Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is lining up a January transfer swoop for Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United are considering an £8m move for Napoli's Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik. (Daily Star) 
Everton hope to sign Gillingham's 22-year-old striker Simeon Jackson.(The Sun) 
Wolves striker Sam Vokes is set to join Coventry on loan.(The Sun) 
Tottenham are tracking Sampdoria's Spanish midfielder Pedro Mba Obiang.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United are keen on French striker Fabrice Pancrate, who is a free agent after being released by Paris St Germain.(The Sun) 
Stoke have rejected loan bids from Newcastle and Nottingham Forest for defender Leon Cort.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth are battling it out with Notts County and Turkish side Galatasaray to sign former Manchester City left-back Michael Ball, who is now a free agent. (Daily Mail) 

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OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Gary Neville may face punishment from the Football Association following his reaction to Michael Owen's late winner in Sunday's derby. Neville, an unused substitute, ran down the touchline towards Manchester City's fans to celebrate.(The Sun) 
Manchester City midfielder Javier Garrido has accused neighbours Manchester United of creating a "climate of hostility" after being hit on the head by a coin at half-time during Sunday's derby. (Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City will complain to the Football Association about the behaviour of fourth official Alan Wiley during injury time in Sunday's derby. City are angry that manager Mark Hughes was shooed away when he questioned where all the added time had come from.(The Sun) 
Manchester United look set to escape a Fifa investigation over their attempted recruitment of Fiorentina teenager Michele Fornasier.(Daily Telegraph) 
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has apologised to manager Martin O'Neill following their training ground bust-up and looks to have saved his future at the Premier League club.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Former Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann has been dropped by Stuttgart after attending the Munich beer festival, Oktoberfest. Lehmann said: "The visit was part of a charity event and had been planned for a long time. However, it was not agreed with the club. Of course I accept the measures taken by the sporting management."(The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsene Wenger says Barcelona have as much chance of signing Cesc Fabregas as Arsenal have of signing Lionel Messi.(Irish Independent) 
Newcastle midfielder Damien Duff is due in London to finalise a transfer to Fulham. (Sky Sports News) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea are poised for a £42million bid for Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. (Sun) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is still trying to persuade Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen to join him at Upton Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa could move for Tottenham's out-of-favour winger David Bentley, but only as a back-up player.(Times) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has made an enquiry about Aston Villa's England winger James Milner, who cost £12m from Newcastle last August.(Sun) 
Everton are trailing Spartak Moscow winger Vladimir Bystrov, 25, and are interested in a loan deal for Valencia's Argentine midfielder Ever Banega, 21. The Toffees are also watching giant defender Isaac Vorsah, who plays for German club Hoffenheim.(Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough are ready to sell German centre-half Robert Huth to Stoke City in a £2.5m deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle want Bolton defender Andy O'Brien, 29, to return to St James' Park to solve their defensive crisis. (Daily Mirror)
Hull boss Phil Brown has lined up 34-year-old free agent Sol Campbell in case Liverpool make an improved offer for his £12-rated defender Michael Turner. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Harry Redknapp says David Bentley still has a future at Tottenham - as long as he does not step out of line again after his recent drink-driving incident.(The Sun) 
Everton boss David Moyes has accused Mark Hughes of using underhand tactics to unsettle Joleon Lescott and claimed that it had cost Manchester City any chance of landing their latest target.(Daily Mail) 
Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd is set to become the new manager of Norwich, who sacked Bryan Gunn less than a week into the season.(Daily Mail) 
Paul Hart believes the proposed takeover of Portsmouth will not happen, plunging the club into yet more uncertainty on the eve of the new Barclays Premier League season.(Times) 

