June Football gossip 2008

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Sunday 01st June gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United will make a record-breaking offer for Lyon's French striker Karim Benzema in a deal that could top £30m. (The People)

Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb will join Barcelona this week in a £12m deal. (Sunday Mirror)

Newcastle and Manchester City are battling it out for Deportivo La Coruna's £10m-rated defender Fabricio Coloccini. (The People)

Arsene Wenger is ready to raid Hamburg for midfielder Piotr Trochowski to replace the departed Matthieu Flamini. (The People)

Newcastle want to hijack Portsmouth's bid to sign Liverpool's Peter Crouch and will offer £8m for the England striker. (The People)

Juande Ramos is planning a summer clearout at Tottenham with Paul Robinson, Darren Bent, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Gilberto, Younnes Kaboul, Adel Taarbet and Jamie O'Hara all set to be axed by the Spaniard. (Sunday Mirror)

Spurs are confident of signing 16-year-old Crystal Palace midfielder John Bostock, with the fee likely to be decided by a tribunal. (The Sunday Times)

Samuel Eto'o is believed to have asked Tottenham for an annual salary of £7.8m, three times more than any other player at White Hart Lane. (The Observer)

The north London club will turn to Argentina striker Diego Milito if Dimitar Berbatov leaves the club. (The People)

Spurs are also hoping to hijack Liverpool's bid for Blackburn winger David Bentley and are prepared to offer £7m plus Aaron Lennon and Hossam Ghaly. (The People)

Sampdoria's £4m-rated Argentine defender Hugo Campagnaro is wanted by both Tottenham and Aston Villa. (The People)

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is considering a move for Palermo midfielder Mark Bresciano. (The Sunday Times)

Martin O'Neill has made a £7m bid for Newcastle's James Milner and is also keen to bring Greek right-back Giorkas Seitaridis to Aston Villa. (The People)

Djbrill Cisse could return to the Premier League after being left out of France's Euro 2008 squad. Newcastle, Blackburn and West Ham are in the running. (Sunday Express)

Hull want Portsmouth's David Nugent who is available for around £3m. (The People)

Rangers are lining up a bid for West Brom midfielder Jonathan Greening. (The People)

Newcastle are ready to snap-up highly-rated Carlisle goalkeeper Kieran Westwood and is also looking at the club's teenage striker Gary Madine. (The People)

Michael Mifsud looks set to leave Coventry with Sunderland, Rangers and Birmingham all interested in the £2m-rated striker. (The People)

West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand is set for a £6m move across London to join Tottenham. (Various)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is lining up a £3m swoop for Crystal Palace youngster Sean Scannell. (Sunday Mirror)

Queens Park Rangers are targeting an ambitious move for Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood and want to pair him with West Ham's Bobby Zamora. (Sunday Mirror)

QPR are also planning to complete a Premier League hat-trick with the signing of Spurs defender Anthony Gardner. (Sunday Mirror)

Championship new boys Swansea City have been told they must splash out £235,000 to sign 30-year-old Granada striker Gorka Pintado. (News of the World)

The Old Firm are set to battle it out for unsettled Aston Villa forward Shaun Maloney, with the former Celtic star said to be desperate to return to Scotland. (Sunday Mail)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will try to lure veteran Rangers defender David Weir to St Andrews with the promise of guaranteed first-team football. (News of the World)

Kenny Miller could sign for Rangers this week in a £1.9m deal - although Roma, Olympiacos and three Bundesliga clubs are all interested in the Scotland striker. (News of the World)


OTHER GOSSIP
Arsene Wenger will leave Arsenal when his contract expires in 2011 to become president of French side Paris St Germain. (Sunday Telegraph)

Newcastle's players fear Kevin Keegan could quit St James' Park after being told he must trim about £10m off the club's wage bill to fund new players. (Sunday Mirror)

Manchester City have made the first move to persuade Mark Hughes to quit Blackburn, offering the Welshman £3m-a-year to move to Eastlands. (Mail on Sunday)

However, Brazil legend Zico has emerged as a strong favourite to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson in Manchester. (News of the World)

AND FINALLY
Jermaine Pennant has paid £2,500 for a walk on part in an episode of Channel Four soap Hollyoaks. The Liverpool winger, who is ****** one of the show's stars Jennifer Metcalfe, bid for the privilege at a charity auction event to raise money for the Claire House hospice and Alder Hey Imagine appeal. (Sunday Mirror)

Liverpool are officially the best team in Europe. The Anfield club top the official Uefa rankings that are based on European performances over the last five years. AC Milan are a point behind in second, Chelsea make into third while European champions Manchester United only make it to seventh. (Sunday Express)

Department store Selfridges is launching a crystal-studded football table to celebrate Manchester United's double winning season. Just 20 of the bespoke tables, that each boast 150,000 red and black crystals, will be available and will set you back a mere £70,000. (Sunday Mirror)

 

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Monday 02nd June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford. (Press Association, 2250 BST)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has refused a request from Manchester United to rule out ever making a move for Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (Spanish newspaper Marca)

Patrice Evra has agreed a new four-year contract at Manchester United worth £55,000 a week. (Daily Mail, 1312 BST)

Real Madrid winger Robinho claims he could be used as a makeweight in a deal to take Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabéu. (Portuguese newspaper A Bola)

Barcelona winger Giovani Dos Santos looks set to sign for Tottenham for around £7m later this week according to the Mexican international's father. (Mexican sports paper Record)

Juventus will resume talks with Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso today over a possible move to Italy. The two clubs are yet to agree a fee for the Spaniard with Liverpool holding out for £18m. (Channel 4 Football Italia, 1019 BST)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea could miss out on one of their top targets, Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, after he was given permission to speak to Manchester City. (Various)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Jose Mourinho will be named Inter Milan manager on Monday and will make Chelsea's Michael Essien his first signing after being told he has £100m to spend. (The Sun)

John Arne Riise will head the summer exodus from Liverpool by joining Roma for £5m. (Daily Express)

Frank Lampard has been offered £130,000 a week to stay at Chelsea in an effort to fend off interest from Inter Milan. (Daily Mirror)

Lampard, meanwhile, is believed to be tempted by the prospect of linking up again with former Blues manager Mourinho. (Daily Express)

Ricardo Quaresma, a £15m target for Liverpool, has declared he wants to leave Porto. (Metro)

Blackburn are set to replace £8.5m Liverpool target David Bentley with Wolves' Michael Kightly. (The Sun)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is ready to raid managerless Chelsea for winger Shaun Wright-Phillips and defender Wayne Bridge. (Various)

Redknapp is also making a surprise move for another Chelsea player, Israeli striker Ben Sahar. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham have missed out on the signings of Lazio striker Goran Pandev and Man City's Richard Dunne. (Various)

Spurs do appear to be closing in on the signing of Barcelona's Mexican midfielder Giovani dos Santos for an initial £6m. (The Times)

Premier League new boys Stoke City are hoping to make Rangers attacker Lee McCulloch their first signing of the summer. (Daily Mirror)

German side Werder Bremen are hoping to hijack Celtic's £3m move for Man City striker Georgios Samaras. (Daily Record)

Derby striker Kenny Miller has agreed to take a significant drop in wages in order to move back to Rangers for £1.75m. (Various)

QPR boss Iain Dowie will battle it out with Norwich and Ipswich for Nottingham Forest midfielder Sammy Clingan who is available on a free transfer. (Various)

Forest's Ghanaian international striker Junior Agogo is wanted by Egyptian side FC Zamalek. (The Sun)

Club Bruges are lining up a deal to bring Rangers midfielder Thomas Buffel back to Belgium. (Daily Record)

Goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, who retired in 2003, wants a dramatic return to English football. (The Sun)

Celtic have made moves to sign Croatian defender Jerko Leko from Monaco. (the Sun)

Leeds boss Gary McAllister is lining up a £500,000 bid for frozen-out Celtic striker Derek Riorden. (Daily Star)

Wolves are set to offer Hearts £2m for captain Christophe Berra. (Daily Star)

Werder Bremen could hijack Celtic's £3m move for Manchester City's Greece striker Georgios Samaras. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City have overtaken Chelsea in the race to appoint Blackburn boss Mark Hughes as their next manager. (Various)

Blackburn have reluctantly given Hughes permission to speak to City who hope to unveil the former Manchester United and Chelsea striker as their manager this week. (Daily Mail)

However, City chairman Thaksin Shinawatra is lining up Fenerbahce's Brazilian manager Zico as Eriksson's successor. (Various)

Arsene Wenger has been told he has a job for life at Arsenal in a bid to fend off interest from French club Paris St Germain. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY
Euro 2008 organisers have said that all 1.05m tickets available for the tournament have been sold. (Daily Mirror)

A record £350m will be bet on this summer's European Championships, despite no Home Nations being involved. (Various)

 

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Tuesday 03rd June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Portsmouth have made a move for Marcelo Mattos who plays for Panathinaikos. The Brazilian midfielder only signed for the Greek side last summer, but Pompey are reported to have matched the 24-year-old's £5.9m release clause. (Sky Sports, 1050 BST)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea will continue their pursuit of AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti despite the Italian side issuing a hands-off warning. (Daily Star)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City will step up their bid to sign Ronaldinho from Barcelona and are prepared to offer the Brazilian £200,000-a-week. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United are preparing a £15m bid for Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz. (The Sun)

But Mark Hughes wants to take Santa Cruz and team-mate David Bentley with him when he becomes the new manager of Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)

Gareth Barry has made it clear he wants to quit Aston Villa for Liverpool and striker Peter Crouch may head in the opposite direction. (Daily Star)

Barry himself has hinted at a move away from Villa Park by suggesting he needs to be playing Champions League football to be considered an England regular. (Various)

New Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho faces competition in his bid to sign Chelsea striker Didier Drogba from city rivals AC Milan. (Daily Star)

Mourinho is also keen to sign Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard from his old club. (Daily Star)

Newcastle are in the hunt to sign Argentine star Pablo Aimar after his club Real Zaragoza put him up for sale for £6.5m. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham will move to sign Rangers goalkeeper Alan McGregor for £9m. (Daily Express)

Arsenal's pursuit of Samir Nasri has been put on hold until after Euro 2008, despite the Gunners agreeing a £12.5m fee with Marseille. (Daily Telegraph)

Hull City will have to pay Man Utd £5m for striker Frazier Campbell. (Daily Mirror)

And the Premier League new boys have told David Nugent he will need to take a £15,000 a week wage cut in he wants to sign from Portsmouth for £3m. (The Sun)

Fulham are preparing a £3m bid for Charlton's Chinese international midfielder Zheng Zhi. (Various)

And Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson is hoping to persuade Paul Scharner to reject a new deal at Wigan in favour of a move to Craven Cottage. (The Sun)

West Brom want to take Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson on loan after Aston Villa were put off making a £6m move. (Daily Mirror)

Stoke City have joined Fulham in the race to sign Rangers' £3m-rated striker Daniel Cousin. (Daily Record)

Rangers are interested in signing Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic are poised to make a move for out-of-contract Motherwell striker Ross McCormack. (Scottish Sun)

The SPL champions are also in the race to snap up West Brom midfielder Zoltan Gera. (Scottish Sun)

Wolves have offered Burnley £2.5m and Stephen Elliot for Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty. (Daily Mirror)

Former Newcastle and Man Utd striker Andrew Cole is in talks over a move to Norwich after snubbing Burnley. (Various)

Colchester goalkeeper Dean Gerken is a £500,000 target for Sheffield United and Reading. (Daily Star)

Southend midfielder Richie Foran looks set for a move north of the border to Aberdeen. (The Sun)

FA Cup finalists Cardiff City are preparing a move for Scunthorpe United and Northern Ireland striker Martin Paterson, who scored 14 goals as the Iron were relegated from the Championship.

