Friday Paper Talk

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Defender Sol Campbell is set for a shock return to Ars*nal, but only if manager Arsene Wenger sells Philippe Senderos in the January transfer window.

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is delaying signing a new contract with the club until they can guarantee the signing of Ars*nal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

However, Spanish rivals Real Madrid are preparing to derail Barcelona's attempt to sign Fabregas. President Florentino Perez and director general Jorge Valdano have held talks about a £43m bid.

Manchester City are on the verge of signing Argentine defender Cristian Ansaldi for £4m from Rubin Kazan.

Liverpool have entered the race to sign Marouane Chamakh with the offer of a pre-contract agreement for the Bordeaux striker, who can leave the French club for nothing at the end of the season.

Wolves have made a £3m offer for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is willing to make Kenwyne Jones the club's highest earner if he can lure him from Sunderland, but is unwilling to pay the £11m the Black Cats want for the striker.

Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who is now at Monaco, is closing in on a £2m move to Blackburn.

But Gudjohnsen is also wanted by West Ham and Tottenham.

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has blocked Austrian defender Emanuel Pogatetz's proposed £1.5m move to Greek club Panathinaikos.

Hull boss Phil Brown is chasing Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood, who is currently on loan at Championship side Newcastle.

Liverpool are expected to conclude a £1.5m deal for Atletico Madrid winger Maxi Rodriguez in the next 24 hours.

And Reds boss Rafael Benitez also wants to sign Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici for £2m.

Winger John Utaka is set to start an exodus at cash-strapped Portsmouth by joining French side Sochaux.

Defender Younes Kaboul is also expected to leave Portsmouth, with Sunderland keen on the former Spurs player.

Stoke City are considering a £1m move for ex-Wigan striker Amr Zaki, while Marseille enquire about Bolton striker Johan Elmander's availability. 

West Ham want to sign striker James Beattie on loan but Stoke say they will only consider a permanent transfer.

Ars*nal, Tottenham and Manchester City are sending scouts to Crystal Palace's home game on Saturday as the race hots up for striker Victor Moses.

Aberdeen want to scupper Hibernian's attempt to sign Falkirk defender Darren Barr.

Manchester City have insisted on a six-month get-out clause with new midfielder Patrick Vieira, just in case the former Ars*nal star fails to make the grade at Eastlands.

Norwich manager Paul Lambert has emerged as a leading contender to replace Owen Coyle at Burnley.

Or Burnley want to talk to Simon Grayson about becoming their new manager.

Swansea boss Paulo Sousa has also been linked with the vacant job at Turf Moor.

In a bid to keep striker Kris Boyd at Ibrox, Rangers are promising to make him one of their best-paid players - on a salary of £18,000 a week. Boyd has been linked with moves to Birmingham and Middlesbrough.

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is set to become club captain next season should Gary Neville retire in the summer.

And United defender Rio Ferdinand could make his long-awaited comeback from injury in the home game with Burnley on 16 January.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti could offer the club's 21-year-old Slovakian Nemanja Matic the chance to take over the first team's holding midfielder role in the absence of Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is so fed up with freezing conditions ruining training that will take his players to Dubai if Saturday's game at Birmingham is called off.

Thirty-three-year-old Patrick Vieira, who would have been out of contract in the summer, will pick up a weekly wage of £100,000 at Manchester City. The Guardian's report fails to mention whether he will also receive a final-salary pension.

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Spanish giants Real Madrid have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace's highly-rated 19-year-old striker Victor Moses.

Under pressure Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce wants to sign Middlesbrough's Gary O'Neil to bolster Rovers' midfield.

Ars*nal and Real Madrid are competing to sign 18-year-old midfielder Sergio Canales from Racing Santander.

The Gunners are also considering a move for Lazio striker Mauro Zarate - but he will cost £17m.
(The Independent)

Everton are thought to be lining up a bid for out-of-favour Ars*nal defender Philippe Senderos.

New Burnley boss Brian Laws is hoping to sign Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon and is prepared to pay £1.5m and break the club's pay structure to land him.

Birmingham are prepared to pay £14m to sign 23-year-old midfielder Aiden McGeady from Celtic, but the Scottish club are not keen to sell.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has set his sights on signing Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas from Mexican side Club America. 

Bolton manager Owen Coyle wants to sign Newcastle striker Andy Carroll and will try to tempt the Magpies with a £2m bid.

Manchester United are considering an £18m bid for Porto defender Rolando, who has been outstanding in this season's Champions League.

Dutch coach Guus Hiddink wants to take over as Liverpool boss if Rafael Benitez is sacked - but would want the blessing of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish would make a superb Liverpool boss, reckons former Blues chief David Gold.

Striker Wayne Rooney will ask for £140,000 a week when a new contract at Manchester United is negotiated in the summer - a figure that could end his Old Trafford career.

West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer is on the verge of retiring after failing to return from a series of injuries.

Paul Hart has left his post as manager of QPR after just five games in charge of the London club.

