Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has told Sky Italia that he hopes coach Fabio Capello can break his England contract after the World Cup to join the Champions League winners. Moratti also ruled out Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as a possible successor to Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho at the San Siro. "I've always thought Rafa Benitez was good but he is tied to Liverpool," he said. (Reuters)


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea have paved the way for midfielder Joe Cole's departure from Stamford Bridge by formalising their interest in Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun. (The Guardian) 
Benayoun is confident the move will go through and claimed that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti "wants me for next season". (The Daily Telegraph) 
Rangers are still waiting to see if Liverpool will make an improved offer for 18-year-old defender Danny Wilson after the Ibrox club rejected an initial £2m bid from the Reds.(Daily Mail) 
Blackburn are considering a swoop for Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is set to leave the Scottish Premier League champions as a free agent.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly interested in signing £12m-rated teenage Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic.(caughtoffside.com) 
And the Red Devils have contacted Brazilian side Santos about the possibility of taking 20-year-old midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso to Old Trafford.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have joined Aston Villa in the battle to sign Wigan's Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega, who the Latics value at £10m.(Daily Mirror) 
The Gunners have made an inquiry about the possibility of signing England midfielder Joe Cole from Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge outfit, meanwhile, remain interested in acquiring Shakhtar Donetsk's £15m-rated Croatian right-back Darijo Srna. (Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is also targeting Ajax's 22-year-old right-back Gregory van der Wiel, the young player of the year in the Netherlands, because out-of-favour Habib Beye and Luke Young, who is eyeing a move to West Ham, are set to leave Villa Park this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Villa and Sunderland have joined Birmingham in the race to sign Fulham striker Bobby Zamora. (The Sun) 
Neil Lennon will be promoted from interim boss to permanent manager at Celtic on Tuesday and will immediately set his sights on acquiring Hull playmaker Jimmy Bullard, Cardiff's midfielder Joe Ledley and Stoke wide man Liam Lawrence.(Daily Record)
Paddy McCourt, though, may be on his way out of Parkhead, with Premier League new boys Blackpool interested in the 26-year-old Northern Ireland midfielder.(The Sun) 
Barcelona will renew their chase of Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. However, their big-money pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas could scupper their plans to sign the Argentine, who the Reds value at close to £30m.(Daily Mail) 
Bordeaux ace Yoann Gourcuff, France's first-choice playmaker in the World Cup, is being lined up as a £21.8m replacement for Fabregas at the Emirates. (The Sun) 
Manchester City are considering a move for 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez, who made his senior debut for Spain in their 3-2 World Cup warm-up victory over Saudi Arabia in Austria on Saturday.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham could snap up versatile Hungarian international midfielder Daniel Tozser from Belgian club Racing Genk for about £2.5m.(Daily Mail) 
Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, 19, is a £1m target for French team St Etienne. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate and ex-Milton Keynes Dons boss Paul Ince are both in contention for the managerial vacancies at Portsmouth and Notts County.(Daily Mail) 
Russia's 2018 World Cup bid chief Alexei Sorokin has branded fans of rival bidders England "the utmost hooligans". In the wake of ex-Football Association chairman Lord Triesman's controversial claims that Russia was involved in bribing referees, Sorokin said his bid team "are in a state of information war" with England.(Daily Mirror) 
Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti will make a formal approach to Fabio Capello's representatives on Monday, just as the FA holds emergency talks with the England manager in a bid to shore up the Italian's future. (Daily Mail) 
Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni claims he turned down the chance to become Celtic boss three months ago. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is keen to retain penalty-taking duties for England, despite missing from the spot against Japan on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 
Millwall chairman John Berylson has revealed his debt of gratitude to former Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, who convinced Kenny Jackett, the man who guided the Bermondsey side to promotion to the Championship, to become Lions manager when the pair were working together at Eastlands.(Daily Mirror)

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double for today - RG

Djokovic under 30.5 (2.10)
Verdasco to win (1.66)

double @ 3.48

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Won!

Berdych - Murray 3-0 

Youzhny - Tsonga 1-0 retired, bet void

double: WON

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New double

Millwall won promotion, but Serbia surprisingly lost against New Zealand.

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New gamble and one more double for today. Tennis.

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Berdych to win (2.25)

Youzhny to win (1.66)

A double @ 3.74 bet365

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2.08 double

Millwall to be promoted 1.57

Serbia to win 1.33

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double @ 2.088 Ladbrokes

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Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former Chelsea and Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed he already is being headhunted after leaving Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor by mutual consent. "I have enough serious offers from a number of different teams. There are two offers from European clubs, another two from Asia and one from Brazilian club. But I'm not ready to decide this now," he said. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham have launched an audacious move to bring LA Galaxay midfielder David Beckham back to England while trying to lure former midfielder Joe Cole back from Chelsea.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City have stepped up their interest in Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Yaya Toure but the Spanish side are demanding £60m for the double deal.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has rejected a move to Juventus because he wants to prove his worth at Anfield.(Footylatest.com) 
Manchester United and Arsenal are competing to sign £13m-rated Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard from French side Lille.(caughtoffside.com) 
Arsenal have had a £4.2m bid for Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny rejected. Wenger had identified the 24-year-old as a potential partner for Thomas Vermaelen.(caughtoffside.com) 
Dutch star Arjen Robben has claimed Manchester City target Rafael van der Vaart wants to join him at Bayern Munich.(Daily Mail) 
Jermaine Beckford is poised to join Everton after his Leeds contract was ripped up early.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan (on photo) believes West Ham can be the Arsenal of London's East End.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been handed a measly £5m summer transfer kitty.(Daily Mail)

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AND FINALLY

Hammers striker Benni McCarthy is "nearly as fat as me," says West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. "He's the one West Ham player I want to go to the World Cup because he might come back fitter."(Daily Mail)

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Maybe will be some pick(s), later. Football, no tennis, no rubbish. Stay tuned.

