Valencia star David Silva has revealed he would be interested in joining Manchester United this summer.

Silva, 24, has long been linked with a move away from the Mestalla due to the club's financial problems, and United are rumoured to be interested.

The Spain star insists he would be happy to stay at Valencia but, should they cash in during the summer, he would welcome a move to Old Trafford.

"When you hear a club like Manchester United is interested in you it is an honour," he said in the Daily Express. "I am very aware of the Premier League, and in recent years it has been the stand-out league in the world.

"If it came calling, especially if it was a club like Manchester United, it would be very hard to resist. I am happy at Valencia but every player has his price and if they get an offer they think is good business anything is possible."

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has confirmed he will join Arsenal at the end of the season and revealed he rejected offers from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

Chamakh, 26, is out of contract this summer and it has long been assumed he will move to Emirates Stadium, with Arsene Wenger saying last month that there was a "good chance" he would arrive.

"I am delighted to become part of the English football atmosphere," Chamakh told L'Equipe. "It is something amazing.

"Arsenal were not alone [in making an offer]. There were approaches from Liverpool, Tottenham and crazy offers from Russia that were much bigger than those from England, but I was focused on playing in the Premier League.

"Bordeaux offered me a contract extension that was almost impossible to refuse, financially - the figures were very close to those offered by Arsenal.

"I have always loved Arsenal's football. I know I will have to adapt, but I have experience of playing the short passing game from working with Yoann Gourcuff."

He added: "I am counting down the days - 11 short days. As time passes, it feels strange. I am experiencing many emotions."

Chamakh claims he would have agreed to prolong his deal at Bordeaux had they not delayed in offering him an extension.

"They should have offered me something a year earlier," he said. "I think the club and I did not understand each other. It was clear to me that if they did not extend my contract in 2009, I would have the right to leave, but then they blocked my move. I didn't take that well."

He added: "It's true that I almost cracked [and signed a new deal] but, in February, I made my decision. It would be illogical to sign a new contract with a release clause after refusing Arsenal last summer."

Chamakh, who has been with Bordeaux since the age of ten, feels he is now ready to deliver in the Premier League.

"At Bordeaux, I was the club's child," he said. "In London, I won't be a kid anymore. I have grown, I have things to prove and I am motivated to achieve them."

Liverpool will face an extended season next term with their Europa League campaign kicking off on July 29, with a return leg seven days later, unless they manage to overtake Aston Villa on the final day of the season.


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Steven Gerrard and his team-mates could face an early return to Anfield

England have three representatives in the competition, but only two of those enter in the final qualifying round. The third entrant, usually the winner of the Carling Cup which for the second season in a row will pass down to seventh place in the Premier League, must enter in an earlier round.

Fulham, who will next week face Atletico Madrid in their first ever European final, began their campaign this term with an away trip to Lithuanian side FK Vetra on July 30. The Cottagers won both legs 3-0 to comfortably pass into the final Play-off Round where they overcame Russian minnows FK Amkar Perm.

Unlike with Champions League rules, Fulham winning the Europa League will not impact on the seventh placed team entering the competition.

However, there is the added complication of the World Cup this summer. While Fulham entered early after a free close season break, many Liverpool players will be on duty in South Africa with the final taking place just 18 days before their season would officially begin.

Players such as Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Martin Skrtel, Ryan Babel, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres will all be present at the finals.

Liverpool are also due to travel to Germany to play Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, July 31 - a match which would surely be in doubt - as part of the German side's 110th anniversary celebrations. At present that is the pre-season only fixture officially announced.

Entering the competition at such an early stage would also place question marks over Liverpool's availability for overseas pre-season exhibition competitions.

The Premier League season does not kick off until August 14 in 2010-11, meaning whichever side finishes seventh will play their first competitive game over two weeks earlier than expected. The final qualifying round is then set for August 19 and 26.

Liverpool could still save themselves from that fate, and put Aston Villa into that same unenviable position. They must win away at Hull City and hope Villa fail to win at home to Blackburn Rovers. Liverpool would go sixth on goal difference with a Villa draw.

It would be much, much worse for any English team which wins a possible place in the competition via the Fair Play League.

England were in the top three in the last Fair Play table released by UEFA. A final table is expected to be unveiled later this week which would confirm an additional place for an English team.

Fulham are believed to be the best-placed team not guaranteed European football, so if they lose in Hamburg they would be the Premier League's representative. If they win the Europa League, Fulham would go direct to the Group Stage as holders and the Fair Play place would pass to Burnley.

However, Fair Play winners enter the Europa League at the very start - on July 1. Liverpool had to do this in the 2005-06 Champions League season when they were handed a concessional place as holders, after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

The Fair Play Award could be seen as a poisioned chalice, given Europa League qualifying begins in the middle of the World Cup.