May Football gossip 2007

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City are ready to make a £3.5m move for Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse, who is currently on loan at Marseille. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock will be given a £20m transfer kitty in the summer if the club remain in the top flight. (Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough are ready to spend £1m on Crewe striker Luke Varney. (Mirror). England is Fifa's top alternative to host the 2010 World Cup if South Africa is not ready to host the tournament. (The Sun)

Liverpool keeper Scott Carson could turn his loan move at Charlton into a permanent deal if the Addicks beat the drop. (Sun)

Middlesbrough will face competition from Sunderland, Bolton and Birmingham for Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis. (Daily Mail)

Wolves are chasing Stockport defender Ashley Williams. (Daily Star)

Dundee manager Alex Rae will run the rule over 16 potential signings at a specially arranged match on Tuesday. (Daily Record)

Sheffield United have joined Wigan and Aston Villa in the race to sign Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill. (Daily Star)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea are furious with striker Andriy Shevchenko for pulling out of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool because of groin strain after he was told he would be on the substitutes' bench. (Various)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says Jose Mourinho's tinkering has cost Chelsea the title. (The Sun)

Jose Mourinho says Liverpool's fans should cheer him rather than jeer him. (Daily Mirror)

Ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is moving closer to gaining control at Manchester City. (Mirror)

Former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is not on Shinawatra's wish-list as City's potential new manager. (Guardian)

Bolton want £5m compensation if Allardyce becomes manager of City or Newcastle. (The Sun)

Leeds United are thought to be ready to file for administration after their relegation to League One was all but sealed on Saturday. (Guardian)

Leeds could play at South Leeds Stadium, home of rugby league club Hunslet, while they redevelop Elland Road. (Daily Mail)

West Ham could be without Carlos Tevez for their last two Premiership games after failing to reach an agreement with his owners MSI. (The Sun)

Lawrie Sanchez is resigned to losing his job as Fulham manager even if he keeps them in the Premiership. (Sun)

Celtic will fight manager Gordon Strachan's touchline ban so he can lead his team out at the Scottish Cup final. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY...
England manager Steve McClaren had a night to forget when he turned out for Oxford against Chelsea in a testimonial for former U's team-mate Peter Rhoades-Brown. "His first touch was a back-pass. His second saw him fall flat on his face...McClaren trudged off after 20 minutes. He looked, it has to be said, absolutely knackered."(Guardian)

The new Wembley stadium is shown as a dilapidated wreck with knee-high grass on the pitch in new film 28 Weeks Later, which is released a week before the FA Cup final on 19 May.

Wednesday 02nd May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Jose Mourinho could be set for another bust-up with Chelsea with PSV's Brazilian defender Alex on his way to Stamford Bridge in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Lyon will make a £6m bid to prise Louis Saha from Manchester United. (Daily Express)

New Bolton boss Sammy Lee is keen to sign Preston striker David Nugent. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has also joined the race for England's newest goalscorer Nugent. (The Sun, Daily Star)

Turkish giants Fenerbahce want to sign Middlesbrough striker Yakubu. (Daily Mirror)

Everton goalkeeper Richard Wright could join Ipswich when his contract at Goodison Park ends in the summer. (Independent)

Watford defender Danny Shittu is a £3m target for West Ham manager Alan Curbishley. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic are also keen on the Nigerian-born 6ft 4in centre-half Shittu. (Scottish Sun)

Sunderland are tracking Celtic duo Artur Boruc and Thomas Gravesen (Daily Star)

Leeds boss Dennis Wise is in talks with Man Utd winger Jamie Mullan about signing for next season's League One campaign. (Daily Mirror)

Ipswich are lining up a move for Tommy Miller, who is no longer needed at Sunderland. (The Sun)

Huddersfield and Tranmere want striker Phil Marsh, 20, who has been released by Manchester United. (The Sun)

Stoke are keen to sign their former striker Chris Iwelumo from Colchester. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is keen to sign full-back Paul McShane from Championship side West Brom. (Daily Mirror)

Andrew Cole is set to be offered a 12-month deal by Birmingham City. (Daily Star)

Rangers have handed a trial to former Turkish international full-back Erol Bulut. (Daily Record)

Falkirk have invited former Swiss international defender Stephan Keller for a week's trial. (Daily Star)

Motherwell had Curtis McDonald (ex-Cardiff), Jamie McClen (ex-Newcastle), Australian Daniel Severino and released Rangers youngster Scott Agnew playing in a trial game on Tuesday. (Daily Star)


OTHER GOSSIP
Joey Barton's Manchester City career is over after he was allegedly involved in a bust-up with team-mate Ousmane Dabo. (Daily Mirror)

Everton striker Andrew Johnson will miss England's games with Brazil and Estonia after being told he needs an ankle operation. (Daily Express)

Premier League boss Richard Scudamore is doing a tour of the relegation-threatened clubs who were upset that West Ham did not get any points docked. (Daily Mirror)

Though the clubs threatened with relegation may sue the Premier League if West Ham stay up. (Guardian)

Newcastle - who will sack Glenn Roeder in the summer - believe they are favourites to land ex-Bolton boss Sam Allardyce. (The Sun)

Patrick Vieira thinks Arsene Wenger will walk out on Arsenal now vice-chairman David Dein has left the club. (The Sun)

Leeds veteran Gary Kelly is involved in talks with two consortiums interested in buying the club. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell says he will play his reserves if they qualify for the Uefa Cup. (Daily Star)

Chester chairman Stephen Vaughan wants Boston boss Steve Evans to replace sacked Mark Wright. (Daily Mail)

Hearts are poised to put one over rivals Hibernian by stealing their pre-season clash with Barcelona. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY...
Michael Owen says he has been racked by guilt throughout his 10-month injury nightmare, especially for the Newcastle fans who have longed to see him in action. (Various)

Thursday 03rd May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
AC Milan are going to tell Chelsea to name their price for captain and inspiration John Terry, who is valued at around £25m. (The Sun)

Chelsea will turn their attentions to Man City defender Micah Richards (£15m) and Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe (£10m). (Daily Express)

Celtic could offer troubled Man City midfielder Joey Barton an escape route from his misery in England. (Daily Record)

Valencia have set their sights on Newcastle's 17-goal top scorer Obafemi Martins as a replacement for Liverpool-bound David Villa. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have told Inter Milan they want Hernan Crespo back as they will lose Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou to the African Nations Cup for a spell next season. (Daily Express)

El Hadji Diouf could follow Sam Allardyce out of Bolton after insisting he is being chased by four top European clubs. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers are planning an ambitious move for Manchester United forward Alan Smith. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers striker Nacho Novo may be off to Russia, with Zenit St Petersburg interested. (Daily Express)

Everton are keen on signing Cardiff City hot-shot Michael Chopra. (Daily Mirror)

Reading will battle it out with Birmingham for talented Arsenal youngster Fabrice Muamba. (Daily Express)

Aston Villa will make a £2m summer move for Charlton defender Luke Young. (Daily Star, Daily Express)

Martin O'Neill is also in the hunt for Liverpool's Craig Bellamy and Celtic keeper Artur Boruc after being given a blank cheque book. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy wants to take Newcastle defender Peter Ramage on a season-long loan next term. (Daily Star)

Blackburn have taken Gunnar Nielsen, a 20-year-old goalkeeper from the Faroe Islands, on trial. (Independent)

Highly-rated Newcastle striker Andy Carroll is likely to start next season on loan at Carlisle. (Daily Star)

Derby boss Billy Davies has been told he will not have to sell Giles Barnes if they do not get promoted. (Daily Star)

