Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are favourites to sign Italian under-21 international Mario Balotelli from Internazionale, after the 19-year-old's agent ruled out a move for the £15m-valued striker to Inter's local rivals AC Milan.(Caughtoffside.com) 
The Gunners are also chasing Real Zaragoza midfielder Ander Herrera and are mulling over the Spanish side's £7m vaulation of the 20-year-old.(The Sun) 
Chelsea want to sign Everton pair Steven Pienaar and Jack Rodwell, and will undertake a summer clear-out to raise funds for the transfers. (Caughtoffside.com) 
Wigan will let in-form winger Charles N'Zogbia leave the club in the summer if one of the Premier League's big guns comes calling, according to Latics manager Roberto Martinez.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United will turn down Bolton and Birmingham's requests to sign winger Tom Cleverley on loan. (Daily Star)
Albert Riera wants to stay at "great" Liverpool after his move to Spartak Moscow broke down.(imscouting.com) 
Everton winger Dan Gosling will ignore interest from Manchester United and Arsenal and sign a new long-term deal at the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich have agreed a £100,000 fee with Brentford for Dutch central defender Pim Balkestein. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Wayne Rooney will be fit for the World Cup after suffering a suspected 'grade one' ligament tear in Manchester United's Champions League first leg defeat by Bayern Munich. The striker is expected to be out for between three and four weeks. (Daily Mail) 
Didier Drogba is a major doubt for Chelsea's top-of-the-table Premier League showdown against United on Saturday after sitting out the last two days of the Blues' training with a knock. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss manager Rafa Benitez has not ruled out Alberto Aquilani missing the rest of the season as he waits to learn the full extent of the Italian's ankle injury.(Daily Mail) 
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson is on the shortlist to succeed Tony Mowbray as the new boss of Celtic.(Daily Mail) 
The Football League's bottom side, Darlington, are poised to name former Barnsley boss Simon Davey as their new manager.(Daily Mail) 
Nenad Milijas will quit Wolves at the end of the season - if he cannot convince Mick McCarthy he has a long-term future at Molineux. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY 

Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda has told Manchester United how to stop Blues striker Didier Drogba - make him laugh. "That's the best way to defend against him," said Malouda, ahead of the sides' crucial Premier League match on Saturday.(The Sun) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has backed plans for referees to use a motorised two-wheeled personal transporter to help them keep up with speedy players. (The Sun) 

West Ham will brave ridicule next season by wearing pink on their home shirts as part of a new sponsorship deal with adult retailers Ann Summers.(Daily Mail)

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

David Moyes has warned Manchester United to keep their hands off Everton starlet Jack Rodwell. (Sunday Mirror) 
West Ham will not stand in Robert Green's way if any of the Premier League's top four move in on the England goalkeeper. (Sunday Mirror) 
Former Scotland international striker Paul Dickov will sign for League One side Leeds on Monday despite keen interest from MLS side Toronto. (Mail on Sunday) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Depressed Ashley Cole tells pals he may quit football after the collapse of his marriage to wife Cheryl Cole.(Sunday Mirror)
Sunderland's Kieran Richardson should be considered for England's up-for-grabs left-back spot at the World Cup, according to his club manager Steve Bruce. (Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill dismisses talk of him becoming the next Manchester United manager. (Sunday Telegraph) 
O'Neill has ruled himself out of what he calls the impossible job, replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United boss. (Sunday Mirror) 
Ferguson, meanwhile, has taken another swipe at rivals Manchester City ahead of the Carling Cup Final by telling them they blundered by selling Richard Dunne to Aston Villa. (Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set for showdown talks with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque over his plan to play Fernando Torres in this week's friendly with France. (Sunday Mirror) 
MK Dons are considering replacing manager Paul Ince with ex-Reading boss Brendan Rodgers. (Mail on Sunday) 
Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric admits he feared he might never recover from his broken leg in August. (News of the World)
Defender Brede Hangeland insists he had no doubts about staying at Fulham and says he has been proved right by the club's stunning run in Europe. (News of the World)

