Chelsea drop out of race to sign Angel di Maria

Manchester City have moved into prime position in the race to sign Benfica's striker Angel di Maria (above) after Chelsea dropped out of the race, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Portuguese club want £36m for the 21-year-old, but the Londoners refused to offer more than £15m. City are now believed to be ready to agree a deal for di Maria to join them next summer, by which time it is assumed that Robinho will have left the Eastlands club, probably for Barcelona...

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has given millions of Gunners fans reason to cheer over their corn flakes this morning by announcing that his heart remains wed to the club and even hinting that he could spend the rest of his career with the Londoners. The Spanish midfielder was reacting to a claim by outgoing Barcelona president Joan Laporta that the 22-year-old Fabregas had made a verbal agreement to return to the club which discovered him next summer. "I am at a great club, with a great team and am happy," he tpld the Press Association for the umpteenth time. "We have a long season in front of us, and the last thing I want to do is get disconnected from what I have to do playing for Arsenal, who are the club which pays me. I am really looking forward to a great season with Arsenal." When asked if Arsenal could be his only club, he replied: "Why not? I have never really thought about it, staying here all my life, because I am only 22 and you never know what your career will bring - but why not?"...

Liverpool's Dutch winger Ryan Babel has shocked the Anfield club by demanding more first team action and threatening to quit if manager Rafa Benitez fails to play him more. "I have tried to talk to the manager but it isn't of any use. I couldn't really do anything with the feedback Benitez gave me," the 22-year-old told the Sun. "We have agreed to look at my situation during the winter. If there's no improvement then, I have to be honest, I want to play somewhere else. I don't play a lot so I can't be happy and I can't cheer out loud. Certain emotions are blocked, they are pushed back by all the worries I carry with me. Sometimes I wonder how long I can sustain it but I will fight for my position - what else can I do?"...

The ones that got away, Part 2: yesterday Bayern Munich revealed the €65m plus Jose Bosingwa deal that Chelsea offered for Franck Ribery. Today, Brazilian superstar Kaka claims that he too had an offer to join his former AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge but turned it down. "It came to a point where it was better for both Milan and I to part,' the 27-year-old told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope. "When Milan opened the doors for me it was a sign. I no longer shared the same motives as the team. And if there came a day when I had to leave Milan, I had always wanted to play in Madrid. I was able to go with Ancelotti to Chelsea, but I told him it was my dream to go to Madrid"...

Anton Ferdinand, brother of Rio and former England under-21 international defender, is looking for an exit from Sunderland after being ignored by manager Steve Bruce, the Guardian reports. Ferdinand was bought from West Ham for £8m last season, but following Bruce taking over in the summer he has been unhappy with the back four that he inherited and hasn't given the 24-year-old a start since last month. The Londoner could move back to the capital, with Fulham looking like a possible destination...