Fernandinho v Paulinho: Who's a better deal?

After 8 seasons spent in Ukraine, high-profile playmaker Fernandinho (28) has made a £30M switch to Manchester City. He was a first major acquisition for the Etihad-based side, who were looking to add depth in their aging midfield, with Gareth Barry's City future in doubt.

Having made his debut for the national side in 2011, it is fair to assume that Fernandinho was not a favored pick for the majority of Seleção coaches. So far he has made just 5 appearances for Brazil and hasn't been a part of any major tournaments the nation has participated in.

Paulinho, his 25 year old counterpart, on the other hand, appears to be rated quite highly at his homeland. He made his debut in 2011 as well, but has been a major part of the national side ever since, making 15 appearances and finding the net on 4 occasions. Still a Corinthians player, Paulinho is expected to make a move to Manchester City's Premier League rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, who have matched his release clause which states he can leave the club if a £17M offer is submitted.

Being significantly younger, more consistent with the national side, a lot cheaper and arguably more complete player than Fernandinho, given the comparison, it would seem that Tottenham are about to pull yet another major coup in his signing.

Is Daniel Sturridge the solution to Liverpool's woes?

It has been officially confirmed, so far the biggest transfer of the January window (exception to the previous arranged transfer of Lucas Moura to PSG) is newly-announced Liverpool signing, 23 year old Daniel Sturridge.

Sturridge has started his professional career with Manchester City, where he made his debut almost 6 years ago as a 17 year old, coming on from the bench against Reading. Sturridge wasn't a preferred choice and was regarded as a backup at City and one for the future. Unhappy with his status, Sturridge ran down his contract and moved to Chelsea upon expiring, though Chelsea was due compensation to City, which they paid in various installments.

He wasn't given many opportunities at Chelsea, either, and was loaned to Bolton, where he caught the eye of the media, scoring 8 times in 12 appearances and upon his arrival back to Chelsea, Daniel saw his playing time dramatically increased. His natural position is a striker, though Andre Villas-Boas preferred to play him on the wing in favor of Torres and Drogba, who occupied the central roles. He ended up playing 30 games in the season 2011/12, but has made just 7 league appearances in the 2012/13 and, frustrated with the lack of game time yet again, made a switch to Liverpool for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £12M (€15M).

Liverpool have been abysmal this season and are more and more in decline, with their expensive Englishmen signings not producing what was expected of them. Currently laying on the 10th place of the EPL, with 28 points from 20 games, it is evident that a change is needed within the squad and purchase of Sturridge could be just what they're were looking for.

Sturridge main qualities are speed and trickery, along with decent finishing ability and versatility, he'll be able to provide cover on the wings, if needed, but he was often accused of being a rather selfish player. His goalscoring record at Chelsea, where he netted 13 times in 61 appearances suggest Sturridge operated on the wings more frequently, though it is fair to point out that most of his appearances came from the bench. Liverpool are looking for a partner for Luis Suarez, after Andy Carroll failed to fill that role, it is up to a Sturridge to try his luck with Merseyside and watching him playing beside Luis Suarez will be entertaining to say the least.

Alen Halilovic - the next big thing from Croatia

Alen Halilovic first caught the attention of the media worldwide not few weeks ago when he made his Champions League debut for Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, against French giants, Paris Saint-Germain.

At the tender age of 16, young Halilovic has managed to break into Dinamo Zagreb squad, which is no short of talent and is posing himself as one of the most promising youngsters world of football has to offer. Halilovic is often compared to his compatriot, Luka Modric, not just for the looks, but also the his football strengths. He's great on the ball, possesses a great vision and has an eye for a goal.

Young Croat has appeared for Croatian U17 side 6 times and has netted 2 goals so far. His impressive performances have not gone unnoticed by the bigger sides, as Manchester duo, United and City are believed to be preparing offers around £6M, though it is understood that Dinamo is looking a lot more than the quoted sum.

Video highlighting his talents can be seen bellow:

City to offer Silva new £200,000-a-week deal

English champions, Manchester City, are set to offer their prized asset, David Silva, a new contract worth £10.5M per annum. City officials have held talks with players agents and have agreed terms of the deal that will make him one of the top earners at the Manchester club. Silva's current contract sees him earn £140,000 peer week and has just 2 years left to run.

Silva was brought to Etihad Stadium 2 seasons ago for a fee of £30M from Spanish club Valencia and has been a hit in England, helping City win the Barclays title last season. He has made a total of 102 appearances for Citizens and bagged 14 goals and 37 assists during.

During the summer, Real Madrid were thought to be interested for his services, but opted to buy Luka Modric, arguably a cheaper alternative.

Mario Balotelli: Top 7 moments

7. Darts

After becoming bored at the training grounds, Balotelli thought of a way to kill the boredom. For some reason, he decided it might be fun to throw darts at the younger players of the squad. Balotelli was not sanctioned for this incident, as none of the 'victims' were injured.

6. "My whole season was shit"
In a post-match interview after a FA Cup game against Stoke City, Mario gives a review the previous season. Not very thorough to say the least...

5. "I made it, I'll take it"

Even during his time at Inter, Balotelli was well known for his controversial behavior. In a match against Palermo, having won a penalty, he wanted to be the one to take it, forcing Javier Zanetti to interfere.

4. Spoiling the party

After Inter managed to beat Barcelona in that treble-winning season by 3:1 at San Siro, Mario spoiled the celebrations for Inter fans by taking off his shirt and throwing it in anger on the pitch.

3. Failed backheel

In a friendly game against LA Galaxy, Mario tried to be clever and in a one-on-one chance against the keeper. He attempted to beat the goalie with a backheel, only to see his shot go wide of the goal. He was immediately taken out of the game during the 1st half by Mancini and booed by the fans.

2. Putting on AC Milan shirt

Another controversial moment during his time at Inter, during an interview, Balotelli was handed an AC Milan shirt with his name on it and camera later caught him putting the shirt on, causing even further trouble with already frustrated Inter fans.

1. Trouble with the bib

This one is definitely not one of his brightest moments, but is certainly the 'Balotelliest" thing he has ever done. Something considered to be a fairly easy task has proven a bit too difficult for the Italian, as he fails to put a bib on.