Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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

OTHER GOSSIP

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

AND FINALLY

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

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

double @ 3.48 LOST

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are tracking Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, but Liverpool, who are also interested, could be put off by the Spanish team's £17m price tag.(Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have slapped a £20m price tag on Manchester United target Neven Subotic. Arsenal and Manchester City are also keeping tabs on the 21-year-old Serbia international centre-half.(Daily Mail) 
Real Madrid are set to drop their interest in Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney with Valencia forward David Villa their preferred target. (imscouting.com) 
Manchester City are said to be one of four clubs fighting it out to sign Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi. (imscouting.com) 
Meanwhile, City boss Roberto Mancini has told Carlos Tevez he can leave if the Argentine striker is not happy at Eastlands.(the Guardian) 
Joe Hart's return to Manchester City could see Birmingham pursue a loan deal for Manchester United keeper Ben Foster. (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are battling it out with Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool for Blackburn defender Phil Jones.(Daily Mail) 
Everton boss David Moyes is set to make a £1m bid for Genk's Belgium Under-21 midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce will make Paraguay international midfielder Cristian Riveros his first signing of the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Bruce is also lining up a £1.5m move for Derby midfielder Paul Green.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham face competition from Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray for the signature of Bayern Munich's Turkey international midfielder Hamit Altintop, whose contract runs out at the end of the season. (Daily Star) 
Wolves have joined Wigan, Newcastle, Sunderland and Fulham in the race to sign AZ Alkmaar's £5m-rated forward Jeremain Lens. (Daily Mail) 
Derby lead the race to sign Notts County keeper Kasper Schmeichel. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis looks set to axe "precious" strikers Tuncay and Dave Kitson following the 7-0 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's future at Anfield is in further doubt after his side's semi-final Europa League exit to Atletico Madrid on Thursday. (the Sun) 
Benitez has said that Liverpool need five new players if they are to be competitive next season. (the Guardian) 
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi says Leonardo will quit as manager at the end of the Serie A season.(the Sun) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said it has been "agony" watching the Champions League semi-finals on television.(the Sun) 
Roy Keane says he has wiped Manchester United from his memory - despite the Ipswich manager's medal-filled years at Old Trafford.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham City are set to offer manager Alex McLeish a new three-year deal. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is planning on introducing a wage cap at Upton Park for next season as he attempts to cull the club's £60m wage bill by a third.(Daily Express) 
Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale will stand down from his role at the end of the season following a 49% buy-out of the Championship club. (the Sun) 
Barcelona's World and European player of the year Lionel Messi has ruled out the possibility of ever playing in the Premier League.(Daily Mirror) 

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AND FINALLY

Wayne Rooney stands to make £500,000 for one night's work in a Gladiators-style contest to unearth the world's most skilful footballer.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce said he used to call Sir Alex Ferguson "the Ayatollah" during his playing days at Old Trafford - but not to the Scot's face.(Daily Mirror)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are lining up a £20m summer move for Tottenham defender Gareth Bale, whom they first tried to sign from Southampton three years ago.(Daily Express) 
United striker Dimitar Berbatov could be on his way to AC Milan in a summer swap deal with Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar going the opposite way.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Swansea boss Paulo Sousa could be the man to replace Hull's management consultant Iain Dowie at the KC Stadium.(Daily Mail) 
And Cardiff manager Dave Jones is a shock contender to replace Gianfranco Zola as West Ham manager, should the Italian leave the club in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Belgian international midfielder Jelle van Damme, who has just won a second consecutive league title with Anderlecht, says an unnamed English club has made a "concrete" offer for him, with Fulham thought to be interested.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa are interested in signing West Ham striker Carlton Cole to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor up front, as a replacement for John Carew who could move to Fulham.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool are lining up a bid for Rangers' £8m-rated teenage defender Danny Wilson, with the youngster being loaned back to the Gers next season.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Arsenal are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler, who is Germany's number one keeper but recently suffered a broken rib.(imscouting.com) 
Real Madrid look set to beat Chelsea and Manchester United to the signature of Benfica's Argentine winger Angel di Maria.(imscouting.com) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has started the ball rolling on a £1m bid for Dundee United defender Garry Kenneth. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP

Celtic's 38-year-old caretaker manager Neil Lennon says he is ready to take the job on permanently.(Daily Telegraph) 
And Walter Smith has hinted Ally McCoist could soon take over from him as Rangers manager, saying his assistant is "as ready as he's ever going to be" to become a manager.(Daily Telegraph) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is fed up with the long journeys his reserves have to face and wants to play local friendlies instead.(Daily Mail) 
Fabio Capello is buoyed by the news that Manchester United defender Wes Brown is back in training and could face Tottenham on Saturday.(Daily Mail) 
Hull chairman Adam Pearson has launched a blistering attack on predecessor Paul Duffen, accusing him of "moral irresponsibility" for his running of the Premier League strugglers.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says their marathon trek to Madrid for their Europa League semi-final has been a positive experience as it has brought the team closer together.(the Times) 
Ross County manager Derek Adams faces being banned for the dugout for the Scottish Cup final as he is awaiting the results of an appeal against an eight-game touchline suspension. (Daily Mail)
English Football League commercial director Stewart Thomson has emerged as a front-runner to replace Gordon Smith as Scottish Football Association chief executive. (Daily Record) 

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AND FINALLY

Portsmouth's £119m list of debts includes £40 owed to Pukka Pies and 20p to Qatar Airways.(The Sun) 
Tottenham claim they are owed £1m by Pompey over a deal to sign goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, despite the move never going through as the player opted to join Stoke instead of Spurs.(The Sun) 
A list of Manchester United's corporate customers has been posted on the internet by anti-Glazer protesters much to the anger of officials.(Daily Mail) 
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

With current boss Manuel Pellegrini tipped to be leaving Real Madrid, Spanish newspaper Marca has listed five potential candidates to take over at the Bernabeu. These are England boss Fabio Capello, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, Liverpool's Rafa Benitez, Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho and former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, who is currently managing Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan. ( imscouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp wants to take England international Micah Richards from Manchester City, with Eastlands boss Roberto Mancini prepared to listen to offers for the 21-year-old defender. (Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile, City are lining up bids to sign Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Mesut Özil and Roma forward Mirko Vucinic, as they prepare a series of raids on the Bundesliga and Serie A at the end of the season.(The Times) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has missed the chance to sign goalkeeping target Fernando Muslera from Lazio after the highly rated 23-year-old Uruguayan signed a five-year deal with the Rome club.(Caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham have joined the race to sign Jermaine Beckford from Leeds and hope to sign the 26-year-old striker on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer. (Caughtoffside.com) 
Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon are set to sign Manchester United's Brazilian teenage defender Fabio on loan.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario is set to reject an offer from Sporting Lisbon as the veteran goalkeeper wants to stay at Stamford Bridge. (imscouting.com) 

