Van Persie refuses to go on pre-season tour as City, United and Juventus lodge £15m bids.

Manchester United and Manchester City have made £15million bids for wantaway Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who has refused to join his team-mates on the pre-season tour of the Far East.

The Premier League giants have been joined in the race for the Dutchman's signature by Juventus who have also made an official approach.

Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed United's bid after touching down in Cape Town during their summer tour.

He told MUTV: 'Obviously Arsenal have given out the fact that we've made a bid for him. We try to keep business as close as possible to us until the moment we conclude a deal. There's no point talking about something that might not happen.

Which was it out? Robin van Persie chats to Theo Walcott on Friday

On his way: Van Persie was all smiles in training amid his exit plans

 

'There are other clubs interested in the player. We've shown an interest and that's where we're at at the moment.'

Van Persie trained with his Arsenal team-mates on Friday morning and looked relaxed.

Arsenal are holding out for at least £20m for Van Persie, whose contract expires next summer.

Manager Arsene Wenger wants a quick resolution to the Van Persie saga so he can either prepare for the new season with the Dutchman in his plans or have enough time to find a replacement.

Arsenal had been adamant their captain will make the trip to Malaysia on Saturday, but he will now remain behind, which surely signals the beginning of the end of his Gunners career.

Interest: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson arrives in Cape Town on Friday

Arsenal fly to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday for a three-match tour. Arsenal play City at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing next Friday.

Sportsmail understands Wenger and his scouting team have spoken at depth about a move for Spain forward Fernando Llorente should their talisman leave.

The 27-year-old - who scored 28 goals for Bilbao last season - has a £28million release clause written into his contract.

And Wenger would use the £20m-plus from Van Persie's sale in his attempt to lure the striker.

New man: Olivier Giroud trained with Arsenal on Friday as he settles in at the club

Wish you were here? Arsenal target Fernando Llorente and his girlfriend in Ibiza

At 6ft 5ins, Wenger believes Llorente has the physical attributes and ability on the ball to deal with the rigours of English football.

But whether Bilbao would be willing to negotiate a deal below his hefty release clause remains unclear.

In addition to Llorente, Fiorentina Stevan Jovetic and Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski have also been discussed as possible replacements for Van Persie.

Van Persie refuses to go on pre-season tour as City, United and Juventus lodge £15m bids.

Manchester United and Manchester City have made £15million bids for wantaway Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who has refused to join his team-mates on the pre-season tour of the Far East.

The Premier League giants have been joined in the race for the Dutchman's signature by Juventus who have also made an official approach.

Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed United's bid after touching down in Cape Town during their summer tour.

He told MUTV: 'Obviously Arsenal have given out the fact that we've made a bid for him. We try to keep business as close as possible to us until the moment we conclude a deal. There's no point talking about something that might not happen.

Which was it out? Robin van Persie chats to Theo Walcott on Friday

On his way: Van Persie was all smiles in training amid his exit plans

 

'There are other clubs interested in the player. We've shown an interest and that's where we're at at the moment.'

Van Persie trained with his Arsenal team-mates on Friday morning and looked relaxed.

Arsenal are holding out for at least £20m for Van Persie, whose contract expires next summer.

Manager Arsene Wenger wants a quick resolution to the Van Persie saga so he can either prepare for the new season with the Dutchman in his plans or have enough time to find a replacement.

Arsenal had been adamant their captain will make the trip to Malaysia on Saturday, but he will now remain behind, which surely signals the beginning of the end of his Gunners career.

Interest: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson arrives in Cape Town on Friday

Arsenal fly to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday for a three-match tour. Arsenal play City at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing next Friday.

Sportsmail understands Wenger and his scouting team have spoken at depth about a move for Spain forward Fernando Llorente should their talisman leave.

The 27-year-old - who scored 28 goals for Bilbao last season - has a £28million release clause written into his contract.

And Wenger would use the £20m-plus from Van Persie's sale in his attempt to lure the striker.

New man: Olivier Giroud trained with Arsenal on Friday as he settles in at the club

Wish you were here? Arsenal target Fernando Llorente and his girlfriend in Ibiza

At 6ft 5ins, Wenger believes Llorente has the physical attributes and ability on the ball to deal with the rigours of English football.

But whether Bilbao would be willing to negotiate a deal below his hefty release clause remains unclear.

In addition to Llorente, Fiorentina Stevan Jovetic and Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski have also been discussed as possible replacements for Van Persie.

