Birmingham - Sheff Wed

Brum are quite impressive in Cup competitions this year, have already secured a Wembley final in Carling and perform very well in FA Cup. They scored a lot against lower division sides, four in previous round at Millwall, three against MK Dons, Rochdale and Coventry. Birmingham don’t have a midweek game and Alex McLeish could name a strong squad. However, he’s facing some problems in the back line since defenders Jiranek, Ridgewell and Davies are all rated as doubtful.

Wednesday are a real mystery for me. They have enough quality to, at least, fight for a play-off spot, but they currently hold a miserable 16th place with 10 points less than 6th Posh. They haven’t won in nine league games and lost seven away games in a row (in those seven, goal diff 6-22). Mandaric appointed Gary Megson as a manager and I expect some improvement. Striker Medine is cup tied, midfielder Coke suspended, mid Miller and def Buxton are in doubt.

Birmingham are strong favourites in my opinion, they have a habit to score a lot against teams from lower divisions and Wednesday’s defence is just terrible at the moment. On the other hand, this will be the first game after a while that visitors will play without any pressure. Goals should be the better option than home win.

Bet: over 2.5
Odd: 1.96 188bet
Stake: 8/10

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
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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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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manager Rafael Benitez intends to take striker Fernando Torres with him to Juventus if he opts to leave Liverpool and take charge of the Italian club.(the Sun) 
Manchester City are lining up a £50m bid for the Spain international and could offer an incredible £200,000 a week to lure him to Eastlands.(Guardian) 
But Benitez says Torres, who is 12 months into a four-year contract at Anfield, is not for sale.(The Times) 
Juventus are hoping to lure Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna to the Stadio delle Alpi if the Gunners sign Ajax defender Gregory Van der Wiel.(Daily Mail) 
The Italians are also considering using goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Felipe Melo to lure Robin van Persie to Turin.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, the Gunners have joined a growing list of Premier League clubs interested in the signature of Everton teenager Jack Rodwell. However, the Merseyside club are set to increase the midfielder's wages to ensure he stays at Goodison Park.(The Times) 
Manchester City are keen to tie up a deal for Germany international Mesut Ozil before the 22-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder has the chance to make a name for himself at the World Cup.(The Independent) 
Brazil striker Luis Fabiano has hinted Manchester United would be his destination of choice if he leaves Sevilla in the summer.(Daily Express) 
Hamburg defender Jerome Boateng is set to join brother Kevin-Prince, the Portsmouth midfielder, in English football with a move to Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
West Brom are preparing a move for out-of-favour Stoke striker Tuncay, but will face competition from Fenerbahce.(Daily Star) 
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has warned fans it will be difficult to recruit big names to St James' Park in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United want to beat local rivals Manchester City to the signing of teenage Nigerian midfielder Ramon Azeez.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who has spent this season on loan at Birmingham, is a £10m target for Arsenal.(Daily Star) 
Blackburn striker Jason Roberts is seeking to clarify his future at Ewood Park as boss Sam Allardyce targets a move for Lech Poznan striker Robert Lewandowski.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is eyeing a move for Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd after long-term target Roman Pavlyuchenko rediscovered his form at Tottenham.(Daily Mail) 
Caretaker manager Neil Lennon has told Celtic's board that he would like to sign two strikers, one of them being Scunthorpe United's Gary Hooper, who has been targeted by Wolves and Hull City. (the Times) 
Rangers' hopes of signing James McArthur were dealt a blow when it emerged that Birmingham City are showing an interest in the Hamilton Accies midfielder. (The Herald)
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has rejected speculation linking his club with Dundee United's Garry Kenneth, but Blackpool are keeping tabs on the defender. (Daily Record) 
Aberdeen have made contract offers to Kilmarnock forward Kevin Kyle and to Dons on-loan Plymouth attacker Steven MacLean. (the Press & Journal) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Everton manager David Moyes has rejected speculation that he may be in line to take over from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot retires.(Daily Record) 
Tottenham and England winger Aaron Lennon could be set to return from a four-month injury lay-off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. (Daily Mirror) 
England boss Fabio Capello is desperate to take Tottenham's Ledley King to the World Cup despite the defender's recurrent injury problems.(Daily Mirror) 
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies will quit the City Ground and take up the reins at Celtic if his Championship side fail to win promotion to the Premier League. (Daily Mirror) 


AND FINALLY

France legend Zinedine Zidane will be the star signing in this year's Soccer Aid football match on 6 June at Old Trafford. The former Real Madrid star will be among a group of stars playing for the Rest of the World team against a team of celebrities.(the Sun)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are lining up a £20m summer move for Tottenham defender Gareth Bale, whom they first tried to sign from Southampton three years ago.(Daily Express) 
United striker Dimitar Berbatov could be on his way to AC Milan in a summer swap deal with Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar going the opposite way.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Swansea boss Paulo Sousa could be the man to replace Hull's management consultant Iain Dowie at the KC Stadium.(Daily Mail) 
And Cardiff manager Dave Jones is a shock contender to replace Gianfranco Zola as West Ham manager, should the Italian leave the club in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Belgian international midfielder Jelle van Damme, who has just won a second consecutive league title with Anderlecht, says an unnamed English club has made a "concrete" offer for him, with Fulham thought to be interested.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are interested in signing West Ham striker Carlton Cole to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor up front, as a replacement for John Carew who could move to Fulham.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool are lining up a bid for Rangers' £8m-rated teenage defender Danny Wilson, with the youngster being loaned back to the Gers next season.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Arsenal are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler, who is Germany's number one keeper but recently suffered a broken rib.(imscouting.com) 
Real Madrid look set to beat Chelsea and Manchester United to the signature of Benfica's Argentine winger Angel di Maria.(imscouting.com) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has started the ball rolling on a £1m bid for Dundee United defender Garry Kenneth. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP

Celtic's 38-year-old caretaker manager Neil Lennon says he is ready to take the job on permanently.(Daily Telegraph) 
And Walter Smith has hinted Ally McCoist could soon take over from him as Rangers manager, saying his assistant is "as ready as he's ever going to be" to become a manager.(Daily Telegraph) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is fed up with the long journeys his reserves have to face and wants to play local friendlies instead.(Daily Mail) 
Fabio Capello is buoyed by the news that Manchester United defender Wes Brown is back in training and could face Tottenham on Saturday.(Daily Mail) 
Hull chairman Adam Pearson has launched a blistering attack on predecessor Paul Duffen, accusing him of "moral irresponsibility" for his running of the Premier League strugglers.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says their marathon trek to Madrid for their Europa League semi-final has been a positive experience as it has brought the team closer together.(the Times) 
Ross County manager Derek Adams faces being banned for the dugout for the Scottish Cup final as he is awaiting the results of an appeal against an eight-game touchline suspension. (Daily Mail)
English Football League commercial director Stewart Thomson has emerged as a front-runner to replace Gordon Smith as Scottish Football Association chief executive. (Daily Record) 

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AND FINALLY

Portsmouth's £119m list of debts includes £40 owed to Pukka Pies and 20p to Qatar Airways.(The Sun) 
Tottenham claim they are owed £1m by Pompey over a deal to sign goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, despite the move never going through as the player opted to join Stoke instead of Spurs.(The Sun) 
A list of Manchester United's corporate customers has been posted on the internet by anti-Glazer protesters much to the anger of officials.(Daily Mail) 
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Birmingham – Arsenal

Well, Brum HAD a great season. They’re 9^th, probably will stay there and surely won’t repeat this success in foreseen future. They’re also tired after mid-week defeat (and all season as well), defense line is in late football ages and will have to chase Arsenal’s fast runners. The fact in their favor is St Andrew's is not a happy place for top sides. They took a point vs. Spurs, Everton, Chelsea and Man Utd. McLeish will also be dieing to do a favor to his mentor Sir Alex. And to be honest, they won’t have anything against to ruin Arsenal’s dream just for pleasure.

 

On the other hand, Wenger said this game is more important than that next week vs. Barcelona and he surely thinks like that! Management, fans, players and even he are satiated with his repeating stories about grand European success. Choice is win the title or go! And if he doesn’t do it this year, will hardly have such chance in the forthcoming. But, French is scratching the head as Vermaelen got the red card vs. West Ham and he has no other choice but to put Silvestre and Campbell as center backs. Both are everything but safe defenders in my opinion and with confused looking Almunia and Cameron Jerome in a sensational shape I smell a trouble and give up from any thought about backing them with some high handicap.

 

Brum have nothing to play for, but will try to give some importance to themselves in a title race. They won’t look tired. On the other hand, this is the highest importance for the Gunners. They definitely have potential to score few. Over 2.5 for me. bet365 offer 1.88, Pinnacle 1.83.

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More will follow... 

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Sought-after Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has turned down a move to Chelsea and will instead switch to a club in Spain this summer, partly because his wife would hate the English weather.(The Sun) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini wants Palermo striker Edinson Cavani.(Daily Mail) 
Palermo, meanwhile, have their sights set on a bid for Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen, with Rovers hoping to take midfielder Mark Bresciano in the other direction.(The Sun) 
Liverpool's Spanish winger Albert Riera is ready to quit Anfield for a loan move to Spartak Moscow in a bid to save his World Cup dream.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City are also in talks with Grenoble over a summer switch for their France Under-21 midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, who will be out of contract at the end of the season.(The Sun) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is keen on Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth.(Daily Mirror) 
Nice striker Loic Remy says he still wants to join Arsenal, despite his move collapsing in January due to a £13m asking price.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will turn to Notts County goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel next season if he cannot land Joe Hart on loan again.(The Sun) 
McLeish has revealed Birmingham have held talks with Rangers striker Kris Boyd's representatives, but that the Scotland international is also talking to other clubs. (The Times)
Portsmouth left-back Dusko Tosic, 25, looks set to join QPR on Thursday after a proposed move to Swansea fell through. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Chelsea boss Glenn Hoddle is being lined up for a dramatic return to management in place of West Ham's Gianfranco Zola.(Daily Mirror) 
Actually, former Man City boss Mark Hughes is the man the Upton Park club want to replace their struggling Italian gaffer.(Daily Star) 
Hughes is also on a three-man shortlist to lead Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup.(The Guardian) 
Zola has been told to submit a dossier to West Ham's owners to convince them that he can save the Hammers from the drop.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham striker Benni McCarthy has admitted he and his team-mates "hid" during their woeful 3-1 defeat at home to Wolves on Tuesday.(The Sun) 
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has not trained since their 2-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday, prompting fears he is still troubled by on-going knee problems.(The Independent) 
Balram Chainrai, Portsmouth's fourth owner in their turbulent season, could remain in charge of the club for the long term.(The Guardian) 
Man City manager Roberto Mancini and Everton boss David Moyes could face an FA rap after squaring up during their sides' game at Eastlands on Tuesday. (Various) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, on the brink of a return after injury, has revealed he still needs painkilling injections to get him through training and matches.(The Sun) 
QPR manager Neil Warnock has been handed a £10m summer war chest to take the Loftus Road outfit into the Premier League.(The Sun) 
Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner says he is an injury doubt for Saturday's away game at Birmingham.(Daily Mirror) 
Southampton could hand 16-year-old midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a shock call-up for Sunday's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final with Carlisle. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has told his team-mates to make sure they are not only remembered for playing pretty football.(Daily Star) 
David Beckham has lost his place at the top of France Football magazine's annual survey of the top earners in the game to Barcelona's Lionel Messi. The Argentine earned £29.6m last year in salary and endorsements, £2.3m ahead of Beckham. (The Independent)

