January Football gossip 2009

[McFLY]

BREAKING GOSSIP
Samuel Eto'o's agent, Jose Maria Mesalles, insists the Cameroon striker will not leave Spanish giants Barcelona in the January transfer window despite reported interest from Manchester City and Inter Milan. (1027, goal.com)

Manager Mark Hughes has confirmed Manchester City have made several offers for players - but will not be drawn on reports he is interested in Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez. (1015, Manchester Evening News)

Lyon striker Sidney Govou has rejected a move to Portsmouth, who were keen to sign the Frenchman as a replacement for new Tottenham arrival Jermain Defoe. (0959, tribalfootball.com)


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United are set to offload Carlos Tevez after the striker admitted he would love to play for Real Madrid. (The Sun)

And Real Madrid will hand Tevez the £25m, five-year deal he wants as United try to knock down the Argentine's price. (Daily Star)

Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin is on standby for a £12m move to Arsenal from Zenit St Petersburg. (The Sun)

Arsenal look set to miss out on Arshavin because of cash demands - the 27-year-old is currently on wages of about £100,000-a-week. (Daily Star)

But Arshavin has been shown around Arsenal's London Colney training ground in an attempt to convince the forward that his future lies in north London. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City have been offered Inter Milan's Brazilian striker Adriano in a swap deal with Eastlands misfit Jo. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham are considering Manchester City's revised offer for midfielder Scott Parker, which includes youngster Michael Johnson moving in the opposite direction. (The Times)

Blackburn have expressed an interest in Franco Semioli, a Fiorentina winger who has played for Italy three times. (The Times)

Aston Villa are poised to make a £10m move for Sporting Gijon's highly-rated defender Roberto Canella. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce will sell striker Henri Camara to Stoke for £1m as a soon as the Latics tie up a deal for Colombia forward Hugo Rodallega, who is set to arrive to discuss a £4.5m move from Mexican club Necaxa this week. (Daily Mail)

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has failed to land Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing with a £14.5m bid. (The Sun)

West Ham's Calum Davenport is poised to join Bolton for £3m. (The Sun)

Veteran Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia is fast becoming the most wanted man in the January transfer window - Stoke, Fulham, Sunderland, Blackburn and Tottenham all see him as a cut-price option to bolster their defensive options. (Daily Star)

Stoke are close to agreeing a £2m deal for West Ham winger Matthew Etherington. (Daily Star)

Barnsley are poised to sign Chesterfield striker Jamie Ward, 22, after upping their bid to £500,000. (Daily Star)

Bolton are giving a trial to 31-year-old Brazilian winger Denilson - once the world's most expensive footballer. (Various)

Sunderland forward El Hadji Diouf could be a principal target for Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce should Roque Santa Cruz leave Ewood Park. (The Guardian)

Birmingham are on the verge of capturing Rangers top scorer Kris Boyd for £3.5m. (The Sun)

Rangers will look to replace Kris Boyd with Sunderland's David Healy in a £1m deal. (The Scotsman)

The Ibrox club are also willing to sell captain Barry Ferguson if any club can meet their valuation of £2.5m. (Daily Record)

Atletico Madrid are plotting a £9m summer swoop for Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc. (The Sun)

Inverness have taken 28-year-old Latvian centre-half Pavels Mihadjuks on trial from FK Ventspils. (Daily Record)


OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez insists he does not need to sign any new players in the January transfer window in order to seal the club's first league title since 1990. (The Sun)

Matt Derbyshire has issued a last-ditch plea to fellow Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz urging his team-mate to reject interest from other clubs and stay at Ewood Park. (Daily Star)

Manager Mark Hughes will reassess Richard Dunne's position as Manchester City captain at the end of the January transfer window to weigh up if the extra responsibility has affected his form. (Daily Mail)

Roma's Italy striker Francesco Totti claims that David Beckham's arrival at AC Milan will "unbalance" the team. (Daily Mirror)

Owner Mike Ashley is considering a dramatic boardroom reshuffle at Newcastle which could see Dennis Wise lose his high-profile job as executive director responsible for player recruitment. (Daily Express)

Celtic are on the verge of signing a new £25m jersey deal with Nike that could rise to a staggering £29m, to start in July next year. (Daily Record)

