Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is planning for life without England midfielder James Milner, who has been linked to Manchester City, and has launched an £8m bid for Mbark Boussoufa of Anderlecht.(Daily Mirror) 
Inter Milan hope a combined bid of £33m will be enough to persuade Liverpool to sell Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano and Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt.(Daily Mail) 
Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov has branded Barca's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic a "failure" and insists he will end up at Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton defender Andy O'Brien is wanted by Championship newcomers Leeds.(The Sun) 
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has put a £15m price tag on Arsenal and Aston Villa target Hugo Rodallega.(Daily Mail) 
Wolfsburg manager Steve McClaren has entered the race to sign Michael Ballack after the Germany midfielder was released by Chelsea.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has confirmed the Gunners are interested in signing Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and has hinted defender William Gallas will leave the club after failing to get the two-year contract he wanted.(Daily Star) 
Benfica midfielder Angel di Maria is closing in on a transfer to Real Madrid after telling the Portuguese club he is reluctant to move to England.(Daily Mail) 
New Celtic manager Neil Lennon says he would like to speak to Robbie Keane again after the Tottenham striker's successful loan spell at the Scottish club last season and also said Sol Campbell, who finished the season at Arsenal, had "shown interest" in joining but there was still "a bit of work" to do. (Daily Record)
Fulham hope to see off late interest from Birmingham and West Ham to sign Standard Liege's Congo international striker Dieumerci Mbokani for £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Newly promoted Blackpool are weighing up Portsmouth forward Danny Webber, Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, and Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle, who began his career at Bloomfield Road. (Times)

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool remain keen to offer their vacant manager's position to Fulham boss Roy Hodgson, despite Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish's interest in returning to the post.(the Guardian) 
Chelsea's French international striker Nicolas Anelka has agreed a two-year extension to his current deal, which has one year left to run. The new contract is worth £90,000 per week. (Daily Mirror) 
France's World Cup plans have been thrown into turmoil by divisions within their squad over whether Barcelona striker Thierry Henry should start against Uruguay on Friday.(Daily Mirror) 
Property developer Andrew Ellis's bid to buy Rangers is not as much of a done deal as has been reported, with no price agreed or time set for the conclusion of talks. (Daily Record) 
United States coach Bob Bradley says he has spent time at Manchester United observing Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson's management techniques as part of his World Cup build-up.(Daily Express) 
Former Notts County manager Steve Cotterill will be named as Portsmouth's new boss next week and Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot could be one of the first new arrivals at the club (Daily Express). 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted Theo Walcott's omission from the England World Cup squad came as a "massive surprise" but has urged the 21-year-old to put it behind him and concentrate on his future instead.(Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Brazilian Carlos Eugenio Simon, who will referee England's first World Cup group C match against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday, and his assistants have been given a list of 20 English swear words as part of a crackdown on abusive language.(The Times)

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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea are preparing a £25m bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.(Daily Mirror) 
New Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is contemplating a surprise move to bring Michael Ballack to Spain.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is lining up a move for Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil, with the Gunners considering a £12m bid for Werder Bremen's 21-year-old. (www.caughtoffside.com) 
Robinho's representatives will officially tell Manchester City next week that the £32.5m British record signing no longer wishes to play for the club under coach Roberto Mancini.(Daily Mail) 
Robinho's camp has expressed a desire to move to Barcelona, with Manchester City possibly offering the Brazilian in a swap deal for midfielder Yaya Toure.(The Guardian) 
The agent representing Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta says the Italian will be heading to Tottenham this summer.(The Sun) 
West Ham co-owner David Gold says England goalkeeper Robert Green is up for grabs this summer. The 29-year-old's contract expires next year and Gold revealed: "At this stage we are not going to have talks with him about a new deal."(The Sun) 
Rafael Benitez's first move when he is finally unveiled as Inter Milan manager will be to return to England and his former club Liverpool in an attempt to take Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano to the San Siro. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham have had a £2m bid for defender Onyekachi Apam rejected by Nice.(The Times)
Arsenal defender William Gallas is wanted by Greek side Panathinaikos.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham are close to completing the signing of Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani for a fee of £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa lead a long list of clubs wanting to sign winger Martin Petrov, who has been released by Manchester City. Everton, Stoke, West Ham and Bolton are also interested in the 31-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is "totally sure" the Catalan club will sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.(Daily Mirror) 
Italian club Fiorentina are weighing up a £3.5m bid for Liverpool's 21-year-old left-back Emiliano Insua. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn and Sunderland are set to battle it out for the signing of Stoke forward Tuncay.(Daily Mirror)
Rangers have lined up a £500,00 move for Lens striker Toifilou Maoulida.(Daily Record) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is mulling over a bid for Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, even though the 24-year-old only managed two goals in the 2009/10 campaign.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are preparing an improved £8m offer for Ipswich's England Under-17 international Connor Wickham.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool will make a formal approach for Fulham manager Roy Hodgson to become their new manager within the next 48 hours.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish (on photo) has put himself forward to take over at Liverpool and has withdrawn from the panel to select the next boss. (Daily Express) 
England manager Fabio Capello wants to hold talks with Wayne Rooney to tell the Manchester United striker to curb his temper.(Daily Mirror) 
Former England skipper Terry Butcher says if he was a United States defender he would "belt" Rooney in order to wind him up.(The Sun) 
England's players have told Capello that they want David James to be the number one goalkeeper during the World Cup as they feel his communication skills are better than his rivals.(Daily Star) 
The Finnish Football Association is trying to stop their national boss Stuart Baxter joining Celtic. The Glasgow club want Baxter in an advisory capacity, while he still keeps his job with Finland.(Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY

United States players had a pep talk from Commander Dan Jollota, the helicopter pilot who inspired the film Black Hawk Down, ahead of their opening World Cup game against England on Saturday.(Daily Mirror)

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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Germany captain Michael Ballack insists his international career is not over despite missing the World Cup after injuring his ankle playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final. "I won't let my international career come to an end because of a foul like this," said the 33-year-old (Press Association).
Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the chase for Dynamo Kiev's Senegalese defender Pape Diakhate.(goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are prepared to allow Anderson leave Old Trafford in a player-swap-plus-cash deal to land £38m-rated Benfica winger Angel di Maria.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City have entered the race to sign Bayern Munich's £50m-rated winger Franck Ribery. Barcelona and Real Madrid have dropped out because of the player's personal problems, thus leaving City and Manchester United as the only serious interested parties.(Footylatest.com) 
Ajax have told Manchester United that it will cost £35m to persuade them to sell Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
The potential stumbling block surrounding the return of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona could involve the transfer fee, with Arsenal not prepared to accept less than £50m.(Footylatest.com) 
Barcelona are ready to spend £70m to thwart Chelsea's interest and bring Liverpool's Spanish international striker Fernando Torres to the Nou Camp.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United are set to table a bid of £20m for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell, with boss Sir Alex Ferguson hoping his offer will see off Chelsea, who are reported to have tabled a bid of £16m.(Footylatest.com) 
The agent of Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has quashed reports that the 32-year-old Italy star is heading for a Premier League club this summer. (The Sun) 
Liverpool are preparing a double swoop for Manchester City's Stephen Ireland and Chelsea's Joe Cole. The Anfield club are confident they have sufficient funds to finance both fees, and hope to persuade Cole to take a lower wage.(Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have rejected bids from Fulham, Birmingham and Stoke for striker Carlton Cole as none of their offers matched the Hammers' £15m valuation.(Daily Telegraph) 
Beaten League One play-off side Huddersfield are keen on Falkirk midfielder Scott Arfield and Rangers defender Steven Smith.(Daily Record) 
Celtic are interested in signing defender Sol Campbell, who is a free agent after his deal at Arsenal expired, although the Gunners are thought to be keen to keep hold of him. (The Sun) 
Veteran midfielder Nick Barmby, 36, is close to agreeing a one-year contract extension with Hull (The Sun). 
But Jimmy Bullard could be leaving the KC Stadium for a season-long loan at Celtic.(Daily Star) 
Bolton have seen off competition from Blackburn, Wolves and Greek champions Panathinaikos to win the race to sign Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane after his loan spell at Portsmouth. (The Sun) 
Hearts are interested in taking Burnley's former Rangers striker Steven Thompson back to Scotland after his contract with the Turf Moor club expired.(Daily Express) 
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton says he expects to have money to spend in the summer but has ruled out making wholesale changes to the squad that won the Championship this season. (Daily Express) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Juventus are set to confirm Luigi del Neri as their new manager after running out of patience with Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.(Daily Telegraph) 
Owen Hargreaves wants showdown talks with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to know what he told England boss Fabio Capello about his fitness, after the midfielder was left out of the England World Cup squad.(The Sun) 
Sunderland have passed on the chance to sign striker Benjani on a permanent basis after his loan spell from Manchester City came to an end.(Daily Star) 
Chelsea's Michael Ballack is considering legal action against Portsmouth's Kevin Prince-Boateng over the challenge in the FA Cup final that ruled the Germany captain out of the World Cup.(Daily Express) 
Uefa president Michel Platini says England's 2018 World Cup bid can survive the embarrassment of the Lord Triesman affair.(the Guardian) 
Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies will hold crisis talks with club owner Nigel Doughty on Friday after discussing his potential availability for other jobs in television interviews.(the Guardian) 
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has been told by England boss Fabio Capello that he has an equal chance of being first choice keeper at the World Cup as David James and Robert Green.(Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Rotherham striker Drewe Broughton could need to find a stand-in best man for his summer wedding as first choice, West Ham defender Matthew Upson, could be at the World Cup with England. (The Sun)
Welshman Ryan Giggs says he will be cheering on England at the World Cup but says Spain are overwhelming favourites to win the tournament.(Daily Star)
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Thursday

