Everton - WBA

Everton continue with annoying results in Premier. They’re without win in last four (three draws), have just two home wins of seven and sitting on very low for them 14th place. However, their performances look much better than results and I’m sure it’s a matter of time when they’ll start with the climbing on the table. The biggest problem recently is the lack of attacking support for Tim Cahill (scored five goals in his last eight games). Arteta and Pienaar work fine delivering from midfield, but Everton miss efficiency of the strikers. This should be a nice chance for Saha, Beckford and recovered Anichebe to recover the old shape. Moyes will miss only Fellaini who serves the last game of his suspension.

The Baggies are in free fall recently and currently I can’t see anything that could stop it. Four defeats and a draw in last five encounters caused they slipped from the 4th place (if my memory is right) to more expected 16th. They’ve kept only one clean sheet so far allowing at least two goals in four of their five previous games. Considering team quality, they’re probably worst in Premier (alongside Blackpool). First season syndrome and probably great motivation skills by Di Matteo caused an excellent run of results. Now WBA will hardly find something to boost their morale and they’ll face a hard fight for avoiding relegation. Their key man, Chris Brunt, is probably out with a groin problem. Morrison and Reid are also doubts for the game.

Despite Everton’s latest results, they should be superior here and this is a very nice opportunity for the start of a good run. Goodison is always a tough place to go. Home win for me.

Bet: Everton -1ah
Odd: 2.00 Bet365
Stake: 7/10

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has dismissed speculation linking striker Emmanuel Adebayor with a summer move from Eastlands.(mcfc.co.uk) 
Spanish giants Barcelona remain confident of signing Arsenal captain and midfielder Cesc Fabregas this summer. "We are working on it," said Barca president Joan Laporta, whose club are believed to be willing to offer £30m for the player, with the Gunners reportedly holding out for more than double that amount.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are reportedly interested in Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff as a replacement for Fabregas should the Spaniard leave the Emirates. However, the Gunners would face competition for the Frenchman's signature from Lyon.(imscouting.com) 
Manchester United are ready to make an audacious swoop to sign Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, who is struggling to make progress with the Merseyside club over an extension to his contract, which has two years still to run.(The Daily Mirror) 
Manager Tony Pulis is set to smash Stoke's transfer record with a £12m offer for West Ham striker Carlton Cole.(The Daily Mirror) 
West Brom expect to complete the signing of the Spanish centre-back Pablo Ibanez on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.(The Daily Mail) 
The Baggies are also set to bank about £3m from midfielder Jonathan Greening completing his move to Fulham, where he spent last season on loan.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool hope to deter Chelsea from making a move for winger Yossi Benayoun by demanding £10m for the Israeli.(The Daily Mail) 
Arsenal and Tottenham are leading the chase to sign Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole when he becomes a free agent this summer.(The Daily Mail) 
Newly promoted Blackpool hope to pip neighbours Preston to the loan signing of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck and hope the prospect of Premier League football will help lure the 19-year-old. (The Daily Mail)
Birmingham have abandoned efforts to sign Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia but Blues are interested in Celtic's Aiden McGeady and Hull's Stephen Hunt, who is also a £3m target for Wolves, West Ham and West Brom.(The Daily Mail) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is chasing Colombian namesake striker Jackson Martinez, who he hopes to team up with fellow countryman Hugo Rodallega at the DW Stadium.(The Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj could reject the chance to join West Ham in favour of a lucrative move to Qatar, with Al-Sadd interested in signing the Algeria international. (The Daily Mail) 
Leeds are hoping to hijack Wigan's £800,000 move for Hamilton midfielder James McArthur by tabling a £1m plus add-ons bid of their own.(The Daily Mail) 
But Wigan have moved ahead of Sunderland in the race to sign Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli by increasing their bid beyond the £6m offered by the Black Cats for the Argentina international.(The Daily Mail) 
Southampton boss Alan Pardew is lining up a double swoop for midfielders Brian Stock of Doncaster and Bristol Rovers' Chris Lines.(The Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Aston Villa full-back Stephen Warnock could be a shock inclusion in England's final 23-man squad for the World Cup at the expense of Everton left-back Leighton Baines.(The Daily Mail) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is wanted by ambitious Dubai club Al-Ahli as they spearhead grand plans to overhaul football in the Middle East.(The Daily Mail) 
Inter Milan have made the first move in an attempt to convince Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to switch to the San Siro to replace Jose Mourinho, who was yesterday unveiled as Real Madrid boss.(The Sun) 
Notts County are lining up Bradford boss Peter Taylor to succeed Steve Cotterill at Meadow Lane.(The Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra believes his Algeria side have the full backing of Scotland when they face England in the group stages of the World Cup this summer. "Everywhere I go in Glasgow people stop me and tell me to beat England," said Bougherra.(The Sun)

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Djokovic under 30.5 (2.10) 3-1 (33 points)
Verdasco to win (1.66) 1-3

double @ 3.48 LOST

Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former Chelsea and Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed he already is being headhunted after leaving Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor by mutual consent. "I have enough serious offers from a number of different teams. There are two offers from European clubs, another two from Asia and one from Brazilian club. But I'm not ready to decide this now," he said. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham have launched an audacious move to bring LA Galaxay midfielder David Beckham back to England while trying to lure former midfielder Joe Cole back from Chelsea.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City have stepped up their interest in Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Yaya Toure but the Spanish side are demanding £60m for the double deal.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has rejected a move to Juventus because he wants to prove his worth at Anfield.(Footylatest.com) 
Manchester United and Arsenal are competing to sign £13m-rated Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard from French side Lille.(caughtoffside.com) 
Arsenal have had a £4.2m bid for Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny rejected. Wenger had identified the 24-year-old as a potential partner for Thomas Vermaelen.(caughtoffside.com) 
Dutch star Arjen Robben has claimed Manchester City target Rafael van der Vaart wants to join him at Bayern Munich.(Daily Mail) 
Jermaine Beckford is poised to join Everton after his Leeds contract was ripped up early.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan (on photo) believes West Ham can be the Arsenal of London's East End.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been handed a measly £5m summer transfer kitty.(Daily Mail)

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AND FINALLY

Hammers striker Benni McCarthy is "nearly as fat as me," says West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. "He's the one West Ham player I want to go to the World Cup because he might come back fitter."(Daily Mail)

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Maybe will be some pick(s), later. Football, no tennis, no rubbish. Stay tuned.