Reading are considering rewarding caretaker manager Brian McDermott with a permanent contract after the club's FA Cup victory over Liverpool.

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has followed in the footsteps of David Beckham by modelling underwear for Emporio Armani.

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New West Ham owners David Gold and David Sullivan have made a sensational swoop for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, offering him £100,000-a-week to move to Upton Park.

However, Tottenham are now favourites to sign Dutchman Van Nistelrooy after the former Manchester United player rejected a big-money offer from the Hammers.

Tottenham, Sunderland and Manchester City are all chasing Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul, with Spurs putting together a £10m bid.

Spurs are closing in on a £11m swoop for Palermo central defender Simon Kjaer, but the player's wage demands are proving to be a problem.

Postmouth goalkeeper David James's loan move to Stoke is back on as the clubs have renewed talks.

Manchester United and Manchester City are both interested in Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini. The 25-year-old's agent says he is also talking to Tottenham.

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has promised Ars*nal and Liverpool that he will make a decision about his future by the end of the month.

Aston Villa have played down reports saying they are close to signing Rangers striker Kris Boyd.

West Ham and Birmingham are both keen on signing AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on loan.

Sunderland are set to complete a £1.8m move for 32-year-old Aston Villa defender Habib Beye.

Manchester City are weighing up a £5m move for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson. Sunderland, Chelsea and Wolves are also interested in the 22-year-old.

Meanwhile, City coach Roberto Mancini has confirmed his interest in Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago. (Daily Mail)

Burnley manager Brian Laws is hoping that Portsmouth see "common sense" and allow David Nugent to stay on loan at Turf Moor until the end of the season.

Wigan are looking to spring a surprise signing with a £5m bid for 23-year-old Villarreal striker Marco Ruben. (Daily Mail)

Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson will finally walk away from Notts County next week if the club cannot find fresh investment to stave off a winding-up order.

Ars*nal defender William Gallas will not receive any punishment for his challenge on Mark Davies in the 4-2 victory over Bolton on Wednesday. After the game, angry Bolton boss Owen Coyle said the challenge "was closer to an assault than a tackle".

Bolton's anger over the tackle and the fact that the ball was not put out of play is showing no signs of diminishing, with Wanderers defender Paul Robinson saying: "It was a disgusting tackle. He's lucky he hasn't broken his leg. We deserved better and are disappointed not to have got anything."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned his players: "If anyone steps out of control, that's them dead." The Scot was talking at a lecture in Dublin.

Cash-strapped Derby have placed every member of the squad on the transfer list as they try to raise £8m by the end of the month.

So what did Carlos Tevez really say about his former Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville in a South American radio interview? He's a "moron" (Daily Mirror and Daily Express), "idiot and creep" (Daily Star and Daily Mail), "stupid bootlicker" (The Sun) and a "bootlicking moron" (Guardian, Independent and The Times) are the general themes.

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Middlesbrough have placed a £9m price tag on Adam Johnson with Manchester City closing in on the winger. The former England Under-21 star requested permission to speak to the Eastlands club earlier this week.

AC Milan are adamant striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not be moving to the Premier League before the end of the month. Ars*nal, Everton, West Ham and Tottenham had been interested in signing the Netherlands international.

Tottenham have rejected an £8m bid from Birmingham for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. The north London club are keen to recoup as much of the £14m they paid for the Russia international.

Spurs have demanded £10m for the Russian, plus another £3m in add-ons with the Blues refusing to stump up the £13m being asked for in total.

Newcastle have joined the list of clubs wanting to sign Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses by matching the £1.5m bid being offered by West Brom. Nottingham Forest are also interested in the highly rated striker.

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic looks set to join Portsmouth team-mate Younes Kaboul at Tottenham as the south coast club attempt to raise funds to address their £60m financial crisis.

Sunderland have made a £1.5m move for Manchester City striker Benjani after the Zimbabwe centre-forward had looked close to sealing a transfer to West Ham.

Birmingham are keen on securing the services of Aruna Dindane on loan from Lens after the move of the Ivory Coast striker to Bolton fell through. The French club are eyeing a £4m deal.

Celtic are planning to add a defender and a striker before the transfer window closes, with the club set to increase their £2.5m offer for Preston North End centre-back Sean St Ledger.

Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi are considering offloading chief executive Garry Cook in the summer having become increasingly frustrated over his leadership style and publicity gaffes.

Hull City are desperate to address their £10m debt and rising wage bill and chairman Adam Pearson has said the club will listen to offers for all of his players.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is considering walking out at Fratton Park after defender Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic were sold to help raise funds. The Israeli insisted last month no player would be sold without his prior approval.

Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon faces another three weeks on the sidelines because of a groin strain. The England international has not played since 28 December.

