June Football gossip 2007

[McFLY]

1st June 07

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United's summer shopping spree is set to continue with a move for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka. (Various)

And while one striker comes into Old Trafford, another could be on his way out. Tottenham want England international Alan Smith. (Sun)

West Ham are lining up a £5m bid for Joey Barton and want to pair him in midfield with Scott Parker. (Star)

Parker is set to become the highest paid player in West Ham's history when he joins from Newcastle. (Sun)

Nigel Reo-Coker has lowered his sights. After saying he would only play for a Champions League club the West Ham man now wants a move to Newcastle. (Sun)

But Aston Villa have emerged as Reo-Coker's most likely destination in an £8m deal. (Guardian)

And Villa are hoping to land West Brom full-back Paul Robinson. (Sun)

Villa boss Martin O'Neill says he will not be held to ransom by Liverpool over a fee for striker and new Wales captain Craig Bellamy. (Sun)

France international midfielder Florent Malouda has begged Lyon not to price him out of a move to Liverpool. The French champions want £17m. (Mail)

Chelsea's veteran midfielder Claude Makelele has been offered a two-year deal by Paris St Germain. (Various)

The Blues have agreed personal terms with Claudio Pizarro. Bayern Munich's Peruvian striker will join on a free transfer in a deal worth £50,000 a week. (Times)

And Chelsea are also hopeful of signing Benni McCarthy from Blackburn. (Times)

Derby County are eyeing a move for Aston Villa defender Liam Ridgewell and could get their man for £2m. (Mirror)

And Aston Villa will also let Steven Davis leave for £5m. Fulham are keen on the Northern Ireland midfielder. (Various)

In fact, new Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is keen on a fair few players. Southampton have rejected a £2.5m bid for defender Chris Baird. (Sun)

The Cottagers are set to raid neighbours QPR for Lee Cook and Roy Jones. They have opened the bidding with a £1.5m combined offer. (Various)

And they want to sign Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson. (Mirror)

Portsmouth are eyeing Fulham midfielder Papa Bouba Diop in a £2.5m deal. (Mirror)

Having called time on his Celtic career, Neil Lennon will join League One outfit Nottingham Forest. (Various)

The Old Firm are going head-to-head for Robbie Fowler. Celtic have the edge over Rangers... at the moment. (Various)

Hearts are ready to sign up striker Craig Beattie, if Celtic are prepared to sell the 23-year-old. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers are tracking PSV Eindhoven's USA international winger DaMarcus Beasley. (Scottish Sun)

Derby County manager Billy Davies wants funds to sign goalkeeper Craig Gordon from Hearts. (Scottish Daily Express)

Defender Pascal Mendy is set to finally seal his move to Hearts. (Daily Record)

Crystal Palace want Teddy Sheringham. In order to fund the move manager Peter Taylor is listening to offers for midfielder Jobi McAnuff. (Star)

Former QPR midfielder Marc Bircham is keen on a move to LA Galaxy. (Star)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is confident Mark Viduka's arrival on Tyneside will persuade Michael Owen to stay. (Mirror)

Middlesbrough are aiming to replace Australian Viduka with West Brom's Diomansy Kamara. Any deal is set to cost in the region of £5m. (Mirror)

And Boro are busy keeping tabs on defensive midfielder Marcelo from Corinthians. (Times)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United's signing of Anderson is set to be probed by the Premier League. It fears the Brazilian's move could mirror Carlos Tevez's deal at West Ham that involved third-party ownership. (Mirror)

Freddy Shepherd is on the brink of relinquishing control of Newcastle to Mike Ashley. (Various)

Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari claims Roman Abramovich wants him to be the next Chelsea manager. (Sun)

Juventus hope to hijack Manchester City's move for Claudio Ranieri after top target Marcello Lippi turned down the chance to become boss. (Mirror)

John Brown is a top contender for the manager's job at Clyde. (Record)

Leeds boss Dennis Wise has offered to take a pay cut following the club's relegation to League One. (Various)

Wales boss John Toshack is relieved Ryan Giggs retired from international football as he was dreading telling the midfielder he was dropped. (Various)

John Terry will hand David Beckham the captain's armband if he reaches the 100-cap mark for England. (Various)

And Terry has called for England to turn Wembley into a fortress. (Various)

Brazil boss Dunga says the pitch at Wembley is sub-standard. "The grass comes off very easily," he said after a shortened training session. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater says he could be in contention for England's No 1 jersey next season. (Mirror)

"I grew up with a few of the lads like Paul Robinson, Rob Green and Chris Kirkland and they are good but I don't think they are anything special," he said. "I'm confident but not cocky."

 

[McFLY]

Monday 04th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Rangers are vying with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Roma for Torino midfielder Alessandro Rosina's signature to help fans forget about the loss of Scott Brown to Celtic. (Scottish Daily Mirror)

Joey Barton will seal his £5.5m move to Newcastle as soon as Magpies skipper Scott Parker completes his £8m switch to West Ham. (Various)

Barton will speak with Newcastle and West Ham this week after both clubs made £5.5m bids for the fiery star. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle have insisted on a contract clause in Barton's contract to protect the club if he is jailed over the incident with Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo. (The Sun)

David Beckham has no intention of trying to escape from his £125m LA Galaxy deal in order to prolong his England career. (Daily Star)

West Ham are looking to tempt Everton striker Andy Johnson away from Goodison in an £13m deal plus the promise of £90,000-a-week wages. (Daily Mail)

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka said he would not be able to turn down a potential move to Manchester United. (Various)

Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze is at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between Real Madrid and Barcelona. (The Sun)

Arsenal are close to signing Auxerre right-back Bakari Sagna for £6m. (The Sun)

West Brom midfielder Jason Koumas has revealed that Aston Villa have joined the race to sign him. (Daily Mail)

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has been told he will have to pay £9m for Jason Koumas and West Brom team-mate Diomansy Kamara. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield Wednesday are poised to cash in on Chris Brunt by selling him to Wigan for £2m. (Daily Express)

Wigan are understood to have agreed a deal to sign Titus Bramble on a free transfer. (The Times)

West Ham are looking for a reserve keeper after releasing Roy Carroll. (The Times)

Bolton boss Sammy Lee opened talks with Antoine Sibierski in a bid to pinch him from under the noses of Wigan. (Daily Mirror)

Coventry boss Iain Dowie is set to snap up left-back Gary Borrowdale from Crystal Palace. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane wants to make a £2m bid for West Brom skipper Paul Robinson. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce spent the weekend in Cardiff trying to tie up a deal for Czech Republic centre-half David Rozehnal. (Daily Mirror)

Leicester boss Martin Allen has joined the £1m chase for Marek Saganowski. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham are turning to Portugal defender Jose Bosingwa as they prepare for life without Pascal Chimbonda. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
If England fail to make it to the finals of Euro 2008 it will cost the Football Association £40m. (The Sun)

It gets even worse, with estimates of lost revenue and renegotiating TV deals meaning it could mean missing out on £60m. (Daily Star)

The FA has launched an investigation into major security lapses which could have threatened the safety of England players at Wembley. (Daily Star)

Micky Adams wants to take over as manager of MK Dons. (Daily Mail, Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Keith Hackett, the head of referees, says the outstanding form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba is largely because they have stopped diving. (The Guardian)

Alcoholic sponsors will be taken off the front of children's replica shirts in a bid to help combat underage drinking. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 05th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Chelsea have entered the battle to sign Sevilla's Daniel Alves, who can play at full-back or on the right wing but who has long been a target of Liverpool. (The Sun)

Inter Milan have made an offer to swap Brazil striker Adriano for Chelsea's Andriy Shevchenko. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United striker Alan Smith wants to stay at the club and fight for a first-team place, even though the Old Trafford outfit have started splashing out on new players and he is wanted by Tottenham. (The Sun)

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to reward Smith for overcoming a career-threatening broken leg and dislocated ankle by opening talks on a new five-year deal. (Daily Star)

Sunderland are set to move for Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen but the Black Cats face competition from Reading. (Daily Star)

West Ham will offer Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton £1m more than Newcastle in a signing war this week. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth striker Lomana LuaLua, who has been linked to Espanyol, has dropped a hint that he could move to Spain. (Various)

Al Jazira from Abu Dhabi have also been linked to LuaLua. (The Times)

Chelsea are preparing to sell defender Khalid Boulahrouz to Bayern Munich. (The Times)

Barcelona midfielder Xavi says he has "no doubts" Arsenal striker Thierry Henry will join the Spanish club this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle are closing in on Czech Republic defender David Rozehnal, who plays for Paris St Germain. (Various)

West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is closer to becoming an Aston Villa player after the clubs held talks over the weekend. (Daily Express)

Czech midfielder Jiri Jarosik wants to quit Celtic and find a new club in the English Premiership or in Russia. (Daily Record)

Norwich are targeting Dundee defender Paul Dixon. (Daily Record)

Fulham have made a £2m bid for ex-Birmingham striker Walter Pandiani, who is now at Espanyol. (The Sun)

