Bolton - Chelsea

Really amazing stats, here. Coyle has been trying to make a fortress from home ground as he did in Burnley and he’s doing pretty well as Bolton have suffered just one home defeat of 11 Premier games (Liverpool 0-1), stopped Man Utd and defeated Spurs scoring four. On the other hand, Chelsea have been a bogy team for the Trotters. Both at home and away, Bolton have only one win out of 20 games and that came after Terry’s own goal in the last minute.  Even more, they lost last seven at home to nil.

Chelsea have only three wins on the road of eleven games which is quite shocking and they’re winless away from home in six games (four defeats). I’m not sure am I closer to believe Chelsea will bounce back trashing someone with 4/5-0, or they’ll simply sink with Ancelotti and stars which time has passed.

Definitely I can’t make a case for a serious bet. But with these odds, backing home side is more tempting. Will try with a small gamble, Bolton/Bolton ht/ft at 11 (various bookies) looks interesting.

Bet: Bolton/Bolton
Odd: 11.00 Betfred
Stake: 0.5/10

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea will match Manchester City in the battle for Liverpool's £50m-rated striker Fernando Torres. (the Sun) 
And Chelsea will make a £20m move to take Tottenham's Croatia midfielder Luka Modric to Stamford Bridge, allowing Portuguese midfielder Deco and out-of-contract winger Joe Cole to leave. (Daily Star) 
Manchester United hope to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema for £25m and could use defender Nemanja Vidic as a £10m makeweight in a deal for the France star.(the Sun) 
But Manchester United will not break their wage cap for Benzema, whose wage demands are almost £200,000 a week. (the Independent) 
Meanwhile, left-back Patrice Evra could leave Manchester United this summer, with Real Madrid and Inter Milan ready to pay £18m for the 28-year-old France international. (the Sun) 
And Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is planning a summer clear-out, with striker Dimitar Berbatov, midfielder Michael Carrick and midfielder Anderson all likely to be shown the door. (caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester City are weighing up an offer for Sunderland's £20m-rated striker Darren Bent as manager Roberto Mancini looks to shake up his forward line for next season.(caughtoffside.com) 
William Gallas could quit Arsenal on Tuesday if the France defender rejects the club's offer of a new contract. (the Sun) 
Meanwhile, newly promoted German Bundesliga side St Pauli are poised to offer Arsenal defender Sol Campbell a lucrative one-year contract. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are considering an £18m bid for Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano as Spurs manager Harry Redknapp targets a world-class forward to boost the club's chances in the Champions League next season.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham will sign Portsmouth goalkeeper David James on a free transfer this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton are lining up a £4m bid for Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj, 27. (the Sun) 
Blackburn are weighing up a £6.5m move for Bordeaux's Brazil winger Wendel.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves hope to sign Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane, 29, for £4m from French side Lens, once he has played in the FA Cup final for Portsmouth, where he is on loan. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are also set to pip West Bromwich Albion to the £2m signature of Belgium midfielder Jelle van Damme, who plays for Anderlecht. (Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is ready to make a move for Rangers' Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson, 25. (Daily Record) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Juventus are on the brink of ditching their plans to lure Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and are turning their attention to Sampdoria coach Luigi Del Neri. (Daily Mail) 
A Chinese multi-millionaire internet gaming tycoon from Shanghai has held provisional talks about buying Liverpool, although no offer has yet been tabled by Zhu Jun, founder of The9 Ltd. (the Independent) 
Wolfsburg expect to name former England boss Steve McClaren as their new manager. McClaren led FC Twente to the Dutch title this season. (Daily Mail)
Real Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano is the surprise new candidate to replace Gianfranco Zola at West Ham. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Arsenal defender Tony Adams has agreed a three-year contract to manage Azerbaijan side Qabala FC. (the Guardian)
Hull chairman Adam Pearson will wait a month before appointing a new manager at the club. Iain Dowie had a contract until the end of the season but would like the job on a permanent basis.(the Guardian) 
Coventry, who sacked manager Chris Coleman last week, will make a move to take Paul Hart from Crystal Palace to replace him.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry received a single-word text message from former Blues boss Jose Mourinho after winning the Premier League title, it read: "Champagne." (the Guardian)
www.bbc.co.uk

Chelsea-Inter

Well,I've been thinking a lot about this one.Main question for me is who has a bigger problem.

a)Turnbull-Chelsea
In my opinion,he's actually better option than Hilario,but this is not FA Cup and I'm not sure how he'll cope with the pressure.I have no doubt,Mourinho mentioned him in at least one interview just to make him additionally nervous.And his debut in CL (Apoel, 2-2 at home) wasn't so bright. Public say they're cursed.First Terry slipped in Moscow,then were robbed by that bold punk,this time maybe one Turnbull's mistake and 0-1 at the start.And I'm really scary when try to imagine Turnbull with Sneijder,Eto'o or Milito in one picture.

b)Defence line-Inter
It's not the same game.Pulling the shirt is a yellow card,everywhere except in Italy.Kicking in the someone's legs in 16 metres is penalty.Karate kick in the stomach is a red card.Referee is German and I'm not sure how much Maicon,Lucio,Samuel and Zanetti can follow this rules when face Drogba or Anelka for example.With Ballack even more harder.

I have no doubt for which side I'll cheer up,for Chelsea.Their advantage is team quality.They play as a squad,not like a bunch of spoiled stars.On the other side...You can love him or hate him,but he's simply genius.Jose Mourinho will be biggest strength for Inter.1.60 for a home win?Why then you don't bet on -1 ah at 2.05-2.15?What's the possibility for end with one goal margin for Chelsea?

Eventually,I've concluded there's no reason to be nervous about a game like this.Pint of a beer and enjoying in tv coverage.Also,I'm sure this game can not end peacefully.No chance.My bet will be on a red card.

