As Jose Mourinho looks ahead with hopes of turning the Champions of Serie A into the champions of Europe as well, it has been suggested that the Special One sees Robin van Persie as a key figure in his plans for Inter's future.

The Mirror has reported that the Italian giants are preparing a bid to the tune of around £25 million in order to lure the Dutchman to the San Siro, a respectable figure that, if true, should have Arsene Wenger seriously considering the 25-year-old's future.

The news comes at a time when van Persie is said to be in the middle of negotiating timescales and figures with Arsenal, but, with the striker currently being away on international duty, there could be room for interjection by other clubs.

Van Persie himself may be reluctant to the idea due to his wife currently expecting the couple's second child, but the combination of a sizeable pay packet and an Italian lifestyle might just be enough to coax the pair to Inter Milan.

Milan are already planning to replace Kaka with Arsenal ace Francesc Fabregas, according to La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

The Italian club are on the verge of cashing in on their Brazilian by selling him to Real Madrid - a deal that is likely to conclude on Monday. The Rossoneri have been tipped to use funds provisioned from Kaka's sale to bring in Fabregas.

The report claims the star is looking for a new adventure following his six year spell with the Gunners. In addition, voices claim the Spanish international's former team-mates, Mathieu Flamini and Philippe Senderos, have been trying to entice him into making the move to Milan.

Signing the player is likely to be tough. Arsenal will not be keen on losing a key component of Arsene Wenger's football mechanism. The player himself has also claimed in the past that the only team he will move to after the Gunners is Barcelona.

Milan have also been linked with Robinho and Chelsea's Florent Malouda, however, president Silvio Berlusconi's words on Friday suggest Ronaldinho will be Kaka's direct replacement. The chief told Milan Channel that he was "counting on Ronaldinho next season".

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that the Gunners' defence needs to improve next season, hinting that a defensive signing could be made in the summer.

The Gunners conceded 37 goals during the 2008/2009 Premier League season, and finished fourth in the final league standings.

Wenger feels that for their league position to improve, their defence has to be stronger as the club conceded too many goals last season.

The Gunners are also looking to end a four year trophy drought, and Wenger feels the defence is key to this.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Wenger said, "The last season was very interesting because we had a sloppy start and then we became stronger and stronger.

"It has been interesting as well because it is a very young team, but they have been tested mentally.

"The defensive record, that is an area that we want to work on and that we want to improve."

The Gunners have reportedly been interested in signing Newcastle United's Sebastien Bassong, Udinese's Cristian Zapata and Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini in recent weeks.

It is not known who the main defensive target for Wenger is, but with a reported budget of just £13 million, he will have to shop around for a few bargains in the summer transfer window

Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh has revealed that he does want to move to the Premier League during the close-season.

The 25-year-old had been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur before declaring his intention to remain with Les Girondins following their Ligue 1 triumph.

However, the 50-time capped Morocco international striker insists he was caught up in the moment of celebrations, and still harbours hopes of playing in England at the beginning of the 2009/10 campaign.

"I got carried away," Chamakh told Le Parisien when asked about comments stating his desire to remain at the Stade Chaban Delmas.

"I reacted in the heat of the moment because of the emotional atmosphere and I said 'I am staying' so as not to spoil the party.

"I have not changed my mind. I still want to go, even if I am not closing the door to anything.

"I met some supporters on Monday and they understood me. They told me they would not hold a grudge if I was to leave."

Chamakh scored 13 goals in 34 league appearances for Bordeaux in the 2008/09 season.

Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner has sent potential shock waves through the capital by stating that he much prefers Scandinavian girls to the English variety.

The Danish centre forward has never been one to withhold his opinions and when asked by a Danish website, he gave his opinion on the female populations of both England and Scandinavia.

The Denmark international has claimed that English girls do not even come close to those of Scandinavia and revealed that they are often a topic for discussion in the Gunners' dressing room.

Speaking to Sporten.DK, Bendtner said, "It is difficult to answer whether I prefer Danish or Swedish girls, because they are both lovely. Scandinavian girls are excellent and it is a subject which I often discussed with team mates at Arsenal, a topic that often comes up in the changing rooms, the Nordic girls have a good reputation around the world as beautiful and sweet girls who are easy to get in touch with.

"Perhaps, most of the rumours yesterday that Swedish girls are delicious and they are also exceptional, but I chose therefore the Danish, because they hold just a really high standard - and I have to not annoy the Danish too much!"

When asked which girls he preferred, Bendtner was in no doubt.

"There is no doubt that I would prefer both the Danish and Swedish girls, rather than the English," he added.

The 21-year-old has been playing at Emirates Stadium since 2004 and was promoted to the first team the following year. He has since made 58 Premier League appearances, scoring 14 goals.