Chelsea have started their transfer dealings early. They've signed Marko Marin for 8mil euros. Lukaku is apparently going to Werder Bremen on loan as part of the deal.

Chelsea set to sign Marko Marin from Werder Bremen [ via ChelseaFC.com ]

Podolski to Arsenal and Marin to Chelsea. Interesting.

I think Marin is potentially a good player but I can't understand how hes going to fit into Chelsea. But for 8 million, its a good signing I guess. What do you guys think?

(btw, was I the only who didn't know anything about this till 5 minutes back? no rumours or anything?)

Btw, ManUtd close to signing Kagawa?

We go fishing in Bundesliga and everyone follows us! :/

I don't know why United would need Kagawa. Hasn't played as a striker in ages and his best position is one United don't use.

srigooner wrote:Btw, ManUtd close to signing Kagawa?

We go fishing in Bundesliga and everyone follows us! :/

Any source for that? i havent heard anything..... as Jay said i really cant see it unless Utd completely change and have Rooney as lone striker.

I hope he stays at BVB regardless.

I am not concerned by Marin as a Newcastle fan i dont think he will be the one that Chelsea need to make the difference.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

srigooner wrote:Btw, ManUtd close to signing Kagawa?

We go fishing in Bundesliga and everyone follows us! :/

Any source for that? i havent heard anything..... as Jay said i really cant see it unless Utd completely change and have Rooney as lone striker.

I hope he stays at BVB regardless.

I am not concerned by Marin as a Newcastle fan i dont think he will be the one that Chelsea need to make the difference.

Well its just a rumour I read a while back when I saw the Marin story and thought I had missed a whole lot the past week.. I was hoping someone here had heard more on that!

Yeah, to be honest, I don't want BVB to sell any players - they are an up and coming team, with two consecutive BL titles, a good manager and a team a lot of my friends in Germany support I want them to do well in CL next year too..

Marin, I have mixed feelings.. Loads of potential but physically not cut out for PL.. And his potential has been untapped for a good two years or so now.. I don't see how he fits into their team though..

I'm not concerned at all about Marin. He's not good enough for a starter. They could've got Shaqiri for the same price.

I see him as a mediocre replacement to the mediocre Malouda and therefore am not worried. As a friend of mine put it, "he's very talented but completely weak physically. A very very very very poor man's Messi."

I had read some rumors linking him to Liverpool but was surprised to see this spring up so yeah me neither.

Kagawa story is from goal.com,

so Bburn&QPR WILL BE desperate for points tomorrow vs chavs and spuds

No matter hey desperate they are, I can't see QPR getting anything at Chelsea. Blackburn just might be able to get something from Spurs, purely because of Spurs' poor form. Will be a big bonus if they either could get something from those games.

That game in hand they have over us will be played in mid-week. Chelsea/Newcastle is a huge game now and I fancy Spurs to drop points at Bolton.

More importantly, though, if we win our final two games we're 3rd. So no need to worry too much over how the others are doing.

GoonerJay29 wrote:No matter hey desperate they are, I can't see QPR getting anything at Chelsea. Blackburn just might be able to get something from Spurs, purely because of Spurs' poor form. Will be a big bonus if they either could get something from those games.

That game in hand they have over us will be played in mid-week. Chelsea/Newcastle is a huge game now and I fancy Spurs to drop points at Bolton.

More importantly, though, if we win our final two games we're 3rd. So no need to worry too much over how the others are doing.

THAT.

However, it would give me immense pleasure to see Chelsea lose both FA Cup and CL finals and also lose to Newcastle in the process.

I don't want them winning any trophies, let alone being the first London team to conquer Europe. Its a f*cking miracle that they are in this situation with Matteo as a manager. Villas-Boas is a very good manager who did the mistake of taking a job under that russian twat.

We can forget about QPR getting a result at Chelsea

3 - 0 to the Blues at 22 minutes so far

Torres Terry and Sturridge on the score sheet.

4 - 0 Torres again

Premier League

3. Arsenal P36 66pts
4. Spurs P35 62pts
---------------------
5. Newcastle P35 62pts
6. Chelsea P35 61pts

Wednesday Evening:

Chelsea v Newcastle (7.45pm)
Bolton v Spurs (8pm)

We never make it easy for our self, if we had won one of hour past few games we would have locked up 3erd place.

We must win both games, Spurs and Chelsea re capable of winning all their games.

Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher has retired from football (via @Nashat_Hassan )

Samuelj29060 wrote:Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher has retired from football (via @Nashat_Hassan )

what a shame! I hate his *bleep* attitude but that's no way to see out your football career.

Fletcher has severe bowel issue. That's why he took a break. It's something that causes excruciating pain and all sorts of nasty problems.

Having IBS, I can relate, to a degree.

Samuelj29060 wrote:Premier League

3. Arsenal P36 66pts
4. Spurs P35 62pts
---------------------
5. Newcastle P35 62pts
6. Chelsea P35 61pts

Wednesday Evening:

Chelsea v Newcastle (7.45pm)
Bolton v Spurs (8pm)

We need Chelsea and Spurs to lose or tie their next game and third place is ours.

Wednesday's football: Barcelona-Malaga (7) Juventus-Leece (7.45) Chelsea-Newcastle (7.45) Bolton-Spurs (8.00) & Bilbao-Real Madrid (9).

Will be watching as much as possible of all these games tonight. Hope Bolton can do us a favour!

Well, things didn't go quite to plan, did they?

As it stands, then:

3. Arsenal - P36, 66 pts
4. Spurs - P36, 65 pts
5. Newcastle - P36, 65 pts

Remaining games:

Arsenal - Norwich (h), West Brom (a)
Spurs - Villa (a), Fulham (h)
Newcastle - Man City (h), Everton (a)

If Spurs and Newcastle both lose next Sunday and we beat Norwich on Saturday, we'll be guaranteed 3rd.

If we beat Norwich and one of Spurs or Newcastle lose, than we'll be guaranteed a top four finish.