Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery has told a German television channel he hopes to decide where his future lies "in the next 10 days". The Frenchman claims Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea are all interested in signing him. (The Guardian) 
Bayern Munich are determined to keep hold of Franck Ribery and will snub any £40m bids for Franck Ribery from Chelsea and Real Madrid even if it means the France international leaves on a free transfer in 2011.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City are closing in on a £11m deal to sign Hamburg's 6ft 3in Germany international defender Jerome Boateng, the younger brother of Portsmouth's Kevin Prince. (The Guardian) 
Real Madrid hope to fend off competition from Manchester United by signing 24-year-old Spanish striker David Silva from Valencia in a £22m pre-World Cup deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack could be heading for a reunion with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan after admitting there have been no talks over renewing his Stamford Bridge contract, which ends this summer.(Daily Mail) 
Mourinho is increasingly confident that he can tempt Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard to quit Anfield for a move to Inter.(Daily Mail) 
Palermo are hopeful of agreeing a summer loan deal for Manchester United striker Federico Macheda.(Daily Star) 
Olympiakos want to sign Liverpool's Fabio Aurelio, and the Brazilian defender could join Hungarian Krisztian Nemeth in Greece, with AEK Athens keen to extend the Anfield striker's loan spell at the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his bid to sign Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as his long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar.(Daily Mail) 
Barcelona have denied claims by Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood that they have promised not to make a summer bid for Cesc Fabregas.(Portuguese newspaper Abola)
Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque, wanted by Bordeaux and Marseille, has ruled out a return to France, with the former Lyon man intent on staying on Wearside.(Daily Mirror) 
Nottingham Forest hope to lure midfielder Darren Pratley from Championship rivals Swansea with a £2m summer swoop. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has recovered from the ankle injury that has sidelined him for two games and will return for Saturday's derby game at Manchester City. (The Sun) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is on a shortlist to succeed Marcello Lippi as Italy manager after this summer's World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
World Cup organisers have called on Fifa to overhaul the way tickets will be sold for the 2014 tournament in Brazil as they begin a race against time to sell half a million tickets for this year's event in South Africa.(The Guardian) 
In-form Stoke winger Matthew Etherington will open talks with the Potters next week over a new £30,000-a-week deal. (Daily Mirror) 
The Premier League will deny FA Cup finalists Portsmouth their dream of playing in the Europa League next season, unless the south-coast club can come out of administration and pay off all their debts by the end of the season. (Daily Mirror) 
Southampton manager Alan Pardew has emerged as a shock contender to be the new Celtic boss.(Daily Record) 
Juventus's hopes of tempting Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to become their new manager rest on them overhauling Palermo and finishing fourth in Serie A this season.(Daily Telegraph) 
Benitez's agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon, claims a Chinese investor wants to buy Liverpool on condition that the Spaniard remains as Reds boss.(Spanish newspaper AS)
Manchester City winger Adam Johnson has played his way into England boss Fabio Capello's World Cup plans and will be named in the Italian's provisional 30-man squad next month. (Daily Mirror) 
The Red Knights consortium that is considering a bid to take over Manchester United are expected to finalise their proposal to make an offer for the club by the end of this week, with an approach expected at the end of the season.(The Guardian) 
Fernando Torres is on course to return from the knee injury which kept him out of the goalless draw with Fulham. The Spaniard "will do whatever it takes to be ready" to face his old club Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final next week, according to an unnamed team-mate. (Daily Mirror) 
Relegation-threatened Crystal Palace are just three weeks away from 'meltdown' - manager Paul Hart is poised to quit the financially stricken Championship club to join Tottenham's coaching staff, first-team coach John Pemberton is off to Sheffield United, while the Croydon side's ground, Selhurst Park, is at risk from developers. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Former England star John Barnes will reprise his legendary rap from New Order's 1990 World Cup song 'World in Motion' for a TV advert.(The Guardian) 
Real Madrid claim they have already recovered the £80m it cost them to buy Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United through sales of replica shirts bearing the Portuguese star's name.(Daily Mirror)
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Man City 2-0 Bolton

