Manchester United are preparing a £15 million bid for Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

The Manchester Evening News says the 24-year-old centre half is the main target to bolster United’s defence this summer.

Cahill is tipped to benefit from England’s World Cup debacle with Ledley King, Matthew Upson, Jamie Carragher and John Terry all failing to make an impact.

The former Aston Villa defender has also been linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s likely England boss Fabio Capello will name Cahill in his squad for next month’s friendly against Hungary and the European Championship qualifier with Bulgaria in September.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed he is hopeful of landing England midfielder Joe Cole.

Redknapp has held talks with the 28-year-old, who is available on a free transfer after his contract at Chelsea expired earlier this summer.

“You know he’s got lots of options, I think quite a few clubs want him,” said Redknapp.

“I had a great relationship with him as a kid; I signed him when he was 11 years of age.

“As I said before he lived for football, he was the best schoolboy footballer I have ever seen without a doubt.

“He has still got that enthusiasm I think, but whether there is a chance of getting him, I feel there is a chance.

“I don’t think it will be easy, but I think we have got as good a chance as anybody.”

According to the Daily Mail, Fulham are set to sign England keeper David James on a free transfer. James, who has been set as England’s first-choice goalkeeper by manager Fabio Capello, has long been tipped to leave Portsmouth following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

And with his contract finishing at the end of last season, the 39-year-old has successfully negotiated a contract with the Cottagers. The keeper now moves to the Europa League finalists with Fulham’s number one Mark Schwarzer tipped to move to Arsenal next week for £3.5 million.

Rio Ferdinand believes England can quiet Franz Beckenbauer when they meet Germany in the second round of the World Cup on Sunday. Beckenbauer had said England were “stupid” for not winning Group C, accusing the English of playing “kick and rush” football.

But the England defender, who was ruled out of the World Cup, claims Beckenbauer failed to unsettle the English squad, claiming that he is happy that England will play Germany.

Ferdinand told The Sun: “I think those comments will come back to bite Beckenbauer. Perhaps he wasn’t expecting Germany and England to meet this early in the competition.”

“It has unsettled him and he has got a bit rattled, so he’s looking for ways to get under our skin.

“But he hasn’t. He has just made the lads more determined. The team that wins a World Cup doesn’t necessarily start great. It’s the way you finish that counts.”

“I know some of the lads think it would have been better to play Ghana and it would have been an easier route for us.

“But I prefer Germany, because you know what you’re getting with them. Ghana can be unpredictable. Germany are more straightforward.

“We start again at the knockout stage and facing Germany will spur us on. We are going to have to play well and have a bit of luck. Yet we see ourselves as a lot better team than one which goes out in the last 16.”

Young German forward Savio Nsereko has returned to the club where he started his career by signing for 1860 Munich on loan. The 20 year old Kampala born starlet, who is currently contracted to Italian outfit Fiorentina, will spend the 2010-11 season with the Lions in the 2.Bundesliga.

As mentioned before, Nsereko started off with 1860 Munich before transferring to Brescia in 2005 at the tender age of 16. Some eye catching performances in Italy earned him a move north to England as West Ham United secured his services. However he was not really able to settle at Upton Park and was shipped back to Italy the same year.

Nsereko was part of the German squad that won the 2008 UEFA European U-19 championships in the Czech Republic.

[Source:- 1860 Munich]

Fabio Capello believes that there is still hope for England to progress to the second round at the World Cup if they win their last Group C match against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

England was considered one of the favourites to win next summer’s World Cup but their hopes were dented by disappointing draws, 1-1 against the United States and 0-0 against Algeria.

“I think we have good players but now they are not at the top like we played in the qualification,” the Italian manager said.

“But this group is really good. I’m not crazy when I said my target is the final of the World Cup. Because I’m sure this is a really good group. We will win and afterwards all the teams will have to fight against us.”

“My target as you know was to go right to the final so it would not be a good result. But I think like a team, like a group, not individually. My reputation is not important,” he added.

Capello guided England to nine wins in 10 qualifying games to reach the finals.

Valencia star Juan Mata has hinted he would be keen on a move to the Premier League this summer.

The 22-year-old is among the players that could leave the Spanish side this summer, due to the club’s financial problems.

“I don’t know if I’ll be sold, it depends on the economic situation of the club, which right now isn’t so good,” Mata told FourFourTwo.

“In the summer we have to raise a lot of money, and there is a possibility that they may have to sell players.

“In Spain they show many Premier League games on TV and it is an inspirational league.

“Maybe I would like to play in the Premier League. At the moment I’m here, I love living in Valencia and playing in the Spanish league, but in England the league is also top class and there are many big teams. Who knows?

“I admire Arsenal and the philosophy that the young players have. Liverpool, with their Spanish players – they also have an incredible squad. And Manchester United and Chelsea are teams that are very big, like Real Madrid and Barcelona, with money and incredible players.”

[Source: FourFourTwo]

Portsmouth’s Algerian full-back Nadir Belhadj has attracted strong interest from Lazio, according to the player’s agent.

The 27-year-old left-sided player is set for Pompey exit this summer after the troubled club’s relegation from the Premier League last season.

Pompey are currently in administration and in the midst of a financial crisis, and are expected to sell a number of their prized assets.

Lazio will be competing in Serie A next term, and Belhadj’s agent Marko Pomarin says they are keen to snap up the Algerian.

“I confirm the interest of Lazio in the player, we are seeking an agreement with the club,” he told calcionews24.com.

“Competition is high but I’m sure that Lazio will not miss a player good like Belhadj.”

Belhadj is currently competing with Algeria in the World Cup and the Desert Foxes take on England on Friday night.

Lazio finished the Italian top-flight in 12th last term and the Biancocelesti will be hoping for a top-half berth next season.