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[The Terminator]

Yaya Toure is getting paid 220,000 quid a week to play for Man City.

Man City should be renamed Mad City.

I read this in the paper today. Absolutely crazy, will this madness ever stop?

There are lads (and lasses) fighting for their country on the front line who get nowhere near that amount and bloody well deserve it. How someone can justify £220,000 a week for kicking a ball about is well and truly beyond me.

[Matt]

^ If he stays for the duration of his contract, he could earn 55.6 million quid.

He will be paid just over 1.6 million a year for 'image rights'. He'll get paid a bonus in excess of 800k if they get in the Champions League. Should they win the Champions League, he will then get another bonus in excess of 400k.

I was chatting with someone at work about this today; if you put together a list of the 10 highest paid players in the Premiership, and then tried to work out the 10 best players in the Premiership, how many would be on both lists?

I'm not doubting that Yaya has qualities, but I don't think he's worth anywhere near the money that has been a) paid for him, and b) he's going to be earning.

[Matt]

England Under-21 defender Dan Gosling has walked out on Everton for nothing because the club failed to put a new contract offer to him in writing. Everton made a verbal offer to Gosling but the Premier League sided with the player due to the club's administrative error.

[The Terminator]

England Under-21 defender Dan Gosling has walked out on Everton for nothing because the club failed to put a new contract offer to him in writing. Everton made a verbal offer to Gosling but the Premier League sided with the player due to the club's administrative error.

shithead, have fun playing Championship football for the rest of your career.

[Matt]

England Under-21 defender Dan Gosling has walked out on Everton for nothing because the club failed to put a new contract offer to him in writing. Everton made a verbal offer to Gosling but the Premier League sided with the player due to the club's administrative error.

shithead, have fun playing Championship football for the rest of your career.

At least one season in the Premiership, he's apparently in talks with Newcastle.

[Matt]

Arsenal have officially announced the signing of Laurent Koscielny.

And Barcelona couldn't pay their players wages in June because they are in so much debt. Their solution? Take a loan for 125 million Euros, sell a couple of players and then try and plead poverty when demanding Arsenal sell them Fabregas for 25 million Euros.

[Shoco]

dundalk will play levski sofia in the secont qualifying of the europa league, cant wait just hope we dont get spanked

[The Terminator]

Liverpool have signed Joe Cole on a four-year deal - subject to a medical - following his release by Chelsea.

The 28-year-old England midfielder left Stamford Bridge in June after failing to agree a new contract with the Premier League champions.

He was linked to Arsenal and Tottenham but has opted for Liverpool, who failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Cole's arrival follows winger Yossi Benayoun's move from Anfield to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee in July.

[Matt]

^ Money grabbing twat. 

I don't care, we've got Jack Wilshere.

[The Terminator]

In the wake of a report in a Sunday newspaper in which the agent of Dan Gosling made a series of allegations, Everton Football Club has decided to take the unprecedented step of setting straight a record of recent events which has, in its opinion, been deliberately distorted.

In the article, Mr David Hodgson suggested that not only did this Club not wish to extend Mr Gosling's stay at Goodison Park but that it had been deliberately tardy with regard to the formal offer of a new contract, presuming that an injury sustained by the player during the course of last season was of such a serious nature it would prevent him from signing for another club.

Both claims are ludicrous, totally without substance and grossly misleading.

The manager of Everton, David Moyes, and the Chairman, Bill Kenwright, contacted Mr Hodgson in November of last year to jointly offer Dan Gosling a new contract.

Several subsequent conversations took place during the course of which Mr Hodgson not only indicated that the deal offered would be "fine" but also reaffirmed that a "hand-shake agreement" was in place dating back to when Mr Gosling joined the Club as a 17 year-old in January 2008.

It was Everton's  understanding that this Gentleman's agreement would guarantee that the player would extend, by at least two years, the three-year deal he signed upon his arrival from Plymouth Argyle.

"In the very long history of our Club, our executive team have never once forgotten or neglected to deal properly and professionally with contractual matters," said Mr Kenwright. "We place our trust in people; we always keep our side of any offered deal - and all we have ever asked is that others do the same."

Everton's CEO, Robert Elstone, confirmed that the Club had wished to extend Mr Gosling's stay on Merseyside.

"We wanted Dan Gosling to stay with us - and, after what we had been told, we expected him to stay with us. However, in the first week in June, Mr Hodgson rang David Moyes seemingly content that he had manoeuvred a situation where Dan was a free agent," he said.

Mr Moyes confirmed that he had spoken - on several occasions - to both player and agent in relation to Mr Gosling's progress and future.