Manchester City moved up to fifth place in the Premier League with an uninspired victory over Bolton.
Carlos Tevez struck with a fierce penalty that went in after hitting goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. 
It was awarded after Paul Robinson brought down Adam Johnson, while Bolton should have had a spot-kick after Kolo Toure tangled with Johan Elmander. 
Tevez hit the crossbar with a free-kick before Emmanuel Adebayor struck a ferocious volley to secure the points. 
The match was a pale imitation of the thrilling 3-3 draw the two teams contested at The Reebok in December, with the tempo often disappointing and clear openings at a premium. 
But after losing two of their last three Premier League matches, it was a welcome result for Roberto Mancini's team as they continue their quest for fourth place. 
City have not lost at home since April 2009 and Bolton have not won on the road since September so the result is hardly a surprise. 
But it nonetheless adds to the precariousness of Bolton's position. Owen Coyle's side were hardly outplayed during what was for the most part an even contest but the result means they remain one place above the relegation zone. Bolton have now lost four out of six since Coyle took charge.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini:
"He (Adam Johnson) is a young player who wants to do well. 
"He can play on both the left and the right and he can also play behind the main striker. He can continue to grow and I think he can be a very important player." 
"I feel good after a victory but if we want to arrive at our targets we must improve. We must win at home, we must win away and we must play better. 
Bolton manager Owen Coyle:
"City have a squad that cost over £200m and we made them look ordinary. If they are honest they will admit they were fortunate. 
"We played with lots of spirit and quality but we must be more clinical when chances present themselves. 
"The first five minutes belonged to Man City but I thought that we really took the game to them after that."
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Big-spending Manchester City are set to make a transfer deadline day £20m offer for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City look set to beat Inter Milan to the £7m signing of Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga.(The Sun)
Manchester City are also likely to submit a fresh £6m bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.(Daily Mail) 
But Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Wolves have also expressed an interest in 22-year-old Johnson. (The Times) 
Fulham are keen to seal a loan deal for Aston Villa defender Nicky Shorey.(Sky Sports)
Stoke City are to renew their interest in keeper David James after failing to complete a £3m deal for his Portsmouth team-mate Asmir Begovic. (Daily Mirror) 
Or Tottenham are keen on Pompey's James after Stoke hijacked their attempts to sign keeper Begovic.(Daily Mail)
Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has pleaded with the London club to sell him to ambitious Birmingham City. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will turn to FC Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko after moves for Pavlyuchenko and Portsmouth's Aruna Dindane stalled.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham and Scotland defender Alan Hutton will sign for Sunderland as Black Cats manager Steve Bruce seeks a breakthrough in solving his right-back problems. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is set to raid former club Sunderland for striker Daryl Murphy.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham and Tottenham are in talks over striker Robbie Keane.(Daily Mirror) 
The Hammers are also interested in Frederic Piquionne, who is on loan at Portsmouth, and Daniele Cacia, of Reggina.(The Times) 
Stoke striker James Beattie is considering a £3m switch to Sunderland after the Black Cats gave up on Robbie Keane and Manchester City forward Benjani. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis wants to bring winger Jermaine Pennant back to England from Real Zaragoza. (The Sun) 
Leeds are to launch a bid for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts, possibly opening the door for forward Jermaine Beckford to leave Elland Road.(The Sun) 
Wolves are to offer £5m to Hull for midfielder Stephen Hunt and are keen to take Everton striker James Vaughan on loan. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn themselves are to make a late loan move for Ivory Coast striker Dindane, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth from Lens.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth are hoping to seal a loan deal for Sunderland's central defender Nyron Nosworthy.(The Sun) 
Hull trio, winger Peter Halmosi, utility player Kevin Kilbane and midfielder Bryan Hughes are all set to leave the KC Stadium on Monday. (Daily Mail) 
High-flying championship side Nottingham Forest have tabled a £2m bid for Swansea midfielder Darren Pratley.(Daily Mirror) 
Rangers boss Water Smith wants to sign Bolton's Nigerian centre-half Danny Shittu on a free transfer. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will have talks with England this week about his international future following the allegations about his national side's captain John Terry over the weekend. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea defender John Terry is on the verge of quitting his position as England captain following the weekend revelations about his private life. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies has accused Derby counterpart Nigel Clough of a "cowardly" assault during the stoppage time melee between the two clubs on Saturday. (The Independent)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal have been told by Nice they must pay £13m if they want to sign France's 23-year-old striker Loic Remy.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham's attempts to take on Al-Ittihad's Egyptian star striker Mohamed Nagy have ended in failure. (Sky Sports) 
Birmingham are about to smash the club transfer record with the £11m signing of Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli.(Daily Mirror)

