Transfers Speculations (February):

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Monday 17th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Marcel Desailly warns that the Englishman who becomes part of Fabio Capello's coaching set-up is unlikely to have their opinion taken on-board by the Italian, who "does not receive advice from anybody". (The Guardian)

Alan Hansen agrees, insisting that "looking for an English representation among the backroom staff is a waste of time... and a hollow pledge". (Daily Telegraph)

The man himself - Fabio Capello - has admitted that the challenge of becoming England's head coach was the biggest of his career. (Daily Telegraph)

Stuart Pearce is being earmarked as Fabio Capello's successor - should the bespectacled Italian choose to welcome Psycho into his coaching set-up. (The Sun)

Capello's first experience of English football was a losing one way back in 1969 when playing for Roma in a two-leg clash between the English and Italian League Cup winners. Roma won the first game 2-1 but lost the return leg 4-0 - to Swindon Town. (The Sun)

Sir Trevor Brooking says it is the FA's responsibility to ensure they never have to appoint a foreign coach again. (Daily Mail)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Liverpool could face FA action after a fan threw a golf ball at Wayne Rooney towards the end of Sunday's match with Manchester United at Anfield. (The Guardian)

Roy Keane could also be in trouble with the FA after the Sunderland boss vented his spleen towards referee Steve Bennett in the tunnel following his team's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. (Daily Telegraph)

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was denied the opportunity to have a word with referee Mark Clattenburg after his side's 5-3 loss at Wigan - the man in the middle told Sparky he was going home straight after the game. (The Sun)

Arsenal's Lassana Diarra has asked for a transfer because he is unhappy with his lack of chances since joining from Chelsea in August. "I play more for France that Arsenal, it's incredible," he said. (various)

Rafa Benitez will look to sign Sulley Muntari from Portsmouth in the January transfer window if a £17m fee to keep on-loan Javier Mascherano is not sanctioned. (Daily Mirror)

Leicester are planning a £1.5m swoop for Plymouth star David Norris. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton manager Alan Pardew is trying to extend the loan spell of Danny Mills, who is set to return to Manchester City next month. (Daily Mirror)


AND FINALLY

Reading's petrol-head goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann has been roaring up and down Berkshire's roads in his full-sized, 440 horse power Ford Lightning truck this week. And the American's decent run of form has not been affected by his wife Amanda driving over and destroying his "lucky laptop" computer. (The Sun)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson stills insists upon being driven around by a chauffeur in England because he is anxious about driving on the left-hand side of the road. (Daily Mirror)

New England boss Fabio Capello has received an early Christmas present to assist him in his boast to master the English language in a month - an Italian-English dictionary. The pocket-sized aid was among a box of books sent to his new offices by Borders, which included 'England's Worst Footballers'.

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Tuesday 18th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

New England boss Fabio Capello has vowed to restore the country's pride and faith in the England shirt. (Daily Star)

The Italian has made it clear he will be ruling his players with an iron fist. He insists "a place in the squad has to be deserved through behaviour, play and attitude". (various)

Holland's former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy claims Capello's appointment has sent shudders of fear through England's international rivals because the Italian is so good. (The Sun)

Capello could be without defender John Terry for three months as the England skipper has a broken metatarsal. (various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been given the full backing of the club's owners but not a decision on money for new players. (Daily Star)

Anfield chief executive Rick Parry insists Liverpool will be building a new stadium but admits the plans have had to be modified. (Daily Star)

Arsenal midfielder Matthieu Flamini is in talks with the club over a new £40,000 per week deal. (Daily Star)

AC Milan are set to release Brazil striker Ronaldo. (Daily Star)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has made a £600,000 bid for Colchester defender George Elokobi. (Daily Star)

Leicester manager Ian Holloway hopes to beat Derby and Norwich to the signature of Sunderland midfielder Graham Kavanagh. (Daily Star)

Nottingham Forest manager Colin Calderwood is poised to make a £250,000 swoop for Luton midfielder Dave Edwards. (Daily Star)

Arsenal defender Matt Connolly is set to join QPR on loan. (Daily Star)

Southend and Nottingham Forest have both made of a bid of £250,000 for Blue Square South side Eastleigh's Damian Scannell. (Daily Star)

Reading goalkeeper Graham Stack wants to make his loan move to Wolves permanent next month. (Daily Star)

Coventry's new owners are set to make Northampton midfielder Bradley Johnson their first signing since completing a takeover of the club. (Daily Star)

Manchester City still want Mexico striker Nery Castillo. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra is concerned he has not been approached about extending his deal which ends in a year. (Express)

Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney has vowed to stay at the club and win a first-team place. (various)

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed it is his dream to play for a Spanish club one day. (various)

Tottenham are poised to make a move for Rangers defender Alan Hutton and will pay £6m to get him. (Express)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is closing on a deal for Swindon's 17-year-old defender Ben Tozer. (various)

