Transfers Speculations (February):

[<<ELVIS>>]

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT GOSSIP

Ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will demand £4m a year to become the new England manager. (The Star)

Graeme Souness has made it clear he would welcome the Scotland or Republic of Ireland jobs but insists he has not been offered either. (various)

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood has put himself in the frame to be the new Scotland boss. Also on the list for the job are Billy Davies, Jim Jeffries, Souness, Craig Levein and Mark McGhee. (Daily Record)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka has told Chelsea boss Avram Grant he wants to move to Stamford Bridge and could complete a £10m move in January. (The Sun)

And Chelsea have offered Saudi Arabia captain Yasser Al Qahtani the chance to train with them with a view to a transfer. (various)

Manchester City are set to bid £3.5m for Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Marat Izmailov. (various)

Middlesbrough's Dong-Gook Lee will leave in January. (The Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce believes he has only two games to turn the struggling club around, otherwise he will be sacked. (The Sun)

But Allardyce is hoping to persuade Newcastle chairman Chris Mort to release funds for new players in the January transfer window. (The Mirror)

Manchester United are closing in on £20m-rated Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso. (The Sun)

Crystal Palace want to sign Barnsley defender Rob Kuzluk. (Daily Star)

Leicester boss Ian Holloway will make Israel midfielder Tamir Cohen his first signing for the Foxes. (The Mirror)

Juventus are leading the race for Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg, ahead of AC Milan and Roma. (The Sun)

QPR are poised to sign Italy defender Francesco Coco, who is a free agent after leaving Inter Milan. (The Sun)

Bolton's Greece midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos has threatened to quit the club if he does not get regular first-team football. (various)

Fulham, Wigan and Bolton are in competition to sign Barnsley's German goalkeeper Heinz Muller. (The Sun)

West Brom striker John Hartson is wanted by Sheffield Wednesday in a loan deal from January. (various)

Sheffield United misfit Billy Sharp has been told by boss Bryan Robson that he has a future at the club. (The Sun)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is unlikely to buy players during the transfer window after he claimed only desperate teams do that. (various)

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has suggested that the Gunners might be tempted to sell him if Real Madrid came in with a £100m offer. (The Independent)

Brighton are giving trials to ex-Crystal Palace players Michael Kamara and Sam Malsom. (Daily Star)

Everton manager David Moyes has taken Swindon defender Ben Tozer on a four-day trial. (The Times)

Blackburn are confident they can hold on to defender Andre Ooijer despite Feyenoord's interest. (The Times)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce has revealed that recruiting a left-back is his number one priority. (various)

Joe Kinnear is lining up a possible takeover of crisis club Luton, who have been placed into administration. (various)


AND FINALLY
Tennis legend Bjorn Borg says he is a Charlton fan, and claims he has been to see them play a few times and owns a few of their shirts. (The Sun)

AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka has revealed he wants to become an evangelical minister once he hangs up his boots. (various)

Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage is disappointed that team-mate David Bentley is "getting more boos than me at away grounds". Savage says he wants to be "the pantomime villain again".

[<<ELVIS>>]

December Football gossip 2007

Saturday 01st December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

The FA are prepared to offer Jose Mourinho an incredible £6m a season to become the new England boss. (various)

But FA chief executive Brian Barwick will have to move fast to land Mourinho or risk losing him to Spanish giants Real Madrid. (Mirror)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has been forced to repeat his insistence that he does not want the England job. (Daily Express)

Reading boss Steve Coppell wants the next manager of the national team to be English - but has ruled himself out of the job. (Daily Telegraph)

Premier League chief Richard Scudamore insists England's top flight league should not be blamed for the deficiencies of the national team. (Daily Mail)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is in talks with Ken Bates to buy a stake in Leeds United. (Mirror)

France midfielder Lassana Diarra is ready to quit Arsenal after just three months. (Daily Star)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is ready to offload Bobby Zamora for £4m in January. (Mirror)

And if the Hammers do sell former Spurs forward Zamora, Reading are waiting in the wings with a £2m offer (Express)

