October Football gossip 2007

[McFLY]

Sunday 21st October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Derby are ready to bid £7m for Portsmouth striker David Nugent, and they also want Newcastle's Shola Ameobi on loan. (News of the World)

Real Madrid want Chelsea centre-back Ricardo Carvalho. (Various)

Manchester City are set to bid £10m for Heerenveen's Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves. (Various)

Arsenal and Manchester United are locked in a battle to sign 19-year-old Argentine midfielder Angel Di Maria. (News of the World)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill wants to sign Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise. (The People)

Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal are competing for the signature of Monaco midfielder Yohan Mollo. (The People)

Newcastle will renew their interest in Barcelona's want-away Brazilian Edmilson. (The People)

Manchester City are targeting Lyon's France international striker Karin Benzema but will need to pay around £14m for him. (The People)

City also want Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge but face competition from West Ham. (The People)

Tottenham are set to make a cut-price £1.5m bid for West Ham midfielder Luis Boa Morte. (The People)

Arsenal are interested in signing Dynamo Kiev's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric. (The People)

Manchester United are set to land 15-year-old Norwegian striker Joshua King from Valarenga. (The People)

Tottenham are considering moving for Villarreal's Argentine midfielder Juan Riquelme. (The People)

But Tottenham are set to lose out to Manchester United for the signature of Ghana youth international Ransford Osei. (The People)

Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair is wanted on loan by Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson. (The People)

Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko has told friends he wants to leave the club in January. (Mail on Sunday)


OTHER GOSSIP
Bolton have been told by Real Sociedad that prising manager Chris Coleman away will cost them £1m. (Various)

As well as Coleman, Bolton are considering Gary Megson and Graeme Souness for their vacant manager's position. (The people)

The FA would have to pay £21m as part of a complex pay-off to Chelsea if they want Jose Mourinho as the next England manager. (Sunday Mirror).

But the ex-Blues boss says he does not want the job. (News of the World).

However, Jurgen Klinsmann is interested in becoming the next England boss, having told friends he wants his next job to be in London. (The People)

Aberdeen legend Wilie Miller reveals in his new book 'The Don' that managing the SPL side affected his mental health. (Sunday Mail)

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson says that Miller is "the best penalty box defender I have ever seen." (Sunday Mail)


AND FINALLY
Freddy Eastwood has come down to earth with a bump since his goals have dried up - his club Wolves put him on a Ryanair flight to return from Wales' trip to San Marino rather than the private jet he has been used to previously.

 

[McFLY]

Monday 22nd October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Tottenham are interested in Wolves' England Under-21 international winger Michael Kightly. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy could join Wolves on loan. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
David O'Leary says he would jump at the chance to become the next Republic of Ireland manager. (Various)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has ruled himself out of replacing Steve Staunton as Republic boss, with Staunton expected to be sacked on Tuesday. (Various)

Real Sociedad boss Chris Coleman has insisted Bolton have not asked him to fill their managerial vacancy. (Various)

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside is set to make a fresh move for Leicester boss Gary Megson after his initial bid for talks - following the exit of manager Sammy Lee - was turned down. (Various)

Former Aston Villa and Leicester boss Brian Little is the favourite to take over at Lincoln following the sacking of John Schofield and John Deehan. (Daily Mirror)

Steve Bruce has reiterated he has no idea if he will remain as manager of Birmingham, with prospective owner Carson Yeung failing to give him any reassurances. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has insisted that there is no rift with midfielder Steven Gerrard, despite the Reds captain's shock substitution against Everton on Saturday. (The Sun)

The SPL could grant Scotland manager Alex McLeish his wish of having domestic games postponed ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy. (Daily Record)

AC Milan goalkeeper Dida has apologised to his club's fans for feigning injury against Celtic. (Daily Record)

Celtic could risk Stephen McManus against Benfica despite the defender being knocked out during Saturday's defeat by Rangers. (Various)

Ronaldhinho was dropped on Saturday by Barcelona after being disciplined for his late return from international duty with Brazil. (Daily Mail)

Barcelona midfielder Deco will miss Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Rangers through injury. (Various)

