Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham are keeping tabs on striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's situation at Real Madrid as the Dutchman is out of contract at the end of the season. (The Sun) 
Liverpool are lining up a January move for Hamburg's Dutch midfielder Eljero Elia.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will resist the chance to join former Old Trafford winger Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, pledging himself to the club for life. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan says he is powerless to stop £10m-rated winger Adam Johnson from leaving the club. (The Sun) 
Blackpool and Plymouth are interested in Hull midfielder Peter Halmosi. (Daily Mail)
Sheffield United are preparing a bid for Oldham winger Chris Taylor. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea look set to follow Newcastle's example and become the latest club to sell the naming rights for their stadium. (The Sun) 
The Blues want £100m for the Stamford Bridge naming rights. (Daily Mail) 
Or, the club could demand up to £150m to tie a sponsor into a 10-15-year deal.(The Independent) 
Chelsea meanwhile will launch a £50m January spending spree if Fifa lifts its transfer ban on the Blues. (Daily Express) 
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has flown to Spain to see a specialist, amid fresh concerns he requires a hernia operation. (Daily Mirror) 
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has accused Atletico Madrid of 'tapping up' Arsenal's young midfielder Fran Merida.(Daily Mirror) 
The 19-year-old Merida will be offered a new two-year contract by Arsenal to stay at the club.(The Sun) 
Manchester United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak has claimed that fellow Old Trafford stopper Edwin van der Sar offers him no advice and believes the Dutchman does not like him.(The Sun) 
Former Aston Villa manager John Gregory is in contention to become Brighton's new boss after former Reading chief Steve Coppell turned down the opportunity.(The Sun) 
Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa could be out for a month after being told he needs knee surgery. (Daily Mirror) 
England's top-flight clubs will discuss the proposal of a two-tier Premier League, involving Scottish sides Rangers and Celtic, at next Thursday's Premier League meeting.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal's major shareholder Stan Kroenke has provided reassurance to supporters that his involvement with the Gunners will not replicate the controversial model of leveraged takeovers which have caused such anger at Manchester United and Liverpool. (Daily Telegraph) 
Rangers fans claim Romanian police spat in their faces and shouted "Celtic" in their faces during Wednesday's Champions League tie against Unirea Urziceni in Romania. (The Sun)
Superintendent Mike Dean of Strathclyde Police has backed Rangers' claims that poor organisation and heavy-handed policing sparked the trouble in Romania. (Daily Record) 
Uefa will take into consideration the poor disciplinary record of Rangers fans when considering the latest crowd scenes during the Champions League tie with Unirea Urziceni. (Daily Record)
Rangers face being forced to play future European games behind closed doors should Uefa rule against the club's fans. (Daily Express) 
The Scottish FA will launch its own investigation into the violence in Romania with president George Peat warning that Uefa is planning its biggest-ever crackdown on fan violence. (The Sun)
Rangers must find a buyer before June or Lloyds Banking Group will introduce cuts to dramatically scale down the ambition and status of the club. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray thinks his side can still qualify from their Europa League group despite sitting bottom after the 0-0 draw with Hamburg. (Various)
Falkirk chairman Martin Ritchie has backed under-pressure manager Eddie May, pointing out that he has less money to spend than previous boss John Hughes. (Daily Record) 
Falkirk will back manager Eddie May with £500,000 to spend in the transfer market in January. (Various)

AND FINALLY

Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina has described his side's Champions League form as a disgrace. (Various) 

But former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has backed his former manager Rafael Benitez to turn things around at the troubled club. (Daily Telegraph)

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Liverpool - Aston Villa

At the start of another title pursuit, the Reds got a hard punch in north London against Tottenhem (1-2). The fact is Liverpool put a decent display and was harmed for a penalty kick, but it was obvious they simply need some quality in defense. Also, departure Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid didn’t bring anything good. Rafa Benitez as a first help brought Greece international Sotirios Kyrgiakos (£2 million from AEK Athens), but real shock came when gentlemen Hicks and Gillett announced there’re no money for other signings. So, last line is far from Chelsea’s or Man.Utd.’s for example and Rafa will try to overcome it with strong attacking force that the team possess. But the problem is, it can works against teams who are focused on defending against Liverpool (Stoke, second round, 4-0 at Anfield), but against equal opponents it can bring some shocks during the season. For tonight’s game defense will be even weaker, as Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio are injured, while Martin Skrtel is in doubt. Liverpool have not lost at home in the league for 31 games.

Villa started the season with the Champions League like a main target (once again). But, as Liverpool, faced the problems on the first step. Wigan took all three points from Villa Park (0-2) and game was marked by big errors in Villa’s defense. In European trip during the mid-week, club noticed another defeat, 0-1 against Rapid on the road. Boss Martin O'Neill has a difficult task to balance between high ambitions and limited resources. Carlos Cuellar and Curtis Davies are currently the only center-backs in squad, midfield lost the skipper Gareth Barry (went to Man.City) and O’Neill is desperately looking for new signings. As Benitez, he will also try to overcome defensive problems with the attacking attitude. Hm…ok. For tonight’s encounter, Aston Villa are monitoring the fitness of Curtis Davies (one of two cb) who injured his shoulder in the defeat by Rapid Vienna, while another defender Luke Young has been given compassionate leave after the death of his half-brother. Also, Anfield is not a place where Villa like to be, as they didn’t win in last seven games (five defeats and two draws), and last four meetings ended with four goals, or more.

Both sides have huge problems in defense lines, but have to go on all three points. For Villa another defeat would be a second in two games, while in Liverpool nobody wants even to think about second failure in three rounds. As both can’t rely on defense, will try to score once more than opponent. Betfair offer 1.90, Pinnacle 1.83. Over.

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Defender Joleon Lescott will write to Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and ask to join big-spending Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
However, Lescott has been told that despite his desire to leave Goodison Park he will not be allowed to move to Eastlands. (Daily Star) 
Manchester City will call a halt to their pursuit of Lescott if they cannot get him to Eastlands by the end of the week. (The Sun) 
With Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid imminent, Liverpool will replace the midfielder with Roma's Alberto Aquilani. (Daily Mirror) 
The Reds have agreed a deal in principle with Roma and will splash out £20m on the Italian 25-year-old. (The Sun) 
Arsenal are on the verge of signing Chelsea's Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou for £8m. (The Sun) 
Chelsea have moved closer to the £8m signing of AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who could arrive in time for Sunday's Community Shield clash with Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)
The Blues, meanwhile, have dismissed speculation linking midfielder Joe Cole with a move to London rivals Tottenham. (The Independent) 
Having completed a medical on Monday, Tottenham striker Darren Bent is expected to finally seal his £12m transfer to Sunderland on Tuesday. (Daily Express) 
Bent's departure will pave the way for Spurs to step up their pursuit of Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. (Daily Express) 
Everton are preparing a £12m bid for Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour. (Daily Mirror)
However, Defour is also on Liverpool's wish list as they look to bolster their midfield options. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are confident they can persuade right-back Lucas Neill to remain at the club.(The Independent) 
Bolton are looking to sign Valencia midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo on a free transfer. (The Sun) 
Hull will turn their attentions to Tottenham full-back Pascal Chimbonda, if their bid for Newcastle defender Habib Beye fails.(The Sun) 
Newcastle defender Sebastien Bassong is ready to hand in a transfer request in order to get a move to Tottenham or Manchester City. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull will battle it out with Fulham for Villarreal striker Jozy Altidore. (Daily Star)
Nottingham Forest have launched a £2m bid for Bolton defender Danny Shittu. (Daily Star) 
Striker Amr Zaki could join Portsmouth on a season-long loan from Egyptian side El Zamalek.(The Independent) 
Hamilton Accies are close to deals for Leicester midfielder James Wesolowski and Spanish defender Luis Rubiales. (Various) 
Frozen-out Rangers forward Alan Gow is a target for Plymouth. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is set to commit himself to the Blues by signing a new three-year contract. (Daily Express)
Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate may need another hernia operation, ruling him out of the first month of the 2009/10 Premier League season. (Daily Mail) 
Inter Milan midfielder Patrick Viera, who is wanted by both Arsenal and Tottenham, has been told he will need to resolve his future if he is to win back his place in the French national side.(Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth have warned they may have to sell more players to survive their financial troubles. (The Sun) 
Veteran winger Ryan Giggs has revealed how training ground bust-ups are a regular occurrence at Manchester United, but help combat fatigue and keep the squad competitive.(Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