Dunfermline striker Mark Burchill has snubbed Kilmarnock in favour of a move to Rotherham United. (Scottish Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City will have to compensate Blackburn £5m for the services of Mark Hughes and his backroom team. (Various)

However, City fear their move for the former Manchester United striker may be hijacked by Chelsea. (Various)

Former Newcastle and Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is being lined up as Hughes' replacement at Ewood Park. (Various)

Axed City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to become the new manager of Mexico. (Various)

Sir Alex Ferguson has said he may only have two seasons left as manager of Manchester United. (Various)

In a wide-ranging interview to be broadcast on Sky Sports, Ferguson has also said he could have helped Paul Gascoigne had he signed for Manchester United instead of Tottenham and has no intentions of selling Cristiano Ronaldo. (Various)

Fabio Capello has narrowed the choice of who will become England's next captain down to two players, believed to be John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. (Various)

Nicolas Anelka has claimed he should never have left Arsenal to join Real Madrid in 1999 and said he could have spent his entire career with the Gunners. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY
One in seven Premier League football fans will not renew their season tickets as they feel they are being priced out of the game. (Daily Mirror)

 

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Wednesday 04th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has admitted he is interested in signing Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, but only if the Anfield club drop their £15m asking price. "If the price is right something could happen. If they wanted £10m it would certainly be more interesting. We do need another front man," he said. (The Portsmouth News)

Liverpool are on the brink of completing the £7m signing of Udinese's Italian full-back Andrea Dossena. The 26-year-old is reported to be in Liverpool having a medical. (Press Association, 1249 BST)

Portsmouth are interested in signing West Brom winger Zoltan Gera who is out of contract at the end of this month. (The Portsmouth News)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Roma manager Luciano Spalletti and Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli are the latest Italian names to be linked with the vacant manager's job at Chelsea after Carlo Ancelotti committed his future to AC Milan. (Various)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Jose Mourinho has made Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole his top target after becoming the new manager at Inter Milan. (Daily Star)

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he will quit Manchester United within a year to realise his dream of becoming a Real Madrid player. (Various)

Arsenal and Tottenham will do battle over Valencia striker David Villa, who has been made available for around £17m. (Daily Telegraph)

Striker Dean Ashton is set to sign a new five-year, £50,000 a week contract with West Ham. (The Sun)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has told Liverpool they will need to pay £8m, plus striker Peter Crouch in exchange for midfielder Gareth Barry. (Daily Mirror)

Reds boss Rafael Benitez will make an improved offer worth around £15m for the England midfielder. (Daily Mail)

Turkey midfielder Arda Turkan is a £7m target for Newcastle. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton are ready to battle it out with Newcastle and Aston Villa for Tottenham's £4m-rated defender Michael Dawson. (Various)

Honduran striker Carlo Costly is a £2m target for Wigan. (Daily Mirror)

Paul Scharner looks set to leave the JJB Stadium with Sunderland joining Fulham in a £3m race for the Austrian. (Daily Star)

Sean Davis is close to agreeing a £2m move from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough. (Daily Mail)

Real Madrid will open signing talks with Hibernian as they close in on 21-year-old striker Steven Fletcher. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers have failed with a £1m bid for Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds. (Various)

Celtic are hot on the trail of Paraguayan international defender Paulo da Silva. (Scottish Daily Express)

Inverness want to take former Livingston forward Graham Dorrans on loan from West Brom. (Scottish Daily Express)

Hull City want Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi and have offered £1.2m for the Finn. (Various)

Derby manager Paul Jewell has agreed to pay Sheffield United £1.75m for striker Rob Hulse. (Various)

Premier League new boys Hull and Stoke are both chasing highly-rated Danish defender Magnus Troest. (Daily Star)

Former Gretna midfielder Gavin Skelton is poised to sign a two-year deal with Kilmarnock. (Daily Record)

Hibs have joined Aberdeen in the race for Inverness midfielder Don Cowie. (Scottish Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Mark Hughes has agreed a three-year contract worth £9m to take over as manager of Manchester City. (Various)

Rick Parry's position as Liverpool chief executive could be under threat after co-owner Tom Hicks approached Man City's Alistair Mackintosh about taking over at the Anfield club. (Various)

Arsene Wenger has said Arsenal can win "everything" next season. (Daily Express)

West Ham and former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg has launched a scathing attack on Wenger, accusing the Gunners boss of making him play while injured and likened his approach to that of the army. (Various)

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson is being lined up by Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric to take over as the club's new manager. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY
Wayne Rooney has arrived in Ibiza for a four-day stag do with 16 friends and family and the Manchester United striker has hired a £20,000 villa. Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea, Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch are thought to be meeting the England star out there along with boxer Ricky Hatton. (Various)

A hotel in Manchester is sad to see Sven-Goran Eriksson leave Man City for Mexico after he racked up a £350,000 bill. The Swede had been staying in the £1,250 a night penthouse suite at the city centre hotel since September. (Daily Express)

 

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Thursday 05th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Sweden keeper Andreas Isaksson insists the arrival of Mark Hughes as manger of the club has not changed his mind about wanting to leave. (Reuters, 1530 BST)

Giovani dos Santos looks set to complete a move to Spurs from Barcelona. Speaking to Spanish media, he said: "Next season I will be playing for Tottenham." (Press Association, 1505 BST)

Cristiano Ronaldo says he wants to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid. He told Terra: "I would like to play for Real Madrid but only if it is true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them. However, it does not depend on me." (Press Association, 1500 BST)

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has agreed a deal to move to AC Milan but the asking price from the Gunners could prevent any switch. (Gazzetta dello Sport, 1335 BST)

Out-of-contract Zoltan Gera is close to signing for Fulham and turn down the offer of a new contract from West Brom. (Clubcall)

Central defender Richard Dunne may be prepared to reconsider his future at Manchester City after the arrival of Mark Hughes as manager. (Press Association)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Roma manager Luciano Spalletti has joined fellow Italian Carlo Ancelotti in rejecting the chance to manage Chelsea. (Daily Star)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Barcelona are to join Real Madrid in the race to sign Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, with Sandro Rosell using a pledge to sign the winger as his main weapon to be voted the next president at the Nou Camp. (Various)

Real have again suggested that they are ready to abandon their attempts to sign Ronaldo as United do not want to sell him. (The Sun)

But the Spanish club are prepared to pay Ronaldo £300,000-a-week after tax in a £75m deal over five years to lure him to the Bernabeu. (Daily Express)

Liverpool will unveil £7m-rated left-back Andrea Dossena as their second summer signing on Thursday. (Various)

Juventus have agreed terms with Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso but have to agree a fee with the Reds, who want £16m compared to the Italian club's £14.5m offer. (The Sun)

Chelsea midfielders Shaun Wright-Phillips and Steve Sidwell have put any thoughts of a move on hold until the Blues appoint a new manager. (The Sun)

Blues striker Didier Drogba is unlikely to join Inter Milan as new boss Jose Mourinho has not put any strikers on his transfer list for the club. (Daily Mirror)

Alexander Hleb is close to joining Barcelona after Jose Mourinho's arrival as manager of Inter Milan scuppered his hopes of joining the San Siro outfit. (Various)

Sporting Lisbon have put a £23.5m price tag on Portugal midfielder and Arsenal target Miguel Veloso. (The Sun)

Manchester City will sign Brazilian pair Jo, who plays up front for CSKA Moscow, and Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho. (Various)

Man City owner Thaksin Shinawatra also insists defender Micah Richards will not be allowed to leave the club. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa, Everton and Portsmouth are monitoring Steven Taylor's situation at Newcastle as the centre-back has just 13 months left on his deal and has not agreed a new contract. (The Sun)

Villa have targeted keeper Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel with Rovers bracing themselves for key players leaving after Mark Hughes' exit. (Daily Mail)

Toulouse have dropped their £21m asking price for Bolton target and striker Johan Elmander, who has one year left onhis contract with the French club. (Various)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is set to add seven more players to the eight he has already axed to fund a £50m spending spree. (Daily Mirror)

West Brom are set to launch a £4m bid for Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson. (Daily Record)

Burnley are planning a £1.5m double raid to land Hearts winger Andrew Driver and Celtic forward Derek Riordan. (Daily Star)

Celtic will monitor Spartak Moscow's Austrian defender Martin Stranzl at Euro 2008. (Daily Mail)

Rangers will reject a £1.5m bid from Stoke for midfielder Lee McCulloch. (Scottish Sun)

Dundee United have targeted loan deals for Sunderland striker Roy O'Donovan and Crystal Palace goalkeeper Scott Finders. (Daily Star)

Hamilton Accies are preparing a bid for Livingston defender Dave Mackay. (Daily Star)

Leeds have put West Brom's Kevin Phillips top of their transfer list and will have to fight it out with QPR and Stoke for the veteran striker. (Daily Star)


OTHER GOSSIP
Mark Hughes will have a £40m or £50m transfer kitty - depending on who you believe - at his disposal after taking over as Manchester City boss. (Various)

Hughes has also been told he needs to finish in the top six next season. (Various)

Blackburn Rovers want MK Dons boss Paul Ince to replace Hughes as manager at Ewood Park. (Various)

AND FINALLY
What would you want - a pay rise or to watch your football team? Well, according to a study, it's the latter but that's only if your team win... (Daily Star)

 

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Friday 06th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Chelsea have ended their interest in AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti, according to Rossoneri vice-president Adriano Galliani.

