January Football gossip 2007

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Saturday 27th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Jose Mourinho has been told that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has no intention of replacing him next season. (Daily Express)

German giants Bayern Munich are targeting Chelsea's Dutch winger Arjen Robben. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea star John Terry is set to be given a two-year coaching contract at Stamford Bridge when he finishes his playing career. (The Sun)

Spurs are confident of signing £10m Southampton ace Gareth Bale before the transfer window shuts - but he'll stay at St Mary's until the summer. (The Sun)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill admits he may renew his interest in Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips in the summer. (Daily Star)

Spurs veteran Edgar Davids is set to return to Ajax after falling out with boss Martin Jol. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn are ready make a £1.5m move for unsettled Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is making a move for Manchester United striker Alan Smith. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham are chasing Dutch defender Ruud Knol from Alkmaar and Portuguese centre-half Rolando from Belenenses. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham have emerged as favourites ahead of Chelsea to sign QPR's England U-16 midfielder Dean Parrett. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce says the club will only sell defender Matthew Upson for upwards of £20m. (The Sun)

Lee McCulloch's hopes of a dream move to Rangers moved a step closer when Wigan signed his potential replacement, Caleb Folan. (Daily Record)

New Paris St Germain boss Paul Le Guen is set to make a second raid on ex-club Rangers - this time for Czech star Libor Sionko. (Daily Record)

Inverness are close to signing Ross County midfielder Don Cowie on a pre-contract agreement. (Daily Record)

Norwich boss Peter Grant has entered the race to sign former Celtic star Mark Fotheringham, now training with Rangers. (Daily Record)

Rangers are thought to be preparing a bid for Hearts midfielder Paul Hartley, while Fulham have purportedly tabled an improvement on their £2.5m bid for keeper Craig Gordon. (Scottish Daily Mirror).

Fulham are thought to be lining up a late offer for Celtic striker Shaun Maloney, said to be in excess of the recent wage offer made by Gordon Strachan. (Scottish Daily Mirror).

Hearts are considering offers for five of their star players, including Robbie Neilson and Michal Pospisil, among others. (Scottish Daily Express).

Edgar Davids has agreed an 18-month contract with Ajax but Tottenham could still throw a spanner in the works. (Voetbal International)


OTHER GOSSIP
David Beckham has been left out of Real Madrid's squad to face Villarreal on Sunday but boss Fabio Capello says its only because the US-bound star has a knee problem. (Daily Mail)

Coventry have launched an inquiry into a training ground bust-up which left captain Robert Page and Michael Doyle with injuries this week. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY...
Bristol Rovers star Steve Elliott plans to ditch his pals on the team bus after the FA Cup clash with Derby - and walk home instead. Elliott, who made 72 league appearances for the Rams, live minutes from Pride Park. (The Sun)

 

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Sunday 28th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
England midfielder Frank Lampard is wanted by both Inter and AC Milan after they learned he can leave Chelsea in the summer for as little as £8m (Mail on Sunday).

Tottenham are to make a bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch after agreeing to sell Mido to Manchester City. (The People)

Manchester United have won the race for Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich - but they will have to wait until the summer before they can sign him. (News of the World)

Helsingborg striker Henrik Larsson will stay on loan at Manchester United for the rest of the season after being talked into it by his nine-year-old son Jordan. (News of the World)

Newcastle are to bid for Deportivo La Coruna's Argentine defender Fabricio Coloccini. (The People)

Wigan have asked Chelsea about the possibility of signing midfielder Geremi. (News of the World)

Fulham want to offload striker Collins John, with Wigan, Charlton and Sheffield United eyeing a loan deal. (News of the World)

Manchester City are targeting two full-backs - Tim de Cler of AZ Alkmaar and Edson Braafheid of Utrecht. (The People)

Bolton have made a £400,000 bid for Le Havre full-back Sally Sarr. (News of the World)

Blackburn defender James McEveley could be on his way to Derby for £1m. (The People)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley will bid for defender Jonathan Fortune from his old club Charlton. (News of the World)

Curbishley will also swoop for Addicks striker Darren Bent in an astonishing £17m move. (Sunday Mirror)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp wants Juventus midfielder Manuele Blasi in a £3.5m deal. (News of the World)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is willing to pay £11m compensation for the exit of manager Jose Mourinho. (The People)

Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini says he has not spoken to anyone at Chelsea and denies claims that he said he would love to manage the Blues one day. (The People)

Abramovich wants Russia coach Guus Hiddink to take overall control of football at Stamford Bridge, with Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard becoming first-team coach. (Sunday Mirror)

Chelsea captain John Terry is to sign his new £130,000-a-week contract - whether manager Jose Mourinho stays at Stamford Bridge or not. (The People)

Frank Lampard's agent Steve Kutner says the Chelsea midfielder is not close to signing a new contract, while striker Didier Drogba has told Mourinho he will quit if the Blues boss leaves in the summer. (News of the World)

German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who is a member of Fifa's executive committee, says he is "100 per cent behind any English bid" to host the 2018 World Cup. (News of the World)

Edgar Davids and Spurs boss Martin Jol had to be pulled apart after a training ground bust-up before the former Dutch international stormed off claiming he was leaving the club for good. (The People).

Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce will be allowed to manage the England Under-21 side this summer but only if Newcastle coach Nigel Pearson takes charge for the two friendly matches in February and March. (The People)

Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard could play again this season, despite suffering a serious knee injury in September. (The People)

Businessman Kia Joorabchian has launched an £80m bid to take over Fulham after losing out in a similar battle for West Ham. (Sunday Mirror)


AND FINALLY...
John Terry stumped up £4,000 for a Tiger Woods montage at an NSPCC charity event in London last week - but for some reason didn't fancy the signed Roman Abramovich T-Shirt. (The People).

 

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Monday 29th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United are set to make a second bid to land Southampton's Gareth Bale, with the defender being loaned back to the Championship club until the end of the season. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, United have told Real Madrid that they are wasting their time preparing a £45m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo. (Various)

Want-away Birmingham star Matthew Upson has blasted the Championship club for turning down West Ham's latest bid for him. (Various)

West Ham are ready to make a £14m bid for Charlton striker Darren Bent. (The Independent)

Hibernian have told Celtic and other interested clubs that Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson will not leave the Edinburgh club before the end of the season. (Daily Express)

Newcastle are closing in on a £5m deal for Ajax striker Ryan Babel. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger may have to panic buy before the January transfer window closes because of mounting injury concerns. (Various)

Vyacheslav Hleb - brother of Arsenal star Alexander - is keen on a move to Hearts in the summer. (Daily Record)

Spurs will sign Derby County star Giles Barnes for £3m on transfer deadline day. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan are set to sign Nigerian World Cup striker Julius Agahowa in a £2m deal from Shakhtar Donetsk. (Daily Mirror)

Edgar Davids is to leave Spurs and join Ajax after a bust-up with boss Martin Jol. (Daily Mirror)

Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon says he wants to stay with the club - but they want him to leave before the end of the transfer window. (Daily Record)

Chelsea are considering a fresh bid for Bolton's Tal Ben Haim. (The Guardian)

Italian midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi is a potential target for Blackburn if they are unable to persuade Lee Hendrie to move from Villa Park to Ewood Park. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle are set to seal a £2.1m deal for Standard Liege defender Oguchi Oneywu. (The Times)

Preston striker David Nugent has insisted he is happy to stay at the Championship club, despite interest from Everton and Fulham. (Daily Express)

Man City want to bring AZ Alkmaar left-back Tim de Cler on trial. (The Times)

Leeds want to sign Crystal Palace keeper Gabor Kiraly. (Daily Mirror)

Cardiff, Derby and Barnsley are all battling to land Dutch goal machine Cecilio Lopes from Dordrecht. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce is in a battle with his board over his acceptance of the position of England Under-21 manager, with the club not having yet given their permission and still holding talks with the Football Association. (Various)

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has warned owner Roman Abramovich that he will be an impossible act to follow if he is forced out in the summer. (Various)

Tottenham defender Ledley King faces a scan amid fears that he has broken a bone in his foot. (The Sun)

Alex McLeish will urge fans to be realistic about their chances of Euro 2008 qualification when he is installed as the new Scotalnd coach. (The Herald).


