With the new season just around the corner, every chairman and manager will be itching to clinch some last-minute deals, so let's start at Anfield where Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on Celta Vigo's Diego Placente (tribalfootball.com).

The 30-year-old Argentinian is also a target for Walter Smith’s Rangers. A left-sided player, Placente has a wealth of experience at the highest level and is apparently out of contract so is well worth taking on board as a squad member. However, he may prefer the guaranteed first-team football that presumably he would be offered at Ibrox.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez would love Chelsea's Arjen Robben to join them (Daily Mirror). He is a big fan of the Dutch wide-boy and is thinking about launching a shock move. However, it seems highly unlikely that Jose Mourinho would let such a high-level player join major rivals who may be making ground on the west London side following a string of quality purchases. From what I have read, it seems odds on that Madrid is the likely destination for Arjen and figures in the region of  £17-£20m have been thrown around.

This opinion has apparently been echoed by the tabloids, who claim Chelsea have resigned themselves to losing Robben to Real Madrid (The Sun). Bernd Schuster is keen to put his stamp on the La Liga champions and the former midfield general, who netted Spanish titles for both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the 80s, wants the 23-year-old (although he looks nearer 43) to be part of his revolution.

Ashley Cole says he was injured for most of his first season at Stamford Bridge (various). Now a great many people dislike Cole - in fact, I am sure that many Chelsea fans also dislike him. But his latest statement, presumably designed to show just how much effort and heart he gave his new side by playing whilst in pain, won't make much of a difference.

In all likelihood, this may in later years become the subject for another chapter in his hotly-anticipated second autobiography, the first of which was an absolute disgrace. Indeed, it was apparently outsold by Perry Groves’ own literary effort which I can tell you was a great piece of writing, honest, informative and genuinely hilarious in parts. But that’s besides the point. In short, Cole epitomises all that is wrong with the game in today's money-crazed, attention seeking, loyalty-free football world.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has re-iterated his belief that Liverpool will not sign Gabriel Heinze (various) - and does so with no doubt a broad grin on his face whilst Rafa Benitez sulks in the corner. Get it over and done with already.

New Blackburn signing Roque Santa Cruz reckons he will form a partnership with Benni McCarthy which can fire Rovers into the top four of the Premier League (various). Mr Cruz must be unaware that Benni wants to leave Blackburn. Certainly he has spent a good proportion of the summer trying to orchestrate a move away from Ewood Park and as a result Santa Cruz may instead have to form a partnership with upcoming talent Matt Derbyshire, who is at least committed to the cause. South African McCarthy should be offloaded for a good profit and then manager Mark Hughes can continue to steer the former champions in the right direction.

West Brom have slapped a £250,000 price tag on striker John Hartson (The Sun). A quarter of a million for the bruiser seems very good value for a player who has over 200 goals in his account, most of them at a very high level. He may even be a player that some lower level Premiership teams could make use of - perhaps Arsenal could take a chance on the gentle giant? (That rumour has officially just been started by me).

Meanwhile, Scottish FA chiefs are to launch a crackdown on persistent fouling and diving in the game (Daily Record). Will this crackdown be as successful as the similar ‘crackdown’ announced by the Premiership south of the border? Well, it could hardly be any worse. Diving is as big a problem as it has ever been and until more players are punished either on the spot or retroactively, this will continue. As far as cracking down on persistent fouling is concerned, this seems to make little sense. Presumably if someone is persistently fouling, then pretty soon they are sent off and suspended. So not sure what a ‘crackdown’ will achieve. Please note the deliberate persistent use of the word ‘crackdown’.

First we had Austria Vienna laughing at Rangers for their apparent overspending on Filip Sebo and now reject Libor Sionko has insisted he was taking a giant leap forward when he quit Ibrox for FC Copenhagen (Daily Record). Firstly, if the Czech Republic midfielder really believes this to be the case then he needs his head examined and secondly, it would be amusing if the two teams met in the final Champions League qualifying round.

It seems it's Insult Rangers Week because former Liverpool star Steve McManaman says the Glasgow giants will regret not signing Robbie Fowler (Daily Record). If Rangers did let the prolific striker slip through the net before he joined Cardiff City, then Walter Smith’s side might live to regret it. However, I am sure that in the long term, Ibrox fans would much rather see Steven Naismith lining up with Kris Boyd and not the aging ex-Anfield hero.