"Chelsea will announce their new coach soon but no, I will not tell you if he is Italian," said Galliani. (Press Association 1608 BST)

Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed to join Real Madrid on a five-year deal. (Marca 1557 BST)

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor is one of the club's top summer transfer targets - along with Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov and Chelsea star Didier Drogba. (Press Association 1426 BST)

Everton are weighing up a move for Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone. The 21-year-old is under contract with Spurs until the summer of 2011 but Everton would be confident of getting their man for around £6m. (Liverpool Echo)

Sunderland have joined Fulham in the race to sign Wigan midfielder Paul Scharner, who is mulling over his future at the JJB Stadium. (Clubcall 1138 BST)

Middlesbrough are interested in Wolves's England Under-21 international Michael Kightly. (Evening Gazette 1129 BST)

Liverpool have cooled their interest in Cardiff City's £5m-rated teenager Aaron Ramsey as manager Rafael Benitez wants to concentrate on improving the first team. (Liverpool Echo)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told Spanish newspaper AS it is an "honour" that Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants to join the Spanish giants from Manchester United. (Press Association 0913 BST)

Celtic's Lee Naylor has been linked to a move south of the border with either Portsmouth or Hull after reports he has sold his home in Edinburgh. (Various 1359 BST)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea plan to interview Frank Rijkaard and Roberto Mancini next week although the Blues have not yet spoken directly to either coach. (The Sun)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Cristiano Ronaldo has said he wants to join Real Madrid if the Spaniards are prepared to meet Manchester United's valuation. (Various)

Ronaldo's relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson appears to have deteriorated as the Portugal winger effectively banned the Manchester United boss from visiting his country's European Championship training camp. (The Times)

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has set his sights on Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra. (Daily Mirror)

Cardiff manager Dave Jones has told Bluebirds midfielder Aaron Ramsey he should join Manchester United. The Premier League champions are in a three-horse race with Arsenal and Everton for the teenager's signature. (Daily Star)

Everton are lining up a move for £3m-rated Peterborough goalkeeper Joe Lewis who was on the substitutes' bench for England's 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday. (The Sun)

Newcastle and West Ham are on alert after Eidur Gudjohnsen was told he can leave Barcelona. (The Sun)

Aston Villa will reluctantly allow England midfielder Gareth Barry to join Liverpool for around £14m. (Various)

Villa manager Martin O'Neill is targeting Newcastle winger James Milner and Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte as he looks to rebuild his squad ahead of the new season. (Daily Mirror)

But Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is hoping to lure Milner to Anfield. The Reds boss wants either Milner or Espanyol star Albert Riera to add more width to his team. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough are leading the race to sign Crewe's £1m-rated striker Nicky Maynard. (Daily Mirror)

Boro manager Gareth Southgate also looks set to sign USA midfielder Michael Bradley from Dutch side Heerenveen for around £3.2m. (The Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea want to offload £7m flop Khalid Boulahrouz to Marseille. (The Sun)

Newcastle are leading the chase for Paris St Germain's £6m-rated midfielder Didier Digard. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United have told Sunderland they will not let them sign centre-back Jonny Evans permanently until they have sufficient defensive cover. (Daily Mail)

Sunderland's attempts to sign Reading winger Stephen Hunt might have hit troubled waters as Everton are interested in the Republic of Ireland international. (The Guardian)

Out-of-contract Aberdeen striker Steve Lovell is set to rejoin League Two side Bournemouth. (Daily Record)

Leeds have opened talks with Derby about signing Scotland winger Gary Teale for £400,000. (Daily Star)

Newly promoted Stoke City will make a £1m bid for Ipswich striker Jon Walters. (Daily Mirror)

Derby boss Paul Jewell has doubled his bid for Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde to £1m. (Daily Mail)

Don Cowie is ready to snub Aberdeen and Hibs to sign a new contract with Caley Thistle. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has been caught up in a row between Poland and Germany ahead of Euro 2008 after a newspaper depicted him with his head chopped off. (Various)

MK Dons manager Paul Ince is expected to discuss a move to Blackburn with the club's bosses over the weekend. (Daily Mirror)

But the former Manchester United midfielder's hopes of becoming the new Rovers boss could be hampered by Ince's failure to complete his coaching qualifications. (The Independent)

Ince faces competition from former England boss Steve McClaren who also wants to be the next Blackburn manager. (The Sun)

Celtic will donate the thousands of strips left outside Parkhead in tribute to Tommy Burns to children in Africa. (Daily Record)

Jan Poortvliet could be forced to pay more than £50,000 to take over as manager at Southampton as Saints chairman Rupert Lowe is insisting Poortvliet buys himself out of the remaining year of his contract with Dutch club Helmond Sport. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham have put a move from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium back on their agenda now that Boris Johnson is Mayor of London. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY
Eric Cantona was back in Manchester making a feature film. The Frenchman - who was voted United's greatest player in a poll of the club's fans - is playing himself in Looking for Eric. (Daily Mirror)

 

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Saturday 07th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Former Chelsea assistant coach Henk Ten Cate holds talks Panathinaikos over vacant manager's position.

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is waiting to hear from Juventus after admitting he would be open to a move to Turin. (Press Association 1609 BST)

Sevilla full-back Daniel Alves has told Spanish radio station RAC1 he has agreed to join Barcelona. "I am an ambitious player and hope that by joining an important club like this it will help me win titles," he said. (Various 1430 BST)

Paris Saint Germain are set to try their luck with a bid for Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele who could be deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. (Clubcall 1352 BST)

The chances of Robbie Fowler remaining at Cardiff City improved dramatically with the striker's agent declaring: "There is a deal to be done!" (South Wales Echo)

Newcastle United are furious with Liverpool after they offered three "nonentities" in part-exchange for winger James Milner. (Evening Chronicle 1242 BST)

Barcelona have reportedly agreed a fee with Spanish rivals Sevilla to sign in-demand Brazilian full-back Daniel Alves for around £23m. (Various 1203 BST)

CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has flown to Italy in an attempt to convince AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti to move to Stamford Bridge for a stunning £8m-a-year contract. (Daily Mirror)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United have reported Real Madrid to governing body Fifa for trying to lure Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish capital. (Various)

Real are ready to spend £75m on the Portugal winger because they believe Ronaldo could be worth as much as half a billion in spin-off cash. (The Sun)

But Ronaldo's mum Dolores Aveiro has told the 23-year-old to stay at Old Trafford. (Star Sport)

Should Ronaldo leave Manchester United the club have earmarked Atletico Madrid's Argentine wonderkid Sergio Aguero to replace the winger. (Daily Star)

Chelsea are hoping to sign 29-year-old AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo by offering the Italian £7m-a-year. (The Daily Telegraph)

Emmanuel Adebayor is set to be rewarded with a new contract after pledging his future to Arsenal despite interest in him from AC Milan, Inter and Barcelona. (Daily Mirror)

The Gunners are considering a move for Caen striker Yoan Gouffran even though the France Under-21 international has already agreed to join Bordeaux. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City officials are flying to Brazil this weekend in a bid to sign Ronaldinho. His agent and brother Robert de Assis has revealed the former World Player of the Year is still considering his options. (Daily Mail)

Mark Hughes's first job as Manchester City boss however will be to try to convince £12m-rated midfielder Michael Johnson to stay at the club. (Various)

The Eastlands club are determined to reinforce their midfield and are set to hijack Aston Villa's proposed £6m move for Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell. (Daily Mirror)

Everton are trying to sign Bristol City's Wales Under-21 right-back Christian Ribeiro for £500,000. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham watched goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano help Brescia defeat Albinoleffe 1-0 in the Serie B play-off semi-final, first leg. (The Times)

Striker David Nugent has told manager Harry Redknapp he will not be forced out of Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror)

Ipswich Town have expressed an interest in Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi, who has been told he can leave Craven Cottage. (The Times)

Sunderland want to sign Sheffield United midfielder Stephen Quinn, 22, for £2.5m. (The Sun)

AC Milan's 32-year-old Croatian international defender Dario Simic would prefer to join Celtic rather than Galatasaray if he leaves the San Siro this summer. (Daily Record)

Rangers are ready to make a £1million bid for former Hearts striker Andrius Velicka. The 27-year-old is currently at Viking Stavanger in Norway. (Daily Record)

Nottingham Forest have put in an improved offer to sign Motherwell's out-of-contract striker Ross McCormack. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Uefa president Michel Platini has said England will not be missed at Euro 2008 and that the influx of overseas investors into the Premier League is ruining football. (Various)

Former Rangers coach Dick Advocaat has entered the race to become Blackburn Rovers boss. The Dutchman is stalling on a contract offer from Zenit St Petersburg. (The Sun)

But others believe former Chelsea assistant Henk Ten Cate is battling with MK Dons boss Paul Ince in the race to be the next manager of Blackburn. (Daily Mirror & Daily Mail)

Former England head coach Steve McClaren, who is keen to work at Ewood Park next season, has turned down the chance to become the next manager of Dutch club FC Twente. (The Times)

A final decision on the controversial '39th step' has been postponed by the chairmen of all 20 Premier League clubs. (Various)

England's failure to reach Euro 2008 has cost the Football Association an estimated £40m. (The Sun)

Uefa general secretary David Taylor says that Scotland's failure to reach the Euro 2008 finals has cost the Scottish Football Association £10m. (Various)

Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet Jr have until the end of September to prove they can fund a planned £300m stadium in Stanley Park. (The Times)

AND FINALLY
World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst is backing Germany in the European Championships and will be cheering them on at a glittering soccer festival on Saturday night.

"I don't mind admitting it, they are a great footballing nation. And Germany's a great country as well," said Hurst, who scored a hat-trick against Germany in the 1966 World Cup final. (The Sun)

Inmates of a Swiss prison will be rewarded for good behaviour by being allowed to stay up late and gather around a big screen for Euro 2008 matches.

Prisoners can even hope for a barbecue party if everyone behaves well during the first two weeks. (The Times)

 

[McFLY]

Sunday 08th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Chelsea managerial target Carlo Ancelloti has said he would only leave AC Milan to coach Roma, the team he captained as a player. (1530 BST, Corriere dello Sport)

AC Milan have been given permission to talk to Chelsea striker Didier Drogba but not Andriy Shevchenko. (0930 BST, Gazzetta dello Sport)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea have offered AC Milan a world record 'transfer fee' of £20m in an attempt to bring their manager Carlo Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge. (Sunday Express)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Sir Alex Ferguson has desperately been trying to speak to Cristiano Ronaldo while on holiday in France but the Manchester United winger will not answer his manager's calls, increasing Ferguson's fears that the winger will join Real Madrid. (News of the Word)

Manchester United are set to cave in to fend off Real Madrid and offer Cristiano Ronaldo a £7.2m pay deal that will see him become the Premier League's top earner on £150,000 a week. (The People)

Sources close to the Manchester United boss have ridiculed reports that he has been barred from a private meeting with Ronaldo, insisting Ferguson never had plans to break his family holiday. (Mail on Sunday)

Jose Mourinho has made Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard a £30m summer target but the Inter Milan boss has been told he would be wasting his time making an official bid. (News of the World)

Mourinho has plenty of other options with Blackburn winger David Bentley joining Chelsea's Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Ricardo Carvalho on his wish list. (News of the World)

Barcelona midfielder Deco is poised to sign for Chelsea in a £15m deal that is likely to clear the way for Frank Lampard to leave Stamford Bridge for Inter. (Mail on Sunday)

Robin van Persie will consider his future if any more stars are allowed to leave Arsenal, saying he wants assurances that no-one else will leave before he signs a new deal. (News of the World)

There is some good news for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger however as Arsenal edged closer to signing £5m Aaron Ramsey after Cardiff City's teenager met Wenger in Switzerland on Saturday. (News of the World)