AND FINALLY...
Nancy Dell'Olio got affectionate with a Madame Tussaud's waxwork rendering of her ex-lover, former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, at a society bash this weekend. (Various)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has splashed out on two executive boxes at Wembley - for a mere £4m. (The Sun)

Chelsea duo John Terry and Joe Cole treated friends to a VIP night out at fashionable London nightspot Paper on Saturday - but injuriy worries for Terry (calf) and Cole (foot) meant neither was able to hit the dancefloor. (Daily Mirror)

 

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Tuesday 30th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Arsenal are considering a move for St Etienne striker Frederic Piquionne. (Daily Star)

The Gunners have agreed a deal with French side Chateauroux to buy 15-year-old striker Gilles Sunu when he turns 16 later in 2007. (The Sun)

Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Southampton defender Gareth Bale, leaving the way open for Tottenham. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has made it clear that he is prepared to wait to sign Bale from Saints. (Various)

Manchester United are so concerned about Real Madrid making a move for Cristiano Ronaldo they have banned the winger from talking about the Spanish club. (Various)

Wigan boss Paul Jewell wants to sign Nigerian forward Julius Aghahowa from Shakhtar Donetsk and Papa Bouba Diop from Fulham before the transfer window closes. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell wants to sign 21-year-old Luton defender Leon Barnett. (The Sun)

The Royals are also interested in buying Greg Halford from Colchester for a fee of £2.5m - but must beat Charlton in the race to sign him. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool are set to announce the signing of Argentine Javier Mascherano from West Ham on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth hope to sign 23-year-old Lazio striker Goran Pandev. (Daily Mail)

Everton boss David Moyes is lining up a £700,000 move for Hibernian defender Steven Whittaker. (Daily Mirror)

Watford hope to sign central defender Luis Alberto Guadalupe, 30, from Peruvian side Universitario. (Daily Express)

Fulham could make a deadline day swoop for West Ham wide man Matthew Etherington. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP

Defender Lucas Neill has been ruled out for up to a month - after joining West Ham from Blackburn only last week. (Various)

Chelsea skipper John Terry will make his return from a back injury against Charlton on Saturday. (Daily Express)

York boss Billy McEwan is furious with the way Hibernian boss John Collins has gone about signing 22-year-old striker Clayton Donaldson from his club on a free transfer. (Daily Record)

Former England Under-21 manager Peter Taylor, now in charge at Crystal Palace, says his Manchester City counterpart Stuart Pearce will be able to look after the young charges on a part-time basis. (Various)

Arsenal forward Julio Baptista will miss the Carling Cup semi-final second-leg tie against Tottenham on Wednesday with a groin injury. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY...

England boss Steve McClaren is taking lessons from Tony Blair on how to cope with fierce criticism after visiting the House of Commons for Prime Minister's Question Time last week. (The Sun)

 

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Wednesday 31st January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City are weighing up a move for Fulham's Dutch striker Collins John. (Daily Mail)

And manager Stuart Pearce will renew his bid to sign Mido from Tottenham early on Wednesday. (The Times)

Luton have rejected a £3m offer from Reading for defender Leon Barnett (Daily Mail)

Premiership strugglers Watford have have joined the race to sign Sunderland defender Stephen Caldwell. (Daily Mail)

Tottenham boss Martin Jol is ready to offload Egyptian striker Mido to Celta Vigo - but only after Spurs complete their Carling Cup run. (Daily Mirror)

The White Hart Lane club have made a surprise £4m bid for West Ham striker Marlon Harewood. (The Independent)

Meanwhile, the club are also in the hunt to sign £3.5m-rated Giles Barnes from Derby. (The Independent)

West Ham are confident of completing a deal for Birmingham defender Matthew Upson. (The Times)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has made an inquiry about Nantes midfielder Djaid Kasri. (The Times)

Blackburn have inquired about Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi. (The Times)

Hibernian player Scott Brown will withdraw his transfer bid after giving up on his bid to quit the Easter Road club. (Daily Record)

Celtic midfielder Shaun Maloney has told the club he has agreed to sign for Aston Villa. (Daily Record)

Rangers midfielder Thomas Buffel has rejected a move to Hannover and is set to remain at Ibrox. (Daily Record)

Motherwell are set to sign Hungarian player Kristian Vadocz from Auxerre. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Birmingham's Matthew Upson plans to buy out his contract for less than a £1m at the end of the season and quit the club. (Daily Mirror)

Everton's Andrew Johnson could return from injury this weekend. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY...
Watford's Jordan Stewart believes he's the best dancer in the Premiership. He said ahead of his side's game at Manchester United: "It's a bold statement isn't it? We'll see at the end of the match if I'm breakdancing or not."