Wednesday Paper Talk

[Chelmsford_yid]

Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger will launch a £9m move for West Ham striker Carlton Cole if Nicklas Bendtner fails a fitness test on Friday. "If Bendtner is out for another two months we will need to buy someone, absolutely," admitted Wenger.

However, Ars*nal are set to lose highly-rated Spanish midfielder Fran Merida, who has snubbed a new deal at the Emirates and is set to join Atletico Madrid.

The Gunners are battling it out with Manchester United for Cardiff City's 17-year-old defender Adam Matthews, who is seen as one of the best prospects outside the Premier League.

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has played down suggestions he will leave the club for Real Madrid, insisting he has "a marvellous understanding" with manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Bolton are prepared to cash in on £15m-rated defender Gary Cahill in order to provide prospective new manager Owen Coyle with substantial funds during the transfer window.

Tottenham have renewed their interest in Miguel Veloso after seeing the Sporting midfielder score in the Portuguese Cup win over Braga.

Spurs have joined Chelsea and Manchester City on the trail of Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini, who is valued at £22m by his club.

Former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, who plays for Estudiantes, has been linked with a shock £7m move to Manchester City.

Andrea Dossena's agent claims a deal to take the Liverpool defender to Napoli is all but done. "I believe the player will arrive in Napoli tomorrow," Roberto La Florio told Tuttomercatoweb.
(Press Association)

Liverpool have turned down Birmingham's £9m bid for winger Ryan Babel, as the price falls short of their £12m valuation.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is ready to swoop for Sporting Gijon left-back Roberto Canella - and open the door for Maynor Figueroa to be sold.

Midfielder Kevin Kilbane and striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink are heading out of Hull as the Premier League strugglers attempt to cut costs.

Blackburn are prepared to listen to offers for striker Benni McCarthy who has told Rovers manager Sam Allardyce he would like to leave Ewood Park.

Wolves are on the trail of £2m-rated Derby winger Kris Commons

Derby boss Nigel Clough wants Bolton's out of favour right back Nicky Hunt on loan.

Burnley have put manager Owen Coyle on gardening leave until Bolton agree to pay them £3m in compensation to take him to the Reebok. The Clarets released a statement yesterday saying Coyle had requested to leave Turf Moor to join the Trotters.

Hibernian's John Hughes is an early candidate to replace Burnley manager Owen Coyle, who is poised to take over at Bolton.

Portsmouth will have to sell some of their stars to avoid becoming the first club in Premier League history to go into administration, with defender Younes Kaboul likely to be the first to leave in a £5m switch to French side Lyon.

West Ham and Millwall face the threat of ground closures when the two clubs answer Football Association charges on Wednesday brought after violence marred a Carling Cup clash between the sides last August.

Manchester City are set to hand goalkeeper Joe Hart a double-your-money pay rise, even though they intend to send him out on loan again next season. The England man is currently on a season-long loan at Birmingham.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is putting in up to five hours extra training a day in order to boost his fitness so he can last the season. "One of the reasons I'm working really hard is because I know in this situation Liverpool need every player fit," said Torres.

[SomersetYiddo]

Ive been watching aot of Serie A football this season and that Sampodoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini is on fire he has great technique and a thundering strike on him but i do not reckon this is a target for us and it is just paper speculation, i can see him moving to a bigger club soon though.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Liverpool have beaten off their rivals by securing the signature of striker Marouane Chamakh for £25m. Ars*nal, Inter Milan and Juventus were all after the Bordeaux man, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is keeping a close eye on Stamford Bridge following reports that Joe Cole's contract negotiations at Chelsea are stumbling. The England midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season.

Chelsea may be about to lose out to AC Milan in the battle to sign Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko but the London club are about to turn their attentions to Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini. Fellaini's father said: "Marouane belongs at a really top club and will only get better."

Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko looks set to end his White Hart Lane nightmare by joining Zenit St Petersburg, who have tabled a £10.2m bid for the Russia striker.

Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Internacional's 20-year-old midfielder Sandro and are set to complete a £6m deal for the Brazilian.

Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood is being lined up for a move to Leeds United, with boss Simon Grayson looking for a short-term replacement for Jermaine Beckford, who looks set to depart Elland Road.

