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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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona have targeted Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue as cover for regular right-back Daniel Alves. (imscouting) 
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has warned Real Madrid and other clubs that Diego Milito is not for sale. "There's a difference between Milito and our coach, Mourinho," Moratti told the club's official website www.inter.it. "Mourinho has a clause in his contract by which if the clause is exercised, he can leave. However, Milito doesn't and hence, the discussion is over." (Press Association Sport)

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

The news that Jose Mourinho is likely to leave Inter Milan to become manager of Real Madrid has sparked panic among Premier League clubs, who fear he will swoop to sign their best players. Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are reportedly in his sights, along with Liverpool stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is ready to offer striker Dimitar Berbatov as part of a £28m-deal for Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea are weighing up a double-swoop for Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun. (Daily Mail) 
The Blues are also eyeing up an £18m-move for Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona's 19-year-old Israeli playmaker Guy Assulin, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.(imscouting.com) 
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes club and country team-mate Fernando Torres will remain at Anfield next season. Torres has been linked with a move away from Liverpool after the club's poor campaign, with Chelsea and Barcelona supposedly in the running for the Spaniard's services.(Independent) 
Barcelona's pursuit of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas has been aided by the willingness of the Spanish FA to let the Spanish Champions conduct negotiations with the midfielder during the build-up to the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to reignite his interest in Paris St Germain's French Under 21 captain Mamadou Sakho this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Prospective West Ham manager Avram Grant is planning to sign four of his former Portsmouth players once he takes charge at Upton Park. Tal Ben Haim, Kevin Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara are all on his wanted list. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are also hopeful of luring Italian striker Luca Toni to Upton Park from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.(caughtoffside.com)
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has put Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United on alert after revealing he has rejected the Goodison club's latest contract offer. (Daily Mail) 
Newly-installed Wolfsburg manager Steve McClaren wants to sign Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy for £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have joined Wolves, West Brom and Everton in the race for Hull's Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt. Hunt, who cost £3.5m from Reading last summer, has already been told he can leave the relegated Tigers.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are set to make a £6m move for Valencia's 6ft 7in striker Nikola Zigic.(The Sun) 
However, they could face competition for his signature from Liverpool, may offer winger Albert Rieira as part of any deal.(caughtoffside.com) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is planning a swoop on former club Swansea to sign midfielder Leon Britton.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway wants to re-sign on-loan Everton defender Seamus Coleman for next season after he impressed at Bloomfield Road this campaign.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool have upped the ante in their bid to sign Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot, with Wigan, Portsmouth and several Championship clubs also interested. (the Sun) 
Scunthorpe have told Celtic they will have to pay £2.5m for striker Gary Hooper. (Daily Mail)
Wolves have reportedly agreed personal terms with the Anderlecht utility player Jelle van Damme. He will join Wolves for £2.5m and sign a four-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is planning a raid on former club Inter Milan to sign Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso for £18m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Shota Arveladze, the new coach of Kaysterispor, wants to sign Kris Boyd from former club Rangers, with the Turks offering a package worth around £5.5m for the forward who is also interesting Bursaspor, Ankaragucu, Birmingham, Newcastle, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Hertha Berlin. (Various)
Celtic are still interested is signing Philippe Senderos, according to the father of the Switzerland defender, who would prefer to remain at Everton after a loan spell from Arsenal. (Daily Mail) 
Hibernian are back on the trail of out-of-favour Preston North End right-back Michael Hart, who will make a decision about his future when he returns from holiday. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

England captain Rio Ferdinand says that he would have paid Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes to come out of retirement and play for the country during this summer's World Cup in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Former United States defender Alexi Lalas claims it would not be a shock if the USA beat England in their big World Cup opener in South Africa on 12 June.(The Sun) 
Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote could be poised to complicate Arsenal's ownership even further. Dangote is believed to be interested in buying Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith's 16% stake in the club to join Uzbeki tycoon Alisher Usmanov and American businessman Stan Kroenke as a big shareholder.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth stars want goalkeeper David James to become player-boss as a replacement for Avram Grant, who quit Fratton Park last week. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has emerged as a candidate to replace Jose Mourinho as boss of Inter Milan. The 62-year-old has twice managed the Italian side before, the most recent being as caretaker for a season 11 years ago.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will sign a new five-year contract worth around £30,000-a-week today, scuppering any lingering hopes Manchester United and Arsenal retained of securing the talented teenager this summer.(Guardian) 
Midfielder Michael Ballack will discuss terms over a new contract with Chelsea this week, according to German newspaper Bild.(imscouting.com) 
Hamburg chairman Bernd Hoffman wants to return the club to its glory days and believes former England manger Kevin Keegan is the man to take the German side forward. Keegan played in the Hamburg side that was beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest in the 1980 European Cup final.(Daily Mail) 
Former keeper Mark Crossley will have talks with Oldham about becoming their new boss today. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

