Transfers Speculations (February):

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Wednesday 09th January gossip column


TRANSFER RUMOURS

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is set to axe eight players - keeper Paul Robinson, Jermain Defoe, Pascal Chimbonda, Lee Young-Pyo, Anthony Gardner, Paul Stalteri, Wayne Routledge and Hossam Ghaly. (The Sun)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is tracking unsettled Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra. (Various)

That could allow Emre to leave St James' Park for Bayern Munich, Monaco or Galatasaray. (The Sun)

But Newcastle face competition for Diarra's signature from Tottenham, Everton and Blackburn. (Various)

However, Arsenal have slapped a hefty £6m price tag on the head of the 22-year-old Frenchman to ward off interested parties. (The Sun)

Rangers full-back Alan Hutton has turned down a second, improved, offer to join Tottenham. (The Times)

Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko is on the verge of completing a move to Juventus, initially on a loan before a £10m deal in the summer. (The Sun)

Bolton boss Gary Megson is not resigned to losing striker Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea, and is hopeful a transfer fee will not be agreed. (various)

Aston Villa and Manchester City have made official inquiries about Newcastle forward Obafemi Martins. (The Sun)

Manchester United's Ryan Shawcross is set to join Stoke for £1m. (various)

Birmingham hope to complete the signing of Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras before the weekend. (The Sun)

Reading are hoping to fend off Sunderland's interest in Stephen Hunt by making the midfielder their highest earner at the club. (various)

Bolton and Derby are fighting it out to sign Sheffield Wednesday's highly-rated midfielder Glenn Whelan. (The Sun)

Hibernian have launched a bid to bring Kilmarnock striker Colin Nish to Easter Road. (Daily Record)

Manchester City and Middlesbrough are set to move for Heerenveen's £15m-rated Brazilian striker Afonso Alves. (various)

City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is also hoping to tie up a deal for Iraq playmaker Nashat Akram. (The Sun)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is keen on Lyon's 24-year-old Brazilian striker Fred, who is also wanted by Portsmouth and Paris St Germain. (The Sun)

Coventry and Sheffield United are in a race to sign Southampton's £1m-rated midfielder Jhon Viafara. (various)

Charlton manager Alan Pardew is preparing to make a £1m offer for Sunderland's out-of-favour right-back Greg Halford. (The Sun)

Nottingham Forest are ready to make an improved bid of £600,000 for Coventry striker Leon Best. (The Sun)

Sheffield Wednesday are lining up a cheeky £100,000 move for Hull striker Stuart Elliott. (The Sun)

Southampton manager George Burley is set to pay £1m for Middlesbrough defender Andrew Davies. (various)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp wants to tie up a loan deal for unsettled Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng before the weekend. (The Sun)

Norwich are set to bid £800,000 for Sheffield United's combative midfielder Chris Armstrong. (The Sun)

Charlton have been told by Burnley their 13-goal forward Andy Gray is not for sale. (The Sun)

Hibernian caretaker boss Tommy Craig has turned down a £1m bid by Birmingham for left-back David Murphy. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough are considering offering winger Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson in a swap deal for Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe. (Daily Star)

Boro are also considering a move for Newcastle's Shola Ameobi. (The Times)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson will hand a trial to Iran international Ali Reza Nikbakht. (Daily Star)

West Ham are lining up bids for reading defender Nicky Shorey, Portsmouth striker David Nugent and Bolton forward El Hadji Diouf. (Mirror)

QPR will make River Plate midfielder Rusculleda their ninth signing of the transfer window. (Mirror)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is ready to raid former club Rangers to sign striker Kris Boyd. (Mirror)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has offered Portuguese club Guimaraes £2.5m for their Brazilian defender Pedro Geromel. (Mirror)

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes is monitoring Galatasaray and Turkey forward Hasan Sas. (Mirror)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce is close to signing Rennes' former Tottenham defender Erik Edman. (Mirror)

Bruce is also after Ecuador striker Carlos Tenorio. (Various)

Manchester City are in talks with Marseille over striker Mamadou Niang and midfielder Samir Nasri. (Various)

Meanwhile, Marseille are interested in signing City's out-of-favour midfielder Ousmane Dabo. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is ready to offer £3m for Everton striker James McFadden after having a £2.5m bid turned down. (Daily Mail)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is considering a move for Kansas City Wizards striker Eddie Johnson. (Daily Mail)

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has ended his interest in signing Liverpool winger Harry Kewell because his wages are too high. (Daily Mail)

And Hodgson's hopes of signing West Ham striker Bobby Zamora may be foiled for the same reason. (Guardian)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane wants to sign unsettled Birmingham midfielder Olivier Kapo. (Daily Mail)

