Stoke City – Blackburn Rovers

Stoke are a decent home side and despite not so good results lately (only 2 wins at home of last 10 games), they’ve been playing good and I expect better results. Against Spurs (1-2) were unlucky, as well as against West Ham (1-1). They’re creating plenty of chances (Stoke have hit the woodwork 8 times, more than any other team), but lacking in goals. Club made some serious investments in new players (Jones, Pennant and signing Gudjohnsen should be right move considering his aerial abilities) and I’m sure they will be improving.  They won at Newcastle 2-1 in last round and that should be additional moral boost.  Andy Wilkinson and mentioned Pennant are doubts, while Fuller’s injury is not as bad as it looked and he’ll be in the squad.

Rovers have noticed a good start of the campaign, but oppositely from the hosts they were lucky in few occasions that allowed them to sit in the middle of the table. God knows how they resisted against City (1-1 away) and they deserved a defeat at Blackpool but scored in additional time for a win. However, fact is Blackburn under Big Sam are very poor traveler. In previous season they won just 3 times on the road and in one before that 4 times. Majority of their points are collected at home, while away play without a pressure, keep 0-0 and try to use their most dangerous weapon – set pieces. Striker Roberts and midfielder Andrews should be fit for the game, but key man Dunn and Grella are still sidelined.

                                                                                     

Both sides carry old fashioned English football with lots of fight in the air and this won’t be pretty game to watch. However, I can see bigger desire for a win at Stoke and a decent amount of unused potential. Expect a tight game and 1-0 home win.

Bet: Stoke -0.25
Odd: 2.00 bet365
Stake: 8/10

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Atletico Madrid keeper David de Gea rejected Wigan last year because his dream move would be joining Manchester United.(Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth are trying to sell Nadir Belhadj to Russian side CSKA Moscow for £4m - but about £1m is owed to his former club Lens, who want the amount settled in full. (Daily Mirror) 
Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen has been told by his French club Monaco to forget about making his loan move to Tottenham permanent. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has stepped up the chase for 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham want former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently in charge of Dutch side Twente Enschede and on the verge of winning the title, to be their new boss next season - but need Gianfranco Zola to keep them in the Premier League first. (Daily Mirror) 
Current England boss Fabio Capello has tipped Aston Villa midfielder James Milner to be his surprise package at this summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are confident captain Cesc Fabregas will be fit to face his former club Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates on Wednesday.(The Independent) 
Meanwhile, self-confessed Arsenal fan Thierry Henry says he is feeling emotional about his return to north London as a Barca player.(Daily Express) 
Iain Dowie could get the Hull manager's job permanently, even if the Tigers are relegated this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson loves playing against the best teams in the Champions League and declared: "We've got our cake and we're eating it."(Daily Mail) 
Landing Sven-Goran Eriksson as the new Ivory Coast manager is a dream come true, according to the Elephants' Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, an England Under-21 regular, could switch to the Nigeria national side so he can play in the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Barry Ferguson is set to head a delegation of Birmingham players for a crunch meeting with the club's new owners over improved contracts.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Referee Mike Dean, who awarded Blackburn a controversial penalty in their 1-0 win at rivals Burnley on Sunday, will take charge of Saturday's crunch match in the Premier League between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford.(Daily Mail)