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are considering an £8m move for Atletico Madrid's Portuguese winger Simao as boss Rafael Benitez continues his search for a left winger.(Daily Star)
Manchester City have joined the chase for Wolfsburg's highly rated Bosnia international striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mail)
It is not only Dzeko that City are chasing. The club have launched a daring raid for Valencia forward David Silva as well as three Real Madrid stars - Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes has swooped for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford and will make him his first signing of the summer.(Daily Mirror)
Jose Mourinho has pinpointed Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea.(The Guardian)
West Ham have made a £3m offer for Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who spent a year-long loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mail)
Wolves are closing in on a £7m deal for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher. (Daily Mail)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has approached his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger about the possibility of midfielder Jack Wilshere returning on loan next season.(Daily Mail)
Defender Mario Melchiot is set to join Qatari club Umm Salal. The Wigan skipper, 33, is out of contract and will sign a lucrative deal in the Gulf.(The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

England have suffered a World Cup injury scare after Steven Gerrard limped out of a training session, with the Liverpool midfielder requiring 20 minutes of treatment on his right calf after he pulled up sharply.(Daily Mail)
England manager Fabio Capello says Argentina are the team he fears most in the World Cup, claiming they are the team with the most talented players.(Daily Mirror)
Capello has also warned his England team not to rely on Wayne Rooney in South Africa.(Daily Star)
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is sure David Beckham can still be England's secret World Cup weapon - despite injury ruling the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder out of the tournament.(Daily Star)
Capello believes Gareth Barry is recovering more quickly than expected from an ankle injury and is inclined to include the holding midfielder in his squad. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has described the United fans driving the 'green and gold' protest against the Glazer family ownership as "a minority" and suggested that many people who wear the scarves do not even understand the nature of their own protest.(The Independent)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed to friends he made up his mind to quit after a bust-up surrounding Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood.(Daily Mirror)

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AND FINALLY

The United States's football team have visited the White House for an official World Cup send-off from President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton ahead of their flight to South Africa on Sunday.(The Sun)
Scotland manager Craig Levein wants England to win the World Cup, claiming it will be "good for Scotland".(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

With current boss Manuel Pellegrini tipped to be leaving Real Madrid, Spanish newspaper Marca has listed five potential candidates to take over at the Bernabeu. These are England boss Fabio Capello, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, Liverpool's Rafa Benitez, Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho and former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, who is currently managing Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan. ( imscouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp wants to take England international Micah Richards from Manchester City, with Eastlands boss Roberto Mancini prepared to listen to offers for the 21-year-old defender. (Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile, City are lining up bids to sign Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Mesut Özil and Roma forward Mirko Vucinic, as they prepare a series of raids on the Bundesliga and Serie A at the end of the season.(The Times) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has missed the chance to sign goalkeeping target Fernando Muslera from Lazio after the highly rated 23-year-old Uruguayan signed a five-year deal with the Rome club.(Caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham have joined the race to sign Jermaine Beckford from Leeds and hope to sign the 26-year-old striker on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer. (Caughtoffside.com) 
Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon are set to sign Manchester United's Brazilian teenage defender Fabio on loan.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario is set to reject an offer from Sporting Lisbon as the veteran goalkeeper wants to stay at Stamford Bridge. (imscouting.com) 

Middlesbrough are weighing up a summer move for Oldham's 19-year-old left-back Paul Black. (Daily Mirror)

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is hopeful of pulling of a summer deal for Hull defender Steven Mouyokolo but he could face competition from Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, who have all had the Frenchman watched this season.(Daily Mirror) 

Birmingham want to keep Ecuadorian Christian Benitez on loan from Mexican club Santos Laguna for another season following an impressive first campaign for the striker in England. (Daily Mirror)

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OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie will make a dramatic return following five months out with an ankle injury in Wednesday's north London derby at Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett will finally announce plans to officially put the Reds up for sale this week. But fans who object to the duo's regime at the club and are desperate to see them leave could still be in for a long wait as the Americans will also reveal details of a new refinancing package that effectively ends the need for a fire sale. (Various)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has conceded that his side's hopes of securing a top-four Premier League finish this season appear to be over after they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Fulham on Sunday. They now trail fourth-placed Manchester City by six points. (Daily Mirror) 
Benitez has hinted Liverpool may need to spend as much as £60m in the summer if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season. (The Sun) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville has admitted that the side's Champions League quarter-final defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich last week has had a huge impact. The Red Devils could only draw 0-0 at Blackburn on Sunday, handing the title-initiative to Chelsea, who now lead United by a point with a game in hand. (The Sun) 
Hull boss Iain Dowie and his staff were called to a crisis meeting with Tigers chairman Adam Pearson following the 4-1 home defeat by fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday. (Daily Mirror) 
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni says he would relish the chance to play under his old boss Neil Warnock at London rivals Queens Park Rangers. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna believes Arsenal need to tone down their pretty football as they try to keep their Premier League title bid alive. "Sometimes I think we play too much," said the 27-year-old Frenchman. (The Sun)
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Leeds United - Southend United

Leeds are back! After 4 consecutive defeats without a scored goal and dropping into play-off zone, team finally played one very good game. They were dominating first half should have scored once or two time more,they controlled the game and kept 2-1 win. This is their next “must win” game to carry the hopes for automatic promotion. Team again looks really good, excluding Beckford who reached the focus level he had playing for Wealdstone. They all know play-off would be another dead end and rest of the games is “all in” for Leeds. Striker Becchio is back after a head injury, as well as defender Ben Parker. Only missing is defender Jason Crowe. 

