December Football gossip 2007

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Saturday 01st December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
The FA are prepared to offer Jose Mourinho an incredible £6m a season to become the new England boss. (various)

But FA chief executive Brian Barwick will have to move fast to land Mourinho or risk losing him to Spanish giants Real Madrid. (Mirror)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has been forced to repeat his insistence that he does not want the England job. (Daily Express)

Reading boss Steve Coppell wants the next manager of the national team to be English - but has ruled himself out of the job. (Daily Telegraph)

Premier League chief Richard Scudamore insists England's top flight league should not be blamed for the deficiencies of the national team. (Daily Mail)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is in talks with Ken Bates to buy a stake in Leeds United. (Mirror)

France midfielder Lassana Diarra is ready to quit Arsenal after just three months. (Daily Star)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is ready to offload Bobby Zamora for £4m in January. (Mirror)

And if the Hammers do sell former Spurs forward Zamora, Reading are waiting in the wings with a £2m offer (Express)

Joey Barton Newcastle's demanding supporters are scaring the players into poor performances. (Various)

Manager Rafa Benitez's future is still uncertain despite ending his feud with Liverpool's American owners. (Express)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is having Espanyol pair Dani Jarque and Albert Riera watched with a view to a potential swoop. (Mirror)

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has vowed to stand by manager Roy Keane after last week's 7-1 hammering by Everton. (Sun)


AND FINALLY
QPR players are getting a crash course in Italian during coaching sessions because boss Luigi De Canio is still struggling with his English. (Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp wants screen hardman and fellow East Ender Ray Winstone to play him in a film of his life (Mirror)

 

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Sunday 02nd December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
The FA believes Jose Mourinho is using the England vacancy to flush out interest from a major European club side, with AC Milan or Bayern Munich his most likely destination. (Sunday Times)

The FA is unhappy with Fabio Capello's loud interest in taking the England manager's job. (Sunday Express)

Gerard Houllier has ruled himself out of the England manager's job. (News of the World)

Rio Ferdinand has told the FA to make Jose Mourinho the next England coach. (Star on Sunday)

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith says he would be willing to appoint an Englishman as the next Scotland manager. (Sunday Mail)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Andriy Shevchenko will leave Chelsea in January for £12m, leaving the club with an £18m loss in 18 months. (News of the World)

Sam Allardyce will be sacked as Newcastle manager and replaced by Alan Shearer if the Magpies lose to Arsenal on Wednesday. (Sunday Times)

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has been told he faces the sack if he launches another outburst towards owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks. (Sunday Express)

Manchester United are in pole position to sign Miguel Veloso from Sporting Lisbon, ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea. (Sunday Express)

Peter Crouch could move to Newcastle in an £8m deal next month. (Daily Star Sunday)

Defender Alan Stubbs, 36, has emerged as a top candidate to become David Moyes' assistant at Everton. (Star Sunday)

Manchester City aim to outbid Chelsea and Manchester United for Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric with a £20m raid. (Mail on Sunday)

And City are also aiming to recruit Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov, another Man United target. (Mail on Sunday)

Turkey striker Tuncay is not about to quit middlesbrough, insists boss Gareth Southgate (News of the World)

Tottenham striker Jermaine Defoe insists he has never said he wants to leave the club. (Various)

Liverpool's England forward Peter Crouch admits he is uncertain on his longterm future at Anfield. (Independent on Sunday)

West Ham are hoping to lure former Totenham full-back Stephen Carr away from Newcastle. (News of the World).

Newcastle are eyeing Espanyol striker Luis Garcia if Obafemi Martins carries out his threat to quit Tyneside. (News of the World).

Alan Hutton can leave Rangers in the summer for £8m with Manchester United heading a list of admirers including Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United. (News of the World).

New Birmingham City chief Alex McLeish will make Ibrox striker Kris Boyd his first signing during the January transfer window. (News of the World).


AND FINALLY
Tottenham players Darren Bent and Robbie Keane are trying to impress new manager Juande Ramos by fighting over the abs machine in the gym. (Sunday Telegraph)

 

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Monday 03rd December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
The Football Association's hesitancy could cost it the chance of appointing Jose Mourinho as the new England manager. (The Sun)

Mourinho has prepared a blueprint of his vision for England, which includes restarting the National Fooball Centre project at Burton, in anticipation that the FA will make formal contact this week. (Guardian)

Jurgen Klinsmann is also waiting to hear from the FA, according to a German FA insider. (Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Middlesbrough are the only club to have made an offer for Barcelona's out-of-favour Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, with a bid of £10m. (Independent)

Fernando Torres has warned Liverpool's owners that the club's top players are ready to quit if manager Rafael Benitez is sacked. (various)

Manchester United have been alerted to the availability of defender Willy Sagnol, who has fallen out with his boss at Bayern Munich. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea are interested in signing Real Madrid's £9m-rated Dutch forward Royston Drenthe. (Mirror)

Tottenham are a £400m target for buyers from Russia and the Far East and could be the next Premier League side to be the subject of a foreign takeover. (Mirror)

Former England boss Terry Venables has declared his interest in becoming Republic of Ireland manager. (various)

Carson Yeung's takeover of Birmingham looks to be dead after owners David Gold and David Sullivan refused to give him more time to do a deal. (The Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has been given until Christmas to turn the struggling club around. (Mirror)

Alan Shearer would be keen to step in if Allardyce is sacked. (Guardian)

Portsmouth want to sign Stuttgart defender Fernando Meira. (Mirror)

Bolton manager Gary Megson has set his sights on Israel midfielder Tarim Cohen, and could beat Leicester to the player's signature. (Mirror)

Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper wants to quit the club to raise his profile, believing it will help him force his way into the England team. (Daily Mail)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc will undergo a knee operation after Tuesday's Champions League game against AC Milan. (various)

Rangers will find out today if their match against Gretna will be postponed ahead of their Champions League decider with Lyon. (various)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool's Christmas party will have a 1980s pop theme and all the players are expected to dress up. Striker Dirk Kuyt has already told the lads he wants to be Boy George or Adam Ant. (The Sun)

And at Manchester United's seasonal extravaganza Rio Ferdinand is the chief organiser, collecting the whip from his team-mates at a cool £4,000 per man.

 

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Tuesday 04th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
FA chief executive Brian Barwick has met Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to get his advice on who should be the next England manager. They discussed the matter for two hours at Old Trafford, with Bobby Charlton also present. (The Sun)

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle believes Barwick must think carefully about the nationality of the next boss. He said: "This is the English FA and we need an Englishman. If we do go foreign, we need an Englishman beside him to be groomed for the future." (Daily Express)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Sam Allardyce's future as Newcastle boss is looking bleak after he was confronted by senior players in a revolt over tactics. (various)

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko fears he is on his way out of the club and is ready to line up a move to America's Major League Soccer. (Mirror)

Aston Villa will pay £10m to make goalkeeper Scott Carson's loan move from Liverpool permanent. (Daily Star)

Arsenal are on the trail of PSV Eindhoven's £5m-rated Holland international midfielder Ibrahim Afellay. (various)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is chasing Marseille striker Mamadou Niang as a cheaper alternative to Bolton's Nicolas Anelka. (Mirror)

But Eriksson is still considering whether to make a £12m bid for Anelka, as well as an £8m bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (various)

Reading manager Steve Coppell is ready to quit, saying he has taken the club as far as he can. (The Sun)

