Titus Bramble could be set for a move to Sunderland as Steve Bruce looks to shore up his defence ahead of the new season.

The former Wigan boss has had a frustrating time of things as he looks to sign new defenders and now it seems he could raid his old club to bring in Bramble.

According to the Daily Mail, Bruce is set to pay £5 million for the defender who has revitalised his career in the north-west.

If the move does go ahead, Bramble would be returning to a familiar area of the country - he spent several seasons at Newcastle United.

During his time at St James' park he became infamous for a series of high-profile defensive errors and was widely regarded as something of a flop.

However, he had a much better time of things under Steve Bruce in Wigan and was even given the club's Player of the Year award two seasons ago, meaning he could perhaps boost Sunderland's premier league tournament odds for this season

Ashley Cole is staying put this summer, according to Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.

The left-back has been linked with a move away from the club for numerous reasons, not least his problematic personal life and his treatment by the tabloid press.

This led to suggestions that he was set for deal with Real Madrid, and the rumours only intensified after the side appointed ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourihno.

It seemed perfectly logical - Cole was fed up with life in England, is regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world and loved working under Mourinho. Why wouldn't he want to move to the Spanish giants?

Well, if the England man did have his heart set on a move, his hopes have been dashed by Buck.

Speaking to the Guardian, he said: "Ashley Cole is not for sale. That's the bottom line on that. There's no doubt that he's going to be a Chelsea player this season."

Ryan Giggs thinks Manchester United's old rivals City need to be more consistent and unite as a team if they want to go for the Premier League title next season.
Manchester City finished fifth last term and had to watch from below as United and Chelsea battled for the title until late into the campaign.

Roberto Mancini has already spent close to £70 million to bring David Silva, Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng to Eastlands as they look to progress next season and the Premier League football odds suggest they should do well.

It is unlikely that the club's spending is going to stop before they open their Premier League campaign against Spurs - who pipped them to Champions League qualification in May - and the likes of James Milner, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli have all been linked with City.

Giggs has seen many teams look to rival United during his long career at Old Trafford and knows City are going to be a major challenger for the Premier League title next season.

The veteran claims he will not take notice of City until United play them, but warned their rivals it could be a "frustrating season" for Mancini if he fails to get his side to reach their potential.

"It's a similar scenario to last season really. They have got so many talented players that, if they gel as a team, they'll be a force," said Giggs.

Any new Premier League season is always greeted with an equal amount of excitement and relief that the dark days of summer are finally over, but for a few teams the reality of a relegation battle will set in pretty quick and for one or two it could prove a long season this time around. Attention always turns to the three promoted teams when we start to look at potential relegation candidates for the following season, and this year will be no different with Newcastle, West Brom and Blackpool all fighting for that coveted 4th from bottom spot this year.

Newcastle are of course the interesting team after they secured their return to the top flight last season, Chris Hughton did a fantastic job in steadying the ship at St James Park but he faces an even bigger task back in the Premier League. On paper they should have a good enough squad to finish ahead of three other teams, the worry for Hughton will be where the goals are going to come from in his squad. Andy Carroll is well thought of in the game and he will need to realise his potential and chip in with his fare share, if he and the team can do that they should have too much to be relegated once again.

West Brom are the very definition of a yo-yo team, they have been bouncing between the Championship and the Premier League for some time now and looking at the current squad it could be déjà vu for the Baggies faithful once again and are currently favourites to makea  quick returns in the Premier League Relegations odds. Under Roberto Di Matteo they had a good season in the Championship to win promotion but they will need more than a good passing game to stay in the Premier League. The problem they have faced in the past is their lack of fire power and looking at their current squad it could once again prove to be their achillies heel, without a man to score 15-20 goals for them they are likely to concede too many at the back leaving them with an uphill task.

Ian Holloway has done a remarkable job to take his un-fancied Blackpool team into the Premier League, but if he were he to keep the club in the top flight it would be a far more remarkable feat for the likeable Manager. It is hard to see it happening though for Blackpool at this level with the squad looking distinctly thin on the ground in terms of Premier League class or experience. Much like Burnley last season they are likely to start the season with lots of fight and bravery but their lack of quality will gradually start to see them slip towards the trap door.

