Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is considering his future at Anfield, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona all waiting in the wings to sign the Spain international.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are also preparing a £40m bid for Benfica winger Angel di Maria but face opposition from Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.(ESPN soccernet) 
Liverpool are lining up a move for Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, who is a free agent at the end of the season. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been assured by chief executive David Gill that he will have money to spend in the summer, despite the club's huge debts. (Daily Mail) 
One of Ferguson's summer targets could be Real Madrid's Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain.(caughtoffside.com) 
Tottenham are preparing a £6m bid for Ipswich's 17-year-old striker Connor Wickham.(Daily Mirror) 
And Spurs could also move for Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun, who has started just 19 Premier League games this season.(caughtoffside.com) 
Birmingham hope to sign Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on a permanent deal having resigned themselves to losing on-loan Joe Hart back to Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
City are also are interested in Portsmouth's veteran keeper David James - a former Aston Villa player.(the Sun) 
Manchester City forward Robinho says he is desperate to leave the club and remain at Santos where he is currently on loan. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton will ask Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to allow young midfielder Jack Wilshere to remain at the club on loan for the first half of next season.(Guardian) 
Meanwhile, Bolton defender Gary Cahill has admitted that he would find it difficult to turn down an offer from a big club. Arsenal and Manchester United are rumoured to be interested in the centre-half. (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal want end their on-going goalkeeping problems by signing both West Ham's Robert Green and Manchester City's Joe Hart.(caughtoffside.com) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is tracking Sporting Gijon defender Roberto Canella.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are interested in bringing former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant back to England after a year in Spain at Real Zaragoza.(Daily Star) 
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry looks certain to leave Barcelona with the United States his likely destination.(Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are favourites to sign Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper after stand-in manager Neil Lennon watched him for the second game in a row at the weekend. (Daily Mail) 


OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool are bracing themselves for Rafa Benitez's departure with rumours of his exit from Anfield to Juventus gathering momentum.(Daily Mirror) 
Benitez will seek assurances over available transfer funds this summer before deciding whether to stay at Liverpool. (the Times) 
Juventus have given Benitez until the end of the week to sign a four-year deal.(the Independent) 
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer fears the club's success this season could lead to manager Roy Hodgson leaving Craven Cottage for "a bigger club". (Guardian) 
But Hodgson will shun a move to Liverpool saying he is instead "happy" to stay at Fulham. (the Sun) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan has allowed first-team coach Colin Cooper, goalkeeping coach Stephen Pears and reserves boss Martin Scott to leave the club.(Daily Mail) 
Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been left out of Holland's 26-man training squad ahead of the World Cup, having recently come out of international retirement after two years (Daily Mail).
West Ham striker Carlton Cole has apologised to fans for the team's performance this season, admitting "it can't get any worse," and saying speculation over the future of boss Gianfranco Zola is partly to blame.(Daily Express) 
Former England boss Steve McClaren says he has had "a lot of interest from a lot of places" after leading FC Twente to the Dutch league title, and says a rumoured new job at Wolfsburg is "far from a done deal".(Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's players will earn a £70,000 bonus if they win their remaining two fixtures and secure Champions League football.(Daily Mail) 
Ahead of Tuesday night's showdown between Manchester City and Spurs, which could decide who finishes fourth, Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has revealed his mother is a City fan and will be at the game (Various). 
West Ham's England centre-back Matthew Upson says he managed to overcome years of injury by stuffing his boots with pages torn out of the phone directory to aid his balance.(Daily Star)
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Bolton defender Gary Cahill, who is reportedly attracting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, has admitted the time may be right for a move away from the Trotters.(The Bolton News) 