Everton want to sign Wolves' £4m-rated keeper Wayne Hennessey. (The Sun)

Police are trying to find the fan who shone a green laser pen into Didier Drogba's face during Chelsea's win over West Ham on Saturday. (The Sun)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has assured Robbie Savage he still has a future at the club despite leaving him on the bench for the last three games. (The Sun)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has been promised funds to buy new players in the January transfer window. (Mirror)

Wolves are planning to bid £1m for Plymouth winger Peter Halmosi. (Mirror)

Wycombe boss Paul Lambert has emerged as the shock contender to become the new Scotland manager. (Mirror)

David Sullivan says he will remain Birmingham's owner at Christmas, saying Carson Yeung's takeover is less than 10% likely to happen. (The Sun)

Derby's new manager Paul Jewell is set to spend £2m on Blackburn striker Jason Roberts. (various)

Everton are set to pay £1m for Swindon's 17-year-old left-back Ben Tozer, who has played only five minutes of football in League One. (Mirror)

Reading left-back Nicky Shorey will turn down a transfer to West Ham and hold out for a bumper move when his deal runs out in six months. (Mirror)

Newcastle are also interested in luring the England defender away from the Madejski Stadium. (various)

But Shorey would most likely prefer to join Manchester United, who are thought to be lining up a bid for him - although the Old Trafford club may not be willing to pay as much as Reading's £5m valuation. (The Times)

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is keen on Portsmouth's out-of-favour midfielder Matthew Taylor. (The Times)

Benni McCarthy could be on his way out of Blackburn after throwing a tantrum and then driving home when he was taken off against Newcastle. (Mirror)

Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor, who has been linked with a £15m transfer to Arsenal, wants to sign a new contract at the Midlands club. (Mirror)

Sunderland are poised to bid £2.5m for West Ham's Bobby Zamora. (Daily Star)

Arsenal's out-of-favour goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is wanted by German side Wolfsburg. (various)

Crystal Palace want to sign Sheffield United's Chris Morgan. (Daily Star)

Celtic legend Henrik Larsson, who is coming to the end of his contract at Helsingborgs, is set to call time on his playing career. (Mirror)

AC Milan's Croatian defender Dario Simic has snubbed a move to the Premier League and instead wants to join Lokomotiv Moscow. (Mirror)

Reading chairman John Madejski has pledged to provide the funds for major investment in new players during the January transfer window. (Express)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp wants to make three or four loan signings to cover for the players he will lose to international duty when the African Cup of Nations starts in January. (The Times)

Jimmy Calderwood is poised to sign a new contract as Aberdeen manager after being promised £1.4m to strengthen his squad. (Daily Record)

Lyon general manager Marino Faccioli says the SPL's decision to postpone Rangers' game against Gretna gives the Ibrox club an advantage for their Champions League tie. (Sun)

Setanta boss Colin Davidson says postponing Rangers' match against Gretna sets a dangerous precedent. (Sun)


AND FINALLY
Google have delivered some not-so-great news for Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has worked hard to turn around public bad feeling after his spat with Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup. The internet search engine revealed "I hate Ronaldo" was one of the most popular searches in 2007. (The Sun)

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda claims the players are allowed to eat junk food at Stamford Bridge, as long as they still produce good performances on the pitch. (Daily Mirror)

 

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Wednesday 05th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Fabio Capello has been backed by former Chelsea stars Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo for the England job. Zola said: "Capello's pedigree is unbelievable and fantastic. Not many coaches in the world have the experience and the qualities that he's got." (The Sun)

Another option for England could be Holland boss Marco van Basten who will quit after Euro 2008. (The Sun)

England will need to act quickly if they want to recruit former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as he is been lined up by Barcelona to replace Frank Rijkaard at the Nou Camp. (The Sun)

Zenit St Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat has ruled out managing England or Scotland. (Various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is planning a move for £3m rated Sporting Lisbon starlet Adrien Silva. (The Sun)

The Portugal under-19 captain is also been watched by Liverpool and Sevilla. (The Sun)

Chelsea are planning a double January swoop for Real Madrid wing back Royston Drenthe and Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner. (Daily Express)

However, Real Madrid would be more interested in a swap deal for Drenthe involving Florent Malouda. (The Sun)

Former AC Milan and Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello is being sounded out as a possible replacement for Sam Allardyce at Newcastle. (Daily Star)

Bolton manager Gary Megson wants to make midfielder Danny Guthrie's loan deal from Liverpool a permanent one. (The Times).

Portsmouth are prepared to listen to offers for left back Matthew Taylor in January. (The Times)

Manchester City are prepared to pay £17m for Javier Mascherano as Liverpool stall over making a bid for the Argentine midfielder. (Various)

Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has also been linked with strikers Afonso Alves and Obafemi Martins. (The Independent)

Bobby Zamora will be allowed to leave West Ham in January if their £5m valuation is met, with Fulham leading the chase for the striker. (The Independent)

Ronaldinho could use a little-known Fifa rule allowing him to resign from Barcelona and join Chelsea at a knock down price. (Daily Mail)

Everton are monitoring 30-year-old Norwegian striker Thorstein Helstad who will be available for about £1.5m. (Daily Mail)

Both Bolton and Wigan are chasing West Brom defender Paul Robinson and can expect to land the Baggies skipper for around £2m. (Daily Star)

Former Everton manager Howard Kendall has put himself forward for the vacant Republic of Ireland job. (Various)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc has targeted the New Year meeting with Rangers for his return after knee surgery. (Various)

Dunfermline are poised to move for ex-manager Dick Campbell and Aberdeen defender Jackie McNamara after sacking boss Stephen Kenny. (Sun)

Former Celtic midfielder Lubo Moravcik and Derry City boss John Robertson are in the frame for the Dunfermline manager's job. (The Guardian)


AND FINALLY
Cristiano Ronaldo says his mum will be angry with Rob Styles after the referee denied the Manchester United winger a chance of a hat-trick against Fulham on Monday. He was instead booked for diving and Ronaldo said: "My mum sometimes says to me 'Why do you never score a hat-trick?' But I tell her I'm happy to keep scoring two goals." (The Sun)

A Sunderland night club has banned Black Cats teenager Anthony Stokes after manager Roy Keane said it could ruin his career. The owners of the Glass Spider said: "As Roy Keane thinks the Glass Spider is a distraction we have decided to bar Anthony until the end of the season so he can concentrate on his game." (Daily Star)

Peter Crouch, who is promoting a new football video game, has revealed that his only opponent so far, former Liverpool team-mate Craig Bellamy, shouts at the TV as much as he does at the referee on the pitch. (The Times)

 

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Thursday 06th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says the new England manager has to be English. "What makes me sad is that I am more nationalistic than you are," he said. "You want to give it to Mourinho or Capello, and I am the only one who goes for an Englishman." (Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy turned down a 100% pay rise when he rejected the South Korean manager's job (Star).

Sunderland boss Roy Keane says he has dropped £7m goalkeeper Craig Gordon to give him a much-needed break.

"I'm delighted with him, but I have got to look at what's best long term and he'll get the benefits of it without a doubt, to miss a few games," he said. (Times).

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is unhappy after Sven Goran Eriksson recommended Olof Mellberg to Juventus.

"I'm not sure he should be saying things like that about a player unless he's aiming to take him himself! Maybe I should recommend some of his Manchester City players to Manchester United or Barcelona," he said (Sun).

