Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Newcastle striker Nile Ranger could go on loan next season in search of first-team football according to the 19-year-old's agent.(The Journal) 
Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Rangers' defender David Wilson and may also attempt to bring his team-mate Madjid Bougherra to Anfield. Bougherra, a former Charlton defender, is expected to travel to the World Cup with Algeria.(Liverpool Echo) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp hopes to resign Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari. Redknapp first brought the Ghana international to England when he signed him for Portsmouth in May 2007.(Footy Latest) 
Valencia striker David Villa will turn down Manchester United's advances to sign for Barcelona.(IMScouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to smash the British transfer record and bid £45m for Valencia and Spain forward David Villa. (caughtoffside.com) 
Inter Milan are planning to buy Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the hope that the midfielder's signature will stop manager Jose Mourinho from leaving for Real Madrid.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed he is considering his future at the north London club with Barcelona waiting to pounce if the Spaniard decides to quit the Gunners.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have made an official approach to sign Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, with boss Alex McLeish undeterred by the failure of his attempts to sign the 29-year-old earlier in the season.(Daily Mirror)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he would like to sign Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, increasing speculation the Spaniard could be heading out of Anfield. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are hoping to raid Valencia with boss Harry Redknapp preparing a £28m bid for winger David Silva.(caughtoffside.com) 
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has signed a pre-contract agreement with Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls and will head to the United States in the summer.(the Sun) 
Tottenham are set to sell midfielder Jermaine Jenas and forward Robbie Keane to fund moves for targets such as Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, Chelsea playmaker Joe Cole and Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Star) 
Birmingham City are keeping tabs on Mamelodi Sundowns's South Africa international striker Katlego Mphela. (Daily Mail) 
Fulham are interested in Aston Villa central defender Curtis Davies who cost the club £8m from West Bromwich Albion in 2008.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are lining up an £8m offer for Werder Bremen striker Mesut Ozil. (caughtoffside.com) 
Blackburn have held preliminary talks over a £450,000 deal for Molde's Norway international midfielder Magne Hoseth. (Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest are interested in taking Manchester United's versatile youngster Corry Evans on a season's loan. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth striker John Utaka is set to join French side Sochaux in a cut-price £3m deal. Utaka cost Portsmouth a club-record £7m.(Daily Mail) 
Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is out of contract this summer, says that seven clubs are chasing his signature. He has the chance to move to England with Birmingham, Wolves, Wigan, Newcastle or Middlesbrough or to Turkey with Bursaspor or Ankaragucu. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is set to accept a coaching role with England at the World Cup after his hopes of playing in the tournament were ruined by an Achilles injury.(the Times) 
Beckham's England team-mate and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has revealed that he would like to move into management once his playing days are over.(the Times) 
Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou will demand compensation if West Ham make Pompey boss Avram Grant their new manager. (Daily Mail) 
Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has told Aston Villa that he is prepared to sit out the remaining year on his contract and leave for free next summer rather than sign agreements with Blackburn or Stoke.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland are prepared to pay only half of Tottenham's £7m asking price to make full-back Alan Hutton's move to the Stadium of Light permanent.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has admitted that he expects the club to sign a new striker this summer after he scored just 12 goals in all competitions this season.(the Guardian) 
Southampton boss Alan Pardew has been told his job as manager is safe as long as he delivers promotion to the Championship next season.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has allayed fears over the fitness of defender Rio Ferdinand and striker Wayne Rooney by insisting the pair will be fit for England's World Cup campaign.(Manchester Evening News) 

