Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Andrea Pirlo believes his decision to snub Chelsea proves that AC Milan are a team with ambition. "If I thought Milan's aim was a good place in the standings I'd be at Chelsea now," he said. (Reuters)
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia believes defender Kolo Toure left the Gunners because he was "bored" and fears the same could happen with captain Cesc Fabregas. (Press Association). 
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has already sealed a deal with Bayern Munich to buy Franck Ribery on a five-year contract starting in 2010.(Goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is closing in on Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin after being priced out of a move for Manchester City's Richard Dunne.(The Sun) 
Liverpool have had a £6m move for defender Michael Turner rejected, with Hull demanding £12m.(Daily Mail) 
Everton and Tottenham are both tracking Inter Milan's Nigerian striker Victor Obinna, who should cost around £3m.(Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are set to make a second attempt to prise Lee Cattermole from Wigan Athletic.(The Times) 
Luca Toni's agent believes the Italian international is close to joining countryman Gianfranco Zola at West Ham.(Independent) 
Manager Roy Hodgson fears for Brede Hangeland's Fulham future after Arsenal admitted an interest in the Norwegian defender.(The Sun) 
Free-agent Mark Viduka is holding out for a two-year, £40,000 a week deal to solve Portsmouth's striker crisis, although Pompey have offered the Australian forward, 33, a one-year, £30,000-a- week contract.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storie has confirmed that the Fratton Park side are monitoring Celtic full-back Lee Naylor, while reiterating the club's desire to hold onto Sylvain Distin, Niko Kranjcar and David James.(The Independent) 
Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc has questioned Arsene Wenger's desire to sign Marouane Chamakh and says he could have the striker within "48 hours" if he really wanted him.(Daily Mail) 
Everton are monitoring 25-year-old Toulouse right back Albin Ebondo, who is available for around £2m.(Daily Mail )

OTHER GOSSIP

Newcastle defender Steven Taylor has branded the club "a joke", adding the players "haven't got a clue what is going on".(Daily Mail) 
Arsene Wenger has stressed that the looming Champions League qualifier against Celtic will carry a crucial significance for Arsenal from a sporting rather than financial perspective.(Daily Telegraph) 
Michael Owen will miss the cut when Fabio Capello trims his pre-selection squad to a 23-man party for England's friendly match against Holland on Wednesday.(The Times) 
Frank Lampard has described himself as a "Chelsea lifer" and insisted he could play until he is 38. The England midfielder has also revealed he would love to manage the Blues one day.(The Times) 

AND FINALLY

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway admits he will have mixed feelings when he leads his new side into battle with former club QPR. "If you met your ex-missus in a pub, would you have feelings for her? Of course you would," he said. (The Sun)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o will drop his wage demands to join Manchester United for £25m.(News of the World) 
Chelsea are prepared to sell captain John Terry to Manchester City for £45m.(News of the World) 
But central defender Terry will only be allowed to leave if he hands in a written transfer request.(News of the World) 
Manchester City are said to be preparing a final £35m bid for England captain Terry.(Mail on Sunday) 
Barcelona are closing in on the signing of Liverpool's Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano.(News of the World) 
Mascherano's departure looks imminent after he fell out with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez towards the end of last season.(Mail on Sunday) 
New Manchester United striker Michael Owen has revealed how he would have taken a £100,000 pay cut to rejoin old club Liverpool.(News of the World) 
Manchester United winger Nani fears for his future at the club following the arrival of Antonio Valencia. Both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are interested in the Portuguese 22-year-old.(News of the World) 
New Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is set to be handed a transfer kitty of £60m when he officially takes over on Monday.(Daily Star on Sunday) 
Chelsea could use some of that cash to make a move for Real Madrid winger Wesley Sneijder.(News of the World) 
And the Stamford Bridge club could make a last-ditch attempt to sign Argentine forward Carlos Tevez who is on the verge of joining Manchester City.(News of the World) 
Newcastle United are lining up a double swoop for Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell and Manchester City forward Ched Evans.(News of the World)
Liverpool will have to battle it out with Real Madrid for Valencia midfielder David Silva.(News of the World) 
Real Madrid are set to bid £55m for Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery. Frenchman Ribery is also wanted by Chelsea and Manchester United.(Daily Star on Sunday) 
AC Milan are ready to offer £20m plus former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini for Gunners striker Emmanuel Adebayor. (Sunday Mirror)
But Adebayor's agent Stephane Courbis has said the 25-year-old will remain at the club, ending speculation of a move to Italian side AC Milan. (The Observer) 
AC Milan are pursuing Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is also a target for Manchester United. (Sunday Times)
Everton manager David Moyes is lining up a move for Manchester United's veteran midfielder Paul Scholes.(Daily Star on Sunday) 
Everton's Australian midfielder Tim Cahill has told friends he fancies a move to Italy or Spain as he is fed up with the rain in England. (Sunday Express)
Fulham are set to battle it out with Sunderland and AC Milan for Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch.(Daily Star on Sunday) 
But Sunderland appear to have won the race for £14m rated England striker Crouch. (The People)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is keeping tabs on Athletico Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, who has been dubbed Spain's Peter Crouch.(News of the World) 
Birmingham are interested in taking Tottenham left-back Gareth Bale on loan next season. (Daily Star on Sunday)
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is lining up a £4m bid for Norway striker Moa Abdellaoue from Valarenga.(News of the World) 
Wigan are battling it out with Sunderland for Reading winger Stephen Hunt.(News of the World) 
Former Arsenal and Portsmouth defender Lauren is wanted by Hull City.(News of the World) 
Hull are also keeping tabs on Fulham striker Bobby Zamora having lost out in the race to sign Fraizer Campbell.(News of the World) 
Bolton manager Gary Megson is preparing a £3m bid for Manchester City's Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes.(News of the World)
Middlesbrough are lining up Preston keeper Wayne Henderson as a replacement for Chelsea-bound Ross Turnbull.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is drawing up plans for a European style Super League that would destroy the structure of top flight football in England.(News of the World) 
A billionaire Swiss family are the latest group to be linked to a takeover of troubled south-coast side Southampton.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear has been given the go-ahead to return to management after his recent health problems.(Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