Arsenal want to sign Auxerre left-back Bakari Sagna. (Various)

Bolton want to take Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse, who spent last season on loan at Marseille, on loan for next season. (Various)

Bolton will only let striker Nicolas Anelka join Manchester United if the Trotters land Cisse for less than Liverpool's £6m asking price or on loan. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham are expected to offer midfielder Hayden Mullins and forward Marlon Harewood as part of a deal for Charlton striker Darren Bent. (The Times)

Fulham have told Southampton they won't be held to ransom after the London club had a £2.5m bid for Saints defender Chris Baird rejected. (Daily Star)

Middlesbrough have been told they must double their money from £1.3m if they want to land Levante winger Mustapha Riga. (Various)

West Ham are set to move for Everton midfielder Tim Cahill - 24 hours after having a bid for Toffees striker Andrew Johnson rejected. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves want Southend striker Freddy Eastwood in a £1.5m deal but Molineux boss Mick McCarthy has warned Aston Villa and Everton off winger Michael Kightly. (The Sun)

West Brom midfielder Jason Koumas has claimed Aston Villa are interested in signing him but he will make no decision on his future for a fortnight. (Daily Mirror)

Leeds will cash in on striker David Healy, with Fulham, Watford and Sunderland tracking the Northern Ireland star. (Daily Mirror)

Derby boss Billy Davies has insisted he will not be rushed into making any signings by clubs hoping to make a quick buck. (Daily Star)

Leicester are set to sign MK Dons striker Izale McLeod and Gillingham winger Matt Jarvis. (Daily Express)

Sheffield Wednesday striker Steve MacLean could leave the club after failing to agree a new deal. (Daily Star)

Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele would consider joining David Beckham in Major League Soccer after admitting his future at Stamford Bridge is uncertain. (Daily Telegraph)


OTHER GOSSIP
Steven Gerrard has tipped his England team-mate Frank Lampard to hit back at his critics by "scoring a wonder goal in the next few games or putting in a wonderful performance". (The Sun)

Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer is being lined up to play at right-back in Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia. (Various)

England manager Steve McClaren looks set to keep Alan Smith in an attacking role with Michael Owen against Estonia. (The Independent)

McClaren is considering keeping the same side that drew with Brazil for the game in Estonia. (The Guardian)

Estonia football chiefs have admitted that they have mixed feelings about the match against England because they respect their rivals, would love them to qualify and would not want McClaren to get the sack. (Daily Express)

Former England manager Graham Taylor, talking in an interview with Sport magazine, has warned that his national team is in danger of suffering from the influx of foreign players in the Premiership like the Scotland team, who he believes have suffered from the same problem in the Scottish Premier League. (Various)

Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri says Manchester City took too long in deciding if they wanted him as manager so he agreed to become Juventus coach. (The Sun)

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who appeared at the launch of the Olympic logo for the 2012 Games, says he loves London so much he would even manage Crystal Palace. (Various)

Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has undergone knee surgery following a problem when on international duty with Norway and will not be fit until at least the start of next season. (Various)

Former Grimsby defender John McDermott and ex-Scarborough boss Neil Redfearn head the list to be Boston manager. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill says injury-hit defender Martin Laursen will be given a new deal - if he proves his fitness. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that his firebrand image and use of the 'hairdryer treatment' is an urban myth. He told Manchester's Key 103 station: "It gets a bit worn out this hairdryer stuff but in dealing with the myth you have got to deal with a lot of things." (The Independent)

Dunfermline full-back Scott Morrison is set to sign a new one-year deal, with an option of a further 12 months. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce wants to sit in the stands during the first half of games next season so he can shape his side's tactics but may have to trigger a directors' box reshuffle so women, children and guests do not hear him swearing. (Daily Mirror)

Former Premiership referee Graham Poll has been invited by the Hertfordshire Football Association to handle junior parks games next season. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 06th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri wants to lure midfielder Frank Lampard away from Stamford Bridge to join him at Juventus. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has urged the Blues to sign Lyon winger Florent Malouda before he joins Liverpool. (Various)

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, who signed for Newcastle on Tuesday night, will bank £12m over five years if he completes his contract at St James' Park. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United striker Alan Smith will not be offered a new contract, which is set to spark a bidding battle between Tottenham, Everton, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough are poised for an £8m double swoop for Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis and Porto defender Jose Bosingwa. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea are chasing Brazilian wonderkid Pato, 17, who plays for Internacional and who has also attracted the interest of Juventus and AC Milan. (Daily Star)

Everton are prepared to cash in on striker Andrew Johnson - but only if West Ham pay £20m. (Various)

Leicester want to swap Patrick McCarthy, plus cash, for Charlton midfielder Matt Holland. (The Sun)

Portsmouth are considering a £3m bid for Wigan striker Henri Camara. (Daily Mirror)

Derby are battling Watford for the signature of Norwich striker Robert Earnshaw. (The Sun)

West Ham's former Charlton boss Alan Curbishley wants to buy Darren Bent from his old club but the Addicks have told him the striker will cost £18m. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham want to sign Arsenal defender Johan Djourou on a season-long deal. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has hinted that his team-mates expect Gunners striker Thierry Henry to join Barcelona. (Daily Mirror)

Laryea Kingston's agent says a permanent Hearts deal for the midfielder, who has been on loan from Terek Grozny, must be struck by midnight. (Daily Record)

Wigan boss Chris Hutchings has pleaded with chairman Dave Whelan not to sell midfielder Lee McCulloch to Rangers. (Daily Record)

Ipswich want defender Chris Perry after he was released by West Brom. (The Sun)

West Brom striker Diomansy Kamara is a £2m target for Middlesbrough. (Various)

Sevilla defender Daniel Alves, whose agent held talks with Chelsea last week, has left the door open for a last-gasp bid from Liverpool - if the "economical factors" are right. (The Sun)

Manchester City are interested in Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse, who has been on loan at Marseille. (The Times)

AS Roma, Everton and Newcastle are reputedly tracking Boudewijn Zenden, who has been released by Liverpool. (The Times)

Portsmouth want to sign Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (Various)

Striker Leon Best is set to join Nottingham Forest after making it clear he wants to leave Southampton. (Daily Star)

West Ham face a battle to hang on to Yossi Benayoun after the midfielder turned down a five-year contract worth £50,000 a week. (Daily Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is set to earn an England recall in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia. (Various)

Reading are set to open talks with left-back Nicky Shorey about a new contract. (The Sun)

Lithuania boss Algimantas Luibanskas has hit out at Hearts striker Andrius Velicka, who was dropped from the squad after his attitude was questioned by the manager but who has since said he will not play for his nation while Luibanskas is in charge. (Daily Record)

Former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra hopes to conclude his takeover of Manchester City within the next fortnight. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson told Manchester radio station Key 103 that he considered giving up football when his playing days ended to cook in and run a restaurant. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 07th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool look set to beat Chelsea in the race to land Lyon midfielder Florent Malouda after the French footballer of the year indicated he would move to Anfield in a £10m deal. (Various)

Arsenal are planning to hijack Liverpool's bid for Malouda. (The Independent)

Tottenham are poised to do battle with Aston Villa for the signature of Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder. (The Sun)

Wigan want to sign defender Mario Melchiot, who is a free agent after a year at Rennes, and Liverpool centre-half Sami Hyypia. (Various)

Villarreal's former Arsenal winger Robert Pires has urged Gunners striker Thierry Henry to join him in Spain by moving to Barcelona. (Various)

Reading are preparing to swoop for West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool will have to take on AC Milan if they are to land Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. (The Sun)

West Ham are set to pip Chelsea to the signing of Fredrikstad striker Tarik Elyounoussi, 19. (Daily Star)

Colchester striker Jamie Cureton may return to Norwich, despite having a transfer request turned down. (Daily Star)

Tottenham and Celtic want striker Marlon Harewood, who has been told he can leave West Ham. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea are believed to be preparing a £2.7m move for Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelic. (The Times)

Fulham will make a renewed bid for Southampton defender Chris Baird after having a £2.5m offer turned down. (The Times)

Derby may hijack Ipswich's bid to land Blackburn striker Francis Jeffers because they are prepared to meet the £1.5m asking price. (Daily Mirror)

West Brom defender Curtis Davies, who has been linked to Newcastle, Tottenham and Arsenal, is considering his future after the club missed out on promotion to the Premiership. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland have launched a bid to sign Preston striker David Nugent in a part-exchange offer involving Stern John. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth have offered £2m - £100,000 more than Fulham - for QPR winger Lee Cook. (Various)

Middlesbrough are targeting Fulham forward Collins John. (Daily Mirror)

Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who has been the subject of a failed £2m bid by Sunderland, could leave Bolton after contract talks stalled. (Daily Mirror)

Everton are considering a £3.5m swoop for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts. (Daily Mirror)

Kilmarnock have told Rangers and other suitors that they want £2m for striker Steven Naismith. (Daily Mail)

Celtic have contacted Kilmarnock to confirm their interest in Steven Naismith. (Daily Express)

