Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery will stay at the German club for another four years, extending his contract until 2015, according to German newspaper Bild.(Bild) 
In-demand England midfielder James Milner has put potential suitors on red alert by saying he does not know if he will still be at Aston Villa next season.(Daily Mail) 
And Villa's resolve to keep the 24-year-old is set to be tested by Manchester City, who offered £30m for him after having a £20m bid rejected.(Daily Mirror) 
That improved offer may not be enough for City, though, as Chelsea have joined the race for Milner and they believe the lure of Champions League football could prove decisive. (The Sun) 
Villa could also lose forward Ashley Young to Tottenham, who are ready to offer Robbie Keane or Jermaine Jenas as part of a deal for him. (Daily Star) 
Spurs face competition for Young from Manchester city, who enquired about his availability at the same time they asked about Milner. (The Guardian) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is so fed up with manager Rafael Benitez he is ready to walk out if he gets the right offer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has his eye on Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar striker Kaka. (Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have been linked with an ambitious £12m swoop for World Cup-bound Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Caughtoffside.com) 
But the Hammers looks set to lose midfielder Valon Behrami, who is a £5m target for Italian side Palermo.(The Sun) 
Behrami is also attracting the interest of Liverpool, who will use Yossi Benayoun as bait to help land him and defender Matthew Upson.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are considering an £18m move for Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being tracked by Juventus, AC Milan and Wolfsburg.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are poised to make a £16m raid for Marseille midfielder Stephane Mbia.(The Daily Mail) 
The Gunners are also lining up Everton's Mikel Arteta as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas in the event that he joins Barcelona.(footylatest.com) 
Fabregas could be unveiled as a Barcelona player on 4 June or 9 June. ( imscouting.com) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure will not be arriving at the Emirates stadium after refusing to consider the move, leaving Manchester City favourites to sign him.(footylatest.com) 
And Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is another who looks set to snub Arsenal, saying he is committed to the Italian side. (imscouting.com) 
Everton hope to tie down midfielder Jack Rodwell to a new deal and ward of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Atletico Madrid have issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United over their Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.(imscouting.com) 
Aston Villa are eyeing up a season-long loan deal for striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has returned to Monaco after the end of his loan spell at Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also ready to offer £15m for West Ham striker Carlton Cole. (caughtoffisde.com) 
That could signal the end of Emile Heskey's stay at Villa Park, with Stoke ready to move for the England man.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to bring 32-year old Real Madrid striker Raul to Anfield.(The Daily Mail) 
David Nugent, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Nadir Belhadj are set to follow Avram Grant out of Portsmouth.(The Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are planning a £5m bid to take Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas back to St James' Park. (The Sun) 
Toon boss Chris Hughton also wants Porto forward Andre Monteiro but has had a £2m offer rejected.(The Sun) 
Wigan are interested in £5m-rated Spanish striker Adrian Colunga, who plays for Recreativo Huelva. (The Sun) 
West Brom are targeting Racing Santander striker Mohamed Tchite.(The Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are lining up a £4m bid for Stoke striker Tuncay. (Various) 
Sampdoria defender Reto Ziegler is being lined up for a Premier League return as Liverpool eye the former Spurs man.(The Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are set to spend £2m to sign Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd. (Various) 
Crystal Palace skipper Shaun Derry is set to join Ipswich.(Daily Mirror) 
Preston and Derby are locked in a battle to sign Wayne Rooney's younger brother, John, who plays as striker for Macclesfield. (Various) 
Ex-Arsenal winger and France international Robert Pires, whose deal at Villarreal has run out, has turned down MLS side Philadelphia Union.(Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has raised doubts over his future after refusing to rule out a move to Inter Milan. (The Sun) 
Avram Grant is set to take over as West Ham manager after resigning at Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Pompey, meanwhile, are considering offering their vacant manager's position to goalkeeper David James. (Daily Star) 
New sports minister, Hugh Robertson has warned the Football Association that its new chairman must be independent. (The Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona insulted an injured cameraman after accidentally running over his leg before the announcement of his World Cup squad.(The Guardian) 
Liverpool's first signing of the summer could be a Vietnamese reality TV show star - the winner of the talent contest will win a 12-month deal at Anfield after next week's final. (Daily Mirror)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Newcastle striker Nile Ranger could go on loan next season in search of first-team football according to the 19-year-old's agent.(The Journal) 
Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Rangers' defender David Wilson and may also attempt to bring his team-mate Madjid Bougherra to Anfield. Bougherra, a former Charlton defender, is expected to travel to the World Cup with Algeria.(Liverpool Echo) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp hopes to resign Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari. Redknapp first brought the Ghana international to England when he signed him for Portsmouth in May 2007.(Footy Latest) 
Valencia striker David Villa will turn down Manchester United's advances to sign for Barcelona.(IMScouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to smash the British transfer record and bid £45m for Valencia and Spain forward David Villa. (caughtoffside.com) 
Inter Milan are planning to buy Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the hope that the midfielder's signature will stop manager Jose Mourinho from leaving for Real Madrid.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed he is considering his future at the north London club with Barcelona waiting to pounce if the Spaniard decides to quit the Gunners.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have made an official approach to sign Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, with boss Alex McLeish undeterred by the failure of his attempts to sign the 29-year-old earlier in the season.(Daily Mirror)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he would like to sign Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, increasing speculation the Spaniard could be heading out of Anfield. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are hoping to raid Valencia with boss Harry Redknapp preparing a £28m bid for winger David Silva.(caughtoffside.com) 
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has signed a pre-contract agreement with Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls and will head to the United States in the summer.(the Sun) 
Tottenham are set to sell midfielder Jermaine Jenas and forward Robbie Keane to fund moves for targets such as Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, Chelsea playmaker Joe Cole and Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Star) 
Birmingham City are keeping tabs on Mamelodi Sundowns's South Africa international striker Katlego Mphela. (Daily Mail) 
Fulham are interested in Aston Villa central defender Curtis Davies who cost the club £8m from West Bromwich Albion in 2008.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are lining up an £8m offer for Werder Bremen striker Mesut Ozil. (caughtoffside.com) 
Blackburn have held preliminary talks over a £450,000 deal for Molde's Norway international midfielder Magne Hoseth. (Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest are interested in taking Manchester United's versatile youngster Corry Evans on a season's loan. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth striker John Utaka is set to join French side Sochaux in a cut-price £3m deal. Utaka cost Portsmouth a club-record £7m.(Daily Mail) 
Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is out of contract this summer, says that seven clubs are chasing his signature. He has the chance to move to England with Birmingham, Wolves, Wigan, Newcastle or Middlesbrough or to Turkey with Bursaspor or Ankaragucu. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is set to accept a coaching role with England at the World Cup after his hopes of playing in the tournament were ruined by an Achilles injury.(the Times) 
Beckham's England team-mate and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has revealed that he would like to move into management once his playing days are over.(the Times) 
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou will demand compensation if West Ham make Pompey boss Avram Grant their new manager. (Daily Mail) 
Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has told Aston Villa that he is prepared to sit out the remaining year on his contract and leave for free next summer rather than sign agreements with Blackburn or Stoke.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland are prepared to pay only half of Tottenham's £7m asking price to make full-back Alan Hutton's move to the Stadium of Light permanent.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has admitted that he expects the club to sign a new striker this summer after he scored just 12 goals in all competitions this season.(the Guardian) 
Southampton boss Alan Pardew has been told his job as manager is safe as long as he delivers promotion to the Championship next season.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has allayed fears over the fitness of defender Rio Ferdinand and striker Wayne Rooney by insisting the pair will be fit for England's World Cup campaign.(Manchester Evening News) 

