Premier League / Ralph Ellis / 22 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Tevez turns down United, Moyes ponders Owen's come and get me plea and Chelsea aim to give Ancelotti marquee signings. Ralph Ellis discusses the latest transfer news as the market hots up...

To pinch a line from Oscar Wilde: "To lose one top player might be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two in a week looks like carelessness". But that is exactly what Manchester United have done as Carlos Tevez slips out the door and will in the next few days go up the road to sign for Manchester City.

Coming back home from holiday it's amazing to see the reaction to the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo. Even Manchester United fans seem to have gone down the party line that it's good riddance to a big baby. I don't understand it. Okay, he's not a team player. Okay he drives you wild with his falling over and theatrical gestures. But the idea that United will be better off without him is nonsense. What team is ever better off without a bloke who scores 64 goals in two seasons?

Now to be without Tevez as well, whose natural inclination to run with the ball should have made him the perfect replacement for Ronaldo in the team pattern, will have a serious effect on Sir Alex Ferguson's prospects at the start of a new campaign. Fergie's sides don't always start well in any case, and the disruption will add a further complication. I think it's worth laying United now while they are [2.98] favourites for the title if only with the prospect of then backing them at something like [4.0] in the middle of September before they get into their stride.

United admitted on Saturday morning that Tevez had chosen not to stay, even though Fergie had authorised the money men at Old Trafford to raise their offers to the £25.5 million that his owner Kia Joorabchian wanted, plus a five-year contract that met his wage demands. While their fans might have fallen for the line that Ronaldo won't be missed, they are only too aware how popular the Argentinian with the ferocious appetite for running and hard work became with the supporters.

Chelsea might yet sneak in to try to grab the player, but it looks done and dusted that Tevez will join the list of major players arriving at Eastlands. Roque Santa Cruz is completing a medical in the next two days, Gareth Barry's already there, and Mark Hughes' spending won't stop. City are [2.86] favourites to be winner without the big four, but of course there will always be the question of how quickly Hughes can get his new, big name stars with egos to match, to gel into a team.

Everton are as long as [5.6] in that market despite finishing fifth for both the last two seasons. David Moyes returns from his holiday this week and will begin his own moves to try to make sure his club stays so strong. Top of his list is likely to be a response to the glossy brochure that Michael Owen's advisors sent out to top clubs in their efforts to find him the right home for the new season after his Newcastle debacle.

It was the Sunday Mirror that broke the story about Owen's 34 page plea for a new club a week ago, and they now say Everton, who made an unsuccessful bid to sign him a year ago, will be back. Owen needs a club that can give him chances because if he gets them he'll score goals, and if he's going to revive his career in time for a World Cup that's what he needs most.

At this stage of the summer it's so hard to sort well-informed speculation from guesswork and wild gossip. The list of completed deals within the Premier League in the last week was pretty short. Wigan persuaded midfielder Jordi Gomez, who had been on loan with Swansea from Espanyol last season, to follow Roberto Martinez to the JJB in a £1.7million deal. More significantly, Arsenal paid £10million to Ajax for Belgian international defender Thomas Vermaelen. It was a transfer that almost went unnoticed, yet the left-sided 23-year-old, with 21 caps, will add significant strength to Arsene Wenger's back line.

There's a fortnight before most clubs return to pre-season, so expect things to get more busy this week. Chelsea in particular must make some moves for incoming boss Carlo Ancelotti , and have been linked with both Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso. But Anfield joint owner George Gillett has sold his stake in the NHL's Montreal Canadiens for £330 million which should take some pressure off the Liverpool finances.

Meanwhile the biggest mystery remains at Aston Villa, where nothing seems to be happening despite the loss of their two best players with Barry moving to City and Martin Laursen retiring. After a year threatening to break into the top four, their fans must be scanning the transfer gossip in vain and agreeing with another Oscar Wilde saying: "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."