Former Croatia striker Dado Prso is poised to end his career in Qatar after leaving Rangers. (Daily Record)

Dunfermline winger Owen Morrison has rejected the offer of a new contract. (The Sun)

Dundee United are interested in transfer-listed Leicester defender Alan Maybury. (The Sun)

Falkirk have given a trial to Dutch defender Jordi Holtkamp from amateur outfit HSC21. (Daily Mail)

St Johnstone have signed Dyron Daal after the striker was allowed to leave Aberdeen. (the Sun)

Brentford striker Jo Kuffour is close to joining Bournemouth after rejecting the chance to go to Huddersfield. (Daily Star)

Celtic keeper David Marshall, who had a spell on loan at Norwich last season, wants to return to Carrow Road. (Daily Record)

Midfielder Yossi Benayoun is understood to be hoping Liverpool come in for him, even though he has agreed at new five-year deal at West Ham. (The Independent)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former England captain David Beckham has said he will help fire his national team to the Euro 2008 finals after continuing his comeback by inspiring them to victory in a qualifier against Estonia. (Various)

Scotland boss Alex McLeish, whose side are third in Euro 2008 qualifying Group B, says his squad must maintain the belief that they can still qualify for the finals. (Various)

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith says the goal against Estonia proves England forward Michael Owen is back in the big time following his injury problems. (Daily Telegraph)

Norwegian shipping billionaire John Fredriksen is understood to be one of the people interested in buying Tottenham. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has hit back at the critics who believe he misses too many chances. (Daily Mirror)

Spain coach Luis Aragones, whose side are second in Euro 2008 qualifying Group F, will step down from his role when his contract expires after the finals of the tournament. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says the Blues will reclaim the Premiership title next season and he will again be the top scorer in the division. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he gave winger Cristiano Ronaldo, whose Old Trafford future was in doubt last summer, the same pep talk that persuaded Eric Cantona and David Beckham to stay longer with the Red Devils. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City are giving former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra 48 hours to close the takeover of the club or the deal is off. (Daily Mirror)

Former Brighton boss and ex-Aberdeen and Celtic striker Mark McGhee is a leading contender for the Motherwell managerial post. (Daily Record)

Former Inverness boss Sergei Baltacha has rejected an approach from Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov to become the new manager at the club. (Daily Record)

Chelsea's Michael Ballack, who has been criticised during his time at the club, wants to become the irreplaceable midfielder at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Express)

The Football League is set to close the loophole that allowed Leeds and Boston to avoid carrying 10-point penalties into next season by going into administration when they were set for relegation. (The Guardian) Mark McGhee has emerged as the leading contender to be manager of Motherwell. (Daily Record/Daily Mail)

Former Motherwell defender Luc Nijholt has joined the race to become the club's manager. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo says manager Sir Alex Ferguson can still deliver his famous 'hairdryer treatment'. Ronaldo said: "He shakes me up and screams at me now and again. He is like my mother or my father. He sets my limits and my aims." (The Sun)

Sheffield United keeper Paddy Kenny has raised £10,000 for a local children's hospice by running 78 miles in three days from Skegness to his South Yorkshire home. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 08th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Everton will complete a £4m deal to sign Sheffield United midfielder Phil Jagielka on Friday. (Various)

Arjen Robben wants to stay at Chelsea, even though Blues boss Jose Mourinho is willing to sell him for £14m. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan boss Chris Hutchings wants to bring goalkeeper Roy Carroll back to the JJB Stadium. (The Sun)

Sevilla are chasing £10m-rated Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda. (Daily Mirror)

Spurs are leading the race to sign midfielder Wesley Sneijder from Ajax. (The Independent)

Fulham are ready to make a £3m bid for Southampton defender Chris Baird. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea right-back Geremi could be returning to Middlesbrough. (The Sun)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson wants Ipswich's Alex Bruce - son of his former Man Utd's team mate Steve. (The Sun)

Portsmouth are bracing themselves for a snub after Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate slapped a 'not for sale' tag on Yakubu. (Daily Star)

West Ham have been told they can sign Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy for £9m. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is not going to raid former club Celtic for midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura. (Various)

Celtic are vying with Shalke for the signature of Fenerbahce midfielder Stephen Appiah. (The Sun)

Rangers have been linked with a move for IFK Gothenburg full-back Mattias Bjarsmyr. (Daily Express)

Aberdeen have transfer-listed goalkeeper Jamie Langfield after a drunken stag night. (Various)

Inverness striker Craig Dargo will give the club an answer about his new contract on Monday. (Daily Record)

Celtic forward Kjartan Finnbogason is to have a trial with Bristol City after rejecting a new contract. (Daily Express)

Newly-promoted Bristol Rovers are planning a £150,000 raid on neighbours Bristol City for striker Phil Jevons. (Various)

Norwich are ready to swoop for Millwall midfielder Marvin Elliott. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry says the departure of vice-chairman David Dein has unsettled everybody at the club. (Daily Mirror)

David Beckham has insisted he is capable of playing on until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. (Various)

Russia coach Guus Hiddink has insisted that England are favourites to win their Euro 2008 qualifying group. (The Sun)

Lord Stevens' inquiry into illicit payments in football has told the Premier League that there have been 'serious breaches' of transfer market regulations. (Guardian)

New Scottish FA chief Gordon Smith says he will turn his back on the job if his ideas for reform are blocked. (Daily Record)

Gordon Smith is proposing a new play-off system that could see four clubs relegated from the Scottish Premier League. (The Sun)

Tommy Burns has launched an attack on Shaun Maloney, who left Celtic for Aston Villa in January, saying he should never has moved. (Daily Mirror)

The Scottish Premier League will fight Uefa plans to give domestic cup winners a Champions League place instead of the league runners-up. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea have had to send the FA Cup back to the Football Association for a silversmith to repair it after a player - thought to be Jon Obi Mikel - dropped it while celebrating the Blues victory over Manchester United in May. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Sunday 10th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United are close to sealing a deal to land West Ham's Argentine star Carlos Tevez but face a battle with Inter Milan. (News of the World/The People)

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger will "categorically" remain at Arsenal next season. (News of the World)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will not be given mega-bucks by the club's American owners to splash out on top stars. (News of the World)

Manchester United could face a £10m battle with Juventus for Dutch star Klaas Jan Huntelaar. (News of the World)

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has had talks with LA Galaxy. (News of the World)

David Beckham could be reunited with former Real Madrid team-mate Luis Figo at LA Galaxy after the Portuguese star was released by Inter Milan. (Sunday Express)

Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele could be poised for a move to American side Houston Dynamo. (The People)

Fulham, Portsmouth, Everton, Middlesbrough and Sunderland are chasing Lokomotiv Moscow and Scotland striker Garry O'Connor. (The People)

Wigan are poised to move for Dunfermline goalkeeper Dorus De Vries. (Sunday Mail)

Newcastle are hoping to pip Arsenal for Auxerre full-back Bakari Sagna. (News of the World)

Newcastle have made a £9m move to take Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy back to St James' Park. (News of the World)

Borussia Dortmund have issued a hands-off warning to Celtic over interest in Swiss striker Alexander Frei. (Sunday Mail)

Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder David Degen is still hopeful of a summer move to Celtic Park. (Sunday Mail)

Rangers have opened talks with PSV Eindhoven over the transfer of winger DaMarcus Beasley. (Mail on Sunday)

Kilmarnock striker Steven Naismith will hold out for a transfer to Rangers, despite Bristol City and Sunderland prepared to outbid the Glasgow club. (Mail on Sunday)

Celtic will deliver a £2m take-it-or-leave-it offer to Kilmarnock for Steven Naismith this week. (News of the World)

Preston striker David Nugent will definitely leave the club to play in the Premiership next season. (News of the World)

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce wants to sign Liverpool keeper Scott Carson on a long-term loan for next season. (News of the World)

Birmingham are the target of a £70m takeover bid by a mystery Far East businessman. (News of the World)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is targeting Blackburn star Robbie Savage as his first major signing. (The People)

Bolton are set to sell midfielder Kevin Nolan, sparking the interest of Everton, West Ham, Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Sunderland. (The People)

Sunderland are hoping to sign former Newcastle defender Andy O'Brien. (News of the World)

Reading have joined the battle to sign West Brom's Wales midfielder Jason Koumas for about £6m. (News of the World)

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe has snubbed the chance to make a £12m return to West Ham. (News of the World)

Bolton are leading the chase for Reading's Irish winger Stephen Hunt. (News of the World)

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce is chasing Everton striker James Beattie. (News of the World)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is lining up a move for Hamburg's Dutch international midfielder Nigel de Jong. (News of the World)

West Ham are demanding £10m for unsettled skipper Nigel Reo-Coker. (News of the World)

Yakubu is on the brink of walking out on Middlesbrough. (News of the World)

Rising Brazilian star Kerlon is set to join Middlesbrough from Cruzeiros. (The People)

West Brom are considering a move for Hibernian full-back David Murphy. (News of the World)

Gretna are in talks with freed Blackburn striker Keith Barker. (The People)