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Ajax forward David Suarez may be bound for Arsenal, with the Gunners weighing up a £22m bid for the Uruguay international.(Caught Offside) 
But Wolves insist striker Kevin Doyle, who has emerged as a £10m target for Arsenal, will not be leaving Molineux this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City have Aston Villa winger Ashley Young in their sights, with the Eastlands hierarchy believing a £22m bid may tempt Villans boss Martin O'Neill to sell.(Caught Offside) 
Wigan have slapped an £8m price tag on Honduras left-back Maynor Figueroa, who is wanted by Sunderland boss Steve Bruce. (Daily Mirror) 
Palermo defender Simon Kjaer, 21, is a possible target for Arsenal as manager Arsene Wenger looks for a new centre-back partner for Thomas Vermeulen.(Footy Latest) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set for showdown talks with new Reds chairman Martin Broughton later this week as speculation continues that the Spaniard may be on his way out of Anfield.(the Sun) 
Former England boss Steve McClaren will move on to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after guiding FC Twente to the Dutch league title on Sunday. (Daily Mail) 
Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has said it is "unthinkable" that manager Jose Mourinho would move away from the Champions League finalists this summer. (the Times)
Defender Steve Finnan has pledged to stick with Portsmouth next season, despite the club's relegation to the Championship. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told his error-prone goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to win over the Gunners' faithful in the same manner as defender Emmanuel Eboue, who was booed by the home support at the Emirates last season only to turn it around with a string of fine performances. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez believes that in-demand attacking duo Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia should stay with the Latics if they want to develop.(the Sun) 
Burnley skipper Steven Caldwell admits that he is disappointed to find himself still waiting for a new contract offer at Turf Moor.(the Sun) 

AND FINALLY

David Beckham has blamed his unerring dedication on the pitch for the Achilles tendon injury that has ruled him out of England's World Cup squad this summer. "In the last two years I've been pushing myself too hard because I wanted to get into Fabio Capello's World Cup squad," the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder told David Letterman's chat programmeThe Late Show in the United States.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke striker Dave Kitson has claimed he has been unfairly blamed for problems at the club. "Cloudy in Stoke? That's Kitson's fault. The traffic's terrible? Blame that on Kitson too," he said. (the Sun)

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Birmingham C. 2 - 1 Burnley

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Milton Keynes Dons 0 - 0 Brighton & Hove A.

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Atletico Madrid playmaker Sergio Aguero has expressed his admiration for Chelsea, describing them as "one of the most feared clubs in Europe" and London as being "a really amazing city to live in". The Blues have been linked with a big-money move for the Argentina international.(Daily Express) 
Barcelona are mulling over a move for Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy. The Catalan giants could offer about £10m for a player they tried to sign last summer.(The Guardian) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy's relationship with manager Roberto Mancini has reached breaking point, with the Wales international wanting a move from Eastlands in the summer if the Italian remains in charge.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are weighing up an offer for Bolton defender Gary Cahill. Reds boss Rafael Benitez believes £12m may be enough to prise the 24-year-old away from the Reebok Stadium.(Caught Offside) 
Arsenal's Eduardo could be heading to Ligue 1 side Lyon, with the likely arrival of Marouane Chamakh expected to displace the Croatia striker in manager Arsene Wenger's plans.(Caught Offside) 
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish wants to take Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on loan next season.(Daily Mirror) 
Ajax manager Martin Jol has told former club Tottenham that they are not big enough to sign striker Luis Suarez.(The Sun) 
Everton are close to wrapping up a deal to sign 24-year-old Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani.(Footylatest) 
Blackburn are hoping to seal a £5m deal with Lech Poznan for Poland international striker Robert Lewandowski.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Fran Merida is set to head to Atletico Madrid at the end of the season when his contract with the Gunners runs out. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United's £10m winger Zoran Tosic has said he wants to make his loan move to Cologne permanent after scoring four goals in his last three games. (Daily Mirror)
Midfielder Paul Scharner will leave Wigan in the summer and claims that Fulham, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland are all looking to sign him up.(Daily Mail) 
Slovakia's Vladimir Weiss, the midfielder on loan at Bolton from Manchester City, is set to return to Eastlands next season after growing frustrated with a lack of starts for the Trotters.(Daily Star)
Manchester United are chasing Newcastle's 17-year-old Slovenian midfielder Haris Vuckic, who has made three first-team appearances for the Magpies this season.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola will be replaced by former England boss Steve McClaren, currently in charge of Dutch side FC Twente, at the end of the season if the Hammers stay up.(Daily Mail) 
England coach Fabio Capello is considering calling Michael Dawson into his World Cup squad after being impressed by the Tottenham defender's recent performances.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien could return after four months out against Stoke on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Al Pacino's American football film Any Given Sunday and Invictus, which recounts South Africa's win at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, were part of the entertainment on board Barcelona's team bus. The European champions are travelling by road to the first leg of their Champions league semi-final againt play Inter Milan.(The Independent) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says he wants to sign "four or five real men" next season and will axe up to half his current squad. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic striker Robbie Keane has been voted the club's player of the year, despite only arriving on loan from Tottenham in February. The Republic of Ireland international has scored 13 goals in 15 games. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko has claimed Chelsea were fortunate not to lose 6-1 rather than 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Saturday. He describes the Blues players as being "too confident of victory" before the match.(Daily Star)
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Bolton - Manchester United