Middlesbrough are weighing up a summer move for Oldham's 19-year-old left-back Paul Black. (Daily Mirror)

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is hopeful of pulling of a summer deal for Hull defender Steven Mouyokolo but he could face competition from Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, who have all had the Frenchman watched this season.(Daily Mirror) 

Birmingham want to keep Ecuadorian Christian Benitez on loan from Mexican club Santos Laguna for another season following an impressive first campaign for the striker in England. (Daily Mirror)

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OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie will make a dramatic return following five months out with an ankle injury in Wednesday's north London derby at Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett will finally announce plans to officially put the Reds up for sale this week. But fans who object to the duo's regime at the club and are desperate to see them leave could still be in for a long wait as the Americans will also reveal details of a new refinancing package that effectively ends the need for a fire sale. (Various)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has conceded that his side's hopes of securing a top-four Premier League finish this season appear to be over after they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Fulham on Sunday. They now trail fourth-placed Manchester City by six points. (Daily Mirror) 
Benitez has hinted Liverpool may need to spend as much as £60m in the summer if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season. (The Sun) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville has admitted that the side's Champions League quarter-final defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich last week has had a huge impact. The Red Devils could only draw 0-0 at Blackburn on Sunday, handing the title-initiative to Chelsea, who now lead United by a point with a game in hand. (The Sun) 
Hull boss Iain Dowie and his staff were called to a crisis meeting with Tigers chairman Adam Pearson following the 4-1 home defeat by fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday. (Daily Mirror) 
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni says he would relish the chance to play under his old boss Neil Warnock at London rivals Queens Park Rangers. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna believes Arsenal need to tone down their pretty football as they try to keep their Premier League title bid alive. "Sometimes I think we play too much," said the 27-year-old Frenchman. (The Sun)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Big-spending Manchester City are set to make a transfer deadline day £20m offer for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City look set to beat Inter Milan to the £7m signing of Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga.(The Sun)
Manchester City are also likely to submit a fresh £6m bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.(Daily Mail) 
But Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Wolves have also expressed an interest in 22-year-old Johnson. (The Times) 
Fulham are keen to seal a loan deal for Aston Villa defender Nicky Shorey.(Sky Sports)
Stoke City are to renew their interest in keeper David James after failing to complete a £3m deal for his Portsmouth team-mate Asmir Begovic. (Daily Mirror) 
Or Tottenham are keen on Pompey's James after Stoke hijacked their attempts to sign keeper Begovic.(Daily Mail)
Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has pleaded with the London club to sell him to ambitious Birmingham City. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will turn to FC Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko after moves for Pavlyuchenko and Portsmouth's Aruna Dindane stalled.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham and Scotland defender Alan Hutton will sign for Sunderland as Black Cats manager Steve Bruce seeks a breakthrough in solving his right-back problems. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is set to raid former club Sunderland for striker Daryl Murphy.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham and Tottenham are in talks over striker Robbie Keane.(Daily Mirror) 
The Hammers are also interested in Frederic Piquionne, who is on loan at Portsmouth, and Daniele Cacia, of Reggina.(The Times) 
Stoke striker James Beattie is considering a £3m switch to Sunderland after the Black Cats gave up on Robbie Keane and Manchester City forward Benjani. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis wants to bring winger Jermaine Pennant back to England from Real Zaragoza. (The Sun) 
Leeds are to launch a bid for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts, possibly opening the door for forward Jermaine Beckford to leave Elland Road.(The Sun) 
Wolves are to offer £5m to Hull for midfielder Stephen Hunt and are keen to take Everton striker James Vaughan on loan. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn themselves are to make a late loan move for Ivory Coast striker Dindane, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth from Lens.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth are hoping to seal a loan deal for Sunderland's central defender Nyron Nosworthy.(The Sun) 
Hull trio, winger Peter Halmosi, utility player Kevin Kilbane and midfielder Bryan Hughes are all set to leave the KC Stadium on Monday. (Daily Mail) 
High-flying championship side Nottingham Forest have tabled a £2m bid for Swansea midfielder Darren Pratley.(Daily Mirror) 
Rangers boss Water Smith wants to sign Bolton's Nigerian centre-half Danny Shittu on a free transfer. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will have talks with England this week about his international future following the allegations about his national side's captain John Terry over the weekend. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea defender John Terry is on the verge of quitting his position as England captain following the weekend revelations about his private life. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies has accused Derby counterpart Nigel Clough of a "cowardly" assault during the stoppage time melee between the two clubs on Saturday. (The Independent)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool will take Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones on loan, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer. This would enable both clubs to carry the impact of the transfer on their balance sheets into the next tax year, which begins in April.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham are set to make Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy the first signing of the David Gold/David Sullivan era after lodging a £1.2m bid.(Daily Star) 
Chelsea and Manchester City have both made offers to 18-year-old Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales, who is out of contract and free to leave current club Racing Santander this summer.(www.imscouting.com) 
Manchester City remain hopeful of signing Rubin Kazan left-back Cristian Ansaldi.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic have intimated they are willing to sell winger Aiden McGeady to Birmingham but only if the Midlands club stump up £11m.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke have made a £2m bid for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.(Daily Star) 
However, West Ham have also made enquiries about former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy.(www.imscouting.com) 
Bayern Munich midfielder Arjen Robben has advised teammate Franck Ribery not to join Real Madrid. Robben spent two years with Madrid before joining Bayern last summer.(www.imscouting.com) 
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James' on-off move to Stoke is back on. The clubs have re-opened negotiations after the transfer collapsed on 15 January because the Potters were not prepared to pay the proportion of James's salary that Pompey wanted from them.(Daily Mirror) 
Alternatively, Stoke boss Tony Pulis is keen to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Lee Grant for £2m.(Daily Star) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has made a move to sign out-of-favour Stoke striker James Beattie.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes is ready to sell striker James Vaughan in the January transfer window.(Daily Mirror) 
Moyes has resurrected a move to sign Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos on loan, six months after they pulled out of a deal to sign the Swiss international.(The Times) 
Liverpool midfielder Ryan Babel is set to perform a u-turn and agree to a £9m move to Birmingham after initially rejecting a move to St Andrews.(The Sun) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is eyeing a £1.75m swoop for Sheffield United centre-back Matthew Kilgallon.(The Sun) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle wants to snap up Jamie O'Hara from Tottenham - but the move will require Fifa's permission as the move would mean the midfielder playing for his third club of the season, which is not allowed.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby boss Nigel Clough is in talks with Arsenal to sign French striker Gilles Sunu on loan for the rest of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby are ready to snap up Millwall's highly-rated left winger Dave Martin in a £150,000 swoop.(Daily Mirror) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is ready to make a £4m swoop for Mallorca's highly-rated striker Aritz Aduriz to boost his attack.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull are considering offering a lifeline to out-of-favour Sunderland striker David Healy.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City forward Robinho insists he has not fallen out with manager Roberto Mancini and has vowed to prove his worth at the club. The Brazilian was taken off during the 2-0 defeat at Everton on Saturday after having come on as a substitute.(Daily Mirror) 
The agent of Russian national team manager Guus Hiddink says that a number of clubs, including Liverpool, have sounded him out about the availability of his client.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant says the Premier League are going against the spirit of football by refusing to lift the transfer embargo imposed on the south-coast outfit because they have outstanding debts to other English clubs.(The Sun) 
Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta hopes to make his comeback from a cruciate ligament injury in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool on 6 February. The Spaniard has been sidelined for a year.(The Sun) 
Manchester United defender John O'Shea's season appears to be over because of complications to the leg injury he sustained playing for the Republic of Ireland in France two months ago.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor is set to return for the Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Manchester United next week, after being given compassionate leave since he was caught up in the gun attack on the Togo team bus at the Africa Cup of Nations. (The Sun) 
Striker Daniel Cousin says he wants to quit Hull because he cannot stand manager Phil Brown. "The gaffer and I don't have a good relationship. It's difficult to stay. I want to leave," said Cousin.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez claims his ear-cupping celebration after scoring against Manchester United in the Carling Cup was not a dig at Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson for refusing to sign the striker last summer but was a tribute to a popular Argentine children's puppet Topo Gigio. (Daily Mirror)

Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

West Ham are considering a move to take out-of-favour striker Jo from Everton. The Brazilian is currently on a season-long loan at Goodison Park from Manchester City. (Daily Post) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has been linked with a summer move to Everton, who are reported to have agreed a pre-contract with the striker, whose contract expires at the end of the season. However, Whites manager Simon Grayson said: "Pre-contract agreements aren't binding so both parties could pull out at any time. If he bangs in another 20 goals, there might be bigger teams than Everton coming in for him." (Press Association) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham's new owners could try to lure Fulham striker Bobby Zamora back to Upton Park, 18 months after he left the club.(Daily Mirror) 
And Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton could also be on his way to West Ham, with Bordeaux's Mathieu Chalme his replacement in the Spurs defence.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul could be in line for a return to Tottenham as Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate's injury troubles continue.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will move for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy - but only if he can offload misfit Roman Pavlyuchenko.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea could be forced to go back on their "no transfer window signings" pledge if midfielder Michael Essien's knee injury rules him out for an extended period of time.(The Independent) 
Manchester United and Chelsea are battling it out to sign 18-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder Sergio Canales, who can leave Racing Santander in the summer when his contract runs out.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn want to take Uruguay international midfielder Sebastian Eguren on loan from Spanish club Villarreal, where he has fallen out of favour.(Daily Mirror) 
But striker Benni McCarthy could be heading out of Blackburn, with Turkish side Galatasaray keen to sign him.(Daily Mail)
Galatasaray are also monitoring Ryan Babel's situation at Liverpool after the winger fell out with manager Rafael Benitez.(The Times) 
Liverpool's Fernando Torres has urged Benitez to sign either of the striker's international colleagues David Villa or David Silva from Valencia to partner him in attack.(Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Mathieu Flamini could become yet another ex-Arsenal player to join Manchester City - on loan from AC Milan.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could also be heading to England in a bid to get regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham likely to be interested.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham and Hull are weighing up former Tottenham striker Mido, who is still officially a Middlesbrough player but is on loan at Zamalek where he has been since last summer.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has tabled a £4m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil.(Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough may use some of that cash to sign striker Leon Best from Coventry.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has shocked Scott Brown by telling the Scotland midfielder he has no future at the club and will be sold during January. (Daily Record) 
Celtic are locked in a five-way battle with clubs in Italy, Spain and Ukraine to sign 18-year-old Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder Rabiu Ibrahim. (Daily Express)
Celtic will pay £200,000 in compensation when they sign 19-year-old Norway Under-21 centre-half Thomas Rogne, formerly of Staebek. (Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham technical director Gianluca Nani will be sacked on Wednesday, only 24 hours after David Sullivan and David Gold took over the club. (Daily Star)
Portsmouth have 21 days to pay their £7.5m tax and VAT bill or face a winding-up petition in the High Court on February 10. With no new investment in sight the club are likely to have to sell players to raise the money or risk becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration.(The Sun) 
Football Association director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking has warned England does not have enough depth of young talent and he does not know where the next Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard will come from.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle midfielder Alan Smith has called on owner Mike Ashley to splash the cash this month to bolster the club's promotion bid.(Daily Star) 
Brazil legend Pele has tipped Spain to win this year's World Cup, saying they are the best team in the world at the moment, and he predicts that Argentina will struggle.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says the current crop of players at the club is the best for 20 years.(The Times) 
Plymouth Argyle have ordered Aberdeen and Hearts target Steven MacLean to train with their youths in an attempt to force him out of the club. (Daily Record)
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has angrily denied claims by his New Zealand counterpart that they had asked for £250,000 to play a friendly, saying that manager Craig Levein did not want the match at all. (Various) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal new boy Samuel Galindo (on photo) has been caught up in an elaborate spoof, when a Bolivian TV station claimed it had a copy of his passport stating he was 20 years old and not 17 as was said when the midfielder joined the Gunners. (Daily Mirror)

England captain John Terry has secretly put his mansion and his mum's home up for sale, hoping to raise £11.5m to fund his life as a country gent. He is hoping to use the money to buy a country pile.(The Sun)