Dundee United will be forced to give 19-year-old Ewan McLean his debut against Rangers as their other goalkeepers are injured or suspended. (Daily Express)

Former Palermo boss Francisco Guidolin is set to be unveiled as the new QPR manager, leading to the exit of caretaker boss Mick Harford. (Daily Mirror)

Former England Under-21 boss Peter Taylor, who was axed as Crystal Palace manager this month, is in the frame to take over at Stevenage. (The Sun)

Sheffield Wednesday striker Francis Jeffers faces a two-month lay-off after breaking an ankle against Stoke. (Various)

Dave Kevan has left his role as assistant boss at Burnley for the same position at Notts County. (The Sun)

Defender Glen Johnson hopes his first goal for Portsmouth - against Wigan on Saturday - will boost his chances of an England recall. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba must be far too busy thinking about his club future to sort out the smaller details in life - he was spotted driving his Porsche with an out-of-date tax disc. (Daily Mirror)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 23rd October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Striker Didier Drogba has attracted interest from French club Lyon after being quoted in France Football magazine that he "wanted to leave Chelsea". (The Times)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is chasing £40m-rated Lyon forwards Karim Benzema, 19, and Hatim Ben Arfa, 20. (The Sun)

Fulham are lining up a £2.5m bid for Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty. (Daily Mirror)

Reading boss Steve Coppell is planning a January shopping spree after a poor start to the season. (Daily Mirror)

Dundee United have offered to extend goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski's loan from Sturm Graz beyond January. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Former Newcastle boss Graeme Souness has been added to the list of potential managers to succeed Sammy Lee at Bolton. (The Guardian)

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is considering offers to train with numerous English clubs during January - should he be required by England for Euro 2008. (Independent)

Tottenham boss Martin Jol has played down substitute striker Dimitar Berbatov's refusal to warm up during the 3-1 defeat at Newcastle. (Various)

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, who is now at Barcelona, says he wants to finish his playing career in the United States. (Mirror)

Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage is prepared to end his two-year international exile - if John Toshack is sacked as Wales boss. (Various)

Steven Gerrard has demanded talks with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to find out why he was substituted in Saturday's 2-1 derby victory over Everton. (Various)

Sir Alex Ferguson reckons Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez can form the best strike partnership in his 20 years as Manchester United manager. (Various)

Jobi McAnuff is keen to return to Crystal Palace on loan after falling out of favour at Watford. (Mirror)

Sacked Leicester boss Martin Allen and Charlton number two Phil Parkinson have been interviewed for the vacant manager's job at Norwich. (Mirror)

Hull boss Phil Brown plans to offer Jay-Jay Okocha a coaching role in a bid to keep him at the club when his 12-month playing deal ends. (Mirror)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc says he did not shake hands with Rangers players on Saturday because he doesn't like them or their team. (Various)

Barcelona's Ronaldinho wants revenge on Rangers for the Glasgow club's Uefa Cup victory over Paris St Germain six years ago. (Daily Mail)

Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston has backed under-fire manager Stephen Kenny. (Various)


AND FINALLY
David Beckham's LA Galaxy side have been called a "pub team" by their own goalkeeper after a 1-0 defeat against Chicago ended their play-off hopes. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 24th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Martin Jol's reign as Tottenham manager could end after Sunday's home match against Blackburn, with Rovers boss Mark Hughes in line to replace the Dutchman at White Hart Lane. (The Independent)

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is stalling over a new Spurs contract. (The Guardian)

Leicester City boss Gary Megson will be named as the new Bolton manager in the next 48 hours. (The Sun)

Wycombe striker Jermaine Easter could be on his way to Bristol Rovers in the January transfer window. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham have beaten Rangers to the signing of 17-year-old defender Michael McKerr from Irish club Glenavon in a deal that could cost £250,000. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is set for talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown about a potential England bid to host the 2018 World Cup. (Various)

British Boxing Board of Control doctor Gordon Duff says Celtic should not risk captain Stephen McManus against Benfica after his head injury on Saturday. (The Sun)

