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Owen Hargreaves’ possible arrival at West Bromwich Albion, though not yet finalised, would be one of the most surprising deals of the summer. The injury-hit midfielder left Manchester United this summer after another disappointing season that was again ruined by tendinitis in both knees. The former England international’s career in this country looked to be over until Roy Hodgson and West Brom considered giving him another chance. But do teams take too many risks by taking on injury-prone players?

Two players in similar situations to Hargreaves are Jonathan Woodgate at Stoke and Kieron Dyer at QPR. Both players have experienced stuttering Premier League careers thanks to long-term injury problems but despite this both were given a fresh chance to prove their fitness with new Premier League clubs this season. Whilst Woodgate showed why taking that risk could eventually be worth it, Dyer once again suffered his injury curse and QPR must have been left wondering why they signed the former West Ham midfielder.

Only minutes into his league debut for the newly promoted side Dyer had to be stretched off with what looked to be a serious injury. Despite it looking like the foot injury is not as bad as first thought, manager Neil Warnock was forced into an early change that must have unsettled his starting line-up in such an important game. The 32-year-old signed a one-year deal this summer but this latest injury setback highlights the risks of taking on such an injury-prone star. Dyer only managed 35 appearances in four years with the Hammers and Warnock will need to get a lot more from the midfielder if he is able to justify the signing at the end of the season.

Another injury-hit star looking for a fresh start is former Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate. After his release from Spurs this summer Stoke took a chance on the 31-year-old and offered him a one-year deal. Despite various injury problems that have blighted his career Woodgate has made a bright start to his Stoke career. He was very impressive in Stoke’s first Premier League outing against Chelsea on Sunday, helping his side earn a very good point and keep a clean sheet. Despite not playing a full game since November 2009, he has now played two full 90 minute matches (against Hajduk Split in Europe and then Chelsea on Sunday). If Woodgate can continue to improve his fitness and perform for Stoke then the Potters have made a very good signing.

Hargreaves’ move to West Brom has yet to be confirmed but his arrival would be a risk for Hodgson. Despite being very experienced both domestically and internationally, he only managed 39 appearances in four years at Old Trafford. Signing a player like Hargreaves, Woodgate and Dyer means managers not only take risks by throwing the players back into action on the pitch but they also dedicate a portion of their wage bills (though Stoke were wise to make Woodgate’s salary dependent on appearances) on players that are not guaranteed to fulfill their contracts.

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But as Woodgate showed at the weekend, if you can get the best out of these obviously talented and experienced stars, then a one-year contract might be worth the risk.

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Do you think injury-prone players are worth the risk in the Premier League? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

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After a couple of brief cameo’s earlier this season, Arsenal’s Mexican prodigy Carlos Vela has all but disappeared from the spotlight. After a productive September, he entered a period of hibernation and hasn’t been seen since. He’s made 11 appearances this season in all competitions (most of them as a substitute) and has notched up 3 goals.

Since Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott and Niklas Bendtner have returned from injury, it’s been nigh on impossible for the diminutive Mexican to get a game. Without a run-of-games Vela has been unable to build up his confidence and start playing his best football. This in turn has seen some fans suggest that it’s time for Vela to leave Arsenal.

Now the latest news regarding the 21-year-old is that he has become a January target for Bolton Wanderers. Bolton Boss Owen Coyle is keen to bring him to the Reebok and give him some time on the pitch.

Last season the Wanderer’s took Jack Wilshere on loan. At the time Wilshere was a talented player who could pass and move the ball better than about 99% of his age group, but there were questions regarding whether he had the requisite physicality to make it in the Premier League.

His time with Bolton added steeliness to his game. He came back tougher, more confident and ready to compete. Such is Wilshere’s development since his return from Bolton that he doesn’t look out of place in a midfield with both Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas. That Arsenal are still reaping the benefits from Wilshere’s loan move is good evidence to suggest that they’d benefit in the long run from loaning out Vela to Bolton.

Vela has shown flashes of brilliance and scored some great goals, but he has yet to add consistency to his game. Consistency is something that comes with time and as a young player, you want to play as many games as possible to ensure that you’re doing the best you can to further your development.

I’m sure that Vela is chomping at the bit to show Arsenal fans what he can do. Bolton have been playing some great football this season and Vela is a player with enough quality to fit right into their squad.