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Manchester City have been alerted after Valencia decided they will sell Spanish international striker David Villa this summer, with the price likely to be about £40m.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Manchester United could move for Villa's Valencia team-mate David Silva, with the attacking midfielder likely to fetch around £20m. (The Sun) 
Internacional defensive midfielder Sandro, 21, flew to London on Monday night to undergo a medical with Tottenham but the Brazilian will not officially join Spurs until the summer.(imscouting) 
Inter Milan's Brazilian full-back Maicon, 28, is being lined up for a move to Real Madrid in the summer - although Manchester City could still be an option for the defender. (imscouting) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has shelved his plan to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham because the striker's recent form has been too good. The Blues had a £10m bid for the Russian turned down in January.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has lined up a deal to sell Albert Riera to Spartak Moscow. It follows the midfielder's outburst in which he described the Anfield club as "a sinking ship". 
(Daily Mail) 
Everton are planning a £650,000 summer swoop for Portugal Under-20 striker Joao Silva, who plays for Desportivo das Aves and is the top scorer in his country's second division. (Daily Mail)
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy hopes to land Ghana striker Jordan Ayew, 19, from French club Marseille - possibly on an initial one-year loan deal. (Daily Mirror)
West Bromwich Albion could make a move for defender Calum Davenport, 27, who is a free agent after being released by West Ham.(The Sun) 
Queens Park Rangers will send on-loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, 23, back to Wolves so manager Neil Warnock can bring in more loan signings. (Daily Star)
Doncaster say they cannot afford to sign on-loan striker Billy Sharp, 24, in the summer because his club Sheffield United want £1.5m for him. (Daily Star) 
Former Celtic striker Chris Killen wants to stay with Middlesbrough beyond the end of his current contract, which expires this summer. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has owner Roman Abramovich's full backing - unless the Stamford Bridge outfit have a disastrous end to the season. (Daily Star)
Or Ancelotti has 21 days to rescue Chelsea's season and his job or he will be shown the door.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Chelsea's injury problems have worsened, with the news that Branislav Ivanovic has been ruled out for a month, leaving the club without their first (Jose Bosingwa) and second-choice right-backs. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona's French striker Thierry Henry says he does not want to play against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final - and he will not celebrate if he scores against his former side. (Daily Express) 
The Premier League's sale of its overseas broadcasting rights for 2010 to 2013 will raise about £1.4bn, more than double the previous level and a leap of £13m per club, per year.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is confident Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano will commit his long-term future to the club. (The Times) 
Former Charlton and West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley is ready to take over as manager of Championship side Bristol City following Gary Johnson's departure last week. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY

Days after rapper P Diddy was linked with a move to buy Crystal Palace, fellow hip hop superstar Jay-Z has revealed he could be interested in investing some of his estimated £500m fortune in Arsenal.(Daily Mirror)

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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has told Dutch television he is now "medically fit" and will return to training this week following his long injury lay-off.(IMScouting) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Midfielder Joe Cole, 28, will be the first victim of a "purge of older players" at Chelsea now that their Champions League dream has ended for another season.(The Times) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish concedes a move for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has been shelved because of the striker's red-hot form.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby boss Nigel Clough wants to sign former Rams striker Tommy Smith from crisis-club Portsmouth on loan for the rest of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are keen on 24-year-old Egyptian playmaker Shikabala. (Daily Mail) 
Roma and Celtic are lining up to swoop for Portsmouth full-back Nadi Belhadj, thought to be available for £2m. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney raised concerns over his fitness as he limped away from Old Trafford after his side's 2-1 victory over Liverpool.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has hit out at England boss Fabio Capello for not looking to keeper Chris Kirkland.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola paid Arsenal the ultimate tribute by claiming they are a better footballing team than his beloved Chelsea.(Daily Mirror) 
Lionel Messi underlined the Champions League task Arsenal face with a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-2 away win over Real Zaragoza - but Manchester United fans may take heart from Bayern Munich's 2-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt, the former's first Bundesliga loss in 20 games. (The Times) 

AND FINALLY

If England reach the 2010 World Cup final, fans watching them go all the way could pay as much as £6,400 - or £3,000 just to see one group game.(The Sun) 
A band of 180 Rochdale fans walked the 14 miles to see their side face Accrington Stanley on Saturday, to be rewarded with six goals and two sendings-off in a 4-2 victory. (Daily Mail) 
Reading's Matthew Mills, under fire having gestured obscenely at a section of the club's own supporters in their midweek victory over QPR, vaulted advertising boards to hand his shirt to fans as a peace offering after their 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. (Daily Express)

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Sunderland - Birmingham

Sunderland made a furious start of the season announcing maybe even a battle for Europe (!), but then dropped in the crisis. Lack of results and noticed points was caused mainly with crisis of their best scorers Bent and Jones (and disaster shape on the road, of course). Recently those duo has woken up, Sunderland defeated Bolton 4-0 (three times Bent) and drew vs. Man City 1-1 (Jones) and in both games they played very well. At the same time, defense look stronger than usual (with goalie Gordon in a sensational shape), while forced midfield duo Meyler - Kieran Richardson brought more creativity than first option Cana – Cattermole had. Mentioned Cana is suspended, Cattermole is doubtful. Sunderland have lost only one of their last seven league games and see their uptrend in the finish of the season that could be ended few places upper.

 

Alex McLeish has been doing a great job in Birmingham. With limited resources and a team without big names, they hold (in my opinion) very high 8^th place. Fanatical spirit, tough defending and fast passing are their main characteristics. The biggest problem for McLeish is a small number of players in the squad which limits rotation options and has brought some fatigue. Also, defense is consisted from the players in late football years which don’t help as well. Their advantage today will be tradition, Blues usually like to play with today’s opponent. Defender Stuart Parnaby should be on the bench after recovering from an ankle injury, while midfielder Teemu Tainio is ineligible (loaned from Sunderland). Birmingham have kept 10 clean sheets this season, but have managed only one in their last nine league games.

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about this game. Sunderland  attack will have advantage against Brum’s defense, that’s for sure. Midfield looks fine for me, but my concern was a defense line. However, following their improvement (Gordon’s particularly) and foreseen uptrend in the finish, I think we’ll see a narrow home win. 888sports offer 2.25. 