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan will let the club doctor have the final say on whether McManus will be fit to play on Wednesday night. (Daily Record)

Didier Zokora believes the players - not manager Martin Jol - are responsible for Tottenham's terrible start to the season. (Daily Express)

Keeper Paul Robinson fears boss Jol could be out by Christmas - if Spurs cannot turn their season around immediately. (Daily Star)

Blackpool's Simon Grayson and former QPR boss John Gregory are on the shortlist for the vacant managerial post at Norwich City. (Daily Mirror)

Former Hull City owner Adam Pearson looks set to invest £3.5m in Derby County - and could replace Peter Gadsby as chairman of the Rams. (Daily Telegraph)

Barnsley are hoping to extend midfielder Anderson de Silva's loan deal from Everton. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson believes injured Bulgaria international striker Valeri Bojinov could be back in training around Christmas following cruciate ligament surgery. (The Guardian)

Everton's Phil Neville believes England can still qualify for Euro 2008, despite the 2-1 defeat by Russia in Moscow. (The Guardian)


AND FINALLY
Striker Didier Drogba borrowed a line from Austin Powers when he said Chelsea got their "mojo working" in their 2-1 Champions League win over Valencia. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 25th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Birmingham have agreed a deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Semih Aydilek as soon as he receives a German passport. (Daily Star)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has told the club's owner Thaksin Shinawatra he needs two more top players in January. (Daily Star)

Charlton are looking to bring in a left-back on loan. (Daily Star)

Fulham are prepared to splash out £4m to capture West Ham striker Bobby Zamora. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United are looking at Athletic Bilbao teenagers Javi Martinez and Markel Susaeta. (Daily Mirror)

The Football League have banned Coventry from signing Kasper Schmeichel until they settle a debt to Southampton for Leon Best. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City are hoping to tie up a deal for Nigerians Macauley Christanus and Matthew Edile. (The Sun)

Juventus have held discussions with Arsenal, Chelsea and Rangers about exchanging loan players in January. (Daily Record)

Chelsea are interested in buying Brazilian youngsters Renato Augusto and Lulinha. (The Independent)

Dundee United are set to keep Sheffield United striker Jordan Robertson on loan all season. (Daily Record)

St Johnstone have been told by Gretna they will not be able to extend Kenny Deuchar's loan deal. (various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is being lined up to become the new AC Milan boss. (Daily Express)

Norwich are considering making an official approach for Stoke manager Tony Pulis (various)

Terry Venables is one of the candidates to replace sacked Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton are set to complete the appointment of Gary Megson as their new manager on Thursday. (various)

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has virtually assured prime minister Gordon Brown that England will host the 2018 World Cup. (various)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce wants to raid former club Bolton to take goalkeeping coach Fred Barber to St James' Park. (various)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea are looking at whether they could build a new stadium on the site of BBC's Television Centre, which is being sold off. It would cost The Blues £300m - but may be too small at 13 acres. Their Stamford Bridge site is 12.5 acres.

It's official, Martin Jol's days as Tottenham boss are almost up. The reason? He has not been included on a new Spurs Monopoly board. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 26th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has made it clear he would like to bring Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips back to Eastlands. (various)

Southampton will be forced to sell England Under-21 midfielder Andrew Surman in January to avoid administration. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan are lining up a move for Nottingham Forest's 24-year-old winger Kris Commons. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United keeper Edwin van der Sar wants a new contract. (various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Seville manager Juande Ramos will be installed as the new Tottenham boss this week, as a replacement for the sacked Martin Jol. (various)

QPR are set to install former Napoli chief Luigi de Canio as their new manager. (The Sun)

Reading boss Steve Coppell has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant Republic of Ireland manager's position. (The Sun)

Coventry boss Iain Dowie will quit to take over at Leicester. (The Sun)

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has vowed not to quit the club before he has talks with prospective new owner Carson Yeung. (Daily Star)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been warned by the club's owners they expect him to win silverware after spending £40m in the summer. (various)

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson is in line to become the new Leicester manager to replace Gary Megson, who has left for Bolton. (Daily Mail)

