Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United have made Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric their number one target this summer and are preparing a £25m bid for the Croatian 24-year-old. (The Sun) 
United's Wayne Rooney has been linked with a move to Real Madrid after his representatives requested that the striker recorded two versions of a commercial in Barcelona: one wearing a red kit and the other in a white strip as worn by the Spanish side.(Daily Mirror) 
The Red Devils are said to be interested in signing Borussia Dortmund's Serbia centre-back Neven Subotic.(imscouting.com) 
Former United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has urged current club Real Madrid to sign Old Trafford left-back Patrice Evra. (imscouting.com) 
Italian side Roma are ready to offer Brazil goalkeeper Doni, 30, to Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United in a bid to raise funds.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's head talent spotter, Steve Rowley, ran the rule over their summer targets at Blackburn - defender Phil Jones, 18, and midfielder Steven N'Zonzi, 21, while scouting Rovers ahead of Arsenal's trip to Ewood Park. (Daily Mail) 
The Gunners are leading the chase to sign Roma's £10m-rated centre-back Philippe Mexes.(caughtoffside.com) 
Tottenham are battling it out with Arsenal to sign Fulham centre-back Brede Hangeland. 
(caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool have emerged as favourites to sign Rangers highly-rated 18-year-old defender Danny Wilson.(imscouting.com) 
The Reds are also keeping tabs on Rangers' Algeria defender Madjid Bougherra who is valued at £5m. (Daily Mail) 
Andrey Arshavin's agent says the forward is committed to Arsenal despite the Russia star recently saying that he would like to join Barcelona.(Daily Telegraph) 
Benfica's £25m-rated defender David Luiz has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Premier League suitors Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. (goal.com) 
Manchester City are also tracking Lazio defender Stefan Radu, who is said to worth £8.7m.(footylatest.com) 
Birmingham, West Ham and West Brom are interested in Portsmouth keeper David James. (footylatest.com) 
Midfielder James Milner's future at Aston Villa will be decided after the World Cup and hinges on whether manager Martin O'Neill stays at the club. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are keeping tabs on Bayern Munich midfielder Hamit Altintop who is out of contract this summer.(Daily Star) 
West Ham are plotting a cut-price summer move for Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, while the Hammers are also on the trail of Cardiff winger Peter Whittingham and Burnley winger Chris Eagles.(Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile the Hammers, along with Blackburn, have been priced out of the market for former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse. The Panathinaikos striker is currently valued at around £12m.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham are also hoping to sign Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara. O'Hara is currently on loan at Portsmouth and the Hammers are prepared to offer either Matthew Upson or James Tomkins to help land the midfielder. (Daily Telegraph) 
Newcastle are facing a fight to keep Slovenia youngster Haris Vuckic, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool ready to make bids for the 17-year-old forward.(Daily Mirror) 
Reading are ready to cash in on goalkeeper Adam Federici and midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. Federici is linked with Tottenham and Liverpool, while Sigurdsson is a £2m target for West Brom and Wolves.(Daily Mail) 
Derby County will sell striker Rob Hulse, 30, in the summer with Coventry and West Bromwich Albion interested.(Daily Mirror) 
County are battling it out with Bristol City for Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper, who is rated at around £1.5m. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are set to offer relegated Burnley £3m for defender Andre Bikey. (The Sun) 
Southampton are hoping to take advantage of rivals Portsmouth's financial problems by launching a £1m bid for midfielder Hayden Mullins. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Cristiano Ronaldo says he does not expect to be at Real Madrid for the rest of his playing career. "I spent several years wanting to play in Madrid but I don't see myself here at 40. Football is all about cycles - if you have already won everything with a team you have to change." (The Sun) 
England boss Fabio Capello has turned down the chance to take over at Juventus to concentrate on England's World Cup campaign.(Daily Mail) 
Juventus are also keen on Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who fears the Merseyside club are trying to force him out of Anfield.(the Sun) 
Benitez has admitted that with his future at Liverpool in doubt and claims no-one has asked him to stay at the club. (the Times) 
Former Manchester United striker Andrew Cole has urged Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson to launch a summer bid for Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema.(Daily Star) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has held clear-the-air talks with his employers and is poised to commit his future to the club.(Daily Mail) 
Uefa president Michel Platini believes Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc should be the next France coach.(Daily Mirror) 
England legend Geoff Hurst says Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes should be tempted out of international retirement and go to this summer's World Cup. (the Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton, 27, has given up alcohol and says he lives "a monk-like existence" in an attempt to avoid trouble and reproduce his best form on the pitch.(Daily Star) 
Manchester United fans are being urged to boycott the purchase of season tickets to demonstrate their opposition to the ownership of the club by the Glazer family. The Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association has written to its members asking them not to renew their season tickets this summer. (the Guardian)
www.bbc.co.uk

success!

