April Football gossip 2009

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Monday 13th April gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
France midfielder Franck Ribery wants to move to Barcelona.

"Franck has told me he wants to play for Barcelona," his Bayern Munich team-mate and captain Mark van Bommel told Spanish radio station RAC1.

"He is the best player in Germany and his style of play would fit well with Barca's because he is strong with great technical ability."


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Blackburn will renew their interest in Schalke's German striker Kevin Kuranyi this summer after provisionally lining him up in January as a potential replacement for Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mail)

Loan striker Jay Simpson will not remain with West Brom next season as he wants to return to parent club Arsenal to fight for his place. (The Sun)

As well as Simpson, the Baggies could also be set to lose a number of other players should they make the drop to the Championship in order to "revamp" the squad to challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League. (Setanta)

Leicester, Reading, Ipswich and Sheffield United are set to battle it out for the signing of highly-rated 21-year-old Lincoln midfielder Dany N'Guessan who can leave the the Imps on a free transfer in the summer. (Sky Sports)

Hearts midfielder Bruno Aguiar has hinted he may leave Tynecastle under freedom of contract at the end of the season. (Scottish Daily Express)

Celtic target Jordi Gomez, currently on loan at Swansea from Espanyol, will wait until the summer before deciding his next move. (Scottish Sun)

Frank Ribery wants to join Barcelona this summer according to his Bayern Munich teammate Mark Van Bommel. (Various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes claims he was right to rest Brazilian striker Robinho for the side's 3-1 home defeat to Fulham after fans subjected the Welshman to chants of "you don't know what you're doing". (Various)

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has fired a warning to Chelsea that the Reds are ready to pull-off another sensational European comeback in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. (Daily Express)

However, Chelsea's players are planning to convince temporary manager Guus Hiddink to stay with the Blues beyond the end of the season by winning all their remaining games, says midfielder Michael Ballack. (Daily Express)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also targeting a 100% winning run-in to the season for his side in a last-ditch bid to claim a top-four finish after Sunday's 3-3 draw with Everton extended their run without a win to 10 games. (The Times)

Newcastle caretaker boss Alan Shearer was unhappy with the lateness of Obefami Martins' withdrawal from the squad for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Stoke because of a sore groin, after the striker had trained the two previous days. (Various)

Teenage striker Federico Macheda's stunning start to his Manchester United career is set to be rewarded with a new £10,000-a-week contract this summer. (Daily Mail)

Former Newcastle executive director Dennis Wise is poised for a swift return to football as manager of QPR after holding talks with Hoops co-owner Flavio Briatore and chairman Gianni Paladini. (Various)

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is set to sign a new four-year deal with the club, doubling his salary to around £1.5m-a-year in the process. (Daily Star)

Wigan striker Amr Zaki faces further disciplinary action after being spotted coming out of a Manchester nightclub in the early hours of Friday morning - just 13 hours before the Latics were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers playmaker Pedro Mendes has been branded a diver by furious Motherwell defender Brian McLean. (Various)

Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish has urged Barry Ferguson to grow up and apologise to Rangers boss Walter Smith. (Scottish Sun)

Hibs defender Ian Murray reckons the SPL split is 'crazy' and would like to see it abolished as of next season. (Various)

Watford manager Brendan Rodgers says a new pitch rather than new players would help him develop his desired passing game at Vicarage Road. (Daily Express)

AND FINALLY
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will have to work harder to improve his English after revealing his translator gets in the way during training sessions. (Daily Telegraph)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Tuesday 14th April gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Daniel Agger moves a step nearer to an Anfield exit after Barcelona make it clear they want to sign the Liverpool defender at the end of the season. (Mail Online)

AC Milan are also ready to make a deal for Agger, who has not extended his contract at Anfield. (ESPNSTAR.COM)

Striker Kevin Kuranyi is set to snub Blackburn's advances as he expresses a desire to start talks over a fresh deal with current club Schalke. (eatsleepsport.com)


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Fulham are lining up a double summer bid for Tottenham pair Tom Huddlestone and Gareth Bale. (Daily Express)

Huddlestone could leave unless he is guaranteed first-team football. (The Times)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is chasing Athletic Bilbao's Spain Under-21 midfielder Javi Martinez. (Daily Mirror)

Hull manager Phil Brown is hopeful of signing Angola striker Manucho, currently on loan from Manchester United, in a permanent deal for £750,000. (Daily Mail)

Celtic and Rangers are chasing Hamilton Accies goalkeeper Tomas Cerny. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers have targeted Northern Ireland duo Warren Feeney, the striker on loan at Dundee United from Cardiff, and Chris Brunt, the West Brom midfielder. (Scottish Daily Mail)

Nottingham Forest hope to make the loan signing of Brighton defender Joel Lynch, 21, permanent. (Daily Mirror)

Barcelona are in pole position to sign Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery this summer, though Bayern are demanding a world record fee. (The Guardian)

OTHER GOSSIP
Sunderland are ready to ask Alan Curbishley to become their emergency new manager - once he settles his dispute with West Ham this week. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth could accept a reduced overall fee from Manchester City for the striker Benjani because of cash woes. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is battling growing unrest in his squad over Robinho's attitude. (The Sun)

Manchester United will offer striker Federico Macheda a long-term deal when he turns 18 in August. (The Sun)

Colin Kazim-Richards - a target for Hull and Portsmouth - is desperate to return to Premier League football, but Fenerbahce want £3m for him. (Daily Mirror)

Robin van Persie is ready to sign a new contract at Arsenal despite turning down a £65,000 deal in March. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak will watch the club play on Thursday and decide whether Mark Hughes retains the support of fans. (The Guardian)

Aberdeen cannot afford to offer new deals to midfielder Jamie Smith and defender Lee Mair. (Daily Record)

Celtic are set to be priced out of a move for Rayo Vallecano's defensive midfielder Mohamed Diame. (Scottish Daily Mail)

Hearts winger Saulius Mikoliunas insists he may yet stay at Tynecastle despite failing to agree new terms. (Various)

Former Hearts and Inverness manager John Robertson has been approached to coach the national side of Liberia. (Scottish Sun)


