The Rome outfit are the latest in a string of Italian clubs to be linked with a potential bid for the 19-year-old following previous reported interest from Bologna and Palermo.

But the player himself is confident that he is part of Alex Ferguson's future plans, and is happy that the club look set to hang on to him.

"Will I be joining Lazio in the January transfer market? No, I don't think so," Macheda told Ansa.

"Ferguson has said that I am not for sale.

"What can I say, I am very pleased to hear that, especially as these words have come from a coach with the charisma and history of Ferguson."

So we are now less than two weeks away from the kick-off of the 2010/2011 Premier League season and I'm sure, like me, you are all getting very excited.

There are three clubs, in my opinion, who have a real chance of lifting the title come the end of the season. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Many believe Manchester City may challenge for the title this season given the vast amounts of money they have spent over the last few weeks. David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Yaya Toure have all arrived at Eastlands this summer and if you have been keeping up with the sports news of late, you will know that City's spending may not be over just yet.

I personally don't believe they have what it takes to go all the way this season and I think they would be doing well to finish in the top four this time around.

If I had to put my money on any team, I would probably bet on Chelsea to retain their Premier League crown.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, there are a large number of teams who could easily be relegated this season. Blackpool will probably finish rock bottom with West Brom just above them in 19th and then it will be intriguing to see who finishes in the place above them. It really could be any number of six or seven teams who finish 18th but if I had to choose one, I would have to go with Birmingham.

We all love picking our squads for a fantasy soccer game before the season starts and one player I suggest you have in your team this season is Liverpool's Joe Cole. I am convinced he will be a big success at Anfield and I can see him scoring loads of goals this season.

After two months, the transfer window has today slammed shut. What a transfer window, eh?

Obviously the big spenders in the Premier League were Manchester City, spending over £115 million. Mark Hughes was certainly given to freedom to spend money left, right and centre, building almost a fantasy football team in the process.

It seems the majority of football news in Europe has surrounded Real Madrid this summer. The Spanish giants have spent nearly a quarter of a billion pounds on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka. Many football betting experts believe Real may be the team to beat in the Champions League this season and personally, I agree with them.

Elsewhere in the transfer window, Tottenham completed a transfer deadline day deal, bringing Portsmouth midfieder Niko Kranjcar to Fratton Park. Kranjcar became the second Portsmouth player to join Harry Redknapp at Spurs, following the arrival of Peter Crouch earlier this summer.

Many leading figures in the game have questioned whether or not Manchester City can win the Premier League title this season. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has already dismissed City's chances, however both Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill think Mark Hughes' men are contenders.

With the players they have signed over the summer (Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez etc;) you would think that they must be contenders, however it is how they gel together is the main thing. If they lose two or three games on the trot, suddenly pressure begins to mount and the players begin to lose interest, so it is vital Hughes keeps all of his players happy.

So, can City really challenge? I'm still undecided, however one things for sure, I wouldn't be betting against it.

It has been claimed today that Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bolton and Manchester City will all hold talks with Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso.

The Portuguese international has been linked with a move to the Premier League for quite some time now, however for whatever reasons he remains a Sporting player, but that may be about to change.

Veloso, 23, is desperate to join an English club during the summer transfer window and with four clubs now vying for his signature, a move looks a strong possibility. Whoever does eventually sign Veloso will have to cough up at least £12 million and in my opinion, at that price, he would prove great value for money.

He is still quite young, he can play in a variety of different positions and he has Champions League experience. Personally, I think Martin O'Neill should do all he can to convince Veloso to go to Villa Park cause at the moment, he could really use a quality midfield player. Stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest developments on this and more over the coming days and weeks.

What do you think? Comments below please.

David Villa has today ruled out the possibility of moving to the Premier League after months of speculation regarding his future. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been linked with the Valencia striker in recent times, however it would appear a move to England is now dead.

When asked about his future, the 27-year old replied : "When I said I had taken a decision it was true, and this decision is that next season I will play in Spain because it is the league that is best for me, I will not go abroad."

These comments will obviously be music to both Barcelona and Real Madrid ears. It is thought that Valencia will only sell Villa if the price is right, with a fee of £45 million being touted and with Barca and Real both willing to splash the cash this summer, it will be intriguing to see who eventually comes out on top.

As a massive fan of Premier League football in general, I'm devastated to see that Villa won't be arriving this summer. There is no doubt he is one of the best strikers on the planet and it would have been a pleasure to see him play in, undoubtedly the best league in the world. If I was a betting man (which I am) I would certainly be having a few quid on Villa to join Barcelona before the summer transfer window closes.

Where will David Villa be playing next season? Well, we are currently running a poll on that topic at the moment which can be found just to the right of this post. Also, leave your comments below please.