WC 2010 - 07.07.

Germany - Spain, Germany to win on penalties @ 10.00 (Various)  0-1 LOST

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I've been thinking a lot about this one and couldn't find any bet in some normal range 1.70-2.50. Germany is maybe is slight favorite, but wouldn't put any money on dnb, or clear win in 90 minutes. They're very young and wouldn't exclude a possibility to crash under the big pressure at one moment.

Spain is a kind of mystery, for me. I have impression they've played much under their full potential. And in all games were playing against extremely defensive formations. Tonight, they'll have more space. On the other hand, some Del Bosque's decisions were really shocking. Keeping Torres in starting eleven, playing with 5 central midfielders, David Silva on the bench... I don't like him, seriously doubt in his coaching abilities and wouldn't be too much surprised if Spain ends the competition even without using their full potential.

Don't have some specific reason for this bet, it's based on instinct. We rarely see some tournament where Germans don't bury someone on the penalties. He he Gamble, of course.

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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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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

West Ham are considering a move to take out-of-favour striker Jo from Everton. The Brazilian is currently on a season-long loan at Goodison Park from Manchester City. (Daily Post) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has been linked with a summer move to Everton, who are reported to have agreed a pre-contract with the striker, whose contract expires at the end of the season. However, Whites manager Simon Grayson said: "Pre-contract agreements aren't binding so both parties could pull out at any time. If he bangs in another 20 goals, there might be bigger teams than Everton coming in for him." (Press Association) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham's new owners could try to lure Fulham striker Bobby Zamora back to Upton Park, 18 months after he left the club.(Daily Mirror) 
And Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton could also be on his way to West Ham, with Bordeaux's Mathieu Chalme his replacement in the Spurs defence.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul could be in line for a return to Tottenham as Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate's injury troubles continue.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will move for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy - but only if he can offload misfit Roman Pavlyuchenko.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea could be forced to go back on their "no transfer window signings" pledge if midfielder Michael Essien's knee injury rules him out for an extended period of time.(The Independent) 
Manchester United and Chelsea are battling it out to sign 18-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder Sergio Canales, who can leave Racing Santander in the summer when his contract runs out.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn want to take Uruguay international midfielder Sebastian Eguren on loan from Spanish club Villarreal, where he has fallen out of favour.(Daily Mirror) 
But striker Benni McCarthy could be heading out of Blackburn, with Turkish side Galatasaray keen to sign him.(Daily Mail)
Galatasaray are also monitoring Ryan Babel's situation at Liverpool after the winger fell out with manager Rafael Benitez.(The Times) 
Liverpool's Fernando Torres has urged Benitez to sign either of the striker's international colleagues David Villa or David Silva from Valencia to partner him in attack.(Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Mathieu Flamini could become yet another ex-Arsenal player to join Manchester City - on loan from AC Milan.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could also be heading to England in a bid to get regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham likely to be interested.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham and Hull are weighing up former Tottenham striker Mido, who is still officially a Middlesbrough player but is on loan at Zamalek where he has been since last summer.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has tabled a £4m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil.(Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough may use some of that cash to sign striker Leon Best from Coventry.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has shocked Scott Brown by telling the Scotland midfielder he has no future at the club and will be sold during January. (Daily Record) 
Celtic are locked in a five-way battle with clubs in Italy, Spain and Ukraine to sign 18-year-old Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder Rabiu Ibrahim. (Daily Express)
Celtic will pay £200,000 in compensation when they sign 19-year-old Norway Under-21 centre-half Thomas Rogne, formerly of Staebek. (Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham technical director Gianluca Nani will be sacked on Wednesday, only 24 hours after David Sullivan and David Gold took over the club. (Daily Star)
Portsmouth have 21 days to pay their £7.5m tax and VAT bill or face a winding-up petition in the High Court on February 10. With no new investment in sight the club are likely to have to sell players to raise the money or risk becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration.(The Sun) 
Football Association director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking has warned England does not have enough depth of young talent and he does not know where the next Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard will come from.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle midfielder Alan Smith has called on owner Mike Ashley to splash the cash this month to bolster the club's promotion bid.(Daily Star) 
Brazil legend Pele has tipped Spain to win this year's World Cup, saying they are the best team in the world at the moment, and he predicts that Argentina will struggle.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says the current crop of players at the club is the best for 20 years.(The Times) 
Plymouth Argyle have ordered Aberdeen and Hearts target Steven MacLean to train with their youths in an attempt to force him out of the club. (Daily Record)
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has angrily denied claims by his New Zealand counterpart that they had asked for £250,000 to play a friendly, saying that manager Craig Levein did not want the match at all. (Various) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal new boy Samuel Galindo (on photo) has been caught up in an elaborate spoof, when a Bolivian TV station claimed it had a copy of his passport stating he was 20 years old and not 17 as was said when the midfielder joined the Gunners. (Daily Mirror)