Joey Barton Newcastle's demanding supporters are scaring the players into poor performances. (Various)

Manager Rafa Benitez's future is still uncertain despite ending his feud with Liverpool's American owners. (Express)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is having Espanyol pair Dani Jarque and Albert Riera watched with a view to a potential swoop. (Mirror)

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has vowed to stand by manager Roy Keane after last week's 7-1 hammering by Everton. (Sun)


AND FINALLY
QPR players are getting a crash course in Italian during coaching sessions because boss Luigi De Canio is still struggling with his English. (Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp wants screen hardman and fellow East Ender Ray Winstone to play him in a film of his life (Mirror)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Monday 03rd December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

The Football Association's hesitancy could cost it the chance of appointing Jose Mourinho as the new England manager. (The Sun)

Mourinho has prepared a blueprint of his vision for England, which includes restarting the National Fooball Centre project at Burton, in anticipation that the FA will make formal contact this week. (Guardian)

Jurgen Klinsmann is also waiting to hear from the FA, according to a German FA insider. (Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Middlesbrough are the only club to have made an offer for Barcelona's out-of-favour Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, with a bid of £10m. (Independent)

Fernando Torres has warned Liverpool's owners that the club's top players are ready to quit if manager Rafael Benitez is sacked. (various)

Manchester United have been alerted to the availability of defender Willy Sagnol, who has fallen out with his boss at Bayern Munich. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea are interested in signing Real Madrid's £9m-rated Dutch forward Royston Drenthe. (Mirror)

Tottenham are a £400m target for buyers from Russia and the Far East and could be the next Premier League side to be the subject of a foreign takeover. (Mirror)

Former England boss Terry Venables has declared his interest in becoming Republic of Ireland manager. (various)

Carson Yeung's takeover of Birmingham looks to be dead after owners David Gold and David Sullivan refused to give him more time to do a deal. (The Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has been given until Christmas to turn the struggling club around. (Mirror)

Alan Shearer would be keen to step in if Allardyce is sacked. (Guardian)

Portsmouth want to sign Stuttgart defender Fernando Meira. (Mirror)

Bolton manager Gary Megson has set his sights on Israel midfielder Tarim Cohen, and could beat Leicester to the player's signature. (Mirror)

Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper wants to quit the club to raise his profile, believing it will help him force his way into the England team. (Daily Mail)

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc will undergo a knee operation after Tuesday's Champions League game against AC Milan. (various)

Rangers will find out today if their match against Gretna will be postponed ahead of their Champions League decider with Lyon. (various)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool's Christmas party will have a 1980s pop theme and all the players are expected to dress up. Striker Dirk Kuyt has already told the lads he wants to be Boy George or Adam Ant. (The Sun)

And at Manchester United's seasonal extravaganza Rio Ferdinand is the chief organiser, collecting the whip from his team-mates at a cool £4,000 per man.

[<<ELVIS>>]

Tuesday 04th December gossip column


ENGLAND GOSSIP

FA chief executive Brian Barwick has met Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to get his advice on who should be the next England manager. They discussed the matter for two hours at Old Trafford, with Bobby Charlton also present. (The Sun)

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle believes Barwick must think carefully about the nationality of the next boss. He said: "This is the English FA and we need an Englishman. If we do go foreign, we need an Englishman beside him to be groomed for the future." (Daily Express)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Sam Allardyce's future as Newcastle boss is looking bleak after he was confronted by senior players in a revolt over tactics. (various)

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko fears he is on his way out of the club and is ready to line up a move to America's Major League Soccer. (Mirror)

Aston Villa will pay £10m to make goalkeeper Scott Carson's loan move from Liverpool permanent. (Daily Star)

Arsenal are on the trail of PSV Eindhoven's £5m-rated Holland international midfielder Ibrahim Afellay. (various)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is chasing Marseille striker Mamadou Niang as a cheaper alternative to Bolton's Nicolas Anelka. (Mirror)