AND FINALLY
Oldham Athletic's mascot, Chaddy the Owl, had to be carried from the pitch after falling off a BMX bike during the pre-match entertainment at Carlisle. (Daily Telegraph)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Wednesday 15th April gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Manchester City and Inter Milan have joined Liverpool in the contest to sign Lazio striker Mauro Zarate this summer. (eatsleepsport.com)


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool are monitoring Lazio star Mauro Zarate with a view to a summer swoop for the striker. (The Sun)

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is targeting Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones. (Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to bid for Swansea's 24-goal goal machine Jason Scotland. (Daily Mirror)

Championship promotion candidates Birmingham want Portsmouth goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, who has rejected a fresh contract at Fratton Park. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa are unlikely to pay the £15m Standard Liege want for their midfielder Steven Defour. (Daily Star)

Dundee United manager Craig Levein is keeping tabs on Huddersfied striker Danny Cadamarteri. (Various)

Celtic are preparing a double swoop on Swansea, with defender Angel Rangel joining midfielder Jordi Gomez on the Glasgow giant's wanted list. (Scottish Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP
Portsmouth insist executive chairman Peter Storrie was not paid £2m last year, despite evidence contained in the club's financial results. (Daily Telegraph)

Southampton may sell their St Mary's home to the local council and lease it back at a reduced rate. (The Sun)

Wolves will ignore its salary cap of £10,000 a week to keep stars like Wayne Hennessey and Karl Henry. (Daily Mirror)

Clyde have moved closer to closure after North Lanarkshire Council threw out a rescue plan. (Daily Record)

Creditors of Liverpool owner Tom Hicks say Hicks Sports Group is in default on debts of £351m. (Wall Street Journal)

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann is unlikely to be sacked after following up the win in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona. (The Times)

AND FINALLY
Weekly football classes in Edinburgh for pre-school children as young as 18 months are so popular there is now a lengthy waiting list for applicants.
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Thursday 16th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
AC Milan forward Kaka wants the Italian club to sign Steven Gerrard, despite the England midfielder recently agreeing a new contract with Liverpool. (Daily Mail)

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery has fuelled further speculation that he will move to Barcelona in the summer after he claimed he understands why compatriot Thierry Henry plies his trade for the Spanish giants. (Associated Press)

Cristiano Ronaldo's future has been plunged into fresh doubt after Ramón Calderón, the former Real Madrid president claimed the Spanish champions have a formal agreement to sign "one of the best players in the world" in the summer. (The Times)

Liverpool forward Ryan Babel is expected to lead a summer exodus from Liverpool after voicing his frustration at his minor role in Rafael Benítez's squad this season. (The Times)

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will keep striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but ditch Darren Bent in the summer, according to the Russian's agent. (The Sun)

Or Redknapp could let Pavlyuchenko and Bent leave and spend £10m replacing them with Sunderland's 24-year-old striker Kenwyne Jones. (Daily Mirror)

But the Tottenham boss has pushed Genoa's Diego Milito to the bottom of his wanted list with Juventus and Inter Milan both chasing the striker. (Daily Express)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will not pay over the odds for Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour this summer. Liege want £15m for the Belgian but O'Neill values the 22-year-old at £7m. (Daily Star)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce has told Egyptian striker Mido, on loan at the JJB Stadium from Middlesbrough, that he is on course to earn a permanent move to Wigan this summer. (Various)

Meanwhile, Bruce has run the rule over Santos Laguna and Ecuador striker Cristian Benitez. (The Sun)

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy will be given the summer-funds to sign Joe Ledley, 22, from Cardiff for a fee of around £7m, and McCarthy is also tracking Wigan defender Emmerson Boyce. (Various)

Arsenal are considering a bid to bring West Ham defender Matthew Upson back to the club, although it may depend on whether the Hammers get into Europe. (Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to bid for Swansea's goal machine Jason Scotland - whether his club beats the drop or not.

Spurs target Julian de Guzman, 28, will consider leaving Spain if Deportivo La Coruna do not offer him a new deal. (Various)

Derby manager Nigel Clough is set to join West Brom, QPR and Leicester in the race to sign £1.5m-rated Swindon striker Simon Cox. (Daily Star)

Austrian defender Martin Stranzl has put Rangers and Celtic on red alert by revealing he is ready to quit Spartak Moscow in the summer. (Scottish Daily Express)

Blackpool boss Tony Parkes admits he will be unable to tempt Charlie Adam to make his loan from Rangers a permanent move. (Daily Record)

Dundee hope to tie up a pre-contract deal for Ross County striker Sean Higgins. (Scottish Daily Express)

Goalkeeper Tomas Cerny, a reported target for the Old Firm, is more than happy to stay at Hamilton next season. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP
Walter Smith has opened the door for Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor to play again for Rangers. The Ibrox boss revealed he has changed his mind on sidelining the shamed Scotland stars because the SFA admit they botched their handling of the Boozegate affair. (Various)

But Ferguson and McGregor could still both be sold in the summer if offers come in that prove suitable to Rangers and the players. (Daily Mail)

Rangers striker Kris Boyd has suffered a fresh blow when he was omitted from the shortlist for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year awards.

The Scottish Premier League top scorer, who was almost sold in January, has 28 goals for the season and currently sits just two short of a century in Rangers colours. (Daily Mail)

Juventus have confirmed Claudio Ranieri will remain their coach next season. (The Independent)

Inter Milan are considering cancelling Adriano's contract after the Brazil striker said he was taking a break from the game. (The Independent)

AND FINALLY
England fans can breathe easy, with the news that Wayne Rooney's wife Colleen is planning a Caesarean birth for the couple's first child.

Colleen is due on 10 October - the same day as England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine - but she now plans to have a Caesarean in late September. (The Sun)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Friday 17th April gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is confident Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stay with the Serie A team because no club will be willing to fork out the huge sums needed to buy the Swedish forward.

"I don't expect there to be an offer for Ibra in the summer because everyone knows an offer of 40, 50 or 60 million euros would be rejected immediately," said Mourinho.

"No one will be able to make an offer of 100 million (£88m) I'm absolutely certain no offers will arrive because clubs don't make stupid offers. They don't make stupidly low offers and a stupidly high one won't arrive."