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are considering an £8m move for Atletico Madrid's Portuguese winger Simao as boss Rafael Benitez continues his search for a left winger.(Daily Star)
Manchester City have joined the chase for Wolfsburg's highly rated Bosnia international striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mail)
It is not only Dzeko that City are chasing. The club have launched a daring raid for Valencia forward David Silva as well as three Real Madrid stars - Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes has swooped for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford and will make him his first signing of the summer.(Daily Mirror)
Jose Mourinho has pinpointed Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea.(The Guardian)
West Ham have made a £3m offer for Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who spent a year-long loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mail)
Wolves are closing in on a £7m deal for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher. (Daily Mail)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has approached his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger about the possibility of midfielder Jack Wilshere returning on loan next season.(Daily Mail)
Defender Mario Melchiot is set to join Qatari club Umm Salal. The Wigan skipper, 33, is out of contract and will sign a lucrative deal in the Gulf.(The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

England have suffered a World Cup injury scare after Steven Gerrard limped out of a training session, with the Liverpool midfielder requiring 20 minutes of treatment on his right calf after he pulled up sharply.(Daily Mail)
England manager Fabio Capello says Argentina are the team he fears most in the World Cup, claiming they are the team with the most talented players.(Daily Mirror)
Capello has also warned his England team not to rely on Wayne Rooney in South Africa.(Daily Star)
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is sure David Beckham can still be England's secret World Cup weapon - despite injury ruling the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder out of the tournament.(Daily Star)
Capello believes Gareth Barry is recovering more quickly than expected from an ankle injury and is inclined to include the holding midfielder in his squad. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has described the United fans driving the 'green and gold' protest against the Glazer family ownership as "a minority" and suggested that many people who wear the scarves do not even understand the nature of their own protest.(The Independent)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed to friends he made up his mind to quit after a bust-up surrounding Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood.(Daily Mirror)

.

AND FINALLY

The United States's football team have visited the White House for an official World Cup send-off from President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton ahead of their flight to South Africa on Sunday.(The Sun)
Scotland manager Craig Levein wants England to win the World Cup, claiming it will be "good for Scotland".(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
.
Chelsea
face a battle to hold on to Ashley Cole, with the left-back worn down by speculation in England surrounding his private life and Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Roma and Bayern Munich all interested in signing him.
Arsenal are interested in Lorient's £8m-rated centre-back Laurent Koscielny, 24, who is eligible to play for Poland and France.
Spain striker Fernando Torres has sparked a new round of speculation over his future by refusing to rule out a summer move from Liverpool.
Arsenal have risked alienating Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas after refusing to discuss their skipper's transfer with Barcelona.
But Fabregas is hoping to secure a £40m move to Barcelona by toeing the line at Arsenal and refusing to be drawn into further discussion about a move.
Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole has been told he must lower his £5m-a-year pay demands if he wants to join Tottenham.
Liverpool and Tottenham are battling to sign Croatia goalkeeper Marijan Antolovic, 21, who plays for Cibalia.
West Ham have had a bid of £5m turned down for Everton striker Yakubu, with Toffees boss David Moyes wanting closer to the £11.25m he paid Middlesbrough for the Nigerian.
Everton are being linked with a move for Marseille's France winger Hatem Ben Afra, 23, who has a price tag of £10m.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will offer Wigan £8m for French midfielder Charles N'Zogbia.
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce's hopes of signing Spain midfielder Guti from Real Madrid look doomed after the player said he wants to stay in Spain.
Newcastle are set to launch a £3.5m bid for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, 23, and the Magpies are also favourites to land out-of-contract Rangers striker Kris Boyd, 26, on a free transfer.
Cardiff are preparing a shock move to try to take striker Craig Bellamy back to his hometown from Manchester City in a £7m deal.
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is hoping to pip his former club Celtic to the £2.5m signing of Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper, 22. (Daily Mail)
Newly promoted Leeds are ready to rival Burnley for Derby striker Rob Hulse in a £1.5m deal.
Rangers boss Walter Smith has told Liverpool they will need to offer at least £5m for defender Danny Wilson, 18. Smith has also rejected Middlesbrough's advances for midfielder Kevin Thomson but will allow Algeria defender Madjid Bougherra to leave. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP
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Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has identified England manager Fabio Capello as the "ideal candidate" to replace their Real Madrid-bound coach Jose Mourinho and will offer the Italian a £9m-a-year contract.
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole's chances of going to the World Cup are hanging in the balance after he was not guaranteed a starting place against Japan on Sunday - England final warm-up game before this summer's tournament.
Former MK Dons boss Paul Ince has emerged as a contender to succeed Avram Grant at Portsmouth after talks with the club's administrator.
Phil Brown, who was put on gardening leave in March, has agreed an £800,000 compensation deal with Hull City - ending all hope of him making a shock return as manager.
Meanwhile, Egypt striker Mido plans to see out the last year of his contract at Middlesbrough, which will cost the club £1.3m.

AND FINALLY
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Argentina coach Diego Maradona has promised to run naked in the centre of Buenos Aires if his team win the World Cup in South Africa.
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Tennis double

I'll posting some tennis gambles in the boring days like this one. Don't expect miracles. :)

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Starace -7 2.10

Safina to win 2-0 1.80

double @ 3.78 bet 365

.

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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona have targeted Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue as cover for regular right-back Daniel Alves. (imscouting) 
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has warned Real Madrid and other clubs that Diego Milito is not for sale. "There's a difference between Milito and our coach, Mourinho," Moratti told the club's official website www.inter.it. "Mourinho has a clause in his contract by which if the clause is exercised, he can leave. However, Milito doesn't and hence, the discussion is over." (Press Association Sport)

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

The news that Jose Mourinho is likely to leave Inter Milan to become manager of Real Madrid has sparked panic among Premier League clubs, who fear he will swoop to sign their best players. Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are reportedly in his sights, along with Liverpool stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is ready to offer striker Dimitar Berbatov as part of a £28m-deal for Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea are weighing up a double-swoop for Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun. (Daily Mail) 
The Blues are also eyeing up an £18m-move for Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona's 19-year-old Israeli playmaker Guy Assulin, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.(imscouting.com) 
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes club and country team-mate Fernando Torres will remain at Anfield next season. Torres has been linked with a move away from Liverpool after the club's poor campaign, with Chelsea and Barcelona supposedly in the running for the Spaniard's services.(Independent) 
Barcelona's pursuit of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas has been aided by the willingness of the Spanish FA to let the Spanish Champions conduct negotiations with the midfielder during the build-up to the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to reignite his interest in Paris St Germain's French Under 21 captain Mamadou Sakho this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Prospective West Ham manager Avram Grant is planning to sign four of his former Portsmouth players once he takes charge at Upton Park. Tal Ben Haim, Kevin Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara are all on his wanted list. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are also hopeful of luring Italian striker Luca Toni to Upton Park from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.(caughtoffside.com)
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has put Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United on alert after revealing he has rejected the Goodison club's latest contract offer. (Daily Mail) 
Newly-installed Wolfsburg manager Steve McClaren wants to sign Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy for £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have joined Wolves, West Brom and Everton in the race for Hull's Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt. Hunt, who cost £3.5m from Reading last summer, has already been told he can leave the relegated Tigers.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are set to make a £6m move for Valencia's 6ft 7in striker Nikola Zigic.(The Sun) 
However, they could face competition for his signature from Liverpool, may offer winger Albert Rieira as part of any deal.(caughtoffside.com) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is planning a swoop on former club Swansea to sign midfielder Leon Britton.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway wants to re-sign on-loan Everton defender Seamus Coleman for next season after he impressed at Bloomfield Road this campaign.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool have upped the ante in their bid to sign Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot, with Wigan, Portsmouth and several Championship clubs also interested. (the Sun) 
Scunthorpe have told Celtic they will have to pay £2.5m for striker Gary Hooper. (Daily Mail)
Wolves have reportedly agreed personal terms with the Anderlecht utility player Jelle van Damme. He will join Wolves for £2.5m and sign a four-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is planning a raid on former club Inter Milan to sign Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso for £18m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Shota Arveladze, the new coach of Kaysterispor, wants to sign Kris Boyd from former club Rangers, with the Turks offering a package worth around £5.5m for the forward who is also interesting Bursaspor, Ankaragucu, Birmingham, Newcastle, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Hertha Berlin. (Various)
Celtic are still interested is signing Philippe Senderos, according to the father of the Switzerland defender, who would prefer to remain at Everton after a loan spell from Arsenal. (Daily Mail) 
Hibernian are back on the trail of out-of-favour Preston North End right-back Michael Hart, who will make a decision about his future when he returns from holiday. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