England are struggling to play with the new Adidas football that will be used at this summer's World Cup. Boss Fabio Capello said the players are "having problems controlling it" at their altitude training camp in Austria. The Italian expects the ball to be even harder to control in Rustenburg, South Africa, which is several hundred metres higher above sea level than the European base.(Daily Mail) 
Argentina manager Diego Maradona has demanded two state-of-the-art bidet toilets be installed for him at the team's World Cup base camp in South Africa. Builders were rushed in to carry out a £1,400 overhaul of the football legend's private suite after his aides complained that the existing bathroom facilities would not meet his 'high standards.'(Daily Mail) 
Blackpool striker Ben Burgess says his club boss Ian Holloway was short of the mark when he suggested the newly-promoted Tangerines would target a Champions League place in two years. "With him in charge we'll probably win the Premier League next season!" said Burgess.(The Sun)

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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain, 22, has been tipped to leave Real Madrid with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all interested.(imscouting.com) 
Barcelona believe an offer of £40-50m will be enough to tempt Arsenal into selling captain Cesc Fabregas after the World Cup. The other tactic Barcelona may employ is an offer of £25m plus midfielder Yaya Toure.(imscouting.com) 
Former England coach, Steve McClaren, who recently led FC Twente to the Dutch Eredivisie title, will take over at German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg next season. (imscouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is ready to quit Anfield and join Manchester City in a £40m move.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool expect to sign Rangers defender Danny Wilson, 18, in the next 48 hours for £2.5m. (Daily Mail)
Athletic Blibao midfielder Javi Martinez is being tracked by Chelsea and Real Madrid but the Spanish side will not sell for less than £15m. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham plan to end Ben Foster's Manchester United misery with a £6m move for the goalkeeper.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are ready to take England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City for £5m.(the Sun) 
Everton are targeting £3m-rated 1860 Munich striker Peniel Mlapa and are also weighing up a deal for midfielder Aleksandar Ignjovski.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves, Fulham and Birmingham are checking out 17-year-old Shrewsbury forward Tom Bradshaw. (the Sun)
Leeds boss Simon Grayson will make a bid for Sheffield United forward Jamie Ward this week, with the offer likely to be worth about £400,000.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello has sent e-mails to 45 players, including Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, advising them they are under consideration for this summer's World Cup, while Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is set to be named in Capello's 30-man squad on Tuesday. (Daily Telegraph)
Sunderland striker Darren Bent and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves are also on Fabio Capello's e-mail list of players being considered for a World Cup place. (the Times) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson wants Uefa to consider postponing Wednesday's Europa League final against Atletico Madrid in Hamburg if volcanic ash causes more travel chaos. (the Sun) 
Arsenal defender William Gallas has rejected a new two-year deal at the Emirates because the offer does not include a pay rise.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Portsmouth boss Tony Adams is being lined up to manage Azerbaijan side Gabala FC in a £1m-per year deal. (Daily Star)
Ian Dowie's nine-game spell as Hull manager ended on Sunday but the former Crystal Palace boss wants to stay on at the KC Stadium.(the Sun) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan plans to make Celtic's caretaker manager Neil Lennon his number two if the Northern Irishman fails to get the Celtic job full time. (the Sun)
Burnley want Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington to take over from Brian Laws after the Clarets were relegated to the Championship. (the Sun) 
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has been warned there is no money to spend as the club prepares for life back in the Premier League.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa right-back Luke Young, 30, and centre-back Curtis Davies, 25, will meet club officials this week to discuss their futures at Villa Park.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Match of the Day presenter and Leicester City fan Gary Lineker could end up cooking dinner on Sunday after making a bet with wife Danielle Bux that the Foxes will beat her beloved Cardiff in the Championship play-offs - the Welsh side are 1-0 up after the first leg.(the Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is considering his future at Anfield, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona all waiting in the wings to sign the Spain international.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are also preparing a £40m bid for Benfica winger Angel di Maria but face opposition from Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.(ESPN soccernet) 
Liverpool are lining up a move for Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, who is a free agent at the end of the season. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been assured by chief executive David Gill that he will have money to spend in the summer, despite the club's huge debts. (Daily Mail) 
One of Ferguson's summer targets could be Real Madrid's Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain.(caughtoffside.com) 
Tottenham are preparing a £6m bid for Ipswich's 17-year-old striker Connor Wickham.(Daily Mirror) 
And Spurs could also move for Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun, who has started just 19 Premier League games this season.(caughtoffside.com) 
Birmingham hope to sign Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on a permanent deal having resigned themselves to losing on-loan Joe Hart back to Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
City are also are interested in Portsmouth's veteran keeper David James - a former Aston Villa player.(the Sun) 
Manchester City forward Robinho says he is desperate to leave the club and remain at Santos where he is currently on loan. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton will ask Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to allow young midfielder Jack Wilshere to remain at the club on loan for the first half of next season.(Guardian) 
Meanwhile, Bolton defender Gary Cahill has admitted that he would find it difficult to turn down an offer from a big club. Arsenal and Manchester United are rumoured to be interested in the centre-half. (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal want end their on-going goalkeeping problems by signing both West Ham's Robert Green and Manchester City's Joe Hart.(caughtoffside.com) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is tracking Sporting Gijon defender Roberto Canella.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are interested in bringing former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant back to England after a year in Spain at Real Zaragoza.(Daily Star) 
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry looks certain to leave Barcelona with the United States his likely destination.(Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are favourites to sign Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper after stand-in manager Neil Lennon watched him for the second game in a row at the weekend. (Daily Mail) 


OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool are bracing themselves for Rafa Benitez's departure with rumours of his exit from Anfield to Juventus gathering momentum.(Daily Mirror) 
Benitez will seek assurances over available transfer funds this summer before deciding whether to stay at Liverpool. (the Times) 
Juventus have given Benitez until the end of the week to sign a four-year deal.(the Independent) 
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer fears the club's success this season could lead to manager Roy Hodgson leaving Craven Cottage for "a bigger club". (Guardian) 
But Hodgson will shun a move to Liverpool saying he is instead "happy" to stay at Fulham. (the Sun) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan has allowed first-team coach Colin Cooper, goalkeeping coach Stephen Pears and reserves boss Martin Scott to leave the club.(Daily Mail) 
Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been left out of Holland's 26-man training squad ahead of the World Cup, having recently come out of international retirement after two years (Daily Mail).
West Ham striker Carlton Cole has apologised to fans for the team's performance this season, admitting "it can't get any worse," and saying speculation over the future of boss Gianfranco Zola is partly to blame.(Daily Express) 
Former England boss Steve McClaren says he has had "a lot of interest from a lot of places" after leading FC Twente to the Dutch league title, and says a rumoured new job at Wolfsburg is "far from a done deal".(Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's players will earn a £70,000 bonus if they win their remaining two fixtures and secure Champions League football.(Daily Mail) 
Ahead of Tuesday night's showdown between Manchester City and Spurs, which could decide who finishes fourth, Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has revealed his mother is a City fan and will be at the game (Various). 
West Ham's England centre-back Matthew Upson says he managed to overcome years of injury by stuffing his boots with pages torn out of the phone directory to aid his balance.(Daily Star)
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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)

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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

