Friday's gossip

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United turned down the chance to sign Valencia striker David Villa. With United burdened by debts in excess of £700m, the £40m fee quoted by the Spanish side will have to be lowered if a deal is to be done.(The Guardian)
Manchester City are planning a surprise move for Bayern Munich striker, and Manchester United conqueror, Ivica Olic after the Croatia star impressed boss Roberto Mancini.(Daily Mail)
Mancini made the trip to Anfield on Thursday night to take a look at Benfica left winger Angel di Maria as he considers whether to bid for the Argentina international.(Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa midfielder James Milner is a summer target for Manchester United with Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema also in Sir Alex Ferguson's sights.(Daily Mirror)
Bordeaux striker Maroaune Chamakh's move to Arsenal is all but done, with the Morocco international expected to sign a four-year deal at the Emirates.(Daily Mail)
AC Milan's France midfielder Mathieu Flamini, 25, has quashed speculation linking him with Lyon and Manchester City - saying he wants to remain with the Italian side.(goal.com)
Birmingham midfielder Sebastian Larsson is attracting interest from Newcastle and Sunderland with Tynesiders' boss Chris Hughton weighing up a £2m bid.(The Sun)
But Larsson may be persuaded to stay and try and force his way back into the Birmingham starting line-up with a one-year contract extension on the table at St Andrew's. Defender Liam Ridgewell has been offered another two years.(Daily Mirror)
Tottenham are weighing up a move for Real Madrid midfielder Guti with the 33-year-old former Spain international expected to be available on a free transfer this summer.(Daily Mail)
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, 34, will join Sydney FC after the financial collapse of his current club North Queensland Fury.(Daily Mail)
Sporting Lisbon are lining up a move for Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario.(Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has said that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson failed to accept defeat like a gentleman after his side's Champions league quarter-final defeat to the German side.(The Sun)
United right-back Rafael da Silva was left in tears after his dismissal reduced Ferguson's side to 10 men early in the second half.(The Sun)
Defeat against Hull at the weekend could spell the end of Brian Laws' tenure as Burnley manager.(Daily Mail)
Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are considering standing aside as co-chairman of the club. British Airways chairman Martin Broughton has been sounded out about the role.(Daily Telegraph)
American billionaire Stan Kroenke could launch a bid to take full control of Arsenal if he decides to sell his shareholding in American football franchise the St Louis Rams.(The Independent)
Striker James Beattie has suffered another snub at Stoke with teenage rookie Louis Moult ahead of him in the pecking order for this weekend's clash with Wolves.(Daily Mail)
Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston says keeping manager Walter Smith at Ibrox next season is a "high priority" but admits he can not guarantee the former Everton and Scotland boss money to spend on new players in the summer.(Daily Record)
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie could make his return from a serious ankle injury in Wednesday's derby against Tottenham.(Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

