Carlos Tevez is confident he can continue to win trophies at new club Manchester City sooner rather than later.

The 25-year-old, who rejected the chance to remain with Manchester United, is set to finalise his move to Eastlands after agreeing a five-year deal.

City continue to spend big this summer, with Tevez following the arrivals of Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz last month.

And Mark Hughes has again highlighted his determination to break into the top four by reportedly bidding £25million for Arsenal frontman Emmanuel Adebayor - and Tevez is excited to be part of such an ambitious project.

“The manager and the owners are very ambitious and that became clear to me the first time we spoke,” he told the Daily Mail.

“This is the chance to be involved from the start, an opportunity to help build a special experience.

“I hope to win many more trophies with City.

“There is a great feeling of excitement around the club. Look at the quality of the players who have been signed and the prospect of other top-quality players coming too. Things are happening at this club.

“The owners made it clear to me that they will be doing everything in their power to make this an extraordinary club to play for.

“I look forward to being a part of that experience.”

Tevez added: “Mark Hughes played in my position for some of the biggest clubs in the world and he understands the demands and pressure of playing as a striker.

“I look forward to learning from him.”

The diminutive Argentinean will bring with him a wealth a winning experience having secured numerous honours at neighbours United and the forward hopes that will have a positive effect on his new team-mates.

“This is a new adventure for me and I thank the people who have made this possible,” he stated.

“My record of success speaks for itself. From helping West Ham to avoid relegation to helping Manchester United to two Champions League finals in two seasons.

“That’s not a bad record.”

Real Zaragoza have completed the signing of winger Jermaine Pennant after his release by Liverpool at the end of his contract.

The former Arsenal youngster passed a medical with the Spanish outfit on Thursday and will join their bid for survival next season after being promoted back to the Primera Division.

The 26-year-old becomes Zaragoza’s first signing of the summer and joins on a three-year deal.

Pennant told the club’s website: “I wanted to come to Spain and I had offers from important teams in Europe but joined Real Zaragoza.

“I really want to get started and do well in the league.”

Pennant spent time on loan at Portsmouth last season after being frozen out at Anfield.

The former England Under-21 winger impressed for Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final defeat by AC Milan but found opportunities increasingly limited from then on.

Rafael Benitez unveiled new boy Glen Johnson on Thursday and took a swipe at Manchester City with their “money, money, money” approach to the transfer market.

The Liverpool boss has spent £17million on the England full-back, a large chunk of which is wiped out by the cash Portsmouth still owe the Anfield club from the Peter Crouch deal.

And while Benitez played hardball with Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano over their long-term futures, he accepts that the market was now “crazy” and dominated by money.

He even admitted that he had tried again to sign Gareth Barry this summer from Aston Villa, but he eventually went to City.

Benitez said: “We had to pay big money, the market is now crazy. It is all money, money, money now. But we were signing a good player, an England player, and that is very positive.

“He has a good mentality, and when I spoke to him first it was clear he wanted to come here.

“Things have changed. You have to adapt to a situation. Manchester City and big clubs in Europe are spending big money, so the market has changed and we have to work harder.

“You have to do that to stay at the level we are at because of the big money being spent here and abroad.”

City also wanted Johnson, but Benitez said: “It was difficult, some clubs are offering big money. But he wanted to come here, that was the difference.

“We did go back again for Barry, but as I said, it is all about money, money, money. It is as simple as that.”

On City’s influence on the market and their prospects for next term, Benitez added: “City have signed a lot of good players, but that is no guarantee they will win anything. But it will be interesting to see what happens next season.

“But whatever happens, experience is more important and we feel that we have that to be in the top positions.

“If you spend big it is always easier to perform well. But when you have a good understanding between players that is also important. If they are together, they work hard, that is just as important.”

Benitez has also had to contend with a summer of transfer speculation over Alonso, wanted by Real Madrid, and Mascherano, a target for European champions Barcelona.

But although it is believed both players are being swayed by the advances of the Spanish club, Benitez made it clear that he does not want to sell and would like some loyalty shown by the pair.

He said: “I do not think Alonso or Mascherano will go. It is clear that they both are under contract with long-term agreements. That is it.

“There has been a lot of things written, a lot of rumours, but both players are under contract and we have no more need to talk about things.