AC Milan are planning a £20m summer swoop for Manchester United's Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov.(The Sun) 
Liverpool are preparing to ruffle the feathers of city rivals Everton with a move for the Toffees' midfielder Steven Pienaar.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City are planning to swoop for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young, with Craig Bellamy, Martin Petrov and Shaun Wright-Phillips all set to depart Eastlands this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James will snub a summer move to West Brom in favour of playing what he described as "real football" in the Championship next season. On 10 April the Baggies sealed their promotion to the Premier League, while Pompey were relegated from the top flight.(The Sun) 
Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen wants to stay at Tottenham next season. The Icelander is currently on loan from French side Monaco. (The Sun) 
Bolton will place a £17m price tag on defender Gary Cahill if he makes it into Fabio Capello's England World Cup squad for this summer's tournament in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Birmingham and Blackburn are battling it out with Italian side Roma for Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli. (The Sun) 
West Brom, who recently sealed their promotion back to the Premier League, say they will resist any offers for highly-rated midfielder Graham Dorrans this summer.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega is set to snub a move to the Premier League's elite as he feels he has a better chance of playing by joining a team outside the top four. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle is tracking Stockport's teenage defender Sam Barnes.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Everton boss David Moyes is the man to succeed him at Old Trafford. Apparently, Ferguson is ready to step down as United manager after one more season. (The Sun) 
Italian side Juventus are ready to give Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez until the end of the season to decide if he would like to take over as their new manager. They originally set a deadline for the end of this week.(Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are considering a move to make Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies their next manager after the former Rangers player intimated he would be interested in returning to Scotland.(The Times) 
Former England boss Steve McLaren looks set to reject an offer from West Ham to replace Gianfranco Zola as manager this summer. McLaren is currently managing FC Twente, who are just one win from this season's Dutch title, but has only one year left on his contract.(Daily Mail) 
The Hammers have two lists of managerial candidates: one for if they stay up, which McLaren heads, and one for if they are relegated, which is topped by Southampton boss Alan Pardew, who spent three years in the Upton Park hotseat before being sacked in December 2006.(Daily Express) 
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has opened talks to extend the contract of manager Chris Hughton, who this season led the club to promotion back to the Premier League after a season in the Championship.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard says the club need to buy four "quality" players if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea risk losing several of their biggest names for nothing this summer after being instructed by Roman Abramovich to suspend all contract talks until the end of the season. The Russian owner believes the likes of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Deco must earn new deals through their performances during the remainder of the season.(The Times) 
Portsmouth are expected to announce that their debts total £119m when their accounts for the last financial year are released later on Wednesday.(The Times) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is unsure whether to risk exacerbating striker Didier Drogba's groin injury by playing him in this weekend's match against Stoke as the title chase nears its climax. The Blues hold a one-point lead over second placed Manchester United with three games to play.(The Independent) 
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres rates England's starting XI as the second best in the world and believes they could be ready to go all the way in the World Cup, which begins on 11 June in South Africa. (Press Association)
England goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton says keeper Ben Foster must leave champions Manchester United if he wants to save his international career. "Foster was on a par with [West Ham's Robert] Green a while back but he is not playing first-team football anymore and that is going to count against him," said Shilton. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has given midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen, whose contract expires this summer, until the end of today to decide if he wants to sign a new deal at Ewood Park.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Developers of the official 2010 World Cup video game seem to think England may struggle during the tournament proper, which begins on 11 June in South Africa. Having factored in the high altitude conditions at certain venues, players of the game will discover that the England side have been programmed to feel the energy-sapping effects sooner than some of their virtual opponents.(Daily Mail)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Atletico Madrid playmaker Sergio Aguero has expressed his admiration for Chelsea, describing them as "one of the most feared clubs in Europe" and London as being "a really amazing city to live in". The Blues have been linked with a big-money move for the Argentina international.(Daily Express) 
Barcelona are mulling over a move for Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy. The Catalan giants could offer about £10m for a player they tried to sign last summer.(The Guardian) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy's relationship with manager Roberto Mancini has reached breaking point, with the Wales international wanting a move from Eastlands in the summer if the Italian remains in charge.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are weighing up an offer for Bolton defender Gary Cahill. Reds boss Rafael Benitez believes £12m may be enough to prise the 24-year-old away from the Reebok Stadium.(Caught Offside) 
Arsenal's Eduardo could be heading to Ligue 1 side Lyon, with the likely arrival of Marouane Chamakh expected to displace the Croatia striker in manager Arsene Wenger's plans.(Caught Offside) 
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish wants to take Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on loan next season.(Daily Mirror) 
Ajax manager Martin Jol has told former club Tottenham that they are not big enough to sign striker Luis Suarez.(The Sun) 
Everton are close to wrapping up a deal to sign 24-year-old Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani.(Footylatest) 
Blackburn are hoping to seal a £5m deal with Lech Poznan for Poland international striker Robert Lewandowski.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Fran Merida is set to head to Atletico Madrid at the end of the season when his contract with the Gunners runs out. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United's £10m winger Zoran Tosic has said he wants to make his loan move to Cologne permanent after scoring four goals in his last three games. (Daily Mirror)
Midfielder Paul Scharner will leave Wigan in the summer and claims that Fulham, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland are all looking to sign him up.(Daily Mail) 
Slovakia's Vladimir Weiss, the midfielder on loan at Bolton from Manchester City, is set to return to Eastlands next season after growing frustrated with a lack of starts for the Trotters.(Daily Star)
Manchester United are chasing Newcastle's 17-year-old Slovenian midfielder Haris Vuckic, who has made three first-team appearances for the Magpies this season.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola will be replaced by former England boss Steve McClaren, currently in charge of Dutch side FC Twente, at the end of the season if the Hammers stay up.(Daily Mail) 
England coach Fabio Capello is considering calling Michael Dawson into his World Cup squad after being impressed by the Tottenham defender's recent performances.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien could return after four months out against Stoke on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Al Pacino's American football film Any Given Sunday and Invictus, which recounts South Africa's win at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, were part of the entertainment on board Barcelona's team bus. The European champions are travelling by road to the first leg of their Champions league semi-final againt play Inter Milan.(The Independent) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says he wants to sign "four or five real men" next season and will axe up to half his current squad. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic striker Robbie Keane has been voted the club's player of the year, despite only arriving on loan from Tottenham in February. The Republic of Ireland international has scored 13 goals in 15 games. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko has claimed Chelsea were fortunate not to lose 6-1 rather than 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Saturday. He describes the Blues players as being "too confident of victory" before the match.(Daily Star)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Atletico Madrid keeper David de Gea rejected Wigan last year because his dream move would be joining Manchester United.(Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth are trying to sell Nadir Belhadj to Russian side CSKA Moscow for £4m - but about £1m is owed to his former club Lens, who want the amount settled in full. (Daily Mirror) 
Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen has been told by his French club Monaco to forget about making his loan move to Tottenham permanent. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has stepped up the chase for 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham want former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently in charge of Dutch side Twente Enschede and on the verge of winning the title, to be their new boss next season - but need Gianfranco Zola to keep them in the Premier League first. (Daily Mirror) 
Current England boss Fabio Capello has tipped Aston Villa midfielder James Milner to be his surprise package at this summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are confident captain Cesc Fabregas will be fit to face his former club Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates on Wednesday.(The Independent) 
Meanwhile, self-confessed Arsenal fan Thierry Henry says he is feeling emotional about his return to north London as a Barca player.(Daily Express) 
Iain Dowie could get the Hull manager's job permanently, even if the Tigers are relegated this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson loves playing against the best teams in the Champions League and declared: "We've got our cake and we're eating it."(Daily Mail) 
Landing Sven-Goran Eriksson as the new Ivory Coast manager is a dream come true, according to the Elephants' Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, an England Under-21 regular, could switch to the Nigeria national side so he can play in the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Barry Ferguson is set to head a delegation of Birmingham players for a crunch meeting with the club's new owners over improved contracts.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Referee Mike Dean, who awarded Blackburn a controversial penalty in their 1-0 win at rivals Burnley on Sunday, will take charge of Saturday's crunch match in the Premier League between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford.(Daily Mail)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal and Manchester City target Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League. The midfielder insists he is settled at Barcelona.(Daily Mail) 
Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has dismissed press speculation that he might be heading for Chelsea in the summer.(IMscouting.com) 
Liverpool winger Albert Riera could leave Anfield within weeks after his outburst against manager Rafael Benitez. CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow are tracking the 27-year-old and may match Liverpool's £8m valuation.(The Times) 
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will invest in young talent rather than high-profile big names in the summer as he attempts to drive down the age of his ageing squad. (Daily Star)  
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is keen to sign on-loan full-back Alan Hutton on a permanent £6m deal from Tottenham. The transfer may help rebuild the relationship between the two clubs after Darren Bent's protracted move to the Stadium of Light last summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Celtic midfielder Barry Robson has tipped winger Aiden McGeady to be the next high-profile star to follow him out of Parkhead.(Daily Record) 
Everton are readying themselves for a battle with Spanish side Sevilla for £8m-rated FC Twente striker Bryan Ruiz.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile FC Twente boss Steve McClaren is looking at a bid for Hull forward Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink as he attempts to bolster his fAorward line. (The Sun) 
West Ham owner David Sullivan wants Birmingham midfielder Sebastian Larsson and defender Liam Ridgewell, but Blues boss Alex McLeish has issued a hands-off warning over the pair. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has threatened to field weakened teams for the remainder of the season with his side all-but relegated following a nine point penalty for entering administration. (Daily Mail) 
Bristol City may approach former Ipswich and Scotland manager George Burley as they attempt to replace Gary Johnson who parted company with the club on Thursday.(The Guardian) 
Or sacked Hull boss Phil Brown will be offered an immediate return to management with the Ashton Gate side. (Daily Star)
Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll is another in the frame for the Bristol City position with City chairman Steve Lansdown impressed by Doncaster's performance in a 5-2 win over the Robins earlier this month.(The Sun) 
Forward Robinho could return to Manchester City this season because of a wage dispute at his loan club Santos. (Daily Mirror) 
But City feel under no obligation to take the playmaker back, and resume paying his salary, until their loan arrangement with the Brazilian side comes to an end on 4 August.(The Independent) 
Hull City must continue to pay Phil Brown as, although he is on gardening leave, he technically remains their manager. Iain Dowie has been appointed as "football management consultant". (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Ipswich boss Roy Keane has admitted he would rather throw punches than tea cups at underperforming players, adding that it is good "to go a bit mad".(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will offer his sympathy to under-pressure Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez in his programme notes for the two teams' meeting on Sunday.(Daily Mirror)