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin expects to return to England once his loan spell at Hertha Berlin finishes. The Ukranian would like to stay on in Berlin after scoring 11 goals in the Bundesliga this season but the two clubs could not agree a deal. (Reuters)

Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and Russian international Yuri Zhirkov head a £50m hit list of summer transfer targets being considered by Chelsea as part of the deal to bring AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge. (Daily Telegraph)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has issued a hands off warning to the Spanish giants hoping to tempt Xabi Alonso out of Anfield. Real Madrid and Barcelona have been linked with the Liverpool ace, who nearly left last summer. (Various)

Benitez has also hinted Spanish side Valencia have wrecked any potential deal for forward David Silva. The Liverpool boss claims the 23-year-old is no longer a £20m target for Liverpool because officials leaked his interest in the player to the media.(Daily Mail)

But if Liverpool are to end their wait for a league title they will have to do it within "a few years" or they will have to do it without Fernando Torres after the Spaniard said he would like to play in the Italian league one day. (The Independent)

Manchester United's bid for glory on five fronts is unfolding against a backdrop of growing instability, with Carlos Tevez joining Cristiano Ronaldo in contemplating a future away from Old Trafford, possibly in tandem at Real Madrid next season. (The Times)

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas appear to have ruled out leaving Arsenal after Arsene Wenger's team reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. (The Times)

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola wants to sign Swansea's Spanish right-back Angel Rangel as a replacement for out-of-contract Lucas Neill. Rangel, 26, has also been tracked by Manchester City with the Swans looking for £4m. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa are lining up a £6m bid for Leeds' highly-rated youngster Fabien Delph. Boss Martin O'Neill wantes Delph, 19, to replace Gareth Barry if he joins Liverpool this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn are tracking 19-year-old Austrian striker Mark Arnautovic who plays for Dutch side FC Twente. (Daily Mirror)

Derby defender Andy Todd, 34, is wanted by Australian club Perth Glory when he becomes a free agent in the summer. (The Sun)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is ready to make a £2m bid for Bolton defender Danny Shittu, 28, this summer. McLeish wants to bring the Nigerian international to St Andrews even if Blues do not get promoted. (Daily Express)

Celtic are tracking Costa Rica international winger Junior Diaz, who plays for Polish side Wisla Krakow. (Scottish Sun)

Scotland forward Ross McCormack has been told he will be allowed to leave Cardiff if they miss out on promotion to the Premier League. (Scottish Daily Mail)

Aberdeen skipper Scott Severin has warned he could be the latest player to quit Pittodrie for an out-of-contract move to England. (Scottish Daily Express)

OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes will be given one more season to prove himself at Eastlands. (Daily Telegraph)

Brazilian star Romario is in the frame to become QPR boss. Romario, 43, quit playing last year and had a brief spell in charge of Vasco Da Gama. (The Sun)

West Ham United will be taken over by a consortium of international banks in the coming weeks. Icelandic government-appointed officials running the stricken investment bank Straumur are set to to take control from Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson at Upton Park. (The Guardian)

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola wants Matthew Upson to sign a new contract. Upson, 29, has two years left on his contract and has hinted he wants European football before making a decision. (Various)

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn insists he is 100% behind boss Ricky Sbragia. (The Sun)

Arsenal's Champions League hero Theo Walcott is finally on the verge of signing a new contract that will make him one of the club's highest-paid players. (Daily Express)

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson says highly-rated Norwegian central defender Brede Hangeland may stay at Craven Cottage. (Various)

Pedro Mendes is stunned that his Rangers team-mate Kris Boyd is not in the running for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year. (Various)

TV firm Setanta want to renegotiate their four-year £125m deal with the SPL, which is due to begin in 2010/11. (Scottish Sun)

QPR could be former West Ham boss Alan Pardew's next managerial port of call. (Daily Mirror)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Saturday 18th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Portsmouth are willing to sell Croatian midfielder Nico Kranjcar to Tottenham this summer in order to ease their cash problems. (Daily Mirror)

Defender Martin Laursen is set for talks with boss Martin O'Neill to discover whether he still has a future at Aston Villa. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro, currently on loan at Werder Bremen, is wanted by Panathinaikos. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje will be off-loaded after his "'inappropriate" conduct at the Hillsborough memorial service. (Daily Mail, various)

Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin will return to Liverpool after a loan spell with Hertha Berlin expires at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wants Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish to become a key member of his backroom staff. (Liverpool Echo)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed he passed up the chance to sign Didier Drogba for just £100,000 when the Chelsea striker was still at French second division club Le Mans. (Sun, various)

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has warned any disgruntled players, including midfielder Tom Huddlestone, they can leave the club if they are unwilling to battle for their places. (Sun)

Boss Sam Allardyce has admitted he wanted to bring Stoke striker James Beattie back to Blackburn in the January transfer window. (Sun)

West Ham's new owners have promised not to sell the club for at least three years. (Daily Telegraph)

Joe Royle has been offered the Oldham manager's job on a permanent basis. (Daily Mail)

Gareth Southgate has vowed not to resign as Middlesbrough manager, insisting it would set a bad example to his two children. (Times)

Harry Redknapp believes Newcastle boss Alan Shearer can be an England manager in the the future. (Daily Star)

Micah Richards has warned any Manchester City players unable to handle the influx of new stars this summer that they are better off leaving the club. (Sun)

Chelsea have paid axed former manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and his coaching staff £10million for just six months' work. (Daily Mail)

AND FINALLY
Stoke winger Matthew Etherington has revealed that since moving to the Potteries he is recognised far more than when he was in London with Tottenham and West ham. "Fans come up to me in Tesco now," he said. (Sun).

Setanta chiefs are set to go cap in hand to the SPL and ask to chop £25m off their TV contract. (The Sun)

Barry Ferguson returned to Rangers on Friday, but was left to train on his own following his drinking session antics and making V-signs to cameras while on international duty. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, shamed Rangers keeper Allan McGregor could win a swift return to first-team action on Sunday at Easter Road against Hibernian. (Daily Record)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among the long list of well-wishers yesterday following the news that former Raith Rovers player Ronnie Coyle has been diagnosed with leukaemia. (The Scotsman)

Hearts remain confident that majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov can keep financing the club despite a report downgrading the credit-worthiness of the Lithuanian's bank. (The Scotsman)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Sunday 19th April gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Liverpool reserve goalkeeper Charles Itandje, banned for 14 days for inappropriate behaviour during the Hillsborough memorial service, believes the media has blown the affair out of proportion.

