Owner Silvio Berlusconi is now said to to be looking for a buyer after securing the deal which will see the majority of the funds go into funding new transfers. With an average age of over 30, coach Leonardo is looking to bring that down whilst still blending in the legendary experienced names which have made AC so historic.

Defensive reinforcements are a must. €30 million looks set to be offered to Manchester United for Nemanja Vidic whilst a left back and possibly a right back would be key. Extra funds could be raised by the sale of Klass Jan Huntelaar and a selection of their promising youngsters. However, prise asset Alexandre Pato will be kept at all costs.

Milan are the most successful European club in the World in terms of officially recognized UEFA and FIFA international titles. Recent financial trouble and match fixing allegations have harmed the Rossoneri brand yet many companies are beginning to return to AC meaning big money should be available to improve on the struggling squad.

Milan take on Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League.

The tax break which Spain has enjoyed over the United Kingdom recently is set to come to an end and many believe big money transfers will become a scarce occurrence. This transfer window has seen some of Europe’s powerhouses struggle to come up with the liquid cash required to fund their shopping habits, instead, they are hoping to agree to installment deals or even loans. The big leagues of the world are struggling.

Yet in the ultimate survival of the fittest, the Eastern European oil-influenced sides are planning their assault on the big time. The rise of the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit St Petersburg have previously threatened Europe’s elite, but the new wave which includes Russian outfits CSKA Moscow, Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Moscow plus Romanian’s Unirea Urziceni and FC Cluj, look more likely to finally dominate the Champions League in the coming years.

The Federation of Russian clubs especially look dangerous. They are beginning to show their weight in Europe with CSKA making the last 16 and Dynamo looking to splash their cash in the transfer window. Ukrainan’s Shakhtar have shown their might by snatching Douglas Costa from under the noses of English and Spainish sides.

This rapid level of development comes at a time when Manchester United and Real Madrid, two of the worlds biggest clubs, fight with crippling debts. For the first time their positions look vulnerable. Gambles were made and they don’t look like they are paying off. A tiny slip and the aforementioned sides are ready to jump in. While English, Spanish and Italian powerhouses start to look at ways to sustain their positions, others not so far away begin to look to offer serious rivalry.

Money talks – and from the East of Europe – it’s starting to shout.

Xavi and Iniesta

If you haven’t already guessed I’m talking about Xavi and Iniesta. The pair of whom Sir Alex Ferguson famously said:

“I don’t think Iniesta and Xavi have ever given the ball away in their lives.”

While they create beautiful football together, we are going to talk about each of them separately for this article.

Andres Iniesta

The lad who many (including Guardiola, Samuel Eto’o, and Wayne Rooney) have named the best player on the planet, Iniesta is more than happy to stay out of the limelight and continue doing what he does best, playing football.

Where many of us have come to realize his skill in the recent years, it was Josep Guardiola who knew the small boy from Albacete was going to be special. Guardiola was Iniesta’s hero as a boy and the current Barca coach knew after watching a 12 year old Iniesta for the first time that he would one day be at the top of football. He even gifted Iniesta a signed poster dedicated to “the best player I have ever seen”.

On Andres’ first day with the Barcelona first team Guardiola pulled Xavi aside and proclaimed, “You’re going to retire me. This lad (Iniesta) is going to retire us all.”

Barcelona recognized that they had a special player and signed him to a contract running until 2014. Iniesta’s release clause is at a staggering €150 million but he insists that he belongs with the Blaugrana saying “When I say I want to retire in Barça, I say it with all my heart.”

Iniesta’s immense skill, coupled with his shy and humble personality make him one of the best liked players in all of Spain and at 25 years of age there is plenty more to expect from the diminutive midfielder.

Xavi Hernandes

Born in Barcelona it is little wonder that Xavi is a fan favourite. Part of the organization since the age of eleven, Xavi went through the youth system and reserves quickly and won a promotion to the Segunda Division with Barca B. Now he is playing for Champions League and World Cup honours.

Playing in the “four” role that was created by Johan Cruyff back when he was Barca’s manager. The first number four was Guardiola and now Xavi quarterbacks a side that might be better than Cruyff’s “Dream Team”.

Xavi was recently named the world’s best playmaker which doesn’t even begin to do the Spaniard justice. He got the most assists last season than any player has in Barca’s history but his near perfect passing record every match is what allows the Blaugrana to play such fluid football.

Much like his midfield partner Iniesta, Xavi has an innate humbleness which makes him even more endearing to the Catalan faithful. With a new contract (as of last year) that will see him in Barcelona until 2014 and potentially the end of his career Barca have their midfield core for years to come.

I could not put it better than how the two magical midfielders described themselves.

“We are,” Iniesta and Xavi agree, “sons of the system.”

Jesús Alberto Dátolo

The club obviously wasn’t impressed and manager Zico was sacked today after only four months in charge. After the unconvincing group stage and the fact that they are seven points behind first place Panathinaikos in the league there was no way the Brazilian ledged could keep him job.

Olympiacos made the following statement on their website:

“Olympiacos announces the termination of their co-operation with the coach Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Zico) and his assistants Eduardo Antunes Coimbra and Morassi Vasconcelos Santana. The technical leadership of the team will be undertaken by Bozidar Bandovic and Andreas Niniadis.”

