August Football gossip 2008

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Monday 25 August gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Arsenal defender Phillipe Senderos is reportedly set to undergo a medical at AC Milan after signing a one-year loan deal with the Italians. (Sky Sports News, 1732 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City have launched a £10m bid to re-sign Shaun Wright-Phillips and end the Chelsea player's nightmare. (Daily Express)

Striker Dimitar Berbatov could finally be on his way from Tottenham to Manchester United for a transfer fee of between £25m and £28m. (The Independent)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is ready to pay around £10m for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao after sending spies to his Argentine club River Plate. (Various )

Tottenham have been told they must pay £23m if they want to prise forward Diego Forlan from Atletico Madrid. (Daily Mail)

Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is another player being looked at by Tottenham. (guardian.co.uk)

Espanyol have accepted a £12m offer from Everton for winger Albert Riera - but the player's preferred move is to Liverpool. (The Guardian)

Midfielder Stephane Mbia could yet end up at Everton, if the Merseyside club and Rennes can agree a transfer price between £7m and £10m. (The Guardian)

Portsmouth are bracing themselves for an £8m bid for Nico Kranjcar from Hamburg and Harry Redknapp may be pressurised to sell the midfielder. (Daily Star)

Pompey are also weighing up a move for Atletico Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta but may face competition from Everton. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa are set to abandon their £9m bid for James Milner unless Newcastle are prepared to sell the midfielder - who is demanding a new contract - immediately. (Daily Mail)

Middlesbrough will resist any offers - thought to be around £14m - from Liverpool for winger Stewart Downing. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City are tracking Wolves midfielder Karl Henry after being impressed by his outstanding form for the Championship side. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland are keen to sign Spain left-back Mariano Pernia from Atletico Madrid. The club may be forced to sell because of cash problems. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic are close to signing German international defender Alexander Madlung from Vfl Wolfsburg. (The Herald)

However, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan may wait until January to sign Madlung and instead recruit a defensive midfield player before the close of the transfer window. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

Meanwhile, Strachan's move for West Bromwich Albion left-back Paul Robinson has stalled over wage demands. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

IFK Gothenburg defender Matthias Bjarsmyr claims he is a target for Rangers. (Daily Express/Daily Star)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United will only sign Dimitar Berbatov if Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy drops his claim that the club made an illegal approach. (Daily Express)

Jimmy Bullard has not been offered a new Fulham contract because manager Roy Hodgson is concerned he does not pull his weight in midfield. (The Times)

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has confirmed he will appear on midfielder Joey Barton's behalf at the Football Association disciplinary hearing on 5 September. (The Times)


AND FINALLY
Manager Roy Keane axed Pascal Chimbonda only hours before Sunderland's win at Spurs - because the full-back turned up late for a pre-match walk around the hotel. (The Sun)

 

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Tuesday 26th August gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
David Dunn could be set for a new deal at Blackburn. Paul Ince says he will talk to the midfielder after the transfer window closes. (PA Sport 1520)

Sunderland have rejected a bid from an unnamed club for defender Danny Higginbotham. Wolves are believed to be the club who have had a £1.5m offer turned down. (Safc.com 1515)

Andrei Arshavin's protracted move to Spurs could be back on after Zenit St Petersburg splashed out £24m for Portugal midfielder Danny from rivals Dinamo Moscow. (The Sun 1307)

West Ham have no intention of selling striker Craig Bellamy, thwarting Manchester City's hopes of signing the Wales international. (WHFC.com 1215)

Sunderland have rejected a bid from an unnamed club for Danny Higginbotham, but look set to let fellow defender Russell Anderson go on loan to Burnley. (Setanta Sports 1126)

Arsenal are likely to miss out on Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler after the Udinese midfielder's agent said a move to the Emirates "would be too early for him". (Metro 1123 BST)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
With British record signing Andriy Shevchenko returning to former club AC Milan, Chelsea are also prepared to allow winger Shaun Wright-Phillips to re-join Manchester City for £9m, writing off an incredible £43m on the duo. (The Sun)

However, Everton and Portsmouth are also tracking Wright-Phillips. (Daily Express).

But Chelsea's spending spree is set to continue with Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Robinho joining the club for a fee of between £27m (The Sun) and £31m (Daily Mirror).

Uefa Cup champions Zenit Petersburg are attempting to offload striker Andrei Arshavin to Chelsea after his protracted move to Tottenham collapsed. (Daily Express)

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov could risk "rotting in the reserves" if his proposed £30m move to Manchester United fails to materialise. (Various)

Everton's bid to bring £12m-rated Espanyol winger Albert Riera to Goodison Park could be hijacked by rivals Liverpool, who have shelved plans to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. (Various)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez could raise £7m through the sale of winger Jermaine Pennant and centre-back Sami Hyypia to Stoke, while Everton are also looking into Valencia's 6ft 8in Serbia international striker Nikola Zigic. (The Guardian)

Toffees boss Dave Moyes is close to adding Guinea defender Kamil Zayatte to his squad for £2.5m from Swiss club Young Boys. (Daily Mail)