Former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo's legs have been insured for £90m by his new club Real Madrid.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's old house in Alderley Edge, Cheshire has been snapped up by new Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor for £5.5m. The former Arsenal striker beat off competition from team-mates Kolo Toure, Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez as well as Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia. (The Sun) 
Derby County midfielder Robbie Savage has revealed he has a sleepwalking problem that once resulted in him dragging a team-mate out of bed, having imagined a train was going to hit the building.(Daily Star) 
Russia fans have been told to drink whisky on their trip to Wales for September's World Cup qualifier to avoid catching swine flu. (Daily Express)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea will go on a £100m spending spree this week and hope to sign AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.(Daily Mail) 
Or Chelsea will be priced out of the market and miss out on the signing of Ribery as well as Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. (The Telegraph)
Liverpool have been warned by Valencia that their star forward David Villa is "priceless" and will not be joining the Premier League club. (The Sun) 
The Reds, meanwhile, are refusing to budge on their £30m valuation of midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is wanted by Real Madrid. (Daily Star) 
Liverpool have made a last-ditch attempt to keep Alonso, with Reds manager Rafael Benitez insisting he wants the Spaniard to stay at the club. (Daily Mirror)
But Alonso looks destined to leave after Liverpool's managing director Christian Purslow met his Real Madrid counterpart Jose Angel Sanchez in Barcelona to complete negotiations. (The Telegraph) 
Manchester City are expected to make an improved £20m offer for Everton defender Joleon Lescott.(Daily Star) 
Or Manchester City are set to withdraw their interest in Lescott and will instead pursue Chelsea centre-back Alex. (The Times) 
Everton have been offered Toulouse right back Albin Ebondo after missing out on the signing of Kyle Naughton, who has joined Tottenham from Sheffield United. (The Times) 
Tottenham will offer £10m to Chelsea for midfielder Joe Cole. (Daily Mirror) 
But Tottenham look like they will be beaten to the signature of Newcastle United defender Sebastien Bassong by big-spending Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
Spurs striker Darren Bent is expected to complete a £12m move to Sunderland on Monday. (The Sun) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hopeful of beating Tottenham to the £750,000 signing of former Gunners midfielder Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan.(Daily Express) 
But Arsenal have had their £5m bid for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh dismissed as "ridiculous" by club president Jean-Louis Triaud. (Daily Mirror) 
The Gunners are expected to sell defender Philippe Senderos, who spent last season on loan at AC Milan, to Everton for £6m. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham are interested in Toulouse's £12m-rated midfielder Moussa Sissoko. (The Times)
Spurs are also keeping tabs on Brazilian midfielder Sandro, who plays for Internacional. (The Times) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is hopeful of signing Manchester City striker Benjani and Hajduk Split forward Nikola Kalinic for a combined £11m. (The Sun) 
Birmingham are set to secure the loan signing of Arsenal defender Armand Traore. (The Independent)
The Blues have also been linked with Sporting Gijon midfielder Michel and Aston Villa's Craig Gardner. (The Independent) 
Hull City are not prepared to meet Newcastle United's valuation of £4m for defender Habib Beye.(The Times) 
But Aston Villa are also keen on Beye and could launch a bid for the 31-year-old Senegal player. (The Sun) 
Villa will also battle it out with Inter Milan for Real Madrid's £16m-rated midfielder Wesley Sneijder. (Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is also monitoring Portsmouth defensive duo Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell. (The Independent) 
Hull have made a £3m bid for Stoke midfielder Seyi Olofinjana. (Daily Mirror)
Portsmouth and England keeper David James has pledged his future to the south-coast club, despite interest from Tottenham. (The Sun) 
Leeds have slapped a £8m price tag on star midfielder Fabian Delph, who is wanted by Manchester City and Everton. (The Sun) 
Fulham are watching Kalmar FF midfielder Rasmus Elm and are preparing a £2.5m bid. (The Times) 
But Everton are also keen on the Swedish international midfielder and may outbid Fulham with £3m. (Daily Mirror)
Fulham have inquired about Sampdoria midfielder Daniele Dessena. (The Sun) 
Newcastle midfielder Geremi is keen on move to Turkish side Besiktas. (Daily Mail)
Lyon defender John Mensah has been offered to Sunderland and Portsmouth. (The Times) 
Wolves are preparing a bid for towering Rapid Vienna striker Stefan Maierholer. (Daily Mail)
Ipswich manager Roy Keane will make an improved £1m bid for Watford striker Tamas Priskin. (Daily Mirror) 
Reading are planning a £2m bid for Doncaster centre-back Matt Mills. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Burnley manager Owen Coyle has revealed the Premier League new boys have only £16m to spend on new signings and player salaries this season. (Daily Mirror) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis says the club's unfashionable image is frustrating him in his bid to sign better quality players. (Daily Express)
Hibernian striker Derek Riordan spent a night in the cells after being refused entry to an Edinburgh nightclub. (Scottish Sun) 
Midfielder Scott Brown, returning from injury, is unlikely to play from the start when Celtic visit Dinamo Moscow on Wednesday. (Times)

AND FINALLY

Los Angeles Galaxy and England midfielder David Beckham is to star alongside governor of California and former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a television advertisement to promote tourism in the American state.(The Sun) 
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo's new mansion in Spain will cost £8m and boasts 36 rooms. (The Sun)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool will reluctantly sell midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid in the next few days. Although manager Rafael Benitez wanted £35m for the 27-year-old, the fee is likely to be under £30m.(Daily Express) 
Everton defender Joleon Lescott is ready to tell manager David Moyes that he wants to join big-spending Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough have received a £9m offer for Turkish striker Tuncay. Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham are also interested in the 27-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke have joined the list of clubs chasing Tottenham striker Darren Bent.(The Sun) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has made a cash-plus-player deal offer for Hull centre-half Michael Turner. Pascal Chimbonda has been offered to Hull manager Phil Brown. (Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan and Inter Milan are both interested in Manchester City midfielder Elano.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth are talking to winger Stephen Hunt over a £3.5m transfer after Reading dropped their asking price.(Daily Mail) 
Bolton defender Nicky Hunt has been told he can leave the Reebok Stadium following the arrival of Sam Ricketts. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are lining up a swap deal with AC Milan in order to land midfielder Andrea Pirlo. As part of the package, striker Claudio Pizarro and defender Michael Mancienne would head to Italy.(Daily Star) 
Utility player Emmanuel Eboue is set to become the latest player to leave Arsenal by signing a five-year deal with Fiorentina. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth want to take Wigan forward Amr Zaki on loan. (Daily Mirror)
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has made a £1.7m bid for Celta Vigo's Algerian striker Kamel Ghilas.(The Sun) 
And Allardyce has been given the all-clear by Chelsea to sign striker Franco Di Santo on loan. (Daily Mirror)
West Bromwich Albion are interested in Wigan forward Marlon King. (Daily Mirror) 

.