Tottenham are set to make a shock move to bring former Ars*nal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who is currently at AC Milan, back to north London.

Ars*nal look to have beaten Everton to the signing of Real America's Bolivian attacking midfielder Samuel Galindo.

Portsmouth have rejected Sunderland's bid of £5m, plus Anton Ferdinand, for French defender Younes Kaboul.

Galatasaray have tabled an £800,000 offer for defender Lucas Neill who joined Everton on a free transfer less than four months ago.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has received assurances that he will be able to reinvest some or all of the money raised by the potential sale of forward Ryan Babel.

Newcastle United want to sign Bolton defender Danny s**ttu - after missing out on Sheffield United's Matthew Kilgallon.

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan is keen on QPR winger Wayne Routledge.

Routledge's arrival could signal the departure of Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson to Sunderland.

Kilmarnock want Tommy McLean to take over as interim boss following the departure of Jim Jefferies.

England manager Fabio Capello is set to give a full international debut to Joe Hart in the friendly against Egypt at Wembley on 3 March. The Manchester City goalkeeper is currently on loan at Birmingham.

England's 2018 World Cup bid team will tread cautiously when they set off on a mission to Angola to lobby African football officials after tensions were raised by the instant reaction of figures in the English game to the gun attack on the Togo team that resulted in the death of three people.

Liverpool are set to ditch Anfield's heritage and sell naming rights for the new stadium in Stanley Park.

Former Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David Gold are closing in on a £50m takeover of West Ham.

Under-fire Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has two games to save his job, with growing unrest from the fans and the club's board.

Former Ars*nal defender Martin Keown has backed his Gunners team-mate Sol Campbell to win an England recall. Campbell is set to return to Ars*nal on a free transfer after leaving Notts County in September after only one game.

[Chelmsford_yid]

West Ham's new owners could try to lure Fulham striker Bobby Zamora back to Upton Park, 18 months after he left the club.

And Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton could also be on his way to West Ham, with Bordeaux's Mathieu Chalme his replacement in the Spurs defence.

Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul could be in line for a return to Tottenham as Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate's injury troubles continue.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will move for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy - but only if he can offload misfit Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Chelsea could be forced to go back on their "no transfer window signings" pledge if midfielder Michael Essien's knee injury rules him out for an extended period of time.

Manchester United and Chelsea are battling it out to sign 18-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder Sergio Canales, who can leave Racing Santander in the summer when his contract runs out.

Blackburn want to take Uruguay international midfielder Sebastian Eguren on loan from Spanish club Villarreal, where he has fallen out of favour.

But striker Benni McCarthy could be heading out of Blackburn, with Turkish side Galatasaray keen to sign him.

Galatasaray are also monitoring Ryan Babel's situation at Liverpool after the winger fell out with manager Rafael Benitez.

Liverpool's Fernando Torres has urged Benitez to sign either of the striker's international colleagues David Villa or David Silva from Valencia to partner him in attack.

Midfielder Mathieu Flamini could become yet another ex-Ars*nal player to join Manchester City - on loan from AC Milan.

AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could also be heading to England in a bid to get regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup, with Ars*nal, Liverpool and Tottenham likely to be interested.

Fulham and Hull are weighing up former Tottenham striker Mido, who is still officially a Middlesbrough player but is on loan at Zamalek where he has been since last summer.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has tabled a £4m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil.

Middlesbrough may use some of that cash to sign striker Leon Best from Coventry.

Bristol City are close to signing Barnsley winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

West Ham technical director Gianluca Nani will be sacked on Wednesday, only 24 hours after David Sullivan and David Gold took over the club. (Daily Star)

Football Association director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking has warned England does not have enough depth of young talent and he does not know where the next Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard will come from.

Newcastle midfielder Alan Smith has called on owner Mike Ashley to splash the cash this month to bolster the club's promotion bid.

Brazil legend Pele has tipped Spain to win this year's World Cup, saying they are the best team in the world at the moment, and he predicts that Argentina will struggle.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says the current crop of players at the club is the best for 20 years.