AND FINALLY

Portsmouth are almost £4m better off than previously thought after an apparent oversight in the administrator's report was revealed.(the Guardian) 
Roy Hodgson's run to the Europa League final with Fulham has made him favourite to be named manager of the Great Britain football team for the London 2012 Olympics. An announcement is expected some time next year. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has backed Manchester United and England skipper Rio Ferdinand as the man to to take on John Barnes' rapping role in a cover of England's 1990 World Cup song "World in Motion".(FourFourTwo)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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


OTHER GOSSIP

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

.

AND FINALLY

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

AC Milan are planning a £20m summer swoop for Manchester United's Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov.(The Sun) 
Liverpool are preparing to ruffle the feathers of city rivals Everton with a move for the Toffees' midfielder Steven Pienaar.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City are planning to swoop for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young, with Craig Bellamy, Martin Petrov and Shaun Wright-Phillips all set to depart Eastlands this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James will snub a summer move to West Brom in favour of playing what he described as "real football" in the Championship next season. On 10 April the Baggies sealed their promotion to the Premier League, while Pompey were relegated from the top flight.(The Sun) 
Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen wants to stay at Tottenham next season. The Icelander is currently on loan from French side Monaco. (The Sun) 
Bolton will place a £17m price tag on defender Gary Cahill if he makes it into Fabio Capello's England World Cup squad for this summer's tournament in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Birmingham and Blackburn are battling it out with Italian side Roma for Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli. (The Sun) 
West Brom, who recently sealed their promotion back to the Premier League, say they will resist any offers for highly-rated midfielder Graham Dorrans this summer.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega is set to snub a move to the Premier League's elite as he feels he has a better chance of playing by joining a team outside the top four. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle is tracking Stockport's teenage defender Sam Barnes.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Everton boss David Moyes is the man to succeed him at Old Trafford. Apparently, Ferguson is ready to step down as United manager after one more season. (The Sun) 
Italian side Juventus are ready to give Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez until the end of the season to decide if he would like to take over as their new manager. They originally set a deadline for the end of this week.(Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are considering a move to make Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies their next manager after the former Rangers player intimated he would be interested in returning to Scotland.(The Times) 
Former England boss Steve McLaren looks set to reject an offer from West Ham to replace Gianfranco Zola as manager this summer. McLaren is currently managing FC Twente, who are just one win from this season's Dutch title, but has only one year left on his contract.(Daily Mail) 
The Hammers have two lists of managerial candidates: one for if they stay up, which McLaren heads, and one for if they are relegated, which is topped by Southampton boss Alan Pardew, who spent three years in the Upton Park hotseat before being sacked in December 2006.(Daily Express) 
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has opened talks to extend the contract of manager Chris Hughton, who this season led the club to promotion back to the Premier League after a season in the Championship.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard says the club need to buy four "quality" players if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea risk losing several of their biggest names for nothing this summer after being instructed by Roman Abramovich to suspend all contract talks until the end of the season. The Russian owner believes the likes of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Deco must earn new deals through their performances during the remainder of the season.(The Times) 
Portsmouth are expected to announce that their debts total £119m when their accounts for the last financial year are released later on Wednesday.(The Times) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is unsure whether to risk exacerbating striker Didier Drogba's groin injury by playing him in this weekend's match against Stoke as the title chase nears its climax. The Blues hold a one-point lead over second placed Manchester United with three games to play.(The Independent) 
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres rates England's starting XI as the second best in the world and believes they could be ready to go all the way in the World Cup, which begins on 11 June in South Africa. (Press Association)
England goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton says keeper Ben Foster must leave champions Manchester United if he wants to save his international career. "Foster was on a par with [West Ham's Robert] Green a while back but he is not playing first-team football anymore and that is going to count against him," said Shilton. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has given midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen, whose contract expires this summer, until the end of today to decide if he wants to sign a new deal at Ewood Park.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Developers of the official 2010 World Cup video game seem to think England may struggle during the tournament proper, which begins on 11 June in South Africa. Having factored in the high altitude conditions at certain venues, players of the game will discover that the England side have been programmed to feel the energy-sapping effects sooner than some of their virtual opponents.(Daily Mail)
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Monday gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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

