Thursday Paper Talk

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Manchester United have been told they will have to pay £40m if they want to sign Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

Cash-strapped Portsmouth have put their entire squad up for sale.

Manchester City are set to sign former Ars*nal midfielder and Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan on Thursday.

City boss Roberto Mancini is also expected to land Palermo centre-half Simon Kjaer for £18m.

A player who could be on his way out of Eastlands is Roque Santa Cruz, with Espanyol keen to sign City's Paraguay striker on loan.

Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger is tracking CFR Cluj's 6ft 6in Ivorian striker Lacine Traore - dubbed 'The New Adebayor'.

Tottenham are ready to offer captain Robbie Keane as bait to secure a deal for Aston Villa striker John Carew.

Everton are considering a deal for out-of-favour Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy as boss David Moyes looks to boost his options in attack.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is ready to capitalise on the financial uncertainty around crisis club Portsmouth by attempting to hi-jack their bid to re-sign Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara on loan.

West Ham hope to wrap up a loan deal for Fiorentina's former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu early next week.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has launched a £9m bid for Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones.

Sunderland want to replace Jones with Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi.

And Black Cats manager Steve Bruce is on the verge of signing £5.5m Hamburg defender Guy Demel. (The Sun)

McLeish, meanwhile, is set to improve his offer for Liverpool forward Ryan Babel from £8m to £10m.

Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen is wanted by Greek champions Olympiakos - but they are unwilling to meet Rovers' £1.8m valuation.

Bolton could make a move for Eskisehirspor's Bosnia defender Safet Nadarevic, who is due for talks with Bolton on Monday.

Newcastle will target Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi, nicknamed 'the Tank', if they make it back to the Premier League but the Italian club want more than £5m for their striker.

Magpies boss Chris Hughton has received a setback after Sheffield United centre-back Matt Kilgallon decided he will remain at Bramall Lane until his contract expires in the summer, despite the clubs having agreed £2m fee.

The Blades want to take Kyle Naughton back from Tottenham on loan - the full-back has played only once since his joint £12m summer transfer with Kyle Walker.

Manchester United defender Gary Neville is set to retire from football at the end of the season.

West Ham are the target of £100m takeover offer, which could lead to a bidding war for the Upton Park club.

Chelsea are bracing themselves for a financial hit next week when a compensation fee for their signing of Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City will finally be settled. The London club could end up forking out £8m for the 20-year-old striker Sturridge, who was Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti's first signing after taking over as manager last summer.

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham may have nowhere to play once his AC Milan loan deal ends in May because Major League Soccer faces a strike. International players union DIDPro is deadlocked in talks with MLS about a new deal for all players in the United States and the league is threatening a lock-out if a new contract is not signed by 31 January.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he once tried to sign legendary AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini - only to be rebuffed by his father, the former Italy boss Cesare Maldini. "I always wanted to get Paolo here but it was impossible," said the Scot.

"I met his father at a game and told him how much I'd love to have his son at United. Cesare smiled at me and said 'My grandfather was Milan, my father was Milan, I played for Milan and now my son is Milan'. And that was it - story over!"

Michael Oliver will become the youngest referee in Premier League history when he takes charge of Fulham's home game against Portsmouth on Saturday at the age of 24. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has scored a chart-topping single in South Korea. But the Chelsea star is unlikely to celebrate when he hears the lyrics to Mister. They refer to the England star as "cute chubby Frank".

A 100-inch plasma television has been installed by Manchester United players at the club's Carrington training ground. It is believed Sir Alex Ferguson's stars had a whip-round to buy the £80,000 TV set for the lounge area. (Daily Star)

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Manchester United's financial problems may result in them having to sell star asset, striker Wayne Rooney.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis is battling to seal a shock season-long loan move for Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James.

Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, who currently plays for Egyptian side Zamalek, is set to join Stoke in a £1m deal.

Liverpool have made a shock offer for Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici, who played in the Royals' 2-1 FA Cup victory at Anfield on Wednesday.

Manchester City, Ars*nal and Liverpool are all chasing Racing Santander's 18-year-old striker Sergio Canales.

Brazil midfielder Sandro has claimed his £6m move to Tottenham is a "dream come true". Sandro, 20, has agreed to move to White Hart Lane but his club Internacional want to keep him until they finish their Copa Libertadores campaign, which is South America's equivalent of the Champions League, in the summer.

Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Legia Warsaw keeper Jan Mucha, who is also attracting the interest of of Stoke. (The Sun)

Spurs are also keeping tabs on midfielder Joe Cole's contract negotiations with Chelsea.

Portsmouth are trying to sign Egypt striker Emad Moteab. The 26-year-old scored in his country's 3-1 victory over Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is considering a fresh approach for Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko. The 26-year-old, who is 6ft 5in and has scored 67 goals in 92 games for his Austrian club, is available for £6.5m.

Birmingham are also chasing Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, 28, after Liverpool forward Ryan Babel, 23, refused to move to St Andrew's.

Blackburn are leading a quartet of Premier League clubs in the chase for Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker. Bolton, Wigan and Hull are also interested in the 25-year-old, who could leave Villa for £5m.

But midfielder Reo-Coker is set to reject an approach from Blackburn.

Ars*nal are looking for a Spanish club to loan their new Bolivian attacking midfielder Samuel Galindo to. The 17-year-old will struggle to get a work permit to start playing in England.

Burnley boss Brian Laws is going back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday with a £1.5million bid for keeper Lee Grant.

Fulham will tie up the loan signing of exciting young Roma striker Stefano Okaka Chuka, 20, next week.

Former England manager Steve McClaren wants to take Ars*nal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 18, on loan to his FC Twente side in the Netherlands.

But new Bolton manager Owen Coyle is also attempting to take Wilshere to the Reebok Stadium in a loan deal.

Hull are lining up a £1.25m bid for Derby winger Kris Commons.

