England

‘Plastic’, my bleakly comic thriller due out in July, is about a shopaholic suburban housewife trapped in a lousy marriage. After discovering her husband’s infidelity with the flight attendant next door, June loses her home, her husband and her credit rating. But there’s a solution: a friend needs a caretaker for a spectacular London high-rise apartment. [...]

Emirates Stadium side look to pounce as talks between Chelsea and Leverkusen stall. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Arsenal will launch an ambitious swoop for Bayer Leverkusen winger Andre Schurrle, after talks on a deal to bring him to Chelsea have broken down, CaughtOffside understands. The 22-year-old looked certain to be moving to Stamford Bridge this summer, though the two clubs have been unable to agree on a precise fee for the player, with Leverkusen wanting £20million as well as Chelsea youngster Kevin De Bruyne. However, De Bruyne's performances on loan from the Blues at Werder Bremen have attracted the attention from Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, and the Belgian attacker is said to prefer a move to the Bundesliga runners-up, where he would replace Bayern Munich-bound Mario Goetze. This has thrown a spanner in the works, meaning Arsenal will try their luck to sign the German international, who has 13 goals and 8 assists in all competitions this season, helping his side to a third place finish in the Bundesliga. The Gunners are hoping to make significant improvements to their squad this summer, and Arsene Wenger has reportedly been handed a huge £70million transfer budget to spend. They could also make close to £30million from sales of numerous squad members, with as many as twelve players heading for the Emirates Stadium exit. Big names such as Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic and Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain have been linked, as a striker seems a top priority for the club, though Wenger is also said to be considering signing a left winger and moving Lukas Podolski into a more central role. Schurrle's ability on the flanks would give the Arsenal team something different, as they currently lack natural wide players other than Theo Walcott. The German international is a good dribbler, who also likes to get in shots on goal from long range, and may even prefer a move to Arsenal over Chelsea as there is more potential for him to be first choice, instead of fighting the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar for a place in the Blue's star-studded squad. With Arsenal keen to offload players, Wenger could also offer the out-of-favour Nicklas Bendtner in return for Schurrle. The Dane has made it clear that he wants to leave the club, and has spent the last couple of seasons out on loan at Sunderland and Juventus. Leverkusen's lack of an alternative to current top-scorer Stefan Kiessling could mean they are tempted to take a chance on the Arsenal misfit. If this move materialises, it will be a big embarrassment for Chelsea, though they are still likely to spend vast amounts this summer after being rumoured to be handing the returning Jose Mourinho £100million to spend. The likes of Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg and Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid have been linked, and could be decent alternatives on the wings if they miss out on Schurrle.