England captain Rio Ferdinand says that he would have paid Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes to come out of retirement and play for the country during this summer's World Cup in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Former United States defender Alexi Lalas claims it would not be a shock if the USA beat England in their big World Cup opener in South Africa on 12 June.(The Sun) 
Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote could be poised to complicate Arsenal's ownership even further. Dangote is believed to be interested in buying Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith's 16% stake in the club to join Uzbeki tycoon Alisher Usmanov and American businessman Stan Kroenke as a big shareholder.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth stars want goalkeeper David James to become player-boss as a replacement for Avram Grant, who quit Fratton Park last week. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has emerged as a candidate to replace Jose Mourinho as boss of Inter Milan. The 62-year-old has twice managed the Italian side before, the most recent being as caretaker for a season 11 years ago.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will sign a new five-year contract worth around £30,000-a-week today, scuppering any lingering hopes Manchester United and Arsenal retained of securing the talented teenager this summer.(Guardian) 
Midfielder Michael Ballack will discuss terms over a new contract with Chelsea this week, according to German newspaper Bild.(imscouting.com) 
Hamburg chairman Bernd Hoffman wants to return the club to its glory days and believes former England manger Kevin Keegan is the man to take the German side forward. Keegan played in the Hamburg side that was beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest in the 1980 European Cup final.(Daily Mail) 
Former keeper Mark Crossley will have talks with Oldham about becoming their new boss today. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

England are struggling to play with the new Adidas football that will be used at this summer's World Cup. Boss Fabio Capello said the players are "having problems controlling it" at their altitude training camp in Austria. The Italian expects the ball to be even harder to control in Rustenburg, South Africa, which is several hundred metres higher above sea level than the European base.(Daily Mail) 
Argentina manager Diego Maradona has demanded two state-of-the-art bidet toilets be installed for him at the team's World Cup base camp in South Africa. Builders were rushed in to carry out a £1,400 overhaul of the football legend's private suite after his aides complained that the existing bathroom facilities would not meet his 'high standards.'(Daily Mail) 
Blackpool striker Ben Burgess says his club boss Ian Holloway was short of the mark when he suggested the newly-promoted Tangerines would target a Champions League place in two years. "With him in charge we'll probably win the Premier League next season!" said Burgess.(The Sun)

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Sunday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Liverpool may make a summer move for Manchester City defender Micah Richards with an offer of £12m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are preparing a £20m bid for Real Madrid attacker Rafael Van der Vaart according to the Spanish press.(IMScouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho may move for Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard after agreeing a four-year £40m deal to take over as Real Madrid manager next season. Inter right-back Maicon is likely to be his first signing at the Bernabeu.(Sunday Times) 
James Milner has told friends that he wants to join Liverpool. Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also desperate to sign Aston Villa's 24-year-old England midfielder.(News of the World)
Liverpool are lining up Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko, who was the German Bundesliga's top scorer with 26 goals last season, to replace Fernando Torres. Chelsea and Manchester City are poised to make massive bids to sign the Spanish striker.(News of the World) 
Chelsea are poised to launch a £26m bid for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric. (Mail on Sunday) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has failed to change the mind of captain Cesc Fabregas who is determined to return to boyhood club Barcelona this summer.(News of the World) 
Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland, 23, has told Manchester City that he wants to leave the club.(Sunday Mirror) 
City are also looking to offload temperamental Brazilian star Robinho. The club is hoping he has an outstanding World Cup so they can recoup at least £25m of the £32.5m they forked out when signing him from Real Madrid in August 2008. (Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City are still looking to flex their spending muscles by offering £20m for Everton's 28-year-old midfielder Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are likely to provide the main competition as they search for a replacement for the seemingly Barcelona-bound Cesc Fabregas.(Mail on Sunday) 
Everton have emerged as contenders for the signature of Manchester City's unsettled striker Craig Bellamy. Tottenham are also in the race for the Wales international.(News of the World) 
Robbie Keane is set to move from Tottenham to Aston Villa in a £15m deal. Villa are ready to meet the asking price, particularly if they pick up £30m for James Milner from either Manchester City or Chelsea. (Sunday Mirror) 
Villa are also in the market for Valencia pair Nikola Zigic and Miguel. The Serbian striker and Portuguese defender would cost a combined £9.5m.(News of the World) 
Joe Cole could renew his acquaintance with Harry Redknapp as Tottenham close in on the England midfielder who has yet to agree a new contract with Chelsea. Spurs boss Redknapp handed Cole his debut as a teenager when he was in charge at West Ham.(Sunday Mirror) 
Celtic winger Aiden McGeady is faced with a choice between Birmingham and Russian side Spartak Moscow as he contemplates a £6m move away from Parkhead.(News of the World) 
Hull will have to offload midfielder Jimmy Bullard this summer as his £45,000-a-week wages are too much for the relegated side to afford in the Championship.(News of the World) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle hopes to sign Portsmouth striker David Nugent who he took on loan during his time with Burnley last season.(News of the World) 
Sunderland are beating Aston Villa and Newcastle in the battle for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(News of the World) 
Newcastle are confident that they can tie up a deal to take Manchester United winger Tom Cleverley on loan for next season. The 20-year-old spent last season at Watford.(News of the World) 
The Magpies are also close to a deal for French winger Bernard Mendy who has left Hull as a free agent.(News of the World) 
Ajax striker Luis Suarez has told his employers that he will only leave the Amsterdam club for Manchester United. (Sunday Express)
Wigan are set to sign up Tenerife centre-half Jose Antonio Culebras on a free transfer. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Wayne Rooney is not fully fit after it emerged that the England striker is still having treatment on his injured right ankle.(News of the World) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will turn down the chance to move to Manchester United or Arsenal and sign a new long-term deal at Goodison Park.(News of the World) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is being offered £5m to quit Anfield and manage the United Arab Emirates.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be offered a return to management by Portsmouth.(News of the World) 
Avram Grant's first task on being appointed West Ham manager will be to trim co-owner David Sullivan's list of transfer targets from 32 names to just 6.(News of the World) 
Notts County manager Steve Cotterill has emerged as Portsmouth's top target to replace Avram Grant as manager. Cotterill, 45, led County to the League Two title, but only had a contract until the end of the season.(Sunday Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Cesc Fabregas will be paid half his annual salary before he has even kicked a ball for Barcelona should the 23-year-old complete his move from Arsenal. The midfielder, who is expected to earn about £160,000-a-week, will immediately be paid £4.16m.(Sunday Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Bayern Munich 0 - 2 Inter Milan