Cheers,

Dule

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery admits Chelsea are "very interested" in him and expects his future to be decided before the end of March. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan are weighing up a move for Egypt's right-back Ahmed Al-Muhammadi after he impressed against England last week.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa are the latest club to monitor Cardiff City full-back Adam Matthews, with Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal also interested in the 18-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Rochdale can look forward to a predicted £1m windfall from the sale of centre-half Craig Dawson, who is being tracked by Tottenham and Fulham.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea captain John Terry's celebration of his goal against Stoke, in which he rolled up his shirt sleeve and pointed to his captain's armband, dominates the back pages. Selections include: "Terry Up In Arms" (Daily Star), "Barmy Army" (Daily Mirror) and "Listen To The Band" (The Sun).
Manchester United defender Wes Brown fears his World Cup dream is over after breaking a bone in his left foot.(Daily Mail) 
Manager Rafael Benitez has assured Alberto Aquilani that he is not the "forgotten man of Liverpool", despite having to sacrifice the Italian midfielder's adjustment to English football in the race for a critical place in next season's Champions League.(The Guardian) 
AC Milan midfielder David Beckham believes the Italian club can cause a surprise at Old Trafford on Wednesday and knock Manchester United out of the Champions League, despite losing the first leg 3-2 in the San Siro. (Daily Mail) 
The battle for control of Manchester United is expected to intensify this week with the appointment of official banking advisers to the Red Knights, the group of City financiers who are trying to seize control of the club.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes all Premier League managers will eventually be foreign.(Daily Telegraph) 
The Football Association may withhold the £600,000 prize money and television income that Portsmouth have earned by reaching the FA Cup semi-finals, then divert it to pay off some of the £3m in transfer fees Pompey owe to other clubs.(The Times) 
That, however, may be the least of Portsmouth's problems. The FA may dump the club out of the entire Cup competition as a result of their debts.(Daily Express) 
Wigan's Victor Moses may opt to join Nigeria's World Cup squad after being overlooked by Stuart Pearce for the England Under-21 team.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham's new owners will offer goalkeeper Robert Green an improved contract in a bid to keep the England player at Upton Park.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Fabio Capello's love of golf is one of the reasons the Italian wants to stay on as England coach for the next two years. The former AC Milan boss has become addicted to the sport since arriving in the country and now plays a couple of times a week.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Theo Walcott has explained that his goal celebration against Burnley, which involved pointing to an imaginary watch on his wrist, was an attempt to dodge a fine for missing the team bus. "I was late for the bus the night before, so that's why I was pointing to a watch," he said. "I probably will get a fine but I'll take it. I shouldn't be late but I just got caught in traffic. Maybe it will be forgotten about now!"(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Monday gossip

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich are set to open negotiations with their French star Franck Ribery as the Bundesliga side bid to stop the midfielder leaving for Real Madrid or Manchester United.(IMScouting)
Birmingham City are interested in signing Kris Boyd from Rangers, with Blues set to send scouts to see the striker play for Scotland against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Arsenal have become the latest Premier League club to monitor West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans (on photo), who is believed to command a price tag of £6m. (Daily Mail)
John Rooney, the 19-year-old younger brother of Manchester United superstar Wayne, will have a second trial for Nigel Clough's Derby County this week.(Various)
Liverpool's highly-rated new 15-year-old striker, Raheem Sterling, who has been signed from QPR, was enticed to Anfield with a £300,000 contract offer. (Daily Mirror)
Sheffield United and Carlisle are both chasing York City striker Richard Brodie, who is joint top-scorer in the Blue Square Premier league with 20 goals so far this season. (The Sun)
Burnley manager Brian Laws wants to sign 29-year-old Cameroon international winger Salomon Olembe, who is a free agent after leaving Turkish team Kayserispor. (Daily Mirror)
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OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea defender John Terry is seething over Craig Bellamy's insults, directed at the former England captain after Manchester City's 4-2 win on Saturday, saying: "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."(Various)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is keen to leave the Italian club to take over as the Real Madrid manager, should current boss Manuel Pellegrini be sacked by the Spanish giants, according to Spanish daily Sport.(IMScouting)
Aaron Ramsey's broken leg is not as bad as the fracture suffered by team-mate Eduardo, and the Wales international could return for the north Londoners in only six months' time.(Daily Mirror)
Midfielder Jack Wilshere will not be recalled prematurely to Arsenal from his loan spell with Bolton, despite his club-mate Ramsey's injury which has reduced Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's options in the centre of midfield. (Daily Mirror)
AC Milan midfielder Alexandre Pato may miss his team's Champions League second leg tie against Manchester United on 10 March after the Brazilian international hurt his right thigh in the Rossoneri's 3-1 Serie A victory over Atalanta on Sunday. (Daily Mail)
Blackburn striker El-Hadji Diouf was warned by police following his confrontation with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, which spilled into the tunnel at half-time, during the home side's 2-1 Premier League win at Anfield on Sunday.(Daily Mirror)
Cardiff City boss Dave Jones is considering leaving the financially stricken Championship club in the summer after being told by chairman Peter Ridsdale that he must sell players and rely on free transfers in the close-season.(Daily Mirror)
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone will have a scan on his right foot on Monday after leaving White Hart Lane on crutches following Spurs' 2-1 victory over Everton. (The Daily Telegraph)
Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey has branded Southend manager Steve Tilson "a total disgrace" for claiming that he feigned injury in the incident which led to the sending off of the Shrimpers' Jean Francois Christophe in the Addicks' 2-1 away win on Saturday. (Daily Mirror)
England coach Fabio Capello, Liverpool's Rafael Benitez and Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli all feature on a Juventus shortlist to replace Alberto Zaccheroni at the Turin club in the summer. (IMScouting)
Celtic have lodged an appeal with the Scottish FA over Scott Brown's red card in Sunday's Old Firm derby defeat.(Daily Record)
Southampton have been given a record 44,000 ticket allocation for their Johnstone's Paint Trophy final against Carlisle at Wembley on 28 March. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Saturday's Stamford Bridge referee Mike Dean reversed the pre-match handshake protocol by asking Manchester City captain Shay Given to lead his away team down the Chelsea line, thereby avoiding an even more embarrassing situation for John Terry which would have seen the home skipper standing in front of Wayne Bridge demanding a reaction. (Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