Rams midfielder Seth Johnson has been offered a chance to resurrect his career at former employers Crewe. (Daily Mirror)

Goalkeeper Danny Coyne is set to quit Burnley after falling out of favour. (Daily Mail)

Leyton Orient midfielder Luke Guttridge is likely to leave the club when his contract expires this summer. (Independent)

Stuart Golabek is set to quit Inverness after eight years unless he is guaranteed regular first-team football. (Daily Record)

Queen's Park's teenage striker Peter Weatherston is in the verge of joining Plymouth. (Scottish Sun)

Jason Scotland's former club Dundee United and Hearts are set to join the race to sign the St Johnstone striker. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Jose Mourinho will be given just one more season to win the Champions League as manager of Chelsea. (The Times)

Sam Allardyce is set to be named as the new manager of Newcastle United on 14 May, the day after the Premiership finishes. (The Sun)

Man City midfielder Joey Barton could face court action after his training ground attack on Ousmane Dabo left the Frenchman unconscious and with a damaged eye. (Various)

Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed has instructed his lawyers to investigate the Premier League's decision not to dock West Ham points. (Daily Mirror)

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Remi Garde wants to be the club's new director of football after being sounded out by Arsene Wenger. (Daily Mirror, Daily Mail)

Michael Owen could make his England return in a specially-arranged B international on 26 May. (The Sun)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger claims Chelsea will be "grieving" when they visit the Emirates on Sunday. (The Sun)

Everton boss David Moyes is ready to risk injured striker Andrew Johnson as he tries to get the club into Europe. (Daily Star)

Left-back Gary Borrowdale has told Crystal Palace to offer him a better contract or he will quit in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Skipper Lee Bullen is set to sign a new contract to keep him at Sheffield Wednesday for another season. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY...
Peter Shilton deliberately left Diego Maradona out of his Perfect XI for FourFourTwo magazine because he has still not apologised for his 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 World Cup. (Independent)

Liverpool keeper Jose Reina can emulate his dad by playing in the Champions League final - and exorcise the demons that have haunted his family for 33 years.

His father Miguel Reina was a Spanish international keeper in 1974 playing in the final for Atletico Madrid, and he let in a long-range shot with seconds to go to hand Bayern Munich a replay. Atletico lost the replay 4-0. (The Sun)

Friday 04th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Tottenham boss Martin Jol says they would not sell striker Dimitar Berbatov for £40m. (The Sun)

Real Madrid will make a £20m bid this summer for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho. (Daily Star)

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is to pledge the rest of his career to the club for £6m a year. (The Sun)

Celtic are closing in on £6m rated Fenerbahce midfielder Stephen Appiah. (The Sun)

Champions League hero Daniel Agger is also set to be rewarded with a new contract. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is ready to smash their transfer record with a £7m swoop for Tottenham's Jermain Defoe. (Daily Star)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants £20m England defender Micah Richards. (Daily Mirror)

Matthew Upson has given West Ham a massive boost by agreeing to stay even if they are relegated. (The Sun)

Albert Luque is to end his Newcastle hell by joining PSV on loan. (The Sun)

The Premiership's big spenders are on alert after Alan Pardew admitted Darren Bent is for sale. (Daily Star)

Charlton will also sell defender Luke Young if they go down. (Daily Express)

Rangers star Nacho Novo is determined to prove he has a long-term future at the club. (Daily Record)

Birmingham manger Steve Bruce is to run the rule over Hibernian stars Steven Whittaker, Steven Fletcher and David Murphy. (The Express)

Dundee and St Johnstone are battling it out to sign Port Vale striker Nathan Lowndes. (The Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Property tycoon Simon Morris has emerged as a possible bidder for cash-strapped Leeds. (The Daily Telegraph)

AC Milan midfielder Rino Gattuso has wound up Champions League final opponents Liverpool by telling them they are not as good as Manchester United. (The Sun)

Fulham will host a four-club summit today in a bid to bring joint legal action against the Premier League over West Ham's points deduction let-off. (The Sun)

The Premier League is facing a mutiny after six clubs snubbed peace talks aimed at preventing court action over West Ham's punishment. (Daily Star)

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan says the bottom six clubs are preparing a £70m lawsuit. (Daily Express)

Chelsea confirmed Andriy Shevchenko missed their Champions League clash against Liverpool with a groin injury. (The Sun)

The Football League will get an £80m injection over the next three years in a new deal to spread the TV riches of the Premiership. (Daily Mirror)

Paul Ince wants Les Ferdinand as his number two if he takes over at Leicester. (Daily Mirror)

Reading director of football Nick Hammond is being considered by Arsene Wenger as a replacement for David Dein at Arsenal. (The Guardian)

Graham Rix and Craig Brewster have been eliminated from the shortlist of managers to take over at First Division side Livingston. (The Herald).


AND FINALLY...
Patrice Evra asked to be housed near a church when he joined Manchester United so that he could "give thanks that he was able to play for the best club in the world each week". (Daily Express)

Former England skipper David Beckham, who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Thursday, has thanked Simon Fuller for fixing him up with his wife Victoria. (The Sun)

Former Liverpool striker Milan Baros has been banned for three games for pretending that an opponent smelled. (Daily Mirror)

Saturday 05th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Arsenal are closing in on a £2m deal for Legia Warsaw and Poland keeper Lukasz Fabianski. (Various)

Wigan and Middlesbrough are set to fight it out for Monaco striker Mohamed Kallon this summer. (The Sun)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes that Champions League glory will help attract the players his side need to win the Premiership. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle defender Titus Bramble is close to joining Portsmouth on a free transfer. (Daily Mirror)

Reading have extended the loan of Hungarian midfielder Peter Mate until the end of the year. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former West Ham chairman Terry Brown has been plotting a secret takeover bid for Leeds. (Daily Telegraph)

Sam Allardyce has been invited back to Bolton for next week's final game of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton are ready to make their performance manager Mike Forde their general manager. (Daily Mirror)

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is trying to buy Man City, is reported to be facing a £11.8m fine for corruption. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole could face an ankle operation this month and miss England's Euro 2008 clash with Estonia in June. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United stars Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as manager Sir Alex Ferguson, have been sent hoax letters claiming to contain poison. (Various)

Fifa have told Scotland star Andy Webster to pay Hearts £625,000 for breaking his contract when he moved to Wigan. (Daily Record)

Outgoing Celtic captain Neil Lennon says Stephen McManus should replace him as skipper.


AND FINALLY
Liverpool star Steven Gerrard's fiancee Alex Curran originally refused a date because he was too scared to ask her out himself. (The Sun)

Sunday 06th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool are ready to make a £12m swoop for West Ham's Carlos Tevez. (People)

Chelsea are tracking Bayern Munich's Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro. (News of the World)

Promoted Birmingham want to lure Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, currently on loan at Watford. (Sunday Express)

Chelsea are lining up an £8m bid for Tottenham full-back Pascal Chimbonda. (News of the World)

Juventus boss Didier Deschamps is to mount a £9m raid for Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (Daily Mirror)

Outgoing Celtic captain Neil Lennon says he would like to return to the Premiership when his contract expires in the summer. (Scotland on Sunday)

Celtic are stepping up their interest in Stuttgart striker Daniel Ljuboja after the Serbian striker revealed he wants to leave Germany. (Scotland on Sunday)


OTHER GOSSIP
Newcastle have called an emergency board meeting which will almost certainly mean the sack for boss Glenn Roeder. (Sunday Mirror)

Fulham want former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit to lead them into a new era. (Mail on Sunday)

Manchester United and Everton will be probed by the Premier League over Tim Howard's abscence from their clash at Goodison Park. (News of the World, Mail on Sunday)

