Thursday's gossip column

[Scottish Mag 3]

TRANSFER GOSSIP

 

 

Barcelona are planning a sensational raid on Arsenal with a £45m double summer move for captain Cesc Fabregas and striker Robin van Persie. (Daily Star)

 

Sunderland striker David Healy has snubbed a £1m move to Rangers. (Daily Star)

 

Manchester City have tabled an £8m bid for Newcastle's unhappy goalkeeper Shay Given, which is expected to provoke an approach from Tottenham. (Daily Mail)

Kinnear rules out Given departure

 

Hull boss Phil Brown is poised to sign midfielder Kevin Kilbane from Wigan in a cut-price deal worth about £1m. (Daily Express)

 

Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton is a shock £5m target for Portsmouth. (The Sun)

 

Pompey manager Tony Adams is also on the verge of landing his former Arsenal team-mate Edu on loan from Valencia. (The Sun)

 

Bolton are on the verge of snapping up Zenit St Petersburg centre-back Sebastien Puygrenier on a six-month loan deal. (The Sun)

 

Manchester City have intensified their £15m bid to sign Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers as manager Mark Hughes looks to reassert his authority over a demoralised squad. (The Times)

 

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is considering a £4.5m bid for Lyon's Brazilian striker Fred. (Daily Mirror)

 

Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha is at the centre of a battle between Wigan, Blackburn, Fulham, Newcastle and French side Paris St Germain. (Daily Mirror)

 

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear is trying to hijack Marseille defender Gael Givet's move to Blackburn. (The Mirror)

 

West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer could be in line for a move to Championship high-fliers Birmingham. (Various)

 

Queens Park Rangers are after Manchester City's young midfield star Michael Johnson. (The Sun)

 

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate appears to be warming to the idea of allowing Stewart Downing to leave the club for nearly £15m in order to use the money to strengthen his squad. (The Times)

Boro rule out Downing departure

 

Tottenham could move for Polish goalkeeper Sebastien Przyrowski, currently with Polonia Warsaw, as potential cover for Heurelho Gomes. (Daily Telegraph)

 

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has added Arsenal's Abou Diaby to his list of transfer targets. (Daily Telegraph)

 

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson faces competition to land French midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, 19, from Grenoble. Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested. (Daily Telegraph)

 

Everton may be pipped by Middlesbrough in the race to sign Newcastle striker Alan Smith, who is currently recovering from ankle surgery. (Daily Mail)

 

Alan Smith hit out as Newcastle agreed to swap him for Middlesbrough striker Mido. (The Sun)

 

Ipswich are the latest club to offer Hull's veteran striker Dean Windass as escape route as he prepares for showdown talks with manager Phil Brown. (Daily Mail)

 

Italian club Lecce are eyeing a £1m move to take Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati back to Serie A. (Daily Record)

 

Manchester United are interested in Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez after his impressive performances in two goalless draws against the European champions in the Champions League group stages. (The Independent)

 

Hull City are in the verge of signing Luis Boa Morte from West Ham for a fee of around £2m. (The Independent)

 

Newcastle are expected to renew their interest in the Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson after the Glasgow club indicated they were willing to let their captain leave for around £3m. (The Guardian)

 

 

OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP

 

 

Deco has blasted suggestions he is manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chelsea "pet" and does not warrant a place in the team. (The Sun)

 

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp may be ready to axe David Bentley from his side, casting the £15m winger's long-term future at the club into doubt. (Various)

 

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins future at St James's Park is also in doubt after his agent blasted the club's "woeful" medical staff. (Daily Star)

 

Jermain Defoe wanted a £700,000 loyalty bonus from Portsmouth - where he stayed for less than a year - after quitting the club to rejoin Spurs. It is believed the Londoners finally looked after the payment, made because Defoe did not officially request a transfer. (The Sun)

 

Manager Harry Redknapp has decided that Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko will be his first-choice forward partnership for Spurs, starting at Wigan on Sunday. (The Times)

 

Chelsea have entered into negotiations over a performance-related contract extension for German midfielder Michael Ballack, signalling evidence of their determination to become financially self-sufficient. (The Times)

 

Rafa Benitez has dismissed Manchester united manager Sir Alex Ferguson's attempts to derail Liverpool's title push by claiming they will be stronger than ever in the second half of the season. (Daily Mail)

 

 

AND FINALLY

 

 

David Beckham has been accused of turning AC Milan into a Hollywood film set by Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness after both clubs recently shared training facilities in Dubai. (The Sun)

 

Derby academy coach David Lowe, who steered the Rams to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, had just a day earlier taken charge of the club's under-eight side. (The Sun)

[Guest alex]

Could you imagine if we signed Mido btw

I reckon it's bollocks like.

[Monkeys Fist 43224]

Could you imagine if we signed Mido btw

I reckon it's bollocks like.

we'd have to change the song-

" Shoe Bomb

If you love the toon

Shoe bomb

if you love the toon...."

Edited January 8, 2009 by Monkeys Fist

[dave_prso9 0]

Mido: too fat, too unfit and a cunt of a man. No thanks.

 

Joey to Pompey: It's been fun Joe, but sometimes the baggage isn't worth it.

 

Nedum Onouha: Looked good when I've saw him, but once he's taught the subtle art of Defending: Newcastle style! he'll turn into another bumbling wreck.

 

Oba's moaning: Look Oba, most clubs DON'T have a geriatrician.

[trophyshy 7084]

Mido: too fat, too unfit and a cunt of a man. No thanks.

 

Joey to Pompey: It's been fun Joe, but sometimes the baggage isn't worth it.

 

Nedum Onouha: Looked good when I've saw him, but once he's taught the subtle art of Defending: Newcastle style! he'll turn into another bumbling wreck.

 

Oba's moaning: Look Oba, most clubs DON'T have a geriatrician.