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Birmingham are keen on signing Portsmouth striker Frederic Piquionne after failing to land the Frenchman in the January transfer window.(Daily Mirror) 
Egypt and Borussia Dortmund star Mohamed Zidan was watched by Arsenal scouts in the 3-1 defeat to England, according to the 28-year-old striker. Zidan, who scored their only goal at Wembley, said: "My agent told me about Arsenal's interest. He asked me to try to impress them and become the first Egyptian to play for the Gunners.(imscouting.com) 
Sunderland are keeping tabs on Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who is on loan at Portsmouth, with a view to making a summer swoop for the 23-year-old.(The Times) 
Lokomotiv Moscow will resume their efforts to prise striker Roman Pavlyuchenko away from Tottenham in the close season. (Daily Mail) 
Everton are hoping to extend American Landon Donovan's loan deal, which is set to expire after Saturday's match at Birmingham but will not pursue the matter if it threatens to upset their good relationship with the forward's team Los Angeles Galaxy. (The Times) 
Chelsea midfielder Miroslav Stoch is a target for Dutch giants Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. The 20-year-old is currently on loan with Steve McClaren's side Twente Enschede and has impressed with 10 goals in 36 appearances this season.(imscouting.com) 
Fulham are eyeing Shakhtar Donetsk centre-back Yaroslav Rakytskyi as a possible summer target after the 20-year-old impressed against the London side in their recent Europe League clash.(imscouting.com) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal defender William Gallas could face another month on the sidelines after the former captain, out since mid-February, injured his calf muscle in training. (Daily Mail) 
Gallas, meanwhile, will have to accept a drop in wages if he wants to extend his Gunners contract beyond the summer.(The Times) 
Middlesbrough striker Jeremie Aliadiere is in danger of missing the remainder of the season as he recovers from a broken toe suffered in the weekend defeat by Cardiff. (Daily Mail) 
Premier League managers are preparing for action in protest at the recent decision by football's international governing body Fifa to drop experiments with goal-line technology.(Daily Mirror)