Wigan are to demand the Premier League launch a new probe into Carlos Tevez's status at West Ham. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
West Ham's players have been blasting out Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry to inspire them in their fight against the drop, especially the line "Everything's Gonna Be alright". (Sunday Express)

Former Rangers full-back Michael Ball has revealed he paid £4,000 per game towards the end of his Ibrox career in order to play as part of an arrangement with David Murray. (News of the World)

Monday 07th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Sunderland and Everton are targeting Preston striker David Nugent and Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland are poised to make a £2m offer to Celtic for out-of-favour Thomas Gravesen. (The Sun)

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan is still interested in West Brom midfielder Jason Koumas. (The Sun)

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has admitted that he needs to boost his side by making at least three major close-season signings. (Daily Record)

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has revealed that on-loan striker Andy Cole is set to go back to Portsmouth because Blues cannot afford to keep him. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have hijacked Newcastle's bid to sign Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell and believe they have secured their man with an offer of £50,000 per week wages. (The Sun)

Former Celtic defender Dariusz Wdowczyk is to be interviewed for the manager's vacancy at Livingston. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is set to take over as Newcastle manager following the resignation of Glenn Roeder. (Various)

Aston Villa striker Chris Sutton will decide this week whether to retire after being sidelined since December with an eye injury. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry insists there is no rush for captain Steven Gerrard, who is negotiating a new contract, to commit his future to the club because the Reds are focusing on this month's Champions League final against AC Milan. (The Sun)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp wants a new contract after guiding the club to the brink of Europe. (Various)

Former Newcastle striker Patrick Kluivert hopes to play for another two years, despite being hit by injuries at PSV Eindhoven this season. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc is facing Scottish FA action after waving a championship-winning flag after Saturday's defeat by Rangers at Ibrox. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY
A sign of the United States' growing interest in the English game is the news that more than 50 Americans have registered for a forum for football business to be held in Wembley this week. US representatives include those working for the Kraft family, who were once linked to Liverpool. (Daily Mail)

Rangers will take part in a three-match tour of Germany in July as part of their build-up to the new campaign. (Daily Record)

Tuesday 08th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Man Utd are close to pulling out of buying Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich as the German club have upped their price for the England man. (Various)

Alternatively, Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson will be handed a £50m transfer kitty - with Owen Hargreaves the number one target. (Daily Mirror)

Spain striker Fernando Torres, Southampton's Gareth Bale, Spurs' Dimitar Berbatov and Reading's Steve Sidwell are also on United's wants list. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have snapped up Reading's Sidwell on a £50,000 per week deal. (Daily Mail)

Celtic are lining up a £3m swoop for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts. (Daily Record)

Everton boss David Moyes is set to win the race for £8m Preston striker David Nugent. (The Sun)

Man City midfielder Joey Barton has been told he will be sold as soon as someone agrees to pay £5.5m for him. (The Sun)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is travelling to Real Madrid this week to thrash out a deal for Jose Reyes. (The Sun)

Arsenal are hoping to land highly-rated Ajax winger Ryan Babel for £6m - and Bolton youngster Kyle Bartley for £500,000. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton's Kevin Nolan says that there will be no summer exodus from the club following Sam Allardyce's departure, providing the club qualify for the Uefa Cup. (The Sun)

Marseille are among a trio of European clubs who want to sign relegated Leeds striker David Healy. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham are leading the race to sign Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng. (Daily Mirror)

Everton are unlikely to take up a £12m option to sign Benfica's on-loan star Manuel Fernandes. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says the club needs to sort out some dressing room unrest - but has not named any names. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, the Blues have reportedly sacked youth team boss Ruud Kaiser. (The Sun)

Sources in Ukraine claim former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson will be unveiled as Dynamo Kiev's new manager next week. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas says the Gunners have paid the price this season for being shot-shy. (Various)

Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek has begged boss Rafa Benitez to let him play one last game at Anfield on Sunday. (Various)

Bolton boss Sammy Lee fears that former manager Sam Allardyce will raid the club for the Trotters stars and staff when he returns to management. (Daily Mirror)

Allardyce's return to management with Newcastle will be confirmed next week. (Various)

Newcastle striker Michael Owen will make his return in an England shirt in the B international against Albania on 25 May. (Daily Mirror)

Ex-Rangers striker Mark Hateley has warned Celtic that the balance of power in Scottish football is shifting and that Rangers are on the rise. (Daily Record)

Iain Dowie will meet Coventry's prospective new owners this week to thrash out his transfer budget for next season. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Sunderland boss Roy Keane says the most satisfying aspect of his job is making 'the fans' pints taste good'. (Daily Mirror)

Oasis frontman and ardent Man City fan Noel Gallagher was left fuming when Primal Scream bassist and ardent Man Utd fan Mani phoned from a packed pub and got all the locals to sing 'champions, champions' down the line. (Daily Star)

Man Utd stars handpicked a selection of fans to celebrate their title success at a swanky city centre bar. (Daily Mirror)

Wednesday 09th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is Manchester United's top transfer target. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United want to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Nani in a £17.5m swoop. (Daily Mirror)

A £9m release clause in Newcastle forward Michael Owen's contract has alerted Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. (Various)

Barcelona are set to make a £15m bid for Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. (Daily Star)

Chelsea are chasing West Ham striker Carlos Tevez. (Daily Star)

Tottenham are determined to hang on to striker Dimitar Berbatov, despite growing interest from Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)

Berbatov's agent Emil Dantchev says the forward is likely to remain at Spurs. (The Guardian)

Everton are ready to make a £5.5m cut-price bid for Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton. (Various)

Andy Todd has been told he can leave Blackburn, with Wigan and Rangers linked to the defender. (Daily Mirror)

Jose Reyes is trying to find a club in Spain to avoid a return to Arsenal, who are ready to recall the winger because Real Madrid are not convinced they should make his loan move a permanent one. (The Sun)

Injury-prone midfielder Kieron Dyer is likely to be one of the first players sold if former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce becomes the new Magpies manager. (The Independent)

Real Zaragoza defender Gaby Milito has pleaded for the chance to join Liverpool after they lined up a £10m player-plus-cash deal involving Mark Gonzalez. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce will find out next week how much cash there will be available to spend on players after the club's promotion to the Premiership. (The Sun)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane wants to make on-loan Manchester United defender Danny Simpson a permanent signing. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton have admitted that they face a massive fight to hang on to Darren Bent after being relegated to the Championship, with Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and West Ham all keen to land the striker. (Various)

Liverpool are keeping tabs on Palermo's Brazilian-born striker Amauri. (The Sun)

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell is set to resist interest from Newcastle and move to Chelsea this summer. (The Guardian)

Portsmouth are battling with Juventus to sign £6m-rated Reggina striker Rolando Bianchi. (Daily Star)

Andy Webster's proposed switch to Rangers has been placed in jeopardy after Fifa ordered the defender to pay former club Hearts £625,000 in compensation for breach of contract. (Daily Record)

Norwich will not have to sell top scorer Robert Earnshaw after a £2m cash injection from new directors Andrew and Sharon Turner. (Daily Star)

Kilmarnock midfielder Peter Leven will leave in the summer after rejecting a final contract offer. (Daily Record)

Tottenham face competition from Newcastle, Manchester City and Charlton in their bid to sign Hertha Berlin midfielder Kevin Boateng. (Daily Mail)

Marseille winger Franck Ribery has said that Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan are clubs he "dreams" of joining. (The Independent)

Sevilla striker Kepo Blanco, who is on loan at West Ham, claims that Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle have offered him the chance to play for them next season. (The Independent)