Southend are struggling, they’re third from the bottom and 3 points far from relegation line. Their run of results looks terrible. Eight consecutive defeats on the road, 14 of last 15 games and didn’t score in 9 of them! Anonymous player said to the press that happenings outside the field (club’s financial problems) distract their attention. Players got the wages for February, but haven’t for March. However, Southend will be without striker Scott Spencer who suffered ligament damage at Monday, while midfielder Franck Moussa is serving the last of his three-game suspension.

From 11 home wins, Leeds 7 won with 2 or more goals margin. They desperately need a win. On the other hand, Southend are fighting for their lives and not an ideal opponent for keeping the minimal lead. I’m going for Leeds -1.25 ah, odd is 1.82 at Pinnacle.
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More picks before 4pm kick-off. Stay tuned.

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Leeds United 0 - 2 Millwall

In-form Millwall blew the race for second place and automatic promotion in League One wide open with a stunning win over Leeds at Elland Road.
Steve Morison made it six goals in four games on 11 minutes when he fired in at the far post after fine build-up play. 
The home side were on the back foot in the early stages as the rampant Lions pushed forward looking for a second. 
Leeds settled and had chances either side of half-time but substitute Shaun Batt wrapped up the win on 80 minutes. 
Batt latched on to a throw in and cut inside from close to the corner flag, beating two men before firing a low shot that somehow squeezed past Leeds keeper Casper Ankergren at his near post. 
Leeds were without their 21-goal top scorer Jermaine Beckford who missed out with a hamstring injury and they needed to be at their very best to cope with a Lions side who have now won 10 of their last 12 league games. 
Millwall were 21 points adrift of Leeds in January but are now three points behind in the race for second place, with both Charlton and Swindon only one point behind the Lions. 
The Yorkshire club have been in the top two since August but four wins from their 13 league games in 2010 means the prospects of being dragged into the play-offs, where they lost last year to Millwall, is now very real. 
Batt's goal was a blow for Leeds who had created opportunities as they recovered from an uncharacteristically shaky start. 
Leeds's slow start got worse when defender Patrick Kisnorbo exited on a stretcher after collapsing in agony in the build-up to the opening goal.
The Australian defender suffered a suspected Achilles injury and is likely to face a long period on the sidelines.

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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

West Ham are considering a move to take out-of-favour striker Jo from Everton. The Brazilian is currently on a season-long loan at Goodison Park from Manchester City. (Daily Post) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has been linked with a summer move to Everton, who are reported to have agreed a pre-contract with the striker, whose contract expires at the end of the season. However, Whites manager Simon Grayson said: "Pre-contract agreements aren't binding so both parties could pull out at any time. If he bangs in another 20 goals, there might be bigger teams than Everton coming in for him." (Press Association) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham's new owners could try to lure Fulham striker Bobby Zamora back to Upton Park, 18 months after he left the club.(Daily Mirror) 
And Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton could also be on his way to West Ham, with Bordeaux's Mathieu Chalme his replacement in the Spurs defence.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul could be in line for a return to Tottenham as Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate's injury troubles continue.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will move for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy - but only if he can offload misfit Roman Pavlyuchenko.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea could be forced to go back on their "no transfer window signings" pledge if midfielder Michael Essien's knee injury rules him out for an extended period of time.(The Independent) 
Manchester United and Chelsea are battling it out to sign 18-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder Sergio Canales, who can leave Racing Santander in the summer when his contract runs out.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn want to take Uruguay international midfielder Sebastian Eguren on loan from Spanish club Villarreal, where he has fallen out of favour.(Daily Mirror) 
But striker Benni McCarthy could be heading out of Blackburn, with Turkish side Galatasaray keen to sign him.(Daily Mail)
Galatasaray are also monitoring Ryan Babel's situation at Liverpool after the winger fell out with manager Rafael Benitez.(The Times) 
Liverpool's Fernando Torres has urged Benitez to sign either of the striker's international colleagues David Villa or David Silva from Valencia to partner him in attack.(Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Mathieu Flamini could become yet another ex-Arsenal player to join Manchester City - on loan from AC Milan.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could also be heading to England in a bid to get regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham likely to be interested.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham and Hull are weighing up former Tottenham striker Mido, who is still officially a Middlesbrough player but is on loan at Zamalek where he has been since last summer.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has tabled a £4m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil.(Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough may use some of that cash to sign striker Leon Best from Coventry.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has shocked Scott Brown by telling the Scotland midfielder he has no future at the club and will be sold during January. (Daily Record) 
Celtic are locked in a five-way battle with clubs in Italy, Spain and Ukraine to sign 18-year-old Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder Rabiu Ibrahim. (Daily Express)
Celtic will pay £200,000 in compensation when they sign 19-year-old Norway Under-21 centre-half Thomas Rogne, formerly of Staebek. (Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham technical director Gianluca Nani will be sacked on Wednesday, only 24 hours after David Sullivan and David Gold took over the club. (Daily Star)
Portsmouth have 21 days to pay their £7.5m tax and VAT bill or face a winding-up petition in the High Court on February 10. With no new investment in sight the club are likely to have to sell players to raise the money or risk becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration.(The Sun) 
Football Association director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking has warned England does not have enough depth of young talent and he does not know where the next Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard will come from.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle midfielder Alan Smith has called on owner Mike Ashley to splash the cash this month to bolster the club's promotion bid.(Daily Star) 
Brazil legend Pele has tipped Spain to win this year's World Cup, saying they are the best team in the world at the moment, and he predicts that Argentina will struggle.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says the current crop of players at the club is the best for 20 years.(The Times) 
Plymouth Argyle have ordered Aberdeen and Hearts target Steven MacLean to train with their youths in an attempt to force him out of the club. (Daily Record)
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has angrily denied claims by his New Zealand counterpart that they had asked for £250,000 to play a friendly, saying that manager Craig Levein did not want the match at all. (Various) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal new boy Samuel Galindo (on photo) has been caught up in an elaborate spoof, when a Bolivian TV station claimed it had a copy of his passport stating he was 20 years old and not 17 as was said when the midfielder joined the Gunners. (Daily Mirror)