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham could extend striker Eidur Gudjohnsen's loan for a further 12 months. The Monaco player has scored two goals in his last three appearances and impressed in top scorer Jermain Defoe's absence.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United are considering a move for 24-year-old Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is valued by the Bundesliga club at about £10m. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton, Birmingham and Preston are keeping tabs on Manchester United's England Under-21 international Tom Cleverley, currently on loan at Watford.(Daily Mail) 
Defender Liam Ridgewell will look to leave St Andrew's unless Blues stump up a new four-year, £20,000-a-week deal for the in-form 25-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull misfit Geovanni is in talks with Greek side AEK Athens as the Brazilian hopes to leave the KC Stadium, where his £25,000-a-week wages are set to be cut by 40%. (Daily Mail) 
And Geovanni's team-mate, midfielder Jimmy Bullard, will be top of Newcastle's shopping list if the Magpies secure promotion to the Premier League. Bullard, 30, has only started eight games since a £5m move 14 months ago but scored in Saturday's win against his former club Fulham.(The Sun) 
Derby County manager Nigel Clough is chasing Den Haag midfielder Danny Buijs.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Roy Keane will be sacked as Ipswich manager this week, although he could make a quick return to work, with Celtic considering making him Tony Mowbray's successor.(The Guardian) 
But West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola will remain in his post at least until the end of the season, despite a six-game losing streak that has left the Hammers only a point above the relegation zone. The Italian, who said he would consider his future in the wake of Saturday's loss to Stoke, has the backing of senior players.(The Times) 
Or, Zola will not return to the club after taking flight to Sardinia following Saturday's home loss.(The Independent) 
However, a friend of Zola's has spoken to him and learnt that he has no intention of walking out on the job and will be in charge for Sunday's trip to Everton.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas faces a race to be fit for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final, first-leg against Barcelona. The former Barca trainee could be joined on the sidelines by Abou Diaby, while Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will miss the tie with a hamstring strain.(The Guardian) 
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic fears being banned for four of the club's remaining six Premier League matches after appearing to catch Bolton's Johan Elmander with an elbow during Saturday's 4-0 victory.(Daily Mirror) 
A group of Rangers fans have taken the first tentative steps towards a potential takeover of the club. The Rangers Supporters Trust has sent an exploratory document and members hope to buy the shares of majority shareholder and former chairman Sir David Murray.(Daily Mirror) 
Chris Hughton has confirmed he will remain as Newcastle manager next season and insists he is keen to keep both striker Andy Carroll and captain Steven Taylor at the club, despite the pair allegedly being involved in a training-ground row that left Taylor with a broken jaw.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Football fans will be given the right to buy their club under new proposals announced by the Labour government. Under the proposal, fan groups would get priority over other bidders. (The Times)
West Ham had a novel approach to combating Stoke midfielder Rory Delap's long throws on Saturday - deploying advertising hoardings within feet of the pitch. They even made an announcement over the public address system for a ball boy to replace a hoarding that had been knocked over. (The Sun)