Arsenal 3 - 1 Burnley

Arsenal drew level on points with Premier League leaders Chelsea after making hard work of beating Burnley.
Cesc Fabregas opened the scoring when he slotted in from close range but soon afterwards he was forced off injured. 
Burnley equalised when David Nugent latched on to Leon Cort's header and looped the ball over Manuel Almunia. 
Theo Walcott curled in a sublime shot to ease the embarrassment of Nicklas Bendtner's awful finishing before Andrey Arshavin rifled in a third. 
Denmark international Bendtner, who scored for his country in midweek, is in the running for miss of the season with at least three of his fluffed efforts on goal. 
Fortunately for Arsenal, the impressive Walcott was able to supply the cutting edge to his game that has often been lacking to keep the Gunners' title ambitions on track. 
The result lifted Arsenal to second in the table, only behind Chelsea on goal difference although the Gunners have played a game more. 
Manchester United, in third place have the chance to leapfrog both their rivals when they take on Wolves in Saturday's late kick-off. 
And while Arsenal's victory keeps the title race wide open, it also served to leave Burnley deep in relegation trouble. 
Brian Laws' side have now won only one of their last 17 league games - and it is hard to see how they will turn things around after another performance lacking guile and belief. 
In contrast, there was mental toughness in evidence from the hosts, who were determined to show that the horrific broken leg suffered by Aaron Ramsey against Stoke last weekend would not derail their season.
.

Peterborough 0 - 1 Coventry

Jon Stead's first-half winner saw Coventry close in on the Championship play-off places as Peterborough slipped a step closer to relegation.
Stead looked second favourite when he broke through in the first half but shrugged off defender Craig Morgan and stabbed the ball past Joe Lewis. 
Tommy Rowe saw a powerful drive blocked as the hosts pushed for an equaliser. 
Charlie Lee and Lee Frecklington both shot over as Posh surged forward but Coventry held on to clinch the points. 
Posh are now 13 points adrift of safety with just 12 games remaining and their brief flirtation with second-tier football is rapidly coming to an end. 
The Sky Blues, meanwhile, are up to eighth and only three points off the play-off places.
www.bbc.co.uk

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QPR  3 - 1  WBA

1 - 0 J. Simpson  13.min.  
2 - 0 M. Connolly  18.min.  
2 - 1 C. Brunt  36.min.
3 - 1    A. Buzsaky  67.min.

Arsenal - Burnley

Arsenal are third with three points less than the leaders. Theoretically, they could take a top with a win today with four goals margin. However, the most important thing is they’re still in the title race. A month ago they faced the crisis noticing just one point in three games, but after that made three consecutive wins. Title is a dream, first bad result in this phase of the league would eliminate them and I don’t expect any kind of possible relaxation. Aaron Ramsey has joined the injury list alongside Campbell, Djourou, Gallas, Gibbs, Merida and Van Persie. Vela will be rested after the international duty, while Alex Song is suspended. Good thing for Gunners is Abou Diaby and Andrey Arshavin are back in contention after recovering from injuries.

 

Although Burnley have collected just one point less than first club above the relegation line, their recent results and performances suggest they’re certain travelers to the second tier. They have a single win (West Ham, 2-1 at home) in last 16 encounters! It seems losing Owen Coyle was the decisive factor in their Premier campaign, as they lost great run of results at home. On the other hand, their away shape could be called disgusting. One point from 14 games (Man.City 3-3) and in every game except one (Bolton 0-1) conceded at least two goals. In total, they’ve conceded 43 goals which is far the most in the league. Leading scorer Steven Fletcher is expected to play with a cast on the broken hand, while player-coach Graham Alexander will return after five weeks. Skipper defender Caldwell and defender McCann remain sidelined.

 

Only thing that could be a worry for Wenger is their Champions League re-match vs. Porto at Tuesday. But on the other hand, considering today’s opponent this is a great chance for warming-up and bringing the confidence for Tuesday. Wenger won’t rotate players too much, but the fact is any players should win this with few goals margin. This is also a chance for Arshavin to recover his old shape. Arsenal -2 ah will be a bet, -2.5 would be a gamble. 