dark saturday

Chelsea 2-4 Man City

Manchester City inflicted Chelsea's first home Premier League defeat this season in a game which began with Wayne Bridge refusing John Terry's handshake.
Frank Lampard's low strike put Chelsea ahead but Carlos Tevez equalised after a long ball was not dealt with, before Craig Bellamy shot beyond Hilario. 
Tevez scored a penalty after Juliano Belletti saw red for a trip on Gareth Barry before a Bellamy tap-in. 
Michael Ballack also saw red and Lampard scored a consolation penalty. 
City had failed to score in their previous seven visits to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea had only conceded eight at home in the Premier League all season. 
But those statistics were rendered meaningless on an afternoon of triumph for City coach and former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, who pitted his wits in the Premier League for the first time against ex-AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti. 
City saw their hopes of silverware this season ended by their FA Cup defeat at Stoke in midweek but they boosted their prospects of a top-four finish by completing the double over Chelsea for the first time since 1957.
With Manchester United not in league action this weekend, victory would have taken Chelsea four points clear at the top of the Premier League. 
But it was a disastrous afternoon for Ancelotti, whose side had only dropped points in one previous home game this season, a 3-3 draw with Everton. 
What's more, his team lacked discipline after the break and were vulnerable in defence, with Hilario looking particularly suspect.
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Swansea 1 - 0 Peterborough

David Cotterill extended promotion-chasing Swansea City's unbeaten run to 12 games and pushed bottom club Peterborough closer to relegation.
Cotterill struck from the spot after Charlie Lee brought him down. 
Nathan Dyer had an effort cleared off the line while keeper Joe Lewis denied Ferrie Bodde and Lee Trundle. 
Lee Frecklington put a header wide for the Posh but Swansea's biggest worry was the injuries to midfielder duo Bodde and Darren Pratley. 
Bodde was making his return from five months out with a knee problem and the Dutchman's exit after just 28 minutes raised question marks as to whether he was ready to play. 
It was the third time in 15 months Bodde has suffered an injury to his left knee. In November 2008 he suffered cruiciate ligament damage and then broke down after eight minutes of his starting return against Sheffield United last September. 606: DEBATE 
Give your thoughts on Swansea v Peterborough 
The double-blow will add to manager Paulo Sousa's midfield woes with Joe Allen, Andrea Orlandi and Jordi Lopez already sidelined. 
But the fourth-placed Swans kept their focus on the job in hand and are seven points off an automatic promotion spot and eight ahead of Sheffield United in seventh. 
Peterborough remain 10 points adrift of safety and winless on the road.
www.bbc.co.uk

Chelsea - Man City

Chelsea played an exhausting match in Italy at Wednesday, but Man.Utd. are on just point behind and they have to continue collecting the points. Good thing is they, despite a defeat, made a good result. At Stamford they have a brilliant record in Premier with 12 wins from 13 games (and draw vs. Everton 3-3), scored 38 goals and conceded just 8! Bad thing is they lost Cech for at least a month and Hilario will take his place. There’s nothing much to say about Chelsea and their shape. They’re most quality team in Premier, playing without turbulence through the season and they’re desperate to win. Beside mentioned Cech, Ancelotti will miss Bosingwa, Deco, Essien and Ashley Cole. In last 8 games against City at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won 7 and drew one game with goal difference 20-1!

It seems the “honeymoon” for Mancini in Manchester has been finished as they won just once in last six competitive games. Considering their players’ quality they should be just behind Chelsea, but problem is motivation, as they could attract only specific kind of players that evaluate material motives (money) before sport’s. Robinho for example has already left the club, while Adebayor looks bored and not interested (got 4 games ban at Stoke and won’t appear, btw.). There’s also unrest in the dressing room between Mancini and the players. Started with Bellamy (who else?), continue with other players who are dissatisfied with training sessions and progress with Tevez’ trip to Argentina. Tevez has returned to England and will play, but was accused from Mancini for lack of fitness (got response “I don’t care”). This issue is getting on importance as Argentinean is the best goal scorer with 19 goals, second is Adebayor with 9 and with Bellamy that’s almost all attacking potential for Citizens. Also, the reason for Tevez’ trip to home was his wife who just had a birth before the date and his concentration today will be questionable. City also played a game at Wednesday and were knocked from the Cup at Stoke after 120 minutes. Their away shape isn’t something to be proud on as they have won just one of their last 11 league matches on the road. 

This game will also have a tension as “old friends”, Terry and Bridge will have to face each other which could include rest of the players. As the result I can see few more yellow cards and maybe one red on the visitors side (can’t to not think on Bellamy). Considering all, this game is a derby only on a paper. The Blues are hard favorites and anything less than a win with 2-3 goals margin would be a first class surprise. Odd isn’t too high, but considering the risk looks adequate. Home win with -1 asian handicap.