Newcastle are planning to sack jailed £55,000-a-week midfielder Joey Barton unless he agrees to a 50% pay cut. (Mail on Sunday)

Liverpool's owners have told manager Rafael Benitez that striker Peter Crouch can leave the club for £10m. (News of the World)

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has been promised up to £200m over three years and a chunk of that money looks certain to bring Barcelona's Ronaldinho to Eastlands. (News of the World)

Arsenal are lining up a £3.5m bid for Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given. (News of the World)

Louis Saha is set to be offered as bait in Manchester United's bid to land Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz with the France striker being used as a makeweight in a £10m transfer. (News of the World)

But Arsenal are ready to make a £12m bid for the Blackburn striker as they prepare to lose Emmanuel Adebayor to Milan for £30m. (Mail on Sunday)

Rangers are to offer £3m in cash for Middlesbrough's England Under-21 winger Adam Johnson. (News of the World)

Tottenham are unwilling to meet Rangers' £10m asking price for goalkeeper Allan McGregor. (Sunday Mail)

Steve Davis' agent says the midfielder is poised to complete his permanent transfer from Fulham to Rangers within two weeks. (Sunday Mail)

Rangers will make an increased offer for Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds after having a near £1m offer rejected. (Sunday Times)

Charlton Athletic say they have not had an approach from Rangers for defender Madjid Bougherra. (Sunday Mail)

QPR's Iain Dowie has been given the go-ahead to sign three strikers with West Brom's Kevin Phillips, Bobby Zamora of West Ham and Wolves star Freddy Eastwood his targets. (News of the World)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has made a £2m bid for Celtic defender Lee Naylor. (News of the World)

Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink will reject overtures from Feyenoord and Werder Bremen to stay in Glasgow. (Sunday Mail)

Celtic defender Bobo Balde is a target for Birmingham and Wolves. (Sunday Mail)

Celtic midfielder Evander Sno is a possible target for Porto. (Sunday Mail)

Manchester United's top scout Jim Lawlor is preparing to fly to America to watch 18-year-old defender/midfielder Brek Shea - the new rising star of United States football. (The People)

Out-of-contract Dundee United midfielder Mark Kerr is wanted by Leeds, Burnley, Coventry, Leicester and Doncaster. (Sunday Mail)

Dundee United have confirmed they are making a bid for Sunderland striker Roy O'Donovan. (Sunday Times)

Russell Anderson has rejected a move to Plymouth and wants to fight for his place at Sunderland. (Sunday Mail)

Derby County midfielder Stephen Pearson is wanted by Birmingham. (News of the World)

Aberdeen and Hartlepool are interested in Ayr United midfielder Ryan Stevenson. (News of the World)

Paris St Germain goalkeeper Jerome Alonzo says he rejected an approach from Hearts to sign for Nantes. (News of the World)

Real Madrid will decide this week whether to make a move for Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher. (Sunday Mail)

Wolves' Welsh international goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has his heart set on a move to Premier League giants Arsenal. (News of the World)

OTHER GOSSIP
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has been advised by his key aides to drop Kevin Keegan and appoint Dick Advocaat as his new manager. (Sunday Express)

Alan Shearer is emerging as the fans' choice to become the new boss at Blackburn after a powerful fans' lobby want their former striker to replace Mark Hughes. (News of the World)

Manchester United's number two Carlos Queiroz is being lined up as the new boss of French club Lyon. (News of the World)

Manchester City's new executive chairman Garry Cook is already resigned to losing Mark Hughes as manager if Manchester United come calling. (The Sunday Telegraph)

Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones has been told he is no Didier Drogba by team-mate Dwight Yorke who fears the hype surrounding the Liverpool target could damage his progress. (Sunday Express)

The Scottish FA is considering a joint bid with Wales to host Euro 2016. (Sunday Times)

Spain and not Scotland will be awarded Euro 2012 should Uefa deem Poland and Ukraine unable to be hosts. (Sunday Mail)

Scotland boss George Burley is set to get tough with clubs should he suffer more regular call-offs by players. (Various)

AND FINALLY
Dutch supporters at Euro 2008 have been warned that some of their orange wigs could be a fire hazard. The Dutch Food and Goods Authority said that about 30% of the wigs and boas worn by Holland fans could catch fire when near a cigarette or a lighter. (The Sunday Times)

 

[McFLY]

Monday 09th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Athletico Madrid say that Chelsea target Sergio Aguero is not for sale, despite reports the Blues have made a £43.75m bid for the Argentine striker. (1556 BST, Agence France-Presse)

Bayern Munich are chasing Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez and Arsenal winger Alexander Hleb. (1342 BST, Munich newspaper TZ)

Ipswich refuse to comment on reports they have had a bid accepted for Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi (1412 BST, BBC Sport)

Pini Zahavi, the agent of Panathinaikos midfielder Marcelo Mattos, says he is considering bids from three English clubs for the Brazilian, one of them from Portsmouth. (1344 BST, The Portsmouth News)

Injured Switzerland captain Alexander Frei says Celtic have resurrected their interest in signing him from Borussia Dortmund. (0920 BST, Press Association)

Manchester City captain Richard Dunne is to have fresh talks about a new contract with the club's executive chairman Gary Cook. (Manchester Evening News)

CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovich is to speak to Frank Rijkaard and Roberto Mancini on his yacht this week about becoming the Blues' next boss. (The Sun)

Abramovich has been in Switzerland watching Euro 2008 and is likely to turn to whichever coach excels at the tournament. (The Independent)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
AC Milan are closing in on a £18m swoop for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba but have been told his Blues team-mate Andriy Shevchenko is not for sale. (Various)

But the Blues are holding out for £30m for Drogba and could use him as a makeweight in their bid to sign Milan midfielder Kaka or snare boss Carlo Ancelotti. (The Independent)

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is in Italy but it is unclear whether he is brokering a deal for Drogba or trying to lure Kaka and Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge. (The Independent)

Chelsea hope to sign Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o for £22m but face a battle with former boss Jose Mourinho, who wants him at Inter Milan. (The Sun)

Bayern Munich have told Chelsea they will have to pay £31m to sign France midfielder Franck Ribery. (Daily Mail)

Real Madrid want Cristiano Ronaldo to request a transfer from Manchester United as soon as Portugal are knocked out of Euro 2008. (The Sun)

Birmingham and Wolves both want to sign Celtic defender Bobo Balde. (Daily Mirror)

Jussi Jaaskelainen has verbally agreed a three-year deal to stay at Bolton rather than join Aston Villa. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is closing in on a £3m deal for Heerenveen midfielder Michael Bradley. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves have bid £2.25m plus Steve Elliott and Darren Potter for Burnley's Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty (Daily Mirror)

Paris St Germain want Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele but he will wait to see who becomes Blues boss before deciding his future. (Guardian)

Ronaldinho will get a salary of £200,000 a week - making him the best paid footballer in the world - if he joins Manchester City. (Guardian)

Portsmouth are set to launch a £4m bid for Inter Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira. (Daily Star)

Celtic are wary of bids from Newcastle and Sunderland for midfielder Aiden McGeady. (Daily Record)

St Johnstone's signing of Liam Craig from Falkirk will go to a tribunal after the two clubs failed to agree a fee. (Daily Record)

Cardiff City's Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey is leaning towards joining Arsenal rather than Manchester United or Everton. (Various)

Middlesbrough are closing in on a £1.5m deal for Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis. (The Times)

Notts County defender Mike Edwards has signed a new two-year deal. (Daily Telegraph)

Inter Milan are to hold talks with Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho's agent Jorge Mendes. (The Times)

Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge is set to sign a new four-year contract at Stamford Bridge. (The Times)

OTHER GOSSIP
Blackburn delegates are to fly to Euro 2008 for talks with former striker and BBC pundit Alan Shearer about becoming their next boss. (Daily Mirror)

Shearer has sent strong signals that he is interested in the job. (The Times)

Henk Ten Cate, Sam Allardyce and Paul Ince are also in the frame. (Daily Mirror)

Roberto Mancini, Steve McClaren, Dick Advocaat and Avram Grant are the other candidates for the Ewood Park post. (The Times)

Arsenal's Robin van Persie and Real Madrid star Wesley Sneijder clashed in training ahead of the Netherlands' Euro 2008 game with Italy. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has emerged as favourite to become the long-term England captain. (The Sun)

Croatia boss Slaven Bilic claims injured Arsenal striker Eduardo could be fit to join the Gunners for pre-season training in July. (Daily Mirror)

Scottish referees have dumped their 'Whistleblower' website after claiming it has led to them getting more criticism. (Daily Record)

AND FINALLY
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, in Nigeria to promote education through football, has been given the title of Chief Fiwagboola - which means 'character maketh wealth' by King Akiolu in Lagos. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 10th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz, who has spent the season on loan at Sevilla, is a target for Marseille. "He's a player who interests us," said coach Eric Gerets. (PA Sport, 1405)

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o has ruled out a move to Spurs - and hinted that Inter Milan remain an option. "Tottenham, and I hope the English fans will forgive me, are a club in mid-table and I need more," said Eto'o. (Fox Sports, 1220)

Lyon forward Karim Benzema has admitted he would prefer a move to Real Madrid over Manchester United in the future. "I think that I need to get more experience and I'd like to help Lyon be a European champion," he said. "Then, in the future, we'll see what happens." (Marca, 1130)

CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea have already agreed a deal with a new manager - whose identity is looking increasingly like Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. (Daily Mail)

The club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich has enlisted the services of Vlado Lemic, a controversial Serbian agent, to help in Chelsea's search for a new manager. (The Times)

Andriy Shevchenko has been acting as an 'adviser' to his close friend Roman Abramovich in the search for a new manager with his ex-boss at AC Milan Carlo Ancelotti top of his recommendations. (Daily Express)

Fenerbahce have parted company with coach Zico - freeing him up for a possible move to Chelsea. (Various)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Arsenal have won the £5m race for Cardiff star Aaron Ramsey ahead of Manchester United and Everton, with boss Arsene Wenger proving influential for the 17-year-old. (The Sun)

AC Milan are trying to hijack Manchester City's £18m bid for CSKA Moscow's Brazilian striker Jo. (Daily Star)

Real Madrid are preparing a world-record £60m offer for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (The Times)

Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie is adamant French midfielder Lassana Diarra will not leave the club, despite rumoured interest from Tottenham in the £10m-rated player. (Daily Telegraph)

Aston Villa's Gareth Barry has demanded that boss Martin O'Neill lets him leave the club to sign for Liverpool. (The Sun)

Liverpool have opened negotiations with Roma over the possible £5m sale of attacking left-back John Arne Riise. (The Independent)

And the Anfield club, frustrated in their attempt to sign Espanyol winger Albert Riera, could now seek to seal a £12m deal for Middlesbrough wide-man Stewart Downing. (Daily Mirror)

Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Mattos could be one of Harry Redknapp's first signings for Portsmouth this summer if he attempts to trigger a £6m release clause in the Panathinaikos man's contract. (Daily Express)

Everton hope to offload Dutch winger Andy van der Meyde to Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg. (Various)