Jose Mourinho wrote his name into the history books as Diego Milito inspired Inter Milan to Champions League glory against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu.
Milito set Inter on their way against the run of play with a clipped finish. 
And he wrapped up a win built on the foundations of a solid defence with a solo effort that saw Inter become the first Italian side to win the Treble. 
It means Mourinho, who won the cup with Porto in 2004, becomes the third man in history to win it with two clubs. 
He joins Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld in earning that remarkable accolade - at the age of only 47 - and, in doing so, ends a wait of more than 45 years for the Nerazzurri to regain Europe's top prize. 
That he did so by overcoming his mentor Louis van Gaal, with whom he worked at Barcelona in the 1990s, in the process only served to complete the ultimate season of personal vindication for the Portuguese.
If reports are to be believed, it is a triumph that will earn Mourinho the manager's position at arguably the world's biggest club, Real Madrid, this summer.
How fitting, then, that this triumph was earned at Real's magnificent Bernabeu stadium - and as Mourinho waved to the Inter fans after watching his side lift the trophy, it looked every inch a wave goodbye and confirmation this will prove the denouement of his career in Italy.

www.bbc.co.uk

Bayern - Inter

Bayern will have 2 big threats, Robben and Olic. Few good games including elimination of Sir Alex's men,but my impression is they progressed to final with a slight touch of luck.

Few years ago I said that Inter will win CL at same year when Liverpool win Premier. Which means never. But, Mourinho created Chelsea in Italy and eliminations of Barca and mentioned Chelsea make of them favorites tonight in my opinion. And simply can’t imagine Mourinho loses at his future home. No way.

Have been thinking about -0.25, but decided to take a big odd. Inter to win, best offer is at Eurobet 2.50. Milito will score. Correct result 1-0,2-0.

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery will stay at the German club for another four years, extending his contract until 2015, according to German newspaper Bild.(Bild) 
In-demand England midfielder James Milner has put potential suitors on red alert by saying he does not know if he will still be at Aston Villa next season.(Daily Mail) 
And Villa's resolve to keep the 24-year-old is set to be tested by Manchester City, who offered £30m for him after having a £20m bid rejected.(Daily Mirror) 
That improved offer may not be enough for City, though, as Chelsea have joined the race for Milner and they believe the lure of Champions League football could prove decisive. (The Sun) 
Villa could also lose forward Ashley Young to Tottenham, who are ready to offer Robbie Keane or Jermaine Jenas as part of a deal for him. (Daily Star) 
Spurs face competition for Young from Manchester city, who enquired about his availability at the same time they asked about Milner. (The Guardian) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is so fed up with manager Rafael Benitez he is ready to walk out if he gets the right offer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has his eye on Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar striker Kaka. (Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have been linked with an ambitious £12m swoop for World Cup-bound Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Caughtoffside.com) 
But the Hammers looks set to lose midfielder Valon Behrami, who is a £5m target for Italian side Palermo.(The Sun) 
Behrami is also attracting the interest of Liverpool, who will use Yossi Benayoun as bait to help land him and defender Matthew Upson.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are considering an £18m move for Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being tracked by Juventus, AC Milan and Wolfsburg.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are poised to make a £16m raid for Marseille midfielder Stephane Mbia.(The Daily Mail) 
The Gunners are also lining up Everton's Mikel Arteta as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas in the event that he joins Barcelona.(footylatest.com) 
Fabregas could be unveiled as a Barcelona player on 4 June or 9 June. ( imscouting.com) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure will not be arriving at the Emirates stadium after refusing to consider the move, leaving Manchester City favourites to sign him.(footylatest.com) 
And Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is another who looks set to snub Arsenal, saying he is committed to the Italian side. (imscouting.com) 
Everton hope to tie down midfielder Jack Rodwell to a new deal and ward of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Atletico Madrid have issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United over their Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.(imscouting.com) 
Aston Villa are eyeing up a season-long loan deal for striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has returned to Monaco after the end of his loan spell at Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also ready to offer £15m for West Ham striker Carlton Cole. (caughtoffisde.com) 
That could signal the end of Emile Heskey's stay at Villa Park, with Stoke ready to move for the England man.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to bring 32-year old Real Madrid striker Raul to Anfield.(The Daily Mail) 
David Nugent, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Nadir Belhadj are set to follow Avram Grant out of Portsmouth.(The Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are planning a £5m bid to take Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas back to St James' Park. (The Sun) 
Toon boss Chris Hughton also wants Porto forward Andre Monteiro but has had a £2m offer rejected.(The Sun) 
Wigan are interested in £5m-rated Spanish striker Adrian Colunga, who plays for Recreativo Huelva. (The Sun) 
West Brom are targeting Racing Santander striker Mohamed Tchite.(The Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are lining up a £4m bid for Stoke striker Tuncay. (Various) 
Sampdoria defender Reto Ziegler is being lined up for a Premier League return as Liverpool eye the former Spurs man.(The Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are set to spend £2m to sign Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd. (Various) 
Crystal Palace skipper Shaun Derry is set to join Ipswich.(Daily Mirror) 
Preston and Derby are locked in a battle to sign Wayne Rooney's younger brother, John, who plays as striker for Macclesfield. (Various) 
Ex-Arsenal winger and France international Robert Pires, whose deal at Villarreal has run out, has turned down MLS side Philadelphia Union.(Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has raised doubts over his future after refusing to rule out a move to Inter Milan. (The Sun) 
Avram Grant is set to take over as West Ham manager after resigning at Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Pompey, meanwhile, are considering offering their vacant manager's position to goalkeeper David James. (Daily Star) 
New sports minister, Hugh Robertson has warned the Football Association that its new chairman must be independent. (The Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona insulted an injured cameraman after accidentally running over his leg before the announcement of his World Cup squad.(The Guardian) 
Liverpool's first signing of the summer could be a Vietnamese reality TV show star - the winner of the talent contest will win a 12-month deal at Anfield after next week's final. (Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to make a £28m bid for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner. Villa have already turned down a £20m bid from Manchester City for the 24-year-old who is currently with England at their pre-World Cup training camp in Austria. (caughtoffside.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are preparing to launch a £70m bid for Liverpool's Fernando Torres after signing David Villa, his strike partner in Spain's national side, from Valencia.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Catalan side's hopes of luring Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal to the Nou Camp could be hit by Yaya Toure's reluctance to move in the opposite direction. The Ivory Coast midfielder is said to be attracting the interest of Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Barca have decided they will not pay more than £30m for Fabregas, which could also put the deal at risk.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal are looking for £80m before they allow their talismanic skipper to return to his former club.(Daily Mail) 
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is actually hopeful of persuading midfielder Fabregas to stay for one more season.(Daily Mirror) 
However, should Fabregas leave, Arsenal can forget plans to replace him with Mikel Arteta, according to the Everton midfielder's agent. Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Arteta.(the Sun) 
Manchester United are planning a £15m bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell despite Toffees boss David Moyes saying the 19-year-old is not for sale.(the Sun) 
Manchester City will need to pay Benfica £43m if they want to bring Brazilian defender David Luiz to Eastlands. (the Independent) 
Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool are competing to sign £11m-rated Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is planning a major spending spree after being told he has "an open chequebook".(the Sun) 
Birmingham City are considering a £2.5m bid for Fulham full-back Paul Konchesky.(Daily Mail) 
The Blues have also joined the race for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher as their hopes of landing Fulham's Bobby Zamora fade.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are poised to sign Hull star Stephen Hunt - even though he won't be fit for the start of next season. The Baggies have agreed a £4m fee for the Republic of Ireland winger, rising to £5.5m if Roberto di Matteo's men stay in the Premier League.(Daily Star) 
The Baggies are also set to make a £2m move for Stoke striker James Beattie. (the Sun) 
Sol Campbell has welcomed Celtic's interest and made it a clear a bumper two-year deal could tempt him to reject a one-year offer from Arsenal.(the Sun) 
Veteran defender David Weir is set to hang up his boots if Walter Smith quits as Rangers boss over the summer. (Various) 
Fulham are ready to table a pre-World Cup bid of £1m for Hibernian defender Sol Bamba.(Scottish Daily Express)
Peter Houston's first task as permanent manager of Dundee United will be to fight off bids for Craig Conway and Garry Kenneth from Middlesbrough.(Daily Record) 
Meanwhile, Houston will sign a three-year contract at Tannadice tomorrow. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan have denied they have made an approach for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez to replace Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho.(the Sun) 
Benitez says he wants a further four years at Anfield and also feels there is no evidence that star striker Fernando Torres wants to leave the club.(the Times) 
Manchester United failed in a last-ditch attempt to sign Spain international striker David Villa, who joined Barcelona for £34m.(Mirror) 
The Red Knights consortium's hopes of taking over United from the Glazer family looks set to fail because of internal wranglings.(Guardian) 
Dutch champions FC Twente want Portsmouth manager Avram Grant to replace Steve McClaren, who has left to manage German side Wolfsburg. However, Grant is being linked with the vacant post at West Ham.(Daily Star) 
Grant will be unveiled as the Hammers new manager next month. (the Sun) 
Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes he can finish as the World Cup's top scorer.(Daily Star) 
England World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks believes Fabio Capello should use David James as his number one goalkeeper for the World Cup.(the Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