OTHER GOSSIP

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

AND FINALLY

Former Leeds and Manchester City defender Danny Mills completed the Brighton Marathon in a wheelchair, making his way round the course in in two hours, 43 minutes to raise money and awareness for the spina bifida charity ASBAH. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes a tricky season in charge of the Hammers has given him the equivalent of five years of managerial experience.(Daily Express) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan forced his team to leave behind £250 worth of pizza as they boarded the team bus to travel back from their 2-0 defeat by West Brom. The former Celtic boss was so annoyed by his team throwing away their faint play-off hopes that they had to go without their post-match food. (Daily Express)
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Man Utd 3-0 Fulham

Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United beat Fulham to move two points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Rooney, who saw a long-range strike saved in the opening 45 minutes, slotted home from 12 yards after just 30 seconds of the second half. 
Mark Schwarzer denied Darren Fletcher but Rooney sealed the points with a low strike across goal after superb approach work from Dimitar Berbatov. 
A teasing cross from Ji-Sung Park was then headed home by Berbatov. 
Fulham might have defeated United 3-0 at home in December but Roy Hodgson's team had precious few sights of goal at Old Trafford - and the result ensured their miserable run away from Craven Cottage in the Premier League continued. 
Fulham's last league away win was at struggling Portsmouth on the opening day of the season - but with a Europa League match against Juventus and an FA Cup quarter-final looming, their priorities currently lie elsewhere. 
United's defeat at Craven Cottage remains their heaviest of the season but in the return contest Sir Alex Ferguson's team dominated territory and possession - and created the vast majority of the game's decent chances.
Berbatov was selected to start alongside the in-form Rooney and linked play effectively as United repeatedly carved open their opponents backline as they increased the pressure on Arsenal and Chelsea, although Carlo Ancelotti's team have a game in hand.

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are favourites to beat off neighbours United and Tottenham by signing Chelsea's Joe Cole on a free transfer in the summer.(Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is heading towards the exit door at Anfield after becoming fed up with their poor form. Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester City wait with their cheque books at the ready.(Mail on Sunday) 
Tottenham have moved closer to sealing the biggest deal of the January transfer window by holding direct talks with Palermo about £11m defender Simon Kjaer.(Daily Mail) 
Argentina winger Angel di Maria has said 'no' to a move to Manchester City after a £38m bid was made for the 21-year-old at Benfica.(Sunday Mirror) 
Sunderland winger Kieran Richardson is wanted by Birmingham as part of Alex McLeish's Blues revolution.(News of the World)
Ruud van Nistelrooy will snub a move back to the Premier League and instead join Galatasaray in a £4m deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland want Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, but the £7m price tag may put them off with manager Steve Bruce unlikely to pay more than £5m.(News of the World) 
Manchester United keeper Ben Foster will be sold as the Old Trafford club wait to see what happens with Schalke's Manuel Neuer. (Sunday Express) 
While Sunderland and Stoke are considering a £4m move for the United and England keeper.(Mail on Sunday)
Portsmouth are hoping their transfer embargo is lifted this week to enable them to snap up Spurs midfielder Giovani dos Santos on loan.(News of the World) 
Wolves have bid £6.5m for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson - but other clubs, including Chelsea, are monitoring the former England Under-21 star.(Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are lining up a loan move for Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere for the remainder of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
New Bolton boss Owen Coyle has his eyes on Stoke's 25-year-old defender Andy Wilkinson.(News of the World)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United could be in line for a £1.2bn takeover after efforts by the Glazers, United's owners, to attract Middle East investment.(Sunday Express) 
The West Ham takeover saga is set to be resolved by Tuesday, with David Sullivan and David Gold now poised to seize control of the club.(News of the World) 
Liverpool and Manchester United would be banned from the Champions League if Michel Platini's "Financial Fair Play" criteria for European club competitions was introduced, according to senior sources within Uefa. Manchester City and Chelsea would also be at risk, despite their owners having paid off their debts recently.(The Times) 
Manchester United will decide on Monday whether striker Dimitar Berbatov needs an operation on his injured knee.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been approached about a coaching role at Old Trafford before stepping into the hotseat to replace Sir Alex Ferguson.
Guardiola's agent Jose Maria Orobigt said: "A club has contacted me but there have been no discussions over money or the sporting project. Anything like that is up to Pep."(News of the World)