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United's financial problems may result in them having to sell star asset, striker Wayne Rooney. (Daily Express) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is battling to seal a shock season-long loan move for Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, who currently plays for Egyptian side Zamalek, is set to join Stoke in a £1m deal. (The Sun) 
Liverpool have made a shock offer for Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici, who played in the Royals' 2-1 FA Cup victory at Anfield on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all chasing Racing Santander's 18-year-old striker Sergio Canales. (The Independent) 
Brazil midfielder Sandro has claimed his £6m move to Tottenham is a "dream come true". Sandro, 20, has agreed to move to White Hart Lane but his club Internacional want to keep him until they finish their Copa Libertadores campaign, which is South America's equivalent of the Champions League, in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Legia Warsaw keeper Jan Mucha, who is also attracting the interest of of Stoke. (The Sun)
Spurs are also keeping tabs on midfielder Joe Cole's contract negotiations with Chelsea. (The Independent) 
Portsmouth are trying to sign Egypt striker Emad Moteab. The 26-year-old scored in his country's 3-1 victory over Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is considering a fresh approach for Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko. The 26-year-old, who is 6ft 5in and has scored 67 goals in 92 games for his Austrian club, is available for £6.5m. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are also chasing Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, 28, after Liverpool forward Ryan Babel, 23, refused to move to St Andrew's.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are leading a quartet of Premier League clubs in the chase for Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker. Bolton, Wigan and Hull are also interested in the 25-year-old, who could leave Villa for £5m.(The Times) 
But midfielder Reo-Coker is set to reject an approach from Blackburn.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are looking for a Spanish club to loan their new Bolivian attacking midfielder Samuel Galindo to. The 17-year-old will struggle to get a work permit to start playing in England.(Daily Mirror) 
Burnley boss Brian Laws is going back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday with a £1.5million bid for keeper Lee Grant. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham will tie up the loan signing of exciting young Roma striker Stefano Okaka Chuka, 20, next week.(Daily Mirror) 
Former England manager Steve McClaren wants to take Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 18, on loan to his FC Twente side in the Netherlands.(Daily Mail) 
But new Bolton manager Owen Coyle is also attempting to take Wilshere to the Reebok Stadium in a loan deal. (The Independent) 
Hull are lining up a £1.25m bid for Derby winger Kris Commons.(The Sun) 
The arrival of Commons could signal the departure of Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt to Wolves, with manager Mick McCarthy upping his offer for the Irishman to £3.5m. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool's shock FA Cup defeat by Reading on Wednesday has put manager Rafael Benitez on the brink of losing his job. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United may be forced to sell Old Trafford to help reduce the club's reported £700m debt.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are also exploring the possibility of selling their training base at Carrington.(Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea will discover at a Premier League tribunal on Thursday how much they must pay Manchester City for signing Daniel Sturridge. The 20-year-old striker clinched a four-year deal with the Blues last summer, with City wanting £10m and Chelsea offering £3m.(The Times) 
Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to do nothing in the January transfer window - after being told by the club board they will win their appeal against the Fifa transfer ban, which is currently in place until June 2011. (Daily Mirror) 
Paul Hart is fighting to save his job as QPR manager after falling out with midfielder Adel Taarabt. The 56-year-old only took over as boss in December. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manager Roberto Mancini plans to overhaul his Manchester City players' pre-match meal, introducing pizza and wine to the menu. "You need chicken, pizza, carbohydrates, even a glass of wine, but they are not on the table," he said.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Portsmouth have told Manchester City and Sunderland they want £14m for defender Younes Kaboul.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke City have made an approach to sign striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has played only 13 minutes in the league for Real Madrid this season. (Times) 
Birmingham have told Sunderland to drop their £14m valuation of Kenwyne Jones if they want to offload the striker. City have made it clear they will pay £10m for Jones.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is trying to take defender Nedum Onuoha, 23, on loan from Manchester City. (The Sun) 
Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo has rejected Hull City to join Spanish club Malaga on loan.(Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest have made a £3m bid for Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses.(Daily Mail) 
But, according to some, Moses is close to agreeing a £3.5m move to Manchester City after the Eastlands club spent the weekend talking terms with Palace for the 19-year-old.(Daily Star) 
West Ham are in talks about signing Portugal striker Nuno Gomes, who has scored four goals for Benfica this season. (The Times) 
However, Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola will apparently redouble his efforts to bring either Monaco striker Eidur Gudjohnsen or Zenit St Petersburg forward Sergei Kornilenko to Upton Park. (Daily Express)
Spanish holding midfielder Michel, 24, will join Birmingham City from Sporting Gijon for £2.5m, subject to a medical. (The Independent) 
Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi has turned down a £3.5m move to Sunderland after holding talks with club officials and his agents in Bavaria.(The Independent) 
The Black Cats are apparently ready to swoop for Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas. The deal would result in the 29-year-old Club America player joining Sunderland on loan for the rest of the season before making a permanent switch if he settles in England. (Daily Mirror) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is in a £10m battle with Birmingham to sign Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy wants to sign Jamie O'Hara from Tottenham but the midfielder, whose loan spell at Portsmouth ended recently, will have to have special permission as the Premier League does not allow players to have three clubs in one season.(Daily Mirror) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is ready to make a £4m bid for Brazilian centre-half Joao Carlos after failing to sign the 28-year-old from Belgian side Genk last summer.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose current contract runs out at the end of next season, has told his players they have 18 months to convince him to stay on as boss for the rest of his life.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed striker Dimitar Berbatov has been suffering with a knee injury that may need surgery.(The Guardian) 
New Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira will have to wait to make his debut for Roberto Mancini's outfit because of a calf injury.(The Guardian) 
Burnley have made MK Dons manager Paul Ince a shock candidate to become their new boss. (The Sun) 
Manchester City 'super spy' Jim Cassell, whose role at Eastlands has been reduced, is wanted by Tottenham.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool fans group The Spirit of Shankly are demanding Tom Hicks Jnr quits over his alleged foul-mouthed email rant to a supporter who had written to express his fears for the Reds' future. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

England midfielder David Beckham wowed Turin with a sexy display - and also starred on the pitch following his loan move from LA Galaxy to AC Milan. Beckham helped set up Milan's third goal in the 3-0 win at third-placed Juventus but also impressed the home side's female fans with a pitchside change of shorts.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

David Bentley could be off to Atletico Madrid in a loan deal, with the 25-year-old winger desperate for a move away from Tottenham.(Daily Mirror) 
Or Bentley will stay closer to home after Sunderland manager Steve Bruce declared his interest in securing the services of the former England man.(The Sun)
Jermaine Beckford could have played his last game for Leeds with Newcastle United top of the list to sign the striker who scored the winner at Old Trafford on Sunday to dump Manchester United out of the FA Cup. A fee of £2.5m is being discussed for the 26-year-old.(Daily Star) 
Everton boss David Moyes wants to bring Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth, to Goodison Park, with Blackburn, Liverpool and Aston Villa waiting in the wings.(Daily Mail) 
American star Freddy Adu, who once had a trial at Manchester United, is considering a move to Hull City after the Portuguese side Belenenses told the 20-year-old he can look for other employers.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke City boss Tony Pullis wants to beat Liverpool in the race to sign Real Madrid and Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy by using a regular starting spot as bait in the build-up to the World Cup.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have joined the list of clubs who want to sign Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses. The 19-year-old is tipped to leave the cash-strapped Championship club with West Bromwich, Everton, Liverpool and Birmingham all keen on a transfer.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke City could make a shock loan move for Barcelona's 18-year-old midfielder Oriel Romeu.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are closing in on a £3.5m move for Aston Villa's 23-year-old midfielder Craig Gardner.(Daily Mirror) 

.

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Newcastle United boss Alan Shearer wants to become Sheffield Wednesday's new manager following the sacking of Brian Laws last month. The England legend is believed to want Gary Speed as his number two.(The Sun) 

.