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain for £34m if they fail in their attempts to sign Liverpool forward Fernando Torres. (Daily Telegraph)
Nicolas Anelka is set to sign a two-year contract extension that will keep the French striker at Chelsea until 2013. (Daily Mail)
But Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack looks set to leave the club with German outfit Schalke 04 showing an interest in the 33-year-old.(Daily Star)
The agent of AC Milan defender Thiago Silva has rejected speculation linking the 25-year-old with a move to Chelsea. (footylatest.com)
Champions League finalists Bayern Munich are keen to sign Manchester United winger Park Ji-Sung and are ready to bid £7m for the 29-year-old South Korean. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United have delayed finalising Wayne Rooney's new deal until after the World Cup. Barcelona and Real Madrid are both interested in the England striker who has two years left on his contract. (The Times)
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel could also be on his way to Bayern Munich after being told he can leave League Two champions Notts County.(Daily Mirror)
Arsenal are poised to sign Dinamo Kiev centre-back Pape Malickou Diakhate for £10m. (Daily Mirror)
Blackburn are the latest Premier League club to show an interest in Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham and Bolton are battling it out to sign Fulham left-back Paul Konchesky. Konchesky currently only has 12 months left on his contract. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham are lining up a move for Shrewsbury's 17-year-old striker Tom Bradshaw. (Daily Mail)
Blackburn have put a £10m price tag on defender Phil Jones after agreeing a new five-year deal with the 18-year-old. (Daily Mirror)
Sunderland are the latest club to show an interest in Estudiantes' £6m-rated Argentina striker Mauro Boselli.(Daily Mail)
Arsenal-bound striker Marouane Chamakh has revealed he turned down offers from Tottenham and Liverpool to join the Gunners. (Daily Star)

Bolton are interested in Stoke striker James Beattie who has failed to make an impact at the club since his £3.5m move from Sheffield United. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez will hold crunch talks with Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton on Thursday with his position as manager in the balance and the club reeling from Chelsea's bold move for forward Fernando Torres. (Daily Mail)
Benitez will demand the £70m raised from the sale of Torres for new transfers before deciding whether to stay at Anfield. (Daily Mail)
Spaniard Benitez seems set to reject the advances of Juventus who have changed the terms they have offered to him to tempt him away from Anfield.(Daily Mirror)
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has admitted that it could take him two years to sell the Anfield club although he and fellow American George Gillett are actively seeking new investment.(Daily Mirror)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has rejected claims that he will return to the Premier League next season but has admitted he will be back. He said: "I will return for sure. Will it be next season? I don't think so, but for sure I will be back in England." (The Times)
Bury are lining up former Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock and MK Dons boss Paul Ince to replace Paul Simpson. (Daily Mail)
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan wants former Leeds boss Gary McAllister to join his backroom staff.(The Sun)

