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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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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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has dismissed speculation linking striker Emmanuel Adebayor with a summer move from Eastlands.(mcfc.co.uk) 
Spanish giants Barcelona remain confident of signing Arsenal captain and midfielder Cesc Fabregas this summer. "We are working on it," said Barca president Joan Laporta, whose club are believed to be willing to offer £30m for the player, with the Gunners reportedly holding out for more than double that amount.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are reportedly interested in Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff as a replacement for Fabregas should the Spaniard leave the Emirates. However, the Gunners would face competition for the Frenchman's signature from Lyon.(imscouting.com) 
Manchester United are ready to make an audacious swoop to sign Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, who is struggling to make progress with the Merseyside club over an extension to his contract, which has two years still to run.(The Daily Mirror) 
Manager Tony Pulis is set to smash Stoke's transfer record with a £12m offer for West Ham striker Carlton Cole.(The Daily Mirror) 
West Brom expect to complete the signing of the Spanish centre-back Pablo Ibanez on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.(The Daily Mail) 
The Baggies are also set to bank about £3m from midfielder Jonathan Greening completing his move to Fulham, where he spent last season on loan.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool hope to deter Chelsea from making a move for winger Yossi Benayoun by demanding £10m for the Israeli.(The Daily Mail) 
Arsenal and Tottenham are leading the chase to sign Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole when he becomes a free agent this summer.(The Daily Mail) 
Newly promoted Blackpool hope to pip neighbours Preston to the loan signing of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck and hope the prospect of Premier League football will help lure the 19-year-old. (The Daily Mail)
Birmingham have abandoned efforts to sign Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia but Blues are interested in Celtic's Aiden McGeady and Hull's Stephen Hunt, who is also a £3m target for Wolves, West Ham and West Brom.(The Daily Mail) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is chasing Colombian namesake striker Jackson Martinez, who he hopes to team up with fellow countryman Hugo Rodallega at the DW Stadium.(The Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj could reject the chance to join West Ham in favour of a lucrative move to Qatar, with Al-Sadd interested in signing the Algeria international. (The Daily Mail) 
Leeds are hoping to hijack Wigan's £800,000 move for Hamilton midfielder James McArthur by tabling a £1m plus add-ons bid of their own.(The Daily Mail) 
But Wigan have moved ahead of Sunderland in the race to sign Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli by increasing their bid beyond the £6m offered by the Black Cats for the Argentina international.(The Daily Mail) 
Southampton boss Alan Pardew is lining up a double swoop for midfielders Brian Stock of Doncaster and Bristol Rovers' Chris Lines.(The Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Aston Villa full-back Stephen Warnock could be a shock inclusion in England's final 23-man squad for the World Cup at the expense of Everton left-back Leighton Baines.(The Daily Mail) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is wanted by ambitious Dubai club Al-Ahli as they spearhead grand plans to overhaul football in the Middle East.(The Daily Mail) 
Inter Milan have made the first move in an attempt to convince Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to switch to the San Siro to replace Jose Mourinho, who was yesterday unveiled as Real Madrid boss.(The Sun) 
Notts County are lining up Bradford boss Peter Taylor to succeed Steve Cotterill at Meadow Lane.(The Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra believes his Algeria side have the full backing of Scotland when they face England in the group stages of the World Cup this summer. "Everywhere I go in Glasgow people stop me and tell me to beat England," said Bougherra.(The Sun)

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Djokovic under 30.5 (2.10) 3-1 (33 points)
Verdasco to win (1.66) 1-3

double @ 3.48 LOST

Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former Chelsea and Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed he already is being headhunted after leaving Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor by mutual consent. "I have enough serious offers from a number of different teams. There are two offers from European clubs, another two from Asia and one from Brazilian club. But I'm not ready to decide this now," he said. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham have launched an audacious move to bring LA Galaxay midfielder David Beckham back to England while trying to lure former midfielder Joe Cole back from Chelsea.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City have stepped up their interest in Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Yaya Toure but the Spanish side are demanding £60m for the double deal.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has rejected a move to Juventus because he wants to prove his worth at Anfield.(Footylatest.com) 
Manchester United and Arsenal are competing to sign £13m-rated Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard from French side Lille.(caughtoffside.com) 
Arsenal have had a £4.2m bid for Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny rejected. Wenger had identified the 24-year-old as a potential partner for Thomas Vermaelen.(caughtoffside.com) 
Dutch star Arjen Robben has claimed Manchester City target Rafael van der Vaart wants to join him at Bayern Munich.(Daily Mail) 
Jermaine Beckford is poised to join Everton after his Leeds contract was ripped up early.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan (on photo) believes West Ham can be the Arsenal of London's East End.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been handed a measly £5m summer transfer kitty.(Daily Mail)

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AND FINALLY

Hammers striker Benni McCarthy is "nearly as fat as me," says West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. "He's the one West Ham player I want to go to the World Cup because he might come back fitter."(Daily Mail)

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Maybe will be some pick(s), later. Football, no tennis, no rubbish. Stay tuned.