England captain John Terry has secretly put his mansion and his mum's home up for sale, hoping to raise £11.5m to fund his life as a country gent. He is hoping to use the money to buy a country pile.(The Sun)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are preparing a £2m bid for Osasuna full-back Cesar Azpilicueta (on photo).(The Sun)
Valencia forward David Silva, who is reportedly being tracked by Manchester United, has no intention of leaving the Spanish club this season. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham will step up their efforts to sign Bayern Munich and Italy striker Luca Toni.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham are tracking Benfica right-back Maxi Pereira, with the Uruguayan set to be out of contract next summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are interested in Benfica winger Fabio Coentrao. Rovers have twice sent scouts to look at the winger this season. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Newcastle could be forced into administration if Kevin Keegan wins his £25m compensation claim against owner Mike Ashley.(Daily Star) 
Hull manager Phil Brown could have just a month to save his job.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart has shrugged off suggestions that he could be in line for the sack.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed defender Sol Campbell for a return to the Premier League after he walked out on Notts County on Wednesday.(The Sun) 
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor says he will not tone down his goal celebrations despite facing a Football Association charge of improper conduct for the way he reacted to scoring against old club Arsenal.(Daily Star) 
Everton are demanding Blackburn striker El Hadji Diouf apologises for accusing the club's fans of throwing bananas at him.(The Sun) 
Liverpool are targeting their trip to Sunderland on 17 October as the game in which injured £20m midfielder Alberto Aquilani will make his debut for the club.(Daily Telegraph) 
A team of "cyberpolice" from New Scotland Yard have helped to save tens of thousands of football fans from being duped into buying bogus tickets for the 2010 World Cup.(The Times) 
Russell King, a senior representative of Qadbak, the offshore company that owns Notts County, has had £1.9m of his assets frozen by the courts in Jersey over an unpaid debt. (Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he still watches his old team-mates on television and has backed compatriot Nani to fill the void left by his Old Trafford exit.(Daily Mirror) 
England players will be given a "two strikes and you're out" disciplinary code in the lead up to the World Cup.(Daily Mirror)
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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former West Ham defender Lucas Neill is set to undergo a medical at Everton today. (Sky Sports)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Valencia's Spanish forward David Silva has admitted he is interested in a move to Manchester United.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull striker Caleb Folan is set to join Middlesbrough on a three-month loan deal.(The Sun) 
Aston Villa are hoping to beat Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign Feyenoord's £5million-rated Netherlands Under-21 midfielder Jonathan De Guzman.(Daily Mail) 
Bolton defender Danny Shittu has turned down a loan move to Sheffield United because he does not want to step down from the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool target Angel Di Maria has had his buy-out clause increased to £40m by Portuguese club Benfica as they brace themselves for a bid from the Premier League side.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has blocked Diomany Kamara's move to Newcastle United because he needs him for his squad.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United and Burnley are likely to need a tribunal to thrash out compensation for defender Richard Eckersley, who joined the Clarets from United in the summer.(The Sun) 
Everton are giving a trial to Colo Colo's 18-year-old Chilean striker Nicolas Millan, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced he can persuade midfielder Paul Scholes to put his retirement plans on hold in favour of one more year at Old Trafford.(Daily Mirror) 
Fabio Capello has revealed that his current job as coach of England will be his last in football and he never wants to manage the national side of his native Italy.(The Sun) 
QPR owner Flavio Briatore faces being kicked out of the Loftus Road club following his departure from Formula 1 team Renault. Should F1 bosses decree that Briatore is no longer a "fit and proper person" to operate within their sport, he would have to relinquish his control of QPR as Football League rules state any shareholder or director must be removed if they are banned by a recognised sport's governing body.(The Sun) 
Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen fears he could be the next high profile departure from Stamford Bridge following the exit of chief executive Peter Kenyon.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will not discipline striker Wayne Rooney for his enraged reaction to being substituted during the Champions League victory over Besiktas on Tuesday.(The Sun) 
Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are ready to put up to 25% of the club up for sale to raise £100m that can be used to build a new stadium.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has joked that he will join United's fans in booing former teammate Carlos Tevez if he lines up for Manchester City in the derby between the sides on Sunday.(The Sun) 
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has promised that investment in the club's new £30m training complex will not harm Harry Redknapp's team-building programme.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have put Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane on a special fitness programme in a bid to get him fit for the club's battle to get off the bottom of the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Karren Brady has turned down an offer from prospective Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung to remain as chief executive of the Blues.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have confirmed they will not appeal the violent conduct charge against Emmanuel Adebayor for his stamp on Arsenal's Robin Van Persie in City's 4-2 win on Saturday.(The Sun) 
Ipswich boss Roy Keane has told defenders Gareth McAuley, who has been stripped of the captaincy, and Ben Thatcher that they have no future with the club.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