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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are targeting Benfica's Paraguayan star Oscar Cardozo. The striker, and free-kick specialist, has scored 18 league goals this season.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Alex McLeish's contract talks at Birmingham, with a view to bringing in the Scot as a replacement for current Reds boss Rafael Benitez at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says the desire to become the first team to win four consecutive league titles and a record 19th in all is driving him on this season. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has told his goalkeeper Paul Robinson that it is not too late for him to be included in England boss Fabio Capello's World Cup plans.(Daily Mirror) 
And Aston Villa duo Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor have been told similar by their boss Martin O'Neill despite missing out on Capello's last squad.(Daily Star) 
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon's World Cup dreams are in tatters though after Spurs boss Harry Redknapp admitted he had no idea whether the 22-year-old would play again this season. Lennon has been out with a groin problem since December.(The Sun) 
Stoke striker Tuncay Sanli is taking his former club Middlesbrough to court. He claims they owe him more than £500,000 in image, sporting and economic rights.(Daily Mail) 
Everton are ready to offer 10 players new long-term deals in an attempt to ward of interest from other clubs.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has told Shaun Wright-Phillips to stop talking about his desire for a new contract and concentrate on earning one on the pitch. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola reckons 10 points from their final 10 games of the season will be enough to keep his side in the Premier League. The Hammers currently have 27 points.(Daily Express) 
The 2012 football season will be put back by one week to accommodate the London Olympic Games which runs from 27 July to 12 August.(Daily Telegraph) 
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted he would "do a Thierry Henry" and handle the ball if it meant getting England through to the World Cup final.(The Sun) 
American sports franchise Club 9 Sports claim they are close to a deal to invest in Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora clearly does not rate his chances of making the England World Cup squad - he has already booked a holiday in Las Vegas during the tournament.(Daily Telegraph)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City have joined rivals Manchester United in the race to sign teenage Nigeria midfielder Ramon Azeez, who is tied to the Future Pro Academy in his native country.(Daily Mail) 
Real Madrid will look to soften the blow of this week's Champions League exit by launching a bid to lure striker Wayne Rooney from Manchester United, according to the Spanish daily 'Sport'.(imscouting) 
Manchester United target Igor Akinfeev will be offered a new contract by CSKA Moscow in a bid to ensure they don't lose the goalkeeper for nothing.(Daily Mail) 
Zenit St Peterburg midfielder Danny wants to reignite a £25m move to Chelsea after recovering from a career-threatening knee injury.(Daily Mail) 
Doncaster, QPR, Middlesbrough and Leeds are all keen on Sheffield United's Nick Montgomery after the midfielder signalled his intent to leave this summer by refusing to sign a new deal with the Blades.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke are keen to bring former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant back to England from Spanish side Real Zaragoza.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby boss Nigel Clough is set to sign Liverpool's young keeper David Martin in an emergency loan deal.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has had to rein in his usual all-action training regime to avoid suffering burnout. Rooney has started 43 matches already this season for club and country.(The Sun) 
Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham will be invited to become the figurehead of the United fans' protest movement bidding to oust the Glazer family from Old Trafford. The AC Milan player donned a green and gold scarf - the symbol of the fans' protest - after Wednesday's Champions League match, which United won 4-0 to progress to the quarter-finals.(Various) 
The Manchester United fans' group are also keen to recruit other former United greats to their cause, including ex-goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and striker Eric Cantona.(Daily Mail) 
England boss Fabio Capello is considering a World Cup call-up for Manchester United right-back Gary Neville amid fitness concerns over Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson and Neville's fellow United defender Wes Brown.(Daily Mail) 
Despite overseeing a stuttering campaign so far with Liverpool, Reds manager Rafa Benitez remains the chief target for Real Madrid, who will sack current boss Manuel Pellegrini in the summer.(The Sun) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told Real Madrid not to bother with their annual bid to poach him, warning: "Leave me alone."(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth players are preparing to dip into their own pockets in a bid to keep up to eight members of the training ground staff in work until the end of the season. (Various)
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has been told his job is safe - even if the club are relegated from the Premier League.(Daily Star) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has ordered Blues striker Christian Benitez to clean up his act. Benitez was booked for going to ground in Birmingham's 2-1 win at Portsmouth on Tuesday.(The Sun) 
Former Derby County chairman Peter Gadsby is launching a £37m bid to regain power at Pride Park.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney says his impressive goalscoring form this season is down to his receding hairline. 'It's coming off my bald patch and that's helping me score,' joked Rooney, whose first goal against Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday was the seventh in succession he has scored with his head.(Daily Mail)