Ars*nal new boy Samuel Galindo has been caught up in an elaborate spoof, when a Bolivian TV station claimed it had a copy of his passport stating he was 20 years old and not 17 as was said when the midfielder joined the Gunners. (Daily Mirror)

[Chelmsford_yid]

Tottenham are set to usurp West Ham's bid for Monaco's Icelandic forward Eidur Gudjohnsen after meeting him at Stansted Airport on Monday.

Ars*nal teenager Jack Wilshere's proposed loan move to Bolton is back on, despite the two clubs' managers falling out after their fiery match last week.

Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara will be Avram Grant's first loan signing following the Premier League's decision to lift Portsmouth's transfer embargo, although the south-coast club will only be able to acquire players on free or loan deals.

David Bentley also looks set to leave Spurs, with West Ham interested in taking the midfielder, who scored in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Fulham, on loan for the rest of the season.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is set to make a third and final offer of £3.5m for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to renew his interest in Liverpool's out-of-favour Dutch forward Ryan Babel.

Fulham plan to pip Sunderland and Celtic to sign Egypt's attacking midfielder Mohamed Gedo, who plays for Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary.

The Cottagers are also trying to resurrect a loan deal for Roma striker Stefano Okaka. Stoke manager Tony Pulis is also monitoring developments concerning the 20-year-old, whose original switch to Fulham fell through because Roma were demanding a £250,000 loan fee.

West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo is preparing a £750,000 bid for Stoke defender Leon Cort. The Baggies will face competition from Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Ipswich for the 30-year-old.

Crystal Palace defender Matt Lawrence has revealed the players found out the club is in administration via the social networking site Twitter.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini reckons Carlos Tevez and Manchester United's Gary Neville are good friends, despite their much-publicised rift last week. Mancini also urged his players "don't look back in anger" - in reference to a song written by City-supporting band Oasis - as they prepare to take on United in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Liverpool are on the verge of a deal to sign Milan Jovanovic on a free transfer in the summer after further talks with the Standard Liege and Serbia striker.
Full story: The Times

Ars*nal are set to beat Tottenham in the race to sign centre-half Stefan Savic from BSK Borca after the 19-year-old Serb completed a 10-day trial with the club.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Barcelona vice-president Alfons Godall has stepped up the pressure on Ars*nal by insisting that Gunners midfielder Cesc Fabregas will end up at the Nou Camp "sooner or later".
Full story: The Sun

Manchester United are still interested in Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Canales, who is also wanted by Real Madrid.
Full story: Daily Mail

Birmingham did not sign striker Roman Pavlyuchenko during the January transfer window because Tottenham increased their asking price to £12m at the last minute.
Full story: Daily Star

Manchester City are lining up a summer bid for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez.
Full story: imscouting.com

Cash-strapped Portsmouth have replaced Tottenham-bound Younes Kaboul with former Spurs defender Ricardo Rocha.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Pompey are also closing in on deal for Serbia defender Dusko Tosic.
Full story: Daily Mail

England manager Fabio Capello is expected to retain Chelsea defender John Terry as his captain when the pair meet on Friday, unless there are more allegations about his private life.
Full story: Daily Mirror

However, Capello is concerned that more revelations will come out this weekend and will delay making a decision on Terry's captaincy until Sunday at the very earliest.
Full story: The Independent

And senior officials at the Football Association have told Capello that Terry should not continue as England skipper.
Full story: Daily Telegraph

Chelsea are ready to give Terry some time off to get him out of the media firing line, while the club employed extra security to control members of the paparazzi outside the team hotel for the Premier League match with Hull on Tuesday evening.
Full story: The Times

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr have less than six months to secure the £100m investment demanded by their creditors or they run the risk of being forced to put the club up for sale.
Full story: The Times

And Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has been asked about his future plans by Real Madrid.
Full story: imscouting.com

Former Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak will not force the cash-strapped club into administration despite Pompey missing a deadline to pay a £9.5m instalment on the £30m he claims he is owed.
Full story: The Guardian

Manchester United defender Gary Neville has been frozen out at Old Trafford following his touchline gesture to Manchester City's Carlos Tevez during last month's Carling Cup semi-final first leg.
Full story: The Sun