England manager Fabio Capello joked that his wife may have taken a shine to David Beckham after having photos taken with the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder.(The Sun) 
Capello has also revealed that had he not pursued a career in football he would have chosen a career as an airline pilot.(Daily Star)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will make a £20m bid for Sevilla's Luis Fabiano when the transfer window opens in January. (The People) 
The Scot will also try to sign Valencia playmaker David Silva in January for £25m. (News of the World) 
Ferguson may eventually try to sign West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green as a replacement for Edwin van der Sar.(Sunday Express) 
David Beckham is close to announcing that he will return to AC Milan in January as he looks to play in Europe to secure a place in Fabio Capello's England World Cup squad. (The Mail on Sunday) 
Everton boss David Moyes will try to sign Dutch forward Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid in January. (News of the World) 
Celtic are on the trail of 17-year-old Derry City midfielder star Darren McCauley, but will have to fight off Blackburn Rovers to secure his signature. (Sunday Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Kevin Keegan takes Newcastle to court this week over his £10m compensation claim after he left as the club's manager last September.(News of the World) 
Meanwhile, Chris Hughton has been told he will remain in charge of the Championship club for the rest of the season.(News of the World) 
Liverpool will sign a new shirt sponsorship deal worth £80m with London-based bank Standard Chartered. (Sunday Express) 
Championship club Swansea have accused Manchester City of poaching 15-year-old Emyr Huws. (The People) 
Carlos Tevez's long-time advisor Kia Joorabchian has denied reports the Argentine striker could end up costing Manchester City £47m. (The Observer) 
Arsenal are set to offer French defender William Gallas a new contract.(News of the World) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is the leading contender to coach the Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics in London. (Sunday Mirror) 
England could lose out to Mexico on their preferred training complex at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus in Rustenburg for the World Cup in South Africa.(The Mail on Sunday) Meanwhile, Capello claims that his dream final at the World Cup would see his England team play Italy. (Various) 
And he claims that anything less than reaching the final will be a failure for his team. (The Mail on Sunday) 
The Football Association is yet to decide whether to allow the England players to twitter during the finals. (News of the World)

