SOCCER

The saga of Frank Lampard`s contract has finally been settled and he has this morning signed a one year extension. It is thought that Rafa Benitez may had some input into the change of mind, but Chelsea insiders are saying that incoming manager Jose Mourinho made it a condition of his appointment that Lampard and Terry are part of the deal.

Originally, it was thought that Lampard would be allowed to leave at the end of his current contract in the summer and there were rumours that LA Galaxy had been in touch with his agent about a possible move to the United States, however, his wife, who has her own separate career, was not keen to uproot.

The situation surrounding Terry is slightly different in that he has suffered a dramatic loss of form and it may be that he will leave with Lampard at the end of next season.

All that remains now is for Mourinho to make it official that he will be the next Chelsea manager.

Manchester City have sacked Roberto Mancini - a year to the day he led them to the Premier League title. 

Manuel Pellegrini is set to replace Mancini as boss at The Etihad.

Pellegrini is set to be confirmed as City’s new manager to replace Roberto Mancini and he will not be the only arrival from Malaga.

Abu Dhabi sources have excitedly claimed that Spanish attacking midfielder Isco will join his boss Pellegrini at City and that a deal for Cavani is close to completion. The total cost of the double deal could total a staggering £79million.

Isco’s Malaga release fee is £27m, while Napoli have always insisted they will not accept less than the £52m buy-out clause in striker Cavani’s contract.

With David Silva's injury problems this season contributing to his stuttering form, it’s time some of the playmaking burden was taken off him. Isco is an ideal solution to the creative side of City’s game, and the bonus is that Pellegrini knows the 20-year-old inside out from his time at Malaga.

There were the usual rumours surrounding Wayne Rooney, when it was suggested that he wanted away from Manchester United, especially as Sir Alex Ferguson actually admitted that he had asked for a transfer only two weeks before announcing his retirement from the club. There was an immediate glut of rumours from Manchester City, to Chelsea and then beyond into Europe.

As regards Europe, we now know that both Real Madrid and Barcelona were sounded out about Rooney during the earlier part of this year, but both clubs made it clear that he was not the sort of player they were looking for. We then heard that it was Bayern Munich, but just this week, their president has stated that they have no interest in Rooney.

That now leaves Manchester City and Chelsea, but with both having a change of manager at the end of this season, there is little interest in Rooney from either of their camps. However, there has been an astounding revelation today from an unlikely source; the SportsDirect website.

For those who do now know, SportsDirect is the company owned by Mike Ashley, who also happens to be the owner of Newcastle United. On their website, it clearly states:-

What a difference a year makes.

Exactly a year to the day after winning their first Premier League title in 44 years, Manchester City sacked Manager Roberto Mancini following a season of disappointment culminating in their embarrassing 1-0 defeat at the hands of relegated Wigan Athletic in Saturday's F.A Cup final. The writing appears to have been on the wall for some time, given Mancini's disillusioned demeanor during Interviews and there have been strong rumours circulating for some time now that Manchester City have actively been looking for a replacement behind the back of the current Manager. Hardly the best way to do business, but this is the exact same situation Mancini himself walked into when he agreed terms on a contract when then Manager Mark Hughes was still at the helm.

So, where did it all go wrong?

Arsenal welcome the newly-crowned FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic to the Emirates tomorrow in what is a crucial but also worth three points as any other Premier League match.

Wigan are fighting for their Premier League survival, so they need the three points just as badly as Arsenal do tomorrow, so there will be no shortage of attacking play. Roberto Martinez can piece together something looking like an attack when he needs to, and this will probably work out for Arsenal, too, as the Gunners tend to play more freely against teams who leave space rather than those who just play a 4-5-1 and stand tall. Wigan may also be a little tired from their cup win over the weekend, so Arsenal should have space to roam.

And roam they must. The three points are crucial to stay ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, and the goal is simple: win the last two games, and the 4th Champions League spot is in Arsenal's hands. 

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