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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will not stand in the way of captain Cesc Fabregas if he wants to leave England and join Spanish side Barcelona, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.( imscouting.com) 
Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin says he would understand if team-mate Cesc Fabregas leaves the Gunners for Barcelona in the summer, but hopes the midfielder will stay at the Emirates.(Daily Mail) 
Nadir Belhadj is an unlikely target for Barcelona after the Portsmouth defender was singled out for praise from Barca midfielder Xavi Fernandes.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan will use striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar as bait to land Manchester United's wantaway defender Nemanja Vidic.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Chelsea are on alert after Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano refused to rule out a move to the Premier League.(The Sun) 
Chelsea are plotting a £70m spending spree this summer to rejuvenate their squad with Borussia Dortmund's Serbia centre-back Neven Subotic, winger Angel Di Maria, of Benfica, Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger their main targets.(Daily Express) 
Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara is ready to quit the club in a bid to further his career. The midfielder is currently on loan at Portsmouth. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock will ask the FA to take into account the stress he is under working for a club in administration when investigating the comments he made about assistant referee Trevor Massey after the FA Cup match against Aston Villa last Sunday. Warnock labelled Massey a "disgrace" after the decision to wrongly award Villa a corner from which they scored a late equaliser at Selhurst Park.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright says he would be tempted to return to Selhurst Park as a coach if Ron Noades takes over the cash-strapped Championship club.(The Sun) 
Wolves chairman Steve Morgan believes Liverpool would be debt-free had his 2004 bid for the Merseysiders been accepted.(The Times) 
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has offered Birmingham chief Carson Yeung £500,000 to end their dispute - but the Hong Kong billionaire has rejected it.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull manager Phil Brown is ready to gamble on midfielder Jimmy Bullard to play in his side's crunch relegation clash at West Ham on Saturday.(Daily Mirror) 
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is officially the highest paid player in the world, according to a recent list published by Portuguese marketing agency Futebol Finance. The former Manchester United star picks up a basic gross salary of £11.3m. Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor is the Premier League's highest earner on £7.4m, according to the list.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who is now managing Inter Milan, says the Blues would have won more trophies under him had he not left the club in 2007.(Daily Mail)
Burnley boss Brian Laws has scotched rumours of a bust-up with Clarets midfielder Joey Gudjonsson, insisting the player still has a role to play in the club's battle against relegation.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Liverpool's Glen Johnson has won every major trophy with the Reds - on Championship Manager. The right back has become a big fan of the computer game while recovering from his knee injury. "I'm sick of TV now," he admits. "When you're confined to the couch you'll look at anything. Thankfully, Championship Manager got me through."(Daily Mail) 
Queens Park Rangers are on the verge of signing reality TV star Hicham Abdellah. The 17-year-old striker has made it through to the semi-finals of Football's Next Star, whose winner gets a place at the Inter Milan academy.(Daily Mirror)

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Nottingham F. 1 - 0 Sheffield U.

1 - 0 R. Earnshaw 4.min.

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AC Milan 2 - 3 Manchester U

1 - 0 Ronaldinho  3.min.
1 - 1 P. Scholes  36.min
1 - 2 W. Rooney  66.min.
1 - 3 W. Rooney  74.min.
2 - 3 C. Seedorf  85.min.

Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Schalke 04's German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is being tracked by Manchester United according to the player's agent Thomas Kroth. (German newspaper Bild)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea look set to shake off competition from Inter Milan to seal a £40m-plus deal for Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero. (Daily Mirror)
Or, Atletico Madrid have turned down a £44m offer for Argentinean Aguero and are holding out for the £50m they believe he is worth. (Daily Star) 
Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, who is currently with Real Zaragoza, is a target for Aston Villa.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City left-back Wayne Bridge and right-back Micah Richards are facing the axe as manager Mark Hughes looks to sharpen up his defence.(The Sun) 
Holland defender Gregory Van der Wiel has said he is committed to Ajax despite interest from Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United, neighbours City, Arsenal and Chelsea are all interested in CSKA Moscow's £9m-rated playmaker Milos Krasic. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham's owners have insisted they do not have to sell £10m-rated Matthew Upson in January despite the club's financial problems. (Daily Star)
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish is ready to make a £6m bid for Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin feels that manager Arsene Wenger will need to go on a spending spree to save Arsenal's season. (The Sun) 
Wenger looks set to renew his interest in Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh but the French side are adamant that the Morroco international will not be leaving in January. (Daily Star) 
Other players interesting Wenger include Andre-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse, AC Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Mario Balotelli of Inter Milan and Sampdoria's Giampaolo Pazzini. (The Sun) 
Spartak Moscow's Brazilian striker Welliton could be involved in a swap deal with Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko. (Daily Mail) 
Hull want to cash in on Crystal Palace's money problems by launching a cut-price £1m move for former Newcastle and Charlton midfielder Darren Ambrose. (Daily Star) 
League Two side Notts County are targeting former England striker Francis Jeffers who is out of favour at Sheffield Wednesday. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Fears are growing that West Ham striker Carlton Cole may need an operation after a scan revealed serious knee ligament damage. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Derby's mascot Rammie the Ram has written a letter of apology to Reading's Brian Howard for claiming the midfielder was faking injury, when in fact he had fractured his jaw. (The Sun) 
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez believes that former United team-mate Wayne Rooney is a better player than international colleague and Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. (Daily Mirror)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has made signing Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery his top priority and is ready to pay a British record £45m for the Frenchman and make him the highest paid player in the Premier League.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned the rest of the Premier League that Abramovich may go on a spending spree in the January transfer window.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United and Everton are trailing 18-year-old Antwerp midfielder Geoffrey Hairemans. The Belgian teenager has already spent a week training with United. (The Sun)
Sheffield United defender Matt Kilgannon, 25, will join Newcastle in a £2m deal in the New Year. The centre-back's arrival is likely to hasten Fabricio Coloccini's departure to Spain. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Paul Gascoigne has returned to Newcastle in a bid to reignite his coaching career. The former England and Newcastle midfielder is working alongside Peter Beardsley at the club's Academy.(Daily Express) 
Arsenal's record signing Andrey Arshavin has admitted he did not want to play football in the aftermath of Russia's failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.(Daily Express) 
Carlo Ancelotti says he wants to stay as Chelsea manager for the next 20 years and build an empire just like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have done at Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. (Various)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has demanded the immediate payment of a seven-figure sum of money he believes he is owed by Notts County's owners Qadbank Investments.(Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Film director and Bath fan Ken Loach has dreamed about getting former Manchester United star Eric Cantona, 43, to play for his side if they reach the FA Cup third round for the first time in 15 years.(The Sun)
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