Off-seasons can be difficult if you run a blog about a pro football team, because even when said team is practicing in the spring, those practices are in shorts, don't include pads and provide very little of substance. Said blog runner is therefore left without much in the way of substantive posting ideas, which is why I have to thank the multitude of Buffalo Bills fans and loyal blog readers that submitted questions for this week's mailbag post. Keep them coming, please. (Seriously: pretty please?) Brian, can you talk about some of the players that might not be snug fits for the Mike Pettine defense, either this year or in the future? - Richard Two players immediately came to mind, and for very different reasons: Leodis McKelvin and Kyle Williams. McKelvin's is based on performance, obviously; five years into his pro playing career, it's hard to imagine him ever bucking the inconsistent label he's earned since 2008. There's a ton riding on McKelvin this year; he's a lock to start at this point, and considering that he was the team's fifth cornerback at times over the last two seasons, that is frankly terrifying. I also don't think of him as a particularly versatile player; he was abysmal in the slot in 2012, and I think he'd be physically overmatched as a safety, too. Pettine's defense is man-coverage reliant, so that might help McKelvin adjust as an outside, starting corner this year. I only bring up Williams because of Pettine's system. Williams, to my eye, is the Bills' best defensive lineman by a significant margin. He has to be on the field a lot in 2012 if the team is going to reverse their fortunes on defense and, dare we dream, compete for a playoff spot. In the bigger picture, though, Williams is the least versatile of the team's prominent linemen - he's a one-gap penetrator from a handful of different techniques, but struggles to play two gaps head-up on a blocker because of his smallish stature - and his value may decrease quickly for the organization, particularly if younger defensive linemen reach their potential. Hey Brian, I was wondering if you could do an article on an updated roster projection of the 53 man team? - The Sweeglings Sure, why not? I'll do about 30 more of these anyway; one of them is bound to be right. (Right?) Pos. Starter Backup Reserve Reserve FL T.J. Graham Brad Smith TE Scott Chandler Lee Smith Chris Gragg * LT Cordy Glenn Zebrie Sanders LG Chris Scott Sam Young C Eric Wood Colin Brown RG Kraig Urbik RT Chris Hairston Erik Pears SL Robert Woods * Marquise Goodwin * SE Stevie Johnson Da'Rick Rogers * QB Kevin Kolb E.J. Manuel * RB C.J. Spiller Fred Jackson Tashard Choice Frank Summers NT Kyle Williams Alan Branch Torell Troup DT Marcell Dareus Alex Carrington RE Mario Williams Mark Anderson Jerry Hughes SLB Manny Lawson Marcus Dowtin MLB Kiko Alonso Arthur Moats Chris White WLB Nigel Bradham Bryan Scott RCB Stephon Gilmore Crezdon Butler SS Da'Norris Searcy Jonathan Meeks * FS Jairus Byrd Duke Williams * NCB Aaron Williams Justin Rogers Nickell Robey * LCB Leodis McKelvin Ron Brooks K Dustin Hopkins * P Shawn Powell LS Garrison Sanborn Do you think the time has come where we will see a return of prominence for the fullback position in Buffalo? - Matthew It would not necessarily surprise me, but I sincerely doubt it. Put another way: if the Bills do use the fullback more frequently in 2013, I would anticipate that being a short-lived development. Much like a hybrid defense, offenses are trending toward trying to find personnel that can line up in multiple positions to create matchup disadvantages. You'll note that New England, for example, can line their tight ends up pretty much anywhere they want, and

Mom-to-be Jenna Dewan-Tatum was photographed heading to an ultrasound clinic in London, England on Thursday (May 23). While resting her hand on her burgeoning belly, the actress stepped out in a striped maxi maternity dress, flat sandals and a denim top. The following day, the Step Up star took her dog to the vet. In another lovely maternity outfit, the expectant mom took a brisk walk with her pooch after the appointment.  And on Wednesday, we spotted Jenna walking the dogs in Hampstead Heath and Hyde Park. Jenna and her husband, Magic Mike star Channing Tatum, expect their first child within days/weeks. “Who knows what kind of parents we’ll be?” Jenna recently said. “We have two dogs, so we’ve had some practice! And as soon as this baby comes into the world, Channing and I will figure it out real fast.” View Slideshow »» View All Photos »»

On Saturday evening, one of the most important boxing fights in this year’s sporting calendar takes place at the 02 Arena, with Froch vs Kessler tickets still available to boxing fans.The rematch pits two of the best Super-Middleweights in the world against each other, and Carl Froch is looking to exact revenge on the man who ended his unbeaten record nearly three years ago.The Cobra was outboxed and out of his comfort zone the last time he fought the Dane, in which the Froch lost his WBC Super-Middleweight championship to the superior Kessler by unanimous decision.The rematch is shaping up to be another long, hard fought fight between the two, as Froch will look to feed off the energy off the vociferous crowd packed inside the Arena, to help motivate him to reclaim the title he lost in Denmark.After dominant victories over Lucian Bute and and Yusaf Mack, Froch is in fine form to face the Viking Warrior, and it looks set to be one of the fights of the year.

Stamford Bridge side ready to trigger midfielder's release clause. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Chelsea are readying a move to trigger Malaga starlet Isco's release clause according to Spanish source AS in a move sanctioned by incoming Blues boss Jose Mourinho. The Real Madrid boss, who has already confirmed he will leave the Bernabeu on June 1st, wants to bring the Spanish international to Stamford Bridge as he looks to go about conducting sweeping changes at the West London club. The highly rated 21 year old seems certain to leave La Rosaleda this summer after Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini quit the club. Indeed the cash strapped La Liga side may well need the cash from his sale to balance the books, not least because Malaga are banned from competing in European competition next term. Isco is considered one of the hottest prospects in European football and could well be seen by Chelsea as a possible long term replacement for veteran midfielder Frank Lampard. Roman Abramovich has adopted a youthful transfer policy in recent seasons and a move to bring in the former Valencia man would certainly fit the bill. Isco is into his second season at Malaga and has netted 13 goals in 63 La Liga starts for the club since his summer 2011 move to the Andalusian side.

