Thursday, 19 June 2008

Thursdays Gossip - 19 June 08

BREAKING GOSSIP


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)

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).

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Wednesdays Gossip - 18 June 08

BREAKING GOSSIP


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)

Tuesday, 17 June 2008

Tuesdays Gossip - 17 June 2008

BREAKING GOSSIP


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)

Monday, 16 June 2008

Mondays Gossip - 16 June 08

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)

Sunday, 15 June 2008

Sundays Gossip - 15 June 08

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)

Saturdays Gossip - 14 June 08

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)


AND FINALLY


Newcastle's stars have been told to buy their own club suits in the latest cost-cutting measure from owner Mike Ashley. (Daily Mirror)

Roma teenager Davide Petrucci claims the offer of a job as a gardener for his father helped persuade him to leave Italy for Manchester United (Various)

Friday, 13 June 2008

Fridays Gossip - 13 June 08

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)
Foxes thwarted in bid for Ince

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)
Chelsea warned off Milan's Kaka


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)
Panesar eyeing Twenty20 team spot


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)


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)

Thursday, 12 June 2008

Thursdays Gossip - 12 June 08

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

Wednesdays Gossip - 11 June 08

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 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).

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)

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)

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)

Tuesday, 10 June 2008

Tuesdays Gossip - 10 June 08

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 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)

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)

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)

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)

Monday, 9 June 2008

Mondays Gossip - 09 June 08

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 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)

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)

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)

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)

Sunday, 8 June 2008

Sundays Gossip - 08 June 08

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 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)


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)