Wheeling and dealing in the EPL

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Man U has $131 million to spend after selling Cristiano Ronaldo (right), but it won't be on Carlos Tévez (left), who rejected a new deal. AP The Limey's Mailbag Keep the banter flowing to The Limey. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Credit crunch and slow economy be damned, the soccer world is still spinning from the record-busting $131 million fee Real Madrid is on the verge of pumping into Manchester United's coffers for FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo. That's on top of the $92 million the mysteriously loaded Spaniards already paid for last year's World Player of the Year, Kaká. But there's far more to come in the transfer market. This week, we run through the English Premier League looking at possible transfer targets, and who might be heading for the exit door.

The top four

Ronaldo to Real, plus Carlos Tévez to Manchester City, Chelsea or one other "unnamed" club, equals a large creative black hole for Man. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman has dealt with these kinds of big-name departures in the past, however, and has been able to fill these sorts of holes. Éric Cantona's departure in 1997 meant the promotion of a young David Beckham to the first team. Beckham himself was replaced six years later by a certain Portuguese unknown by the name of Ronaldo. But does Fergie have the replacement lined up to make up for this year's exodus?

Several names have been mentioned, but United has been frustrated so far in its quest for replacements. Knowing that Man U is sitting on such a sizable war chest, clubs appear to be upping their asking prices. United has offered Wigan Athletic $20 million for Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia -- Wigan wants $29 million. Bayern Munich has said it will take offers in excess of $80 million to pry away star midfielder Franck Ribéry, irrelevant of the fact that the Frenchman seems to have his heart set on a move to Real Madrid. Fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema's club, Lyon, has said it's not selling until after next summer's World Cup.

Spanish-based strikers Sergio Agüero and David Villa are the latest players to be linked to United. Agüero, Diego Maradona's future son-in-law, has a buyout clause in his contract of $85 million, which will probably put off Ferguson. And with Villa this week stating his desire to stay in Spain, and Real Madrid withdrawing from the race for his signature, the Spanish hotshot appears to be bound for Barcelona.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez is keen to prevent a similar exodus of talent from Anfield, with Javier Mascherano coveting the overtures of European champion Barça (which reportedly has put in a $40 million bid), and Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa on Real Madrid's radar. After signing of England right back Glen Johnson from Portsmouth for an eyebrow-raising $28 million, Arbeloa looks most likely to be on his way out. Now, Benítez is in transfer limbo with money available to spend on only one more player. The Spaniard could have more squad-rebuilding on his hands than he would have wanted.

At Chelsea, new boss Carlo Ancelotti's first bit of wheeling and dealing is to offload former first-choice defender Ricardo Carvalho and playmaker Deco, who looked like a revelation at the start of the season but faded away dramatically in what was an eventually disappointing campaign. Both players' old boss during their years at FC Porto, José Mourinho, wants to bring the pair to Inter Milan. But the clubs are a ways apart on their respective valuations of the players.

Elsewhere, Ancelotti's attempts to raid his old club for players seem destined for failure in the case of Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato after Milan rejected a "monster offer" from an unnamed club (believed to be Chelsea), but more positive for World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo, with Milan vice president Adriano Galliani indicating a readiness to sell if the price is right. The possible departure of Didier Drogba leaves Ancelotti potentially in the hunt for a new striker. Now that a pursuit for Villa looks unlikely to bear fruit, Chelsea might increase its interest in Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor by testing the resolve of Arsène Wenger, who is in desperate need of additional transfer funds.

Wenger has hinted at a willingness to sell Adebayor, but not to another EPL club. A big-money offer from Chelsea could change that position. Arsenal, which finished in fourth place this past season, spent the entire previous offseason lamenting the departures of first-teamers Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini. Wenger was hoping this summer would allow him to enhance his squad. Murmurings of unhappiness over the lack of recent success from club captain Cesc Fàbregas and the stalling of contract talks with Robin van Persie haven't given Wenger the relaxing offseason holiday he wanted. The news that sometime defensive liability Emmanuel Eboué could be after a move away from the Emirates certainly will afford Wenger a relaxing cocktail by the pool.

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