England captain John Terry has secretly put his mansion and his mum's home up for sale, hoping to raise £11.5m to fund his life as a country gent. He is hoping to use the money to buy a country pile.(The Sun)

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are stepping up their attempt to sign Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, and are prepared to offer him wages of £8m a year after tax.(Daily Star) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is in talks with Real Madrid with a view to signing former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy on a free transfer.(Daily Telegraph) 
And Redknapp has had a bid for out-of-favour goalkeeper Ben Foster rejected by Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is ready to quit the club he joined as a nine-year-old two decades ago. Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan and Premier League big spenders Manchester City are believed to be interested in a deal.(Daily Mail)
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford is planning to leave the League One club in the summer for a move to Everton.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has held further talks with the father and agent of Racing Santander's Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales. Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are also interested in the 18-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool star Fernando Torres has urged the club to buy a top Spanish striker - such as Valencia's David Silva or David Villa - while under-fire Reds boss Rafael Benitez is pondering a £12m bid for Sunderland forward Kenwyne Jones.(The Sun) 
However, Benitez's attempt to sign Jones has hit the rocks as Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is holding out for a £10m cash deal.(Daily Express) 
Bruce wants Wigan's £7m-rated left-back Maynor Figueroa and is willing to sacrifice midfielder Kieran Richardson to land him.(Daily Star) 
Sunderland are preparing a bid for Benfica's veteran Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes.(The Independent) 
French side Lille want to sign Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul for £10m, with cash-strapped Pompey willing to accept the offer.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James has been told that he must drop his wage demands if he is to secure a move away from Fratton Park.(Daily Star) 
Zenit St Petersburg say they have pulled out of the race to sign Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to splash out on Fulham's England under-21 giant centre-half Chris Smalling - in a stunning £7m deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham City have been told they can have Celtic winger Aiden McGeady, if they match the asking price.(The Sun) 
And Birmingham are interested in FC Moscow forward Maxi Lopez, who has been on loan at Gremio in Brazil.(The Times) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has made an offer for Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham have watched Bordeaux defender Mathieu Chalme as they try and offload Alan Hutton. (Daily Telegraph) 
Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses has revealed he cannot wait for his crack at the big time as his inevitable exit from the Londoners draws closer.(Daily Mail) 
Burnley are speaking to Monaco striker Frederic Nimani, and could sign the French Under-21 international on loan.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are keen on Stoke striker James Beattie and Hull winger Stephen Hunt.(Daily Mail) 
Philippe Senderos is weighing up his options before deciding whether to join Celtic, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich or Everton on loan from Arsenal. (Daily Mail/The Herald)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of midfielder Michael Essien's knee injury, amid fears that the Ghanaian could be out for the rest of the season.(The Times) 
The Glazer family, the controversial owners of Manchester United, could take £600m out of the club over the next seven years in dividends, interest and fees coming out of a bond issue.(Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola could be replaced by former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes if David Gold and David Sullivan complete their takeover of the club.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Gold and Sullivan will announce that Zola's position is safe when they take control of the club.(Daily Star) 
Barcelona have shrugged off claims that coach Pep Guardiola will replace Sir Alex Ferguson as the next manager of Manchester United.(The Sun) 
French winger Jerome Rothen, on a season-long loan from Paris St Germain, was in Glasgow on Monday to prove to Rangers he is still too sick to play after two months off with swine flu. (Daily Record) 
Celtic and Rangers are on the verge of clinching a £1.5m per year deal with Tennent's to replace Carling as the Old Firm's shirt sponsor. (Daily Record/Daily Express)

AND FINALLY

Manchester United defender Gary Neville has stoked the flames ahead of Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against rivals Manchester City by claiming his club were right to get rid of City striker Carlos Tevez as he was over-priced.(Daily Telegraph) 
And former United winger David Beckham has told City's fans that they will never be bigger than the Old Trafford club. He also said that he would never join City, no matter how much money they offered him.(Daily Mirror)

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are on the verge of signing Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones on loan, with the 25-year-old Trinidad and Tobago star seen as perfect cover for the injured Fernando Torres. (Daily Mail) 
Netherlands striker Ryan Babel will be swiftly shipped out of Liverpool after a row with manager Rafa Benitez sealed his fate and cost him a week's wages. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has though ruled out a straight swap between Babel and Jones. Bruce said: "The one thing I am trying to do is build the squad and build the squad to improve. The last thing I want to be doing is trade or anything like that."(The Independent) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp could make a new and final move to sign goalkeeper David James - and save some money for Portsmouth, who are in huge debt and currently have a transfer embargo. Stoke ended their interest in James last week.(Daily Mirror)
Brazilian Robinho looks to be heading out of Manchester City after suffering the embarrassment of being substituted by manager Roberto Mancini 51 minutes after coming off the bench at Everton.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea want to keep hold of midfielder Joe Cole, who is out of contract at the end of the season. The England star has been linked with a summer move to Tottenham. Blues chairman Bruce Buck said: "I am personally a big fan of Joe Cole and we are in discussions with his agent and hopefully that will be sorted out soon."(Daily Express) 
Newcastle could be set to take on Peruvian striker Nolberto Solano for a third time after missing out on Jermaine Beckford, who has decided to stay with Leeds.(Daily Mirror) 
Cash-strapped West Ham have slapped a staggering £15m price tag on England midfielder Scott Parker.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool are battling with AC Milan over the services of striker Milan Jovanovic, 28, who is out of contract at Standard Liege at the end of the season.(The Sun) 
Dundee United have rejected a £75,000 bid from Blackpool for Scotland's 21-year-old centre-half Garry Kenneth.(Daily Record) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand could make a shock return against neighbours Manchester City in the Carling Cup semi-final on Tuesday. It would be the England star's first game in three months after struggling with a back problem.(Daily Star) 
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has undergone successful keyhole surgery on his right knee. Talking from the Barcelona hospital, the surgeon said: "If there are no problems, Fernando will be OK in six weeks."(The Sun) 
Manchester United supporters fighting the Glazer family's ownership of the club are contemplating asking manager Sir Alex Ferguson to make the ultimate sacrifice and resign in protest.(The Guardian) 
West Brom will pay tribute to the victims of the Haiti earthquake tragedy by wearing special logos on their shirts in their Championship clash with Newcastle on Monday night.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Premier League referee Mark Halsey is looking to be back in action within four weeks as he continues his battle with throat cancer. The 48-year-old said: "I didn't realise how popular I was as a ref but I suppose when I come back I won't be so popular!"(The Sun)

