Gearing up for the last day with all the rumours around.

Portsmouth will be demoted from the Premier League this month, and its players will be put up for sale immediately after the final, against the Premier League’s top club, Chelsea, on May 15. The continued existence of a club representing the navy town of Portsmouth on England’s south coast is by no means guaranteed, even in a less glamorous, less well-heeled, lower league.

Even at the pinnacle of the Premier League, the clubs are spending money they don’t have. Manchester United and Liverpool are owned by Americans who borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars before the banking collapse and who cunningly (from their perspective) made the clubs liable for those debts.

A new challenger, Manchester City, was owned first by the exiled former prime minister of Thailand and now by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi. Manchester City’s biggest match of the season is Wednesday, when it plays Tottenham Hotspur. If Tottenham wins, it will finish fourth. If City wins, it will probably finish fourth.

If City wins, there is talk that it will pay whatever it takes to get Fernando Torres from Liverpool. He is injured, and has been for much of the season. Torres is the most potent striker in England — some would say in the world — so his transfer value would be anything the buyer and seller deem it to be. Rumours are rife this morning with the newsthat Chelsea are looking to catch the money men at Manchester City cold to beat them to the signing of Fernando Torres.It’s no secret that Torres is disappointed, like all Liverpool players and fans, with their form in the Premier League this season. With Champions League football a distant memory next season, with the future of Rafa Benitez up in the air and also the future of Liverpool in doubt in the hands of their American owners, it could be the time for Torres to move on as he looks for honours. 

That could be as much as 80 million pounds, about $121.5 million. Torres could command an annual salary of $15 million. If Torres goes, Rafael Benítez, his fellow Spaniard, will probably go as well. The manager at an English club is responsible not just for tactics and team selection, but also for buying and selling players. Since Benítez arrived six years ago, he has made 48 major signings — spending more than $350 million — and sold 59 players, for about $220 million.

United’s trip to San Siro to meet Becks

After a long break, the premier tournment of Europe is back and back with a big bang with 16 super powers of Europe will be starting the knock out phase of theChampions’ league. Tonight will see 99’s treblers Manchester United go to San Siro to face the Italian giants AC Milan and in the other match Real Madrid will be up against French side Olympique Lyonnais.

It will be more than a match for ex-Manchester United player David Beckham who will be facing his former club for the first time in his adopted home at San Siro. In the press conference he said “I am a Manchester United supporter and for the first time I will have to hope for them to lose”. After topping a relatively easier group this will be Unitedfirst test in Milan specially when the likes of Ronaldinho and Co. Further blow for the visitors is that thier ace wingerRyan Giggs is out due to the fracture he got against Villa which will keep him out for atleast a month. It will beWayne Rooney who is expected to take the cake and Milan will be ready to stop every inch of his movement. So in just couple of hours, the first leg will decide the future course of action, don’t miss the action at 2045 Hours GMT (0215 Hours IST).

Lyon will be all set to prove that their place in the lats 16 is not a fluke when they will be hosting Spanish giants Real Madrid for the first leg. They will be banking on the likes of Cristaino Ronaldo, Kaka to fire in this one. WIth their unbeaten run this year in the champions league it is no doubt that they are the favourites to take the fixture away and carry on the momemtum till they reach their home ground for the final in may. With both the teams playing for some important point it will be exciting to see what results takes them to the return leg a week later. That match will be starting at the same time of that at San Siro.