And Goodison Park boss David Moyes is planning a daring raid on Sporting Lisbon to snatch Portugal's £16m-rated Joao Moutinho from under the noses of Manchester United and Arsenal. (The Sun)

Zoltan Gera will join Fulham after rejecting another contract with Premier League new boys West Brom. (Various)

But West Brom manager Tony Mowbray wants Arsene Wenger to do him a favour by loaning him Arsenal defender Alexandre Song for the season. (Daily Star)

Chelsea are facing a £10m tug-of-war with old boss Jose Mourinho - now manager at Inter Milan - for Barcelona's Portugal midfielder Deco. (The Sun)

Newcastle have stepped up their pursuit of St Etienne and France forward Bafetimbi Gomis by lodging a £10m offer. Arsenal and Bolton are also interested. (The Times)

Newcastle are holding out for £7m from Liverpool for the services of nippy wide midfielder James Milner. (The Times)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is ready to make a third bid for Swansea star Ferrie Bodde this week, putting £1m on the table for the young Dutch midfielder. (Daily Star)

Leeds want to sign veteran striker Andrew Cole after being rejected by West Brom's Kevin Phillips. (The Sun)

With boss Steve Bruce struggling to sign Egyptian hitman Amr Zaki, Wigan have been sounded out by Marseille about bringing former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse back to the Premier League. (Daily Mail)

New Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is planning to raid his old club Blackburn Rovers for giant defender Christopher Samba. (Daily Mail)

Celtic could be set to pip Rangers and Wolves for Burnley striker kyle Lafferty by using Hoops outcast Derek Riordan as a makeweight to secure the deal. (Daily Record)

Andrius Velicka has admitted his is desperate to sign for Rangers as the Ibrox club stepped up their efforts to sign the Lithuanian from Viking Stavanger in a £1m deal. (Daily Record)

Sheffield Wednesday are favourites to sign Aberdeen midfielder Barry Nicholson on a free transfer. (Daily Express)

Hibernian striker Abdessalam Benjeloun is a transfer target for Beligian side Anderlecht. (Daily Record)

Veteran defender David Weir has decided to stay at Rangers for another year. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP
Real Madrid target Cristiano Ronaldo will be fined by Manchester United if he fails to return for pre-season training at Carrington on time. (Daily Mirror)

Boss Fabio Capello has warned England's best-known names - including Michael Owen and Frank Lampard - face a fight for their futures and also stressed the need to "fantasy" in his evolving international set-up. (Various)

But Capello has also urged Chelsea star Lampard to consider a move to Inter Milan, suggesting it could make him a better player. (Daily Mail)

Ex-player Henning Berg has emerged as a front-runner for the vacant manager's job at Blackburn. (The Times)

Jailed Joey Barton must decide whether to accept a £30,000-a-week pay cut or face being sacked by Newcastle United. (Daily Mirror)

Wales would be willing to apply to co-host Euro 2012 with Scotland, should Poland and Ukraine fail an inspection of their infrastructure. (Various)

AND FINALLY
Austria's misfiring striker Roland Linz has had to fight off rumours of being distracted by affairs of the heart after failing to score against Croatia. After splitting with swimmer Fabienne Nadarajah, he has been linked in the Viennese press with Miss Styria 2007. "I am not in love with her, I am single," he hit back. "I am angry." (The Guardian)

Liverpool's owners have been labelled a "disgrace" by a supporters club after they claimed £1.4m in expenses for just seven months. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 11th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Newcastle are preparing for life after Shay Given if the 32-year-old joins Arsenal. The Magpies are eyeing up Rangers' 26-year-old Scotland international Allan McGregor. (Press Association 1546 BST)

AC Milan have held talks with the representatives of Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor. (Sky Italia 1341 BST)

Portsmouth could find out this week if they have been successful in their bid to land Manchester City's Richard Dunne. (The News 1336 BST)

Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski admits he may seek a move after Euro 2008 with Manchester City a possible destination. (Blid 1331 BST)

Everton boss David Moyes is closing in on Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Moutinho. (A Bola 1328 BST)

Juventus are ready to bid for Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari. (Tuttosport 1317 BST)

Khalid Boulahrouz's agent believes any club interested in signing the Chelsea defender will need to wait until after Euro 2008. (Press Association 1214 BST)

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed his interest in Paris St Germain midfielder Didier Digard. (Press Association 1031 BST)
Boro target PSG midfielder Digard

Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb has revealed he is "angered" by reports linking him with a move to Bayern Munich. (Press Association 1000 BST)


CHELSEA MANAGER LATEST
Chelsea are set to receive a second snub from AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti, who they want as their new manager. (Daily Mirror)

But Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has hinted that he may be ready to 'live and work in another country', increasing speculation he could be about to join Chelsea. (Daily Mail).

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City are convinced that Barcelona star Ronaldinho wants to sign for them after recent discussions with his advisors. (The Independent)

Liverpool will clinch the £15m signing of Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry in the next 48 hours. (Various)

Ricardo Carvalho has told Chelsea he wants to leave the club to join former Blues manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. (Various)
Carvalho to hold talks on future

Chelsea will also battle it out with Inter Milan for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. (Daily Star)

Bayern Munich have joined the race for Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb. (Daily Mirror)

Didier Drogba's proposed transfer to AC Milan could spark a £100m striker merry-go-round involving the transfers of Karim Benzema, Dimitar Berbatov, Samuel Eto'o, David Villa, Diego Milito and Klaas Jan Huntelaar. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen on Germany midfielder Torsten Frings who would cost around £4m from Werder Bremen. (The Sun)

Anton Ferdinand is set to leave West Ham to join Tottenham in a £6m deal. (The Times)

Meanwhile, Pascal Chimbonda has been told he can leave Tottenham for £2m with Aston Villa, Fulham and Rangers all interested. (Daily Mail)

Kanu will sign a new deal with Portsmouth on his return from Nigeria next month. (The Sun)

Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has declared his desire to join Portsmouth. (Daily Telegraph)

Bolton and Wigan are preparing bids for Birmingham midfielder Fabrice Muamba. (Daily Mail)

Fulham are confident of holding on to star midfielder Jimmy Bullard who is a target of Aston Villa and West Ham. (Daily Express)

Wigan will not make Marcus Bent's loan deal from Charlton permanent as he is too similar in style to Emile Heskey. (Daily Star)
Striker Bent returns to Charlton

Stoke and Coventry hope to sign Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor who is currently out of contract. (Daily Mirror)

Nottingham Forest have been told to double their bid to £2m for Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham. (Daily Star)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is hoping to land Stockport striker Liam Dickinson and has bid £250,000. (Daily Star)

Millwall are lining up a move for Yeovil striker Lloyd Owusu. (Daily Star)

A number of German clubs including Hamburg are interested in Celtic's Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen. (The Sun)

Dundee United have knocked back an offer of £400,000 from Reading for striker Noel Hunt. (The Sun)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is keen on Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun. (The Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP
Alan Shearer is said to be unsure on whether to start his managerial career at Blackburn Rovers who are said to be keen on the former England striker. (Daily Telegraph)

Sam Allardyce is back in the running to replace Mark Hughes as manager of Blackburn. (The Sun)

Jailed Joe Barton has refused a £30,000-a-week pay cut from Newcastle United leaving his future at the club in doubt. (Daily Mirror)

Sir Alex Ferguson has told Manchester United to offer Real Madrid target Cristiano Ronaldo £150,000-a-week to keep him at Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

Hearts are lining up former Iceland coach Gudjon Thordarson and Terry Butcher as their new management team. (Various)

AND FINALLY
Cristiano Ronaldo has been pictured meeting a Real Madrid 'official' earlier in the year adding fuel to Manchester United's claims that the player has been 'illegally tapped up.' (The Sun)

Relations between Manchester United and Real Madrid continue to worsen with president Ramon Calderon calling Alex Ferguson "grotesque" for linking the Spanish giants to dictator Franco. (The Sun)

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has taken his wedding vows in Italy wearing just beach gear while his wife-to-be Coleen McLoughlin wore a designer dress. (The Sun)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 12th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Manchester United could buy Sergio Ramos and Robinho from Real Madrid, in return for any deal which would see Cristiano Ronaldo move to Spain. (Metro 1548 BST)

MK Dons boss Paul Ince says he has had no contact with Blackburn despite reports he is on a three-man shortlist. (skysports.com 1508 BST)

The agent of Barcelona playmaker Deco has denied speculation his client is poised to link up with Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea. (Press Association 1455 BST)

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is confident of bringing Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard to the San Siro. (Gazzetta dello Sport 1359 BST)

Tottenham and Manchester City are chasing Lazio's want-away midfielder Valon Behrami. (Gazzetta dello Sport 1347 BST)

Roma are stepping up their bid for West Ham United midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. (Tuttosport 1342 BST)

Chelsea striker Ben Sahar looks to be heading on loan to Dutch outfit NEC Nijmegen. (De Gelderlander newspaper 1323 BST)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is interested in bringing Eidur Gudjohnsen to Fratton Park. (The News 1253 BST)

Cardiff City's ambitious bid to land Jason Roberts has been thwarted. (icwales.co.uk 1143 BST)

Emmanuel Adebayor has told his agent to inform Arsenal that he wants to join AC Milan. (Gazzetta dello Sport 1127 BST)

Everton have denied reports that they are preparing a £3.5m bid for Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun as "fantasy." (Liverpool Echo 1124 BST)

Aston Villa have rejected an improved bid for Gareth Barry from Liverpool. (Aston Villa.com 1035 BST)
Liverpool bid for Barry rejected

Bolton Wanderers are the latest English club to show an interest in Al Sadd striker Carlos Tenorio. (Setanta Sports 0945 BST)


SCOLARI'S TRANSFER TARGETS
New Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari will be handed a £100m transfer kitty to lure the best players in the world to Stamford Bridge. (Various)

Scolari will target AC Milan star Kaka and will spend £55m on the midfielder. (Daily Mirror)

The appointment of the Brazilian at Stamford Bridge could see the arrival of Barcelona midfielder Deco. Scolari could also convince Ricardo Carvalho to stay at the club. (The Sun)

Scolari will be handed a blank cheque to bring in new players and will spend up to £50m on Brazillian star Kaka. (Daily Express)

David Villa is the most wanted striker in Europe with Scolari favourite to land the £25m Spaniard. (Daily Mirror)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Aston Villa will hold out for £18m before allowing midfielder Gareth Barry to move to Liverpool. (Various)

Liverpool could beat Villa to the signing of Newcastle winger James Milner with Jermaine Pennant likely to leave Anfield. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal have told Barcelona they want £5m and Yaya Toure (brother of Kolo) in exchange for winger Alexander Hleb. (Daily Star)


Joe Hart could be Tottenham bound after rejecting a new contract with Manchester City. (The Sun)

Portsmouth have ended their interest in striker Milan Baros who failed to impress at Fratton Park last season. (The Sun)

Arsenal look set to beat Manchester United to another transfer target with the Gunners favourites to land Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth are keen on Reading left-back Nicky Shorey with West Ham also interested in the £3.5m-rated defender. (The Sun)