West Ham have been told to improve their offer if they want to sign Livorno striker Alessandro Diamanti(on photo). (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Everton manager David Moyes will spend £10m on Lokomotiv Moscow's Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, 24. (The Sun) 
Moyes will also look to add a defender to his squad following Joleon Lescott's move to Manchester City - with Bolton's Gary Cahill and Middlesbrough pair David Wheater and Robert Huth under consideration.(The Times) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is ready to make a £6m move for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has given Villa a 48-hour deadline to come up with more than the £8m they have already offered for left-back Stephen Warnock. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham are in talks to sell defender James Collins to Aston Villa for £5m, which will pave the way for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh to join the Hammers for £7m. (Daily Telegraph)
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is also close to bringing in Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen on a season-long loan deal. (The Sun) 
Manchester City are close to sealing a deal for Barcelona's Brazilian full-back Sylvinho on a free transfer. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan have agreed a £5m fee with Crystal Palace for Victor Moses, 18, but the striker will spend the rest of the season on loan at Selhurst Park as part of the deal. (The Sun) 
Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane is set for a £4m deal with Portsmouth after the Premier League agreed to cover the deal with Pompey's television cash if the club fails to pay Lens on time.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Portsmouth have expressed an interest in Nantes midfielder Aurelien Capouem, 27, who previously had an unsuccessful trial at Blackburn. (The Times) 
And Pompey are also set to sign Algerian midfielder Hadj Issa, 25, know as his country's Roberto Baggio, in a £400,000 deal from Wifaq Setif. (Daily Mirror) 
Nottingham Forest striker Rob Earnshaw, 28, is a £3m target for Newcastle. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich boss Roy Keane may sell defender Gareth McAuley, 29, to raise funds after the pair had a bust-up last week. (Daily Mirror) 
Hibernian striker Colin Nish is a £200,000 target for English Championship strugglers Scunthorpe. (Scottish Daily Mail) 
Hamilton Accies are having a look at Las Palmas winger Herlado and Cicero Casimero, once a £2.7m signing for Dinamo Moscow. (Daily Express)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Sunderland boss Peter Reid is set to be named as Stoke City's new assistant manager this week, once he agrees terms to leave his post as coach of Thailand. (The Times)
Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin believes the Gunners must spend money on new players if they are to maintain their impressive start to the season. (The Times) 
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart expects a mystery consortium fronted by chief executive Peter Storrie to take over the south-coast club this week. (The Sun) 
Hull's Brazilian forward Geovanni, 29, will pledge his future to the Tigers by signing a new deal.(The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Blackburn full-back Michel Salgado may have a difference of opinion with new boss Sam Allardyce regarding the Spaniard's defensive duties. Salgado's former Real Madrid team-mate Steve McManaman claimed the attack-minded defender knew two words of English: "cover me". (Daily Mail)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City finally expect to complete the signing of Everton defender Joleon Lescott on Thursday in a deal worth £22m.(The Sun) 
Chelsea have not given hope of signing midfielder Andrea Pirlo, despite AC Milan saying the 30-year-old is not for sale.(Daily Star)
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James could be set for a move to Sunderland with Pompey close to signing Antti Niemi on a free transfer.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth striker David Nugent could be set for a move away from the club after a bust-up with team-mate Marc Wilson, with Stoke in discussions over a £4m move.(Various)
Tottenham have had a £12m bid for 19-year-old Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko rejected by the French club who claim he is worth double that amount.(Various) 
Spurs' pursuit of Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar appears to be at an end with the 25-year-old set to sign for AC Milan.(The Independent) 
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has insisted that midfielder Cesc Fabregas will not be leaving the club after reported interest from AC Milan. (Various)
Lucas Neill, who is a available on a free transfer after leaving West Ham, is set to sign for Sunderland on Thursday.(Daily Mail) 
Bayern Munich have played down reports linking 32-year-old Italy striker Luca Toni with a move to West Ham.(The Independent) 
Nottingham Forest are planning a £2m bid for Bolton defender Danny Shittu, who has been told he can leave the Reebok Stadium.(Various) 
Hull have given a trial to former Wigan and Stoke striker Henri Camara.(Various) 
Sunderland are close to signing 21-year-old Egyptian winger Ahmed Al-Muhammadi from ENPPI.(The Independent) 
West Brom and Nottingham Forest are battling it out to sign 19-year-old Leicester full-back Joe Mattock for about £2m. (Daily Express)
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is attempting to resurrect a deal to sign Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy for about £2m.(Daily Mirror) 
Hamilton are still hoping to sign Inverness's Dougie Imrie, Motherwell's Jamie Murphy and Kilmarnock's Craig Bryson despite having bids rejected for the players. (Daily Express)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Aston Villa and Leeds manager David O'Leary has turned down the chance to become Newcastle manager after being offered a two-year contract by owner Mike Ashley.(Daily Mail) 
Local businessman Barry Moat is set to buy Newcastle United from Mike Ashley for £100m and his first task will be to appoint Alan Shearer as manager.(Various)
American tycoon Clark Hunt is interested in buying West Ham for £120m. Hunt owns two Major League Soccer teams in the United States and his late billionaire father founded the league in 1993.(The Sun) 
Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has said the club is living in the "stone age" compared to rivals Manchester United. (Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester City forward Robinho believes the club are destined for "greatness" and are as big as Real Madrid and Brazil.(The Sun) 
Chelsea have offered captain John Terry a new contract worth £151,000-a-week, putting him on a par with team-mate Frank Lampard.(The Times) 
New Manchester United striker Michael Owen is set to miss out on an England recall for the friendly with the Netherlands later this month.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who has just returned from a six-month lay-off, could miss the first six weeks of the season after straining a hamstring in training. (The Sun) 
Former England manager Terry Venables has warned Newcastle that are not too big a club to be relegated to League One. (The Sun)
Scotland manager George Burley says his side can still make the World Cup qualifiers even if they lose to Norway in Oslo this month. (Various) 
Burnley's Steven Caldwell is dreaming of partnering brother Gary in Scotland's defence for the World Cup qualifier against Norway. (Various) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin is being mocked by his Gunners team-mates who say his accent sounds like the meerkat featured on the Compare the Market television advert. (The Sun)
Everton's plans for a new stadium in Kirby are on hold because the site is currently occupied by voles. The rodents are protected by law and have to be rehoused before work can begin on the 50,000 seat venue. (The Sun) 
West Brom will back England's bid to stage the 2018 World Cup by displaying the campaigns logo on the club's shirts for Saturday's Championship match against Newcastle. (Daily Star)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

