July Football gossip 2008

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Tuesday 01st July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Real Madrid striker Robinho's agent, Vagner Ribeiro, claims to have met Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen about the Brazilian moving to Stamford Bridge. (Press Association, 1223 BST)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is to hold talks this week with Tottenham keeper Paul Robinson about a move to the Midlands club. (Express & Star, 1200 BST)

West Ham appear to be leading the chase for Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen's signature. (Clubcall, 1040 BST)

Richard Dunne will be persuaded to sign a new deal with Manchester City by boss Mark Hughes. (Manchester Evening News, 0915 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United want Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov and are ready to bid £23m, despite Spurs slapping a £30m price tag on the Bulgarian. (Daily Mirror)

Another Tottenham striker could also be on his way as Sunderland will step up their attempts to sign Darren Bent, although Aston Villa and Blackburn are also interested. (Daily Mirror)

Spurs' strikeforce is the flavour of the month as Robbie Keane has told the club he wants to join Liverpool, who want to trade Peter Crouch and £5m for him. (The Sun)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would apparently pay £85m for Fernando Torres if given any encouragement by Liverpool. (Daily Star)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is "confident" he has persuaded Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at the club and out of Real Madrid's clutches. (Daily Express)

Midfielder Deco's arrival at Chelsea from Barcelona now means Frank Lampard will leave the Blues to join Inter Milan. (Various)

Arsenal have held talks with Werder Bremen's Amaury Bischoff and a deal for the Portugal Under-20 midfielder is close to completion. (Daily Star)

Middlesbrough target Didier Digard has hit out at Paris St Germain for blocking his move to the Riverside. (Various)

Boro are in talks to sign Sparta Rotterdam winger Marvin Emnes for a fee of around £2.6m. (The Times)

Norwich will make a club record £3.5m offer for Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi as a new backer enters the fray at Carrow Road. (Daily Mirror)

Hull City have tabled a £1.75m bid for Plymouth's left winger Peter Halmosi. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham have been knocked back by Czech Republic international Vaclav Sverkos, with the striker's agent saying he wants to move to a Russian side. (Daily Express)

Wigan have refused Derby's advances to sign central defender Titus Bramble. (The Sun)

Leeds and Leicester are vying to sign Blackpool striker Ben Burgess. (The Sun)

Dundee United face competition from Leeds to sign Sunderland striker Roy O'Donovan. (Various)

Roma midfielder Matteo Brighi says he is interested in joining Celtic. (Various)

Rangers manager Walter Smith insists he does not want to sell midfielder Lee McCulloch, despite interest from Stoke City. (Various)

Willo Flood's agent Eamonn Collins says the Cardiff midfielder will return to Tannadice next season for a second loan spell. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

Hamburg say they are willing to sell left-back Timothee Atouba to Celtic. (Daily Mail)

Rangers forward Alan Gow is expected to complete a £300,000 move to Norwich City. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

Celtic midfielder Evander Sno is set to clinch a £1.5m move to Osasuna. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas wants to show that the 'beautiful game', which helped Spain win Euro 2008, can also succeed in the fast and furious world of the Premier League. (Various)

Fulham's plans to offload striker Diomansy Kamara will have to be put on hold after he ruptured knee ligaments playing for Senegal. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Michael Ballack had a row with German general manager Oliver Bierhoff after the Euro 2008 final loss to Spain. Bierhoff wanted the midfielder to hold up a banner thanking the country's fans for their support but Ballack refused, saying the banners were cheap and nasty. (The Sun)

 

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Wednesday 02nd July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Russian journalist Stefan Chaushyan says that Zenit St Petersburg playmaker Andrei Arshavin has agreed personal terms with Chelsea and will sign for the club this week. (BBC Radio 5 Live 2100 BST)

Raymond Domenech's fate as France manager following his team's calamitous showing at Euro 2008 will be determined on Thursday at a high level meeting of the French Football Federation. (AFP, 1500)

Spain striker David Villa insists he is happy to stay at Valencia despite the top-scoring Euro 2008 campaign which turned him one of the summer's top transfer market targets. (AP, 1330)

Germany striker Lukas Podolski, one of the stars of Euro 2008, is set to move from Bayern Munich to Cologne for 15 million euros. (Bild, 1305)

Aston Villa are poised to sign Celtic full-back Lee Naylor as cover for Dutch international Wilfred Bouma. (Birmingham Mail, 1300).

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has told new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari that at least one Russian should be at the club.

The Brazilian now faces a choice between signing one or more of the country's Euro 2008 heroes from a choice of Andrei Arshavin, Yuriy Zhirkov, Akinfeyev Akinfeyev and Roman Pavlyuchenko. (Tvoi Den [Russian tabloid], 1300)

Inter boss Jose Mourinho has told President Massimo Moratti he wants to sign Barcelona superstar Xavi, while Manchester United and Liverpool are also considering making a move. (Marca, 1240)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Everton boss David Moyes may swoop for Real Zaragoza's £7m-rated Argentine star Pablo Aimar - once his summer spending budget is finally confirmed. (The Sun)

Inter Milan have privately claimed to have struck a £7m deal for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and say the deal will be officially announced once the England star returns from holiday in Sicily. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United are tracking £15m-rated Columbian scoring sensation Falcao as an alternative to Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal have signalled their intent to keep hold of striker Emmanuel Adebayor by rejecting a £24m bid from Barcelona. (The Times)

Juventus are ready to raise their offer to £16.5m for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso after missing out on Roma's Alberto Aquilani. (Daily Mail)

Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho has openly admitted he would love to join Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea from Barcelona. "If this opportunity to work with him again comes off it will be beautiful," he said. (The Sun)

Aston Villa see West Ham's Robert Green as their potential new goalkeeper but would have to pay around £6m for his services. (The Guardian)

Robbie Keane's future at White Hart Lane appears more secure after Tottenham discredited reports that the striker had filed a transfer request. Liverpool are interested in the 27-year-old Irishman. (Daily Telegraph)

Watford are set to sign former Leeds full-back Ian Harte from Sunderland. (The Sun)

Bolton boss Gary Megson is ready to offer Joey Barton an escape route from Newcastle by proposing a loan deal for the midfielder. (Daily Mail)

New Blackburn manager Paul Ince is ready to battle Wigan boss Steve Bruce for the signing of £1.5m-rated defender Fredrik Stoor from Rosenborg. (Daily Star)

Liverpool have launched a new bid of £17m for Gareth Barry and told Aston Villa that it is to be their final offer. (The Sun)