Robert Kraft, the owner of top NFL team New England Patriots, wants to buy a Premier League club. (various)

Benfica's Brazilian defender Luisao insists the Portuguese side will beat Celtic at Parkhead and end the SPL champions hopes of last 16 qualification. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Portsmouth's plans for a new stadium by the sea have been sunk by the Royal Navy. The stadium, which would have jutted into the harbour, cuts into a naval exclusion zone. Pompey are now planning to build a new home on top of a rubbish tip near Port Solent. (various)

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson believes a Premier League fixture should be held in the US - in the same way the NFL is coming to the UK. "It would be good for the game," he said. (various)

Scotland, manager Alex McLeish has blasted Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi for branding Rangers' Champuions League tactics: "anti-football" and says it's a compliment to the Scottish game.(Various)

 

[McFLY]

Saturday 27th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United are tracking £4.5m-rated Bayern Munich right-back Willy Sagnol. (The Sun)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has told Manchester City that they will probably not be able to afford Michael Owen after City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson expressed an interest in buying the England striker. (Daily Express)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is trying to lure Bolton midfielder Gary Speed to Bramall Lane on a three-month loan deal. (Various)

Newcastle and Tottenham are tracking Rangers and Scotland full-back Alan Hutton. (Scottish Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Spurs have launched an internal inquiry to find out who sent Martin Jol a text during the Getafe match to tell him he had been sacked before the board could break the news to him. (Telegraph)

Meanwhile, former Tottenham midfielder Gus Poyet has left Leeds to take the number two job at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has backed David O'Leary to succeed Steve Staunton as Republic of Ireland boss. (Times)

New Bolton boss Gary Megson has vowed to win over fans who are disgruntled at his appointment. (Various)

Chelsea boss Avram Grant says he will not be letting any players leave in the January transfer window despite rumours that Shaun Wright-Phillips is looking for a move. (Various)

Liverpool's Rafael Benitez is baffled at reports suggesting he will be the next Premier League manager to be sacked after losing in the Champions League in midweek. (Various)

England striker Wayne Rooney believes manager Steve McClaren has done a great job and it should be the players who are blamed if they fail to qualify for Euro 2008. (The Sun)

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has likened his side's style of play to that of Brazil. (The Sun)

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt believes Liverpool can put their Champions League problems behind them and win the Premier League. (The Sun)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has promised Russia's players a £100,000 bonus if they beat Israel and stop England from qualifying for Euro 2008. (Daily Express)

Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric wants a second crack at persuading former Bradford and Wigan boss Paul Jewell to accept the manager's job. (Daily Mirror)

Norwich striker Dion Dublin says he wants to become the club's new manager. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Juande Ramos, the man expected to be named the new manager of Tottenham, deliberately made his Rayo Vallecano team play with just 10 men six years ago because they were not trying hard enough while leading a game 2-0 - his Spanish side held on to win the game. (Daily Star)

 

[lewisganger]

cool section thanks

 

[McFLY]

Sunday 28th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
New Tottenham manager Juande Ramos wants to raid his former club Sevilla to take ex-Spurs striker Fredi Kanoute back to White Hart Lane and he is also keen to bring £23m-rated defender Daniel Alves with him. (News of the World)

Portsmouth and Manchester City are both keen to sign £8m-rated Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. (News of the World)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill wants to turn Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson's loan move into a permanent switch for £10m. (News of the World)

Chelsea are planning a £15m raid for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. (People)

West Ham will make a £9m bid for Everton striker Andy Johnson in the January transfer window. (News of the World)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce wants to sign Liverpool striker Peter Crouch in January. (News of the World)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for a new striker with Bolton's Nicolas Anelka and Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov top of his list. (People)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc is considering using a Fifa loophole to buy out his contract, which runs until summer 2009. (Sunday Mail)

Meanwhile, Celtic will make a January move to bring Scotland midfielder Shaun Maloney back from Aston Villa. (Sunday Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is planning a massive clear-out at White Hart Lane starting with goalkeeper Paul Robinson. (Various)

Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido plans to report Tottenham to Fifa and Uefa for 'tapping up' his coach Juande Ramos. (Sunday Express)

Leeds chairman Ken Bates is also suspicious that Spurs may have tapped up his assistant manager Gus Poyet to become Ramos' assistant at White Hart Lane. (Sunday Express)

Liverpool face being plunged £500m into debt by the club's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks. (News of the World)

Scotland manager Alex McLeish turned down the chance to manage Bolton, hours before chairman Phil Gartside offered the job to Gary Megson. (People)

Former Newcastle and Liverpool manager Graeme Souness has thrown his name into the hat to succeed Steve Staunton as Republic of Ireland manager. (Sunday Express)

Meanwhile, former England manager Terry Venables has refused to rule himself out of the running to become the new Republic of Ireland manager. (News of the World)

Chelsea defenders John Terry and Ashley Cole are expected to be back in action within the next two weeks. (News of the World)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and new Spurs boss Juande Ramos are on a five-man shortlist for the European manager of the year. Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan) Fabio Capello (ex-Real Madrid) and Roberto Mancini (Inter Milan) complete the list. (News of the World)

Steve McClaren could remain England manager even if he fails to qualify for Euro 2008. (News of the World)

Plymouth boss Ian Holloway is on the shortlist to take the vacant managerial position at Norwich. (News of the World)

But former Leicester manager Martin Allen has had a second interview for the post at Carrow Road and could be appointed this week. (People)

Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric wants former Everton manager Joe Royle to take over as boss at the Walkers Stadium. (News of the World)

Former Coventry boss Gary McAllister, current Sky Blues manager Iain Dowie, and Plymouth coach Ian Holloway are also all contenders for the Leicester job. (People)

QPR are set to name former Napoli boss Luigi de Canio as their new manager, replacing caretaker boss Mick Harford. (People)

Newcastle plan to start negotiations over a three-year contract extension for Michael Owen before January to end speculation over his future. (News of the World)

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has backed manager Rafael Benitez's rotation policy at Anfield. (People)

Gareth Southgate is running out of games to prove himself as Middlesbrough manager, and former Bradford and Wigan manager Paul Jewell is ready to step in. (People)


AND FINALLY
In a bid to sharpen up, Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has been secretly working on his fitness with British sprinter Darren Campbell on a tennis court at his house after former Blues boss Jose Mourinho banned the sessions from the training ground.

 

[McFLY]

Monday 29th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Sevilla trio Fredi Kanoute, Daniel Alves and Andres Palop are all being linked with moves to Tottenham. (Daily Star)

Manchester United are ready to sign Norwegian under-21 midfielder Per Skjelbred (Daily Mirror)

Charlton are planning a £2m swoop for Southampton's Polish striker Grzegorz Rasiak. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Carson Yeung says he will open contract talks with Birmingham manager Steve Bruce once he completes his £50m takeover. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says Gareth Barry is not for sale after interest from Chelsea. (The Times)

Everton striker Andy Johnson wants to sign a new contract at the Goodison Park club. (Daily Mail)

Sevilla plan to report Spurs to Fifa over an alleged illegal approach for manager Juande Ramos. (Daily Mail)

Former Hull City chairman Adam Pearson will become Derby County's new chief executive. (The Times)

Alex McLeish turned his back on a move to Bolton because he is determined to lead Scotland to next year's European Championship finals. (Daily Record)

Brian Little and Peter Jackson are battling it out to become the new manager at Lincoln. (The Sun)

Celtic's goalkeeper Artur Boruc is stalling over contract talks and could be set to follow the route of Andy Webster by invoking Article 17 of Fifa's transfer regulations in a bid to terminate his agreement with the Glasgow club. (Daily Express).