www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to make a fresh move for Spain striker David Villa if his club Valencia put him up for sale this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Barcelona right-back Dani Alves has dismissed speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea, claiming he wants to stay at the Nou Camp.(IMScouting) 
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock hopes to take Eagles trio Darren Ambrose, Neil Danns and Nathaniel Clyne with him when he becomes Queens Park Rangers' new manager.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is eyeing up giant striker Marc Janko, who has scored 67 goals in 92 games for Red Bull Salzburg.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello will read the riot act to his squad because he is so furious at the recent off-field exploits of some of his players.(Daily Mirror) 
Capello says he will select defenders John Terry and Wayne Bridge and expects them to settle their differences after Terry was alleged to have had an affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole flew to Spain on Monday for warm-weather recuperation on his broken ankle amid controversy surrounding his split from wife Cheryl. (Daily Telegraph)
Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke admits that South Africa is not yet ready to host the World Cup finals but added that a series of hiccups will be overcome before the tournament starts on 11 June.(The Times) 
Premier League clubs owe more money - £3.5bn - than all the others in Europe's top divisions put together, according to a Uefa report.(The Guardian) 
Former Notts County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson drew up a plan to sign former England captain David Beckham as part of the League Two club's ill-fated dream of reaching the Premier League. (Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has banned academy players from doing interviews on the club's in-house television station as part of crackdown on attitudes of youngsters at Old Trafford.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has turned down a new contract with the Eastlands club because he felt he was not being offered enough money. (The Guardian) 
Portsmouth will go into administration with a nine-point penalty - but earn an £11m lifeline when the Premier League gives them an advance of the parachute payment for relegated clubs. (Daily Mirror) 
Spain coach Vincente del Bosque insists there is no rift between himself and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez over the use of striker Fernando Torres.(Daily Mirror) 
Benitez will turn down any move by Real Madrid to become coach at the Bernabeu.(IMScouting) 
Crystal Palace's FA Cup fifth-round replay against Aston Villa on Wednesday is almost certain to be Neil Warnock's last game in charge of the Championship club, with Queens Park Rangers thought to be close to appointing the former Sheffield United manager as their new boss. (Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry says the sight of Stoke City is driving him round the bend. His team face the Potters on Wednesday for the third time in 11 days and Barry said: "We know each other inside out now. The guy who does our research has virtually gone through it all before."(The Sun) 
The World Cup plans for the England players' wives and girlfriends are in disarray after Cheryl Cole's split from husband Ashley. On Cheryl's advice, the WAGs were all booked into the exclusive £1,600-a-night Anahita resort on the island of Mauritius, a five-hour flight from South Africa. But Cheryl's decision to part from Ashley has caused the rest of the women to rethink their summer plans. (Daily Express)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Ajax striker Luis Suarez has snubbed interest from Chelsea and Manchester City and given Manchester United and Arsenal the green light to launch a £30m summer move for him. (Daily Star)
Arsenal have also been put on alert after the agent of Lazio striker Mauro Zarate claimed he could walk out of the Italian club.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is keen on Fiorentina full-back Juan Manuel Vargas. (Daily Star)
West Ham defender Matthew Upson is refusing to commit his long-term future to the club.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Hammers midfielder Valon Behrami is an £8m summer target for Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart. (The Sun)  
Stoke are chasing Wigan midfielder Paul Scharner, who looks set to leave the DW Stadium on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj said he would be "very interested" in joining Barcelona after the reigning European champions renewed their interest in the Algerian.(The Sun) 
Highly-rated Crystal Palace right-back Nathaniel Clyne has revealed he turned down a deadline-day move to Wolves because he did not want to sit on the bench at the Premier League club. (Daily Express) 
Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici is a £2m target for Tottenham.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth could have a fifth owner this season after Hong Kong-based investment company Endeavor Plan viewed documents relating to the club's financial position and informed Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie of its interest in buying out current owner Balram Chainrai.(The Guardian) 
The south coast club's plea to allow them to sell players outside the transfer window has fallen on deaf ears at Fifa.(Daily Telegraph) 
Pompey are clear to sell their players under a little-known 'club in crisis' rule but, in the process, they will be hit with a nine-point penalty by the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
But the cash-strapped Fratton Park outfit have been offered a loan of £10m from West Ham co-owner David Gold offered to prevent them from going bust.(The Sun) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was involved in a heated exchange with Craig Bellamy after the Welsh striker refused to train on Thursday with one of the Italian's staff.(The Sun) 
Mancini is facing dressing-room unrest among City players over his training ground methods.(Daily Telegraph) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is set to commit his long-term future to the club by signing a new deal.(The Guardian) 
Sir Alex Ferguson says AC Milan made a tactical error by playing David Beckham in the centre of midfield against Manchester United in his team's Champions League victory.(The Guardian) 
United supporters angry at the ownership regime of the Glazer family have brought their 'green and gold' protest to the driveway of Old Trafford chief executive David Gill, attaching a banner to the gates of his home.(Daily Mail) 
England boss Fabio Capello will name defenders Wayne Bridge and John Terry in the squad for the friendly against Egypt on 3 March. Terry is alleged to have had an affair with Bridge's former partner but Capello has warned both defenders not to bring any personal tensions with them.(The Times) 
Nigeria are preparing to snatch Wigan's new striker Victor Moses from under the nose of Capello with the lure of a place in their World Cup squad this summer.(Daily Mail) 
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is backing under-fire referee Martin Hansson, criticised for giving the free-kick that led to Porto's winner against Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday.(The Times) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans should watch where he sits in the changing room after manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted giving him the hairdryer treatment in the match against AC Milan because "he was the nearest defender to me". Sir Alex said: "Our whole back four were going to get it, but he's unfortunate."(Daily Mail) 
Stoke midfielder Diego Arismendi has been accused of driving a neighbour crazy by playing football in his flat at all hours of the night. Plastic surgeon Dr Muhammad Khan, who lives above the Uruguayan, said the player's rowdy antics were forcing him out of his home.(The Sun) 
Armed raiders have stolen 50,000 new-design England away shirts worth £2m from a lorry.(Daily Mirror)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are budgeting for a £60m summer deal for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. (Sunday Mirror) 
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has revealed he snubbed offers to join Chelsea and Manchester City last summer.(News of the World) 
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic could be a summer target for Manchester City.(Sunday Times) 
And United are believed to be lining up Palermo's £10m-rated Danish defender Simon Kjaer as a replacement for Vidic. (News of the World) 
Also attracting United's interest is Bolton midfielder Mark Davies - although they face a battle with Liverpool for the 21-year-old.(News of the World) 
Yet another transfer target for United is striker Karim Benzema, who appears to be out of favour at Real Madrid and could be available for £18m. (News of the World) 
Blackburn are interested in Manchester City striker Benjani, who is currently on loan at Sunderland. (News of the World)
Everton boss David Moyes has put Nedum Onuoha at the top of his wanted list, and is ready to offer £4m for the Manchester City defender. (News of the World) 
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips' future is up in the air after a breakdown in contract talks at the club. (News of the World)
Arsenal have beaten Liverpool and Tottenham to the signing of Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh, who will join them in the summer on a fee transfer but will still cost them £16m in wages and add-ons. (Various) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is hoping to secure a permanent deal for on-loan striker Christian Benitez to ward off interest from West Ham.(The People) 
Hull are lining up a double swoop for Derby's right-back Nicky Hunt and midfielder Paul Green. (The People) 
Blackburn are chasing Standard Liege's Congo international striker Dieumerci Mbokani. (The People)
Lokomotiv Moscow are planning to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko . (The People) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed he would happily splash £20m on Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli in the summer. (Daily Star)
Mancini is also chasing Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini, who plays at centre-back and has seven caps for Italy. (Daily Star Sunday) 
West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami has yet to sign a new deal at the club and could be tempted to return to Italy with Palermo. (Daily Star Sunday)
Portsmouth are interested in signing ex-Blackburn striker Shabani Nonda, who has left Galatasaray. (Daily Star Sunday) 
Arsenal defender William Gallas has been targeted by AC Milan, with the Italians hoping to land the centre-back on a free transfer in the summer. (Daily Star Sunday)
Birmingham and Wigan are fighting it out to sign Real Mallorca striker Aritz Aduriz. (Daily Star Sunday) 
Chelsea are monitoring 16-year-old Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku, despite his father insisting his son will not be allowed to leave Belgium before he turns 18.(Mail on Sunday) 
The Blues are also keen on Newcastle centre-back Steven Taylor and are ready to pay £9m to secure his signature. (Sunday Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United's 39-year-old goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar looks set to sign a new one-year contract worth £5m.(Mail on Sunday) 
West Ham co-owner David Gold has come out in support of rivals Portsmouth, saying the Premier League should not let the south coast club go out of business.(Mail on Sunday) 
Stoke City's Matthew Etherington admits to having squandered £1.5m gambling on horse racing, greyhounds and in card schools.(Mail on Sunday) 
Everton have put a £30m price tag on teenager Jack Rodwell in a bid to keep interest from Manchester United at bay.(Sunday Mirror) 
Wayne Bridge is set to snub John Terry and refuse to shake his hand when the pair come face-to-face for Chelsea's home match against Manchester City. Only 24 hours later, the pair are due to meet up again for an England squad get-together. (The People) 
Neil Warnock is ready to walk out on crisis club Crystal Palace to take over as a manager of QPR. (The People) 
Gianfranco Zola is considering his future as West Ham manager as he is so incensed by remarks made by the club's new co-owner David Sullivan over wage cuts.(The People) 
Wigan's Paul Scharner is ready to quit the club when his contract runs out in the summer, with Fulham and Stoke believed to be keen on him. (The People) 
Hull midfielder George Boateng is to be rewarded with an offer of a new deal at the club after turning around his season since he was stripped of the captaincy. (The People)
Portsmouth could be sold off for as little as £1. New owner Balram Chainrai is desperate to offload the club and wants only to recover the £17m he is owed and to ensure that other debts of £60m are met.(Sunday Express) 
City banker Keith Harris is confident funds can be raised to buy the Glazer family out of their ownership of Manchester United by the end of the season - if the Americans are willing to sell.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former Scotland boss Craig Brown is on being targeted by Nigeria, who are looking for a manager to lead them in this summer's World Cup in South Africa. (Star on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