But Eriksson is still considering whether to make a £12m bid for Anelka, as well as an £8m bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (various)

Reading manager Steve Coppell is ready to quit, saying he has taken the club as far as he can. (The Sun)

Everton want to sign Wolves' £4m-rated keeper Wayne Hennessey. (The Sun)

Police are trying to find the fan who shone a green laser pen into Didier Drogba's face during Chelsea's win over West Ham on Saturday. (The Sun)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has assured Robbie Savage he still has a future at the club despite leaving him on the bench for the last three games. (The Sun)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has been promised funds to buy new players in the January transfer window. (Mirror)

Wolves are planning to bid £1m for Plymouth winger Peter Halmosi. (Mirror)

Wycombe boss Paul Lambert has emerged as the shock contender to become the new Scotland manager. (Mirror)

David Sullivan says he will remain Birmingham's owner at Christmas, saying Carson Yeung's takeover is less than 10% likely to happen. (The Sun)

Derby's new manager Paul Jewell is set to spend £2m on Blackburn striker Jason Roberts. (various)

Everton are set to pay £1m for Swindon's 17-year-old left-back Ben Tozer, who has played only five minutes of football in League One. (Mirror)

Reading left-back Nicky Shorey will turn down a transfer to West Ham and hold out for a bumper move when his deal runs out in six months. (Mirror)

Newcastle are also interested in luring the England defender away from the Madejski Stadium. (various)

But Shorey would most likely prefer to join Manchester United, who are thought to be lining up a bid for him - although the Old Trafford club may not be willing to pay as much as Reading's £5m valuation. (The Times)

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is keen on Portsmouth's out-of-favour midfielder Matthew Taylor. (The Times)

Benni McCarthy could be on his way out of Blackburn after throwing a tantrum and then driving home when he was taken off against Newcastle. (Mirror)

Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor, who has been linked with a £15m transfer to Arsenal, wants to sign a new contract at the Midlands club. (Mirror)

Sunderland are poised to bid £2.5m for West Ham's Bobby Zamora. (Daily Star)

Arsenal's out-of-favour goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is wanted by German side Wolfsburg. (various)

Crystal Palace want to sign Sheffield United's Chris Morgan. (Daily Star)

Celtic legend Henrik Larsson, who is coming to the end of his contract at Helsingborgs, is set to call time on his playing career. (Mirror)

AC Milan's Croatian defender Dario Simic has snubbed a move to the Premier League and instead wants to join Lokomotiv Moscow. (Mirror)

Reading chairman John Madejski has pledged to provide the funds for major investment in new players during the January transfer window. (Express)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp wants to make three or four loan signings to cover for the players he will lose to international duty when the African Cup of Nations starts in January. (The Times)

Jimmy Calderwood is poised to sign a new contract as Aberdeen manager after being promised £1.4m to strengthen his squad. (Daily Record)

Lyon general manager Marino Faccioli says the SPL's decision to postpone Rangers' game against Gretna gives the Ibrox club an advantage for their Champions League tie. (Sun)

Setanta boss Colin Davidson says postponing Rangers' match against Gretna sets a dangerous precedent. (Sun)


AND FINALLY
Google have delivered some not-so-great news for Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has worked hard to turn around public bad feeling after his spat with Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup. The internet search engine revealed "I hate Ronaldo" was one of the most popular searches in 2007. (The Sun)

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda claims the players are allowed to eat junk food at Stamford Bridge, as long as they still produce good performances on the pitch. (Daily Mirror)

[<<ELVIS>>]

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Jose Mourinho has flown into England for secret talks with the Football Association about succeeding sacked coach Steve McClaren. (various)

But the FA's director of football development Trevor Brooking is at odds with chief executive Brian Barwick over the choice of coach. Brooking wants another Englishman - and wants to return to old club West Ham for Alan Curbishley. (Mail)

Marcello Lippi, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, is the surprise name on a short list of five for the England job, along with Mourinho, Fabio Capello, Jurgen Klinsmann and Martin O'Neill. (Mirror, Telegraph, Express)