AND FINALLY

Portsmouth are almost £4m better off than previously thought after an apparent oversight in the administrator's report was revealed.(the Guardian) 
Roy Hodgson's run to the Europa League final with Fulham has made him favourite to be named manager of the Great Britain football team for the London 2012 Olympics. An announcement is expected some time next year. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has backed Manchester United and England skipper Rio Ferdinand as the man to to take on John Barnes' rapping role in a cover of England's 1990 World Cup song "World in Motion".(FourFourTwo)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City forward Robinho has told his team-mates that he wants to quit the club to join Spanish giants Barcelona. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham and Portsmouth are stepping up their pursuit of Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa. (The Sun) 
Tottenham could also bid for former Portsmouth and current Al-Arabi striker Lomana LuaLua.(The Sun) 
Chelsea have been told that Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero will cost them £50m.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Napoli insist that Chelsea have not made a bid for £25m-rated midfielder Marek Hamsik. (The Sun) 
Liverpool have swooped to sign 14-year-old forward Dave Moli from Blue Square Premier side Luton. (The Sun) 
Liverpool, Tottenham and Fulham are monitoring Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's situation after the Dutchman said he would consider a Premier League return.(Daily Star) 
Gillingham have told Wolves they will have to pay more than £1.5m to land Canadian striker Simeon Jackson.(The Sun) 
Birmingham are lining up a £1.5m raid on local rivals West Brom for midfielder Graham Dorrans. (Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are set to part company with defender Nicky Shorey and midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker in the January transfer window. (Daily Star) 
Preston are lining up a January loan move for Stoke winger Michael Tonge. (The Sun)
Celtic midfielder Simon Ferry is desperate to extend his loan stay at League One side Swindon. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Injured Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been told he will not play football again this year. (The Sun) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that he will not quit the club to manage Italy after rumours that current Azzurri boss Marcello Lippi will quit after the World Cup. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham are set to spend £9m to secure the long-term services of manager Roy Hodgson and defender Brede Hangeland. (The Sun) 
Former Birmingham chief David Sullivan is plotting a takeover of League One Charlton if his bid to buy West Ham fails. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany has been expelled from Belgium's squad because of poor timekeeping. (The Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

It has emerged that England and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson is the latest Premier League player to be receiving the same horse-placenta treatment in Serbia as Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.(The Sun) 
The coaching skills of former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are to be offered to a Sunday league football side as part of Rio Ferdinand's charity auction. (The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is lining up a January transfer swoop for Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United are considering an £8m move for Napoli's Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik. (Daily Star) 
Everton hope to sign Gillingham's 22-year-old striker Simeon Jackson.(The Sun) 
Wolves striker Sam Vokes is set to join Coventry on loan.(The Sun) 
Tottenham are tracking Sampdoria's Spanish midfielder Pedro Mba Obiang.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United are keen on French striker Fabrice Pancrate, who is a free agent after being released by Paris St Germain.(The Sun) 
Stoke have rejected loan bids from Newcastle and Nottingham Forest for defender Leon Cort.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth are battling it out with Notts County and Turkish side Galatasaray to sign former Manchester City left-back Michael Ball, who is now a free agent. (Daily Mail) 

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OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Gary Neville may face punishment from the Football Association following his reaction to Michael Owen's late winner in Sunday's derby. Neville, an unused substitute, ran down the touchline towards Manchester City's fans to celebrate.(The Sun) 
Manchester City midfielder Javier Garrido has accused neighbours Manchester United of creating a "climate of hostility" after being hit on the head by a coin at half-time during Sunday's derby. (Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City will complain to the Football Association about the behaviour of fourth official Alan Wiley during injury time in Sunday's derby. City are angry that manager Mark Hughes was shooed away when he questioned where all the added time had come from.(The Sun) 
Manchester United look set to escape a Fifa investigation over their attempted recruitment of Fiorentina teenager Michele Fornasier.(Daily Telegraph) 
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has apologised to manager Martin O'Neill following their training ground bust-up and looks to have saved his future at the Premier League club.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Former Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann has been dropped by Stuttgart after attending the Munich beer festival, Oktoberfest. Lehmann said: "The visit was part of a charity event and had been planned for a long time. However, it was not agreed with the club. Of course I accept the measures taken by the sporting management."(The Sun)
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