Stoke midfielder Matthew Etherington insists he is winning his fight to overcome a gambling addiction and has been given a pay rise by the club to help him pay off debts that spiralled to £800,000.
Full story: Daily Mail
Burnley boss Brian Laws says he felt like X-Factor judge Simon Cowell as he auditioned new players to come to the club during the January transfer window.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Carlos Tevez says the infamous 'Welcome to Manchester' poster, which caused so much controversy following his move from United to City over the summer, is now on a wall at his home in Argentina.
Full story: The Sun


Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate is concerned that he may have to quit football as he battles to overcome the long-term groin injury that has restricted him to only three Premier League games this season.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who has been out injured since September 2008, could make a return to the squad for the Champions League tie with AC Milan if he completes a week of full training.
Full story: Daily Mirror

[Chelmsford_yid]

Chelsea's first summer target will be Barcelona's £30m-rated right-back Dani Alves.
Full story: Daily Star

Ars*nal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona to join the Catalan club from next season.
Full story: Cadena Ser radio

Manchester United are on the hunt for Roma's 15-year-olds Valerio Verre and Filippo Cipriani.
Full story: Daily Mail

Wigan and Sunderland will renew their interest in Paraguay international Cristian Riveros over the summer. The midfielder currently plays for Mexican side Cruz Azul.
Full story: Daily Mail

Ars*nal have beaten Liverpool to the signature of Marouane Chamakh. The Bordeaux striker is set to agree a five-year, £50,000-a-week deal with the Gunners.
Full story: The Mirror

Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic has ignored interest from Manchester City and Birmingham and has agreed to join Liverpool this summer.
Full story: The Mirror

Millwall are on the verge of signing Crawley Town forward Charles Ademeno in a bargain £120,000 deal.
Full story: The Mirror

Out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has admitted he may be forced to look for a new club after failing to force his way into new manager Robert Mancini's plans.
Full story: The Times

Indian businessman Subrata Roy is to step up his pursuit of a takeover of Liverpool. Fellow Indian Mukesh Ambani is also a potential investor, despite issuing a denial on Tuesday.
Full story: The Times

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is facing the axe if his side fail to beat Birmingham on Wednesday.
Full story: Daily Star

Ars*nal defender William Gallas is set to quit Ars*nal over a row about the length of his contract extension at the Gunners.
Full story: The Mirror

Meanwhile, Ars*nal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that when it comes to signing the world's best players, the Gunners cannot afford the top stars.
Full story: The Times

Queens Park Rangers' former majority shareholder Antonio Caliendo has asked the Football Association to investigate the sale of the club to Flavio Briatore.
Full story: The Daily Telegraph

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says getting Spurs into the Champions League would be his greatest achievement as a manager.Full story: The Mirror

Bolton are seeking a second opinion in the case of Gary Cahill's blood clot - a condition that could end the defender's World Cup dream.
Full story: The Mirror

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is scenting blood. He has described Ars*nal as a "wounded animal" and believes the Reds will soon catch them up in the Premier League table.
Full story: Daily Mail

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sell winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona and has also said the Scotsman "is no friend of Real Madrid."
Full story: Spanish Eurosport

[SomersetYiddo]

^^No chance of that after last night.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger will not stand in the way of captain Cesc Fabregas if he wants to leave England and join Spanish side Barcelona, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.
Full story: imscouting.com

Ars*nal midfielder Andrey Arshavin says he would understand if team-mate Cesc Fabregas leaves the Gunners for Barcelona in the summer, but hopes the midfielder will stay at the Emirates.
Full story: Daily Mail

Nadir Belhadj is an unlikely target for Barcelona after the Portsmouth defender was singled out for praise from Barca midfielder Xavi Fernandes.
Full story: Daily Mirror

AC Milan will use striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar as bait to land Manchester United's wantaway defender Nemanja Vidic.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Manchester City and Chelsea are on alert after Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano refused to rule out a move to the Premier League.
Full story: The Sun

Chelsea are plotting a £70m spending spree this summer to rejuvenate their squad with Borussia Dortmund's Serbia centre-back Neven Subotic, winger Angel Di Maria, of Benfica, Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger their main targets.
Full story: Daily Express

Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara is ready to quit the club in a bid to further his career. The midfielder is currently on loan at Portsmouth.
Full story: Daily Mail