AND FINALLY

How well do parents know their kids? According to Pep Guardiola's dad, the Barcelona coach may leave at the end of the season. Despite the 38-year-old winning six trophies in his first year at Camp Nou, Guardiola senior said: "I don't know if he will stay or take a break from football and relax. The dad is always the last to know about these things."(The Independent)

www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James admits he is "flattered" by the interest of Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp and would be keen on a move to White Hart Lane to boost his England World Cup chances.(Sunday Telegraph) 
Fernando Torres is ready to quit Liverpool if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.(News of the World) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is considering splashing out on a new striker in the January transfer window, with Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh top of his wanted list.(Mail on Sunday) 
Or Wenger could launch a £12million January bid for Toulouse's French international striker Andre Pierre Gignac.(News of the World) 
Arsenal have also emerged as shock contenders to sign Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester United are ready to challenge Roberto Mancini's City for £12m-rated Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini. (News of the World) 
Birmingham are ready to launch an £8 raid for Wigan's former Newcastle's winger Charles N'Zogbia.(News of the World) 
Carlo Ancelotti will make a transfer window U-turn by offering a British record £45million for Bayern Munich's France winger Franck Ribery.(People) 
Manchester United striker Frederico Macheda, 18, is being linked with a loan move to Real Zaragoza.(News of the World) 
Liverpool are poised to mount a major effort to sign former Lazio striker Goran Pandev on a free transfer next month in a bid to boost their flagging season.(People) 
Ambitious Stoke manager Tony Pulis could make a suprise three-pronged raid for Liverpool misfit Ryan Babel, Aston Villa's Emile Heskey and Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones(News of the World) 
Inter Milan defender Ivan Cordoba has told new Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini he would love to move to Eastlands.(People) 
Sunderland have launched an attempt to hijack right-back Danny Simpson’s move from Manchester United to Newcastle.(Daily Star Sunday) 
Tottenham's Scotland fullback Alan Hutton is a January target for Stoke and Fulham.(News of the World) 
And Hutton's fellow out-of-favour Tottenham team-mate David Bentley is also attracting interest from spanish side Aletico Madrid.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Jose Mourinho snubbed Manchester City's offer to become their coach because his dream is to step in when Sir Alex Ferguson finally retires at Manchester United. (Mail on Sunday) 
Manchester City believe they can lure Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in the summer as they see newly-appointed coach Roberto Mancini as just a stopgap. City have still not ruled out trying to persuade Jose Mourinho to take over either.(Sunday Express) 
Former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan will pull the plug on West Ham takeover talks on January 7.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle may sit top of the Championship but the club is being forced to implement a clutch of cost-cutting measures at St James' Park - including switching off the escalator inside the new Milburn Stand during the week.(News of the World)

www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's column

BREAKING GOSSIP

The United States are keen on England's proposed training base for next year's World Cup. England boss Fabio Capello has been impressed with the Royal Bafokeng sports campus near Rustenburg but has delayed a final decision as he was unhappy with the grass on the training pitches. (Daily Mirror)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City could make a £12m bid for Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm in January.(The Sun)
Aston Villa striker John Carew is a £5m target for Turkish giants Fenerbahce.(Daily Mirror)
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is planning to make a move for former Inter Milan striker Adriano, who is available on a free transfer from Brazilian side Flamengo.(The Sun)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has played down rumours of a move for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko next summer. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham's out-of-favour striker Robbie Keane is a loan target for Celtic.(Daily Mirror)
Portsmouth's Algerian midfielder Nadir Belhadj is frustrated at being on the bench and is willing to quit the club in January in order to make sure of a place at the World Cup.(The Sun)
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has arranged a behind-closed-doors match in order to take a look at Angola defender Francisco Zuela, who plays for Russian side FC Kuban.(Daily Mirror)
Liverpool will complete the signing of highly-rated 16-year-old Kristján Gauti Emilsson later this week. The central defender, who plays for Icelandic champions FH, has also had trials with Manchester United and Rangers.(Daily Mail)
Barcelona winger Jeffren Suarez, who was once a target for Arsenal, has been offered to Wigan, Blackburn and Everton. (Daily Mirror)
Nottingham Forest are to make a £2m offer for Plymouth striker Jamie Mackie. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello will not allow David Beckham to act as an ambassador for the country's 2018 World Cup bid during next year's tournament in South Africa.(The Sun)
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has apologised to his squad following reports of a bust-up with striker James Beattie after the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal.(Daily Mail)
Football's governing body Fifa has stopped Aston Villa's signing of Australian midfielder Reece Caira. Fifa rules state that the 16-year-old cannot play until he is 18, in January 2011.(Daily Mirror)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says it is his midfield, and not goalkeeper Petr Cech, that is to blame for the defeat at Manchester City.(The Guardian)


AND FINALLY

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas admits his side are facing an uphill battle this season, because they are too small. The side that took to the field against Stoke on Saturday had the shortest average height of any of the Premier League clubs.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is the number one transfer target for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are set to spark a £60m bidding war for the 22-year-old. (Daily Star) 
Chelsea are ready to make a £50m double swoop for Valencia striker David Villa and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.(Daily Star) 
The Blues have been urged by skipper John Terry to spend big in the January transfer window while their transfer ban is suspended. Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell, AC Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo and Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero are on the wish list. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are lining up a £6m bid for Manchester United and England goalkeeper Ben Foster.(The Sun) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has launched a £5m bid for Middlesbrough centre-back David Wheater.(The Sun) 
Liverpool will resist any attempt by Barcelona to prise midfielder Javier Mascherano away during the January transfer window but may accept a £30m package in the summer. Barca may offer midfielder Yaya Toure and striker Bojan Krkic in part exchange. (Daily Express) 
Toure, however, has said that Manchester United and Chelsea are his preferred destinations if he is to leave the Nou Camp. (The Independent)
Reds boss Rafael Benitez is lining up a £15m double raid on West Ham for centre-back Matthew Upson and left-back Herita Ilunga. (Daily Star) 
Manchester United winger Nani is a loan target for Italian side Fiorentina, who would be tempted to pay £15m to make the deal permanent in the summer. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is planning a January raid in Huddersfield for goalkeeper Alex Smithies, who is valued at £3m. (The Sun) 
Tottenham have taken 16-year-old Valarenga striker Havard Nielsen on loan. The teenager has represented Norway at under-16 level and scored in their recent win against Italy.(The Sun) 
Bolton are lining up a £250,000 move for Hungary striker Laszlo Lencse, who plays for MTK. (The Sun) 
Newcastle and Middlesbrough are chasing Celtic defender Gary Caldwell, who is out of contract in the summer. (Daily Star)
Portsmouth midfielder Matt Ritchie wants to stay at Notts County when his loan deal expires next month. (Daily Star) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is trying to set up a cut-price deal for Espanyol striker Raul Tamudo. (Daily Mirror)
Northern Ireland striker Warren Feeney plans to leave Cardiff in the January transfer window. (Daily Star) 
Sheffield United have joined Coventry and QPR in the hunt for Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Richard Wood. (Daily Mirror)
Notts County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson has bid £700,000 to sign Coventry centre-back Elliot Ward. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has threatened to quit if the club sells Spain striker Fernando Torres against his will. (The Times) 
Portsmouth keeper David James has told England boss Fabio Capello he will be fit for next year's World Cup but says he does need a rest to protect his troublesome knee.(The Sun) 
Former Northern Ireland international Gerry Taggart, 39, is a shock contender to take over at League Two strugglers Grimsby. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY

Arsenal's injured striker Robin van Persie has flown to Serbia to have treatment which involves rubbing horse placenta into his damaged ankle. (The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Double for decent Tuesday

Tottenham 2 - 0 Everton 

Tottenham shrugged off Everton to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
Robbie Keane wasted a Spurs chance when his shot hit a post but Tom Huddlestone atoned for his team-mate by half-volleying in David Bentley cross. 
Keane earned a penalty after a foul by Sylvain Distin and, after Tim Howard had saved his initial strike, he scored following a goalmouth melee. 
Everton rarely looked like staging a comeback as Spurs saw out the game. 
The main disappointment for Spurs was the form of Roman Pavlyuchenko, who made a rare start in the first ever meeting between the two sides in the League Cup. 
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had a visit from Russia manager Guus Hiddink recently to discuss how to get the best out of the striker.
Pavlyuchenko is propping up the Spurs pecking order of forwards and is also struggling to keep his starting place in Hiddink's side.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp on David Bentley:
"He's got to play like that and put that effort in. Aaron (Lennon) has played so well, he's not had the opportunity. 
"His attitude was not as good in training as it could be and I spoke to him about that. 
"He accepts that and is determined to put that right."
.

Portsmouth 4 - 0 Stoke 
Frederic Piquionne was the star as Portsmouth put their poor league form to one side to easily qualify for the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
The much-changed hosts were always in control after Piquionne headed past Steve Simonsen on 17 minutes. 
The on-loan Lyon striker then turned provider for Danny Webber to cut in and drive home, before stabbing in his side's third after a Simonsen mistake. 
Kanu added a fourth from close range late on to cap a dominant display. 
The Carling Cup has provided some welcome relief from a horrendous start to the Premier League season for Portsmouth, and Paul Hart's side can now look forward to a place in the quarter-finals. 
Tony Pulis had illustrated the Carling Cup's order in his priority list this season by making 10 changes to the side that beat Spurs at the weekend, but Stoke were still surprising lacklustre throughout. 
Piquionne was one of seven changes for Pompey, but he certainly made a strong case for a starting place against Wigan on Saturday.
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart:
"Obviously we need to take a little bit of that into our league performances. The players were determined to put a performance in. 
"I was pleased to get a clean sheet - the more of those we rack up the better chance we have of winning matches. 
"And on top of that, the number of chances we created was pleasing." 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis:
"The four we conceded were very poor goals to give away and were typified by Glenn Whelan falling over the ball for their fourth. 
"When we got in Pompey's final third there were at least five times where our final ball was absolutely shocking. 
"If we'd picked people out we'd have had great opportunities ourselves."
www.bbc.co.uk

Portsmouth - Stoke City

Pompey noticed the worst start in English league competition ever. Considering their performances, I think it’s fair to be said they’re unlucky to not have more points on their balance. Birmingham scored last minute penalty against them, Bolton scored last minute winner, losing six of the eight games they have lost by the single goal margin. They have two positive results in last three games, both on the road Wolverhampton 1-0 and Hull City 0-0. In the previous Cup rounds, they defeated lower division teams Hereford United (4-1 at home) and Carlisle United (3-1 away). For them cup games are the way to satisfy fans and boost the team morale. Beside cup tied Boateng, Smith, Williamson and O'Hara, all others are available and will be presented tonight.

While in Premier League Stoke play over their real capabilities, Cup competition are usually using for the resting the key players. In the previous round, they passed Championship side Blackpool 4-3 (big come back after 1-3) and in round before only managed to sneak past Orient after extra time. Also, record in the league cup is more than poor. They were knocked out by Derby last year. Rochdale the year before. Darlington the year before that, and Mansfield the previous year. League Cup definitely don’t seem as their priority. For tonight’s game, Toni Pulis, announced that he intends to rest some (no less than nine) players and even in some interview warned Stoke fans who travel to Portsmouth not to expect anything near a full strength team out tonight.

Maybe sounds little weird, but Pompey are the favorites here. With every interview, odds have been decreasing from starting 2.40 to recent 2.07 (Pinnacle), but still worth of a bet. Home win.

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Saturday summary

Preston 2 - 2 Middlesbrough

Billy Jones scored a last-minute header to snatch a point for Preston.
Middlesbrough dominated the opening half and took the lead when Gary O'Neil, who had already been denied by Andy Lonergan, scored with a free-kick. 
Paul Parry levelled with a neat finish from a tight angle after Brad Jones has parried Jon Parkin's header. 
Adam Johnson restored Boro's lead with a low shot into the bottom corner and Rhys Williams hit the post but Jones converted a Ross Wallace free-kick. 
The match may well be Colin Cooper's only game in charge of Boro before the club make a permanent appointment as successor to Gareth Southgate. 
On the evidence of the first-half, Boro should have taken all three points from the encounter. 
The visiting team, encouraged by considerable away support, created a series of decent openings. 
But Preston rallied after the break and their perseverance was rewarded with their late equaliser - although the draw means that North End drop out of the top six. 
Preston manager Alan Irvine:
"I'm not over-happy. We have got a point, but I look for more than just a result. There are a lot of things we will need to take out of that game and improve upon. 
"We were poor in the first half. I was praying for half-time to come to address some of the issues that needed addressing. 
"I thought we got the response almost from the kick-off in the second half. We then started to stretch the game out a bit better than we had in the first half. 
"They deserve enormous credit for keeping going. It's a fantastic quality to have." 
Middlesbrough caretaker manager Colin Cooper:
"Unfortunately it comes a bit too much of a coincidence when you concede two to three late goals. 
"We should be sitting fairly close to the top of the table with the points that have gone begging. 
"Hopefully we will learn and not make mistakes in a game that we should have won comfortably."

.

Sheff Utd 3 - 4 Cardiff 
Hat-trick hero Peter Whittingham is mobbed by his Cardiff team-mates
Cardiff went second in the Championship in a dramatic, action-packed game.
Jay Bothroyd seized on a rebound to put Cardiff ahead, but Mark Hudson's back-header let Darius Henderson equalise. 
Peter Whittingham's penalty restored Cardiff's lead after Matthew Kilgallon fouled Bothroyd, only for Henderson to strike again with a looping header. 
Whittingham sealed the win, converting a flick-on then poking in his hat-trick, only for James Harper's late goal to give the Blades forlorn hope. 
Even after Harper struck in the 90th minute to make it 4-3, there was still time for the home side to carve out another chance and they thought they had equalised. 
But Stephen Quinn's effort was ruled out for off-side, much to Cardiff's relief as they leap-frogged West Bromwich Albion to become Newcastle's main Championship challengers.
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell:
"Things are tough at the moment, but the squad players that came in gave me a great shift and I can't knock them. 
"It was a good performance and on another day it would have been enough to get us a point. 
"It's tough when you are losing your experienced players and until we get them back it will be tough. 
"But I think we deserved more than we got out of the game, that's for sure and the players showed terrific spirit to keep coming back." 
Cardiff City manager Dave Jones:
"The first half was a bit crazy... so I'm sure Kevin [Blades boss Blackwell] will be disappointed with his defending as much as I am with ours. 
"I just felt every time we got our noses in front we went and did something stupid. 
"But our fourth goal today you won't see many better, our moving, our passing, our crispness and the finish. 
"And well deserved for Whitts [Whittingham] to get his hat-trick... it was a tough game."
.