OTHER GOSSIP
English football is set to be rocked by a wave of arrests as investigations into transfer bungs intensify. (News of the World)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce says he is powerless to to prevent Michael Owen from leaving the club. (Sunday Mirror)

Former England chief Sven-Goran Eriksson has seen his bid to buy South African club Hanover Park fall through. (Sunday Mirror)

Alex McLeish hopes to persuade Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor to play for Scotland instead of England or Nigeria. (Various)

Scotland players are against new Scottish FA president George Peat's desire to ditch Flower Of Scotland as their anthem. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY
It's cheaper to watch Barcelona than Wigan. A JJB Stadium season ticket will cost £250 next season, the cheapest in the Premiership but a season ticket at the Nou Camp is just £110. (Sunday Mirror)

Antoine Sibierski turned down a move to Bolton after they asked him to undergo a three-day medical. Instead, he signed for Wigan where the procedure took 20 minutes. (The People)

 

[McFLY]

Monday 11th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool could set their sights on £16m Diego Forlan rather than Barcelona's £35m-rated Samuel Eto'o. (The Times)

David Beckham has snubbed a last-ditch attempt to persuade him to stay with Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United have been told they will need to stump up £40m if they want to buy Carlos Tevez. (Daily Star)

But they are only willing to pay £12m, with Inter Milan prepared to splash out £34m on the Argentine. (Independent)

Newcastle are interested in signing French winger Ludovic Giuly from Barcelona for just £1.5m. (Daily Mirror)

David Nugent has told Everton he will not wait all summer to clinch a move to Goodison Park. (Daily Mail)

Lyon could start an auction to sell Florent Malouda, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan all interested. (Daily Express)

West Ham are chasing Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe and Liverpool frontman Craig Bellamy. (Daily Mirror)

Tal Ben Haim is willing to turn down Chelsea to sign for former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce at Newcastle. (Daily Express)

Everton could offer Gary Naysmith and even James McFadden in a bid to land Sheffield United captain Phil Jagielka. (Daily Mirror)

Man Utd defender Gabriel Heinze says he would consider an offer from Barcelona. (Daily Star)

Wigan are confident of tying up the signing of former Chelsea right-back Mario Melchiot on a free transfer. (The Sun)

Sunderland are favourites to sign Neil Lennon after he turned down Wycombe. (The Times)

Aston Villa are lining up a move for Hamburg's Holland international midfielder Nigel de Jong. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has made Middlesbrough's former Pompey striker Yakubu his top transfer target. (Various)

Keith Gillespie is set to snub Bolton in favour of a new improved contract at Sheffield United. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United winger Jamie Mullan is poised to join Leeds on a free transfer. (Daily Mirror)

Paris St Germain boss Paul Le Guen is battling with Portsmouth and Lyon to sign Wigan striker Henri Camara. (Daily Record)

Garry O'Connor's agent claims the Lokomotiv Moscow striker would relish a return to British football. (Daily Record)

Hibs boss John Collins has been warned he will have to break his wage structure to land Celtic keeper David Marshall. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Shocked directors at Birmingham will today demand answers from co-owners David Sullivan and the Gold brothers after it emerged they could sell to a Far East-based businessman. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed has accused the Premier League of selling itself short, despite the new £2.1bn media rights deal. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal are the new target of Mohammed Al Hashimi, a mega-rich Arab businessman who narrowly missed out on buying Liverpool. (The Sun)

Former boss Graeme Souness has launched a scathing attack on Newcastle, telling new owner Mike Ashley he is inheriting a "big club with big problems". (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Just weeks after scoring a copycat goal of Maradona's wonder goal against England, Barcelona striker Lionel Messi replicated the 'Hand of God' goal by punching the ball into the net against Espanyol. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 12th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has hinted he may quit the club to experience football in Spain or Italy (Various)

Atletico Madrid will spark a transfer scramble among Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham next week when they say striker Fernando Torres can leave (Mirror).

Bolton boss Sammy Lee has made a £1.5m move for Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt (Daily Express).

Everton manager David Moyes is challenging Barcelona, Inter Milan and Roma for the signature of Kolo Toure's £8m-rated brother Yaya, who plays in midfield for Monaco (Mirror).

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has been told he will have to spend £6m if he wants to sign West Brom striker Diomansky Kamara (Various).

However, he could face competition from Fulham for Kamara's signature, with the Cottagers also targeting Baggies midfielder Jason Koumas (Daily Mail).

Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos is wanted by Spanish club Real Zaragoza (Mirror)

Chelsea have raided Leeds to sign rising teenage star Ben Gordon in a £1.5m deal (Daily Express).

Turkey's top striker Sanli Tuncay could be heading for Middlesbrough on a free transfer (Mirror)

Portsmouth and Fulham have expressed an interest in signing forward Hameur Bouazza from relegated Watford (The Guardian).

Rangers have been told they must treble their £1m offer for Osasuna centre-half Carlos Cuellar (Daily Record).

Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage will reject a pay rise offer from Sheffield United to stay at Ewood Park (The Sun)

Tottenham will rival Newcastle for the signature of Barcelona's 30-year-old French winger Ludovic Giuly, who could be available for a cut-price £1.5m (Mirror)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane wants to follow up the signing of Greg Halford from Reading with a move for Manchester United forward Alan Smith (Daily Star).

Turkish side Besiktas have made an offer to sign Sheffield United forward Colin Kazim-Richards (The Guardian).

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce wants to completely rebuild his defence with the signings of Bolton's Tal Ben Haim, Liverpool centre-half Sami Hyypia, Paris St Germain's David Rozehnal and Marseille skipper Habib Beye (The Sun).

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood is ready to hijack Falkirk's bid to sign keeper Kasper Schmeichel on a permanent basis (Daily Record).

Wigan boss Chris Hutchings is planning a £2.5m swoop for Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse (The Sun).

And he could follow that up with a move for unsettled Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy and Portsmouth defender Andy O'Brien (The Guardian)

Relegated Leeds United want to sign free agent Marc Bircham, who was released by QPR last month (The Sun).


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City want assurances from former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that he still has the money to buy the club, after £750m worth of his assets were frozen in his home country (Various).

Derby manager Billy Davies will end speculation about his future at the club after the Rams agreed to appoint his former number two at Preston David Kelly as his assistant manager (Various).

Arsenal executives are to meet would-be new owner Stan Kroenke next week to talk about his plans for the club (Daily Star).

Former Celtic midfielder Neil Lennon will join Nottingham Forest this week as part of manager Colin Calderwood's coaching staff (Daily Mail).

Clyde have appointed former Scotland skipper Colin Hendry as their new manager (Daily Record).


AND FINALLY
Liverpool co-owner George Gillet has vowed to back manager Rafael Benitez in the transfer market this summer, but warned the Spaniard he will not be "spending like a drunken sailor" (Various).

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 13th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Charlton's Darren Bent will join West Ham for £18m in a deal that will net the striker £80,000 a week. (Star)

Hayden Mullins and Marlon Harewood will head the other way across London and link up with former boss Alan Pardew at the Addicks in a £12m deal. (Mirror)

Charlton's Dennis Rommedahl will join Rennes in a £500,000 deal. (Sun)

New Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri will offer Liverpool David Trezeguet in the hope of luring Peter Crouch. (Mail)

But Arsene Wenger wants to bring striker Trezeguet to Arsenal in a move which he hopes will appease unsettled skipper Thierry Henry. (Sun)

And the Gunners are also lining up a £6m deal for Ajax's Dutch international forward Ryan Babel. (Mirror)

Babel's arrival would force Freddie Ljungberg out of the door, with West Ham and Portsmouth interested. (Star)

Portsmouth are mulling over a £1.5m move for Maccabi Haifa striker Roberto Colautti. (Express)

And Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is increasingly confident he will beat off opposition from Werder Bremen to sign Lyon midfielder Alou Diarra. (Star)

Sunderland will sign striker David Nugent from Preston for £6m after the England U21 Championships. (Star)

And Black Cats boss Roy Keane will raid former club Manchester United for £7m-rated striker Alan Smith. (Mirror)

Newcastle want Reading left-back Nicky Shorey, which may alert West Ham who will be happy to stump up £6m. (Sun)

The Magpies may not have it all their own way in signing Paris St Germain defender David Rozehnal. Borussia Dortmund are also interested. (Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce will go head-to-head with former club Bolton in the race to sign Trabzonspor winger Goldeniz Karadeniz. (Various)

Fenerbahce and Besiktas want Sheffield United's Colin Kazim-Richards. (Star)

Middlesbrough are closing in on Turkish international striker Tuncay Sanli on a free deal from Fenerbahce. (Telegraph)

Boro will offer James Morrison and Adam Johnson in an effort to land West Brom striker Diomansy Kamara. (Mirror)

Birmingham have given up on signing Albion striker Diomansy Kamara but will go back in for Jason Koumas. (Sun)

Wigan have bid £4m for Welsh international midfielder Koumas and are also chasing Fulham's Michael Brown and Danny Murphy of Tottenham. (Daily Mail)