OTHER GOSSIP

It looks like Alan Shearer will not be Newcastle manager for the new season as BBC presenter Gary Lineker says the former Magpies and England striker will once again be joining him on Match Of The Day.(The Sun) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has suffered another setback in his recovery from knee surgery and could be out until Christmas. (Daily Mirror)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City have struck a deal with Arsenal for the £15m signing of defender Kolo Toure, who will double his wages at Eastlands.(Daily Mail) 
Toure's departure from Arsenal to Manchester City is set to spark a defender merry-go-round this summer. Joleon Lescott will also move to Eastlands from Everton, with Tottenham's Alan Hutton and City's Nedum Onuoha replacing him at Goodison Park, while Arsenal are to move for Fulham's Brede Hangeland. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Bolton are leading the chase for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso (on photo), who is valued at about £15m. (The Sun) 
Real Madrid have said that Liverpool's £30m valuation of midfielder Xabi Alonso is unrealistic. The Spanish club are not willing to pay more than £24m.(Daily Telegraph) 
Burnley are ready to make an improved bid for Sheffield Wednesday striker Marcus Tudgay. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham are struggling to keep defender Lucas Neill at the club after contract talks broke down. Turkish side Galatasaray are favourites to sign the 31-year-old. (The Sun) 
West Ham striker Dean Ashton is wanted by Hull after they failed to sign Bobby Zamora from Fulham.(Daily Express) 
Aston Villa are interested in Blackburn's £6m-rated defender Stephen Warnock.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have joined the list of clubs linked with Roma striker Mirko Vucinic. (Daily Telegraph)
Hull are poised to join Everton in the race for Tottenham defender Alan Hutton.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth are closing in on the signing of Hadjuk Split striker Nikola Kalinic as a replacement for Peter Crouch, who has joined Tottenham. (Various)
And Pompey have offered defender Sylvain Distin a new contract to fight off Aston Villa's £3m bid. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy and Portsmouth winger John Utaka are both targets for Stoke.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan have told former boss Steve Bruce, who is now at Sunderland, not to make another bid for midfielder Lee Cattermole.(The Sun) 
Everton manager David Moyes has launched a £7m bid for Alan Hutton after the Scotland defender was deemed surplus to requirements at Tottenham Hotspur. (Daily Record)
Kilmarnock have agreed a contract with freed Rotherham striker Mark Burchill subject to a medical. (Various) 
Plymouth have put in a cash offer to Amiens for Reda Johnson and are likely to beat Aberdeen to the defender's signature. (Daily Record)

.

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan's ex-Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho says he wants to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)
Barcelona's former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has denied reports that he told another ex-Gunners favourite, Patrick Vieira, to sign for arch rivals Tottenham, although he did tell Spurs boss Harry Redknapp the Inter Milan midfielder "would be a brilliant signing". However, Henry added: "I am Arsenal through and through. I'd never advise anyone to sign for Tottenham."(The Sun) 
Kilmarnock have withdrawn their offer of a coaching post to retiring midfielder Gary Locke. (The Times)
Dinamo Moscow assistant Alexsandr Smirnov says he learned little about Celtic on Sunday because Tony Mowbray played his reserve side in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. (Daily Record) 
Celtic are set to name Lisbon Lion and former captain and manager Billy McNeill as the club's official ambassador. (The Sun)
Scotland manager George Burley has written to Sir Alex Ferguson asking for Darren Fletcher to be rested for Man Utd's Community Shield match against Chelsea ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Norway. (Daily Record) 
Steau Bucharest president Gigi Becali says Motherwell have no chance of beating his team in Thursday's Europa League qualifier. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry has revealed the level of influence he has at Stamford Bridge in his first interview since rejecting Manchester City's overtures. Terry says he is among a trio of players, along with midfielder Frank Lampard and striker Didier Drogba, who give advice to owner Roman Abramovich.(Various)
Darren Bent really was a last-minute withdrawal from Tottenham's pre-season tour to China as his move to Sunderland gathered pace on Monday night. The striker was strapped in his seat just before take off when the call came that the two clubs were close to agreeing a deal. His bags were retrieved from the hold of the plane before he travelled north to begin talks. (Various)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Manchester City are in the hunt for Liverpool's Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso after his proposed £35m move to Real Madrid stalled.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will move for Roma's Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani - if Alonso moves to Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham and Fulham want Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch after his £12m move to Sunderland fell through. (Daily Telegraph)

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will now turn his attention to Tottenham forward Darren Bent.(Daily Telegraph) 
Another option for Bruce may be Bordeaux's Morocco international forward Marouane Chamakh. (The Guardian) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti anticipates Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, who was on loan at AC Milan last season, will leave the club before the start of the 2009-2010 campaign, with Dynamo Kiev and Fenerbache interested. (The Guardian) 
The line of suitors eyeing a move for former England captain David Beckham is growing, with Chelsea, Tottenham and Fulham all ready to offer the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder a deal. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham have tabled a £17m bid for Real Madrid's 23-year-old Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo.(Daily Mirror) 
And Spurs are weighing up a move for Manchester City winger Martin Petrov, 30, and could prize him away from Eastlands for £5m.(Daily Mail)
And Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will beat Everton to the signature of Sheffield United defender Kyle Naughton. (The Guardian) 
South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi is hoping to earn a deal at Fulham where he has been on a trial. The 24-year-old plays in his homeland for Golden Arrows. (The Guardian)
Fulham are set to make a £9m offer for Hull City defender Michael Turner, which includes striker Bobby Zamora going in the other direction. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley boss Owen Coyle is tracking £500,000-rated Norwich midfielder Darel Russell. (Daily Mail)
Wolves are considering a move for Celtic defender Stephen McManus. (Daily Mail) 
Egypt striker Mido has returned to Middlesbrough after being fined for missing the start of pre-season training but the 26-year-old will be sold as soon as possible. (Daily Mail)
Middlesbrough are in talks with striker Leroy Lita, who was released by Reading at the end of last season. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United are set to sign Manchester City striker Ched Evans for £1.5m, rising to £3m on appearances. (Daily Mail) 
However, Ipswich boss Roy Keane hopes to hijack the deal for Evans and take the striker to Suffolk. (Daily Star) 
Reading want Tottenham midfielder Adel Taarabt on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Mirror)
Cardiff boss Dave Jones wants to offload midfielder Paul Parry, 28, with Doncaster interested in a £500,000 deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane wants defender Danny Simpson from Manchester United and midfielder Dean Whitehead from Sunderland in a £2m deal. (Daily Mirror)
Celtic boss Tony Mowbray is keen to sign left-back Marek Cech from West Bromwich Albion. (The Guardian) 
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee wants 21-year-old defender Reda Johnson on loan. The Benin international plays for French third division side Amiens. (Daily Record) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed "irreplaceable" striker Didier Drogba, 31, will sign a new three-year deal at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Telegraph)
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle was on Notts County's shortlist to become director of football at Meadow Lane before the club opted to recruit Sven Goran-Eriksson. (Daily Mail) 
Eriksson is considering taking former Nottingham Forest boss David Platt to Notts County as part of his revolution. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Despite having the advantage of being the fastest man in the world over 100m and 200m Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt says he is not particularly good at football: "I used to play but I'm no striker, I'm more of a defender or midfielder. I can't score goals." (Daily Star)
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has joined up with his team-mates for their pre-season tour of the Far East but the Real Madrid target has still left a question mark over his future at the club. He told Spanish newspaper AS: "It is always a great feeling when Madrid want you, especially considering the phase of the career I am in now.
"But at this point, whether or not that can happen is not up to me. It's a matter that involves three parties, including myself. I do not like to force the issue. I prefer to talk."