Tottenham 0 - 1 Stoke

Glenn Whelan struck late to earn Stoke victory over Spurs, who will ruefully look back at missed chances.
Aaron Lennon's curling shot was well kept out by Steve Simonsen, while Peter Crouch's header was acrobatically cleared off the line by James Beattie. 
Niko Kranjcar's drive hit the foot of the post as Spurs pressed. 
But Spurs, hit by an early injury to Jonathan Woodgate and a late one to Lennon, were stunned when Whelan smashed in an angled shot to win it. 
England winger Lennon was forced off with 10 minutes to play, leaving Spurs to finish the match with 10 men as they had already used all their substitutes. 
And as Tottenham were stretched, Stoke took advantage to pull off a smash and grab they barely deserved.
The match marked the first anniversary of Harry Redknapp taking over as Spurs boss, and there is no doubt he has transformed the club. 
A year on from his appointment, Redknapp has taken the Londoners from relegation candidates to a side that would go top of the table with victory against Stoke. 
It should have been extra incentive for Tottenham to turn on the style against opposition who had won only one of their last five Premier League matches.
But instead, they failed to make the most of their greater possession and territory and got hit with a sucker punch. 
They will also be frustrated by the injury to Woodgate, who managed only a 13-minute cameo in his first start of the season.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp on injured Aaron Lennon walking off with 14 minutes left:
"I hoped he could stay on but he couldn't. I told him we'd only have 10 men and could he play on, but he said his ankle was too sore. 
"I don't want to cause an issue. It's not about England - he's got big games coming up for Tottenham." 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis:
"It was probably our best result because we were playing against a top, top side. They have all the ammo you need to win games and they will still probably have a great season. 
"For this football club, we have to be in the Premier League for three years before we push on. We are still living in portacabins at the training ground."
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham will make a £6m move for Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson in the January transfer window. (The Sun) 
Birmingham will join the race to sign Emile Heskey if the 31-year-old England striker quits Aston Villa to boost his World Cup hopes.(The Sun) 
Sunderland will make a move for Middlesbrough's England Under-21 winger Adam Johnson, 22, in January. (The Sun) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is ready to make an opening £1.5m bid for Huddersfield's highly rated young goalkeeper Alex Smithies. The Terriers rate the stopper at about £4m.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is interested in signing Barnsley's teenage striker Reuben Noble-Lazarus. The 16-year-old became the youngest Football League player at 15 years and 45 days in a game against Ipswich in October 2008. (The Sun) 
Arsenal are leading the chase for 14-year-old Montenegro midfielder Nikola Zvrko. Chelsea and Barcelona are also interested in the youngster. (Daily Mail) 
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell is weighing up whether to bring in former Wigan striker Henri Camara, who is a free agent, to boost his injury-hit squad.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez's job as Liverpool manager is safe for now because the club cannot afford to sack him. The Spaniard has four and a half years to run on the £4.5m-a-season contract he signed in March, so sacking him could cost about £20m.(Daily Mail)
Former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who was approached a couple of years ago to succeed Rafael Benitez at Liverpool, has reiterated his desire to manage in the Premier League. (The Sun) 
Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri has admitted he would love to come back to England and manage in the Premier League again. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Germany's World Cup players have been warned to expect to wear bullet-proof vests if they venture away from the team hotel at the 2010 finals in South Africa.(The Daily Telegraph)
www.bbc.co.uk

Stoke City - Sunderland

After three rounds in Premier, Stoke already showed they’re capable to secure their status in Premier. Opening win at home (3-0) against new-comers Burnley got the real weight after Burnley defeated Man.Utd. and Everton. Then heavy 0-4 defeat at Enfield (that surely didn’t discourage them) and first point on the road against Birmingham (0-0). So, key of the success is the same like in previous season, winnings at home and grabbing as much points away as it is possible. Last season, only Everton, Chelsea, Man.Utd. and West Ham took all three points from Britannia Stadium (Stoke collected 35 of their 45 points at home). Club’s management is very active in the finish of transfer window. Beside earlier signed Dean Whitehead (ex Sunderland midfielder), German international Robert Huth has completed his transfer to Stoke from Middlesbrough, with Tuncay expected to join him once personal terms are agreed. Also, Sunderland defender Danny Collins is in talks over a potential move to the Potters. It seems the club is a little bit stronger than in previous season and we should expect at least the results at same level. Defender Ryan Shawcross will have a late fitness test, while James Beattie should be fit to play despite limping off against Birmingham with a knee injury. Boss Tony Pulis rested his keys in Cup against Leyton and all will be ready for the game.

The Black Cats have made their best start to a Premier League campaign. Two wins from three games give a faith the club can finish in top half of the table. It is the result of big investments in new players in past two years and the current squad under the lead of Steve Bruce seems very competitive, but surely will need some time to reach their limits. After opening win on the road against Bolton (1-0), Sunderland noticed a defeat at Stamford Bridge (1-3), but team didn’t disappoint with performance. In the last round team made, public judgment is, very lucky win (2-1) against Blackburn at home. During the mid-week, Bruce gave a chance to fringe players vs. Norwich, who used it on the right way and with 4-1 win on the road just additionally raised the confidence in the club. Fit-again goalie Craig Gordon could make his first league appearance since April, with first solution Marton Fulop nursing a heel injury. Mentioned defender Danny Collins, a transfer target for Stoke, is unlikely to be involved in this encounter. As Stoke, Sunderland usually put the better displays at their Stadium of Light than on the road. Last season noticed just three away wins from 19 games and I simply don’t believe they can take three points at Britannia, where btw. they have lost their last two visits.

Considering the players’ individual qualities, Sunderland have a clear advantage. But, Stoke have a home crowd behind, they traditionally notice good results there and visitors are still far from using their full potential. I think hosts will win, but just in case cover a draw with more than decent odd (about 1.74). So, dnb on  home side.