Fulham are hesitating over a bid for Josep Simunic as Hertha Berlin are demanding £5.5m for the Croatia defender. (Daily Star)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is ready to make Darren Bent the highest paid player in the club's history as he prepares to launch a £10m bid for the Tottenham striker. (Various)

Premier League new boys Hull City aim to land midfielder Geovanni, who is a free agent after quitting Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)

Werder Bremen have confirmed the departure of Portugal Under-21 international Amaury Bischoff, clearing the way for a move to Arsenal. (Daily Express)

St Johnstone are lining up a move for freed Rotherham striker Derek Holmes after the ex-Hearts and Ross County front man impressed at the club's pre-season training camp. (Daily Record)

Midfielder Willo Flood is close to agreeing a permanent move from Cardiff to Dundee United after a successful loan spell at Tannadice last season. (Various)

Celtic midfielder Evander Sno will be given permission to speak to Osasuna, with the Spanish side hoping to tie up a £1.5m deal. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

Kilmarnock have had a £50,000 bid for Linfield striker Peter Thompson turned down. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

Celtic are interested in signing Roma duo Vitorino Antunes and Matteo Brighi. (Daily Mail)

Midfielder Mehdi Taouil is set to sign a new two-year deal at Kilmarnock. The Moroccan spent eight months with the Ayrshire club last season. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Striker Wayne Rooney has warned Premier League rivals he is determined to up his goal tally as Manchester United look to retain their title. (Daily Star)

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is struggling to hold on to his assistant after Carlos Queiroz was offered the chance to become Portugal coach on Tuesday. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
The population of the village from which Manchester City's Uefa Cup opponents - EB/ Streymur - come from is under 400. And the entire Faroe Islands is made up of just 48,000 people, which is the capacity of the Blues' Eastlands stadium. (Daily Mirror)

 

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Thursday 03rd July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Nottingham Forest striker Junior Agogo has completed a £565,000 move to Egyptian top-flight side El Zamalek. (Telegraph.co.uk 2228 BST)

The agent of Barcelona star Ronaldinho, Roberto de Assis says he is 90% certain the Brazilian will secure a transfer to AC Milan. (Telelombardia 2210 BST)

Liverpool are set to rekindle plans to sign Espanyol winger Albert Riera. (Clubcall, 1430 BST)

Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz is on the verge of agreeing a four-year deal with Portugal. (AFP)

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov may stay at the club for one more season in return for Spurs lowering his £30m price tag. (Daily Mail online, 1300 BST)

Striker Kevin Phillips is set to leave West Brom to join Midlands rivals Birmingham. (Express & Star)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Barcelona are set to increase their offer for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor. (The Guardian)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is leading the chase for Russia and Zenit St Petersburg playmaker Andrei Arshavin. (The Sun)

But Arshavin is actually on his way to Chelsea, who have had a bid accepted by Zenit and the player is now London-bound to hold personal talks. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have offered Frank Lampard £140,000 a week to try to persuade the midfielder to reject Inter Milan's advances and sign a new deal. (Daily Express)

It's a typically busy summer at Stamford Bridge with the club's board being told to sell striker Didier Drogba by new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. (The Sun)

Scolari also wants to offer Florent Malouda to Barcelona as part of a deal to sign striker Samuel Eto'o from the Nou Camp outfit. (The Sun)

Fulham have stepped up their interest in signing Reading's Dave Kitson after striker Diomansy Kamara's long-term injury setback. (The Sun)

Switzerland forward Hakin Yakin is also in the frame to join Fulham and could again link up with Craven Cottage boss Roy Hodgson after they previously worked together at Grasshoppers. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth will make a final £10m bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (Daily Mirror)

After missing out on midfielder Jonas Gutierrez, Pompey have now switched their attention to luring Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea. (Daily Star)

Premier League new boys Hull want to take striker Georgios Samaras on loan from Manchester City for the season. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn midfielder David Bentley still wants to leave the club after new boss Paul Ince failed to convince him to stay. (Daily Mirror)

Ince also faces a tough task keeping hold of giant centre-back Christopher Samba, who is a target for Manchester City boss Mark Hughes. (Daily Star)

Bolton are waiting on an answer as they attempt to sign midfielder Simon Vukcevic from Sporting Lisbon. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United have offered assistant manager Carlos Queiroz a pay rise to turn down the job of Portugal national team coach. (Various)

But Queiroz is inclined to accept the post in a move which could damage United's hopes of keeping Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (Various)

Ronaldo's possible switch to Real Madrid could be scuppered if he needs to undergo ankle surgery. (Various)

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni says Tottenham striker Robbie Keane would benefit from joining Liverpool. (Various)

Sunderland's desire to sign Spurs striker Darren Bent are not as advanced as believed with the clubs wide apart in their valuation of the player. (The Independent)

Celtic defender Bobo Balde has turned down a move to newly-promoted Premier League side Hull City. (Daily Mail)

Cardiff City are lining up a £2.5m bid for Rangers striker Daniel Cousin. (Daily Mail/The Sun)

Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney could be set for a return to former club Celtic. (Various)

However, Celtic's Old Firm rivals Rangers and Sunderland are also keen on securing Maloney's services. (The Sun)

Should Maloney rejoin Celtic, left-back Lee Naylor may head in the opposite direction to join Villa. (Various)

Hamburg left-back Timothee Atouba has expressed interest in a move to Celtic. (Daily Express/Daily Star)

Kenny Milne is set to leave Falkirk with St Mirren and several English clubs expressing interest in the defender. (Various)

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies has ended his interest in free agent Craig Rocastle. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes believes he can reignite Ronaldinho's career if the Brazilian star signs for the club. (Various)

Former FBK Kaunas boss Anton Joore wants to become the new manager of Hearts. The Dutchman has previously been in charge of Den Haag. (Daily Star)


AND FINALLY
Spain and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres sent his English club team-mates, who were not at Euro 2008 after the national team failed to qualify, bottles of Spanish wine as he rubbed in his country's victory at the tournament. (Daily Star)

 

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Friday 04th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Palmeiras goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri is set for a move to Liverpool, according to his agent Juninho Parmigiani. (Press Association, 2110 BST)

Newcastle are also understood to have made checks on Norway international and Rosenborg playmaker Per Ciljan Skjelbred. (Press Association, 1430 BST)

Neither Chelsea or Arsenal have made an official approach for Zenit St Petersburg forward Andrei Arshavin, according to the Russian club - Barcelona are the only club in the running at the moment. (BBC Sport, 1250 BST)

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside dismisses rumours the club might want to sign Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton. (Setanta Sports, 1200 BST)