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has promised to spend money in the transfer window, regardless of how good his players are.

"Even if every last one of them impresses me, I will still be looking to strengthen. We need competition for places and cover for injuries," he said (Sun).

Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale says the legal action they face from creditors could jeopardise their future.

"If we were to lose we would go straight into administration - it's a straightforward situation," he said. (Guardian).

Younes Kaboul has been dropped for Tottenham's Uefa Cup game with Anderlecht after being taken off three times in his last five matches (Telegraph).

Chelsea are likely to decide by the weekend when Didier Drogba should undergo a knee operation that is likely to sideline him for several weeks after a scan revealed the 29-year-old needs surgery (Telegraph).

Tottenham are lining up a move for Cardiff's 18-year-old Welsh international defender Chris Gunter in the transfer window (Independent).

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says midfielder Anderson has exceeded his expectations since arriving at the club (Telegraph).

Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who is out of contract at the end of the season, will meet club officials next week to try and sort out his future (Times).

Ray Houghton will work with Don Howe and former U21 boss Don Givens to select the new Republic of Ireland manager (Mail).

Fulham are interested in signing West Ham's Bobby Zamora after striker Brian McBride suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury (Express).

Leyton Orient boss Margin Ling has vowed not to leave the club to take the vacant Swindon manager's job (Star).

Derby will try and sign Gary Speed and Kevin Kilbane in the transfer window (Star).

QPR have sacked former Chelsea goalkeeper Ed de Goey as their goalkeeping coach after five months (Sun).


AND FINALLY
David Beckham has been approached to be the face of England's 2018 World Cup bid after the role he played in the London 2012 Olympics campaign (Express).

Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol says no-one could have done a better job than him at the club.

"Not even someone like Jose Mourinho could have done better than me at this club under the circumstances," he says in the preface of his new biography (Mail).

Albania's Culture Minister has written to Uefa asking them to investigate two of their Euro 2008 qualifiers, saying a "mafia group is trampling on the flag" (Guardian).

Dundee United are having a trial day exclusively for the city's Polish community on 15 December, after signing youngsters from Rwanda and the Ivory Coast through a special refugee project in Glasgow (Record).

 

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Friday 07th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Jose Mourinho has flown into England for secret talks with the Football Association about succeeding sacked coach Steve McClaren. (various)

But the FA's director of football development Trevor Brooking is at odds with chief executive Brian Barwick over the choice of coach. Brooking wants another Englishman - and wants to return to old club West Ham for Alan Curbishley. (Mail)

Marcello Lippi, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, is the surprise name on a short list of five for the England job, along with Mourinho, Fabio Capello, Jurgen Klinsmann and Martin O'Neill. (Mirror, Telegraph, Express)

Aston Villa manager O'Neill - who has publicly ruled himself out of the race - believes Mourinho would be "an excellent choice" to take over as England coach. (Times)

Jose's father Felix is, not surprisingly given that he is his dad, a big admirer and has given his "blessing" to him taking over as England coach. (Sun)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to make an £8m move for Newcastle's England striker Michael Owen in January. (various)

Chelsea will allow striker Andriy Shevchenko to go out on loan in January and the striker is attracted by a move to Major League Soccer. (Mirror)

Former Derby boss Billy Davies is being lined up to succeed under-pressure Dave Jones as Cardiff manager. (various)

Bundesliga side Wolfsburg are interested in signing Arsenal's outcast keeper Jens Lehmann. (Mirror)

Didier Drogba is at war with Chelsea because they want to delay his knee operation while he wants to have it immediately. (Sun)

Brentford boss Terry Butcher has been given one match to save his job. (Sun)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is ready to launch a £1.5m bid for Derby striker Steve Howard. (Sun)

New Birmingham manager Alex McLeish wants to sign Sheffield United's Gary Naysmith - one of his old Scotland stars - in January. (Star)

Chelsea are confident they will clinch a £15m deal for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka in the transfer window. (Star)

Celtic will spark a transfer scramble by agreeing to sell striker Derek Riordan in January. (Record)

Celtic will provide manager Gordon Strachan with money for four new players in the January transfer window. (Scottish Sun)

Arsenal's Spanish keeper Manuel Almunia wants to play for England and is only a year away from becoming a British citizen, which will allow him to fulfil his ambition. (various)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has held talks with Benni McCarthy and Robbie Savage after they became frustrated by his selection policy. (Mail)

QPR have agreed a £2m deal for Sunderland's Daryl Murphy and a £150,000 move for Watford's Gavin Mahon. (Mail)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has ordered his players not to stay up late to watch the Ricky Hatton fight in the early hours of Sunday morning because he wants them fresh for Tuesday's decisive Champions League game in Marseille. (various)

A well-known national newspaper stepped up its campaign to have Jose Mourinho appointed England coach by projecting a giant image of his face on to FA HQ at Soho Square along with the words "Call Jose". (Er, ok, The Sun).

 

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Saturday 09th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Jose Mourinho cancelled a trip to London - which he says was for Christmas shopping - because he did not want to encourage rumours about the England vacancy. (various).

Mourinho's agent has given the Football Association a dossier of what his demands would be to take the job, including a dedicated England training facility and medical team (Star).

Mourinho's decision could be swayed by the fact his wife misses life in London (Sun).

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley says he is "happy and committed to the club" after being linked with the vacancy (Sun).

Arsene Wenger says having a non-English manager would be like asking a foreigner to lead a nation's army in battle (Guardian).


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Wes Brown could be on his way out of Manchester United after rejecting a four-year deal. "We feel it's a good offer and will not be going back," says Sir Alex Ferguson (Mirror).

Crystal Palace teenager John Bostock is ready to reject a move to Chelsea to sign his first pro contract with the Eagles when he turns 16 in January (Mirror).

Arsene Wenger says he was put off buying English players after the high-profile flops of Richard Wright and Francis Jeffers (Star).

Wenger also says it is "not his responsibility" whether England do well or not (Sun).

Portsmouth coach Joe Jordan would love to be associated with Scotland as coach or manager. (Record)

Kenny Dalglish would be interested in the Scotland job but does not expect to be approached by the Scottish FA. (Record)

Maciej Zurawski's agent says LA Galaxy have made an offer for the out-of-favour Celtic striker. (Mail)

Russian Premier League outfit Krylya Sovetov are poised to make a £2.5m bid for Celtic midfielder Jiri Jarosik in January. (Record)

Barnsley boss Simon Davey has doubled his wages by signing a new four-year deal (Star).

West Brom's Kevin Phillips says he thought his career was over after suffering a recent knee injury (Star).

Middlesbrough's George Boateng says being in the bottom three is "devastating" and it is the worst period of his career (Star).

Bolton captain Kevin Nolan has hailed new manager Gary Megson for restoring the team's "nastiness and edginess" after Sammy Lee's brief ill-fated reign (Independent)

Tottenham's Didier Zokora wants to face Anderlecht in the Uefa Cup final to get revenge after he was hit by a missile at their ground (Mirror).

Fulham's Brian McBride will not be back from his dislocated knee until January (Express).

Chelsea's Claude Makalele is expected to retire after Euro 2008, despite having one year of his Chelsea contract left (Express).

Former Manchester City defender Ray Ranson is hoping to complete a deal to buy Coventry before the end of the week (Telegraph).