. 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Middlesbrough have placed a £9m price tag on Adam Johnson with Manchester City closing in on the winger. The former England Under-21 star requested permission to speak to the Eastlands club earlier this week.(Daily Express) 
AC Milan are adamant striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not be moving to the Premier League before the end of the month. Arsenal, Everton, West Ham and Tottenham had been interested in signing the Netherlands international. (The Sun)
Tottenham have rejected an £8m bid from Birmingham for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. The north London club are keen to recoup as much of the £14m they paid for the Russia international.(Daily Mail) 
Spurs have demanded £10m for the Russian, plus another £3m in add-ons with the Blues refusing to stump up the £13m being asked for in total.(Guardian) 
Newcastle have joined the list of clubs wanting to sign Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses by matching the £1.5m bid being offered by West Brom. Nottingham Forest are also interested in the highly rated striker.(The Times) 
Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic looks set to join Portsmouth team-mate Younes Kaboul at Tottenham as the south coast club attempt to raise funds to address their £60m financial crisis. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland have made a £1.5m move for Manchester City striker Benjani after the Zimbabwe centre-forward had looked close to sealing a transfer to West Ham.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are keen on securing the services of Aruna Dindane on loan from Lens after the move of the Ivory Coast striker to Bolton fell through. The French club are eyeing a £4m deal.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic are planning to add a defender and a striker before the transfer window closes, with the club set to increase their £2.5m offer for Preston North End centre-back Sean St Ledger.(Guardian)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi are considering offloading chief executive Garry Cook in the summer having become increasingly frustrated over his leadership style and publicity gaffes.(The Guardian)
Hull City are desperate to address their £10m debt and rising wage bill and chairman Adam Pearson has said the club will listen to offers for all of his players.(Daily Star) 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is considering walking out at Fratton Park after defender Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic were sold to help raise funds. The Israeli insisted last month no player would be sold without his prior approval.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon faces another three weeks on the sidelines because of a groin strain. The England international has not played since 28 December.(Guardian)
Despite loaning Robinho to Brazilian club Santos, Manchester City must pay about £70,000 to fund the striker's wages, with Santos searching for sponsors to help fund the remaining £35,000.(The Times)
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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Fulham's hopes of signing FC Basel striker Marco Streller, 28, have ended. The Cottagers were rumoured to be lining up a £6m bid for the Swiss international, but he has opted to stay in his homeland. (IM Scouting) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Owen Coyle is set to make his third signing as Bolton manager by winning the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere on loan. (The Sun) 
Manchester City have bid for Middlesbrough's highly rated winger Adam Johnson. (Press Association) 
Or Johnson will reject a move to the Premier League to help Boro win promotion from the Championship this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is lining up goalkeeping cover for Heurelho Gomes, even though the Brazilian has been given the all-clear after a shoulder problem. Coventry's Kieren Westwood, Watford's Scott Loach and Peterborough's Joe Lewis are all in the frame.(Daily Mirror) 
Marlon Harewood will become a free agent in the summer, with Aston Villa allowing the striker to see out the remainder of his contract, which ends in June.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham and Birmingham have opened talks over the sale of Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham are furious with Tottenham for beating them to the signing of Monaco striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.(The Sun) 
Birmingham central defender Martin Taylor, 30, is in talks to join Newcastle on loan for the rest of the season. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough have made a £3.5m offer to Celtic for Australia striker Scott McDonald. (The Sun)
Celtic are in a four-way fight with Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Sevilla to land Barcelona winger Jeffren Suarez. (Daily Express) 
Pedro Mendes' proposed transfer to Sporting Lisbon has collapsed because of the Rangers midfielder's £25,000-per-week wage demand. (The Sun)
Southampton are in transfer talks with Falkirk after increasing their offer for Bairns midfielder Scott Arfield by a third to £400,000 rising to £1m with add-ons, but Preston and Huddersfield are also interested. (Daily Express) 
Blackpool have failed in a £70,000 bid for Motherwell defender Steven Saunders, with the Scottish Premier League club putting a £500,000 price tag on the 18-year-old's head. (Daily Express)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United midfielder Anderson is set to be fined after missing training on Monday.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Anderson could be heading for the exit door at Old Trafford after it was claimed he also flew back home to Brazil without club permission.(Daily Mirror) 
Juventus are to appoint Claudio Gentile as interim manager before they step up attempts to persuade Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to join them in the summer. (Daily Mail) 
Former England Under-21 manager Peter Taylor is being lined up as the next Notts County manager. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Tottenham midfielder John Bostock is at the centre of a row with his club after his father rang a radio station to criticise Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.(Daily Mirror)