Owen Coyle has been doing a very good job since he took over a charge in Bolton. They’ve accomplished (in my opinion) the primary mission and secure the status in Premier. They’re 8 points far from relegation zone and just wonder should happen to see them in Championship next season. He actually is doing the same thing as in Burnley, making from home pitch a fortress with lack of attention on away games. They have 4 games at home without a defeat with 4 clean sheets! It came against mainly bottom sides, however (Burnley, Wolves , Wigan and Fulham). Only clash against one of the top sides finished with easy defeat (0-2, Arsenal). Defender Gretar Steinsson is suspended, while Gary Cahill has recovered and could appear. Bolton are the only team in the Premier League who have not taken a single point off a team from the 'Big Four' this season.

 

United are approaching the final part of the season with a point more than Chelsea and I think they’ll hardly lose the points till the end. Ferguson even talked about goal difference (have same as Chelsea) as a potential decisive factor. However, the biggest benefits for Utd (beside Rooney’s sensational shape) are Rio and Vidic who play on the highest standards again. It’s also important for today’s game, as Bolton’s main weapon is set pieces (scored 21 goal, highest number in PL). They have Bayern on the corner, but I don’t expect any kind of easier approach at Reebok. The stake is too big. Man Utd have won 9 of the last 10 meetings against Bolton, and lost only one of their 10 Premier League games at Wanderers. Rooney (should be fit) has scored 6 goals in his last 4 league matches against Bolton.

 

Utd have been doing hard all season to reach the top and I can’t imagine they lose the points against Bolton. However, they’ll try to keep some energy for Champions League game and won’t suggest any big handicap. Bet is Utd -1 ah. 

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Everton - Bolton Wanderers

Considering recent form (especially at home), Everton are one of the top teams in Premier. When their injury crisis started to decrease, team’s shape improved and I fancy them to have a strong finish of the season. At home they’re unbeaten in eight league matches, winning the last six, including top sides like Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd. At last round, Everton lost 2-0 lead on the road vs. Brum, but display they showed was more than decent. David Moyes has no fresh injury concerns, but has to make at least one change following the expiry of Landon Donovan's loan. Everton have won their last three home league matches against Bolton without conceding a goal (scored six).

 

Since he became a manager, Owen Coyle made an excellent progress in the club and Bolton aren’t in the dangerous zone any more. Margin is eight points and Trotters probably will play last eight games without too much pressure. They’re in a decent shape, won three of last four games, but all three wins came against bottom sides (Wolves, West Ham and Wigan) and a defeat was vs. Sunderland 0-4. However, they’re poor travelers (trend that Coyle had in Burnley as well) with just one win (West Ham 2-1), one draw (Wigan 0-0) and five defeats under Coyle. Four goals scored and 16 conceded. Big boost could be a possible comeback of key defender Gary Cahill after six weeks. Another defender, Sam Ricketts is available after serving a one-match ban, while midfielder Mark Davies has recovered from injury.

 

Everton are in uptrend, they overcame the injury crisis, possess quality for top six in my opinion and they especially have big inspiration when play at Goodison. Bolton don’t have anything to lose in this encounter, but I think the difference in quality is too big and don’t expect anything less than a win with few goals margin. My bets are -1 ah (1.85 at Pinnacle) and Over 2.5 (1.83 at 888sports). 