AND FINALLY

England manager Fabio Capello has passed up the opportunity to spend the night in a "Presidential Suite" at the England team hotel near Rustenburg in South Africa, instead joining the players by booking into a standard room.(Daily Mail)
Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has revealed that a bowl of Coco Pops is his ideal meal before a match. (Four Four Two)
Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown looks set to miss the FA Cup final against Chelsea with his wife due to give birth on the same day.(The Sun)
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Lorient 2 - 2 Monaco
Lyon 2 - 1 Auxerre
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery has told a German television channel he hopes to decide where his future lies "in the next 10 days". The Frenchman claims Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea are all interested in signing him. (The Guardian) 
Bayern Munich are determined to keep hold of Franck Ribery and will snub any £40m bids for Franck Ribery from Chelsea and Real Madrid even if it means the France international leaves on a free transfer in 2011.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City are closing in on a £11m deal to sign Hamburg's 6ft 3in Germany international defender Jerome Boateng, the younger brother of Portsmouth's Kevin Prince. (The Guardian) 
Real Madrid hope to fend off competition from Manchester United by signing 24-year-old Spanish striker David Silva from Valencia in a £22m pre-World Cup deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack could be heading for a reunion with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan after admitting there have been no talks over renewing his Stamford Bridge contract, which ends this summer.(Daily Mail) 
Mourinho is increasingly confident that he can tempt Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard to quit Anfield for a move to Inter.(Daily Mail) 
Palermo are hopeful of agreeing a summer loan deal for Manchester United striker Federico Macheda.(Daily Star) 
Olympiakos want to sign Liverpool's Fabio Aurelio, and the Brazilian defender could join Hungarian Krisztian Nemeth in Greece, with AEK Athens keen to extend the Anfield striker's loan spell at the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his bid to sign Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as his long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar.(Daily Mail) 
Barcelona have denied claims by Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood that they have promised not to make a summer bid for Cesc Fabregas.(Portuguese newspaper Abola)
Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque, wanted by Bordeaux and Marseille, has ruled out a return to France, with the former Lyon man intent on staying on Wearside.(Daily Mirror) 
Nottingham Forest hope to lure midfielder Darren Pratley from Championship rivals Swansea with a £2m summer swoop. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has recovered from the ankle injury that has sidelined him for two games and will return for Saturday's derby game at Manchester City. (The Sun) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is on a shortlist to succeed Marcello Lippi as Italy manager after this summer's World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
World Cup organisers have called on Fifa to overhaul the way tickets will be sold for the 2014 tournament in Brazil as they begin a race against time to sell half a million tickets for this year's event in South Africa.(The Guardian) 
In-form Stoke winger Matthew Etherington will open talks with the Potters next week over a new £30,000-a-week deal. (Daily Mirror) 
The Premier League will deny FA Cup finalists Portsmouth their dream of playing in the Europa League next season, unless the south-coast club can come out of administration and pay off all their debts by the end of the season. (Daily Mirror) 
Southampton manager Alan Pardew has emerged as a shock contender to be the new Celtic boss.(Daily Record) 
Juventus's hopes of tempting Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to become their new manager rest on them overhauling Palermo and finishing fourth in Serie A this season.(Daily Telegraph) 
Benitez's agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon, claims a Chinese investor wants to buy Liverpool on condition that the Spaniard remains as Reds boss.(Spanish newspaper AS)
Manchester City winger Adam Johnson has played his way into England boss Fabio Capello's World Cup plans and will be named in the Italian's provisional 30-man squad next month. (Daily Mirror) 
The Red Knights consortium that is considering a bid to take over Manchester United are expected to finalise their proposal to make an offer for the club by the end of this week, with an approach expected at the end of the season.(The Guardian) 
Fernando Torres is on course to return from the knee injury which kept him out of the goalless draw with Fulham. The Spaniard "will do whatever it takes to be ready" to face his old club Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final next week, according to an unnamed team-mate. (Daily Mirror) 
Relegation-threatened Crystal Palace are just three weeks away from 'meltdown' - manager Paul Hart is poised to quit the financially stricken Championship club to join Tottenham's coaching staff, first-team coach John Pemberton is off to Sheffield United, while the Croydon side's ground, Selhurst Park, is at risk from developers. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Former England star John Barnes will reprise his legendary rap from New Order's 1990 World Cup song 'World in Motion' for a TV advert.(The Guardian) 
Real Madrid claim they have already recovered the £80m it cost them to buy Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United through sales of replica shirts bearing the Portuguese star's name.(Daily Mirror)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham want to sign David Beckham should he consider a return to England after his recovery from injury.(News of the World) 
Manchester United are leading the chase to sign Spanish striker David Villa for about £35m after the World Cup.(Daily Star on Sunday) 
Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Wigan midfielder James McCarthy. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has sent chief scout Steve Rowley to watch the 19-year-old Republic of Ireland player.(News of the World) 
Liverpool are prepared to replace Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and Alberto Aquilani with top new players in a bid to keep Fernando Torres at the club.(Mail on Sunday) 
Chelsea are set to pip Manchester City to the signing of 18-year-old Brazilian striker Neymar from Santos.(News of the World) 
Arsenal are planning an £8m bid for AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who has impressed Wenger during the Dutch side's European campaign.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Jose Mourinho is very interested in becoming the next Liverpool manager, but would only take the job if American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett leave.(News of the World) 
Manchester City will ask Mourinho to name his price to become their manager in the summer.(Sunday Express) 
Liverpool's Javier Mascherano is looking for a hefty pay rise of around £1m-a-year to stay at Anfield.(Sunday Mirror) 
Juventus could look to Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini to restore their club to its former glory following their exit from Europe.(Sunday Mirror) 
German midfielder Michael Ballack has been offered a new contract at Chelsea, which could keep him at the club until 2012.(IM Scouting) 
Dozens of English footballers are missing out-of-competition drug tests, while QPR and Bradford City have been fined for failing to provide accurate information to sampling officers over their players' whereabouts.(Sunday Times) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea skipper John Terry admits that the club's top players fear the drop following the defeat by Inter Milan in midweek.(Sunday Mirror) 
Gareth Barry bemoans the loss of David Beckham to the England squad saying that the injured star is a "good bloke to have around".(Sunday Telegraph)

