Clothing retailer Next offered some relief to hard-up shoppers today by signalling a "more benign year" for prices during 2012.

Striker Nikola Kalinic's chances of playing for Blackburn again "look impossible", according to his agent Tomislav Erceg.

Chelsea were last night closing on the signing of Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu. Barça want €5m (£4.35m) for the 19-year-old defensive midfielder, who can also play as a central defender and was one of two Catalan youngsters wanted by manager Andre Villas-Boas – the other being Thiago Alcantara, who will stay at the Nou Camp until 2015 after signing a new contract this month.

Barcelona are expected to make an offer to Arsenal of around £35m for Cesc Fabregas this week, their third bid of the summer, which it is anticpated will finally prompt the endgame of the long-running transfer saga around the club's captain.

No radical changes from the new manager in first game as he pledges to learn from established first-teamers

Tottenham insist Luka Modric is available to play in tomorrow's pre-season friendly against Kaizer Chiefs despite his ongoing battle with the club over a move to Chelsea.

Charlie Adam has thanked Kenny Dalglish for showing faith in him after Blackpool rejected Liverpool's initial advances in January, before the Reds finally completed a deal last week. The 25-year-old, part of Liverpool's squad for their tour of the Far East, said: "I'd like to thank the manager for bringing me here. Some of the best players in the world are at this club so if I can learn from them I am going to improve."

Charlie Adam has thanked Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish for showing faith in him after Blackpool rejected the Reds' initial advances for the player in January.

Gervinho's £11m move from Lille to Arsenal will be delayed by at least another week due to visa problems, so the forward will miss the club's seven-day pre-season tour of the Far East.

With Colombia at the summit of Group A there’s one member of Los Cafeteros’ clan still soaring above the rest, Gustavo José Llanos Marino.

Johan Djourou insists the Arsenal squad cannot concern themselves with whether or not Cesc Fabregas will still be around to lead the club next season.

Liverpool have stepped up their pursuit of Aston Villa's Stewart Downing but may have to pay up to £20m for the winger, despite a desire to leave which may lead him to table a transfer request next week.

Ashley Cole insists there are "no egos" at Chelsea and the senior players will quickly adapt to life under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.