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is battling it out with former club Chelsea and Manchester United for £15m-rated Benfica winger Angel di Maria. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea are leading the chase to sign Racing Santander's Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales who is also being tracked by Arsenal and Manchester City. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are also monitoring 18-year-old Canales. (Daily Star)
Manchester United could cash in on star striker Wayne Rooney to help ease the club's debts. Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are considering £70m bids for the England international.(The Sun) 
Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery admits that Chelsea or Real Madrid are in a straight fight for his services should he leave the Bundesliga side.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are considering a move for Everton striker Louis Saha whose contract negotiations at the club have broken down. Tottenham and Liverpool are also said to be keen. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham have had a £5m bid for Benfica forward Javier Saviola turned down by the Portuguese club for "sporting reasons". (Daily Mirror)
Bordeaux's in-demand striker Marouane Chamakh has promised a decision soon on his future. Arsenal and Liverpool are both believed to be keen on signing him on a cut-price deal with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Out-of-favour Birmingham forward Gary McSheffrey could attempt to resurrect his career with a move to Championship side Sheffield United.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have replaced city rivals Manchester United in a partnership agreement with Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. The deal will give City first option should Sporting sell any of their players. (The Guardian) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce insists it will take a "mind-blowing" offer to prise striker Kenwyne Jones away from the Black Cats and doubts if the clubs who want to buy him would prove able - or willing - to meet the necessary price.(The Guardian) 
Bruce has denied making a £5m bid to take Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to the Stadium of Light.(The Independent) 
Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, currently at Egyptian side Zamalek, has been offered to Stoke City, Sunderland, and Blackburn Rovers.(The Times) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is weighing up a £5m move for Mallorca forward Aritz Aduriz which may see striker Hugo Rodallega leave the DW Stadium.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth could lose Aruna Dindane with parent club Lens set to recall the striker early from his loan spell at Pompey. The French side fear the Premier League outfit lack the funds to make the deal permanent.(The Guardian) 
Birmingham City and Wolves have expressed an interest in Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt who may be offloaded if the cash-strapped club are forced to sell players. (The Times) 
Fulham have agreed a loan deal for Roma's 20-year-old striker Stefano Okaka, although the player has yet to sign off on the temporary switch.(The Independent) 
Wolves are set to offer £1.5m for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford but Newcastle are still leading the fight to sign the 26-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
But Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has warned Leeds that unless a deal is tied up swiftly for Beckford he will turn his attentions to a loan deal for Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood.(Daily Mirror) 
New Bolton manager Owen Coyle could offer Beckford the chance to play for his side after expressing interest in the unsettled forward. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin doubts whether manager Arsene Wenger will make any signings during the transfer window.(Daily Star) 
Derby striker Luke Varney will become Sheffield Wednesday manager Alan Irvine's first signing at Hillsborough.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Joe Cole's contract talks with Chelsea have stalled over the wage demands of the England international, who is free to leave for nothing at the end of the season.(The Times) 
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has suggested in an email to a supporter that the summer transfer market will be a "big" one for the Premier League club. "Our debt is very managable (sic) [see Man U] and we never use player sales for debt service," said Hicks. "Our interest on £200m is about £16m. The new stadium will be the game changer. Managing director Christian [Purslow] is working very hard on it. Jan is a poor-quality market. The summer window will be big."(Daily Mirror) 
The Glazer family, which owns Manchester United, has personally borrowed £10m from the club, according to financial results released yesterday.(The Guardian) 
West Ham could have new owners within 24 hours although investment company Intermarket, who made the highest bid for the club, missed a deadline to prove it had the cash to finance a £100m takeover.(The Times) 
Burnley are set to spring a major surprise by naming former Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws as their new manager.(Daily Mail) 
Alternatively, Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll could be taking charge at Turf Moor but Burnley will have to pay £1m compensation to get their man. Full story: (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry says his leadership qualities were evident even when he was coming through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. As a youngster he shouted at former Blue Gianfranco Zola for giving the ball away in a reserve match, earning the praise of Italian manager Gianluca Vialli.(The Independent) 
Despite postponing their Premier League clash with Tottenham at the weekend because of icy conditions around Anfield, Liverpool were still encouraging fans to take tours of the stadium throughout the cold weather. (Daily Mail)
AC Milan and LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has revealed his latest tattoo. The 34-year-old has an image of Jesus Christ sitting on the cross inked into his side.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham's league game with Wolves on Sunday was postponed because of an incorrect weather forecast for more snow.(Daily Mail)

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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