Despite loaning Robinho to Brazilian club Santos, Manchester City must pay about £70,000 to fund the striker's wages, with Santos searching for sponsors to help fund the remaining £35,000.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, is being chased by Manchester United, Ars*nal and Barcelona - according to his dad.
Full story: The Sun

Manchester City are likely to make a fresh move for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago in the summer, City boss Roberto Mancini has confirmed.
Full story: The Guardian

And City also want to bring Lazio striker Mauro Zarate back to England to replace Robinho - the Argentine previously had a spell at Birmingham.
Full story: Goal.com

Manchester United are resigned to losing Nemanja Vidic in the summer, with AC Milan ready to rival Real Madrid's £20m attempt to prise him away.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger is set to sign Brazilian wonderkid Wellington Silva after his trial with the Londoners.
Full story: Daily Mirror

The Gunners boss has also apparently stepped up the chase for £14m France striker Loic Remy, dubbed the 'new Thierry Henry'.
Full story: The Sun

Liverpool's attempt to sign Standard Liege forward Milan Jovanovic could be under threat after his agent claimed other clubs are interested. (Various)

Lokomotiv Moscow have joined city rivals Dinamo in the pursuit of Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun, despite Reds manager Rafa Benitez being reluctant to sell.
Full story: Daily Mail

Tottenham are interested in Ghana goalkeeper George Owu, who has been offered a trial following his release by Egyptian club Al Masry.
Full story: Daily Mail

Veteran striker Paul d**kov is wanted by Leeds and Derby after being released by Leicester.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is trying to sign 17-year-old Bolivian star Gabriel Alvarez from Callejas for next season.
Full story: Daily Mirror

QPR have offered former Fulham defender Moritz Volz, who is a free agent, a contract until the end of the season.
Full story: The Sun

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is to take a pay cut as he does not want to inflict any more financial pressure on the cash-strapped club.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Manchester City have offered first-team regulars at Eastlands a bonus of £1m each to take the club into the Champions League and win the FA Cup.
Full story: Daily Express

Aston Villa have banned youth defender Nathan Baker from this month's League Cup final after the 18-year-old was caught selling his ticket allocation for the game on social networking site Facebook. (Various)

Villa defender Nicky Shorey, who is on loan at Fulham, could be in trouble with Fifa after playing for his third club this season, breaking the world governing body's rule of only being allowed to play for two clubs in a season.
Full story: The Daily Mail

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is looking into selling his company's NHL ice hockey team the Dallas Stars.
Full story: The Guardian

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has emerged as potential target for Espanyol as the Barcelona club's hierarchy is losing confidence in coach Mauricio Pochettino. Full story: Daily Mail

Premier League clubs are set to pocket £1bn thanks to a TV deal which the league's chief executive Richard Scudamore is ready to announce as he publishes the figures for the worldwide rights to screen top Premier League matches.
Full story: The Sun

French left-back Patrice Evra says Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson "dances up and down like a child" when United win.
Full story: The Sun

Five Portsmouth fans will walk into the Premier League's luxurious offices in London on Friday looking for answers as to why their club has become football's financial basket case.
Full story: The Times

Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger cancelled a day off for his Ars*nal players ahead of this weekend's match against Chelsea because he was so angry after Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Manchester United.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Newcastle's new signing Leon Best has turned down the chance to take the club's famous No9 shirt because the £2m buy from Coventry City says he has not earned it yet. Full story: Daily Mail

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Portsmouth could lose on-loan Algerian midfielder Hassan Yebda because they cannot afford the £4m it would take to buy him from Benfica.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

But Pompey could be in the running for former Blackburn striker Shabani Nonda, who has been released by Galatasaray on a free.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Sunderland have not given up their interest in Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas in the summer - despite the player being in hospital at the moment after being shot in the head last month. Full story: Daily Star

Manchester United are interested in bringing Benfica's Brazilian Under-20 international defender David Luiz to Old Trafford.
Full story: The Daily Mail

The Premier League could advance Portsmouth their end-of-season payment to help the club stay afloat, provided the other Premier League clubs all agree. Full story: The Daily Mail

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole is drooling over his old club's performances this season and says Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland, 23, feels liberated under new manager Roberto Mancini because he feels he was played out of position by previous boss Mark Hughes.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan says he is glad his mind games have worked after the team responded to talk of a pay cut with their first win of the year when they beat Birmingham on Wednesday night. Full story: The Sun

Former Notts County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson could be on his way to the World Cup as Nigeria and North Korea both want the Swede to take over as manager.
Full story: The Daily Mirror

Wayne Bridge has been warned he can forget about going to the World Cup if he boycotts England's next game against Egypt on 3 March. Full story: The Independent

England's home weekend international fixtures could be moved to Friday nights from the autumn onwards. Full story: Daily Express

Hibernian defender Sol Bamba says his Ivory Coast team-mates wanted to pull out of last month's Africa Cup of Nations after receiving death threats after the attack on the Togo team, and only the nation's president persuaded them to take part. Full story: Daily Record

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher says the fact their second-top scorer this season is own goals by opponents - 10 goals - is because they put opponents under so much pressure.
Full story: The Sun