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are favourites to beat off neighbours United and Tottenham by signing Chelsea's Joe Cole on a free transfer in the summer.(Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is heading towards the exit door at Anfield after becoming fed up with their poor form. Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester City wait with their cheque books at the ready.(Mail on Sunday) 
Tottenham have moved closer to sealing the biggest deal of the January transfer window by holding direct talks with Palermo about £11m defender Simon Kjaer.(Daily Mail) 
Argentina winger Angel di Maria has said 'no' to a move to Manchester City after a £38m bid was made for the 21-year-old at Benfica.(Sunday Mirror) 
Sunderland winger Kieran Richardson is wanted by Birmingham as part of Alex McLeish's Blues revolution.(News of the World)
Ruud van Nistelrooy will snub a move back to the Premier League and instead join Galatasaray in a £4m deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland want Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, but the £7m price tag may put them off with manager Steve Bruce unlikely to pay more than £5m.(News of the World) 
Manchester United keeper Ben Foster will be sold as the Old Trafford club wait to see what happens with Schalke's Manuel Neuer. (Sunday Express) 
While Sunderland and Stoke are considering a £4m move for the United and England keeper.(Mail on Sunday)
Portsmouth are hoping their transfer embargo is lifted this week to enable them to snap up Spurs midfielder Giovani dos Santos on loan.(News of the World) 
Wolves have bid £6.5m for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson - but other clubs, including Chelsea, are monitoring the former England Under-21 star.(Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are lining up a loan move for Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere for the remainder of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
New Bolton boss Owen Coyle has his eyes on Stoke's 25-year-old defender Andy Wilkinson.(News of the World)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United could be in line for a £1.2bn takeover after efforts by the Glazers, United's owners, to attract Middle East investment.(Sunday Express) 
The West Ham takeover saga is set to be resolved by Tuesday, with David Sullivan and David Gold now poised to seize control of the club.(News of the World) 
Liverpool and Manchester United would be banned from the Champions League if Michel Platini's "Financial Fair Play" criteria for European club competitions was introduced, according to senior sources within Uefa. Manchester City and Chelsea would also be at risk, despite their owners having paid off their debts recently.(The Times) 
Manchester United will decide on Monday whether striker Dimitar Berbatov needs an operation on his injured knee.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been approached about a coaching role at Old Trafford before stepping into the hotseat to replace Sir Alex Ferguson.
Guardiola's agent Jose Maria Orobigt said: "A club has contacted me but there have been no discussions over money or the sporting project. Anything like that is up to Pep."(News of the World)