The arrival of Commons could signal the departure of Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt to Wolves, with manager Mick McCarthy upping his offer for the Irishman to £3.5m.

Liverpool's shock FA Cup defeat by Reading on Wednesday has put manager Rafael Benitez on the brink of losing his job

Manchester United may be forced to sell Old Trafford to help reduce the club's reported £700m debt.

Manchester United are also exploring the possibility of selling their training base at Carrington. (Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea will discover at a Premier League tribunal on Thursday how much they must pay Manchester City for signing Daniel Sturridge. The 20-year-old striker clinched a four-year deal with the Blues last summer, with City wanting £10m and Chelsea offering £3m.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to do nothing in the January transfer window - after being told by the club board they will win their appeal against the Fifa transfer ban, which is currently in place until June 2011. 

Paul Hart is fighting to save his job as QPR manager after falling out with midfielder Adel Taarabt. The 56-year-old only took over as boss in December.

Manager Roberto Mancini plans to overhaul his Manchester City players' pre-match meal, introducing pizza and wine to the menu. "You need chicken, pizza, carbohydrates, even a glass of wine, but they are not on the table," he said.

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Liverpool will take Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones on loan, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer. This would enable both clubs to carry the impact of the transfer on their balance sheets into the next tax year, which begins in April.

West Ham are set to make Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy the first signing of the David Gold/David Sullivan era after lodging a £1.2m bid.

Chelsea and Manchester City have both made offers to 18-year-old Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales, who is out of contract and free to leave current club Racing Santander this summer.

Manchester City remain hopeful of signing Rubin Kazan left-back Cristian Ansaldi.

Celtic have intimated they are willing to sell winger Aiden McGeady to Birmingham but only if the Midlands club stump up £11m.

Stoke have made a £2m bid for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

However, West Ham have also made enquiries about former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy.

Bayern Munich midfielder Arjen Robben has advised teammate Franck Ribery not to join Real Madrid. Robben spent two years with Madrid before joining Bayern last summer.

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James' on-off move to Stoke is back on. The clubs have re-opened negotiations after the transfer collapsed on 15 January because the Potters were not prepared to pay the proportion of James's salary that Pompey wanted from them.

Alternatively, Stoke boss Tony Pulis is keen to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Lee Grant for £2m.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has made a move to sign out-of-favour Stoke striker James Beattie.

Everton boss David Moyes is ready to sell striker James Vaughan in the January transfer window.

Moyes has resurrected a move to sign Ars*nal defender Philippe Senderos on loan, six months after they pulled out of a deal to sign the Swiss international.

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Babel is set to perform a u-turn and agree to a £9m move to Birmingham after initially rejecting a move to St Andrews.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is eyeing a £1.75m swoop for Sheffield United centre-back Matthew Kilgallon.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle wants to snap up Jamie O'Hara from Tottenham - but the move will require Fifa's permission as the move would mean the midfielder playing for his third club of the season, which is not allowed.

Derby boss Nigel Clough is in talks with Ars*nal to sign French striker Gilles Sunu on loan for the rest of the season.

Derby are ready to snap up Millwall's highly-rated left winger Dave Martin in a £150,000 swoop.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is ready to make a £4m swoop for Mallorca's highly-rated striker Aritz Aduriz to boost his attack.

Hull are considering offering a lifeline to out-of-favour Sunderland striker David Healy.

Manchester City forward Robinho insists he has not fallen out with manager Roberto Mancini and has vowed to prove his worth at the club. The Brazilian was taken off during the 2-0 defeat at Everton on Saturday after having come on as a substitute.

The agent of Russian national team manager Guus Hiddink says that a number of clubs, including Liverpool, have sounded him out about the availability of his client.

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant says the Premier League are going against the spirit of football by refusing to lift the transfer embargo imposed on the south-coast outfit because they have outstanding debts to other English clubs.

Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta hopes to make his comeback from a cruciate ligament injury in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool on 6 February. The Spaniard has been sidelined for a year.

Manchester United defender John O'Shea's season appears to be over because of complications to the leg injury he sustained playing for the Republic of Ireland in France two months ago.

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor is set to return for the Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Manchester United next week, after being given compassionate leave since he was caught up in the gun attack on the Togo team bus at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Striker Daniel Cousin says he wants to quit Hull because he cannot stand manager Phil Brown. "The gaffer and I don't have a good relationship. It's difficult to stay. I want to leave," said Cousin.

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez claims his ear-cupping celebration after scoring against Manchester United in the Carling Cup was not a dig at Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson for refusing to sign the striker last summer but was a tribute to a popular Argentine children's puppet Topo Gigio.

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Owen Coyle is set to make his third signing as Bolton manager by winning the race to sign Ars*nal midfielder Jack Wilshere on loan.

Manchester City have bid for Middlesbrough's highly rated winger Adam Johnson. (Press Association)

Or Johnson will reject a move to the Premier League to help Boro win promotion from the Championship this season.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is lining up goalkeeping cover for Heurelho Gomes, even though the Brazilian has been given the all-clear after a shoulder problem. Coventry's Kieren Westwood, Watford's Scott Loach and Peterborough's Joe Lewis are all in the frame.

Marlon Harewood will become a free agent in the summer, with Aston Villa allowing the striker to see out the remainder of his contract, which ends in June.

Tottenham and Birmingham have opened talks over the sale of Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.

West Ham are furious with Tottenham for beating them to the signing of Monaco striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Birmingham central defender Martin Taylor, 30, is in talks to join Newcastle on loan for the rest of the season.