On-loan Celtic striker Robbie Keane's top-of-the-range Range Rover was seized by police after a worker at the garage it was being repaired in took it for an unauthorised late-night spin.(Daily Record)
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says he can feel the presence of legendary Nottingham Forest boss Brian Clough every time he returns to the City Ground.(Daily Mail)
After their loss to Manchester United in the Carling Cup final at Wembley in February, manager Martin O'Neill has demanded Aston Villa change their suits, their hotel and stay in London one night rather than three ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.(Daily Mirror)
Notts County striker Luke Rodgers could be lining up alongside Barcelona striker Thierry Henry next season if both complete expected summer moves to Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls.(Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, is being chased by Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona - according to his dad.(The Sun) 
Manchester City are likely to make a fresh move for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago in the summer, City boss Roberto Mancini has confirmed.(The Guardian) 
And City also want to bring Lazio striker Mauro Zarate back to England to replace Robinho - the Argentine previously had a spell at Birmingham.(Goal.com) 
Manchester United are resigned to losing Nemanja Vidic in the summer, with AC Milan ready to rival Real Madrid's £20m attempt to prise him away. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to sign Brazilian wonderkid Wellington Silva after his trial with the Londoners. (Daily Mirror) 
The Gunners boss has also apparently stepped up the chase for £14m France striker Loic Remy, dubbed the 'new Thierry Henry'. (The Sun) 
Liverpool's attempt to sign Standard Liege forward Milan Jovanovic could be under threat after his agent claimed other clubs are interested. (Various)
Lokomotiv Moscow have joined city rivals Dinamo in the pursuit of Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun, despite Reds manager Rafa Benitez being reluctant to sell. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are interested in Ghana goalkeeper George Owu, who has been offered a trial following his release by Egyptian club Al Masry.(Daily Mail) 
Veteran striker Paul Dickov is wanted by Leeds and Derby after being released by Leicester.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is trying to sign 17-year-old Bolivian star Gabriel Alvarez from Callejas for next season.(Daily Mirror) 
QPR have offered former Fulham defender Moritz Volz, who is a free agent, a contract until the end of the season. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is to take a pay cut as he does not want to inflict any more financial pressure on the cash-strapped club.(The Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City have offered first-team regulars at Eastlands a bonus of £1m each to take the club into the Champions League and win the FA Cup. (Daily Express) 
Aston Villa have banned youth defender Nathan Baker from this month's League Cup final after the 18-year-old was caught selling his ticket allocation for the game on social networking site Facebook. (Various)
Villa defender Nicky Shorey, who is on loan at Fulham, could be in trouble with Fifa after playing for his third club this season, breaking the world governing body's rule of only being allowed to play for two clubs in a season.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is looking into selling his company's NHL ice hockey team the Dallas Stars.(The Guardian) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has emerged as potential target for Espanyol as the Barcelona club's hierarchy is losing confidence in coach Mauricio Pochettino.(Daily Mail)
Premier League clubs are set to pocket £1bn thanks to a TV deal which the league's chief executive Richard Scudamore is ready to announce as he publishes the figures for the worldwide rights to screen top Premier League matches. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

French left-back Patrice Evra says Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson "dances up and down like a child" when United win.(The Sun) 
Five Portsmouth fans will walk into the Premier League's luxurious offices in London on Friday looking for answers as to why their club has become football's financial basket case.(The Times) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger cancelled a day off for his Arsenal players ahead of this weekend's match against Chelsea because he was so angry after Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Manchester United.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle's new signing Leon Best has turned down the chance to take the club's famous No9 shirt because the £2m buy from Coventry City says he has not earned it yet. (Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Valencia forward David Villa has given the clearest indication yet that he is prepared to move to the Premier League. Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked to the Spain striker. (Spanish Newspaper AS) 
"I like the Premier League a lot. There are a lot of very important teams in England, who play very good football," said Villa. 
"It's the league I follow the most, along with La Liga - and I've got a lot of friends playing there." 
Manchester City have made a bid of about £15m for Real Madrid's Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago, 23. (Spanish newspaper Marca)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