West Brom want a combined £10m for star duo Jason Koumas and Diomansy Kamara after both Birmingham and Fulham were reported to have offered £5m for them. (Daily Star)

One definite arrival at Wigan's JJB Stadium is defender Mario Melchiot, who will join from Rennes. (Various)

Coventry are favourites ahead of Wigan, Rangers and Sunderland to sign Blackburn defender Andy Todd. (Mirror)

West Brom are going to step up their interest in Celtic striker Craig Beattie with a £750,000 offer. (Record)

Hamburg's Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong will not be moving to the Premiership. Aston Villa and Tottenham were said to be interested. (Sun)

Keeper Kaspar Schmeichel could leave Manchester City for Aberdeen. (Record)

Osasuna are demanding £3m from Rangers for striker Carlos Cuellar. The Ibroz outfit have offered £1m. (Record

West Ham forward Carlos Tevez will resolve his future in the next week, with Manchester United and Inter Milan both keen to sign him. (The Times)

Inter will offer £30m for the Argentine, but Premiership champions United favour a loan deal. (Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sevilla coach Juande Ramos remains top of Manchester City's wishlist, although the club are also looking at former Fulham boss Chris Coleman. (Various)

Raddy Antic says he would like the chance to manager Hearts. (Record)

'Insiders' say Blackburn are being targeted by American buyers. (Mirror)

Lakshmi Mittal, Britain's richest man, has entered the race to buy Birmingham City. (Various)

Kieran Richardson has denied that he has had a bust-up with England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Five months after moving to Reading, Greg Halford had just got the keys to his new house days before moving to Sunderland. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United stopper Edwin van der Sar had to squeeze his giant frame into a cattle-class seat on the way back from a family holiday in Alicante as his efforts to pay the £16 for extra leg room were thwarted when he was told all those seats had all been sold. (Express)

Prime Minister Tony Blair may be asked a question in Parliament next Wednesday over Sheffield United's controversial relegation from the Premier League. (Star)

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba wants the team to go a bit "crazy" next season and play more flamboyant football. (Mirror)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 14th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool have left West Ham fuming after launching an "insulting" £1m bid for midfielder Yossi Benayoun. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham are set to pay striker Darren Bent £75,000 a week when they sign him from Charlton for £16m to £17m. (Various)

West Ham and Tottenham will battle to land Darren Bent. (The Independent)

Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim will snub former Trotters boss Sam Allardyce at Newcastle and instead join Chelsea. (Daily Mirror/The Guardian)

Allardyce wants to steal Ben Haim from under the noses of Chelsea. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth striker Kanu is ready to move to Ajax on a two-year deal. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea hope to sign Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelic for £2.5m. (The Sun)

Manchester United will intensify their bid for a new striker after Louis Saha was ruled out for up to six months following knee surgery. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United are ready to bid £10m for Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella. (Daily Express)

Goalkeeper Ian Walker is ready to leave Bolton to revive his career. (The Sun)

West Brom are bidding to sign Celtic striker Craig Beattie for £750,000. (Various)

Rangers' bid to land Carlos Cuellar is back on after Osasuna caved in on the defender's demands to be allowed to leave the Spanish club. (Daily Record)

Hearts have insisted they have no plans to sell injury-hit winger Mirsad Beslija. (Daily Record)

Tottenham want Jermain Defoe to sign a new three-year contract but will sell the striker this summer if he does not commit himself to the club. (Various)

Bolton are heading the chase for Rangers winger Thomas Buffel. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth want to lure back striker Yakubu by offering Middlesbrough a cash-plus-plus players exchange, with midfielder Sean Davis one of the fringe players who may be offered. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham are willing to sell striker Marlon Harewood to Fulham if they raise their bid from £3m by £750,000. (The Times)

Portsmouth have joined Sunderland and Everton in the battle to land Preston striker David Nugent. (The Times)


OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood and managing director Keith Edelman have held secret peace talks with American tycoon Stan Kroenke, whose acquisition of a 12% stake in the club sparked takeover talk. (The Sun)

Barcelona midfielder Deco will be glad to see the back of Real Madrid rival David Beckham, who is set to join Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, because he believes the England star "has shown he is still among the best in the world". (Daily Mirror)

Real Madrid midfielder Beckham is confident he will be fit to face Real Mallorca as his side aim to win the title on Sunday, despite an ankle injury. (Daily Star)

Beckham has taken a pay cut in his basic salary to move to the United States. (The Independent)

Blackburn hope a takeover with American bidders can be agreed by August so manager Mark Hughes can splash out on players. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City's managerial target Juande Ramos has said he is likely to stay at Sevilla. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City's managerial shortlist consists of Ramos and Dutchman Co Adriaanse, who has managed Ajax, AZ Alkmaar, Porto and who left Ukrainian side FC Metalurgh Donetsk in May. (The Independent)

Oasis star and Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher is ready to rescue the Premiership club with a cheeky cut-price bid with M People founder Mike Pickering. (Daily Star)

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he is unmoved by the £50m spending spree by rivals Manchester United. (Various)

Leicester want to sign midfielder Trevor Sinclair on a free transfer following his release from Manchester City. (Daily Star)

Boston United, who have been relegated to the Conference North from the Football League, are in danger of folding after a proposed takeover collapsed. (Daily Telegraph)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich hopes to bring some unity to the club by attending captain John Terry's wedding on Friday but manager Jose Mourinho will not be there. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson came on as a substitute to help Boro old boys' five-a-side beat German opposition, containing two of their Euro 96 team, to win a tournament in Singapore. (Daily Mail)

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov has been named transfer of the season after Professor Tom Cannon and researchers from Buckingham University calculated the value to their clubs of last season's signings based on certain criteria. Chelsea forward Andriy Shevchenko was labelled a flop. (Daily Express)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 15th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Barcelona are ready to offer Eidur Gudjohnsen in a swap deal for Manchester United defender Gerard Pique. (Various)

Ex-Nou Camp youngster Pique spent last season on loan at Real Zaragoza who are expected to table a improved offer after a £7m bid was rejected. (Daily Mail)

United spending spree this summer has seen them make a £10m bid for Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella, according to the player's agent. (Various)

Chelsea have rejected a bid for striker Didier Drogba from AC Milan. (Times)

Keeper Jerzy Dudek did not have his contract at Liverpool extended and will now move to Real Madrid. (Daily Mail)

The investigation into irregularities in the transfer system have cited managers involved in deals which have not been signed off by Lord Stevens, but whether the Premier League will divulge the names is in doubt. (Daily Express)

Arsenal have begun talks over the £20m transfer of striker Thierry Henry to Barcelona. (Various)

Fulham have stepped up their attempts to get West Brom duo Diomansy Kamara and Jason Koumas by offering players-plus-cash. (Various)

The third-party who has a stake in Manuel Fernandes has scuppered a possible move for the winger to the Premiership. (Daily Express)

Former French World Cup-winning skipper and ex-Juventus boss Didier Deschamps is another in the frame for the Manchester City job. (The Sun)

Charlton striker Darren Bent is a target for Liverpool and Tottenham after turning down West Ham. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham being spurned will see them now target Shaun Wright-Phillips. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves and Norwich are battling it out for Southend striker Freddy Eastwood. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic will splash out £5m to bring Gennaro Delvecchio and Massimo Donati to Scotland from Serie A. (Daily Record)

Celtic are preparing a £350,000 bid for NAC Breda striker Maceo Rigters. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sheffield United want £20m from the Premier League if they are not reinstated back into the top flight. (The Sun)

Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen has turned down the chance of a switch to Valencia, who offered him more money. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
David Beckham is set to miss out on a knighthood but can console himself in the fact that England boss Steve McClaren has told him he will keep his international place while at LA Galaxy if his form does not drop. (Daily Mail)

 

[McFLY]

Saturday 16th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Shaun Wright-Phillips has been told he can leave Chelsea if an offer of £10m is received for him. West Ham are favourites to snap him up. (The Sun)

Charlton striker Darren Bent rejected a £17m move to West Ham because he wants to join Liverpool. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has promised more big-name signings despite missing out on Darren Bent. (The Sun)

And the Hammers could start with a swoop for Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy. (Daily Express)

West Ham's Hayden Mullins will still join Charlton despite the collapse of the Darren Bent move. (Star)

Palermo plan to hijak Celtic's bid to sign Sampdoria star Gennaro Delvecchio. (Daily Record)

Fulham are set to sign Aston Villa defender Aaron Hughes and Leeds striker David Healy for £1m apiece. (Mail)

Spurs boss Martin Jol is chasing Sweden international winger Christian Wilhelmsson. (The Sun)

Barcelona's former Chelsea star Eidur Gudjohnsen has set his hopes on a move to Manchester United. (Daily Mail)

Middlesbrough hope to bring former defender Geremi back to The Riverside from Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)

Yossi Benayoun wants to quit West Ham for Liverpool. (The Guardian)

New Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson wants to sign Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen. (Daily Record)

Dutch striker Robert Fik has rejected the chance to join Aberdeen because he was only offered a one-year deal. (Daily Record)