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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Tottenham to have talks with Eidur Gudjohnsen. The Icelandic striker, who plays for Monaco, is also the subject of a bid from West Ham. (Sky Sports) 
Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso has said he is not keen on joining Manchester City as part of the deal that could take Robinho back to the Brazilian club. The 20-year-old said: "I don't want to play for Manchester City. I'd prefer to play for a big club in Europe such as Milan, Real Madrid or Barcelona." (Globo Esporte) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham are set to usurp West Ham's bid for Monaco's Icelandic forward Eidur Gudjohnsen after meeting him at Stansted Airport on Monday.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere's proposed loan move to Bolton is back on, despite the two clubs' managers falling out after their fiery match last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara will be Avram Grant's first loan signing following the Premier League's decision to lift Portsmouth's transfer embargo, although the south-coast club will only be able to acquire players on free or loan deals.(Daily Mirror) 
David Bentley also looks set to leave Spurs, with West Ham interested in taking the midfielder, who scored in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Fulham, on loan for the rest of the season.(Daily Mirror)
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is set to make a third and final offer of £3.5m for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to renew his interest in Liverpool's out-of-favour Dutch forward Ryan Babel.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham plan to pip Sunderland and Celtic to sign Egypt's attacking midfielder Mohamed Gedo, who plays for Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary.(Daily Mail) 
The Cottagers are also trying to resurrect a loan deal for Roma striker Stefano Okaka. Stoke manager Tony Pulis is also monitoring developments concerning the 20-year-old, whose original switch to Fulham fell through because Roma were demanding a £250,000 loan fee. (Daily Mirror) 
West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo is preparing a £750,000 bid for Stoke defender Leon Cort. The Baggies will face competition from Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Ipswich for the 30-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Crystal Palace defender Matt Lawrence has revealed the players found out the club is in administration via the social networking site Twitter.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini reckons Carlos Tevez and Manchester United's Gary Neville are good friends, despite their much-publicised rift last week. Mancini also urged his players "don't look back in anger" - in reference to a song written by City-supporting band Oasis - as they prepare to take on United in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.(Daily Mirror)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Defender Sol Campbell is set for a shock return to Arsenal, but only if manager Arsene Wenger sells Philippe Senderos in the January transfer window.(Daily Mirror) 
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is delaying signing a new contract with the club until they can guarantee the signing of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.(Daily Star) 
However, Spanish rivals Real Madrid are preparing to derail Barcelona's attempt to sign Fabregas. President Florentino Perez and director general Jorge Valdano have held talks about a £43m bid.(The Sun)
Manchester City are on the verge of signing Argentine defender Cristian Ansaldi for £4m from Rubin Kazan. (The Times) 
Liverpool have entered the race to sign Marouane Chamakh with the offer of a pre-contract agreement for the Bordeaux striker, who can leave the French club for nothing at the end of the season.(The Guardian) 
Wolves have made a £3m offer for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.(The Sun) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is willing to make Kenwyne Jones the club's highest earner if he can lure him from Sunderland, but is unwilling to pay the £11m the Black Cats want for the striker.(The Times) 
Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who is now at Monaco, is closing in on a £2m move to Blackburn.(The Sun) 
But Gudjohnsen is also wanted by West Ham and Tottenham.(Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has blocked Austrian defender Emanuel Pogatetz's proposed £1.5m move to Greek club Panathinaikos.(Daily Mail) 
Hull boss Phil Brown is chasing Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood, who is currently on loan at Championship side Newcastle.(The Sun) 
Liverpool are expected to conclude a £1.5m deal for Atletico Madrid winger Maxi Rodriguez in the next 24 hours.(The Times) 
And Reds boss Rafael Benitez also wants to sign Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici for £2m.(The Sun) 
Winger John Utaka is set to start an exodus at cash-strapped Portsmouth by joining French side Sochaux. (Daily Mirror) 
Defender Younes Kaboul is also expected to leave Portsmouth, with Sunderland keen on the former Spurs player.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke City are considering a £1m move for ex-Wigan striker Amr Zaki, while Marseille enquire about Bolton striker Johan Elmander's availability. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham want to sign striker James Beattie on loan but Stoke say they will only consider a permanent transfer.(The Times) 
Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City are sending scouts to Crystal Palace's home game on Saturday as the race hots up for striker Victor Moses.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City have insisted on a six-month get-out clause with new midfielder Patrick Vieira, just in case the former Arsenal star fails to make the grade at Eastlands.(Daily Mirror) 
Norwich manager Paul Lambert has emerged as a leading contender to replace Owen Coyle at Burnley.(Daily Mail) 
Or Burnley want to talk to Simon Grayson about becoming their new manager.(Daily Mirror) 
Swansea boss Paulo Sousa has also been linked with the vacant job at Turf Moor.(The Guardian) 
In a bid to keep striker Kris Boyd at Ibrox, Rangers are promising to make him one of their best-paid players - on a salary of £18,000 a week. Boyd has been linked with moves to Birmingham and Middlesbrough.(Daily Record) 
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is set to become club captain next season should Gary Neville retire in the summer.(The Sun) 
And United defender Rio Ferdinand could make his long-awaited comeback from injury in the home game with Burnley on 16 January.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti could offer the club's 21-year-old Serbian Nemanja Matic the chance to take over the first team's holding midfielder role in the absence of Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is so fed up with freezing conditions ruining training that will take his players to Dubai if Saturday's game at Birmingham is called off.(The Sun) 
Thirty-three-year-old Patrick Vieira, who would have been out of contract in the summer, will pick up a weekly wage of £100,000 at Manchester City. The Guardian's report fails to mention whether he will also receive a final-salary pension. (The Guardian)