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are considering an £8m move for Atletico Madrid's Portuguese winger Simao as boss Rafael Benitez continues his search for a left winger.(Daily Star)
Manchester City have joined the chase for Wolfsburg's highly rated Bosnia international striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mail)
It is not only Dzeko that City are chasing. The club have launched a daring raid for Valencia forward David Silva as well as three Real Madrid stars - Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes has swooped for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford and will make him his first signing of the summer.(Daily Mirror)
Jose Mourinho has pinpointed Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea.(The Guardian)
West Ham have made a £3m offer for Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who spent a year-long loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mail)
Wolves are closing in on a £7m deal for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher. (Daily Mail)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has approached his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger about the possibility of midfielder Jack Wilshere returning on loan next season.(Daily Mail)
Defender Mario Melchiot is set to join Qatari club Umm Salal. The Wigan skipper, 33, is out of contract and will sign a lucrative deal in the Gulf.(The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

England have suffered a World Cup injury scare after Steven Gerrard limped out of a training session, with the Liverpool midfielder requiring 20 minutes of treatment on his right calf after he pulled up sharply.(Daily Mail)
England manager Fabio Capello says Argentina are the team he fears most in the World Cup, claiming they are the team with the most talented players.(Daily Mirror)
Capello has also warned his England team not to rely on Wayne Rooney in South Africa.(Daily Star)
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is sure David Beckham can still be England's secret World Cup weapon - despite injury ruling the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder out of the tournament.(Daily Star)
Capello believes Gareth Barry is recovering more quickly than expected from an ankle injury and is inclined to include the holding midfielder in his squad. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has described the United fans driving the 'green and gold' protest against the Glazer family ownership as "a minority" and suggested that many people who wear the scarves do not even understand the nature of their own protest.(The Independent)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed to friends he made up his mind to quit after a bust-up surrounding Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood.(Daily Mirror)

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AND FINALLY

The United States's football team have visited the White House for an official World Cup send-off from President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton ahead of their flight to South Africa on Sunday.(The Sun)
Scotland manager Craig Levein wants England to win the World Cup, claiming it will be "good for Scotland".(The Sun)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery will stay at the German club for another four years, extending his contract until 2015, according to German newspaper Bild.(Bild) 
In-demand England midfielder James Milner has put potential suitors on red alert by saying he does not know if he will still be at Aston Villa next season.(Daily Mail) 
And Villa's resolve to keep the 24-year-old is set to be tested by Manchester City, who offered £30m for him after having a £20m bid rejected.(Daily Mirror) 
That improved offer may not be enough for City, though, as Chelsea have joined the race for Milner and they believe the lure of Champions League football could prove decisive. (The Sun) 
Villa could also lose forward Ashley Young to Tottenham, who are ready to offer Robbie Keane or Jermaine Jenas as part of a deal for him. (Daily Star) 
Spurs face competition for Young from Manchester city, who enquired about his availability at the same time they asked about Milner. (The Guardian) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is so fed up with manager Rafael Benitez he is ready to walk out if he gets the right offer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has his eye on Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar striker Kaka. (Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have been linked with an ambitious £12m swoop for World Cup-bound Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Caughtoffside.com) 
But the Hammers looks set to lose midfielder Valon Behrami, who is a £5m target for Italian side Palermo.(The Sun) 
Behrami is also attracting the interest of Liverpool, who will use Yossi Benayoun as bait to help land him and defender Matthew Upson.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are considering an £18m move for Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being tracked by Juventus, AC Milan and Wolfsburg.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are poised to make a £16m raid for Marseille midfielder Stephane Mbia.(The Daily Mail) 
The Gunners are also lining up Everton's Mikel Arteta as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas in the event that he joins Barcelona.(footylatest.com) 
Fabregas could be unveiled as a Barcelona player on 4 June or 9 June. ( imscouting.com) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure will not be arriving at the Emirates stadium after refusing to consider the move, leaving Manchester City favourites to sign him.(footylatest.com) 
And Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is another who looks set to snub Arsenal, saying he is committed to the Italian side. (imscouting.com) 
Everton hope to tie down midfielder Jack Rodwell to a new deal and ward of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Atletico Madrid have issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United over their Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.(imscouting.com) 
Aston Villa are eyeing up a season-long loan deal for striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has returned to Monaco after the end of his loan spell at Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also ready to offer £15m for West Ham striker Carlton Cole. (caughtoffisde.com) 
That could signal the end of Emile Heskey's stay at Villa Park, with Stoke ready to move for the England man.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to bring 32-year old Real Madrid striker Raul to Anfield.(The Daily Mail) 
