Friday Night EPL Transfer Update:

Hello everyone, and welcome to my latest installment of my blog posts. 
Tonight, with 2 weeks and 1 day left until the official start of the 2012-13 English Premier League, I will continue with the EPL Transfer Update which includes rumours, friendly results over the past few days and much more.

Let me begin this update with:

Liverpool starting their 2012-13 Europa League adventure with a 3rd round qualification match against Gomel.

FC Gomel 0 Liverpool 1


Liverpool kick-started their Europa League adventure this season after winning against Gomel abroad in Belarus. 

Midfielder Joe Cole was subsituted in the 23rd minute due to an injury knock on his professional return from being on-loan at French club Lille last season. 

He had a hamstring injury and it was a precautionary measure.

Ouch: Joe Cole recieves a knock on his professional return to football for The Reds.

Winger Stewart Downing scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute.

Powerful: Liverpool winger Stewart Downing scores the only goal of the match against FC Gomel.

That winning feeling: Downing 'high fives' 17-year-old team-mate and fellow winger Raheem Sterling after his goal.

It's a start: Liverpool players including new signing Fabio Borini and Steven Gerrard celebrate their slender win.

FACT: Manager Brendan Rodgers has won his first match in charge of Liverpool after being appointed in June.

First European match, first European win: New Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers watches his team win 1-0.

FACT: This is only Stewart Downing's 2nd goal in an Liverpool shirt excluding (penalties) 

London Olympics:

Team GB 1 Uruguay 0 - Group Stage Match, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge scored the only goal of the match, as Team GB moved into the quarter-finals of the Olympics. 

Scrappy goal: Sturridge slots the ball into the net just on the stroke of half-time to give Team GB the lead.

Pure releif: Sturridge (2nd left) celebrates his goal with his team-mates against Uruguay in a tough match.

It was a tense match with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez asnd Napoli striker Edinson Cavani both pressing to score for Uruguay.


TOMORROW:
Team GB vs South Korea - Quarter-Final, LIVE from 19:30pm

EPL Transfer News and Rumours:

Malaga winger Santi Cazorla is set to become Arsenal's record signing with £16.5million pounds being accepted after undergoing a medical last night.

In the next few days: Malaga winger Santi Cazorla is set to become Arsenal's £16.5million record signing.

He is set to be unveiled very soon. 

PSG are ready to make a move to sign Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole. 

Manager Carlo Ancelotti used to manage at Chelsea, so he would like having one of his former players at his new club.

Join the French Revolution! Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is wanted by 'moneybags' PSG.

Interesting, somehow though I doubt Cole would leave unless he got a massive pay package wage each week, higher than at Chelsea.

Arsenal young striker Benik Afobe has joined Championship club Bolton Wanderers on loan for the upcoming 2012-13 season.

Adventure: Arsenal startlet Benik Afobe has joined Bolton on a loan deal to gain more first-team experience.

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has completed his £7million move to Italian side Fiorentina.

He has moved on a three-year contract deal, and his agent said that he will fight for a place in the Italian national team again before he retires.

Wasted talent: Aquilani has moved to Fiorentina after being left out of the first-team squad over the past 3 years.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have been heavily linked today with a £20million swoop for Manchester United winger Nani after admitted their interest in the Portugese international. 

Interest: Manchester United winger Nani is wanted by Real Madrid, and Shinji Kagawa is reportedly his replacement.

Chelsea have confirmed that midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has moved to German side Werden Bremen on a season-long loan deal to gain more first-team experience, as he is not ready for the first-team just yet.

First-team experience: Chelsea's young midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has moved to Werder Bremen on a loan spell.

West Ham have made a £1.5million bid for Moussa Konate after his impressive showing with 4 goals so far in the Men's London Olympic Football. 

Impressive: Moussa Konate has scored 4 goals in 3 matches in this Olympics tournament so far and is wanted by West Ham.

Chelsea are ready to raise their offer for Marseille defender Cesar Azpilicueta to around £7million after having a £5million bid rejected.

Striker Romelu Lukaku has said that if he is shipped out on loan by Chelsea, then he ONLY wants to play in the EPL.  

Here we go again: Lukaku has been linked with lots of loan spell moves after a slow start to his Chelsea career.

Aston Villa have been given a double injury blow after it was confirmed that striker Gabriel Agbonlahor and defender Richard Dunne will miss the start of the season.

West Ham have confirmed the re-signing of Aston Villa defender James Collins.

Re-united with West Ham United: Defender James Collins has left Aston Villa for around £3-4million.

Everton have confirmed that they are in talks with Turkish club Fenerbache over a transfer fee for their defender Joseph Yobo.
If the deal is accepted, it would be around about £2.5million.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has said that midfielder Nuri Sahin
can leave the club, because he will not have a starting 11 place next season.

We want you: Arsenal want Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin on a season-long loan to strengthen the squad.

Arsenal are ready to sign him on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

FA Cup 5th Round Fixtures and Previews:

FA Cup 5th Round Previews:

Tomorrow:

15:00pm (unless stated) 

Chelsea vs Birmingham City: LIVE at 12:30pm

Defender John Terry looks unlikely to be risked for the match against Birmingham, despite recovering from the knee injury that has sidelined him for three weeks.
Ashley Cole (calf) is unable to play tomorrow.
Strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou will only be available in the midweek tie against Napoli after returning from African Cup of Nations duty, but midfielder Ramires could return from a knee injury against Birmingham.