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool have emerged as shock contenders to bring striker Peter Crouch back to Anfield in a £12m deal.(Daily Star) 
Rafael Benitez's bid to sign Spain winger David Silva has been boosted by bankruptcy-threatened Valencia's failure to sell David Villa.(The Independent) 
Bolton boss Gary Megson is on the brink of landing defender Zat Knight for £4.5m from Aston Villa. (The Sun)
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson is ready to snap up Manchester City defender Ryan McGivern on loan. (Daily Star) 
Fulham, Tottenham, Portsmouth and West Ham are all pursuing out-of-favour Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, worth around £4m.(Daily Mail) 
Ecuadorian winger Fernando Guerrero, recently linked with Hull, may be offered a permanent deal with Burnley following a trial. (Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham are confident of signing Swiss teenage defender Fabio Daprela from Grasshopper Zurich, but face competition. (The Times)
Ajax coach Martin Jol is interested in signing Spurs full-backGareth Bale. (The Times) 
Hull manager Phil Brown is keen to persuade veteran striker Mark Viduka to forgo retirement plans by moving to the Tigers under a pay-as-you-play contract. (The Sun)
Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov is set to leave Manchester City for Lazio in a possible £4.5m deal. (The Sun) 
Veteran full-back Steve Finnan, now at Espanyol, is being chased by Sunderland, Stoke and Wolves. (The Sun)
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is planning a fresh £5.5m bid for West Ham's injury-prone striker Dean Ashton. (The Sun) 
Real Madrid forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not move to Stuttgart, so Premier League clubs such as Tottenham and Arsenal may step up their interest.(The Independent) 
Plymouth are linked with a move for Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam after Blackpool stalled on a move. (Daily Record) 
Everton want a quick answer from Sweden midfielder Rasmus Elm about a possible move to Goodison Park.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolfsburg are pondering a move for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins. (Daily Mail) 
Charlton, whose £2m-rated teenager Jonjo Shelvey is wanted by Ipswich, are targeting ex-Birmingham City defender Radhi Jaidi. (Daily Mail)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray looks to have beaten West Brom to the signing of Coventry defender Danny Fox. (Daily Mail) 
Sheffield United, who may lose striker Billy Sharp to Notts County, want to buy Tottenham midfielder Danny Rose and Charlton defender Jonathan Fortune. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Boss Alan Shearer is ready to leave Newcastle in disgust at Mike Ashley's failure to sell the club.(Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Billionaire Arab Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan is poised to pour millions into Welsh premier League side Bangor City after going to university in the town. Bangor's average gate is 400.(The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are a step closer to a £30m deal for Lyon striker Karim Benzema after the French side made a £15m move for Porto forward Lisandro Lopez.(Daily Star) 
Sir Alex Ferguson has offered Manchester United's Portuguese winger Nani to Wigan as bait in his bid to sign Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia. (Daily Mirror) 
Brazilian club Gremio have rejected a request from Manchester United to take midfielder Douglas Costa on a three-week trial because they want a straight cash bid.(The Times) 
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor will become a target for Italian side AC Milan, if they miss out on Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko. (The Guardian) 
Manchester City are favourites to secure the signature of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez. 
Full story: (The Sun) 
Inter Milan's Brazilian right-back Maicon is also a £10m target for City manager Mark Hughes. (Daily Express) 
Chelsea are closing in on a £4m deal for Charlton's 17-year-old forward Jonjo Shelvey, who is also being tracked by Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham. (Daily Express) 
FA Cup winners Chelsea are also set to make a move for goalkeeper Ross Turnbull who has rejected a new contract at Middlesbrough. (Daily Express) 
Liverpool will offload winger Sebastian Leto to Greek club Panathinaikos for £3m with defender Alvaro Arbeloa set to join Real Madrid in the next few days.(Telegraph) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is ready to pay £5m for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins.(Daily Star) 
Blackburn are likely to be priced out of their bid to land Portsmouth's Peter Crouch because of the striker's £70,000-a- week wages.(The Sun) 
Sam Allardyce will bid £4m to bring Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher to Blackburn.(Daily Express) 
Tottenham are interested in Wigan's 21-year-old midfielder Lee Cattermole. (Daily Mail) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is tracking Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell and Middlesbrough's Gary O'Neil. (Daily Mirror) 
Hodgson may also look at bringing Villerreal's American forward Jozy Altidore to Craven Cottage. (Telegraph) 
Gary Megson is ready to splash £8.5m on Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde and Reading striker Kevin Doyle. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley boss Owen Coyle is closing in on Newcastle defender David Edgar. The full-back has had a medical at Turf Moor, along with Derby ace Tyrone Mears. (The Sun) 
Hull City are interested in Celtic striker Scott McDonald as well as the Glasgow club's own transfer target Marc Antoine Fortune. (Daily Record) 
Marc Antoine Fortune's agent Michael Manuello says the striker will make a straight choice between Celtic and Hull despite interest from Wolves and Fulham. (Daily Record)
Celtic have agreed a £3.8m fee with Nancy for Marc Antoine Fortune and are interested in departing Iraklis winger Fernando Marques and Real Sociedad left-back Xabi Castillo. (Daily Express) 
Departing Celtic defender Bobo Balde says Birmingham and Burnley have shown an interest in his services. (The Sun)
Sampdoria could make a £1m bid for Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati next week. (Various) 
Hearts have told Coventry they must pay £4m if they want England Under-21 winger Andrew Driver. (The Sun)
New Blackpool manager Ian Holloway will continue the club's pursuit of Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam. (Daily Record) 
Barnsley manager Simon Davey has urged Charlie Adam to leave Rangers and join his club. (Daily Mail)
Wolves have been told they will need to pay £3m for Doncaster defender Matthew Mills. (The Guardian) 
Sheffield United defender Matt Kilgallon is a £4m target for Wigan, Wolves and Birmingham. (The Sun)
Cardiff are eyeing a £1m move for Millwall defender Zak Whitbread. (The Sun) 
Cardiff boss Dave Jones wants £400,000-rated Motherwell captain Paul Quinn, 23. (Daily Star)
And the Bluebirds are also after Motherwell striker David Clarkson, although they face competition for the the 23-year-old from Bristol City, who have tabled a bid in the region of £600,000.(Bristol Evening Post) 
David Clarkson will decide in the next 48 hours whether to make an £800,000 move to Bristol City after Motherwell accepted the offer. (The Sun)
Middlesbrough have agreed a fee with Colchester for 24-year-old winger Mark Yeates. (Daily Star) 
Former Reading striker Leroy Lita has opened talks with Crystal Palace. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Gareth Southgate wants former England team-mate Phil Neville to join him at Middlesbrough. The Boro boss has offered Everton skipper Neville, 32, the chance to join his backroom staff. (The Sun) 
Preston North End manager Alan Irvine has emerged as the leading contender to succeed Tony Mowbray at West Bromwich Albion. (The Guardian) 
St Johnstone's Derek McInnes is expected to sign a contract extension despite being heavily linked with the manager's job at West Brom. (Daily Record)

AND FINALLY

Manchester United fans want their new rugby league-style kit scrapped before it goes on sale next month. The shirt has a 'V' across the front and has been accused of looking "too American". (The Sun)
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