Defensive ace wants his teammate to partner him next season. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor has urged his central defensive partner Fabricio Coloccini to stay at the club beyond the summer, Sky Sports reports. The Argentinian international has been linked with a move back to San Lorenzo since January after complaining of homesickness and yesterday it was revealed that the club's president Matias Lammens would be flying to England for talks with Newcastle chiefs about taking him off their hands. However, Coloccini's defensive partner Steven Taylor is hoping the the 31-year-old can be persuaded to stay on for a little longer. "The lads love playing with him and we hope he stays. He's a very quiet guy, but when he speaks, he speaks very well," he said. "Colo and I have had a great partnership over the past few seasons. We have a good understanding. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. We seem to be able to mix it up. "He's very composed and he's not shy of a tackle as well. He's been great a guy in training. You can learn a lot from him. "I've got a fantastic partnership with him, and hopefully that will continue." Magpies boss Alan Pardew is also hoping to keep a hold of his captain as he looks to avoid another season hovering above the drop zone.

Ligue 1 giants want Hammers forward. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts French side Marseille are eyeing a summer swoop for West Ham flop Modibo Maiga, according to talkSPORT. The Ligue 1 club were reported to be looking into the possibility of signing Brazilian ace Leandro Damiao from Internacional but have been put off by his £17 million price tag and they are now set to turn their attention toward the seemingly unwanted Hammers striker as they look for a partner for Andre-Pierre Gignac. The 25-year-old joined Sam Allardyce's men last summer from Sochaux for a fee of around £5 million but has started just two of the 14 Premier League games he's played this season and with the club on the verge of bringing in Andy Carroll from Liverpool an exit from east London may be on the cards for the Malian international. Sources in France believe that Marseille are monitoring his situation closely as they are aware of his record with Socheaux, where he bagged 24 goals in 59 games. They finished the season 10 points behind PSG and hope to mount a more serious challenge next year, both domestically and in the Champions League and they see Maiga as the ideal addition. Marseille were in the running to land him last summer but the powerful forward was keen to test himself in the Premier League.

Gervinho offered on loan to several French clubs. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Arsenal forward Gervinho could leave the club on loan this summer, as reports in France suggest he is being offered by the Gunners to several Ligue 1 sides. According to Le10Sport, Lyon are currently leading the chase for the temporary signing of the Ivorian, who has not managed to settle in to English football since joining from Lille two years ago. The 25-year-old has only managed ten goals and ten assists in two seasons at the Emirates Stadium, and is unpopular with a large section of Arsenal fans due to his strange decision-making and poor finishing skills. Lyon were linked with a £12million move for Gervinho earlier this week, and Galatasaray have also shown an interest, though it seems Arsene Wenger does not want to give up on the player just yet, and will want him to return to the club at the end of next season. Gervinho may not be the only player on the way out of Arsenal this summer, with several other under-performers widely tipped to be being shown the door to make way for new faces to improve the squad. The Ivory Coast forward could be joined in France by Marouane Chamakh, who has had an even worse time since moving to Arsenal from Ligue 1 in 2010, and is said to be a target for his former club Bordeaux.

Argentine striker ready to stay at Manchester City. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is ready to turn down an approach from Real Madrid according to The Mirror. The Spanish giants have reportedly identified Aguero as one of their top summer targets, believing him to be the perfect foil to their Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. Madrid strike pair Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain are both likely to leave the club over the coming months and it has been reported that Real officials had identified Aguero as the man to replace them. It was suggested that Aguero could be tempted by the move in order to be closer to his ex-wife and child, who have moved back to the Spanish capital. But despite the advances of Real officials, Aguero has informed Manchester City supremo Ferran Soriano that he remains committed to the club. City seem likely to lose one Argentine forward in the shape of Carlos Tevez over the coming months and are keen not to lose Aguero. City will be looking to build on their squad for next season after relinquishing the title to their city rivals Manchester United. But with Sir Alex Ferguson retiring this summer, City know there has never been a better opportunity to attempt to break the dominance of United.