Outside of the promoted teams there will no doubt be one or two of the established clubs slipping towards the drop zone, the betting is telling us that Wolves and Mick McCarthy should be looking anxiously over their shoulders. The team from Molineux did well last season to stay up and should be able to match that this time around, in Kevin Doyle they have a top striker who can hit the back of the net when they most need and at home they will be tough to beat. Wigan are an interesting team this year after having a decent if unspectacular season last time, they look slightly thin on the ground in terms of class and will need to be very careful indeed this term. Roberto Martinez is a well respected young Manager but he faces a tough battle to improve the squad, they will need to get some early points on the board to build some momentum otherwise they could be in for a tough slog this season.

The relegation battle for the 2010/11 Premier League season could well prove just as fascinating as the title race for fans and punters over the next few months, any number of teams can be dragged into the drop zone making for an exciting campaign for the neutral. As it is though it looks as though Blackpool and West Brom will be heading back to the Championship pretty sharpish, the third spot is less clear cut but it is Wigan who are looking the most vulnerable as we approach the start of the season.

Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper is proving to be the most highly sought after players outside the Premiership. With Hooper entering the final year of his contract, Scunthorpe are looking to cash in on their prized asset.

The battle appears to be between Celtic, Leeds, Blackpool and Derby. Middlesbrough were interested in the striker, but after the signing of Kris Boyd, they look to have pulled out of the race. It appears that Scunthorpe are holding out for up to £3million, a high price for a player who will be able to leave for free next summer.

Leeds have been linked with Hooper by Championship betting pundits on and off for a while now. With Jermaine Beckford's departure to Everton, Leeds will be looking to fill the gap up-front. Blackpool will offer the player the chance in the Premiership, albeit maybe for only a season.

Derby boss Nigel Clough has made it clear the asking price is too high for his club as he looks to sign a player before Championship and Carling Cup Betting kicks into gear next month.

Scottish giants Celtic sent scouts to watch Hooper last season and were impressed. Neil Lennon is rumoured to be weighing up a bid, after his team lost Robbie Keane and Diomansy Kamara at the end of last season.

The 22 year old has his best season of his career last term, he scored 20 goals in a Scunthorpe team who struggled much of the season.

After only scoring twice in two years at Southend, Hooper was loaned out to Leyton Orient and Hereford before being snapped up by Scunthorpe. Under Nigel Adkins, Hooper has turned into one of the best strikers outside the Premiership. At just 22, Hooper is still developing as a player. It remains to be seen at which club he will continue to develop.

Paul Scholes isn't ready to be put out to pasture just yet, the Manchester United midfielder has revealed.
In June, the 35-year-old hinted he would retire from football at the end of the coming season, but now this seems this is far from certain.

He said: "I do not know if it will be my last season. I will just take every game as it comes.

"If I am feeling okay and doing the job the manager wants then we will see how things are at the end of next season."

Scholes has spent his entire career at United and in this time he has gone from emerging talent all the way through to seasoned pro and the latest Premier League odds suggest he has the chance to win another title this year.

Although his age means he is not the ever present he once was, it's clear that Sir Alex Ferguson respects the contribution the midfielder makes to the side.

Indeed, with Ferguson having a reputation for moving players on when they become too big for their boots or have started to slip in terms of quality, the fact Scholes has managed to remain part of the Old Trafford set up for almost two decades speaks volumes about his attitude and capabilities.

There can be few footballers who have eroded the goodwill of the public in quite the manner Jimmy Bullard has.

For a while he was everyone's favourite player, putting in battling performances for Wigan and then Fulham. He seemed to be getting better with age and there were even calls for a belated England debut.

A couple of serious injuries only added to his public appeal, and his triumphant return to help Fulham defy the fixed odds betting and avoid relegation in the 2007/08 season saw him achieve the status of folk hero at the club.

However, it wasn't long before things started to turn sour, and a contract wrangle saw Bullard heading to the exit door, becoming Hull City's record signing in the process.

Things started badly, although it was hardly the player's fault. Another serious knee injury sustained during his debut put him out for a lengthy spell, and it would be seven months before he would feature for the side again.