"Dan came to see me and told me that he saw himself as a central midfield player rather than someone who operated in a wide position," he said. " I did not think at that point that he would get into the Everton team as a central midfield player.

"I was always fully aware of the handshake agreement which Dave Hodgson had with a senior Club official regarding Dan's fourth and fifth years - and because of that agreement there wasn't, in my opinion, any necessity to put anything in writing. The first I knew of a problem was when Dave rang me to say that Dan's contract had lapsed and that he would be seeking to leave us on a free transfer."

"I told Dave that he had an agreement with the Club which he was now reneging on.  We scouted Dan Gosling and brought him in when several other Premier League clubs looked but did not purchase."

"We feel aggrieved that they have contrived a situation to get the player out of the Club when, if he had come and said that he wanted to leave, we could at least have done something about it - but at no point did Dan say he wished to leave."

"I read at the weekend that he cried when he didn't receive a formal, written offer. Well, trust me, the money Everton were offering was certainly not a crying matter," he added.

The Premier League tribunal found that as Everton had relied upon both a verbal and a Gentleman's agreement and had not put a contractual offer in written form before the acknowledged deadline, Mr Gosling was entitled to leave the Club on a free transfer.

[The Terminator]

Midfielder Mikel Arteta has signed a new five-year contract with Everton.

The news ends speculation over the Spaniard's future after a summer in which he was linked with Arsenal as well as clubs in his home country.

The 28-year-old follows Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines, Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman in signing new long-term deals at Goodison Park this summer.

Arteta said he has come to realise "how important I am to the club and how important the club is to me".

Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright has described Arteta as "one of the finest players ever to wear an Everton shirt" and Arteta said the support of the Everton hierarchy had been a big factor in his decision to sign a new contract.
   
"The chairman and the manager wanted me to stay 120% and that makes me feel proud," the midfielder, who has twice been Everton's player of the season, told the club's website.

"We are all seeing the club and the future in the same way and that is special - something that you don't always find."

"I believe in this squad. We have got a very strong squad now and it is getting difficult to pick an 11 because of the players we have."

"Something is happening here and I want to be a part of it."

Everton boss David Moyes described Arteta's decision as "great news".

"He is a very important player for us and we are delighted to secure him," added the Scot.
   
The chairman deserves a lot of credit for making this deal happen - he is continually trying to move the club forward

Arteta returned to action in January after almost a year out with a serious knee injury and his form in the latter half of the season, as Everton climbed to eighth in the Premier League, reportedly attracted the attention of several other clubs.

Moyes made the re-signing of his biggest stars his top priority at the end of last season and now only South Africa international midfielder Steven Pienaar's future remains in doubt.

Arteta joined Everton permanently in a £2m deal five years ago from Real Sociedad after a successful loan spell.

Toffees chairman Kenwright said Arteta's "pride in the shirt" had been a major factor in their successful contract negotiations.

"After already tying up the likes of Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell, Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman on long-term deals we have now agreed terms with one of the finest and most influential players in our recent history," he added.

In addition to his delight at retaining Arteta, manager Moyes was also full of praise for Kenwright.

"The chairman deserves a lot of credit for making this deal happen. He is continually trying to move the club forward," said Moyes.

[The Terminator]

Martin O'Neill has resigned as Aston Villa manager with immediate effect.

Kevin MacDonald has been appointed caretaker boss while no reason has been given for O'Neill's decision to leave after four years in the job.

MacDonald will prepare the side for their Premier League opener against West Ham on Saturday.

O'Neill, appointed in 2006, said: "I have enjoyed my time at Aston Villa immensely. It's obviously a wrench to be leaving such a magnificent club."

The 58-year-old O'Neill, who led Villa to their third successive sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, added: "I would like to pay tribute to the Villa players, my coaching staff and the Villa supporters for all the support and encouragement they have given both the club and me personally during my time as manager."

"I wish them all the best for the future. I will obviously be assisting the club in the immediate short-term with regard to the handover of my duties."

In May, Villa owner Randy Lerner insisted O'Neill had pledged his future to Villa in after much speculation over whether or not the former Celtic boss would quit.

Northern Irishman O'Neill has transformed the fortunes of Villa since replacing David O'Leary in August 2006, culminating in an appearance in the final of last season's Carling Cup, their first Wembley final for 10 years.

Lerner had backed O'Neill in the transfer market during that spell but it became clear this summer that similar investment would not be forthcoming.

Lerner insisted that Villa would have to adopt a sell-to-buy policy and O'Neill was resigned to losing the services of midfielder James Milner to Manchester City. Former skipper Gareth Barry also moved to Eastlands last year.