James McCarthy has rejected a move to Liverpool that would have earned Hamilton Accies £1m for the 16-year-old midfielder. (The Sun/Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has predicted that AC Milan will beat Liverpool in the Champions League final and if the Italians do triumph he will open a bottle of wine given to him by Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti after the Red Devils were beaten in the last four. (The Sun)

Ferguson will not field a weakened team in the final Premiership game of the season against relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday. (Various)

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has apologised to winger Cristiano Ronaldo for condemning the Manchester United winger's upbringing. (Various)

Mourinho has given a strong indication he will remain at the helm next season by saying he will not need a bigger squad for the next campaign, while winger Arjen Robben is set to stay at the club. (The Guardian)

Newcastle's Michael Owen will be allowed to play in England's Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia in June because the Premiership club's manager-in-waiting Sam Allardyce would allow it, even though the Magpies and the Football Association are in a compensation battle over the striker's 2006 World Cup injury. (The Sun)

Former Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson has urged the fans to unite behind the next manager at St James' Park following the resignation of Glenn Roeder. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United remain confident their pre-season Asian tour will go ahead, despite criticism from the president of the Asian Football Confederation Mohamed bin Hamman over the schedule clash with the Asian Cup. (Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has called for an end to the backbiting he feels has undermined his first year at Stamford Bridge. (Various)

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has held talks with captain John Terry to explain his injury problems because he was concerned about rumours that he was not giving his all for the club. (The Sun)

The Premier League went into emergency session on Tuesday to draw up plans to write new clauses into players' contracts outlawing third-party ownership following criticism over its handling of the Carlos Tevez saga at West Ham. (Daily Express)

The Premier League has defended its handling of the Tevez affair and has warned the 'Gang of Four' - Sheffield United, Wigan, Charlton and Fulham - that their legal threat over the failure to dock points from West Ham is doomed to failure. (The Times and The Independent)

A statement on the fate of the Lord Stevens' bung inquiry is likely to be postponed until next week because of the legal threat to the Premier League by four clubs. (The Guardian)

The FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United on 19 May will be bigger and better than ever, according to Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick. (Daily Express)

Coventry managing director Paul Fletcher says a takeover deal could be struck by the end of this month after a United States-led consortium agreed to buy the club in February. (The Sun)

A surge in the value of Newcastle's plc shares has led to speculation that someone is acquiring a significant stake in the club, possibly a potential new bidder. (Daily Express)

Motherwell striker Scott McDonald has pleaded with the Scottish Football Association to overturn his red card against Dunfermline. (Daily Record)

The Irish Football Association has confirmed that talks over Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez's future at Fulham - where he is caretaker manager - will begin after the weekend. (The Independent)

Aston Villa are still in with a chance of playing in Europe next season because, with Tottenham leading the Fair Play League but set to qualify automatically for the Uefa Cup, Villa are next in line to go into the draw with nine other European clubs for the final two places in that competition.

Motherwell are on the verge of a £10m takeover by Lanarkshire property developer Tommy Coakley. (The Sun)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc has apologised for flying a champions flag at the end of Saturday's defeat by Rangers at Ibrox. (Daily Record)

Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam is poised to be called up to the Scotland squad to face Austria. (The Sun)

Hibernian reserve team coach Mark Proctor is on the shortlist to be Livingston manager. (The Sun)

Aberdeen striker Craig Brewster and former Partick Thistle boss Dick Campbell top the candidates for the Ross County manager's job. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United's players were not on huge incentives to win the Premiership title because Old Trafford chiefs believe they are so well paid they do not need large bonuses to pick up trophies. They shared a pool of £1m, which was based on appearances and amounts to four days' extra pay (£68,000) for the likes of winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (The Sun)

Helsingborg striker Henrik Larsson, who spent three months on loan at Manchester United this season, will be the Premiership club's guest of honour at this month's FA Cup final against Chelsea. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "I told him, if we got there he would come to the final as our guest." (The Sun)

Liverpool's players could pick up £100,000 each in bonuses if they beat AC Milan in this month's Champions League final. (Various)

Ricky Hatton joked that Manchester United's Wayne Rooney bottled out of a visit to the boxer's gym because the striker feared he might be dragged into the ring. Instead, some of Rooney's team-mates turned up to pick up tickets for Hatton's next bout in June - against Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas. (The Sun)

Joseph Yobo will equal Kevin Ratcliffe's 1987 record of playing in every second of Everton's league campaign if the Nigerian defender completes 90 minutes at Chelsea on Sunday. (Daily Star)

Thursday 10th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed that the Spanish club have agreed a deal to sign Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. (Various)

Manchester United have inquired about the availability of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o but have been put off by the £40m transfer fee they were quoted. (The Independent)

Defender Sylvain Distin, who is out of contract, has revealed that he is ready to leave Manchester City after five years. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton winger Dennis Rommedahl does not want to play for the club following their relegation to the Championship and has been linked to FC Copenhagen. (The Independent)

West Ham face losing Carlos Tevez even if they beat the drop on Sunday because Chelsea and Liverpool are targeting the striker. (The Sun)

Tottenham are lining up a swoops for Auxerre defender Younes Kaboul, Southampton full-back Gareth Bale and Hertha Berlin midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, while also considering a move for Toulouse forward Johan Elmander. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal have completed a £2m deal for Polish keeper Lukasz Fabianski from Legia Warsaw. (Various)

Fulham want to sign Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon - at the second time of asking. (Daily Mirror)

The exit of Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has put Steve Sidwell's free transfer from Reading to St James' Park this summer in doubt, although Everton are also chasing the midfielder. (The Times)

Fulham have allowed striker Vincenzo Montella, whose loan deal from Roma was set to end next week, to return to Italy early. (The Times)

Birmingham have joined West Ham, Bolton and Middlesbrough in the battle to sign Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, who has been linked to Everton, has attracted the interest of two unnamed clubs from abroad. (Daily Star)

Tottenham, Everton and Rangers have been linked to Palermo and Italy striker Andrea Caracciolo. (Daily Star)

England Under-21 keeper Lee Camp will turn his back on a £9,000-a-week pay rise at Derby to join QPR following a loan spell at Loftus Road. (Daily Mail)

Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has been voted the club's player of the season and who is being targeted by Real Zaragoza and Atletico Madrid, has urged the Toffees to sort out his future. (Various)

Leeds boss Dennis Wise has told defenders Hayden Foxe and Robbie Elliott, who are out of contract in the summer, to find new clubs. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce will be handed a £10m transfer kitty following the club's promotion to the Premiership. (Daily Star)

Southampton are targeting Anderlecht's Jonathan Legaer, although Lazio are also interested in the winger. (Daily Star)

Dundee United may sign Polish keeper Lukasz Zaluska, who has been on trial from Korona Kielce for the past week. (Daily Record)

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has said the club would welcome back Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko to the San Siro. (Various)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reiterated that he may not do big business during the summer transfer market. (The Times)

Levski Sofia striker Nasko Kurdov is hoping to earn a contract with Tottenham following a trial. (The Times)

Aberdeen could sign Wolves defender Jackie McNamara and Hibernian midfielder Michael Stewart on freedom of contract. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has written to the Premier League demanding evidence that West Ham striker Carlos Tevez is still eligible to play. (Various)

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has questioned whether Newcastle, who are tipped to land former Trotters boss Sam Allardyce as manager, are a bigger club than the Reebok Stadium outfit. (The Sun)

Allardyce has been reassured he will land the Magpies vacancy, despite ex-England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson and former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier being linked to the post. (Daily Star)

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has told Michael Owen that he owes the club some loyalty - following reports that the England striker is ready to trigger an escape clause in his contract. (Daily Express)