“They are both very good players and I will be very pleased to keep them. They both have very good contracts.

“We signed them both from different situations. Alonso was coming from Real Sociedad and nobody had really heard much of him outside of Spain, he did well and we renewed his contract because of that.

“Mascherano came from West Ham where he had not been doing well. We brought him here and gave him a good contract, so we are very pleased with them both and that Liverpool has been very good to them.”

Benitez also dismissed rumours that full back Fabio Aurelio will be out for six months with a knee injury.

He said: “One, maybe two months, I expect him back by then. Certainly not six.”

Porto defender Bruno Alves admits he is tempted by a move to the Premier League, and claims he is “aware” of interest from Chelsea.

The Portugal international is expected to leave the Estadio do Dragao this summer after some sterling performances for Porto.

The 27-year-old was a late bloomer in football terms having only become a first-team regular at the Portuguese champions in the last three seasons.

Alves was tipped to move to Real Madrid at the end of the season but it now appears Chelsea could look to sign him as a replacement for Ricardo Carvalho.

However, as Alves reveals, they could face stiff competition from Barcelona.

“I’m open to a move to England. I’m aware of Chelsea’s interest and also Barcelona,” he told the Daily Mail.

“But I’m under contract to Porto and any decision comes down to the club.”

Everton are preparing a shock move for Manchester United midfield stalwart Paul Scholes, according to reports in Sunday’s press.

Both the Daily Star Sunday and the Sunday Mirror have linked Toffees boss David Moyes with a move for the 34-year-old Scholes.

The one-club star, who has made more than 600 appearances for the champions, is no longer a first choice inclusion for United, but Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to allow the former England man to leave as he still sees him as an important role model and squad man.

Everton already have a strong ex-United contingent at Goodison with Phil Neville, Tim Howard and Louis Saha all plying their trade with the Toffees.

Stoke City, Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers have also been linked with the veteran, who said in December 2008 that he believed he had two years left before he hung up his boots.

Former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez is confident he will not be viewed as a traitor by the Old Trafford faithful if he completes a transfer to the club’s cross-city rivals.

The Argentina international turned down a permanent deal at United last month following a two-year loan deal and has since been linked with a lucrative move to wealthy Manchester City.

Chelsea are also reportedly tracking the 25-year-old’s availability, but Eastlands is believed to be Tevez’s likely destination this summer.

Tevez told The People: “If I play for Manchester City I don’t think the United fans will feel I am a traitor.

“They have to remember that at least as far as I know I have been thrown out of the club and I have to study the best offers available.”

Tevez’s decision to turn down the offer of a five-year deal at United has been defended by his adviser Kia Joorabchian, and the player himself insists manager Sir Alex Ferguson left him with little choice but to move on.

“It has come about because I could not stand my sporting situation at Manchester United any longer,” he continued.

“My first year was good in all senses. I played in the games and felt respected by the coach but in my second year some strange things happened that I still do not understand.

“After the game at Old Trafford where Liverpool beat us [4-1, in March], Ferguson ignored me almost as if I was to blame for the defeat when really Liverpool dominated us all over the pitch.

“After that the fans called for me to be in the team but he never took the advice on board because he always knows best.

“I gave everything for Manchester United and people know that. For that reason I don’t deserve the way things have ended up.”

With £80million burning a hole in Sir Alex Ferguson’s sky rocket, TEAMtalk’s Ian Watson suggests what Manchester United could do with the cash.

With Cristiano Ronaldo destined for Spain and Carlos Tevez packing his bags, many say the duo’s exits are a sign that Manchester United’s dominance of English football has run its course.

Some people never learn apparently. Those writing off United have once again forgotten that in Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have at the helm the hungriest and most successful manager in English football. Armed with an £80million transfer warchest, the Scot will certainly fancy his chances of making it four-in-a-row next term.

However having the cash is one thing, spending it properly is a different kettle of fish.

Ronaldo’s exit leaves United short of not only a winger or a forward, but more importantly, a matchwinner. A star who can turn a game on its head with a flash a brilliance, a player who can be relied upon to haul the team out of trouble, which is a trick the Portuguese star has performed many times over the past three seasons.