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Spanish side Atletico Madrid are believed to have offered to sell Sergio Aguero, 21, to Chelsea for £30m, providing they can have the striker back on loan for the rest of the season.(Sunday Express) 
Dimitar Berbatov will head a sensational clear-out of £80m of Manchester United talent in the summer. Anderson, Nani, Zoran Tosic and unsettled central defender Nemanja Vidic are also set to leave. (Sunday Mirror) 
Rubin Kazan's 23-year-old Argentine left-back Cristian Ansaldi will fly in this week to complete a £6m move to Manchester City.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City are also closing in on a £7m deal for Portsmouth's 24-year-old centre-back Younes Kaboul. (News of the World) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted for the first time he may be powerless to keep Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres if Liverpool's financial woes aren't resolved. (News of the World) 
Chelsea have entered the race to sign German striker Kevin Kuranyi. The 27-year-old Schalke striker has also held talks with Sunderland.(News of the World) 
Manchester United are interested in signing West Ham's £10m-rated Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester City have also shown interest in the former Lazio star. (Sunday Express)
Meanwhile, United have put goalkeeper Ben Foster up for sale for £4m as first choice Edwin van der Sar prepares to return after taking time off to nurse his wife.(Mail on Sunday) 
Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa has told friends he will join Tottenham in the summer. The 30-year-old, who has 79 international caps, currently plays for Spartak Moscow in Russia.(News of the World) 
Wolves and Sunderland have joined the race to sign Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford. Newcastle have already bid £1.5m for the 26-year-old who is valued at £2.5m by the Elland Road club.(News of the World) 
Bolton and Hull are also interested in former Wealdstone striker Beckford, who scored Leeds winner against Manchester United in the FA Cup last weekend. (Sunday Mirror) 
Kenwyne Jones is set to snub Birmingham's £10m January bid to sign him and stay at Sunderland until the summer. The striker is keen to play Champions League football next season.(Sunday Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce believes he has signed Maynor Figueroa, 26, from Wigan for £6m and Hamburg's Ivory Coast right back Guy Demel for £5m. (News of the World) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan is set to bring in six players in an £8m swoop on Scotland's Old Firm. The former Celtic manager wants to take five players from Parkhead and £1.5m Rangers striker Kris Boyd(News of the World) 
Birmingham will complete the signing of Sporting Gijon's Michel on Monday. The midfielder watched the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at St Andrew's on Saturday and has already passed a medical. (News of the World) 
Fulham have emerged as serious challengers to Manchester City in the chase for Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses, 19. (News of the World) 
New Bolton manager Owen Coyle is keen to sign winger Chris Eagles and full-back Tyrone Mears from his former club Burnley.(News of the World) 
Coyle is also trying to hijack Burnley's loan move for Arsenal's 17-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere. (News of the World) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce must sell Benni McCarthy before making a £2m move for Stoke striker James Beattie. McCarthy is interesting Portsmouth and Birmingham but neither club has tabled a bid for the South African striker. (News of the World) 
Matthew Kilgallon will join Everton if Sheffield United fail to reach the Premier League in May. The Blades defender snubbed a £2m move to Newcastle this week in favour of staying at Bramall Lane.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth face a make-or-break week in their battle to for survival. Unless they pay off £10m they owe to other clubs, the Premier League will withhold the £7m Pompey were due to receive from TV and give it straight to the club's creditors. (Sunday Express) 
Ron Noades has offered to help rescue crisis club Crystal Palace from the brink of financial meltdown. Palace need to raise around £6m to see the season through and former chairman Noades is willing to put a consortium together to help. (News of the World) 
Aston Villa winger James Milner will begin talks to extend his contract until 2015 when the transfer window shuts. The 24-year-old England winger could demand a big pay rise after impressing in his 18 months at the club and Villa boss Martin O'Neill is keen to fend off interest from Liverpool. (News of the World) 
Huddersfield manager Lee Clark, 37, has emerged as a contender for the Burnley job after impressing in his first year as boss at the Galpharm Stadium. (News of the World) 
West Ham's Icelandic owners look set to sell the club before the end of January. Former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan face competition from London finance company Intermarket, but a deal is expected in the next seven to 10 days.(News of the World) 
Patrick Vieira's move to Manchester City is understood to be motivated by a strategy to develop the next phase of his career, in coaching. The 33-year-old has signed a deal at City that could run for 18 months or more.(Sunday Telegraph) 
QPR are set to make their 12th managerial change in four years this summer with Alan Curbishley and former boss Luigi De Canio in line to replace Paul Hart. (Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

Liverpool's owners have been plunged into more chaos after a foul-mouthed email rant by director Tom Hicks Junior. The Texan told a Reds fan, who had written to the club to express his concerns over the financial future of the club: "Blow me **** face. Go to hell. I'm sick of you."(News of the World)

