Valencia CF (also known as Club de Futbol, Valencia C.F. or Valencia or Los Che) is a professional Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. Valencia CF play in La Liga and is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Spain. Valencia's home matches are held at the Estadio Mestalla stadium since 1923; the club has plans to the bigger Nou Mestalla stadium in 2011. Valencia CF has won many titles and trophies including Copa del Rey trophies, La Liga titles, UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cups and more.

The football seasons between 1999 and 2004 were the most successful seasons in Valencia CF's history. During these seasons Valencia won one UEFA Cup, 2 La Liga titles, one UEFA Super Cup and one UEFA Cup.

In the summer of 2004 Valencia's coach Rafa Ben?tez decided to leave the club and the team had trouble to keep its ranking; several months later, Valencia was ranked at the 7th place and knocked out of the Champions League group phase. The 2004/05 season ended with Valencia outside of the UEFA Cup spots.

In the following season with Quique S?nchez Flores as the new manager, Valencia CF finished at the 3rd place and gained its placement in the Champions League.

During the 2006/07 season Valencia experienced various difficulties, many of the team's key players were injured and there were also many arguments between the club's management and the new Sporting Director Amedeo Carboni. Valencia finished the season in the 4th place and was eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-finals stage. Eventually, the club's Sporting Director was replaced and the club's future looked brighter.

In the following 2007/08 season, Valencia CF's manager was replaced but the club's performance got worst rather than the expected improvement. Valencia dropped to the 15th place; just 2 points from the relegation zone. The new manager was dismissed and Voro was hired as the new manager and Valencia avoided the relegation zone and finished the season at the 10th place. By the end of that season, Valencia's manager was replaced and the 2008/09 season looked promising.

Valencia CF began the 2008/09 season with great performance, won 4 out of the first 5 matches and easily reached the top of the La Liga table. Unfortunately for Valencia, in the rest of the season the club was not as successful as it was in the beginning of the season. Valencia players were not paid for weeks and reports regarding massive debts of the club emerged. Valencia was knocked out of the UEFA Cup and hardly gained only 5 points in La Liga before it was announced that the club has secured a loan to cover the players expenses until the end of that year.

Following the announcing of the loan Valencia won six of the next eight games and finished at the 6th position of the table.

Real Zaragoza (also known as Zaragoza, Saragossa or S.A.D). is a Spanish football team based in Zaragoza, Aragon. Real Zaragoza was founded in 1932 out of two rival teams; Iberia SC and Real Zaragoza CD. In its early years, Real Zaragoza was successful in the Spanish La Liga but the civil war in Spain put a brake on most of the achieved progress. Unitl 1957, Real Zaragoza home stadium was the Torrero stadium; since 1957, Real Zaragoza plays in the La Romareda stadium (seats 34,596 spectators). Real Zaragoza traditionally play in white shirts and socks with royal blue shorts for home matches and with black and yellow away kits.

During the 1960's, Real Zaragoza was very successful and had some of the greatest football players in Spain. Zaragoza won the title of Los Magn?ficos, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and its first two Copa del Rey titles.

Between 1970 and 2000, Real Zaragoza had many ups and downs. The team finished in the third place in the 1973/74 season; in the 1974/75 season, Zaragoza had its first 2nd place finish. Zaragoza was also the finalists twice and won two more Copa del Rey titles. In 1995, Real Zaragoza won the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup against Arsenal.

Starting the 2000's, Real Zaragoza had two more historic Copa Del Rey wins as well as becoming finalist again. The team was quite successful until the 2007/08 season in which was one of the most underachieving teams and caused a great disappointment to many fans all over the world when the team crashed out in the first round of the UEFA Cup and kept slipping further and further down the table until the unavoidable relegation after the fell to RCD Mallorca 3-2. Real Zaragoza gained promotion from the 2008/09 back into the Spanish La Liga top-flight where the team played during the majority of its history. Real Zaragoza got promoted for the 2009-10 season after their final game.

Man Utd leave Hargreaves, Bebe off Champions League list

Owen Hargreaves and Beb? have been left out of Manchester United's Champions League squad.

Hargreaves has been left out on grounds of fitness; a decision that indicates Ferguson does not anticipate the injury-troubled midfielder will recover from his long-standing knee problems in the next few months. United's final group match is against Valencia on 7 December.