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City will up their bid to £40m to try to prise centre-back John Terry out of Chelsea's grasp.(Daily Mail) 
Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has emerged as a target for Arsenal as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger looks to replace forward Emmanuel Adebayor, who has moved to Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Hull City are keen on Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin but want the Ukraine international on loan rather than as a permanent signing.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United are trying to negotiate down the price of Gremio midfielder Douglas Costa, while Chelsea, Real Madrid and Villarreal have entered the fray for the Brazilian.(Guardian) 
Everton are battling with Fulham, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven for Swedish Under-21 midfielder Rasmus Elm, who plays for Kalmar.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham have been offered the chance to sign Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, who has turned down a £6m move to Fenerbahce.(Times) 
AC Milan boss Leonardo has left the door open to Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham returning to the San Siro after the England international's successful six-month loan at the club earlier this year.(Independent) 
Blackburn's flirtation with signing former Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri has ended, with Rovers manager Sam Allardyce believing the Italian is too unfit.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is set to wrap up an £11m deal for Sheffield United full-backs Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker. (Daily Mirror)
Nottingham Forest are close to bringing in Tottenham defender Chris Gunter, Preston midfielder Paul McKenna and QPR striker Dexter Blackstock for a combined £4m.(Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has urged fans not to criticise club "legend" and team-mate John Terry if he decides to leave the Stamford Bridge outfit. The England defender has been targeted by Manchester City.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy says he has no plans to leave the club, despite the increased competition for places up front following the signing of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill says Liverpool did not lodge a bid for Gareth Barry before the midfielder's move to Manchester City.(Daily Expres) 

AND FINALLY

There may have been up to 80,000 fans at the Bernabeu to greet former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo at his Real Madrid unveiling but only 10,000 will be able to attend as he makes his debut against Shamrock Rovers on Monday.(Daily Mail)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes believes his side can offer John Terry a new lease of life and said the Chelsea and England captain needs a fresh challenge. (Various) 
Hughes is also on the verge of signing Emmanuel Adebayor for £25m after the player underwent a medical in Manchester. (Various) 
Real Madrid could sign Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso by the end of the week as they are prepared to meet the club's asking price of more than £30m for the 27-year-old. 
(Daily Telegraph) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will do everything he can to keep Alonso at the club, along with Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona. (Daily Star) 
Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira could join Tottenham after indicating to manager Harry Redknapp that he would be willing to leave Inter Milan.(Various) 
The Italian club are prepared to pay the 33-year-old Vieira £1m to make up a shortfall in wages if he was to join Spurs, while Birmingham, Sunderland, Fulham, Lyon and Paris St Germain have all made enquiries about the Frenchman. (Daily Express) 
Or, Vieira wants a pay-off from Inter Milan after Spurs offered him £60,000-a-week - £25,000 less than he currently earns at the San Siro.(The Times) 
Tottenham have held talks with Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but could miss out on signing the Dutch international after Stuttgart had an offer accepted for the 25-year-old. (The Times) 
Spurs full-back Gareth Bale, 19, is wanted on loan by Italian side Roma to provide competition for John Arne Riise. (The Sun) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce will give veteran striker Christian Vieri, 36, all the time he needs to prove his fitness after spending some time with the Rovers squad at a training camp. (The Sun) 
Fulham will launch an £11m bid for Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch - but only if Bobby Zamora leaves to join Hull City. (The Sun) 
Sunderland have had a £14m bid for Darren Bent rejected by Tottenham as the north London club want to recoup the £16.7m they paid Charlton for the 25-year-old striker two years ago. (The Sun) 
Tottenham have made a late bid to sign Sheffield United full-back Kyle Naughton after Everton had a £6m offer for the 20-year-old accepted. (Daily Star) 
Wigan have entered the race to sign Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra. (The Times) 
Hull are confident of signing Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy after the clubs agreed an initial fee of £1.5m, rising to £2.5m.(Various) 
West Brom midfielder Jonathan Greening has stunned the club by handing in a transfer request after they rejected a £2.5m bid from Fulham. (Various) 
Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson, 31, could join former manager Alex McLeish at Birmingham after the Blues agreed a £1.3m fee with the Scottish club. (Daily Mirror)
Bolton manager Gary Megson will attempt to finalise a £3.5m deal for Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde in an attempt to fight off interest from Wigan. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Joe Kinnear is set to return as Newcastle manager on Wednesday, with Mike Ashley overlooking fans' favourite Alan Shearer for the role as the owner struggles to find a buyer for the club. (Daily Mail) 
However, sources at the club have denied reports linking Kinnear with a return to St James' Park and any new manager will be appointed when a takeover of the club is completed. (The Press Association) 
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is considering quitting the club after securing a new five-year shirt sponsorship deal.(The Times) 
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has accused striker Emmanuel Adebayor of being "lazy" and lacking fight during his Gunners career and believes manager Arsene Wenger has done brilliantly by getting £25m from Manchester City for the Togo striker.(Daily Star) 
Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson believes Michael Owen can reignite his England career at Old Trafford following the striker's summer switch after his Newcastle contract ended. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says if he had not become a footballer he may have become a priest. Asked what he would have done if he could not play football, the 23-year-old said: "I haven't a clue what else I could have done, I wasn't really the best in school. I always enjoyed religious studies - so maybe a priest."(The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Valencia are in talks to sell David Villa to Barcelona but not for less than 50m Euros (£43m).(Marca in Spanish) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham want to sign former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira and have opened talks with the Inter Milan player. Spurs could capture the Frenchman on a free transfer and pay-as-you-play deal. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester City are on the brink of signing Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor for £25m and wages of £130,000 per week. (The Sun) 
Or, the fee will be £30m and the Togo striker will pick up wages of £170,000 a week. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could use the cash from the sale of Adebayor to sign Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh. (The Sun) 
Chelsea captain John Terry wants the club to make him the highest-paid player at Stamford Bridge if he turns his back on Manchester City. Terry has been offered £250,000 a week by the Eastlands outfit. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal are set to poach 17-year-old Chelsea winger Frank Nouble after he turned down professional forms with the Blues. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola wants to sign Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Star) 
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has told Reds boss Rafael Benitez that he wants to join Real Madrid - but stopped short of handing in a transfer request. (Daily Star) 
Aston Villa are aiming to complete a £24m double move for Tottenham striker Darren Bent and Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing this week. (Daily Star) 
Villa are also set to bid £7m to land Leeds midfielder Fabian Delph, who is also wanted by Everton. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull are set to make a £10m raid on Cardiff to sign winger Joe Ledley and striker Ross McCormack. (The Sun) 
Sunderland have launched a £5m raid for West Ham centre-back James Collins. (Daily Mail) 
Marseille midfielder Lorik Cana says he will move to Everton and back out of a deal to join Hamburg if the Toffees make a last-minute £6m bid for him. (Daily Mail)
Fulham are on the verge of signing West Brom midfielder Jonathan Greening in a deal that will see them hand the Baggies £2.5m, plus winger Hameur Bouazza.(The Sun) 
Tottenham have offered £11m to sign Sheffield United full-backs Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United are keen to capture Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton boss David Moyes wants to take Port Vale teenager James Lawrie on trial. (Daily Star)
West Ham winger Julien Faubert is wanted by Bayer Leverkusen. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham are also weighing up a move for South African midfielder Kagiso Dkigacoi, who currently plays for Golden Arrows. (Daily Star)
Everton have been offered Benfica midfielder Hassan Yebda for £3m. (Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are lining up a £750,000 bid for Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana in an attempt to beat Wolves to his signature. (Daily Star) 
Burnley are set to sign right-back Richard Eckersley after he turned down a new deal at Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Leicester are closing in on £1.5m-rated Gillingham striker Simeon Jackson. (The Sun)
Newcastle defender Habib Beye has insisted he must leave the club in order to save his career - Blackburn are believed to be among those interested in signing him. (The Sun) 
Preston are ready to sign Norwich midfielder Darel Russell in a deal that could result in North End winger Simon Whaley going the other way. (Daily Star)
Burnley are set to tie up a deal for Hamilton full-back Brian Easton for an initial fee of about £400,000. (The Sun) 
Yeovil are giving a trial to striker Dean Bowditch, who has been released by Ipswich. (Daily Star)
Striker Lee Hughes is set for talks with Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster after leaving Oldham. (Daily Star) 
Norwich have taken former Sunderland and Leeds striker Michael Bridges and ex-Rangers forward Chris Craig on trial. (Daily Star)
Bristol City are set to sign Derby defender Lewin Nyatanga in a deal worth about £500,000. (Daily Star) 
Stockport have handed former Manchester United midfielder Floribert N'Galula a trial as he looks for a move from Sparta Rotterdam. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Arabian billionaire Sulaiman Al Fahim is close to completing a takeover at Portsmouth after all the relevant checks were made. (Daily Star)
Stiliyan Petrov is the dressing room favourite to become Aston Villa skipper. Boss Martin O'Neill needs to choose a new captain following the sale of Gareth Barry and the retirement of Martin Laursen. (Daily Mirror)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Real Madrid have still not given up in their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, with the coach of the Spanish club Manuel Pellegrini insisting: "We are interested."(The Sun) 
And in a cheeky move for the Spanish international, Real have decreased their offer for the player by £3m to £22m.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea will hold intensive talks with captain John Terry as they fear the centre-back is ready to quit to join Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Blues will not increase England skipper Terry's wages in an attempt to keep him at Stamford Bridge.(Daily Mail) 
Carlos Tevez will complete a £25m move to Manchester City on Monday. The Argentine striker's move will leave Chelsea disappointed. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are moving closer to signing 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa from Gremio. (The Times) 
Aston Villa look set to sign Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing for £12m this week, raising questions over the future of Ashley Young at Villa Park. Striker Young is wanted by Tottenham, but they could lose out to Manchester United or Chelsea. (Daily Mail)
Villa may also be set to lose defender Zat Knight, with Wolves ready to join Bolton in a battle to sign him. (Daily Mail) 
Hull have inquired about Cardiff striker Ross McCormack after missing out on Fraizer Campbell, Michael Owen and Marc-Antoine Fortune. (The Times)
Portsmouth are interested in signing Tottenham right-back Pascal Chimbonda and are ready to pay £2.5m for him. (Daily Mail) 
Hull are hoping to hijack Ipswich's £3m move for Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland have made an increased bid of just under £6m for Wigan midfielder Lee Catermole, having had an initial bid of £4m turned down. (Daily Star) 
Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson has been told there is no way he will be allowed to leave to join Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to switch his sights from Manchester City defender Richard Dunne to Tottenham centre-back Michael Dawson. (The Sun) 
Liverpool's young French midfielder Damien Plessis is wanted on loan by Cardiff - as a potential replacement for Joe Ledley, who has been linked to Everton, Hull and Stoke. (Daily Mirrror)
Hearts winger Andrew Driver is wanted by FC Twente manager Steve McClaren but the ex-England boss faces competition for the player's signature from Burnley. (The Sun) 
Tottenham want to sign Sheffield United full-back Kyle Walker - but they would allow him to stay with the Blades for the next year to continue his development. (Daily Mirror)
Celtic have told English Premier League clubs that goalkeeper Artur Boruc is not for sale. (The Sun) 
Nottingham Forest have tabled a £1.6m bid for Coventry defender Danny Fox. (Various)
Sunderland have been linked with Saint Etienne defender Efstathios Tavlaridis, who failed to break into Arsenal's first team back in 2001. (The Times) 


