ohhh_yeah

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez is interested in signing Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. (The Times) Fulham and Celtic are set to bid £4m for Burnley's Irish striker Kyle Lafferty. (Daily Star) Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is wanted by Juventus, according Italian press reports. (The Times) Manchester United's hopes of signing Miguel Veloso have been damaged by a row between the player's club Sporting Lisbon and Carlos Queiroz. (Guardian) Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari is ready to snub a move to Juventus to stay at Fratton Park. (The Sun) Bolton and Wigan are in competition for the signature of West Brom full-back Paul Robinson. (The Times) Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has been promised funds to bring in new players and wants to bring in players he has previously worked with. (The Times) Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has begged the club's owners not to sack manager Rafael Benitez. (various) Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in new player in the January transfer window. (Daily Star) But chairman Chris Mort is reluctant to release any cash, which means Allardyce is unlikely to do a deal for Manchester United defender Wes Brown. (Daily Mirror) The Magpies are also set to release injured defender Celestine Babayaro, paying the remainder of his contract which expires at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror) Derby and Sheffield United are battling it out to sign Bolton's veteran midfielder Gary Speed. (Daily Star) Ipswich are giving a second trial to FC Moscow's 28-year-old Poland international midfielder Damian Gorawski. (Daily Star) Reading boss Steve Coppell is keen on £3m-rated French centre-back Sebastien Puygrenier. (Daily Star) Crystal Palace are to send on-loan striker Besian Idrizaj back to Liverpool as boss Neil Warnock is unimpressed. (Daily Star) Wigan manager Steve Bruce is interested in Hibernian left-back David Murphy, but faces competition from Celtic and Rangers. (Daily Mirror) Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will give a trial to forward Fabrice Pancrate. (Daily Mirror) QPR are set to bid £1.2m for Wigan defender Fitz Hall, and are expected to beat Norwich and Coventry to his signature. (Daily Mirror) Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is planning a shock raid on Hull to sign Jay Jay Okocha. (Daily Mirror) Derby County manager Paul Jewell has his eye on Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross. (various) OTHER GOSSIP Cardiff are lining up Billy Davies to replace boss Dave Jones. (Daily Mirror) Former USA boss Bruce Arena has revealed he is keen to become the new Scotland manager. (Daily Star) Fabio Capello is set to be the new England boss after Jose Mourinho ruled himself out of the running. And the former Real Madrid manager could draft in ex-England stars Alan Shearer and Stuart Pearce as part of his backroom staff. (various) Another Italian, Marcello Lippi, also remains in the frame to succeed Steve McClaren. (Daily Express) AND FINALLY... Former England manager Steve McClaren has finally won a trophy - the Plain English's Campaign's annual Foot in Mouth award. The prize is given for speaking a load of gibberish. (Daily Star)

and this was the TOP STORY on sky Big Sam staying positive Allardyce not fearing the looming figure of Shearer Last updated: 4th December 2007 Sam Allardyce is confident Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer is not being lined up to take his job. Reports have claimed that, should The Magpies lose to Arsenal on Wednesday, Allardyce will be sacked and replaced by Shearer. Newcastle have picked up just one point from the last 15 available, but Allardyce is refusing to panic about the situation. And the ex-Bolton Wanderers boss is optimstic that he is not on the verge of being succeeded by the club's former captain. "If Alan decides to take my job, I hope it'll be when I've decided to leave," Allardyce told reporters. Burden "That will mean I've made the club successful and he'll be taking over a club that I've improved significantly, like what happened with Sammy Lee and Bolton. "If it's the other way then you have to live with it. "I don't particularly see that as a burden because if you lose your job then somebody else is going to take it, whether it's Alan Shearer or whoever. "I know Alan reasonably well and when that situation comes up he's always said that he's not ready. "If that's the case, and somebody wants to employ him down the line after me or whatever, then that's life." Allardyce also moved to quash any suggestions that he has a strained relationship with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Bad time He added: "I saw Mike Ashley after the game on Saturday, shook hands and had a good chat with him. "I hope that shows the strength of the relationship we've got. There's no point beating about the bush, yes I'm under the cosh. "Yes, I've got to get results at this club sooner rather than later and, yes, we're having a bad time in terms of results. "But it can be turned around as quick as it's gone bad." Quoted from SkySports

Quoted from IrelandOnline

Highlights

sky sports has the same story posted now... http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_2638462,00.html

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/...ual_095553.html

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/spo...for_baines.html

I made my signature using that photo...