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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Real Madrid have made Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic their prime transfer target for 2010 and Sir Alex Ferguson has already identified Porto's Bruno Alves as his replacement.-Marca.com (in Spanish) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham are planning a January bid for former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, who is now playing for Italian side Fiorentina.(Daily Mirror)
Meanwhile, West Ham's chances of landing Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni are over after the Italian declared he would not sign for any club other than Roma. (Daily Mirror)
The Hammers, who are without injured forward Carlton Cole, are looking to recall striker Freddie Sears from his loan spell at Crystal Palace.(The Sun) 
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez will offload strikers Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin as well as defender Andrea Dossena so that he can fund a move for Galatasary winger Arda Turan. (The Sun) 
Manchester United winger Nani is set to leave Old Trafford with his representatives talking to clubs in Spain and Italy.(The Independent) 
Nani could be part of a deal that brings Benfica winger Angel Di Maria to Old Trafford. (The Guardian) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp may turn to former club Portsmouth in January, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic the target. (The Sun) 
Alternatively Spurs may also move for Begovic's team-mate keeper David James, leaving Portsmouth to pursue Adelaide stopper Eugene Galekovic.(The Sun) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is lining up a £9m offer for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, who is also attracting interest from Tottenham and Liverpool.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton have moved closer to signing Real Madrid midfielder Guti after he turned down a move to Turkish side Besiktas.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn Rovers are lining up a loan move for Marseille midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa. (Daily Mirror) 
Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is also keen on Saint-Etienne's Algerian midfielder Amine Linganzi Koumba.(The Sun) 
Birmingham are set to make German international striker Kevin Kuranyi the best paid player in the club's history. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are also targeting £4m-rated Peterborough striker Aaron McLean as they look to bolster their European charge.(The Sun) 
West Brom have bid £1.5m for Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Chelsea boss and current Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho says he is eyeing up a return to the Premier League. (The Sun) 
Portsmouth's players are set to miss out on being paid on time for the third time this season as their cash crisis continues.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov believes no-one can stop the club winning the Premier League this season.(Daily Mirror)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United and Real Madrid are both keen on Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, who scored twice against Liverpool in the Champions League this week, but the Italian side are set to offer the Montenegro star a new five-year contract. (The Sun)
Bolton boss Gary Megson insists defender Gary Cahill will not leave the Reebok Stadium in the January transfer window despite interest from Manchester United and Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Birmingham City winger Gary McSheffrey is poised to join Sheffield United on a three-month loan deal. (Daily Mail)
Reading boss Brendan Rogers plans to send Dave Mooney, Julian Kelly, Scott Davies, Michail Antonio and Jay Tabb out on loan.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Everton and Manchester City left-back Michael Ball has turned down a three-year deal at Notts County and could join Portsmouth or Turkish giants Galatasaray.(The Sun) 
Oldham Athletic hope to sign out-of-favour Hull City midfielder Bryan Hughes on loan.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Notts County's players called in the Professional Footballers' Association after the League Two club failed to pay them their win bonuses.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has secured a £5m cash injection from Saudi property magnate Ali Al-Faraj that will allow the Fratton Park side to pay their players. Storrie and Al-Faraj were part of a rival consortium that lost out to Sulaiman Al Fahim for control of the club.(Daily Mail) 
The Premier League is ready to take over at Portsmouth to stop the club from slipping into administration.(The Independent) 
Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore has called for a crackdown on "hostile and abusive" chanting as part of a campaign against disorder in football grounds. (The Times) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov admits he has been a failure at Old Trafford since his £30.75m move from Tottenham in August 2008 and says his poor form caused him sleepless nights.(The Sun) 
Liverpool forward Ryan Babel says being dropped by the Netherlands ahead of next summer's World Cup finals has scared him into trying to salvage his Anfield career. The 22-year-old has struggled since joining the Reds for £11.5m from Ajax in 2007.(Daily Mail) 
Former Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is facing the sack at Uzbekistan side Bunyodkor after they were knocked out of the Asian Champions League. The Brazilian, who is the highest paid manager in the world on £12.5m a year, will get a huge compensation package if he is forced out. (The Independent) 
Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner claims only divine intervention saved his life when he crashed his car on his way to training on Sunday. The Danish star says it is a "miracle" that he is still alive, but hopes to face Blackburn this weekend.(Daily Mirror) 
Under-fire Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate says he will not quit the Riverside despite being criticised by fans.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres says he would never join Manchester United because of his respect for the Anfield club's fans.(The Sun) 
Hotels in South Africa are raising their prices by up to 440% for next summer's World Cup finals.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Gillingham boss Mark Stimson says referees would get less stick if they went back to wearing black rather than multi-colour outfits. Stimson said: "They get enough abuse as it is. As soon as they walk out with pink shirts on, people laugh at them." (The Sun)
Preston legend Sir Tom Finney has told National Football Museum bosses that he wants all his memorabilia back if they leave Deepdale to move to Manchester. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

The true cost of taking Carlos Tevez to Manchester City from rivals United may have cost the Eastlands club an astonishing £47m. (The Times) 
But a spokesman for Kia Joorabchian, who fronts the company that effectively owned Tevez before his switch to Eastlands, insists that figure is "not true". (Independent) 
Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley has rejected the club's first offer of a new contract.(Daily Mail) 
Mexico striker Guillermo Franco claims he has signed a one-year deal with West Ham, bringing to an end Gianfranco Zola's long search for a new forward.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea intend to open new contract talks with Salomon Kalou to fend off an approach from former boss Jose Mourinho, the Inter Milan manager.(Daily Mail) 
Former Middlesbrough and Newcastle striker Mark Viduka is returning home to live in Australia, according to his agent.(The WorldGame.com.au) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson expects negotiations over a new contract for Arsenal and Everton target Brede Hangeland to speed up now the transfer window has closed.(Metro) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina fears Liverpool's title assault may already be over after just four games. (The Sun) 
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has taken a swipe at Manchester City by insisting their money is not guaranteed to give them success.(Sun) 
Emmanuel Adebayor claims he wanted to stay at Arsenal but was forced to leave the club and join Manchester City because of financial reasons. (Times) 
Scotland manager George Burley has demanded showdown talks with the Scottish FA after learning that it's bosses will discuss his possible sacking next week and are considering Gordon Strachan and Craig Levein as replacements. (Daily Record) 
Former Rangers and Liverpool manager Graeme Souness says he does not want the job of Scotland's national coach at this stage in his career. (Daily Mail)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray fears that midfielder Scott Brown might have to undergo another operation on his injured ankle. (The Sun) 
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown may need to rest his injured ankle and will visit a specialist later this month. (Various)
Henry McLeish, who is leading a wide-ranging review of Scottish football, says the government must provide money to improve facilities. (Daily Mail)
Emmanuel Adebayor claims he will not forgive Arsenal fans for the way they have treated him for as long as he lives.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has earmarked Owen Hargreaves for a return to action in early November.(Times) 

.