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock will ask the FA to take into account the stress he is under working for a club in administration when investigating the comments he made about assistant referee Trevor Massey after the FA Cup match against Aston Villa last Sunday. Warnock labelled Massey a "disgrace" after the decision to wrongly award Villa a corner from which they scored a late equaliser at Selhurst Park.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Former Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright says he would be tempted to return to Selhurst Park as a coach if Ron Noades takes over the cash-strapped Championship club.
Full story: The Sun

Wolves chairman Steve Morgan believes Liverpool would be debt-free had his 2004 bid for the Merseysiders been accepted.
Full story: The Times

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has offered Birmingham chief Carson Yeung £500,000 to end their dispute - but the Hong Kong billionaire has rejected it.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Hull manager Phil Brown is ready to gamble on midfielder Jimmy Bullard to play in his side's crunch relegation clash at West Ham on Saturday.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is officially the highest paid player in the world, according to a recent list published by Portuguese marketing agency Futebol Finance. The former Manchester United star picks up a basic gross salary of £11.3m. Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor is the Premier League's highest earner on £7.4m, according to the list.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who is now managing Inter Milan, says the Blues would have won more trophies under him had he not left the club in 2007.
Full story: Daily Mail

Burnley boss Brian Laws has scotched rumours of a bust-up with Clarets midfielder Joey Gudjonsson, insisting the player still has a role to play in the club's battle against relegation.
Full story: The Sun

Liverpool's Glen Johnson has won every major trophy with the Reds - on Championship Manager. The right back has become a big fan of the computer game while recovering from his knee injury. "I'm sick of TV now," he admits. "When you're confined to the couch you'll look at anything. Thankfully, Championship Manager got me through."
Full story: Daily Mail

Queens Park Rangers are on the verge of signing reality TV star Hicham Abdellah. The 17-year-old striker has made it through to the semi-finals of Football's Next Star, whose winner gets a place at the Inter Milan academy.
Full story: Daily Mirror

[SomersetYiddo]

I really hope O'Hara doesnt go anywhere i rate him highley.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Manchester United are ready to make a fresh move for Spain striker David Villa if his club Valencia put him up for sale this summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Barcelona right-back Dani Alves has dismissed speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea, claiming he wants to stay at the Nou Camp.
Full story: IMScouting

Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock hopes to take Eagles trio Darren Ambrose, Neil Danns and Nathaniel Clyne with him when he becomes Queens Park Rangers' new manager.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is eyeing up giant striker Marc Janko, who has scored 67 goals in 92 games for Red Bull Salzburg.
Full story: Daily Mail

England manager Fabio Capello will read the riot act to his squad because he is so furious at the recent off-field exploits of some of his players.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Capello says he will select defenders John Terry and Wayne Bridge and expects them to settle their differences after Terry was alleged to have had an affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole flew to Spain on Monday for warm-weather recuperation on his broken ankle amid controversy surrounding his split from wife Cheryl. (Daily Telegraph)

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke admits that South Africa is not yet ready to host the World Cup finals but added that a series of hiccups will be overcome before the tournament starts on 11 June.
Full story: The Times

Premier League clubs owe more money - £3.5bn - than all the others in Europe's top divisions put together, according to a Uefa report.
Full story: The Guardian

Former Notts County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson drew up a plan to sign former England captain David Beckham as part of the League Two club's ill-fated dream of reaching the Premier League. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has banned academy players from doing interviews on the club's in-house television station as part of crackdown on attitudes of youngsters at Old Trafford.
Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has turned down a new contract with the Eastlands club because he felt he was not being offered enough money.
Full story: The Guardian

Portsmouth will go into administration with a nine-point penalty - but earn an £11m lifeline when the Premier League gives them an advance of the parachute payment for relegated clubs.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Spain coach Vincente del Bosque insists there is no rift between himself and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez over the use of striker Fernando Torres.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Benitez will turn down any move by Real Madrid to become coach at the Bernabeu.
Full story: IMScouting

Crystal Palace's FA Cup fifth-round replay against Aston Villa on Wednesday is almost certain to be Neil Warnock's last game in charge of the Championship club, with Queens Park Rangers thought to be close to appointing the former Sheffield United manager as their new boss. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry says the sight of Stoke City is driving him round the bend. His team face the Potters on Wednesday for the third time in 11 days and Barry said: "We know each other inside out now. The guy who does our research has virtually gone through it all before."
Full story: The Sun

