Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham hope to sign Arsenal target Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer, as the Bordeaux striker is out of contract at the end of the season. (Daily Mail)
Bolton insist that they will not cash in on defender Gary Cahill in the January transfer window. (Daily Star) 
But with defender Joleon Lescott injured and Kolo Toure departing for the African Nations Cup in January, Manchester City are the latest club rumoured to be interested in Cahill.(Daily Express) 
Arsenal want QPR wonderkid Raheem Sterling and are considering a player-plus-cash deal involving Gunners striker Jay Simpson.(Daily Mirror) 
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger says the club will not be "busy" in the January transfer window, also urging football to get its financial house in order.(Daily Telegraph) 
New QPR boss Paul Hart wants to make Gillingham's £1.5m-rated striker Simeon Jackson his first signing.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are stepping up their efforts to sign Schalke's Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi. (Daily Mirror) 
And Birmingham manager Alex McLeish says he will bring in "two or three" new players in January as he looks to maintain their fine season. (The Independent) 
Stoke City say they will listen to offers for striker James Beattie in January's transfer window after his dressing-room altercation with manager Tony Pulis.(The Times) 
Wolves are interested in West Bromwich Albion's Slovenia midfielder Robert Koren. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is set to be axed this weekend - even if his side beat Sunderland at Eastlands on Friday.(The Sun) 
Russia boss Guus Hiddink and former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann are on Manchester City's wanted list to replace Hughes.(The Sun) 
And Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has refused to rule himself out of the running to replace Hughes at City.(Daily Star) 
But City striker Carlos Tevez has urged the club not to "panic" and sack Hughes with former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini waiting in the wings to take over. (Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham's director of football Gianluca Nani is coming under pressure within the club to justify his signings, with the club languishing in the relegation zone. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Northern Ireland and Fulham Lawrie Sanchez boss has declared an interest in the vacant manager's job at Reading. (The Times)

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AND FINALLY

The total amount in fines that Tottenham's players will have to pay for their secret Christmas party in Dublin is £1.3m.(Daily Mirror)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham will get rid of David Bentley in January following a heated row between the winger and manager Harry Redknapp. (Daily Express)
Redknapp has been told by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that he will have to sell before he can make any signings in the new year.(The Guardian) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is preparing a new-year raid for Stoke striker James Beattie following his row with manager Tony Pulis after the defeat at Arsenal.(Daily Telegraph) 
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has been ordered to offload players as the club's cash crisis mounts.(Daily Telegraph) 
Blackburn are poised to complete the signing of France Under-21 midfielder Amine Linganzi from St Etienne in January.(Daily Mirror) 
Wigan are set to allow Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson leave the club in the new year after failing to unseat Chris Kirkland from the number one spot.(The Sun) 
The entire playing staff of Crystal Palace have been put up for sale in order to solve the club's cash problems. Wigan and Sunderland are interested in midfielder Darren Ambrose, winger Victor Moses and goalkeeper Julian Speroni.(Daily Mail) 
Sought-after Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, 16, who has attracted the interest of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea, is set to sign a new five-year deal at Portman Road.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham striker Dean Ashton is considering whether he can sue Shaun Wright-Phillips and his then employers Chelsea for the challenge in 2006 that he will claim ended his career.(Daily Telegraph) 
Paul Hart, who parted company with Portsmouth last month, will take charge at Queens Park Rangers should they sack manager Jim Magilton.(The Sun) 
The people in charge of Notts County have days to complete negotiations over a management buy-out otherwise director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson will leave the club.(The Times) 
And Eriksson will need to find £500,000 of his own money if he wants to complete the buy-out.(Daily Mail) 
David Gold and David Sullivan will make a bid for West Ham in the next 24 hours but no money will go to the current owners. The cash will instead be used for players and debt repayments in return for a 50% stake.(The Independent) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has come under fire from Jurgen Klinsmann for the way he manages the club. The German, who was once lined up to take the top job at Anfield, says Liverpool lack pace, creativity, quality and consistency.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

With a name like Roque Santa Cruz, you would think finding the Christmas spirit would be easy. However, the Paraguay striker was the only player not wanting a light blue santa hat as Manchester City's stars filmed a video of them singing "Jingle Bells".(The Sun) 
England manager Fabio Capello says he is dreaming of a final against his home country Italy in next year's World Cup final. "The strangest moment will be during the national anthems," he said. "But, I am wearing a different shirt now and I must work for the England shirt."(Press Association)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham will make a £6m move for Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson in the January transfer window. (The Sun) 
Birmingham will join the race to sign Emile Heskey if the 31-year-old England striker quits Aston Villa to boost his World Cup hopes.(The Sun) 
Sunderland will make a move for Middlesbrough's England Under-21 winger Adam Johnson, 22, in January. (The Sun) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is ready to make an opening £1.5m bid for Huddersfield's highly rated young goalkeeper Alex Smithies. The Terriers rate the stopper at about £4m.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is interested in signing Barnsley's teenage striker Reuben Noble-Lazarus. The 16-year-old became the youngest Football League player at 15 years and 45 days in a game against Ipswich in October 2008. (The Sun) 
Arsenal are leading the chase for 14-year-old Montenegro midfielder Nikola Zvrko. Chelsea and Barcelona are also interested in the youngster. (Daily Mail) 
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell is weighing up whether to bring in former Wigan striker Henri Camara, who is a free agent, to boost his injury-hit squad.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez's job as Liverpool manager is safe for now because the club cannot afford to sack him. The Spaniard has four and a half years to run on the £4.5m-a-season contract he signed in March, so sacking him could cost about £20m.(Daily Mail)
Former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who was approached a couple of years ago to succeed Rafael Benitez at Liverpool, has reiterated his desire to manage in the Premier League. (The Sun) 
Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri has admitted he would love to come back to England and manage in the Premier League again. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Germany's World Cup players have been warned to expect to wear bullet-proof vests if they venture away from the team hotel at the 2010 finals in South Africa.(The Daily Telegraph)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Liverpool are monitoring Lazio star Mauro Zarate with a view to a summer swoop for the striker. (The Sun) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is targeting Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to bid for Swansea's 24-goal goal machine Jason Scotland. (Daily Mirror) 
Championship promotion candidates Birmingham want Portsmouth goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, who has rejected a fresh contract at Fratton Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are unlikely to pay the £15m Standard Liege want for their midfielder Steven Defour. (Daily Star) 
Dundee United manager Craig Levein is keeping tabs on Huddersfied striker Danny Cadamarteri. (Various) 
Celtic are preparing a double swoop on Swansea, with defender Angel Rangel joining midfielder Jordi Gomez on the Glasgow giant's wanted list. (Scottish Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Portsmouth insist executive chairman Peter Storrie was not paid £2m last year, despite evidence contained in the club's financial results. (Daily Telegraph) 
Southampton may sell their St Mary's home to the local council and lease it back at a reduced rate. (The Sun) 
Wolves will ignore its salary cap of £10,000 a week to keep stars like Wayne Hennessey and Karl Henry. (Daily Mirror) 
Clyde have moved closer to closure after North Lanarkshire Council threw out a rescue plan. (Daily Record) 
Creditors of Liverpool owner Tom Hicks say Hicks Sports Group is in default on debts of £351m. (Wall Street Journal) 
Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann is unlikely to be sacked after following up the win in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona. (The Times) 
 
AND FINALLY 

Weekly football classes in Edinburgh for pre-school children as young as 18 months are so popular there is now a lengthy waiting list for applicants.
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