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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham says a return to AC Milan on loan is close to being 'finalised' as he looks to secure a place in the England squad for the 2010 World Cup.(Mail on Sunday) 
France midfielder Patrick Vieira is set for a move back to Arsenal from Italian club Inter Milan in the January transfer window.(News of the World) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is planning to offload a number of players who were signed by former Black Cats boss Roy Keane.(Sunday Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Sulaiman Al Fahim has agreed to sell a majority stake in Portsmouth to Saudi property tycoon Ali Al-Faraj with a deal predicted to be done early next week.(Observer) 
Former England manager Steve McClaren is a contender to replace Ipswich manager Roy Keane, whose side are bottom of the Championship without a win so far this season.(Sunday Mirror) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has stoked the fire before his side's game with Liverpool by saying the Reds are not as good as they were after selling midfielder Xabi Alonso.(Daily Star Sunday) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has warmed his players up for the game by showing them a DVD compilation of how Wigan beat Chelsea 3-1 last Sunday.(Daily Star Sunday) 
Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner is trying to drum up new investment in the club so they can compete with the likes of Manchester City.(Daily Star Sunday) 
Benitez's concerns over Daniel Agger could increase if he plays for Denmark in upcoming World Cup qualifiers as the defender has yet to make his first-team return after a lengthy injury absence. (News of the World) 
Former Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has not ruled out a return to football management. (Mail on Sunday)
The Magpies are also close to being sold by owner Mike Ashley with Tyneside businessman Barry Moat nearing an £80m deal to buy the Championship outfit. (Daily Express) 
David Gold and David Sullivan are interested in buying West Ham after selling Birmingham City to Carson Yeung. Full story: (News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea skipper John Terry missed the penalty which would have won his side the 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United but he keeps the ball at his home in order for inspiration. (News of the World)
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England 5-1 Croatia

England secured qualification for next summer's World Cup in South Africa in the most emphatic style as they thrashed Croatia at Wembley.
The goalless stalemate between Belarus and Ukraine left England needing only a draw to confirm their place in South Africa - but they emphasised their progress under coach Fabio Capello with an outstanding display to record an eighth successive win of a flawless qualifying campaign. 
Croatia ended England's hopes of reaching Euro 2008 under Capello's predecessor Steve McClaren by winning at Wembley, but there was never any chance of a repeat in an encounter that was totally one-sided from the opening exchanges. 
England have taken huge strides forward under Capello since that rain-soaked night in November 2007 and the end of the McClaren reign, while Croatia are a pale shadow of the side Slaven Bilic brought to Wembley for their previous visit.
And the gulf in class between the two teams was immediately obvious - even taking into account the absence of Croatia's gifted playmaker Luka Modric. 

Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon made an early claim for a place on England's right flank in next summer's South African showpiece with an electrifying first 45 minutes that set the platform for victory.Even hard-to-please Capello cracked smiles in his technical area, while Bilic cut a miserable figure yards away as the scene of one of his greatest triumphs turned into a nightmare.

.

England: Green, Johnson, Terry, Upson, Ashley Cole, Lennon (Beckham 80), Barry, Lampard, Gerrard (Milner 81), Rooney, Heskey (Defoe 60).
Subs Not Used: Foster, Brown, Bridge, Crouch. 
Booked: Terry. 
Goals: Lampard 8 pen, Gerrard 18, Lampard 59, Gerrard 66, Rooney 77. 

Croatia: Runje, Srna, Krizanac, Simunic, Pranjic, Mandzukic, Vukojevic, Pokrivac (Rakitic 45), Kranjcar, Eduardo (Klasnic 74), Olic (Petric 45).
Subs Not Used: Subasic, Drpic, Cale, Leko. 
Booked: Simunic. 
Goals: Eduardo 73. 