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez is considering offering a trial to South Korea international full-back Song Chong-gug. (various)

Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone's agent has insisted it is not true that his player has been told he has no future at the club. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United want Bayern Munich full-back Phillipp Lahm. (The Times)

Sunderland and Sheffield United are locked in a battle for the signature of Aston Villa's Gary Cahill. (The Sun)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is set to sign Ipswich winger Jonathan Walters, despite selling the player when he was Bolton manager. (The Sun)

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe's future hangs in the balance after boss Juande Ramos refused to guarantee him a first-team place. (The Sun)

Birmingham are being eyed up by a mystery Russian investor. (various)

Rangers will keep striker Nacho Novo after making him the improved offer of a two-year deal. (Daily Record)

Sevilla have turned down Celtic's bid to take full-back Andreas Hinkel on loan. (Scottish Sun)

Derby, Preston and Leicester have all been alerted to the availability of Aberdeen midfielder Barry Nicholson. (Daily Express)

Hibs midfielder Dean Shiels will seek a January exit after failing to hold down a regular starting place. (Scottish Sun)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will soon find it simple to get his caffeine fix after his fiancée Coleen McLoughlin tracked down an industrial coffee maker and snapped up the £3,000 machine as a Christmas present for her man. (Daily Star)

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Wednesday 19th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

New England boss Fabio Capello has revealed he thought he would never get the job after being overlooked for the position when the FA appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2000. (The Sun)

Capello's Italian coaches cannot be bothered to learn English and will not move to England either. (The Sun)

Italy's World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi says Capello must axe some England stars if he wants to get the squad on his wavelength. (various)

Italy striker Francesco Totti, who endured a stormy relationship with Capello during his time under him at Roma, has hailed his former boss as a "total winner" who is the right man for England. (The Mirror)

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has told Capello he will not come out of international retirement. (various)

Capello has privately admitted his worry that he is inheriting an England squad without a top-class goalkeeper he can rely on. (various)

England's proposed National Football Centre at Burton is under threat after Football Association board member David Sheepshanks said he objected to the site in Staffordshire. (Express)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Chelsea manager Avram Grant is set to beat off competition from Manchester United to sign Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka for £10m. (The Sun)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is monitoring £2m-rated Ipswich striker Jonathan Walters. (The Sun)

Newcastle are set to complete the signing of 17-year-old Swindon full-back Ben Tozer. (The Sun)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is lining up a £2m bid for Strasbourg defender Habib Bellaid. (various)

Newcastle, Manchester City and West Ham are in a three-way battle to sign Barcelona's ex-Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. (The Sun)

Arsenal's Spanish youngster Fran Merida is set to join Chris Coleman's Real Sociedad on loan. (The Sun)

Leicester boss Ian Holloway has decided against raiding former club Plymouth after having moves for Barry Hayles and David Norris knocked back. (The Sun)

Manchester United's Patrice Evra wants a new deal at the club. (The Sun)

Birmingham chairman David Gold has ruled out any more takeover talks for the rest of the season. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough have insisted England winger Stewart Downing will not be leaving the club during the January transfer window. (various)

Manchester United are set to offer Wes Brown, Louis Saha and £6m for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. (various)

However, Newcastle are also interested in Brown, and his former Manchester United team-mates Alan Smith and Nicky Butt, who are now at St James' Park, have convinced him to join them. (Daily Mail)

And Spurs are insisting Nani would need to be part of any deal for Berbatov, but he is unlikely to be allowed to leave Old Trafford. (The Star)

Chelsea boss Avram Grant will sign £4m-rated Argentine wonder kid Franco Di Santo next month. (The Mirror)

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray wants to sign goalkeeper Michal Danek form Czech side Viktoria Plzen. (various)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is tracking Valencia's £8m-rated Portugal defender Miguel. (The Mirror)

Chelsea want 17-year-old Corinthians prospect Lulinha. (The Mirror)

Bolton manager Gary Megson is planning to make a move for 26-year-old Porto centre-back Alves, who he had watched at the weekend. (Express)

Stoke want to keep Sunderland full-back Stephen Wright on loan. (Daily Star)

Tranmere are hoping to extend the loan spell of Bristol City winger Jennison Myrie-Williams. (Daily Star)

And Bristol City striker Phil Jevons wants to make his loan move to Huddersfield permanent. (Daily Star)

Barnsley are poised to sign Spanish midfielder Diego Leon from Swiss side Grasshoppers Zurich. (Daily Star)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is hoping to tie up a permanent deal for Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia, who is on loan from Villarreal. (Daily Star)

Levski Sofia's Bulgaria Under-21 striker Valeri Domovchiyiski has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Blackburn. (The Independent)

Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari insists he does not want a transfer away from the club. (The Independent)

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt claims he is not about to leave to join Sunderland. (The Independent)

Bolton have taken Maccabi Netanyaha's 23-year-old Israel midfielder Tamir Cohen on trial. (The Telegraph)