Arsenal have agreed a £2m deal for Norwegian side Haugesund's 16-year-old centre-back Havard Nordtveit. (Daily Mail)

The Gunners are also tracking Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso and Ajax winger Ryan Babel. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves are set to sign Southend striker Freddy Eastwood in a £1.5m deal next week. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Jose Mourinho says he and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich have made peace. (The Sun)

Former Luton manager Mike Newell has launched a claim of unfair dismissal against the club. (Daily Express)

Derby manager Billy Davies thinks he will be favourite to be the first Premiership manager to get the sack next season. (The Sun)

Davies is considering adding former Scotland coach Craig Brown to his backroom staff at Derby. (Daily Record)

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce will be given the job on a permanent full-time basis if he guides his team to the last-four of the European Championships. (Various)

Former Fulham boss Jean Tigana has emerged as a surprise candidate to be the next Manchester City boss. (Mirror)

But City have not given up on persuading Sevilla coach Juande Ramos to come to Eastlands. (The Guardian)


Back to top
John Terry, whose Friday marriage was the first of the weekend's WAG weddings, spent £10,000 to have a mirrored dance floor for the bash. (The Sun)

David Beckham, who could clinch the Spanish title on Sunday, will appear at best mate Gary Neville's wedding via live video link-up. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Sunday 17th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Tottenham are ready to make a £3m swoop for Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi, the player who was headbutted by France's Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. (The People)

Curtis Davies is set to ask West Brom for a transfer, with Tottenham tipped to make a bid for the defender. (Sunday Mirror)

Liverpool midfield target Yossi Benayoun will tell West Ham he wants to leave when he returns from holiday this week. (The People)

Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi, who has been linked to Juventus and who had loan spells at Newcastle and Parma, wants to be given the chance to prove himself at Old Trafford. (Various)

Striker Carlos Tevez, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, is on the verge of agreeing a deal to stay at West Ham, which would cost the London club £9m for the next season. (News of the World)

Chelsea winger Arjen Robben turned down two offers of a new deal in the past week and wants permission to speak to Real Madrid about a move. (News of the World)

Arsenal's board of directors have told manager Arsene Wenger they would not stand in his way if he wants to sell striker Thierry Henry to Barcelona. (Mail on Sunday)

West Ham are targeting Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. (Sunday Express)

West Ham want Benfica midfielder Manuel Fernandes, who had spells with Portsmouth and Everton. (The People)

Middlesbrough want midfielders Gary O'Neil and Sean Davis in a swap deal for Portsmouth target Yakubu. (The People)

Sheffield United captain Phil Jagielka, who has been linked to Everton and Wigan, will stay with the club if they are saved from relegation by the Premier League's arbitration panel. (The People)

Everton have joined Fulham, Blackburn and Middlesbrough in the battle for West Ham striker Bobby Zamora. (News of the World)

Wigan are set to join the race to land Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage, who is also a target of Sheffield United. (News of the World)

Liverpool have opened talks with Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito. (Various)

Ipswich are eyeing Birmingham midfielder Neil Kilkenny. (The People)

Fulham have made the first firm bid for West Ham striker Marlon Harewood, who has been told he can leave. (The People)

Sunderland are set to make a £2.5m bid for Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. (The People)

Lyon's Alou Diarra and Watford's Hamuer Bouazza are top of Portsmouth's midfield shopping list. (The People)

Celtic are keen on Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly, who has also been linked to Monaco, Marseille, Newcastle and Tottenham. (The People)

Everton are poised to make a £2.5m bid for Manchester United striker Alan Smith. (News of the World)

West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins, who was part of the failed deal to take Charlton striker Darren Bent to Upton Park, is still set to join the Addicks. (News of the World)

Newcastle are preparing a £7m swoop for Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute. (News of the World)

Manchester City defender Danny Mills is attracting the attention of Rangers. (News of the World)

Portsmouth are chasing Maccabi Haifa striker Roberto Colautti. (News of the World)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to become the new manager of Manchester City - if ex-Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's £120m takeover of the club goes through. (Sunday Mirror)

Former world player of the year Zinedine Zidane says David Beckham is "one of the game's greatest players" and believes Real Madrid should have done everything in their power to keep the midfielder, who is set to join LA Galaxy. (Sunday Mirror)

England boss Steve McClaren will personally check on the form of Beckham at LA Galaxy before naming the squad for the friendly with Germany on 22 August. (Mail on Sunday)

American-based entrepreneur Daniel Williams is the man behind a £67m takeover bid for Blackburn. (The People)

Former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness has launched a bid to take over Coventry. (News of the World)

Hong Kong-based billionaire Carson Yeung is the mystery man behind a £60m takeover bid for Birmingham. (News of the World)

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that, with 14 names linked to replacing him in the 2006-2007 campaign, he might have left the club if he had not been "in a mature state of mind within myself".

Inter Milan's former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira believes the uncertainty at the Emirates Stadium following the departure of vice-chairman David Dein is harming the club. (Sunday Mirror)

Wigan boss Chris Hutchings wants his one-time assistant at Bradford, Martin Hunter, to leave Norwich and become his new number two. (The People)

Scott Parker, West Ham's new arrival from Newcastle, does not have a get-out clause in his contract because he believes his new club will keep their Premier League place, despite Monday's arbitration tribunal. Relegated Sheffield United are challenging the decision not to dock points from the Hammers for breaking ownership rules over the signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, who is now at Liverpool. (Various)

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's future at the club could be decided in a showdown with new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks this week. (News of the World)

Former England and Arsenal defender Tony Adams has hit out at the coaching set-up in his home country but wants to manage the national side one day. (Sunday Mirror)


AND FINALLY
A new Premier League theme tune will be played when teams toss the coin before each fixture next season, with DJ Judge Jules's old top-flight tune being replaced by a ditty composed by Peter Lawler. It was recorded at the Abbey Road studios by session musicians and will also be used on the preview and review shows that are screened the world over. (The People)

Fulham defender Moritz Volz's holiday in Miami has been hit by toilet problems. He said: "The hotel toilet would not stop flushing and flooded the bathroom. Luckily, no solid waste was involved but after a long flight the last thing I wanted was to change rooms in my pyjamas. Then it got worse when the toilet in the new room made siren noises that were louder than the local fire engines." (The People)

Former Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro has revealed that one of the reasons he joined Chelsea this summer was his passion for horse racing. The Peruvian owns 35 horses, which race in his homeland, Argentina and England.

 

[McFLY]

Monday 18th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho wants to sign Benni McCarthy but Blackburn have insisted the striker is not for sale. (The Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce hopes to sign either PSG defender David Rozehnal, Marseille's Habib Beye or Liverpool's Sami Hyypia this week. (Daily Mirror)

Juventus and Roma are targeting Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy. (Various)

The Reds want Roma to follow up their interest as it raises the possibility of an exchange for their £10m-rated Brazilian winger Mancini. (Independent)

Rangers are planning a £1m bid for West Ham left-back Paul Konchesky. (The Sun)

St Etienne want Rangers left-back Sasa Papac, who has been told he has no future at Ibrox. (The Sun)

Everton midfielder Tim Cahill wants the club to sign his Australian team-mate Vince Grella, 27. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham are eyeing centre-half Zat Knight from Fulham, who are set to sign Aston Villa defender Aaron Hughes this week. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton want £6m for goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who has turned down a new deal and is being targeted by Sunderland and Aston Villa. (Daily Mirror)

After bidding £3.2m for Jaaskelainen, Sunderland boss Roy Keane will also trying to sign Chelsea's Geremi and Man Utd striker Giuseppe Rossi. (Daily Mail)

Middlesbrough are poised to table a £1m offer for Aberdeen and Scotland defender Russell Anderson. (Daily Express)

Celtic want Roma's France Under-21 midfielder Ricardo Faty on loan. (The Sun)

AC Milan winger Massimo Donati will fly to Glasgow this week for signing talks with Celtic. (Daily Record)

Dunfermline striker Tam McManus will sign a new contract after rejecting overtures from Kilmarnock, Inverness and Dundee United. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Blackburn want further information about Anglo-American financier Daniel Williams before a proposed £67m takeover of the club. (Daily Mirror)

Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung is expected to step up his bid to buy Birmingham over the next few days. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City want to appoint Sevilla boss Juande Ramos as their new manager by the end of the week. (Various)

Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, now a BBC pundit, believes a new defence is the top priority for manager Sam Allardyce. (Daily Mirror)

Defender Bruno Alves has dashed Aston Villa's hopes of signing him by committing to Porto. (Daily Express)

Mark McGhee and Gary McAllister have emerged as front-runners for the manager's job at Motherwell. An announcement will be made on Tuesday. (Daily Telegraph)

McGhee will be named 'Well boss. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Fulham's Jimmy Bullard will have an intensive two-week fitness test in America under the supervision of Dr Richard Steadman to determine whether he is fit for the start of next season. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 19th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Chelsea and Arsenal want to sign Valencia defender Miguel but have been warned he will cost them £13m. (Daily Telegraph)