David Nugent, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Nadir Belhadj are set to follow Avram Grant out of Portsmouth.(The Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are planning a £5m bid to take Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas back to St James' Park. (The Sun) 
Toon boss Chris Hughton also wants Porto forward Andre Monteiro but has had a £2m offer rejected.(The Sun) 
Wigan are interested in £5m-rated Spanish striker Adrian Colunga, who plays for Recreativo Huelva. (The Sun) 
West Brom are targeting Racing Santander striker Mohamed Tchite.(The Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are lining up a £4m bid for Stoke striker Tuncay. (Various) 
Sampdoria defender Reto Ziegler is being lined up for a Premier League return as Liverpool eye the former Spurs man.(The Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are set to spend £2m to sign Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd. (Various) 
Crystal Palace skipper Shaun Derry is set to join Ipswich.(Daily Mirror) 
Preston and Derby are locked in a battle to sign Wayne Rooney's younger brother, John, who plays as striker for Macclesfield. (Various) 
Ex-Arsenal winger and France international Robert Pires, whose deal at Villarreal has run out, has turned down MLS side Philadelphia Union.(Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has raised doubts over his future after refusing to rule out a move to Inter Milan. (The Sun) 
Avram Grant is set to take over as West Ham manager after resigning at Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Pompey, meanwhile, are considering offering their vacant manager's position to goalkeeper David James. (Daily Star) 
New sports minister, Hugh Robertson has warned the Football Association that its new chairman must be independent. (The Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona insulted an injured cameraman after accidentally running over his leg before the announcement of his World Cup squad.(The Guardian) 
Liverpool's first signing of the summer could be a Vietnamese reality TV show star - the winner of the talent contest will win a 12-month deal at Anfield after next week's final. (Daily Mirror)
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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to make a £28m bid for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner. Villa have already turned down a £20m bid from Manchester City for the 24-year-old who is currently with England at their pre-World Cup training camp in Austria. (caughtoffside.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are preparing to launch a £70m bid for Liverpool's Fernando Torres after signing David Villa, his strike partner in Spain's national side, from Valencia.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Catalan side's hopes of luring Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal to the Nou Camp could be hit by Yaya Toure's reluctance to move in the opposite direction. The Ivory Coast midfielder is said to be attracting the interest of Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Barca have decided they will not pay more than £30m for Fabregas, which could also put the deal at risk.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal are looking for £80m before they allow their talismanic skipper to return to his former club.(Daily Mail) 
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is actually hopeful of persuading midfielder Fabregas to stay for one more season.(Daily Mirror) 
However, should Fabregas leave, Arsenal can forget plans to replace him with Mikel Arteta, according to the Everton midfielder's agent. Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Arteta.(the Sun) 
Manchester United are planning a £15m bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell despite Toffees boss David Moyes saying the 19-year-old is not for sale.(the Sun) 
Manchester City will need to pay Benfica £43m if they want to bring Brazilian defender David Luiz to Eastlands. (the Independent) 
Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool are competing to sign £11m-rated Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is planning a major spending spree after being told he has "an open chequebook".(the Sun) 
Birmingham City are considering a £2.5m bid for Fulham full-back Paul Konchesky.(Daily Mail) 
The Blues have also joined the race for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher as their hopes of landing Fulham's Bobby Zamora fade.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are poised to sign Hull star Stephen Hunt - even though he won't be fit for the start of next season. The Baggies have agreed a £4m fee for the Republic of Ireland winger, rising to £5.5m if Roberto di Matteo's men stay in the Premier League.(Daily Star) 
The Baggies are also set to make a £2m move for Stoke striker James Beattie. (the Sun) 
Sol Campbell has welcomed Celtic's interest and made it a clear a bumper two-year deal could tempt him to reject a one-year offer from Arsenal.(the Sun) 
Veteran defender David Weir is set to hang up his boots if Walter Smith quits as Rangers boss over the summer. (Various) 
Fulham are ready to table a pre-World Cup bid of £1m for Hibernian defender Sol Bamba.(Scottish Daily Express)
Peter Houston's first task as permanent manager of Dundee United will be to fight off bids for Craig Conway and Garry Kenneth from Middlesbrough.(Daily Record) 
Meanwhile, Houston will sign a three-year contract at Tannadice tomorrow. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan have denied they have made an approach for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez to replace Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho.(the Sun) 
Benitez says he wants a further four years at Anfield and also feels there is no evidence that star striker Fernando Torres wants to leave the club.(the Times) 
Manchester United failed in a last-ditch attempt to sign Spain international striker David Villa, who joined Barcelona for £34m.(Mirror) 
The Red Knights consortium's hopes of taking over United from the Glazer family looks set to fail because of internal wranglings.(Guardian) 
Dutch champions FC Twente want Portsmouth manager Avram Grant to replace Steve McClaren, who has left to manage German side Wolfsburg. However, Grant is being linked with the vacant post at West Ham.(Daily Star) 
Grant will be unveiled as the Hammers new manager next month. (the Sun) 
Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes he can finish as the World Cup's top scorer.(Daily Star) 
England World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks believes Fabio Capello should use David James as his number one goalkeeper for the World Cup.(the Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