Manchester City and Chelsea will lose the chase for Ronaldinho's signature to Italian side AC Milan. (Clubcall, 1150 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool will not pay the £18m Aston Villa want for Gareth Barry but will include add-on clauses to the £15m bid for the midfielder. (The Sun)

Villa boss Martin O'Neill will use the Barry cash to help fund moves for David Bentley, Steve Sidwell and Anton Ferdinand as well as a keeper. (Daily Star)

Arsenal have been given a 'take-it-or-leave-it' £30m offer by Barcelona for striker Emmanuel Adebayor. (Various)

The Gunners are prepared to sell the Togo international and have targeted Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz as his replacement. (Guardian)

The Gunners' hopes of capturing Spain's holding midfielder Marcos Senna have suffered a setback after Villarreal slapped a £25m price tag on him. (Daily Star)

Real Madrid say they will allow Manchester United a clear run at luring Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov if they are allowed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from the Old Trafford outfit. (Various)

Ronaldo has not helped his relationship with the Red Devils by telling Portugal to appoint United assistant Carlos Queiroz as their national team boss. (Daily Mail)

But winger Ronaldo will stay at United and not move to the Bernabeu, according to his big sister Elma Aveiro. (The Sun)

Real Madrid will not give up their chase for Ronaldo and also want Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is preparing to lodge a £10m bid with Reading for midfielder Stephen Hunt and striker Kevin Doyle. (Various)

Everton are keen on France Under-21 international Sebastien Bassong and could get him for £2m from Metz as he has one year left on his contract. (Daily Mirror)

The Goodison Park outfit are also in the hunt to sign Turkey midfielder Mehmet Aurelio as his move to Real Betis appears to have fallen through. (Daily Telegraph)

Hull City's attempts to sign a striker will lead them to former Dutch international Roy Makaay, who is rated at £1.5m and currently at Feyenoord. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan was impressed by Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler at Euro 2008 and wants to sign him from Udinese. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham have had a £10m bid for Spartak Moscow striker Roman Pavlyuchenko rejected by the Russian side. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City want an answer from Ronaldinho about whether he wants to move to the club. (Various)

Celtic are lining up a loan deal for Roma left-back Vitorino Gabriel Antunes. (Various)

John Robertson has offered to return to former club Hearts and manage them for free. (Various)

Hungarian coach Laszlo Csaba, currently in charge of Uganda, is a target for managerless Hearts. (Daily Record)

Rangers have withdrawn from the race for unsettled Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney. (Mirror)

Albion Rovers want former Celtic and West Ham striker Frank McAvennie to take the manager's post at Cliftonhill. (Daily Record)

Walsall want to sign freed Aberdeen striker Steve Lovell. (Daily Expess)

Ipswich want Greece and Nuremburg striker Angelo Charisteas. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is prepared to sell the club for £420m to a New York finance company. (The Sun)

Real Mallorca are to pursue compensation after Jonas Gutierrez bought out his contract and moved to Newcastle. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Manchester council are angry at footballers parking wherever they want, despite being given parking fines, and will be writing to clubs in their area to tell them their players are role models. (Daily Star)

 

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Saturday 05th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon and Manchester United chief executive David Gill will hold talks in Switzerland next week over Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. (Spanish sports daily AS)

Roma left-back Vitorino Gabriel Antunes has welcomed the prospect of a move to Celtic, insisting: 'If something happens that allows me to come to Glasgow I would be playing for a massive club in the Champions League. (Daily Record)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Celtic are ready to slug it out with Rangers for Watford's £2m-rated Nigerian defender Danny Shittu. (The Scottish Sun)

England striker Peter Crouch will move to Portsmouth after the south coast club relented over his valuation and had a £10m bid accepted by Liverpool. (Daily Mail)


Portsmouth expect to complete an £11m deal for Crouch on Monday. (The Sun)

Crouch will join Pompey for £8.75m. (Daily Express)

Real Madrid are set to offer Manchester United £70m for Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United believe they have won the battle to keep Ronaldo at Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

Barcelona are the favourites to land Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor for about £30m. (The Independent)

Zenit St Petersburg have told Chelsea and Barcelona they want £20m for Andrei Arshavin, not the £12m the two clubs have offered. (Daily Express)

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins is targeting a move to Arsenal this summer. (The Sun)

Atletico Madrid are poised to move in for Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta. (The Sun)

Manchester City have emerged as favourites to land Turkey's £4m-rated Euro 2008 star Colin Kazam-Richards. (The Sun)

Fulham are expected to launch a £1.5m bid for Sweden defender Fredrik Stoor next week. (The Sun)

Chelsea are set to sell defender Branislav Ivanovic to Juventus. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan is closing in on a £4m deal for Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler. (Daily Mirror)

Everton rejected Fulham's £5m bid for Andy Johnson, who is also attracting Wigan boss Steve Bruce. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City's hopes of signing Ronaldinho are fading fast as he is 90% certain of joining AC Milan. (Daily Express)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce is set to buy Olivier Kapo from his old club Birmingham in a deal worth £3.5m. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan are close to finalising a deal for Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic on a free transfer. (Daily Mail)

FA Cup hero Kanu is close to agreeing a one-year contract with Portsmouth after going back on his demands for a second year. (Daily Mirror)

Galatasaray are interested in West Ham defender Lucas Neil. (Daily Mail)

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray expects to find out over the weekend whether veteran striker Kevin Phillips will stay with the club or join Birmingham. (The Independent)

West Brom have made an inquiry about Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson. (The Guardian)

Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock is ready to sign goalkeeper Graham Stack, who has been freed by Reading. (Daily Mail)

Hull boss Phil Brown is weighing up a move for Manchester City reject Emile Mpenza. (Daily Mirror)

Brown is also keen on Plymouth winger Peter Halmosi and Manchester City midfielder Geovanni. (Daily Mail)

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is trying to push through a £1.5m deal for Ipswich striker Jon Walters. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn have attempted to sabotage Steven Davis' move to Rangers by tabling a £3m bid for the Fulham midfielder (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United have been contacted by several leading European clubs, including Barcelona, to make a stand against Real Madrid and resist selling Cristiano Ronaldo. (Daily Mail)

Real Madrid's players will revolt in protest if the club signs Ronaldo, saying his arrival could have a negative impact on team spirit. (Daily Express).