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona have stated they will "fight" to sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas next season and are ready to bid £40m for him.(The Sun) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to make a £6m bid for Wigan left-back Maynor Figueroa, and will raise the funds by selling Gareth Bale. (Daily Mirror) 
Redknapp is also poised to make a move for Chile's highly-rated striker Humberto Suazo, who plays for Mexican side Monterrey.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton are weighing up a cut-price deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Maxi Rodriguez. (Daily Mirror) 
The Toffees are also close to securing a loan deal for LA Galaxy striker Landon Donovan. (The Independent)
Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen is looking for a return to the Premier League after falling out with his boss at Monaco. (The Sun) 
Bolton boss Gary Megson is still unsure whether to pay £1.4m to make Ivan Klasnic's loan move from Nantes a permanent deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull boss Phil Brown has been told to slash £6m of the club's wage bill be selling players during the January transfer window. (The Sun) 
Alex McLeish has told Birmingham owner Carson Yeung that signing "galaticos" next month could wreck City's brilliant form.(Daily Mirror) 
On-loan winger Jerome Rothen wants to quit Rangers and return to Paris St Germain in January. (Various) 
Jerome Rothen will be told by Rangers he no longer figures in their plans and that he can return to Paris St Germain in January as the on-loan winger returns from a bout of reported swine flu. (Daily Record)
West Ham are set to bid for 18-year-old Belgian winger Geoffrey Hairemans, who plays for Royal Antwerp. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Bolton defender Ivan Campo is having a trial at Cypriot club AEK Larnaca. (Daily Mirror)
Crystal Palace have given a trial to Dutch side Heerenveen's Bonavnture Kalou, the brother of Chelsea striker Salomon. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

The Scottish FA has approached Dundee United for permission to speak to Craig Levein about the Scotland manager's vacancy. (The Guardian)
Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson is unlikely to reject the Scottish Fa's request to speak to Craig Levein about the national manager's job. (Daily Record) 
Wolves fans who travelled to see their weakened side lose at Manchester United on Tuesday have bombarded the club with demands for their money back.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Portsmouth boss Paul Hart will be appointed as the new manager of QPR on Thursday, with Mick Harford as his assistant. (Daily Mirror) 
Reading have put ex-Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate at the top of their wish list of names to fill their vacant manager's position.(The Sun) 
Or, Reading are pondering a move for former Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson to take over from sacked boss Brendan Rogers. (Daily Mirror) 
Alternatively, Steve Coppell is in line for a return as Reading manager. (Daily Star)
Former Watford boss Graham Taylor has revealed he fears for the club's future as the Hornets veer towards administration.(Daily Mirror) 
Real Zaragoza want Gus Poyet to become their new manager, despite the Uruguayan having signed an 18-month deal at Brighton just over a month ago.(The Sun) 
Hearts midfielder Laryea Kingston is on a collision course with his club again after ruling himself out of action for seven weeks, saying he has another hamstring strain while set to report for African Cup of Nations duty with Ghana. (Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY

David Beckham is hoping AC Milan draw Manchester United in the Champions League knockout phase so he can return to Old Trafford with the Italians, whom he joins on loan in the new year, and knock out his old team.(The Sun) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has compared defender Maynor Figueroa to France legend Zinedine Zidane after the left-back scored a 60-yard free-kick last Saturday. (The Sun)