Millwall are keen on re-signing midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who has returned to Tottenham after a three-month loan spell. (The Telegraph)

Celtic are considering a move for £1m-rated Dundee United midfielder Barry Robson. (The Guardian)

Celtic's out-of-favour striker Maciej Zurawski has been urged to quit the club by Poland national coach Leo Beenhakker. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Since David Beckham appeared in a national advertising campaign wearing tight Y-fronts, sales have gone up by a whopping 260% and they are now outselling the brand's more conservatively-styled boxer shorts. (The Sun)

Michael Ballack's white Ferrari has been nicknamed 'The Ambulance' by his team-mates because of the amount of time the German has spent injured during his stay at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Mail)

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Thursday 20th December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Wayne Rooney has added his voice to the support for Fabio Capello, vowing to help the Italian become a legend for England by winning a trophy under him. (Various)

However, Brazil legend Pele has suggested that the best coach for England might have been an Englishman. And he warned: "Just because England have a foreign coach, or a big name, doesn't mean they are going to win anything." (Daily Telegraph)

Defender Sol Campbell claims Capello will have no problem communicating with his players, despite the fact he is not fluent in English. "There's no language [barrier], everyone understands football," insists the Portsmouth centre-back. (Daily Star)

Former England captain Paul Ince, now manager at MK Dons, has stated there is "absolutely no chance" of him working under Capello as part of the new England set-up. The self-styled 'Guvnor' said: "I'm not playing second fiddle to anyone." (Daily Express)

The Football Association is split over the building of the new £80m National Football Centre at Burton, placing the plans in jeopardy again. (Various)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Aston Villa are lining up a £10m double swoop for Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen and Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte. (Daily Star)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is very happy in the job and would like to renew his contract. (Daily Star)

Multi-billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, the world's fifth richest man, is set to become a director at QPR. (Daily Star)

Manchester City want Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito, while Rolando Bianchi may join Palermo. (Daily Star)

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray is tracking Slovenia Under-21 midfielder Nejc Pecnik. (Daily Star)

Derby boss Paul Jewell is interested in signing Macedonian defender Vlade Lazarevski. (Daily Star)

Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko is wanted by Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos has insisted striker Dimitar Berbatov will not be leaving the club, despite interest from Manchester United. (Various)

Manchester City are trying to hijack Chelsea's move for Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (The Sun)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will make a double swoop for Sevilla left-back Jose Manuel Casada and AC Milan centre-back Kakha Kaladze. (The Sun)

Derby boss Paul Jewell may yet be forced to sell Kenny Miller. (The Sun)

Tottenham have told Ajax to name their price for 21-year-old Holland left-back Urby Emanuelson. (The Sun)

Everton manager David Moyes is preparing a £4m bid for Valencia skipper David Albelda. (Various)

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has insisted he is happy at Everton despite admitting he is flattered by interest from Atletico Madrid. (The Sun)

But the midfielder also revealed he has "an attachment" to the Spanish club and would like to play for them. (Mirror)

Leicester boss Ian Holloway has made Derby striker Steve Howard and Peterborough forward Aaron McLean his top transfer targets. (Mirror)

Real Madrid are set to reward their ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy with a new contract after his 25 league goals last term. (Mirror)

Preston striker Patrick Agyemang looks set to leave at the end of the season after stalling on a new deal. (Mirror)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce wants to sign three new players. (Various)

Manchester United want to re-sign striker Henrik Larsson on a short-term deal similar to the one they took him on last season. (various)

Fulham are considering whether to make a second bid for Portsmouth's Matthew Taylor. (The Times)

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes will rebuff interest in midfielder Robbie Savage from Derby and Wigan. (Telegraph)

Bolton manager Gary Megson has been linked with a move for Celtic midfielder Evander Sno. (Telegraph)

Chelsea are interested in Hamburg's Holland international midfielder Rafael van der Vaart but face competition from Juventus. (Telegraph)

Everton will not allow Scotland international striker James McFadden to join Celtic. (Telegraph)

Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise insists he wants to stay at the club and sign a new contract. (Telegraph)

Manchester United are interested in making a summer move for Porto defender Jose Bosingwa. (Telegraph)

Sunderland's Graham Kavanagh and David Connolly are targets for Norwich and Leicester. (Telegraph)

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is monitoring Canada international Atiba Hutchinson, who plays with FC Copenhagen. (Telegraph)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is considering making a move for Wigan defender Fitz Hall. (Telegraph)

Celtic have told unsettled midfielder Evander Sno he won't be allowed to leave. (Express)

However, boss Gordon Strachan will listen to any offers for both Derek Riordan and Bobo Balde in January. (Express)


AND FINALLY

New England boss Fabio Capello is a huge fan of the classic comedy sitcom Fawlty Towers and has been watching the show, which stars John Cleese as bumbling hotel owner Basil, in an attempt to improve his grasp of the English language. (The Sun)

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Sunday 23rd December gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