AND FINALLY
Notts County midfielder Neil MacKenzie is currently proving a hit on Channel 4 quiz show Countdown. The 32-year-old midfielder is currently unbeaten in five episodes after being encouraged to enter by his mother, who is a regular viewer of the show. (BBC Sport Website)

 

[McFLY]

Sunday 06th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Tottenham have moved to stress that Aaron Lennon - who has been linked in a number deals as a potential makeweight as Spurs look to bring in new players - is not for sale, having only recent signed a long-term contract at the club. (Press Association, 1433 BST)

Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar claims Manchester United are "very interested" in signing him. "I love clubs with great history like Ajax, I also love Manchester United," he told Dutch reporters. (Press Association, 1419 BST)

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has said the Italian club have received a "huge" offer from Chelsea for Brazilian playmaker Kaka. (La Stampa, 1342 BST)

Galliani has also revealed that Ronaldinho has rejected an offer from Manchester City, despite the club offering him double what Milan have tabled. (La Stampa, 1024 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Arsenal are ready to launch an £18m bid for Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. (News of the World)

Manchester United chief executive David Gill will tell Real Madrid in person on Monday that Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale at any price. (News of the World)

Arsenal have emerged as favourites to sign Andrei Arshavin after Chelsea ended their interest in the Russian playmaker. (Sunday Telegraph)

Didier Drogba has said he is still desperate to leave Chelsea and he could be replaced at Stamford Bridge by Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. (The Observer)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is preparing a £15m bid for Blackburn midfielder David Bentley. (Mail on Sunday)

Everton manager David Moyes is also keen to launch a bid for Bentley, if they lose Mikel Arteta to Atletico Madrid. (The People)

Sunderland want £10m Everton striker Andrew Johnson after failing in an attempt to sign Darren Bent from Tottenham. (The People)

But Black Cats boss Roy Keane has been told he will need to offer £12m for the striker after both they and Wigan had £10m bids rejected by Everton. (News of the World)

Liverpool are willing to offer Irish defender Steve Finnan as well as £15m plus add-ons to secure Gareth Barry from Aston Villa. (News of the World)

The Anfield club are also still interested in Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera despite having a £9.5m bid rejected by the Spanish club. (The People)

New Chelsea signing Deco has pleaded with Frank Lampard to stay at the club so they can form a dangerous midfield partnership. (The People)

Everton have entered the race to sign £10m-rated Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon. (The People)

Newcastle, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Sunderland are all chasing Reading striker Leroy Lita. (News of the World)

Celtic are hoping to sign Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng with 48 hours. (Sunday Mail)

Aston Villa want £2m more from Celtic as the clubs attempt a swap involving Shaun Maloney and Celtic's Lee Naylor. (News of the World)

Celtic are considering an approach to take left-back Nadir Belhadj on loan from Lens. (Sunday Mail)>

Shakhtar Donetsk left-back Razvan Rat would consider joining Celtic, but Bologna, Lazio, Newcastle and Sunderland are also interested. (News of the World)

Celtic will step up their bid this week to land Spartak Moscow defender Martin Stranzl. (News of the World)

Inverness have ruled out selling striker Marius Niculae to another Scottish Premier League club. (News of the World)

Stoke City are targeting Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson. (Mail on Sunday)

West Ham are interested in signing Man Utd defender Mikael Silvestre but could be put off by his £60,000-a-week wage demands. (The People)

Further doubt has been cast over Joey Barton's Newcastle future after it emerged Kevin Keegan is planning a £5m bid for Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell. (The People)

West Ham are set to pay £9m for Lazio right-back Valon Behrami of Switzerland. (News of the World)

Portsmouth are lining up a £4m bid for Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher. (The People)

Bolton are prepared to sell Heidar Helguson and Abdoulaye Meite to raise around £4m. (The People)

Sunderland striker Michael Chopra is a £3m target for Wolves. (The People)

Paul Ince has made James McFadden his top target for Blackburn and will offer £5.5m for the Birmingham striker. (News of the World)

Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda could join up with former boss Martin Jol at Hamburg if the German club meet Spurs' £4m valuation of the player. (News of the World)

Kevin Kilbane could be on his way out of Wigan and replaced by £3m-rated Birmingham forward Olivier Kapo. (The People)

Cardiff want unsettled striker Marcus Bent after Wigan pulled out of a permanent deal to sign the 30-year-old. (The People)

Nottingham Forest are hoping to sign Derby midfielder Stephen Pearson and Carlisle striker Joe Garner, both for around £1m. (The People)


OTHER GOSSIP
Eric Cantona is seriously considering Manchester United's long-standing offer to return to Old Trafford as a coach. (Sunday Express)

Cristiano Ronaldo, who will have surgery on his right ankle in the next 48 hours, could be out of action for up to three months. (The People)

A wealthy construction company run by the family of terrorist Osama bin Laden has emerged as a front-runner to buy Newcastle United. (Mail on Sunday)

Arsene Wenger has said Arsenal need to sell every year and buy less expensive players to replace them in order to pay the club's £24m-a-year bill for the Emirates Stadium. (News of the World)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is resigned to losing assistant coach Carlos Queiroz to Portugal on a deal worth around £1.2m a year. (Sunday Times)

Tottenham have approached MK Dons about using their new stadium if White Lane is revamped. (News of the World)

Sam Allardyce could return to management with Spanish side Real Mallorca if former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is successful with a takeover bid. (The People)

Blackburn have rejected a £30m bid for the club from property tycoon Nabeel Chowdery and are holding out for £40m. (The People)


AND FINALLY
Sam Allardyce fears Joey Barton could become suicidal if Newcastle sack him. (News of the World)

Manchester United will employ continental-style electric vans to ferry injured players off the pitch next season. (Sunday Express)

 

[McFLY]

Monday 07th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Sevilla winger Diego Capel insists he will not be switching clubs this summer after the Primera Liga club rejected a bid from Tottenham last week. (PA Sport 1900 BST)

Holland midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has also ruled out a move to White Hart Lane. (PA Sport 1900 BST)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes Manchester United should be "happy and proud" to let Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club in what he believes would be "the transfer of the century". (PA Sport 1330 BST)

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso's switch to Juventus could be off as the Italian giants are unwilling to pay £16m for him. (Football 365. 1235)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Inter Milan have made an official £6.5m opening offer for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. (The Sun)

Chelsea are ready to bid £75m for AC Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka after their initial "astronomical" bid was turned down. (Daily Express)

Another Brazil superstar, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, has turned down a move to Manchester City, despite the offer of a salary of £200,000 a week. (Various)

Ronaldinho will join AC Milan, says Brazil boss Carlos Dunga. (Daily Mirror)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has insisted his club are odds-on favourites to sign Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. (The Sun)

But Calderon has said any deal for the £70m-rated winger is off until he proves his fitness after he undergoes ankle surgery. (The Mirror)

