Arsenal laugh off £8m bid for Van Persie, Spurs want Walcott

JULY could be a month of transition as far as Spurs supporters are concerned. First up, it seems certain that Chelsea flop Andre Villas-Boas will be unveiled this week as the new Lilywhites manager. And that's not all.

If and when he arrives at White Hart Lane he seems determined to open a new chapter in the rivalry with Arsenal.

According to the Daily Express, Villas-Boas is lining up "an audacious move" to sign Arsenal winger Theo Walcott. The paper explains that the Portuguese coach is keen to stamp his mark on Spurs and to that end will make a raft of new signings in July.

The Express says AVB is "a big fan" of the Gunner while Walcott is said to be searching for a new challenge after becoming stale at the Emirates.

And just to put Arsene Wenger's nose out of joint even more he is also set to beat the Gunners to the signature of Alan Dzagoev. The winger was one of the stars of Euro 2012 and the Daily Mail reports that he is being tracked by Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid. However, the paper says he will be one of AVB's first signings for Spurs.

However, Wenger is likely to be absolutely furious at the news that Juventus have tabled a derisory offer of £8m for Robin Van Persie.  According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Arsenal have rejected the outrageously low offer out of hand. Most estimates value the Dutch striker at somewhere in excess of £20m.

And there's good news for Gooners elsewhere with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insisting he's not chasing Van Persie. The Sky Blues have been linked with the Arsenal skipper for weeks but The Sun reports that Mancini appears to be happy with his existing strike force.

"Van Persie is an Arsenal player and I don't want to disrespect Arsene Wenger," said Mancini when asked about the possibility of making a move for the Dutchman. "We have four strikers and we will start the pre-season in five days. It's unlikely there will be major changes in such a short time."

Back at Spurs, and Villas Boas also hopes to beat Liverpool to the signing of Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and landing Portuguese international midfielder Joao Moutinho from Porto, .

Meanwhile Arsenal and Tottenham are two of the clubs whose ears will have pricked up following the comments of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas to French broadcaster TF1. Lyon is home to France shot-stopper Hugo Lloris, one of the most highly-rated keepers in the business whose form in recent seasons has aroused the interest of Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool.

In the past, Lyon have dismissed as absurd the idea they could ever sell the 25-year-old Lloris, but in an interview with TF1 at the weekend Aulas signaled the club had had a change of heart. "Lloris can go, but only for a decent price in relation to the market," he said when asked about the possibility of Lloris leaving for England.

The Daily Mail reports that LA Galaxy are poised to make another play for Frank Lampard. The ageing Chelsea playmaker was first mooted as a Galaxy target last season but while nothing came of it the Mail says the MLS outfit now believe they'll be able to lure the 34-year-old away from the Bridge.

That's mainly because Lampard now understands he's not guaranteed regular game time with the Blues and a big-money offer Stateside – not to mention the chance of reuniting with his old England partner David Beckham – could be the incentive he needs to up sticks. The Mail says LA Galaxy are "hopeful" of tying up a deal before the start of the new Premier League season.

The BBC reports that West Ham United have snapped up their fourth signing of the summer – Sunderland's George McCartney. The 31-year-old left-back has enjoyed two loan spells with the Hammers in recent seasons but has now signed up for a two-year stint at Upton Park. "I am delighted to be coming back to West Ham and this time on a permanent basis," said McCartney, a former Northern Ireland international. ·