Man Utd renew Karim Benzema chase

The Daily Mail reports that Manchester United have intensified their efforts to sign Lyon's striker Karim Benzema after the Old Trafford club admitted at the weekend that they were parting company with wantaway Argentinean Carlos Tevez. Man Utd will offer £35m for the French international, and his club's president Jean-Michel Aulas last week seemed resigned to losing his prize asset, saying: "If United want to buy Karim then what can you do?"...

Chelsea have entered the race to sign Carlos Tevez in earnest, with their Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich sanctioning his manager Carlo Ancelotti to make a big money move for the combative striker. Their main rivals for his signature will be Manchester City, who remain favourites to seal the £150,000 a week deal, but Abramovich will want to beat the Eastlands club to signing Tevez having lost out to the Mancunians in the race for Robinho last season...

Another player who could be Stamford Bridge bound is AC Milan's ageing midfielder Andrea Pirlo, but not at the frankly ludicrous £20m that the San Siro club are asking for the 30-year-old. Carlo Ancelotti is well aware of the Italian's talents, having managed him at AC Milan, but some fear that bringing a player of his age to Chelsea would be equivalent to Luiz Felipe Scolari signing Deco on his arrival at the London club last season...

It may not be glamourous, Michael Owen, but at least Hull will be playing Premier League football next season. The Humberside club has become the first to express an interest in signing the former England international, whose Newcastle contract expires at the end of the month. Manager Phil Brown said: "He has got a proven track record as a goalscorer and that's an area we are keen to strengthen, but it would have to be on the right terms"... ·