If Bolton can promise Arsenal that Vela will start plenty of games this season, then I’m sure the move will go through. Coyle will toughen him up, Vela will gain confidence and Bolton will have a quality player on their hands for half a season.

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With winners all round, I for one hope that this deal goes ahead.

For more football debate and discussion please feel free to follow @ThePerfectPass on Twitter.

After finding himself forced to the sidelines through injury and the emergence of Jack Wilshere in the 2010-11 Premier League season, Denilson it was time for him to leave Arsenal. Last summer he returned to his former club Sao Paulo on a year-long loan spell but with his future at the Brazilian side now in doubt, it seems the future is looking bleaker than ever for the 24-year-old.

Declaring a desire for trophies and a return to the national team as his motives behind his return to South America, Denilson originally enjoyed a lot of first team football. With highly-rated Casemiro representing Brazil in the 2011 Under-20 World Cup last summer, his first-team opportunities were unhindered. However, his relationship with the club soon turned negative as he received three red cards in his first nine appearances for the club.

He struggled to adapt to the change in pace of the game as well as the extremely different refereeing standards. The Tricolor faithful bemoaned his petulance as his first dismissal, in just his second appearance, was due to dissent in the closing stages of a match. His relationship with the supporters was soured further last October when he branded the fans of the club as “very, very annoying” for calling from then-manager Adilson Batista’s head.

With Sao Paulo sliding away from the top of the table Batista was given the sack later that month and Emerson Leao was brought in as manager. But despite a regular starting berth, Denilson still failed to impress. His lacking performances coincided with the team’s failure to qualify for the Copa Libertadores after being eliminated in the Copa Sudamericana and finishing sixth in the league.

This year has seen a positive swing in the midfielder’s performances  following a long-term injury to 21-year-old midfielder Wellington in February. Denilson has thus stepped into a more pivotal role in the side and his displays throughout the Paulista state championship improved. After finishing second in the league stage of the competition, they were unfortunate to come up against a Neymar shaped wall in the semi-final.

Yet Denilson’s form at the start of the year has begun to endear him to the fans once more. Player and club have now agreed an extension to his loan, in kind, that would see him stay into 2013. But Arsenal have been reluctant to give their approval to the move as they would prefer a permanent transfer or risk losing the player on a free when his contract expires.

The deal was originally due to expire at the end of June but with the Tricolor currently holding a 1-0 lead over Coritiba in the semi-final of the Copa do Brasil, Denilson is likely to be able to stay until next month’s final. Sao Paulo are harbouring no hope that they could even keep the 24-year-old until December, when the current Brazilian league ends.

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This makes it clear that he is not wanted at Arsenal and is unlikely to find himself as part of the team again next season. The Gunners will simply offer him around and try to move him on in a permanent transfer in order to raise some funds. Denilson will only be able to stay at the Morumbi if Sao Paulo stump up the cash, but after heavy investment earlier this year it seems Denilson has not done enough to convince the club that he is a worthy signing.

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Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung has been offered a two-year contract extension, boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed.The South Korean’s current deal expires at the end of the 2011-2012 campaign, and there had been speculation that the 30-year-old could leave the club.

However, Park now looks set to commit his future to the Premier League champions, with Ferguson hailing the player’s professionalism and also signalling he is firmly part of his plans for this season.

Speaking to reporters on the club’s pre-season tour of the USA, the Scot said: “He’s been offered a new contract, yes. I’m sure he’ll sign it. His career at United has been nothing but excellent. He’s a tremendous professional.”

“I’m sure he’ll accept a new offer and tie himself to the club for the next two years.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson has moved to allay any fears over the departure of Portuguese winger Nani, whose position at the club has been drawn under scrutiny following the arrival of Ashley Young.

“Nani is a good player and his personality is improving. We will be challenging next season and will play a lot of games. He did really well last season, but Valencia came back and his form was so good it was difficult to leave him out,” he said.

“Nani was unfortunate not to be picked for the Champions League final, but he is still young and he is maturing all the time.”

The Scot also remains confident his compatriot Darren Fletcher will regain fitness in time for the new season. The 27-year-old has only played 106 minutes of first-team football since March 6, having contracted a virus in February.

“Darren’s recovering from this virus he’s had for quite a few months,” he said.