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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are tracking Sporting Lisbon defender Daniel Carrico as cover for first-choice pair Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott but he is also interesting Atletico Madrid and Valencia.(Daily Mirror) 
City scouts are also impressed with Sampdoria midfielder Andrea Poli but striker Emmanuel Adebayor wants to stay at Eastlands, despite interest from AC Milan. (Daily Mail) 
Manager Mick McCarthy has conceded that Wolves have little chance of keeping £6.5m striker Kevin Doyle if they are relegated from the Premier League. Aston Villa, Fulham, Everton and Sunderland are all set to battle to sign the Republic of Ireland international if his side slip into the Championship. (Daily Mirror) 
Wilson Palacios has stunned Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp by admitting he is using Spurs to get a move to Real Madrid. The Honduran midfielder has been a key player for Redknapp's side following his £12million move from Wigan last January. But Palacios, 25, reckons he has bigger fish to fry. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Four years after arriving at Chelsea on a £121,000-per-week contract, German midfielder Michael Ballack has been offered a new one-year deal at half that salary. (The Sun) 
Chelsea have reopened negotiations with striker Nicolas Anelka over a contract extension that may result in the France international staying at Stamford Bridge until 2013. Anelka's deal was set to expire in 2012 but there is still no sign of a new contract for Joe Cole, whose current contract expires in the summer.(Daily Mail) 
England will step up their security as they attempt to hunt down and identify the culprits behind the security breach at their team hotel in Hertfordshire. A six-hour recording of team meetings is said to be in existence and has been offered to media outlets. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to escape disciplinary action after he appeared to aim a V-sign at referee Andre Marriner during Monday's defeat by Wigan. (Daily Telegraph) 
Stoke full-back Andy Griffin, currently on loan at Reading, has laughed off suggestions he could snatch a World Cup berth with England after some impressive performances that have guided the Royals away from the Championship relegation zone. (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan's Victor Moses could be set for a World Cup appearance with Nigeria after he invited officials to watch him play and train for the club. Moses, born in Lagos, has represented England at youth level but could be tempted to switch allegiances. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Fabio Capello's biggest World Cup selection headache is over the goalkeeping position - according to tennis legend Boris Becker. After a recent dinner with the England coach, Becker said: "I understand why the players are a little bit afraid of him because he's a very serious guy who doesn't joke around much. We talked about goalkeepers and Capello was just smiling so we didn't get into that." (Press Association)