OTHER GOSSIP

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

AND FINALLY

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

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

David Bentley could be off to Atletico Madrid in a loan deal, with the 25-year-old winger desperate for a move away from Tottenham.(Daily Mirror) 
Or Bentley will stay closer to home after Sunderland manager Steve Bruce declared his interest in securing the services of the former England man.(The Sun)
Jermaine Beckford could have played his last game for Leeds with Newcastle United top of the list to sign the striker who scored the winner at Old Trafford on Sunday to dump Manchester United out of the FA Cup. A fee of £2.5m is being discussed for the 26-year-old.(Daily Star) 
Everton boss David Moyes wants to bring Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth, to Goodison Park, with Blackburn, Liverpool and Aston Villa waiting in the wings.(Daily Mail) 
American star Freddy Adu, who once had a trial at Manchester United, is considering a move to Hull City after the Portuguese side Belenenses told the 20-year-old he can look for other employers.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke City boss Tony Pullis wants to beat Liverpool in the race to sign Real Madrid and Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy by using a regular starting spot as bait in the build-up to the World Cup.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have joined the list of clubs who want to sign Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses. The 19-year-old is tipped to leave the cash-strapped Championship club with West Bromwich, Everton, Liverpool and Birmingham all keen on a transfer.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke City could make a shock loan move for Barcelona's 18-year-old midfielder Oriel Romeu.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are closing in on a £3.5m move for Aston Villa's 23-year-old midfielder Craig Gardner.(Daily Mirror) 

.

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Newcastle United boss Alan Shearer wants to become Sheffield Wednesday's new manager following the sacking of Brian Laws last month. The England legend is believed to want Gary Speed as his number two.(The Sun) 

.

AND FINALLY

How well do parents know their kids? According to Pep Guardiola's dad, the Barcelona coach may leave at the end of the season. Despite the 38-year-old winning six trophies in his first year at Camp Nou, Guardiola senior said: "I don't know if he will stay or take a break from football and relax. The dad is always the last to know about these things."(The Independent)

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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING NEWS

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has rejected claims a deal has already been struck to sell Franck Ribery to Real Madrid in the summer for a fee of around £49m.
(German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will move for Liverpool trio Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard if the Reds finish outside the top four in the Premier League this season and are forced to sell their superstars.(The Sun) 
Zenit St Petersburg, Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow and Sporting Lisbon are interested in buying Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but Spurs want £13m for the out-of-favour Russian and will not consider letting him leave in a loan deal.(Daily Mirror)
Hull City boss Phil Brown hopes to sign Manchester City striker Benjani on loan in January, but only if the Eastlands club agree to pay half of the Zimbabwe star's £50,000-a-week wages.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have made an enquiry about signing £6m-rated Bari defender Leonardo Bonucci. (Daily Mail) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has put a £2m move to Newcastle on hold so he can help his side try to upset Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is planning a £3m bid for Leeds striker Robert Snodgrass. (The Sun) 
Everton manager David Moyes hopes to sign 17-year-old midfielder Maxime Lestienne from Belgian side Moucron. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth have invited Manchester City to make an offer for their £8m-rated defender Younes Kaboul.(Daily Mirror) 
Pompey boss Avram Grant has been told to sell at least £6m-worth of players in January to stop the club being declared bankrupt. Kaboul, David James Kevin-Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and David Nugent could all be up for grabs.(The Sun) 
Liverpool have held preliminary talks with Crystal Palace about signing highly-rated teenager Victor Moses. (Daily Star) 
Aston Villa have joined Liverpool and Tottenham in the chase for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, who could be available for around £8m.(The Guardian) 
Celtic have pulled out of a deal to sign Nafto Novopolotsk defender Dmitry Verkhovtsov after inviting the Belarus international over for a trial. (Daily Record) 
Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov is refusing to fund manager Csaba Laszlo's bid to sign Plymouth striker Steven Maclean and Charlton frontman Izale McLeod. (Daily Record)
Wigan have made a shock move to sign Ivory Coast centre half Steve Gohouri from German side Borussia Monchengladbach.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United striker Jamie Ward is set to sign a new deal despite interest from West Brom.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich are all chasing in-form Swindon striker Charlie Austin. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Bolton midfielder Peter Reid, currently assistant boss at Stoke, is being lined up as Wanderers' next manager after Gary Megson was sacked on Wednesday.(Daily Express) 
Reid could be installed on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.(The Times) 
Bolton will turn to Darren Ferguson as their next manager if they fail to persuade Burnley boss Owen Coyle to replace Megson. (Daily Telegraph)
Mark Hughes, sacked as Manchester City boss before Christmas, is not interested in the vacant Bolton job and Coyle and former Wigan boss Paul Jewell have also ruled out the possibility of taking charge at the Reebok Stadium.(Daily Mail) 
Megson is understood to be a major contender for the vacant managerial post at Sheffield Wednesday.(The Independent) 
Preston chairman Derek Shaw has admitted that Darren Ferguson is in the frame to succeed Alan Irvine, who was sacked earlier this week, as North End boss. Former Motherwell manager Jim Gannon is also believed to be on Shaw's shortlist. (The Sun) 
Doncaster boss Sean O'Driscoll is another of Shaw's targets to be the next Preston manager.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has told Jose Mourinho to forget any ideas of a shock return to Stamford Bridge, after the former Blues boss revealed he plans to take charge of an English club next season.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Former Wimbledon hardman Vinnie Jones has been offered $1m to team up with his old friend Paul Gascoigne in the next Celebrity Big Brother.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham look set to agree the £7m signing of Internacional's Brazilian midfielder Sandro on Sunday. (Daily Mirror )
Manchester United are considering a January transfer move for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mirror)
But Arsenal are also interested in the £15m-rated Bosnia striker as they look to replace injured forward Robin Van Persie. (The Sun)
United will sell Serbian winger Zoran Tosic and pass up on their option to sign his former team-mate Partizan Belgrade midfielder Adem Ljajic in order to free up funds to sign Dzeko.(Daily Mirror)
Or, United's decision to pull out of the £10m deal for Serbian 'superkid' Ljajic is because there are suggestions the Old Trafford club are suffering from a financial crisis.(Daily Star)
Meanwhile, United keeper Ben Foster will be sent out on loan in January in a bid to secure his place in England's World Cup squad.(Daily Mirror)
Manchester United are said to be considering a move for Schalke 04 keeper Manuel Neuer, according to the German player's agent. (Daily Mirror)
United will also listen to offers of around £10m for Portugal winger Nani who has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford. (The Sun)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been told to pay around £12m to sign Toulouse's France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Daily Mail)
The Gunners also expect to sign Juventude's Brazilian playmaker Zezinho in the new year after in impressed during a trial period in the summer. (Daily Mail)
Meanwhile Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos is set to quit the Premier League club and join Atletico Madrid in January. (The Sun)
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is tracking Leeds United's £6m-rated striker Jermaine Beckford.  (The Sun)
Portsmouth striker John Utaka is being lined up for a January loan move to Scottish Premier League side Celtic.(The Sun)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is considering a £1.5m bid for Watford keeper Scott Loach in January. (The Sun)
Birmingham are keen on Marseille strike duo Brandao and Mamadou Niang.(The Sun)
West Ham are in advanced talks with Bayern Munich's Italian striker Luca Toni. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Germany and Bayern Munich manager Jurgen Klinsmann is coy over speculation linking him with the Liverpool job. (The Sun)
Milton Keynes Dons manager Paul Ince is fighting to save his job at the League One club, despite only returning there in July. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has ruled out a big-money move to Manchester City because he wants his family to grow up as Scousers. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United staff have put the clocks forward by seven minutes at the club's training ground as they look to stop players turning up late for their 1000 GMT exercise session. (The Sun)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Newcastle United are willing to splash out £5m for Leeds forward Jermaine Beckford. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson could be in trouble with the Football Association for expressing his displeasure over referee Martin Atkinson after Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.
Disputing the free-kick that led to John Terry's headed goal and the failure to see Didier Drogba's foul on Wes Brown, Ferguson said: "You lose faith in the refereeing sometimes." (Various)(Guardian) 
Hull chairman Adam Pearson could be set to give manager Phil Brown until the end of the season to prove himself. 
With many predicting Brown's sacking on the back of Hull's poor run, the recently appointed chief said: "If you stay strong and dig in, then I think it is a decent solution."(The Sun) 
Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is being lined up to return to employment as manager at Brighton and Hove Albion. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe has revealed in a forthcoming book that David Beckham used to do everything for him.
On his former Old Trafford team-mate, Sharpe says: "He'd clean my shoes, make me cups of tea and even came in to one of my fan club afternoons." (The Sun)

Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has emerged as a £30m-target for Real Madrid next summer.(The Sun) 
Tottenham are battling it out with Inter Milan for 18-year-old Ghanaian full-back Gladson Awako.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are ready to embark on a £60m spending spree in January if Fifa suspend the transfer ban hanging over them, with Inter Milan's Patrick Vieira, Benfica winger Angel di Maria, Valencia's David Villa and Aston Villa's Emile Heskey all being considered.(Daily Express) 
Roma's Daniele de Rossi, Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero and Manchester City talisman Robinho could also be on Chelsea's shopping list in January with the Blues losing key men to the African Cup of Nations.(The Sun) 
Leeds have slapped a £3m price tag on striker Jermaine Beckford in a bid to keep him at Elland Road until the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal and AC Milan have joined the race to sign West Ham's Swiss utility man Valon Behrami.(Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez is receiving words of wisdom from Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish to try to resolve his problems at Anfield.(The Sun) 
Arsene Wenger admits he feels sorry he let West Ham's Matthew Upson leave Arsenal and says he has thought about bringing him back to the club.(The Independent) 
Mark Hughes has conceded that Manchester City defender Micah Richards has plateaued as a player and currently has little chance of forcing his way into Fabio Capello's plans for South Africa next summer.(Independent) 
Boss Fabio Capello insisted he would not be happy if England won a match courtesy of a dive by one of his players.(Daily Mail) 
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Michael Owen deserves a hero's reception when he runs out for Manchester United at Anfield tomorrow and has claimed the former Liverpool striker remains one of the best goalscorers in world football.(Daily Mail) 
Nemanja Vidic says he has put his Liverpool nightmares of last season behind him and is ready to restore his reputation as one of the Premier League's finest defenders.(Daily Mirror) 
Fabio Capello says the coaching style he hopes will inspire England to World Cup glory draws heavily from techniques he has picked up from interest in volleyball, baseball, rugby union and ice hockey.(Guardian) 
Rafa Benitez maintains he is the right man to lead Liverpool and believes his vision for the club will still result in a golden future.(Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United fans plan to arrive for their clash with Liverpool at Anfield sporting masks of United legend Eric Cantona, in reference to a banner unfurled in 1994 which read: "Au revoir, Cantona and Man United. Come back when you've won 18." Other fans plan to wear T-shirts showing former Kop idol Michael Owen celebrating a goal with the tag: "Welcome to Manchester".(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal have targeted Inter Milan frontman Mario Balotelli, with their scouts believed to have watched the £20m-rated star last week. Manager Arsene Wenger is also understood to be keen on Ajax's 21-year-old defender Gregory van der Wiel.(The Sun) 
The Gunners are also tracking Belgian 18-year-old midfielder Eden Hazard, who currently plays for French club Lille.(Daily Mirror) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford could be on for a shock move to Portuguese side Sporting Braga.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has begun talks with Bulgarian midfielder Martin Petrov over a new contract which expires next summer. (Daily Express) 
Aston Villa and Birmingham are going head-to-head in trying to grab the services of Cheltenham 18-year-old striker Theo Lewis. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool fans, unhappy with co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, are planning a 10,000-strong protest march on Sunday ahead of the Manchester United match.Fans' group Spirit of Shankly is believed to be drumming up support after hearing the Americans will be attending their crunch game. The Reds are on a run of four successive defeats for the Anfield club amid continuing unrest regarding the club's future.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina has been assured by referees' chief Keith Hackett that security staff at Anfield are on red alert to deal with any balloons and beach balls.(Daily Mail) 
England have tried to revive their bid to host the 2018 World Cup by including Germany captain Michael Ballack on the list of ambassadors. It is a list without any players from England's 1966 World Cup winning squad.(Daily Express) 
Sven Goran Eriksson's former assistant Hans Backe is favourite to replace Ian McParland as manager of Notts County. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina boss Diego Maradona has refused to say sorry for his outburst live on TV, aimed at the media who have criticised the team on their way to scraping into the World Cup finals.
"I don't regret it," he said. "I apologise to the ladies but not to those who talk about football on TV."(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham are lining up a £14m deal for Internacional's Brazilian midfielder Sandro, who is also a target for Spanish duo Real Madrid and Barcelona.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal are keeping tabs on 21-year-old Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel, who recently broke into the Netherlands team.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are monitoring England striker Emile Heskey's situation at Aston Villa. The 31-year-old is struggling to secure a regular first-team place at Villa Park but Rovers may come in to boost his hopes of clinching a berth in the 2010 World Cup squad. (The Sun) 
Chelsea want to sign Ghanaian striker Dominic Adiyiah, who plays for Fredrikstad FK in Norway, if the transfer ban at Stamford Bridge is lifted.(The Sun) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is ready to make Tottenham defender Gareth Bale one of the first signings of new Blues owner Carson Yeung's era in a £3m deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United are keen to make on-loan keeper Mark Bunn's move to Bramall Lane permanent after Paddy Kenny lost his appeal against a nine-month drugs ban.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are set to launch a bid to sign striker Jay Bothroyd from Cardiff if England forward Emile Heskey leaves in January. (Daily Star) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford is a surprise target for Portuguese side Benfica in the January transfer window. (Daily Star) 