Middlesbrough have made a £3.5m offer to Celtic for Australia striker Scott McDonald. (The Sun)

Celtic are in a four-way fight with Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Sevilla to land Barcelona winger Jeffren Suarez. (Daily Express)

Pedro Mendes' proposed transfer to Sporting Lisbon has collapsed because of the Rangers midfielder's £25,000-per-week wage demand. (The Sun)

Southampton are in transfer talks with Falkirk after increasing their offer for Bairns midfielder Scott Arfield by a third to £400,000 rising to £1m with add-ons, but Preston and Huddersfield are also interested. (Daily Express)

Blackpool have failed in a £70,000 bid for Motherwell defender Steven Saunders, with the Scottish Premier League club putting a £500,000 price tag on the 18-year-old's head. (Daily Express)

Manchester United midfielder Anderson is set to be fined after missing training on Monday.

However, Anderson could be heading for the exit door at Old Trafford after it was claimed he also flew back home to Brazil without club permission.

Juventus are to appoint Claudio Gentile as interim manager before they step up attempts to persuade Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to join them in the summer.

Former England Under-21 manager Peter Taylor is being lined up as the next Notts County manager.

Tottenham midfielder John Bostock is at the centre of a row with his club after his father rang a radio station to criticise Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.

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Barcelona are piling the pressure on Ars*nal, with the Spanish giants planning a £40m summer swoop for midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Full story: The Sun

Barcelona are also interested in another Gunners player, midfielder Emmanuel Eboue.
Full story: The Sun

Fulham are to battle it out with Ars*nal for QPR's 15-year-old striker Raheem Sterling.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Crisis club Portsmouth face the loss of striker Aruna Dindane in the next week - if French side Lens do not receive the £3.5m owed for his transfer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen will consider his future at the club if he is dropped in favour of new arrival Asmir Begovic on Saturday.
Full story: The Sun

Birmingham midfielder Gary McSheffrey will make his loan move to Leeds permanent if the Elland Road outfit are promoted to the Championship this season.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Manchester United's England Under-20 midfielder Matty James is set to join Preston on loan.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery has set a March deadline for deciding his future at the club. Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all shown an interest in the winger. (The Times)

Preston defender Sean St Ledger has blasted club chairman Derek Shaw for denying him a dream move to Celtic.
Full story: Daily Record

Liverpool are hoping to bring 14-year-old Danish forward Alexander Jacobsen, who is at FC Copenhagen, into their academy. (Daily Star)

England manager Fabio Capello will give Chelsea defender John Terry the chance to quit as England captain following newspaper revelations about his private life.
Full story: The Sun

Capello's hopes of having Owen Hargreaves fit for the World Cup finals have suffered another blow after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson removed the midfielder from his Champions League squad.
Full story: The Times

Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, who has so far lent Portsmouth £20m, is exercising his right to seize control after the cash-strapped club failed to honour their repayments to him.
Full story: The Sun

Chainrai has taken over the 90% shareholding held by Ali Al Faraj to become Portsmouth's fourth owner in a year.
Full story: The Guardian

Manchester City have rejected Real Madrid's claims that they scuppered a last-minute £16.3m transfer for midfielder Fernando Gago.
Full story: The Independent

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs believes team-mate Wayne Rooney is about to join Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid duo Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in being seen as the best players in the world.
Full story: Daily Star

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, who is on loan at AC Milan, has signed up for an Italian cookery course. "It's something I've always wanted to do," said the former England captain. (Daily Star)

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Cesc Fabregas' dad says his son would talk to Barcelona about a move but only at the end of the season.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero will have Premier League chairmen drooling after admitting a move could be on the cards. The 21-year-old Argentine says: "I have enormous affection for Atletico but you cannot say I'll be here for ever."
Full story: The Sun

Roberto Mancini is planning a £6 million bid to bring 22-year-old West Bromwich Albion midfielder Graham Dorrans to Eastlands.

The Manchester City boss is also interested in Fiorentina central defender Alessandro Gamberini.
Full story: Daily Mail

Blackburn Rovers could be in the running for South Korea midfielder Ku Ja Cheol as Sam Allardyce looks to bolster his midfield options.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Portsmouth and England keeper David James could lead the exodus of the club's top players if the cash-strapped side goes bust.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

West Brom are considering a loan move for midfielder Jason Koumas. The 30-year-old Welshman is currently with Wigan.
Full story: Birmingham Mail

Former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is first choice to replace West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola should the Italian leave the east London club.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Portsmouth's bid to avoid going bust could see them beg the Premier League for an advance on the parachute payments they would get if relegated.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

QPR are eyeing German Lothar Matthaus as their next boss. Mick Harford is contracted until the end of the season but has yet to pick up a win in five games since replacing Paul Hart last month as the club's tenth manager since Flavio Briatore took over as chairman in 2007.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson is considering his options concerning a possible takeover at Crystal Palace. "We are always happy to have a look but I think the chances are less likely than likely," he said.
Full story: The Daily Mail

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has given a verbal swipe at his former club Chelsea claiming that nothing had changed since his departure, adding: "Even the warm-up is the warm-up they did in our time."
Full story: Daily Star

England boss Fabio Capello says the Premier League's teams, supporters and stadiums are superior to those in Italy.

Adding that he wants to face the Italians in a World Cup final, Capello said: "Two things are important in the Anglo-Saxon world: respect for referees from players and coaches and the sporting behaviour of players."
Full story: The Guardian

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Manchester United are ready to make a summer move for England midfielder Joe Cole if he cannot resolve his contract dispute at Chelsea.
Full story: Daily Express

Birmingham claim they have reached an agreement with Manchester City for goalkeeper Joe Hart to remain on loan at St Andrew's next season.
Full story: The Sun

Bayern Munich look set to beat Chelsea to the signature of CSKA Moscow's Serbian winger Milos Krasic.
Full story: Daily Mail

Chelsea have been told that defender Neven Subotic will cost them "a lot of money" by the Serbian's club Borussia Dortmund.
Full story: The Sun

Spanish newspaper AS has reported that Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano - a target for both Chelsea and Manchester City - will cost 30m euros, in line with a release clause in his contract.
Full story: imscouting.com