AND FINALLY

Defender Anton Ferdinand is planning a Michael Jackson goal tribute is he nets for Sunderland in the Black Cats' Premier League opener at Bolton. "I'm not too sure how it will work out, I actually thought of putting a glove in my sock to pull out if I score," said big Jacko fan Anton.(Sun)
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Nicklas Bendtner's father says the striker is fully committed to Arsenal, amid suggestions the Denmark international is wanted by Italian giants Roma. (Setanta) 
Andriy Shevchenko wants to honour his contract with Chelsea and will report for pre-season training with the Blues on 9 July. The Ukraine forward, who spent last season on loan at AC Milan, has one year left on his deal with the Stamford Bridge side. (The Sun)
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has said the Serie A club is open to offers for Andrea Pirlo, amid speculation the Italy midfielder could join former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea(Daily Star)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United have been urged by former Chelsea and France defender Marcel Desailly to pay whatever it takes to sign Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery - even if it costs £150m. (Daily Star)
Argentine striker Carlos Tevez agreed to join Manchester City from bitter rivals Manchester United two weeks ago - and he will complete a £25.5m move in the next few days.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Chelsea could scupper the deal if the Stamford Bridge outfit match the £130,000-a-week salary that City are offering Tevez. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will start to rebuild his strike force with a £30m move for Lyon striker Karim Benzema.  (Daily Mirror) 
United's bid for the 21-year-old Benzema could even be as high as £35m. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz will complete his £15m move to Manchester City in the next 48 hours - provided he passes medical tests on his knee. (The Sun) 
Hull manager Phil Brown wants to hijack Quinton Fortune's move to Ipswich. The former Manchester United winger is a free agent after being released by Belgian club Tubize. (Daily Star) 
However, Brown could miss out on Manchester United striker Frazier Campbell, who is stalling on a £6m move, despite the fee being agreed two weeks ago. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are ready to sell Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes to Lens - and are hoping to claw back £2.5m from the deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley is wanted by Sheffield United. (Daily Mirror) 
But the Blades face a fight to keep defender Matthew Kilgallon at the club, with Wigan and Middlesbrough both interested. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley are ready to move for Nigeria centre-back Rabiu Afolabi, who is a free agent after leaving French side Sochaux. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand insists he has no intention of leaving the club, despite interest from Fulham. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are closing in on Paris St Germain midfielder Jerome Rothen.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham have been linked with former Spain and Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes, who does not currently have a club. (The Independent) 
Liverpool's first-team coach Mauricio Pellegrino has refused to rule out the possibility of midfielder Javier Mascherano leaving the club - with Barcelona interested in the Argentine international. (Various). 
Bolton will strongly resist any offers for striker Kevin Davies, who is thought to be wanted by Blackburn. (Guardian)
Birmingham have not given up in their pursuit of defender Roger Johnson, despite Cardiff refusing to lower their £5m valuation of the player. (Guardian) 
Celtic face competition from Hull, Fulham, Portsmouth and Wolves for Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune. (Scottish Sun)
Herman Hreidarsson looks set to reject a possible Old Firm switch in favour of staying at Portsmouth. (Daily Express) 
Bristol City could sell Michael McIndoe to Sheffield United for £750,000 and replace him with Manchester United winger Lee Martin. (Bristol Evening Post) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has pulled off a deal in the United States, selling his stake in NHL side Montreal Canadiens for a £178m profit, that should help him to ease the Reds' financial worries. (The Guardian) 
Claims have emerged in the Middle East that an Arab sheik has bought a 60% stake in a top English club. Portsmouth and Newcastle are among the leading clubs for sale. (The Sun) 
Broadcasters Setanta are clinging on to a slim hope that they can raise the £3m owed to the Scottish Premier League and keep themselves in business. (Daily Record)
However, the SPL are ready to pull the plug on Setanta and secure a new television deal with either Sky or ESPN. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Reading fan Charles McLeod could be the world's most devoted supporter after racking up an incredible 120,000 miles last season to watch his side 17 times - travelling from his hometown of Toronto, Canada. (Daily Mirror)
David Beckham is hoping to stretch his playing career until he is 40 by incorporating an hour-long Pilates routine into his daily training. The exercises were part of the England midfielder's regime while on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy. He has signed up for classes in the United States when he returns in July with his wife Victoria. (The Sun)
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