AND FINALLY

Dimitar Berbatov has revealed chats with his grandad while helping with the gardening back in Bulgaria persuaded him to quit Spurs for Manchester United. "My grandfather is a very wise man and a great man to talk to. When I am home in the summer I will go to his allotment and help him dig. The allotment has been the place for some great chats and it was there where we talked about me moving to a club where I could win major trophies and I asked him what he thought about Manchester United," he said.(The Sun)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City will offer Chelsea captain John Terry £1m a month in wages in a final bid to land the defender.(Daily Mail) 
But Terry will snub a move to Eastlands and sign a new contract to stay at Stamford Bridge.(The Sun) 
Manchester City could add yet more fire power to their squad and are lining up an £18m swoop for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young. (Daily Express)
AC Milan are poised to make a £10m bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner. (Daily Express) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set to battle it out with Aston Villa for the signing of Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin. (Daily Mirror)
But Villa are preparing to improve their offer for the 31-year-old to £3m. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen is thinking over a move to West Ham. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham winger Julien Faubert is wanted by German side Schalke 04. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have made a £2m offer for Hull defender Sam Ricketts. (Daily Mirror)
Pompey manager Paul Hart is lining up a bid for Reading winger Steven Hunt. (The Sun) 
Turkish side Galatasaray are set to launch a bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Deco. (The Times)
Everton are keen on Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull boss Phil Brown is lining up a £7m double swoop for Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley and striker Ross McCormack. (Daily Mirror)
Brown will also look to sign Ecuadorian winger Fernando Guerrero from Independiente Della Valle. (Daily Mirror) 
Preston are in talks with midfielder Didi Hamann after he was recently released by Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
Striker Darius Vassell is set to secure a move to Turkish side Ankaragucu after also being released by Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is keen on signing Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh and is a lining up a £10m bid.(The Sun) 
The Black Cats are also interested in Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker. (Daily Telegraph) 
Stoke City are poised to sign Sunderland midfielder Dean Whitehead in a £2.5m move. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Argentina manager Diego Maradona is being lined up by Portsmouth for a sensational move to the Premier League. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Former Arsenal defender Ashley Cole has risked angering his former club by saying he hopes big-spending Manchester City push the Gunners out of the top four this season. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has likened playing for the club as being a member of 60s rock group The Beatles. (Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, the Glazer family, who own United, have denied claims that they have blocked Sir Alex Ferguson from spending the £80m Cristiano Ronaldo transfer fee because purse strings are being tightened at Old Trafford. (Daily Star)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Valencia striker David Villa will decide on a move to either Real Madrid or Chelsea this week. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has backed boss Martin O'Neill's attempts to outgun Everton and Roma in the battle for Newcastle striker Michael Owen. (Daily Mirror) 
Villa will also compete with Liverpool in trying to sign Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin (on photo). (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, meanwhile, says he is not interested in signing striker Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli. (Daily Mail) 
AC Milan may have lost Kaka but they have overtaken Arsenal and Manchester City in the race to sign Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn could move for Austria striker Marc Janko if they sell Roque Santa Cruz, who is again a target for Manchester City. (Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Rovers are ready to sell defender Zurab Khizanishvili to Turkish outfit Galatasaray. 
(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham's takeover will result in manager Gianfranco Zola renewing his attempt to sign Inter Milan's £15m-rated attacking midfielder Luis Jimenez. (Daily Mirror) 
The Hammers also want Rennes right-back Rod Fanni and Middlesbrough defender Matthew Bates. (Daily Mirror) 
But defender Matthew Upson could be sold by Zola after he was told by the club's new owners that he would have to generate his own transfer funds by selling players. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov and defender Nemanja Vidic will not be leaving the club, according to their agents.(Daily Star) 
Tottenham could make a £4.8m loss by offloading striker Roman Pavlyuchenko to Italian side Roma for £9m. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham will have to battle it out with Bolton for the signing of defender Danny Shittu, while the Midlands club have also set their sights on Newcastle defender David Edgar. (Daily Star)
Wolves are to sign centre-back Ronald Zubar from Marseille for £2.5m. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Andorra coach David Rodrigo believes his side can frustrate England in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday and get the fans booing rival boss Fabio Capello. (Daily Star) 
Former Liverpool team-mates John Barnes and Jason McAteer are rivals to become the next Tranmere boss but could end up working together. (The Sun) 
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo will have tests to see whether he needs a hernia operation after pulling out of Portugal's friendly against Estonia. (Times) 
Watford are to appoint former defender Malky Mackay as their new manager. (Daily Star) 
Celtic will have to pay West Brom £2m in compensation if they want Baggies boss Tony Mowbray. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has had offers of £10, Oasis tickets and a Curly Wurly after inviting offers for the Tyneside outfit by e-mail. The Magpies have been given a £100m price tag. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Everton manager David Moyes wants to offer Newcastle striker Michael Owen a chance to extend his Premier League career.(Daily Mail) 
Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins is set to undergo groin surgery, putting on hold his proposed £7.5m move to Italian side Fiorentina.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to overhaul his squad over the summer with utility player Emmanuel Eboue, striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender William Gallas the likely departures. (Daily Mirror)
Russia and CSKA Moscow left-back Yuri Zhirkov will join Chelsea this summer for a fee of £18.6m.(The Sun) 
West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green has turned down the offer of a new contract, which will alert London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal.(Daily Star) 
Bolton want to give Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes one final season of first-team football.(The Sun) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is questioning his Old Trafford future after being left on the bench for Wednesday's Champions League final. (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas will have worried his bosses in London with comments that it would be a dream to play for Champions League winners Barcelona.(Daily Express) 
Real Madrid presidential hopeful Florentino Perez has claimed "an agreement" is in place for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo to join the club. (Various)
Winger Stewart Downing has been told he can leave relegated Middlesbrough, as long as it is not for Tottenham.(Daily Star) 
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has no intention of leaving the club over the summer, and according to his agent, he wants to honour the three years left on his contract.(The Guardian) 
New Ipswich boss Roy Keane could make a £500,000 bid for QPR defender Damien Delaney. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson, son of Manchester United boss Sir Alex, is wanted by Wigan to replace the Sunderland-bound Steve Bruce.(Daily Mirror) 
Darren Ferguson is also wanted by Reading but a row over his compensation fee could scupper a move to the Madejski Stadium.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic could make a surprise move for West Ham number two Steve Clarke as they look to fill the managerial vacancy left by Gordon Strachan's departure. (The Sun)
Portsmouth could have problems if prospective new owner Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim wants to appoint a new manager, as Pompey have already agreed terms with caretaker boss Paul Hart.(Daily Mail) 
The consequences of Newcastle's relegation from the Premier League has been brought into stark reality with the news that 120 administrative and commercial staff are set to lose their jobs.(The Times) 
Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner wants to sign a new contract with the club, even though his current deal does not expire until 2012.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY 