"It is a 30-second video montage that was given senseless proportions. My behaviour should be judged over a one-hour video," Itandje told Sunday's French newspaper Aujourd'hui Sport.

"You know the papers here (in Britain), they do a lot with not much. I even heard I was dancing!"

"What happened will not do much to change my situation at the club since I am already on the transfer list."

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United will launch a £70m bid for AC Milan's Kaka if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves for Real Madrid in the summer. (News of the World)

But Ronaldo says he will stay at United while Sir Alex Ferguson remains manager. (Sunday Mirror)

Chelsea have had a £44m bid for David Villa rejected by Valencia and will have to up their offer if they want to sign him. (Observer)

Joe Cole is to be offered a new four-year, £100,000-a-week deal by Chelsea in the summer. (News of the World)

Tottenham have set their sights on Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz and plan to sell Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent in the off-season. (News of the World)

West Ham are stalking FC Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi. (News of the World)

Argentine midfielder Javier Pastores, 19, has turned down an £8.8m move to Manchester United from his club Huracan because he believes he would not get enough first-team action. (PA)

Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura will return to Japan at the season after considering one more year in Glasgow. (Sunday Mail)

St Mirren's Andy Dorman has shot to the top of Rangers manager Walter Smith's summer shopping list, with a £700,000 bid being prepared for when the transfer window opens. (News of the World)

OTHER GOSSIP
Plans to create a Premier League of two divisions containing 18 teams each and including Celtic and Rangers are being circulated among key figures in the game. (Sunday Mirror)

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says Alan Shearer will be bitten by the managerial bug and will stay at Newcastle even if they are relegated. (Sunday Express)

West Ham have two separate groups interested in an £80m takeover of the Icelandic-owned club. (Mail on Sunday

An unnamed England international is trying to persuade players to break deals with their agents, the Football Association will be told this week. (The People)

Sam Allardyce had a drink with Liverpool number two Sammy Lee after the two teams played last weekend and did not mention that he had been offended by Rafael Benitez's hand gestures. (Mail on Sunday)

AND FINALLY
Nicolas Anelka is driving Chelsea's diet staff around the bend by treating himself to burgers and avoiding breakfast. (The People)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Monday 20th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Wigan are on the verge of securing the services of Middlesbrough defender Matthew Bates. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP
After Everton dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup in a penalty shoot-out, Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson is furious after referee Mike Riley turned down a penalty appeal. Following Phil Jagielka's tackle on Danny Welbeck in the box, Ferguson said about Riley: "When he sees it, he will probably realise he's made a mistake." (Various)

While Jagielka - who also scored the decisive spot-kick to seal victory - admits he initially did not want to take a penalty in the shoot-out. (Daily Mirror)

United striker Dimitar Berbatov reveals his excuses for missing his spot kick. The Bulgarian said: "I was looking for the keeper but at the last minute he took the place I was going for." (Various)

Other newspapers focused on Ferguson's rage being directed towards the Wembley pitch, echoing Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger's criticism following their loss to Chelsea on Saturday. The United boss opted for a younger team after analysing the surface and said: "Looking at the pitch, it looked spongy and dead." (Daily Mail)

Away from the FA Cup, Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish is set to confirm his return to Anfield after he agreed personal terms with the club's American owners over an advisory role.(Various)

Liverpool co-owner George Gillet is on the hunt for extra investment of £350m in his sporting empire to avoid the need to sell some of his assets. (Daily Telegraph)

Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan wants Scotland's top clubs to pay £100m to join the English Premier League ahead of this week's meeting to discuss the proposal for a top-flight shake-up. (Daily Record)

Australia and Wales are set for an international battle over Middlesbrough's Rhys Williams. The defender was born in Perth but also has Under-21 Welsh caps. (Daily Mirror)

Leicester owner Milan Mandaric has likened his boss Nigel Pearson to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after the Foxes were promoted to the Championship. "Sir Alex started in the lower level and moved all the way up - so I can't see a reason why Nigel can't go all the way," stated Mandaric. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa's Bulgarian international midfielder Stiliyan Petrov is set to sign a new three-year contract. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy was varnishing his garage at 6am on Saturday ahead of his side's 1-0 win over QPR, which secured the Molineux outfit's promotion to the Premier League. "I get a lot of pleasure out of DIY," he revealed. (Daily Express)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Tuesday 21st April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz claims he has told the club he wants to leave at the end of the season, with Liverpool favourites to sign the 27-year-old. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves have lined up a £4m bid for Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne. (Various)

Arsenal are poised to sign teenage Brazilian forward Wellington, who plays for Fluminense, in the summer. (Various)

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is set to step up his interest in Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have agreed a deal for Rapid Vienna's teenage striker Phillip Prosenik to join them in the summer. (Various)

Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute has insisted he has no interest in rejoining Tottenham, four years after leaving the Londoners. (Daily Mirror)

Nottingham Forest will make an £800,000 bid for QPR keeper Lee Camp in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Derby defender Andy Todd is ready to quit the club and sign for Australian side Perth Glory. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle want Doncaster centre-back Matt Mills. (Daily Star)

West Brom are leading the race to sign £1.5m-rated Swindon striker Simon Cox. (Daily Star)

Leicester are planning a move for MK Dons midfielder Peter Leven. (Daily Mirror)

Bruno Aguiar's agent says the midfielder could quit Hearts in the summer for a move to Celtic or Rangers after contract talks stalled at Tynecastle. (The Herald)

Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen has made Northern Irish international midfielder Michael O'Connor, currently out of favour at Crewe, his top summer signing target. (Scottish Daily Express)

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh claims he is interested in moving to England, and would "give everything" to play for Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal. "A team like Tottenham could interest me, but not Sunderland," he adds. (L'Equipe)