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AND FINALLY

Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper reckons a book about his career at the club would sell more copies than one written by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.(News of the World)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are about to tell Valencia to name their price for midfielder David Silva.(News of the World) 
And United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will enquire about Silva and striker David Villa when Valencia arrive at Old Trafford for Wednesday's friendly.(The People) 
Manchester United are also preparing a £35m offer for Atletico Madrid's striker Sergio Aguero.(Sunday Express) 
Everton defender Joleon Lescott is set to hand in a transfer request to force through his £22m move to Manchester City.(News of the World) 
Sunderland are preparing a double transfer swoop for Tottenham's David Bentley and Michael Dawson.(The People) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to call off the propsosed £7m deal for Gremio midfielder Douglas Costa because of concerns about the 18-year-old's private life.(News of the World) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has been told to spend an extra £1m if he wants to land Spurs striker Darren Bent. The Black Cats have already offered £14m.(The People) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is resigned to losing midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid. (Sunday Express) 
After missing out on former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp could try and bid for Bayern Munich skipper Mark van Bommel.(News of the World) 
Chelsea midfielder Deco says he has turned down an offer from Inter Milan to see out his contract at Stamford Bridge. (Sunday Mirror) 
Chelsea could renew their interest in Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart if the Spanish giants reduce the Dutchman's price.(The People) 
And the Blues are set to complete the signing of AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo early next week, if striker Claudio Pizarro moves in the opposite direction.(Mail on Sunday) 
Aston Villa will make a £5m bid for Blackburn left-back Stephen Warnock next week.(News of the World) 
Arsenal are closing in on 23-year-old PSV midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, who is valued at £7m.(The People) 
Blackburn want to sign Manchester City striker Benjani, after missing out on Tottenham's Peter Crouch and Kamel Ghilas of Celta Vigo.(News of the World) 
Portsmouth, though, are also in the hunt for Benjani as they desperately try and find a replacement for Crouch.(The People) 
Fulham and Wolves are battling it out for Southampton's England under-21 midfielder Adam Lallana.(News of the World) 
Aston Villa and Blackburn are among the teams chasing Newcastle defender Habib Beye.(The People) 
Everton are in pole position to land Valencia right-back Miguel.(News of the World) 
Fulham want to sign Arsenal striker Carlos Vela on loan should the Gunners make a serious offer for centre-half Brede Hangeland. (The People) 
Bolton boss Gary Megson wants to sign Hoffenheim full-back Andreas Beck but could face competition from Fiorentina.(News of the World) 
Middlesbrough have beaten Sheffield United to the signing of Reading striker Leroy Lita on a free transfer.(The People) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City's summer spending spree has seen their annual wage bill has doubled in two years to £100m a year.(News of the World) 
However, their dealings in the transfer market and their pursuit of Everton defender Joleon Lescott has angered Toffees boss David Moyes. "It is about showing respect - and we are not being shown that," he says.(Sunday Mirror) 
Alan Shearer seems to have given up hope of becoming Newcastle manager on a permanent basis. The former England and Magpies striker has gone on his holidays to Portugal and has no plans to return before the new season starts. (Sunday Mirror) 
And Shearer has confirmed to the BBC that he will be with them on the Match Of The Day sofa, rather than the dug-out, when Newcastle begin their Championship campaign.(Mail on Sunday) 
A South African diamond billionaire is the latest potential buyer linked with Newcastle. The diamond prospector, who was discovered by former chairman Sir John Hall, has expressed an interest in meeting the asking price. (Sunday Express) 
Inter Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira will make a shock return to Arsenal this week, and has been lined up by the club's hierarchy as a long-term successor to manager Arsene Wenger.(The People) 
Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is to sign a new contract within the next two weeks which will keep him at the club until 2014 and give him earnings of more than £100,000-a-week.(Sunday Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc says the club have not received any bids for striker Marouane Chamakh (on photo), despite reported interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool will intensify their efforts to sign Valencia playmaker David Silva. (The Times) 
Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch will decide over the weekend whether to join Sunderland or Fulham after both clubs made a £12m bid for the England international.(Daily Star) 