The World Cup plans for the England players' wives and girlfriends are in disarray after Cheryl Cole's split from husband Ashley. On Cheryl's advice, the WAGs were all booked into the exclusive £1,600-a-night Anahita resort on the island of Mauritius, a five-hour flight from South Africa. But Cheryl's decision to part from Ashley has caused the rest of the women to rethink their summer plans. (Daily Express)

[Chelmsford_yid]

Real Madrid are close to sealing a £30m move for Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, 29, according to Real's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who said: "I am confident he can be a Real Madrid player next year".
Full story: the Sun
Meanwhile, Chelsea have pulled out of the race to sign Werder Bremen's Mesut Ozil, 21, with the Stamford Bridge outfit instead keen on fellow German midfielder Sami Khedira, 23, who plays for Stuttgart.
Full story: the Sun
Chelsea will challenge Manchester United and Manchester City to sign Italian striker Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan but they will have to outbid United, who are willing to pay £28m - £2m more than City have offered for the 19-year-old.
Full story: Daily Star
Robinho and Craig Bellamy are expected to lead an £80m exodus from Manchester City this summer, with Brazilian forward Robinho's likely destination being AC Milan following his spell on loan at Santos. Tottenham are interested in Wales striker Bellamy and his City team-mate, defender Micah Richards. (the Times)
 
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is eager to join former Anfield boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan next season, with the Argentina captain's agent claiming a move to the Italian side would be a "dream" for the former West Ham man.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is planning a £6m bid for Monaco's 25-year-old South Korean forward Park Chu-Young.
Full story: the Sun
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is ready to launch ­an £8m bid to lure Liverpool's Dutch forward Ryan Babel to St Andrew's.
Full story: Daily Star
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has has made a second bid to sign Paraguay striker Nelson Valdez from Borussia Dortmund.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Bolton boss Owen Coyle is set to sign Real Madrid left-back Marcos Alonso in a £2.2m deal, with the club ready to fly him straight to the club's training camp in the United States.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Huddersfield have approached Leicester with a £300,000 offer for 34-year-old striker Steve Howard.
Full story: Daily Mail
Lee Trundle has rejected offers from League One sides Yeovil and Swindon to make a surprise switch to Welsh Premier League outfit Neath AFC. The 33-year-old striker was released by Bristol City at the end of last season.
Full story: Daily Mail
 
England manager Fabio Capello will tell the Football Association he wants Italian coaches Mauro Tassotti and Walter Zenga added to his backroom staff to replace Stuart Pearce and Ray Clemence.
Full story: Daily Star
Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs is considering ending his career in Major League Soccer in the United States, with the 36-year-old likely to retire from playing in the Premier League once his contract runs out at Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Full story: the Sun
Portsmouth will withdraw their offer of a player-coach role to England goalkeeper David James unless he can give them an answer in the next 24 hours.
Full story: Daily Mail
Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva has been thrown an Anfield lifeline after new manager Roy Hodgson assured him he still has a future at the club.
Full story: Daily Mail
Everton manager David Moyes insists South Africa winger Steven Pienaar is not for sale, despite the player being linked to several Premier League clubs, including Tottenham.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Former Bayern Munich manager Otmar Hitzfeld is in informal talks with Fulham over their vacant managerial role, although the 62-year-old has two years left on his contract as manager of Switzerland. (the Independent)
 
Manchester City have given a trial to the son of one of the former stars of The A-Team. Roland Benedict, 20, whose father, Dirk, played Templeton 'Faceman' Peck in the 1980s television show, has been training with City's development squad. (the Times)
 
Former star of rock band Oasis, Noel Gallagher, claims more top players are on their way to Manchester City after he had discussions over lunch with chief executive Garry Cook.
Full story: Daily Mirror

[Dom07Tottenham]