OTHJER GOSSIP

Portsmouth are ready to make Paul Hart their new manager - handing him the job permanently after his stint as caretaker boss last season. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola insists captain Lucas Neil will be welcomed with open arms at Upton Park if he agrees a new deal with the Hammers, despite an unsavoury pay dispute. (The Sun) 
Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard has told the club he will not be fit until October at the earliest. The 30-year-old injured his knee on his debut for the club last January.(The Sun) 
Arsenal legend and ex-Portsmouth boss Tony Adams has emerged as a surprise contender to be the next Southampton manager. (Daily Star) 
Veteran Teddy Sheringham, 43, is heading for a shock comeback to play for non-League side Beckenham Town in their FA Vase matches. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Two brothers aged 18 and 21 have become England's youngest owners of a football club. Tom and Josh Mitchell will run non-League Dorchester Town after their father gave them the club. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United have had to change their long-planned exhibition dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo to a 'farewell' presentation. The 'Best Player In The World' display at Old Trafford went up as it was announced the winger was moving to Real Madrid. (Various)
www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing to make a £20m raid for Real Madrid's Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar. (The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has launched an ambitious bid to sign one of Real Madrid's other Dutch strikers, 33-year-old Ruud van Nistelrooy. (The Sun) 
Real Madrid have made a cut-price £5m offer for Liverpool's Spanish full-back Alvaro Arbeloa.(Daily Mirror)
And the Spanish side are believed to want any move for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso sorted out in the next fortnight. (Press Association) 
Liverpool are close to signing 16-year-old Esbjerg midfielder Nikolaj Kohlert on a three-year deal. (Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea will make one last attempt to sign Bayern Munich's French midfielder Franck Ribery. (Daily Star) 
And Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will consider making a bid for Real Madrid's Dutch forward Wesley Sneijder if he misses out on Ribery.(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester City will turn their attention to Everton defender Joleon Lescott after losing out in their bid to sign Chelsea captain John Terry. The Eastlands club had made an initial offer of £15m but will now up that. (Daily Mirror) 
Going in the other direction could be City's Brazilian striker Jo, with Everton boss David Moyes ready to take him to Goodison Park on a season-long loan deal. (Times) 
Aston Villa and Sunderland lead the race for Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch. However, Pompey are unlikely to recoup the £12m they spent on the 28-year-old. (Various) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce also hopes to land Tottenham striker Darren Bent for £11m. (Daily Star)
Bruce also wants Manchester City defender Richard Dunne in a £4m deal. (Daily Mail) 
However, Bordeaux have refused to sell Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh to Sunderland because the French club's president Jean-Louis Triaud does not think the Black Cats are "a big English club". (The Sun) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is also ready to swoop for Fulham defender Brede Hangeland, 28, for £9m. (Various) 
And Villa are also preparing a bid for Sporting Lisbon's 23-year-old midfielder Miguel Veloso after Bolton had an £8m bid turned down. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is waiting to see if Manchester City's Welsh striker Craig Bellamy becomes available once the Eastlands club's spending spree is over. (Various) 
Spurs are close to agreeing a deal to sell midfielder Didier Zokora to Spanish side Sevilla. (Daily Mirror)
And Lazio have made an offer to sign Spurs' midfielder Adel Taarabt. (The Times) 
Swedish striker Marcus Berg is a target for Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham. The 25-year-old's club FC Gronigen value him at £5m. (Daily Telegraph)
Bolton boss Gary Megson will turn his attention to West Brom's Jonathan Greening if his £3.5m bid for Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde is turned down.(The Sun) 
Blackburn are interested in Le Mans defender Gregory Cerdan who would cost the club £2m. (The Times)
Fulham are ready to bid £500,000 for MK Dons' 25-year-old defender Dean Lewington. (Daily Mirror) 
South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi is being tracked by Portsmouth and Fulham. The 24-year-old plays for the Golden Arrows. (Daily Telegraph)
Burnley want Valencia's Spanish Under-21 international Stephen Sunday on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves have ended their interest in defender Matt Mills after failing to meet Doncaster's £3m asking price. (Daily Star)
Middlesbrough's Turkish striker Tuncay has sparked a scramble for his signature after the £7m-rated star insisted he wants to play in the Premier League. (Daily Mirror) 
Leicester have had a £1.5m offer for Peterborough striker Craig Mackail-Smith refused. (Daily Star)
Sheffield United have made an improved offer of £2m for Manchester City striker Ched Evans. (Daily Mail) 