England coach Fabio Capello will make David Beckham captain according to former Real Madrid team-mate Roberto Carlos. (The Observer)

Capello is set to lay down the gauntlet to the England squad when they meet up. He will outline standards of behaviour and attitude expected - and anyone falling below them will find themselves out of the squad. (News of the World)

The no-nonsense England boss will introduce a tough new regime of zero tolerance regarding the behaviour of England players - on and off the field. (Sunday Express)

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

Former England skipper Alan Shearer will turn down any offer to join Fabio Capello's England coaching team. (Sunday Mirror)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Former Germany boss and Tottenham hero Jurgen Klinsmann is the man Fulham want to replace Lawrie Sanchez at Craven Cottage. (Sunday Express)

Close friends of Graeme Souness have revealed he is keen on replacing Sanchez. (News of the World)

Meanwhile, Croatia boss Slaven Bilic has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant managerial job at Fulham. (Observer)

Nicolas Anelka is being lined up to replace Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge, if the Chelsea striker leaves in the January transfer window. (Various)

However, Chelsea will face competition from Manchester United who are set to renew their interest in the Bolton man. (Sunday Mirror)

Blackburn Rovers winger David Bentley is a £10m target for Spanish giants Valencia and Atletico Madrid. (Sunday Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is poised to swoop for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch and Spurs forward Jermain Defoe as he looks to strengthen his attacking options. (Observer)

Strikers Benni MCarthy and Mark Viduka are being lined-up for a dramatic swap. Blackburn's McCarthy and Newcastle's Viduka are said to be unhappy at their respective clubs. (News of the World)

Tottenham look to have won the battle to sign Rangers' Scotland defender Alan Hutton. (Mail on Sunday)

Meanwhile, out of favour Spurs striker Darren Bent is a target for West Ham, although Juande Ramos is keen to keep the forward at the club. (Mail on Sunday)

Liverpool are poised to complete the signing of Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi from Fiorentina for around £500,000. (News of the World)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is keen to bring Reading striker Leroy Lita but Reading have placed a £5m price tag on the 22-year-old. (News of the World)

Inter Milan are poised to make a name-your-price bid for Manchester City's Elano. (News of the World)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is ready to put one over Sir Alex Ferguson by finally signing Gabriel Heinze.(The People)

Liverpool and Chelsea will battle it out to sign unsettled Valencia striker David Silva. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY
Less than a year after buying the club, Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett could be forced to sell to avoid financial meltdown. (News of the World)

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TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United contacted Tottenham about signing Dimitar Berbatov four weeks ago, but they are thought to want to sign him in the summer rather than now (Times).

Chelsea could hijack Manchester United's interest with a £26m offer for Berbatov (The Sun).

Hull and Leeds both want to sign Manchester City's Danny Mills (Daily Star).

Valencia want to sign Liverpool's John Arne Riise (Times).

Sheffield Wednesday have been priced out of a move for John Hartson, who has been told he can leave West Brom (Daily Star).

Dundee United boss Craig Levein says captain Barry Robson, who has been linked with Celtic, is worth £2m (Daily Record).

Real Madrid will focus their efforts on signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer (Mirror and Express)

Watford's Marlon King and Bobby Zamora of West Ham are on Roy Hodgson's wish list after he took over as Fulham manager (Mirror).

Barcelona are interested in Manchester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel after Jens Lehmann turned down a chance to move to the Nou Camp as back-up for Victor Valdes (Mirror).

Everton are poised to make Plymouth's versatile 17-year-old Ryan Gosling their first signing of the transfer window (Mirror).

Reading's Kevin Doyle is a surprise name on Chelsea's January shopping list, along with Bolton's Nicolas Anelka (Independent).

Bolton boss Gary Megson says the transfer window is "rubbish" and he would like to see its legal validity challenged in court (Telegraph).


OTHER GOSSIP
Javier Mascherano says he does not want to play for any other team in England if Liverpool decide not to make his loan move permanent (Daily Star).

Queen's Park boss Billy Stark is to be the new Scotland U21 manager (Daily Record).

Harry Kewell, who is out of contract in the summer, says his time at Liverpool has been so injury-plagued he dare not think about a new contract (Sun).

Sunderland's Daryl Murphy seems unenthusiastic about the possibility of joining QPR, saying "I've a good few years left on my contract here" (Sun).

Watford captain Jay DeMerit has warned his team-mates their jobs are on the line after a dramatic loss of form in the Championship (Mirror).

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has hinted he would be happy to get rid of Robbie Savage, saying he is frustrated and "doesn't take not playing very well" (Express).

Derby chairman Adam Pearson is refusing to admit their survival hopes are over but admits they face "a very difficult challenge" to stay in the Premier League (Express).

Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor has caught the eye of new England coach Fabio Capello and could be called into his first squad next month (Mail).

But John Terry is likely to miss the game against Switzerland as he could be out for two to three months with broken bones in his foot (Guardian).