The main one of of Interest for me was Babel, yes he plays for Pool but so what, doesn't make a difference, I am not going to be popular for saying it, really I don't care, but I see him as a decent acquisition, young with loads of potential, and a big lad who is strong enough to hold the ball, a good partner for Defoe to run off, I would like to see him at the Lane, if Pav isn't happy then straight swap, if only it were that simple........I love Pav, but I'm just hoping he isn't getting cold feet again.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Manchester City are in talks to sign Brazil's £30m-rated World Cup midfielder Ramires from Benfica after a deal for Aston Villa's James Milner stalled.
Full story: Daily Mirror
City are confident of clinching the £23m signing of Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli to take their summer spending towards the £100m mark.
Full story: Daily Mail
But Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will reject Manchester City to stay at Spanish champions Barcelona.
Full story: the Sun
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is back on the trail of Werder Bremen's German World Cup star Mezut Ozil. Ferguson missed out on signing midfielder Ozil as a teenager.
Full story: the Sun
Chelsea have had a £16.9m offer for 18-year-old Brazilian forward Neymar turned down by Santos.
Full story: Daily Mail
Blues chairman Bruce Buck has warned left-back Ashley Cole against a summer move to Real Madrid.
Full story: the Guardian
Barcelona star Xavi has warned Ars*nal they only have midfielder Cesc Fabregas "on loan" and that the Gunners captain will eventually return to the Nou Camp, where he started his career.
Full story: Daily Express
Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has been offered a player-coach role to join Ars*nal.
Full story: Daily Express
Liverpool want to sell David Ngog for £6m as they try to raise funds for new signings.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is on the verge of a season-long switch to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
Full story: Daily Mail
Spurs are at the head of the queue to sign Real Madrid striker Raul, who is available on a free transfer.
Full story: the Sun
West Ham are set to finalise a move for Lyon defender Francois Clerc, who is available on a free transfer having seen out his contract with the French club.
Full story: Daily Mirror
But Tal Ben-Haim's proposed move to West Ham and a reunion with former Portsmouth manager Avram Grant is on the verge of collapse after the defender failed a medical. (the Times)
And Nice have rejected the Hammers' £12.5m bid for Loic Remy as the London club battle with Liverpool and another unnamed Premier League side to sign the striker.
Full story: the Independent
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is plotting a raid on former club Chelsea to sign defender Ricardo Carvalho, who he brought to Stamford Bridge from another of his former clubs Porto in 2004.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Wolves, West Ham and Blackburn are locked in three-way tussle to sign striker Benjani, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester City.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Wolfsburg boss Steve McClaren has failed in an attempt to take Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy to Germany on loan.
Full story: Daily Mail
Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra has committed himself to the Spanish, club despite an approach from Newcastle.
Full story: the Independent
Wigan centre-back Titus Bramble is set to complete a £1m move to Sunderland, where he will be reunited with ex-Latics boss Steve Bruce.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Everton striker Lukas Jutkiewicz is joining Coventry City on loan.
Full story: Daily Mail
Blackpool are leading the race to sign former West Brom midfielder Robert Koren on a free transfer.
Full story: Daily Mail
Celtic manager Neil Lennon has confirmed that Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is high on his list of targets to replace Artur Boruc, who has joined Fiorentina. (Daily Record)
 
Goalkeeper Joe Hart has cut short his summer holiday to begin pre-season training early in a bid to secure the number one spot for both Manchester City and England.
Full story: the Sun
Chelsea keeper Petr Cech could be ruled out for the champions' Premier League opener against West Brom in August after suffering a calf injury in training on Tuesday.
Full story: the Independent
Argentine news agency Telam is reporting that Diego Maradona will remain in charge of the national side, a decision he is expected to announce next week after meeting with Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona. (Associated Press)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes striker Wayne Rooney can put his World Cup misery with England behind him to become the complete player this season.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Ferguson has accused the Football Association of handicapping the England team by refusing to introduce a winter break during the domestic season.
Full story: the Guardian
West Ham's bid to move into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games received a boost after the company behind the huge shopping centre that will dominate the entrance to the site said it would back the idea.
Full story: the Guardian
 