After having a £7m bid for West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand accepted, Sunderland boss Roy Keane is turning his attention to Man City's £1m-rated full-back Michael Ball. (The Sun)

Arsenal centre-back Philippe Senderos is set to complete a year's loan to Italian giants AC Milan. (Various)

West Brom agree a £2.5m deal for Charlton's China international Zheng Zhi. (Daily Mirror)

Baggies manager Tony Mowbray is also lining up a £4m bid for Real Mallorca striker Oscar Trejo. (Telegraph)

Bolton's Switzerland international Blerim Dzemaili is heading for the Reebok Stadium's exit door - without making a single appearance for the club. (Daily Mirror)

Real Betis are ready to step in to take Manchester City flop Nery Castillo on a year's loan. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa have moved a step closer to landing Reading striker Kevin Doyle in a £7.5m deal. (Daily Star)

Rangers will send midfielder Dean Furman on loan to Bradford City so that the South African can gain more first-team experience. (The Sun)

Celtic have ruled out a move for German international defender Alexander Madlung, who is currently with Vfl Wolfsburg. (The Herald)

Hearts striker Calum Elliot is close to agreeing a loan switch to Livingston. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood hopes to make two or three loan signings before the close of the transfer window, one of whom may be trialist Quido Lanzaat. (Various)

Motherwell will give Slovakian international defender Maros Klimpi the chance to win a move to Fir Park from Danish side Midtjylland. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP
Everton boss David Moyes is close to signing a new five-year contract. (Daily Mirror)

Goalkeeper Shay Given has urged Newcastle to sort out a new deal for England striker Michael Owen. (The Guardian)

Inter boss Jose Mourinho welcomed Andriy Shevchenko's move back to rivals AC Milan, despite their fractious 16-month relationship at Stamford Bridge. (Telegraph)

Blackburn boss Paul Ince is prepared for a hostile reception when he returns to Upton Park for the first time as a manager when his side play West Ham on Saturday. (Various)

Falkirk manager John Hughes says his strained relationship with Scotland's referees may force him to quit his post. (Various)

The proposed Great Britain football team at the London 2012 Olympics may play fixtures at Scotland's national stadium, Hampden Park. (Daily Mail)

AND FINALLY
Danny Shittu wants plenty of win bonuses with new club Bolton - to pay his enormous mobile phone bills. The former Watford defender said: "I spoke to a lot of clubs, including a few in France and Greece. I'll have a really big phone bill!"

 

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Wednesday 27th August gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Spartak Moscow striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who had talks with Spurs, is unsure if he is going to move from the Russian club. (Sport Express, 2000 BST)

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko will return to AC Milan on Wednesday in a season-long loan deal. (Gazzetta dello Sport, 1512 BST)

Newcastle are weighing up a move for left-back Sebastian Pocognoli, currently on Olympics duty with Belgium, with a bid of £6m for the 21-year-old AZ Alkmaar defender set to be made. (Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 1459 BST)

Spartak Moscow defender Radoslav Kovac is on the verge of a move to AC Milan. (Goal.com, 1515 BST)

USA midfielder Michael Bradley is a target for Blackburn, Everton, Middlesbrough and Celtic but his Dutch club Heerenveen say that a "substantial" bid will be required. (Premiershiplatest.com, 1518 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Tottenham will allow striker Dimitar Berbatov to join Manchester United, with manager Juande Ramos keen to bring in Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan and Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mirror)

Hull are set to make a £5m bid for Man Utd's young striker Fraizer Campbell once the Berbatov deal goes through. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has turned down a move to local rivals Manchester City at the last minute, with Arsenal now poised to sign the 31-year-old. (Various)

Sunderland are also interested in Silvestre, while moves for Fulham striker David Healy, Sheffield United front man James Beattie and West Ham centre-back Anton Ferdinand are also expected. (The Independent)

Chelsea's hopes of signing Real Madrid star Robinho are over and the Blues are set to turn their full attentions to AC Milan midfielder Kaka instead. (Daily Star)

Everton are set to sign Juventus midfielder Tiago, pinching him from under the noses of Premier League rivals Newcastle. (The Sun)

But the deal could be in jeopardy because Tiago is reluctant to return to England after struggling to establish himself at Chelsea. (The Independent)

Rennes midfielder Stephane Mbia says he is eager to join Everton and has urged his club to start negotiations. (The Independent)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is reluctantly looking at alternatives to Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, with Espanyol's Albert Riera and Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing in the frame. (The Sun)

West Ham will hold talks with Chilean striker Sebastian Pinto, with a view to acquiring the Santos star, nicknamed the Tank, on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield Wednesday want to take Chelsea youngster Jack Cork on loan for the rest of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Canadian striker Marcus Haber will have trials with League Two outfit Rotherham. (Daily Star)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari helped John Terry get the England captaincy by personally vouching for the 27-year-old in two phone calls to England coach Fabio Capello. (The Sun)

Andrei Arshavin's wage demands were the reason his potential move from Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal collapsed. (Daily Express)

Man City are hoping to get highly rated midfielder Michael Johnson to sign a new deal. (The Times)

Ukrainian club Shatktar Donetsk have complained to Fifa about Man City withholding a payment due for the transfer of Elano. (Various)