AND FINALLY
Manchester United put on an alcohol-free Christmas pantomime at the training ground, with youth team players performing impressions of senior players (Daily Star).

Aston Villa's Wilfred Bouma says Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor are so frustratingly talented to play against in training he has to restrain himself from kicking them (Daily Star).

Even after he had won his first Scotland cap, Alex McLeish's father asked then Aberdeen boss Sir Alex Ferguson to persuade him to continue training as an accountant (Mirror).

West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green has no Christmas decorations up in his house as he says playing over the festive period makes it just like any other part of the year (Independent)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce says buying a player in the transfer window is "like buying puppies at Christmas - you have to make sure it's long term and for the right reasons" (Telegraph).

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Wednesday 02nd January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Chelsea manager Avram Grant is ready to spend £35m to capture Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka and Tottenham forward Dimitar Berbatov. (Daily Star)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane wants to sign Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage and will also bid £2.5m for Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt. (Daily Star)

Derby are set to sign Argentine forward Emanuel Villa from Mexican side UAG Tecos this weekend. (The Sun)

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is lining up a £2m swoop for Crystal Palace's 17-year-old winger Sean Scanell. (The Sun)

West Brom want to permanently sign Shrejill Macdonald, who is on loan from Dutch side AGOVV. (The Sun)

Bristol City will pay Turkish side Genclerbirligi £500,000 for Australia international Nick Carle. (The Sun)

Leeds are preparing a new bid for Walsall's 21-year-old left-back Daniel Fox after having a £250,000 bid for him rejected. (The Sun)

Blackburn have discouraged interest in striker Jason Roberts by slapping a £4m price tag on his head. (Mirror)

Meanwhile, Rovers want South Korea midfielder Yoon Bitgaram. (Mirror)

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is hoping to make Liverpool winger Harry Kewell one of his first signings since taking over at Craven Cottage. (Mirror)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is hoping to secure Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell on a loan deal. (Mirror)

Former Newcastle winger Laurent Robert wants to return to England, and Ipswich are favourites to sign him. (Mirror)

Crystal Palace want to sign Preston winger Simon Whaley and Birmingham midfielder Neil Danns. (Mirror)

Blackpool are close to signing Stephen McPhee after Hull accepted a £250,000 bid for him. (Mirror)

Arsenal are tracking Gillingham striker Luke Freeman, who is the youngest player to have played in the FA Cup at 15 years and 233 days old. (Telegraph)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is keen on signing 25-year-old Porto defender Jose Bosingwa. (Telegraph)

Rangers are stepping up their bid to sign Aston Villa striker Luke Moore. (Sun)

Rangers are chasing Napoli midfielder Sam Della Bona after a recommendation from AC Milan's Rino Gattuso. (Sun)

Rangers have been linked with Stuttgart left-back Ludovic Magnin. (Sun)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is interested in Rangers full-back Alan Hutton and Hibernian left-back defender David Murphy. (Telegraph)

Blackburn are monitoring South African midfielder Lance Davids, who plays for Swedish side Djugaardens. (Telegraph)

Chelsea manager Avram Grant is interested in Reading's Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle. (Telegraph)

Derby are set to raid America for 22-year-old Kansas City Wizards striker Eddie Johnson. (Telegraph)

Everton are watching 30-year-old striker Thorstein Helstad, who plays for Norwegian side Brann. (Telegraph)

Manchester City defender Danny Mills, who is currently on loan at Charlton, is wanted on a permanent deal by Hull and Leeds. (Telegraph)

Manchester United could re-sign Henrik Larsson on a loan deal, similar to last season's transfer. (Telegraph)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp could make a move for Liverpool and England forward Peter Crouch. (Telegraph)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is looking at 24-year-old Macedonian striker Ilco Naumoski, who plays for Austria's SV Mattersburg. (Telegraph)

Reading will have to pay £5m to sign Coventry's Michael Mifsud. (Telegraph)

QPR are interested in Sunderland's Daryl Murphy, Blackburn's Robbie Savage, Celtic's Bobo Balde and Reading's Leroy Lita. (Telegraph)

West Ham are interested in signing Tottenham's out-of-favour striker Darren Bent. (Telegraph)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is tracking 24-year-old Ipswich striker Jonathan Walters. (Telegraph)

Celtic could offer Derek Riordan in part-exchange to Burnley for striker Kyle Lafferty. (Star)

Maccabi Tel Aviv have cooled their interest in Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski. (Record)

St Mirren have launched a £40,000 bid for Inverness Caley Thistle midfielder John Rankin. (Star)

Falkirk forward Pedro Moutinho is hoping for a move to a bigger club in January. (Record)


OTHER GOSSIP
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is being offered to European clubs by his agents, who feel time is running out to secure a deal at Anfield. (various)

West Ham striker Dean Ashton is set for showdown talks with the club after being dropped for recent matches. (Daily Star)

