Originally Posted by Lumma

When will the new season start?

Originally Posted by The Times

Liverpool remain hopeful that their two-year search for a buyer for Alberto Aquilani will reach a successful conclusion despite the player’s agent ruling out a return to Italy for his client.

Aquilani was given permission to fly to Rome from Baltimore rather than return to Merseyside at the end of Liverpool’s pre-season tour to the United States, having been told that he does not feature in Brendan Rodgers’s plans.

Aquilani, a £17 million signing from Roma in August 2009, has been surplus to requirements at Anfield since the followinf summer and has spent the past two seasons on loan at Juventus and AC Milan.

Sources at Liverpool have indicated that Aquilani earns up to £6.5 million a year, although that figure is disputed by associates of the player. But his salary is of such a scale that it is likely that Liverpool will not be able to reinvest the proceeds of any sale.

Decent bets:

Sunderland are believed to have made a bid of about £8 million for Steven Fletcher, the Scotland forward who scored 12 league goals last season for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Fletcher, 25, cost £7 million when he moved to Molineux from Burnley two years ago. Wolves have already rejected a £5 million bid for the player from Sunderland.

West Ham United have agreed a £4.8 million deal to sign Iván Ramis, the centre back who rejected a move to Wigan Athletic. The former Spain youth player, 27, has been at Real Mallorca for 11 years.

Milan have entered the race for Nuri Sahin, the Real Madrid attacking midfield player being tracked by Arsenal.

José Bosingwa, the defender who was released by Chelsea at the end of last season, is in talks with Monaco, but his wage demands — he is said to want £60,000 a week after tax — may prove a stumbling block.

Tottenham Hotspur could resurrect an interest in Ricardo Carvalho after the former Chelsea defender was told that he could leave Real Madrid. The Portuguese, 34, has rejected several offers from Russia and the Middle East.

Paris Saint-Germain have entered the race for João Moutinho, the Porto midfielder wanted by Tottenham.

Lyons have ruled out selling Hugo Lloris to Tottenham because the proposed deal has taken too long to complete. The France goalkeeper has two years left on his deal. “I don’t think they really want him, but we really want to keep him,” Jean-Michel Aulas, the club’s president, said. “He will stay at Lyons unless he absolutely wants to go. The best present we can give to the fans is finding a way to keep him. We will try to do just that.”

Tottenham are expected to complete the sale of Steven Pienaar to Everton, 18 months after the midfield player left Goodison Park to move to White Hart Lane. Everton have made an approach for Cristián Zapata, the central defender, who is a free agent after one season with Villarreal. The Colombia player, who has an Italian passport, played for Udinese for six years.

Originally Posted by Ludas

Gilmore, Carroll goes to West Ham on loan next season for £2m and a clause that enables them to buy him for £17m.

Edit: Might have jumped the gun on that one. West Ham now denies the rumour.