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona defender Dani Alves has ruled out a move to Chelsea but has admitted to being flattered with their reported interest in him.(The Independent) 
Former Notts County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson had planned on luring LA Galaxy and England midfielder David Beckham to Meadow Lane as a part of ex-owners Munto Finance's ambitious plans for the club. This was before the full extent of the financial problems at Notts became clear and Munto sold the club.(Daily Telegraph) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge quit England because of ex-Chelsea team-mate John Terry's failure to apologise over his alleged affair with his former partner, Vanessa Perroncel.(Daily Mail) 
England coach Fabio Capello will try to persuade left-back Bridge to change his mind and join the Italian's World Cup squad for South Africa this summer. (Various) 
Everton left-back Leighton Baines is likely to benefit from Bridge's decision to quit the national squad by being given a call-up to face Egypt in a friendly on Wednesday 3 March. First-choice left-back Ashley Cole is out after undergoing surgery on a broken foot.(Daily Star) 
Alternatively, Capello could turn to Aston Villa left-back Stephen Warnock, who has recovered early from a shin injury that threatened to end his season.(Daily Express) 
"Friends" of Terry claim Bridge has long been considered a "bottler" in the dressing room as the bad feeling between the pair shows no sign of abating.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott is set to deputise for Tottenham's Aaron Lennon on the right wing for England's friendly against Egypt in five days time.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is definitely out of his side's Champions League second leg match at Old Trafford against AC Milan on 10 March.(Daily Mail) 
Bournemouth have been served another winding-up petition by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, with a hearing set for 31 March over an outstanding debt of £314,000 the club owes in tax.(Bournemouth Echo) 
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has returned from compassionate leave in Argentina following the premature birth of his second daughter, and is in contention to face Chelsea on Saturday. (Daily Mail) 
Roberto Mancini's tenure at Manchester City is coming under intense boardroom scrutiny for the first time after a run of two wins in eight matches. The Italian was only appointed to the City job in December last year.(Daily Mail) 
The Football Association is considering switching the majority of FA Cup matches to midweek to make it "more relevant".(Daily Mail) 
Neil Warnock has moved a step closer to becoming the new QPR boss after beginning compensation talks with current employers Crystal Palace. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

England boss Fabio Capello's World Cup worries for the summer tournament in South Africa mounted last night as it emerged the England WAGs are planning their own base-camp 15 miles from the squad's Rustenburg headquarters.(Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are monitoring the progress of 18-year-old Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen after receiving a recommendation from former Gunners striker Dennis Bergkamp.(Daily Mirror) 
Guinea international Kamil Zayatte wants to quit Hull during the summer and is targeting a move to Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League, despite claiming that Manchester City and Arsenal are keen to sign him.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton are eyeing a trio of players from Norweigan club Molde. Defenders Knut Olav Rindaroy, Magne Simonsen and Vegard Forren have all impressed the club's scouts.(imscouting.com) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Wayne Bridge is considering ruling himself out of England's World Cup plans because he cannot stand the prospect of sharing a dressing room with Chelsea defender John Terry, who is alleged to have had an affair with the Manchester City defender's former girlfriend.(The Guardian) 
England manager Fabio Capello will be at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to watch Terry's Chelsea take on Bridge's Manchester City.(The Guardian) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes defender Rio Ferdinand may have to re-evaluate his international career and limit his appearances amid growing concerns over his recurring back problems.(The Guardian) 
Ferdinand could still be fit to play in the Carling Cup final on Sunday and is likely to lead England in next week's friendly against Egypt.(Daily Star) 
Robin van Persie could return from his ankle injury in early April, according to Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk. The Arsenal striker had been expected to miss the rest of the season after rupturing ligaments on international duty in November.(The Independent) 
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says he would love to play with his former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney again one day.(imscouting.com) 
Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz says Rooney is still not in the same class as Ronaldo, despite the ex-Everton star's heroics this season.(The Times) 
West Ham sporting director Gianluca Nani is set to leave the club in the next 24 hours as new owners David Sullivan and David Gold continue to trim the club's huge debts. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth owner Balram Chainrai is likely to have his £17m loans to the club repaid in full if Pompey go into administration, while other creditors like Sacha Gaydamak bear the cost of the Premier League outfit's meltdown. (Daily Telegraph) 
Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie insists he will not be sacked if the club go into administration.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth's Serbian defender Dusko Tosic is ready to leave the club on a free transfer after the Premier League withheld his registration.(Daily Mail) 
Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant was sent home from training by Real Zaragoza after showing up late for the third time in two weeks.(Daily Mail) 