QPR boss Luigi De Canio is preparing to make a £1.5m offer for Plymouth striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. (Daily Mail)

Plymouth are lining up a move for Celtic's Derek Riordan, but face competition from Burnley for the striker. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez wants to sign Villarreal's creative midfielder Matias Fernandez. (Telegraph)

West Ham are interested in signing young Argentine striker Nicholas Mazzola. (Telegraph)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is keen on signing Sheffield United forward Rob Hulse. (Guardian)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce may move for Bolton's £5m-rated skipper Kevin Nolan. (Independent)


OTHER GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has pleaded with the club's owners not to sack him. The Spaniard has reiterated his commitment to the club as speculation mounts regarding his future. (The Times)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is set to be receive an official approach from the Republic of Ireland to return as manager. (Daily Star)


AND FINALLY
Former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman has revealed he wants to become a monk. He says he spends as much time thinking about God as he can and claims that his only vice is tattoos, but is becoming less obsessed with them thanks to the Lord's help. (The Sun)

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Friday 11th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Manchester United are preparing a £12m-offer for long-term target Klaas Jan Huntelaar. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, after recent interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United have said they will never sell prized asset Cristiano Ronaldo. (Various)

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka is desperate to join Chelsea and has urged the Blues to up their offer to the £15m his present club want. (The Sun)

However, Chelsea manager Avram Grant is growing impatient with Bolton and may explore other possibilities this January. (The Guardian)

Tottenham are keen to bring Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing and Daniel Jarque to the club. (The Times)

Former Tottenham striker Freddie Kanoute has admitted he would love the chance to return to White Hart Lane and team up with former Sevilla boss Juande Ramos. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, Ramos has told his scouts to look for a new keeper with Ajax stopper Maarten Stekelenburg a possible target. (The Times)

Fulham have been told they must find £8m if they are to take striker Marlon King from Watford to Craven Cottage. (The Sun)

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes wants to sign Wigan and Wales midfielder Jason Koumas for £3.5m. (Daily Mail)

Reading have told Sunderland to forget their interest in midfielder Stephen Hunt after the Black Cats made an improved £4.5m offer for the Irishman. (The Guardian)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is ready to make an improved offer for Everton forward James McFadden and Hibernian defender David Murphy. (The Telegraph)

Newcastle's proposed £3m move for Porto defender Marek Cech has been put on hold after the departure of Sam Allardyce. (The Mail)

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is close to agreeing a deal for SC Heerenveen striker Alfonso Alves. (The Times)

Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra says his desire to leave the club left him in the wrong frame of mind to face Spurs on Wednesday. (The Guardian)

Aston Villa have insisted that striker Marlon Harewood is not leaving the club with Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace among the clubs interested in the former West Ham man. (Daily Express)

Manchester City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has been rewarded with a new one-year contract. (The Mail)

Gilberto Silva has vowed to stay at Arsenal and fight for his place in the team. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is torn over accepting the Newcastle job after being tempted with a £20m transfer kitty. (The Mail)

Redknapp has been told that he can use owner Mike Ashley's private jet to fly him to and from his home on the South Coast. (Daily Express)

Portsmouth will be given £3m in compensation if Redknapp decides to leave Fratton Park for Newcastle. (The Sun)

The cost of sacking Allardyce and recruiting Redknapp could cost Newcastle £9m. (Daily Telegraph)

Portsmouth have vowed to hold on to manager Redknapp and have told Newcastle they face a fight to secure his services. (The Times)

If Newcastle fail to land Redknapp then Blackburn manager Mark Hughes is next on their list. (The Guardian)


AND FINALLY
Former England manager Steve McClaren has revealed that mickey-taking friends bombarded him with umbrellas for Christmas. He claims to have hundreds in his house. (The Sun)

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Sunday 13th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Manchester United striker Louis Saha is out for the season, which could lead Sir Alex Ferguson to act in the transfer window and move for long-term target Klaas Jan Huntelaar. (News of the World)

But Ferguson could have competition for the Dutchman with Manchester City also keen on the £12m-rated Ajax frontman. (News of the World)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neil is looking to link up with former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson. O'Neil wants to bring the Swedish striker to Villa Park on a three-month loan deal. (News of the World)

Meanwhile Villa are set to renew their interest in Valencia defender Miguel and will bid £10m for the Portuguese star. (News of the World)

Tottenham keeper Paul Robinson has been told by club chairman Daniel Levy that he can leave White Hart Lane. (The Observer)

Spurs will make a £7m move for Ajax keeper Maarten Stekelenburg if Robinson leaves the club. (Mail on Sunday)

Tottenham are also keeping an eye on Espanyol centre-half Jarque. (Mail on Sunday)

Jermain Defoe could still sign a new contract with Tottenham despite a bust-up with Juande Ramos. (News of the World)