Beb? is a more complex case, having signed from Vit?ria Guimar?es on 11 August for £7.4m without Ferguson ever having seen him play. United's manager had relied on recommendations before arranging a deal for the 20-year-old, but it has since become apparent to the club's coaching staff that the Portuguese is a long way from challenging for the first team and will need more work on the training ground than had been previously anticipated.

Click here for the best Manchester United coverage on the 'net. All your United news and gossip in one spot.

 Valencia ready to sign Man City striker Santa Cruz in January

Valencia are ready to sign Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz.

The two clubs enjoy a good relationship thanks to David Silva's move to Eastlands early in the summer.

Santa Cruz came close to signing with Fulham on deadline day, but could move to Spain in January should Valencia coach Unai Emery decide he needs a new striker.

Need your Manchester City news fix? Click here for all City news and transfer rumours.

 Maduro determined to improve at Valencia

Valencia midfielder Hedwiges Maduro is determined to have his best ever season in Spain.

Maduro has struggled to find consistency since his arrival from Ajax.

But he says: "I have a lot of confidence because my last match me was very good [for Netherlands] even though it was not the first choice squad. I played in midfield and knew I had nothing to lose, I focused on having a good game, as the minutes passed , I was gaining confidence so I could show my real level.

"In the Netherlands I was more settled in midfield, I can also play as central defender and for me that is no problem. Honestly, there comes a time when you do not care what position you play, because the important thing is to be on the pitch.

"I will fight no more in practice to stop being an impact player, this season we will have the Champions League, which is a tougher competition and will be important for us all to perform I'm in a great shape because I want to start well. I feel good, and although I did not play in Malaga, the [pre-season friendly] match against Fiorentina helped me a lot to prove I can play more for Valencia."

 Valencia coach Emery offers Fernandes olive branch

Valencia coach Unai Emery says Manuel Fernandes remains in his plans.

Fernandes missed out on moves to Tottenham and Malaga this week.

But Emery said: “The player expressed his intention to leave because he believes it will be good for his growth, and he thinks he will not play as regularly as before because of the new signings.

“In response to his request we made an effort to conclude a deal that was best for all parties, but in the end he decided to stay. He is involved and we welcome him with open arms, now that he has decided to stay.”

 EPL squads 2010/11: Man Utd

Manchester United squad 2010/11

tribalfootball rating: 7.68

Goalkeeping strength: 7

Edwin van der Sar
Tomasz Kuszczak
Ben Amos

Defensive strength: 7.25

Wes Brown
Jonathan Evans
Patrice Evra
Rio Ferdinand
Gary Neville
John O'Shea
Nemanja Vidic

Midfield strength: 8.5

Darren Fletcher
Darron Gibson
Ryan Giggs
Nani
Owen Hargreaves
Anderson
Park Ji-Sung
Paul Scholes
Antonio Valencia
Michael Carrick

Forward strength: 8

Dimitar Berbatov
Javier Hernandez
Michael Owen
Wayne Rooney

Key U21 players

Federico Macheda
Gabriel Obertan
Chris Smalling
Bebe
Rafael
Fabio

Need your Manchester United news fix? Click here for all United news and transfer rumours.

 Brighton move swiftly for released Dundee Utd striker

Brighton have clinched the signing of Spanish striker Fran Sandaza.

The 25-year-old arrives at the Withdean as a free agent following his release by Dundee United on transfer deadline day.

Seagulls boss Gus Poyet has been monitoring the former Valencia frontman for two years and was delighted with the deal.

"I knew about Fran two years ago when Roberto di Matteo was trying to take him from Valencia to MK Dons," said Poyet.

"Instead he went to Dundee United and made his name in Scotland with an impressive first season in the SPL, in which he scored against both Rangers and Celtic.

"He had a hernia problem last season which restricted him and we had to first make sure he had recovered. We also had to wait as he had options elsewhere, but I am happy everything has worked out and I am looking forward to him scoring goals for Brighton."

 Tottenham attempted deal for Valencia midfielder Fernandes

Tottenham attempted to broker a loan deal for Valencia midfielder Manuel Fernandes yesterday.

Las Provincias says Fernandes was keen on the move as he is not in Valencia coach Una Emery's plans this season.

A loan move was mooted, but nothing could be agreed in time for England's 6pm transfer deadline.

Need your Tottenham news fix? Click here for all Spurs news and transfer rumours.