A delegation from Santos, Robinho's former club in Brazil, is set to meet Manchester City officials in England this week and several other clubs, led by Benfica, have registered an official interest in the former Real Madrid player.(The Guardian) 
Robinho says he is leaving Manchester City to return to Brazil in an attempt to save his World Cup dream.(Daily Mirror) 
The 26-year-old will take a pay cut from the reported £100,000-a-week he is on at City to join the Brazilian outfit. (IMScouting) 
The deal that will result in Robinho returning to Santos gives Manchester City first refusal on two of the club's hottest prospects - forward Neymar, 17, and attacking midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, 20. (IMScouting) 
Liverpool have offered Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic, 28, a three-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, in a bid to land the Serbian on a free transfer this summer. (Daily Express)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is ready to make a last-minute swoop for Palermo's 20-year-old Danish defender Simon Kjaer.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham are set to end James Beattie's Stoke nightmare by jumping in with a £3m offer for the former England striker.(The Sun) 
French striker Toifilou Maoulida, 30, has hinted he could be set to leave Lens for the Premier League, with West Ham, Wigan and Stoke interested.(Daily Mail) 
Preston boss Darren Ferguson hopes to complete the loan signing of striker Danny Welbeck from his father's club Manchester United.(Daily Mail) 
Newcastle's plans to sign Marlon Harewood on loan once again from Aston Villa have suffered a blow after the striker broke a bone in his foot in training last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are weighing up the prospect of a loan deal to sign Roma right-back Marco Motta, who has fallen out of favour with manager Claudio Ranieri. ( Daily Mail) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is chasing Hadjuk Split's highly rated Bosnian midfielder Senijad Ibricic for a second time. (Daily Mirror) 
Dynamo Moscow want to sign Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun and are prepared to pay £7m for the 29-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Zimbabwe striker Benjani, 31, is set to complete his £3m move from Manchester City to West Ham on Monday. (Daily Mirror) 
Villarreal's Argentine striker Marco Ruben, 23, is set to arrive in England on Monday to clinch a £7m switch to Wigan Athletic.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton boss David Moyes has confirmed he would be interested in signing AC Milan's Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar if he became available.(Daily Mirror) 
While Everton look at ways to raise Huntelaar's £65,000-a-week wages, the Dutchman is also interesting Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool.(Daily Mail) 
Turkish giants Galatasaray are on the brink of agreeing a deal to sign Tottenham's Mexican forward Giovani dos Santos on loan. (The Times)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United are set to make Wayne Rooney their highest-paid player on £150,000 a week to fend off interest from Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror) 
Rooney, who scored four times in the win over Hull on Saturday, will shred England boss Fabio Capello's nerves by refusing a break between now and the end of the season.(Daily Star) 
The Glazer family are planning to spend another £54m of Manchester United's cash to fight their huge debt.(The Sun) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville - who was involved in a spat with Manchester City's Carlos Tevez last week - has added fuel to the fire ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final, second leg on Wednesday by claiming City did not deserve to win the first game at Eastlands.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth could anger even more of their fans by naming only three substitutes for Tuesday's Premier League relegation showdown with West Ham.(The Sun) 
Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy says he has joined Hamburg from Real Madrid to win back his place in the Holland team before this summer's World Cup in South Africa.(Daily Telegraph) 
Barcelona's Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, 26, is in talks over an extension to his current deal at the Camp Nou, although Chelsea and Manchester City are monitoring developments.(IMScouting) 