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AND FINALLY

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was quizzed about why he has put on weight since the Reds' Champions League triumph in 2005 during a bizarre press conference in Bucharest, prior to the Europa League last-32 return leg with Unirea Urziceni. "It is the stress of having to answer so many questions from the press," said the Spaniard. "Thank you and goodnight."(Daily Mail)
Everton duo Joseph Yobo and Yakubu were kicked off the club's flight to Lisbon on Wednesday because officials were unhappy with their documents. The Nigerian pair eventually took a late-night flight via Amsterdam with Toffees fans ahead of the Europa League clash with Sporting.(Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are budgeting for a £60m summer deal for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. (Sunday Mirror) 
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has revealed he snubbed offers to join Chelsea and Manchester City last summer.(News of the World) 
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic could be a summer target for Manchester City.(Sunday Times) 
And United are believed to be lining up Palermo's £10m-rated Danish defender Simon Kjaer as a replacement for Vidic. (News of the World) 
Also attracting United's interest is Bolton midfielder Mark Davies - although they face a battle with Liverpool for the 21-year-old.(News of the World) 
Yet another transfer target for United is striker Karim Benzema, who appears to be out of favour at Real Madrid and could be available for £18m. (News of the World) 
Blackburn are interested in Manchester City striker Benjani, who is currently on loan at Sunderland. (News of the World)
Everton boss David Moyes has put Nedum Onuoha at the top of his wanted list, and is ready to offer £4m for the Manchester City defender. (News of the World) 
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips' future is up in the air after a breakdown in contract talks at the club. (News of the World)
Arsenal have beaten Liverpool and Tottenham to the signing of Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh, who will join them in the summer on a fee transfer but will still cost them £16m in wages and add-ons. (Various) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is hoping to secure a permanent deal for on-loan striker Christian Benitez to ward off interest from West Ham.(The People) 
Hull are lining up a double swoop for Derby's right-back Nicky Hunt and midfielder Paul Green. (The People) 
Blackburn are chasing Standard Liege's Congo international striker Dieumerci Mbokani. (The People)
Lokomotiv Moscow are planning to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko . (The People) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed he would happily splash £20m on Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli in the summer. (Daily Star)
Mancini is also chasing Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini, who plays at centre-back and has seven caps for Italy. (Daily Star Sunday) 
West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami has yet to sign a new deal at the club and could be tempted to return to Italy with Palermo. (Daily Star Sunday)
Portsmouth are interested in signing ex-Blackburn striker Shabani Nonda, who has left Galatasaray. (Daily Star Sunday) 
Arsenal defender William Gallas has been targeted by AC Milan, with the Italians hoping to land the centre-back on a free transfer in the summer. (Daily Star Sunday)
Birmingham and Wigan are fighting it out to sign Real Mallorca striker Aritz Aduriz. (Daily Star Sunday) 
Chelsea are monitoring 16-year-old Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku, despite his father insisting his son will not be allowed to leave Belgium before he turns 18.(Mail on Sunday) 
The Blues are also keen on Newcastle centre-back Steven Taylor and are ready to pay £9m to secure his signature. (Sunday Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United's 39-year-old goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar looks set to sign a new one-year contract worth £5m.(Mail on Sunday) 
West Ham co-owner David Gold has come out in support of rivals Portsmouth, saying the Premier League should not let the south coast club go out of business.(Mail on Sunday) 
Stoke City's Matthew Etherington admits to having squandered £1.5m gambling on horse racing, greyhounds and in card schools.(Mail on Sunday) 
Everton have put a £30m price tag on teenager Jack Rodwell in a bid to keep interest from Manchester United at bay.(Sunday Mirror) 
Wayne Bridge is set to snub John Terry and refuse to shake his hand when the pair come face-to-face for Chelsea's home match against Manchester City. Only 24 hours later, the pair are due to meet up again for an England squad get-together. (The People) 
Neil Warnock is ready to walk out on crisis club Crystal Palace to take over as a manager of QPR. (The People) 
Gianfranco Zola is considering his future as West Ham manager as he is so incensed by remarks made by the club's new co-owner David Sullivan over wage cuts.(The People) 
Wigan's Paul Scharner is ready to quit the club when his contract runs out in the summer, with Fulham and Stoke believed to be keen on him. (The People) 
Hull midfielder George Boateng is to be rewarded with an offer of a new deal at the club after turning around his season since he was stripped of the captaincy. (The People)
Portsmouth could be sold off for as little as £1. New owner Balram Chainrai is desperate to offload the club and wants only to recover the £17m he is owed and to ensure that other debts of £60m are met.(Sunday Express) 
City banker Keith Harris is confident funds can be raised to buy the Glazer family out of their ownership of Manchester United by the end of the season - if the Americans are willing to sell.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former Scotland boss Craig Brown is on being targeted by Nigeria, who are looking for a manager to lead them in this summer's World Cup in South Africa. (Star on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

Ronaldo says never say never to a return to Manchester United as he reveals how he misses his Old Trafford "family". (News of the World) 
Football could become the first sport in the country to be controlled by a state-appointed regulator in the wake of a run of financial crises that have beset a number of leading clubs. (Sunday Telegraph)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh says he would prefer to join Arsenal over Liverpool in the summer. Chamakh's contract with the French club finishes at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is to reject a new contract at Arsenal and instead join Spanish side Barcelona. (Spanish newspaper Sport)
Everton striker James Vaughan will be allowed to leave the club on loan this week, with Derby County and Coventry both interested in the 21-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth could be welcoming their fifth owner of a turbulent season after executive director Mark Jacob revealed that "two or three groups" have approached the board.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Sacked England captain John Terry has phoned new skipper Rio Ferdinand to offer the Manchester United defender his support. (The Sun) 
A study of more than 100,000 fouls in domestic, European and international football has shown that referees are more likely to penalise taller players than their shorter opponents. (The Guardian) 
Robinho made a dream debut on his return to Brazilian team Santos by coming off the bench to score the winning goal against Sao Paulo.(Daily Mail) 
Joshua, the 13-year-old son of football legend Pele, has started training with Santos, his father's former club and the current team of Robinho. (Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

JOHN TERRY GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello told John Terry to "get some help" for issues in his private life when he axed the Chelsea defender as his skipper on Friday.(News of the World) 
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge, who has been in the spotlight over allegations that his former girlfriend had a relationship with Terry, is still part of Capello's plans and will be selected for the friendly with Egypt on 3 March.(Sunday Mirror) 
John Terry could take some time out of the game to try and resolve issues in his private life.(Sunday Express) 
Capello sacked Terry to protect the Chelsea defender amid concerns about the impact the continued media pressure would have on the player.(Sunday Telegraph) 