AND FINALLY

A few loyal Accrington Stanley fans brought along their patio heaters to thaw out the pitch before their clash with Burton Albion at the Fraser Eagle Stadium.(Sunday Express)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Everton's Jack Rodwell is a hot tip to end up in a Manchester United shirt sooner or later - according to his old boss at Birkdale United, at least.(Daily Mail) 
But Rodwell's current manager, David Moyes, insists the 18-year-old is going nowhere.(Daily Telegraph) 
Inter Milan are keen to hijack Chelsea's £40m move for Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero.(The Sun) 
West Ham will not be forced into the sale of stars like Carlton Cole, Valon Behrami and Robert Green in January - but skipper Matthew Upson's future is less certain.(Daily Telegraph) 
Roman Pavlyuchenko, desperate to leave Tottenham with first-team chances limited, has been told he will not be allowed to sign for Roma on the cheap.(Daily Mirror) 
Mark Hughes hopes his Manchester City side impress Fernando Torres during their visit to Liverpool, as the Blues boss is keen to sign the striker in January.(Independent) 
And, if City make a move for Barcelona right-back Dani Alves, Aston Villa will come in for Micah Richards.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will make a January swoop for Rangers pair Steven Davis and Kris Boyd.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United will not let goalkeeper Ben Foster go out on loan, despite being third choice for his club.(The Guardian) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Gael Kakuta, the 18-year-old cause of Chelsea's recent suspended transfer ban, is ready to make his debut from the bench against Wolves.(Daily Mail) 
Kakuta's boss at Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti, has vowed to fine any of his players who show dissent to officials.(Daily Express) 
Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink is planning to quit his job as Russia coach having failed to reach the World Cup, with a return to Chelsea as technical director in mind.(The Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is the latest convert to the Serbian school of horse placenta massage, having flown to Belgrade seeking treatment for a thigh injury.(Various)
Sam Allardyce says he left Bolton Wanderers over their lack of ambition, and knows he could manage "any team in the world".(Daily Express) 
In the wake of Thierry Henry's handball, Fifa may fast-track the introduction of two additional referees in each match in time for the World Cup, leading to a total of five officials on the pitch. (The Guardian) 
Eric Cantona "would have hit" Henry if he had been wronged in similar fashion by his fellow French star.(The Sun)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United and Chelsea are fighting it out to sign Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell (on photo) who is valued at £20m.(News of the World) 
United are also lining up a £15m January bid for Bayern Munich right-back Philipp Lahm.(Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez hopes to raise £15m from the sale of defender Andrea Dossena and forward Ryan Babel - and wants to splash some of the cash on Hamburg striker Eljero Elia.(Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool are also keen on Arsenal striker Eduardo and are poised to make a £10m bid for Croatian.(News of the World) 
Reds midfielder Javier Mascherano looks set for a £30m move to Barcelona after his advisors agreed the player's personal terms with the Spanish club. (Sunday Express)
Arsenal are preparing a £5m bid for Hoffenheim's Brazilian midfielder Maicosuel. (News of the World) 
The Gunners are also keen on Cardiff City full-back Adam Matthews and are planning a £5m swoop for the 17-year-old. (Sunday Express)
Manchester City have agreed a £36m deal to sign Benfica midfielder Angel di Maria in January. (News of the World) 
City meanwhile will make a £20m January bid for Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester United and City are both keen on Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko who is rated at £20m. (Mail on Sunday) 
Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are all battling it out to sign 16-year-old striker Connor Wickham from Ipswich in January.(Mail on Sunday) 
Tottenham are set to renew their interest in Sevilla winger Diego Capel. (News of the World) 
Chelsea will have to match Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero's huge £6.5m a year wages to land the striker.(News of the World) 
The Blues are also leading the chase to sign Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku who has already attracted interest from AC Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United. (News of the World) 
Birmingham are lining up a £7m bid for Celtic winger Aiden McGeady. (News of the World) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is set to raid his old club Swansea City for £2m-rated defender Ashley Williams. (News of the World) 
Portsmouth have set their sights on a January double swoop for Nice striker Loic Remy and Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa. (News of the World) 
Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson has been told he cannot leave the club in January despite interest from Sunderland, Spurs, Chelsea and Everton. (News of the World) 
Former England striker Darius Vassell who currently plays for Turkish side Ankaragucu is hoping to secure a January switch to Bolton.(News of the World) 
Sunderland will go after Newcastle left-back Jose Enrique if they fail to sign Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa in January. (Sunday Express) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Manchester United defender and current Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc is being lined up to replace current Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.(Sunday Mirror) 
But former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who is currently in charge at Inter Milan, is confident that Ferguson will recommend him for the job as he is keen for a return to English football.(Sunday Times) 
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie could be out for the rest of the season after suffering a serious ankle injury in Holland's friendly match against Italy. (Mail on Sunday) 
West Ham are set to formally announce the retirement of striker Dean Ashton. (Sunday Mirror) 
The Hammers could demand up to £5m in compensation after losing the services of 26-year-old Ashton. (Sunday Express)
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley will put the Championship club back up for sale if they get promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