New Leicester boss Ian Holloway says he is glad the team are struggling in the Championship or he would not have been given the job (Sun).

Reading's Stephen Hunt says he plays with "controlled fury 99% of the time" (Guardian).


AND FINALLY
Sir Alex Ferguson was interviewed for the Barcelona manager's job in 1985 before Terry Venables took it (Mirror).

John Terry was too embarrassed to answer the phone to his friends after England's Euro 2008 exit at the hands of Croatia (Star).

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock says he cannot eat after 10am on a match day (Independent).

Sunderland boss Roy Keane says he is happy for goalkeeper Craig Gordon to have a mid-season holiday - "as long as he doesn't go out in a canoe" (Mail).

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says he recently watched a comedian on YouTube doing impressions of him and Jose Mourinho (Guardian).

 

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Sunday 10th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Jose Mourinho has had a change of heart and will tell the Football Association he is not interested in the England job after receiving an offer to coach a major club next season (News of the World).

If Mourinho does rule himself out, FA chief executive Brian Barwick will turn to Martin O'Neill or Jurgen Klinsmann (Mail on Sunday).

But if Mourinho does take the job, he will appoint a prominent ex-England international as his assistant (Observer).

Former England international Paul Ince says it is a "sad indictment of us as a nation" that the FA is consulting so many foreigners about who should be England boss, and would re-appoint Glenn Hoddle or Terry Venables (Times).


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Valencia midfielder Joaquin says he turned down a £30m move to Chelsea last year because he felt he would have a better quality of life staying in Spain (News of the World).

Portsmouth's £4m misfit David Nugent could join Derby on loan with a view to a permanent move (News of the World).

A Singaporean business consortium is interested in buying Newcastle for £200m from owner Mike Ashley just six months after he took over the club (Express).

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has joked Liverpool would need to give him Anfield and Steven Gerrard if they wanted midfielder Michael Johnson (Express)

Aston Villa are now favourites to sign Derby winger Giles Barnes, who had been tipped to join West Ham (News of the World)

Birmingham and Newcastle could face FA charges over allegations they gave false information over transfer deals (Mail on Sunday).

Chelsea's Claudio Pizarro has been suspended from the Peruvian national team for indiscipline at the team hotel after a recent World Cup qualifier (Times).

Celtic are interested in Burnley's Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty (News of the World).

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson says former England boss Steve McClaren used the club "as a stepping stone" in his managerial career and has not been back since he left (Times).

Chelsea could be without Didier Drogba for 11 Premier League matches because of his knee operation and the African Cup of Nations (Telegraph).

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett will make a surprise trip over from America for Tuesday's vital Champions League game with Marseille (Telegraph).


AND FINALLY
Sunderland boss Roy Keane says he has been told by Republic of Ireland players that they want Terry Venables as the new manager (News of the World).

Fifa president Sepp Blatter says he has spoken to "your Prime Minister Gordon Banks" about England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup (Express).

Sir Bobby Robson says Ronaldo is the best player he has ever worked with, having signed him for Barcelona in 1996 after failing to land Alan Shearer from Blackburn (Mail on Sunday).

Brentford boss Terry Butcher says young players should be made to do things like clean senior players' boots to give them some sense of value (Mail on Sunday).

 

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Monday 10th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Italian World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi has issued a 'come and get me' plea to the Football Association over the England job. (Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is leading a list of candidates queuing up for the job after Jose Mourinho snubbed the FA. (Daily Express)

Mourinho, however, has spent the weekend considering whether to continue with his candidacy for the England post. (Independent)

The FA has not given up on attracting Mourinho - despite indications he has ruled himself out of the post. (The Sun)

Former Juventus and Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has been approached about having an interview. (Various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Jurgen Klinsmann is in the frame to become the new Liverpool manager - if Rafael Benitez gets the sack. (The Sun)

Manchester United have handed a trial to 24-year-old Angola striker Manucho Goncalves. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will bid for Scotland striker Kris Boyd this week - if Rangers go out of Europe. (Daily Mirror)

Stuttgart's Portuguese defender Fernando Meira, 29, will snub a January move to Portsmouth. (The Sun)

Wolves winger Michael Kightly is being targeted for a switch to Italian football with Torino. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is considering a £5m move for Derby midfielder Giles Barnes. (Daily Telegraph)

Newcastle chairman Chris Mort has admitted he and chairman Mike Ashley have held talks over manager Sam Allardyce's position. (The Sun)

Blackburn want a second look at Senegalese trialist Dino Djiba - he could leave Metz for a knockdown fee in January. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle and Blackburn are keen on South African midfielder Lance Davids, who plays in Sweden. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle and Sunderland are ready to battle it out for Manchester United contract rebel Wes Brown. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is ready to make a move for Watford captain Marlon King. (Daily Telegraph)

Coventry City look set to be saved from administration by a takeover bid from the billionnaire businessman, film director and actor Alki David. (The Guardian)

Derby are considering a bid from Wolves for striker Steve Howard, so they can buy Jason Roberts from Blackburn. (Daily Telegraph)

Former Scotland boss Alex McLeish has backed his old Aberdeen colleague Mark McGhee to become the new national team manager. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Arsenal's team bus got lost on the way to the Riverside on Sunday before Arsene Wenger's men lost to Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)

Ian Holloway says 14 days as Leicester's new manager has left him feeling "worn out". (Daily Express)

 

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Tuesday 11th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Fabio Capello is set to be the new England boss after Jose Mourinho ruled himself out of the running. And the former Real Madrid manager could draft in ex-England stars Alan Shearer and Stuart Pearce as part of his backroom staff. (various)

Another Italian, Marcello Lippi, also remains in the frame to succeed Steve McClaren. (Daily Express)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is wanted by Juventus, according to Italian press reports. (The Times)

Manchester United's hopes of signing Miguel Veloso have been damaged by a row between the player's club Sporting Lisbon and Carlos Queiroz. (Guardian)

Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari is ready to snub a move to Juventus to stay at Fratton Park. (The Sun)

Bolton and Wigan are in competition for the signature of West Brom full-back Paul Robinson. (The Times)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has been promised funds to bring in new blood and wants to sign players he has previously worked with. (The Times)

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez is interested in signing Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. (The Times)

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has begged the club's owners not to sack manager Rafael Benitez. (Various)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in new players in the January transfer window. (Daily Star)

But chairman Chris Mort is reluctant to release any cash, which means Allardyce is unlikely to do a deal for Manchester United defender Wes Brown. (Daily Mirror)

The Magpies are also set to release injured defender Celestine Babayaro, paying the remainder of his contract, which expires at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Former United States coach Bruce Arena has revealed he is keen to become the new Scotland manager. (Daily Star)

Derby and Sheffield United are battling it out to sign Bolton's veteran midfielder Gary Speed. (Daily Star)

Celtic and Fulham are set to bid £4m for Burnley's Northern Irish striker Kyle Lafferty. (Daily Star)

Ipswich are giving a second trial to FC Moscow's 28-year-old Poland international midfielder Damian Gorawski. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell is keen on £3m-rated French centre-back Sebastien Puygrenier. (Daily Star)

Crystal Palace are to send on-loan striker Besian Idrizaj back to Liverpool as boss Neil Warnock is unimpressed. (Daily Star)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is interested in Hibernian left-back David Murphy but faces competition from Celtic and Rangers. (Daily Mirror)