Derby look set to land Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde for around £2m. (Daily Mirror)
Derby launch fresh bid for Bodde

West Ham striker Bobby Zamora is on the verge of signing for Championship outfit QPR. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa have made an approach for Wolves's £6m-rated keeper Wayne Hennessey. (Daily Mirror)

Norwich are keen on Newcastle striker Andy Carroll after ending their interest in Shola Ameobi. (Daily Star)

Newcastle keeper Shay Given could be on his way to Arsenal. (Daily Express)

Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski is being targeted by Manchester City. A move for the German is likely to cost City £20m. (The Times)

Leeds United are hoping to lure striker David Healy back to the club. (The Times)

Bolton keeper Ali Al-Habsi is ready to buy out his contract and quit Bolton. (Daily Mirror)

Roma are lining up a £3m bid for Liverpool defender John Arne Riise. (Daily Mirror)

Everton are chasing Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson who is valued at £8m. (Daily Mail)

Lazio have admitted they are keen on Celtic's Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink - but only at a cut-price fee. (Daily Record)

Palermo claim they are ready with a bid for 17-year-old Hamilton Accies midfielder James McCarthy. (Daily Record)

Rangers will tell Newcastle that the £6m they are preparing to offer for goalkeeper Allan McGregor is not enough.(The Sun)

Barcelona have joined Real Madrid in the competition to sign Hibernian forward Steven Fletcher. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Roberto Martinez has emerged as a shock contender for the vacant managers job at Blackburn Rovers. (Daily Star)

Sam Allardyce will have an interview for the Blackburn Rovers job on Thursday. (Daily Mirror)

England manager Fabio Capello told owner Roman Abramovich to make Scolari the new boss at Chelsea. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni faces the sack following a dressing room mutiny after his side lost 3-0 to Holland on Tuesday.

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted the sexiest player of Euro 2008 by a German magazine.

Sir David Richards' long-term future as Premier League chairman has been called into question after he suggested that the number of foreign players in the league had contributed to England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008. (The Guardian)

 

[McFLY]

Friday 13th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Emmanuel Adebayor's agent Stephane Courbis claims that AC Milan have spoken to Arsenal about the Togo international striker and "know everything depends on what Arsenal want to do". (Il Corriere Dello Sport 2002 BST)

Liverpool and Juventus have finally agreed a £14m deal which will see Xabi Alonso head to Italy. (Il Corriere Dello Sport 1529 BST)

Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi's proposed move to Ipswich could fall through as he waits for a Premier League lifeline. (Press Association 1435 BST)

Middlesbrough target Didier Digard has admitted he does not yet know whether he will join the club. (Le Parisien 1249 BST)

Leicester have failed in their attempt to appoint Paul Ince as their new boss. (BBC Sport 1208 BST)

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos is flattered by reported interest from Manchester United and admitted he would "see what happens" following Euro 2008. (Press Association 1155 BST)

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has dismissed the possibility of Karim Benzema leaving the French champions either this summer or next. (setanta.com 1130 BST)

SCOLARI'S TRANSFER TARGETS
New Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari will be given an unlimited transfer budget to bring the best players in the world to Stamford Bridge. (The Times)

Scolari will target Fernando Torres, Frank Ribery and Kaka with the Chelsea boss prepared to pay £60m for the AC Milan star. (Various)

Ronaldinho has sent out a come and get me plea to fellow Brazilian Scolari as he looks for a move away from Barcelona. (The Sun)

But Scolari will make Ronaldinho's Barcelona teammate Deco his first signing at Stamford Bridge. (The Sun)

Scolari has already made his first signing as Chelsea boss with rumours he sanctioned the recent acquisition of Portuguese right-back Jose Boswinga. (The Independent)

The Brazilian has told the Chelsea board to break the bank to keep Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Star)

Scolari is also interested in Real Madrid striker Robinho as he prepares for the departure of Didier Drogba. (The Times)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Real Madrid will tempt Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu by offering him £182,000-a-week. (Daily Telegraph)

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor is eager for a move away from the Emirates Stadium with AC Milan his preferred destination. (Daily Telegraph)

Tottenham are targeting PSV Eindhoven's Brazilian keeper Heurelho Gomes as a solution to their goalkeeping problems. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland are eyeing up a bid for Tottenham striker Darren Bent. (The Sun)

Arsenal's hopes of signing Marseille playmaker Samir Nasri could be hijacked by Atletico Madrid. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City have renewed their interest in Espanyol defender Pablo Zabaleta. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth are keen on Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen who would cost around £4m. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton look set to land Birmingham midfielder Fabrice Muamba for £3.5m. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City have been given a week to sign Zenit St Petersburg playmaker Andrei Arshavin. (The Sun)

Aston Villa are to hold out for around £20m for Gareth Barry after rejecting a second bid from Liverpool. (Daily Star)

Hull lead the chase to sign £3m-rated Charlton striker Marcus Bent. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough are proposing a swap deal involving winger Gary O'Neil and Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard. (Daily Mail)

Derby's Kenny Miller looks set to leave the club with Rangers favourite to land the £1.9m-rated striker. (Daily Star)

Everton have joined West Brom in the chase for Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson. (Daily Record)

Rangers are lining up a £1.75m move for Sporting Lisbon striker Milan Purovic. (Daily Express)

Aston Villa are hopeful of signing Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek for £2m. (The Times)

Xabi Alonso's proposed move to Juventus could be off with the Italian club unwilling to meet Liverpool's £15m valuation. (Daily Express)

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been linked with Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli. (The Times)

Olivier Kapo, Garry O'Connor and Daniel De Ridder are all expected to quit Birmingham City. (Daily Mirror)

Swansea look set to sign Southend winger Mark Gower after he rejected the chance to stay at the club. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is still keen on Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, but is unwilling to pay the £10m asking price. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP
Sir Alex Ferguson and Luiz Felipe Scolari are already at war with the Manchester United manager telling the Brazilian to stop talking Cristiano Ronaldo into a move to Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror)

Portugal will target Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to replace Scolari as national coach. (Daily Express)

Sam Allardyce appears favourite to become the new manager at Blackburn Rovers. (The Independent)

AND FINALLY
Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell will sack any player that returns to training overweight. (Various)

Luton fan Monty Panesar says he will buy Luton Town FC if he wins $1m in cricket's money spinning Twenty20 international. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United have been blasted by Roma for the signing of one of Italy's most promising young strikers after securing the services of 16-year-old sensation Davide Petrucci. (Daily Telegraph)

Luiz Felipe Scolari will ban Roman Abramovich from the Chelsea dressing room when he takes over as manager of the club. (Daily Express) Review of the week

Cristiano Ronaldo has again teased his Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson by saying: "I just love playing in all white," after Portugal's victory against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Saturday 14th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has played down speculation he is headed for the Stamford Bridge exit door. "I have a contract with Chelsea until 2010, so I am still a Chelsea player," the striker told skysports.com.

Reports in Italy have claim new Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has identified Arsenal forward Robin van Persie as one of his summer targets (Corriere dello Sport, 1442 BST)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is expected to tie up a £13m deal for long-time target Samir Nasri, the Marseille midfielder, after Euro 2008. Ivory Coast international Gervinho also claims the Gunners have made inquiries to Le Mans about his availability. (PA Sport, 0635 BST)


SCOLARI'S TRANSFER TARGETS
Real Madrid star Robinho is the shock new name at the top of new Chelsea boss Phil Scolari's shopping list. (Daily Star)

Chelsea are aiming to take advantage of a cash crisis at AC Milan by luring Brazilian midfielder Kaka from the San Siro. (Daily Mail)

Frank Lampard has edged nearer the Stamford Bridge exit door with Portugal playmaker Deco set to arrive for £15m from Barcelona. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea will battle with Manchester City to capture Brazil star Ronaldinho, who Scolari managed at the 2002 World Cup. (Sun)

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o is another possible target for Scolari, although they could face a battle with AC Milan. (Daily Telegraph).


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Real Madrid plan to outflank Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United by lodging a world-record £75m bid directly to the Glazer family in their latest attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. (Daily Express)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to go back to Tottenham with a £25m bid for striker Dimitar Berbatov. (Sun)

Barcelona have agreed to sell Italy winger Gianluca Zambrotta to AC Milan. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City will offer Ronaldinho £120,000 a week to come to Eastlands. (Sun)

QPR are to snap-up West Ham striker Bobby Zamora and Crystal Palace midfielder Ben Watson for a combined £5m. (Sun)

Boss Mark Hughes believes he has convinced skipper Richard Dunne to stay at Manchester City with a new £50,000-a-week deal. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle have moved for Zenit St Petersburg's Russia striker Andrei Arshavin, who is available at £11m. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton manager Gary Megson is set to sign Birmingham midfielder Fabrice Muamba for £5m. (Sun)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has lost interest in Tottenham keeper Paul Robinson. (Daily Star)

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is ready to raid his old club for giant Congo defender Christopher Samba. (Sun)

Manchester United are hoping to sign Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. (Times)

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso's expected move to Juventus is likely to go ahead now a fee of £14m has been settled. (Daily Telegraph).

Wigan boss Steve Bruce is ready to use Antoine Sibierski to try and land Olivier Kapo from Birmingham (Daily Mirror).

Wolves are to make a new offer to land Derby midfielder Dave Jones overa £1million move. (Sun).

John Arne Riise's agent has rejected reports that Roma are tracking the left-sided wing-back. (Daily Telegraph)

Highly-rated Le Mans striker Gervinho, 21, claims Arsenal are trying to sign him. (Times)

Liverpool will bide their time in their attempt to sign Aston Villa's England midfielder Gareth Barry, despite the rejection of a £13m bid. (Daily Mail)

Former Hearts striker Andrius Velicka will hold signing talks with Rangers this weekend as he aims to seal a £1m move from Viking Stravanger. (Various)

Portsmouth have ruled out a move for Celtic left-back Lee Naylor. (Daily Record)

Rangers are interested in Sporting Lisbon's Montenegrin striker Milan Purovic. (Daily Express/Daily Mail)

Celtic's teenage striker Cilian Sheridan could be sent out on loan to Dunfermline next season. (The Scotsman)


OTHER GOSSIP
Paul Ince will be confirmed as new Blackburn manager within the next few days. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati will stay and fight for his place next season, according to agent Alessandro D'Amico. (Various)

Sunderland fear striker Kenwyne Jones will not play again this year due to a knee ligament injury he sustained playing for Trinidad & Tobago against England. (Daily Mail)

 

[McFLY]

Sunday 15th June gossip column

SCOLARI'S TRANSFER TARGETS
Big Phil will bid £40m for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. (News of the World)

But the Spanish international has reassured Liverpool fans that he has no desire to leave Liverpool. (Sunday Express)

Ronaldinho would love to sign for Chelsea and be reunited with Scolari, the coach who made him a World Cup winner six years ago (Daily Telegraph)