AND FINALLY
The hotel where England's squad are preparing for the friendly against the Czech Republic has been invaded by "Wannabe WAGS" - but security has been stepped up to keep the players on the straight and narrow. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp reckons the transfer funds available at the big clubs make the job of managing so easy that his wife could do it. (The Sun)

 

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Thursday 28th August gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Tottenham and Everton have both been linked with a move for 36-year-old former Celtic and Manchester United striker Henrik Larsson, whose Helsingborg contract is due to expire in November. (Daily Mail, 2356 BST)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon insists that Robinho's move to Chelsea will not go ahead unless the Spanish giants can secure an adequate replacement. Reports suggest a deal to bring the Brazilian forward to Stamford Bridge is all but completed, but after Real missed out on signing Valencia striker David Villa, Calderon is now keen to hang onto the 24-year-old.

Arsenal target Jonathan de Guzman is unlikely to leave Feyenoord before the transfer window closes, says his agent. "I don't expect a transfer of Jonathan this summer," Jan de Visser told Sportweek . "The price that Feyenoord ask for him is too much for the interested clubs." (Press Association, 1624 BST)

Osasuna striker Walter Pandiani is in talks with Premier League clubs, according to his agent Eugenio Botas. Fulham and West Ham have been linked with the Uruguay international. (Setanta, 1130 BST)

New Inter striker Victor Obinna Nsofor will be immediately loaned out to Everton. The 21-year-old Nigeria international striker made his name in Serie A with Chievo. (Goal.com, 1020 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Brazil striker Robinho is so close to completing his £28m move to Chelsea he could make his home debut against Tottenham on Sunday. (Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips could undergo a medical with Manchester City on Thursday as he nears a £9m return to Eastlands. (The Sun, Guardian)

And City could make a move for Brazil striker Ronaldo, who is currently without a club after being released by Italian giants AC Milan. Boss Mark Hughes is also eyeing Espanyol's £5m-rated right-back Pablo Zabaleta. (Daily Mail)

The Argentine could well be a replacement for Croatia defender Vedran Corluka, who is still an £8m target for Tottenham. (The Times)

Liverpool have moved a step closer to signing Espanyol's Albert Riera in an £8m deal - and the midfielder could feature in Sunday's match against Aston Villa. (Daily Express)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is chasing Feyenoord's tough-tackling Jonathan de Guzman as the ideal midfield foil for playmaker Cesc Fabregas. However, the Canadian-born 20-year-old will cost up to £12m. (The Sun)

Blackburn are checking out Sparta Prague full-back Michal Kadlec, who has also been linked with a move to Celtic. Rovers boss Paul Ince has seen a £1m bid for Bolton keeper Ali Al-Habsi turned down. (Mirror)

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has told unsettled striker Mido he is not leaving the Riverside, despite rumours linking the Egyptian striker with moves to Wigan and German side Hamburg. (Mirror)

Southgate has also revived his interest in US international midfielder Michael Bradley, who plays for Dutch side Heerenveen. (Daily Mail)

West Ham have offered Benfica's Ivory Coast centre-back Marco Zoro a trial. (The Times)

Celtic striker Derek Riordan could return to former club Hibernian, if the Edinburgh are willing to pay £250,000. Hibs want the player on loan but Celtic are not interested in a temporary transfer. (Daily Record)

However, Hibs' Edinburgh rivals Hearts are also keen to sign Riordan, with the player believed to be interested in a move to Tynecastle. (The Sun)

West Bromwich Albion are hoping to beat Midlands rivals Birmingham City to the signature of Celtic defender Bobo Balde. (The Sun)

Motherwell are keen to bring defender Maros Klimpi to Fir Park on loan after the Slovakian international impressed during a trial from Danish club Midtjylland. (Daily Express/Daily Express)

Turkish side Kocaelispor are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Brahim Hemdani. (Daily Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
Tottenham could recall wantaway striker Dimitar Berbatov for their London derby against Chelsea on Sunday. (Telegraph)

Spurs £12m target Roman Pavlyuchenko would not be able to play in the north London club's Uefa Cup campaign having already played for Spartak Moscow in a third-round Champions League qualifier, a 4-1 defeat by Dynamo Kiev. (Guardian)

Although they have revived their interest in Zenit St Petersburg's Andrei Arshavin, Spurs had explored the possibility of signing Wigan striker Emile Heskey, as well as Juventus' Italy international Vincenzo Iaquinta. (Independent)

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan could seek showdown talks with executive director Dennis Wise if midfielder James Milner is sold to Aston Villa. (The Sun)

Hull manager Phil Brown admits the search for a striker is his main priority after his side were dumped out of the Carling Cup by Championship side Swansea. (Mirror)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley insists he has the backing of the club's board of directors, despite speculation about his future at Upton Park. (Various)

Wigan winger Antonio Valencia could be in trouble with Fifa after missing Ecuador's friendly with Colombia last week. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
It seems Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor is not too happy with taxes in Britain. Asked what he would do if he became Prime Minister, the Togo international said: "I would try to keep down the tax. In London I would like to change the congestion charge." (The Sun)