After pulling the plug on a deal to bring Samuel Eto'o to the club, Manchester City are also set to miss out on Carlos Tevez, who is in no rush to finalise his future with Chelsea reportedly also interested in the Argentine striker.(Daily Star) 
Alternatively, City will tie up a deal for Tevez before jetting out on their pre-season tour of South Africa on Wednesday.(The Sun) 
City will sign Tevez and are also set to increase the stakes in their pursuit of Chelsea defender and captain John Terry with a third bid worth £40m. (Daily Express) 
City captain Richard Dunne is determined not to leave Eastlands and is prepared to see out another season despite Stoke and Sunderland have each having £4m offers for the centre-back accepted.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United have targeted Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero and are willing to offer £30m plus Portuguese winger Nani to land the Argentine. (Daily Mirror)
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has laughed off rumours linking the club with a move for French international midfielder Franck Ribery.(The Sun) 
However, Benitez is interested in Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole - the subject of a failed £5m bid from Sunderland on Friday - as a possible replacement for Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, who have been linked with moves away from Anfield.(Independent) 
Arsenal can rest easy this summer after Russian forward Andrey Arshavin denied any interest in a move to Champions League holders Barcelona, and big-spending Real Madrid insisted they are not pursuing midfielder Cesc Fabregas. (Daily Express) 
Tottenham are set to make a last-ditch attempt to hijack Everton's plans to sign Sheffield United's England Under-21 right-back Kyle Naughton. (The Sun) 
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp wants Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones to be part of any deal that sees forward Darren Bent join the Black Cats. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton have launched a £12m bid for Standard Liege captain Stephen Defour, formerly the midfield partner of Toffees' record signing Marouane Fellaini at the Belgian club. (The Sun) 
Fulham are closing in on an £11m deal for Portsmouth and England striker Peter Crouch after agreeing to sell forward Bobby Zamora to Hull. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are also chasing Crouch but may have to raise their bid to £15m in order to land the striker after having an £11m offer rejected by Pompey.(The Times) 
Former Liverpool and Middlesbrough midfielder Boudewijn Zenden - currently with Marseille - claims Fulham want to bring him back to England to add experience to their forthcoming European campaign. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland have won the £6m fight to sign Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell, who was also a target for Hull, West Ham and Newcastle. (The Sun) 
Stoke are reeling after being snubbed by Rennes midfielder Stephane M'Bia, who has agreed to join Marseille in a £10m deal instead. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has given the green light to Aston Villa's £18m double swoop for Boro's attacking duo Stewart Downing and Tuncay. (The Sun) 
Arsenal's French defender Mikael Silvestre is a target for French champions Bordeaux. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton want to sign Real Betis midfielder Achille Emana but are struggling to meet the £11m asking price. (The Sun) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is set to join the the chase for Aston Villa centre-back Zat Knight, who is also wanted by Bolton. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley manager Owen Coyle is ready to clinch a £600,000 deal for Hamilton's Scottish Under-21 defender Brian Easton, who has expressed an interest in a move to the Premier League. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Alan Shearer is ready to walk out on Newcastle because he is sick of being kept in the dark over the club's future by owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias. (The Sun) 
Chelsea want the future of captain John Terry - a £30m Manchester City target - sorted out before they depart for their pre-season tour of America on Thursday.(Daily Star) 
Indeed, Terry has insisted on a meeting with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to seek assurances about the club's future before committing himself to the Blues.(The Times) 
A host of stars are set to turn their back on playing in England because of the more favourable financial conditions in Spain, where tax is capped at 40% and big earners can pay as little as 24% tax if they exploit a loophole and acquire "foreign executive" status. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has emerged as firm favourite to return to Southampton as manager, more than five years after he quit the club. (Daily Express)