The issue for Ferguson is, regardless of the size of the wedge burning a hole in his pocket, there are very few of those type or quality of players in the world game, and fewer still that might be available.

The Scot has had a year to plan for Ronaldo’s exit and it seems that he believes Frank Ribery is the best candidate to fill the number seven shirt at Old Trafford.

That makes sense. Ribery is a player who fits United style well. The Frenchman can play anywhere across the midfield, he’s direct, dominates the one v one and he gets goals. Sadly for Ferguson, all those attributes come at a heavy cost, with Bayern Munich rubbing their hands at the prospect of United, Real Madrid and Barcelona preparing for a bidding war.

The presence of the Spanish giants in the auction causes another major problem for Ferguson, and one he perhaps hadn’t accounted for. Ribery is said to prefer a move to La Liga to join the parade of the world’s finest players so the United boss will have to be at his most persuasive if the 26-year-old is indeed to grace the Theatre of Dreams next season.

If Ferguson can pull off the Ribery deal, much of the £80million received for Ronaldo would have to be deposited straight in Bayern’s bank account. But the spend cannot stop there.

Antonio Valencia is said to be a done deal but the Ecuadorian’s price tag (in the region of £16million) has raised a few eyebrows. Ferguson obviously rates the Wigan winger very highly, though, and with his style, versatility and age, the United boss sees Valencia’s potential as reason enough to splash the cash.

Valencia’s pace will also prove crucial next season. With Ronaldo occupying more of a central role for much of the last year, United often lacked a cutting edge in wide areas, which I believe goes a long way to explain their struggles in the final third last term. Valencia appears to be a slightly cheaper equivalent of Ashley Young, who Ferguson rates highly, and a more polished version of Nani, who stalled badly in what was a critical campaign for the Portuguese flyer last term.

Tevez’s exit leaves a much smaller hole than Ronaldo but a hole nonetheless. The Argentinian’s desire for a new challenge means United are now two bodies short in attack, and Ferguson knows he needs to bring in at least one forward to supplement Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney.

Karim Benzema has long been linked with the champions but I’m not certain he is the right man for the job.

First of all, he won’t come cheap. To get the Lyon striker, it will mean United having to break their £30.75m transfer record for a player whose record somewhat contradicts his lofty reputation.

The 21-year-old finished joint second in the Ligue 1 scoring charts last term with 17 goals in what isn’t one of the strongest leagues in Europe. There is no doubt Benzema has wonderful potential but for that amount of money, United need a more finished article and a player who can hit the ground running in the Premier League.

So what are the alternatives? Ferguson will have identified exactly what type of striker he needs, and in Berbatov and Rooney, he has two forwards brilliant at dropping off the front and playing deeper. What United lack, especially with Ronaldo gone, is an out-and-out goalscorer.

He doesn’t have to be tricky or cute outside the box. The United squad is overloaded with that type of player. He does, however, need to know how to work space in the penalty area and have the ability to finish the chances when they come along.

Again, there aren’t many around in world football that you wouldn’t have to break the bank for. Rooney looks likely to get his chance to shine in a central role next term so whoever comes in might have to be more content to conform to the needs of the squad more than Tevez apparently is.

With that in mind, I believe Ferguson could do worse than look to the North-East.

Tuncay was one of the few positives in Middlesbrough’s dreadful season and is thought of very highly within the game. The 27-year-old can finish, possesses the ability to play wide and leaves nothing in the tank when it comes to his work rate, which may go some way to appease the United fans who kicked up such a ridiculous stink over Tevez’s exit.

Tuncay is looking for a move away from Teesside and is available for somewhere in the region of £5million, a figure that would likely see United at least recoup their investment or turn a profit in the future. The Turk is cheap, but not as cheap as another goalscorer just a bit further up the A19.

Michael Owen has had a calamitous year and a shambolic stay at Newcastle. But the 29-year-old gets goals.

During his time on Tyneside, the former England striker found the net 26 times in 70 league appearances, a ratio of a goal every two-and-a-half games. That’s a not-too-shabby record for a forward playing in a wretched team.

Owen knows his way around a crowded penalty box and that can’t be questioned. The serious doubts remain over Owen’s fitness record and his desire to rediscover his former glories.