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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.
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are hoping to land Real Madrid's Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, 33, on a six-month loan deal.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic is a £20m target for Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants set to make a move for the Serbian international at the end of the season.(The Sun)
Vidic could cost Real Madrid £30m, with United interested in replacing him with Everton's Jack Rodwell, 18, and Porto's Bruno Alves. (The Times) 
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson could line up a January move for goalkeeper Hugo Lloris - but he will have to pay Lyon £20m for the France international.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger revealed he is an admirer of Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy but the Frenchman doubts the Eastlands outfit would sell the Welshman as they do not need the money. (The Independent) 
However, Wenger will step up his bid to sign 15-year-old QPR striker Raheem Sterling. (Daily Mirror) 
Palermo defender Simon Kjaer has rejected a £12m move to Manchester City - although Eastlands boss Roberto Mancini has denied he is interested in signing the Dane.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham United's sporting director Gianluca Nani insists they are not interested in signing Fiorentina's Romanian striker Adrian Mutu.(The Independent) 
Everton will face competition from Arsenal and Manchester United to sign 17-year-old Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne. The Excelsior Mouscron star has been offered a trial after being recommended by Toffees midfielder Marouane Fellaini.(The Sun) 
Birmingham City are preparing a £3.5m deal to turn goalkeeper Joe Hart's loan move from Manchester City into a permanent one.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is also planning a £2m move for Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy.(The Sun) 
Burnley are close to signing Algeria captain Yazid Mansouri for £1m from French club Lorient. The 31-year-old midfielder will spend most of January at the African Cup of Nations.(Daily Mail) 
Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell wants to sign Greg Halford on loan after the versatile wide man fell out of favour with Wolves manager Mick McCarthy.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are weighing up a £1.5m bid for Derby County winger Kris Commons. (Daily Mail) 
Newcastle will offer Leeds £1.25m for striker Jermaine Beckford, who can leave on a free transfer in the summer.(The Sun) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is planning to offer Celtic £6m for centre-back Stephen McManus, midfielder Barry Robson and Australian striker Scott McDonald.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile striker Scott McDonald insists he would be happy to finish his career at Celtic, despite reports linking him with a move to England. (The Herald) 
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies is lining up a £750,000 move for Swansea's Spanish midfielder Andrea Orlandi. (Daily Star) 
Sochaux chief Alexandre Lacombe has confirmed he is planning a January swoop to bring Rangers striker Kris Boyd to the French outfit. (The Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack expects to agree a new two-year contract extension to take him to June 2012 - and beyond his 35th birthday.(The Telegraph) 
Chelsea have put youth talent scout Gary Worthington on gardening leave - in a bid to stop him moving to rivals Manchester City. (Daily Mirror) 
London-based financial company Intermarket will submit a bid to take control of West Ham United on Monday.(The Telegraph) 
Former Stockport and Motherwell boss Jim Gannon is in the frame to replace Alan Irvine as Preston North End boss. (The Times) 
Alternatively, Preston may opt for former Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

West Ham right-back Julien Faubert has revealed Tottenham fans and players have been "taking the mickey" out of him in the street. Faubert, who was in the West Ham side beaten 2-0 by Spurs on Monday, lives in an area where many Tottenham fans and players reside. (The Sun)

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Arsenal - Chelsea

This London derby will be the clash of best attack (Arsenal scored 36) and best defense (Chelsea conceded 8). The Gunners have been performing surprisingly (for me) good so far and it seems they’ll once again finish in top 4 (third I think). They play probably the prettiest football in the world, but cruel true is they won’t win any competition with that style of play. They can run the riot against Portsmouth, Wigan, Blackburn, Birmingham, even against Spurs (their five home wins), but against the top teams like Man.Utd., or Man.City (their defeats) that are capable to stop their attack, Arsenal look clueless. And despite their enormous attacking potential, missing of Van Persie is bigger hit than it was expected. Also second best attacker, Arshavin, is still in depression for not qualifying for South Africa, while Rosicky doesn’t seem fully recovered. Arsenal will be without left-back Kieran Gibbs, who broke a metatarsal in win over Standard in midweek and his place will take Armand Traore. But, big blow could be missing of William Gallas who is doubtful with a swollen eye suffered in the same match, so Mikael Silvestre could start.

Chelsea look stronger than ever and they look like the most serious contender for the titles, in England and Europe as well. Ancelotti has huge number of top quality players in the squad and playing competitive games too often doesn’t look as a problem. The Blues hold the top of the table, already defeated Man.Utd. and with today’s win would make five points margin. Big boost for them is returning of Franck Lampard as the midfielder recovered from a torn thigh muscle. Michael Essien has overcome a knee problem, while Deco and Michael Ballack returned from injury in midweek. Ancelotti has all players fit and available.

Despite they’re collecting the points, it obvious Arsenal have been noticing a decrease in performance. Missing of Van Persie and melancholic Arshavin are the main problems when they face a tough defenses. Even Sunderland, without two of three best players (Cattermole and Jones) managed to stop them and win (0-1). So, beside the bigger quality (my opinion, again), Chelsea gain the style of play that least suits to Arsenal. Anyway, for Chelsea this is derby game on the road, they should be satisfied even with a draw and my bet is dnb 2 instead away win. Odds are around 1.85-1.95. Also,  Chelsea like (three times in last four games) to win by a goal in the second half. So gamble is x-2 (ht/ft). 