New Manchester United striker Michael Owen says he was made to feel like a "criminal" at former club Newcastle because of all his injury problems at St James' Park. (Daily Star on Sunday) 
Former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez is confident he will not be viewed as a traitor by the Old Trafford faithful if he completes a transfer to the club's cross-city rivals. (The People)
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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Brazilian centre-back Luisao has admitted that he has talked with international colleague Robinho about the prospect of moving to Manchester City. (Sky Sports) 
Brazilian forward Robinho has again cast doubt over his Manchester City future by revealing his desire to play for Barcelona. (Setanta)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

AC Milan's 19-year-old Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato has opened the door to a £40m switch to join former boss Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea by asking for permission to talk terms with the Blues. (Daily Mirror) 
Alternatively, Chelsea have earmarked that £40m to fund a move for Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. (Daily Star) 
Midfielder Javier Mascherano has stunned Liverpool by admitting he wants to quit Anfield and join Champions League winners Barcelona, saying "if a club like Barcelona want you, obviously a player will say he wants to play there". (The Sun) 
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says he will now "do everything possible" to get Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo at the club after sealing the world record £56m transfer of Kaka. (Daily Express) 
The Old Trafford outfit though have been given a clear run to sign Wigan winger Antonio Valencia after Real's interest in the player has cooled.(Independent) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is preparing to trawl Europe's bargain basement for new players after his ambitious summer spending plans were hit by the club's financial crisis.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are ready to offload defender William Gallas once they complete the signing of £11m Ajax centre-back Thomas Vermaelen.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham and England defender Matthew Upson could be on his way out of Upton Park after putting his house up for sale. (The Sun) 
Tottenham have lined up summer moves for Atletico Madrid midfielder Maxi Rodriguez and Galatasaray winger Arda Turan.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are also aiming to beat West Ham to the signing of Inter Milan's £10million-rated Chilean forward Luis Jimenez. (The Sun) 
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will also kick off a shake-up of his playing staff by selling Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City will expect any club looking to sign out-of-contract striker Daniel Sturridge to pay a £10m 'development fee' to the Blues. (Independent) 
Full-back Glen Johnson will quit Portsmouth for a club playing Champions League football next season in order to guarantee his World Cup place.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne has refused to rule out a loan move away from Stamford Bridge next season in order to guarantee him first-team football. (Daily Star) 
Premier League new boys Wolves hope to conclude the signing of Red Star Belgrade's Serbian international midfielder Nenad Milijas for £2.6m. (The Sun) 

Wolves are also in the hunt for Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt. (Daily Mail)

Blackburn want the future of Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz sorted out by the end of this month, with Manchester City still leading the chase for the player. (The Sun)

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt is being chased by Everton and Sunderland after admitting he needs a "fresh start".(The Sun) 

Everton are set to win the race to sign Leeds' highly rated England Under-21 midfielder Fabian Delph.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City have made a move for Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Lee Grant after agreeing to let Joe Hart join Birmingham on loan.(Daily Mail) 
Cardiff have told Birmingham that they must pay £5m up front if they want to sign centre-back Roger Johnson.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England may play their World Cup qualifier against Andorra at a half-empty Wembley as thousands of fans face being left stranded by the tube strike. It could end up costing the Football Association £1m in ticket refunds. (The Sun) 
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is set to start his first competitive game for England in two years against Andorra tonight. (The Times) 
Sources close to Newcastle say there is no substance to the reported takeover bid for the club from Singapore-based investment company the Profitable Group. (Daily Express) 
Alternatively, the £100m Profitable Group proposal for Newcastle is very much alive and they could install former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon - a commercial director with the group - as manager at St James' Park. (Daily Mirror)
West Brom have targeted St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes - a former Baggies midfielder - as their new manager with Tony Mowbray poised to take the reins at Celtic.(Daily Mirror) 
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, is "very interested" in holding talks with Portsmouth over the club's vacant managerial position.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made three attempts to stop Gunners winger Theo Walcott joining England for the European Under-21 Championship, fearing burn-out for the player, before accepting defeat.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

England coach Fabio Capello has revealed the simple secret behind unleashing Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney's goalscoring potential for the national side - "I told him to stand in front of the goal!" revealed the Italian coach.(The Sun) 
Peterborough director of football Barry Fry says he "nearly had a third heart attack" after Posh goalkeeper Joe Lewis was brought on to play up front during England Under-21s' 7-0 win over Azerbaijan on Monday.(The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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

OTHER GOSSIP

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

AND FINALLY

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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

OTHER GOSSIP

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

AND FINALLY 

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