Ronaldo says never say never to a return to Manchester United as he reveals how he misses his Old Trafford "family". (News of the World) 
Football could become the first sport in the country to be controlled by a state-appointed regulator in the wake of a run of financial crises that have beset a number of leading clubs. (Sunday Telegraph)
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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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Sunday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has admitted that his chances of signing Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko are all but over. (Sunday Mercury) 
Middlesbrough are bracing themselves for a second, take-it-or-leave-it £7m bid from Manchester City for winger Adam Johnson. (Sunday Sun) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Spurs striker Robbie Keane could be on his way to Sunderland after Black Cats manager Steve Bruce made a £9m offer for the Tottenham forward.(News of the World) 
Keane's arrival at the Stadium of Light could signal the departure of Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones to Liverpool. (Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun is set to quit Liverpool after becoming disillusioned with life at Anfield. (News of the World) 
Wolves' £4m bid for Stephen Hunt has been rejected by Hull City who say the winger is staying put. (Sunday Mirror) 
Wolves and Fulham are battling it out to sign Egypt striker Mohamed Gedo, who has impressed at the Africa Cup of Nations.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester United striker Michael Owen could be on his way out of Old Trafford in the summer having failed to impress manager Alex Ferguson.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City are set to pip Inter Milan to the signing of Parma's £7m midfielder McDonald Mariga.(Mail on Sunday) 
Sunderland are poised to sign Crystal Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne.(Sunday Mirror) 
Wigan look to have won the race to sign Crystal Palace's £2.5m-rated striker Victor Moses.(Mail on Sunday) 
Thierry Henry looks set to leave Barcelona in the summer with the Spanish giants tracking Valencia's David Silva or Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery to fill the left side of their attack. (Mail on Sunday) 
Arsenal manager has revealed he has £30m to spend with Valencia's David Villa and Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh on his wish list.(Mail on Sunday) 
Wenger is also keeping tabs on Real Madrid winger Pablo Sarabia, who is a free agent at the end of the season. (News of the World) 
Both of Barcelona's presidential candidates have put Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas top of their wanted list.(News of the World) 
Tottenham are trying to sign Manchester United keeper Ben Foster after a move for Portsmouth stopper Asmir Begovic fell through on Saturday. (News of the World) 
Fiorentina are lining up a loan move for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlychenko.(News of the World) 
West Ham are interested in taking Spurs right-back Alan Hutton on loan. (News of the World) 
Rangers have rejected a £3.5m offer from Sunderland for Algeria defender Madjid Bougherra. (News of the World)
Celtic have upped their bid for Preston North End central defender Sean St Ledger by a third to £3m. (Sunday Mail) 
Cardiff City sources say Celtic will have to pay more than £5m if they want striker Ross McCormack. (News of the World/Sunday Herald)
Cardiff City striker Ross McCormack says he would be interested in a switch to Celtic should the club he supported as a boy make an approach. (Sunday Mail) 
Celtic are locked in talks with Real Mallorca over the transfer of defender Ivan Ramis after increasing their offer to £2m. (Sunday Mail)
Celtic are closing in on a loan deal for Fulham forward Diomansy Kamara, who worked with manager Tony Mowbray at West Brom. (Sunday Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP

Juventus have agreed terms with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez for him to manage the Serie A club next season. (The Independent) 
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge is set to give up his England career following the John Terry allegations. (Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is set to ignore interest from Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid and sign a new four-year contract worth £24m in the summer.(Sunday Express) 
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Saar is closer than ever to his club after he was allowed three weeks off to care for his wife after she had suffered a brain haemorrhage just before Christmas.(Sunday Mirror) 
Portsmouth narrowly avoided becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration after raising vital funds from the sale of defender Younes Kaboul to Tottenham on Saturday.(Sunday Mirror) 
But Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie has revealed that the cash-strapped club are only weeks away from going bust.(News of the World) 
Striker Robin van Persie is to hand Arsenal's title push a boost with a return to fitness from his ankle injury in March rather than April or May as feared. (Mail on Sunday) 
West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer has been given a month to prove his fitness or face being forced into retirement.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Wayne Rooney is at the centre of a legal battle over his future earnings and will appear in court on Monday to defend himself against a multi-million-pound lawsuit. (Sunday Mirror)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United have joined Tottenham in the race for £18m-rated Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko - as they prepare to let winger Zoran Tosic join Cologne. (Daily Mail) 
But United face the prospect of losing Wayne Rooney to Real Madrid, who have hired super-agent Pini Zahavi to negotiate a deal for the striker.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have had a £2m bid for Victor Moses turned down - and Arsenal may step in for the Crystal Palace forward.(Daily Star) 
City have also missed out on Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Canales, who has agreed a £5.5m move to Real Madrid. (Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Robinho is close to leaving Eastlands for Brazilian club Santos - who sold the 25-year-old to Real Madrid in 2005 - in a loan deal until the end of the season.(The Sun) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says that midfielder Joe Cole, who is out of contract at the end of the season, will remain at the club next term. (The Guardian) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has admitted that Aston Villa's Habib Beye is on his radar after a deal to sign Hamburg defender Guy Demel broke down.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are keen to sign Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen on loan and are also interested in Stuttgart's Turkish midfielder Yildiray Basturk. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are set to sign South Africa striker Benni McCarthy from Blackburn Rovers on loan for 18 months to get around work permit issues. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn Rovers winger Morten Gamst Pedersen is in talks with Turkish giants Fenerbahce over a January move. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham have made a bid for FC Basle's £6m-rated Switzerland striker Marco Streller.(Daily Mail) 
Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle is a cut-price target for both Bolton and West Ham. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