Cardiff are lining up Billy Davies to replace boss Dave Jones. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will give a trial to Paris St Germain forward Fabrice Pancrate. (Daily Mirror)

QPR are set to bid £1.2m for Wigan defender Fitz Hall and are expected to beat Norwich and Coventry to his signature. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is planning a shock raid on Hull to sign Jay-Jay Okocha. (Daily Mirror)

Derby County manager Paul Jewell has his eye on Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross. (various)


AND FINALLY
Former England manager Steve McClaren has finally won a trophy - the Plain English Campaign's annual Foot in Mouth award. The prize is given for speaking a load of gibberish. (Daily Star)

 

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Wednesday 12th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Fabio Capello will meet FA officials on Wednesday and the meeting is expected to end with the Italian agreeing to take over as the new England manager. (various)

And if the former Real Madrid and AC Milan coach does succeed Steve McClaren, England's players are in for a shake-up according to Ruud Gullit and Dino Zoff. The pair claim Capello will dispense with players who do not perform. (various)

Not content with laying down the law on the pitch, Capello will also ensure there are no distractions off it by banning wags (wives and girlfriends) from being around the players in the run-up to crucial matches. (Daily Star)

John Terry's position as England captain is under threat as some FA board members are concerned by stories of his off-field antics. (The Sun)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has pulled out of a move for Barcelona's Brazilian midfielder Edmilson as he believes he is not fit enough. (The Sun)

Wigan and Birmingham are in a battle to sign Real Murcia striker Inigo, who will cost about £10m. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough's Fabio Rochemback wants to rejoin Sporting Lisbon. (The Sun)

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy will not return as Republic of Ireland boss, according to caretaker manager Don Givens. (The Sun)

Billionaire Alki David has ditched his plans to buy Coventry, saying the club is falling apart. (The Sun)

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has urged the club to sign Gideon Baah, who won a reality TV show in Ghana to earn a trial at Stamford Bridge. (Mirror)

Olof Mellberg is ready to quit Aston Villa to join Juventus at the end of the season. (Mirror)

Blackburn striker Jason Roberts is frustrated at his lack of opportunities and wants to leave, which could see him join Sunderland. (Mirror)

Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws is set to sign West Brom striker John Hartson on loan. (Mirror)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is monitoring FC Toronto's 21-year-old midfielder Maurice Edu. (Mirror)

Rangers manager Walter Smith is poised to swoop for West Brom left-back Paul Robinson. (Mirror)

Newcastle have joined the chase for Djurgardens utility player Lance Davids, who is also being monitored by Blackburn. (Mirror)

Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson has insisted striker James Beattie will not be leaving the club during the January transfer window. (Mirror)

Tottenham are lining up a £5m move for Holland and Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. (Daily Star)

Wolves want to re-sign Steffen Iversen from Rosenborg. (Daily Star)

Sunderland have recruited ex-Liverpool star John Barnes to scout for new talent in the West Indies. (various)

Croatia midfielder Luka Modric is set to snub both Arsenal and Chelsea and instead move from Dinamo Zagreb to Barcelona. (Daily Star)

Nicolas Anelka has insisted he is happy at Bolton, despite reports linking him with a move to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. (The Independent)

Benjani Mwaruwari says he does not want to leave Portsmouth. (The Independent)

Manchester City have insisted Rolando Bianchi will not be leaving in January to return to Serie A. (The Independent)

Confusingly, City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has said that Bianchi will leave so he can bring in another striker. (The Times)

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has denied he has been in contact with Jose Mourinho to take over as the club's manager. (Express)

Bolton may move for Nottingham Forest forward Nathan Tyson. (The Times)

Fulham have been linked with South Korea forward Cho Jae Jin, who plays for Shimizu S-Pulse, and may complete a deal in two weeks. (The Times)

QPR, Norwich and Coventry are fighting it out to sign Wigan's 26-year-old defender Fitz Hall. (The Times)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has been handed a £20m transfer kitty to bring on new players in January. (Mail)

Arsenal and Tottenham may go head-to-head for the signature of Celtic keeper Artur Boruc. (Mail)

Liverpool's Momo Sissoko wants showdown talks with boss Rafael Benitez, which could encourage Everton to make a move for the midfielder. (Mail)

Terry Butcher, who parted company with Brentford on Tuesday, has emerged as a candidate to take over as Dunfermline manager. (Daily Record)

John Collins has laughed off reports he has been sounded out about becoming Scotland manager. (Daily Record)

AND FINALLY
Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney is set to launch his own range of toiletries to include aftershave, shower gel and deodorant. Apparently, the range is expected to be "rugged". (The Sun)

 

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Thursday 13th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Fabio Capello will become the highest paid coach in international football history as the Football Association will pay him about £6m-a-year to manage England. (Daily Mail)

But, no, it's more of a bargain than that as Capello will actually be earning £4m-a-year. (Daily Mirror)

Real Madrid striker Raul says Capello will solve England's problems - like he did in Spain when he led the Bernabeu club to league titles in his two spells with them. (Times)

John Terry has told Capello he wants to stay on as England captain after doubts were raised about his position. (The Sun)

Capello must be good - even his closest rival for the job, Italian World Cup-winning boss Marcelo Lippi, says he is the right man to manage England. (Various)

Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, who is now in charge of Juventus, says Capello might not charm England like him but that his fellow Italian will be loved for winning. (Daily Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov says he will not be leaving the club - in January. (Daily Star)

Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann has fallen behind Manuel Almunia in the pecking order but says he wants to stay with the Gunners. (Times)

Matt Taylor, Lauren, Pedro Mendes, Djimi Traore and Richard Hughes face being sold by Portsmouth in January. (Times)

Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham, Celtic and Rangers all want Everton striker James McFadden. (The Times)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is planning a spending spree in the January transfer window and a striker and left-sided midfielder are his priority. (Various)

O'Neill also faces trying to keep defensive duo Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen at the club as they are out of contract next summer. (Daily Star)

Derby boss Paul Jewell says several clubs want striker Steve Howard but he wants to keep him (The Times)

But Rams defender Tyrone Mears will be sold by Jewell to raise funds for January signings. (Daily Express)

Everton, Newcastle and Portsmouth are vying for the services of Swindon left-back Ben Tozer. (Sun)

Norwich boss Glenn Roeder will return to his former club Newcastle to try to sign striker Shola Ameobi. (Sun)

Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has no plans to leave the club until his contract expires in June 2009. (Daily Telegraph)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has warned Anton Ferdinand not to get drawn into pop-star culture to the detriment of his career. (Daily Express)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane wants to sign Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, Blackburn striker Jason Roberts and Manchester United defender Wes Brown. (Guardian)

Birmingham have targeted former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Milan Baros, who is currently at Lyon. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
If you have got hairy shins then it is best not to show them to prospective England boss Fabio Capello. He is quoted in The Sun as saying: "When a man crosses his legs and the trouser rides up to show hairy shins, it offends my eyes."

