Luractive leap sees Robbie Grabarz win the Diamond League and start dreaming of buying a Porsche

Robbie Grabarz delivered the perfect ending to a brilliant season by banking a $40,000 cheque as the overall Diamond League champion in Zurich. The Birmingham-based high jumper was cut from the Lottery funding programme after a dismal 2011 season and admits he was running up debts at the start of the year to pursue his athletic career.

But any financial worries have long since vanished after an astonishing transformation this season, culminating in Thursday's Diamond Trophy and jackpot prize.

A keen classic car enthusiast, Grabarz said his first end-of-season purchase would be an old Porsche for him to restore during the winter, and maybe a racing car as well.

Grabarz, who cleared 2.28 metres in cold and wet conditions in Switzerland, was beaten into second place yesterday by Russia’s Olympic champion, Ivan Ukhov, but his consistency over the summer meant he needed only to finish ahead of American world champion Jesse Williams to take the overall prize. Williams cleared 2.25m to finish fourth, guaranteeing Grabarz’s payday.

“I don’t believe it quite yet,” said Grabarz. “Three major things have happened to me this year – European champion, Olympic bronze medallist and now Diamond League champion. I’m so happy.”

Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt made light of the poor weather conditions by running his last 200 metres of the year in a winning time of 19.66sec, despite appearing to amble around the bend.

His countryman and training partner, Yohan Blake, looked equally comfortable as he clocked 9.76sec to win the 100m with three metres to spare, despite the distraction of seeing American rival Tyson Gay being disqualified for a false start.

David Rudisha, the Kenyan who illuminated the Olympics by winning the 800m gold medal in a world record of 1min 40.91sec, suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Ethiopian Mohammed Aman, who triumphed in a national record of 1min 42.53sec.

The final race of the evening featured the rare sight of a British men’s 4x100m relay team getting a baton safely around a track from start to finish. The Olympic quartet of Christian Malcolm, Dwain Chambers, Danny Talbot and Adam Gemili took third place in 38.30sec behind the United States and Jamaica.

Arsenal look to strengthen midfield with loan deal for Chelsea's Michael Essien

Arsenal have made an inquiry for Chelsea’s Michael Essien as Arsene Wenger attempts to reinforce his midfield ahead of tonight’s closure of the transfer window.

Essien is yet to start a game for Chelsea so far this season and it is understood that Arsenal’s interest has centred on the possibility of a season-long loan. Chelsea, though, would be mindful of loaning one of their players to a Premier League rival and, despite his previous injury problems, they do regard Essien as potentially useful cover at the base of their midfield.

Wenger does hope to make at least one signing today, with Montpellier captain Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa another potential target, but there will be no repeat of last year’s deadline day shopping frenzy. Indeed, Wenger launched an impassioned defence of his strategy yesterday as Arsenal again head towards the closure of a transfer window in profit on their player trading.

It has been a familiar pattern for Wenger to at least break even in the transfer market since moving to the Emirates in 2005 and, after the early expenditure for Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla, he has since more than covered that outlay by selling Robin van Persie and Alex Song.

Wenger said that he might still spend today if a “top, top player” became available but he also stressed that he regards the squad as sufficiently strong to challenge for major trophies.

“I am relaxed,” said Wenger. “We have enough players, that is for sure, but you want always to improve your squad. We have resources available so if it is not happening now it will happen in December. But we believe strongly that we have the quality in our squad to do very well.

We bought Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud so you cannot say we have not bought but, when you listen to people, you always have to buy more.”

Asked what could really strengthen the squad, Wenger pointed to the treatment room and the long-awaited returns of Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna and Tomas Rosicky.

“Getting our injured players back is the best way for us to strengthen the squad,” he said. “We do not just want to bring average players in. Spending in itself is not a quality. Buying good players is a quality, better players than you have is a quality.”

Wenger also outlined his confidence that Theo Walcott would still sign a new contract, despite allowing the 23-year-old to enter the final year of his current deal.

“His situation is simple - that he will stay with us and play for us,” said Wenger. “At the moment it is very difficult to predict what we will do. He loves the club, and maybe we can find an agreement at some stage. Theo is 23. He’s English, he basically lives 10 minutes from here. So hopefully we can find an agreement.

“He’s not money obsessed. He does not say, ‘it’s that, or not’. There are little differences in negotiations that can happen. He is developing very well. He is intelligent, a good finisher.”

Walcott has been offered a five year contract worth £75,000-a-week but, mindful of the going rate for comparable England internationals, is hoping for a deal closer to £100,000-a-week. Wenger, though, indicated that there were clear wage boundaries for a player of

Walcott’s age compared to more experienced professionals. “It is of course different for a 29-year-old player than for a 23-year-old player,” he said.

Champions League draw: Manchester City face Real Madrid in tough group, United, Arsenal and Chelsea spared

Manchester City on Thursday discovered why the most demanding competition in club football is called the Champions League. The champions of England have been drawn against the champions of Spain, the champions of Holland and the champions of Germany.