New Bolton boss Owen Coyle and keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen have been involved in a training-ground bust-up after former Burnley goalkeeping coach Phil Hughes was appointed at the expense of Jaaskelainen's mentor Fred Barber. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has tipped Everton manager David Moyes to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United once the Scot decides to leave Old Trafford. (Daily Mirror) 
Michael Owen has asked Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney for advice on how to get back into Fabio Capello's England squad.(The Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

New West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady has suggested the team could be renamed "West Ham Olympic" if they move into the London 2012 stadium. (The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has cranked up the tension with neighbours City yet further ahead of next Wednesday's second-leg Carling Cup tie by insisting the Blues do not have the mental strength to win the tie. (Daily Mirror) 
The Football Association is sending back thousands of World Cup tickets they failed to sell to their official supporters club. Fans have not taken up 6,000 of the 29,000 tickets allocated by organisers to the FA. (Daily Mirror) 

Manager Darren Ferguson has refused to let his Preston players watch a DVD of Chelsea's 7-2 drubbing of Sunderland, in the run-up to their clash with Carlo Ancelotti's side in the FA Cup.(Daily Telegraph)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Spanish giants Real Madrid have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace's highly-rated 19-year-old striker Victor Moses.(Daily Mail) 
Under pressure Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce wants to sign Middlesbrough's Gary O'Neil to bolster Rovers' midfield. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal and Real Madrid are competing to sign 18-year-old midfielder Sergio Canales from Racing Santander. (Daily Star) 
The Gunners are also considering a move for Lazio striker Mauro Zarate - but he will cost £17m. (The Independent)
Everton are thought to be lining up a bid for out-of-favour Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos. (Daily Mirror) 
New Burnley boss Brian Laws is hoping to sign Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon and is prepared to pay £1.5m and break the club's pay structure to land him. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are prepared to pay £14m to sign 23-year-old midfielder Aiden McGeady from Celtic, but the Scottish club are not keen to sell.(Daily Telegraph) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has set his sights on signing Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas from Mexican side Club America. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton manager Owen Coyle wants to sign Newcastle striker Andy Carroll and will try to tempt the Magpies with a £2m bid. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are considering an £18m bid for Porto defender Rolando, who has been outstanding in this season's Champions League. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Dutch coach Guus Hiddink wants to take over as Liverpool boss if Rafael Benitez is sacked - but would want the blessing of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish would make a superb Liverpool boss, reckons former Blues chief David Gold.(The Sun) 
Striker Wayne Rooney will ask for £140,000 a week when a new contract at Manchester United is negotiated in the summer - a figure that could end his Old Trafford career. (The Sun) 
West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer is on the verge of retiring after failing to return from a series of injuries. (Daily Mirror) 
Paul Hart has left his post as manager of QPR after just five games in charge of the London club. (The Guardian) 
Reading are considering rewarding caretaker manager Brian McDermott with a permanent contract after the club's FA Cup victory over Liverpool. (The Times)