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Ajax striker Luis Suarez has snubbed interest from Chelsea and Manchester City and given Manchester United and Ars*nal the green light to launch a £30m summer move for him. (Daily Star)

Ars*nal have also been put on alert after the agent of Lazio striker Mauro Zarate claimed he could walk out of the Italian club.
Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is keen on Fiorentina full-back Juan Manuel Vargas. (Daily Star)

West Ham defender Matthew Upson is refusing to commit his long-term future to the club.
Full story: The Sun

Meanwhile, Hammers midfielder Valon Behrami is an £8m summer target for Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart. (The Sun)


Stoke are chasing Wigan midfielder Paul Scharner, who looks set to leave the DW Stadium on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj said he would be "very interested" in joining Barcelona after the reigning European champions renewed their interest in the Algerian.
Full story: The Sun

Highly-rated Crystal Palace right-back Nathaniel Clyne has revealed he turned down a deadline-day move to Wolves because he did not want to sit on the bench at the Premier League club. (Daily Express)

Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici is a £2m target for Tottenham.
Full story: The Sun

Portsmouth could have a fifth owner this season after Hong Kong-based investment company Endeavor Plan viewed documents relating to the club's financial position and informed Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie of its interest in buying out current owner Balram Chainrai.
Full story: The Guardian

The south coast club's plea to allow them to sell players outside the transfer window has fallen on deaf ears at Fifa.
Full story: Daily Telegraph

Pompey are clear to sell their players under a little-known 'club in crisis' rule but, in the process, they will be hit with a nine-point penalty by the Premier League.
Full story: Daily Mirror

But the cash-strapped Fratton Park outfit have been offered a loan of £10m from West Ham co-owner David Gold offered to prevent them from going bust.
Full story: The Sun

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was involved in a heated exchange with Craig Bellamy after the Welsh striker refused to train on Thursday with one of the Italian's staff.
Full story: The Sun

Mancini is facing dressing-room unrest among City players over his training ground methods.
Full story: Daily Telegraph

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is set to commit his long-term future to the club by signing a new deal.
Full story: The Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson says AC Milan made a tactical error by playing David Beckham in the centre of midfield against Manchester United in his team's Champions League victory.
Full story: The Guardian

United supporters angry at the ownership regime of the Glazer family have brought their 'green and gold' protest to the driveway of Old Trafford chief executive David Gill, attaching a banner to the gates of his home.
Full story: Daily Mail

England boss Fabio Capello will name defenders Wayne Bridge and John Terry in the squad for the friendly against Egypt on 3 March. Terry is alleged to have had an affair with Bridge's former partner but Capello has warned both defenders not to bring any personal tensions with them.
Full story: The Times

Nigeria are preparing to snatch Wigan's new striker Victor Moses from under the nose of Capello with the lure of a place in their World Cup squad this summer.
Full story: Daily Mail

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is backing under-fire referee Martin Hansson, criticised for giving the free-kick that led to Porto's winner against Ars*nal in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Full story: The Times

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans should watch where he sits in the changing room after manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted giving him the hairdryer treatment in the match against AC Milan because "he was the nearest defender to me". Sir Alex said: "Our whole back four were going to get it, but he's unfortunate."
Full story: Daily Mail

Stoke midfielder Diego Arismendi has been accused of driving a neighbour crazy by playing football in his flat at all hours of the night. Plastic surgeon Dr Muhammad Khan, who lives above the Uruguayan, said the player's rowdy antics were forcing him out of his home.
(The Sun)

Armed raiders have stolen 50,000 new-design England away shirts worth £2m from a lorry.
Full story: Daily Mirror

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Manchester City will take their summer spending to £75m after Lazio accepted their £17m bid for left-back Aleksander Kolarov.
Full story: Daily Mail
But Manchester United could be in danger of losing Kolarov's Serbia team-mate Nemanja Vidic, with the centre-back believed to be the subject of serious interest from Real Madrid.
Full story: Daily Mail
Shakhtar Donetsk are considering a £20m bid for out-of-favour Manchester City winger Robinho.
Full story: Daily Mail
North London rivals Ars*nal and Tottenham are set to lock horns in an £8m battle over 17-year-old Ipswich striker Connor Wickham.
Full story: Daily Mail
Sevilla's Brazil international striker Luis Fabiano has welcomed talk of a summer move to Tottenham.
Full story: the Sun
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has hinted the club may be ready to sell forward Mario Balotelli if a club makes the right offer.
Full story: Independent
AC Milan are offering their Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to Tottenham and Aston Villa as they try to raise money to scupper Manchester City's bid for Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko.
Full story: Daily Mail
Villa are weighing up an £8m bid for Dinamo Zagreb striker Mario Mandzukic.
Full story: the Sun
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is hoping to bolster his attacking options with the acquisition of AZ Alkmaar striker Moussa Dembele.
Full story: Daily Mail
West Ham will complete a £1m deal for Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne on a three-year contract worth £40,000 a week. The Hammers also hope to land Nice forward Loic Remy on Friday after failing with an initial £11.5m bid.
Full story: the Sun
But Liverpool may yet enter the race for Remy with a late £12m bid.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is close to sealing a 12-month loan deal for Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck.
Full story: Daily Star
Bruce will have to pay £10m if he wants to sign midfielder Stephen Ireland from Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
 