 TRANSFER WINDOW: Birmingham

Arrivals:
Alex Hleb (loan from Barcelona)
Ben Foster (£6m from Manchester United)
Nikola Zigic (£6m from Valencia)
Enric Valles (free from NAC Breda)
Matt Derbyshire (loan from Olympiakos)
Martin Jiranek (undisclosed from Spartak Moscow)
Jean Beausejour (undisclosed from Club America)

Departures:
Marcus Bent (loan to Wolves)
Artur Krysiak (free to Exeter)
Cristian Benitez (loan return to Santos Laguna)
Gary McSheffrey (free to Coventry)
Lee Carsley (released, now at Coventry City)
Franck Queudrue (released, now at Panionios)
Gregory Vignal (released, currently unattached)
Jake Jervis (loan to Notts County)
Robin Shroot (loan to Cheltenham)
Luke Hubbins (loan to Notts County)

Need your Birmingham City news fix? Click here for all Blues news and transfer rumours.

 TRANSFER WINDOW: Man City

Arrivals:
Mario Balotelli (£24m from Inter)
Yaya Toure (£25m from Barcelona)
David Silva (£24m from Valencia)
James Milner (undisclosed from Aston Villa)
Jerome Boateng (£10m from Hamburg)
Alexandar Kolarov (£16m from Lazio)
Alex Henshall (undisc. from Swindon)

Departures:
Robinho (£12m to AC Milan)
Craig Bellamy (loan to Cardiff)
Martin Petrov (free to Bolton)
Valeri Bojinov (£4.25m to Parma)
Sylvinho (released, currently unattached)
Benjani Mwaruwari (released, now at Blackburn Rovers)
Paul Marshall (free to Walsall)
Robert Mak (undisclosed to Nurnberg)
David Ball (loan to Swindon)
Gunnar Nielsen (loan to Tranmere)
Javier Garrido (£2.5m to Lazio)
Andrew Tutte (loan to Rochdale)
Nedum Onouha (loan to Sunderland)
Stephen Ireland (undisclosed to Aston Villa)
Vladimir Weiss (loan to Rangers)
Adam Clayton (nominal to Leeds)

Need your Manchester City news fix? Click here for all City news and transfer rumours.

 Valencia swoop for Sampdoria defender Stankevicius

Valencia have captured Sampdoria wing-back Marius Stankevicius.

Stankevicius spent last season on-loan at Sevilla and will complete his move to Valencia today.

Valencia moved for Stankevicius after losing Alexis and Carlos Marchena in the summer.

 Yaya Toure insists Silva will prove value at Man City

Yaya Toure has no doubts Manchester City teammate David Silva will live up to his price-tag.

The former Valencia star has had a slow start to his Premier League career.

But Toure told City's website: "I know David very well and have seen him play many times in Spain and he is a very good player,” he said. “I think in two or three months, everyone will see just how good he is.”

Need your Manchester City news fix? Click here for all City news and transfer rumours.

 Man Utd management delighted with growing Nani influence

Manchester United management are delighted with the form of Nani.

The Portugal winger was drafted in on the right against West Ham and responded with a superb goal in the 3-0 victory at Old Trafford.

It came after he missed a penalty in his previous outing against Fulham. Had Nani scored his side would have led 3-1, but instead they had to settle for a draw.

Phelan is pleased with the player's mindset.

He said: "Nani's head never goes down. He takes a few knocks along the way but he always rises to an occasion.

"It was important for him to bounce back. We played him on the right, which he doesn't normally do, he plays on the left. His general play and running off the ball was very good."

Nani was chosen ahead of Antonio Valencia and that has given United a dilemma about which one of the two is best suited to the role.

"It does raise a question, " Phelan told the BBC. "But we have to balance the team the right way.

"When Nani plays on the left he likes to come inside. When he plays on the right, he can deliver a ball and also score by running inside and finishing with great power."

Need your Manchester United news fix? Click here for all United news and transfer rumours.

 Ferguson: Man Utd unaffected by new squad rules

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says they're well covered for the Premier League’s new 25-man squad rules.

In his column for manutd.com, Sir Alex wrote: "They key requirement is that each squad must include at least eight home-grown players who have been affiliated to the FA for three full seasons before the age of 21.

"For Manchester United it’s not a problem, at least for this season, because we have the likes of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney. So this means there is no problem with our senior foreign players like Edwin van der Sar, Tomasz Kuszczak, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Antonio Valencia, Nani, Anderson, Dimitar Berbatov, Ji-sung Park and Javier Hernandez.