Allardyce fails with left back bid Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has seen his bid to sign Paris St-Germain's Senegal left back Boukary Drame hijacked by French side Sochaux. Allardyce had set up a £1m move for Drame and expected to open talks, but the defender agreed a three-year deal with Sochaux last night. Now Newcastle could start the season without a recognised left back as Celestine Babayaro is currently in Germany receiving treatment for a hamstring problem. from Daily Mail

TRANSFER RUMOURS West Ham have bid a club-record £12m for Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. (Daily Mail, Independent) Ronaldinho admits he would like to have Frank Lampard as a Barcelona team-mate - but boss Frank Rijkaard does not expect it to happen. (Various) Real Madrid are still confident of signing Chelsea's Dutch winger Arjen Robben. (Various) Birmingham's £9m joint move for Mido and Hossam Ghaly has collapsed over a last-gasp cash row. (Various) Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is prepared to wait a year to seal the £30m deal for Carlos Tevez. (Daily Mirror) Manchester United are letting England striker Alan Smith talk to Middlesbrough about a £6m transfer. (Daily Mirror) Nantes' Belgian striker Luigi Pieroni is heading for talks with Middlesbrough and Blackburn. (Daily Mirror) Aston Villa have ruled out a move for Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips. (Daily Express) Manchester City are in talks with Serbian giant Nikola Zigic over a £13m move. (The Sun, Daily Mirror) City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has made an increased £6m bid for Atletico Madrid winger Martin Petrov. (Independent) Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce will not let Kieron Dyer go on the cheap and is demanding £6m for the midfielder. (Daily Star) Derby's new £3m Jamaican defender Claude Davis has won his appeal for a work permit. (Daily Mirror) Pompey defender Sol Campbell is a target for Spanish club Villarreal. (Various) Everton have been told they will have to pay £6m for Wigan defender Leighton Baines. (Daily Mirror) Striker Nathan Ellington has urged West Brom to play him or sell him. (Daily Mirror) Hull have failed with an ambitious attempt to lure Italian legend Christian Vieri to the club. (Daily Mirror) Sheffield Wednesday are closing in on a £2m move for Southampton's Grzegorz Rasiak. (Daily Mail) QPR are lining up a £350,000 move for Charlton's Simon Walton. (Daily Mirror) Luton are set to move for Arsenal's Joe O'Cearuill. (Daily Mirror) Motherwell look set to miss out on Celtic misfit Adam Virgo after the Parkhead club insisted they match his £5,000-a-week wage packet. (Daily Record) Gretna are set to sign Derry City defender Darren Kelly. (Daily Record) The Premiership war of words has started early, with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson telling Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to shut up and labelling him a fool. (Various) Liverpool are considering ditching the name Anfield and selling the naming rights for their new stadium for £100m. (Daily Star) Reds boss Rafael Benitez has been told it is time to deliver some trophies. (Daily Mirror) The Premier League has assured West Ham they are highly unlikely to face any further punishment - even if Carlos Tevez and Kia Joorabchian win their High Court battle. (Daily Express) Millionaire footballers have invented a new drinking game with only one rule - whoever brings the least amount of money on a night out has to buy ALL the drinks. (Daily Star)

Hull City remain in the hunt for a striker with Newcastle United junior Andy Carroll topping Phil Brown's list. Brown is interested in securing the eighteen year old services on a year long loan after watching the striker several times last season and once this pre-season during Newcastle's match at Hartlepool United. Carroll is a hot prospect at Newcastle United, with the young striker still having four years remaining on his Newcastle deal, and whilst Carroll my struggle to break into the Newcastle first-team, the opportunity to move on loan to gain first-team experience may prove to be an opportunity too good to resist. Brown's hopes of landing the youngster on a loan deal are boosted by the fact he is dealing with his former boss at Bolton Wanderers Sam Allardyce. With Allardyce also keen for the youngster to gain first-team experience, Allardyce is likely to want the player move to be with a manager he knows; hence Phil Brown stands in a strong position to sign Carroll. Whilst a permanent move is certainly out of the question at this moment in time, a loan deal should be arranged by the Doncaster Rovers friendly on Saturday.