OTHER GOSSIP
Wigan boss Steve Bruce looks set to give striker Amr Zaki a chance at redemption - after he returned late from international duty recently - by playing him for the reserves on Tuesday night. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United's Brazilian defenders Fabio and Rafael da Silva have revealed they turned down the chance to join Arsenal two years ago. (Daily Mail)

Blackburn could be about to dump midfielder Tugay after he was dropped by manager Sam Allardyce. (Daily Mirror)

Bradford manager Stuart McCall will quit the club at the end of the season - only three months after signing a two-year deal. (Various)

QPR are interested in trying to tempt former Sunderland manager Roy Keane back into football but it is understood he is reluctant to join the club at this stage of the season. (Daily Mail)

AND FINALLY
Beatles legend John Lennon was a talented footballer who had dreams of playing for Liverpool. The band's original drummer Pete Best has told how Lennon always had a ball at his feet before the group became famous. (Daily Star)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Wednesday 22nd April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham could join Tottenham when the 2009 Major League Soccer season ends in October to maintain his match fitness for the 2010 World Cup finals. The England star, currently on loan at AC Milan, grew up down the road from White Hart Lane in Chingford. (The Sun)

Manchester City defender Richard Dunne will join Sunderland this summer for £4m and the Black Cats also want West Brom midfield duo Jonathan Greening and James Morrison. (The Sun)

Tottenham striker Darren Bent is also on Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia's list of targets. (Daily Star)

But Sunderland are set to miss out on £6m-rated Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh, who says he is not interested in a move to the Stadium of Light. (The Sun)

Chamakh, 25, says a move to Premier League is his "priority", adding: "I target a club that is just under the big four. Tottenham could interest me but not Sunderland. (Daily Express)

Chelsea are set to sign highly rated Rapid Vienna striker Philipp Prosenik, 16, during the summer. (The Guardian)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will make a new defender his top priority if Martin Laursen is forced into retirement. The Danish centre-back needs another knee operation and could be out for nine months. (The Sun)

Everton defender Joleon Lescott has emerged as a shock target for O'Neill, who has £10m to spend and is also considering a move for Manchester City defender Micah Richards. (Daily Mirror)

Villa are being linked with a swoop for Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Maor Buzaglo. (The Sun)

Arsenal have been watching 17-year-old Paris St Germain full-back Chris Mavinga. (Daily Mail)

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is giving a trial to Racing Santander teenager Lotam Zino. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic are battling it out to sign Bristol City midfielder Marvin Elliott for £2m. (Daily Star)

Wigan are close to agreeing a deal for Rosenborg's Ghana midfielder Anthony Annan. (Daily Mail)

Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws wants to sign Wolves midfielder Darren Potter, who has been on loan with the Owls since January, on a permanent deal. (Daily Star)

Swansea City are set to offer a contract to Queen of the South striker Stephen Dobbie. (Daily Mirror)

League One champions Leicester City will spend £400,000 on Liverpool's Jack Hobbs and £200,000 to land Hull City's Wayne Brown. The defenders are both currently on loan with the Foxes. (Daily Star)

West Brom have taken Livingston striker Leigh Griffiths, 18, on trial. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP
Alan Shearer is set to stay on as Newcastle manager beyond the end of the season rather than stepping down to allow Joe Kinnear, who is recovering from heart surgery, to return as boss. (The Guardian)
Full story

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell says the club would give "serious consideration" to joining a revamped English Premier League. (Daily Record)

Injury-prone Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton is set to return from a broken foot to help the Magpies in their fight against relegation. (The Sun)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says he has never received one enquiry for midfielder Paul Scholes, who is set to make his 600th appearance for the club on Wednesday against Portsmouth. "They all know he would never leave," said Ferguson. (Various)

Injured Hull City star Jimmy Bullard says he will not walk out on the club if they are relegated from the Premier League. The midfielder has played for only 37 minutes in a Tigers shirt since joining them for £5m from Fulham in January. (Daily Star)

Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson made his first appearance after seven months out with a groin problem when he played for an hour for the reserves against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City will tour South Africa this summer as they look to start establishing themselves as a global brand by challenging neighbours Manchester United's popularity in the country. (Daily Telegraph)

Plymouth Argyle are set to be taken over by Japanese real estate tycoon Yasuaki Kagami. (Daily Star)

Bundesliga side Schalke 04 want Chelsea's director of youth development Frank Arnesen as their new boss. (The Guardian)

Bradford City boss Stuart McCall is set to do a U-turn and stay in his post after his admission he may quit the Bantams prompted a deluge of letters from fans asking him not to go. (Daily Mirror)

Former Hibernian and Dunfermline winger Freddie Daquin has returned to his native France after being released by Dundee. (Daily Record)

AND FINALLY
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has not watched an episode of Coronation Street since he joined the club in 2003 but says he will watch the Manchester-based soap "next time it is on and I am home". (The Sun)

Murdo MacLeod's wife confronted Craig Brown after the 1990 World Cup because the former Scotland boss, who was then the number two for the squad, had put the Celtic midfielder on the "ugly team" in training while in Italy. (Daily Record)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Thursday 23rd April gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP
Paris St Germain's Benin international midfielder Stephane Sessegnon welcomes speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea.

"It is always nice to know that a great club like Chelsea are interested in me," Sessegnon, 24, told Orange Sport. "It is some sort of reward for all the hard work I have put in."

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o claims he has turned down a £35m move to Manchester City. Inter Milan also want the Cameroon star but he says he wants a new deal at the Nou Camp. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham are keen on signing Lokomotiv Moscow goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, who is currently on loan at Grasshoppers Zurich, as back-up for Heurelho Gomes. (The Sun)

Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are tracking CSKA Moscow's Czech Republic international striker Tomas Necid, 19, who is available for £3m. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is set to swoop for teenage Brazilian centre-back Jose Rodolfo Pires Ribeiro Dodo from Corinthians. The 17-year-old could end up costing United £5m. (Daily Mirror)

Ferguson is also watching 16-year-old Real Valladolid centre-back Victor Mongil, after being told the defender is one for the future. (Daily Mirror)

Derby County defender Claude Davis hopes to turn his loan spell at Crystal Palace into a permanent move. (Daily Express)

Hearts midfielder Bruno Aguiar, who is wanted by Rangers and Celtic, says he has not decided where he will be playing next season. (Daily Record)

