Friday's column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester United are weighing up a move for Real Madrid playmaker Rafael van der Vaart. (caughtoffisde)


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure is desperate to join Manchester City with his agent already in talks with the Premier League club. (Daily Mirror)
But both Manchester United and Arsenal are waiting in the wings to pounce if City and Toure fail to come to an agreement. (The Sun)
Manchester City look set to miss out on the signing of Valencia winger David Silva.(Daily Telegraph)
Tottenham are preparing a £20m bid for Atletico Madrid's Uruguay striker Diego Forlan. (Daily Star)
Arsenal could offer £7m plus youngsters Francis Coquelin and Armand Traore for FC Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny after an initial £4m bid was rejected.(Daily Mirror)
The Gunners are also interested in Barcelona's Israeli playmaker Guy Assulin - who has been dubbed 'the new Messi.' (IMScouting)
Inter Milan's Brazilian defender Maicon says he is not interested in joining Manchester City and wants to follow former Inter coach Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid. (Guardian)
Chelsea have given up hope of keeping Joe Cole and have withdrawn their contract offer for the England star. (Daily Star)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson says Hannover's German international striker Jan Schlaudraff "could add something" to their squad.(Daily Mail)
Portsmouth captain Aaron Mokoena could leave Fratton Park to join Wolves after he has played for South Africa at the World Cup.(Daily Mail)
West Ham are battling it out with Fulham for the signing of Portsmouth striker Frederic Piquionne.(Daily Mirror)
Bolton face a fight with Benfica to sign Real Madrid left-back Marcos Alonso. (Daily Mirror)
Bolton also hope to sign Chelsea striker Franco di Santo for around £2m.(Daily Mirror)
Newcastle are opening contract talks with striker Andy Carroll to ward off interest from Birmingham and Stoke.(Daily Mail)
Birmingham are considering an offer for Palermo's 5ft 6in striker Fabrizio Miccoli. (The Sun)
Wigan hope to seal a club-record £5.7m deal with Estudiantes for Argentine striker Mauro Boselli. (Daily Mirror)
Sheffield United want Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen if current first-choice Blades keeper Paddy Kenny decides to join QPR.(Daily Mirror)
Premier League newcomers Blackpool could sign Richard Chaplow after he was released by local rivals Preston.(Daily Mirror)
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OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool fans burned American flags in a protest against the club's owners outside Anfield, following the departure of manager Rafael Benitez.(Daily Telegraph)
Former manager Kenny Dalglish will be given the responsibility of drawing up a shortlist of names to replace Benitez at Anfield. (Daily Mirror)
Ex-Wales, Blackburn and Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is the man Liverpool want to replace Benitez. (Daily Star)
Or, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is the favourite to become the new manager of Liverpool. (The Sun)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is also in the running although Dalglish himself could take over the reins at Anfield.(Daily Mail)
However, former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini is also in the running to get the top job. (IMScouting)
Liverpool could be heading for an exodus of key players following Benitez's departure on Thursday. (The Independent)
Benitez's exit has opened the door for Real Madrid to sign midfielder Steven Gerrard. (IMScouting)
But Benitez himself may not have to wait too long to find a new job with European champions Inter Milan interested in taking the Spaniard to the San Siro.(The Sun)
New West Ham manager Avram Grant is expected to try to bring his old backroom staff from Portsmouth to Upton Park, but former West Ham player Kevin Keen could be kept on. (Daily Mail)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is set for clear the air talks with manager Arsene Wenger after being left in limbo by the club's strong stance over his proposed move to Barcelona.(Daily Mirror)
Former Crystal Palace defender Chris Coleman is in line to become the club's new manager. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