 

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Friday 14th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Fabio Capello, whose appointment as England boss seems imminent, could make midfielder David Beckham captain for his 100th cap in the friendly against Switzerland in February. (Times)

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce is in the frame to be the English element of Capello's backroom staff. (Sun)

Alan Shearer is actually the favourite to be part of the 'Team Fabio' set up. (Daily Express)

Blackburn winger David Bentley agrees with Capello that the problems of the England players are of a mental nature. (Sun)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says Capello needs to improve his English if he is going to be successful. (Guardian)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has told Newcastle he is not going to try to sign striker Michael Owen from him in January. (Various)

But Allardyce has actually been in contact with Eriksson asking him if he wants to buy Owen. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa striker Luke Moore wants to leave the Midlands outfit to gain more first-team football. (Times)

Everton defender Joseph Yobo has asked Nigeria coach Berti Vogts to let him and his club team-mate Yakubu play in the Carling Cup semi-final before joining the national team for the African Cup of Nations. (Times)

Birmingham defender Martin Taylor is in talks about a £1m move to QPR. (Sun)

Wolves are mulling over a move for Derby and ex-Manchester United midfielder David Jones. (Sun)

Man Utd midfielder Michael Carrick says Sunday's game at Liverpool will be different to normal as the Reds are actually realistic title contenders this season. (Various)

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has also stoked the fires ahead of his side's game against Chelsea by saying United are a bigger title threat than the Blues. (Various)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has his sights set on signing defenders Phil Bardsley and Jonny Evans from his former club Manchester United in January. (Sun)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has knocked back transfer requests from Derby for striker Jason Roberts and midfielder Aaron Mokoena. (Daily Express)

Wigan are leading the chase to sign Crewe midfielder Gary Roberts. (Independent)

Portsmouth want German international and Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi, who may resist a move with his club still in the Champions League. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is confident he has rebuilt the bridges in his strained relationship with club owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks. (Various)

Belgian outfit Anderlecht are back on the trail of out-of-favour Rangers midfielder Thomas Buffel. (Daily Express)

Celtic are weighing up a shock move for Aberdeen defender Michael Hart. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY
Derby boss Paul Jewell is waiting for Giles Barnes to cough up £100. Jewell told Barnes he would race him for the money and duly did giving the midfielder a 20-yard start. Jewell said: "I did not say I would beat him. I said I would race him for £100 and now he has to pay up." (Daily Express)

Chelsea's Christmas Party saw Frank Lampard dress up as Prince Charming, John Terry as Mr Incredible and Claudio Pizarro as a Roman emperor - and Andriy Shevchenko in his normal attire. (Daily Mail)

 

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Saturday 15th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
New England boss Fabio Capello will earn £6m a year and his backroom staff will pick up £1m a year between them, meaning the cost of appointing the Italian and his team is a whopping £30m. (Daily Mail)

The former AC Milan and Real Madrid coach is set to pick up a £4.8m basic annual salary, with a further £2m coming his way if he wins the 2010 World Cup. (Mirror)

Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards has told the Football Association he is not happy with the appointment of Capello. Richards feels the FA has rushed into it. (Daily Mail)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Liverpool are set to scrap plans for a new £700m stadium because funding for it has been hit by the volatile financial credit markets. (Mirror)

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson wants to sign Shakhtar Donetsk's £10m-rated Mexico striker Nery Castillo. (various)

Eriksson may also bid for Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (Mirror)

Belgium midfielder Thomas Buffel wants to leave Rangers in January if he remains out of the first-team picture at Ibrox. (Record)

Brahim Hemdani, Daniel Cousin and Thomas Buffel will be sold by Rangers in January after their Champions League exit. (Sun)

Reading left-back Nicky Shorey wants to quit the club and could be on his way to Manchester United. (Mirror)

And Stephen Hunt may also leave the Royals, to join Sunderland. (various)

Birmingham defender Martin Taylor is a target for Norwich and QPR. (Mirror)

Leicester manager Ian Holloway has admitted he fears he will be sacked if he does not spend wisely when he signs new players. (Mirror)

Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Diego Leon could be heading to Barnsley after having his contract cancelled at Swiss side Grasshoppers. (Mirror)

Sunderland are interested in Manchester United's Wes Brown and Jonny Evans and Celtic's Bobo Balde. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle are hoping to tie up a deal for 17-year-old Zalaegerszeg defender Tamas Kadar. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham are trailing 23-year-old Czech international defender Michal Kadlec. (Daily Mail)

Derby are discussing a £30m deal with Roy Disney, nephew of Walt, who wants a controlling stake. (Daily Mail)

Bulgaria have sounded out Terry Venables over their vacant national coach's position. (The Sun)

Bolton boss Gary Megson has been told to draw up a wish list of players by chairman Phil Gartside. (The Sun)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is fighting with chairman Chris Mort to get funds released to bring in new players in January. (various)

West Brom striker John Hartson has been told he can leave the club in the January transfer window. (The Sun)

Charlton boss Alan Pardew wants to sign Peterborough strikers Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith. (various)

The Scottish FA is set for a legal battle over compensation for Alex McLeish's move to Birmingham. (Record)

Hearts assistant head coach Stephen Frail says the Dunfermline manager's job is not big enough to entice him from Tynecastle. (Scotsman)

Dunfermline caretaker Jim McIntyre will be given the job permanently if they win their next two games. (Sun)

Former Norwich City boss John Deehan could be given the Dunfermline job if caretaker Jim McIntyre fails to impress. (Sun)


AND FINALLY
Football fans are snapping up toasters in club colours which brand slices of bread with their team's initials. Ipswich sold out of the £45 appliance in only two days. (Mirror)

 

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Sunday 16th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
New England boss Fabio Capello has promised to make England great again and vowed to "win the World Cup". (News of the World, Sunday Express)

The Football Association may scrap the proposed £60m National Football Centre at Burton. (Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday)

Striker Michael Owen is in danger of becoming the first and biggest casualty of Capello's reign. (Sunday Express)

Capello will earn a staggering £17m - if England win the World Cup in 2010. (Sunday Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Chelsea boss Avram Grant is considering a shock move for Everton striker Yakubu. (Sunday Express)

Frank Rijkaard will be offered the job as Chelsea manager at the end of the season. (News of the World)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hinted at a move for Lyon striker Karim Benzema. (Observer)

Everton and Bolton are ready to revive their interest in Barcelona striker Santiago Ezquerro. (News of the World)

Liverpool's owners will take a huge gamble telling manager Rafael Benitez he has no money for the January transfer window. (Mail on Sunday)

Aston Villa have made a new £7m bid for FC Porto defender Jose Bosingwa. (Observer, News of the World)

Newcastle are lining up a bid for Darlington keeper David Stockdale. (News of the World)

Valencia and Athletico Madrid want to prise midfielder David Bentley away from Blackburn. (Observer)

Arsenal are leading the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder John Bostock. (Observer, News of the World)

Liverpool will make a move for Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill if differences with manager Rafael Benitez are not resolved. (Sunday Express)

Charlton are ready to offload striker Izale McLeod in the January sales. (News of the World)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is also interested in bringing across Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross to Pride Park. (Observer)

Reading hope to tempt defender Matt Taylor away from Portsmouth. (News of the World)

Barcelona are interested in signing Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar as a back-up keeper for next season. (News of the World)

Sunderland have targeted Crewe defender Danny Woodards. (News of the World)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is also lining up a bid for Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt. (Observer)

Middlesbrough will make a January move for Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves. (News of the World)

Derby and Wigan are set to battle it out for the services of out-of-favour Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage. (Observer, News of the World)

QPR want to sign Watford's Lloyd Doyley. (News of the World)

Sevilla want £3m compensation from Tottenham for the loss of coach Juande Ramos. (Observer)

