Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger is becoming increasingly frustrated at having to constantly bow to Chelsea in the transfer market.
"We are in a market where you have to let Chelsea make decisions and then make your decision," the Frenchman said yesterday. "There is a price for Chelsea and there is a price for everybody else. You have to wait for them . . . It's frustrating, but it's a fact."
While Arsenal have signed the Belarus midfielder Alexander Hleb from Stuttgart and Chelsea have just missed out on signing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, Wenger is surprised by a general lack of activity in the transfer market. "It's been very quiet. It hasn't really started."
But with the Premiership champions linked with Manchester City's attacking midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips and Arsenal with Sevilla's highly-rated striker Julio Baptista, Wenger believes all that will soon change. "Everyone is in the starting blocks . . . and with the heat of my phone it looks like it will start soon."
Looking ahead to next season, the Arsenal manager clearly expects his team to make light of Chelsea's financial muscle after finishing as runners-up last term.
"We are behind (in the transfer market), but no matter who Chelsea will buy, no matter who everybody else buys, it is down to us to come back strong and fight for the championship," he said.
Meanwhile, Gerrard has set his sights on Premiership glory after winning back his place in the hearts of Liverpool fans.
The club captain helped the European champions to a 4-3 friendly victory at Wrexham yesterday to end the most turbulent week of his life on a high. He received a rapturous reception from Liverpool fans at Wrexham.
"It was great to get the shirt back on and hopefully in the coming season I can hit top form and deliver a trophy," he said.
"Hopefully I can go on and win that medal that I'm craving for, which is the Premiership, because that's the one I'm missing. Hopefully it will be this year, but if not it will happen in the four years that I've signed for."
Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi insists he would be happy to join Celtic. The former Rangers man is prepared to leave the Saints following their relegation from the Premiership.
The English club value the 33-year-old at around £2 million and Hoops manager Gordon Strachan is also keen to sign £2.75 million-rated Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura.
"I am aware of Celtic's interest and moving back to Glasgow would not be a problem for me," Niemi said. Strachan has lined up some fall-back options, including Artur Boruc of Legia Warsaw and Croatia's Stipe Pletikosa.
Ireland's women were comfortably outplayed in the first game of their new World Cup qualifying campaign with Noel King's side losing 5-1 to a strong Russian side in Moscow.
The visitors found themselves behind after just two minutes when Natalia Mokshanova beat Sarah Peters, but it was in the 11 minutes before half-time that the game comprehensively slipped away from them with a controversial goal by Olesxa Kurochkina, an own-goal Sharon Boyle and a strike by Tatiana Zaytseva putting the locals firmly in control at the break.
Natalya Barbashina made it 5-0 four minutes after the restart, but Michele O'Brien rounded off a fine personal performance with a consolation effort for the Irish after some fine approach work with Denise Thomas.
"We got a lesson," said King, "not just in finishing, but in how to play the game at a blistering pace and in the skill levels required to survive in the top division." Ireland's next outing is away to Scotland in September.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:Peters (Lady Hibernia Saints), Curtin (Lifford), Boyle (Shamrock Rovers), Deasley (New York Magic), Tracy (Arsenal), O'Connor (Long Island Lady Riders), Grant (Arsenal), Hughes (New Hampshire Phantoms), O'Brien (Long Island Lady Riders), Thomas (Boston Renegades), Hislop (New Hampshire Phantoms. Subs: Scanlon (Bristol Rovers) for Hughes (82mins), O'Driscoll (University of Limerick) for Thomas (84mins), Kissane (UCD) for Hislop (85mins).
RUSSIA:Pigaleva, Skotnikova, Zaytseva, Shmachkova, Komarova, Sergaeva, Kurochkina, Terekhova, Barbashina, Fomina (capt), Mokshanova.