Scolari will shake-up Chelsea's midfield and attack with moves for Deco, Ricardo Quaresma, Ronaldinho and David Villa, with Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka among those likely to leave. (Sunday Times)

Deco won't be moving to Stamford Bridge as he is seen as too old to justify a likely £12m price tag (Various)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Rafa Benitez could persuade David Villa to sign for Liverpool, according to the striker's Spanish team-mate Carlos Marchena. (Mail on Sunday)

Ronaldo agreed personal terms on a move to Real Madrid "a long time ago". (The Observer)

But United won't be bullied into offering Ronaldo a bumper new pay deal to persuade him to stay. (Mail on Sunday)

Liverpool will up their bid for Gareth Barry to £15m and could sign the Aston Villa midfielder as early as next week. (The Observer)

And they might have to go as high as £20m for the England international. (News of the World)

Spurs keeper Paul Robinson will not be moving to Middlesbrough as manager Gareth Southgate has decided to give Brad Jones and Ross Turnbull the chance to fight it out for the number one shirt. (The Observer)

Bordeaux and Roma are chasing Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre. (Channel 4 - Football Italia)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos wants two keepers to replace Paul Robinson - Manchester City's Joe Hart and France international Gregory Coupet. (News of the World)

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes hopes to sign Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra for £8m. (News of the World)

And Hughes will complete the £18m capture of Brazilian forward Jo this month. (Various)

James Milner has pleaded with Newcastle not to block a "dream" £7m move to Liverpool. (Various)

Coventry have signed Aron Einar Gunnarsson from AZ Alkmaar (The Observer)

Manchester City goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson is a £2m target for Turkish side Galatasaray. (Various)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Romanian striker Marius Niculae could be heading back to Sporting Lisbon after Euro 2008. (Sunday Mail)

Rangers forward Jean-Claude Darcheville insists he's staying at Ibrox, despite the arrival of Kenny Miller and Andrius Velicka. (Sunday Mail)

Roy Keane is on the verge of offering £10m for Celtic's Aiden McGeady, with Anthony Stokes heading from Sunderland to Glasgow as part of the deal. (Scotland on Sunday)


OTHER GOSSIP
Sheffield Wednesday hope to secure Alan Shearer as their new manager once a £50m take over has been completed. (News of the World)

Southampton want former World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles as their director of football. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY
Sam Allardyce would not be a popular appointment as manager of Blackburn among some fans, with almost 2,000 signing up to a Facebook petition. (Various)

 

[McFLY]

Monday 16th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti says Chelsea's Frank Lampard is his club's "number one" priority this summer. (Corriere dello Sport, 1248 BST)


SCOLARI'S TRANSFER TARGETS
Valencia striker David Villa, who is being targeted by Chelsea, insists he wants to stay in Spain, saying he would reject a big-money move to London in favour of Real Madrid or Barcelona. (Various)

Sports psychologist Regina Brandao expects new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, who she has worked with for 10 years, to bring her in to work with the players at Stamford Bridge. (The Independent)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Liverpool are poised to table a fourth offer for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, with the clubs expected to strike a deal this week. (Daily Mirror)

England midfielder David Bentley has opened the door for a £15m transfer after admitting he wants to quit Blackburn - and Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa are all keen to sign him. (Various)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he would walk out of Old Trafford if Cristiano Ronaldo is sold without his consent. (Daily Express)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has issued a hands-off warning to Liverpool over Stewart Downing, saying the England winger is "not for sale". (Daily Express)

Inter Milan have been linked with a move for Arsenal and Holland striker Robin van Persie, while the Gunners are interested in Real Madrid midfielder Daniel Parejo. (Daily Mail)

Barcelona are preparing a £25m bid for Tottenham's striker Dimitar Berbatov, who wants to leave White Hart Lane this summer. (Various)

Premier League new boys Hull City are set to table a £2m deal for Plymouth's Hungarian winger Peter Halmosi. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley faces a fight with Fulham and Bolton to capture Reading's £3m-rated midfielder James Harper. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has set his sights on Nolberto Solano after the 32-year-old winger was released by West Ham. (Various)

Everton boss David Moyes is thought to be interested in Deportivo La Coruna striker Riki but may face competition from Bolton. (The Independent)

Wigan will have to come up with £5.5m if they want to land Rennes centre-back John Mensah, who is also attracting interest from Blackburn, Portsmouth and West Ham. (The Sun)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is ready to break the club's transfer record to bring in Celtic winger Aiden McGeady. (The Independent)

Greece striker Stelios Giannakopoulos wants to stay in the Premier League after being handed a free transfer by Bolton. (Various)

Paul Robinson's days at Tottenham could be numbered as Spurs boss Juande Ramos is chasing Manchester City keeper Joe Hart and France stopper Gregory Coupet. (The Independent)

Liverpool have accepted an offer of £4m for John Arne Riise, while negotiations about Xabi Alonso's sale to Juventus are ongoing. (The Guardian)

Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric wants to sign centre-half Darren Moore from Derby - before he signs up a new manager. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers are on the trail of Monaco left-back Leandro Cufre, while striker Andrius Velicka has flown to Glasgow to complete his move to Ibrox. (Daily Record)

Burnley will talk with Celtic and Wolves next week over Kyle Lafferty, according to a spokesman close to the player. (Sporting Life website)

France and Barcelona defender Lillian Thuram says both Old Firm clubs are vying for his signature. (Daily Express)

Rangers are expressing interest in Argentina and Monaco left-back Leandro Cufre. (Daily Record).

Dundee United will not allow midfielder Morgaro Gomis leave amid speculation Rangers are poised to move for the former Cowdenbeath player. (Daily Mail)

Davie Hay has returned to Livingston for his second spell after being confirmed a consultant at Almondvale. (Daily Mail)

Poland coach Leo Beenhakker has defended goalkeeper Artur Boruc following reports the Celtic stopper damaged a dressing room after the 1-1 draw with Austria. (Various)

Artmedia Bratislava coach Vladimir Weiss says Hearts have offered him the vacant manager's position at Tynecastle. (Daily Mail)

Stranraer have signed Stephen McConalogue after the striker was released by Cowdenbeath. (Daily Express)

Unsettled Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen will be offered £1m to quit the club. (The Sun)

Rangers are no nearer completing the signing of Fulham midfielder Steven Davis. (The Herald)


OTHER GOSSIP
England are locked in a head-to-head battle with Russia to stage the 2018 World Cup, with Fifa president Sepp Blatter saying he wants the competition to return to Europe. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Poland coach Leo Beenhakker has suggested Croatia boss Slaven Bilic should ask his own mother-in-law to play in the Euro 2008 Group B encounter between the two sides because he reckons that is the only way his team can beat Bilic's men on Monday. (Various)

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is doing a spot of summer sightseeing with wife Alex Curran and the couple took some holiday snaps outside the Miami mansion of Gianni Versace - the same house where the fashion designer was shot in 1997. (The Sun)

Among the Euro 2008 memorabilia available on eBay is a limited edition original hand painting of former England boss Steve McClaren. (The Daily Telegraph)

 

[McFLY]

Tuesday 17th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Aston Villa are on the verge of agreeing a £4.5m deal for Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell. (Press Association, 2002 BST)

Germany striker Lukas Podolski has revealed Juventus and Tottenham are interested in signing him and that he would be willing to join either club. (AFP, 1815 BST)

Barcelona are ready to hijack AC Milan's attempts to buy Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor. (Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport)

Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola says Deco, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o are surplus to requirements for next season. (Spanish sports paper Marca, 1320 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to say he is leaving Manchester United after Euro 2008, according to "a close friend". (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City are negotiating with Ronaldinho's sponsors, Nike, over signing the Brazilian. (Daily Express)

Frank Lampard is at the centre of a "tug-of-war" between former manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan and incoming Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. (The Sun)

Liverpool's John Arne Riise is expected to complete a £5m move to Roma this week. (Daily Mail)

Sunderland are ready to smash their transfer record with a £10m swoop for Celtic's Aiden McGeady. (The Sun)

Wigan are close to signing Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic on a free transfer from Werder Bremen. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa have made the first move to sign Blackburn's want-away midfielder David Bentley. (Daily Express)

Tottenham are hoping to offload right-back Pascal Chimbonda to Aston Villa and defender Younes Kaboul to Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror)

Hull are planning to hijack centre-back Anthony Gardner's move from Tottenham to Stoke. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal want Spain and Valencia's Raul Albiol, who can play at centre-back or in defensive midfield. (Daily Express)

Aston Villa are set to buy misfit Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell for £5m. (Daily Mail)

Oliver Kapo could be on his way out of Birmingham City, with Wigan and Newcastle both interested in signing the midfielder. (The Times)

Manchester City's Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson is wanted by Spanish side Atletico Madrid. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth will make an opening bid of £10m for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch this week. (The Independent)

Middlesbrough and Newcastle want to sign Fulham striker Steven Davis, who would prefer to make his loan period at Rangers permanent. (The Times)

Sunderland are monitoring striker Carlton Cole's position at Premier League rivals West Ham. (The Times)

Newcastle have told Liverpool and Aston Villa they want £9m for winger James Milner. (Daily Mirror)

West Brom will bid £4m for Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi after his talks with Stoke stalled. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers will complete the £3m signing of Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty today - beating Old Firm rivals Celtic to the Northern Ireland international's signature. (Various)

Celtic are being linked with moves for Russia striker Roman Pavlychencko and Spurs forward Darren Bent. (Various)

And Celtic could also move for Roma midfielder Matteo Brighi. (Various)

Belgian outfit Germinal Beerschot are offering Rangers' Thomas Buffel an escape route back to his homeland. (Daily Record)

Burnley have made a £500,000 bid for Falkirk captain Darren Barr. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson is furious with Manchester United's fixture list for 2008/09 as his side face away trips after all six Champions League group games. (The Sun)

Rangers fans are unhappy with their club's fixture list for the season which will see them play three of their opening four games away from home. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Uefa will have to spend £157,000 to replace the turf at St Jakob-Park in Basle following last Wednesday's torrential downpour during the Switzerland-Turkey match. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Wednesday 18th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
German striker Lukas Podolski says Tottenham and Juventus are leading the chase to sign him from Bayern Munich. "I have been informed about both clubs' interest," Podolski told Polish newspaper Express. "That is very interesting for me." (Press Association, 1915 BST)

AC Milan star Kaka has ruled out a move to Chelsea and said he will only leave the club if they want to sell him. "I appreciate Chelsea's reported interest. Thank you, but I don't have any desire to leave Milan," he said. (Corriere dello Sport, 1115)

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has said Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho will not be joining the club as they can't afford to compete with English, Spanish and German clubs for their signatures. (La Gazzetta dello Sport, 1110)

Aston Villa have agreed a £5.5m fee with Chelsea for midfielder Steve Sidwell. (AFP, 1044 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Ronaldinho is line for a shock £20m switch to join David Beckham at LA Galaxy. (Daily Star)