Real Madrid will lure Arjen Robben to Spain by offering him a six-year deal worth £24m. (The Sun) The Spanish club has offered Chelsea a £14.5m plus players deal for the Dutch winger. (Various) Sunderland will smash the British transfer fee for a goalkeeper on Wednesday by paying Hearts £9m for Craig Gordon. (Daily Mail) Freddie Ljungberg wants a £6m pay-off from Arsenal before he leaves the Emirates Stadium. (Daily Star) Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins has rejected a £13m move to Arsenal and will stay in the north-east. (Daily Express) Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon does not want the club to sell Shaun Wright-Phillips to Spurs - as he fears the north London club will be title rivals in seasons to come. (The Sun) Everton will complete the signing of Switzerland international Johann Vogel on Wednesday. (Various) Liverpool will try to hijack young England star Danny Rose's £1m move from Leeds to Spurs. (Daily Mirror) Charlton want to sign Spurs misfit Danny Murphy. (Daily Mirror) Manchester City and Manchester United are battling to sign Argentine goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo. (Daily Star) Birmingham will secure striker Mido from Spurs this week on loan - with a view to a £5m permanent deal. (Various) Chelsea are still interested in signing Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda, and could offer Glen Johnson as part of any deal. (Various) West Ham and Manchester City will have to match £5.5m offers from Sevilla and Galatasaray for Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mail) Derby, Cardiff and Preston all want to sign Blackburn striker Francis Jeffers. (The Sun) Derby boss Billy Davies will sign Ipswich's Welsh international goalkeeper Lewis Price. (Daily Mirror) Arsenal teenagers Fran Merida and Varlos Vela are to join Primera Liga side Almeira on a season-long loan. (Daily Mirror) Reading are close to signing Danilo Gerlo after making a £750,000 bid for the River Plate defender. (The Times) Watford are closing on a £2m deal to re-sign their former striker Heidar Helguson from Fulham. (The Sun) Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson has made a £1.5m bid to sign Thomas Gravesen from Celtic. (Daily Mirror) Sheffield Wednesday have weighed in with a £2m bid for Southampton striker Grzegorz Rasiak. (Various) Charlton are closing in on a £1.5m deal for MK Dons striker Izale McLoed - with Leicester also interested. (Various) Middlesbrough and Manchester City are in the running for Charlton's £3m-rated defender Luke Young. (Daily Mirror) Charlton will offload former Chelsea and Millwall midfielder Jody Morris. (Daily Express) Hull City are ready to make a shock bid to sign former England striker Andrew Cole. (The Sun) Ipswich are set to sell Gavin Williams to Stoke for £400,000. (The Sun) Former West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun says the Hammers' nightmare season was caused by too much change on and off the field. (The Sun) Former Man City midfielder Joey Barton has hit out at his treatment at the club towards the end of the season. (Various) Celtic midfielder Scott Brown is convinced he will form a good midfield partnership with Massimo Donati - even though the Italian does not speak much English. (Daily Record) West Brom are set to reveal that Jonathan Greening has signed a new three-year deal with them. (Various) Anyone feeling that there has been over-exposure of David Beckham of late might want to avoid US telly coverage of LA Galaxy matches. Cameras will be allowed into the dressing room, meaning that Goldenballs could provide viewers with more than they bargained for, if he's not careful. (Daily Star) Beckham's salary at LA Galaxy is 503.9 times bigger than the lowest-paid member of the squad, goalkeeper Lance Friesz. (Daily Mirror) Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill persuaded Marlon Harewood to join his side, rather than Wigan, with a last-ditch personal phone call to the striker. (Various)