"There is no limit on the number of players under the age of 21 so no complications there for our up-and-coming youngsters such as the da Silva brothers, Tom Cleverley, Bebe and Chris Smalling etc."

Need your Manchester United news fix? Click here for all United news and transfer rumours.

 Barcelona wait for Guardiola OK to go for Robinho, Mata

Barcelona chiefs are waiting on Pep Guardiola to give them the green light to buy a new attacker.

After allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to leave for AC Milan yesterday, El Mundo Deportivo says Barca directors have told Guardiola there is cash available to buy again before the market deadline.

An attacking midfielder is what Guardiola is seeking and Valencia winger Juan Mata and Manchester City's Robinho are the two targets put forward to the coach by Barca chiefs.

Ajax striker Luis Suarez has also been mentioned, but if he is to buy again, Guardiola is expected to move for a player capable of playing in midfield and on the flanks.

Need your Barcelona news fix? Click here for all Barca news, transfer rumours and gossip.

 Zigic confident of big impact at Birmingham

Nikola Zigic has no doubts of success at Birmingham City.

Former Valencia centre-forward Zigic said he had every confidence in himself and that he would adjust quickly.

“I spoke to a lot of the guys in the Serbia national team who play over here, the likes of Nenad Milijas and Nemanja Vidic, and they all came back with positive vibes about the country and it has proved to be a good move for them.

“I am very confident from my early experiences that I will enjoy it equally as much in England.

“In Spain the football is far more technical and you get a little bit more time on the ball. The pace of the game is a lot faster here and it is more physical, but that’s something I will get used to.

“The training methods are very much the same the world over, training is training, although each club does have its own system.”

Need your Birmingham City news fix? Click here for all Blues news and transfer rumours.

 Man Utd leave Hargreaves, Bebe off Champions League list

Owen Hargreaves and Beb? have been left out of Manchester United's Champions League squad.

Hargreaves has been left out on grounds of fitness; a decision that indicates Ferguson does not anticipate the injury-troubled midfielder will recover from his long-standing knee problems in the next few months. United's final group match is against Valencia on 7 December.

Beb? is a more complex case, having signed from Vit?ria Guimar?es on 11 August for £7.4m without Ferguson ever having seen him play. United's manager had relied on recommendations before arranging a deal for the 20-year-old, but it has since become apparent to the club's coaching staff that the Portuguese is a long way from challenging for the first team and will need more work on the training ground than had been previously anticipated.

Click here for the best Manchester United coverage on the 'net. All your United news and gossip in one spot.

 Valencia ready to sign Man City striker Santa Cruz in January

Valencia are ready to sign Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz.

The two clubs enjoy a good relationship thanks to David Silva's move to Eastlands early in the summer.

Santa Cruz came close to signing with Fulham on deadline day, but could move to Spain in January should Valencia coach Unai Emery decide he needs a new striker.

Need your Manchester City news fix? Click here for all City news and transfer rumours.

 Maduro determined to improve at Valencia

Valencia midfielder Hedwiges Maduro is determined to have his best ever season in Spain.

Maduro has struggled to find consistency since his arrival from Ajax.

But he says: "I have a lot of confidence because my last match me was very good [for Netherlands] even though it was not the first choice squad. I played in midfield and knew I had nothing to lose, I focused on having a good game, as the minutes passed , I was gaining confidence so I could show my real level.

"In the Netherlands I was more settled in midfield, I can also play as central defender and for me that is no problem. Honestly, there comes a time when you do not care what position you play, because the important thing is to be on the pitch.

"I will fight no more in practice to stop being an impact player, this season we will have the Champions League, which is a tougher competition and will be important for us all to perform I'm in a great shape because I want to start well. I feel good, and although I did not play in Malaga, the [pre-season friendly] match against Fiorentina helped me a lot to prove I can play more for Valencia."

 Valencia coach Emery offers Fernandes olive branch

Valencia coach Unai Emery says Manuel Fernandes remains in his plans.

Fernandes missed out on moves to Tottenham and Malaga this week.

But Emery said: “The player expressed his intention to leave because he believes it will be good for his growth, and he thinks he will not play as regularly as before because of the new signings.

“In response to his request we made an effort to conclude a deal that was best for all parties, but in the end he decided to stay. He is involved and we welcome him with open arms, now that he has decided to stay.”