Pompey may also allow full-back Sylvain Distin to leave the club, with Aston Villa poised to bid about £3m. (The Independent)
Manchester City's hopes of completing a deal for Emmanuel Adebayor are in the balance as the Arsenal striker is keen on a move to Chelsea.(The Times) 
Meanwhile, City are set to make an improved offer for Everton defender Joleon Lescott after having a £15m bid rejected. (The Times) 
Should Lescott leave Goodison Park, the Toffees would consider West Ham defender Matthew Upson as a replacement.(The Times) 
Hull are ready to offer Newcastle £3m over three years to sign midfielder Joey Barton.(The Sun) 
Sunderland have been told it will cost them £5m to sign Crystal Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne.(Daily Mirror) 
The Black Cats have also made an enquiry about Tottenham defender Alan Hutton. (The Times) 
And Spurs could sell another defender, Pascal Chimbonda, to Blackburn. (The Times) 
Reading are ready to lower their £5.5m asking price for winger Stephen Hunt after receiving no bids. (Daily Star) 
Manchester City striker Ched Evans will complete a £1.5m move switch to Sheffield United next week.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa have made Leeds a 'take it or leave it' offer of £4m plus add-ons for midfielder Fabian Delph.(Daily Mirror) 
But Tottenham are ready to join the bidding for Delph. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile, Spurs have been given until the start of next week to agree a fee with Real Madrid for striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar. (Daily Express) 
Stoke midfielder Seyi Olifinjana is in talks to join French club Monaco. (Daily Star)
Wigan are hopeful of signing Espanyol centre-back Roman Golobart on a free transfer. (The Sun) 
The Latics are also pressing ahead with their move for Crystal Palace winger Victor Moses. (Daily Mail)
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart is giving a trial to Zimbabwe left-back Onismor Bhasera. (Daily Star) 
Wolves are optimistic they can beat Celtic and Wigan to the signature of Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy. (Daily Star)
But Tottenham have joined the race for Accies' in-demand teenager McCarthy with a £2.7m bid. (The Herald) 
Dundee United have offered Argentine striker Damian Casalinuovo a deal after the 22-year-old impressed on trial. (Various)
Bordeaux have called off their bid for Madjid Bougherra because the defender is happy at Rangers. (Daily Record) 
Former Celtic defender Bobo Balde is training with Wolves after failing to win a deal at Birmingham. (Daily Express)
Barnsley are close to tying up a deal for former Darlington keeper David Preece. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Emmanuel Adebayor is locked in a row with Arsenal over a £2m loyalty bonus. The Manchester City-bound striker says he is owed the cash because he did not put in a transfer request.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says there will be no 'untouchables' at the club, insisting there are no guaranteed places in his first team. (Daily Star) 
Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon is confident his Profitable Group consortium will complete their takeover of Newcastle in the next few days.(Daily Star) 
New Southampton boss Alan Pardew will offer new deals to strikers Jason Euell and Stern John.(Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City have taunted rivals Manchester United by putting up a Carlos Tevez poster in the city centre declaring: Welcome to Manchester. City signed the Argentine striker from their neighbours this week. (Daily Mirror)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are fighting to halt an exodus after Cristiano Ronaldo's record £80m transfer to Real Madrid with Nemanja Vidic being targeted by Barcelona.(The Times) 
And Manchester City appear to have beaten United to the signature of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.(The Times) 
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists it was his decision entirely to allow Ronaldo to leave for Madrid.(Daily Express) 
Ferguson only allowed Ronaldo to leave on the proviso that he would get to spend all of the world record £80m transfer fee on new players. (Daily Star) 
Or, Ferguson will be given £100m to spend on new players after Ronaldo's departure. (Daily Mail) 
Ferguson has targeted Lyon striker Karim Benzema, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Wigan's Antonio Valencia as replacements for Ronaldo.(The Guardian) 
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o could also be a surprise target for Manchester United. (The Guardian)
However, it would appear that Italian club Inter Milan are favourites to land the £25m-rated striker from the Nou Camp. (The Sun) 
Valencia winger David Silva is another player who could be wearing the red of United next season. (The Times)
Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben could also be a target for Ferguson. (Daily Star) 
Madrid are confident that Ronaldo could earn them over £500m in merchandising over the next 10 years.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool are hopeful of securing a £350m refinancing loan to after vowing to pump more money into the club. (Various)

