According to Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas both Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in Chelsea target midfielder Mickael Essien.

Aulas told his club’s official website: “It is tedious to lose one of the best players in Europe but he has not left yet.

“We can still find a compromise so that he only leaves next year.

“Chelsea will have to show themselves to be very persuasive for us to let him leave.

“Manchester want him just as much.”

He added: “This Essien story does not weary me. Perhaps it will be solved on September 1 and not on July 31.

“I have more resistance than some people have imagined.

“The more Chelsea will wait, the more they will be put in difficulty, not just compared to Lyon, but also compared to another English club [Arsenal] which has just lost a defensive midfielder [Patrick Vieira].”

West Ham United have swooped to sign Stoke City left-back Clive Clarke for a £275k fee. The 25-year-old has signed a four-year deal.

Clarke told his new club’s official website: “When I knew that West Ham United were interested I was really keen to come.

“It’s a huge Club and out of the three promoted teams they have the best chance to survive and progress in the Premiership.

“I had some great times at Stoke, but it’s been a dream of mine for some time now to play in the Premier League and I’m delighted that West Ham have given me that chance.

“I first heard about the Club’s interest about two or three weeks ago, and I’m just pleased that everything’s been sorted out now and I’m a West Ham United player.

“Now I just want to get stuck into training and try and impress the manager enough to get a place in the team.”

He continued: “I’ve come in pretty late for pre-season so it’s going to be that much more difficult for me to force my way into the team.

“It’s always a bit easier when you start pre-season with a new team, but that’s the situation and I’m just going to concentrate on doing my best in training and hopefully putting myself into the manager’s thoughts.

“If I can put in some good work over the next couple of weeks then hopefully I can force my way into the team. But at the end of the day, the Premier League is a long season and we’re all part of a squad of players that is looking to do their best for the Club.

“Having players fighting for their places is just what the Club needs and hopefully I can add strong competition for a couple of the places in the first-team.”

He added: “I only really know the rest of the squad from playing against them. I’ve heard that they are a good bunch of lads though and I won’t have too many problems settling in.

“The times I’ve played against West Ham they have always been tough to beat and they played very well to beat us 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium last season.

“I watched the Play-offs and was impressed with the way West Ham made the most of their momentum.

“There are some great players at the Club and I’ve been really impressed with the set-up I’ve seen so far.

“Stoke are a good club and I’m grateful to them for giving me my chance. But this is a good time for me to be making the step up to the Premier League and hopefully I can show people that I can play at the highest level.”

Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng wants to sign a new deal at the Riverside. The Dutch international is out of contract next summer.

Boateng told the Sunday Sun: “I want to stay at Middlesbrough, I’m happy here. I’ve let my feelings be known to the club, when they approach me I’ll deal with it.

“If they make an offer that is very interesting for me to sign and stay for a further few more years, I will do so. I’m 29 now so I’ll be looking for four or five years. I’ve got two kids so if I don’t sign for a year and have to move it’s a big decision for me.

“This is probably the last long-term contract I’ll sign, here or somewhere else, preferably here. Maybe I will finish my career here because I will keep playing until my body says no.

“There won’t be any hesitation on my part because I like it here. I like the players, I like the fans, the club is very good, it’s run by a good manager and the chairman is backing the team and the manager with his funds.”

Newcastle United ‘keeper Shay Given has revealed that he’s in ‘no mad rush’ to sign a new contract at St James’ Park.

Given told the News of the World: “I have two years left on my deal and, so far, the club have not offered me a new one.

“We will have to see where this season takes us and I will look at the situation again, but I have to say I am in no mad rush to sign a new contract at Newcastle.

“We have sold six players and brought in two, so anyone can do the maths and see we are short.”