Blackburn are set to offer David Bentley a bumper new deal. (The Sun)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is eager to extend the contract of goalkeeper Maik Taylor. (Mirror)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos insists striker Dimitar Berbatov will see out the season at White Hart Lane. (Mirror)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has insisted he has received no offers from any other clubs for England striker Michael Owen. (Telegraph)


AND FINALLY
David Beckham has been labelled Oldenballs rather than Goldenballs after revealing a new bleached crop haircut that has led him to him being likened to One Foot In The Grave character Victor Meldrew. (The Sun)

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Thursday 03rd January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is lining up a £45m bid for Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. (Telegraph)

Ronaldo has made up his mind up to join Real and his agent has agreed a deal in principle with the club. (Express)

Chelsea have agreed an £8.5m deal with Lokomotiv Moscow for Serbia international defender Branislav Ivanovic. (various)

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka is also set to move to Stamford Bridge for a £10m fee. (various)

And Blues manager Avram Grant is considering making it a triple swoop by offering £26m for Tottenham forward Dimitar Berbatov. (various)

Yet Chelsea are not finished there - they are also set to make a double swoop for Sevilla defender Daniel Alves and Valencia striker David Villa, at a cost of £45m. (Mirror)

Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb is wanted by Barcelona, who claim he is their top transfer target. Barcelona are also tracking Cesc Fabregas, Man Utd's Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Xabi Alonso. (Mirror)

Manchester United face competition from Barcelona for the signature of Bayern Munich left-back Philip Lahm. (Mirror)

AC Milan are confident they will capture Barcelona's Brazil superstar Ronaldinho in the summer, despite interest from Chelsea. (Mirror)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is lining up a move for Espanyol's 20-year-old keeper Kiko Casilla. And German stopper Jens Lehmann is set to leave the Gunners to join Borussia Dortmund. (various)

Blackburn will assess Levski Sofia striker Valeri Domovchiyski during a five-day trial at Ewood Park. (The Sun)

Macedonia striker Goran Pandev, who plays for Lazio, has said he is interested in playing for Tottenham, Liverpool or Everton. (The Sun)

Sheffield United will pay £6.5m for three midfielders and two defenders. West Ham's Nigel Quashie, Derby's David Jones, Portsmouth's Richard Hughes, Man Utd's Phil Bardsley and Aston Villa's Gary Cahill are the targets. (various)

Derby and Fulham have joined the race to sign Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage, who is also wanted by Sunderland. (The Sun)

Leeds have had an offer of £250,000 for Barnet midfielder Jason Puncheon turned down. (The Sun)

Derby will sign former Newcastle winger Laurent Robert. (The Sun)

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is considering making a move for Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge. (Star)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is preparing to offer former club Leicester £1m for 20-year-old defender Richard Stearman. (Star)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is set for a major clear-out at the club, releasing five players. Martin Taylor, Rowan Vine, Olivier Tebily, Neil Kilkenny and Neil Danns are all on their way out. (Star)

Derby manager Paul Jewell is ready to pay £2m for Hull's American-born goalkeeper Boaz Myhill. (Star)

Charlton and Hull are fighting it out for the signature of versatile Colchester skipper Karl Duguid. (Star)

Ipswich have made an enquiry to Sunderland for 30-year-old striker David Connolly. (Star)

Wolves are keen on taking Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi on loan for the rest of the season and also want Derby's Robert Earnshaw. (Star)

Leeds are set to sign Luton striker Dean Morgan, who is currently on loan at Southend. (Star)

Everton are tracking Sheffield Wednesday's £1m-rated teenage centre-back Mark Beavers. (Star)

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray is preparing to bid £750,000 for Luton midfielder David Bell. (Star)

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has his eye on Manchester City's out-of-favour Greece international striker Georgios Samaras. (Mirror)

Newcastle face competition from Real Madrid for Valencia midfielder David Albelada. (Telegraph)

Derby manager Paul Jewell is set to sign Tottenham midfielder Hossam Ghaly on a loan deal. (Mirror)

Everton manager David Moyes will pay £1.5m for Plymouth's 17-year-old midfielder Dan Gosling. (Mirror)

Aston Villa's out-of-favour goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen has pleaded with manager Martin O'Neill to be released from his contract. (Mirror)

Ipswich have bid £1.5m for Plymouth midfielder David Norris after having an initial £1m offer turned down. (Mirror)

Leicester manager Ian Holloway is involved in a tug-of-war with Plymouth over a loan deal for Manchester United winger Lee Martin. (Mirror)

Aston Villa's Bulgaria star Stylian Petrov is sure his compatriot Dimitar Berbatov will get his wish to leave Tottenham for a bigger club. (various)

Everton manager David Moyes may move for Bayern Munich defender Daniel Buyten on a loan deal. (Telegraph)

Doncaster want to sign Birmingham midfielder Neil Kilkenny. (Telegraph)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is ready to listen to offers for midfielder Jason Koumas and defender Fitz Hall, who is attracting QPR's interest. (Telegraph)