Antonio Caliendo, the agent of Inter Milan's Brazilian full-back Maicon has opened the door to a summer move to Manchester City, saying: "(City boss Roberto) Mancini has always expressed his desire to have Maicon."
Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester United defender John O'Shea is a summer target for Spanish champions Barcelona, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.
Full story: imscouting.com

Crisis club Portsmouth will ask the Premier League to let them sell some of their players now - despite the transfer window having closed - in a bid to pay their bills. Pompey are understood to have debts of around £60m and last week survived a winding-up order by providing the High Court with a detailed statement of their finances.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has dismissed rumours that he is set to quit the club, saying that Merseyside feels like home.
Full story: The Sun

Newcastle will attempt to hijack West Brom's bid to sign Wigan midfielder Jason Koumas, who has been told he can leave the DW Stadium.
Full story: The Sun Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones has hinted that he would jump at the chance to join Liverpool this summer.
Full story: The Sun

Ars*nal are set to lose 18-year-old striker Gilles Sunu to Bordeaux for a pittance this summer. The player is unsettled at the Emirates and out of contract at the end of the season.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Brighton boss Gus Poyet has opened talks with QPR to bring striker Rowan Vine to the Withdean Stadium on an extended loan.
Full story: The Sun

Midfielder David Beckham, currently on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, has backed Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to fire England to World Cup glory this summer. Rooney scored twice in the San Siro on Tuesday as United secured a 3-2 Champions League last-16 first-leg lead over Milan.
Full story: The Sun

Notts County's new owner Ray Trew may put the club into administration in the next 48 hours after discovering the full extent of the financial problems at Meadow Lane.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has launched a stunning verbal attack on Harry Redknapp and accused the Spurs boss of "making fun of me". The Russian has struggled to nail down first-team football under Redknapp and added that he does not think he has a future at White Hart Lane.
Full story: The Sun

Alan Curbishley could take over as QPR manager now he has settled his financial dispute with former club West Ham.
Full story: Daily Mail

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is discussing a new contract after guiding the club to eighth in the Premier League.
Full story: Birmingham Mail

However, McLeish will not sign a new deal unless he is given full control of transfers by owner Carson Yeung.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Sunderland striker Darren Bent has stopped using social networking site Twitter as it distracts him from playing.
Full story: The Sun

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Ars*nal are monitoring the progress of 18-year-old Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen after receiving a recommendation from former Gunners striker Dennis Bergkamp.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Guinea international Kamil Zayatte wants to quit Hull during the summer and is targeting a move to Manchester United, Ars*nal or Chelsea.
Full story: Daily Mail

Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League, despite claiming that Manchester City and Ars*nal are keen to sign him.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Everton are eyeing a trio of players from Norweigan club Molde. Defenders Knut Olav Rindaroy, Magne Simonsen and Vegard Forren have all impressed the club's scouts.
Full story: imscouting.com

Wayne Bridge is considering ruling himself out of England's World Cup plans because he cannot stand the prospect of sharing a dressing room with Chelsea defender John Terry, who is alleged to have had an affair with the Manchester City defender's former girlfriend.
Full story: The Guardian

England manager Fabio Capello will be at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to watch Terry's Chelsea take on Bridge's Manchester City.
Full story: The Guardian

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes defender Rio Ferdinand may have to re-evaluate his international career and limit his appearances amid growing concerns over his recurring back problems.
Full story: The Guardian

Ferdinand could still be fit to play in the Carling Cup final on Sunday and is likely to lead England in next week's friendly against Egypt.
Full story: Daily Star

Robin van Persie could return from his ankle injury in early April, according to Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk. The Ars*nal striker had been expected to miss the rest of the season after rupturing ligaments on international duty in November.
Full story: The Independent

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says he would love to play with his former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney again one day. Full story: imscouting.com

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz says Rooney is still not in the same class as Ronaldo, despite the ex-Everton star's heroics this season.
Full story: The Times

West Ham sporting director Gianluca Nani is set to leave the club in the next 24 hours as new owners David Sullivan and David Gold continue to trim the club's huge debts.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Portsmouth owner Balram Chainrai is likely to have his £17m loans to the club repaid in full if Pompey go into administration, while other creditors like Sacha Gaydamak bear the cost of the Premier League outfit's meltdown.
Full story: Daily Telegraph

Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie insists he will not be sacked if the club go into administration.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Portsmouth's Serbian defender Dusko Tosic is ready to leave the club on a free transfer after the Premier League withheld his registration.
Full story: Daily Mail

Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant was sent home from training by Real Zaragoza after showing up late for the third time in two weeks.
Full story: Daily Mail

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was quizzed about why he has put on weight since the Reds' Champions League triumph in 2005 during a bizarre press conference in Bucharest, prior to the Europa League last-32 return leg with Unirea Urziceni. "It is the stress of having to answer so many questions from the press," said the Spaniard. "Thank you and goodnight."
Full story: Daily Mail

Everton duo Joseph Yobo and Yakubu were kicked off the club's flight to Lisbon on Wednesday because officials were unhappy with their documents. The Nigerian pair eventually took a late-night flight via Amsterdam with Toffees fans ahead of the Europa League clash with Sporting.
Full story: Daily Mirror

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Manchester City are to sell Craig Bellamy after completing the £25m signing of David Silva from Valencia to fill his position on the left side of attack.
Full story: the Guardian
But the Eastlands club have told Liverpool to forget about signing defender Micah Richards.
Full story: the Sun
City are expected to reignite their interest in Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta if they fail to sign England international James Milner from Aston Villa.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Manchester United, meanwhile, have rekindled their interest in Bayern Munich right-back Philipp Lahm.
Full story: Daily Mail
Inter Milan say that say that striker Mario Balotelli - a target for Manchester United and Manchester City - is not for sale. The European champions insist defender Maicon is also indispensable.
Full story: Daily Mail
Chelsea are to step up their pursuit of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and have not been put off by the thigh injury he suffered while playing for Spain in the World Cup final.
Full story: Daily Mail
New Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is to fly out to Spain on Thursday to meet Torres to find out if the forward wants to remain at Anfield or be sold.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea believe they are well positioned to resist interest in Ashley Cole from Real Madrid, even if the England defender decides he wants a new challenge abroad.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
West Ham are in talks with Olympiakos about selling midfield duo Alessandro Diamanti and Radoslav Kovac but are determined to keep midfielder Scott Parker.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Hammers owners David Gold and David Sullivan have travelled to the south of France in an attempt to push through a £12m deal for Nice striker Loic Remy.
 