The infamous beach ball that diverted Sunderland striker Darren Bent's shot past Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina and into the goal earlier in the season has been sold at auction for £411.77.(News of the World)

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Out-of-favour Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena is set to join Italian side Napoli on loan in the January transfer window, with a view to a permanent deal.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have joined Manchester United in showing an interest in teenage Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell but are unlikely to launch a bid until next summer. (Daily Mail)   
Portsmouth are battling Birmingham and Ipswich to sign Benfica defender Miguel Vitor in January. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has joined Real Madrid and Everton in the chase for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson - and could start the bidding war with a £3m offer.(The Sun) 
Fulham hope to sign Roma's former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise for £3m in January to team him up with his younger brother, midfielder Bjorn Helga, who is already at Craven Cottage.(Daily Express) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will return to his former club Rangers to sign £3m-rated midfielder Steven Davis and striker Kris Boyd, who could be available for £1m. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are willing to sell striker Benni McCarthy in January but will not allow him to join any of their relegation rivals in the Premier League or move anywhere on a loan deal. (The Sun) 
West Brom's Slovenian international Robert Koren says he could leave the Hawthorns in January unless he is restored to his favoured central midfield role.(The Sun) 
Birmingham, Fulham and Celtic are heading the chase for Koren if he does leave the Baggies.(Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes, who was sacked by Tranmere Rovers in October after only four months in charge, is close to being appointed the new national boss of Rwanda. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham may have to pay former manager Alan Curbishley £4m after he won his case for constructive dismissal over his departure from Upton Park in September 2008.(The Sun) 
Curbishley will land a £2.2m pay-off from West Ham, who could be forced to sell players in January to afford the pay out. (Daily Express)
The Hammers will have to pay Curbishley a year's salary - a basic of about £1m - plus legal costs running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. (Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham initially tried to sue Curbishley for £2m, claiming he had left them in the lurch by resigning and was in breach of his contract.(The Independent) 
Hull City are lining up Curbishley as a replacement for under-fire boss Phil Brown, who could be sacked if the Tigers lose at home to Stoke on Sunday. (Daily Mirror) 
New Hull chairman Adam Pearson has reassured fans that the Tigers will not be forced to sell their best players to reduce their £40m wage bill.(The Times) 
Arsenal fans fear for the future of their club after Stan Kroenke increased his stakeholding in the Gunners. (The Times) 
Kroenke has no immediate plans to try to seize control of the Arsenal boardroom with a full takeover bid. (The Independent) 
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was "devastated" when Xabi Alonso left Liverpool and admits the Reds have missed the Spaniard. (Four Four Two) 
Notts County's director of Football Sven-Goran Eriksson claims Sol Campbell quit the club midway through a training session when he decided to leave the Magpies in September.(The Sun) 
Norwegian champions Rosenborg want former Manchester United star Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their manager. Solskjaer is currently reserve team boss at Old Trafford. (Daily Mail) 
Oldham-born Hearts winger Andy Driver has admitted his agent has held talks with Scotland boss George Burley about changing his international allegiance from Scotland to England.(Daily Record)
Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta has had another setback in his recovery from a cruciate knee injury and could remain sidelined until the new year. (Various) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is unhappy that clubs can only appeal against yellow cards in cases of mistaken identity and has urged the League Managers' Association to campaign for a change in the rules. (The Guardian) 
Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier will be offered the chance to become Saudia Arabia's director of football, overseeing their national side and top club teams, while ex-Anfield chief executive Rick Parry is wanted to run the administrative side of the Saudi game. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham's Welsh midfielder Jack Collison, 21, is poised to begin talks over a bumper new five-year contract - only a year after signing his last deal with the Hammers. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle United managing director Derek Llambias hopes a new jumbo TV screen at St James' Park will placate Magpies fans angry over the club's plans to sell the naming rights to the stadium. Any sponsorship of the ground will include @StJames'Park in its official title. (The Sun) 

David Beckham's wife Victoria has bought the England midfielder a pair of micro pigs for Christmas, and the on-loan AC Milan star wants to call them Pinky and Perky. (Daily Mirror)

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