Magpies forward Owen will be picked by England boss Steve McClaren for the B international friendly against Albania on 25 May, while Bolton striker Kevin Davies will also earn a call-up. (Various)

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who mistakenly thought he had been sent off by referee Graham Poll during Wednesday's draw with Manchester United, said he had "cleansed his soul" with his tirade against the match official. (Various)

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will take his squad on a five-day training trip to Spain to help them prepare for the heat of Greece - where they will meet AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens on May 23. (Various)

Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez will be confirmed as the full-time manager of Fulham on Monday. (Daily Express)

Former Leeds director Simon Morris has launched a £10m bid to buy the club and build a new 50,000-seater stadium. (Various)

Ex-Fulham boss Chris Coleman has been interviewed for the vacant managerial position at Leicester and is now favourite for the job ahead of Macclesfield's Paul Ince. (Daily Mail)

Paul Duffen, a former chief executive of Catalyst, who own 20 per cent of TV betting shop service SIS, is understood to have agreed a £10m deal to take over Hull City. (Daily Mail)

Dundee are offering their players £20,000-a-man in a bid to clinch promotion back to the Scottish Premier League. (Daily Record)

Tottenham's hopes of moving to Wembley while White Hart Lane is redeveloped appear slim, with senior Football Association figures indicating they are not interested in striking a deal. (The Guardian)

Charlton manager Alan Pardew is facing a £400,000 pay cut after failing in his bid to save the club from relegation. (Daily Star)

The Football Association will embrace the long-awaited Lord Burns reforms on 29 May. (Daily Express)

Former Wimbledon striker Dean Holdsworth wants to kickstart his managerial career with AFC Wimbledon, who are looking for a new boss following the resignation of Dave Anderson. (Daily Star)

The publication of Lord Stevens' final bungs inquiry report looks to have been delayed further and may not be released until after the FA Cup final on 19 May. (Daily Telegraph)

Portsmouth midfielder Gary O'Neill will have to have surgery on an ankle problem after Sunday's final Premiership game of the season, which is against Arsenal. (The Times)

Former administrator Bryan Jackson would return to Motherwell as director should Tommy Coakley's takeover succeed. (Various)

Livingston have been banned from signing new players and fined £5,000 for sacking Manny Dorado when he refused to take a pay cut. (The Sun)

On-loan Liverpool winger Adam Hammill has been released from England Under-19 duty to play for Dunfermline against Inverness this weekend. (The Scotsman)

Falkirk are poised to enter a partnership with Czech Premier League club Viktoria Plzen. (Various)


AND FINALLY
The Chelsea memorabilia collection belonging to the late Scottie Cheshire, a club historian and housemaster at Repton School, was sold for about £300,000 at Southeby's on Wednesday. It included the only programme believed to be in existence from the match at Hull from Chelsea's debut 1905-06 season, which went for £7,000. (Daily Mail)

The Football Association has confirmed that the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United on 19 May will be at full capacity after 17,000 of its red corporate seats had to be replaced because they turned pink in the sun. (Daily Telegraph)

Friday 11th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Carlos Tevez has told his West Ham team-mates he will quit the club at the end of the season - with AC Milan and Sevilla leading the chase. (The Sun)

Though it is still unclear who owns Tevez - with Media Sports Investment allegedly offering him to five different clubs for £31m. (Daily Express)

Arsenal will challenge Real Madrid in the battle for Barcelona's out-of-favour striker Javier Saviola. (Daily Express)

Liverpool are tracking Palermo's Brazilian-born striker Amauri. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth will offer Manchester City contract rebel Sylvain Distin £40,000-a-week to move to Fratton Park. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn striker Jason Roberts is a shock £3.5m target for Uefa Cup finalists Sevilla. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool will listen to offers in the region of £4m for goalkeeper Scott Carson, who wants to keep playing first-team football. (Independent)

Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov will be offered a new contract to make sure he stays at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mirror)

Reading will have to fork out £2.5m for Luton defender Leon Barnett. (The Sun)

The Royals are also plotting a £3m raid on Arsenal for youngster Fabrice Muamba. (The Sun)

Martin Albrechtsen says he wants to leave West Brom - although he would reconsider if they are promoted. (Independent)

Danny Shittu's Watford future looks uncertain after he said he would like to stay in the Premiership. (Independent)

Bruno N'Gotty has admitted he may leave Birmingham in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll is returning to old club Bournemouth to sign James Hayter. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers have revealed they will not sign Turkish trialist Erol Bulut. (Daily Record)

Dundee United boss Craig Levein could be set to swoop for Leicester striker Mark de Vries. (Daily Record)

Hearts top scorer Andrius Velicka says he has no idea if he has a future at Tynecastle. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United tried to break Premier League rules by inserting a written clause in his contract that Tim Howard could not play against them this season upon signing for Everton. (Guardian, Daily Telegraph)

Graham Poll has decided to quit refereeing at the end of the season after becoming fed up of getting abuse. (Daily Mirror)

PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman wants to be the next manager of Fulham. (Daily Mirror)

Luiz Felipe Scolari has emerged as a contender to Sam Allardyce to become the new Newcastle manager. (Daily Mirror)

Magpies midfielder Nolberto Solano has told Allardyce to ditch his long-ball tactics if he moves to St James' Park. (Daily Star)

Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock has agreed a new two-year contract at Bramall Lane. (The Sun)

Uefa has told Reading that if they qualify for the Uefa Cup next season and play weakened teams, they will be breaching the competition's rules. (Guardian)

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler will not be offered a new deal in the summer. (Daily Star)

Huddersfield have offered Frank Sinclair a 12-month contract. (Daily Star)

Inverness are on the verge of signing Romanian legends Gheorghe Hagi and Gica Popescu as scouts. (Daily Record)

Falkirk defender Kenny Milne is close to clinching a new deal to stay at the club. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea flop Andriy Shevchenko has pleaded with the club to give him more time to show he can cut the mustard in the Premiership. (The Sun)

Nottingham Forest boss Colin Calderwood believes the play-offs are football's greatest invention - despite the fact that he has lost twice as a manager. (The Sun)

Saturday 12th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Chelsea. (The Sun)

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell is set to sign for Chelsea on Monday after completing a medical. (The Sun)

And the Royals have joined Leicester in the chase for Birmingham's Julian Gray. (The Sun)

PSV Eindhoven defender Alex is set to join Chelsea, who effectively own him but have loaned him out to the Dutch club, in the summer. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa are set to move for Manchester City defender Sylvain Distin. (Daily Star)

Bolton will let Nicolas Anelka leave in the summer - but only if they receive a bid of £20m for him. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal want to beat Juventus to the signing of £5m-rated Bordeaux and France midfielder Rio Antonio Mavuba. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool are ready to pay £8m for Brazil Under-21 captain Lucas Leiva, who plays for Gremio. (Daily Mirror)

Former Middlesbrough defender Abel Xavier is joining David Beckham at LA Galaxy. (Daily Mirror)

Aberdeen have offered Wolves defender Jackie McNamara a two-year contract. (The Sun)

Hibs want to sign Daryl Duffy from Hull, but face a fight with Swansea for his services. (Daily Record)

Meanwhile, Hibs keeper Zibi Malkowski's transfer to First Division champions Gretna appears to have broken down. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sam Allardyce has been handed the Newcastle manager's job after having talks with Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, Sammy Lee has begged former boss Allardyce to come back to The Reebok on Sunday and support his old club's push for Europe. (The Sun)

Iain Dowie is the front-runner to be the new Leicester boss. (The Sun)

Manchester City will make a decision on midfielder Joey Barton's future on Tuesday. (The Sun)