AND FINALLY

Out-of-favour Manchester United winger Nani says he is the the man to replace World and European player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo. (The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic would welcome a move to Barcelona, his agent said on Friday following reports the clubs were discussing a deal. (Press Association 0847 BST)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United will sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid if the Spanish giants stump up a stunning £75m. (Daily Mirror) 
If Real do not sign the Portugal international winger by the end of the month they will have to pay him £26m as a result of a promise made to him by the club's former president Ramon Calderon. (Daily Star) 
Real's vice-president Fernando Tapias appeared to confirm on Spanish radio that the club does indeed have such a penalty clause written into an alleged pre-contract agreement made between Calderon and Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes. (The Independent) 
Meanwhile, new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez (on photo) said he believes Ronaldo has a £75m get-out clause in his United contract and said he is "working to bring Ronaldo to Real Madrid". Perez also all but confirmed that AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka will join the club for £62m. (The Sun) 
Yet another seemingly Madrid-bound star is Valencia's David Silva. Liverpool are also keen on the midfielder but look as though they will miss out on him after he had talks at the Bernabeu. (The Times) 
Chelsea are set to offer Ashley Cole a £27m four-year deal in order to fend off interest in him from Barcelona, who are believed to be ready to bid £20m for the left-back. (The Sun) 
As well as hanging on to their best players, Blues midfielder Frank Lampard has urged the club to sign "someone to do something special", identifying a need for a creative midfielder or a striker. (The Independent) 
The players Lampard has in mind are Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Valencia's David Villa. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to bring Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, brother of Gunners defender Kolo, to the club and is set to bid £12m for him. (The Sun) 
The Gunners are favourites to beat Manchester City to the signature of £8m-rated Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, who they see as a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Mirror) 
But Arsenal face competition for the Bosnian from Manchester City, who are also looking at Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, Portsmouth's Peter Crouch and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. (The Guardian) 
Adebayor's future, meanwhile, could be in Italy as AC Milan are believed to be poised to make a £15m bid for the Togo striker. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa are bracing themselves for a battle to hold on to Ashley Young, with Chelsea and Real Madrid set to be interested in the £20m-rated winger. (Daily Mirror) 
Villa have targeted Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone as a replacement for Gareth Barry and will bid £6m for him. (Mirror) (Daily Mirror) 
David Bentley could also make the switch from White Hart Lane to Villa Park, but only if Spurs are prepared to accept £5m less than the £15m they paid Blackburn for him. (Daily Star) 
The clear-out at Spurs could also see Didier Zokora join Sevilla - but the Spaniards are thought to want to pay £2m less than the Londoners' £8m valuation of their man. (Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City want to sign Liverpool's Xabi Alonso as they want him to form a midfield partnership with their new £12m signing Barry. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland want to sign the world's tallest player, Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who stands at 6 ft 8 ins. New boss Steve Bruce is set to sanction a club record £10m bid for the Valencia player. (Daily Mirror) 
Bruce also wants to raid former club Wigan to sign midfielder Lee Cattermole. (The Sun)
Bolton and Birmingham are competing to sign Anderlecht's Argentine playmaker Lucas Biglia, who would cost about £6m. The pair are also battling to snap up ex-Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davies. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton have warned Manchester City that defender Joleon Lescott is not for sale. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham want to hijack Everton's £6m swoop for Rennes full-back Rod Fanni. (Various)
Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire could be priced out of a move to Greek side Olympiakos as Rovers are holding out for £2m more than the £3m bid they have received. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is lining up a bid for Marseille striker Djibril Cisse, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland. But the Frenchman is believed to prefer a move to Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic, Bolton and Genoa are interested in Manchester City midfielder Gilson Fernandes. (Daily Express) 
Newcastle's controversial midfielder Joey Barton has insisted he will not be forced out of the club and does not want a transfer despite his bust-up with interim boss Alan Shearer. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United will pay Watford £400,000 for versatile defender Leigh Bromby. (Daily Star) 
New QPR boss Jim Magilton is set to raid former club Ipswich for striker Jon Walters and midfielder David Norris. (Daily Star)
Shrewsbury want to sign striker Jake Robinson, who has been released by Brighton. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been demanding a central striker's role for next season, as he is fed up of being played out on the left flank. (Daily Express) 
New Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he is 50 times better as a boss now than in his early days when he was a "hothead" and used to sulk. (Daily Mirror) 
Bury manager Alan Knill is in talks with the club about a contract extension as he enters the final year of his current deal. (Daily Star)
Brendan Rodgers, who is set to become the new Reading boss, has revealed he was advised to take the job by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. (The Sun) 
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is on his way to Sporting Lisbon after being snubbed by Portsmouth. (The Sun)