Shortly after this it became apparent Hull were in serious financial trouble and with things going badly on the pitch the fans started to turn on a man they saw as greedy.

The quest of the Baltimore Ravens to duplicate their 2000 Superbowl trophy got a much needed boost in the off-season of the National Football League.
The Ravens had reached an agreement with former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl safety Ken Hamlin for a one-year contract to play with the team in the next NFL season.
The perceive signing of Hamlin is a great development for the NFL team since the former Cowboys player is a proven player who can bring tough defense for the Ravens in the next NFL season.
The Ravens got the luck to sign Hamlin after the Cowboys released him in April.
The move to acquire Hamlin is a great step towards regaining the long desired NFL championship of the Ravens since the latter has a respectable 74 tackles, no interceptions and four pass breakups in 2009.
Before his release, Hamlim inked a one-year contract with the Cowboys in 2007 after playing four seasons in Seattle.
His first year with the Cowboys is a fruitful one as he earned his first Pro Bowl berth that season, compiling career highs in tackles (102) and interceptions (five).
With his great performance he was rewarded by the Cowboys with a six-year, $39 million contract.
However, Hamlin's happy days with the Cowboys was cut short in 2008 when his numbers declined in 2008, as he had only 92 tackles and just one interception.
Last season, he missed four games with a high ankle sprain and was replaced by Alan Ball.
At the time, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips praised Ball's work for getting the secondary in place and for making plays.
Hamlin returned for the final three games of the regular season and had 15 tackles and one pass breakup.
Phillips said Hamlin was playing better toward the end of the season.
Seeing that Hamlin is not anymore giving his usual numbers for the team the Cowboys eventually decided to drop him from its roster.
Hamlin is very happy with the chance to play for the Ravens in the next NFL seasons saying the NFL franchise has shown tremendous improvements the past NFL seasons.
He promised to give his all to have a rewarding career for the Ravens.
Professional football fans around the world time to rejoice the incoming NFL season promises to be an exciting and thrilling event. So don't miss the chance to see the incoming NFL live by getting cheap NFL tickets.

Harry Redknapp has again reiterated his desire to bring Joe Cole to White Hart Lane to help keep Spurs in the Premier League top four next season.

The veteran manager is preparing to take Spurs into the Champions League for the first time in the club's history - after taking them into the Premier League top four last season during his first full season in charge.

Redknapp is busy spending his summer looking for players who can improve the squad he has already assembled at White Hart Lane, and has been linked with a number of international stars and Cole in particular on a number of occasions.

The England midfielder is now a free agent after his contract with Premier League leaders Chelsea expired, and Redknapp has told Sky Sports he would love to sign the player he had as a youngster while in charge at West Ham.

Redknapp originally signed Cole as an 11-year-old at Upton Park but has admitted fans will have to "wait and see" if a deal happens, as Spurs' North London rivals Arsenal are also said to be interested in the midfielder.

"I think he is an outstanding player, a great professional and a top, top player," Redknapp said.

"I would love to have Joe at Tottenham but there are lots of clubs in for him."

The Premier League 2010/11 odds suggest the side could struggle to repeat their achievements of last year, and they will need to strengthen their squad.

It was a far cry from the scenes of celebration in the Argentina v Mexico game, and as Maradona stood with a blank look on his face towards the end of his side's 4-0 thrashing by Germany it was hard not to feel sympathy for a man so obviously out of his depth.

The blank look said it all. Here was a coach who had relied on the raw talent of his players to get him this far but, faced with his first real challenge, was unable to turn the tide of a game that had started to slip away from his team as early as the third minute.

Despite the ultimately comprehensive scoreline, it was Thomas Mueller's early header which separated the two sides for most of the game and it is this more than anything which highlights Maradona's failings.

Arguably, Argentina controlled the game, they had 61% of possession, but over the first 45 minutes it became painfully clear they were playing into Germany's hands. Time after time the Argentineans cut inside only to be faced by a wall of German defenders who were on hand to block shots and breakdown moves.

The World Cup odds made Argentina favourites for the clash, but they rarely looked like living up to the tag.

However, at only a goal down after the first half Maradona had an excellent chance to turn things around. A tactical substitution or two and a few simple instructions could have turned the game on its head.