 EPL squads 2010/11: Man Utd

Manchester United squad 2010/11

tribalfootball rating: 7.68

Goalkeeping strength: 7

Edwin van der Sar
Tomasz Kuszczak
Ben Amos

Defensive strength: 7.25

Wes Brown
Jonathan Evans
Patrice Evra
Rio Ferdinand
Gary Neville
John O'Shea
Nemanja Vidic

Midfield strength: 8.5

Darren Fletcher
Darron Gibson
Ryan Giggs
Nani
Owen Hargreaves
Anderson
Park Ji-Sung
Paul Scholes
Antonio Valencia
Michael Carrick

Forward strength: 8

Dimitar Berbatov
Javier Hernandez
Michael Owen
Wayne Rooney

Key U21 players

Federico Macheda
Gabriel Obertan
Chris Smalling
Bebe
Rafael
Fabio

Need your Manchester United news fix? Click here for all United news and transfer rumours.

 Brighton move swiftly for released Dundee Utd striker

Brighton have clinched the signing of Spanish striker Fran Sandaza.

The 25-year-old arrives at the Withdean as a free agent following his release by Dundee United on transfer deadline day.

Seagulls boss Gus Poyet has been monitoring the former Valencia frontman for two years and was delighted with the deal.

"I knew about Fran two years ago when Roberto di Matteo was trying to take him from Valencia to MK Dons," said Poyet.

"Instead he went to Dundee United and made his name in Scotland with an impressive first season in the SPL, in which he scored against both Rangers and Celtic.

"He had a hernia problem last season which restricted him and we had to first make sure he had recovered. We also had to wait as he had options elsewhere, but I am happy everything has worked out and I am looking forward to him scoring goals for Brighton."

 Tottenham attempted deal for Valencia midfielder Fernandes

Tottenham attempted to broker a loan deal for Valencia midfielder Manuel Fernandes yesterday.

Las Provincias says Fernandes was keen on the move as he is not in Valencia coach Una Emery's plans this season.

A loan move was mooted, but nothing could be agreed in time for England's 6pm transfer deadline.

Need your Tottenham news fix? Click here for all Spurs news and transfer rumours.

 TRANSFER WINDOW: Birmingham

Arrivals:
Alex Hleb (loan from Barcelona)
Ben Foster (£6m from Manchester United)
Nikola Zigic (£6m from Valencia)
Enric Valles (free from NAC Breda)
Matt Derbyshire (loan from Olympiakos)
Martin Jiranek (undisclosed from Spartak Moscow)
Jean Beausejour (undisclosed from Club America)

Departures:
Marcus Bent (loan to Wolves)
Artur Krysiak (free to Exeter)
Cristian Benitez (loan return to Santos Laguna)
Gary McSheffrey (free to Coventry)
Lee Carsley (released, now at Coventry City)
Franck Queudrue (released, now at Panionios)
Gregory Vignal (released, currently unattached)
Jake Jervis (loan to Notts County)
Robin Shroot (loan to Cheltenham)
Luke Hubbins (loan to Notts County)

Need your Birmingham City news fix? Click here for all Blues news and transfer rumours.

 TRANSFER WINDOW: Man City

Arrivals:
Mario Balotelli (£24m from Inter)
Yaya Toure (£25m from Barcelona)
David Silva (£24m from Valencia)
James Milner (undisclosed from Aston Villa)
Jerome Boateng (£10m from Hamburg)
Alexandar Kolarov (£16m from Lazio)
Alex Henshall (undisc. from Swindon)

Departures:
Robinho (£12m to AC Milan)
Craig Bellamy (loan to Cardiff)
Martin Petrov (free to Bolton)
Valeri Bojinov (£4.25m to Parma)
Sylvinho (released, currently unattached)
Benjani Mwaruwari (released, now at Blackburn Rovers)
Paul Marshall (free to Walsall)
Robert Mak (undisclosed to Nurnberg)
David Ball (loan to Swindon)
Gunnar Nielsen (loan to Tranmere)
Javier Garrido (£2.5m to Lazio)
Andrew Tutte (loan to Rochdale)
Nedum Onouha (loan to Sunderland)
Stephen Ireland (undisclosed to Aston Villa)
Vladimir Weiss (loan to Rangers)
Adam Clayton (nominal to Leeds)

Need your Manchester City news fix? Click here for all City news and transfer rumours.

 Valencia swoop for Sampdoria defender Stankevicius

Valencia have captured Sampdoria wing-back Marius Stankevicius.

Stankevicius spent last season on-loan at Sevilla and will complete his move to Valencia today.