Birmingham are set to launch a double raid for Rangers striker Kris Boyd and Hibs left-back David Murphy. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool striker Peter Crouch says he will revive his robotic goal celebrations if his club wins the Premier league or he scores a "really big goal" in the Champions League. (Sunday Times)

 

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Monday 17th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Marcel Desailly warns that the Englishman who becomes part of Fabio Capello's coaching set-up is unlikely to have their opinion taken on-board by the Italian, who "does not receive advice from anybody". (The Guardian)

Alan Hansen agrees, insisting that "looking for an English representation among the backroom staff is a waste of time... and a hollow pledge". (Daily Telegraph)

The man himself - Fabio Capello - has admitted that the challenge of becoming England's head coach was the biggest of his career. (Daily Telegraph)

Stuart Pearce is being earmarked as Fabio Capello's successor - should the bespectacled Italian choose to welcome Psycho into his coaching set-up. (The Sun)

Capello's first experience of English football was a losing one way back in 1969 when playing for Roma in a two-leg clash between the English and Italian League Cup winners. Roma won the first game 2-1 but lost the return leg 4-0 - to Swindon Town. (The Sun)

Sir Trevor Brooking says it is the FA's responsibility to ensure they never have to appoint a foreign coach again. (Daily Mail)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Liverpool could face FA action after a fan threw a golf ball at Wayne Rooney towards the end of Sunday's match with Manchester United at Anfield. (The Guardian)

Roy Keane could also be in trouble with the FA after the Sunderland boss vented his spleen towards referee Steve Bennett in the tunnel following his team's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. (Daily Telegraph)

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was denied the opportunity to have a word with referee Mark Clattenburg after his side's 5-3 loss at Wigan - the man in the middle told Sparky he was going home straight after the game. (The Sun)

Arsenal's Lassana Diarra has asked for a transfer because he is unhappy with his lack of chances since joining from Chelsea in August. "I play more for France that Arsenal, it's incredible," he said. (various)

Rafa Benitez will look to sign Sulley Muntari from Portsmouth in the January transfer window if a £17m fee to keep on-loan Javier Mascherano is not sanctioned. (Daily Mirror)

Leicester are planning a £1.5m swoop for Plymouth star David Norris. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton manager Alan Pardew is trying to extend the loan spell of Danny Mills, who is set to return to Manchester City next month. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Reading's petrol-head goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann has been roaring up and down Berkshire's roads in his full-sized, 440 horse power Ford Lightning truck this week. And the American's decent run of form has not been affected by his wife Amanda driving over and destroying his "lucky laptop" computer. (The Sun)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson stills insists upon being driven around by a chauffeur in England because he is anxious about driving on the left-hand side of the road. (Daily Mirror)

New England boss Fabio Capello has received an early Christmas present to assist him in his boast to master the English language in a month - an Italian-English dictionary. The pocket-sized aid was among a box of books sent to his new offices by Borders, which included 'England's Worst Footballers'.

 

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Tuesday 18th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
New England boss Fabio Capello has vowed to restore the country's pride and faith in the England shirt. (Daily Star)

The Italian has made it clear he will be ruling his players with an iron fist. He insists "a place in the squad has to be deserved through behaviour, play and attitude". (various)

Holland's former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy claims Capello's appointment has sent shudders of fear through England's international rivals because the Italian is so good. (The Sun)

Capello could be without defender John Terry for three months as the England skipper has a broken metatarsal. (various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been given the full backing of the club's owners but not a decision on money for new players. (Daily Star)

Anfield chief executive Rick Parry insists Liverpool will be building a new stadium but admits the plans have had to be modified. (Daily Star)

Arsenal midfielder Matthieu Flamini is in talks with the club over a new £40,000 per week deal. (Daily Star)

AC Milan are set to release Brazil striker Ronaldo. (Daily Star)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has made a £600,000 bid for Colchester defender George Elokobi. (Daily Star)

Leicester manager Ian Holloway hopes to beat Derby and Norwich to the signature of Sunderland midfielder Graham Kavanagh. (Daily Star)

Nottingham Forest manager Colin Calderwood is poised to make a £250,000 swoop for Luton midfielder Dave Edwards. (Daily Star)

Arsenal defender Matt Connolly is set to join QPR on loan. (Daily Star)

Southend and Nottingham Forest have both made of a bid of £250,000 for Blue Square South side Eastleigh's Damian Scannell. (Daily Star)

Reading goalkeeper Graham Stack wants to make his loan move to Wolves permanent next month. (Daily Star)

Coventry's new owners are set to make Northampton midfielder Bradley Johnson their first signing since completing a takeover of the club. (Daily Star)

Manchester City still want Mexico striker Nery Castillo. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra is concerned he has not been approached about extending his deal which ends in a year. (Express)

Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney has vowed to stay at the club and win a first-team place. (various)

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed it is his dream to play for a Spanish club one day. (various)

Tottenham are poised to make a move for Rangers defender Alan Hutton and will pay £6m to get him. (Express)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is closing on a deal for Swindon's 17-year-old defender Ben Tozer. (various)

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez is considering offering a trial to South Korea international full-back Song Chong-gug. (various)

Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone's agent has insisted it is not true that his player has been told he has no future at the club. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United want Bayern Munich full-back Phillipp Lahm. (The Times)

Sunderland and Sheffield United are locked in a battle for the signature of Aston Villa's Gary Cahill. (The Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is set to sign Ipswich winger Jonathan Walters, despite selling the player when he was Bolton manager. (The Sun)

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe's future hangs in the balance after boss Juande Ramos refused to guarantee him a first-team place. (The Sun)

Birmingham are being eyed up by a mystery Russian investor. (various)

Rangers will keep striker Nacho Novo after making him the improved offer of a two-year deal. (Daily Record)

Sevilla have turned down Celtic's bid to take full-back Andreas Hinkel on loan. (Scottish Sun)

Derby, Preston and Leicester have all been alerted to the availability of Aberdeen midfielder Barry Nicholson. (Daily Express)

Hibs midfielder Dean Shiels will seek a January exit after failing to hold down a regular starting place. (Scottish Sun)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will soon find it simple to get his caffeine fix after his fiancée Coleen McLoughlin tracked down an industrial coffee maker and snapped up the £3,000 machine as a Christmas present for her man. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 19th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
New England boss Fabio Capello has revealed he thought he would never get the job after being overlooked for the position when the FA appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2000. (The Sun)

Capello's Italian coaches cannot be bothered to learn English and will not move to England either. (The Sun)

Italy's World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi says Capello must axe some England stars if he wants to get the squad on his wavelength. (various)

Italy striker Francesco Totti, who endured a stormy relationship with Capello during his time under him at Roma, has hailed his former boss as a "total winner" who is the right man for England. (The Mirror)

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has told Capello he will not come out of international retirement. (various)

Capello has privately admitted his worry that he is inheriting an England squad without a top-class goalkeeper he can rely on. (various)

England's proposed National Football Centre at Burton is under threat after Football Association board member David Sheepshanks said he objected to the site in Staffordshire. (Express)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Chelsea manager Avram Grant is set to beat off competition from Manchester United to sign Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka for £10m. (The Sun)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is monitoring £2m-rated Ipswich striker Jonathan Walters. (The Sun)