England midfielder Steven Gerrard says team-mate Joe Cole is just as good as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo - in training.(Daily Mirror) 
If you fancy owning the shirt worn by England's World Cup winning hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst, pop down to Harrods where it is set to go on sale on Friday. Hurst no longer owns the number 10 shirt he made history in at the 1966 World Cup final. The price tag? Only £2m...plus VAT! 
(Daily Express)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Germany captain Michael Ballack insists his international career is not over despite missing the World Cup after injuring his ankle playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final. "I won't let my international career come to an end because of a foul like this," said the 33-year-old (Press Association).
Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the chase for Dynamo Kiev's Senegalese defender Pape Diakhate.(goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are prepared to allow Anderson leave Old Trafford in a player-swap-plus-cash deal to land £38m-rated Benfica winger Angel di Maria.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City have entered the race to sign Bayern Munich's £50m-rated winger Franck Ribery. Barcelona and Real Madrid have dropped out because of the player's personal problems, thus leaving City and Manchester United as the only serious interested parties.(Footylatest.com) 
Ajax have told Manchester United that it will cost £35m to persuade them to sell Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
The potential stumbling block surrounding the return of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona could involve the transfer fee, with Arsenal not prepared to accept less than £50m.(Footylatest.com) 
Barcelona are ready to spend £70m to thwart Chelsea's interest and bring Liverpool's Spanish international striker Fernando Torres to the Nou Camp.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United are set to table a bid of £20m for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell, with boss Sir Alex Ferguson hoping his offer will see off Chelsea, who are reported to have tabled a bid of £16m.(Footylatest.com) 
The agent of Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has quashed reports that the 32-year-old Italy star is heading for a Premier League club this summer. (The Sun) 
Liverpool are preparing a double swoop for Manchester City's Stephen Ireland and Chelsea's Joe Cole. The Anfield club are confident they have sufficient funds to finance both fees, and hope to persuade Cole to take a lower wage.(Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have rejected bids from Fulham, Birmingham and Stoke for striker Carlton Cole as none of their offers matched the Hammers' £15m valuation.(Daily Telegraph) 
Beaten League One play-off side Huddersfield are keen on Falkirk midfielder Scott Arfield and Rangers defender Steven Smith.(Daily Record) 
Celtic are interested in signing defender Sol Campbell, who is a free agent after his deal at Arsenal expired, although the Gunners are thought to be keen to keep hold of him. (The Sun) 
Veteran midfielder Nick Barmby, 36, is close to agreeing a one-year contract extension with Hull (The Sun). 
But Jimmy Bullard could be leaving the KC Stadium for a season-long loan at Celtic.(Daily Star) 
Bolton have seen off competition from Blackburn, Wolves and Greek champions Panathinaikos to win the race to sign Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane after his loan spell at Portsmouth. (The Sun) 
Hearts are interested in taking Burnley's former Rangers striker Steven Thompson back to Scotland after his contract with the Turf Moor club expired.(Daily Express) 
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton says he expects to have money to spend in the summer but has ruled out making wholesale changes to the squad that won the Championship this season. (Daily Express) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Juventus are set to confirm Luigi del Neri as their new manager after running out of patience with Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.(Daily Telegraph) 
Owen Hargreaves wants showdown talks with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to know what he told England boss Fabio Capello about his fitness, after the midfielder was left out of the England World Cup squad.(The Sun) 
Sunderland have passed on the chance to sign striker Benjani on a permanent basis after his loan spell from Manchester City came to an end.(Daily Star) 
Chelsea's Michael Ballack is considering legal action against Portsmouth's Kevin Prince-Boateng over the challenge in the FA Cup final that ruled the Germany captain out of the World Cup.(Daily Express) 
Uefa president Michel Platini says England's 2018 World Cup bid can survive the embarrassment of the Lord Triesman affair.(the Guardian) 
Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies will hold crisis talks with club owner Nigel Doughty on Friday after discussing his potential availability for other jobs in television interviews.(the Guardian) 
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has been told by England boss Fabio Capello that he has an equal chance of being first choice keeper at the World Cup as David James and Robert Green.(Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Rotherham striker Drewe Broughton could need to find a stand-in best man for his summer wedding as first choice, West Ham defender Matthew Upson, could be at the World Cup with England. (The Sun)
Welshman Ryan Giggs says he will be cheering on England at the World Cup but says Spain are overwhelming favourites to win the tournament.(Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Millwall 2-0 Huddersfield WON