FIRST LOOK: Child pageant star Honey Boo Boo, six, and her controversial 'coupon queen' mom debut new reality series

Honey Boo Boo's unruly antics helped her become the break-out star of Toddlers & Tiaras.

But it seems there is no stopping the mischievous ways of the six-year-old, whose real name is Alana, judging by a new trailer for her forthcoming TLC reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

The tiny tot from rural McIntyre, Georgia is seen covered in mud in one stage of the trailer after launching herself into a giant mud pit.

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Big personality: Honey Boo Boo, the attention-seeking break-out star of Toddlers & Tiaras, is seen getting up to even more mischief during a trailer for her new reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

The 30-second clip shows her attempting to dance after playing in the pit, wobbling around in front of the camera in the slushy dirt.

Alana, who is almost incoherent as her speaking manner is so bizarre, is then seen yelling: 'You'd better redneck-anise!'

 

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Her mother June, who was accused of 'doping' Alana with caffeinated drinks and high sugar snacks after appearing on an episode of Toddlers & Tiaras in January, is also included in the trailer.

According to the network, the six-part series will see the family 'doing what [they] do best: four-wheeling through mud pits and picking up road kill for the family cookout.'

Cheeky: The youngster is seen dancing in the mud, above, after playing in a giant pit of the slushy dirt

Centre of attention: The trailer suggests that the little girl's attention-seeking ways are far from over

Other family members shown include her chalk-miner father, Sugar Bear, and three sisters: Lauryn, aka 'Pumpkin', 12, Jessica, or 'Chubbs', 15, and pregnant 17-year-old Anna, known to the family as 'Chickadee'. 

The clan are seen squishing their flabby bellies about in one particularly charming scene as they grin for the cameras.

One of the girls is seen telling the camera: 'We're not red-necks... we all have our teeth, don't we?'

A snippet from her debut on Toddlers & Tiaras is also included, which includes Alana's now famous line, 'A dollar makes me holler, Honey Boo Boo'.

The past episode of Toddlers & Tiaras saw June, who is known as the 'coupon queen', tell of how she created a 'Go Go Juice' mixture of Mountain Dew and Red Bull after 15 bags of Pixy Stix - tubes of powdered sugar often known as 'pageant crack' - failed to boost her daughter's energy.

Charming: The smiling clan are seen poking at their bellies at one stage. Her dad admits they are rednecks

Suited and booted: Doctor Who star Karen Gillan begins shooting first feature film in Glasgow

She's bowing out of her role as Amy Pond in Doctor Who later this year. 

But Karen Gillan has wasted no time in getting to work on her first feature film. 

The 24-year-old actress appeared to be having a whale of a time as she was snapped looking suited and booted on the set of new movie Not Another Happy Ending. 

Suited and booted: Karen Gillan looked chic in an androgynous grey tweet suit

Back in her native Scotland, the redhead beauty looked sleek and stylish in an androgynous grey tweed suit, which she paired with a grey shirt, red tie and tanned brogues.

 

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Despite her somewhat restrictive outfit, Karen wasn't afraid of getting stuck in to a number of action-packed scenes. 

In one, the actress looked on open-mouthed as her co-star Stanley Weber ran off down the street.

Action-packed: Karen looked like she was having fun as she got to work on her first day on set 

All-smiles: Karen and her co-star Stanley Weber seemed to be having a good laugh together as they giggled on set

But it wasn't long before she was in hot pursuit of him, and determinedly sprinting down the road. 

Later on, the duo looked happy and relaxed as they giggled with each other while running through their scripts. 

In Not Another Happy Ending, Karen plays eccentric author Jane who is suffering from writer's block after she finds success with a best-selling novel. 

Last month, the star finished filming Doctor Who after three year's playing the Time Lord's companion on the BBC sci-fi series. 

Matt Smith will continue as the Doctor, but will be accompanied by new sidekick, former Emmerdale star Jenna-Louise Coleman. 

Jumping for joy: Karen was on location in Glasgow shooting new movie Not Another Happy Ending

Moving on: Karen filmed her final scenes for Doctor Who last month

Back with a bang! Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sam Faiers kick off new series of TOWIE with an ALMIGHTY argument

She ended the last series of The Only Way Is Essex with a dream proposal from her boyfriend on board a luxury yacht in Marbella. 

But back in Blighty, it would appear Lucy Mecklenburgh has come crashing back down to earth with a bang.