Sunderland are preparing a double swoop for Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck and Manchester City defender Nedum Ohuoha.
Full story: Daily Mail
Blackburn are ready to sell striker Jason Roberts - to bring in cash for Sam Allardyce to sign a new forward.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Stoke are preparing a fresh £3m bid to sign Middlesbrough captain Gary O'Neil after failing with a move for the midfielder in January.
Full story: Daily Mail
Liverpool left-back Emiliano Insua is set to join Fiorentina after the clubs agreed on a £5m fee for the Argentine.
Full story: Daily Mail
Aston Villa left-back Nicky Shorey, who is wanted by Championship side Nottingham Forest, is keen to remain in the Premier League if he leaves Villa Park this summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Everton manager David Moyes says the cash-strapped club are unlikely to sign any more new players before the end of the transfer window.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Birmingham have tabled a £1.25m bid for Crystal Palace right-back Nathaniel Clyne.
Full story: the Sun
 
Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to turn down the chance of a return to the Premier League with Fulham and stay with the African side.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has defended his club's decision to spend heavily in the transfer market, claiming it is the only way to win the Premier League title.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Former Chelsea and West Ham assistant boss Steve Clarke is understood to be in talks with Birmingham about becoming manager Alex McLeish's number two following Roy Aitken's move to Dubai side Al Ahli.
Full story: Daily Mail
 
Mike Tyson made a surprise appearance at West Ham's pre-season friendly against Peterborough on Wednesday night. The former heavyweight champion is in the UK giving a series of talks on his life and career and making a pigeon racing show for television in the United States.
Full story: the Sun
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham says if he was not a football player he would like to build Lego for a living.
Full story: Daily Star

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Chelsea hope to beat off competition from Barcelona and Bayern Munich by tabling a £20m bid for Brazil and Benfica defensive midfielder Ramires.
Full story: Sun
Fernando Torres has been in talks with Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow but the striker is keeping the club waiting when it comes to committing his future to them.
Full story: Sun
Liverpool are in talks about selling Javier Mascherano after Italian club Inter Milan, managed by ex-Reds boss Rafael Benitez, made an approach for the combative Argentina midfielder.
Full story: Guardian
New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is set to turn his attentions to signing Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge. The future for the 29-year-old left-back has come under threat at Eastlands with the impending arrival of a number of new players.
Full story: Daily Mirror
The Reds also hope to beat West Ham to the signing of Nice striker Loic Remy by including midfielders Nabil El Zhar and Damien Plessis in a players-plus-cash offer.
Full story: Daily Mirror
However, the Hammers are in pole position to sign Remy after making an improved £13m bid.
Full story: Daily Mail
West Ham boss Avram Grant is waiting for Martin Jol to leave Ajax and take up the manager's post at Fulham so he can sign striker Miralem Sulejmani from the Dutch club.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Real Madrid striker Raul is being lined up for a move to Tottenham Hotspur with the 33-year-old Spaniard available on a free transfer.
Full story: Sun
The White Hart Lane outfit will be making their Champions League debut this season and are also interested in bringing in striker Craig Bellamy on loan from Manchester City.
Full story: Daily Mail
Ars*nal boss Arsene Wenger believes he can persuade defender Sol Campbell to resist any overtures from Newcastle, Sunderland and Celtic and stay with the Gunners.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has joined the race to sign England goalkeeper David James, who is also a target for Scottish club Celtic.
Full story: Daily Mail
Spanish La Liga club Sevilla have made a £9m bid for Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta.
Full story: Daily Mail
Wigan are lining up a £2m move for PSV Eindhoven defender Carlos Salcido as a possible replacement for Maynor Figueroa, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool.
Full story: Daily Mail
Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega is courting attention as Stoke are preparing to offer £7m and forward James Beattie to land the Colombian.
Full story: Sun
West Bromwich Albion are weighing up a move for former Hull City midfielder George Boateng after the Dutchman started training with the club.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manager Neil Lennon has promised Celtic fans his summer signing blitz will kick into overdrive once he returns from the USA on Friday. (Various)
Rangers chief executive Martin Bain reckons the club need three new signings to replace the six first team players who have left Ibrox this summer. (Daily Record)
Bain refused to rule out any further sales and revealed that departed striker Kris Boyd had been offered a basic wage of £18,000-a-week. (Daily Record)
Celtic are in a race to sign Sc*nthorpe striker Gary Hooper before Thursday night's Champions League qualifying deadline. (Daily Record)
 
Joe Cole claims he has joined the "biggest club in the country" following his free transfer to the Anfield outfit after the midfielder's release by Chelsea earlier in the summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher says the Old Trafford side want to win a 19th league title to move ahead of Liverpool and become England's most successful club.
Full story: Daily Star
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes his side are capable of building on qualifying for the Champions League by winning the Premier League title.
Full story: Sun
Redknapp also claims it is only a matter of time before Manchester City's spending bags them the Premier League crown and that, if he could bring in four players of his choice, he would win the league.
Full story: Daily Express
The Football Association has told England boss Fabio Capello he needs to run any outside business deals by them following the furore over the Capello Index.
Full story: Daily Star
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini insists the club will play the waiting game rather than pay over the odds in their pursuit of players, including Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli and Aston Villa midfielder James Milner.
Full story: Daily Express
 
