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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