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Middlesbrough - Blackpool

Boro started the season as one of the league giants. Big underachievement with results activated alarms in the club and manager Gareth Southgate has cleaned the desk. His successor, Gordon Strachan, has a big reputation. But, also has a different training methods that had been causing lack of results in the few starting games in his clubs. He claimed his first victories as manager of Coventry and Southampton in his fifth match in charge, in Celtic won in third game and in Boro also in fifth. They possess quality for top three (beside Newcastle and WBA). Needed a good manager, god excellent one –Strachan. After few good performances and unlucky results needed first win to turn the corner, got more than that. Jeremie Aliadiere, Seb Hines, Caleb Folan and Matthew Bates all remain on the sidelines. Big plus is returning one of the best wingers in Championship, Adam Johnson who return to the squad after missing Saturday's win for family reasons. 

It finally happened, Blackpool have lost at home in 10th game. Club hold (for them) very high 8th place, but they’re typical home team. Their pitch, Bloomfield Road, has smaller dimensions and the grounds are closer than usual which give a strong support to home team. However, they’ve been noticing a drop in results lately. Have just one win in last six games (Scunthorpe United 4-1, at home) and in last two at home noticed just one point (Preston 1-1). At Saturday, also at home, lost vs. Barnsley. They put a decent display, got a lead, but conceded two goals in the last five minutes. Striker Ben Burgess and midfielder Billy Clarke are both out after picking up knee injuries. 

After 5-1 win, Boro got a huge amount of confidence and second win in a row could be a start of good run of results. Kitson and Lita are killing duo in attack, this time will be supported with the crosses from the wing (Johnson) and don’t think visitors’ defense will be able to stop them. Also, big advantage for Boro will be attacking style of play that Blackpool carry. Here is too big difference in quality and considering moment of this game (Boro up, Blackpool down) I expect convincing home win. So, home win and handicap as a gamble.

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has doubts as to whether to sign Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero as he weighs up if the Argentine is worth £40m.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are willing to sign Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson for £4m and loan him back to the Teesside outfit.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton are lining up a £7m January transfer window bid for Celtic midfielder Scott Brown.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth manager Paul Hart is not keen on signing striker Amr Zaki, who spent a spell on loan at Wigan, even though a fee has been agreed with Egyptian club Zamalek. (The Sun) 
Ipswich are weighing up a move for West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer. (Daily Telegraph)

OTHER GOSSIP

France striker Thierry Henry was told by his former manager Arsene Wenger that he should have owned up to his handball against the Republic of Ireland.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull trio Kevin Kilbane, Paul McShane and Stephen Hunt - all in the Republic of Ireland squad for the controversial game in France - have been urged to see a sports psychologist by club manager Phil Brown. (Daily Express) 
England's 2018 World Cup bid team are unlikely to get any more financial support from the Premier League.(Guardian) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy fears his career could be over in two years because of his knee problems.(Times) 
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton is concerned over Shola Ameobi opting to play for Nigeria and being ruled out during the African Cup of Nations.(Daily Star) 
Former Birmingham owner David Gold could end his interest in buying West Ham after opening talks to purchase Crystal Palace. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