A Middle East consortium is set to compete a takeover for League Two side Notts County. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Chris Waddle and fellow commentator Jon Champion will be fined £100 for each football cliche they come out with during England's game against Kazakhstan, with the money being donated by Setanta to the Bobby Moore fund. (Daily Star)
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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Notts County looks set to be taken over by a Middle Eastern consortium in a multi-million pound deal. (BBC Sport website) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City believe they are close to the £20m signing of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. (Daily Mail) 
City are also battling it out with rivals Manchester United for the signature of Argentine forward Carlos Tevez, who has been on a loan deal at Old Trafford. (Daily Express) 
Tevez will decide in the next seven days where his future lies, after United made a final take-it-or-leave-it offer to the 25-year-old. (Daily Star) 
Chelsea have made a last-ditch £70m offer for AC Milan forward Kaka.(Daily Star) 
The Blues are hopeful that Kaka's personal demands may also price Real Madrid out of the market. (Daily Mirror) 
However, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has admitted that Madrid are favourites to land the Brazil star. (The Independent) 
But new Chelsea manager and former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has not given up on signing Kaka and even phoned the Brazilian and begged him not to join Real. (The Sun) 
However, Chelsea have denied making a world record £73.5m bid for the Brazilian but say they still expect to make a major signing this summer. (Daily Telegraph) 
If Chelsea miss out on Kaka then that acquisition could be his AC Milan team-mate Alexandre Pato and will offer £38m for the 19-year-old.(Daily Express) 
However, Chelsea could also go after Samuel Eto'o after he was made available by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.(The Independent) 
The Blues are also targeting Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Valencia forward David Villa. (The Guardian) 
Chelsea have opened talks with Portsmouth to sign right-back Glen Johnson in a deal that could be worth £17m. (Daily Mail) 
Blues midfielder Deco is on the verge of a move to Inter Milan on a free transfer. (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are closing in on the £10m signing of Ajax centre-half Thomas Vermaelen.(The Sun) 
The Gunners are keen on Juventus and Italy central defender Giorgio Chiellini. (The Times)
But Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor could be on his way to AC Milan with the Italian side set to bid £15m for the Togo international. (The Sun) 
AC Milan and Barcelona are lining up Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic in a £25m deal. (Daily Mail) 
Real Madrid have tabled a £20m bid for unsettled Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool, meanwhile, are interested in Middlesbrough forward Tuncay. (The Mirror) 
Reds boss Rafael Benitez has also met with Valencia forward David Silva this week and is keen to bring the Spaniard to Anfield. (The Mirror) 
The Merseyside club have also offered Portsmouth £2m for defender Sylvain Distin. (The Times) 
Aston Villa have bid £7m for Atletico Madrid midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado. (The Times) 
Villa are also interested in bringing former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb back to the Premier League from Barcelona in a £10m deal. (Daily Star) 
Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan is attracting interest from Bolton, Blackburn and Hull. (The Guardian) 
Tottenham defender Chris Gunter is wanted by Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom. (The Guardian)
Manchester United trio Fraizer Campbell, Danny Simpson and Darron Gibson have been placed on the transfer list at Old Trafford. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is to make a fresh £5m bid for Manchester City centre-back Richard Dunne.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City midfielder Elano has issued a come and get me plea to Serie A champions Inter Milan. (The Sun) 
Defender Lucas Neill has severed his ties with West Ham and is set to link up with old Blackburn boss Mark Hughes at Manchester City. (Daily Express)
Former Manchester United striker Alan Smith is set to sign for Blackburn in a £2.5m deal. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal utility player Emmanuel Eboue says he is unsure whether he will be at the club next season. (Daily Express) 
Birmingham hope to sign Ecuador centre-back Giovanny Espinoza after landing compatriot Christian Benitez in a club record fee. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are preparing a £2.6m deal for Red Star Belgrade midfielder Nenad Milijas. (The Sun) 
However, Aston Villa are also interested in Serbian star Milijas.(The Times) 


OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has risked his England future after his late withdrawal through injury ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Kazakhstan. (The Mirror) 
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan says Swansea boss Roberto Martinez is his first choice to replace former manager Steve Bruce. (The Sun) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis hopes to appoint Sheffield United number two Sam Ellis as his deputy at the Britannia Stadium. (Daily Mirror) 
Watford manager Brendan Rodger is on the verge of becoming named as the new boss at Reading. (The Sun) 
West Brom are targeting Preston boss Alan Irvine as their new manager if Tony Mowbray takes over at Celtic. (The Mirror) 
However, West Brom have denied that Celtic have made an approach for Mowbray. (Daily Telegraph) 
Burnley's Owen Coyle and West Brom's Tony Mowbray are in a straight fight for the Celtic manager's job. (The Herald)
Celtic have launched a last-ditch attempt to secure Roberto Martinez, but the Swansea boss is 90% certain to go to Wigan. (Daily Mail) 
Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond will today be urged to finance compensation for Tony Mowbray or Roberto Martinez as manager. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY

Meanwhile United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has vowed that he will play again, despite rumours that he will be forced to retire following a succession of knee injuries. (Daily Mirror)
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