OTHER GOSSIP

Middlesbrough have been thrown into turmoil after Egypt striker Mido, striker Afonso Alves and Turkey forward Tuncay failed to turn up for the start of pre-season training. (Daily Mai) 
New Wigan boss Roberto Martinez plans to hold talks with defender Paul Scharner but will not beg the 28-year-old Austrian to stay. (The Sun) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce wants former Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia to quit his backroom role at Sunderland and join him at Ewood Park. (Daily Mirror)
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler insists his move to Australia was not for a "holiday"' as his latest injury threatens to rule him out of North Queensland Fury's A-League opener next month. (Townsville Bulletin) 

AND FINALLY

Former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was saved by Spanish police after his Real Madrid presentation in front of 80,000 fans at the Bernabeu almost ended in a riot as dozens of fans ran on to the pitch.(The Sun)
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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Discussions between Chelsea and Inter Milan over a possible switch to Italy for defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Deco have collapsed. The Blues value the pair at £12m while the Nerazzurri are unwilling to go beyond £6m.(La Gazzetta Dello Sport (in Italian)) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona will turn their attentions to prising midfielder Cesc Fabregas away from Arsenal after learning that previous target Franck Ribery would prefer to leave Bayern Munich for Real Madrid. (Daily Star) 
The proposed move of Samuel Eto'o to Manchester City may be wrecked by the Cameroon striker's demands for a slice of any transfer fee Barcelona receive. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce will offer former Everton winger Andy van der Meyde, who is currently without a club, the chance to resurrect his career at Ewood Park. (The Sun)
Real Madrid are delaying a move for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso until a sell-on clause with the midfielder's former club Real Sociedad expires later in July. (Daily Mail) 
Having been frustrated in their pursuit of Felipe Melo, Arsenal will go head to head with Tottenham for the signature of Marseille midfielder Loik Cana. (Daily Express) 
After securing Wigan's Antonio Valencia, Manchester United could now bolster their forward line with a move for £11m-rated Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. (The Star) 
Or it may be that Lyon's Karim Benzema is next on United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's list of priorities at Old Trafford, with the France international forward's team-mate Miralem Pjanic claiming a £38m move is in the offing. (The Times) 
CSKA Moscow left-back Yuri Zhirkov, Manchester City striker Daniel Sturridge and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull will be the first three players brought to Chelsea by new manager Carlo Ancelotti. (Daily Telegraph) 
Michael Owen is holding out for offers from Aston Villa and Everton as his Newcastle United contract comes to an end today.(The Independent) 
Brazilian forward Jo will return to Everton on loan next season, with Manchester City boss Mark Hughes unable to promise him a regular first-team place. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Arsenal's Philippe Senderos as well as fellow defenders Sylvain Distin of Portsmouth and David Wheater of Middlesbrough. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham are weighing up an approach for Lokomotiv Moscow and Switzerland goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic. (The Times) 
Celtic's hopes of signing West Brom's Marc-Antoine Fortune have been given a boost as the forward has stalled on a proposed move to Hull. (Daily Record)
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is poised to raid former club Manchester United for winger Lee Martin. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton have moved to snap up Sean Davis on a free transfer after he turned down Portsmouth's offer of a new deal, while Swansea's Ferrie Bodde could line up alongside him in midfield if a £2.5m switch goes through. (The Sun)
Middlesbrough are preparing for life in the Championship with a £400,000 bid for Sheffield United midfielder Nick Montgomerie. (Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn's South Africa striker Benni McCarthy is concerned that a lack of first-team games may be harming his chances of appearing for the host nation in next summer's World Cup and may move to Spanish side Celta Vigo. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has said that AC Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all enquired about the possibility of him leaving Old Trafford but, despite his wife's eagerness to move away from England, he is determined to stay put.(The Sun)
Paul Ince could return to management with former club MK Dons after Roberto Di Matteo left for West Brom. (Daily Mirror) 
Three consortia are weighing up offers for Newcastle but it is unlikely that the club will be sold before next week. (The Guardian) 
England coach Fabio Capello has told his scouts to monitor Sylvan Ebanks-Blake once the new Premier League season gets under way to see if the Wolves striker is ready for the step up to international football. (The Sun) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that the chance to develop the young players at the Gunners convinced him to stay at the Emirates rather than join big-spending Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror) 
Celtic could move in to pole position to sign Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune after Hull City threatened to withdraw their £4m bid for the player. (Daily Record)
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is stepping up interest in Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley. (The Star) 
Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas insists the club is not actively looking to cash in on winger Andy Driver amid interest from Burnley in the player. (The Scotsman)

AND FINALLY

Manchester City will recruit Endemol, the company behind reality TV series Big Brother, to expand their global brand. (The Guardian) 
Former Hibernian striker Keith Wright has warned fellow forward Steven Fletcher that he is not yet ready for the Premier League after his £3m move to Burnley. (Various)
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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Former England midfielder Peter Reid has rejected speculation he will quit as coach of Thailand to take charge of League One club Southampton. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Samuel Eto'o wants a £12.5m signing-on fee to join Manchester City. The Barcelona striker has already been offered wages of £250,000 a week by the Eastlands club.(The Sun) 
Or the Cameroon striker is looking for a £15m golden handshake from Barcelona otherwise the move to City is off.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are poised to complete a hat-trick of signings by landing CSKA Moscow forward Yuri Zhirkov, Manchester City forward Daniel Sturridge and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal have been stunned by Andrey Arshavin's revelation that he would be "really happy" to play for Barcelona if he gets the chance. (The Sun) 
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso will holds talks with manager Rafael Benitez this week over a possible move to Real Madrid.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Reds defender Alvaro Arbeloa is set to seal a switch to Real for about £5m. (The Independent) 
Aston Villa are ready to pay £5m for Espanyol forward Luis Garcia, who is also wanted by Porto.(The Sun) 
Villa are also set to bid £5m for Middlesbrough midfielder Tuncay. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have joined the chase for Groningen's Sweden international striker Marcus Berg but they may need to pay £10m to beat Everton to his signature.(Daily Mirror) 
Spurs have told Villarreal they want cash plus Sebastien Eguren and Marcos Senna in exchange for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. (The Times) 
West Ham are trying to hijack Hull's £3.4m move for Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune. 
Full story: (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham have offered £2.2m for Almeria striker Kalu Uche. (The Sun) 
Birmingham want to sign Tottenham defender Gareth Bale on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Star)
Wolves are set to sign Reading striker Kevin Doyle for a club record fee of £6.5m. (The Sun) 
Huddersfield will pay £1m to sign Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert. (The Sun)
Ipswich boss Roy Keane is close to completing a £1m deal for QPR full-back Damien Delaney. Keane also wants to make a double raid on former club Sunderland to sign defender Nyron Nosworthy and winger Carlos Edwards. (Daily Star) 
Burnley are fighting it out with Cardiff in the race to sign £2.5m-rated Doncaster defender Mat Mills. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Carlos Tevez has accused Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson of blowing the chance to win the Champions League final by dropping him. The Argentine striker, whose United contract expires today, said: "He made a mistake to leave me on the bench."(Daily Mirror) 
Former Aston Villa manager David O'Leary says his successor Martin O'Neill has not helped the club progress.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Usually there is little to be pleased about when you miss your flight but Fabio Capello's failure to catch a plane from South Africa meant he was spared being in attendance for England Under-21s' humiliating 4-0 defeat by Germany in the European Championship final in Sweden on Tuesday. (Daily Mirror)
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Spain 3-2 South Africa (aet)

Spain secured victory over hosts South Africa in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off courtesy of a Xabi Alonso extra-time free-kick.
South African substitute Katlego Mphela opened the scoring in the second half, lashing in a Siphiwe Tshabalala cross. 