Aston Villa manager O'Neill - who has publicly ruled himself out of the race - believes Mourinho would be "an excellent choice" to take over as England coach. (Times)

Jose's father Felix is, not surprisingly given that he is his dad, a big admirer and has given his "blessing" to him taking over as England coach. (Sun)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to make an £8m move for Newcastle's England striker Michael Owen in January. (various)

Chelsea will allow striker Andriy Shevchenko to go out on loan in January and the striker is attracted by a move to Major League Soccer. (Mirror)

Former Derby boss Billy Davies is being lined up to succeed under-pressure Dave Jones as Cardiff manager. (various)

Bundesliga side Wolfsburg are interested in signing Arsenal's outcast keeper Jens Lehmann. (Mirror)

Didier Drogba is at war with Chelsea because they want to delay his knee operation while he wants to have it immediately. (Sun)

Brentford boss Terry Butcher has been given one match to save his job. (Sun)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is ready to launch a £1.5m bid for Derby striker Steve Howard. (Sun)

New Birmingham manager Alex McLeish wants to sign Sheffield United's Gary Naysmith - one of his old Scotland stars - in January. (Star)

Chelsea are confident they will clinch a £15m deal for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka in the transfer window. (Star)

Celtic will spark a transfer scramble by agreeing to sell striker Derek Riordan in January. (Record)

Celtic will provide manager Gordon Strachan with money for four new players in the January transfer window. (Scottish Sun)

Arsenal's Spanish keeper Manuel Almunia wants to play for England and is only a year away from becoming a British citizen, which will allow him to fulfil his ambition. (various)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has held talks with Benni McCarthy and Robbie Savage after they became frustrated by his selection policy. (Mail)

QPR have agreed a £2m deal for Sunderland's Daryl Murphy and a £150,000 move for Watford's Gavin Mahon. (Mail)


AND FINALLY
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has ordered his players not to stay up late to watch the Ricky Hatton fight in the early hours of Sunday morning because he wants them fresh for Tuesday's decisive Champions League game in Marseille. (various)

A well-known national newspaper stepped up its campaign to have Jose Mourinho appointed England coach by projecting a giant image of his face on to FA HQ at Soho Square along with the words "Call Jose". (Er, ok, The Sun).

[<<ELVIS>>]

Monday 10th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Italian World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi has issued a 'come and get me' plea to the Football Association over the England job. (Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is leading a list of candidates queuing up for the job after Jose Mourinho snubbed the FA. (Daily Express)

Mourinho, however, has spent the weekend considering whether to continue with his candidacy for the England post. (Independent)

The FA has not given up on attracting Mourinho - despite indications he has ruled himself out of the post. (The Sun)

Former Juventus and Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has been approached about having an interview. (Various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Jurgen Klinsmann is in the frame to become the new Liverpool manager - if Rafael Benitez gets the sack. (The Sun)

Manchester United have handed a trial to 24-year-old Angola striker Manucho Goncalves. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will bid for Scotland striker Kris Boyd this week - if Rangers go out of Europe. (Daily Mirror)

Stuttgart's Portuguese defender Fernando Meira, 29, will snub a January move to Portsmouth. (The Sun)

Wolves winger Michael Kightly is being targeted for a switch to Italian football with Torino. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is considering a £5m move for Derby midfielder Giles Barnes. (Daily Telegraph)

Newcastle chairman Chris Mort has admitted he and chairman Mike Ashley have held talks over manager Sam Allardyce's position. (The Sun)

Blackburn want a second look at Senegalese trialist Dino Djiba - he could leave Metz for a knockdown fee in January. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle and Blackburn are keen on South African midfielder Lance Davids, who plays in Sweden. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle and Sunderland are ready to battle it out for Manchester United contract rebel Wes Brown. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is ready to make a move for Watford captain Marlon King. (Daily Telegraph)

Coventry City look set to be saved from administration by a takeover bid from the billionnaire businessman, film director and actor Alki David. (The Guardian)