One man not joining Spurs is Maniche, who is holding out for a dream move to Inter Milan. (News of the World)

Fulham have launched a bid to sign Valencia midfielder David Albelda. (News of the World)

Dimitar Berbatov has told close friends he would love to join Manchester United. (Sunday Mirror)

Manchester City face stiff competition for former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse. West Ham, Blackburn and Fulham are also are keen on the £6.5m-rated 26-year-old. (Sunday Mirror)

Everton and Celtic are battling it out to land Bayern Munich defender Daniel van Buyten on loan until the end of the season. (Sunday Mirror)

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson may swoop for AC Milan's Croatian defender Dario Simic. (Sunday Mirror)

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is preparing a bid for Barcelona midfield star Andres Iniesta. (Sunday Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
Portsmouth have doubled Harry Redknapp's wages to £3m a year after he turned down Newcastle. (News of the World)

Newcastle will now turn to Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan as they continue to search for Sam Allardyce's replacement. (Various)

Mike Ashley will turn his search to the continent after being rejected by Redknapp. (Sunday Telegraph)

Ashley has not given up on Redknapp and will fly back from Hong Kong to try and persuade the Portsmouth manager to join Newcastle. (Sunday Express)

Liverpool are the subject of a £500m buy-out from an Arab investment group. (The Observer)


AND FINALLY
The Special One could be back. Jose Mourinho wants to succeed Rafa Benitez as Liverpool manager, and the former Chelsea boss has contacted owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett indicating that he would love to take over at Anfield next season. (Sunday Mirror)

QPR owner Flavio Briatore has presented each of the club's players with £3,000 watch as a special thank-you present for their recent good form.

[<<ELVIS>>]

Monday 14th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Steve Sidwell is joining Sunderland on loan with a view to a permanent move from Chelsea. (Various)

Harry Redknapp will try to sign Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe for Portsmouth this week. (The Mirror)

Spurs, meanwhile, are ready to move for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing. (The Mirror)

Senegal's Ibrahim Tall has attracted interest from Bolton. (The Times)

And Bolton boss Gary Megson has agreed a £4m deal with AZ Alkmaar to sign Icelandic defender Gretar Steinsson. (The Mirror)

But he has been priced out of the race to sign Sweden striker Johan Elmander from Toulouse. (The Mirror)

Leeds boss Dennis Wise has told Derby they have no chance in signing striker Jermaine Beckford. (The Star)

Blackburn are ready to snap up Amdy Faye from Rangers as a replacement for Robbie Savage. (The Mirror)

Leicester boss Ian Holloway is to make Isaiah Osbourne his seventh signing this week. (The Mirror)

Manchester United chief executive David Gill says there will be no significant transfer activity at the club this month. (The Times)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane will finally sign Stephen Hunt after tabling an improved £5m bid for the Reading midfielder. (The Mirror)

Sunderland have withdrawn their offer for Bobo Balde because of the out-of-favour Celtic defender's wage demands. (Daily Express)

Birmingham are hoping to meet the £5.5m fee being demanded by Everton for striker James McFadden. (Daily Record)

Juventus's interest in Liverpool's Mohamed Sissoko appears to have cooled after the club revealed they would not sign anyone this month. (The Times)

Matthew Taylor is on his way from Portsmouth with Bolton and Sunderland leading the race to sign the out of favour midfielder. (The Mirror)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is set to rival Birmingham's Alex McLeish for the signature of Aston Villa defender Gary Cahill. (The Mirror)

David Murphy is set to complete a £1.5m move from Hibernian to Birmingham in the next 48 hours. (The Mirror)

Ivan Ivanov is on trial at Derby. The 19-year-old Lokomotiv Plovdiv defender is a Bulgaria Under-21 international. (The Times)

Amantino Mancini has turned down a move to Manchester City and will remain at Roma. (The Sun)

Portsmouth are set to sign Juventus midfielder Tiago for £8m after the midfielder fell out of favour with the Italian giants. (The Sun)

Colchester will complete the signing of Walsall left-back Daniel Fox for £350,000. (The Sun)

Falkirk captain Steven Thomson wants to move to England, with Brighton favourites for the midfielder's signature. (Daily Express)

St Mirren and Falkirk have upped their offers for Inverness midfielder John Rankin but face competition from an English club. (Daily Express)


OTHER GOSSIP
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has refused to rule out becoming Newcastle's next manager and is the new favourite to land the post. (Various)

The Rovers boss has been told by Magpies chairman Chris Mort that he is wanted to take over at St James' Park. (The Sun)

Chelsea skipper John Terry expects to be cleared to resume full training on Monday - just a month after breaking his foot. (The Star)

Terry is also willing to let David Beckham take the England captaincy if it helps the team improve under Fabio Capello. (Various)