Steve Morison and Paul Robinson were the heroes as Millwall defeated Huddersfield to reach the League One play-off final for the second successive year.
Morison has been sensational for the Lions this season and tapped home his 23rd of the campaign in all competitions after Town keeper Alex Smithies parried a cross into his path midway through the opening half. 
As the match became increasingly stretched after the break, Scott Barron might have calmed the home supporters' nerves but he saw his strike rebound to safety off the crossbar. 
However, Robinson headed home a corner from Barron with 10 minutes remaining to settle an edgy, at times error-strewn but always engrossing match that the home team deserved to win to secure a 2-0 aggregate victory after a goalless first leg.
Millwall lost just once at home during the regular season and their victory on Wednesday keeps alive their hopes of securing their first victory through the play-offs at the sixth attempt. 
Manager Kenny Jackett will be hoping his team can go one better than last year's defeat against Scunthorpe when they meet Swindon at Wembley on 29 May. 
The Lions defeated the Robins 3-2 at the New Den in their final home game of the regular season and can go into their final match of the campaign full of confidence after a strong performance against a Terriers side left to rue missed opportunities in the first leg.
Millwall manager Kenny Jackett:
"I'm delighted, very proud, but that's half the job done. 
"The players put in a terrific performance and brought the crowd into play with their effort and application. Huddersfield are a very good team and you look at their average age and they will come again. 
"To keep them to a clean sheet over 180 minutes is a great achievement, but we are halfway there." 
Huddersfield manager Lee Clark:
"I feel the two goals we have given away aren't the greatest, but they were little mistakes. 
"We had some good situations but didn't show the belief. We have some good young players but maybe sometimes I have more confidence in them than they have in themselves. 
"Come the end of June, when we report back for pre-season, we have to realise that we don't want to feel this feeling again."

www.bbc.co.uk

Millwall v Huddersfield Town

Millwall got what they wanted in the first leg. They looked good on the pitch and were even closer to win with two penalty appeals. However, draw from the first game is very good result, they have no reason for panic tonight and they should play as usual. And usually, Lions look very good at home. In league had just a single defeat of 23 games (five draws and 17 wins) and conceded just 15 goals, nine wins and a draw of last 10 home games! They also have more experience playing in play-off. Attacking duo Shaun Batt and Danny Schofield are returning to the squad and only absentee is winger Chris Hackett. Since the start of play-offs, 

Huddersfield will be the underdogs tonight. They’re typical home side and their hope was first game and home advantage. They missed it and now travel to win at a hell place. At the end of the season they were playing in warm-cold manner, noticed three wins and four defeats of last seven games on the road. Some of results are interesting. They trashed Stockport 6-0, but were trashed against S’ton 5-0 which could point to the lack of consistency through the game. If they score in the first part, get the wings and continue scoring for fun. And opposite. They’ll be without key defender Tom Clarke because of the knee injury he sustained in the first leg. He’ll be replaced by Robbie Williams and Lee Peltier will move to the right-back.

Home ground, better team in my opinion, more experience in games like this and good result from the first game are my reasons for home win. Also because the 0-0 in first game, this one will hardly ended with a goal margin for Millwall. My bet is Millwall –0.75, best price is 2.09 at 188bet.

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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal will move for £12m-rated Lyon and France keeper Hugo Lloris, but could turn to Shakhtar Donetsk keeper Andriy Piyatov.(goal.com) 
Barcelona are in talks to sign Valencia striker David Villa, with negotiations "on track" according to Barca's vice president Rafael Yuste. (Reuters) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas could be Barcelona bound, with the Spanish champions officially approaching the Gunners with a bid that involves Yaya Toure moving the other way in part exchange.(The Sun) 
And Arsenal are also set to confirm the signing of Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh after the 26-year-old Morocco international arrived in London on Monday to finalise the terms of his deal.(Daily Mail) 
But the Gunners have had a £14m offer for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina rejected and manager Arsene Wenger could now turn his attentions to Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon. (Footylatest.com) 
However, Liverpool could lose midfielders Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano and striker Fernando Torres in the summer, with the three considering their futures after a turbulent season.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez is keen for a return to his first club, Boca Juniors, although Real Madrid are also keen on the Argentina striker.(Daily Mirror) 
City boss Roberto Mancini could add defender Phil Jagielka and midfielder Jack Rodwell to his squad, with the Italian willing to pay £32m for the Everton pair.(caughtoffside.com) 
Benfica defender David Luiz could be another new arrival at Eastlands, with Manchester City set to bid £21.5m for the 23-year-old.(Daily Telegraph) 
Mancini will also decide against selling winger Shaun Wright-Phillips and midfielder Stephen Ireland as he needs the pair to boost the club's home-grown contingent; Premier League clubs having to name eight home-grown players in a squad of 25 next season.(Guardian) 
Manchester United are preparing a club record £50m bid to lure Franck Ribery away from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich.(Footylatest.com) 
United are also keen on Inter Milan's Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso and are willing to pay £18m for the 29-year-old.(caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham will fend off competition from Birmingham and Sunderland to capture France international Sidney Govou, 30, from Lyon on a free transfer. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have also been foiled, at least initially, in their attempt to acquire French winger Charles N'Zogbia after Wigan turned down an £8m bid from Blues. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko watched Lokomotiv Moscow at the weekend and is set to hold talks about a possible move this week.(Times) 
West Ham have dropped their interest in Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, freeing the way for Tottenham to move for the £5m-rated 17-year-old. (Daily Star) 
Southampton will take former England Under-21 midfielder Andrew Surman back to St Mary's from Wolves, a year after the 23-year-old left the club for Molineux. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant has agreed a deal to become West Ham manager and will sign a three-year deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Inter Milan will make an official approach for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez if, as expected, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho quits the San Siro for Real Madrid in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Martin O'Neill will not replace Benitez at Anfield, with Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner saying that his manager is staying put.(Daily Mirror) 
England's 2018 World Cup bid team will meet governing bodies from Europe, Africa and South America in a bid to limit the fall-out following Lord Triesman's resignation as Football Association chairman.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the FA is braced for a second round of revelations, with Triesman's former aide Melissa Jacobs considering sharing more of her recorded conversations with him.(Independent) 
Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is sleeping in an oxygen tent in a bid to quicken his recovery from ankle ligament damage, although the chances of the 27-year-old being fit for the start of England's World Cup campaign are slim.(Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham have submitted their bid to move into the Olympic Stadium post 2012, with the possibility of Essex using the venue to host some Twenty20 cricket matches.(Independent) 
Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has given his strongest indication yet that he will leave Liverpool in the summer, conceding that he finds life on Merseyside far from ideal.(Liverpool Daily Post) 