Manchester United's new signing Javier Hernandez, who scored twice playing up front for Mexico at the World Cup, will have the name Chicharito - which means little pea - adorn his shirt next season.
Full story: Sun

[Chelmsford_yid]

Midfielder David Beckham has promised to give West Ham a decision soon on whether he will end his career at Upton Park. The 35-year-old former England captain, who plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States, was born in east London.
Full story: the Sun
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson wants Aston Villa's Bulgarian midfielder Stiliyan Petrov, 30, to replace Javier Mascherano at Anfield and is ready to offer £7m. It was revealed earlier this week that Mascherano wants to leave the Reds.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Luke Young's £2.5m move to Liverpool is in doubt as the 31-year-old defender wants a pay-off from Aston Villa as he would have to take a drop in wages.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay says manager Carlo Ancelotti will be given money to rebuild the side and that striker Didier Drogba will not be leaving.
Full story: Daily Mirror
The Stamford Bridge outfit want to wrap up the £17m signing of Benfica midfielder Ramires in time for their pre-season tour of Germany, which starts on Saturday.
Full story: Daily Star
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho wants to take 32-year-old Chelsea centre-back Ricardo Carvalho to Spain. Mourinho signed the Portuguese defender in 2004 during his spell as manager of the Blues.
Full story: IM Scouting
Meanwhile, Mourinho has ruled Real Madrid out of the running to sign Benfica defender David Luiz, making Manchester City favourites to sign the 23-year-old Brazilian.
Full story: IM Scouting
Italian club Lazio are on the verge of signing Manchester City's 25-year-old left-back Javier Garrido for £2.5m.
Full story: IM Scouting
Ars*nal are close to signing Italian goalkeeper Federico Marchetti from Cagliari. The 27-year-old, who played at the World Cup in South Africa, is valued at around £5m.
Full story: IM Scouting
Wigan are preparing a club record £7m bid for Chile's World Cup striker Humberto Suazo. Birmingham and Sunderland are also eyeing a swoop for the 29-year-old, who plays for Monterrey.
Full story: the Sun
Blackburn are ready to sell Australian midfielder Vince Grella to Turkish giants Galatasaray at the second attempt, with the clubs seeking to negotiate a deal of about £2m.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Mark Hughes wants to make Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy his first signing with the £15m transfer kitty he will be handed when he is officially named Fulham manager.
Full story: Goal.com
Tottenham are looking to tempt Manchester City with a £4m bid for Bellamy.
Full story: Daily Mail
Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard, who plays for Norwegian side Aalesunds, is being lined up by Manchester United as Edwin van der Sar's successor.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manchester United are leading the chase for Ghana midfielder Anthony Annan. Chelsea and Ars*nal are also interested in the 24-year-old, who plays for Rosenborg.
Full story: the Sun
Besiktas are looking at Aston Villa striker John Carew to add firepower to their Turkish title assault.
Full story: Daily Mail
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has ruled out a permanent move for Chelsea's Michael Mancienne, who was on loan at Molineux last season.
Full story: Daily Mail
West Ham have offered midfielder Scott Parker £20m to stay but he wants to leave to play European football.
Full story: Daily Mail
Avram Grant wants free agent Laurent Bonnart to become his latest West Ham recruit. The defender had been at Marseille.
Full story: Daily Mail
Premier League new boys Blackpool are in talks with transfer-listed Ipswich striker Jon Stead, 27, who has rejected a move to Bristol City.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Bristol City manager Steve Coppell has made an audacious bid to lure England goalkeeper David James, 39, to Ashton Gate. James has been offered a 12-month contract with the Championship club.
Full story: Daily Mirror
 
Former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is set to be confirmed as the new Fulham boss this week.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Portsmouth face the prospect of paying out more than £500,000 in wages at the end of the week to players no longer at the club. David James will pick up about £140,000 - if he does not sign for anyone else before Saturday night.
Full story: Daily Express
Tottenham's teenage midfielder John Bostock believes his progress is being damaged by foreign players in the English game. The 18-year-old, who was on loan at Brentford last season, wants another loan move as he has only made three substitute appearances for Spurs in two years. (Various)
 
England goalkeeper Robert Green's first save in his first pre-season appearance for West Ham in the 2-0 friendly win at MK Dons was greeted with ironic cheers on Wednesday night. Green's fumble in the World Cup allowed the United States to draw 1-1 with England in South Africa. (Various)

[Chelmsford_yid]