TRANSFER RUMOURS Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has snubbed a £21.5m move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. (The Sun) Man City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson will take on Sunderland's Roy Keane to try and sign £5.5m Man Utd winger Kieran Richardson. (Daily Mirror) West Ham striker Marlon Harewood will rush through his £3.7m move to Wigan on Friday. (Daily Mirror) Fulham are on the brink of signing Leeds striker David Healy for about £2m. (Daily Mirror) Arsenal are mulling over whether to apply for a work permit for their 18-year-old Mexican striker Carlos Vela, who has been on loan at Spanish side Salamanca. (Daily Mirror) The Gunners are also set to sell Jose Antonio Reyes to Real Madrid for a cut-price £6.5m. (Daily Mirror) Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce will hold talks with striker Obafemi Martins on Friday to try and stop him leaving - Arsenal are said to be interested. (Various) Leeds chairman Ken Bates wants to buy Bolton's Slovakian centre-half Lubomir Michalik - in a move that will astound the club's creditors. (Daily Mirror) Bristol City have signed Wolves winger Michael McIndoe for an undisclosed fee. (The Sun) Sheffield United hope defender David Sommeil will join French side Valenciennes. (Daily Mirror) Ipswich have rejected a £600,000 Hull bid for striker Alan Lee. (Daily Star) Chelsea are poised to lend Scott Sinclair to Cardiff - in order to land teenage sensation Aaron Ramsey. (Daily Mirror) Former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek is to sign a one-year deal at Real Madrid. (Daily Mail) Aston Villa are ready to move for Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner - but have been told to stump up £3m for him. (Daily Mirror) Charlton boss Alan Pardew is battling with Leicester for Birmingham striker DJ Campbell. (Daily Star) Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric is planning a triple swoop for Birmingham's Stephen Clemence (£750,000) and DJ Campbell (£1.75m) and MK Dons striker Izale McLeod (£1m). (Daily Express) Portsmouth are ready to let Cameroon international Rudolphe Douala leave to join French side St Etienne. (Daily Mirror) Fulham are set to follow up the capture of Chris Baird by bringing in West Ham left-back Paul Konchesky for about £2m. (The Sun) MK Dons have taken Newport striker Matt Prosser, 20 and Eastwood Town's Lindon Meike, 19, on trial. (Daily Star) Former Sunderland midfielder Tommy Miller is considering a move to either Ipswich or Preston. (Daily Mirror) Mansfield have offered Matt Piper, 25, the chance to rebuild his career. (Daily Star) Burnley's Garreth O'Connor is training with Bournemouth with a view to rejoining his old club on loan. (Daily Telegraph) Wolves have approached Chelsea to sign 19-year-old defender Michael Mancienne on a long-term loan next season. (Daily Mail) Rangers new signing Lee McCulloch has told Steven Naismith not to give up on his dream of leaving Kilmarnock for Ibrox. (Daily Record) Thomas Gravesen's agent has warned Sheffield United they will have to pay top dollar to lure the Dane from Celtic. (Daily Record) Dundee are set to hand a trial to Portuguese striker Andre Martins. (Daily Record) Rangers will hand a trial to Australian superkid David D'Apuzzo, 18, next week. (Daily Record) Stoke are planning to charter a plane to Austria for fans to see their friendly with Real Madrid in Irdning on 27 July after learning the Spanish champions were staying nearby. (Daily Star) Bolton's Nicky Hunt could face a three-match Premier League ban after being sent off in the Peace Cup in Seoul. (The Sun) Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker says they can gatecrash the Premier League's top six this season. (The Sun) Dutch coach Marco van Basten reckons Liverpool have signed the "new Thierry Henry" in Ryal Babel. (Daily Star) Preston midfielder Paul McKenna faces surgery on a groin problem and could be out until October. (Daily Mirror) Portsmouth new boy John Utaka snubbed a last-minute move to Manchester City - despite being offered an extra £20,000-a-week at Eastlands. (The Sun) Robbie Fowler has asked Cardiff for 48 hours to chew over a move that could cost them a £1.5m-plus wage. (Daily Mail) England defender Nicky Shorey is still waiting for Reading to offer him a new contract. (Daily Star) Southampton are the target of a multi-million takeover bid from Dubai Holdings - the Arab group which tried to buy Liverpool. (Daily Mirror) Blackburn boss Mark Hughes claims David Bentley is already benefiting from his England Under-21 snub in the summer. (Daily Star) PFA chief Gordon Taylor believes Premier League stars deserve their massive wages. (The Sun) Chelsea's 17-year-old striker Ben Sahar will not be forced to return to his native Israel for national service. (Daily Mail) Everton boss David Moyes believes the Premier League's big-spenders are making it difficult for them to sign new players. (The Sun) Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp says he is only six games from the sack after spending £22m this summer. (Daily Star) Colchester defender Wayne Brown has asked to leave the club. (The Times) Spurs target Kevin-Prince Boateng's favourite television show is kids' programme SpongeBob SquarePants. (The Sun) Getafe have apologised for any offence cause by the use of Biblical references in their new television advert to attract season ticket-holders for next season - but they have refused to pull the advert. It depicts Jesus Christ on the cross, Moses in the wilderness and Adam in the Garden of Eden, among others, and all are shown refuting their devotion to God saying they would only sacrifice themselves for their team.