Sunderland are interested in Reading striker Leroy Lita. (The Sun)

Bolton are monitoring Barcelona striker Santiago Ezquerro, who is unsettles at the Nou Camp. (Telegraph)

Liverpool may sell Mohammed Sissoko, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch to raise money to sign Javier Mascherano on a permanent deal. (Telegraph)

Manchester City have been told by French club Toulouse that striker Johan Elmander, who is also wanted by Tottenham, is not for sale. (Telegraph)

Manchester City forward Rolando Bianchi is wanted by Italian side Torino, on a loan move with a view to a permanent transfer. (The Times)

Arsenal's highly-rated young Spanish midfielder Fran Merida is set to join Real Sociedad on loan. (Independent)

Liverpool have been warned off making a move for Palermo striker Maurizio Zamparini. (Independent)

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is considering making a move for Atletico Madrid's Portugal international midfielder Maniche. (Independent)

Inter Milan have abandoned the idea of signing Manchester City forward Elano, claiming the Brazilian is out of their price range. (The Times)

Bolton and Middlesbrough have expressed an interest in signing Sheffield United forward Rob Hulse. (The Times)

West Ham may re-ignite their interest in Derby midfielder Giles Barnes, who is available for £3.5m. (The Times)

Manchester United and Aston Villa have been told by Porto that right-back Jose Bosingwa would cost £20m. (The Times)


OTHER GOSSIP
Watford striker Marlon King says he will leave the club during the transfer window - with Fulham tipped as his likely destination. (The Sun)

Tottenham have told Jermain Defoe to sign a new contract with the club or leave this month. (Telegraph)

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will leave the club at the end of the season, when his contract ends. (Star)


AND FINALLY
West Ham defender Matthew Upson is using torn-up phone book pages to solve his persistent injury problems. The centre-back was advised to stuff them into his boots - and he is so impressed he is stuffing them in his regular shoes, trainers and even his flip-flops as well. (The Sun)

[<<ELVIS>>]

Latest transfers speculations Monday 07.01.08

All the latest football gossip

Monday's gossip column

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has revealed his desire to quit the club in the summer.

Tottenham are to revive their move for Rangers full-back Alan Hutton, with the Scottish club keen for the £8m transfer to go ahead.

Spurs are also interested in former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse. But they face competition for the Marseille forward from Premier League rivals West Ham, Manchester City, Blackburn and Bolton.

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is interested in Bayern Munich forward Lukas Podoloski.

Chelsea and Tottenham are tracking Barcelona and Italy full-back Gianluca Zambrotta.

Spurs may also move for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson, who they bid £1m for two years ago.

Norwich want to sign Bulgaria defender Valentin Iliev and have offered his club, CSKA Sofia £700,000.

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov says he is not worth his club's £31m valuation and claims the speculation is getting to him.

Meanwhile, Spurs right-back Pascal Chimbonda's future at the club is in doubt after he laughed when they asked him to play centre-back.

But Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is lining up an £8m move for Chelsea centre-back Tal Ben Haim.

Meanwhile, Ramos could soon be losing star striker Dimitar Berbatov, who is the subject of a money-no-object approach from Manchester City.

Derby want to sign Aston Villa keeper Thomas Sorensen.

Portsmouth midfielder Matt Taylor will decide this week whether to move to Sunderland or Bolton, who have both had a £3.5m bid accepted.

Bolton boss Gary Megson is lining up Real Madrid's Javier Saviola as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka, who looks set to leave.

Chelsea are favourites to sign Anelka but they value the Frenchman at £11m while Bolton want £18m.

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt is open to a move to Sunderland.

Liverpool boss Rafael Bentiez continues to plan for the future, despite speculation he could be sacked. He has his eye on Porto defender Bruno Alves.

Manchester City are ready to offer Rolando Bianchi in a part-exchange deal for Roma's £16m-rated striker Amantino Mancini.

Blackburn defender Bruno Pezzoni is set to quit the club, just after breaking into the first-team, to join German side Cologne.

Reading will spend £700,000 on Czech Republic international midfielder Marek Matejovsky.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish wants to sign Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner and Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras.

Leicester boss Ian Holloway has agreed to sign Hungarian midfielder Gabor Bori for the rest of the season.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is to assess South Korea striker Cho Jae-Jin during a week's trial.

Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock is set to go back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday to sign midfielder Glenn Whelan.

Norwich's out-of-favour midfielder Ian Murray will reject a move to Brighton to join former club Hibernian.

West Brom's former England Under-21 midfielder Richard Chaplow is wanted by Burnley.

Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock has tabled a bid for Aberdeen duo Michael Hart and Chris Clark.

St Mirren have upped their offer for Inverness midfielder John Rankin.

Celtic may offer Derek Riordan to Burnley in a bid to sweeten a deal for Kyle Lafferty.

Dundee United have rejected an offer from Blackpool for striker Noel Hunt.

Other gossip other than transfer news..............