Olympiacos have also strengthened their side on-field. Lomana LuaLua returned to Greece on a free transfer and just today they signed Jesús Alberto Dátolo on loan from Napoli. The Argentine midfielder and product of the Boca Juniors youth academy will add some creativity to their side.

Play Beautiful!

Fabregas (bottom left) and Pique (beside the keeper) were developed at Barca.

People who have read JBM for some time will know that I have a great interest in young footballers and the development of the next generation. So it is only right that Barcelona’s youth academy intrigues me.

It used to be that to gain success in the world of football it all started with your youth team. A clubs future depended on the quality of their youth side, not on their billionaire chairmen. While it is not the popular practice, teams that have maintained this philosophy have found much success. Barca are one of these sides.

Why am I intrigued? It is because it is an academy that has developed some of the top players in the game today, including current Barca players: the current “Playmaker of the Year” in Xavi, Iniesta, “FIFA World Player of the Year” Lionel Messi, Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Pique, Sergi Busquets. This list doesn’t include the likes of Pedro, Bojan, and Jonathan dos Santos who are all on the cusp of being first team players.

You add this remarkable list to the list of Barcelona youth products playing abroad it is amazing. A list with the likes of: Cesc Fabregas, Pepe Reina, Mikel Arteta, and Fran Merida playing in England alone it is clear that La Masia is a factory for world class talent.

La Masia

Barcelona treat their players well and give them opportunity to grow into the first team. This develops a club loyalty in your youngsters that most teams don’t have. Messi is a perfect example. The newly crowed “World Player of the Year” joined Barcelona in 2004 and Barcelona provided treatment for a growth hormone deficiency. This type of dedication in players not even in the first team reaps rewards as the Argentine recently said he wanted to “retire in Barcelona”.

Barcelona will never have to spend the millions that Chelsea, Real Madrid, and others do. They will always have players coming through the youth side that were bred in the Barca philosophy. They are “More than a club”.

Stay tuned for part two later this week when I will cover two players who are true “sons of Barca”.

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Claude Puel has signed Croatian centre-back Dejan Lovren on a four-and-a-half-year contract from NK Dinamo Zagreb. This is a much needed signing as Lyon have one of the worst defensive records in Ligue 1.

With a date with Real Madrid drawing near Lyon definitely need to make some moves and Dejan Lovren might not be enough. The former French giants started the season strong after a summer of refurbishment but have slumped recently.

Lyon have been linked to Pires and Viera as well but another defender might be in the cards.

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Madrid will miss Higuain.

Ricardo Kaka is finally fit after months of struggling with a groin injury. The Brazilian played for the first time since November on the weekend and will be keen to stay fit in the lead up to the World Cup in South Africa.

Kaka has said he is looking forward to being at his best for Madrid.

“I went through the past seven months playing with this problem; sometimes it got better and sometimes worse but at times it limited how I could play. I stopped everything for the past 42 days and I don’t feel soreness any more. Now I’m ready to do the things that everyone is expecting of me.”

On the other end of the spectrum Madrid have lost Higuain for at least three weeks. The Argentine has thirteen goals in nineteen matches in La Liga and the Champions League this season. He suffered a muscle tear but is expected back before Madrid’s first leg Champions League clash against Lyon.

Higuain’s absence will provide more opportunities for Benzema and Raul who have six and five goals this season respectively.

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Is this Arsenal's next Adebayor?

Arsene Wenger is looking to dip into his coffers to buy a striker this January. With Van Persie injured and not another adequate replacement in the centre forward position some new blood is needed. With the Gunners in a strong position in the Champions League and right on the tail of Chelsea and United in the Premier League it is important to strengthen the squad.

Many strikers have been named as possibilities for Wenger the most recent of which is much sought after Argentine, Mauro Zarate. Zarate is not happy at Lazio according to his agent.

“Their intention is to succeed where Manchester City failed in the past year – that is to take Zarate back to the Premier League,” he said. “Maybe this time they will succeed and from what I know Mauro is tired of the situation at Lazio.”

Another option the Gunners are considering is Lacina Traore from CFR Cluj. The towering forward from the Ivory Coast is in keeping with Wenger’s transfer history. He is young at 19 years old with a big upside. However another young star is not what Arsenal need right now.

So, I leave it for you to decide. Who should Arsenal sign? Is there someone I have missed? Or should Wenger refrain from tinkering with the squad. I welcome your thoughts.

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After news this week that their 23 year-old defender, Sergio Sanchez was out indefinitely due to a heart condition Sevilla were keen to fill the gap. They found their man in Marius Stankevicius, a 28 year-old Lithuanian defender who can fill the right back or centre defensive positions. It is a loan deal but Sevilla has the option of signing him permanently over the summer.

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Jose Mourinho completed the deal that has Goran Pandev joining the Italian champions. Inter picked up where they left off this past summer and made another signing to strengthen their Champions League chances.

It was a free transfer and Inter signed the Macedonian to a four and a half year deal. Pandev began his Serie A career at Milan which meant they were the front runners to sign him in front of other top clubs like Juventus and Tottenham.

Because Pandev was with Lazio he is not cup tied and is eligible for Champions League play. However as a forward he will have stiff competition from Eto’o, Milito, and Balotelli who are all playing well this season. Either way Internazionale’s intentions are quite clear. They mean business in the Champions League and with a match with Chelsea on the horizon they are keen to strengthen their squad.

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