In the fall-out from Henry's handball, ex-Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy says Fifa stands for Forget Irish Football Altogether. He also says, if he was Richard Dunne, he would not have let Henry sit next to him on the pitch after the game. (The Sun) 
Former Manchester United striker Andrew Cole says the Old Trafford club's manager Sir Alex Ferguson made a mistake in not signing Liverpool star Fernando Torres - and adds that his opinion is backed up by United's players.(Daily Star)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are lining up an £85m summer bid for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney - and believe the Old Trafford club's huge debts mean they would consider the offer. (News of the World) 
Barca officials want to meet with Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi this week to discuss a loan deal for City's £32.5m Brazilian forward Robinho.(News of the World)   
Barcelona also hope to sign Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano for £20m during the January transfer window. (News of the World) 
Man City are willing to meet Bayern Munich's £60m valuation of Franck Ribery when he recovers from a long-term tendon injury - and City boss Mark Hughes flew to Germany last week to speak to the French winger.(News of the World) 
Benfica are willing to sell star winger Angel Di Maria, with Manchester United and Chelsea both interested in the Argentine. (Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City see Di Maria as the ideal replacement for Robinho but could have to pay as much as £27m to capture the 21-year-old. (Sunday Times) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has earmarked three potential January signings with CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and his team-mate, right-sided midfielder Milos Krasic, in his sights along with Palermo defender Simon Kjaer.(Sunday Express) 
Schalke's Manuel Neuer and Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler are also on Ferguson's shortlist as potential replacements for Edwin van der Sar. (Sunday Express) 
Chelsea, Liverpool and Sunderland have been told they will have to pay £7m if they want to sign Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson. (Sunday Express)
Up to four Premier League clubs willl try to sign AC Milan striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar for a cut-price £12m in January, with Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool and Birmingham all interested. (News of the World) 
Tottenham's £14m striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will move to Spain in January, with Valencia favourites to sign the Russian.(Sunday Mirror) 
Arsenal are set to offer £6m for Wolfsburg's Bosnian playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic. (News of the World) 
Chelsea will make a £17m move for Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini in January, following the suspension of the London club's transfer ban. (News of the World) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will bid £6m for West Ham's England goalkeeper Rob Green in January, but the Hammers will hold out for £8m. (News of the World) 
Porto are interested in re-signing Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy after Rovers boss Sam Allardyce revealed he is willing to sell the South Africa international in January. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafa Benitez will be sacked as Liverpool boss in the summer if his side fail to qualify for next season's Champions League, with Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill the favourite to succeed him. (News of the World) 
Former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who is now working for the club's academy, will be appointed temporary boss if Benitez is fired before the end of the season. (News of the World) 
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks insists the Reds will not be forced to sell Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres or Javier Mascherano, even if they miss out on next season's Champions League. (Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool hope to raise £250m through the sale of the naming rights to their proposed new stadium. (Sunday Times) 
Manchester United striker Michael Owen is all-but certain to miss out on the World Cup finals if he is not named in Fabio Capello's squad to face Brazil next week. (Sunday Times) 
Owen will not be in Capello's squad when it is named on Sunday evening - and his only chance of getting on the plane for South Africa is if England suffer a glut of injuries to the striker, with Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch, Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor all above him in the pecking order. (Mail on Sunday) 
Capello has warned Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, currently sidelined by a back injury, that he will not pick any half-fit players in his squad for the World Cup finals. (The Observer) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez feels Steven Gerrard should not travel to Qatar for Saturday's game with Brazil, even though the Reds captain is likely to play some part for his club against Birmingham on Monday after recovering from a groin problem. (Sunday Telegraph) 
Liverpool could ignore a specialist's advice over their striker Fernando Torres and play him against Birmingham on Monday, despite being told that he needs to rest. (Sunday Express) 
Hull City will sack boss Phil Brown this week, and he is doomed regardless of how the Tigers get on against Stoke City on Sunday afternoon. (Mail on Sunday) 
England midfielder David Beckham, 34, is ready to sign a new contract with Los Angeles Galaxy that would take him up to his 40th birthday. His current deal ends in 2011. (News of the World) 
Former Newcastle boss Alan Shearer is hoping to return to management with another club in the next few months. (Sunday Mirror) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has threatened to quit the Gunners if Alisher Usmanov wins control of the club. Wenger would take over at Real Madrid instead.(News of the World) 
Former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Gus Poyet is set to be interviewed by Brighton about becoming the next boss of the Seagulls. (Sunday Mirror) 
Or, Brighton hope to appoint Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins as their new manager this week. (News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Burnley right-back Tyrone Mears played for Jamaica last season despite having no links with the country - his father was actually from Sierra Leone. (News of the World) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has ordered his players to be mindful of their public image and curb their "lifestyle excesses" - with one of his major gripes being the 'super car' culture at the club.(News of the World) 