Mario Balotelli's move to Manchester City is off because the Inter Milan striker has demanded £180,000-a-week in wages.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
City are already making preparations should the Balotelli deal   fall through, with Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan an alternative,   according to Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo.
                                                                 Full story: imscouting.com                                                     
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed he is close to making   Juventus' Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen his first big-money   transfer capture of the summer. His arrival will pave the way for   midfielder Javier Mascherano to leave the club.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Former Ars*nal midfielder Mathieu Flamini - currently with AC   Milan - is also on Liverpool's list of possible replacements for   Mascherano.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Arsene Wenger is preparing a move for Everton playmaker Mikel   Arteta in case he fails to prevent Cesc Fabregas from moving back to   Barcelona in the summer.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Ars*nal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to make a significant offer   to bring Manchester City reserve keeper Joe Hart to the Emirates.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Alternatively, Wenger is lining up a bid for Cagliari goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.
                                                                 Full story: footylatest.com                                                     
Montpellier president Loulou Nicollin has slapped a 28m euro   (£23m) price-tag on Bosnian defender Emir Spahic amidst reported   interest from Ars*nal.
                                                                 Full story: imscouting.com                                                     
Stoke boss Tony Pulis hopes to beat both Liverpool and West Ham to the signing of Nice striker Loic Remy for £10m.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Pulis has also lined up a £4m bid for Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
West Ham boss Avram Grant is considering lining up a move for Hapoel Tel Aviv playmaker Gil Vermuth.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
The Hammers have revived their loan bid for Ajax striker Miralem Sulejmani and hope to conclude a deal within days.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Real Madrid will test Chelsea's resolve to keep Ashley Cole by bidding for the left-back in the next two weeks.
                                                                 Full story: footylatest.com                                                     
Zenit St Petersburg are considering a £21m bid to take Chelsea defender Yury Zhirkov back to Russia.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has targeted Shakhtar Donetsk defender Dario Srna to complete his summer spending.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Manchester United will move for Hamburg's German attacking   midfielder Piotr Trochowski if they fail to lure his international   team-mate Mesut Ozil to Old Trafford from Werder Bremen.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is lining up a shock move for Juventus midfielder Mauro Camoranesi.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
AZ Alkmaar's Belgian striker Moussa Dembele has admitted that Birmingham are keen to sign him.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is set to make a £1.5m move for Stoke striker James Beattie.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Celtic boss Neil Lennon is making an ambitious move to take   striker Craig Bellamy to Glasgow for the second time in a loan raid on   Manchester City.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
New Fulham boss Mark Hughes is willing to sanction the signing   of defender Luke Young from Aston Villa but has snubbed the chance to   sign his team-mate, midfielder Steve Sidwell.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Daniel Cousin is set to join the Hull exodus by completing a   permanent move to Greek side Larissa. Meanwhile, Tottenham midfielder   John Bostock is poised to agree a 12-month loan deal with the Tigers.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Bristol City have been told by Manchester United they can have   Michael Owen on loan after an approach for Danny Welbeck is rebuffed.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
West Ham are poised to complete the £5m signing of highly rated   New Zealand World Cup star Winston Reid. The 22-year-old defender is the   mystery signing the Hammers have promised fans on their website.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will decide where   to send midfielder Tom Cleverley on loan by the end of the week - with   Sunderland confident of beating Bolton to the chase.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Alternatively, Cleverley will spend the season on loan at Wigan   after Latics manager Roberto Martinez won the race for his signature.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Malaga have approached Liverpool in a bid to lure under-19 international striker Dani Pacheco back to La Liga.
                                                                 Full story: ClickLiverpool

Goalkeeper David James will be the first casualty of England's   World Cup debacle when coach Fabio Capello leaves him out of next week's   friendly with Hungary.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Ars*nal midfielder Jack Wilshere is in line for a surprise call-up to Capello's England squad for the friendly with Hungary.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
The Premier League has rejected Capello's request for a winter   break in the season to assist the national squad. Capello blamed   extreme tiredness for the failure of so many of his top players to   perform in the World Cup in South Africa.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger will today tell Gunners captain   Cesc Fabregas to end his summer flirtation with Barcelona and commit his   future to the north London club.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Ars*nal midfielder Theo Walcott is convinced that team-mate Fabregas will remain at the Emirates for the coming season.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Manager Roy Hodgson is relieved Fernando Torres has pledged his   future to Liverpool but admitted the club would not be able to turn down   a massive bid for the Spain striker.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted some of his Chelsea   players will not be fit for the start of the season on 14 August. "The   10 players that only came back to us on July 26 need to have another two   weeks of work," said Ancelotti. "After just eight days of training it   is impossible to be fit."
                                                                 Full story: The Sun

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is ready to have a City   tattoo done if he can steer the club to the title this season. Mancini   already has a Sampdoria tattoo to commemorate winning Serie A with the   Italian club. (Daily Mirror)
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton   has grown a moustache in an attempt to help build team spirit at St   James Park for the coming season.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                       

[Chelmsford_yid]

Liverpool will have to cough up £20m for Carlton Cole. West Ham   are willing to sell but they want a top price as they would have little   time before the new season kicks off to sign a replacement striker.
                                                                 Full story: the Sun                                                     
Chelsea have beaten off Manchester United to land highly rated   Burkina Faso prospect Bertrand Traore. The midfielder, who is only 14,   shone at the Under-17 World Cup last year - where he became the youngest   player to appear in the finals.
                                                                 Full story: the Sun                                                     
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is considering making a £14m   offer for two Aston Villa players, with England defender Stephen   Warnock, 28, and Bulgaria midfielder Stiliyan Petrov, 31, his targets.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland is putting his   proposed move to Aston Villa - as part of a swap deal with Villa's James   Milner - on hold as he waits to see whether Tottenham will make a late   bid.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Aston Villa are preparing to bring Ars*nal goalkeeper Manuel   Almunia to Villa Park as part of a triangle of moves, with Fulham keeper   Mark Schwarzer joining Ars*nal and Villa's Brad Friedel moving to   Craven Cottage.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Tottenham are looking to offload striker Peter Crouch. The   England player was offered to West Ham as part of an unsuccessful   proposed swap deal for Scott Parker but Liverpool and Everton could be   interested.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp has been to watch France striker   Loic Remy and Nice's £13m-rated man is now the Tottenham manager's   number one target.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Everton sent scouts to watch Remy make his France debut against   Norway on Wednesday but the Merseyside club were not alone, with Aston   Villa, Sunderland, Chelsea and Spurs all represented in the stands.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
New Fulham boss Mark Hughes wants Manchester City striker   Roque Santa Cruz to spearhead his attack. The 28-year-old player fears   he could miss out on Roberto Mancini's 25-man squad and would be keen to   link up with the manager who originally brought him to England from   Bayern Munich three years ago.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Manchester United are interested in signing £9m-rated Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, 17, from Anderlecht.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffide.com                                                     
West Ham manager Avram Grant is looking to snap up Manchester   City's Brazilian striker Jo, 23, should he lose the services of English   forward Carlton Cole.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffide.com                                                     
Germany coach Joachim Loew has urged his World Cup star Mesut   Ozil to reject Manchester United in favour of Spanish giants Barcelona.   "You have to remember that playing for Barcelona is very special for a   footballer," said Loew.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Stoke striker James Beattie is in Glasgow for talks with   Rangers and looks set to seal a £1.5m switch to the Scottish Premier   League champions.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Record                                                     
St Mirren will not pursue their interest in former Dundee United   midfielder Greg Cameron. The 22-year-old, released by United at the end   of the season, had been on trial with Saints - but manager Danny Lennon   is looking to strengthen other areas of his squad.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Record                                                      Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano is close to leaving Seville for   Marseille. Spanish newspaper AS said that the 29-year-old - who has   been linked with Tottenham, Manchester United and AC Milan - is on the   verge of accepting a three-year deal.
                                                                 Full story: imscouting.com

