With the football season two days away from its traditional curtain raiser at Wembley - the Community Shield, you'd have thought that transfer business would be near completion. Not a bit of it, a certain TV broadcaster has begun a countdown clock to August 31's deadline day closing.

So, speculation is still in session. Manchester United's spending was over according to Sir Alex Ferguson yet The Times suggests that the Red Devils are looking for another attacking option in either Valencia's David Silva or Bayern Munich's rather costly Franck Ribery.

Meanwhile, their opponents on Sunday, Chelsea, are holding off Real Madrid's £18m interest in defender Alex, according to The Times again. Perhaps Real were looking to fund that via the sale of Wesley Sneijder to Aston Villa, a move mentioned in The Guardian.

Arsenal meanwhile, need a defender and Fulham's Brede Hangeland is most heavily linked in several papers, including The Guardian. Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has been readying the ground for that.

Manchester City are due to make a final offer for Joleon Lescott, say the Daily Mirror, but this time it's final at £22m.

Lee Cattermole has been linked with Liverpool throughout the summer and the Daily Mail is doing a "2+2" sum here by saying Wigan's imminent signing of Rayo Vallecano midfielder Mohamed Diame and his team-mate, defender Antonio Amaya have opened the way for the young Englishman to exit, though Sunderland, Spurs and Everton are all in the chase as well as Rafa Benitez, who may yet have a midfield place to fill if these comments in The Sun are correct.

Lucas Leiva says he will quit Liverpool and head home if he does not get more game time, which may be a relief to many a Liverpool fan. Liverpool meanwhile, are due to announce a new sponsorship deal with banking giants Standard Chartered to replace Carlsberg say The Daily Mail.