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Iceland 1-1 Norway

Norway's qualification bid for South Africa 2010 suffered a setback as they were held to a draw by Iceland in Reykjavik tonight. John Arne Riise had put the hosts ahead with a sweetly-struck free-kick after ten minutes before Eidur Gudjohnsen equalised on the half-hour to deny Norway three precious points. 
Norway striker John Carew was unlucky not to have been awarded a second half penalty, but it would have been more than they deserved. The draw leaves Norway three points behind second-placed Scotland after they won 2-0 at home to Macedonia in Glasgow. 
An eventful opening period was marked by Riise's thunderous free-kick with ten minutes on the clock. The former Liverpool defender lined-up the set-piece from 25 yards and blasted in a shot that left Iceland goalkeeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson with no chance of making a save. 
Iceland stepped up their game after going behind and were deservedly on level terms when Gudjohnsen headed home. The away defence allowed the Barcelona attacker too much space and he made them pay by forcing his effort home. 
Norway had been happy to get to the break on level terms and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty soon after the restart when Carew seemed to be felled. Kristian Sigurdsson looked to have fouled the Aston Villa striker but referee Alexandru Tudor waved play on. 
Norway desperately sent players forward as they looked to secure a win to build on the momentum of their 4-0 victory over Scotland last time out, but despite their intentions they could find no way through the Iceland defence. 
It leaves them level on seven points with Macedonia, who they meet in Oslo on Wednesday knowing that anything but victory could spell the end of their hopes of reaching next summer's FIFA World Cup™
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is to use the £30m generated from the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid to make a bid for Spain striker David Villa.(The Sun) 
And Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani could be signed for £15m if, as expected, Alonso completes his move to Spain. (Daily Mail) 
Everton have made a bid for Arsenal centre-half Philippe Senderos, hinting that they have agreed a deal with Manchester City to sell Joleon Lescott.(Daily Mirror) 
City have made a £22m take-it-or-leave-it offer to Everton for Lescott, and will go for Newcastle's Sebastien Bassong or Alex of Chelsea if the answer is no.(Daily Mail) 
Everton are so keen to keep Lescott at Goodison Park that even a bid approaching £30m would be turned down.(The Independent) 
AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo is preparing to demand a transfer so that he can force a switch to Chelsea, who have had a bid of £14m plus Claudio Pizarro rejected.(The Sun) 
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is set to stay at Anfield after Barcelona, who were interested in the Argentine, ruled out any more big-name signings this summer following the capture of Zlatan Ibrahimovich.(Daily Star) 
Portsmouth have not given up hope of signing Hajduk Split striker Nikola Kalinic despite talks breaking down this week when Pompey insisted on paying the fee over six years. The 21-year-old is now talking to Porto.(The Sun) 
However Blackburn are trying to hijack Porto's attempts to sign Kalinic, and are rushing through a £6m offer.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hinted that midfielder Patrick Vieira could make a shock return to the club.(Various) 
And Wenger is ready to splash the cash following the sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to Manchester City, with Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh (£6m), St Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi (£6m) and Roma forward Mirko Vucinic on the list of targets. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham will find out next week if they will be able to sign former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who is now at Barcelona.(The Sun) 
Manchester United is preparing a £3.5m offer for Bursaspor striker Sercan Yildirm.(Daily Star) 
Hull are hoping to complete a deal for Newcastle full-back Habib Beye next week.(Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth are close to signing Australian striker Mark Viduka from Newcastle. (The Times)