During his time with Monaco, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra played for a month with chicken breasts packed into his left boot to protect an ankle injury.(Sunday Times)

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Real Madrid have still not given up in their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, with the coach of the Spanish club Manuel Pellegrini insisting: "We are interested."(The Sun) 
And in a cheeky move for the Spanish international, Real have decreased their offer for the player by £3m to £22m.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea will hold intensive talks with captain John Terry as they fear the centre-back is ready to quit to join Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Blues will not increase England skipper Terry's wages in an attempt to keep him at Stamford Bridge.(Daily Mail) 
Carlos Tevez will complete a £25m move to Manchester City on Monday. The Argentine striker's move will leave Chelsea disappointed. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are moving closer to signing 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa from Gremio. (The Times) 
Aston Villa look set to sign Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing for £12m this week, raising questions over the future of Ashley Young at Villa Park. Striker Young is wanted by Tottenham, but they could lose out to Manchester United or Chelsea. (Daily Mail)
Villa may also be set to lose defender Zat Knight, with Wolves ready to join Bolton in a battle to sign him. (Daily Mail) 
Hull have inquired about Cardiff striker Ross McCormack after missing out on Fraizer Campbell, Michael Owen and Marc-Antoine Fortune. (The Times)
Portsmouth are interested in signing Tottenham right-back Pascal Chimbonda and are ready to pay £2.5m for him. (Daily Mail) 
Hull are hoping to hijack Ipswich's £3m move for Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland have made an increased bid of just under £6m for Wigan midfielder Lee Catermole, having had an initial bid of £4m turned down. (Daily Star) 
Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson has been told there is no way he will be allowed to leave to join Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to switch his sights from Manchester City defender Richard Dunne to Tottenham centre-back Michael Dawson. (The Sun) 
Liverpool's young French midfielder Damien Plessis is wanted on loan by Cardiff - as a potential replacement for Joe Ledley, who has been linked to Everton, Hull and Stoke. (Daily Mirrror)
Hearts winger Andrew Driver is wanted by FC Twente manager Steve McClaren but the ex-England boss faces competition for the player's signature from Burnley. (The Sun) 
Tottenham want to sign Sheffield United full-back Kyle Walker - but they would allow him to stay with the Blades for the next year to continue his development. (Daily Mirror)
Celtic have told English Premier League clubs that goalkeeper Artur Boruc is not for sale. (The Sun) 
Nottingham Forest have tabled a £1.6m bid for Coventry defender Danny Fox. (Various)
Sunderland have been linked with Saint Etienne defender Efstathios Tavlaridis, who failed to break into Arsenal's first team back in 2001. (The Times) 


OTHJER GOSSIP

Portsmouth are ready to make Paul Hart their new manager - handing him the job permanently after his stint as caretaker boss last season. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola insists captain Lucas Neil will be welcomed with open arms at Upton Park if he agrees a new deal with the Hammers, despite an unsavoury pay dispute. (The Sun) 
Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard has told the club he will not be fit until October at the earliest. The 30-year-old injured his knee on his debut for the club last January.(The Sun) 
Arsenal legend and ex-Portsmouth boss Tony Adams has emerged as a surprise contender to be the next Southampton manager. (Daily Star) 
Veteran Teddy Sheringham, 43, is heading for a shock comeback to play for non-League side Beckenham Town in their FA Vase matches. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Two brothers aged 18 and 21 have become England's youngest owners of a football club. Tom and Josh Mitchell will run non-League Dorchester Town after their father gave them the club. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United have had to change their long-planned exhibition dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo to a 'farewell' presentation. The 'Best Player In The World' display at Old Trafford went up as it was announced the winger was moving to Real Madrid. (Various)
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