England midfielder Steven Gerrard says team-mate Joe Cole is just as good as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo - in training.(Daily Mirror) 
If you fancy owning the shirt worn by England's World Cup winning hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst, pop down to Harrods where it is set to go on sale on Friday. Hurst no longer owns the number 10 shirt he made history in at the 1966 World Cup final. The price tag? Only £2m...plus VAT! 
(Daily Express)
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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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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are set to make an offer of about £24m for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United have made further enquiries about Benfica winger Angel di Maria, who is valued at about £38m and is also wanted by Real Madrid. (Daily Mail)
Liverpool are lining up a bid of about £11m for Sampdoria's Italian striker Giampaolo Pazzini as manager Rafael Benitez looks to bring in new attacking options. (caughtoffside.com) 
Benitez is also reportedly interested in bringing talented Sevilla winger Jesus Navas to Anfield.(caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool and Aston Villa have joined the race for West Ham striker Carlton Cole after it emerged that the Hammers rejected a £10m bid for the striker from Birmingham. (Daily Mirror) 
If the Hammers lose Cole, they will move for Everton striker Yakubu.(Daily Mail) 
Neil Lennon, who was given the role of Celtic caretaker manager until the end of the season, is hoping to secure the job permanently this week - with Crystal Palace's goalscoring midfielder Darren Ambrose his first transfer target.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has made an £8m bid for Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia.(Daily Mail) 
Defender Steven Caldwell is preparing to team up with his brother Gary at Wigan after being released by Burnley.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are considering a move for Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa this summer with Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson known to be an admirer of the 23-year-old French international.(caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham are set to snap up Lyon winger Sydney Govou on a free transfer.(The Sun) 
Bolton will make a sensational £5m bid for Real Madrid's Spain Under-20 internationals Marcos Alonso, a left-back, and Rodrigo Moreno, who is a striker. (Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are trying to pip Fulham to Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson with a £2.5m bid. (Daily Mail)
Leicester are keen on signing Everton striker James Vaughan on a permanent deal for a fee of £1m. (Daily Mail) 
Preston hope to sign Wycombe winger Matt Phillips for £450,000. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea's Petr Cech has hailed goalkeeping rival David James as England's number one after the Portsmouth player's performance in Saturday's FA Cup final, which the London club won 1-0.(Daily Mirror) 
Lord Sugar has announced he is ready to to take charge at the crisis-hit Football Association, replacing Lord Triesman, who resigned on Sunday. (The Sun) 
Sheffield United coach Gary Speed has emerged as a managerial candidate for Hull. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola hailed Lionel Messi as "the best [player] I've ever seen" after the Argentine forward scored twice in Sunday's win over Real Valladolid, equalling Barca's 34-goal league record and taking his tally to 47 in all competitions this season. (Daily Mail) 
England's stars have agreed to give their World Cup match fees to charity for the first time. (The Sun) 
Chelsea defender John Terry has set his sights on winning the Treble next season but says the Wembley pitch, which will host next year's Champions League final, must be improved.(Daily Mirror)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Chelsea's Joe Cole, 28, will seek a move away from the Premier League if he cannot agree a new deal with the club this summer - with Serie A giants AC Milan and Inter Milan both keen on the England midfielder.(goal.com) 
Denmark defender Simon Kjaer, who has been linked with Manchester United and Liverpool, is likely to move to Juventus if he chooses to leave Champions League chasing Palermo.(imscouting.com) 
Real Madrid officials have met with the representatives of Wolfsburg's Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, 24, who has been watched by Manchester United and Chelsea.(imscouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Real Madrid are ready to make a £30m bid for Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard.(Daily Mirror)
England midfielder Joe Cole, 28, wants to join Champions League qualifiers Tottenham when his Chelsea contract ends this summer, despite interest from Manchester City and Liverpool.(the Sun) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will be given a £40m transfer kitty for the summer - and Manchester United's former Spurs midfielder Michael Carrick is on the wanted list along with Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy.(Daily Star) 
Fluminense hope to agree a deal with Chelsea midfielder Deco, 32, who wants to leave Stamford Bridge.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are eyeing Villarreal's Spanish goalkeeper Diego Lopez, 28, who cost £5m from Real Madrid.(the Sun) 
Sunderland have joined the chase for Estudiantes' Argentina striker Mauro Boselli, 24, with Wigan, Blackburn and Birmingham also monitoring the situation for the £8m-rated player.(Daily Mail) 
Blackburn and Aston Villa have joined Wigan in the race to sign Sporting Gijon defender Roberto Canella. (Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa want to sign Crystal Palace's 19-year-old defender Nathaniel Clyne to replace Luke Young who is eager to return to London. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham have enquired about striker Frederic Piquionne, 31, who is on loan at Portsmouth from Lyon and will be available for £4m. (Daily Mail) 
Bolton are favourites to sign Ivory Coast forward Aruna Dindane from Portsmouth for £2.7m. (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez will offer Swansea £2.5m for midfielder Darren Pratley.(the Sun) 
And the Latics are also set to win the race for Hamilton midfielder James McArthur in a £1.2m deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolves could launch a £1m bid for Dundee United striker David Goodwillie. (the Sun)
Hull midfielder Dean Marney, 26, is poised to join Burnley in a £1m deal.(Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Hull are also ready to sell £2m-rated defender Kamil Zayatte to French side St Etienne. (Daily Mirror) 
 
OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City will give boss Roberto Mancini the cash to launch another major assault on the top four after City's Abu Dhabi owner Sheikh Mansour backed the Italian to remain at Eastlands.(the Sun) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will hold further talks with the club hierarchy to resolve his future after both parties exchanged "issues of concern" at a meeting on Thursday. (the Guardian) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is due to receive a seven-figure bonus and an improved contract after guiding the club into the top four in the Premier League. (the Guardian) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is set to axe eight players including George McCartney and David Healy in a summer clear-out. (Daily Mail) 
Hopes of a fans takeover at Manchester United have suffered a blow after it emerged the Glazer family rejected a £1.5bn Middle Eastern-takeover bid last year.(Daily Telegraph) 
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has denied suggestions he is prepared to leave Anfield and insisted he wants to see out his career with the club.(Daily Telegraph) 
Rangers defender David Weir has been named Scotland's player of the year four days before his 40th birthday - but says he does not know if he has a future at Ibrox.(the Times) 
Fifa has warned Brazil it is "not on the right path" with its preparations to host the 2014 World Cup.(Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Frank Lampard will let Didier Drogba be Chelsea's penalty-taker against Wigan on Sunday in order to help the Ivory Coast striker win the Golden Boot ahead of Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. (the Sun)
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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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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reportedly agreed a deal to stay on as Gunners boss until 2013. The earlier-than-anticipated verbal agreement is a huge boost to the club's hopes of hanging on to marquee players such as striker Robin van Persie and particularly midfielder Cesc Fabregas.(goal.com) 
Ben Foster has accepted he will have to leave Manchester United to revive his flagging career. "I want to be playing football. I am not interested in just hanging around and I would go if the club wanted to sell me," admitted Foster, who has played 13 times for United this season. (Press Association Sport) 
Paris Saint Germain defender Mamadou Sakho has hinted that he is interested in leaving the Ligue 1 side, alerting Arsenal who have long been linked with the 20-year-old. "The Europa League is good but my absolute dream is the Champions League. I have personal goals and I'm thinking," Sakho told French newspaper L'Equipe. (imscouting.com)