AND FINALLY

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has launched a bizarre new blast at old foe Carlo Ancelotti - formerly AC Milan boss but now in charge at Chelsea - saying, "They say of Ancelotti in England that he is Prince Charles. But I only know one Prince Charles - and that is the Prince of Wales. Ancelotti is no friend of mine."(The Sun) 
Manchester United players have been selecting their footballing heroes with club skipper Gary Neville selecting former Reds captain Bryan Robson, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney going for Diego Maradona and boss Alex Ferguson opting for United legend Denis Law.(The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former England midfielder Peter Reid has rejected speculation he will quit as coach of Thailand to take charge of League One club Southampton. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Samuel Eto'o wants a £12.5m signing-on fee to join Manchester City. The Barcelona striker has already been offered wages of £250,000 a week by the Eastlands club.(The Sun) 
Or the Cameroon striker is looking for a £15m golden handshake from Barcelona otherwise the move to City is off.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are poised to complete a hat-trick of signings by landing CSKA Moscow forward Yuri Zhirkov, Manchester City forward Daniel Sturridge and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal have been stunned by Andrey Arshavin's revelation that he would be "really happy" to play for Barcelona if he gets the chance. (The Sun) 
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso will holds talks with manager Rafael Benitez this week over a possible move to Real Madrid.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Reds defender Alvaro Arbeloa is set to seal a switch to Real for about £5m. (The Independent) 
Aston Villa are ready to pay £5m for Espanyol forward Luis Garcia, who is also wanted by Porto.(The Sun) 
Villa are also set to bid £5m for Middlesbrough midfielder Tuncay. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have joined the chase for Groningen's Sweden international striker Marcus Berg but they may need to pay £10m to beat Everton to his signature.(Daily Mirror) 
Spurs have told Villarreal they want cash plus Sebastien Eguren and Marcos Senna in exchange for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. (The Times) 
West Ham are trying to hijack Hull's £3.4m move for Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune. 
Full story: (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham have offered £2.2m for Almeria striker Kalu Uche. (The Sun) 
Birmingham want to sign Tottenham defender Gareth Bale on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Star)
Wolves are set to sign Reading striker Kevin Doyle for a club record fee of £6.5m. (The Sun) 
Huddersfield will pay £1m to sign Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert. (The Sun)
Ipswich boss Roy Keane is close to completing a £1m deal for QPR full-back Damien Delaney. Keane also wants to make a double raid on former club Sunderland to sign defender Nyron Nosworthy and winger Carlos Edwards. (Daily Star) 
Burnley are fighting it out with Cardiff in the race to sign £2.5m-rated Doncaster defender Mat Mills. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Carlos Tevez has accused Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson of blowing the chance to win the Champions League final by dropping him. The Argentine striker, whose United contract expires today, said: "He made a mistake to leave me on the bench."(Daily Mirror) 
Former Aston Villa manager David O'Leary says his successor Martin O'Neill has not helped the club progress.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Usually there is little to be pleased about when you miss your flight but Fabio Capello's failure to catch a plane from South Africa meant he was spared being in attendance for England Under-21s' humiliating 4-0 defeat by Germany in the European Championship final in Sweden on Tuesday. (Daily Mirror)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

David Beckham could be on his way back to England with AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti hoping to take the midfielder with him in a switch to Chelsea. (Sunday Mirror) 
Chelsea are already making plans for life without Didier Drogba as they consider bids for Atletico Madrid's £50m-rated Sergio Aguero and Wolfsburg's Bosnian striker Edin Dzerko. (News of the World) 
Cristiano Ronaldo has reiterated his desire to stay at Manchester United, claiming that manager Sir Alex Ferguson is like a "second father to me". (News of the World) 
But Ferguson, while confident that United's recent success is enough to keep Ronaldo at the club, is resigned to losing Carlos Tevez over the summer. (Mail on Sunday) 
Arsene Wenger has left the door open for Thierry Henry to return to Arsenal, revealing that he still talks to the Barcelona striker who watches all the Gunners games on television. (News of the World) 
Texan millionaire Ellis Short will complete a buy-out at Sunderland next week and hand a new manager, possibly Martin Jol or Steve McClaren, a £200m transfer budget to turn the Black Cats into a major force. (Sunday Express) 
Manchester City are also stepping up their interest in Emmanuel Adebayor and are ready to meet Arsene Wenger's £21m valuation of the striker. (News of the World) 
Mark Hughes has switched his attention away from Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz to Aston Villa's John Carew as he continues his hunt for a new striker at Manchester City. (Sunday Mirror) 
Martin O'Neill has told Liverpool they will have to pay £10m if they want to successfully revive their interest in Gareth Barry, despite the midfielder having just one year left on his Aston Villa contract. (Sunday Mirror) 
But competition from Manchester City and AC Milan could push the bidding past the £19m mark. (People) 
Rafael Benitez is closing in on a £15m deal to take Portsmouth and England defender Glen Johnson to Anfield. The Spaniard is also weighing up a bid for Heerenveen winger Daniel Pranjic. (Sunday Express)
German giants Bayern Munich are also monitoring Johnson and are ready for an auction against the Reds, Manchester City and Totenham. (People) 
Xabi Alonso could be on his way out of Liverpool, however, after his agent told Benitez his client wants to move on. Real Madrid are favourites to land the Spain international, but could face competition from Arsenal , Manchester City and Juventus. (News of the World) 
Chelsea's pursuit of Zenit St Petersburg forward Danny could be put on hold however after the 25-year-old suffered a knee injury in training. (News of the World) 
Liverpool's Jermaine Pennant could choose between either Real or Atletico Madrid with both clubs keen on taking him to the Spanish capital this summer when he becomes available on a Bosman. (News of the World) 
Wigan manager Steve Bruce is ready to do battle with Everton and Blackburn for the signature of Newcastle's Alan Smith. (News of the World) 