Former captain David Beckham has sent axed England winger Theo Walcott a text message to help him get through the agony of missing out on selection for the 2010 World Cup. Arsenal star Walcott was one of seven players to miss out on Fabio Capello's 23-man squad.(Daily Mirror)
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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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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is set to quit the club on a free transfer in the summer. The Blues have reportedly offered him a one-year extension, incorporating a 40% pay-cut, to his current deal which expires at the end of the season.(Daily Star) 
Brazilian midfielder Sandro is preparing himself for a £6m summer move to Tottenham from current club Internacionale by learning English.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are sounding out clubs in Belgium about taking Zambian left-back Emmanuel Mbola on loan after the London club agreed a £1m deal to sign the teenager from Armenian club Yerevan.(Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are keen to recruit Arsenal striker Jay Simpson for next season after watching him in action for QPR, where he is on loan for the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery, who is a target for the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid, says he will resolve his future before the summer.(imscouting.com) 
Birmingham City and Wolves are both trailing Crystal Palace full-back Nathaniel Clyne.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton hit man James Vaughan is joining Leicester City's promotion push - to the fury of Championship rivals Derby County, who had the striker on loan earlier this season and had hoped to re-sign him.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham striker Erik Nevland will leave the club on a free transfer at the end of this season to join his former team Viking Stavanger.(Daily Express) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has challenged striker Wayne Rooney to beat former United winger Cristiano Ronaldo's United goal record of 42 during the 2007/08 season. The England man took his tally to 30 for the season with a brace in United's 4-0 Champions League win over Milan on Wednesday.(The Sun) 
England boss Fabio Capello says Rooney is one of the three best players in the world; putting the striker on a par with Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.(The Sun) 
Arsenal defender Sol Campbell, who started the season playing for League Two side Notts County, is eyeing a shock re-call to the England side.(The Sun) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has called a crisis meeting of his players in an attempt to stamp out the discord that threatens the very fabric of the club. In recent weeks, the Spanish coach has been dismayed by what he sees as "negative body language" from his players as they struggle to keep themselves in the race for a top-four finish.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, who enjoyed managerial spells with Udinese and Inter Milan prior to taking over at Craven Cottage, has admitted he would like to coach again in Italy before the end of his career.(Daily Mirror) 
The backlash towards Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini has begun following the club's Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon on Wednesday. The front page of Madrid based newspaper Marca this morning says "Adio Champions, Adios Pellegrini. Fuera" which translates as "Goodbye Champions [League], Goodbye Pellegrini. Out."(imscouting.com) 
Former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink has agreed to manage Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup in South Africa - providing he can negotiate an early release from his contract as Russia coach, which runs until mid-July. After the World Cup, Hiddink will take over as coach of Turkey.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle stars like Alan Smith and Kevin Nolan will be asked to take a pay cut if the Magpies win promotion to the Premier League because they are still on lucrative contracts handed to them prior to the club's relegation from the top flight last season.(Daily Mirror)

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Real Madrid    1 - 1    Lyon

1 - 0 C. Ronaldo  6.min.

1 - 1 M. Pjanic  75.min.

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)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are edging closer to signing Valencia forwards David Villa and David Silva, with the Spanish club willing to listen to offers. With winger Cristiano Ronaldo offloaded in the summer, Sir Alex Ferguson has cash to spare and the United manager is willing to pay £40m for the duo.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool are keen on securing the services of Sampdoria midfielder Koman Vladimir. The Hungarian star is currently on loan at Bari and is valued at £4m.(Daily Mirror) 
Italian side Juventus are all set to make a £6m bid for Manchester City full-back Pablo Zabaleta in January.(The Sun) 
Birmingham City are favourites to sign Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Daily Star) 
Leicester City chairman Milan Mandaric has told free agent Edgar Davids he has 24 hours to decide on joining. The Dutch midfielder recently held talks with the Championship side over a possible move.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton and Celtic are considering a swoop for FC Utrecht's Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel. (The Sun) 
QPR are targeting 22-year-old Gillingham's £1m-rated striker Simeon Jackson. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has suggested that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has too much power and leads a number of Premier League bosses in ganging up on Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez. (The Sun) 
Argentina boss Diego Maradona has tipped Angel Di Maria to be the country's next footballing hero. The 21-year-old Benfica striker was watched recently by Chelsea scouts and Maradona said: "Angel has the quality to be a worldwide superstar."(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham defender Ledley King is hoping to open up talks on extending his deal at White Hart Lane. The club captain's contract expires at the end of the season and Spurs have an option of a one-year extension. (The Sun)
Hull manager Phil Brown is mulling over selecting striker Jozy Altidore after the 19-year-old American was fined for revealing on social networking site Twitter that he was dropped for the match against Portsmouth for being late. (The Sun) 
Former Portsmouth manager Tony Adams is targeting a return to management and is one of 50 applicants attempting to land the post at League Two outfit Aldershot.(Daily Mirror) 
Former England under-21 boss Peter Taylor is close to linking up with Roy Keane at Ipswich as first-team coach. Taylor, who recently left his post as Wycombe manager, has been recruited by the Tractors boss to improve on their winless start to the season.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Manuel Pellegrini's role as Real Madrid coach is under threat after a 4-0 defeat in the fourth round, first leg of the Copa del Rey to Alcorcón from regional Second Division B, Group II. Pellegrini said: "There are no explanations. Alcorcón played very well. We hope our fans can forgive us after this defeat."(The Guardian)
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