Corinthians Favourites for Tevez; Arsenal Trio Set for Exit

A few years ago, Brazilian football was at its lowest ebb due to their inability to hold on to the star players, who started moving to Europe even before they turned 18.

However, appreciation of the Brazilian currency along with the tendency to imitate European football in terms of sponsorship deals has brought about a major change in South America.

The shift in the balance of power was clearly visible in the transfers involving Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Brazilian stars usually return to their home country in their late 30s, but these two returned to Brazil much earlier than many expected.

Ronaldinho, for example, still has a lot of years in football ahead of him, although how he decides to use it is an entirely different story. However, more than these transfers, nothing more signifies the rise of Brazilian football than the bid for Carlos Tevez.

Manchester City's confirmation of the approach by Corinthians for the Argentinean superstar is nothing short of extraordinary. Corinthians have bid an astonishing £35 million for the player at the time when most cash-rich Premier League clubs like Chelsea and La Liga clubs like Real Madrid are waiting on the sidelines.

Tevez's powerful agent Kia Joorabchian conceded that a deal to sign the player is nearing completion.

This bid from Corinthians almost rules out any chances of Tevez moving to another European club, as he has clearly stated that he does not like the environment more than anything else.

A move to sunny Spain or Italy was on the agenda, but any opportunity to return to his homeland would clearly overshadow them. Tevez could also start a new era by doing so: the era of South American dominance.


Nicklas Bendtner might not be required at Arsenal, but potential suitors are coming from all over Europe. Bendtner could potentially play in the Premier League, Italian Serie A, Bundesliga or even the Liga Sagres next season. Clubs like AC Milan and Hamburg are showing interest in the player who scored just eight goals in his 32 appearances last season, although most of it were from substitute appearances.

The departure of Bendtner would probably signal the end of a presence upfront for Arsenal, as most of the other strikers, including Chamakh cannot match the physical presence offered by the Dane.

However, Bendtner often fails when it matters the most: scoring goals. Along with him, Almunia is also in talks with other clubs, although interest in him does seem limited, as only Spanish clubs have shown their interest.

For Bendtner, it is a different story, as he has a range of options to choose from.

These departure stories are likely to attract the least attention, as Sir Alex Ferguson sensationally claimed that Nasri would leave Arsenal, but not for Manchester United. United were the favourites to land him before both Manchester City and Chelsea came into the picture.

Now, Ferguson's claims would suggest that either City or Chelsea are close to nabbing the Frenchman.