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea hope to catch fellow-suitors Manchester City cold with a dramatic move for Fernando Torres and are willing to table a British record transfer fee, that could reach £70m, for the Liverpool striker.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are hopeful of tying up a £16m deal for CSKA Moscow midfielder Milos Krasic this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Alternatively, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants to bring just one player to Old Trafford this summer and this is Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric.(footylatest.com) 
Argentine newspaper Ole reports that highly sought after Benfica winger Angel Di Maria has agreed a move to Real Madrid , rejecting overtures from both Manchester United and Chelsea.(imscouting.com) 
Parma are keen to sign striker Valeri Bojinov on a permanent deal from Manchester City after a successful loan spell at the mid-table Serie A side. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is hoping to secure a deal to snap up Serbian international striker Marko Pantelic from Ajax this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Striker Ivan Klasnic's hopes of a long-term stay at Bolton, following his loan spell at the Reebok this season, are in doubt with his French club Nantes trying to find him a new home.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal are reportedly considering making a bid to sign Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini this summer. (caughtoffside.com) 
The Gunners have also been alerted to the availability of Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon who has expressed an interest in moving to the Emirates following the failure of his club Juventus to qualify for next season's Champions League. (The Sun) 
Alternatively, Arsenal are readying a move for Manchester City keeper Joe Hart, who has spent the season on loan at Birmingham.(The Guardian)
West Ham have emerged as shock contenders to re-sign midfielder Joe Cole from Chelsea. The player, who swapped Upton Park for Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2003, is out of contract this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham are preparing to make an improved bid of £5m for West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans - despite Albion valuing him at £10m. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is planning a £9m double raid on former club Wigan for defender Maynor Figueroa and goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are prepared to offer striker Robbie Keane to Everton in exchange for midfielder Steven Pienaar.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke have made a £4m bid for Ipswich midfielder and captain Jon Walters.(The Sun) 
Newcastle are eyeing up a move for Reading midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. The 20-year-old has bagged 20 goals in 38 starts in his first season and collected Reading's Player of the Year title.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolves have joined the race to sign striker Frederic Piquionne, who has impressed on loan at Portsmouth from French club Lyon this season. The player is also wanted by Blackburn and Birmingham.(The Sun) 
Liverpool are set to increased their offer for Rangers defender Danny Wilson over the next 48 hours to a minimum £2m. (Daily Mail) 
Lee Naylor wants to do a U-turn on his decision to leave Celtic for English football and hopes caretaker Neil Lennon will offer him a new contract if he is given the manager's job permanently. (the Sun)
Defender Mark Reynolds hopes Motherwell will sell him in the summer rather than lose him for nothing when his contract runs out at the end of next season. (Various) 
Walsall have released Rhys Weston from his contract by mutual consent, paving the defender's way to a possible switch to Motherwell after last week's trial at Fir Park. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool could be forced to choose between keeping manager Rafa Benitez or striker Fernando Torres. Benitez will deliver a series of ultimatums designed to increase his power at the club this week, but the manager's relationship with Torres has cooled to such an extent that if he stays the striker could leave.(The Sun) 
Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish could return to Liverpool as temporary boss, with Ian Rush as his assistant, if current Reds manager Rafael Benitez quits the club to join Italian side Juventus.(Daily Mirror) 
Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to rebuild his Manchester United side over the summer, even if they snatch the title from Chelsea this season. United are one point behind the Blues heading into this weekend's final game. (Daily Mirror) 
French striker Karim Benzema has played down his chances of a move to Manchester United, claiming he wants to stay at Real Madrid "forever". (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal defender Sol Campbell believes he may have played his way back into Fabio Capello's England plans for South Africa this summer. Campbell, whose last appearances for his country came during Steve McClaren's ill-fated Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, has performed well for the Gunners since rejoining them in January after a spell with League Two side Notts County.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Tottenham boss Martin Jol, now in charge at Dutch side Ajax, says he would love to manage in England again. "It's not that I have unfinished business in England, but I'd love another crack at it," he said.(The Sun) 
Former Burnley boss Steve Cotterill is favourite to take over as Coventry manager after Chris Coleman was axed on Tuesday.(The Sun) 
Alternatively, former Leeds boss Gary McAllister could retake the reigns at Coventry. The ex-Scotland player left the Sky Blues in January 2004 for personal reasons.(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United are close to agreeing a four-year contract extension with defender Jonny Evans.(Daily Express) 
Stoke winger Matthew Etherington is ready to sign a new four-year deal with the club.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Wolves striker Michael Kightly has apologised to the club's fans for his poor season which has seen him out of action since November with an ankle injury. (Daily Mirror)

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Laval 2 - 1 Caen

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Bolton defender Gary Cahill, who is reportedly attracting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, has admitted the time may be right for a move away from the Trotters.(The Bolton News) 

