The bookmakers expect the Blues to miss out on Carlos Tevez

This is a huge transfer window for Chelsea - their chance to build on a strong end to the season by bringing in players who can freshen up the squad and thrust them back into title contention - but it hasn’t gone to plan so far.

With Manchester United losing two of their “Fab Four”, the Blues have a real chance to close the gap but they have already been snubbed by Glen Johnson, while Ricardo Carvalho wants to leave and Michael Essien’s agent has made noises about his client moving to Spain.

Whereas a few weeks ago they were linked with Franck Ribery, Sergio Aguero and David Villa, this morning it’s Charlton youngster Jonjo Shelvey and Ross

A chance to get excited months before anything actually happens

Tottenham have finally been granted their wish to kick-off a Premier League campaign at home but Liverpool will be the visitors for their first opener at White Hart Lane since 2004.

Spurs fans can take some comfort though from the fact Arsenal have been given a challenging away game on the opening weekend against Everton.

Wolves are the only promoted side who start at home - against West Ham - and the last five to have done so have avoided defeat. Every new arrival who has opened their campaign on the road over the last three seasons has lost and Birmingham and Burnley face tough trips to Man United and Stoke.

Manchester Utd star lives it up in fancy Vegas club

While representing the nation of Britain abroad, our fine citizens do their best to assimilate themselves with local culture, being careful not to impinge British values on the natives.

With this in mind, Wes Brown took his stag party to über-cool Las Vegas nightclub Lavo, where they partied in a VIP area adorned with a huge Union Jack flag.

Manchester Utd star lives it up in the City of Sin

Here’s Wes Brown rockin’ the classic sunglasses inside and at night look at the Palms Casino, home of the rather good Playboy Club and the equally excellent Rain.

The Manchester Utd star chose Vegas for his Stag Weekend, and Danny Simpson, Jermaine Pennant, Charlton’s Jonathan Fortune, Plymouth’s Graham Stack and Southampton’s Adam Lallana helped him fend off the Bunnies.

Having just returned from a Vegas Stag Do ourselves, The Spoiler can only imagine what kind of debauchery and indulgence can be had out there with the budget of a professional footballer…

[Vegas News via 101GG]

The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies

Gareth Barry to Manchester City
Following last summer’s messy transfer saga, it’s thought that Rafa Benitez will use his beloved transfer kitty to finally land the Villa star in the closed season. The Birmingham Mail, however, are reporting that Manchester City could step in with a cheeky £14m bid.

The Spoiler truth-o-meter: With twelve months remaining on his contract and a Cristiano Ronaldo-esque approach to loyalty, it seems Barry will move on in the summer. Rafa is reportedly only willing to offer £10m, so the Citizens might win this transfer battle.

Xabi Alonso not going to Juventus
The Mirror are claiming that The Old Lady are all set to launch a £15m bid for the Spaniard. His agent Ignacio Ibanez, however, has rubbished the story in an interview with Calciomercato.it:

“I don’t know anything about these reports.

“It is true that we negotiated his possible move to Juve last year, but we are talking about last summer. I have not spoken

Transfer rumours and quotes that are doing the rounds today

Photo Credit: Ian Nicholson/PA Wire

Spurs start planning for the summer
The Spoiler thinks Tottenham would be wise to make only minimal changes to their squad during pre-season. The chaos of last summer’s revolving door policy led to Spurs making their worst ever start to a season and recent results - they have lost just one league game since the January transfer window closed - suggest that the current squad doesn’t need to be drastically altered. Harry Redknapp may view things differently though and this afternoon alone the club have been linked with Brazilian defender Joao Miranda de Souza, Gabriel Heinze and Djibril Cisse.

Optimist of the day
Tony Mowbray’s glass appears to be not so much half-full as overflowing. The West Brom manager is refusing to throw in the towel

The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies

Heurelho Gomes to Chelsea
“Chelsea Cech out Spurs keeper Gomes as blunder boy Petr heads for Stamford Bridge exit,” claims a headline on the Daily Mail website.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: A very unlikely transfer with a fickle headline. The English press have lauded Petr Cech as the best goalkeeper in the world for years but one high-profile mistake has turned him into a “blunder boy”. Meanwhile Heurelho Gomes, who the media not long ago treated as a laughing stock is now considered good enough for Chelsea.

Carlos Tevez to someone wealthy
Tevez’s two-year loan ends this summer and despite previously expressing a desire to stay at Old Trafford, the Argentine is reportedly annoyed at never starting important games. Chelsea, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Juventus and

Model, popstar, lover of Irish goalkeepers

As a goalkeeper who is not deemed good enough to make the Charlton first team, Darren Randolph must have some serious self esteem issues. The on-loan Republic of Ireland star, however, is doing exceptionally well on the WAG front. He currently steps out with Rochelle Wiseman, the singer who featured in S Club Juniors when she was about three years old, and who now forms one fifth of The Saturdays.