Arshavin dreams of Barca, Man Utd want Schepers

Arsenal frontman Andrei Arshavin clearly has too much time on his hands as he recuperates from the calf injury he picked up last month.

With nothing better to do than give interviews to Moscow newspapers, the 28-year-old Russian striker has admitted that he would like to join Barcelona – despite the Spanish club being on the brink of a humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan.

"Even playing just one season for Barcelona would make a pinnacle of my whole career," simpered Arshavin, adding: "Barca are the best team in the world and I enjoy their style of play so much. They are so much better than anybody else at the moment."

Barcelona, who lost 3-1 to Inter in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final last week, face a monumental task if they're to turn around the deficit at the Nou Camp tomorrow, and Arshavin says the Italians are in the driving seat because of coach Jose Mourinho.

"He's a genius," says the Russian. "I think there are three coaches who are the best in the world - Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho and (former Russia and Chelsea coach) Guus Hiddink. If I would pick a coach for the Russian national team, I'd want one of them to be our boss. Arsene Wenger is also a good coach but not for Russia."

If that report is unlikely to please Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger then neither will the news in today's Daily Mail linking West Ham striker Carlton Cole with a move to Aston Villa. The 26-year-old has been the subject of much speculation in recent months as the Hammers slipped down the Premier League table, and Arsenal have been mooted as a possible destination for the England international next season.

But according to the Mail Villa are about to offer West Ham £10m for Cole. The paper says that the Villa boss, Martin O'Neill, has been a long-term admirer of Cole's to the extent that he will be prepared to sell one or all of John Carew, Emile Heskey and Ashley Young in order to bring the Londoner to Villa Park.

The Telegraph suggests that one star who could be heading to Arsenal next season is Everton prodigy Jack Rodwell, who, at 19 years old, already has 45 first team appearances to his name.

While previous seasons have seen Wenger work with a stringent transfer budget, that looks set to change with the news that they have paid off over £120m of debt on their Highbury stadium redevelopment. Future signings such as that of Rodwell would go some way towards healing the hurt felt after 5 years without winning a trophy.

Spanish rag Sport says that Barcelona are getting a taste of their own medicine now that the struggling side are staring Champions League elimination in the face. Having spent much of the season tapping up Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona are said to be alarmed at the prospect of having star defender Daniel Alves lured to the Premier League.

According to Sport, Manchester City and Chelsea have both held talks with Alves' people and told them that they would be happy to offer the Brazilian more money than he currently earns at the Nou Camp. The 26-year-old right-back, who's played more than 30 times for his country, is reportedly one of Barcelona's lowest-paid players and coach Pep Guardiola is urging the club to give him a wage hike to ensure he remains in Spain.

Finally, several papers report that Everton and Manchester United are battling it out for the signature of Dutch wonderkid Bob Schepers. The 18-year-old winger, a regular for the Holland Under-19 side, plays for SC Cambuur in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, and United last week sent some of their scouts to watch him play.

But Cambuur director Alex Pama is quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying the only approach has come from Merseyside:  "Everton is the only club that has contacted me about Bob," he said. "It's not concrete yet, but they have scouted him regularly this season. Everton have been following Bob since the youth World Cup last summer. We'd like to keep Bob, but we are open to a transfer if Everton or another club are willing to pay a decent transfer fee." ·