Att: 87,319 
Ref: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain).
www.bbc.co.uk

England - Croatia

From the bad squad with good players, Fabio Capello made excellent squad with the same players. Seven wins in group 6 from same number of games and goal difference 22 (26 goals scored and just four conceded!) raised national confidence and public already expects a fight for the trophy in South Africa. Capello solved the problem in attacking line with Defoe and Heskey (beside Rooney), but goalkeeper position remains as the biggest problem. Robinson, Green and Foster (including veteran David James) are not the names that can be equal with the other lines in the team. And after Saturday’s friendly against Slovenia, Capello was thundering on defense line that allowed average visitors to make some goal opportunities and finally to score five minutes before the end. Also, the fact Rio Ferdinand is injured won’t help. Midfield is fantastic, as always. Only dilemma for Don Fabio is who will take a place on the right flank, Lennon, Wright-Phillips or Beckham. In attack will be Rooney and one of the mentioned duo Defoe-Heskey. With three points here, England would be theoretically in WC, one point should also do the job, but home side will have additional motive. Steve McClaren's England lost a crucial qualifier to Croatia at a sodden Wembley in November 2007 - a result that cost the team a place at the Euro 2008 finals. Despite Capello’s trying to reduce the tension, press in both countries just add a fuel into the fire. So, players should be motivated, focused and probably very nervous.

Croatia hold a second spot in group 6, with three points more than Ukraine (visiting Belarus in clash earlier today), but also a game more. They’re in position where tonight’s win would guarantee play-off spot (and fight for the first place), but defeat would bring a nightmare. In recent campaign, they have five wins, two draws, while the only defeat suffered from England at their home, Maksimir 1-4. At Saturday, they played not so good game against Belarus (1-0 at home) where visitors probably deserved a point, but Croats were with their minds already at Wembley. It seems Croatian side is consciously raising the pressure for this encounter, probably counting on some errors on the pitch that can cause. Even national coach Slaven Bilic involved in the press war, pointing that under the leadership of the Italian coach the team lost to English nature! However, visitors will miss some key players. Midfield playmaker Luka Modric is injured, while right-back Corluka got a red card at Saturday’s game. Regular goalie Pletikosa is also out. Bilic doesn’t talk too much about tactic, but he’ll surely try to use English weakness in back line where his fast forwards like Olic, Eduardo, Srna or Pranjic can make some escapes and mess. However, visitors know how to play games like this and they’ll fight till the limits of fanaticism and if the things go wrong surely won’t give up.

Both sides will go for three points, hosts want revenge, visitors ticket for World Championship. Highest motivation in combination with the highest pressure usually produces goals on the pitch. And both sides carry an attacking style of play, so over seems as a logic conclusion. 2.10 at Betway, 1.98 at Pinnacle. High stake.

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to offload some of his star players this summer, with David Bentley top of the list. "We don't have a bottomless pit," said Redknapp. "We need to balance the books, sell one or two." (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan are keen on signing Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Toulouse striker Andre Gignac, which could mean an early exit from Villa Park for John Carew. (Daily Mail) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane may return to his former club Manchester United to secure the services of striker Lee Martin. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn striker Carlos Villanueva, who is on loan from Chilean club Audax Italiano, is set for a move to Dubai team Al Shabab. (Daily Mirror) 
Anderlecht's highly rated defender Roland Johasz is a target for a number of Premier League clubs, with Aston Villa, Tottenham and Bolton heading the queue. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham City, newly promoted to the Premier League, have joined the race to sign Anderlecht's £7m-rated Argentine midfielder Lucas Biglia. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is considering a switch to Real Madrid after hinting it could be time to move on. Talking about linking up with Florentino Perez, president-elect at the Spanish giants, Wenger said: "The project he has put forward would be interesting for any coach." (Various) 
AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he will take over at Chelsea. (The Sun) 
Following the bust-up between Liverpool's Jamie Carragher and Alvaro Arbeloa during the 2-0 win at West Brom, Carragher has revealed both defenders have "kissed and made up". (Daily Star) 
Ahead of the Champions League final on 27 May, Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi said: "Manchester United have a great team - I think we just have that little bit more football." (The Independent) 
Bulgaria legend Hristo Stoichkov has been named coach of Iranian Pro League team Abu Moslem. (Guardian) 
Gary Caldwell insists Celtic can still hang on to their SPL crown despite falling behind Rangers in the title race again yesterday. (Daily Express) 
Referee Stuart Dougal, who has condemned Rangers' Kyle Lafferty for simulating to get an Aberdeen player sent off on Saturday, will inform the Scottish FA he would like to bring forward his retirement by a week after controversies shrouded his last two matches.(The Herald) 