Two goals in two minutes from Daniel Guiza seemed to have won it for Spain until Mphela crashed home an injury-time free-kick to force extra-time. 
But Alonso curled in a set-piece in the second period of extra-time to win it. 
For much of normal time this game was a typically drab third-place play-off, with European Champions Spain - whose 35-match unbeaten run came to a shock end against the United States in the semi-final - particularly lethargic. 
The closest either side came to a goal in the first half was a Matthew Booth snap shot that fizzed past the post for the home side. 
Spain were brighter in the second half, with Albert Riera forcing a smart save from Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.
However, it was the home side who took the lead when Tshabalala was released wide left and his cross was firstly controlled by Mphela before being crashed into the roof of the net by the striker. 
It looked like being the only goal of the game until Guiza's late show. 
The substitute striker turned in a Santi Cazorla cross with his right foot into the bottom left-hand corner in the 88th minute. 
Barely a minute later he had put Spain into the lead, when what appeared to have been a cross beat Khune, clipped the far upright and went in. 
It appeared as though this would be enough to win the match for Spain, but with the final kick of the match, three minutes into injury-time, Mphela lashed in a spectacular 25-yard free-kick to extend matters by a further 30 minutes. 
In an understandably nervy extra-time, Liverpool midfielder Alonso had the final say, with a smart, curling free-kick that beat attackers and defenders alike to find the far right corner of the net. 

Spain: Casillas, Arbeloa, Albiol, Pique, Capdevila, Santi Cazorla, Alonso, Riera, Busquets (Llorente 81), Villa (Silva 57), Torres (Guiza 57).
Subs Not Used: Diego Lopez, Marchena, Puyol, Pablo, Xavi, Fabregas, Sergio Ramos, Mata, Reina. 
Booked: Busquets, Pique, Albiol, Llorente. 
Goals: Guiza 88, 89, Alonso 107. 

South Africa: Khune, Gaxa, Booth, Mokoena, Masilela, Pienaar (Mphela 64), Dikgacoi, Sibaya, Modise (Van Heerden 69), Parker, Tshabalala (Mhlongo 84).
Subs Not Used: Fernandez, Davids, Mdledle, Fanteni, Moon, Khumalo, Mashego, Gould, Baloyi. 
Booked: Pienaar, Mphela, Masilela. 
Goals: Mphela 73, 90. 

Att: 21,500 
Ref: Matthew Breeze (Austrailia).
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are poised to hijack Manchester United's £25m bid to sign 21-year-old striker Karim Benzema from Lyon.(News of the World) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will intensify negotiations to for £45m Atletico Madrid playmaker Sergio Aguero and complete the £14m signing of Wigan striker Luis Antonio Valencia. (Sunday Mail) 
Manchester City have completed a £25m swoop for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, 28, and they are expected to announce that they have also signed Carlos Tevez. (News of the World) 
Chelsea will make a new £50m offer for AC Milan's Brazilian striker Pato after their initial £45m bid for the 19-year-old was rejected. 
Meanwhile, Blues striker Didier Drogba, midfielder Michael Essien and defender Ashley Cole are to be offered new £125,000-a-week deals, but Joe Cole and Jose Bosingwa could be on their way out of Stamford Bridge. (News of the World) 
Chelsea are also set to test Bayern Munich's resolve with a £50m bid for French winger Franck Ribery.(Sunday Express )
Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant is agonising over a switch across Stanley Park to join Everton. (News of the World) 
Xabi Alonso's future at Anfield depends on Real Madrid's bid to sign David Villa from Valencia. If Real fail to purchase the striker, they will meet Liverpool's £25m asking price for Alonso. (News of the World)
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has urged manager Rafael Benitez to try and sign one of his Spanish international team-mates David Villa, David Silva or Juan Mata, who all play for Valencia. (News of the World) 
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley expects to receive two bids for the club this week which could determine Alan Shearer's long-term future at St James' Park.(Sunday Mirror) 
Aston Villa are ready to make a £5m swoop for German international Tim Borowski, 29, who plays in midfield for Bayern Munich.(News of the World) 
Stoke are ready to smash their transfer record and spend £6m on Newcastle's Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins. But they are likely to face competition from Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham.(News of the World) 
West Ham want to bring Anton Ferdinand back to Upton Park from Sunderland in a cut-price deal. New Black Cats boss Steve Bruce does not want the 24-year-old, who moved to Wearside last summer, and Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola will make a £2m bid.(News of the World) 
Meanwhile, Bruce is ready to make a £5m bid for Rangers 24-year-old midfielder Steven Davis.(News of the World) 
Southampton could this week be forced to sell former England Under-21 midfielder Andrew Surman just to meet the club's wage bill. (The Sun)
QPR are expected to head a queue of clubs willing to pay a cut-price £400,000 for the 22-year-old who has made 133 appearances for the Saints.(Sunday Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Newcastle face a £750,000 wage bill for strikers Michael Owen and Mark Viduka, even though the pair may not play for the club again.
Both players' deals expire on Tuesday, but they have a clause in their contracts that means they will be paid for another month if they do not sign for clubs in July.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Brazil and Real Madrid playmaker Kaka has delivered a stinging blow to Manchester City by revealing that they were not a big enough club to tempt him to the Premier League. (News of the World)
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Sunday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Bolton will reject any offer made for striker Kevin Davies with Blackburn being linked with their influential captain. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea will test the depth of Liverpool's financial problems and their resolve to keep Fernando Torres by bidding £50m for the Spanish international striker. (News of the World) 
But Torres says Liverpool will challenge Chelsea and Manchester United, despite not having the same financial clout as their rivals. He also wants to stay at Liverpool and get close to the legendary status of Kenny Dalglish and Robbie Fowler. (Mail on Sunday)
Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked with Valencia striker David Villa but Torres has told them to forget about signing him as believes his international strike partner will go to either Barcelona or Real Madrid. (Sunday Telegraph)
The Blues also want another Reds player as they are ready to fight it out with Real Madrid for midfielder Xabi Alonso.(Sunday Mirror) 
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is now a target for Real Madrid as well as Barcelona. (Sunday Times) 
Chelsea's failure to land a major signing so far this summer is the reason they have joined Manchester City in the race to sign Carlos Tevez. (Independent)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will use some of the £80m from Cristiano Ronaldo's proposed move to Real Madrid by bringing in Lyon striker Karim Benzema for £25m. (News of the World)
The Old Trafford side could face another battle to keep hold of one of their prize assets as Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is keen on taking promising 17-year-old striker Federico Macheda back to his native Italy. (People)
Ferguson has hit a stumbling block in his pursuit of Wigan's right-sided midfielder Antonio Valencia with united offering £12m but the Latics wanting £18m. (People)
Hull are keen to sign Newcastle striker Michael Owen in a deal which would see him get a basic salary plus extras for playing and scoring goals. (News of the World)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is keen to bring striker Lomana LuaLua back to the Premier League after his stint with Qatar side Al-Arabi. (News of the World)
Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for £7m-rated Atletico Madrid midfielder Jurado but appear to have missed out to Fiorentina in their attempts to sign Royston Drenthe from Real Madrid. (News of the World)
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is ready to battle it out with Everton for the services of Sheffield United right-back Kyle Naughton. (Observer)

OTHER GOSSIP

Cristiano Ronaldo says his impending move to Real Madrid is not for the money but for the "dream" of wearing their white shirt and to become "one of the greatest (players) of all time". (News of the World) 
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos insists their will be no ill-feeling from his prospective team-mates towards Ronaldo because of his reported £175,000-a-week wages. (Sunday Mirror)
Manchester United will reward the loyalty shown by centre-back Nemanja Vidic by giving him a £1m-a-year pay rise, putting him alongside Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov. (News of the World)
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes and his players will share a £10m bonus if they qualify for the Champions League next season. (News of the World)