Former Wycombe, Leicester and Celtic boss O'Neill indicated before the weekend that he was keen to speak to Lerner over how much cash he would make available from the Milner move.
   
When asked how much he would have to spend on new players, O'Neill said: "I need to speak to the chairman [Lerner] and chief executive [Paul Faulkner] about that.

"For a number of days in this transfer saga with Manchester City, you have known my position in terms of what I have been advocating and thinking about."

It is unclear at this stage whether the response O'Neill received from the club's hierarchy led to his decision to end his four-year reign at the Midlands club.

Former England manager Graham Taylor, who had two spells as Villa manager, told BBC Sport he had been aware of some unrest at the club during the off-season.

"I'm shocked like everyone else even though I've been aware that behind the scenes that there has been a lack of togetherness," said Taylor, who was in charge at Villa Park between 1987-90 and 2002-03.

"Whether this has anything to do with James Milner and his possible transfer to Manchester City and the fact that we are led to believe that he may have to sell to buy, I don't know."

Taylor also urged Villa not to rush into appointing a replacement, with the likes of US coach Bob Bradley, Ajax boss Martin Jol and former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson all being mentioned as potential successors.

"It is always a little bit dangerous to rush into appointing a new manager but especially as this is an acute time before the start of the season," added Taylor.

"It is a bad time to lose your manager before the start of the season and one has to be careful about who you appoint."

Faulkner said of O'Neill's departure: "The club would like to thank Martin for the great work he has done at Aston Villa over the past four years."

"He has helped to establish the club in the upper echelons of the Premier League, has taken us to Wembley and we have also qualified for European competition for the past three seasons under his management. We wish him the best in the future."

League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan said: "The LMA shares Martin's disappointment at him leaving Aston Villa.

"He has achieved great success not just with Villa but throughout his managerial career. He is a great example to all aspiring managers having built the foundations in non-league football to then go on to successfully manage at the highest level in the game."

Former Villa captain Martin Laursen said he was not surprised that O'Neill left the club also adding that he did not think his departure would be followed by several players.

"He wanted more than Randy Lerner could give him," Laursen told BBC Sport.

"He is so ambitious that when he doesn't get what he wants he walks away. But I don't think more players will leave.

"If Martin O'Neill gets another important job then he might take some with him but I don't think players will leave because O'Neill has gone."

[The Terminator]

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has said Martin O'Neill left his job as manager because they "no longer shared a common view as to how to move forward".

O'Neill quit the Midlands club suddenly on Monday after four years, with Kevin MacDonald taking temporary charge.

Lerner added: "Our most immediate focus is supporting Kevin MacDonald and resolving the situation with Manchester City and James Milner."

Midfielder Milner has been linked for some time with a move to City.

Villa rejected a £20m bid from the Eastlands outfit in May but last week O'Neill admitted that the England player could be on the verge of a transfer.

Lerner stated at the end of last season he would prefer a "sell-to-buy" policy after backing O'Neill financially for the previous three summers.

But the American is adamant there has been no change in Villa's approach to building the club and being as competitive as possible.

He also insisted that hiring a permanent manager is his priority.
   
MacDonald, who has been in charge of the reserves, will oversee the first team for Villa's opening game of the new Premier League season against West Ham on Saturday before a trip to Newcastle on Sunday 22 August.

In-between, they begin their European campaign with a Europa League qualifying play-off first leg against Rapid Vienna on Thursday 19 August.

United States manager Bob Bradley, Ajax boss Martin Jol and Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann are among those being linked with the job. Ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and former Villa star Gareth Southgate are both also believed to be interested.

Earlier, Lerner's right-hand man General Charles C Krulak said he believed O'Neill quit as manager because of the financial limits he was expected to work under and because he thought he was bigger than the club.

"No one person is bigger than our club. Not me, not Randy, not chief executive Paul Faulkner, not Martin," he told the Villa Talk website.

"What's interesting is that apparently only three of those understand that."

"There is no question he did a good deal for Villa and I've said over and over that he did a fine job. At the same time, I can promise everyone that he knew and understood the long-range plans for the club and bought into them. Martin was absolutely supported by the owner. All one needs to do is look at the money spent. The reality is the wage-to-revenue issue was not addressed and apparently he was unwilling to help address it."

"He knew full well about the need to bring wages in line with revenue - the same as every Premiership club."

[Matt]

Biggest signing of the summer - Wenger has signed a contract extension until 2014

[Matt]

^ And judging by the Arsenal performance at Anfield, he would have possibly had more impact on the pitch than Arshavin, Chamakh and Diaby combined. A truly awful Arsenal performance and proof, if any were needed, that they are not in a position to post a genuine title challenge. Again.