Martin Laursen has revealed he expects to sign to sign a new contract at Aston Villa. (The Mirror)

Partick Thistle have threatened rugby tenants Glasgow Warriors with a compensation claim after the football club's Scottish Cup tie was postponed. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United are facing sub-zero temperatures on their 'sunshine break' to Saudi Arabia next week after the Gulf was hit by a severe cold snap. (The Star)

Coffee shop giants Starbucks are planning to invest in Premier League basement club Derby. (Daily Mail)

Kaka has been asked by authorities in Brazil to explain his link with an evangelical church who have pleaded guilty to money smuggling. (The Guardian)

Superstitious Cristiano Ronaldo keeps a pre-match ritual of getting his hair cut for fear of jinxing his scoring run. (The Sun)

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Thursday 17th January gossip column


BREAKING GOSSIP

Rangers are in talks with West Ham to take Christian Dailly on loan for the rest of the season (BBC Scotland, 1545).

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson confirms he "just needs one last discussion" with Rangers over signing Ugo Ehiogu, but the signs are "looking favourable" (BBC Radio Sheffield, 1445).

Everton confirm they have agreed an unspecified fee with Birmingham for James McFadden (Press Association 1445).

Newcastle have joined Aston Villa in the chase for £10m Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe (thisislondon.co.uk 1415 GMT).

Investment company Dubai International Capital ready to make offer for Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks's stake in the club. (Liverpool Echo, 1324).

Brazilian striker Fred says he will stay at Lyon, dashing Tottenham's hopes of signing him. (Agence France Presse, 1302 GMT).

Birmingham are close to signing Scotland striker James McFadden from Everton for a fee in the region of £5m. He is set to discuss personal terms before undergoing a medical (Press Association, 1235 GMT).

Celtic target Daniel van Buyten has told Bayern Munich he wants to stay and fight for his place (Glasgow Herald, 1215 GMT).

Middlesbrough target Afonso Alves could be on his way from Heerenveen to AZ Alkmaar, after the provisional judgement of a Dutch FA hearing into the clubs' pre-contract agreements went against Boro (Press Association, 1150 GMT).

Cardiff's Robbie Fowler will not play again this season after surgeons discovered a new hip injury (icwales.co.uk, 1145 GMT).

Former Fulham manager Chris Coleman could be in line to be Kevin Keegan's number two at Newcastle (thisislondon.com, 0950 GMT).

Aston Villa have held talks with Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe (Birmingham Post, 0900 GMT).

Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenige says "the file is closed" on Manchester City's reported interest in German international striker Lukas Podolski (Goal.com, 0858 GMT).


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Bolton could make a surprise move for Aston Villa's Olof Mellberg now they have money after selling Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea (Mirror).

Chelsea will ask Barcelona for Lionel Messi or AC Milan for Kaka if Didier Drogba decides to join either team in the summer (Mirror).

Fulham will make Kansas City Wizards striker Eddie Johnson the club's fifth American signing (Sun).

Tottenham have had no takers for Darren Bent, who they are prepared to sell at a loss despite having only signed him last summer (Independent).

Portsmouth have been told they can only sign Tottenham's Jermain Defoe on a permanent deal and there is no chance of a loan (Independent).

Birmingham are keen to sign Huddersfield goalkeeper Matt Glennon after he helped knock them out of the FA Cup third round (Mirror).

Manchester United are close to sealing a deal for 17-year-old identical twin defenders Fabio and Rafael Silva, who are both Brazilian youth internationals (Times).

Derby have rejected another bid from Maccabi Tel Aviv for American midfielder Benny Feilhaber (Telegraph).

Real Madrid say they will "just have to keep working" on their bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United (The Sun).

Sheffield United are keen to sign Ugo Ehiogu from Rangers as he has made just 12 appearances in the last year (Sun).

Nottingham Forest will make a third take-it-or-leave-it offer for Coventry's Leon Best (Star).

Spanish club Osasuna are to make an increased bid for Celtic's Evander Sno (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Reading are to introduce sniffer dogs looking for drugs as fans enter the Madjeski Stadium but insist it is preventative rather than because there is a problem (Mirror).

Liverpool's Jamie Carragher says he "hasn't got a clue" if he will ever win the Premier League title with the club (Independent).

Mark McGhee will talk with the Scottish Football Association about staying as Motherwell boss before becoming Scotland manager at the end of the season (Guardian).


AND FINALLY
Portsmouth say they are "puzzled" by Sol Campbell's criticism of the amount of money they are investing in the side and have told him to stop criticising the club for lacking ambition (Star).

QPR's players may be forced to return £3,000 watches given to them by Flavio Briatore as FA rules say any wages, bonuses or inducements must be registered within their contracts (Express).