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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are facing a battle to hold on to England defender Rio Ferdinand who is a target for both Real Madrid and Barcelona. (The Sun) 
Former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg will meet Gunners boss Arsene Wenger this weekend to discuss a possible loan move back to the Emirates. (The Sun) 
Chelsea's transfer embargo will force them to miss out on Swindon's teenage winger Alex Henshall, clearing the way for Premier League rivals Manchester United and Everton. (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez wants to sign Cameroon midfielder Modeste M'Bami who is now a free agent after leaving French club Marseille. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is in talks with Aston Villa to sign young midfielder Isaiah Osbourne on loan for the rest of the year. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough striker Afonso Alves is on the brink of joining Qatar club Al-Sadd. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Fifa has warned Chelsea they could have their worldwide transfer ban for poaching Lens teenager Gael Kakuta increased if they lose an appeal against the original punishment, which prevents them buying players until January 2011. (Daily Star) 
Football's governing body also insist that the measures dealt out to Chelsea could be just the beginning of the governing body's quest to eradicate player poaching, with the dealings of other English clubs also under investigation. (Daily Mirror) 
Fabio Capello will honour his contract, which runs until 2012, and not walk away from the England job says Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore. (Daily Star) 
Chelsea captain John Terry says that Arsenal striker Eduardo did dive to earn a penalty during the Champions League tie with Celtic - thus earning the Croat a two-game ban. (The Sun) 
Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov is preparing to increase his shares in Arsenal over the 29.9% mark, thus automatically triggering a takeover bid for the club. (The Sun) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has admitted he may quit the Blues when his contract expires at the end of this season. (The Sun) 
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is the highest earning star in Italian football, on £9.6m a season - the first time a non-player has topped the annual earnings chart. (The Sun) 
Burnley are ready to hand hard-up local rivals Accrington Stanley a major cash boost by playing them in a fund-raising friendly at Turf Moor on Tuesday. (Daily Mirror) 

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AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona organised a mass prayer for his squad at their training ground on Thursday as they prepare for their vital World Cup qualifier with Brazil. Defeat to their fierce rivals in the match, which kicks off at 0130 BST on Sunday could see Argentina drop out of the automatic qualifying spots for South Africa 2010. (Daily Mirror)
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Sunderland - Chelsea

Have no comment for Guardiola.

Black cats come into this last round with two points more than “first under the line”- Newcastle. Two way for them to stay in Premier: to win against Chelsea, or Newcastle doesn’t win against Aston Villa, on the road. Their recent performances don’t make the first option very possible. They have seven defeats from last nine league games! In the last game vs Portsmouth away, Sunderland had a chance to solve all the problems about avoiding relegation. They took a lead in 60th minute, but manage to concede three times till the end! Manager Ricky Sbraglia has an interesting explanation for their lack of results (told to bbc): "From our point of view, we have conceded too many and not scored enough!”. And that will be changed against Chelsea? Ok. Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque is a doubt after suffering a hip injury during Monday's defeat at Portsmouth. George McCartney (calf) is still short of match fitness, while Nyron Nosworthy (hamstring) and goalkeeper Craig Gordon (knee) will not be involved. Sunderland is in position where a draw doesn’t mean anything. So, one conceded goal in the first half can make the hosts give up from Chelsea and just listen the news from Villa Park.

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Since Guus Hiddink took a charge, Chelsea plays as born again. Attacking and efficient games, with tactically perfect play are the main characteristics of their recent performances. Improvement is more than obvious, and everybody (players, fans, management) would like to see him on the bench in the next season. But, he’ll keep his word and leave the club at the end. Before that, lads have to play this match and the FA Cup final at 30.5., against Everton. Hiddink admitted that he has one eye on the Wembley showpiece, but that it is unlikely he will rest many players this weekend. He’ll make some changes in team ‘cause danger of injuries, but underlined that he likes when his players are in a good rhythm. Michael Ballack is set to return for after missing their win over Bolton with flu. Ricardo Carvalho and Deco are also back in contention after recovering from hamstring problems. The accepted opinion is Chelsea doesn’t have a motive?! Chelsea plays without a real motive at last few months, but made a run of ten wins and a draw (Everton, home 0-0) in last eleven games! I don’t think the motivation will be the problem (trashing Arsenal, after disaster in Champions League, is a very good example), Hiddink will manage it. And one statistic info, Chelsea won last eight games against today’s opponent, conceding just twice and scoring 21!

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My opinion is once again completely different from bookies’, which is good, odds are more than acceptable. Sunderland isn’t capable to defeat Chelsea, and in situation where a draw doesn’t have a weight, players and attendance will focus on news from Birmingham. If they seriously come in this game (I think they will), Chelsea won’t have too much problem to win at Stadium of Light and wait a final in a good mood. Betfred offers 2.00, while Expekt, Pinnacle and the most of others 1.85. Away win.