Series six of the ITV2 reality show kicks off on Sunday night, and it doesn't disappoint when it comes to drama. 

Heated: Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sam Faiers get into an almighty argument at Lucy and Mario's engagement party

Although they have been friends since they were teenagers, the season debut sees Lucy become involved in an almighty bust-up with her pal, Sam Faiers.

 

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Dressed up to the nines in a black diamond-encrusted floor-length gown from Forever Unique, Lucy decides her and Mario Falcone's engagement party is the perfect place to confront the 21-year-old blonde about catty comments she made about the couple. 

After the brunette bombshell announced her engagement to Mario in front of the entire TOWIE cast at a spray party during the one-off The Only Way Is Marbs special, Sam told her sister Billie she wasn't sure whether reformed lothario Mario could be trusted. 

Accusations: Lucy points the finger at Sam

But it would appear Lucy's planned discussion with Sam didn't go quite according to plan.

In preview shots from Sunday night's show, the 20-year-old beauty looks distressed as she argues with the former glamour model in the middle of the party. 

'You were my friend. And what you are doing now is completely ruining that,' she tells her. 

Mario and Sam's boyfriend, Joey Essex, then wade in to the disagreement, and end up starting a whole new argument of their own. 

Emotional: Lucy appears to break down in tears as Sam refuses back down during the heated row

Distressed: Lucy accuses her former pal Sam of ruining her long-awaited engagement party

With Sam refusing to back down, Lucy says: 'Thanks for ruining our engagement party.'

Although Mario and Lucy's relationship could be cast into doubt, it seems a number of new TOWIE couples are going from strength to strength. 

Lydia Bright opened up to best pal Lucy about her new relationship with Tom Kilbey, admitting he has got rid of the 'trust issues' she had from four years of dating co-star James 'Arg' Argent. 

Young love: Lydia gushes about her new boyfriend, Tom Kilbey, to best friend Lucy

'He is so amazing, Luce.' Lydia gushes. 'He is just romantic and puts so much thought into everything. Luce he is literally like perfect, and I love him and he is so, like, beautiful.

'He obviously knew I had quite a lot of trust issues from my previous relationship. And before I could have any issues he banished all possibilities.'

And it would appear Tom has gone down a storm with Lydia's eccentric mum, Debbie, too. 

'Posh and Becks': Gemma tells Sam she and new boyfriend Arg are Essex's new A-list couple

'I just absolutely adore him he is just lovely,' she says.

Elsewhere, Lydia's ex, Arg, has moved on with Gemma Collins, and the bubbly blonde told pals Sam and Billie Faiers that they are Essex's new A-list couple.

'We are like the new Posh and Becks,' she explains. 

Tune in to the first episode of TOWIE season six on ITV2 at 10pm this Sunday. 

Bowled over! The Saturdays singer Mollie King moves on from Prince Harry 'romance' with cricketer Stuart Broad

It was reported earlier this year that The Saturdays singer Mollie King was dating Prince Harry.

But it seems Mollie has moved on, as has Harry, and is now rumoured to have set up a date with England cricketer Stuart Broad.

The pretty blonde singer and the 26-year-old sportsman are said to have struck up a friendship over Twitter, with Broad now planning to take Mollie out over the weekend.

She's bowled over! The Saturdays singer Mollie King is said to be going on a date with England cricketer Stuart Broad this weekend

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: 'Mollie and Stuart have been following each other on twitter for a while.

'They've been chatting in private on twitter and have really hit it off. Stuart has told close friends he plans to take Mollie out for dinner this Saturday.'

Broad is currently in London playing South Africa at The Oval stadium, and wants to make the most of being near to blonde beauty Mollie. 

In action: Stuart is currently in London playing with England against South Africa

The source added: 'He doesn't have any strict England curfews. He will be free on Saturday night to go out for a posh dinner with Mollie and enjoy a few drinks.'

Mollie, 25, has been linked to Prince Harry since splitting with male model David Gandy in February, but she insists the pair are just friends.

Stuart could be just her type since the Higher singer has recently joked about liking men in uniform. 

Dressed to impress: Mollie looked chic at the the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup Final in Sussex last weekend

She said: 'I'm single. The girls are going to set me up on dates - I hope! Bring me a nice sailor and I'm there!'

News of Mollie's apparent new romance comes as Prince Harry was spotted leaving a nightclub in the early hours of yesterday morning with model Cressida Bonas.

A spokesperson for Mollie said the singer is still unattached.