Monday gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has held a secret meeting with Barcelona president Joan Laporta in Morocco where he is on holiday recovering from a leg fracture. The Spanish champions have denied that they have an informal agreement with Arsenal not attempt to attempt to buy the 22-year-old this summer.(imscouting.com) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is a summer target for AC Milan.(goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic could be on his way to Juventus in a swap deal which would see goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon arriving at Old Trafford.(Footylatest) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to make a £9m bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart after losing patience with current first-choice stopper Manuel Almunia.(caughtoffside.com) 
The Gunners may also move for Bolton defender Gary Cahill to replace William Gallas, who is out of contract at the end of the season.(Footylatest) 
Tottenham could tempt Everton playmaker Steven Pienaar away from Goodison Park with a £14m summer bid.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea will make a decision on the future of on-loan defender Michael Mancienne this week but Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has warned that the England Under-21 star, who has been the star performer for the Molineux club this season, is not good enough to play for the London side yet.(Daily Mail) 
Ipswich have become the latest club to join the race for Scunthorpe's £1m-rated striker Gary Hooper.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will leave Inter Milan to replace Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford helm at the end of next season.(Daily Star) 
Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has warned Chelsea that his side are ready to pounce for the Premier League title if Carlo Ancelotti's side slip up again.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is relieved that the club rejected advances from both Manchester City and Inter Milan for Welsh international defender Gareth Bale last summer.(Daily Mail) 
Manager Roberto Mancini insists Manchester City will clinch fourth spot and a Champions League place - despite their last-gasp defeat by Manchester United and Tottenham's win over Chelsea.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez claims it was unrealistic to expect the Reds to win the Premier League title this season, despite last season's second-place finish.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle's Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini faces a race to be fit for this summer's World Cup finals after he was almost certainly ruled out for the rest of Newcastle's Championship season with a hamstring injury.(Daily Mail) 
Burnley midfielder Robbie Blake is stalling over a new contract at Turf Moor as he is concerned he may struggle for regular first-team football next season.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has denied that Brazilian Leonardo could be about to quit as manager after growing unhappy with a lack of money to make transfers.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Former Leeds and Manchester City defender Danny Mills completed the Brighton Marathon in a wheelchair, making his way round the course in in two hours, 43 minutes to raise money and awareness for the spina bifida charity ASBAH. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes a tricky season in charge of the Hammers has given him the equivalent of five years of managerial experience.(Daily Express) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan forced his team to leave behind £250 worth of pizza as they boarded the team bus to travel back from their 2-0 defeat by West Brom. The former Celtic boss was so annoyed by his team throwing away their faint play-off hopes that they had to go without their post-match food. (Daily Express)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Real Madrid are keen on Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, who is thought to be interested in such a move, with Manchester United's Patrice Evra a back-up target if the Spanish club fail to land the England international.(Daily Mirror) 
Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo, who is a target for Arsenal, could be on his way out of the Italian club after arguing with fans during the draw with Siena last weekend.(Daily Mail) 
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has told midfielder David Beckham, who had been on loan at the Italian club from Los Angeles Galaxy, he can return next year if he wants to after recovering from his Achilles tendon injury. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will be out for a month after undergoing groin surgery.(The Sun) 
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas could be back from his hamstring injury for the game against West Ham this weekend after missing the last two matches.(Daily Mirror) 
Burnley have already started their search for a new manager as current boss Brian Laws is on the brink of getting the boot at Turf Moor.(The Sun) 
Italy's World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi says he is unimpressed by the success of English clubs in the Champions League as there is nothing English about them. He also says Italy's top teams are similarly unrepresentative of the country.(Daily Mail) 
Uefa president Michel Platini is still keen on adding extra officials. "Either we add referees or we use replays. I'm for the human option," he told an Italian television show.(The Independent) 
Defender Calum Davenport has played his last game for West Ham after agreeing a £250,000 pay-off.(The Sun) 
Goalkeeper Paul Robinson's injury could result in Blackburn recalling goalkeeper Mark Bunn from loan at Sheffield United - and he may make his Premier League debut against Chelsea on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United could be forced to make major cutbacks if they fail to win promotion back to the Premier League this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane locked his players in the dressing for 90 minutes after the 2-1 defeat at Watford on Tuesday night. (The Times)

AND FINALLY

He may not be playing at the World Cup but England midfielder David Beckham could still be in South Africa after receiving plenty of television offers for the tournament.(The Sun) 
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson could be at the World Cup as manager of the Ivory Coast but faces competition from ex-France coach Philippe Troussier.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville, 35, is hoping for a shock England recall in time for the World Cup, three years after winning the last of his 85 caps.(Daily Mirror)

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