Hibernian boss Mixu Paatelainen fears striker Steven Fletcher and defender Rob Jones could both leave Easter Road in the summer. Nottingham Forest have been linked with a £1m move for Jones and Celtic are long-term admirers of Fletcher. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen duo Scott Severin and Lee Mair are set to leave Pittodrie at the end of the season because the Dons cannot afford to offer them new contracts. Burnley want midfielder Severin and St Mirren have approached defender Mair. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Ipswich representatives made an approach to Roy Keane last week - when Jim Magilton was still in charge at Portman Road - and held further talks with the former Sunderland boss on Monday. (The Sun)

Magilton, who had been in charge of Ipswich for almost three years, was sacked over the phone on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)

Part of the terms of Keane's appointment will see the former Manchester United midfielder relocate from Cheshire to East Anglia. Keane did not move house when he was in charge at Sunderland. (Various)

Aston Villa defender Martin Laursen is expected to announce his retirement by the end of the week. The Dane has been warned that attempting to play on through his persistent knee problems could cause him problems in later life. (Daily Express)

Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz fears his knee injury will cost him a big-money move away from Ewood Park this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle United manager Alan Shearer will not drop Michael Owen despite the striker having failed to score in his last eight appearances for the Magpies. (The Sun)

Shearer is using a therapist to give his players one-to-one talks in an attempt to boost their confidence ahead of Monday's crucial clash with fellow strugglers Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins has postponed groin surgery until the summer so he can help the Magpies in their battle against the drop. (The Guardian)

Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin says he wants to stay with the Gunners for the rest of his career. (The Sun)

Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will recover from his ankle injury in time to face Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, have pledged to work together to raise the funds they need to refinance the club's loans and retain control of the Reds. (The Times)

Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has been offered the chance of taking over as manager of the Czech Republic. (Daily Star)

AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is Chelsea's top target to be their next boss, has been learning English all season. England midfielder David Beckham, on loan at the San Siro from LA Galaxy, said: "Every time I try to fix his English, he insists on making errors and we end up laughing". (The Sun)

Inter Milan could terminate Adriano's contract on Thursday. The Brazil striker said earlier this month that he is taking a leave of absence because he has "lost the joy of playing". (The Independent)

Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce will hand a new one-year deal to veteran goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, 37, but will allow Antoine Sibierski to leave the JJB Stadium this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Watford boss Brendan Rogers says club-record signing Nathan Ellington, who cost the Hornets £3.25m from Wigan in August 2007, has no future at Vicarage Road. (Daily Star)

Derby County boss Nigel Clough is set to release more than 10 players at the end of the season as he looks to overhaul his squad at Pride Park. (Daily Mirror)

Hearts hope to upgrade Tynecastle so it is suitable to host European ties if they qualify for next season's Europa League. The Jambos have been forced to play at Murrayfield since 2003 because their own stadium and pitch does not currently meet Uefa requirements. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Former England international midfielder Paul Gascoigne has signed up for a celebrity version of BBC1 comedy obstacle course gameshow 'Total Wipeout'. (The Sun)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Friday 24th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will increase the acrimony with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson by trying to sign Carlos Tevez, whose loan at Old Trafford ends at the end of the season. (The Times)

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho wants to go back to his former club Chelsea in order to sign midfielder Deco. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has his sights set on defender Nathaniel Clyne from ex-club Crystal Palace. (Daily Express)

Birmingham are keen on bringing Manchester City keeper Joe Hart to the club on loan if they are promoted. (Daily Mirror)

Stoke boss Tony Pulis will join Sunderland and Blackburn in the battle to sign Liverpool centre-back Sami Hyypia. (The Sun)

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray will increase his efforts to sign Swindon striker Simon Cox, who is also a target for Derby, Leicester and QPR. (The Sun)

The Baggies also want Plymouth striker Ashley Barnes but face competition from Fulham. (Daily Star)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc could become a £7 million target for German club Bayern Munich. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea have succeeded in their attempts to bring in AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti as their next manager after he agreed to join the Stamford Bridge club. (Daily Star)

Liverpool boss Benitez says Manchester United boss Ferguson "can see that we are the better side" as he insisted he would continue to stand up to his rival manager. (Various)

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola and his assistant Steve Clarke will sign new four-year deals with the club. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has issued a "don't leave us" plea to team-mate Tevez. (The Sun)

Roy Keane has wasted no time courting controversy in his new job as Ipswich boss as he has said former team-mates and now Premier League managers Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes have "potential" but are not "successful managers" yet. (Various)

Southampton will appeal against the decision to dock them 10 points by the Football League. (Various)

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist believes the club's captain Barry Ferguson still has a future at the Ibrox. (Various)

St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson wants at least £1m for midfielder Andy Dorman. (Various)

Hamilton goalkeeper Tomas Cerny, who is on loan from Sigma Olomouc, has agreed personal terms on a permanent deal with the Scottish Premier League club. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be at Anfield on Sunday cheering on Oyster Martyrs - a team managed by his Uncle Richie and including his younger brother Graham as well as cousin Tommy - in the FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup final against Scot Grey. (Daily Mirror)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Saturday 25th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will increase the acrimony with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson by trying to sign Carlos Tevez, whose loan at Old Trafford ends at the end of the season. (The Times)

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho wants to go back to his former club Chelsea in order to sign midfielder Deco. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has his sights set on defender Nathaniel Clyne from ex-club Crystal Palace. (Daily Express)

Birmingham are keen on bringing Manchester City keeper Joe Hart to the club on loan if they are promoted. (Daily Mirror)

Stoke boss Tony Pulis will join Sunderland and Blackburn in the battle to sign Liverpool centre-back Sami Hyypia. (The Sun)

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray will increase his efforts to sign Swindon striker Simon Cox, who is also a target for Derby, Leicester and QPR. (The Sun)

The Baggies also want Plymouth striker Ashley Barnes but face competition from Fulham. (Daily Star)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc could become a £7 million target for German club Bayern Munich. (Daily Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea have succeeded in their attempts to bring in AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti as their next manager after he agreed to join the Stamford Bridge club. (Daily Star)