Arsenal, Tottenham and Aston Villa are battling to sign Real Madrid midfielder Ruben de la Red. (Daily Mail)

Blackburn want to sign Fulham midfielder Steve Davis, who was on loan at Rangers last season. (Daily Telegraph)

Tottenham full-back Pascal Chimbonda will this week seal an £8m switch to Valencia. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool hope to tempt Aston Villa to part with Gareth Barry by adding Steve Finnan to their existing £15m offer for the England midfielder. (Telegraph)

Manchester United and Arsenal are locked in an £18m battle to sign Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. (Daily Star)

Newcastle are preparing a £4m bid for Switzerland international midfielder Gokhan Inler. (Telegraph)

Portsmouth have sealed a club record £10m deal for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (Various)

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp will now sell striker David Nugent to Hull for £3m. (Various)

Redknapp is also preparing to make moves for Reading full-back Nicky Shorey and Tottenham defender Younes Kaboul. (Various)

Fulham are leading the chase to capture Rosenborg full-back Fredrik Stoor, who is also wanted by Blackburn, Manchester City and Wigan. (Daily Mail)

Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin is stalling on a move to Arsenal, while the futures of Alex Hleb and Emmanuel Adebayor are uncertain. (Various)

Adebayor is wanted by Barcelona and the Spanish giants are set to push on with their pursuit. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood says the club will not sell Adebayor but admits Hleb may leave. (Various)

But if Adebayor does move, the Gunners will try to sign Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mail)

Hull manager Phil Brown is set to bid £1.4m for QPR midfielder Martin Rowlands. (Various)

Brown also wants Dutch striker Roy Makaay, who is available from Feyenoord for £1,5m, and £3m-rated Wolves midfielder Seyi Olofinjana. (Telegraph)

Bolton's young German midfielder Kevin Wolze plans to sign for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton and Middlesbrough want to sign Reading's £3.5m-rated midfielder James Harper. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has pulled out of the race for Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic after the player said it is too cold for him in England. (Various)

Birmingham are determined to hold on to James McFadden, who is wanted by Blackburn and Celtic. (Daily Star)

Watford say defender Danny Shittu is not for sale, despite interest from Premier League clubs and Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic. (Various)

Romania left-back Razvan Rat is keen to join Celtic this summer from Shaktar Donetsk after visiting Celtic Park twice during Champions League matches. (Daily Mail)

Wolves have switched their attentions away from Christophe Berra to Norwich's Jason Shackell after Hearts turned down a £1.5m offer. (Daily Star)

Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric is ion the verge of completing an £800,000 deal for CSKA Sofia defender Aleksander Tunchev. (Daily Mirror)

Carlisle striker Joe Garner will join Nottingham Forest this week in a £500,000 deal. (Daily Mirror)

Burnley are set to beat off competition from Cardiff to sign Dutch midfielder Remco van der Schaaf. (Daily Mail)

But the Bluebirds are set to lose striker Robbie Fowler, who will join Dubai club Al-Ahli. (The Sun)

Cardiff central defender Glenn Loovens is stalling on new contract talks because he is eyeing a move to the Premiership. (The Western Mail)

Swansea have targeted youngsters Scott Sinclair (Chelsea) and Adam Hammill (Liverpool) on loan deals, while goalkeeper targets include Crewe's Owain Fon Williams and Swindon's Peter Brezovan. (The Western Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz is set to take over as Portugal manager. (The Sun)

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to promote from within to replace Queiroz, with Academy boss Brian McClair a leading contender. (Mirror)

Swansea City manager Roberto Martinez has been linked with the United assistant's job if Queiroz leaves. (The Western Mail)

Hearts will have to pay about £120,000 compensation to Uganda if they are to lure Hungarian Laszlo Csaba to Tynecastle to be their new manager. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Newcastle fans have reacted furiously after learning that relatives of Osama Bin Laden are among the front runners to buy their club. The Bin Ladens, who own a Saudi Arabian building firm, are set to bid £300m for the Premier League club. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 08th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Arsenal winger Alex Hleb has played down suggestions of a rift with boss Arsene Wenger but still looks set to leave the club.

Ajax insist they have not had any contact from Manchester United or Arsenal about Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. (PA Sport 1324 BST)

Zenit St Petersburg say no English clubs have tabled bids for Russian star Andrei Arshavin. (PA Sport 1311 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Arsenal winger Alex Hleb says he has fallen out with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and would like to play for Barcelona next season. (Daily Mirror)

Inter Milan are prepared to pay up to £8m to sign Frank Lampard from Chelsea (Daily Mirror), £9m (The Sun) or £11m. (The Independent)

Chelsea insist they have not received an offer for Lampard and expect him to see out his contract at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Star)

New Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari wants Lampard to stay and the England midfielder is also looking for a new deal with the Blues but is yet to be offered a new contract. (The Independent)

Scolari will allow Andriy Shevchenko, Florent Malouda, Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell and Carlo Cudicini to leave Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle are lining up a £5m move for Sidwell. (Daily Mirror)

But Sidwell is on the verge of a £5m move to Aston Villa to replace Liverpool-bound Gareth Barry. (Daily Star, The Times)

Martin O'Neill is considering accepting Liverpool's £15m bid for Barry now that Steve Finnan has been offered in addition in a part-exchange deal. (The Times)

Chelsea are demanding £24m for want-away striker Didier Drogba but are yet to receive any offers. (The Independent)

Fenerbahce's Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos, 35, claims Chelsea want to sign him. (Daily Star)

Blackburn are willing to sell England winger David Bentley but have told Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa that their asking price is £17m. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham have offered an assortment of players, including striker Darren Bent, goalkeeper Paul Robinson and defender Anthony Gardner, in part-exchange for Bentley. (The Guardian)

Russian star Andrei Arshavin will cost any club wishing to sign him from Zenit St Petersburg a total of £41.5m in transfer fees and wages. (Daily Telegraph)

Real Madrid are still chasing Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo even though the Portuguese winger is out injured for the next six weeks. (The Sun)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon says United should be "proud" to let Ronaldo join them in what he says could be the "transfer of the century". (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham will sell Olivier Kapo to Wigan to fund a £3.5m move for Reading striker Dave Kitson. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa are lining up a season-long loan deal for Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster but are also eyeing Tottenham's Paul Robinson and United States international Brad Guzan. (The Sun)

Crewe are demanding £2m for striker Nicky Maynard after rejecting bids from Bristol City and Ipswich. (Daily Mirror)

Everton boss David Moyes hopes to persuade Manchester United to sell him Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher. (The Sun)

Sunderland are hoping to hijack Hull City's £2m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng. (The Sun)