AND FINALLY

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has followed in the footsteps of David Beckham by modelling underwear for Emporio Armani.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United's financial problems may result in them having to sell star asset, striker Wayne Rooney. (Daily Express) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is battling to seal a shock season-long loan move for Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, who currently plays for Egyptian side Zamalek, is set to join Stoke in a £1m deal. (The Sun) 
Liverpool have made a shock offer for Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici, who played in the Royals' 2-1 FA Cup victory at Anfield on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all chasing Racing Santander's 18-year-old striker Sergio Canales. (The Independent) 
Brazil midfielder Sandro has claimed his £6m move to Tottenham is a "dream come true". Sandro, 20, has agreed to move to White Hart Lane but his club Internacional want to keep him until they finish their Copa Libertadores campaign, which is South America's equivalent of the Champions League, in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Legia Warsaw keeper Jan Mucha, who is also attracting the interest of of Stoke. (The Sun)
Spurs are also keeping tabs on midfielder Joe Cole's contract negotiations with Chelsea. (The Independent) 
Portsmouth are trying to sign Egypt striker Emad Moteab. The 26-year-old scored in his country's 3-1 victory over Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is considering a fresh approach for Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko. The 26-year-old, who is 6ft 5in and has scored 67 goals in 92 games for his Austrian club, is available for £6.5m. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are also chasing Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, 28, after Liverpool forward Ryan Babel, 23, refused to move to St Andrew's.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are leading a quartet of Premier League clubs in the chase for Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker. Bolton, Wigan and Hull are also interested in the 25-year-old, who could leave Villa for £5m.(The Times) 
But midfielder Reo-Coker is set to reject an approach from Blackburn.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are looking for a Spanish club to loan their new Bolivian attacking midfielder Samuel Galindo to. The 17-year-old will struggle to get a work permit to start playing in England.(Daily Mirror) 
Burnley boss Brian Laws is going back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday with a £1.5million bid for keeper Lee Grant. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham will tie up the loan signing of exciting young Roma striker Stefano Okaka Chuka, 20, next week.(Daily Mirror) 
Former England manager Steve McClaren wants to take Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 18, on loan to his FC Twente side in the Netherlands.(Daily Mail) 
But new Bolton manager Owen Coyle is also attempting to take Wilshere to the Reebok Stadium in a loan deal. (The Independent) 
Hull are lining up a £1.25m bid for Derby winger Kris Commons.(The Sun) 
The arrival of Commons could signal the departure of Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt to Wolves, with manager Mick McCarthy upping his offer for the Irishman to £3.5m. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool's shock FA Cup defeat by Reading on Wednesday has put manager Rafael Benitez on the brink of losing his job. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United may be forced to sell Old Trafford to help reduce the club's reported £700m debt.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are also exploring the possibility of selling their training base at Carrington.(Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea will discover at a Premier League tribunal on Thursday how much they must pay Manchester City for signing Daniel Sturridge. The 20-year-old striker clinched a four-year deal with the Blues last summer, with City wanting £10m and Chelsea offering £3m.(The Times) 
Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to do nothing in the January transfer window - after being told by the club board they will win their appeal against the Fifa transfer ban, which is currently in place until June 2011. (Daily Mirror) 
Paul Hart is fighting to save his job as QPR manager after falling out with midfielder Adel Taarabt. The 56-year-old only took over as boss in December. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manager Roberto Mancini plans to overhaul his Manchester City players' pre-match meal, introducing pizza and wine to the menu. "You need chicken, pizza, carbohydrates, even a glass of wine, but they are not on the table," he said.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will spend up to £55m in the January transfer window to boost his side's title challenge, with £40m-rated Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero and Monaco midfielder Jerko Leko top of his wish list and Ajax forward Luis Suarez, Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell seen as back-up options.(The Sun) 
Chelsea are worried Manchester City will gazump them with a bid for Aguero and want to push through a deal for the Argentina international in the next few days. (The Times) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy and goalkeeper Shay Given are considering quitting the club in protest over the sacking of former manager Mark Hughes. (The Sun) 
New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will hope to beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to the signing of Palermo centre-back Simon Kjaer and his other targets include Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, Rubin Kazan left-back Cristian Ansaldi, Osasuna right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, Sporting Lisbon centre-back Daniel Carrico, Sampdoria forward Antonio Cassano, AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and CSKA Moscow midfielder Milos Krasic. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are ready to sell Robbie Keane to Celtic in January but want goalkeeper Artur Boruc as part of the deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Or, Keane will stay at White Hart Lane and remain club captain - despite angering Harry Redknapp by organising the club's Christmas party in Dublin behind the manager's back. (The Sun) 
Blackburn hope to re-sign James Beattie and will offer Jason Roberts to Stoke City in a swap deal for the striker, who began his career at Ewood Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is planning a swoop for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford. (Daily Mirror) 
Roma have joined Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Sunderland, Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham and German side Hoffenheim in the race to sign £5m-rated Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn and Everton will battle it out to sign Tottenham's Scotland full-back Alan Hutton for £4m in January. (Daily Express) 
West Ham hope to hijack Celtic's £2.5m swoop for Tours FC striker Olivier Giroud, who has also been targeted by Monaco, Toulouse, Valenciennes and Montpellier. (Daily Record) 
Former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman has been offered to West Ham by French club Paris St Germain, who are looking to offload the Serbian frontman. (Daily Mirror) 
Matthew Upson could leave West Ham in January after admitting he is unsure whether he will still be at Upton Park at the end of the season. (Daily Express) 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant has set up a loan deal for Benfica defender Miguel Vitor, who will move to Fratton Park in January if the club's transfer embargo is lifted. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is lining up a £1m move for Birmingham midfielder Lee Carsley, 35, who has been told he can leave the Blues and is also wanted by Ipswich. (Daily Express)
Celtic hope to beat Hull, Bolton, Burnley and Newcastle to the £1m signing of Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon.(Daily Record) 
Barnsley are close to signing Ivory Coast defender Steve Gohouri on loan from German side Borussia Monchengladbach until the end of the season. (Daily Star)
Hearts will hold talks with Charlton striker Izale McLeod this week about taking the former England Under-21 star on loan in January.(Daily Record) 
Bournemouth and Notts County both want to sign Bangor City striker Chris Sharp, the son of former Everton and Scotland striker Graham Sharp. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has drawn a line under the row over his squad's secret Christmas party after the 16 players involved each agreed to make a £20,000 donation to the club's Tottenham Hotspur Foundation charity. (Daily Mirror) 
Or, the 16 Spurs player were told to pay £5,000 each - pulling in a total of £80,000 for good causes. (The Sun) 
A furious Redknapp read the riot act to his players over the party incident and they have agreed to make a donation to charities which could amount to £1m.(Daily Star) 
The meeting between Redknapp and his players was frank but amicable, with them apologising for their conduct but pointing out they could not be fined as they had not breached the terms of their contracts and the Spurs boss agreeing for them to make donations totalling £300,000 to a charity. (The Guardian) 
Or, Redknapp chose not to fine his players and instead ordered them to pay £2,000 each - about the same amount they paid for their secret night out in Dublin - to a charity. (The Independent) 
Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who is still to start a Premier League game for the Reds following his £20m summer move from Roma, has flown to Belgrade to receive treatment on his calf injury from controversial 'placenta doctor' Marijana Kovacevic. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has been told he will have to sell players before he can add to his squad in the January transfer window and plans to offload Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin, Andrea Dossena and/or Philipp Degan to raise funds. If buyers cannot be found, Benitez will be restricted to making loan signings. (The Guardian) 
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who succeeded Roberto Mancini as Inter Milan boss 18 months ago, is tipping the Italian to be a big success at Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Mancini hit City's players with a double training-sesssion on Tuesday, just 24 hours after meeting them for the first time. (Daily Express) 
There is deep-seated anger in the Manchester City squad over Mark Hughes's sacking, especially among the the club's British and Irish players, despite chief executive Garry Cook's claims that there is no player rebellion at Eastlands. (Daily Telegraph) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has won his battle with new Blues owner Carson Yeung over the club's transfer policy in January and has been told the Blues will only sign players the manager approves. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out making any signings in January to ease Manchester United's defensive injury crisis.(The Guardian) 
Dundee United boss Craig Levein will officially be named Scotland's new manager on Tuesday. (The Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY

Ipswich boss Roy Keane walks his dogs at midnight to avoid bumping into angry Town fans.(Daily Star)