Derby are considering a bid from Wolves for striker Steve Howard, so they can buy Jason Roberts from Blackburn. (Daily Telegraph)

Former Scotland boss Alex McLeish has backed his old Aberdeen colleague Mark McGhee to become the new national team manager. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Arsenal's team bus got lost on the way to the Riverside on Sunday before Arsene Wenger's men lost to Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)

Ian Holloway says 14 days as Leicester's new manager has left him feeling "worn out". (Daily Express)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Tuesday 11th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Fabio Capello is set to be the new England boss after Jose Mourinho ruled himself out of the running. And the former Real Madrid manager could draft in ex-England stars Alan Shearer and Stuart Pearce as part of his backroom staff. (various)

Another Italian, Marcello Lippi, also remains in the frame to succeed Steve McClaren. (Daily Express)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is wanted by Juventus, according to Italian press reports. (The Times)

Manchester United's hopes of signing Miguel Veloso have been damaged by a row between the player's club Sporting Lisbon and Carlos Queiroz. (Guardian)

Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari is ready to snub a move to Juventus to stay at Fratton Park. (The Sun)

Bolton and Wigan are in competition for the signature of West Brom full-back Paul Robinson. (The Times)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has been promised funds to bring in new blood and wants to sign players he has previously worked with. (The Times)

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez is interested in signing Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. (The Times)

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has begged the club's owners not to sack manager Rafael Benitez. (Various)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in new players in the January transfer window. (Daily Star)

But chairman Chris Mort is reluctant to release any cash, which means Allardyce is unlikely to do a deal for Manchester United defender Wes Brown. (Daily Mirror)

The Magpies are also set to release injured defender Celestine Babayaro, paying the remainder of his contract, which expires at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Former United States coach Bruce Arena has revealed he is keen to become the new Scotland manager. (Daily Star)

Derby and Sheffield United are battling it out to sign Bolton's veteran midfielder Gary Speed. (Daily Star)

Celtic and Fulham are set to bid £4m for Burnley's Northern Irish striker Kyle Lafferty. (Daily Star)

Ipswich are giving a second trial to FC Moscow's 28-year-old Poland international midfielder Damian Gorawski. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell is keen on £3m-rated French centre-back Sebastien Puygrenier. (Daily Star)

Crystal Palace are to send on-loan striker Besian Idrizaj back to Liverpool as boss Neil Warnock is unimpressed. (Daily Star)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is interested in Hibernian left-back David Murphy but faces competition from Celtic and Rangers. (Daily Mirror)

Cardiff are lining up Billy Davies to replace boss Dave Jones. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will give a trial to Paris St Germain forward Fabrice Pancrate. (Daily Mirror)

QPR are set to bid £1.2m for Wigan defender Fitz Hall and are expected to beat Norwich and Coventry to his signature. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is planning a shock raid on Hull to sign Jay-Jay Okocha. (Daily Mirror)

Derby County manager Paul Jewell has his eye on Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross. (various)


AND FINALLY

Former England manager Steve McClaren has finally won a trophy - the Plain English Campaign's annual Foot in Mouth award. The prize is given for speaking a load of gibberish. (Daily Star)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Wednesday 12th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Fabio Capello will meet FA officials on Wednesday and the meeting is expected to end with the Italian agreeing to take over as the new England manager. (various)

And if the former Real Madrid and AC Milan coach does succeed Steve McClaren, England's players are in for a shake-up according to Ruud Gullit and Dino Zoff. The pair claim Capello will dispense with players who do not perform. (various)

Not content with laying down the law on the pitch, Capello will also ensure there are no distractions off it by banning wags (wives and girlfriends) from being around the players in the run-up to crucial matches. (Daily Star)

John Terry's position as England captain is under threat as some FA board members are concerned by stories of his off-field antics. (The Sun)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has pulled out of a move for Barcelona's Brazilian midfielder Edmilson as he believes he is not fit enough. (The Sun)