Former Tottenham boss Martin Jol, currently in charge at Ajax, has emerged as a late contender to take over at Fulham. Full story: Daily Mirror
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be offered an extra £30,000 a week at Old Trafford as part of a five-year contract, taking his weekly salary to £130,000.
Full story: Daily Mail
Ex-United forward Eric Cantona says he is "sure England will not qualify" for Euro 2012 or the 2014 World Cup because there are not enough English players competing in the Premier League.
Full story: the Sun
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has revealed that many of his new players are "disenchanted" following a disappointing 2009-10 season.
Full story: Daily Star
 
Joe Hart has cut short his holiday in a bid to become first-choice goalkeeper for Manchester City and England next season.
Full story: Daily Mail
The ball used in the World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain has sparked a bidding frenzy on eBay. By Thursday night the price had soared from £99 to £52,100, with the auction ending at 1700 BST on Friday. (the Sun)

[Chelmsford_yid]

Manchester City will make a take-it-or-leave-it £24m bid to sign Aston Villa's England midfielder James Milner.
Full story: The Guardian
Milner though has been left fuming and demanding talks with manager Martin O'Neill after being accused of wanting to walk out of Villa Park.
Full story: Daily Mail
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano will seek a move from Anfield and link up with his former Reds boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manchester United will offer central defender Nemanja Vidic a contract extension and pay rise to stop him joining Real Madrid this summer.
Full story: The Guardian
Blackburn's attempts to re-sign out-of-favour Stoke striker James Beattie have been rebuffed.
Full story: Daily Mail
Veteran defender Sol Campbell has ended speculation over his future by deciding to stay with Ars*nal for another year, despite major interest from Celtic.
Full story: The Sun
West Ham have dropped their asking price for striker Carlton Cole to £12m.
Full story: Times - registration required
French champions Marseille are poised to offer £8m for Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia.
Full story: Daily Mirror
West Ham have invited Algeria World Cup goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi to join their pre-season training camp in Germany.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Luke Young could leave Aston Villa for Fulham after failing to attend a pre-season training camp in Ireland.
Full story: Daily Mirror
German side Schalke say they remain confident of signing veteran Real Madrid striker Raul, despite reported interest from Tottenham. (Guardian)
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan says Gary O'Neil is happy at the club but could be available if a serious offer is made, after interest from Stoke and Blackburn.
Full story: Daily Star
Celtic are close to signing Israeli international midfielder Biram Kayal from Maccabi Haifa for £1.2m (Daily Record).
Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan has been given until Friday evening to make a decision on whether to join CSKA Sofia after the Bulgarians said they had agreed a fee with the Glasgow club. (Daily Record)
 
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is back in the running to become Fulham's new boss after the club failed to appoint Ajax's Martin Jol.
Full story: Guardian
Alternatively, many Fulham players want Cardiff boss Dave Jones to take over at Craven Cottage.
Full story: Independent
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone says the team should be prepared to sacrifice their principles and 'win ugly' if they have to to win more games.
Full story: Daily Express
 
Derby players have been jumping off 40 foot cliffs into the sea as part of the pre-season team-building preparations in Dorset.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Oscar-nominated screen writer Patrick Marber, who co-created legendary comedy sports reporter Alan Partridge, is part of a fans' group which has taken control of Conference South side Lewes. (Daily Telegraph)

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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson says striker David Ngog, who scored twice against Rabotnicki in a Europa League qualifier on Thursday, will stay at Anfield despite rumours that he could leave the club. Full story: Daily Mirror
Bolton are set to bring back Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic for a second spell at the club - but this time on a permanent rather than loan deal from Nantes.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Queens Park Rangers have joined Coventry in the race to sign striker Marlon King, who was released from prison on Thursday after serving nine months for sexual assault and ABH.Full story: Daily Mirror
 
Brazil striker Robinho is heading back to Manchester City after talks between the Eastlands outfit and Brazilian club Santos about extending his loan deal broke down.
Full story: The Guardian
Meanwhile, former City midfielder Didi Hamann reckons the club will again fail to finish in the top four this season despite splashing out huge sums on players.
Full story: Daily Mirror

[Chelmsford_yid]