AND FINALLY

Although Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is close to completing the sale of the Texas Rangers baseball team for a fee in excess of $500m (about £310m), none of the proceeds are expected to be ploughed into the Anfield club.(The Times) 
Plans for TV election debates have been thrown into doubt by the Champions League semi-finals. Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg were set to debate on the three Wednesdays before 6 May but Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal could be playing on those nights, causing a scheduling clash.(The Sun) 
Transworld - who published Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard's big-selling autobiographies - have won the race to publish the official life story of Manchester United club captain Gary Neville. However, the book will only come out when Neville leaves Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is battling it out with former club Chelsea and Manchester United for £15m-rated Benfica winger Angel di Maria. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea are leading the chase to sign Racing Santander's Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales who is also being tracked by Arsenal and Manchester City. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are also monitoring 18-year-old Canales. (Daily Star)
Manchester United could cash in on star striker Wayne Rooney to help ease the club's debts. Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are considering £70m bids for the England international.(The Sun) 
Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery admits that Chelsea or Real Madrid are in a straight fight for his services should he leave the Bundesliga side.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are considering a move for Everton striker Louis Saha whose contract negotiations at the club have broken down. Tottenham and Liverpool are also said to be keen. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham have had a £5m bid for Benfica forward Javier Saviola turned down by the Portuguese club for "sporting reasons". (Daily Mirror)
Bordeaux's in-demand striker Marouane Chamakh has promised a decision soon on his future. Arsenal and Liverpool are both believed to be keen on signing him on a cut-price deal with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Out-of-favour Birmingham forward Gary McSheffrey could attempt to resurrect his career with a move to Championship side Sheffield United.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have replaced city rivals Manchester United in a partnership agreement with Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. The deal will give City first option should Sporting sell any of their players. (The Guardian) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce insists it will take a "mind-blowing" offer to prise striker Kenwyne Jones away from the Black Cats and doubts if the clubs who want to buy him would prove able - or willing - to meet the necessary price.(The Guardian) 
Bruce has denied making a £5m bid to take Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to the Stadium of Light.(The Independent) 
Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, currently at Egyptian side Zamalek, has been offered to Stoke City, Sunderland, and Blackburn Rovers.(The Times) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is weighing up a £5m move for Mallorca forward Aritz Aduriz which may see striker Hugo Rodallega leave the DW Stadium.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth could lose Aruna Dindane with parent club Lens set to recall the striker early from his loan spell at Pompey. The French side fear the Premier League outfit lack the funds to make the deal permanent.(The Guardian) 
Birmingham City and Wolves have expressed an interest in Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt who may be offloaded if the cash-strapped club are forced to sell players. (The Times) 
Fulham have agreed a loan deal for Roma's 20-year-old striker Stefano Okaka, although the player has yet to sign off on the temporary switch.(The Independent) 
Wolves are set to offer £1.5m for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford but Newcastle are still leading the fight to sign the 26-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
But Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has warned Leeds that unless a deal is tied up swiftly for Beckford he will turn his attentions to a loan deal for Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood.(Daily Mirror) 
New Bolton manager Owen Coyle could offer Beckford the chance to play for his side after expressing interest in the unsettled forward. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin doubts whether manager Arsene Wenger will make any signings during the transfer window.(Daily Star) 
Derby striker Luke Varney will become Sheffield Wednesday manager Alan Irvine's first signing at Hillsborough.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Joe Cole's contract talks with Chelsea have stalled over the wage demands of the England international, who is free to leave for nothing at the end of the season.(The Times) 
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has suggested in an email to a supporter that the summer transfer market will be a "big" one for the Premier League club. "Our debt is very managable (sic) [see Man U] and we never use player sales for debt service," said Hicks. "Our interest on £200m is about £16m. The new stadium will be the game changer. Managing director Christian [Purslow] is working very hard on it. Jan is a poor-quality market. The summer window will be big."(Daily Mirror) 
The Glazer family, which owns Manchester United, has personally borrowed £10m from the club, according to financial results released yesterday.(The Guardian) 
West Ham could have new owners within 24 hours although investment company Intermarket, who made the highest bid for the club, missed a deadline to prove it had the cash to finance a £100m takeover.(The Times) 
Burnley are set to spring a major surprise by naming former Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws as their new manager.(Daily Mail) 
Alternatively, Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll could be taking charge at Turf Moor but Burnley will have to pay £1m compensation to get their man. Full story: (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry says his leadership qualities were evident even when he was coming through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. As a youngster he shouted at former Blue Gianfranco Zola for giving the ball away in a reserve match, earning the praise of Italian manager Gianluca Vialli.(The Independent) 
Despite postponing their Premier League clash with Tottenham at the weekend because of icy conditions around Anfield, Liverpool were still encouraging fans to take tours of the stadium throughout the cold weather. (Daily Mail)
AC Milan and LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has revealed his latest tattoo. The 34-year-old has an image of Jesus Christ sitting on the cross inked into his side.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham's league game with Wolves on Sunday was postponed because of an incorrect weather forecast for more snow.(Daily Mail)

www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are keen on Serbian defender Uros Cosic, who is tipped by his club CSKA Moscow as a potentially bigger talent than Nemanja Vidic.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is planning a January bid for Wigan's £4m-rated defender Maynor Figueroa, who scored a stunning long-range goal against Stoke at the weekend.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are concerned that defender Mikael Silvestre could leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is considering a move for Chile defender Waldo Ponce, who plays for Velez Sarsfield in Argentina.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa's Spanish defender Carlos Cueller has attracted the interest of Real Madrid.(Daily Mirror) 
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson could make a £750,000 offer for Arsenal defender Kerrea Gilbert.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