Aston villa boss Martin O'Neill is ready to hand midfielder Patrik Berger a new contract. (The Sun)

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov says he is staying at the club, despite interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. (The Sun)

Stuart Pearce has insisted he will still be manager of Manchester City next season. (Daily Star)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is praying striker Mark Viduka will decide to stay at the club. (Daily Star)

Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is eager to sign a contract extension. (Daily Mirror)

Dunfermline manager Stephen Kenny has accused the Scottish FA of smugness for the way they rejected Scott Wilson's red card appeal. (Various)

Chelsea's Arjen Robben is set to snub interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to sign a new deal with the Blues. (Daily Express)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has guaranteed that striker Thierry Henry will stay at the club. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Referee Graham Poll wants a career in television after he takes charge of his final top-flight game at Portsmouth on Sunday. (Daily Mirror)

Tickets for next Saturday's FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea are beig sold on the black market for £1800 each

Sunday 13th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Frank Lampard is a £15m target for Barcelona, the Catalonian club having lined the midfielder up as the perfect person to give their team more bite. (Sunday Mirror)

Sam Allardyce will sign a £13m deal to manage Newcastle and then, with the ink still drying, make a £5m bid for Manchester City bad boy Joey Barton. (The People)

Although Big Sam might be able to save some money, with Barton's value plummeting to £3m. (Sunday Mirror)

Allardyce will also look to spend Freddie Shepherd's hard-earned cash on Freddie Ljungberg, although he'll face competition from Portsmouth. (Sunday Mirror)

Jermaine Jenas will head back up north in a £10m move to Everton. James Beattie could go the other way in part exchange. (The People)

Leeds striker David Healy will escape League One football by teaming up with his former international manager Lawrie Sanchez at Craven Cottage. (News of the World)

Although he could go to Middlesbrough. (The People)

And Preston forward David Nugent is also keen on a move to the Premiership to safeguard his spot in the England squad. (The Observer)

But one player going nowhere is Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov, chairman Daniel Levy reiterating that he doesn't run a selling club. (The Observer)

Micah Richards is 'happyish' at Manchester City, although he admits that he would like to play in the Champions League and would view a switch to Arsenal as a 'dream move'. (News of the World)

Carlos Tevez is wanted by most of Europe, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan among the suitors. (Various)

Michael Owen could move to Manchester United for £11m, just two years and 12 starts since joining Newcastle for £16m. (Sunday Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United have turned down a "sensational" £850m takeover bid from a Chinese consortium. (News of the World)

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan believes West Ham will be relegated "if there is any justice in the world". (Sunday Mail)

But his counterpart at Upton Park, Eggert Magnusson, has urged Sheffield United and Wigan to play fair and not to contrive the Wigan win which could send West Ham down. (Sunday Express)

Alan Curbishley will be handed a £45m transfer kitty if the Hammers beat the drop. (News of the World)

Stuart Pearce will be axed if and when ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra completes a £160m takeover. (News of the World)

Neil Warnock will make a decision on his future at Sheffield United after the relegation showdown with Wigan. (Various)

The right side of the LA Galaxy team line-up could turn into a haircut competition, with full-back Abel Xavier set to line up behind David Beckham. (The Independent)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea's senior players have welcomed referee Graham Poll's retirement. One senior player described the announcement as "the best news we've had in years". (Sunday Mirror)

With tongue firmly in cheek, Eric Cantona has claimed to be the greatest French footballer of all time. (Sunday Times)

Monday 14th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Steve Sidwell is to have a medical at Chelsea before sealing a move to Stamford Bridge after his contract expires at Reading. (Daily Star)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is eyeing up West Brom defender and ex-Manchester United colleague Paul McShane. (Various)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will want an answer from Mark Viduka about whether the striker wants to stay at the club. (The Sun)

Birmingham want defenders Liam Ridgewell and JLloyd Samuel from arch rivals Aston Villa. (Mirror)

Ajax striker Klaas Jun Huntelaar is on Manchester United's summer shopping list. (Mirror)

Manchester City defender Sylvain Distin is out of contract this summer and Aston Villa are one of many clubs targeting the Frenchman. (Mirror)

Watford want West Ham striker Marlon Harewood to shoot them back into the Premiership. (Mirror)

Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws plans to go back to his ex-club Scunthorpe for striker Billy Sharp. (Daily Mail)

Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies says he is ditching his mobile phone over the summer so he does not learn of interest in the club's top goalscorer Steven Naismith. (Daily Express)

Edgar Jankauskas is expected to quit Hearts after failing to break into the first team at Tynecastle this season. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sam Allardyce will be confirmed as Newcastle's manager at a board meeting on Monday and he will then return to Bolton to raid their coaching set-up. (Times)

Arsenal defender William Gallas has bemoaned the side's lack of experienced players and reliance on youngsters. (The Sun)

St Mirren have written to the Scottish Premier League calling for clarification on Gretna's promotion and stadium re-development plans. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he may not even have 16 players fit for the FA Cup final against Manchester United. (Various)

Wigan boss Paul Jewell may have saved the club from Premiership relegation but he is considering his future at the club. (Guardian)

St Mirren boss Gus McPherson is to be rewarded with transfer funds for ensuring the club's SPL survival. (Daily Record)


Back to top
Real Madrid's David Beckham was suspended and had to watch from the stands as his side went 2-0 and 3-1 down to Espanyol before winning 4-3 and leapfrogging Barcelona to move top of La Liga.

Tuesday 15th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
West Ham striker Carlos Tevez is set for a £30m move to Real Madrid - with West Ham not seeing a penny of any fee. (The Sun)

But Tevez will decide on his future next week. (Daily Express)

The Hammers will this week make a £12m bid for Charlton captain Darren Bent. (Daily Star)

Spurs have also put Bent at the top of their shopping list, for around £10m. (Daily Express)

And they are in the hunt for Barcelona's out-of-favour former Chelsea frontman Eidur Gudjohnsen, too. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell has moved a step closer to joining Newcastle. (Daily Mirror)

Phil Jagielka is set to walk out on Sheffield United with Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Wigan interested. (Daily Mirror)

Praise the lord, Manchester United have finally agreed an £18m fee with Bayern Munich for Owen Hargreaves. (Daily Star)

Spurs' interest in Nigel Reo-Coker's has cooled, with Everton and Sunderland watching developments. (Daily Mirror)

Obafemi Martins could be on his way out of Newcastle, with Valencia and Juventus already in talks over a £13m move. (The Sun)

Portsmouth remain favourites to sign Mark Viduka, who is out of contract at Middlesbrough. (Daily Mail)

Glen Johnson has snubbed a permanent move to Portsmouth to fight for a first-team place at Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth and West Ham have made enquiries about Watford youngster Hameur Bouazza. (Daily Mirror)

Swansea, Hartlepool and Hibernian have lodged bids for £150,000-rated Hull striker Darryl Duffy. (Daily Star)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is tracking Benfica's Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic and Rangers are set to battle for the services of former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves defender Jackie McNamara will sign a two-year deal with Aberdeen by the end of the week. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is heading a consortium that may take over Manchester City, would want Blackburn boss Mark Hughes to become the new manager at Eastlands following the sacking of Stuart Pearce. (The Sun)

AZ Alkmaar manager Louis van Gaal is top of the shortlist to replace Pearce at Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)

Although former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier could be set for a return to the Premiership with City. (Daily Express)

Wigan boss Paul Jewell, who resigned on Monday, left the club with a £1m bonus from chairman Dave Whelan as a thank you for keeping the Latics in the Premiership on the last day of the season. (The Sun)