Kieran Richardson is rumored to sign a contract worth £45,000 a week with s*nderland.

Toon handed Young deal boost Thu, Jul 12 2007 10:47 Charlton boss Alan Pardew has admitted defeat in his battle to keep England defender Luke Young and Newcastle could now swoop. Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has already made enquiries about signing the Addicks right-back but faces competition from the Magpies and Middlesbrough for his signature. Young is considering his future at the Valley after Charlton's relegation to the Championship last season and Pardew has now revealed he expects him to move on before next month - although he is holding out for a fee around £4.5 million for the 28-year-old former Tottenham star. Pardew said: "I appreciate that at this stage of his career he wants to play in the Premier League. "He's a difficult price because of his age and because he's an England player but I'm sure one or two clubs will come and he'll be interested."

Keane suffers another blow as Baird flies away WITH long-term target Chris Baird having spurned Sunderland's advances to join Fulham, Roy Keane has admitted that it was proving difficult to attract some of his leading targets to Wearside. Despite speaking to Sunderland officials earlier this week, Baird last night completed a £3.025m move to Fulham rather than signing on the dotted line at the Stadium of Light. The Northern Irish centre-half has cited the presence of his former international manager, Lawrie Sanchez, as one of the major factors behind his decision to commit to Craven Cottage, but there is the suggestion that a reluctance to uproot his family to the North-East also contributed to yesterday's events. Keane is gradually growing accustomed to disappointment, as mooted moves for both Alan Smith and Jermain Defoe were shelved once it became apparent that neither player was keen on a move to the Stadium of Light, while former target David Nugent claimed that Portsmouth's superior squad strength had persuaded him to make a £6m move to Fratton Park. The Black Cats boss remains confident that he will have significantly strengthened his squad by the time Sunderland face Tottenham in the opening match of the Premiership season, but he has also admitted that geographical factors are working against him as he attempts to compete with rival clubs in the south. "The modern player takes everything into account," said Keane, who will confirm the £5m capture of Michael Chopra later today, provided the former Newcastle striker successfully completes a medical. "Believe it or not, even the weather can play a massive part in a player's decision. "I was a bit like that before I came up here. You do think the North-East is in the middle of nowhere. But it's part of my job to sell the club and the area. "I'm really enjoying it here, and so are the staff members I've brought with me, so it's my job to get people up here for a look around. We've had players here and suggested places for them to live, and that's part of the challenge. For a lot of players, the temptation is to live in Manchester or London. "Lots of players have that mindset, but it's not just Sunderland - it's Newcastle and Middlesbrough as well. I think Middlesbrough had a bad reputation for a few years, and it surprised people when the likes of Ravanelli and Juninho moved there. "That shows it can be done though. You can't be defeated otherwise you're never going to get the top players." Keane poured a significant amount of time and energy into his pursuit of Baird, only for the versatile 25-year old to sign a four-year deal at Fulham. The Northern Irishman only arrived at Fulham's training ground yesterday morning but, by lunchtime, Sunderland were being informed that he would not be moving to Wearside . "I'm delighted that Chris has chosen to join Fulham despite interest shown by other clubs," said Fulham boss Sanchez. "I am well aware of Chris' attributes as a player from my time with Northern