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is in talks with Sporting Gijon about a £2m deal for midfielder Michel. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City's Brazalian star Robinho has revealed how he tried to persuade manager Mark Hughes not to sell compatriot Elano to Galatasaray.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has fallen out with Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc after the Frenchman claimed that the Black Cats are not a big enough club for striker Marouane Chamakh.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Not content with splashing the cash on the Premier League's great and good this summer, Manchester City are also spending lavishly elsewhere. Apparently, £2m was spent on setting up the club website.(Daily Mail)
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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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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has asked for more time before he makes a final decision on a transfer to Manchester City - the Togo international is possibly holding out for AC Milan to make a last-minute move.(The Sun) 
Adebayor was also offered to Manchester United, among other leading European teams, as his agents tried to drum up interest from other clubs to guarantee the player a bumper pay deal.(Daily Mail) 
The Gunners have had a £7m bid for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh rejected, with the French club asking for defender Mikael Silvestre to be added to the offer.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have made a surprise move for Tottenham winger David Bentley, who is valued at about £12m by the north London club. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham have been told by Barcelona it will cost them £5m to sign striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.(Daily Star) 
Tottenham could beat Stuttgart to the signing of Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is stalling on a £15.5m move to Germany in the hope of joining the Premier League side. (Daily Mirror) 
Or, Spurs want Huntelaar's Real Madrid team-mate Alvaro Negredo. The striker, who was on loan at Almeria last season, is valued at £15m.(The Independent)
And Arjen Robben could be a third Real Madrid player to be courted by Tottenham. The former Chelsea winger claims the White Hart Lane side have made inquiries about him. (Daily Telegraph) 
Everton are vying with Real Mallorca and Real Zaragoza for Espanyol defender Marc Torrejon.(The Sun) 
Blackburn are ready to bid £6m for Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who they see as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton are on the verge of signing South Korea winger Lee Chung-yong in a deal worth in excess of £2m.(The Sun) 
Liverpool have expressed an interest in Albacete's Belgian midfielder Ritchie Kitoko. (The Times) 
Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena will not be joining Italian side Napoli as his agent has said "it was all a misunderstanding".(Daily Telegraph)
West Brom will miss out on a permanent deal for Juan Carlos Menseguez as the Argentine winger, who was on loan at the Hawthorns from San Lorenzo, wants to join Celtic.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are in talks to sign Sunderland midfielder Dean Whitehead. (The Times)
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will spend £3m on Derby striker Rob Hulse. (The Sun) 
Nancy midfielder Landry N'Guemo has stalled on agreeing a year-long loan from Nancy after Hull, Stoke and West Ham expressed an interest. (Daily Record)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray will hold further talks today with Nancy midfielder Landry N'Guemo. (The Herald) 
Celtic have finalised Landy N'Guemo's loan deal from Nancy after the midfielder underwent a medical. (Daily Express)
Celtic have entered talks about signing £1m-rated striker Amadou Alassane from Le Havre but face competition from Hull and Stoke. (The Sun) 
Spanish winger Fernando Marques has been offered a trial by Celtic after having his contract torn up by Greek club Iraklis. (Daily Express)
Spanish left-back Xabi Castillo is poised to agree a transfer to Real Sociedad or Atletico Bilbao instead of Celtic. (Daily Express) 
Sheffield United have offered a trial to Poland international goalkeeper Sebastian Przyrowski. (Daily Star)
Norwich are giving a trial to defender Jens Berthel-Askou, who has been released by Turkish side Kasimpasa. (Daily Star) 
Former Rangers defender Marvin Andrews has told Raith Rovers he will not be re-signing for them as he has an offer from a Scottish Premier League club. (Daily Express)