[<<ELVIS>>]

Friday 18th January gossip column


BREAKING GOSSIP

Aston Villa boss Martin o'Neill has rubbished reports that Jermain defoe has had talks with the club. "It's absolutely untrue," he said. (BBC Radio West Midlands 1513 GMT)

Tottenham have strongly denied that striker darren Bent is for sale and that the club is "in the market for any strikers". (tottenhamhotspur.com 1444 GMT)

Celtic will reject a £400,000 bid for Derek Riordan from Burnley as they hold out for more. (thisislondon.co.uk 1426 GMT)

George Gillett is to mull over whether to buy out Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks with the backing of Dubai International Capital. (Guardian, 1230 GMT)

Argentine teenager Franco Di Santo, who holds an Italian passport, is set for a move to Chelsea from Chilean club Audax. (thesoccerblog.com, 1159 GMT)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate insists he does not want Stewart Downing to leave and has had no offers for the winger. (Middlesbrough Gazette 1220 GMT)

West Ham and Fulham are interested in signing Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelic. (sportinglife.com 1133 GMT)

Tottenham may be encouraged in their attempts to sign midfielder Tiago from Juventus after the player said it would be "best" if he left the Italian club. (Goal.com 1110 GMT)

Charlton winger Jerome Thomas has yet to agree a new deal with the club and Derby or Middlesbrough could pounce. (thisislondon.co.uk 1051 GMT)

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has not ruled out Tottenham target Fred leaving in the January transfer window. (Press Association 0933 GMT)

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan is wasting no time getting involved in the transfer market and has targeted Jermain Defoe and Shaun Wright-Phillips. (Various)

Deco, Scott Brown, Daniel van Buyten and Wes Brown are also on Keegan's 'money-no-object' wanted list. (Daily Telegraph)

But Defoe has been at Aston Villa's training ground with a view to sealing a £10m move from Tottenham. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa are eyeing Steaua Bucharest's 6ft 5in Dorin Goian and Tottenham's Pascal Chimbonda in their search for a defender. (Daily Telegraph)

Villa are also vying to sign defender Nedum Onuoha for £6m from Manchester City. (The Sun)

Everton are keen on Barcelona striker Santiago Ezquerro. (Daily Telegraph)

Liverpool could raid Spain again as they look at Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta and Javi Martinez, while Gabriel Heinze is still a possible arrival. (Daily Telegraph)

Fulham are to add United States striker Eddie Johnson from Kansas City Wizards and defender Brede Hangeland of FC Copenhagen to their ranks. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic aim to lure midfielder Mark Noble from West Ham. (Daily Mirror)

Neil Lennon is unhappy at Nottingham Forest and Ipswich are vying with Stoke to land the midfielder. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City striker Rolando Bianchi has an escape route out of the club with Espanyol and Lazio possible options. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton have been told to increase their £1m-plus bid if they want to sign Burnley striker Andy Gray. (Sun)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos signed Russia striker Alexander Kerzhakhov while at Seville and could sign the player - offered to West Ham and Manchester City - again. (Various)

Tottenham's hopes of signing Brazilian striker Fred have been dealt a blow after the club and player failed to agree personal terms. (Times)

Portsmouth are set to offload defender Djimi Traore to French side Rennes. (Various)

Sunderland want Olivier Kapo from Birmingham but Wigan are also interested in the midfielder. (Daily Mail)

Rangers boss Walter Smith could move for West Ham's out-of-favour defender Christian Dailly now that Ugo Ehiogu looks set to move to Sheffield United. (Daily Record)

However, Dailly has already turned down a move back to Scotland for family reasons (Scottish Sun).

Wigan want Motherwell forward Ross McCormack, who has been targeted by Middlesbrough (Scottish Sun).


OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea's recent £15m recruit Nicolas Anelka has told fellow striker Didier Drogba to stay at the club and not to make the same mistake he did in leaving the Premier League. (Various)

The Republic of Ireland are keen to make former Liverpool boss Gerrard Houllier their new coach. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
QPR owner Flavio Briatore said he was part of Bernie Ecclestone's bid to buy Chelsea but missed out to Roman Abramovich. He now says he will take QPR into the Champions League in four years. (Daily Mail)

Commitment seems to be a lost word for Portsmouth's new signing Lassana Diarra. On arrival from Arsenal he said: "The people at Portsmouth know I will not spend my life at this club. If I shine, if a really big club wants me, I know that everything will go well." (Various)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Sunday 27th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Tottenham are set to sign Jonathan Woodgate after the defender snubbed a move to Newcastle. (various)

Manchester United and Arsenal are keeping an eye on Everton defender Joleon Lescott. (News of the World)

Manchester City are closing in on CSKA Moscow striker Wagner Love. (News of the World)