Make that Group D for Drama. Sub-plots spill from every team-sheet. The Real Madrid-City duel offers plenty of fascination. Cristiano Ronaldo is back in Manchester, this time in the cacophonous backyard of the noisy neighbours.

“It’s pretty difficult,” said Ronaldo of the group. “In my opinion, and I am sure the opinion of most people, it is the most difficult group and the most competitive. But we are ready. We are champions of Spain and we are ready to compete with anybody. In my opinion the best teams in the world are there in Spain, in Real Madrid and Barcelona.”

More drama clings to Jose Mourinho and Mario Balotelli. Real’s manager once described the mercurial striker as “unmanageable” during their tense Inter Milan days. “Mario is Mario and Jose is Jose!’’ smiled Patrick Vieira, City’s football development executive.

“One thing that is sure is that facing Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, Mario will want to play, perform and score goals. With the way he played in the Euros there is expectation for all of us in Mario. He was one of the best players at the Euros.”

He gave Real’s defender Sergio Ramos a few problems when Spain collided with Italy in the group stage.

Yet Balotelli has huge respect for Mourinho, telling City players what a charismatic, inspiring coach he was to play under despite being sent to the reserves at Inter. Vieira himself left Inter during the Mourinho years but held no grudges.

“Wherever Jose has been, he has been successful,” said Vieira. “He went to Chelsea, and was successful. He went to Inter Milan and was a success. He’s successful at Real Madrid. The Premier League does not hold any secrets for Jose. He follows the Premier League 100 per cent. It will be a good match between Jose and [Roberto] Mancini, really exciting.’’

As well as Balotelli, Vieira believes that all of the players in Mancini’s dressing room will be stirred at the prospect of playing at the Bernabéu, where City commence their campaign on Sept 18, at the Amsterdam Arena and then Dortmund’s impressive Signal Iduna Park.

“I’m sure the players are 100 per cent excited to go to the Bernabéu, to go to the fantastic stadium of Dortmund and face a big club like Ajax,’’ continued Vieira.

“It is the most difficult group but you want to face those kind of teams. Roberto will want to win the Champions League because he never won it as a player or manager.

“Winning the FA Cup, then the Premier League last year and having the experience in the Champions League last year will bring the belief that we can win it. It will have a perfect impact for the competition.

“When you look at the way Chelsea went to the end, you need to go through the year with the luck having your best players without injury.”

Vieira was standing in for Brian Marwood at the draw in Monaco because City’s sporting director had been detained at home, bringing in new recruits as transfer deadline day loomed. City will need Sergio Agüero to regain fitness quickly, for Vincent Kompany to be at his most obdurate defensively and Carlos Tévez to maintain his sprightly new mood if City are to progress to the knockout stages.

City are now a force in Europe, a point confirmed by Real director Emilio Butragueño.

“City are a very strong team after an enormous investment in recent years and they will be a rival of the highest level,’’ said the Real legend.

The other English clubs fared better in the draw, especially Manchester United, who were pitted against Braga, Galatasaray and Cluj. Galatasaray brings back dark memories for United. Back in the mid-nineties, Eric Cantona faced a wall of riot police and Phil Neville marched through Istanbul airport with shards of glass glistening on his club blazer after United’s coach was bricked.

The club have moved on from “Hell”, otherwise known as Galatasaray’s smoke-filled Ali Sami Yen stadium, and now play at the Turk Telecom Arena.

“We have the experience of playing against Galatasaray in the past and we will always remember the ‘Welcome to Hell’ banners so it’s always a difficult type of match,” the United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said.

“We have drawn Portuguese clubs a number of times over the past few years. Braga are one of the improving teams in that country. We’ve never played Cluj before but, after the experience of last year, we don’t want to make any stupid errors this time. We will play our strongest team to make sure we get through.”

Arsenal face a fairly awkward group, although one they should negotiate successfully if Olivier Giroud can find his scoring boots from his Montpellier days. Arsenal play the French side first away on Sept 18 and must also find a path past Schalke and Olympiakos.

“Arsenal are a European great, Olympiakos’s fans are among the hottest and Schalke represent the German seriousness,” said the Montpellier coach René Girard.

Chelsea drew Juventus, kicking off at the Bridge on Sept 19, and also face a trip to Shakhtar Donetsk, a stadium some of their England players like John Terry and Ashley Cole will know well from Euro 2012.

Chelsea also take on the little-known Danish club, Nordsjaelland, who are based just outside Copenhagen. Celtic’s reward for four years of attempting to get into the group stage was a daunting group involving Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow. Nobody said it would be easy.

Group A: FC Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Paris St-Germain, Dinamo Zagreb

Group B: Arsenal, Schalke, Olympiakos, Montpellier

Group C: AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga

Group D: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund

Group E: Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Nordsjaelland

Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, BATE Borisov

Group G: Barcelona, Benfica, Spartak Moscow, Celtic

Group H: Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj

England's players lack of match sharpness is a worry for Roy Hodgson as Moldova and Ukraine games loom

Ashley Young has been omitted from the England squad to face Moldova and Ukraine because of a sore knee but what will worry Roy Hodgson more is the number of players in his outfield 21 not starting for their clubs.