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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona in a statement have "flatly denied" they have reached an agreement with Cesc Fabregas which would see the Arsenal captain return to the Nou Camp at the end of the season. (Press Association) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea's first summer target will be Barcelona's £30m-rated right-back Dani Alves. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona to join the Catalan club from next season. (Cadena Ser radio) 
Manchester United are on the hunt for Roma's 15-year-olds Valerio Verre and Filippo Cipriani.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan and Sunderland will renew their interest in Paraguay international Cristian Riveros over the summer. The midfielder currently plays for Mexican side Cruz Azul.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to the signature of Marouane Chamakh. The Bordeaux striker is set to agree a five-year, £50,000-a-week deal with the Gunners.(The Mirror) 
Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic has ignored interest from Manchester City and Birmingham and has agreed to join Liverpool this summer. (The Mirror) 
Millwall are on the verge of signing Crawley Town forward Charles Ademeno in a bargain £120,000 deal. (The Mirror) 
Out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has admitted he may be forced to look for a new club after failing to force his way into new manager Robert Mancini's plans.(The Times) 

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OTHER GOSSIP

Indian businessman Subrata Roy is to step up his pursuit of a takeover of Liverpool. Fellow Indian Mukesh Ambani is also a potential investor, despite issuing a denial on Tuesday.(The Times) 
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is facing the axe if his side fail to beat Birmingham on Wednesday. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal defender William Gallas is set to quit Arsenal over a row about the length of his contract extension at the Gunners.(The Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that when it comes to signing the world's best players, the Gunners cannot afford the top stars. (The Times) 
Queens Park Rangers' former majority shareholder Antonio Caliendo has asked the Football Association to investigate the sale of the club to Flavio Briatore.(The Daily Telegraph) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says getting Spurs into the Champions League would be his greatest achievement as a manager.(The Mirror) 
Bolton are seeking a second opinion in the case of Gary Cahill's blood clot - a condition that could end the defender's World Cup dream.(The Mirror) 

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AND FINALLY

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is scenting blood. He has described Arsenal as a "wounded animal" and believes the Reds will soon catch them up in the Premier League table.(Daily Mail)
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sell winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona and has also said the Scotsman "is no friend of Real Madrid." (Spanish Eurosport)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is a target for Juventus and the Italian club are preparing a £23m January transfer window bid for the Argentine.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth want to bring striker Amr Zaki, who was on loan at Wigan last season, back to the Premier League.(The Sun) 
Fulham are ready to make a £2m move for Legia Warsaw midfielder and Poland Under-21 international Ariel Borysiuk.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England striker Wayne Rooney will be "not bothered" if former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo does not qualify for the 2010 World Cup with Portugal. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Portsmouth boss Tony Adams insists the return of Avram Grant as the south coast outfit's director of football is good for the club. (Daily Express) 
Marcel Desailly claims England are missing a star striker, but in his former AC Milan boss Fabio Capello have a manager capable of leading them to 2010 World Cup glory.(Daily Mirror) 
David Beckham will attend the 2010 World Cup draw in December to help improve England's bid to host the 2018 tournament.(The Sun) 
Saudi Arabian businessmen are targeting takeovers at up to 10 clubs in the Premier League and Championship.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves claims he is over the knee injuries which have seen him out of action for more than a year.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher admits he needs to improve after a start to the season which has seen some of his performances criticised.(Guardian) 
England centre-back Gary Cahill diplomatically said "everybody makes mistakes" referring to Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill's decision to offload him to Bolton for £5m in January 2008.(Independent) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and keeper Edwin van der Sar will join chef Marco Pierre White in a special episode of Hell's Kitchen, helping cook a three-course meal for guests.(The Sun) 
Coach Fabio Capello has invited striker Michael Owen - and every other player selected by him during his time in charge of England - to Wembley for the World Cup qualifier against Belarus next Wednesday.(Guardian)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are the latest club to track Bolton defender Gary Cahill. Chelsea, Juventus and AC Milan are also interested in the 23-year-old.(The Sun)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen on Atletico Madrid forward Keko, who has been likened to Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham and Arsenal are two of the clubs willing to offer midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker a way out of Aston Villa following his bust up with manager Martin O'Neill. (Daily Star)
Hull boss Phil Brown is desperate to land Sol Campbell in the January transfer window, following the former Arsenal defender's decision to leave Notts County last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda, who plays for Dutch club VVV Venlo, is wanted by Everton.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are deciding whether to make a January bid for midfielder Milan Jovanovic, whose contract with Standard Liege expires next summer.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies is set to land a new contract, despite being out for five months with a shoulder injury.(The Sun) 
Liverpool's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, say they are ready to water down their control in the club. (Various) 
Birmingham City chairman David Gold is set to lose his job at the club if Carson Yeung completes his takeover.(The Sun) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce says Anton Ferdinand still has a future at the club, despite the defender being dropped for the victory over Wolves at the weekend. (Daily Star) 
Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard says he is fit and ready for action after recovering from knee ligament surgery earlier this year. (The Sun)
Manager Fabio Capello wants to make sure England's 2018 World Cup bid does not come under scrutiny by refusing to treat the qualifiers against the Ukraine and Belarus as practice matches.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United striker Michael Owen says he is determined to be part of England's World Cup campaign in South Africa next year. (The Times)