Frank Lampard, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, will have face-to-face talks with new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari before deciding his future. (Various)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has sanctioned a £24m move for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor in a bid to beat off competition from AC Milan. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City's bid to sign CSKA Moscow's Brazilian star Jo has been blocked by the Premier League over fears he is owned by MSI, the same company who owned Carlos Tevez's registration. (Various)

Manchester United's owners have again come out and said Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale at any price, despite Real Madrid being prepared to pay up to £70m for the Portuguese star. (The Sun)

But Real Madrid will pay any fines Ronaldo picks up if he stays away from Old Trafford when the United players report back for pre-season training in a bid to lure him to Bernabeu. (Daily Express)

Ronaldo's agent has advised his client against handing in a transfer request in an attempt to push through a transfer to Real Madrid. (The Independent)

Everton are targeting Blackburn winger David Bentley as a replacement for Mikel Arteta if he leaves for Atletico Madrid. (Daily Mail)

Dutch midfielder Orlando Engelaar is also a £6m target for Everton boss David Moyes. (Daily Mirror)

Roma are ready to take Louis Saha on loan with a view to signing the Manchester United striker on a permanent deal. (Daily Mail)

Portsmouth are set to launch a £10m bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch this week. (Daily Telegraph)

The Fratton Park club are also interested in signing Argentine striker Mauro Zarate who spent the end of last season on-loan at Birmingham. (Various)

Celtic are preparing a bid to take Tottenham's £16m striker Darren Bent on loan next season. (Daily Record)

Spartak Moscow have slapped a £6m price tag on striker Roman Pavlyuchenko to fend off reported interest from Celtic. (Daily Record)

Lyon striker Milan Baros, who was on-loan at Portsmouth last season, is a target for Premier League new boys West Brom. (Daily Mirror)

Hull are planning a £2m swoop for Fenerbahce striker Colin Kazim-Richards. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Tottenham could be getting new owners, with a Middle East syndicate ready to offer upwards of £250m for the north London club. (Daily Mirror)

Former Chelsea assistant manager Henk Ten Cate could make a Premier League return as manager of Blackburn, despite agreeing to take over at Greek side Panathinaikos. (The Guardian)

The Philippines national side have said they will offer Paul Gascoigne a football lifeline by making him their next manager. (Daily Star)


AND FINALLY
When asked if former British number one Tim Henman had any gossip from Wimbledon he revealed that tennis stars from the Czech Republic are a bit smelly. He said: "Well, the Czechs are a bit niffy." (Daily Mirror)

During filming for a new advert Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was spotted next to Rupert's Tower, an ancient building featured on rivals Everton's club badge, much to the delight of Toffees fans. (Daily Star)

 

[McFLY]

Thursday 19th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Outgoing Barcelona forward Ronaldinho is calm about his future despite the fact that he is yet to reach an agreement with any club for next season. (Brazilian TV station SporTV 1753 BST)

Xabi Alonso is happy to plan for life at Liverpool next season as his protracted move to Juventus remains in the balance. (Press Association 1751 BST)

Valencia's unsettled midfielder David Albelda says he has yet to receive an offer from another club despite reported interest from Chelsea. (1654 PA Sport)

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani says Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor is the Serie A club's sole transfer target this summer, ruling out moves for rumoured targets Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba. (L'Equipe 1352 BST)

Jose Mourinho has stated his intention to be reunited with both Frank Lampard and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba at Inter Milan. (Press Association 1238 BST)

Real Madrid are waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo to publicly say he wants to leave Manchester United to join them. "As soon as he says he wants to play for Real Madrid there will be conversations between the two clubs," says Real's director general of the presidency, Miguel Angel Arroyo. (Spanish sports paper Marca, 1045 BST)

Barcelona will offer £24m for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor (Marca, 0741 BST)

Barcelona are still in talks to sign Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb (Press Association, 0735 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Aston Villa are ready to hijack Tottenham's planned £15m move for Blackburn's David Bentley (Daily Star).

Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United future could depend upon whether coach Carlos Queiroz stays at the club or joins the Portugal set-up (Daily Star).

Emre's move from Newcastle to Fenerbahce could be in doubt as he faces a call-up to the Turkish army (The Mirror).

Inter Milan target Frank Lampard, who turns 30 on 20 June, wants a four-year deal at Chelsea but the club only want to offer him a two-year contract (The Times).

Norwich have beaten Ipswich to the signature of Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi (Daily Star).

Fulham want £2.5m from QPR for Lee Cook. Cook moved in the opposite direction last summer, but didn't make a first team appearance for Fulham last season (The Sun).

Rangers could miss out on both Kyle Lafferty, as Alan Gow is not sure he wants to join Burnley as part of the deal, and also Steve Davis, as Fulham want £4m for him (Daily Record).

Former Gretna striker Fabian Yantorno cut short his summer holiday in an effort to land a contract with Hibs. (Daily Express)

Dundee are lining up a move for former Rangers and Dundee United midfielder Charlie Miller after he was released by Belgian outfit Lierse. (Daily Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
Portugal boss Luis Felipe Scolari fears his team's lack of inches could cost them against Germany. Their 5 ft 9 inch average height is three inches less than the Germans. Croatia and Greece average a lofty 6ft 1 inch a man (The Mirror).

Middlesbrough star Mido, who tipped the scales at 15st 2lb last season, has apologised to the club's fans and says he has lost two stone for the new campaign (The Sun).

TV replays are to be removed from Premier League dug-outs and tunnels to stop managers berating fourth officials next season (Daily Mail).

Michael Owen says there should be an announcement "in the next month or two" over his contract talks at Newcastle (Daily Telegraph).

Manchester United's Patrice Evra and Patrick Vieira had to be pulled apart from squaring up to one another in the tunnel after France's 4-1 loss to the Netherlands. The incident was caught on camera (The Mirror).

Vieira, who did not play in the tournament, also had a bust-up with old rival Ruud van Nistelrooy after the same game (The Independent).

Turkey coach Fatih Terim is an outsider for the Blackburn job (Mirror) but Paul Ince is on the verge of being appointed (Daily Mail).

Thierry Henry has vowed not to quit international football despite France's failure at Euro 2008 (Daily Star).


AND FINALLY
Three players ended up in hospital after a friendly at Euro 2008 - between Austrian and German police (Daily Express).

French coach Raymond Domenech has been savaged in the press after proposing to his girlfriend live on national television after their elimination from Euro 2008. He said he wanted to provide "a glimmer of light on a cloudy night" (The Independent).

 

[McFLY]

Friday 20th June gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Cardiff will come back with an improved offer for Rangers striker Kris Boyd and are willing to go to £3.5m for their number one striking target. (Evening Times, 1600 BST)

Portugal and Barcelona midfielder Deco says he wants more time to consider a potential move to Chelsea. "I know about the interest of Chelsea as well as other teams," he said. "But I still have to make a decision. I have to speak to Barcelona and soon there will be developments." (Press Association, 1423 BST)

Spain striker David Villa continues to rule out a move from Valencia, saying: "I never thought about leaving before (Euro 2008) and I'm not thinking about it now." (Valencia's Radio 9, 1335 BST)

Germany striker Lukas Podolski has indicated that he could be leaving Bayern Munich this summer, which will interest the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City, Cologne and Juventus. (Bild, 1154 BST)

Juventus general manager Jean-Claude Blanc says he is still confident of signing Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso despite the Anfield club wanting a higher transfer fee. (Sky Italia, 1021 BST)

Ronaldo fuels speculation about a move to Real Madrid by saying: "Everyone knows what I want - in the next two or three days you'll have something new." (various Spanish newspapers)

Manchester United release a terse statement regarding the Ronaldo transfer saga. "United are not listening to offers," it says. (Manchester United website, 1016 BST)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United winger Ronaldo has talked up his chances of joining Real Madrid this summer after saying that "the possibilities" of a transfer were "great". (Various)

Inter Milan are to bid £6.6m for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard within the next 48 hours. (The Sun)

Arsenal could attempt to sign Russia's Andrei Arshavin as a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor, should the Togo striker move to Barcelona or AC Milan. (Daily Telegraph)

Arsenal are back in the hunt for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins but are refusing to pay the £15m asking price. (The Sun)

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez wants Spain midfielder David Silva, who is currently playing for cash-strapped Valencia. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal left back Gael Clichy is the latest Gunners player that could leave the Emirates Stadium this summer, with Roma leading the chase. (The Sun)

Aston Villa are lining up a £6m bid for West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand, who has been made available for transfer by the London club. (Various)

Birmingham are chasing the Czech Republic's 6ft 7in striker Jan Koller. (Daily Mirror, The Sun)

Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart says he will not consider a move to Manchester or Chelsea until his country's Euro 2008 campaign is over. (The Sun)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is considering a move for French midfielder Peter Luccin, who could be released by relegated Real Zaragoza. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi is wanted by West Brom and could leave the Magpies for around £2m. (Various)

Chelsea and France midfielder Claude Makelele is close to signing for Paris Saint-Germain. (The Times)

Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov, who snapped cruciate ligaments eight minutes into his club debut last August, is wanted by Torino. (Daily Star)

Deportivo centre half Fabricio Coloccini is a target for Newcastle and West Ham. (The Sun)

Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has been told he can leave Stamford Bridge, with Portsmouth favourite to secure his signature. (The Independent)

Middlesbrough have had an approach for Bristol City midfielder Marvin Elliot rejected. (Daily Star)

Harry Kewell is set to join John Arne Riise at Roma following his release from by Liverpool. (Daily Telegraph)

Tottenham have agreed a £4m deal for Fiorentina attacking midfielder Mario Santana. (The Sun)

Hull have had their £750,000 bid for Derby striker Craig Fagan accepted. (Various)

Brazilian club Portuguesa have turned down an offer from Arsenal for their 21-year-old forward Diogo Luis Santo. (The Times)

Hearts managerial target Vladimir Weiss wants to wait to see how discussions over the Slovakia manager's job go before deciding his future. (Various)

Cardiff have made a £2.5m offer for Rangers striker Kris Boyd. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Despite many reports stating that MK Dons boss Paul Ince is the favourite to replace Mark Hughes at Blackburn, the club hope to appoint former Barcelona player Michael Laudrup this weekend. (Daily Telegraph)

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic, who has led his side to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, says pampered players from wealthier nations are too far away from the fans and have lost their focus. (Various)

Former England manager Steve McClaren is set to be named as the new coach of Dutch club FC Twente. (The Times)

Manchester United will be relieved this morning after hearing that their Brazilian midfielder Anderson escaped serious injury while playing for his country against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier. (Various)

American billionaire Stan Kroenke is in advanced talks with Arsenal bosses about putting him in control of the club. (The Independent)


AND FINALLY
Switzerland's railway staff will now wear yellow vests instead of orange ones after Dutch fans followed a worker onto the tracks as they thought he was a football fan. (Daily Telegraph)

French coach Raymond Domenech knows exactly why his side failed so miserably at Euro 2008. It was the team's hotel. "The layout of the hotel was all wrong," he said. "It was in a kind of cul-de-sac with only one route in and out. Plus, there were no proper directives from the Swiss about gatherings of people watching us eat." (Daily Express)