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi laid down the law to new coach Massimiliano Allegri at a press conference by demanding that he play two strikers. Berlusconi fell out with former coach Leonardo because of his lone striker tactics last season.
Full story: the Guardian
Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is aiming to hit the ground running next season after being given a motivational talk from legendary American sprinter Carl Lewis. The Olympic gold medallist visited City at their training camp in Portland, Oregon.
Full story: Daily Mirror
A ban may be imposed on vuvuzelas at Wembley in time for the Community Shield and England's friendly against Hungary in August. (Daily Telegraph)
Striker Andy Carroll says he can handle the "spine-tingling" burden of following Alan Shearer, Malcolm Macdonald and Jackie Milburn by wearing the number nine shirt for Newcastle.
Full story: Daily Mirror

[Chelmsford_yid]

Benfica have slapped a £33m price tag on Brazilian central defender David Luiz, who is wanted by Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Full story: Daily Mail
And it is City who are believed to be leading Real Madrid in the bidding war for Luiz.
Full story: imscouting.com
Meanwhile, the Eastlands club will end their pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder James Milner and concentrate on offloading Craig Bellamy, Stephen Ireland and Roque Santa Cruz.
Full story: Daily Star
City are ready to sell Santa Cruz to Marseille for less than half of the £18m they bought him for.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Or the French side will try to sign striker Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City.
Full story: imscouting.com
Striker Jo could also be on his way out of Eastlands, with Blackburn eager to snap up the City striker.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea and Manchester United look set to miss out on Sami Khedira, with the Stuttgart midfielder on the verge of a Real Madrid move.
Full story: imscouting.com
Former Real Madrid striker Raul will disappoint Tottenham and Newcastle by joining German side Schalke 04.
Full story: imscouting.com
Maxi Rodriguez is ready to join the exodus from Liverpool, with his old club Espanyol keen to take the winger back to Spain in a bargain deal.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Luke Young's exit from Aston Villa is a step nearer after the defender was omitted from the club's latest touring squad, putting Liverpool on alert.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Ex-Portsmouth keeper David James is to meet Celtic this weekend to discuss a move to the Scottish giants, with Fulham also interested in the England player.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is ready to snap up Dutch right-back Ronnie Stam in a £2m deal from champions Twente Enschede.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Blackpool are losing their fight to sign Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley on loan - but boss Ian Holloway will make Maccabi Haifa defender Dekel Keinan his first summer signing.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Monaco striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who was on loan at Tottenham last year, is a target for Birmingham and Fulham.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger will turn his attentions to German international central defender Per Mertesacker after being beaten to Sol Campbell's signature by Newcastle. The Gunners are confident a £10m offer can persuade Werder Bremen to part with the 25-year-old.
Full story: Daily Mirror
West Bromwich Albion have had a £3m bid for midfielder Cheick Tiote rejected by the Ivorian international's Dutch club FC Twente.
Full story: Daily Mail
Ars*nal are poised to move for Italy's first-choice goalkeeper Federico Marchetti after Cagliari put the 27-year-old up for sale.
Full story: The Sun
Several Premier League sides are tracking New York Red Bulls striker Macoumba Kandji after he played impressively against Tottenham and Manchester City in pre-season friendlies. (Daily Star)
Queens Park Rangers are set to make a bid for Reading winger Jobi McAnuff, with the Royals hoping to get £1.45m for the 28-year-old.
Full story: Daily Mail
Leeds striker Luciano Becchio could be on his way out of Elland Road after the Championship club opted not to offer the Argentine an extension to his deal, which runs out next summer.
Full story: Daily Mail
Derby boss Nigel Clough is ready to battle Bristol City and Burnley to sign Wigan striker Jason Scotland on loan.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell is set to sign French right-back Jean Calve from French side Nancy.
Full story: Daily Mirror
 
Italian Roberto Donadoni has emerged as a surprise contender for the vacant Fulham manager's post.
Full story: Daily Star
Sam Allardyce wants to end his managerial reign at Blackburn in two years' time and finish his career in charge of a national team.
Full story: Daily Star
West Ham have offered midfielder Scott Parker a new contract worth £20m over five years in a bid to keep their prize asset at the club.
Full story: Daily Mail
Kanu's agent is claiming Portsmouth want to give the veteran Nigerian forward a deal for another three years.
Full story: Daily Mirror
 
In a list of unusual baby names over the last 10 years, Rooney is the 13th most popular, with parents choosing to pay tribute to Manchester United striker Wayne.
Full story: Daily Star