Valencia moved for Stankevicius after losing Alexis and Carlos Marchena in the summer.

 Yaya Toure insists Silva will prove value at Man City

Yaya Toure has no doubts Manchester City teammate David Silva will live up to his price-tag.

The former Valencia star has had a slow start to his Premier League career.

But Toure told City's website: "I know David very well and have seen him play many times in Spain and he is a very good player,” he said. “I think in two or three months, everyone will see just how good he is.”

Need your Manchester City news fix? Click here for all City news and transfer rumours.

 Man Utd management delighted with growing Nani influence

Manchester United management are delighted with the form of Nani.

The Portugal winger was drafted in on the right against West Ham and responded with a superb goal in the 3-0 victory at Old Trafford.

It came after he missed a penalty in his previous outing against Fulham. Had Nani scored his side would have led 3-1, but instead they had to settle for a draw.

Phelan is pleased with the player's mindset.

He said: "Nani's head never goes down. He takes a few knocks along the way but he always rises to an occasion.

"It was important for him to bounce back. We played him on the right, which he doesn't normally do, he plays on the left. His general play and running off the ball was very good."

Nani was chosen ahead of Antonio Valencia and that has given United a dilemma about which one of the two is best suited to the role.

"It does raise a question, " Phelan told the BBC. "But we have to balance the team the right way.

"When Nani plays on the left he likes to come inside. When he plays on the right, he can deliver a ball and also score by running inside and finishing with great power."

Need your Manchester United news fix? Click here for all United news and transfer rumours.

 Ferguson: Man Utd unaffected by new squad rules

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says they're well covered for the Premier League’s new 25-man squad rules.

In his column for manutd.com, Sir Alex wrote: "They key requirement is that each squad must include at least eight home-grown players who have been affiliated to the FA for three full seasons before the age of 21.

"For Manchester United it’s not a problem, at least for this season, because we have the likes of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney. So this means there is no problem with our senior foreign players like Edwin van der Sar, Tomasz Kuszczak, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Antonio Valencia, Nani, Anderson, Dimitar Berbatov, Ji-sung Park and Javier Hernandez.

"There is no limit on the number of players under the age of 21 so no complications there for our up-and-coming youngsters such as the da Silva brothers, Tom Cleverley, Bebe and Chris Smalling etc."

Need your Manchester United news fix? Click here for all United news and transfer rumours.

 Barcelona wait for Guardiola OK to go for Robinho, Mata

Barcelona chiefs are waiting on Pep Guardiola to give them the green light to buy a new attacker.

After allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to leave for AC Milan yesterday, El Mundo Deportivo says Barca directors have told Guardiola there is cash available to buy again before the market deadline.

An attacking midfielder is what Guardiola is seeking and Valencia winger Juan Mata and Manchester City's Robinho are the two targets put forward to the coach by Barca chiefs.

Ajax striker Luis Suarez has also been mentioned, but if he is to buy again, Guardiola is expected to move for a player capable of playing in midfield and on the flanks.

Need your Barcelona news fix? Click here for all Barca news, transfer rumours and gossip.

 Zigic confident of big impact at Birmingham

Nikola Zigic has no doubts of success at Birmingham City.

Former Valencia centre-forward Zigic said he had every confidence in himself and that he would adjust quickly.

“I spoke to a lot of the guys in the Serbia national team who play over here, the likes of Nenad Milijas and Nemanja Vidic, and they all came back with positive vibes about the country and it has proved to be a good move for them.

“I am very confident from my early experiences that I will enjoy it equally as much in England.

“In Spain the football is far more technical and you get a little bit more time on the ball. The pace of the game is a lot faster here and it is more physical, but that’s something I will get used to.

“The training methods are very much the same the world over, training is training, although each club does have its own system.”

Need your Birmingham City news fix? Click here for all Blues news and transfer rumours.

 

Real Zaragoza away at Deportivo Coruna - Follow LIVE text commentary
Real Zaragoza away at Deportivo Coruna Follow all the action as Real Zaragoza travel away to Deportivo Coruna in the Spanish Liga BBVA on 29-Aug-2010...

 Franco returns with Zaragoza
Argentine goalkeeper Leo Franco has returned to Spain with Real Zaragoza...

 Pennant staying at La Romareda
Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant is expected to stay at Real Zaragoza for the new La Liga season, despite recent media rumours linking him with a move away from Spain...