Hull have agreed a £1m fee for Boateng but face competition from Celtic and Fulham. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland, Celtic and Rangers are all in the race to sign Watford centre-back Danny Shittu. (Daily Star)

Wigan are willing to pay up to £10m to sign Everton striker Andrew Johnson. (The Sun)

Sunderland are also closing in on a deal for Johnson after indicating they are prepared to match the Toffees' £10m asking price. (Daily Mail)

Auxerre defender Gabriel Tamas is keen on a £3.5m switch to Celtic after being transfer-listed by his French side. (Daily Record)

Crystal Palace have dropped their interest in Hearts striker Christian Nade after the Jambos rejected a £300,000 offer. (Daily Record)

Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje is poised to join Turkish side Galatasaray. (Daily Mail)

West Brom are lining up a £2.5m bid for Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi and also want £3m-rated Bolton defender Abdoulaye Meite. (The Sun)

Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi says he will turn down a move to Liverpool to fight for his place at Craven Cottage. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is keen on Tottenham defender Younes Kaboul. (Daily Telegraph)

Redknapp is also chasing Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, Reading defender Nicky Shorey and Lens left-back Nadir Belhadj. (The Guardian)

Linfield have rejected Kilmarnock's latest offer for striker Peter Thompson. (Daily Record)

Aston Villa are considering signing midfielder Steed Malbranque, who will be allowed to leave Tottenham, as well as Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek. (The Times)

Want-away Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde will join up with his team-mates on their pre-season tour of Sweden, despite saying he wants to join Derby County. (Western Mail)

Spartak Moscow have attempted to head off interest from Celtic by offering their £4million-rated Austrian defender Martin Stranzl a new three-year deal. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal have told Emmanuel Adebayor that they will pay him £3m per year to sign a new contract - less than half the money he is demanding. (The Sun)

New Newcastle chairman Derek Llambias insists the club's owner Mike Ashley has no plans to sell the Magpies. (The Independent)

Everton midfielder Tim Cahill could miss the start of the season with the broken metatarsal that ruled him out of the end of last campaign. (Daily Star)

Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov has unveiled plans to increase his holding in the club from £81.5% to 95.1%. (Daily Record)

Motherwell have turned down a £300,000 offer to rename their Fir Park ground after a radio station. (Daily Record)

Bob Malcolm has turned down offers from England and will sign a 12-month deal with Motherwell this week. (Various)

Aberdeen's Alan Maybury could have blown his chance to stay at Pittodrie by delaying his decision on a new deal. (Sun)

Ex-England striker Robbie Fowler will head to Dubai to finish his career, after one final season with Cardiff City. (Western Mail)


AND FINALLY
Aston Villa had their training session disrupted by two giant Rottweilers on Monday. The dogs had escaped from a nearby farm and the club called a dog warden to collect them. (Daily Mirror)

New Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari was intrigued when he walked into the dressing room at the club's training ground on his first day in charge and found a game of darts going on - he had only ever seen the game being played on TV before. (The Sun)

Crystal Palace winger Ashley-Paul Robinson has been forced to apologise after posting details of a proposed move to Fulham on his Facebook page. (The Guardian)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 16th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Real Zaragoza's Argentine midfielder Pablo Aimar, 28, says he will sign for Benfica - dealing a blow to Newcastle's hopes of luring him to St James' Park. (A Bola, 2016 BST)

Sergio Aguero, 20, has ruled out the possibility of a move to Chelsea or Manchester United by insisting he wants to stay at Atletico Madrid "for one or two years more" (1943 BST Press Association).

Fiorentina are mulling over an offer from Norwich for Italian forward Arturo Lupoli, 21 (1939 BST Press Association).

River Plate striker Radamel Falcao Garcia, 22, has moved to end speculation about a possible move to Arsenal by insisting his future lies in Argentina (1936 BST Press Association).

Gilberto Silva is expected to finalise his transfer from Arsenal to Panathinaikos after flying into Athens (1831 BST, Associated Press).

Winger Diego Capel, 20, says he would consider leaving Sevilla to "grow as a footballer" if Tottenham can agree a fee with the Spanish side (1719 BST Press Association).

Aston Villa are close to a £2.5m deal for Blackburn Rovers keeper Brad Friedel and also remain in a good position to beat Spurs for Friedel's team-mate David Bentley (1508 BST, Birmingham Mail)

Manchester United may finally be ready to talk about selling Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, with owners the Glazer family deciding he can go (1309 BST, Marca). BBC Radio 5 Live spoke to Real president Ramon Calderon who denied the claim.

Nigeria defender Celestine Babayaro has been forced to put his Portsmouth trial on hold after catching malaria during a trip to Africa. (1240 BST, AFP)

Newcastle hope to complete the signing of Pablo Aimar from Real Zaragoza in the next 48 hours - but have failed in their attempt to sign West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand. (1212 BST, Newcastle Chronicle)

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will decide on his future within the next 10 days, his agent Thierno Seydi has told France Football. (0923 BST, Press Association)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has beaten Portsmouth, Sunderland and Benfica to the signature of Pablo Aimar and is set to complete a £7m deal for the Real Zaragoza forward. (Daily Mirror)

Wayne Bridge's new contract at Chelsea will be worth £16.6m over four years as manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has made keeping the left-back at Stamford Bridge one of his top priorities. (The Sun)

Stoke are poised to shatter their transfer record with the £4.5m signing of Reading striker Dave Kitson. (The Sun)

Striker Dimitar Berbatov faces an anxious wait over his future after Tottenham indicated that they do not intend to negotiate with Manchester United or any other club. (The Guardian)

England midfielder Frank Lampard is to ask Chelsea for a transfer to join former boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan after rejecting a £140,000-a-week four-year contract to stay at the Bridge. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea are confident they can secure the signature of Robinho from Real Madrid for around £20m, laughing off claims they have made a £48m bid for the forward. (Daily Star)

Hull boss Phil Brown is ready to break the club's transfer record with a £5m bid for Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell, whose goals during his loan spell last season played a part in securing their promotion to the Premier League. (Daily Mirror)

Kevin Keegan is in talks to sign versatile Holland midfielder Nigel De Jong in a £3m deal from Hamburg. (The Sun)

Newcastle are stepping up their recruitment drive a notch as the Magpies are set to swoop for Liverpool's 19-year-old Argentine left-back Emiliano Insua. (Various)

But Newcastle have suffered a setback in their transfer plans as West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand has pulled out of transfer negotiations with the club. (The Independent)