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is so eager to take over   the vacant managerial role at Aston Villa that he is willing to lower   his high salary demands.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Aston Villa may give caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald an extended   spell in charge to buy themselves some time to find a successor to   Martin O'Neill. Villa have been inundated with applications since   O'Neill quit but are determined not to be rushed into a decision and are   now prepared to let MacDonald remain in the post for a couple of weeks,   possibly even longer.
                                                                 Full story: the Guardian                                                     
Striker Craig Bellamy has ruined any chance he had of being   named in Manchester City's 25-man squad after criticising boss Roberto   Mancini. Mancini is said to be seething over Bellamy's outburst, in   which he claimed he had not spoken to his manager in six months and laid   into the Italian for his perceived aloofness.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror

Sunderland manager and former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce   had to borrow a Leeds tie to be allowed into the VIP area at Elland Road   on Tuesday to watch his son, Alex, make his debut for the club. Derby   boss Nigel Clough was refused entry last weekend because he was wearing a   tracksuit.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail

[radish]

you know, I really got the gossip on news now every day, but sometimes I feel I'm better off not reading any of it. I remember that as a young journalist working on local paper (I later became a foreign correspondent) I was told to write the horoscope column. Needless to say, I knew nothing about it then, and I know nothing about it now. I just made it all up. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

[Chelmsford_yid]

Shay Given is set to walk out on Manchester City after finding out   Joe Hart will keep his place in goal for the Europa League qualifier   against FC Timisoara on Thursday night. Given is now mulling over   possible on-loan moves to Ars*nal or Fulham.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Express                                                     
Chelsea may miss out on the signature of 18-year-old Brazilian   Naymar after the striker's club Santos offered to make him their highest   paid player and refused to accept any offers less than their valuation   of £29m.
                                                                 Full story: the Independent                                                     
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has insisted that midfielder   Javier Mascherano will not be offloaded for anything less than £25m to   Inter Milan and has told the Argentine he should be prepared for an   extended stay at Anfield.
                                                                 Full story: the Guardian                                                     
Or the Reds may yet sell Mascherano to fund further purchases   after he left the Argentina international out of the squad to face   Trabzonspor in the Europa League on Thursday. The Inter Milan and   Barcelona target's absence prevents him being cup-tied for European   competition.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Chelsea are up against Ajax in the battle for the signature of 17-year-old Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Ahsan Ali Syed wants to sign former England captain David   Beckham, now at Los Angeles Galaxy, if the Indian businessman's proposed   £300m takeover bid of Blackburn is successful. Syed said: "I was 26   when I started following the Premier League. I liked Blackburn back then   and also used to follow Manchester United's fortunes because of David   Beckham. If my finances allow and his intentions are positive then I   would love to take Beckham."
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Manchester United may be about to test Deportivo La Coruna's   determination to keep hold of Mexico winger Andres Guardado with a £12m   bid.
                                                                 Full story: Caught Offside                                                     
Ars*nal are close to sealing a deal for Sevilla's Sebastien   Squillaci after the Spanish side withdrew the French defender from a   Champions League qualifier.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Tottenham will only make a £15m bid for Sevilla striker Luis   Fabiano if they qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.   Even then the Brazilian's £90,000-a-week wages may prove to be a   stumbling block.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Liverpool are weighing up an approach for Manchester City striker   Roque Santa Cruz and may also include his Eastlands team-mate Wayne   Bridge in the deal as they look to fill a left-back vacancy.
                                                                 Full story: Caught Offside                                                     
Rangers have secured the services of Slovakian World Cup star   Vladimir Weiss, who had also been linked to rivals Celtic. The   20-year-old Manchester City winger has sealed a season-long deal at   Ibrox.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Record                                                     
Bolton left-back Jlloyd Samuel is a loan target for Middlesbrough.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror

Chinese businessman Kenny Huang is becoming frustrated at his   efforts to gain control of Liverpool. There are several parties   interested in replacing Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett but Huang   is anxious to arrive and provide funds for new players before the end   of the transfer window on 31 August.
                                                                 Full story: the Guardian                                                     
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has hit back after   Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson accused teams of spending   money with "kamikaze effort". City have spent £130m this summer but   Mancini said: "It's normal when you want to buy a good player that you   have to spend money. It is not important for me [what Ferguson says]. I   respect his opinion but I repeat that United, like City, have spent a   lot of money in the past."
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson is preparing for a   shock return to football as the Icelandic businessman launches a rescue   bid for struggling Sheffield Wednesday.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror

You loved them or hated them during the World Cup - the vuvuzela.   But there's no doubting the instrument's effect on modern culture   following its arrival into the new edition of the Oxford Dictionary of   English. Along with the name of the famous horn blown by fans in South   Africa this summer, other words (non-sporting ones) to be added are   tweetup (a meeting arranged through social networking site Twitter) and   cheeseball (lacking taste or style).
                                                                 Full story: Daily Telegraph