Liverpool boss Benitez says Manchester United boss Ferguson "can see that we are the better side" as he insisted he would continue to stand up to his rival manager. (Various)

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola and his assistant Steve Clarke will sign new four-year deals with the club. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has issued a "don't leave us" plea to team-mate Tevez. (The Sun)

Roy Keane has wasted no time courting controversy in his new job as Ipswich boss as he has said former team-mates and now Premier League managers Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes have "potential" but are not "successful managers" yet. (Various)

Southampton will appeal against the decision to dock them 10 points by the Football League. (Various)

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist believes the club's captain Barry Ferguson still has a future at the Ibrox. (Various)

St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson wants at least £1m for midfielder Andy Dorman. (Various)

Hamilton goalkeeper Tomas Cerny, who is on loan from Sigma Olomouc, has agreed personal terms on a permanent deal with the Scottish Premier League club. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be at Anfield on Sunday cheering on Oyster Martyrs - a team managed by his Uncle Richie and including his younger brother Graham as well as cousin Tommy - in the FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup final against Scot Grey. (Daily Mirror)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Sunday 26th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger could be on his way out of Anfield after snubbing a new four-year contract worth £10million. (News of the World)

At least six Middlesbrough players, including Stewart Downing, Gary O'Neill, Afonso Alvez, Tuncay Sanli and Julio Arca, are ready to leave the Riverside Stadium if the club are relegated from the Premier League. (Mail on Sunday)

Tottenham are set to make an £8m summer move for Marseille striker Djibril Cisse, who is currently on loan at Sunderland. (News of the World)

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is also hoping to sign Chelsea's teenage midfielder Jack Cork for £2m. (News of the World)

West Brom are poised to move for Swindon striker Simon Cox, who is also wanted by Celtic. (News of the World)

Scotland striker Ross McCormack is poised to sign a new contract with Cardiff despite interest from Premier League clubs. (News of the World)

Aberdeen have targeted Partick Thistle midfielder Gary Harkins as a replacement should Scott Severin leave Pittodrie. (News of the World)

Hamilton will resist summer approaches for midfielders James McCarthy and James McArthur. (News of the World)

Hibernian are close to signing 18-year-old Manchester United winger Danny Galbraith. (News of the World)


OTHER GOSSIP
The Football Association has sacked Wembley head groundsman Steve Welch as workmen began installing the seventh playing surface since the £757m stadium reopened two years ago. (Various)

Liverpool have held talks with the GMR group, billionaire owners of Indian Premier League cricket team Delhi Daredevils, that could lead to huge investment and an eventual buy-out. (News of the World)

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is ready to sell the club for just £120m if they are relegated from the Premier League. (News of the World)

Steve Coppell will end his 25-year managerial career by leaving Reading at the end of the season, regardless of whether they are promoted to the Premier League. (Mail on Sunday)

Watford manager Brendan Rogers is in line to take over from Coppell if Reading do not win promotion. (News of the World)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the era of foreign players dominating the Premier League will soon be over because of the declining value of sterling and the imposition by last week's Budget of a 50% tax rate upon high earners. (Various)

Avram Grant has told friends the Portsmouth manager's position is his to turn down. (News of the World)

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will be handed a contract extension and a £750,000 bonus for keeping the club up. (News of the World)

Roberto Mancini wants to succeed Mark Hughes as manager of Manchester City. (Daily Express)

Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe could be set for a return to the club, with Guernsey businessman Tom Scott, a former associate of Lowe, the front-runner to save the club in a £10m takeover. (Mail on Sunday)

A consortium with substantial financial backing are on the verge of taking over Southampton and want Alan Shearer as manager. (Sunday Express)

The Football Conference has been sounded out about the possibility of taking in Southampton should the club collapse during the close season. (The Non-League Paper)

The Italian Ministry of Interior are are considering asking for uniformed British police to patrol the streets of Rome if two English teams reach the Champions League final in May. (News of the World)

Rangers should know within 24 hours if Pedro Mendes will miss the rest of the season after the midfielder was injured in Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren. (Various)

Merouane Zemmama will be back at Easter Road next season after his season-long loan with Al Sha'ab in UAE as his wife is now 18 and old enough to enter the UK. (Sunday Express)


AND FINALLY
Alan Shearer may be confident that Newcastle can avoid relegation but some fans have detected signs of doom in last week's launch of the home kit for next season - there were no Premier League badges on the shirts in the promotional pictures, in contrast to those unveiled by Arsenal and Manchester City recently.

That said, players modelling the kit did include Michael Owen, who many think will leave St James' Park whether the club stays up or not. (Mail on Sunday)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Monday 27th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is back in the hunt for Lyon's French striker Karim Benzema after being priced out of a move last summer. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth defender Djimi Traore wants to make his loan move to Birmingham City a permanent one at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton have slapped a £3m price tag on teenage midfielder Jonjo Shelvey's head, with a number of Premier League clubs eyeing up a summer move. (The Sun)

Leeds midfielder Fabian Delph will move to Aston Villa in the summer - if Villa boss Martin O'Neill can persuade Leeds chairman Ken Bates to sell. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Newcastle manager Alan Shearer says his side's match with Portsmouth is the biggest game of his football career as he targets one of the three wins he believes will save the Magpies from relegation. (Various)

Portsmouth defender Silvain Distin has conceded he had never heard of Paul Hart and Brian Kidd before they took over the managerial duties at Portsmouth but says the duo have turned the club's season around. (Various)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rejected an ambitious bid from Bayern Munich to recruit him as their new manager. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia is set to reject the chance to join the club's coaching staff because he wants to prolong his playing career. (Daily Mirror)

Southampton will go out of business in eight days unless they find a buyer. (Various)

Manchester United midfielder Rodrigo Possebon will snub Brazil to pledge his international future to Italy. (Daily Mail)

A proposed £30million investment in Sheffield Wednesday, headed by former Owls manager Howard Wilkinson, has collapsed. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey believes his boss at Craven Cottage Roy Hodgson should be named manager of the year after taking the Cottagers to within touching distance of a Europa League spot. (Daily Mail)

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola - who was recently voted the greatest Chelsea player of all time - believes John Terry and Frank Lampard can become bigger Stamford Bridge legends than himself. (Daily Star)