Six Premiership clubs are interested in Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe - with West Ham and Sunderland the leading chasers. (The Independent)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to offer Manchester United striker Alan Smith regular first team football. (Daily Star)

Charlton striker Darren Bent has told Liverpool and Tottenham he will go to the club that gives him the best chance of being an England regular. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham have joined the battle to land Preston striker David Nugent after missing out on Bent. (The Sun)

The Hammers have been rebuffed after making an enquiry for Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. (Daily Mail)

Derby boss Billy Davies will make West Ham defender Tyrone Mears his first summer signing this week in a £1m swoop. (The Sun)

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp wants to sign Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute as top scorer Kanu is talks with Ajax. (The Sun)

Chelsea are set to hijack Fulham's move for Ulsan Tigers midfielder Lee Chun-Soo, with both clubs under pressure to sign a Korean because of their sponsorship deals with firms from that nation. (The Sun)

Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen is poised for a shock £3m switch to Sheffield United. (Various)

Midfielder Jose Antonio Reyes, who has been on loan at Real Madrid from Arsenal, has begged the Spanish club to let him stay after he helped them lift the title on Sunday. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan are ready to sign Helsingborgs defender Andreas Granqvist for £750,000 following a loan spell last season. (The Sun)

Wigan are lining up Preston keeper Carlo Nash for a permanent switch to the JJB. (Various)

Newcastle are poised to complete a £2m move for Czech defender David Rozehnal from PSG. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham have had a £3m bid for striker Marlon Harewood rejected by West Ham. (Various)

Blues boss Steve Bruce has been told he will have to pay £4.5m for Harewood. (Daily Express)

Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have vowed to give manager Rafael Benitez money to splash out in the transfer market following rumours of unrest at the club. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea flop Khalid Boulahrouz has been lined up for a £4m move to Sevilla. (Various)

Billy Sharp is heading for showdown talks with Scunthorpe that could see him quit the club. (Daily Star)

Freddy Eastwood has pleaded with Southend to let him complete a £1.5m move to Wolves. (Daily Star)

Reading's Stephen Hunt is demanding a new contract only six months after signing a new two-and-a-half year deal. (Various)

Millwall are ready to offer a trial to former jailbird Fiston Manuella, who plays for Chelmsford. (Daily Star)

Nottingham Forest want to sign Birmingham midfielder Neil Danns for £500,000. (Daily Star)

Middlesbrough are ready to offer a return to England to Ian Harte, who plays in Spain for Levante. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham have dropped their interest in Fulham's Zat Knight to chase Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege - and they also want Cardiff winger Joe Ledley. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City are ready to steal Bolton teenage star Kyle Bartley from under Arsenal's noses. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton plan a surprise £500,000 bid for Birmingham midfielder Stephen Clemence. (The Sun)

Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc says he would relish a move to a bigger club than Celtic. (Various)

Sampdoria say midfielder Gennaro Delvecchio is excited by the idea of a transfer to Celtic. (The Sun)

Former Hearts midfielder Julien Brellier says his agent is in talks with Rangers. (Various)

New Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has targeted out-of-favour Celtic defender Adam Virgo. (Daily Mail)

Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield is a target for Cardiff and Norwich. (The Sun)

Celtic striker Craig Beattie is wanted by West Brom and Sheffield United. (Daily Express)

Wycombe are to hold signing talks with out-of-contract St Mirren striker John Sutton. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra wants ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to take over as boss of Manchester City if his takeover is successful. (The Guardian)

Barcelona want Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to become their new boss, with Frank Rijkaard expected to step down after his side were pipped to the Spanish title by Real Madrid. (The Sun)

Arsene Wenger's attempts to bring in Reading's Nicky Hammond as director of football failed when Hammond had a last minute change of heart. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill Wood has completed a dramatic U-turn by admitting he is willing to work with billionaire Stan Kroenke. (Daily Express)

LA Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas believes midfielder David Beckham, who is leaving Real Madrid to join the Major League Soccer club, will be bigger in the United States than golfer Tiger Woods or former basketball player Michael Jordan. (Daily Mirror)

Lalas has described the Premiership as an inferior product whose global success is largely down to American marketing techniques. (The Guardian)

Former England striker Les Ferdinand wants Serbia to be kicked out of the Under-21 European Championship for the racist abuse directed at Nedum Onuoha. (Various)

American tycoon Daniel Williams is at least three weeks away from making a bid for Blackburn. (The Sun)

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer says that Magpies striker Michael Owen will stay at the club. (Various)


AND FINALLY
David Beckham missed out on lifting the Spanish title with his Real Madrid team-mates in favour of flying off on holiday with his family. (Daily Star)

England trio John Terry, Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard all interrupted their honeymoons to send a congratulatory text to Beckham for his title win. (The Sun)

Derby boss Billy Davies jokingly threatened to chop off Alan Hansen's legs after the BBC pundit tipped his side to get relegated from the Premiership. (Daily Record)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 20th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Spurs have edged closer to signing striker Darren Bent from Charlton for a fee between £12-14m. (Various)

West Ham have been offered Argentina striker Javier Saviola to replace Carlos Tevez. (The Sun)

Newcastle have slapped in a take-it-or-leave-it £2.8m bid for Paris St Germain defender David Rozehnal. (Daily Star)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane wants Wigan skipper Leighton Baines - but will have to pay £6m for the defender. (Daily Mirror)

Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira says French striker Thierry Henry will leave unless Arsenal spend big to strengthen their team. (Daily Mirror)

And Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o says he expects Henry to join him at the club next season. (The Times)

Meanwhile, Barcelona winger Ludovic Giuly has angrily denied reports that he is tapping up French pal Thierry Henry. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough have rejected a bid of £10m from Portsmouth for striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu. (The Independent)

Everton are in talks to sign Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley. (Various)

Sampdoria have told Celtic they need to find £3m if they want to land Italian star Gennaro Delvecchio. (Daily Record)

Aston Villa and Birmingham are competing for the signature of West Ham striker Marlon Harewood. (Daily Star)

Swiss midfielder Bruce Lalombongo has turned down a move to Everton. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is still hopeful of snapping up striker Fredi Kanoute. (Daily Star)

Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse is in talks about spending another season on loan with Marseille. (The Sun)

If Cisse is not allowed to leave for another loan spell, Bolton are ready to move in for him. (Daily Mirror)

Everton and Celtic are both chasing 20-year-old Chateauroux defender Yassin Moutaouakil. (The Times)

Wigan and Portsmouth are both keen on Reading's Stephen Hunt. (Daily Mirror)

Freed Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie says Rangers, Premiership and Championship clubs are interested in his signature. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers say signing Lee Hendrie has never been discussed. (Daily Express)

Rangers will this week intensify their efforts to sign Osasuna defender Carlos Cuellare and Wigan forward Lee McCulloch. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle have joined Celtic in casting an eye over Breda's Netherlands Under-21 striker Maceo Rigters. (The Herald)

Portuguese striker Pedro Moutinho's future at Falkirk is at doubt after he failed to turn up for pre-season training. (The Herald)

Hibernian have stepped up their attempts to sign Austrian striker Arno Kozelsky from Leoben. (Daily Express)

Bristol City's bid for Hibernian winger Ivan Sproule is worth £250,000. (Daily Record)

Hibernian manager John Collins says Creteil defender Fabien Lavoyer is not one of his targets. (The Herald)

St Mirren want veteran goalkeeper Paul Mathers, who recently signed for East Fife, as player-coach. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sven-Goran Eriksson is on the brink of accepting the Manchester City manager's job. (Various)

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins has told of his terror after a gang of masked gunmen fired at his car in Nigeria. (The Sun)

Celtic are to set up 30 soccer camps in the USA in a bid to unearth the latent football talent in the country. (Daily Record)

Supporters groups have criticised Hearts after they increased ticket prices for Old Firm and Hibernian fans visiting Tynecastle. (Various)

Aberdeen say cash restraints have hampered attempts to offer new contracts to manager Jimmy Calderwood and some players. (Daily Mail)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle are to offer head coach Charlie Christie a two-year contract extension. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Reading have been asked by the Premier League to test the latest Hawk-Eye goal-line technology during youth team matches. If it is a success, it could be in the Premier League within two years. (Daily Mirror)

Nottingham Forest are planning to create an East Midlands 'super-stadium' with a 50,000 capacity which will help re-establish them as a leading club - and which can be used for the 2018 World Cup. (The Guardian)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 21th June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool are poised to make a £25m swoop for Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres. (Various)

Rafa Benitez also wants to pip Newcastle, Sunderland and Aston Villa to Villarreal's £15.5m striker Diego Forlan. (Daily Mail)

Man Utd left-back Gabriel Heinze has agreed a top-secret £5m move to Real Madrid. (Daily Star)

Kaka's representative has not ruled out the Brazilian moving to Real Madrid. (The Times)

Chelsea are eyeing a £4m move for Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe, who can play at left-back or as a winger and who has been in great form for the Netherlands during the European Under-21 Championship. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have failed in an audacious swap deal after offering midfielder Lassana Diarra in return for Lyon winger Florent Malouda. (Independent)