Manager Neil Warnock is poised to quit Sheffield United in the wake of the club's dramatic relegation from the Premiership. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Steve McManaman has revealed he drank champagne with the King of Spain when Real Madrid won the Champions League final at Hampden Park. (Daily Record)

Wednesday 16th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Inter Milan have opened talks over a £25m bid for West Ham striker Carlos Tevez. (Daily Express)

West Ham are set for a multi-million pound windfall if they sell Tevez this summer after it emerged that under the terms of his four-year playing contract only the London club would benefit from his sale. (The Guardian)

Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker could join West Ham in an £8m switch. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth will step up their bid to land Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe after fears they will miss out on Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka. (Various)

Teddy Sheringham, who has been released by West Ham, is wanted by Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls but Charlton are also chasing the striker. (The Sun)

Chelsea's Didier Drogba has hinted he could leave in the summer - if the right offer came in - but fellow forward Andriy Shevchenko has insisted he will be staying at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Express)

Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly wants a transfer after complaining that he is either left out of the side or played on the flank rather than in his favoured central midfield position. (Daily Express)

Birmingham are ready to make a shock bid for Newcastle defender Titus Bramble. (Daily Mirror)

New Wigan boss Chris Hutchings is lining up West Ham striker Marlon Harewood as his first signing in a £2.5m deal. (The Sun)

Fulham defender Zat Knight may move to Sunderland. (Various)

Midfielder Fabio Rochemback is set to snub Sporting Lisbon and Benfica and stay at Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)

Winger Dennis Rommedahl is ready to quit Charlton for a move to Brondby. (Daily Star)

Leicester will join Preston and Ipswich in the race to sign Carlisle striker Karl Hawley. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth may be closing in again on Udinese midfielder Sulley Muntari after his agent said that only personal terms needed to be resolved in a £6m deal. (Various)

Charlton want West Ham keeper Jimmy Walker. (Daily Star)

Dungannon Swifts forward Mark McAllister will reject a move to Celtic because he is concerned there are too many forwards at the SPL club. (Daily Mail)

Falkirk loan keeper Kasper Schmeicel's future at the club is in doubt following the sacking of Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce. (Daily Express)

Falkirk defender Kenny Milne has signed a new one-year deal with the club and tipped the Bairns to finish sixth in the SPL next season.


OTHER GOSSIP
Neil Warnock is set to quit as manager of Sheffield United and will be replaced by his assistant Stuart McCall. (Various)

The Premier League has acted to defuse the row over irregularities in West Ham's signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, who is now at Liverpool, by sending a letter to all 20 Premiership clubs. (The Sun)

The prospective new owners of Manchester City, a consortium headed by ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, are close to announcing a successor to Stuart Pearce, who was sacked as manager this week. (The Independent)

New Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce's first task will be to talk to striker Michael Owen, who has been linked to a summer transfer, about his future. (Various)

Chelsea midfielder Mikel Jon Obi has said he is fit for Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester United, despite limping off with an injury against Everton last weekend. (Daily Mirror)

Ex-Hearts star Scott Crabbe may hang up his boots after East Fife offered him a coaching job. (Daily Record)

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has said he feels he let down manager Jose Mourinho and his team-mates with some of his performances this season. (The Times from an interview in Chelsea's magazine)

Exeter are unhappy at being told there are no more tickets available for Sunday's Conference play-off against Morecambe. (Daily Telegraph)


AND FINALLY
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson and ex-Football Association chief executive Mark Palios have been invited to Saturday's FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Express)

The decision about whether to close the roof for the FA Cup final may be taken early - using a long-range weather forecast - as the complicated procedure has to be performed the day before a match at Wembley. (Daily Mail)

A record number of police will be on duty for the first FA Cup final at the rebuilt Wembley venue, with 1,000 officers being deployed outside the stadium and in central London. (The Guardian)

Thursday 17th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United and Newcastle want to lure striker Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough on a free transfer. (The Sun)

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton is hoping a move abroad to either Roma, Atletico Madrid, Hamburg or Bayern Munich will give him the chance of salvaging his career. (The Sun)

The summer circus of moves could see Andriy Shevchenko shipped off to Villarreal to fund a move for David Villa from Valencia.

But that's only going to go through if Valencia get their mits on ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. (The Daily Star)

Southampton's play-off defeat to Derby means Gareth Bale will leave the club this summer with Manchester United and Tottenham leading the chase. (The Daily Star)

Derby's sought-after midfielder Giles Barnes is set to show a bit of loyalty as he insists he will stay at the club next season even if they are not promoted to the Premiership. (Various)

Charlton want Colchester striker Chris Iwulemo to shoot them straight back into the top-flight. (The Daily Star)

El-Hadji Diouf is set to follow in the footsteps of ex-boss Sam Allardyce and leave Bolton. (The Daily Star)

Freddie Ljungberg's time may be up at Arsenal, who could let up to 11 players go. (The Daily Mail)

Blackburn are ready to make a bid for Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy to bring him back to Ewood Park. (The Daily Mirror)

Bolton are racing against former manager Allardyce to sign Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes. (The Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough winger Nathan Porritt - dubbed the next Ryan Giggs - is being coveted by Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool. (The Times)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea defender John Terry is in a strop. He is ready to hand in a transfer request because he is not being offered the same money as Andriy Shevchenko or Michael Ballack. (Daily Express)

Wigan may be regretting winning their Premiership survival battle - Paul Jewell says he would not have quit as manager if the club had been relegated. (Various)

Leicester are keen on Neil Warnock after he left his job as Sheffield United manager. (The Daily Mirror)

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is set for a summer shake-up at Craven Cottage as he aims to head off unrest in his squad. (The Daily Mirror)

Arjan de Zeeuw's future at Wigan is in doubt with his contract expiring this summer and no word of a new deal. (The Daily Mirror)

West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun is set for showdown talks at West Ham and could hand in a transfer request. (Independent)

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd says the club are not for sale. (Various)

Celtic duo Teddy Bjarnason and Kjartan Binnbogason have been offered new deals. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hopes the FA Cup final does not go to the drama of spot-kicks as he says he has a "diabolical" record when it comes to penalties.

Jose Mourinho has changed his tune on referee Graham Poll. The Chelsea boss, who has been particularly critical of the soon-to-retire referee, has now said: "It is a great quality to decide when to stop. Only intelligent people can do it. He has stopped at the top and I wish him a great future in his new life."

Friday 18th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
West Ham want £8m-rated Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy to replace Carlos Tevez. (The Sun)

Chelsea skipper John Terry will decide on his future this summer - but will not hand in a transfer request. (Daily Star)

Chelsea's Claude Makelele will join Villarreal this summer. (Daily Mirror)

The Blues are lining up a swoop for Brazil defender Alex - for the princely sum of $1. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle's Steven Taylor has told the club not to mess him about and give him a new contract. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp wants to make Freddie Ljungberg his next signing. (Daily Star)

Pompey are also keen to snap up Titus Bramble after the defender was released by Newcastle. (Daily Mail)

Spurs have overtaken Man Utd in the race to sign highly-rated Southampton youngster Gareth Bale. (The Guardian)

West Ham are set to lose striker Bobby Zamora to Atletico Madrid. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers will have to stump up at least £2m to land Osasuna defender Carlos Cuellar. (Daily Record)

Eddie Lewis could quit Leeds and make a shock return to former club Preston. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa are chasing Portugal Under-21 left-back Antunes. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will ask owner Alexander Gaydamak for funds to sign Jermain Defoe, if the striker is put up for sale by Spurs. (The Times)

West Brom's Jason Koumas has told the club he will snub Celtic and stay at the Hawthorns - if the club are promoted. (Daily Mirror)