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Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP 

Real Madrid captain Raul has not been tempted by a lucrative approach from English Premier League side Manchester City and says he wants to finish his career at Real. "Manchester City have made contact through my agent Gines Carvajal," he said. "But I've not really considered it because I would be mad to leave here. I'm only interested in finishing my career with Real."
(Spanish: Marca) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Chelsea have offered Germany midfielder Michael Ballack, 32, a one-year contract extension, with wages of £121,000 a week.(Times) 
Barcelona's former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen looks set for a Premier League return after becoming tired of being a substitute for the Champions League finalists. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he will stick with his young stars and resist splashing out on big-money signings this summer.(The Sun) 
But according to the Times, Wenger did hint that he will look to sign experienced players in the summer to bolster his young squad.(Times) 
Chelsea are prepared to pay up the final year of striker Andriy Shevchenko's contract, denying him a return to Stamford Bridge. (Daily Mail) 
Argentina and Genoa striker Diego Milito's agent has flown to London for transfer talks. Everton, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City are all said to be interested.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Newcastle are ready to offer temporary boss Alan Shearer a new four-year contract to stay as manager at St James' Park. (Daily Telepgraph) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has admitted he lined up Peter Crouch as a possible replacement for Roque Santa Cruz back in January.(Sun) 
Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink has defended striker Didier Drogba after a wave of criticism for his behaviour against Barcelona. (Daily Telegraph) 
And Drogba is to escape any internal club discipline for his post-match abuse of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo following Chelsea's Champions League elimination to Barcelona in midweek.(Guardian) 
Uefa's match delegate has strongly condemned Drogba in his formal report on the aftermath of the club's Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona .(Independent) 
Tony Adams has revealed he is still hoping to return to Premier League management having taken stock following his dismissal from Portsmouth.(Times) 
Manchester City defender Richard Dunne has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of conning referees with his diving antics .(Times) 

AND FINALLY 

Arsene Wenger has claimed Nicklas Bendtner was NOT drunk after being pictured staggering out of a nightclub with his trousers falling down following Arsenal’s midweek Euro exit. (The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has agreed a two-year extension to his current contract at Anfield. The England ace's deal on Merseyside still had two years before it expired, but the Reds have moved to secure their star asset. (Skysports)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted he wants to sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, with the fee for the 21-year-old reported to be £45m. (Various) 
Tottenham will attempt to sign Manchester City's Martin Petrov as the Bulgarian left winger has dropped down the pecking order at Eastlands. (The Sun) 
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is also keeping an eye on 29-year-old Paraguay defender Paulo Cesar da Silva, who will be available on a free transfer in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Gelson Fernandes has said he needs to quit Man City, but admitted it will be difficult to leave "the richest club in the world." (The Sun) 
Fulham are lining up a move for 17-year-old Algerian goalkeeper Abendour Merzoukim, who would be available on a free transfer. (The Sun) 
Birmingham are favourites to sign Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey, who is valued at £1.3m. (Daily Mirror) 
Crystal Palace, Ipswich and MK Dons are all eyeing a £1m move for Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert. (Daily Star)  

OTHER GOSSIP 

Alan Shearer's first task as Newcastle manager was to lay down the law to his players by banning them from pubs and nightclubs in the city. (Various) 
Arsene Wenger says he will not leave Arsenal before his contract expires in 2011. (Various) 
Sven-Goran Eriksson is eyeing a return to Premier League management after the Swede was sacked as manager of Mexico. (The Sun) 
Man City manager Mark Hughes has hinted that he could leave star forward Robinho on the bench for this weekend's trip to Arsenal because he is struggling to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League. (Various) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has revealed that he was hit in the face by Germany team-mate Lukas Podolski after a disagreement on the pitch during their World Cup qualifying win in Wales. (The Sun) 
George Burley named Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor on the bench against Iceland despite their breach of team discipline to avoid mutiny in the dressing room. (The Herald) 
Scottish FA president George Peat is demanding a full report into the breach of team discipline - paving the way for further sanctions against the Rangers pair. (various) 
And Tartan Army spokesman Hamish Husband believes the duo will find it difficult to win the hearts of the Scotland supporters again. (The Sun) 
George Burley will ban alcohol from future Scotland squads following the controversy. (Various) 
Meanwhile, Barcelona and Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen says Scotland are stronger without Ferguson and McGregor. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY 

Peter Crouch says Rio Ferdinand was the reason behind his robotic goal celebration during England's 2-1 win over Ukraine at Wembley. The Portsmouth striker vowed never to perform the dance at Wembley again, but did when Ferdinand shouted at him "to pull the rope". (The Sun)
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