The ruling family of the United Arab Emirates want talks with Liverpool's owners to discuss possible investments.(Daily Mirror) 
And Liverpool's co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are closing in on a deal that will see them sell a share in the club to a new investor for around £124m.(Daily Telegraph) 
Jose Mourinho's troubles at Inter Milan have increased the likelihood of the former Chelsea boss returning to England, with Liverpool and Manchester City touted as possible destinations.(The Sun) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's attempt to get compensation from the Dutch Football Federation over the injury picked up by Robin van Persie while on international duty last month has been dismissed by Fifa.(The Independent) 
Former Portsmouth manager Tony Adams is set to return to management with French side St Etienne.(Daily Mail) 
Coventry boss Chris Coleman has been given until the new year to save his job at the Ricoh Arena.(The Sun) 
Nottingham Forest have blocked an approach from another unnamed Championship club to speak to manager Billy Davies. Davies has been linked with the vacant jobs at Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.(The Sun) 
Sheffield United are leading the chase for Peterborough striker Aaron McLean. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his half-time rant during the game against Liverpool was a risk, and says football management is like "living on a volcano". He said: "I was many times very angry but sometimes you're angry but do not show it. The problem with anger, you can create some damage that you cannot repair."(Daily Telegraph)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal have targeted Inter Milan frontman Mario Balotelli, with their scouts believed to have watched the £20m-rated star last week. Manager Arsene Wenger is also understood to be keen on Ajax's 21-year-old defender Gregory van der Wiel.(The Sun) 
The Gunners are also tracking Belgian 18-year-old midfielder Eden Hazard, who currently plays for French club Lille.(Daily Mirror) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford could be on for a shock move to Portuguese side Sporting Braga.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has begun talks with Bulgarian midfielder Martin Petrov over a new contract which expires next summer. (Daily Express) 
Aston Villa and Birmingham are going head-to-head in trying to grab the services of Cheltenham 18-year-old striker Theo Lewis. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool fans, unhappy with co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, are planning a 10,000-strong protest march on Sunday ahead of the Manchester United match.Fans' group Spirit of Shankly is believed to be drumming up support after hearing the Americans will be attending their crunch game. The Reds are on a run of four successive defeats for the Anfield club amid continuing unrest regarding the club's future.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina has been assured by referees' chief Keith Hackett that security staff at Anfield are on red alert to deal with any balloons and beach balls.(Daily Mail) 
England have tried to revive their bid to host the 2018 World Cup by including Germany captain Michael Ballack on the list of ambassadors. It is a list without any players from England's 1966 World Cup winning squad.(Daily Express) 
Sven Goran Eriksson's former assistant Hans Backe is favourite to replace Ian McParland as manager of Notts County. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina boss Diego Maradona has refused to say sorry for his outburst live on TV, aimed at the media who have criticised the team on their way to scraping into the World Cup finals.
"I don't regret it," he said. "I apologise to the ladies but not to those who talk about football on TV."(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester City could be on the verge of establishing a link with French side AC Arles-Avignon which would see City loaning young players to the Ligue 2 outfit in order that they receive game time.(The Sun) 
Yossi Benayoun's agent maintains the midfielder is happy at Liverpool and not planning a summer exit to Manchester City. "It is a great compliment that there is interest from high level teams across Europe, but Yossi is very happy at Liverpool and only in the summer agreed a new four-year contract," said Ronen Kastav.(Virgin Media) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is once again preparing to raid former club Portsmouth to sign England keeper David James for £1m in January. Since taking over at Spurs, Redknapp has signed Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar from Pompey.(The Sun) 
European champions Barcelona are closing in on a January swoop for Manchester City forward Robinho, with sporting director Txiki Begiristain saying that the Brazilian is "a very interesting footballer and could play for us in the Champions League".(Daily Mirror) 
Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell - who left Notts County in September after only one game - wants a short-term loan move to a Championship club to earn a Premier League return in January. (Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are lining up a move for Huddersfield's highly-rated goalkeeper Alex Smithies, but they may have to part with £3m in order to land the 19-year-old. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are planning a shock January raid for Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England coach Fabio Capello was refused a handshake by referee Damir Skomina after subjecting the official to a four-minute rant in the tunnel in the aftermath of England's 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Ukraine on Saturday. Capello was incensed by the decision to send off Robert Green and the confusion caused by the ref's original incorrect decision to dismiss Rio Ferdinand in the 13th minute of the match in Dnipropetrovsk.(The Sun) 