Dundee United boss Craig Levein is closing in on a deal for Polish keeper Lukasz Zaluska - and will unveil three more signings next week. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen defender Russell Anderson is a £1m target for Middlesbrough. (The Sun)

Rangers are set to complete the signing of Wigan forward Lee McCulloch for £1.25m within a fortnight. (Daily Record)

Craig Gordon's agent wants Hearts to put a transfer price tag on the Scotland goalkeeper. (Daily Express)

Gretna are likely to beat St Mirren to the signature of Kris Gate should Newcastle allow the defender to leave. (Daily Express)

Inverness manager Charlie Christie has given striker Craig Dargo a fortnight to accept a new contract. (Various)

Out-of-favour Falkirk goalkeeper Jeroen Lambers has signed for Dutch outfit BV Veendam. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Angry Arsene Wenger could leave Arsenal over the boardroom row which saw David Dein leave the club - and will take Thierry Henry with him. (Various)

Frank Lampard, John Terry and Arjen Robben have been offered 'take it or leave it' deals by Chelsea - which will mean all three are earning less than misfiring Andriy Shevchenko. (The Sun)

Bryan Robson is poised to replace Neil Warnock as Sheffield United manager. (Various)

Meanwhile, Sheffield United number two Stuart McCall is poised to quit the Blades to become the new Bradford manager. (Daily Star)

Derby insist they will keep boss Billy Davies despite interest from Manchester City. (The Sun)

A Dubai-based consortium is leading the way to take over Leeds with a £40m bid. (Daily Star)

Wigan supremo Dave Whelan and Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore have agreed to calm down over the Carlos Tevez affair. (Daily Star)

Clarence Seedorf claims AC Milan deserved to beat Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final. (Various)

Claudio Ranieri remains top of Man City's wish list for their new manager - despite the Italian telling BBC Sport on Thursday that they were yet to make contact with him. (Various)

Preston boss Paul Simpson has admitted that former assistant Dennis Booth is refusing to speak to him after being released. (Daily Mail)

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has told on-loan Jim O'Brien he cannot play against the club for Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has a good cry when his side loses a big match. (The Sun)

Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka had mixed feelings about his surprise call-up to the England B squad - because it means he will miss a holiday to Halkidki in Greece for which he has already paid. (Daily Express)

Saturday 19th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Newcastle striker Michael Owen could be off to Man Utd in an £11m deal if he proves his fitness this summer. (The Sun)

Chelsea fear that the FA Cup final could be Frank Lampard's last game for the club. (Daily Mirror, Daily Express)

Both Chelsea and Man Utd are lining up bids for Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres. (Daily Mirror)

Everton's Lee Carsley could be the first signing for new Wigan boss Chris Hutchings. (Daily Mirror)

Veteran striker Teddy Sheringham could sign for Crystal Palace after being released by West Ham. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is looking to snap up Man City defender Sylvain Distain and Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce will make Bolton's Tal Ben Haim his first signing as the Magpies' manager. (Daily Star)

West Ham have rejected Wigan's £3m bid for defender Matthew Etherington. (The Independent)

Wigan want Cardiff captain Darren Purse as a replacement for Arjan de Zeeuw. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton have opened talks with Aston Villa left-back Jlloyd Samuel. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic are ready to firm up their interest in £4m-rated Borussia Dortmund striker Alexander Frei. (Daily Express)

West Brom could make a summer bid for Lokomotiv Moscow striker Garry O'Connor. (Daily Record)

New Chester City manager Bobby Williamson has made Inverness striker Craig Dargo has number one signing target. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit reckons Jose Mourinho may still get sacked even if the Blues do win the FA Cup. (The Sun)

Liverpool's Harry Kewell is in line for a shock recall for the Champions League final against AC Milan. (Various)

Kenny Dalglish is a contender for the Sheffield United manager's job. (Daily Record)

David Beckham believes he will play for England again. (The Times)

Manchester City have lined up former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath to be their new manager. (The Times, Daily Star)

Motherwell takeover bidder Tommy Coakley wants Gary McAllister as manager. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been portrayed in an updated version of Michelangelo's masterpiece The Creation of Adam now on show at a gallery in the city. (Daily Star)

Sunday 20th May gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United are trailing Heerenveen's Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves who has scored 34 goals in 31 games this season. (Sunday Mirror)

Chelsea have targeted Everton defender Joleon Lescott but will have to find £10m to get their man. (Sunday Mirror)

Milan are planning a £28m swoop for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. (News of the World)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wants to splash £20m on Carlos Tevez. (Sunday Express)

Spurs are preparing a bid for Manchester United striker Louis Saha. (The People)

Spurs boss Martin Jol hopes to bring in Morten Gamst Pedersen, Leighton Baines, Darren Bent and Nigel Reo-Coker. (Sunday Mirror)

And that means Jermain Defoe, Mido and Hossam Ghaly will be shipped out of White Hart Lane. (Sunday Mirror)

Djibril Cisse has told Liverpool to slash their transfer demands so he can finally leave the club. (Sunday Mirror)

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce is hoping to sign Arsenal centre back Johan Djourou. (Sunday Mirror)

Bruce also wants Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka. (Daily Star Sunday)

Alan Curbishley will axe 12 of his West Ham squad in a £40m summer shake-up, including Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood and Bobby Zamora. (Various)

Manchester United have switched their attentions to Porto winger Anderson after Sporting Lisbon demanded £20m for Nani. (Daily Star Sunday)

Charlton will win the race to sign Crewe striker Luke Varney. (People)

Roy Keane wants to make Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen his first signing after leading Sunderland back to the Premiership. (Daily Star Sunday)

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are in a three-way fight for £15m-rated Manchester City defender Micah Richards. (Daily Star Sunday)

Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim will see his salary rise from £8,000 to £50,000 a week when he signs for Chelsea. (Daily Star Sunday)

Everton are leading the race for Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka, likely to cost £6m. (Independent)

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell will join Chelsea this week - despite a last-ditch bid from West Ham. (News of the World)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger fears Thierry Henry has played his last game for the club. (News of the World)

Real Betis are leading the chase for Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez. (News of the World)

Manchester United are planning a £12m swoop for Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar. (News of the World)

Celtic will table a £5m bid for Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton this week. (News of the World)

Rangers will make a £100,000 move for Coventry full-back David McNamee if they fail to sign Steven Whittaker from Hibernian. (News of the World)

Goalkeeper Jamie Langfield has rejected a transfer to Rangers and will sign a new deal with Aberdeen. (Sunday Mail)

Hibernian aim to sign Dunfermline goalkeeper Dorus De Vries this summer. (Scotland On Sunday)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City are on the point of appointing Dutchman Co Adriaanse as their new coach. (Sunday Mirror)

Jose Mourinho insists he wants to stay on at Chelsea after they won their sixth trophy in his three years at the club. (Sunday Mirror)

Tottenham are the target of a £250m bid from US consortium. (News of the World)

Multi-millionaire businessman Sheikh Samir Mirdad is heading up a Dubai-based consortium interested in taking over Leeds. (Daily Star Sunday)


AND FINALLY
Carlos Tevez is set to be the subject of a new film in which he may star as himself. "It will have to be four or five hours long because so many things have happened to him," says Javier Mascherano. (Sunday Mirror)

Spanish football's disciplinary committee had to annul 100 yellow cards given in Spain's top two divisions as referees hit back in a row involving David Beckham. Becks recently saw yellow for time-wasting, officially noted as 'unsporting behaviour', but had it rescinded on appeal. But referees demonstrated their anger at that decision by marking down the next 100 bookings as 'unsporting behaviour', meaning the committee had to follow the example they set with Beckham.