Hodgson’s concerns merely echo sentiments often expressed by Fabio Capello about the number of players in the Premier League eligible for England selection, a figure usually deemed around 40 per cent.

Barring the surprise news of Young’s injury, apparently sustained against Fulham on Saturday, the major talking point of Thursday’s squad was the question marks over players’ match sharpness.

A third of England’s outfield 21 started last weekend’s game on the bench. At least Hodgson’s defence is well stocked with regular starters.

Leighton Baines, Ryan Bertrand (although used in midfield), Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker began for their teams while Joleon Lescott was on the bench for Manchester City.

John Terry, as expected, is included in Hodgson’s squad, although his recovery from a neck injury will be assessed by England’s medical staff on Monday. If Cole remains England’s first-choice left back, there is a straight fight between Walker and Johnson for the right back role. Hodgson was disappointed that Walker suffered an injured toe on the eve of Euro 2012, so ruling him out.

Johnson started in Poland and Ukraine, although the Liverpool player was rested for the friendly win over Italy in Berne when Walker reconfirmed his talent.

Hodgson’s concerns over his players’ match sharpness increases in midfield. Of the eight listed in his “midfielders” section, only Michael Carrick and Steven Gerrard are guaranteed starters for their clubs.

Two more of Hodgson’s midfielders, James Milner and Tom Cleverley, did start last weekend but are not certain of their starting places.

Frank Lampard, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott all started on the bench while Adam Johnson, having failed to force his way into the first team consistently at Manchester City, made his Sunderland debut in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.

For all the concerns about game time, there is a good blend of youth and experience in the midfield. Cleverley and Oxlade-Chamberlain offer a glimpse of the future while Carrick and Gerrard provide the 30-something nous. Young’s injury is ill timed; he performed well in the warm-up to the Euros.

The situation is even more problematic for Hodgson in attack. Of his four strikers, only Jermain Defoe started at the weekend.

Defoe on Thursday signed a new three-year deal at Spurs but knows he has Emmanuel Adebayor ahead of him in the pecking order. Andy Carroll is surplus to requirements at Liverpool where Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini are preferred.

Daniel Sturridge’s future at Chelsea remains clouded with Fernando Torres the leading light. Danny Welbeck started for England at the Euros but his chances of regular football this season have been complicated with the arrival of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa.

The one striker who is guaranteed to be starting regularly is Darren Bent, the Aston Villa forward who was overlooked by Hodgson on Thursday despite regaining the fitness that precluded his involvement at Euro 2012.

England’s players report for training at London Colney on Monday before flying out to Chisinau next Thursday for the game with Moldova the following night. Four days later England host Ukraine at Wembley.

There is sufficient ability in the squad to ensure that England get a strong start to their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign but the number of internationals on club bench remains an issue.

Paralympics 2012: GB's Aileen McGlynn and pilot Helen Scott claim silver in 1km time trial

Aileen McGlynn's attempt to win a third successive Paralympic title in the 1km time-trial came up just short at the velodrome when she and her co-pilot Helen Scott took the silver medal behind Australia's Felicity Johnson and Stephanie Morton, the current reigning world champions.

LATEST

13.52 Real Mallorca have agreed a deal with Spurs for Giovanni dos Santos. He joins the Spanish club on a four-year contract.

13.43 Slight confusion with the Moutinho to Spurs deal and that is that Porto have named their squad to face Olhanense tomorrow night and the midfielder is in it. On the Lloris deal, L'Equipe confirm the £9.5m fee but add that a further £2m to £3m will be paid in bonuses.

13.41 Van der Vaart has agreed terms with Hamburg and the fee is set. Player currently undergoing a medical...that's according to the German media.

13.38 Bit of news for Arsenal fans; Park Chu-Young has joined Celta Vigo on season-long loan.

13.35 Big news for Manchester City fans, Inter have confirmed that Maicon will be joining the Premier League champions.

Has it really come to this for Michael Owen?!

Transfer deadline day: live

It's transfer deadline day, with the August window closing at 11pm tonight. Follow all the moves as they happen with our reporters around the country.

• Moutinho to join Spurs for £22m, club also sign Lloris for £9.5m
• Maicon and Scott Sinclair confirmed as a Man City players
• Charlie Adam joins Stoke on a four-year deal
• Nigel de Jong joins AC Milan from Man CIty
• Dempsey to Villa looks dead in the water - Liverpool lurking?
• Jay Spearing to Bolton for a year-long loan
• Rafael van der Vaart set to join Hamburg
• Nik Bendtner seemingly on his way to Juventus (!)
• Del Piero finally gets his dream move to Sydney FC

Got a transfer rumour? Who have your club signed? Who would you like them to sign? Want to join in our Transfer Deadline Day Totaliser Extravaganza Game Thing? Email enogmaurice@gmail.com with your views.