Aiden McGeady has stepped back from the brink of being pushed out of Celtic Park after deciding not to appeal against the ban and fine slapped on him by Celtic boss Gordon Strachan. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Manchester City defender Micah Richards has hit back at suggestions he is becoming "a fatty". The player insisted: "If anything, I have lost weight and have less body fat than last year." (The Sun)

The Football Association has responded to the current economic crisis by slashing up to 25% off the price of a ticket to watch England play Slovakia at Wembley. (Daily Mail)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 08th January gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Celtic keeper Artuc Boruc is likely to stay in Glasgow at least until the summer despite reports linking him with a move to either Atletico Madrid or Getafe in the January transfer window. (1505, BBC Sport)

Juventus are ahead of Inter Milan in the battle to sign Sampdoria's former Real Madrid striker Antonio Cassano. (1055, Tuttosport)

The agent of Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure insists he has heard nothing from Manchester City about a potential bid.

He has also warned prospective suitors they may be wasting their time trying to tempt the Ivory Coast international away from the Nou Camp. (1042, Catalan radio station RKB)

Everton defender Joleon Lescott remains on the radar of Manchester City boss Mark Hughes. Hughes is growing impatient with Arsenal over their intentions for Kolo Toure and is ready to turn to Lescott if delays continue. (1018, The Times)

Manchester City are ready to make an offer for Juventus striker David Trezeguet, according to the Frenchman's agent. But he also insists the 31-year-old is "untransferable" and will stay with the Italian club. (1017, L'Equipe)


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Barcelona are planning a sensational raid on Arsenal with a £45m double summer move for captain Cesc Fabregas and striker Robin van Persie. (Daily Star)

Sunderland striker David Healy has snubbed a £1m move to Rangers. (Daily Star)

Manchester City have tabled an £8m bid for Newcastle's unhappy goalkeeper Shay Given, which is expected to provoke an approach from Tottenham. (Daily Mail)
Kinnear rules out Given departure

Hull boss Phil Brown is poised to sign midfielder Kevin Kilbane from Wigan in a cut-price deal worth about £1m. (Daily Express)

Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton is a shock £5m target for Portsmouth. (The Sun)

Pompey manager Tony Adams is also on the verge of landing his former Arsenal team-mate Edu on loan from Valencia. (The Sun)

Bolton are on the verge of snapping up Zenit St Petersburg centre-back Sebastien Puygrenier on a six-month loan deal. (The Sun)

Manchester City have intensified their £15m bid to sign Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers as manager Mark Hughes looks to reassert his authority over a demoralised squad. (The Times)

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is considering a £4.5m bid for Lyon's Brazilian striker Fred. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha is at the centre of a battle between Wigan, Blackburn, Fulham, Newcastle and French side Paris St Germain. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer could be in line for a move to Championship high-fliers Birmingham. (Various)

Queens Park Rangers are after Manchester City's young midfield star Michael Johnson. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate appears to be warming to the idea of allowing Stewart Downing to leave the club for nearly £15m in order to use the money to strengthen his squad. (The Times)
Boro rule out Downing departure

Tottenham could move for Polish goalkeeper Sebastien Przyrowski, currently with Polonia Warsaw, as potential cover for Heurelho Gomes. (Daily Telegraph)

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has added Arsenal's Abou Diaby to his list of transfer targets. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson faces competition to land French midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, 19, from Grenoble. Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested. (Daily Telegraph)

Everton may be pipped by Middlesbrough in the race to sign Newcastle striker Alan Smith, who is currently recovering from ankle surgery. (Daily Mail)

Ipswich are the latest club to offer Hull's veteran striker Dean Windass as escape route as he prepares for showdown talks with manager Phil Brown. (Daily Mail)

Italian club Lecce are eyeing a £1m move to take Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati back to Serie A. (Daily Record)

Manchester United are interested in Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez after his impressive performances in two goalless draws against the European champions in the Champions League group stages. (The Independent)

Hull City are in the verge of signing Luis Boa Morte from West Ham for a fee of around £2m. (The Independent)

Newcastle are expected to renew their interest in the Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson after the Glasgow club indicated they were willing to let their captain leave for around £3m. (The Guardian)