Striker Emile Heskey concedes he may have to leave Aston Villa - for whom he has started only one Premier League game this season - in January to keep alive his hopes of a place in England boss Fabio Capello's squad for the 2010 World Cup finals.(The Sun) 
Chelsea and England defender John Terry has admitted he sledged former Blues teammate Andriy Shevchenko prior to the striker's penalty miss for Ukraine in their 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over England on Saturday.(The Sun)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to escape a touchline ban, despite apologising to referee Alan Wiley for questioning the official's fitness.(Daily Mirror) 
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is confident he will be back on the pitch sooner than expected despite being told he faces around a month on the sidelines. Ronaldo limped out of Portugal's 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Hungary on Saturday and medical tests indicated he would be out of action for "three to four weeks". (Press Association)
Former Leeds boss Dennis Wise, who until earlier this year was executive director of football at Newcastle, and ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink are set to make dramatic returns to football - with non-League Chalfont St Peter and Woking respectively.(The Sun) 
Ipswich midfielder Owen Garvan says he fears he has played his last game for the club after revealing that manager Roy Keane has not spoken to him in recent weeks. Garvan has not featured at all in the last eight games for Ipswich, who sit bottom of the Championship without a league win yet this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung's new Birmingham regime begins today following his takeover at St Andrews and the new ownership team will sit down with Blues manager Alex McLeish this week to discuss their working relationship and potential transfer targets.(Daily Mirror) 
Tyneside businessman Barry Moat is set for crunch talks with Newcastle chiefs on Tuesday over his proposed £100m takeover of the north-east club.(The Sun) 
Liverpool owner Tom Hicks will allow co-owner George Gillett to sell his 50% stake in the club should the latter find a buyer. American Hicks, who is not interested in selling his own 50% stake in the club, has the right of veto over any proposed sale of Gillett's shares but he is willing to forgo this.(The Times) 
Huddersfield manager Lee Clark says he has no intention of selling star striker Jordan Rhodes, who has scored 11 goals since joining from Ipswich in the summer. "There is no price on Jordan's head," said Clark. "I don't have to worry about him being sold because we have a very wealthy owner."(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona celebrated his side's last-minute winner against Peru in the crucial World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires with a jubilant belly slide. Martin Palermo's goal, which secured a 2-1 win over Peru, lifted Argentina to fourth place, with a game to go in the South American group, from which the top four qualify.(Daily Star) 
The internet coverage of England's match with Ukraine - the first national team match to be shown exclusively online - has been hailed a success by Kentaro and Perform, the companies behind the transmission, after nearly half a million people subscribed to the programme. (The Guardian)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are the latest club to track Bolton defender Gary Cahill. Chelsea, Juventus and AC Milan are also interested in the 23-year-old.(The Sun)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen on Atletico Madrid forward Keko, who has been likened to Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham and Arsenal are two of the clubs willing to offer midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker a way out of Aston Villa following his bust up with manager Martin O'Neill. (Daily Star)
Hull boss Phil Brown is desperate to land Sol Campbell in the January transfer window, following the former Arsenal defender's decision to leave Notts County last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda, who plays for Dutch club VVV Venlo, is wanted by Everton.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are deciding whether to make a January bid for midfielder Milan Jovanovic, whose contract with Standard Liege expires next summer.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies is set to land a new contract, despite being out for five months with a shoulder injury.(The Sun) 
Liverpool's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, say they are ready to water down their control in the club. (Various) 
Birmingham City chairman David Gold is set to lose his job at the club if Carson Yeung completes his takeover.(The Sun) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce says Anton Ferdinand still has a future at the club, despite the defender being dropped for the victory over Wolves at the weekend. (Daily Star) 
Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard says he is fit and ready for action after recovering from knee ligament surgery earlier this year. (The Sun)
Manager Fabio Capello wants to make sure England's 2018 World Cup bid does not come under scrutiny by refusing to treat the qualifiers against the Ukraine and Belarus as practice matches.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United striker Michael Owen says he is determined to be part of England's World Cup campaign in South Africa next year. (The Times)