AND FINALLY

Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez has explained his reasons for not celebrating his goals against West Ham on Monday, saying that "part of me will always be a Hammer". However, following the treatment he received at Old Trafford recently, the Argentine says he will not extend the same courtesy if he scores against his former club Manchester United. (Daily Mail)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bolton defender Gary Cahill is being tracked by Italian giants Juventus following a glowing reference from England boss Fabio Capello. AC Milan are also interested in the 23-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton manager Gary Megson says he is not prepared to sell striker Johan Elmander, despite a disappointing record in front of goal and the arrival of loan signing from Nantes, Ivan Klasnic, this summer.(The Sun) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez will decide on Thursday whether to offer a contract to Cameroon midfielder Modeste M'Bami, who has been on trial with the club since the start of the season.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United are becoming increasingly concerned by defender Rio Ferdinand's persistent injury problems.(The Times) 
Former Tottenham and Arsenal defender Sol Campbell quit Notts County because he hated his debut match against Morecambe so much.(Daily Mirror) 
Campbell walked out of Notts County because he did not believe the promised investment from the club's new owners would materialise.(The Independent) 
Hull's Carling Cup defeat at home to Everton leaves under-pressure manager Phil Brown with only four matches to save his job. After the game against Liverpool this weekend, Hull then face fellow strugglers Wigan, Fulham and Portsmouth.(The Sun) 
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, 38, will decide in December whether this season will be his last.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez faces a battle to keep pace with the biggest clubs in Europe as leaked documents reveal that his net summer spending is locked at £20m until 2014. That figure also includes wage increases.(The Independent) 
Football Association chairman Lord Triesman and chief executive Ian Watmore have dismissed suggestions that Fabio Capello will stand down as England manager after the 2010 World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Former Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore could be heading back to Rovers to replace John Barnes, if the ex-Liverpool winger fails to halt the club's slide down the League One table.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth owner Sulaiman Al Fahim says the Premier League strugglers are unlikely to buy new players in the January transfer window.(The Guardian) 
Liverpool's Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has been cleared of any wrongdoing following his clash with Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford during Tuesday's Carling Cup match.(Daily Mail) 
Uganda's FA has dropped its compensation claim following manager Csaba Laszlo's move to Hearts last year. (The Sun)
Dundee United manager Craig Levein has escaped punishment from the Scottish FA after comments about the referees involved in defeats by Celtic and Hearts last season. (The Times) 
Scotland manager George Burley says he is ready to omit players from his squad for next month's friendly against Japan if they are not 100% fit. (The Sun)
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown says he does not want to be rested for club or country because of a niggling injury. (Daily Express) 
Former Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam is poised for a Scotland re-call after starring for new club Blackpool. (Daily Mail)
Preston's former Celtic and Sunderland winger Ross Wallace could also be named in the Scotland squad to face Japan. (Daily Mail) 
Robert Snodgrass hopes his impressive display for Leeds against Liverpool in the Carling Cup will earn him a Scotland call-up. (Various)

AND FINALLY

West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green has given an honest assessment of his club's performances this season following the Carling Cup defeat by Bolton on Tuesday. "We're getting above ourselves, thinking we're better than we are at the moment. We're in a position where we have to get results."(Daily Mirror)
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