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Ajax forward David Suarez may be bound for Arsenal, with the Gunners weighing up a £22m bid for the Uruguay international.(Caught Offside) 
But Wolves insist striker Kevin Doyle, who has emerged as a £10m target for Arsenal, will not be leaving Molineux this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City have Aston Villa winger Ashley Young in their sights, with the Eastlands hierarchy believing a £22m bid may tempt Villans boss Martin O'Neill to sell.(Caught Offside) 
Wigan have slapped an £8m price tag on Honduras left-back Maynor Figueroa, who is wanted by Sunderland boss Steve Bruce. (Daily Mirror) 
Palermo defender Simon Kjaer, 21, is a possible target for Arsenal as manager Arsene Wenger looks for a new centre-back partner for Thomas Vermeulen.(Footy Latest) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set for showdown talks with new Reds chairman Martin Broughton later this week as speculation continues that the Spaniard may be on his way out of Anfield.(the Sun) 
Former England boss Steve McClaren will move on to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after guiding FC Twente to the Dutch league title on Sunday. (Daily Mail) 
Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has said it is "unthinkable" that manager Jose Mourinho would move away from the Champions League finalists this summer. (the Times)
Defender Steve Finnan has pledged to stick with Portsmouth next season, despite the club's relegation to the Championship. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told his error-prone goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to win over the Gunners' faithful in the same manner as defender Emmanuel Eboue, who was booed by the home support at the Emirates last season only to turn it around with a string of fine performances. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez believes that in-demand attacking duo Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia should stay with the Latics if they want to develop.(the Sun) 
Burnley skipper Steven Caldwell admits that he is disappointed to find himself still waiting for a new contract offer at Turf Moor.(the Sun) 

AND FINALLY

David Beckham has blamed his unerring dedication on the pitch for the Achilles tendon injury that has ruled him out of England's World Cup squad this summer. "In the last two years I've been pushing myself too hard because I wanted to get into Fabio Capello's World Cup squad," the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder told David Letterman's chat programmeThe Late Show in the United States.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke striker Dave Kitson has claimed he has been unfairly blamed for problems at the club. "Cloudy in Stoke? That's Kitson's fault. The traffic's terrible? Blame that on Kitson too," he said. (the Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

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Birmingham C. 2 - 1 Burnley

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Milton Keynes Dons 0 - 0 Brighton & Hove A.

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is ready to offload Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge and Stephen Ireland and will make a £50m bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.(The Sun) 
Real Madrid are preparing to launch a £20m move for Manchester United's France defender Patrice Evra, with Arsenal's Gael Clichy, Chelsea's Ashley Cole and Fiorentina's Juan Manuel Vargas the other left-backs on the Spanish side's summer shortlist. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona are ready to make a summer bid for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor, who is valued at about £8m.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City could make a move for Bayern Munich's 32-year-old striker Luca Toni, who is currently on loan at Italian side Roma.(imscouting.com) 
Argentina striker Carlos Tevez is on the verge of demanding a transfer from Manchester City, with Liverpool ready to pay £18m.(footylatest.com) 
Birmingham will make a £5m bid for Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster if Manchester City's Joe Hart does not return to them on loan next season. (The Sun) 
West Brom have put a £12m price tag on sought-after midfielder Graham Dorrans. West Ham have had a £4m bid rejected, while Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton are also interested in the Scotland international.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Aston Villa are competing to sign PSV Eindhoven's Bulgarian international right-back Stanislav Manolev, 24, for £5m.(Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are prepared to spend £5m to make defender Alan Hutton's loan switch from Tottenham a permanent one.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United have made a move for Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli, whose arrival will be made possible by the sale of Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov in the summer.(footylatest.com) 
Everton have emerged as favourites to beat Fulham to the signature of Wigan defender Paul Scharner, with the Austrian likely to be part of a clear-out at the DW Stadium this summer. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan's clear-out will also include defender Mario Melchiot and midfielders Jason Koumas and Olivier Kapo.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are also planning a squad revamp as manager Tony Pulis tries to restore dressing-room harmony at the club. As many as 10 players, including James Beattie, Tuncay, Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson, could be moving on.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham, Blackburn and Birmingham have all been placed on alert after Notts County agreed to release goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel on a free transfer at the end of the season. (The Sun) 
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is considering a loan bid for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, who is having a temporary spell at Celtic. However, Spurs would prefer a permanent £8m deal.(Daily Mail) 
McCarthy also wants Hull winger Stephen Hunt for £3m as well as Tigers centre-half Kamil Zayatte.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola's spell at Upton Park is almost certainly over after co-owner David Sullivan said the Italian "might resign at the end of the season".(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United have lined up two replacements in case manager Sir Alex Ferguson decides to retire this summer.(The Sun) 
Liverpool will not stand in the way of manager Rafael Benitez if he wishes to join Italian side Juventus in the summer.(The Independent) 
Portsmouth fear that goalkeeper David James will make his final appearance for Pompey in the FA Cup final against Chelsea on 15 May as the cash-strapped club cannot afford to offer him a new deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Uefa president Michel Platini says tighter financial regulation would have prevented the money problems at Portsmouth and said: "I'm not in favour of the big liberalism of what has happened to the English clubs."(The Times) 
Portsmouth are ready to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as they attempt to play in the Europa League next season.(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has missed the last two matches with a groin strain, says he is fit to return for Sunday's trip to Sunderland.(The Sun) 
The agent representing Blackburn midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen says the Norwegian international wants to stay at the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City youngster Alex Nimely, 19, will become the latest academy graduate to pledge his future to the club when he signs a new four-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns has apologised to the club's fans after being sent off for a headbutt during the 1-1 draw with West Brom on Monday. He will now miss the relegation showdown with Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United's new strips for next season have been photographed - with the look reminiscent of what the club used to wear in the 1980s.(The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manager Rafael Benitez intends to take striker Fernando Torres with him to Juventus if he opts to leave Liverpool and take charge of the Italian club.(the Sun) 
Manchester City are lining up a £50m bid for the Spain international and could offer an incredible £200,000 a week to lure him to Eastlands.(Guardian) 
But Benitez says Torres, who is 12 months into a four-year contract at Anfield, is not for sale.(The Times) 
Juventus are hoping to lure Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna to the Stadio delle Alpi if the Gunners sign Ajax defender Gregory Van der Wiel.(Daily Mail) 
The Italians are also considering using goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Felipe Melo to lure Robin van Persie to Turin.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, the Gunners have joined a growing list of Premier League clubs interested in the signature of Everton teenager Jack Rodwell. However, the Merseyside club are set to increase the midfielder's wages to ensure he stays at Goodison Park.(The Times) 
Manchester City are keen to tie up a deal for Germany international Mesut Ozil before the 22-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder has the chance to make a name for himself at the World Cup.(The Independent) 
Brazil striker Luis Fabiano has hinted Manchester United would be his destination of choice if he leaves Sevilla in the summer.(Daily Express) 
Hamburg defender Jerome Boateng is set to join brother Kevin-Prince, the Portsmouth midfielder, in English football with a move to Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
West Brom are preparing a move for out-of-favour Stoke striker Tuncay, but will face competition from Fenerbahce.(Daily Star) 
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has warned fans it will be difficult to recruit big names to St James' Park in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United want to beat local rivals Manchester City to the signing of teenage Nigerian midfielder Ramon Azeez.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who has spent this season on loan at Birmingham, is a £10m target for Arsenal.(Daily Star) 
Blackburn striker Jason Roberts is seeking to clarify his future at Ewood Park as boss Sam Allardyce targets a move for Lech Poznan striker Robert Lewandowski.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is eyeing a move for Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd after long-term target Roman Pavlyuchenko rediscovered his form at Tottenham.(Daily Mail) 
Caretaker manager Neil Lennon has told Celtic's board that he would like to sign two strikers, one of them being Scunthorpe United's Gary Hooper, who has been targeted by Wolves and Hull City. (the Times) 
Rangers' hopes of signing James McArthur were dealt a blow when it emerged that Birmingham City are showing an interest in the Hamilton Accies midfielder. (The Herald)
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has rejected speculation linking his club with Dundee United's Garry Kenneth, but Blackpool are keeping tabs on the defender. (Daily Record) 
Aberdeen have made contract offers to Kilmarnock forward Kevin Kyle and to Dons on-loan Plymouth attacker Steven MacLean. (the Press & Journal) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Everton manager David Moyes has rejected speculation that he may be in line to take over from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot retires.(Daily Record) 
Tottenham and England winger Aaron Lennon could be set to return from a four-month injury lay-off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. (Daily Mirror) 
England boss Fabio Capello is desperate to take Tottenham's Ledley King to the World Cup despite the defender's recurrent injury problems.(Daily Mirror) 
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies will quit the City Ground and take up the reins at Celtic if his Championship side fail to win promotion to the Premier League. (Daily Mirror) 