AND FINALLY

Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez has explained his reasons for not celebrating his goals against West Ham on Monday, saying that "part of me will always be a Hammer". However, following the treatment he received at Old Trafford recently, the Argentine says he will not extend the same courtesy if he scores against his former club Manchester United. (Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former West Ham defender Lucas Neill is set to undergo a medical at Everton today. (Sky Sports)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Valencia's Spanish forward David Silva has admitted he is interested in a move to Manchester United.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull striker Caleb Folan is set to join Middlesbrough on a three-month loan deal.(The Sun) 
Aston Villa are hoping to beat Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign Feyenoord's £5million-rated Netherlands Under-21 midfielder Jonathan De Guzman.(Daily Mail) 
Bolton defender Danny Shittu has turned down a loan move to Sheffield United because he does not want to step down from the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool target Angel Di Maria has had his buy-out clause increased to £40m by Portuguese club Benfica as they brace themselves for a bid from the Premier League side.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has blocked Diomany Kamara's move to Newcastle United because he needs him for his squad.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United and Burnley are likely to need a tribunal to thrash out compensation for defender Richard Eckersley, who joined the Clarets from United in the summer.(The Sun) 
Everton are giving a trial to Colo Colo's 18-year-old Chilean striker Nicolas Millan, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced he can persuade midfielder Paul Scholes to put his retirement plans on hold in favour of one more year at Old Trafford.(Daily Mirror) 
Fabio Capello has revealed that his current job as coach of England will be his last in football and he never wants to manage the national side of his native Italy.(The Sun) 
QPR owner Flavio Briatore faces being kicked out of the Loftus Road club following his departure from Formula 1 team Renault. Should F1 bosses decree that Briatore is no longer a "fit and proper person" to operate within their sport, he would have to relinquish his control of QPR as Football League rules state any shareholder or director must be removed if they are banned by a recognised sport's governing body.(The Sun) 
Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen fears he could be the next high profile departure from Stamford Bridge following the exit of chief executive Peter Kenyon.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will not discipline striker Wayne Rooney for his enraged reaction to being substituted during the Champions League victory over Besiktas on Tuesday.(The Sun) 
Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are ready to put up to 25% of the club up for sale to raise £100m that can be used to build a new stadium.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has joked that he will join United's fans in booing former teammate Carlos Tevez if he lines up for Manchester City in the derby between the sides on Sunday.(The Sun) 
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has promised that investment in the club's new £30m training complex will not harm Harry Redknapp's team-building programme.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have put Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane on a special fitness programme in a bid to get him fit for the club's battle to get off the bottom of the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 
Karren Brady has turned down an offer from prospective Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung to remain as chief executive of the Blues.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have confirmed they will not appeal the violent conduct charge against Emmanuel Adebayor for his stamp on Arsenal's Robin Van Persie in City's 4-2 win on Saturday.(The Sun) 
Ipswich boss Roy Keane has told defenders Gareth McAuley, who has been stripped of the captaincy, and Ben Thatcher that they have no future with the club.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