.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants Everton star Jack Rodwell to come to Old Trafford in the summer.(News of the World) 
But Ferguson has lost out to Real Madrid in the race to sign Racing Santander's 18-year-old Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales.(The People) 
Liverpool's Martin Skrtel is an £8m summer target for Italian Serie A side Juventus.(News of the World) 
Juventus are also planning a £13m raid for Tottenham defender Gareth Bale.(The People) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is prepared to let Stephen Ireland leave Eastlands in the summer, which will alert the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs.(Daily Mail) 
Mancini says he is planning a bid for Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli, who has repeatedly clashed with his manager Jose Mourinho.(News of the World) 
Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh says he wants to join Arsenal when his contract expires in the summer.(imscouting.com) 
Stoke striker James Beattie was close to a £2m move to Fulham in January but his demands for £60,000 a week scuppered the deal.(Sunday Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is preparing to offload £20m of talent in the summer. Anton Ferdinand, Kieran Richardson and Kenwyne Jones - who were all bought by previous boss Roy Keane - will be the ones to leave.(News of the World) 
Everton, Liverpool and Spurs are all in the chase for Hull's 19-year-old midfield starlet Tom Cairney.(Sunday Mirror) 
West Ham defender Matthew Upson will be sold in the summer.(The People) 
Chelsea could make a move for Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic at the end of the season.(Sunday Mirror) 
Birmingham's loan striker Christian Benitez says he wants to join the club on a permanent basis.(The People) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal will offer Cesc Fabregas a £30m deal in a bid to keep the talismanic captain at the north London club.(Sunday Mirror) 
Jose Mourinho could buy himself out of his £5.5m contract with Inter Milan to make a return to the Premier League.(News of the World) 
Chelsea are ready to axe goalkeeper Petr Cech from the first team at the end of the season if his form does not improve.(The People) 
Manchester City striker Benjani failed medicals at West Ham and Blackburn before sealing a loan switch to Sunderland.(The People) 
Aston Villa's James Milner has done enough to impress Capello and looks set to be included in his World Cup squad. (News of the World) 
But Adam Johnson's chance of joining him could be on the line if the young winger does not get enough games at his new club, Manchester City.(Mail on Sunday) 
Johnson almost joined rivals United in January. The former Middlesbrough player was given a secret tour of United's training ground and met with Sir Alex Ferguson but the Premier League champions did not follow up their interest.(The People) 
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has replaced Terry as England skipper, has been visiting a specialist sports physician in an attempt to save his career. (News of the World) 
And Ferdinand is ready to drop his fight against a Football Association ban in order to keep in with Capello.(Sunday Times) 
Manchester United fans are preparing to boycott season tickets in their protest against the club's owners.(Mail on Sunday) 
Manchester City forward Robinho, currently on loan at Brazilian side Santos, is paying £10,000 a week on security amid fears he could be targeted by kidnappers.(Sunday Mirror) 
Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz was involved in an altercation with a television reporter at Lisbon airport en route to the draw for the Euro 2010 qualifiers.(Sunday Times) 