Fulham are close to agreeing a £5.5m deal for West Brom striker Diomansy Kamara - with Heidar Helguson going the other way. (Daily Mail)

Wigan are willing to pay £5m for West Brom's Welsh midfielder Jason Koumas. (The Times)

Bolton admit they may lose keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen this summer, with Sunderland and Aston Villa interested. (The Sun)

But they have a contingency plan, with Sheffield United's £2m-rated Paddy Kenny on their shopping list. (The Sun)

Tottenham striker Mido is set to join Fulham after dropping down the pecking order at White Hart Lane. (Various)

Spurs will listen to offers for Jermain Defoe when they sign Darren Bent from Charlton. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins has asked Sam Allardyce not to cash in and sell him. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan have given midfielder Josip Skoko, who has been linked to Hajduk Split and Genclerbirligi, until the end of the month to give them an answer over his future after being offered a new one-year deal. (The Sun)

Newcastle are set to step up their interest in Charlton's England defender Luke Young. (Daily Mirror)

Scotland striker Garry O'Connor is set for a £2.5m move from Lokomotiv Moscow to Birmingham City. (The Sun)

Lokomotiv Moscow have rejected a £2m offer from Birmingham for Garry O'Connor. (Daily Mail)

Hearts are poised to sign Sunderland striker Tommy Miller. (The Sun)

Blackburn will have to pay £1.4m to Roma for striker Shabani Nonda, who was on loan at Ewood Park last season. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan will sign Preston keeper Carlo Nash to provide competition for Chris Kirkland. (Daily Mail)

Bolton's Ricardo Vaz Te says he wants to leave the Reebok Stadium. (Daily Mirror)

QPR admit they will have to sell £2m-rated Lee Cook in the next four weeks. (Daily Express)

Tottenham appear to be closing in on France Under-21 defender Younes Kaboul, who plays for Auxerre. (The Sun)

Sheffield United are poised to open talks with unwanted Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie. (Daily Star)

Celtic have been given permission to hold signing talks with AC Milan winger Massimo Donati within the next 48 hours. (Daily Mail)

But Donati has already arrived in Glasgow for signing talks with Celtic. (Daily Express)

Celtic will move for Breda striker Maceo Rigters after his spectacular goal in Netherlands' Under-21 victory over England. (The Sun)

Hamburg have offered Germany Under-21 striker Mustafa Kucuvic to Motherwell on loan. (Various)

Kilmarnock defender Gordon Greer has opened talks with Oldham but does not rule out remaining at Rugby Park. (The Sun)

Hull have placed a £3m price tag on keeper Boaz Myhill, to keep him out of the clutches of Aston Villa. (Daily Star)

Hull could sell striker Darryl Duffy to Swansea, Bristol City, Hartlepool and Hibernian. (Daily Record)

Luton are chasing striker Paul Peschisolido after his release by Derby County. (The Sun)

Leicester have made an £800,000 bid for Milton Keynes Dons striker Izale McLeod. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will give the Gunners board six months to come up with sufficient funds or he will leave. (The Sun)

Gilles Grimandi is close to accepting Arsene Wenger's offer to take over David Dein's role at Arsenal. (Daily Mirror)

Rio Ferdinand says Man Utd's new £50m signings make them even harder to dethrone next season. (Various)

Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard will miss the start of next season after being told by his knee surgeon not to rush back into action following the serious ligament injury he picked up last September. (Daily Mirror)

Stockport boss Jim Gannon has accused Liverpool of breaching Premier League rules by luring teenage keeper Ben Robinson to Anfield. (Daily Star)

Burnley boss Steve Cotterill has been handed a £10m budget thanks to wealthy director Brendan Flood. (Daily Star)

MK Dons want Les Ferdinand as first-team coach - if Paul Ince is appointed their new manager. (Daily Star)

Inverness will hold talks with Richie Hart after the defender was allegedly caught up in a drugs bust at the Rock Ness Festival. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Leicester's new keeper Jimmy Nielsen has revealed a gambling addiction cost him £1m and nearly wrecked his career. (Daily Mirror)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 22nd June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Sven-Goran Eriksson will take over as Man City boss next week - and will launch an audacious bid for Newcastle striker Michael Owen. (Various)

Newcastle have won the race to sign Man Utd misfit Alan Smith for £3.5m. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool will increase their bid for West Ham's Yossi Benayoun to £4.5m. (Various)

Charlton are ready to accept Spurs' £16m bid for striker Darren Bent. (Guardian)

Real Madrid say they are winning the race to sign West Ham's Carlos Tevez - and will pay £30m. (Various)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill wants to buy England Under-21 keeper Scott Carson from Liverpool for £3.5m. (Daily Mirror)

O'Neill is also keen on luring Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips for £10m. (Daily Star)

Sunderland will clinch the £7m signing of Preston's David Nugent next week. (Various)

Reading's Seol Ki-Hyeon is on the verge of a £1m move to Fulham. (Various)

Hibs want Newcastle's highly-rated Republic of Ireland winger Alan O'Brien. (Daily Record)

Charlton's £3m defender Luke Young is wanted by Bolton, Newcastle and Aston Villa. (Daily Mirror)

Crystal Palace want to sign Chelsea's Scott Sinclair on a season-long loan. (Daily Express)

Middlesbrough are chasing Fulham defender Liam Rosenior and could consider a swap deal involving James Morrison. (Daily Star)

Juventus are set to launch a bid for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins. (Daily Star)

Bolton are ready to step up their £6m battle with Marseille to sign Djibril Cisse. (The Sun)

Bordeaux's Laurent Blanc wants to hijack Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp's attempt to sign France midfielder Alou Diarra for £5.8m. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool's hopes of landing Fernando Torres have hit a setback as Atletico Madrid are refusing to drop their £27m asking price. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sven-Goran Eriksson will receive an annual salary of either £2m (Guardian), £3m (Daily Telegraph), £6m (The Times) or £8m (Daily Mail) when he takes over at Man City.

Former Celtic star Neil Lennon has blasted Rangers for 'surrendering' their crown to the Bhoys. (Daily Record)

New Man City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to make the club as big as rivals United. (Various)

Newcastle's England Under-21 star Steven Taylor says David Bentley and Gabriel Agbonlahor must be "kicking themselves" for missing the European Championship. (Various)

South African billionaire Johann Rupert has emerged as a possible bidder for Blackburn Rovers. (Various)

Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung Ka-Shing wants to wrap up a £70m takeover of Birmingham by 11 August. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Wayne Rooney is relaxing with Coleen McLoughlin after last weekend's England WAG wedding fest with a break in Las Vegas - and will cheer on Ricky Hatton against Jose Luis Castillo on Saturday. (Daily Mirror)

Man Utd winger Ryan Giggs is considering a new career when he retires from football - as a reality TV star. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Saturday 23rd June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Arsene Wenger will attempt to recruit Carlos Tevez from West Ham or bring back Nicolas Anelka in the wake of striker Thierry Henry's expected departure from the Emirates Stadium to Barcelona. (Various)

Manchester City are to bid £10m to sign their former winger Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea. (The Sun)

Striker Darren Bent is poised to complete a move to Tottenham from Charlton for £16m, a new club record fee. (Daily Mail)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is holding talks to sign Preston striker David Nugent. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley wants Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge after growing frustrated at being unable to land Nicky Shorey from Reading. (Sun)

Bolton's Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Te is a target of Derby County boss Billy Davies. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle midfielder Alan O'Brien has agreed personal terms to join Scottish side Hibernian. (Daily Record)

Birmingham are on the verge of landing Scotland striker Garry O'Connor from Lokomotiv Moscow in a £2.65m deal. (Daily Star)

Celtic have signed midfielder Massimo Donati for £3m from AC Milan. (Daily Record)

PSV Eindhoven have urged Rangers to increase the pace of negotiations over the signing of USA winger DaMarcus Beasley. (Daily Express)

DaMarcus Beasley will become a Rangers player on Monday after a £700,000 transfer was finalised with PSV. (Sun)

Celtic and Newcastle target Maceo Rigters will hold talks with Breda about his future after Saturday's final of the European Under-21 Championship. (Daily Mail)

Trinidad & Tobago striker Collin Samuel has joined MLS outfit Toronto after leaving Dundee United. (Daily Record)

Wolves hope to rescue Northern Ireland striker David Healy from League One football with Leeds. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City's bid to land Sven-Goran Eriksson has stalled over wages, with the former England boss demanding £2.5 over three years. (The Sun)

Real Madrid could be tempted to move for Arsene Wenger after the Arsenal boss allowed Thierry Henry to set up a move from the Gunners to Barcelona. (Daily Mail)

Sam Allardyce is prepared to give Spanish striker Albert Luque another chance at Newcastle. (Various)

Hearts have denied that Kaunas manager Angel Chervenkov is to be the new head coach at Tynecastle. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
England manager Steve McClaren has written to the official England supporters group, urging them to stop booing Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. (The Sun)