Birmingham will be without front-line strikers Nikola Zigic (knee) and Marlon King (groin).
Adam Rooney is set to bolster the attack as npower Championship play-off contenders City look to secure a quarter-final spot for the third successive season via a major upset.

Chelsea will hope to move swiftly from their current (let's just say) 'interesting' form of late with a comfortable win against Championship opposition. It may not be routine against the power of Adam Rooney and co though who have secured a quarter-final place in the FA Cup for the past two years.

Everton vs Blackpool:

Everton will be without midfielder Steven Pienaar for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Goodison Park because the winger, on loan from Tottenham, is cup-tied.
Midfielder Landon Donovan is available for the last time before he returns to the Los Angeles Galaxy, but illness could rule him out. Striker Nikica Jelavic misses out due to pubalgia (which is a groin problem)
Young playmaker Seamus Coleman could feature for The Toffees having overcome a thigh problem, but defender Shane Duffy has an ankle complaint and joins an injury list that also includes Jack Rodwell (hamstring), Leon Osman and Phil Jagielka (both knee)
Everton will be expecting to win against a lower side. To say the least...!

Millwall vs Bolton Wanderers:

Bolton forward Kevin Davies has been ruled out of the 5th round tie at Millwall due to a knee injury.

Owen Coyle has revealed that he sustained medial ligament damage in the 2-1 loss to Wigan last week. Defender Tyrone Mears is facing more time on the sidelines after suffering a setback in his recovery from a broken leg.
New striker Marvin Sordell is cup-tied, but defender Joe Riley may feature having regained his fitness after a groin problem and there could be first Bolton starts for two January signings in centre-back Tim Ream, who would make his debut and on-loan winger Ryo Miyaichi.
Bolton's new strengthed side should have enough to see off Millwall, and a place in the Quarter-finals would boost the board of directors' faith in under-fire manager Owen Coyle. 

Norwich City vs Leicester City: 

Norwich will have striker James Vaughan in the squad to face Leicester in Saturday's FA Cup tie after five months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The Canaries are still without Daniel Ayala (hamstring) and Zak Whitbread (hamstring).
Norwich will be praying that their current form in the EPL, may continue in the FA Cup tomorrow.

Sunderland vs Arsenal: LIVE at 17:30pm

Arsenal are without centre-backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny for tomorrow's FA Cup fifth-round tie away at Sunderland.
Mertesacker (ankle) is out for the long term, according to manager Arsene Wenger, while Koscielny (knee) should be missing for only one week.
Gervinho returns from African Nations Cup duty, but defenders Carl Jenkinson (back) and Andre Santos (ankle) are still out, along with midfielders Abou Diaby (hamstring) and Jack Wilshere (ankle). Thierry Henry has completed his loan spell from New York Red Bulls and is back in America much to Arsenal supporters discontent (as they feel the spell was too sort for the legend).
Midfielder Lee Cattermole could be back in the Sunderland squad after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Striker Nicklas Bendtner is on loan from The Gunners so he is ineligible for the fifth-round clash at the Stadium of Light.
David Vaughan (ankle) is still out as are Wes Brown (knee) and Titus Bramble (Achilles).


Sunderland gave Arsenal a run for their money in the EPL last week, with an unlucky 2-1 loss thanks to Aaron Ramsey and Thierry Henry's late goals. They want revenge against an Arsenal side who have lost morale after their humilating 4-0 loss on Wednesday against AC Milan.

Sunday:

Crawley Town vs Stoke City: LIVE at 12:00pm

Stoke boss Tony Pulis will rotate his squad after the 1-0 defeat to Valencia yesterday in Spain for the trip to Crawley on Sunday.
Defender Matthew Upson could be involved after serving a European ban, while fellow centre-back Robert Huth will sit out the second of his three-match domestic suspension, but goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is likely to keep his place. Stoke have to monitior the fitness of midfielder Dean Whitehead after he sustained a nasty gash to his leg yesterday against Valencia in a clash. 

Stevenage vs Tottenham Hotspur: LIVE at 14:00pm

Rafael van der Vaart has failed to overcome a calf injury and will miss the match against Stevenage on Sunday.

Defender Younes Kaboul is struggling with a knee injury and captain Ledley King is likely to be rested, meaning Ryan Nelsen should start his first game for his new club.
Forward Louis Saha did not play for Everton in the FA Cup earlier this season and he is therefore available this weekend, but long-term absentees William Gallas (calf) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are out.
Spurs are in-form this season and could even win the EPL for the first time since, since.... err... 1950.
If they lose to Stevenage, they will be livid as they will want every trophy possible this season....

Liverpool vs Brighton and Hove Albion: LIVE at 16:30pm

Maxi Rodriguez could make his return to the Liverpool team in this weekend's FA Cup fifth-round clash with Brighton at Anfield.
Midfielder Rodriguez has not featured since the end of January due to a foot problem, in the 2-1 win against United in the 4th round.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has indicated that young defenders Jon Flanagan and Jack Robinson may come into his thinking for the tie.

The Reds will expect to win comfortably after beating rivals Manchester United in the 4th Round, but Brighton will be hoping to keep Liverpool busy throughout the match and hopefully pull off an upset (which they nearly did in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup)

My Predictions:


Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Stoke, Everton, Bolton, Norwich all prevail - making an all EPL Last 8 quarter-final line-up.