AND FINALLY
Pop star and Port Vale's majority shareholder Robbie Williams is set to be consulted by the club's chairman over the appointment of a new manager. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 30th October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
West Ham are eyeing former Chelsea midfielder Tiago in an £8m January swoop. (Daily Mirror, Daily Express)

Jose Mourinho has been targeted by Valencia since the Spanish club sacked coach Quique Sanchez Florez. (Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The Independent)

Mourinho has snubbed the opportunity to take over at Valencia. (Daily Star)

Fulham are lining up a £2m bid for Leicester defender Patrick Kisnorbo. (Daily Mirror, Daily Express)

Joe Royle will meet chairman Milan Mandaric this week to discuss the vacant manager's job at Leicester. (Daily Star)

Chelsea boss Avram Grant wants to beat Juventus and Inter Milan to the signing of £10m utility man Branislav Ivanovic. (The Sun)

QPR are making a £500,000 bid for Plymouth midfielder Akos Buzsaky. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham will have to cough up £60m if they want to sign Seville pair Daniel Alves and Freddie Kanoute. (Daily Star, The Times)

Barcelona could hand Hamilton teenager James McCarthy a dream move to Spain. (Daily Record)

Shaun Wright-Phillips could leave Chelsea to make way for Hamburg's Rafael van der Vaart. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sevilla have launched a blistering attack on Spurs for the "treacherous" way they snatched Juande Ramos. (The Sun)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is offering boss Avram Grant a new three-year contract after his successful start. (Daily Mirror)

Brazil captain Gilberto Silva may be on his way out of Arsenal after a Carling Cup snub. (Daily Mirror, Daily Star)

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith fears Alex McLeish could be lured away from his post as Scotland boss. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has revealed that Jonathan Woodgate provided him with one of his biggest laughs at Elland Road. Apparently, the defender once left his passport at home on a European trip because Ridsdale told him to keep it somewhere 'safe'. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 31st October gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Chelsea are set for a £70m fight with Italian side AC Milan to sign Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho, who is falling out of favour at Barcelona. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, the Blues are also considering a £12m move for Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (Daily Mail)

The Stamford Bridge club are also set to buy Lokomotiv Moscow midfielders Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Branislav Ivanovic for £20m in the January transfer window. (Independent)

Magpies boss Sam Allardyce is looking at a £6m move for Benfica and Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo. (The Sun)

Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg will join Italian side Juventus when his contract expires at the end of this season. (Independent)

Villa boss Martin O'Neill is planning to bring Liverpool striker Peter Crouch back to Villa Park. The England hitman had a forgettable stint at Villa from 2002-04. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane will offer £2m for Manchester United defender Johnny Evans, who impressed while on loan on Wearside last season. (Various)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is eyeing £9m-rated Brazil striker Afonso Alves who plays for Dutch side Heerenveen. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton boss Gary Megson has told chairman Phil Gartside to expect an expensive January as he tries to save the team from relegation. (Daily Star)

New Norwich City chief Glenn Roeder wants frozen-out Celtic forward Derek Riordan in January. (Daily Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea boss Avram Grant says there are no "untouchables" at the club now and only the best players will play. Previous manager Jose Mourinho named nine Chelsea players he said were "untouchable" and he would always select to play if fit. (Various)

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was conspicuous by his absence as the club formally unveiled Juande Ramos as their new manager. (Various)

Lifelong Spurs fan and American basketball star Steve Nash is keen to form a consortium capable of buying the club. (Guardian)

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry admits he is struggling to adapt to playing for Barcelona. (Various)

Leeds manager Dennis Wise is expected to ask his former Wimbledon boss Dave Bassett to replace Gus Poyet as his number two. (Various)

Former England midfielder Ray Wilkins is also being lined up as Wise's Elland Road assistant. (Various)

New Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has banned former chairman Freddy Shepherd from St James' Park. (Daily Mirror)

Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has revealed that he had Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill under contract to take over as manager three months before he was forced out of Elland Road. (The Sun)

Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry is to be given a testimonial, at the age of 26, after making his debut for the club in 1998. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham midfielder Wilson Palacios's 15-year-old brother, Edwin, has been kidnapped by an armed gang in his home country, Honduras. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says he would be happy to let former striker Robbie Fowler score for Cardiff when the sides meet in the Carling Cup at Anfield on Wednesday.

Benitez said: "Maybe we can leave him to score a fantastic goal in front of the Kop, but at the end of the game, if we have scored three." (Various)