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry is set to meet with the club's owners in the USA and discuss manager Rafael Benitez's future.

Southampton are the £50m targets of an Icelandic consortium.

Sven-Goran Eriksson has urged new England boss Fabio Capello to hand David Beckham his 100th cap against Switzerland.

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is angry that he was forced to hand over the captain's armband to substitute Didier Drogba when the striker came on for the final 30 minutes of Saturday's FA match against QPR.

The Football Association has revealed that 70,000 tickets have already been sold for England's friendly against Switzerland at Wembley next month, which is Fabio Capello's first match in charge.

[<<ELVIS>>]

Tuesday 08th January gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is set to spend £7m on Slovakia international defender Martin Skrtel. (Telegraph)

Aston Villa want to sign Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte and Reading striker Kevin Doyle. (Telegraph)

Birmingham are continuing to track Manchester City striker Georgios Samaras. (Telegraph)

Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is wanted by Barcelona, but the Finn intends to remain at the Reebok stadium until the summer. (Telegraph)

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos will pay £8m to make Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim his first signing. (Telegraph)

Spurs are also weighing up a £9m bid for former Chelsea midfielder Tiago, who has struggled to make an impact since joining Juventus. (Telegraph)

Meanwhile, striker Jermain Defoe has revealed he has been told by Ramos he can leave White Hart Lane if he wants to - but the 25-year-old has vowed to fight to stay at the club. (The Sun)

However, Aston Villa have been alerted to Defoe's availability and manager Martin O'Neill is keen to make an offer for the England forward. (Guardian)

Chelsea need to increase their bid for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka from £10m to £15m if they are to secure the Frenchman's services. (The Sun)

Ipswich have dismissed speculation that midfielder Danny Haynes is set to join either West Ham or Everton. (Telegraph)

Fulham are interested in signing Falkirk's Portuguese striker Pedro Moutinho. (Telegraph)

Liverpool may move for 17-year-old Ghanaian defender Daniel Opare, after he expressed a desire to play in the Premier League. (Telegraph)

Manchester City are set to sign a forward, with Peter Crouch, Fred, Lukas Podolski, Amanto Mancini and Vagner Love all on their list. (Telegraph)

Portsmouth defender Matt Taylor is wanted by Reading, Bolton, Sunderland and Rangers. (Telegraph)

West Ham are interested in Portsmouth striker David Nugent. (Telegraph)

Leeds chairman Ken Bates has slapped a £3m price tag on 15-goal top scorer Jermain Beckford, who is attracting interest from Derby. (The Sun)

Fulham are set to sign Jean-Alain Boumsong on loan from Juventus. (The Sun)

Coventry's £3m-rated striker Michael Mifsud is wanted by Birmingham, Wigan and Reading. (The Sun)

Birmingham and Wigan are battling it out to capture Swedish defender Erik Edman, who plays for Rennes. (The Sun)

Liverpool's 18-year-old left-back Emiliano Insua is wanted by Spanish club Real Sociedad on a six-month loan deal. (The Sun)

Everton manager David Moyes is close to signing Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek. (The Sun)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is confident he will sign Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt, despite having an improved £3m offer rejected. (The Sun)

Derby manager Paul Jewell has begun negotiations with Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage over a £2m deal to bring him to the club. (The Sun)

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri is keen on signing unsettled Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko. (Guardian)

Rangers still want full-back Alan Hutton to join Tottenham. (The Times)

Spurs have tabled an increased offer for Hutton but the Scotland star is likely to knock it back. (various)

Celtic have reached an agreement with JEF United to sign Japanese midfielder Koki Mizuno. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood is threatening to resign unless the board back him with a transfer fund. (various)

Hibernian have rejected Birmingham's £1m offer for left-back David Murphy (Daily Record & Mail)

Manchester City are set to sign midfielder Nashat Akram and make him the first Iraqi player to appear in the Premier league. (The Times)

Birmingham have taken AIK midfielder Dulee Johnson on trial and are also monitoring VfB Stuttgart left-back Ludovik Magnin. (The Times)

Portsmouth and Reading are interested in signing Lille forward Nicolas Fauverge. (The Times)

Bolton want £2m-rated Hearts striker Andrius Velicka. (Daily Mail)

Torino president Urbano Cairo has insisted the club does not want to sign Manchester City striker Rolando Bianchi. (the Independent)

Middlesbrough are in talks to sign Heerenveen's Brazilian striker Afonso Alves. (various)


OTHER GOSSIP
Borussia Dortmund fans do not want the club to sign Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann because he used to play for their rivals Schalke 04. (Telegraph)

Hibernian want Phil Parkinson, who is currently Charlton assistant boss, as their new manager. (The Sun)

Liverpool's owners are lining up Jurgen Klinsmann to replace manager Rafael Benitez. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United want David Beckham to become the club's global ambassador when he retires from playing. It is a role that would net the former England skipper around £2m a year. (The Sun)