AND FINALLY 

Spare a thought for Steve McClaren. The former England boss saw his side Twente Enshede lose 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out in the Dutch Cup final at the weekend. (Various)(The Times)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Everton manager David Moyes hopes to outbid Stoke in the battle to sign Cardiff's £6m-rated midfielder Joe Ledley, 22. 
Derby have put a £5m price tag on winger Kris Commons, 25, who is being targeted by Wigan. (Daily Mirror) 
Striker Marlon Harewood is looking for a new club after returning to Aston Villa from his loan spell at Championship winners Wolves, where he failed to score. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland are ready to bid £3m for highly-rated Cardiff City defender Roger Johnson. 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently at the helm of FC Twente, has emerged as the front-runner to become Ajax's new coach following the departure of Marco van Basten on Wednesday. 
Park Ji Sung has been promised a place in Manchester United's line-up for the Champions League final against Barcelona in Rome on 27 May. Park was left out of the squad for United's victory over Chelsea on penalties last year. 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will earn a £750,000 bonus from owner Mohamed Al Fayed if he guides the Cottagers into Europe this season. 
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has told England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce that he wants to play in next month's European Championship in Sweden. 
Newcastle players have backed manager Alan Shearer over his feud with Joey Barton. Shearer has told Barton to stay away from the club until the end of the season. 
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has rubbished reports that Craig Gordon is not being picked to avoid paying a bonus of £330,000 to Hearts. The keeper has played 49 times for the Black Cats following his £9m move from Hearts and the bonus payment will be triggered when he plays his 50th game. (The Sun) 
Former Cheltenham and Carlisle manager John Ward is favourite to succeed Dean Glover as Port Vale boss. (Daily Star) 
Championship clubs will enjoy a £400,000 windfall following Birmingham's immediate return to the Premier League. By winning promotion at the first attempt, the Blues do not collect their second parachute payment of £11.2m and that money will now be split between the other teams. (Various) 
Scotland boss George Burley believes Uefa should change their rules to prevent the "injustice" of Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher missing the Champions League final. (Daily Record) 
And the Uefa general secretary David Taylor admitted an exception could be made so that Fletcher could play in the final in Rome. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY 

West Brom supporters are to wear lifelike masks of boss Tony Mowbray in a show of support at the club's final Premier League game this season. Organiser Dean Walton will distribute 1,800 masks to Albion fans travelling to the match at Blackburn. (The Sun)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has told Chelsea he is ready to take over from interim manager Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge this summer. (The Sun) 
However, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has insisted that neither Ancelotti nor their Brazilian playmaker Kaka will be leaving the Italian club. (The Times) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is planning a £5m swoop for highly rated Porto left-back Aly Cissokho, who impressed in the Portuguese side's 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Tuesday. (The Sun)  
Another Porto playing who could be heading to Tottenham is striker Wason Renteria, who says that the London club have contacted him about a possible summer transfer. (Setanta) 
Manchester City have set their sights on cash-strapped Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. (The Sun) 
Everton right-back Lars Jacobsen could be leaving the club in the summer to join Bayern Munich after making only one appearance for the Blues in last month's 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth. (The Sun) 
Zenit St Peterburg striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is keen on a move to England, so long as it is to "one of the strongest teams". (Daily Mail) 
West Brom midfielder James Morrison says he would have to weight up his options should an offer from another Premier League team should West Brom be relegated. (Guardian) 
 
OTHER GOSSIP 

Former Tottenham manager and current Hamburg boss Martin Jol has put Premier League clubs on alert by stating he would like to return to England. (Various) 
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor says the spectacular overhead kick he executed against Villarreal on Tuesday night is the best goal he has scored. (Various) 
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock says he has no intention of quitting this summer, despite the club's poor season. (The Sun) 
QPR boss Paulo Sousa is on the verge of being sacked after his position at the club was weakened by the termination of assistant manager Bruno Oliveira's contract on Monday. (Various) 
Former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently at the helm of FC Twente, has backed his former club Middlesbrough to escape relegation this season. (Daily Express) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola has insisted he was right to splash out £5.5m on winger Savio and has backed the 19-year-old to come good. (The Sun) 
Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe has refused to rule out a return to the Saints if it would help the club. (Guardian)  
 
AND FINALLY 

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell has revealed that his players have transferred their desire to win go-karting races during the team's trip to Malta last month into a drive to succeed in their chase for an automatic promotion spot. (The Sun) 
Manchester City's £10m striker Craig Bellamy says he is ready to get back in touch with his trainee roots and in order to prove his worth to the club he would gladly clean the boots of any big-name signings who force him out of the team. (Various) 
Rangers manager Walter Smith will let Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor save their careers if they apologise for their part in the 'Boozegate' incident. (Daily Record) 
Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink says he would like to go back to Holland and rejoin his old club PSV Eindhoven, but he's not in a hurry to do so. (Daily Record) 
Clyde will be unable to switch grounds unless the Scottish Football League give them permission to do so as the Broadwood club face eviction from their current home. (Daily Record) 
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has blasted the SFA over a rule which sees midfielder Scott Brown banned for two matches, one of which has yet to be scheduled. (Daily Mail) 
Hearts winger Deividas Cesnauskis has instructed his agent to find him a new club outside of the UK for next season. (Daily Express)
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