Midfielder Xabi Alonso's failed move to Juventus means Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has abandoned plans to buy David Villa and David Silva from Valencia - and may have to give up hope of signing Tottenham striker Robbie Keane. (Daily Mirror)

However, depending on what you believe, the Merseysiders are willing to spend £20m to sign the 28-year-old Spurs striker. (The Sun)

England midfielder Gareth Barry will plead with Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill to stop jeopardising his dream move to Liverpool when he returns to training on Wednesday. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal expect to be in a position to make an offer for Barry this week when they finally close the deal to sell their former captain Gilberto Silva to Greek side Panathinaikos. (The Independent)

Blackburn defender Andre Ooijer is a shock target for Panathinaikos, while Martin O'Neill wants to sign Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel by the end of this week. (Daily Mirror)

Rovers boss Paul Ince will assess striker Robbie Fowler at the club's German training camp before deciding whether to give his former Liverpool team-mate another shot in the Premier League. (Daily Star)

Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim will make a decision in the next 48 hours on whether to accept an offer to move to Manchester City in a £5m deal. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea's other fringe players have been challenged by Luiz Felipe Scolari to prove they are worth a place in the squad during their pre-season tour to China, Malaysia and Russia. (The Times)

Australia defender Lucas Neill moved a step closer to joining Manchester City after West Ham agreed a deal with Lazio right-back Valon Behrami. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is considering a surprise move for former Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune, who is available on a free transfer. (Daily Mail)

Rangers boss Walter Smith is lining up Cardiff's Glenn Loovens after pulling the plug on his bid for Watford's Danny Shittu. (Daily Record)

Auxerre expect Celtic to conclude a £3.5m deal for Romanian defender Gabriel Tamas in the next 48 hours. (Daily Express)

Hibs and Motherwell have joined Kilmarnock in the chase for Linfield striker Peter Thompson. (Daily Record)

Czech midfielder Rudi Skacel looks set to complete his £1m move to Ipswich this week after being banned from full training by Southampton. (The Sun)

Midfielder Ferrie Bodde has snubbed Derby by signing a long-term deal to remain at Swansea. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan will sell the club next year. The Eagles chairman is furious a tribunal ruled Spurs had to pay Palace just £700,000 for teenage midfielder John Bostock. (Various)
Jordan warns Spurs-bound BostockJordan will quit Palace next year

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has blasted the summer transfer market as out of control. He said football is living in a fantasy world during a time the business community is heading for recession. (The Sun)

The Football Association will act to counter what it believes is a persistent problem in the transfer market by writing to all clubs warning against dealing with unlicensed agents. (The Guardian)

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs received yet another award on Tuesday when he was given an honorary degree by Salford University for his contribution to sport and charitable causes. (Daily Star)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has impressed his players by storming up the table of the club's darts league. The Brazilian has joined the players' arrows session and despite being a newcomer to the game is only behind England stars John Terry and Joe Cole in the league. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 17th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is travelling to Uzbekistan to talk to the country's leading club, with Kuruvchi reportedly ready to put together a $40m deal. "I'm planning to return to Barcelona and starting from Saturday, I will consider all my options, including the one from Kuruvchi," said Eto'o. (Reuters, 1827 BST)

Portsmouth have rejected a bid of £12m from Monaco for Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar. (AFP. 1825)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said the club are trying to sign one more player ahead of the new Premier League season. United have been heavily linked with Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov and Ferguson said: "We have made a bid for one player who would enhance us a great deal." (Press Association, 1527 BST)

Andrei Arshavin has said he will leave Zenit St Petersburg this summer and, with a move to Barcelona looking unlikely, the 27-year-old Russian has not ruled out a move to London. He has also distanced himself with reports linking him with Real Madrid. (AFP, 1126 BST)

The agent of former Manchester United and Bolton midfielder Quinton Fortune has said Portsmouth, Ipswich and Blackburn are all interested in signing the South African. (Sky Sports, 1119 BST)

Barcelona's dialogue with Arsenal over Emmanuel Adebayor appears "broken" so the Catalan giants are turning their attention to Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov. (Marca, 1045 BST)

Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster wants to sign Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart from Hamburg. (Marca, 1043 BST)

Harry Redknapp has admitted he would love to sign Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips for Portsmouth. (Sky Sports, 1039 BST)

Newcastle target Pablo Aimar is poised to complete move from Real Zaragoza to Benfica, subject to a medical, after the two clubs agreed a fee. (Real Zaragoza and Benfica official websites, 1030 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Real Madrid and Holland midfielder Wesley Sneijder has said the Spanish champions do not need Cristiano Ronaldo as he will "disrupt" the squad. He also accused the Portuguese winger of going missing in big games and said his wages will cause a dressing room revolt at the Bernabeu. (Various)

Frank Lampard will be allowed to leave Chelsea if Inter Milan stump up £20m for the England midfielder. (Daily Star)

Inter boss Jose Mourinho has said he is prepared to wait until the final day of the transfer window to secure Lampard's signature. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool are edging closer to signing Robbie Keane and will submit an improved bid for the Tottenham striker after making him their top priority ahead of signing Gareth Barry. (Various)

Newcastle and Everton are battling for Tottenham full-back Pascal Chimbonda who will cost about £4m. (The Sun)

Claude Makelele will be the first high profile name to leave Chelsea this summer as he eyes a move to Paris St Germain. (The Sun)

Sevilla winger Diego Capel has admitted he would consider leaving the Spanish club to join Tottenham who have been linked with a £12.5m bid for 20-year-old. (Various)

Newcastle have missed out on signing Argentine midfielder Pablo Aimar, who has opted to join Benfica. (Various)

Magpies boss Kevin Keegan has also had a £3m bid for Blackburn full-back Stephen Warnock rejected. (The Times)

Keegan will now turn his attentions to Steaua Bucharest's £2.5m-rated full-back Dorin Goian. (Daily Star)

Cameroon midfielder Stephane M'Bia is set to become Everton's first signing of the summer in a £4m deal from Rennes. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan have completed a £1m loan deal for Egyptian striker Amr Zaki with a view to a permanent move. (Daily Mail)

Latics manager Steve Bruce has also lodged a £3m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Lee Cattermole. (Daily Mail)

Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel has been linked with a move to Manchester City. (The Times)

Blackburn have taken Red Star Belgrade and Ecuador midfielder Segundo Castillo on trial and he may feature on the club's tour to Germany. (Daily Mirror)

Rovers boss Paul Ince is also keen to take Keith Andrews, his captain while at MK Dons, to Ewood Park. (Daily Mirror)

Ince has made a late bid to hijack Scott Carson's move to Stoke as Brad Friedel looks set to complete a move to Aston Villa. (Daily Mail)