England manager Fabio Capello joked that his wife may have taken a shine to David Beckham after having photos taken with the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder.(The Sun) 
Capello has also revealed that had he not pursued a career in football he would have chosen a career as an airline pilot.(Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Newcastle hope to sign Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara on loan to cover for injured frontman Shola Ameobi, who is out until December with a stress fracture of the foot.(The Sun) 
Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood is another loan target for Magpies caretaker boss Chris Hughton.(Daily Mirror)
Hull City striker Daniel Cousin is keen on a loan move to Newcastle after slipping down the pecking order at the KC Stadium.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton have given striker James Vaughan the go-ahead to join Middlesbrough on loan.(The Guardian) 
Bolton boss Gary Megson has agreed a deal with Wolves worth up to £1m for defender Mark Davies, who joined the Trotters in January. The two clubs opted to negotiate the fee rather than using a transfer tribunal.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke defender Andrew Davies has rejected a loan move to Plymouth.(The Sun) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has handed former Chelsea and Sunderland goalkeeper Jurgen Macho a trial following the Austrian's release by AEK Athens.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell hopes to beat Ipswich, Barnsley and Colchester to the loan signing of Bolton defender Danny Shittu.(The Sun) 
Australia striker Scott McDonald says he will not be quitting Celtic to join Wigan. (The Sun)
Hartlepool manager Chris Turner fears an approach from Celtic for midfielder Gary Liddle and striker James Brown. (The Herald) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reopened his feud with Manchester City boss Mark Hughes following Emmanuel Adebayor's alleged stamp on Robin van Persie on Saturday. Wenger, who used to accuse Hughes' Blackburn side of being too physical, said: "You ask 100 people, 99 will say it is very bad and the hundredth will be Mark Hughes." (The Sun) 
City are in talks with their legal team in a bid to save Adebayor from a potential four-match suspension following Football Association charges of violent conduct and improper conduct as a result of his actions against the Gunners.(Daily Telegraph) 
Inter Milan's former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says Fabio Capello "knows nothing about football" after the England coach said it was imperative for the Serie A champions to win the Champions League this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Xavi Hernandez admits England were missed at Euro 2008 and feels they are among the favourites to win the 2010 World Cup.(Daily Mirror) 
New Portsmouth owner Sulaiman Al Fahim is adamant the Fratton Park club will have money to spend in the January transfer window but Pompey's chief executive Peter Storrie says the club has had no new funds made available.(The Sun) 
Al Fahim says he will meet with Pompey boss Paul Hart on 21 November to discuss potential signings.(The Times) 
Former Scotland boss Alex McLeish has welcomed the decision not to axe national manager George Burley over the Scots' failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. (Daily Record)
George Peat's position as Scottish FA president is under threat after he criticised manager George Burley before the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign. (Daily Express) 
Tartan Army spokesman Hamish Husband says George Burley only kept his job as Scotland manager because other candidates rejected approaches to take over. (Various)
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has hailed team-mate Steven Gerrard as "the greatest player in the world".(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool's co-owner Tom Hicks is confident he can reduce the club's £250m debt and says boss Rafael Benitez can use some of the revenue from the Reds new £20m-a-year shirt-sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank on strengthening his squad.(The Times) 
Liverpool midfielder Lucas, who has been heavily criticised by Reds fans, says he would have left Anfield if not for manager Rafael Benitez, who he says has given him "incredible support and confidence".(Daily Mirror)
Rangers midfielder Pedro Mendes has asked his best friend Fernando Meira for the lowdown on Stuttgart ahead of his side's Champions League clash with the Bundesliga outfit on Wednesday. Meira spent six years with Stuttgart from 2002 to 2008 and now plays for Zenit St Petersburg. (Daily Mirror)
Rangers could be forced to play Lee McCulloch as a makeshift centre-half against Stuttgart in the Champions League because of an injury to David Weir. (Various) 
Olympiakos have expressed an interest in appointing Bryan Robson as their new coach after sacking former Newcastle midfielder Temuri Ketsbaia.(Daily Mail) 
Former Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton has applied for the vacant manager's job at League Two side Rotherham.(Daily Mirror) 

.

AND FINALLY

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor appeared to recreate his controversial celebration from Saturday's 4-2 win over his old club Arsenal after scoring in training on Tuesday. The Togo striker, who has been charged with improper conduct for running down the pitch to celebrate in front of Gunners fans, smiled as he ran and slid to his knees in front of his team-mates. (Various)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Liverpool are monitoring Lazio star Mauro Zarate with a view to a summer swoop for the striker. (The Sun) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is targeting Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to bid for Swansea's 24-goal goal machine Jason Scotland. (Daily Mirror) 
Championship promotion candidates Birmingham want Portsmouth goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, who has rejected a fresh contract at Fratton Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are unlikely to pay the £15m Standard Liege want for their midfielder Steven Defour. (Daily Star) 
Dundee United manager Craig Levein is keeping tabs on Huddersfied striker Danny Cadamarteri. (Various) 
Celtic are preparing a double swoop on Swansea, with defender Angel Rangel joining midfielder Jordi Gomez on the Glasgow giant's wanted list. (Scottish Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Portsmouth insist executive chairman Peter Storrie was not paid £2m last year, despite evidence contained in the club's financial results. (Daily Telegraph) 
Southampton may sell their St Mary's home to the local council and lease it back at a reduced rate. (The Sun) 
Wolves will ignore its salary cap of £10,000 a week to keep stars like Wayne Hennessey and Karl Henry. (Daily Mirror) 
Clyde have moved closer to closure after North Lanarkshire Council threw out a rescue plan. (Daily Record) 
Creditors of Liverpool owner Tom Hicks say Hicks Sports Group is in default on debts of £351m. (Wall Street Journal) 
Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann is unlikely to be sacked after following up the win in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona. (The Times) 
 
AND FINALLY 

Weekly football classes in Edinburgh for pre-school children as young as 18 months are so popular there is now a lengthy waiting list for applicants.
www.bbc.co.uk