The Magpies are also ready to offer £6m to Rangers for goalkeeper Allan McGregor if Shay Given quits Tyneside. (The Sun)


OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Deco has blasted suggestions he is manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chelsea "pet" and does not warrant a place in the team. (The Sun)

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp may be ready to axe David Bentley from his side, casting the £15m winger's long-term future at the club into doubt. (Various)

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins future at St James's Park is also in doubt after his agent blasted the club's "woeful" medical staff. (Daily Star)

Jermain Defoe wanted a £700,000 loyalty bonus from Portsmouth - where he stayed for less than a year - after quitting the club to rejoin Spurs. It is believed the Londoners finally looked after the payment, made because Defoe did not officially request a transfer. (The Sun)

Manager Harry Redknapp has decided that Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko will be his first-choice forward partnership for Spurs, starting at Wigan on Sunday. (The Times)

Chelsea have entered into negotiations over a performance-related contract extension for German midfielder Michael Ballack, signalling evidence of their determination to become financially self-sufficient. (The Times)

Rafa Benitez has dismissed Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's attempts to derail Liverpool's title push by claiming they will be stronger than ever in the second half of the season. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
David Beckham has been accused of turning AC Milan into a Hollywood film set by Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness after both clubs recently shared training facilities in Dubai. (The Sun)

Derby academy coach David Lowe, who steered the Rams to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, had just a day earlier taken charge of the club's under-eight side. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 09th January gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Liverpool are unlikely to offer winger Jermaine Pennant a new contract.

"He is waiting for a good offer and we are waiting for a good offer," said Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez. "A new contract for him would be very difficult." (Press Association 1541 GMT)

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has told Tottenham to forget about signing England midfielder Joe Cole. (PA 1307 GMT)

Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani is set to remain with the club, despite reports linking him with a move to Arsenal. (PA 1245 GMT)

Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati has revealed he is prepared to take a substantial pay cut to return to Italy and join Atalanta. (PA 0941 GMT)

Peter Lovenkrands' agent says the former Rangers forward will not be re-signing at Ibrox after leaving Schalke 04. (BBC Radio Scotland 1245 GMT)

Wigan say they are not looking to sign or sell anyone during the January transfer window and therefore dismiss stories linking them with Rangers striker Kris Boyd. (BBC Radio Scotland 1245 GMT)


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Real Madrid want to seal a £15m deal for Wigan's Antonio Valencia. (Star)

Manchester United and Chelsea face a summer battle for Villarreal's £12m-rated keeper Diego Lopez. (Star)

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes fears he will be priced out of a move for striker Roque Santa Cruz, who Blackburn are valuing at £18m. (Star)

But Hughes is set to make a £17m take-it-or-leave-it offer for Santa Cruz, which could be enough to seal the transfer. (Mirror)

And City may make improved offers for West Ham pair Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy but say they have not bid for Newcastle keeper Shay Given. (Star)

Arsenal's hopes of signing midfielder Niko Kranjcar have been dashed after Portsmouth insisted he will not be leaving the club in January. (Star)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate wants to keep Tottenham target Stewart Downing until the summer. (Star)

Bolton have bid £2m for Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton. (Various)

Sunderland have insisted El-Hadji Diouf and Michael Chopra will not be sold this month. (Star)

Hull are eager to complete a £1.5m deal for West Ham midfielder Luis Boa Morte. (Mirror)

And Hull boss Phil Brown is also set to make a £2m move for Derby midfielder Paul Green. (Star)

Portsmouth defender Herman Hreidarsson is set to become the latest player to leave Fratton Park by joining Celtic in a £500,000 deal. (Mirror)

Everton want Hearts duo Christophe Berra and Andrew Driver. (Various)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has told left-back Nicky Shorey he can leave the club, with West Ham and Tottenham both interested. (The Sun)

Tottenham have failed with a £6m bid to capture Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones. (The Sun)

But Spurs have targeted Lens striker Aruna Dindane as an alternative and will make a £4m bid. (The Sun)

And the north Londoners are set to seal the signing of Polish keeper Sebastian Przyrowski from Polonia Warsaw for a fee of £1m. (The Sun)