“Sometimes viruses do take time. He’s been into Carrington for the last few days and he’s doing a weight program at the moment. Hopefully by the time we get back he’ll be rejoining us.”

Wolves fans are a notoriously hard bunch to please and no one will know that better than Mick McCarthy. After being among the biggest summer spenders, the Molineux faithful were expecting to see their team improve from last year and perhaps even separate themselves from the strugglers. Instead, Wolves find themselves 19th, level on points with West Ham in 20th and above them only on goals scored.

Wolves’ bad form means that Mick McCarthy’s position is being questioned by fans and media alike with names like Ray Wilkins and Chris Hughton being mentioned as his potential replacement. But all is not lost for McCarthy, Wolves face Birmingham and West Brom in their next two games and nothing can lighten the mood around a struggling football team like a win over its nearest rivals. Should Wolves pick up at least five points from their next three games against Birmingham, West Brom and crucially Wigan then there could be some light at the end of the tunnel.

There is no question that these games are winnable for McCarthy’s men. Birmingham are hard to beat but are struggling for points, form goes out of the window when the Black Country comes around and Wigan at home is, to put it simply, a must win game. The prospect of coming through these matches winless is a thought Wolves fans dare not entertain and would surely signal the end of McCarthy’s reign.

Optimists would say that there is over half the season left to play and a good run of form, like Wolves found in March last season, would push them up the league. However last year the league was rather different and it was easier to pick three teams that were worse than Wolves, this year the league is tougher and the three promoted teams all seem to have taken quickly to their new division.

A derby win, as previously said, can lift the gloom from any club, but a defeat can be equally as devastating. Wolves have a terrible record in Midlands derbies recently and another loss in the next two weeks could prove to be too much. Wolves have recorded one win in their last nine games against the Baggies, one win in ten against Birmingham and the last time they toppled Villa was in 1980. History is not on Wolves’ side and McCarthy will be praying for some luck come Sunday.

The truth though is Wolves aren’t playing too badly. They had a host of chances at Ewood Park on Saturday and were dreadfully unlucky not to score. But from a different point of view Wolves proved what many already knew – they have the worst defence in the league. Conceding 30 goals in 16 games won’t keep you up and letting Blackburn score twice from set-pieces at the weekend if a sure fire way to self-destruct. It is true that Wolves have suffered a few injuries to their back four and the loss of Jody Craddock has hit them hard, but when a team’s defensive stability rest on the shoulders of a 35 year-old centre-half then things really are looking bad.

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Sunday’s Midlands derby and the following weeks Black Country derby may well prove to be the most entertaining and most important in years. But should evens transpire against Wolves over the next few weeks Mick McCarthy could be losing more than just league points.

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Manchester City are believed to preparing a massive bid to tempt Tottenham to sell star man Gareth Bale this summer, according to Mirror Football.

The Wales international winger has been recognised as one of the most devastating wingers in the European game, with stellar performances domestically and in the Champions League leading to the wideman receiving the PFA Player of the Year Award last term.

Barcelona have been credited with an interest in Bale, with the player’s future hanging in the balance as he waits to see where Tottenham finish in the Premier League standings this season.

The newspaper indicate that Roberto Mancini’s men will offer the White Hart Lane club £40 million plus players in exchange for the star’s services.

Emmanuel Adebayor would be one set to go to north London permanently, with Adam Johnson or Nigel De Jong other players that could be included.

City are also ready to triple Bale’s wages to well over £100,000-a-week.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is adamant he wants to keep a hold of French midfielder Samir Nasri.The 24-year-old starred for Arsenal last season, netting 10 goals from 30 Premier League appearances, which saw him attract the interest of many clubs around the world, including English rivals Manchester United and Manchester City.

Recent reports suggest Nasri may have rejected a new deal with the Gunners, but Wenger was insistent that he wants the former Marseille midfielder to stay in North London.

“We will do everything to keep Nasri at the club,” Wenger said.

“My wish is that he stays here. If he looks back he can see that he’s come quite a long way with us, and I think there is still a bit to do. It’s the club that makes the player’s career.”

Wenger also spoke about his desire to keep Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy, who are attracting interest from Barcelona and Manchester City respectively.

“Obviously we want them to stay,” he said.

