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Developments on Monday morning leave Carlos Tevez almost certain to end his two-year stay at Manchester City, with confirmation that a bid from Corinthians for the club's captain has been accepted prompting punters to back him to go at 1.01. Both the Argentine striker and his adviser Kia Joorabchian revealed last week after the Brazilian table-toppers first made clear their interest that it would be an ideal transfer for the 27-year-old and the main stumbling block looked to be whether they had the funds to make a satisfactory offer. However, Roberto Mancini's announcement on Sky Sports that a deal had been agreed appears to pave the way for the unsettled star to discuss personal terms with the side that he played for before first moving to the Premier League with West Ham in 2006. While...

[b]January[/b] is a good time to be a selling club, and indeed a player on the move, as transfer-fees and contracts are invariably inflated for clubs desperate to sign the key player whose arrival could help them win a trophy or avoid relegation in the second half of the season. There have been successful winter moves, ­among them Patrice Evra to Manchester United, Branislav Ivanovic to Chelsea, Brede Hangeland to Fulham ­ but most took time to settle in their new surroundings. [b]Strikers[/b] tend to fare better at the other end of the table after January moves: Christophe Dugarry (Birmingham) and James Beattie (Stoke) helped their clubs stay up while Arsenal pair Emmanuel Adebayor and Andrei Arshavin used their first six months to settle in. What all clubs want to avoid is the...

Back in 1966 and again in 1970, the West Ham and England captain [b]Bobby Moore[/b] agitated for a move to Tottenham. On both of these occasions, the Hammers boss Ron Greenwood vetoed the move and Moore had no choice but to live with the decision. Bobby Moore was one of the greatest players in the world, but in those days it was the clubs that wielded the power and there was precious little a footballer could do if the club were determined to retain his services. If Moore were playing today, he would have a lot more options. He could let his contract run down and leave on a lucrative free transfer, or buy out his contract and leave on a free immediately. Then there is the option of going on strike, in an effort to force the club to agree to a transfer. All of these options are ...

What a great season this is turning out to be for Manchester United. They remain unbeaten, one point off the top with games in hand and are happily looking on while their title rivals do their level best to self-implode. First there is [b]Chelsea[/b], Super Chelsea. The mighty Blues, who swept all before them on the way to the double last season and steamrollered the first five matches of this campaign before shooting themselves in the foot by sacking Ray Wilkins, isolating Carlo Ancelotti and embarking on a six-match winless run that has left the Blues as long as 3.1 to defend their title. Then there is [b]Arsenal[/b], sexy Arsenal. The Gunners may be sitting pretty at the top of the pile but, having lost four times already this season - including home reverses to West Brom and Newcastle...

For the last four seasons you haven't had to look beyond Manchester United and Chelsea for the winner of the [b]golden boot[/b]. Whoever tops the scoring charts at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge come May will have a very good chance of being number one over all but it's by no means a done deal because so far the hit parade has a very different look to it. Of the players who finished in last season's top 10 only three - Didier Drogba, Darren Bent and Carlos Tevez - occupy places in it at the moment. Three of last campaign's sharp shooters - Wayne Rooney, [b]Frank Lampard[/b] and Jermaine Defoe - are nowhere to be seen. Chelsea don't seem to be able to put a time frame on Lampard's return and whilst Rooney and Defoe are now back from injury they only have one league goal between them...

They say that taking a step back can be a good thing. Get away from the day to day hurly burly, and you can sometimes look again with a clear perspective. Let me tell you it doesn't work as far as the Premier League is concerned. Coming back cold (both literally and figuratively) after three weeks Down Under, this season seems to have turned into the most confusing ever. Take Chelsea as an example. When I left home, [b]Carlo Ancelotti[/b] looked relaxed and happy and his team of Double Winners were pretty much guaranteed to retain their domestic title. Now a 1-1 draw at home to Everton means they are four games without a win, have a group of players sulking over the exit of the popular Ray Wilkins, and Roman Abramovich seems to be in the mood for more meddling. A club which had...