Coverage of the FA Cup final always sees a hefty chunk of nostalgia and this year is no exception. It is 17 years since their popular ITV show came off our screens but 'Saint & Greavsie', former Liverpool forward Ian St John and ex-Tottenham striker Jimmy Greaves, are back on Setanta for a one-off show as part of the build up to the clash between Chelsea and Everton.

The pair are as outspoken as ever and are not too impressed with the football programmes on offer today. "No way as good as ours," says Greaves.(The Guardian)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra is trying to persuade Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery to come to Old Trafford.(The Sun) 
Manchester City and Tottenham are battling it out for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.(Daily Star) 
West Brom defender Paul Robinson says he will leave the relegated club as he wants to play in the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal have made an £8m bid for Fulham centre-back Brede Hangeland.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are ready to make another bid for Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov, who is currently playing for Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Chelsea are confident they have beaten Inter Milan in the race to sign FC Twente striker Marko Arnautovic.(Daily Mail) 
Defender Michael Turner has disappointed Liverpool by pledging his future to Hull. (Various)
Wolves have abandoned plans to sign Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone after being quoted £8m for the 22-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Rangers manager Walter Smith is set to offload midfielder Barry Ferguson this summer rather than risk him going on a free next year.(Daily Record) 
Tottenham are ready to listen to offers for Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko and are set to step up their chase for Djibril Cisse.(The Guardian) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Newcastle are ready to offer Alan Shearer a four-year contract as they look to bounce back into the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Shearer has been told that £30m must be slashed from Newcastle's wage budget following their relegation to the Championship.(Daily Star) 
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray is the favourite to succeed Gordon Strachan at Celtic.(The Sun) 
Wigan boss Steve Bruce has been strongly linked with the vacant manager's position at Sunderland. (Daily Mirror) 
However, Strachan is not a target for Sunderland.(The Independent) 
Strachan told family and friends last week that he would be standing down as Celtic manager.(Daily Record) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov says following his FA Cup semi-final miss, he will not want to step up should the Champions League final go to a penalty shoot-out.(The Sun) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate says the club needs to be in the Championship promotion hunt by Christmas if he is to remain in his job.(The Sun) 
Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd is hoping to beat Jim Magilton to the QPR manager's job. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY 