Chelsea will let unsettled defender Ashley Cole move to Real   Madrid once the club wrap up a £16m deal for Benfica left-back Fabio   Coentrao.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
French striker Karim Benzema could be offered to Chelsea by Real   Madrid as part of a deal to lure Cole away from Stamford Bridge.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor says he wants to join Juventus after City tried to sign Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Manchester City are still maintaining close contact with   Barcelona over Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, keeping the   possibility of a move on the table.
                                                                 Full story: imscouting.com                                                     
AC Milan continue to covet the services of Tottenham   midfielder Giovani Dos Santos according to reports in Italy, but Spurs   are reluctant to let the player go after he impressed during the World   Cup with Mexico.
                                                                 Full story: footylatest.com                                                     
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is lining up a fresh move for   Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach after having a bid turned down by the   Hornets in January.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Ars*nal are hoping to lure Roma's French defender Philippe Mexes to the Emirates.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Bolton want to take Ars*nal midfielder Jack Wilshere - who is in   line for a shock England call-up for Wednesday's friendly with Hungary -   back on loan.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is rumoured to be lining up a move   to bring cut-price Manchester City pair Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne   Bridge to Anfield.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Liverpool could move for Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici after   being rebuffed in their bid to sign Middlesbrough keeper Brad Jones.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Manchester United target Anders Lindegaard - a goalkeeper with   Norwegian side Aalesund - is being monitored by at least two other   unnamed Premier League clubs.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Aston Villa will let midfielder James Milner move to Manchester City and will use the money to sign Celtic winger Aiden McGeady.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Stoke's bid for Nice's French striker Loic Remy is on the   rocks - after a flying visit to the Potteries ended in a breakdown over   the fee and terms.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Alternatively, the signing of Remy will form one third of a £23m   triple swoop by Stoke, which also includes Sunderland striker Kenwyne   Jones and Ipswich forward Jon Walters.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Wigan have had a £3m-bid for Turkish striker Tuncay rejected by Stoke.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Sunderland have failed in £6m-move for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Former Burnley defender Stephen Jordan has rejected a contract offer at Portsmouth to join Championship rivals Sheffield United.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Aston Villa are set to enter the race to sign AC Milan striker   Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who is also being monitored by the likes of Bayern   Munich and Tottenham.
                                                                 Full story: footylatest.com                                                     
West Brom are set to take full-back Nicky Shorey from Aston Villa for £1.5m.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Leeds, Hull and Crystal Palace are in a three-way tussle to sign Ars*nal striker Jay Simpson.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Lazio are lining up a bid for Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez   despite the player stating that he wants to stay at St James Park for   years to come.
                                                                 Full story: footylatest.com                                                     
Coventry boss Aidy Boothroyd has admitted he may sign striker   Marlon King, who is available after being freed early from his 18 month   prison sentence for actual bodily harm last week.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Swansea have won the battle to sign Chelsea winger Scott   Sinclair for £1.5m. Sinclair has turned down a loan move to Wigan in   favour of a permanent deal.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun

Ars*nal captain Cesc Fabregas has decided against a move to   Barcelona this summer and will issue a formal statement to confirm it in   the next 24 hours.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Telegraph                                                     
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan says Egyptian striker Mido,   who spent the end of last season on loan at West Ham, has no future at   the Riverside.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has questioned why England   are playing a friendly against Hungary next Wednesday, which he feels is   an unwanted distraction just three days before the start of the Premier   League season.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Lampard has also launched an attack on Manchester City boss   Roberto Mancini, who he says is on borrowed time at Eastlands, with a   £77m summer spending spree raising expectations of a title bid by the   club.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe admits he is "apprehensive"   about how the crowd will react to England's World Cup failures when they   play Hungary at Wembley next week.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Defoe also says that his club side Tottenham will do better in   Europe this season than north London rivals Ars*nal. Both teams are   competing in the Champions League, with Spurs hoping to book their place   in the tournament proper via a qualifying play-off.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Brazilian striker Robinho has told parent club Manchester City   he does not want to return to England and wants to remain in Brazil   with Santos, with whom he spent last season on loan.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce fears that a takeover of the   Ewood Park club could see him lose his job. Indian businessman Ahsan Ali   Syed is lining up a £300m deal for the club.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun

Striker Michael Owen has blamed the Wembley pitch for wrecking his   debut season with Manchester United. Owen returns to Wembley with United   on Sunday for the Community Shield against Chelsea, his first   competitive game since injuring his hamstring on the ground in the   Carling Cup final win over Aston Villa.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror

[Chelmsford_yid]