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist has slammed the Hampden pitch as a national disgrace, following his side's 3-0 win over St Mirren in the semi-final on Saturday. (Daily Mail)

Meanwhile, McCoist has backed striker Kris Boyd to stay at Ibrox and break the club scoring record after achieving his 100th goal in a Rangers jersey. (The Scotsman)

Celtic's major shareholder Dermot Desmond has lost £11m of his investment in the Glasgow club due to the recession. (The Scotsman)

Rangers have been handed a title boost after Pedro Mendes was declared fit for Saturday's league encounter with Hearts. (Daily Record)

The Old Firm's hopes of a move to England looks set to be scuppered by Fifa according to ex-vice president David Will. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has revealed that he regularly plays out matches in his head to test out players and tactics and that he has never lost such a mental match. He has gone over his side's Champions League semi-final with Barcelona twice in his mind already. (Various)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Tuesday 28th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester City have held talks with Barcelona about signing Samuel Eto'o for a fee of about £40m. The Cameroon international striker has stalled on a new four-year deal at the Camp Nou and Barca could run the risk of losing him for nothing with 14 months left on his current deal. (Various)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admits he may have to sell some of his current squad to fund his summer transfer kitty. The Spaniard is eyeing Valencia duo David Silva and Raul Albiol, as well as Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. (Various)

Middlesbrough's record £12m signing Afonso Alves will join Benfica in the summer, even if the Teessiders escape relegation. (Various)

Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora says he is ready to quit the club after losing his first-team place. Team-mates David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone, Gareth Bale and Jermaine Jenas also face uncertain futures at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham and Manchester City are among a number of clubs heading the list for Blackburn's Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz. (Guardian)

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi says he is unsure whether Carlo Ancelotti will be at the San Siro next season, fuelling speculation the Rossoneri coach will join Chelsea in the summer. (Daily Star)

Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol, now in charge of German side Hamburg, is favourite to succeed Jurgen Klinsmann, who was sacked as Bayern Munich manager on Tuesday. (The Times)

Klinsmann's availability could interest Manchester City should the club decide to sack current manager Mark Hughes. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United winger Nani faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford following his second-half substitution in the 5-2 victory over Tottenham. The Portugal international has yet to complete 90 minutes in six Premier League starts this season. (Independent)

Manchester City defender Richard Dunne has outlined his commitment to stay at Eastlands, despite interest from Sunderland. (Daily Star)

Birmingham City and Newcastle are set to fight it out over £4m Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry insists the Catalan giants are not just about Lionel Messi. "Players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta are both unique and brilliant players." (Daily Star)

Barcelona midfielder Xavi says Barca are a better side than the one beaten by Manchester United in last year's Champions League semi-final. (The Sun)

Chelsea right-back Jose Bosingwa believes he can contain Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. (Daily Star)

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor says Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic is the toughest defender he has played against. (The Sun)

Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas could face a possible Football Association rap for criticising referee Howard Webb following his penalty decision in Spurs' 5-2 defeat by Manchester United. (Various)

Sunderland striker David Healy could make his full Sunderland debut against Everton on Saturday, nine months after former boss Roy Keane signed him from Fulham for £1.5m. (Daily Star)

Celtic's title bid has been handed a boost with news that captain Stephen McManus and striker Georgios Samaras will be fit for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Pittodrie against Aberdeen. (Daily Record)

Livingston chairman Angelo Massone has been ordered to attend a meeting with SFL chiefs to explain the escalating crisis at the club. (Daily Record)

Hampden chief David Kells has leapt to the defence of the Hampden pitch following recent criticism, saying he will not be tearing up the national stadium's turf. (Daily Record)

Celtic midfielder Marc Crosas has hit out at the standard of Scottish football, saying he feels derby experiences to date have been disappointing. (The Herald)

Falkirk have asked for a 50-50 ticket split for the Scottish Cup final at Hampden with Rangers in May. (The Herald)

Celtic could join the English Premier League within 10 years, according to the club's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond. (The Star)


AND FINALLY
Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor has compared AC Milan to bootylicious singer Beyonce after he admitted nearly quitting the Emirates for the San Siro. "It's like a boy being told Beyonce is looking for them," said the Togo international. (The Sun)
 

McFLY

Registered
Messages
2,354
Wednesday 29th April gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Juventus will make a new bid for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso after missing out on him last summer. (Various)

Real Madrid's Dutch winger Rafael van der Vaart has been offered to Chelsea for £8m. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham hope to sign 17-year-old Charlton midfielder Jonjo Shelvey for about £3m but face competition from Newcastle and Fulham. (Various)

Meanwhile, Spurs are giving a trial to 19-year-old Ghanaian full-back Gladson Awako. (The Sun)

Aston Villa want £5.5m-rated Steau Bucharest defender Dorin Goian. (The Sun)

Fulham are ready to make a £1m bid for Scunthorpe United's 21-year-old striker Gary Hooper. (Daily Mirror)

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is confident of signing England midfielder David Beckham on a permanent deal from Los Angeles Galaxy. (Various)

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy says he is interested in signing Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia, who could be available for free at the end of the season. (Daily Star)

Bristol Rovers striker Richard Walker is lining up a move to Shrewsbury after not getting a new contract. (Daily Star)

Nottingham Forest are set to open talks with QPR over a £1.5m deal for Loftus Road striker Dexter Blackstock. (Various)

Blackburn have invited Austrian keeper Lukas Konigshofer for a trial. (The Sun)

Leicester are chasing 21-year-old Lincoln striker Dany N'Guessan. (Various)

Former Manchester United keeper Mark Bosnich, 37, has held talks with Swindon. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has emerged as a shock contender to become Chelsea's new boss. (The Sun)

Liverpool winger Yossi Benayoun will be offered a new deal to keep him from quitting the club in the summer. (The Sun)

Mark Robins is the favourite to take charge at Oldham once Joe Royle quits after Saturday's game against Walsall. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Arsenal's Mexican striker Carlos Vela was ordered to stay away from training on Monday while doctor's carried out tests on him for swine flu. The Gunners were worried after Vela had friends from his homeland visit him at the weekend but the 20-year-old was given the all-clear (Various)
 
Top