AND FINALLY

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is not happy with the weakness of sterling against the Euro. "Of course we think about it," he said. "We are not stupid. When you see your contract down by 30% you cannot be happy." (Sunday Telegraph)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Brazil will allow Kaka to have a medical on Monday as the playmaker moves closer to completing a £56m move from AC Milan to Real Madrid.(Daily Mail) 
Barcelona will make a last-ditch attempt to keep striker Samuel Eto'o this week as Manchester City prepare a £25m bid for the Cameroonian.(The Sun) 
Liverpool are determined to hold on to midfielder Xabi Alonso and sources at Anfield say it would take a "mind-blowing offer" from Real Madrid to take him back to Spain.(The Times) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has agreed a £10m deal for Ajax's 23-year-old Belgian central defender Thomas Vermaelen but they may lose Kolo Toure to Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Everton are preparing a £7m swoop for two players from Reading - winger Stephen Hunt and striker Kevin Doyle. (Daily Star)
Everton boss David Moyes faces a fight with Espanyol for Rennes midfielder Stephane M'Bia and the Toffees also want Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United are ready to battle with Real Madrid for the signature of Wigan winger Antonio Valencia but they are reluctant to pay the £16m wanted by the Latics.(Daily Mail) 
Actually, United are more than willing and will wrap up the signing of Valencia for about £17m this week.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United have accepted a £6m bid from Hull City for 21-year-old striker Fraizer Campbell.(Various)
Atletico Madrid are trailing Everton's in-form 27-year-old South African midfielder Steven Pienaar.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke City are set to sign Swedish Under-21 midfielder Andres Vasquez on a free transfer after he left FC Zurich.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are set to sign ex-Newcastle loanee Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege and have made a new £5m bid for Cardiff centre-back Roger Johnson.(Daily Mail) 
Spanish side Espanyol are hoping to sign Chelsea's 19-year-old Israeli striker Ben Sahar for about £800,000.(Daily Mail) 
FC Basel are hoping to convince Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell, 34, that he should sign for them this week after he rejected an approach from Trabzonspor.(Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies will make an improved £2m bid for Doncaster centre-back Matthew Mills this week. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

West Brom have drawn up a shortlist of managers, including Peterborough's Darren Ferguson, as they prepare for boss Tony Mowbray to leave for Celtic. (Daily Mirror)
Mowbray will start work as the new manager at Celtic Park this week - as long as the Scottish giants bite the bullet and pay about £2m compensation to the Baggies. (Daily Telegraph) 
Burnley boss Owen Coyle will sign a new contract at Turf Moor this week for three times his old salary but less than he could have earned at Celtic. (Daily Mirror)
England striker Wayne Rooney has admitted he is dreaming of winning the World Cup in South Africa next year.(The Sun) 
England defender Matthew Upson believes West Ham team-mate Robert Green is good enough to make the number one jersey his own at international level.(Daily Express) 
England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce will defy Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to ensure Theo Walcott plays in the European Championship, which starts next week, as well as for the senior side against Andorra on Wednesday. (Daily Express) 
Alan Shearer is hoping a north-east buyer will take over Newcastle and keep alive his hopes of being named permanent Magpies boss - as current owner Mike Ashley does not think he should get the job.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has revealed that leaving Stamford Bridge to join Portsmouth helped him fall back in love with football.(The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic would welcome a move to Barcelona, his agent said on Friday following reports the clubs were discussing a deal. (Press Association 0847 BST)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United will sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid if the Spanish giants stump up a stunning £75m. (Daily Mirror) 
If Real do not sign the Portugal international winger by the end of the month they will have to pay him £26m as a result of a promise made to him by the club's former president Ramon Calderon. (Daily Star) 
Real's vice-president Fernando Tapias appeared to confirm on Spanish radio that the club does indeed have such a penalty clause written into an alleged pre-contract agreement made between Calderon and Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes. (The Independent) 
Meanwhile, new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez (on photo) said he believes Ronaldo has a £75m get-out clause in his United contract and said he is "working to bring Ronaldo to Real Madrid". Perez also all but confirmed that AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka will join the club for £62m. (The Sun) 
Yet another seemingly Madrid-bound star is Valencia's David Silva. Liverpool are also keen on the midfielder but look as though they will miss out on him after he had talks at the Bernabeu. (The Times) 
Chelsea are set to offer Ashley Cole a £27m four-year deal in order to fend off interest in him from Barcelona, who are believed to be ready to bid £20m for the left-back. (The Sun) 
As well as hanging on to their best players, Blues midfielder Frank Lampard has urged the club to sign "someone to do something special", identifying a need for a creative midfielder or a striker. (The Independent) 
The players Lampard has in mind are Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Valencia's David Villa. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to bring Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, brother of Gunners defender Kolo, to the club and is set to bid £12m for him. (The Sun) 
The Gunners are favourites to beat Manchester City to the signature of £8m-rated Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, who they see as a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Mirror) 
But Arsenal face competition for the Bosnian from Manchester City, who are also looking at Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, Portsmouth's Peter Crouch and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. (The Guardian) 
Adebayor's future, meanwhile, could be in Italy as AC Milan are believed to be poised to make a £15m bid for the Togo striker. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa are bracing themselves for a battle to hold on to Ashley Young, with Chelsea and Real Madrid set to be interested in the £20m-rated winger. (Daily Mirror) 
Villa have targeted Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone as a replacement for Gareth Barry and will bid £6m for him. (Mirror) (Daily Mirror) 
David Bentley could also make the switch from White Hart Lane to Villa Park, but only if Spurs are prepared to accept £5m less than the £15m they paid Blackburn for him. (Daily Star) 
The clear-out at Spurs could also see Didier Zokora join Sevilla - but the Spaniards are thought to want to pay £2m less than the Londoners' £8m valuation of their man. (Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City want to sign Liverpool's Xabi Alonso as they want him to form a midfield partnership with their new £12m signing Barry. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland want to sign the world's tallest player, Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who stands at 6 ft 8 ins. New boss Steve Bruce is set to sanction a club record £10m bid for the Valencia player. (Daily Mirror) 
Bruce also wants to raid former club Wigan to sign midfielder Lee Cattermole. (The Sun)
Bolton and Birmingham are competing to sign Anderlecht's Argentine playmaker Lucas Biglia, who would cost about £6m. The pair are also battling to snap up ex-Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davies. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton have warned Manchester City that defender Joleon Lescott is not for sale. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham want to hijack Everton's £6m swoop for Rennes full-back Rod Fanni. (Various)
Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire could be priced out of a move to Greek side Olympiakos as Rovers are holding out for £2m more than the £3m bid they have received. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is lining up a bid for Marseille striker Djibril Cisse, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland. But the Frenchman is believed to prefer a move to Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic, Bolton and Genoa are interested in Manchester City midfielder Gilson Fernandes. (Daily Express) 
Newcastle's controversial midfielder Joey Barton has insisted he will not be forced out of the club and does not want a transfer despite his bust-up with interim boss Alan Shearer. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United will pay Watford £400,000 for versatile defender Leigh Bromby. (Daily Star) 
New QPR boss Jim Magilton is set to raid former club Ipswich for striker Jon Walters and midfielder David Norris. (Daily Star)
Shrewsbury want to sign striker Jake Robinson, who has been released by Brighton. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been demanding a central striker's role for next season, as he is fed up of being played out on the left flank. (Daily Express) 
New Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he is 50 times better as a boss now than in his early days when he was a "hothead" and used to sulk. (Daily Mirror) 
Bury manager Alan Knill is in talks with the club about a contract extension as he enters the final year of his current deal. (Daily Star)
Brendan Rodgers, who is set to become the new Reading boss, has revealed he was advised to take the job by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. (The Sun) 
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is on his way to Sporting Lisbon after being snubbed by Portsmouth. (The Sun)
A Middle East consortium is set to compete a takeover for League Two side Notts County. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Chris Waddle and fellow commentator Jon Champion will be fined £100 for each football cliche they come out with during England's game against Kazakhstan, with the money being donated by Setanta to the Bobby Moore fund. (Daily Star)
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