Yes, Owen would be a gamble but what do Ferguson and United have to lose? The former England striker has a lot to prove and if he is as keen to prove himself as he says he is, a hungry striker at the right side of 30, with 40 England goals and on a free transfer is far from the footballing equivalent of going all in with a dud hand.

It’s a maverick suggestion, but Ferguson has never been afraid to look beyond the obvious. Given his lack of other options, Owen would surely jump at the chance of playing for United on some kind of performance-related deal and if he can stay relatively fit, he would get goals in a side as creative as United.

A summer shopping haul of Ribery, Valencia, Tuncay and/or Owen would still leave United with loose change from the Ronaldo fee and go a long way to improving United’s fluency and potency in attack.

Ribery is the main man, though, and Ferguson must do whatever it takes to tempt the Frenchman to resist the lure of La Liga.

Miralem Pjanic claims Lyon team-mate Karim Benzema is close to completing a £38million move to Manchester United.

Benzema has been a long-term target for United, with Lyon prepared to listen to offers if the France international expresses a wish to move.

Reports had previously claimed that Benzema was willing to spend one more season with Lyon in order to maximise his prospects of playing at the 2010 World Cup.

However, he could now be on his way to Old Trafford after Pjanic revealed the 21-year-old is ready to link up with the Premier League champions.

“Benzema is nearly gone to Old Trafford,” Pjanic told Bosnian website Sportsport.

“The English club are willing to pay €45million (£38million) for him and it is just a question of the day when he will move to England.

“He does not have anything against going to Manchester. Our side will be reinforced by Lisandro Lopez, the Argentine forward from Porto.”

Real Madrid and Arsenal had also been linked with the striker, but it appears United have won the race to sign the coveted Benzema.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is striving to replace Carlos Tevez following the end of the Argentine’s two-year loan and Benzema looks to be his top target.

Ferguson has money to spend following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and wrapped up the signing of Antonio Valencia from Wigan Athletic on Tuesday evening.

Glen Johnson has agreed a four-year contract with Liverpool after completing his transfer from Portsmouth.

Johnson was a target of ex-club Chelsea and Manchester City but has opted to move to Liverpool where he is expected to be a first-choice selection in the Reds’ back four.

The fee is believed to be in the region of £17.5million, but there is some uncertainty regarding expenses still owed to Liverpool from Pompey following Peter Crouch’s transfer to Fratton Park.

Manager Rafael Benitez told Liverpool’s official website: “We were thinking about bringing in players with quality - that’s the first thing.

“He is also English and that is important for the Champions League list. We were thinking about improving the team and Johnson is a very good player who will do that.

“He was important at Chelsea and in the last year at Portsmouth he has improved and is much better.

“One of the main things is his mentality - it’s really good. He is a winner. I was impressed with the conversations I had with him. He wants to improve.

“We knew the market was going to be difficult this summer and some of it has been crazy. Manchester City and Chelsea were there - they were making offers.

“We had to be quick and the club acted quickly. It was down to the player whether he chose us or City or Chelsea and he chose us. It was very clear from talking to him that he wanted to play for Liverpool.”

Lionel Messi has again urged Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to consider a move to Barcelona.

The Argentine forward admits he would relish the opportunity to play alongside his countryman at club level.

Following speculation he could leave Anfield this summer, Mascherano has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp.

Admitting to being flattered by reported interest from the Spanish champions, as well as Real Madrid, the 25-year-old has dropped his biggest hint yet that he may switch to La Liga.

Encouraging his compatriot to consider a move to Barca, Messi admits a possible deal is exciting for him and the club.

“Of course I would like him to join,” he told El Mundo Deportivo.

“Who would not want to play with great players like Javier? I hope he can come here.”

Messi admitted that his main target next term is to add to Barca’s flourishing trophy cabinet.

He also spoke of his international ambition, saying: “There are two things I would wish for and the first is that Barcelona can win more trophies, the second is for Argentina to win the World Cup next year.

“We (Barca) can dream about another treble, but it will be extremely difficult.”

Asked his opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo’s impending £80million move to Real Madrid, he said: “If there is a club that sells and a club willing to buy then that is that.

“I am not going to enter into the rights and wrongs because that is not my place, I just play.

“It does seem like a big fee, but as I have said it is not really my place.”