AND FINALLY

France legend Zinedine Zidane will be the star signing in this year's Soccer Aid football match on 6 June at Old Trafford. The former Real Madrid star will be among a group of stars playing for the Rest of the World team against a team of celebrities.(the Sun)
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Atletico Madrid 1-0 Liverpool

Atletico Madrid will take a slender Europa League semi-final first-leg advantage to Anfield next week thanks to a ninth-minute strike from former Manchester United front man Diego Forlan.
In truth, however, the hosts will be regretting several opportunities they missed to add to their advantage. 
Liverpool, perhaps tired after their gruelling journey by land across Europe, will be grateful that they will not have to recover from a two or three-goal deficit following a poor game only redeemed by two good saves by goalkeeper Pepe Reina. 
Both sides went into the match missing key strikers and opted for a lone man up front with Atletico's Argentine international Kun Aguero suspended while injury denied Liverpool's Fernando Torres the chance to play against his former club. 
Atletico initially seemed to suffer the least from the absence of one of their key players. 
The Spanish side decided to test their visitors from the whistle and it quickly became apparent that the Liverpool back four were not sure how to deal with ex-Arsenal man Jose Antonio Reyes and Simao operating down the wings, with Jose Manuel Jurado playing just behind Forlan. 
Just nine minutes into the game, Jurado floated a cross to Forlan's head but, despite hardly making any contact, the Uruguayan international got a second chance when the ball fell to his feet and he poked it past Reina. 
The Liverpool defence recovered from the initial shock and gradually started to pick up their men but little creatively was coming out of the midfield with captain Steven Gerrard having another indifferent game.
They were, however, unfortunate not to level when Yossi Benayoun beat Atletico goalkeeper David de Dea - but his effort was wrongly ruled out for offside. 
But both sides were failed to make the best of their first-half free-kicks and corners with each team guilty of poor passing from set pieces as well as when going forward. 
Finally, Liverpool started to come into the game with 10 minutes to go before half-time with, for the first time, Dirk Kuyt starting to find his range from out on the right flank. 
However, Atletico almost went two in front four minutes before the break when their Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi stripped Daniel Agger of the ball on the right side of the box and skipped past two weak challenges before, trying ambitiously to score from a narrow angle, putting the ball into the side of the net. 
Atletico had another good chance just before the hour but a great save from Reina denied Simao, whose thunderous volley from an Ujfalusi cross looked on its way into the top corner. 
Despite Benitez swapping the ineffective David Ngog for Netherlands winger Ryan Babel after 63 minutes, the Dutchman fared little better with the chances he was offered, squandering an excellent opportunity in front of goal four minutes after getting on the pitch. 
The impressive Ujfalusi had another good effort with a rasping left foot shot 15 minutes from the end but Reina again showed why he is almost certainly going to be in Spain's World Cup squad, despite the plethora of options available to Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque. 
The final minutes saw Liverpool - who have became the first English club to play in 16 European semi-finals - becoming increasingly desperate. 
And Atletico responded with some crude challenges which saw Valera get a late yellow card.
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Monday gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has held a secret meeting with Barcelona president Joan Laporta in Morocco where he is on holiday recovering from a leg fracture. The Spanish champions have denied that they have an informal agreement with Arsenal not attempt to attempt to buy the 22-year-old this summer.(imscouting.com) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is a summer target for AC Milan.(goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic could be on his way to Juventus in a swap deal which would see goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon arriving at Old Trafford.(Footylatest) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to make a £9m bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart after losing patience with current first-choice stopper Manuel Almunia.(caughtoffside.com) 
The Gunners may also move for Bolton defender Gary Cahill to replace William Gallas, who is out of contract at the end of the season.(Footylatest) 
Tottenham could tempt Everton playmaker Steven Pienaar away from Goodison Park with a £14m summer bid.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea will make a decision on the future of on-loan defender Michael Mancienne this week but Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has warned that the England Under-21 star, who has been the star performer for the Molineux club this season, is not good enough to play for the London side yet.(Daily Mail) 
Ipswich have become the latest club to join the race for Scunthorpe's £1m-rated striker Gary Hooper.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will leave Inter Milan to replace Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford helm at the end of next season.(Daily Star) 
Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has warned Chelsea that his side are ready to pounce for the Premier League title if Carlo Ancelotti's side slip up again.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is relieved that the club rejected advances from both Manchester City and Inter Milan for Welsh international defender Gareth Bale last summer.(Daily Mail) 
Manager Roberto Mancini insists Manchester City will clinch fourth spot and a Champions League place - despite their last-gasp defeat by Manchester United and Tottenham's win over Chelsea.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez claims it was unrealistic to expect the Reds to win the Premier League title this season, despite last season's second-place finish.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle's Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini faces a race to be fit for this summer's World Cup finals after he was almost certainly ruled out for the rest of Newcastle's Championship season with a hamstring injury.(Daily Mail) 
Burnley midfielder Robbie Blake is stalling over a new contract at Turf Moor as he is concerned he may struggle for regular first-team football next season.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has denied that Brazilian Leonardo could be about to quit as manager after growing unhappy with a lack of money to make transfers.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Former Leeds and Manchester City defender Danny Mills completed the Brighton Marathon in a wheelchair, making his way round the course in in two hours, 43 minutes to raise money and awareness for the spina bifida charity ASBAH. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes a tricky season in charge of the Hammers has given him the equivalent of five years of managerial experience.(Daily Express) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan forced his team to leave behind £250 worth of pizza as they boarded the team bus to travel back from their 2-0 defeat by West Brom. The former Celtic boss was so annoyed by his team throwing away their faint play-off hopes that they had to go without their post-match food. (Daily Express)
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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona star Lionel Messi expects Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas to join the Catalan giants in the near future. The duo played together in the Blaugrana youth team before Fabregas left for north London.(Daily Express) 

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

England's footballers will sleep in special altitude tents to help their bodies acclimatise to conditions above sea level in South Africa for this summer's 2010 World Cup. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United could make a shock £14m move for midfielder Stephen Ireland from rivals Manchester City.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini will not change his training methods - despite claims from star striker Carlos Tevez that the players are "not happy" with his regime.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists captain Cesc Fabregas will not be leaving the club amid speculation the midfielder is set for a return to Barcelona, where the 22-year-old started his career.(Daily Mail)
West Ham have joined Wolves and Newcastle in the race to sign Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke and Blackburn are leading the chase to sign Cardiff winger Joe Ledley. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson is being targeted by Newcastle as Magpies boss Chris Hughton seeks to boost his squad after clinching promotion to the Premier League. (Daily Mirror) 
Hughton is also considering a move for Swindon's Charlie Austin after sending scouts to check on the 20-year-old striker in Monday's 1-1 draw with Exeter.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has given England coach Fabio Capello a World Cup scare by breaking down in training, further delaying his return to first-team action following a groin injury.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has 10 days to decide whether he wants to join Italian giants Juventus. (The Sun) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes striker Robin van Persie would have been talked about in the same bracket as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney if his season had not been ruined by injury.(Daily Mail) 
Former reserve coach Willie McStay is back at Celtic Park to help caretaker manager Neil Lennon after quitting as manager of Ujpest. (Various) 
Former Celtic manager Tony Mowbray, assistant Mark Venus and coach Peter Grant have made little progress in negotiating compensation payments of nearly £1.4m following their sacking in March. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic hosted their lowest-ever Scottish Premier League crowd - less than 28,000 - for Tuesday's 2-1 win over Motherwell. (Daily Record) 
The attendance at Celtic Park for Tuesday's win over Motherwell was actually a paltry 15,000. (The Times) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson took time out from his fight to win the Premier League title by drawing a self portrait of what resembles a clown to help music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.(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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