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Palacios as good as Barry, says Bruce

Steve Bruce, the Wigan Athletic manager, has put an £18 million price tag on Wilson Palacios to deter clubs interested in the Honduras midfield player. Palacios, 24, signed a three-year contract with Wigan this month and has been linked with Manchester United, but Bruce values him in the same bracket as Gareth Barry, of Aston Villa.

“When you see the fees being quoted, such as £18 million for Gareth Barry just because he plays for a more fashionable club, then that sets the level,” Bruce said.

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Everton target is courted by Arsenal

Stéphane Mbia, the Cameroon midfield player who wants to move from Rennes to Everton in a £6.5 million deal, has claimed that Arsenal are trying to sign him. “I’ve just heard that Arsenal are also interested,” the 22-year-old said. “But my position is clear. I want to resume the season at Everton. It’s an ideal springboard for my career."

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Martins gets Keegan’s seal of approval

Fittingly for a man who once reached No 31 in the charts with a song entitled Head Over Heels in Love, Kevin Keegan has given his blessing for Obafemi Martins to continue with his trademark somersault goal celebrations in spite of the attendant injury risks posed to the player.

“As far as Oba and his somersaults are concerned, I would love to see more of them,” the Newcastle United manager, who was delighted with the Nigeria striker’s headed goal at Old Trafford last weekend, said. “I’ve never seen anybody leap like him.”

And finally . . .

Mido is hoping to show Middlesbrough supporters his true worth as a player this season after an injury-ravaged debut campaign on Teesside. “Everybody who knows about sport injuries knows how bad it is when you get inflammation on the pubic bone,” the Egypt striker said. “I couldn’t do any movement and they wouldn’t have known that.”