Villas-Boas wants a deal for the Birmingham keeper done quickly

Villas-Boas wants a deal for the Birmingham keeper done quickly - in case good performances for Team GB at the Olympics push his price up

Teenage kicks: Butland is one for the future at just 19

Scott Heavey

Andre Villas-Boas will make landing teenage goalkeeping sensation Jack Butland one of his top priorities.

Villas-Boas, confirmed as Tottenham's new head coach on Tuesday, had Butland on his radar during his ill-fated spell as Chelsea manager last season and now wants to set down a marker at White Hart Lane by beating a host of Premier League rivals to the Birmingham City youngster.

Butland, 19, will be given the chance to showcase his talents in Stuart Pearce's Team GB Olympic squad later this month after being a non-playing member of England's Euro 2012 party.

Second time lucky?: AVB was already eyeing Butland when he was at Chelsea

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AVB wants to secure a deal for the keeper, who has never played a top flight game for Birmingham, before the Games commence on July 26.

Birmingham chief executive Peter Pannu has already rejected a £6million offer for Butland from Premier League new boys Southampton and has warned it will take an "eye-popping" offer to persuade Blues to sell.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Norwich and Everton have all made enquiries and Birmingham hope a medal-winning Great Britain performance, inspired by Butland, will push his value beyond £10m.

Villas-Boas has three hugely experienced keepers on his hands in Heurelho Gomes, Carlo Cudicini and Brad Friedel, but sees Butland as the long-term future of the club.

He has received glowing reports from his Euro 2012 spies on a keeper the England hierarchy believe will be in a position to challenge Joe Hart for the number one spot by the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

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Gomes, 31, is looking for a move away from the club after slipping down the pecking order, while Friedel is 41 and Cudicini will be 39 in September.

10 Big-Name Possible Signings This Summer

Shinji Kagawa will not be the last big signing for Manchester United this summer.

At any one time, Sir Alex Ferguson and his team of scouts will have hundreds of players under surveillance. So it is no surprise how many have been rumoured to join the Red Devils this time around.

It is well known that Sir Alex is still in the process of rebuilding, making it all the more creditable that United lost the EPL on the highest points score ever for second place. But being second is never enough for a still hungry 70-year-old.

Most people seem to think that Kagawa is the long-term replacement for Paul Scholes, despite him being a very different player. He is not.

Every player coming to Old Trafford and those emerging from the Academy have to accept that they need to be versatile and that no player has a God given right to be in the first team. Sir Alex believes competition for places is healthy, but it also results in a squad that is the fittest in the second half of the season.

So Kagawa may play in the hole, or he may play in a central midfield duo; he may also crop up on either wing as needed. He will have understood all that before signing. He is willing to back himself to succeed; Eden Hazard was not, citing the competition in the United dressing room as a reason to go to Chelsea.

What Kagawa does bring is the ability to make and score goals at the highest level, for the best team in Germany, in intense competition. He also brings pace, intelligence, humility and exactly the right attitude to fit in with the long traditions at Old Trafford.

So which other "Big Names" could join him? After all, before United showed interest he would not have been considered a "Big Name" alongside the likes of Wesley Sneijder.

and the pre-season fixtures to watch out for

Barcelona v Manchester United, Arsenal v Manchester City and the pre-season fixtures to watch out for

Euro 2012 may be over, but football fans do not need to wait until the new domestic season to get a look at how their team is shaping up

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By Chris Myson

As Euro 2012 drew to a thrilling conclusion with Spain securing glory in their third successive major international tournament, many fans mourned the loss of football until the Premier League resumes.

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The new campaign does not get under way until the middle of August and all of a sudden competitive action feels a long way away.

However, players may now be on a well-earned holiday after the Euros, but their clubs have well and truly started their preparations for the new term.

The transfer window has already opened and pre-season fixtures have been announced – with some getting under way in less than two weeks' time.

Here, Goal.com looks at five of the best clashes to watch out for over the remainder of the summer before the leagues across Europe roll back into action.

LIVERPOOL V ROMA

WHEN , WHERE: July 25, Fenway Park, Boston.

WHY IT’S WORTH A WATCH: Two giants of the European game clash in Boston – but these are both sides who are very much in transition having sacked managers after underwhelming campaigns.

Brendan Rodgers and Zdenek Zeman have been brought in this summer, replacing Kenny Dalglish and Luis Enrique respectively. This clash will present an intriguing look at how each team is shaping up ahead of their kick-offs in the Premier League and Serie A.

PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR: Steven Gerrard has had huge injury problems over the last 18 months, which has undoubtedly played a part in Liverpool’s decline in fortunes.

The talismanic skipper had a strong Euro 2012 campaign for England though, and will now be desperate to have a successful summer so he is in perfect shape for the new season.

ARSENAL V MANCHESTER CITY

WHEN , WHERE: July 27, Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing

WHY IT’S WORTH A WATCH: Two Premier League rivals clash in what will be an interesting early test of Arsenal’s title credentials against the defending champions in the Olympic Stadium.

Are the Gunners building a squad to challenge Roberto Mancini’s men or are they destined for another season off the pace?

PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR: Olivier Giroud is Arsene Wenger’s marquee signing and the friendlies will be a vital part of his bedding in process at the club.

Will he play alongside Robin van Persie, if the Dutchman is still at the club, and how will he adapt to playing alongside his new team-mates against tough opposition in Kompany & Co.

CHELSEA V AC MILAN

WHEN , WHERE: July 28, Sun Life Stadium, Miami

WHY IT’S WORTH A WATCH: The Champions League winners meet the seven-time European champions in a mouth-watering pre-season clash.

American fans will hope the match can live up to its billing, with a number of stars such as Fernando Torres and Zlatan Ibrahimovic likely to be on show.

PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR: Chelsea trumped the continent’s biggest clubs to sign Eden Hazard this summer and all eyes will be on their new Belgian playmaker as he settles into life at his new club.

The confident ex-Lille man will be desperate to make a fast start to prove he is worth all the attention he received during a drawn-out transfer saga in which he also flirted with City & United.

BARCELONA V MANCHESTER UNITED

WHEN , WHERE: August 8, Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg

WHY IT’S WORTH A WATCH: Barcelona and Manchester United – two of the world’s biggest clubs - previously clashed in the Champions League final in 2009 and 2011, with the stylish Catalans coming out on top on both occasions.

They also met in pre-season last year, where United gained a small element of revenge for those final defeats by winning 2-1 in the US, and they are set for a pre-season rematch in Gothenburg this summer.

PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR: United have had creative problems in midfield over recent seasons, with many fans pointing to their lack of class in the middle of the pitch as being crucial to their failure to beat City to last season’s title.

Shinji Kagawa has been signed from Borussia Dortmund for £17 million and fans of the Red Devils will be desperate to get their first glimpse of him in pre-season. How will he get on against the class of Barca?

VALENCIA V TOTTENHAM

WHEN , WHERE: August 9, Mestalla Stadium, Valencia

WHY IT’S WORTH A WATCH: It's all change at both clubs this summer. Andre Villas-Boas has replaced Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane whilst Mauricio Pellegrino is the new head coach at Valencia, replacing Unai Emery.

This away trip will serve as a tough test for Villas-Boas' new charges, while the Spaniards will be keen to fare better than they did against Chelsea - when they were managed by the Portuguese boss - in last season's Champions League group stages.

PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR: Roberto Soldado may have been snubbed by champions Spain for their Euro 2012 squad but he remains a consistent goalscorer and attacking threat in La Liga.

The 27-year-old is now reaching his peak years and will be eager to make a good impression against English opposition and ensure he can hit the ground running next season.