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Soutgate is set to step up his pursuit of Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick. (News of the World)

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is planning to make a move for Argentina and Real Zaragoza playmaker Pablo Aimar. (News of the World)

Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda is set for a £7m move to Sevilla. (News of the World)

Everton are keen to sign United States midfielder Michael Bradley for about £3m. (News of the World)

Reading are interested in signing West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt and are willing to pay £4m. (News of the World)

Bolton goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi has been targeted by German giants Bayern Munich. (News of the World)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is set to sign Lyon striker Milan Baros on loan on Monday. (Sunday Express)

Aston Villa and Bolton are keen to sign Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha. (Sunday People)

Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras could be heading to Spanish club Espanyol. (News of the World)

Rangers want Wigan striker Marcus Bent until the end of the season. (News of the World)

Fulham are planning a bid for Wigan midfielder Paul Scharner. (News of the World)

Celtic have won the race to sign Dundee United midfielder Barry Robson. (various)

Aston Villa have beaten Celtic to the signature of Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan. (News of the World)

Celtic are closing in on Marseille full-back Taye Taiwo for £2m. (Sunday Mail)

Hibernian have made a bid to take Derek Riordan back from Celtic. (Sunday Post)

Spurs are set to make another bid to sign Rangers full-back Alan Hutton as a replacement for Pascal Chimbonda. (Sunday Mail)

Dundee United goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski has rejected a contract offer from Rangers and the Ibrox club now face competition for his signature from German giants Borussia Dortmund. (Sunday Mail)

Gretna defender Aurelian Collin is attracting interest from Lazio, Sheffield United, Wolves and Coventry. (News of the World)

Dundee United left-back Christian Kalvenes says he will give up football in the summer unless he is signed by former club Brann Bergen. (Sunday Mail)

St Mirren defender David Van Zanten is wanted by Nottingham Forest, Hull and Scunthorpe. (News of the World)


OTHER GOSSIP
Reading striker Dave Kitson will be the shock new name when coach Fabio Capello announces his first England squad this week. (News of the World & The Sunday Times)

The Football Association will go ahead with a holding a minute's silence in memory of the those who died in the 1958 Munich air crash before the game against England and Switzerland at Wembley. (various)

The identity of Derby's new owners is set to be revealed on Monday. (The Mail on Sunday)

Former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer is set to go into football mangement next season. (The Sunday Telegraph)

DIC remain intent on a Liverpool takeover despite the recent refinancing deal by the club's owners. (various)

Newcastle players were understood to be have been shocked by manager Kevin Keegan's team briefing prior to their FA Cup tie at Arsenal. (News of the World)

Manchester United defender Wes Brown is set to sign a four-year deal with the club. (News of the World)

New Scotland boss George Burley has revealed he wants Celtic defender Steven Pressley to join his backroom team along with Terry Butcher. (NotW)


AND FINALLY
West Ham defender Lucas Neill popped into a well-known Australian-themed watering hole in London and bought a drink for everyone in the establishment to help them celebrate Australia Day.

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez fines his players if they are caught not speaking English.

Keeper Pepe Reina said: "There are 12 Spanish speakers but we try not to talk in our language because if he catches us, Rafa fines us."

[<<ELVIS>>]

Monday 28th January gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Norwich forward Darren Huckerby could be on his way to the Canada to play for MLS side Toronto FC. (FansFC.com, 1458 GMT)

Blackburn have been linked with Macedonia international midfielder Velice Sumulikoski, who is currently playing in Turkey for Bursaspor. (FansFC.com, 1458 GMT)

QPR have agreed an undisclosed fee with Bradford for goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. (Sporting Life, 1451 GMT)

Rangers are believed to be interested in Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras. (Press Association, 1143 GMT)

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has expressed doubt over whether their new coach, former Liverpool managerial target Jurgen Klinsmann, can cut it as a club boss. (Press Association, 1054 GMT)

Aston Villa central defender Gary Cahill finally looks poised to complete a move to Bolton. (Press Association, 1020 GMT)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Tottenham are set to complete a £16.25m double move for Rangers full-back Alan Hutton and Middlesbrough centre-back Jonathan Woodgate. (Various)

Spurs have also agreed a £9.3m fee for Juventus midfielder Tiago, but may lose out to Atletico Madrid. (The Sun)

White Hart Lane boss Juande Ramos also hopes to sign Hertha Berlin left-back Gilberto. (Various)

Middlesbrough are in talks with Brazil striker Afonso Alves after agreeing a fee in excess of £12m with his club Heerenveen. (Various)

Bolton manager Gary Megson also wants to sign Barcelona's former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. (Mirror)

Fulham are set to sign West Brom defender Neil Clement on loan for the rest of the season. (The Sun)