AND FINALLY

Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng, whose FA Cup final tackle resulted in the ankle injury that will keep Chelsea's German midfielder Michael Ballack out of the World Cup, has suffered the wrath of the German press over the incident. Tabloid Bild branded the tackle a "revenge attack", while Germany coach Joachim Loew was forced to issue a message of support for Boateng's half-brother Jerome, a German international defender who will join Manchester City from Hamburg in the summer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has urged England manager Fabio Capello to keep him on penalty-taking duty after missing from the spot in Saturday's FA Cup final victory against Portsmouth.(Independent) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville has criticised Capello for only picking one specialist right-back in his initial 30-man World Cup party, while also saying the Italian's attempt to talk Paul Scholes out of international retirement was "a bit desperate".(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

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Paynter started and both scored!

Charlton Athletic 2 - 1 Swindon T.

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England to win WC - thoughts and history of failures

I was talking with a friend about the possibility England to win WC. Capello, Rooney, few other players in a great shape are the main public arguments for. Against? Goalie, for sure. This is not a league tournament and if James (he’s the closest for number 1) doesn’t stay focus (as he didn’t before Drogba’s free kick at Wembley) it could be the end. Also, I think the history of England’s failures looks interesting.

My memories (correct me if I’m wrong somewhere) start in Mexico ’86. England were eliminated after “god’s hand” by El Pibe. I think, you must have a real bad luck to exit the tournament after referee allows goal like that on WC. Three refs didn’t notice something that all people in front tv saw. One time in thousand cases, I think.
Italy ’90, Shilton conceded a spectacular fluke after free kick against Germany. Later lost after penalties against them.
USA ’94 did not qualify!
France ’98, “Beckham’s case” and another loss after penalties (Argentina).
Korea and Japan ’02. England were stronger than ever. Again free kick and this time Seaman. Well it wasn’t a fluke, but Ronaldinho’s spectacular goal from 40m average goalie should easily stopped.
Germany ’06, again penalties and again Beckham (launched the ball in the orbit from the spot).
My first thought about ECs is 1996. when England were the host. Then was really expected from them to win. But… Again Germans and again penalties. In extra time they were very close to a golden goal, but missed few sitters. Darren Anderton’s was the worst.

A friend asked me, why they lose tragically every time, what could be the reason. I guess Geoff Hurst’s second goal in ’66 did not cross the line : ), who knows.

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Best odd for England to win WC 2010 is 7.50.



Anyway, wish them luck unless they face Serbia in some round.

Bet for today. If Paynter starts for Swindon, take both to score. Otherwise, no bet. So wait the teams confirmation, bbc make it 45 mins before the kick off.

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are set to make an offer of about £24m for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United have made further enquiries about Benfica winger Angel di Maria, who is valued at about £38m and is also wanted by Real Madrid. (Daily Mail)
Liverpool are lining up a bid of about £11m for Sampdoria's Italian striker Giampaolo Pazzini as manager Rafael Benitez looks to bring in new attacking options. (caughtoffside.com) 
Benitez is also reportedly interested in bringing talented Sevilla winger Jesus Navas to Anfield.(caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool and Aston Villa have joined the race for West Ham striker Carlton Cole after it emerged that the Hammers rejected a £10m bid for the striker from Birmingham. (Daily Mirror) 
If the Hammers lose Cole, they will move for Everton striker Yakubu.(Daily Mail) 
Neil Lennon, who was given the role of Celtic caretaker manager until the end of the season, is hoping to secure the job permanently this week - with Crystal Palace's goalscoring midfielder Darren Ambrose his first transfer target.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has made an £8m bid for Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia.(Daily Mail) 
Defender Steven Caldwell is preparing to team up with his brother Gary at Wigan after being released by Burnley.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are considering a move for Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa this summer with Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson known to be an admirer of the 23-year-old French international.(caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham are set to snap up Lyon winger Sydney Govou on a free transfer.(The Sun) 
Bolton will make a sensational £5m bid for Real Madrid's Spain Under-20 internationals Marcos Alonso, a left-back, and Rodrigo Moreno, who is a striker. (Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are trying to pip Fulham to Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson with a £2.5m bid. (Daily Mail)
Leicester are keen on signing Everton striker James Vaughan on a permanent deal for a fee of £1m. (Daily Mail) 
Preston hope to sign Wycombe winger Matt Phillips for £450,000. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea's Petr Cech has hailed goalkeeping rival David James as England's number one after the Portsmouth player's performance in Saturday's FA Cup final, which the London club won 1-0.(Daily Mirror) 
Lord Sugar has announced he is ready to to take charge at the crisis-hit Football Association, replacing Lord Triesman, who resigned on Sunday. (The Sun) 
Sheffield United coach Gary Speed has emerged as a managerial candidate for Hull. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola hailed Lionel Messi as "the best [player] I've ever seen" after the Argentine forward scored twice in Sunday's win over Real Valladolid, equalling Barca's 34-goal league record and taking his tally to 47 in all competitions this season. (Daily Mail) 
England's stars have agreed to give their World Cup match fees to charity for the first time. (The Sun) 
Chelsea defender John Terry has set his sights on winning the Treble next season but says the Wembley pitch, which will host next year's Champions League final, must be improved.(Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Hell!!!

Atalanta 1 - 2 Palermo

0 - 1 E. Cavani  12.min
1 - 1 F. Ceravolo  48.min

1 - 2 E. Cavani (pen.)  95.min

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Can not believe, really! Sick.

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Gamble for today

Atalanta - Palermo, 2-X ht/ft @ 17.00 bet365

Palermo need a win for Champions League,I expect them to lead at the half-time.But will be 4th only if Samp don't win.So,gamble is based on scenario Samp will win and Palermo will be devastated in the 2nd half and concede goal(s) for a draw.
Hardly to happen,but isn't impossible and wouldn't be the first time.