Wigan and Birmingham are in a battle to sign Real Murcia striker Inigo, who will cost about £10m. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough's Fabio Rochemback wants to rejoin Sporting Lisbon. (The Sun)

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy will not return as Republic of Ireland boss, according to caretaker manager Don Givens. (The Sun)

Billionaire Alki David has ditched his plans to buy Coventry, saying the club is falling apart. (The Sun)

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has urged the club to sign Gideon Baah, who won a reality TV show in Ghana to earn a trial at Stamford Bridge. (Mirror)

Olof Mellberg is ready to quit Aston Villa to join Juventus at the end of the season. (Mirror)

Blackburn striker Jason Roberts is frustrated at his lack of opportunities and wants to leave, which could see him join Sunderland. (Mirror)

Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws is set to sign West Brom striker John Hartson on loan. (Mirror)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is monitoring FC Toronto's 21-year-old midfielder Maurice Edu. (Mirror)

Rangers manager Walter Smith is poised to swoop for West Brom left-back Paul Robinson. (Mirror)

Newcastle have joined the chase for Djurgardens utility player Lance Davids, who is also being monitored by Blackburn. (Mirror)

Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson has insisted striker James Beattie will not be leaving the club during the January transfer window. (Mirror)

Tottenham are lining up a £5m move for Holland and Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. (Daily Star)

Wolves want to re-sign Steffen Iversen from Rosenborg. (Daily Star)

Sunderland have recruited ex-Liverpool star John Barnes to scout for new talent in the West Indies. (various)

Croatia midfielder Luka Modric is set to snub both Arsenal and Chelsea and instead move from Dinamo Zagreb to Barcelona. (Daily Star)

Nicolas Anelka has insisted he is happy at Bolton, despite reports linking him with a move to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. (The Independent)

Benjani Mwaruwari says he does not want to leave Portsmouth. (The Independent)

Manchester City have insisted Rolando Bianchi will not be leaving in January to return to Serie A. (The Independent)

Confusingly, City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has said that Bianchi will leave so he can bring in another striker. (The Times)

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has denied he has been in contact with Jose Mourinho to take over as the club's manager. (Express)

Bolton may move for Nottingham Forest forward Nathan Tyson. (The Times)

Fulham have been linked with South Korea forward Cho Jae Jin, who plays for Shimizu S-Pulse, and may complete a deal in two weeks. (The Times)

QPR, Norwich and Coventry are fighting it out to sign Wigan's 26-year-old defender Fitz Hall. (The Times)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has been handed a £20m transfer kitty to bring on new players in January. (Mail)

Arsenal and Tottenham may go head-to-head for the signature of Celtic keeper Artur Boruc. (Mail)

Liverpool's Momo Sissoko wants showdown talks with boss Rafael Benitez, which could encourage Everton to make a move for the midfielder. (Mail)

Terry Butcher, who parted company with Brentford on Tuesday, has emerged as a candidate to take over as Dunfermline manager. (Daily Record)

John Collins has laughed off reports he has been sounded out about becoming Scotland manager. (Daily Record)

AND FINALLY

Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney is set to launch his own range of toiletries to include aftershave, shower gel and deodorant. Apparently, the range is expected to be "rugged". (The Sun)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Thursday 13th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Fabio Capello will become the highest paid coach in international football history as the Football Association will pay him about £6m-a-year to manage England. (Daily Mail)

But, no, it's more of a bargain than that as Capello will actually be earning £4m-a-year. (Daily Mirror)

Real Madrid striker Raul says Capello will solve England's problems - like he did in Spain when he led the Bernabeu club to league titles in his two spells with them. (Times)

John Terry has told Capello he wants to stay on as England captain after doubts were raised about his position. (The Sun)

Capello must be good - even his closest rival for the job, Italian World Cup-winning boss Marcelo Lippi, says he is the right man to manage England. (Various)

Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, who is now in charge of Juventus, says Capello might not charm England like him but that his fellow Italian will be loved for winning. (Daily Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov says he will not be leaving the club - in January. (Daily Star)

Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann has fallen behind Manuel Almunia in the pecking order but says he wants to stay with the Gunners. (Times)

Matt Taylor, Lauren, Pedro Mendes, Djimi Traore and Richard Hughes face being sold by Portsmouth in January. (Times)

Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham, Celtic and Rangers all want Everton striker James McFadden. (The Times)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is planning a spending spree in the January transfer window and a striker and left-sided midfielder are his priority. (Various)

O'Neill also faces trying to keep defensive duo Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen at the club as they are out of contract next summer. (Daily Star)

Derby boss Paul Jewell says several clubs want striker Steve Howard but he wants to keep him (The Times)

But Rams defender Tyrone Mears will be sold by Jewell to raise funds for January signings. (Daily Express)

Everton, Newcastle and Portsmouth are vying for the services of Swindon left-back Ben Tozer. (Sun)

Norwich boss Glenn Roeder will return to his former club Newcastle to try to sign striker Shola Ameobi. (Sun)

Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has no plans to leave the club until his contract expires in June 2009. (Daily Telegraph)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has warned Anton Ferdinand not to get drawn into pop-star culture to the detriment of his career. (Daily Express)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane wants to sign Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, Blackburn striker Jason Roberts and Manchester United defender Wes Brown. (Guardian)

Birmingham have targeted former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Milan Baros, who is currently at Lyon. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY

If you have got hairy shins then it is best not to show them to prospective England boss Fabio Capello. He is quoted in The Sun as saying: "When a man crosses his legs and the trouser rides up to show hairy shins, it offends my eyes."

[<<ELVIS>>]

Sunday 16th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

New England boss Fabio Capello has promised to make England great again and vowed to "win the World Cup". (News of the World, Sunday Express)

The Football Association may scrap the proposed £60m National Football Centre at Burton. (Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday)

Striker Michael Owen is in danger of becoming the first and biggest casualty of Capello's reign. (Sunday Express)

Capello will earn a staggering £17m - if England win the World Cup in 2010. (Sunday Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is considering a shock move for Everton striker Yakubu. (Sunday Express)

Frank Rijkaard will be offered the job as Chelsea manager at the end of the season. (News of the World)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hinted at a move for Lyon striker Karim Benzema. (Observer)

Everton and Bolton are ready to revive their interest in Barcelona striker Santiago Ezquerro. (News of the World)

Liverpool's owners will take a huge gamble telling manager Rafael Benitez he has no money for the January transfer window. (Mail on Sunday)

Aston Villa have made a new £7m bid for FC Porto defender Jose Bosingwa. (Observer, News of the World)

Newcastle are lining up a bid for Darlington keeper David Stockdale. (News of the World)

Valencia and Athletico Madrid want to prise midfielder David Bentley away from Blackburn. (Observer)

Arsenal are leading the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder John Bostock. (Observer, News of the World)

Liverpool will make a move for Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill if differences with manager Rafael Benitez are not resolved. (Sunday Express)

Charlton are ready to offload striker Izale McLeod in the January sales. (News of the World)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is also interested in bringing across Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross to Pride Park. (Observer)

Reading hope to tempt defender Matt Taylor away from Portsmouth. (News of the World)

Barcelona are interested in signing Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar as a back-up keeper for next season. (News of the World)

Sunderland have targeted Crewe defender Danny Woodards. (News of the World)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is also lining up a bid for Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt. (Observer)

Middlesbrough will make a January move for Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves. (News of the World)

Derby and Wigan are set to battle it out for the services of out-of-favour Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage. (Observer, News of the World)

QPR want to sign Watford's Lloyd Doyley. (News of the World)

Sevilla want £3m compensation from Tottenham for the loss of coach Juande Ramos. (Observer)

Birmingham are set to launch a double raid for Rangers striker Kris Boyd and Hibs left-back David Murphy. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch says he will revive his robotic goal celebrations if his club wins the Premier league or he scores a "really big goal" in the Champions League. (Sunday Times)