Manchester City have offered Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic a four-year deal worth £96m - or roughly £500,000 a week.
                                                                 Full story: the Sun                                                     
Manchester United are set to miss out on the signing of Werder Bremen's Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil.
                                                                 Full story: the Guardian                                                     
Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli is close to sealing his move to Manchester City, according to the player's agent.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Aston Villa midfielder James Milner is expected to complete his   £26m move to Manchester City before the start of the new Premier League   football season on Saturday.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Express                                                     
Manchester City are beating Chelsea in the race to land Benfica's £27m-rated Brazilian defender David Luiz.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Manchester City have entered into negotiations with two unnamed clubs about a £20m-plus deal to sell forward Robinho.
                                                                 Full story: the Guardian                                                     
Tottenham are to step up their £25m double swoop for Aston   Villa winger Ashley Young and Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy with   Spurs striker Peter Crouch set to join Sunderland.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Celtic are still keen on Bellamy but the Welshman would have to take a £70,000 a week pay cut to join the Scottish side.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Manchester City will not allow Craig Bellamy to join Tottenham   with Fulham, Everton and Newcastle United expected to make approaches   for the forward. (The Times)
West Ham are closing in on the loan signing of Manchester City's out-of-favour-striker Felipe Caicedo.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
West Ham's Scott Parker is close to signing an improved deal   at the club ending speculation that he could move away from Upton Park.
                                                                 Full story: The Guardian                                                     
The Hammers have handed a trial to former Middlesbrough striker Jeremie Aliadiere. (The Times)
West   Ham will step up their efforts to sign Nottingham Forest keeper Paul   Smith after reserve Peter Kurucz was ruled out for the majority of the   new season with knee ligament damage.
                                                                 Full story: talksport.co.uk                                                     
Hammers boss Avram Grant is lining up a £4m bid for FC Twente star Cheik Tiote.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Everton boss David Moyes is also weighing up a move for Ivory Coast international Tiote.
                                                                 Full story: talksport.co.uk                                                     
Blackburn Rovers are back on the trail of Norwegian striker Erik Huseklepp after he scored twice against France on Wednesday.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Rovers are the latest Premier League club to make an offer for Ars*nal's 19-year-old midfielder Henri Lansbury.
                                                                 Full story: talksport.co.uk                                                     
Blackburn are also set to make a last-gasp attempt to hijack Stoke striker James Beattie's move to Rangers.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Rovers striker Jason Roberts has priced himself out of a move to QPR after demanding £30,000 a week.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Ars*nal are considering a move for Lyon's Brazil international winger Michel Bastos.
                                                                 Full story: caughtoffside.com                                                     
Marseille midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa has gone on strike in an attempt to force through a loan switch to Newcastle.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Fulham hope to pip Birmingham to the £5m signing of AZ Alkmaar striker Moussa Dembele.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Wantaway Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer has pleaded with new manager Mark Hughes to let him join Ars*nal.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Birmingham, Sunderland and Stoke are all keeping tabs on Charles   N'Zogbia with the Wigan midfielder set to hand in transfer request.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Stoke are tracking former Portsmouth midfielder Hassan Yebda who currently plays for Benfica.
                                                                 Full story: talksport.co.uk                                                     
Sunderland are pressing ahead with an £8m bid for Rennes striker   Asamoah Gyan as defender Anton Ferdinand heads for Palermo on a   season-long loan.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has admitted falling out of   love with life in England and is looking forward to the day he returns   to Argentina.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Chelsea have been accused of "harassment" by Brazilian club   Santos over their attempted signing of teenager Neymar, with Santos   threatening to report the Blues to Fifa.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
England goalkeeper David James's arrival at Bristol City is   believed to have contributed to Steve Coppell's shock resignation as   manager.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Ars*nal keeper Manuel Almunia will quit the club if he is not manager Arsene Wenger's number one choice this season.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Birmingham are keen to tie manager Alex McLeish to a new deal,   especially with neighbours Aston Villa looking for a new manager.
                                                                                                                                                                                        Full story: The Sun
Theo Walcott has revealed that David Beckham helped him to get over   the disappointment of being left out of Fabio Capello's World Cup squad   with a stream of phone calls and emails.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirrorl

[Chelmsford_yid]

Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is eyeing a move to   Manchester United after becoming one of four players put up for sale.   The Dutchman said: "If you are leaving Real Madrid, there is only one   club that is not a step down - and that's Manchester United."
                                                                 Full story: Daily Express                                                     
Tottenham are set to offer £6m for Everton midfielder Steven   Pienaar, who has just one year remaining on his contract, and secure the   services of Read Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra on a loan deal.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Santos president Alvaro Luis De Oliveira has offered   18-year-old playmaker Neymar a new and improved contract to try to keep   him out of the reaches of Chelsea.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Birmingham are poised to make a £6m move for Tottenham defender Alan Hutton.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Carlton Cole insists he is happy at West Ham and will not be   joining Liverpool this summer. The striker has been strongly linked with   a move away from Upton Park to Anfield.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Spurs face a battle with Spanish side Seville in a race to sign   Barcelona's former Ars*nal winger Alex Hleb, who went on loan to German   side Stuttgart last season.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star                                                     
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed he is considering the   possibility of sending midfielder Alberto Aquilani out on loan in an   effort to help him play first-team football.
                                                                 Full story: talkSPORT                                                     
Aquilani's agent insists the player will remain at Anfield but   that is not preventing Juventus from lining up a bid for the Italian.
                                                                 Full story: IM Scouting                                                     
Blackburn are set to sign Jonathan Greening from Fulham on a   season-long loan. The former Manchester United midfielder, 31, is not in   new Fulham boss Mark Hughes's plans and Rovers have been cleared to   speak to him.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Bolton's versatile midfielder Matt Taylor is a target for West   Ham and Blackburn, despite the £2m-rated star signing a new contract   last year.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Birmingham want to secure a deal for Wolfsburg striker Grafite   but obtaining a work permit could be a problem. The 31-year-old   Brazilian has scored 50 goals in 79 games for Steve McClaren's side but   only has four caps.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester City fans may be a little concerned after reading   Roberto Mancini's latest managerial ambitions in his homeland. The   Italian, who led his team to a 1-0 win in the Europa League play-offs on   Thursday, said: "You cannot say no to the national team. I would love   to coach Italy one day."
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Chelsea's 21-year-old defender Sam Hutchinson has been forced to   retire because of a chronic knee injury. First spotted by Jose Mourinho,   now at Real Madrid, he made his senior debut aged 18 against Everton in   2007 and played four times for the first team.
                                                                 Full story: the Independent