Newcastle are set to complete the signing of 17-year-old Swindon full-back Ben Tozer. (The Sun)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is lining up a £2m bid for Strasbourg defender Habib Bellaid. (various)

Newcastle, Manchester City and West Ham are in a three-way battle to sign Barcelona's ex-Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. (The Sun)

Arsenal's Spanish youngster Fran Merida is set to join Chris Coleman's Real Sociedad on loan. (The Sun)

Leicester boss Ian Holloway has decided against raiding former club Plymouth after having moves for Barry Hayles and David Norris knocked back. (The Sun)

Manchester United's Patrice Evra wants a new deal at the club. (The Sun)

Birmingham chairman David Gold has ruled out any more takeover talks for the rest of the season. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough have insisted England winger Stewart Downing will not be leaving the club during the January transfer window. (various)

Manchester United are set to offer Wes Brown, Louis Saha and £6m for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. (various)

However, Newcastle are also interested in Brown, and his former Manchester United team-mates Alan Smith and Nicky Butt, who are now at St James' Park, have convinced him to join them. (Daily Mail)

And Spurs are insisting Nani would need to be part of any deal for Berbatov, but he is unlikely to be allowed to leave Old Trafford. (The Star)

Chelsea boss Avram Grant will sign £4m-rated Argentine wonder kid Franco Di Santo next month. (The Mirror)

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray wants to sign goalkeeper Michal Danek form Czech side Viktoria Plzen. (various)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is tracking Valencia's £8m-rated Portugal defender Miguel. (The Mirror)

Chelsea want 17-year-old Corinthians prospect Lulinha. (The Mirror)

Bolton manager Gary Megson is planning to make a move for 26-year-old Porto centre-back Alves, who he had watched at the weekend. (Express)

Stoke want to keep Sunderland full-back Stephen Wright on loan. (Daily Star)

Tranmere are hoping to extend the loan spell of Bristol City winger Jennison Myrie-Williams. (Daily Star)

And Bristol City striker Phil Jevons wants to make his loan move to Huddersfield permanent. (Daily Star)

Barnsley are poised to sign Spanish midfielder Diego Leon from Swiss side Grasshoppers Zurich. (Daily Star)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is hoping to tie up a permanent deal for Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia, who is on loan from Villarreal. (Daily Star)

Levski Sofia's Bulgaria Under-21 striker Valeri Domovchiyiski has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Blackburn. (The Independent)

Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari insists he does not want a transfer away from the club. (The Independent)

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt claims he is not about to leave to join Sunderland. (The Independent)

Bolton have taken Maccabi Netanyaha's 23-year-old Israel midfielder Tamir Cohen on trial. (The Telegraph)

Millwall are keen on re-signing midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who has returned to Tottenham after a three-month loan spell. (The Telegraph)

Celtic are considering a move for £1m-rated Dundee United midfielder Barry Robson. (The Guardian)

Celtic's out-of-favour striker Maciej Zurawski has been urged to quit the club by Poland national coach Leo Beenhakker. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Since David Beckham appeared in a national advertising campaign wearing tight Y-fronts, sales have gone up by a whopping 260% and they are now outselling the brand's more conservatively-styled boxer shorts. (The Sun)

Michael Ballack's white Ferrari has been nicknamed 'The Ambulance' by his team-mates because of the amount of time the German has spent injured during his stay at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Mail)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 20th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP
Wayne Rooney has added his voice to the support for Fabio Capello, vowing to help the Italian become a legend for England by winning a trophy under him. (Various)

However, Brazil legend Pele has suggested that the best coach for England might have been an Englishman. And he warned: "Just because England have a foreign coach, or a big name, doesn't mean they are going to win anything." (Daily Telegraph)

Defender Sol Campbell claims Capello will have no problem communicating with his players, despite the fact he is not fluent in English. "There's no language [barrier], everyone understands football," insists the Portsmouth centre-back. (Daily Star)

Former England captain Paul Ince, now manager at MK Dons, has stated there is "absolutely no chance" of him working under Capello as part of the new England set-up. The self-styled 'Guvnor' said: "I'm not playing second fiddle to anyone." (Daily Express)

The Football Association is split over the building of the new £80m National Football Centre at Burton, placing the plans in jeopardy again. (Various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Aston Villa are lining up a £10m double swoop for Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen and Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte. (Daily Star)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is very happy in the job and would like to renew his contract. (Daily Star)

Multi-billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, the world's fifth richest man, is set to become a director at QPR. (Daily Star)

Manchester City want Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito, while Rolando Bianchi may join Palermo. (Daily Star)

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray is tracking Slovenia Under-21 midfielder Nejc Pecnik. (Daily Star)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is interested in signing Macedonian defender Vlade Lazarevski. (Daily Star)

Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko is wanted by Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos has insisted striker Dimitar Berbatov will not be leaving the club, despite interest from Manchester United. (Various)

Manchester City are trying to hijack Chelsea's move for Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (The Sun)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will make a double swoop for Sevilla left-back Jose Manuel Casada and AC Milan centre-back Kakha Kaladze. (The Sun)

Derby boss Paul Jewell may yet be forced to sell Kenny Miller. (The Sun)

Tottenham have told Ajax to name their price for 21-year-old Holland left-back Urby Emanuelson. (The Sun)

Everton manager David Moyes is preparing a £4m bid for Valencia skipper David Albelda. (Various)

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has insisted he is happy at Everton despite admitting he is flattered by interest from Atletico Madrid. (The Sun)

But the midfielder also revealed he has "an attachment" to the Spanish club and would like to play for them. (Mirror)

Leicester boss Ian Holloway has made Derby striker Steve Howard and Peterborough forward Aaron McLean his top transfer targets. (Mirror)

Real Madrid are set to reward their ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy with a new contract after his 25 league goals last term. (Mirror)

Preston striker Patrick Agyemang looks set to leave at the end of the season after stalling on a new deal. (Mirror)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce wants to sign three new players. (Various)

Manchester United want to re-sign striker Henrik Larsson on a short-term deal similar to the one they took him on last season. (various)

Fulham are considering whether to make a second bid for Portsmouth's Matthew Taylor. (The Times)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes will rebuff interest in midfielder Robbie Savage from Derby and Wigan. (Telegraph)

Bolton manager Gary Megson has been linked with a move for Celtic midfielder Evander Sno. (Telegraph)

Chelsea are interested in Hamburg's Holland international midfielder Rafael van der Vaart but face competition from Juventus. (Telegraph)

Everton will not allow Scotland international striker James McFadden to join Celtic. (Telegraph)

Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise insists he wants to stay at the club and sign a new contract. (Telegraph)

Manchester United are interested in making a summer move for Porto defender Jose Bosingwa. (Telegraph)

Sunderland's Graham Kavanagh and David Connolly are targets for Norwich and Leicester. (Telegraph)

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is monitoring Canada international Atiba Hutchinson, who plays with FC Copenhagen. (Telegraph)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is considering making a move for Wigan defender Fitz Hall. (Telegraph)

Celtic have told unsettled midfielder Evander Sno he won't be allowed to leave. (Express)

However, boss Gordon Strachan will listen to any offers for both Derek Riordan and Bobo Balde in January. (Express)


AND FINALLY
New England boss Fabio Capello is a huge fan of the classic comedy sitcom Fawlty Towers and has been watching the show, which stars John Cleese as bumbling hotel owner Basil, in an attempt to improve his grasp of the English language. (The Sun)