Aston Villa's 22-year-old defender Gary Cahill is on his way to Bolton in a £4.5m deal. (Various)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is on the trail of Schalke 04's Danish winger Peter Lovenkrands. (Mirror)

Manchester City's unsettled Greece international striker Georgios Samaras is a target for Rangers manager Walter Smith. (Mirror)

Aston Villa will sign Tottenham misfit Wayne Routledge, but will lose defender Olof Mellberg to Juventus at the end of the season. (Mirror)

West Brom are close to agreeing a loan deal for Viktoria Plzen goalkeeper Michal Danek. (The Sun)

Coventry are on the verge of finalising a deal for Walsall Daniel Fox, who will cost about £400,000. (Various)

Nottingham Forest boss Colin Calderwood is interested in signing Leicester striker Matty Fryatt. (Mirror)

Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore is hoping to keep Bristol City's teenager winger Jennison Myrie-Williams on loan until the end of the season. (Mirror)

Crystal Palace winger Mark Kennedy is set to move to MK Dons. (The Sun)

Walsall manager Richard Money wants to turn Michael Ricketts' loan deal into a permanent move. (Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
England boss Fabio Capello is believed to be having serious doubts whether to include David Beckham in the squad to face Swizerland. Beckham is hoping to win his 100th cap by playing in the match. (Various)

Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann will make his farewell appearance for the Gunners in the FA Cup final, if they get there, as manager Arsene Wenger has promised him he will be selected for that competition. (Mirror)

Polish goalkeeper Gregorz Szamotulski looks to have blown his chance of a move to Rangers after demanding Allan McGregor's number one jersey. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
FA Cup heroes Havant & Waterlooville went on a £100,000 bender after their 5-2 defeat at Anfield on Saturday, with Liverpool picking up the tab for the part-time footballers' night of celebrations. (Star)

West Ham may soon be able to boast having one of the most powerful fans in the world as has emerged that US Presidential candidate Barack Obama has been a follower of the Hammers ever since a visit to London five years ago. (The Sun)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Tuesday 29th January gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

We reported earlier that Gary McAllister was in talks to return to Leeds United as Dennis Wise's replacement - and that was indeed true (1712 GMT)!

Leeds name McAllister as new boss
Bolton are being linked with a move for Croatian international defender Marko Babic. (Setanta, 1449 GMT)

Birmingham are poised to hold talks with Aston Villa defender Gary Cahill over a possible £5m move. Bolton had a bid for the player accepted on Monday. (Press Association, 1311 GMT)

Bolton boss Gary Megson says he will work right up until the transfer window closes in his efforts to sign Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. (Eat Sleep Sport, 1152)

South Korea midfielder Kim Do-heon will undergo a medical at West Brom on Tuesday as he closes in on a move to the Championship side. (Press Association, 1033 GMT)

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has ruled out a return to AC Milan, insisting he is committed to Chelsea (Press Association, 1012 GMT)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish admits he is running out of time in his bid to sign AIK Solna midfielder Dulee Johnson before the January transfer window closes. (Press Association, 0913 GMT).

Juventus are set to complete the signing of Mohamed Sissoko from Liverpool - but will not let Spurs target Tiago leave during the transfer window. (Gazzetta dello Sport, 0842)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester City want to sign strikers Vagner Love and Jo Alves and midfielder Daniel Carvalho - all three Brazilians play for CSKA Moscow. (Various)

Sunderland and Birmingham have joined the race to sign Aston Villa defender Gary Cahill. Bolton have already agreed a fee for the player. (Various)

Portsmouth's Senegal international midfielder Papa Bouba Diop is wanted by Spanish side Murcia. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle are set to pay £2m for Derby winger Giles Barnes. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn are in talks with Chile captain Claudio Maldonado, who plays for Brazilian side Santos, over a £1m move. (Various)

Rangers boss Walter Smith wants Derby keeper Lewis Price in a swap deal with Roy Carroll. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle have ruled out a move for Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda. (Various)

John Arne Riise's agent insists the left-back will not be leaving Liverpool to join Newcastle. (Various)

Everton are sure defender Jolean Lescott will snub a move to Manchester United or Arsenal and sign a new long-term deal at Goodison. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough expect to sign Brazilian striker Afonso Alves. (Various)

Arsenal are watching Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko and may make a move for the 21-year-old. (Various)

Celtic are hoping to sign Manchester City's unsettled striker Georgios Samaras on a loan deal. (The Guardian)

Also on Celtic's wanted list is Burnley's Kyle Lafferty, and the Glasgow club has tabled a £3.12m bid for the striker. (Daily Record)

Norwich are ready to bid £850,000 for Scunthorpe's 11-goal forward Martin Paterson. (Various)