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is taking Benfica's Ivory Coast defender Marco Zoro on trial. (Mirror)

Bolton will sign defender Sebastien Puygrenier on loan from Zenit St Petersburg - and drop their interest in West Ham's Callum Davenport. (Mirror)

Newcastle's Alan Smith has been told his swap deal with Middlesbrough striker Mido is off. (The Sun)

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has urged the club not to sell defender and former skipper William Gallas. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough face a battle to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Ben Watson, with Everton, West Ham and Fulham among their competition. (Express)

Newcastle winger Charles N'Zogbia says Arsenal is his first-choice destination should he secure a move away from Tyneside. (Express)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish faces competition from Portsmouth for the signature of West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer. (Mirror)

And McLeish has told Rangers striker Kris Boyd to back down on his demands or a £4m move is off. (Express)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce is ready to pounce and nab £4m-rated Boyd. (The Sun)

Former Rangers midfielder Peter Lovenkrands would take a pay-cut to leave Shalke 04 and return to Ibrox. (The Herald)

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has, via his agent Jorge Mendez, reached a verbal agreement to join Real Madrid at some point. (The Times)

Oldham have offered veteran striker Dean Windass a loan deal to escape his misery at Hull. (Various)

Cardiff are poised to bolster their push for promotion to the premier League by signing Rangers winger Chris Burke. (Mirror)

Wolves have lined up an improved £1m offer for Watford midfielder John-Joe O'Toole. (Star)

Crystal Palace will try to hijack Coventry's bid to re-sign Birmingham striker Gary McSheffrey. (Various)

Preston are leading the chase for Carlisle striker Danny Graham, who has already been the subject of a £250,000 bid from Huddersfield. (Star)

Swansea are set to break their transfer record to land MK Dons skipper Dean Lewington for £450,000. (Mirror)

Reading manager Steve Coppell is ready to bid £250,000 for Coventry midfielder Jay Tabb. (Star)

Bradford are favourites to sign Burnley's Steve Jones after the winger's loan spell at the club. (Star)

Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws has his eye on Hull midfielder Bryan Hughes. (Star)

Shrewsbury are set to complete a £150,000 deal for Preston duo Karl Hawley and Brett Ormerod. (Various)

Hibernian say captain Rob Jones won't be sold in January as manager Mixu Paatelainen wants him to spearhead the club's Scottish Cup challenge. (Daily Mail)

Everton manager Davie Moyes is poised to bid for Hearts captain Christophe Berra and his Tynecastle team-mate Andrew Driver. (Daily Record)

Moyes is prepared to pay up to £1.5m to entice Driver away from Hearts. (Daily Express)

Celtic could move for Le Mans goalkeeper Yohann Pele if Artur Boruc leaves. (Various)

And Gordon Strachan is also interested in Coventry City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson but faces competition from Everton and Stoke City. (Daily Express)

Aberdeen are tracking Clyde striker Pat Clarke. (Daily Express)


OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Liverpool have offered Jermaine Pennant a new deal in order to prevent him leaving the club for free when his contract runs out in the summer - the winger has been linked with AC Milan and Real Madrid. (Various)

Anfield legend Alan Hansen has urged Reds boss Rafael Benitez to strengthen the squad in order to win the Premier League. (Mirror)

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari will ignore Nicolas Anelka's pleas to play alongside striker Didier Drogba rather than the pair being alternated in the team. (Mirror)

Emmanuel Adebayor has come out in defence of former Arsenal skipper William Gallas over his criticisms of the team last November. (Various)

Fabio Capello has hinted he will make David Beckham England's most-capped outfield player next month by picking him for the match against Spain. (Mirror)

Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy is two matches away from automatically qualifying for a new deal at the club. (Mirror)

Former Watford manager Graham Taylor will make a shock return to the club as a director. (The Sun)

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies says he would rather beat local rivals Ayr United in the Scottish Cup than net a financial windfall from any future transfer of Kris Boyd from Rangers. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has an interesting way of describing his club's transfer policy. After signing Matthew Etherington, he said: "We are not at Crufts, we are at Battersea Dog's Home. We go looking for strays, get them in and cuddle them." (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Saturday 10th January gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Newcastle striker Michael Owen has agreed in principle to join Manchester City in the summer for around £90,000-a-week, if he stays fit between now and the end of the season. (Daily Express)