Portsmouth are giving a trial to former Millwall and Plymouth striker Cherno Samba.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Tottenham managers Terry Venables and Ossie Ardiles believe that current Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will lead the club into the Champions League.(Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has ended his feud with midfielder Nigel Reo Coker. The pair had a training ground bust-up in September and Reo Coker has not started a game since but O'Neill hugged the 25-year-old in the dressing room before the draw with Manchester City on 5 October as an indication the incident was behind them.(Daily Mirror) 
Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan, whose Atletico Madrid side play Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday, says that the Blues have overtaken his former side Manchester United as the best team in the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has vowed to help under-fire defensive teammate Rio Ferdinand get back to his best with United and England.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton manager David Moyes has slammed the Football League for their lack of respect for the Carling Cup, suggesting sponsors Carling must ask serious questions about the way sides are being forced to field weaker teams in the early rounds due to commitments in other competitions.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has welcomed this summer's World Cup in South Africa as it provides extra incentive for his English players to perform for the Hammers this season.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea's Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, who switched from AC Milan in the summer, has joked that driving in England is tougher than managing the Blues. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway missed the first of Blackpool's three goals in their home win over Sheffield United last night, as he was on a 'comfort break'. "I missed that one. I get so nervous these days after a year off, I sank three bottles of water and my bladder isn't what it used to be," said Holloway, whose side are now just two points off the top of the Championship in fifth place. (Daily Mail)
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Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Sunderland have accepted a bid from Stoke City for defender Danny Collins. (Sky Sports) 
New Portsmouth recruit Tommy Smith has put in a good word for his former Watford team-mate Mike Williamson, after the defender was also linked with a move to Fratton Park. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Everton's bid to complete a loan deal for Valencia's Argentine midfielder Ever Banega (on photo) has hit problems because his club cannot find a replacement for the 21-year-old. (Daily Mail) 
But Moyes is set to seal a £5m deal for Atletico Madrid's 25-year-old Dutch defender John Heitinga, who arrives hot on the heels of £5.3m signing Sylvain Distin. (The Sun) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will swoop for Derby striker Rob Hulse to boost his forward line after Tuncay's departure to Stoke. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have told Zenit St Petersburg they are ready to accept £10m for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. (Daily Mail) 
Everton will ask Tottenham about taking David Bentley after being quoted £15m for the former Blackburn winger last week. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton could swoop for Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford for £3m, who would be free to leave Elland Road for nothing in the summer. (Independent) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has given his blessing for Andriy Shevchenko to leave the club before the close of the transfer window with the Ukrainian striker expected to rejoin his former club Dynamo Kiev. (Times) 
Newcastle want Everton striker James Vaughan on loan because Shola Ameobi faces a month on the sidelines with a foot injury. (The Sun)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is believed to have offered Nyron Nosworthy and Daryl Murphy as part of a deal for Hull defender Michael Turner. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan have launched an audacious bid to take Celtic's Australian striker Scott McDonald on loan for the rest of the season. (Daily Record) 
Newcastle will attempt to prevent Kevin Nolan from rejoining Bolton Wanderers after Gary Megson announced his intention to take the midfielder on loan. (Northern Echo) 
Sunderland could provide England goalkeeper David James with the escape route out of Portsmouth. (Independent) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsene Wenger has accused UEFA of a witch-hunt after they charged Eduardo with diving in the Champions League clash with Celtic. (The Sun) 
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned midfielders Anderson and Michael Carrick their places in the Manchester United squad are not guarenteed and they cannot afford to rest on their laurels. (The Times) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is the likely choice to boss Great Britain's 2012 Olympic team and and is becoming a serious contender to succeed Fabio Capello when he leaves the England job.(Daily Mirror) 
Fenerbahce's veteran Brazil defender Roberto Carlos has revealed he would like to team up with countryman Ronaldo at Corinthians once his contract at the Turkish club ends. (Goal.com) 
Goalkeeper David James will get an England recall at the expense of Paul Robinson. (Daily Star)
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has admitted he is surprised no club has yet bid for defender Brede Hangeland, but he is still keen to hang on to his prize asset. (Metro) 

AND FINALLY

Such is the condition of Ledley King's knees, the only way the Spurs captain can keep fit is by cycling in the gym and having a 20-minute run-out in training the day before a match. (Daily Mail)
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