Robbie Savage's Derby career looks to be over after just six months at Pride Park as Paul Jewell looks to get the Welshman off the wage bill. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham are ready to spend £3.5m to land Middlesbrough right-back Luke Young. (The Sun)

Rangers have rebuffed a last-ditch attempt by Danny Shittu to revive his £1.5m move from Watford. (Daily Mail)

Hibernian striker Abdessalam Benjelloun is a target for Belgian clubs Anderlecht and Westerlo. (Daily Record)

Birmingham are in talks with Derby County for Scotland midfielder Stephen Pearson. (The Times)

Wolves have made a £1.75m bid for Sheffield Wednesday defender Mark Beevers. (Daily Mirror)

Luton Town, who will start life in League Two with a 30-point deduction, have put their entire playing staff up for sale. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
England manager Fabio Capello has said he aims to meet all Premier League managers for a post-match drink in order to build good relationships. (Daily Express)

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes insists the £25m the club planned to spend on Ronaldinho will not go to waste. (Daily Star)

The Premier League has appointed the Metropolitan Police's Commander charged with reducing violent crime, Barry Norman. His job will be to deflect youngsters into sport and football and away from knife, gun and gang crime. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY
Manchester City are turning to feng shui in a bid to help them become successful on the pitch. Magic crystals have been buried under the Eastlands turf and reception areas, offices and the club shop have been filled with lucky fortune trees, three-legged monkey toads and buddhas. (Daily Mirror)

A group of Man City fans who hired a trawler to take them to watch their side's Uefa Cup qualifying game in the Faroe Islands had to abandon their trip due to stormy seas. After an eight-hour drive to Aberdeen, followed by an overnight ferry to the Shetland Islands, the group were forced to turn around as the eight-foot Atlantic waves got the better of them. (Various)

West Ham's players are said to be angry after being forced to fly economy class in two separate planes for a friendly in Canada against MLS team Columbus Crew. The MLS had told West Ham they would be flown business class but the travel firm they were using went bust. (The Sun)

Portsmouth have been granted permission for a new £15m training ground - as long as they help pay for the upkeep of local badgers. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 18th July gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti claims Frank Lampard has given his "approval" to join the Italian champions if they agree a fee with Chelsea. (www.inter.it, 1535 BST)

Tottenham defender Younes Kaboul "wouldn't join Sunderland even if there was an earthquake", according to his agent. (AFP news agency, 1342 BST)

Dutch clubs Feyenoord and Heerenveen want to sign Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. (De Telegraaf, 1230 BST)

Real Madrid are set to reject offers for Brazil star Robinho from Barcelona and Chelsea. (El Mundo Deportivo, 1210 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced he will land Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov before the start of the season. (The Sun)

Ferguson has met United winger Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time in almost two months in a bid to stop the player joining Real Madrid. (The Guardian)

Barcelona are poised to make a £24m bid for Berbatov after missing out on Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have rejected Barcelona's offer of a swap deal involving Samuel Eto'o and Blues forward Didier Drogba. (The Sun)

Liverpool will sell Andrei Voronin to a German club for around £3m to help finance the signing of Gareth Barry from Aston Villa. (Daily Mirror)

Reading striker Dave Kitson is set to complete a £5m move to Stoke. (The Sun, Daily Mirror)

England goalkeeper Scott Carson will join West Brom from Liverpool after rejecting a move to Stoke. (Daily Mirror, Daily Star)

Sunderland are closing in on the signing of Croatia striker Mladen Petric from Borussia Dortmund for around £5m. (The Sun)

Wigan plan to make Everton an improved offer for Andrew Johnson after having a £9m bid for the England striker rejected. (The Guardian)

Niko Kranjar will stay at Portsmouth after snubbing a £12m move to Monaco. (The Sun)

Pompey rejected Monaco's offer for the Croatia midfielder. (The Independent)

Portsmouth defender Noe Pamarot has snubbed a move to Hull City. (Daily Mail)

Slavia Prague defender Marek Suchy says he is interested in a move to Ibrox. (The Sun)

Auxerre defender Gabriel Tamas says he expects to join Celtic by the end of the week. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle and Everton are locked in a £4m tug of war for Tottenham's Pascal Chimbonda. (The Sun)

Newcastle are looking at other targets after losing out to Benfica in the race to sign Argentine midfielder Pablo Aimar from Real Zaragoza. (The Independent)

Blackburn boss Paul Ince hopes to pull off the £3.5m signing of Chilean midfielder Carlos Villanueva from Audax Italiano. (Daily Mirror)

Russian star Andrei Arshavin is worried his dream move to Barcelona from Zenit St Petersburg is on the brink of collapse. (The Sun)

Frank Lampard has told Inter Milan he will look elsewhere if his move to the Italian club from Chelsea is not completed soon. (Daily Mirror)

Leeds are set to sign Wolves' Jay Bothroyd in a £300,000 deal. (Daily Star)

Sheffield Wednesday have rejected a £1.75m bid from Wolves for defender Mark Beevers. (Daily Star)

Newcastle have had a £2m bid for England left-back Stephen Warnock rejected by Blackburn. (Daily Mirror)

Plymouth are keen to sign Crystal Palace striker Shefki Kuqi. (Daily Star)

Rangers boss Walter Smith will offer Daniel Cousin to Cardiff in exchange for the Bluebirds' Dutch defender Glenn Loovens. (Daily Record)

Ipswich want to sign former Manchester United wide man Quinton Fortune. (Daily Express)

Claude Makelele will be the first big-name player to leave Chelsea under new boss Phil Scolari. (The Sun)

Sebastian Larsson will demand showdown talks with Birmingham City chairman David Gold to engineer a move away from St Andrews. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Goalkeeper Robert Green has revealed he feels "completely under-valued" at West Ham and is now considering his future at the club. (The Sun, Daily Mail)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has told chairman Niall Quinn he wants money to spend on top players. (Daily Mirror)

Owen Hargreaves' long-term fitness is worrying Manchester United after the England midfielder pulled out of a pre-season trip to South Africa with a knee problem. (Various)

Kyle Lafferty and Steven Smith have been added to Rangers manager Walter Smith's growing injury list ahead of the Champions League qualifiers. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY
Cristiano Ronaldo hobbled into a nightclub on crutches and partied with stars including Paris Hilton. (The Sun, Daily Mirror)

West Ham stars are fuming at their tour from hell after a travel firm went bust. The Hammers squad are being flown economy class to their pre-season matches in Canada in two separate planes after being led to believe they were flying business class. (The Sun)