam Wallace is convinced Barry was “tempted to Eastlands by a five-year contract worth £80,000-a-week and by the guarantee he will feature at the heart of midfield in a new-look side to be assembled by Mark Hughes with the club’s Middle East riches.” Sandy Macaskill barks “the example [Barry] is setting to the younger players is that it is fine to sell out your principles for money. Or, of course, that the future is at clubs other than Villa.”

So what is next for City? Mark Ogden boast that Sparky “is keen to add Barcelona forward Samuel Eto’o, Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez, Blackburn forward Roque Santa Cruz and Everton defender Joleon Lescott to the capture of Barry before the end of the month.”

A dinky Argentine with a sweet left-peg is said to be the latest prize in a tug-of-war between Fergie and Benitez. No, not Messi. Rather, as the Guardian explains, “reports in Italy suggest [Ezequiel] Lavezzi’s representatives met with Manchester United chiefs in Madrid with a view to a move to Old Trafford, while Liverpool have been repeatedly linked with a deal.” And that may not be the only battle Benitez has to contend with this summer, with John Edwards reporting that the vultures are circling around Yossi Benayoun. “Manchester City and Benayoun’s former club West Ham have been monitoring his impact on Liverpool’s hunt for honours over the past few months, while Atletico Madrid and Villarreal have been tracking him ever since his header stunned their city rivals at the Bernabeu at the end of February.”

Happy to spread conjecture, Tom Kington boasts “Carlo Ancelotti’s negotiations to join Chelsea apparently took place without the involvement of Peter Kenyon, casting further doubt on the part being played at the club by the chief executive.”

By all accounts Steve Bruce is set to take over at Sunderland, and John Wardle lays out the first ports of call for the new manager. “At least five new players will be brought to the Stadium of Light this summer, with Titus Bramble, the Wigan defender, a possible target, and Bruce is expected to ensure that Kenwyne Jones and Kieran Richardson stay at the club.”

In other transfer news, The Times link Fulham with a move for Boro striker Tuncay, the Daily Mail claim “Bolton hope to steal a march on Blackburn in the battle for Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis,” while The Sun report that “Gary Megson is poised to make a £6million bid for Spurs star Tom Huddlestone.”

Ending today’s round-up are details of the latest financial pit football finds itself in.

With football’s latest financials having just been released, the reading is not pretty. As David Conn noted, “England’s 20 Premier League clubs owe a total of £3.1bn in bank overdrafts, loans and other borrowings… The Premier League defends the financial picture presented, arguing that the levels of debt are generally manageable, given rising turnovers and the improved TV deal.” In a supplementary article, David Conn gives a forensic breakdown of the debt each Premier League club owes, while completing the overall financial picture, David Conn details the hard numbers of the Premier League clubs’ turnover, wages and debt for 2007-08, whilst also providing the salaries of English football’s top 20 best paid directors 2007-08.

Also suffering in the credit crunch is the FA themselves, Paul Kelso announcing “the Football Association is considering budget cuts across the organisation in response to the deepening recession and uncertainty surrounding its broadcast contracts… FA Cup facilities fees – money paid to clubs appearing in live games – will fall from £12 million to just over £10 million, with a further £1.5 million cut from the prize money fund. In addition more than £1 million will be cut from payments to the Football League.”