Former Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise, now at Italian side Roma, is being chased by Newcastle. (The Times, Daily Mirror)

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has been told he will have to sell his star players and rebuild his squad from scratch in the summer. (Daily Express)

Manchester City have failed in their £14m bid to sign Marseille's left-sided player Taye Taiwo. (The Sun)

Wigan striker Emile Heskey is set to rejoin Liverpool in the summer, rather than this month, as manager Steve Bruce lets new signing Hugo Rodallega adapt to life in the Premier League. (Daily Mail)

West Ham striker Craig Bellamy would prefer to join *Tottenham rather than Manchester City, although that could lead to a stand-off with his present club as City are offering more money to sign the Welshman. (The Guardian)

And West Ham are now expecting an offer of more than £14m from City for Bellamy. (The Times)

Glen Johnson may have signed a four-year contract with Portsmouth this week but a £10m minimum-release clause could see him depart for Liverpool in the summer. (Daily Telegraph)

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has told Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz that he will have to wait until the summer before making a move to Manchester City. (Daily Mail)

City will have to offer £18m, or Daniel Sturridge, if they wish to sign Santa Cruz this month. (The Guardian)

Former Rangers winger Peter Lovenkrands is set to join Newcastle, following his release from Schalke 04. (Daily Mail)

Summer signing Pedro Mendes wants to stay with Rangers despite the Glasgow club's need to sell one of its stars during January. (Daily Mail)

Blackpool want to take Alan Gow back on loan from Rangers after Wolves halted a permanent transfer because of a hip problem. (Herald/Daily Mail)

Fulham have joined Ipswich in considering a bid for out-of-favour Rangers midfielder Lee McCulloch. (The Sun)

Hearts will listen to offers for Scotland defender Christophe Berra, attracting interest from several English clubs. (Daily Mail)

Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune says he is keen on a move to West Brom, who had a £2.2m bid turned down for the player this week. (The Times)

Stoke's attempts to sign Sheffield United forward James Beattie are hanging in the balance, as the clubs have yet to agree on a transfer fee. (Daily Mail)

Stoke have offered between £6m (The Sun) and £3m (Daily Mirror) for Beattie, but Hull are trying to hijack the deal for the former Everton frontman. (Daily Express)

Portsmouth have made a £6m bid for former Everton midfielder Manuel Fernandes, who is now at Valencia. (The Sun)

West Brom are tracking Udinese midfielder Christian Obodo, with scouts set to watch him for a second time on Sunday. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton have pulled out of their attempt to sign West Ham defender Calum Davenport, after landing Zenit St Petersburg's Sebastien Puygrenier on loan instead. (The Independent)


OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari risks provoking further unrest at Stamford Bridge after bringing in a list of new fines for his players. (The Sun)

Fulham and Wigan are looking into whether they could launch a compensation claim against West Ham, should it be proved that the London club breached further Premier League rules in the Carlos Tevez affair. (The Times)

And West Ham fear that the new Football Association and Premier League inquiry into the Tevez affair will scare off any new potential buyers for the club. (Daily Express)

Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron has told fellow Argentine Tevez he could be making a huge mistake if he decides to leave Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

Former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is understood to have met with representatives of a Premier League side this week, with sources claiming that club was Manchester City. (The Independent)

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has been linked with the vacant Norway job, although he insists he is staying with the London club. (Various)

David Beckham's spokesman says the former Manchester United and Real Madrid winger will be returning to the LA Galaxy after his stint with AC Milan ends in March. (Daily Star)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc says his broken marriage led to onfield mistakes during 2008. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell has revealed that he is a huge fan of the Rocky films, starring Sylvester Stallone. Apparently he has watched the movies over 100 times, plays the theme tune on his personal stereo and has named his new baby son Rocco in honour of the 'Italian Stallion'. (Various)

Anton Ferdinand believes his move from West Ham to Sunderland has improved him as a player, and as a cook. "I was a real mummy's boy, so it was a hard step to take. It's made me grow up. I've even started to cook now, spag bol is my speciality but I haven't really got beyond that yet." (Daily Express)