AND FINALLY

Beleaguered Portsmouth are facing more troubles after they failed to pay their overdue electricity bill. (News of the World) 
Tottenham failed to sign goalkeeper Asmir Begovic last month because of an appointment mix-up. The Bosnian player was set to join Spurs in a £2m deal from Portsmouth but was not too happy at meeting rival Stipe Pletikosa, who was also having a medical at the same time. Begovic pulled out of the move and joined Stoke instead.(Sunday Mirror) 
In a bid to raise morale at Manchester United, the ruling Glazer family will treat staff to a day out at the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa later this month.(News of the World)
www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has not ruled out a move to England. He said: "Last season, I had many possibilities with Manchester United, Real, Barcelona or Chelsea. I hope I'll have the same ones plus Bayern next summer."(The Sun) 
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has declared his love for London, and Barcelona. He said: "All of my life I have been dressing the Barca colours. I had to leave and I have seen also other things that I have enjoyed a lot. When I retire from football, I will live in Barcelona. But I love London a lot, me and my family love London." (Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool are confident of beating AC Milan and Valencia to the signature of Milan Jovanovic, who is available on a free transfer from Standard Liege in the summer.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United could offer a contract to Sogndal defender Even Hovland, who has been on trial with the club. Everton are also interested in the 20-year-old Norwegian.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa midfielder Isaiah Osbourne is set to join Queens Park Rangers when the loan window reopens next week.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Deco has accused Arsenal of being Premier League bottlers ahead of Sunday's crunch game between the sides at Stamford Bridge.(The Sun) 
And Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his young side have a mental problem when they come up against the likes of Chelsea or Manchester United.(The Sun) 
Wenger believes that finishing third in the Premier League is better achievement than winning the FA Cup.(Daily Telegraph) 
Everton boss David Moyes believes his side has been in the shadow of city rivals Liverpool because there has been years of overspending at Anfield.(Daily Star) 
Just hours before facing cash-strapped Portsmouth, Manchester United's boss expressed his sympathies for Pompey boss Avram Grant. Sir Alex Ferguson said: "When you see what's happening there, you have to feel for him. It can't be easy. How he's coping, you can only imagine."(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has not yet been officially told that he is replacing John Terry as England captain.(The Sun) 
Terry is poised to lose £20m in sponsorship revenue over the next four years after being stripped of the England captaincy.(The Sun) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has warned winger Morten Gamst Pedersen, who has been linked with a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce, not to string the club along during contract talks.(Daily Mirror) 
Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies is angry that his club's transfer panel, headed by former Tottenham manager David Pleat, did not sign anyone during the January transfer window despite bids for Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses and Swansea midfielder Darren Pratley.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Birmingham keeper Joe Hart is willing to take a penalty if selected for England at the World Cup. He said: "Stuart Pearce saw me take one in the semi-final of the European Under 21 Championship last summer. Fortunately, I scored. But I'd happily take one again."(Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are piling the pressure on Arsenal, with the Spanish giants planning a £40m summer swoop for midfielder Cesc Fabregas.(The Sun) 
Barcelona are also interested in another Gunners player, midfielder Emmanuel Eboue. (The Sun) 
Fulham are to battle it out with Arsenal for QPR's 15-year-old striker Raheem Sterling.(Daily Mirror) 
Crisis club Portsmouth face the loss of striker Aruna Dindane in the next week - if French side Lens do not receive the £3.5m owed for his transfer.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen will consider his future at the club if he is dropped in favour of new arrival Asmir Begovic on Saturday. (The Sun) 
Birmingham midfielder Gary McSheffrey will make his loan move to Leeds permanent if the Elland Road outfit are promoted to the Championship this season. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United's England Under-20 midfielder Matty James is set to join Preston on loan. (Daily Mirror) 
Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery has set a March deadline for deciding his future at the club. Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all shown an interest in the winger. (The Times) 
Preston defender Sean St Ledger has blasted club chairman Derek Shaw for denying him a dream move to Celtic.(Daily Record) 
Liverpool are hoping to bring 14-year-old Danish forward Alexander Jacobsen, who is at FC Copenhagen, into their academy. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello will give Chelsea defender John Terry the chance to quit as England captain following newspaper revelations about his private life.(The Sun) 
Capello's hopes of having Owen Hargreaves fit for the World Cup finals have suffered another blow after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson removed the midfielder from his Champions League squad. (The Times) 
Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, who has so far lent Portsmouth £20m, is exercising his right to seize control after the cash-strapped club failed to honour their repayments to him.(The Sun) 
Chainrai has taken over the 90% shareholding held by Ali Al Faraj to become Portsmouth's fourth owner in a year. (The Guardian) 
Manchester City have rejected Real Madrid's claims that they scuppered a last-minute £16.3m transfer for midfielder Fernando Gago.(The Independent) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs believes team-mate Wayne Rooney is about to join Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid duo Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in being seen as the best players in the world. (Daily Star) 
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, who is on loan at AC Milan, has signed up for an Italian cookery course. "It's something I've always wanted to do," said the former England captain. (Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are on the verge of a deal to sign Milan Jovanovic on a free transfer in the summer after further talks with the Standard Liege and Serbia striker. (The Times) 
Arsenal are set to beat Tottenham in the race to sign centre-half Stefan Savic from BSK Borca after the 19-year-old Serb completed a 10-day trial with the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Barcelona vice-president Alfons Godall has stepped up the pressure on Arsenal by insisting that Gunners midfielder Cesc Fabregas will end up at the Nou Camp "sooner or later".(The Sun) 
Manchester United are still interested in Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Canales, who is also wanted by Real Madrid. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham did not sign striker Roman Pavlyuchenko during the January transfer window because Tottenham increased their asking price to £12m at the last minute.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City are lining up a summer bid for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez.( imscouting.com) 
Cash-strapped Portsmouth have replaced Tottenham-bound Younes Kaboul with former Spurs defender Ricardo Rocha.(Daily Mirror) 
Pompey are also closing in on deal for Serbia defender Dusko Tosic.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello is expected to retain Chelsea defender John Terry as his captain when the pair meet on Friday, unless there are more allegations about his private life.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Capello is concerned that more revelations will come out this weekend and will delay making a decision on Terry's captaincy until Sunday at the very earliest.(The Independent) 
And senior officials at the Football Association have told Capello that Terry should not continue as England skipper.(Daily Telegraph) 
Chelsea are ready to give Terry some time off to get him out of the media firing line, while the club employed extra security to control members of the paparazzi outside the team hotel for the Premier League match with Hull on Tuesday evening.(The Times) 
Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr have less than six months to secure the £100m investment demanded by their creditors or they run the risk of being forced to put the club up for sale.(The Times) 
And Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has been asked about his future plans by Real Madrid.( imscouting.com) 
Former Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak will not force the cash-strapped club into administration despite Pompey missing a deadline to pay a £9.5m instalment on the £30m he claims he is owed.(The Guardian) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville has been frozen out at Old Trafford following his touchline gesture to Manchester City's Carlos Tevez during last month's Carling Cup semi-final first leg.(The Sun) 
Stoke midfielder Matthew Etherington insists he is winning his fight to overcome a gambling addiction and has been given a pay rise by the club to help him pay off debts that spiralled to £800,000.(Daily Mail)
Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate is concerned that he may have to quit football as he battles to overcome the long-term groin injury that has restricted him to only three Premier League games this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who has been out injured since September 2008, could make a return to the squad for the Champions League tie with AC Milan if he completes a week of full training.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Burnley boss Brian Laws says he felt like X-Factor judge Simon Cowell as he auditioned new players to come to the club during the January transfer window.(Daily Mirror) 
Carlos Tevez says the infamous 'Welcome to Manchester' poster, which caused so much controversy following his move from United to City over the summer, is now on a wall at his home in Argentina. (The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal midfielder and captain Cesc Fabregas is set to rejoin Barcelona in the summer. The 22-year-old Spaniard is contracted to the Gunners until the end of the 2013/2014 campaign but is unhappy with the team's lack of ambition. (Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo)
Paris St Germain's bid to sign Manchester United midfielder Anderson fell through because the French club were reluctant to pay the Brazilian's wages.(Daily Mail)
Sunderland missed out on landing Egypt winger Ahmed Al-Muhammadi after his club ENPPI rejected the Black Cats' bid of £2m.(Daily Mail) 
One of the most unusual deals on deadline day was Mido's move to West Ham - where he will be on the lowest wages for a player in the Premier League. The Egypt striker signed on a six-month loan from Middlesbrough for £1,000 a week and Hammers owner David Sullivan called the deal "one of the most amazing of all time".(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Beleaguered Chelsea defender John Terry will tell England manager Fabio Capello that he will not relinquish the captain's armband for the national team.(Daily Mirror) 
However, others report the Chelsea centre-half is considering resigning as skipper of England ahead of talks with Capello on Friday. It follows newspaper allegations of an affair with the former girlfriend of England team-mate Wayne Bridge.(The Independent)
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge could be on the verge of quitting international football following the fall-out of Terry's alleged affair with his ex-girlfriend.(The Times) 
David Beckham has revealed his thoughts on returning to Old Trafford in an AC Milan shirt ahead of this month's Champions League clash. The England midfielder, on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy, said: "The thought of playing United always gives me that sick feeling because I missed the club so much."(Daily Express) 
Midfielder Park Ji-Sung has warned Chelsea that Manchester United will not capitulate as the Premier League title race heats up.(The Sun) 
Striker Emmanuel Adebayor thanked his Manchester City "family" for providing support following the deadly gun attacks on Togo's football team in Angola in January.(Daily Mirror) 
Fiorentina and ex-Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, who tested positive for the banned substance sibutramine last week, has been labelled a "child" by the Italian club's sporting director Pantaleo Corvino.(The Sun) 
Striker Wayne Rooney is confident that Manchester United can set a new Premier League record and win four successive titles.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea missed Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou, on Africa Cup of Nations duty, throughout January but still won all five games. The strikers are set to feature for the Blues in Tuesday's game at Hull and Frank Lampard said: 'When they were away people spoke about us struggling. We've done well and now we will be even stronger."(Daily Mail) 
Portuguese winger Nani says he is back to his best after a stunning performance in Manchester United's 3-1 win at Arsenal. The £17.3m signing in 2007 said: "The manager has shown confidence in me, I have been given more time on the pitch and that has given me belief in myself."(Daily Mirror)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been busy reflecting on the defeat at the hands of Manchester United. The Spaniard said: "I felt very well but when you find yourself 2-0 or 3-0 down, it's difficult. Even Lionel Messi would struggle to do anything."(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