OTHER GOSSIP

Paul Hart has been told he is being kept on as Portsmouth manager following Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim's takeover of the club.(The Sun) 
David Beckham has insisted he has no reason to apologise to LA Galaxy fans or the MLS for his loan spell at AC Milan. (The Sun) 
Alan Shearer remains "completely in the dark" about whether he will be named Newcastle manager. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill says the club may still add to their squad, despite boss Sir Alex Ferguson's insistence that no new players will join this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Scotland manager George Burley has been told that Sunderland's Craig Gordon will miss the World Cup qualifier against Norway after the goalkeeper suffered a reaction to a summer knee operation. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY

Manchester City's new signing Carlos Tevez is said to be "very interested" in in buying the £5m mansion that his former team-mate at Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo is selling following his switch to Real Madrid. (Various)
The mega-rich owner of Manchester City, Sheikh Mansour, met the club's players at his palace in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and presented each of them with a watch worth £168,000. (The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo says he wants to follow coach Carlo Ancelotti from the San Siro to Chelsea, and Milan chairman Silvio Berlusconi has hinted they could let him go (Daily Mirror). 
Real Madrid's former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze says he would be open to the idea of playing in England again if Madrid let him go (Sky Sports).

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are talking to Brazilian club Gremio about a deal for their 18-year-old midfielder Douglas Costa - dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo.(The Times) 
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor has hinted he could leave if Alan Shearer does not get the manager's job at St James' Park.(Daily Telegraph) 
Atletico Madrid, Sunderland and Sevilla are all chasing Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora. (The Sun)
West Ham, Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham are all in the running to sign former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen after Barcelona confirmed he can leave for the right price (Daily Mirror).
Wolves are ready to break their club's transfer record with a £6.5m move for Reading forward Kevin Doyle(Daily Mail) 
Highly rated Sheffield United youngster Kyle Naughton could be sold to bring in money for several new signings, with Aston Villa and Everton keen on the £5m-rated defender.(Daily Mail) 
Argentine striker Carlos Tevez's next transfer after he leaves Manchester United will be heavily scrutinised by the Premier League to ensure there is no third-party ownership involved.(The Guardian) 
Chelsea are having talks with CSKA Moscow about £15m-rated left-back Yuri Zhirkov. (The Times) 
They are also interested in Inter Milan right-back Maicon after missing out on Glen Johnson, who joined Liverpool. (The Sun) 
Hull, Wolves and Portsmouth are all challenging Celtic for the signature of Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune, who played under new Celtic boss Tony Mowbray on loan at West Brom last season. (Daily Record)
Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is targeting moves for Aberdeen striker Lee Miller and out-of-contract Motherwell midfielder Stephen Hughes. (Daily Star)
Venezuela midfielder Juan Arango claims Celtic are among the clubs chasing his £3m signature from Mallorca. (Scottish Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool may need to treble Javier Mascherano's wages to keep the midfielder at the club after signing defender Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. Mascherano is believed to be unhappy because he is paid less than most of his team-mates.(Daily Mirror) 
England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce says he is "inept" compared to England senior boss Fabio Capello and may need more club management experience before furthering his international coaching career. (The Times) 
Titus Bramble is poised to be named Wigan's new captain, taking over from Mario Melchiot (The Sun).
Matthew Le Tissier's consortium bidding to buy Southampton have been told they cannot appeal against the club's 10-point penalty for going into administration (The Sun). 
Motherwell are widening their managerial search to include former Sunderland boss Malcolm Crosby and ex-Stockport gaffer Jim Gannon. (Daily Star)
However, former Northern Ireland and Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is leading the race to take over at Fir Park. (Scottish Sun) 
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown needs ankle surgery and is a doubt for the club's Champions League qualifying campaign. (Scottish Sun)
Uefa have delayed Celtic's planned tie up with Hungarian side Upjest, stalling Parkhead reserve coach Willie McStay's takeover as manager in Budapest. (Scottish Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle have unveiled a new yellow striped two-tone away kit for next season.(The Sun) 
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole had his late grandmother's wedding ring resized for him to wear when he got married at the weekend. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP 

Real Madrid captain Raul has not been tempted by a lucrative approach from English Premier League side Manchester City and says he wants to finish his career at Real. "Manchester City have made contact through my agent Gines Carvajal," he said. "But I've not really considered it because I would be mad to leave here. I'm only interested in finishing my career with Real."
(Spanish: Marca) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Chelsea have offered Germany midfielder Michael Ballack, 32, a one-year contract extension, with wages of £121,000 a week.(Times) 
Barcelona's former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen looks set for a Premier League return after becoming tired of being a substitute for the Champions League finalists. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he will stick with his young stars and resist splashing out on big-money signings this summer.(The Sun) 
But according to the Times, Wenger did hint that he will look to sign experienced players in the summer to bolster his young squad.(Times) 
Chelsea are prepared to pay up the final year of striker Andriy Shevchenko's contract, denying him a return to Stamford Bridge. (Daily Mail) 
Argentina and Genoa striker Diego Milito's agent has flown to London for transfer talks. Everton, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City are all said to be interested.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Newcastle are ready to offer temporary boss Alan Shearer a new four-year contract to stay as manager at St James' Park. (Daily Telepgraph) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has admitted he lined up Peter Crouch as a possible replacement for Roque Santa Cruz back in January.(Sun) 
Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink has defended striker Didier Drogba after a wave of criticism for his behaviour against Barcelona. (Daily Telegraph) 
And Drogba is to escape any internal club discipline for his post-match abuse of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo following Chelsea's Champions League elimination to Barcelona in midweek.(Guardian) 
Uefa's match delegate has strongly condemned Drogba in his formal report on the aftermath of the club's Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona .(Independent) 
Tony Adams has revealed he is still hoping to return to Premier League management having taken stock following his dismissal from Portsmouth.(Times) 
Manchester City defender Richard Dunne has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of conning referees with his diving antics .(Times) 

AND FINALLY 

Arsene Wenger has claimed Nicklas Bendtner was NOT drunk after being pictured staggering out of a nightclub with his trousers falling down following Arsenal’s midweek Euro exit. (The Sun)
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