Fulham's frontline could feature 6ft 4in Austria international Marko Arnautovic if an approach to FC Twente is successful. (News of the World)

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OTHER GOSSIP

The Norwegian Football Association is calling for a fresh inquiry into the 2005 dealings that took Jon Mikel Obi from FC Lyn to Chelsea via Manchester United. The midfielder signed an option agreement with United before announcing he wanted to move to Stamford Bridge. (Mail on Sunday) 
Alan Shearer has already made summer signing plans with the Newcastle board and is set to commit himself to the Magpies regardless of the outcome of today's fight against the drop. (Sunday Express) 
Patrice Evra has accused Arsenal players over attempting to injure him ahead of the Champions league final in revenge for his "men against babies" comments after United's semi-final victory at the Emirates. (Various) 
Former Everton legend Peter Reid is the figurehead for international investment company London Nominees which hopes to buy the Toffees. (News of the World) 
Rafael Benitez has moved to end his feud with Sir Alex Ferguson by writing him a personal letter offering help and support while the Scot's grandson was being treated in Liverpool's Alder Hay hospital. (Sunday Mirror) 

AND FINALLY 

Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin wants to renegotiate his £80,000-a-week contract after complaining that British taxes swallow up half his salary. (Mail on Sunday)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Joey Barton has been handed a lifeline to stay at Newcastle by boss Alan Shearer. (The Sun) 
Carlos Tevez has told Argentina coach Diego Maradona that Manchester United boss is Sir Alex Ferguson an 'old man' who is determined to lower his transfer value. (The Sun) 
Real Madrid have confirmed their interest in Tevez but the United striker has rejected a chance to play in Spain. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp wants £5million-rated Almeria left-winger Albert Crusat if he is unable to sign Stewart Downing from Middlesbrough. (The Sun) 
Reading have released goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, Graeme Murty, Leroy Lita and Michael Duberry in the wake of their failure to win promotion back to the Barclays Premier League. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic target James McCarthy has denied claims he is desperate to leave Hamilton and promised to give his all in their fight against relegation. (Daily Record) 
Real Madrid will reportedly sign AC Milan playmaker Kaka if presidential candidate Florentino Perez regains control of the Spanish club. (in Spanish: Marca) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reacted angrily to fans' critical response to a fourth consecutive season without silverware, saying he has been made to feel like a "murderer". (Daily Telegraph) 
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has urged his players to give up drinking and set an example to youngsters as binge drinking reaches epidemic proportions in the UK. (Daily Telegraph) 
Harry Redknapp will counsel his players to keep out of bars and the newspaper headlines after he laid bare the drinking and newspaper culture that he inherited at Tottenham. (Times) 
Chelsea's interim boss Guus Hiddink has told AC Milan's Carlo Ancelotti that taking over at Stamford Bridge could be the best job he will ever have. (Daily Express) 
Arsenal striker Andrey Arshavin wants Barcelona to beat Manchester United in the Champions League final, insisting: "United look very solid but they play like machines, whereas Barcelona are dreamers, they are more creative". (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, who still has five years of his Emirates contract to run, insists he is fully commited to the club. "I wouldn’t be so committed to the club if I didn’t believe we will win trophies," he said. "For the last four summers people have been saying 'Oh, Cesc will leave now' but I am still here and I will be here next season as well." (Sun) 

AND FINALLY 

Arshavin has a few choice opinions on women drivers: "I would never give driving lessons to women. We need to build a few new roads for them. Why because you never know what to expect from them," he said. (Daily Mail)
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