 Edmilson returns to La Liga
Brazilian defender Edmilson has returned to La Liga after signing for Real Zaragoza...

 Contini moves to Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza have completed the signing of Napoli defender Matteo Contini on an initial loan basis...

 Contini set for Zaragoza
Relegation-threatened Real Zaragoza are on the verge of completing a deal to bring Napoli defender Matteo Contini to La Romareda...

 Gay handed Zaragoza backing
Former reserve team coach Jose Aurelio Gay will remain in charge of Real Zaragoza until the end of the season...

 Ayala calls for positive response
Veteran Real Zaragoza defender and captain Roberto Ayala hopes the club's players can put a turbulent week behind them by shocking Real Madrid this weekend...

 Zaragoza axe coach Marcelino
Marcelino Garcia Toral was dismissed as manager of Real Zaragoza following Saturday night's disappointing home defeat against Athletic Bilbao...

 Lafita finally joins Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza have finally completed the signing of Angel Lafita following a hearing into his protracted switch from Deportivo La Coruna...

 Lafita cleared for Zaragoza
The Spanish Football League have allowed Real Zaragoza to complete the signing of midfielder Angel Lafita from Deportivo La Coruna...

 Zaragoza swoop for Babic
Real Zaragoza have snapped up free agent full-back Marko Babic following his release by Hertha Berlin...

 Zaragoza continue spending
Real Zaragoza have continued to strengthen their squad ahead of their return to La Liga next season, reaching an agreement to sign Ikechukwu Uche from Getafe...

 Marcelino in at Zaragoza
Marcelino Garcia Toral has been confirmed as the new coach of relegated Real Zaragoza...

 Defeat sends Zaragoza down
Real Zaragoza's five-year stay in La Liga came to an end when they lost 3-2 to Real Mallorca on the final day of the season...

 Draw leaves Zaragoza in trouble
Real Zaragoza are in the relegation zone with only one match of the season remaining after they were held to a 2-2 draw by champions Real Madrid...

 Real Zaragoza away at Deportivo Coruna - Follow LIVE text commentary
Real Zaragoza away at Deportivo Coruna Follow all the action as Real Zaragoza travel away to Deportivo Coruna in the Spanish Liga BBVA on 29-Aug-2010...

 Franco returns with Zaragoza
Argentine goalkeeper Leo Franco has returned to Spain with Real Zaragoza...

 Pennant staying at La Romareda
Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant is expected to stay at Real Zaragoza for the new La Liga season, despite recent media rumours linking him with a move away from Spain...

 Edmilson returns to La Liga
Brazilian defender Edmilson has returned to La Liga after signing for Real Zaragoza...

 Contini moves to Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza have completed the signing of Napoli defender Matteo Contini on an initial loan basis...

 Contini set for Zaragoza
Relegation-threatened Real Zaragoza are on the verge of completing a deal to bring Napoli defender Matteo Contini to La Romareda...

 Gay handed Zaragoza backing
Former reserve team coach Jose Aurelio Gay will remain in charge of Real Zaragoza until the end of the season...

 Ayala calls for positive response
Veteran Real Zaragoza defender and captain Roberto Ayala hopes the club's players can put a turbulent week behind them by shocking Real Madrid this weekend...

 Zaragoza axe coach Marcelino
Marcelino Garcia Toral was dismissed as manager of Real Zaragoza following Saturday night's disappointing home defeat against Athletic Bilbao...

 Lafita finally joins Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza have finally completed the signing of Angel Lafita following a hearing into his protracted switch from Deportivo La Coruna...

 Lafita cleared for Zaragoza
The Spanish Football League have allowed Real Zaragoza to complete the signing of midfielder Angel Lafita from Deportivo La Coruna...

 Zaragoza swoop for Babic
Real Zaragoza have snapped up free agent full-back Marko Babic following his release by Hertha Berlin...

 Zaragoza continue spending
Real Zaragoza have continued to strengthen their squad ahead of their return to La Liga next season, reaching an agreement to sign Ikechukwu Uche from Getafe...

 Marcelino in at Zaragoza
Marcelino Garcia Toral has been confirmed as the new coach of relegated Real Zaragoza...

 Defeat sends Zaragoza down
Real Zaragoza's five-year stay in La Liga came to an end when they lost 3-2 to Real Mallorca on the final day of the season...

 Draw leaves Zaragoza in trouble
Real Zaragoza are in the relegation zone with only one match of the season remaining after they were held to a 2-2 draw by champions Real Madrid...