“They are part of Arsenal and big players for the club so we want them to stay, but we will see.”

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has suggested he would be interested in bringing Roque Santa Cruz back to the club, should he be available for transfer from Manchester City in the New Year.

The Paraguay striker has failed to make a telling impact at Eastlands since moving to be reunited with former Rovers boss Mark Hughes in June 2009.

But Allardyce insists no move has yet been made for the 29-year-old.

"All I said was if Roque was available we would be interested," he said.

"There has been no progress on it. In the next seven to ten days I will speak to the chairman about the way we go forward in January."

Meanwhile, full-back Pascal Chimbonda has been told he can find a new club in January after Allardyce confirmed his contract, which expires in the summer, will not be renewed.

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"We are not going to renew his contract," he added.

"His determination is to find a new contract and we feel for both concerned it is better to let him see what he can get in January."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Arsenal have opened up a five-point gap over Tottenham and Newcastle in third with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Wolves on Wednesday night.

The Molineux side’s job has made more difficult by the fact that Sebastian Bassong was sent off for fouling Theo Walcott in the box within eight minutes, with Robin van Persie scoring the resulting penalty.

Walcott doubled the visitors’ advantage two minutes later, whilst Yossi Benayoun completed the scoring in the second half.

Arsene Wenger was in a positive mood after the game, and admitted that finishing in third was now a real possibility.

“I’m pleased we got the three points, a clean sheet and scored three goals,” Wenger told Sky Sports.

“We wanted to start strong and we had good pace; a good, remarkable start. That got us to two nil and put them in a weak position because they were down to 10 men.

“Third is looking good but in our job, when you have my experience, you’re always cautious.

“It’s not that easy because Wolves came deep at the start, they played higher. When they were down to 10 men they played deeper and defended very well.

“You have to give them big credit because they have shown a remarkable spirit and never gave up and did fight for the ball until the last minute of the game.

“If they can keep that spirit they still have a chance to stay in the league,” he concluded.

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Arsenal take on Wigan next Monday at the Emirates Stadium.

By Gareth McKnight

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Liverpool winger Milan Jovanovic was quoted yesterday as saying he has been given permission by the Reds to speak to other clubs:

“I got the paper from Liverpool that I am free to search for a new club. Up to now, I still haven’t received an official offer from Olympiakos, but I am looking forward to hearing their plans.”

The Serbian’s stay at Anfield has been a very brief one indeed, and even though it has to be said that it was expected considering how he failed to establish himself in the team, there was a lot of optimism last summer over the player’s arrival.

The move for the Standard Liege forward was tied up before Rafa Benitez’s departure from the club, and this inevitably meant that the Serbian’s settling in period to English football was going to be even harder that he could have imagined.

A new country, a new league and a new manager were all obstacles to Jovanovic being a success on Merseyside and it proved an insurmountable task for the 30 year old. As if said, Jova’s arrival in the summer was met with a good deal optimism by Reds fans. Although not many had seen him play in Belgian football, his displays in the World Cup, especially against Germany, meant that there was some confidence that he had the attributes to succeed in the Premier League.

It became obvious very quickly though that Jovanovic was not going to fit in on Merseyside. Bought by Rafa Benitez, who would have been aware that his prime position was as a striker, and secondarily as a winger, new manager Roy Hodgson primarily saw him as a winger rather than as a striker.

As it inevitably turned out, Jovanovic would struggle to fit in to the 4-4-2 system adopted by Hodgson. He showed some of his quality in front of goal with a well taken goal which was overshadowed by the disastrous League Cup exit to Northampton, but that seemed to be it for the Serb. He was progressively sidelined by Hodgson as the months wore on.

Still there was hope when new manager Kenny Dalglish came in January, and the Serb was picked to start in King Kenny’s first league match against Blackpool, but he quickly fell out of favour again. Still being picked as a winger rather than a striker, Jovanovic tended to run into dead ends, despite having a good deal of pace and dribbling ability.

The fact he didn’t convince either Hodgson or Dalglish of his merits to the side means he has been denoted to be “dead-wood” by Reds fans and journalists. He must be wondering what might have been if Rafa Benitez had stayed but even then there was no guaranteed of success. He will go down as another one of those Bosman flops the Reds have been accustomed to in recent years.

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Read more of David’s articles at Live4Liverpool

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