Dimitar Berbatov has painted himself as Manchester United's   modern-day Eric Cantona. "Football is like art and my aim is to create   beautiful things on the pitch to help the team be successful," said the   Bulgarian, who has also drawn caricatures of team-mates Wayne Rooney and   Nemanja Vidic.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                         

[Chelmsford_yid]

Tottenham are in talks with AC Milan over bringing Dutch striker   Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to White Hart Lane on a season-long loan deal. The   move will include the option to buy at the end of the spell, with the   sum of £12m thought to be the asking price.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Newcastle and West Ham are keen on signing Tottenham striker Robbie Keane on loan before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday.
                                                                 Full story: Talksport                                                     
Liverpool and Newcastle will find out soon who has won the   race to sign Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa. The 23-year-old has gone   on strike at his French club in an effort to force through a move.   German side Werder Bremen are also interested.
                                                                 Full story: Talksport                                                     
Fulham boss Mark Hughes is set to raid his former club Manchester   City to sign striker Roque Santa Cruz and goalkeeper Shay Given.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg is not interested in   leaving the Dutch side for Ars*nal following their Champions League   qualification.
                                                                 Full story: Talksport                                                     
West Ham are poised to make a move for Hamburg's 29-year-old right-back Guy Demel.
                                                                 Full story: Talksport                                                     
Stoke and Portsmouth are lining up a swap deal with winger   Liam Lawrence and striker Dave Kitson set to head for the south coast   and Marc Wilson moving to Staffordshire.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Ars*nal have made an inquiry for Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau - but have not given up on signing Fulham's Mark Schwarzer.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
AC Milan and Barcelona have agreed a deal to take striker   Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the San Siro, according to reports in the Spanish   media.
                                                                 Full story: imscouting.com                                                      Scott Parker will sign a new five-year contract at West Ham - if   he is still at Upton Park when the transfer window shuts. Tottenham   manager Harry Redknapp has had an £8m offer for the midfielder turned   down recently.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror

Suspicions that Manchester City might be stockpiling players in   order to prevent them signing for rivals could lead to the Premier   League reviving attempts to outlaw player loans.
                                                                 Full story: The Guardian                                                     
New Manchester United striker Bebe, who manager Alex Ferguson   paid £7.4m for without seeing him play, was not included in the club's   recent 16-man reserve squad to face Manchester City - and was this week   taken out of a training match because he was 'off the pace'.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail                                                     
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi wants Liverpool to be humane   and let fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano leave Anfield for the Nou   Camp.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mirror                                                     
Former Hull manager Phil Brown, who is currently out of work, has reiterated his desire to become England manager.
                                                                 Full story: Talksport                                                     
England manager Fabio Capello can forget about recalling Paul   Scholes to the national squad. The veteran Manchester United midfielder   has no intention of going back on his 2004 decision to retire from   international football.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez called Birmingham boss Alex   McLeish "disrespectful" over his pursuit of Latics winger Charles   N'Zogbia.
                                                                 Full story: The Sun                                                     
Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger has reopened his feud with Stoke, accusing them of turning football into 'rugby'.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Star
Along with                                                                 reacting angrily to the taunts of former Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho                                                      - who said that Rafael Benitez was lucky to inherit such a good side -   the club's new manager has slammed a decision to allow television   cameras into changing rooms at Serie A games, insisting it breaches a   "priestly sanctuary".
                                                                 The Sun                                                     
With the help of the legendary Pierluigi Collina, Uefa president   Michel Platini has launched a new initiative that he claims will produce   referees who are just as fit as footballers - and who will be able to   provide a "99 to 100 per cent" guarantee of no more mistakes.
                                                                 Full story: Daily Mail

[DC76]

With the help of the legendary Pierluigi Collina, Uefa president     Michel Platini has launched a new initiative that he claims will   produce   referees who are just as fit as footballers - and who will be   able to   provide a "99 to 100 per cent" guarantee of no more mistakes.

I can certainly appreciate the sentiment behind this. Not sure if it will work as well as they're planning, but hey, with the Best Ref Ever as part of the plan, who knows?

If it works in Europe, they need to implement the program in CONCACRAP too So much corruption there it's sickening.