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Double winners Chelsea will make a £40m move for Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Kaka. (News of the World) 
But Chelsea are bracing themselves for a £20m bid for left-back Ashley Cole from Barcelona and Real Madrid. (Sunday Express) 
The Blues face a battle with former manager Jose Mourinho, now Inter Milan manager, for Atletico Madrid's Argentina forward Sergio Aguero, 21.(News of the World) 
As well as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, Spurs midfielder Luka Modric is one of Chelsea's summer transfer targets, giving the White Hart Lane club chairman Daniel Levy a major dilemma this summer after their Champions League qualification.(Mail on Sunday) 
But Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will attempt to start his spending in preparation for the Champions League next season by signing Manchester City defender Micah Richards for about £6m.(Sunday Mirror) 
Tottenham also want Bordeaux full-back Benoit Tremoulinas, 24. (News of the World) 
Manchester City are planning to offer Liverpool £40m plus striker Emmanuel Adebayor and midfielder Stephen Ireland in exchange for Anfield stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(News of the World) 
Manchester City will raid Real Madrid for striker Gonzalo Higuain if they fail to land Torres from Liverpool.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha could join Sunderland for £3m after claiming City boss Roberto Mancini does not like him. (News of the World) 
Manchester United and Arsenal are battling to sign Everton central defender Phil Jagielka. Full story: (Sunday Mirror) 
And Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has added £20m-rated Ajax striker Luis Suarez to his shortlist of transfer targets after the Uruguay star scored 35 goals in 33 league games for the Dutch side. (News of the World) 
The Old Trafford outfit also want Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandana, 25, to replace Edwin van der Sar, with the France number two likely to cost £10m. (News of the World) 
Liverpool's £9m-rated midfielder Yossi Benayoun has been told he has no future at Anfield by boss Rafael Benitez - alerting Tottenham and Sevilla.(News of the World) 
Aston Villa have joined Everton in the chase for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford who will become a free agent on 1 July. (Sunday Express) 
Everton are poised to make a move to sign highly-rated Torino defender and Italian under-21 international defender Angelo Ogbonna.(goal.com) 
Meanwhile, Marseille's France winger Hatem Ben Arfa, 23, could make an £8m move to Everton. (News of the World) 
West Ham are trying to sign Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni in a £1m deal.(News of the World) 
Speroni is likely to replace England goalkeeper Robert Green at Upton Park with £6m-rated Green set to be the first major player sold by West Ham this summer possibly to German side Schalke 04. (Mail on Sunday) 
Blackburn are planning to swoop for Burkino Faso striker Aristide Bance, 25, who plays for German side Mainz, with Stoke and Sunderland also keen.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England boss Fabio Capello was warned off picking injury-plagued Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves in his World Cup squad by Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson. (Sunday Telegraph) 
Jonathan Woodgate's injury problems seem set to continue with the Spurs defender still unsure when he will be able to return to full training despite travelling to New York to work with a physio and then to Australia for surgery.(Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's owners are set to appoint top architect Rafael Vinoly as the man to design a £1bn sports and leisure complex on a 200-acre site around Eastlands which will transform east Manchester.(Sunday Mirror)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Newcastle striker Nile Ranger could go on loan next season in search of first-team football according to the 19-year-old's agent.(The Journal) 
Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Rangers' defender David Wilson and may also attempt to bring his team-mate Madjid Bougherra to Anfield. Bougherra, a former Charlton defender, is expected to travel to the World Cup with Algeria.(Liverpool Echo) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp hopes to resign Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari. Redknapp first brought the Ghana international to England when he signed him for Portsmouth in May 2007.(Footy Latest) 
Valencia striker David Villa will turn down Manchester United's advances to sign for Barcelona.(IMScouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to smash the British transfer record and bid £45m for Valencia and Spain forward David Villa. (caughtoffside.com) 
Inter Milan are planning to buy Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the hope that the midfielder's signature will stop manager Jose Mourinho from leaving for Real Madrid.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed he is considering his future at the north London club with Barcelona waiting to pounce if the Spaniard decides to quit the Gunners.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have made an official approach to sign Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, with boss Alex McLeish undeterred by the failure of his attempts to sign the 29-year-old earlier in the season.(Daily Mirror)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he would like to sign Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, increasing speculation the Spaniard could be heading out of Anfield. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are hoping to raid Valencia with boss Harry Redknapp preparing a £28m bid for winger David Silva.(caughtoffside.com) 
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has signed a pre-contract agreement with Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls and will head to the United States in the summer.(the Sun) 
Tottenham are set to sell midfielder Jermaine Jenas and forward Robbie Keane to fund moves for targets such as Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, Chelsea playmaker Joe Cole and Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Star) 
Birmingham City are keeping tabs on Mamelodi Sundowns's South Africa international striker Katlego Mphela. (Daily Mail) 
Fulham are interested in Aston Villa central defender Curtis Davies who cost the club £8m from West Bromwich Albion in 2008.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are lining up an £8m offer for Werder Bremen striker Mesut Ozil. (caughtoffside.com) 
Blackburn have held preliminary talks over a £450,000 deal for Molde's Norway international midfielder Magne Hoseth. (Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest are interested in taking Manchester United's versatile youngster Corry Evans on a season's loan. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth striker John Utaka is set to join French side Sochaux in a cut-price £3m deal. Utaka cost Portsmouth a club-record £7m.(Daily Mail) 
Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is out of contract this summer, says that seven clubs are chasing his signature. He has the chance to move to England with Birmingham, Wolves, Wigan, Newcastle or Middlesbrough or to Turkey with Bursaspor or Ankaragucu. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is set to accept a coaching role with England at the World Cup after his hopes of playing in the tournament were ruined by an Achilles injury.(the Times) 
Beckham's England team-mate and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has revealed that he would like to move into management once his playing days are over.(the Times) 
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou will demand compensation if West Ham make Pompey boss Avram Grant their new manager. (Daily Mail) 
Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has told Aston Villa that he is prepared to sit out the remaining year on his contract and leave for free next summer rather than sign agreements with Blackburn or Stoke.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland are prepared to pay only half of Tottenham's £7m asking price to make full-back Alan Hutton's move to the Stadium of Light permanent.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has admitted that he expects the club to sign a new striker this summer after he scored just 12 goals in all competitions this season.(the Guardian) 
Southampton boss Alan Pardew has been told his job as manager is safe as long as he delivers promotion to the Championship next season.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has allayed fears over the fitness of defender Rio Ferdinand and striker Wayne Rooney by insisting the pair will be fit for England's World Cup campaign.(Manchester Evening News) 

AND FINALLY

Portsmouth are almost £4m better off than previously thought after an apparent oversight in the administrator's report was revealed.(the Guardian) 
Roy Hodgson's run to the Europa League final with Fulham has made him favourite to be named manager of the Great Britain football team for the London 2012 Olympics. An announcement is expected some time next year. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has backed Manchester United and England skipper Rio Ferdinand as the man to to take on John Barnes' rapping role in a cover of England's 1990 World Cup song "World in Motion".(FourFourTwo)
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