West Brom are desperate to offload striker John Hartson and will offer him a pay-off this week. (Daily Star)

But the Baggies are hoping to clinch deals for Livingston winger Graeme Dorrans and South Korea international midfielder Kim Do-Hean. (Daily Star)

Bristol City are set to make a £250,000 move for Coventry's 32-year-old striker Dele Adebola. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
The Football Association is considering banning all players except captains from speaking to referees from next season in an attempt to crack down on dissent. (Various)

New England manager Fabio Capello is stalling on a decision whether to give David Beckham his 100th cap against Switzerland next week. Capello wants to pick players only on merit and has doubts over Beckham's fitness. (Various)

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack is considering retiring from the game when his contract runs out next year. (The Times)

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra is on a collision course with the club after demanding a £120,000-a-week contract. Evra currently earns about £36,000 per week but wants parity with the club's top earners before he commits himself to a new deal. (Daily Mirror)

Terry Butcher and Steven Pressley will join Scotland's new coaching team within the next 48 hours. (Daily Record)

Ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is on the verge of taking over at Spanish side Valencia, who are in relegation trouble in La Liga. (The Sun)

Stewart Downing is refusing to have new contract talks with Middlesbrough after his potential move to Tottenham fell through. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea's superstar players were left star-struck themselves yesterday when Diego Maradona visited the club's training ground. The Argentine legend was in huge demand for photographs and autographs. (Various)

David Beckham is planning to open a football academy in Brazil. The former England captain already has academies in London and Los Angeles. (The Guardian)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Wednesday 30th January gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Tottenham winger Wayne Routledge is set to complete a move to Aston Villa. (Daily Mail 1210 GMT)

Chelsea have had a £15m bid for Palermo striker Amauri turned down, according to Corriere dello Sport, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Juventus also interested in the player. (tribalfootball.com 1140 GMT)

Birmingham striker Gary McSheffrey could return to former club Coventry City on loan or in a permanent move before the transfer window closes. (eatsleepsport.com 1118 GMT)

Celtic say they have no intention of selling midfielder Scott Brown. (Press Association 1056 GMT)

Sunderland may make a late move to sign Charlton midfielder Andy Reid for £2.5m. (thisislondon.co.uk 0945 GMT)

Fifa says it has not yet - contrary to reports - made a ruling on whether to allow Daniel Cousin to move to Fulham from Rangers. (Press Association 0906 GMT)

Dundee United are to decide whether to accept Nottingham Forest's £1m bid for midfielder Barry Robson. (Daily Record 0830 GMT)


TRANSFER RUMOURS
Derby have turned down a verbal offer from Newcastle for Giles Barnes but are prepared to sell the midfielder if the price is right. (Daily Telegraph)

Newcastle also want FC Brno midfielder Lubos Kalouda but are vying with Juventus to land the player. (Times)

Everton boss David Moyes is not worried Joleon Lescott will not sign a new deal and leave after reports linking him with Arsenal and Manchester United. (Various)

Manchester City have made an audacious £5m bid for Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari. (Daily Mail)

Pompey's willingness to let Benjani go could depend on whether they manage to sign Real Mallorca's Jonas Gutierrez, who celebrates goals by putting on a Spiderman mask. (Various)

Valencia's Miguel Angel Angulo is also a target for City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson as he tries to bolster his attack. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham have won the race to sign Aston Villa defender Gary Cahill with Bolton losing out. (Daily Mirror)

Bolton could now up their bid to sign Croatia defender Marko Babic with Real Betis wanting an increase on an initial £2.2m offer. (Daily Mirror)

Villa will now try to rush through a deal for Tottenham right-back Pascal Chimbonda as Spurs look to recoup some of the £9m it will cost them to land Rangers defender Alan Hutton.

Martin O'Neill will also try to sign Leicester right-back Richard Stearman and Crystal Palace striker Sean Scannell for the Midlands club. (Daily Mirror)

Scott Brown is eyeing a Celtic exit - just six months after snubbing the Premiership for a £4.5m move to Parkhead. (Express)

Scotland squad players Christian Dailly and Neil Alexander are preparing to check in at Rangers as boss Walter Smith seeks last-minute cover. (Various)

Motherwell want to bring former full-back Steven Hammill back to Fir Park from Southend United. (Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
Abou Diaby is set to sign an improved two-year extension to his deal with Arsenal. (Various)

Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez says he is feeling the strain in terms of fitness after two summers without a break. (Daily Express)

Sir Alex Ferguson has other matters on his mind as the Manchester United boss wants the pitch at Old Trafford relaid. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY
Tottenham striker Robbie Keane's persistence in texting and phoning Jonathan Woodgate persuaded the defender to sign for Spurs and join up with his ex-Leeds team-mate. (Daily Star)