Tottenham have been alerted that Real Madrid midfielder Guti will be available for £5m if Arjen Robben joins the Spanish giants (Daily Mirror). I don't know what's more surprising, Bernd Schuster being prepared to let the Real hero leave or the fact that he would only cost £5m.

I am sure there will be a host of clubs queuing up to secure the midfielder's services. He can play out wide left as well and that could suit Martin Jol to a tee. In over a decade at the highest level, he has won just about every major club honour and in the ever-growing transfer market if he is up for grabs for less than, say, David Nugent, then who in their right mind would refuse? What do you think, Spurs fans? Surely Guti could do the business in the Premier League, as long as he cuts down on the diving.

West Ham have offered  Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen an £80,000-a-week deal but the striker wants £100,000 and Alan Curbishley wants to know right now if the former Chelsea striker is interested (Mirror). I am not sure how many other offers the Icelandic international has, surely a few, but he will have to tone down his demands. He is, after all, a 28-year-old substitute at present and should he simply want to collect his no-doubt huge wages at the Nou Camp, then he can do so.

'Do not rule out a late bid for Daniel Alves from Jose's old friend Sir Alex as he looks for a long-term replacement for Gary Neville'


But if has ambitions go beyond playing second or even third fiddle to the megastars on show at Barca, then he should have a re-think and sign for a club that would guarantee him first-team Premier League football. Hence a move to Upton Park seems to be his best option.

Meanwhile, Nolberto Solano is believed to be a target for West Ham after telling Newcastle of his wish to leave (BBC Sport). I've always been a fan of the Peruvian attacking midfielder, who has been something of a cult hero at St James' Park in his two spells at the club. Nobby's decision to leave centres around his desire to be closer to his family following his divorce from his London-based wife, although I am not sure how strong Curbishley's interest is. I would recommend to him a consistently creative performer who gives 100% and would surely not cost the earth to land.

Tottenham are set to make an offer for West Brom's Curtis Davies (The Guardian), given the short-term injury to Michael Dawson. Martin Jol can finally put this transfer to bed by offering the Baggies what they want and securing himself one of the brightest talents in English football. That's unless Aston Villa have other ideas.

Gangly genius Peter Crouch has apparently demanded to know where he stands (I am fighting the urge to make another tall reference) at Liverpool after being left out of the Reds' 16 that travelled to Villa Park. He will be keen to sort out his position prior to the transfer window closing at the end of the month. It seems a rather harsh way to handle a striker who put away 18 goals in 30 starts last term; let's hope he can sort out his situation as the lanky beanpole (can resist no longer) has now become quite the goalscorer following his initial lean spell.

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is keen to sign a keeper before Wednesday and Jussi Jaaskelainen and Marco Amelia are the targets (The Times). Given Kasper Schmeichel's display against West Ham on the weekend there doesn't seem to be as much urgency to fill the hole left following Andreas Isaksson's finger injury, and maybe bringing in either of the keepers mentioned would simply give Eriksson more of a headache as neither Jussi or Marco would want to be second choices. Oh, and they also have Joe Hart, who although 20 is one of the hottest young stoppers around. So relax, Sven, put the cheque book away and have some faith in what you already have.

Daniel Alves will not play in Sevilla's Champions League qualifier on Wednesday as he seeks a move to Chelsea (The Sun). Predictable but nonetheless noteworthy, Alves is clearly on his way from Andalusia to west London. However, do not rule out a late bid from Jose's old friend Sir Alex as he looks for a long-term replacement for Gary Neville (Express). It may turn into a battle between the Glazers and Roman, and United's money men have already put their money where there mouths are and may be happy to continue to splash the cash as they attempt to retain the title, among other trophy hopes.

One word of warning - Blues fans should hope that the deal is done before the La Liga side realise just how useless their loan signing Khalid Boulahrouz is!

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is prepared to pay up to £8m for Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen (Mirror). Yes Arsene, but will Mark Hughes sell for just 8m? I think not.  Meanwhile, Gilberto Silva has revealed he only found out from the Gunners' club website that he had missed out on the Arsenal captaincy, but he insisted: "I was surprised, but I'm not upset" (various). Which further adds to my own personal glowing estimation of the Brazilian midfielder.

Finally a quick mention regarding the astonishing sacking of Neil McDonald after just one day of the new season, which the League Managers Association described as "deplorable" (The Times). Carlisle's reason for axing him? Apparently, they had lost confidence in the man who last season led his side to a respectable eighth place in their first season in League One following promotion. They started the season with a draw at Walsall - God only knows what the Brunton Park board would have done had they been losing at half-time - probably would have sacked McDonald before he finished his interval team-talk! Incredible.