One person that is revelling in Burnley's promotion to the Premier League is former Labour press chief Alastair Campbell. He says Burnley's achievement was "even better than playing football in a charity match with Diego Maradona in front of 72,000 people".(The Sun)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are the leading contenders to sign Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez and are preparing a deal worth £50m to land the Argentine.(The Sun) 
Tottenham had been set to offer £18m to land the 25-year-old but have been priced out of the market for Tevez.(The Sun) 
Instead, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will concentrate on securing the signing of Sunderland forward Kenwyne Jones. (The Guardian) 
Jones has conceded he will leave Sunderland if the club are relegated to the Championship this weekend. (The Sun) 
It is not known if Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor will remain at the club after his agent conceded he had "no clue" about the 25-year-old's future. (The Guardian) 
Barcelona are preparing a sensational £20m move for Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole. (Daily Express) 
Tottenham are interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. (The Independent) 
Wigan are set to lose midfield duo Antonio Valencia and Paul Scharner in the summer. (The Guardian) 
Real Madrid are favourites to land Valencia, although the Ecuador midfielder has told friends he would prefer to join Manchester United.(Daily Mirror) 
Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari will reject a summer move to Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz is set to join Manchester City in a move that could result in young forward Daniel Sturridge moving the other way.(The Sun) 
Manchester City are also interested in Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan and are preparing an £18m deal for the Uruguay forward.(The Sun) 
West Ham defender Lucas Neill is a target for Greek side Olympiakos. (Daily Mail) 
The Hammers are set to loan out promising young striker Freddie Sears next season. (Daily Express) 
Blackburn are lining up a £1.5m bid for Paris St Germain winger Jerome Rothen. (The Sun)
Benfica are interested in taking Chelsea centre-half Ricardo Carvalho back to Portugal. (Daily Express) 
Tottenham are tracking Lazio forward Goran Pandev, who is also wanted by German club Hamburg. (The Times)
Charlton winger Lloyd Sam is being tracked by Premier League trio Stoke, Wigan and Newcastle. (Daily Mirror)
Reading have ruled out making Stoke striker Dave Kitson's loan move there permanent. (The Sun) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is lining up a £2m bid for Leicester keeper Joe Mattock. (The Sun)
Striker Jermaine Beckford, who has been linked to Premier League clubs, is to have talks about his future at Leeds United. (Daily Star)
 
OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to commit his future to the club following reported interest from Real Madrid.(Daily Mail) 
But the Gunners boss will be given £13m to spend on new players in the summer.(Daily Mail) 
Real Madrid are still hopeful of landing the Frenchman and have given Wenger until Thursday to decide. (Daily Star) 
Wenger will be handed £100m by Real to spend on new players if he joins the Spanish giants. (Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Stewart Downing is facing six months on the sidelines, scuppering any chance of a dream £12m move to either Liverpool or Tottenham. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov is set to reject a summer move and sign a new three-year deal at the club.(Daily Star) 
Uefa has confirmed that Scotland's runners-up will face two qualifying rounds in the Champions League and will not be seeded in the first round. (Daily Express)

AND FINALLY 

Laid-back Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has revealed that pre-match nerves often leave him with a case of the shakes before a game.(The Sun)
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Manchester Utd. - Aston Villa

Wednesday again made me feel bad. Incredible round in Championship, with just single home win (Sheffield U. 2 - 0 Ipswich T.).

No big speeches today. Liverpool took the first place and that's not funny. Two defeats in a row, Vidic, Rooney and Scholes are suspended, Brown and Berbatov won't play, too. Some English tabloids wrote about bad relationship between Ferguson and Rooney. Club is under big pressure and I'm sure they're all pissed off. Today's game has the weight of Champions League final. Win will put the things on right place, other result will make panic and launch Liverpool as a main title favorite.

Aston Villa had a great run of results. Then crushed under the pressure of big expectations (announced by themselves, btw.). Two draws and six defeats from last eight competitive games! Uefa cup is reality, not Champions league. 

Full recover today, or short brake from betting. Pinnacle offers 1.46 for home win, 2.00 for over and I guess handicap is about 2.30. Home win, handicap and over!

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o is on Rafael Benitez's transfer target list at Liverpool. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are putting together a list of English transfer targets, with Aston Villa's Ashley Young near the top of it. (Daily Mirror) 
They are also interested in Juventus striker David Trezeguet, who has recently fallen out with Juve's ex-Blues coach Claudio Ranieri. (Daily Express) 
Manchester City target Fabio Cannavaro has said it would "not be a huge drama" if he left Real Madrid when his contract expires in the summer. (Daily Mirror)  

OTHER GOSSIP 

Alan Shearer will earn around £1m for his eight games in charge of Newcastle, with an additional £1m to come if he keeps them in the Premier League. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted he seriously considered walking out on the club before signing his new contract last month. (Daily Mirror) 
Robinho says he is benefitting from playing for Manchester City as he is getting more regular games than he did at Real Madrid. (Daily Telegraph) 
Wigan duo Mido and Amr Zaki have fallen out while away on international duty with Egypt. (Daily Mirror) 
The Football Association says any possible 10-point penalty on Southampton if they go into administration will not come into effect until next season. (Daily Mail) 
Cash-strapped Charlton are considering selling off their training ground and other facilities and laying off staff to try and tackle their £20m debt. (The Sun) 
Promotion-chasing Wycombe will be without defender Leon Johnson for the rest of the season after knee surgery. (Daily Star) 
Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith refused to back team boss George Burley after he dropped Allan McGregor and Barry Ferguson for the World Cup qualifier with Iceland on disciplinary grounds. (The Times) 
Burley will today be grilled by Scottish FA bosses on his decision to allow players to drink three days before the crucial World Cup qualifier against Iceland. (Various) 
 
AND FINALLY 

John Terry's goal celebration for England against Ukraine was based on Wayne Rooney having given him a hair cut earlier in the week, and Peter Crouch's was inspired by comedian James Corden's Comic Relief sketch. (Daily Mail) 
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson said he thought it was an April Fool's joke when he received a phone call telling him about Alan Shearer's return to Newcastle. (Daily Mirrror) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov says he feels left out in the dressing room as he is the only one without a Premier League or Champions League medal. (Daily Express) 

Gordon Brown is to give the president of Brazil an England shirt signed by David Beckham during his visit as part of the G20 summit. (The Guardian)

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