It wasn't the most dramatic of transfer deadline days, with less than £20m being splashed out in the final 24 hours of the window.(Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Big-spending Manchester City are set to make a transfer deadline day £20m offer for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City look set to beat Inter Milan to the £7m signing of Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga.(The Sun)
Manchester City are also likely to submit a fresh £6m bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.(Daily Mail) 
But Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Wolves have also expressed an interest in 22-year-old Johnson. (The Times) 
Fulham are keen to seal a loan deal for Aston Villa defender Nicky Shorey.(Sky Sports)
Stoke City are to renew their interest in keeper David James after failing to complete a £3m deal for his Portsmouth team-mate Asmir Begovic. (Daily Mirror) 
Or Tottenham are keen on Pompey's James after Stoke hijacked their attempts to sign keeper Begovic.(Daily Mail)
Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has pleaded with the London club to sell him to ambitious Birmingham City. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will turn to FC Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko after moves for Pavlyuchenko and Portsmouth's Aruna Dindane stalled.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham and Scotland defender Alan Hutton will sign for Sunderland as Black Cats manager Steve Bruce seeks a breakthrough in solving his right-back problems. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is set to raid former club Sunderland for striker Daryl Murphy.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham and Tottenham are in talks over striker Robbie Keane.(Daily Mirror) 
The Hammers are also interested in Frederic Piquionne, who is on loan at Portsmouth, and Daniele Cacia, of Reggina.(The Times) 
Stoke striker James Beattie is considering a £3m switch to Sunderland after the Black Cats gave up on Robbie Keane and Manchester City forward Benjani. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis wants to bring winger Jermaine Pennant back to England from Real Zaragoza. (The Sun) 
Leeds are to launch a bid for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts, possibly opening the door for forward Jermaine Beckford to leave Elland Road.(The Sun) 
Wolves are to offer £5m to Hull for midfielder Stephen Hunt and are keen to take Everton striker James Vaughan on loan. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn themselves are to make a late loan move for Ivory Coast striker Dindane, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth from Lens.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth are hoping to seal a loan deal for Sunderland's central defender Nyron Nosworthy.(The Sun) 
Hull trio, winger Peter Halmosi, utility player Kevin Kilbane and midfielder Bryan Hughes are all set to leave the KC Stadium on Monday. (Daily Mail) 
High-flying championship side Nottingham Forest have tabled a £2m bid for Swansea midfielder Darren Pratley.(Daily Mirror) 
Rangers boss Water Smith wants to sign Bolton's Nigerian centre-half Danny Shittu on a free transfer. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will have talks with England this week about his international future following the allegations about his national side's captain John Terry over the weekend. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea defender John Terry is on the verge of quitting his position as England captain following the weekend revelations about his private life. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies has accused Derby counterpart Nigel Clough of a "cowardly" assault during the stoppage time melee between the two clubs on Saturday. (The Independent)
www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has defended the club following Wigan counterpart Roberto Martinez's criticism of their pursuit of defender Maynor Figueroa. (Press Association) 


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has been informed by manager Rafael Benitez that he will not be sold before the January transfer window closes on Monday.(The Times) 
Birningham have, meanwhile, made a fresh inquiry for Babel and had an improved £9m bid for Roman Pavlyuchenko turned down by Tottenham.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan will not prevent Maynor Figueroa leaving for "a good club" despite the Honduras international signing a new contract on Friday.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has made a fresh offer for Marouane Chamakh in a bid to snap up the Bordeaux striker on a pre-contract.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City have made a £7m move for Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves have held talks with Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts and hope to conclude a £2m deal. (Daily Mail) 
David Dunn has urged Blackburn to bring in James Beattie from Stoke as Benni McCarthy's replacement. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP

John Terry faces an anxious wait to discover if further damaging revelations regarding his private life will cost him the England captaincy. (Various) 
Rafael Benitez has warned Liverpool that they must deliver on a string of promises if he is not to be lured away by Juventus in the summer.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has suggested that the way he man-manages his thirtysomethings at the club will hold the key to the club's hopes of winning the Premier League title.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned his players to be wary of Wayne Rooney's gamesmanship in Sunday's league match between the Gunners and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has suffered a fresh setback and could need a hernia operation only four months before the start of the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has demanded that the club's fans end their obscene taunts directed at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are to hand Tottenham a £5,000 bill for putting up Eidur Gudjohnsen in a plush London hotel and paying for a medical before he opted for a last-minute move to Spurs.(Sun)
Martin O'Neill is furious with Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger for labelling Aston Villa a long ball team after the goalless draw between the sides in mid-week at Villa Park.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Boss Roberto Mancini is so sure about his Manchester City future he is looking for a house in the area.(Independent)
www.bbc.co.uk

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)

www.bbc.co.uk

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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