Ireland, and his qualities and versatility will be a major asset for the club next season." To make matters worse for the Black Cats, Keane has also been told that his pursuit of Wigan full-back Leighton Baines is now at an end. The Sunderland boss has tabled three separate bids for the highly-rated England Under-21 international, with the most recent, worth £4m, arriving at the JJB Stadium last weekend. Wigan officials turned all three down, and Latics boss Chris Hutchings has now spoken to Keane personally to inform him that Baines will not be moving anywhere this summer. "Our manager spoke with Roy Keane because he felt he had to make it clear he has no intentions of selling Leighton," said a Wigan spokesman. "We have said all along that he is not for sale and we certainly don't intend letting him go. Sunderland and other clubs now hopefully realise what is happening." Keane can at least console himself with the knowledge that Chopra should be confirmed as a Sunderland player later today. The 23-year-old has agreed personal terms after Cardiff accepted a £5m bid for his services earlier this week, and is expected to sign at the Stadium of Light within the next 24 hours once the results of his medical are known. Former Sunderland midfielder Matt Piper is currently undergoing a week-long trial at League Two side Mansfield. Piper's Black Cats contract was cancelled in January 2006 after the winger underwent ten knee operations in the space of three years. from the Northern Echo

i do not know what is worse, him saying the 'old onion bag' or him screaming 'look out' any time an attacking player gets near the box.

rubbish... i think the daily mail picked up this garbage from tribal football...

tommy smyth on the commentary of the match said that recoba was the second best player in the world... later he said that recoba was not the best player on uruguay's national team... i found those comments funny... IMO i do not think big sam should waste his time on this headcase...

Big Sam keen on Beye NEWCASTLE UNITED will return from a pre-season get-together in Austria later today, but manager Sam Allardyce will not be on board the flight. The Magpies boss left the camp on Saturday to step up his efforts to make further additions to his playing staff, with Marseille defender Habib Beye in his sights. Having already added four to his playing staff this summer, Allardyce is keen to continue his rebuilding with defenders a priority. The interest in Beye has been well documented and, provided a deal can be done to seal the Beye transfer within the next couple of weeks, Allardyce wants to add a left-back to his squad, but sources close to Gabriel Heinze suggest he would not even contemplate moving to St James' Park. Newcastle also remain keen on making 'one or two' spectacular signings before the start of the new campaign on August 11 and have suffered a blow in their hopes of landing Barcelona star Deco. The Portuguese playmaker had been offered to Newcastle when a delegation from Tyneside travelled to Camp Nou to discuss the futures of Edmilson and Eidur Gudjohnsen. But Deco has now been deemed as 'un-transferable' in the Spanish media, with officials at the La Liga giants claiming he is going nowhere. And in an attempt to quell speculation, it has been suggested that he has been offered the role of vice captain at Barca behind Carles Puyol. Deco does not want to leave Barcelona, nor do the Spanish giants want to sell. And, if there was a change of heart, the most likely scenario would see him move to Chelsea with Frank Lampard heading in the opposite direction. With Deco looking like staying in Spain, Allardyce looks as if he will almost certainly still have Kieron Dyer and Emre at his disposal during pre-season. It would also seem that Albert Luque, in whom there has been little interest, will be still at St James' - even though he has been allowed to leave the Austria training camp for personal reasons. from the Northern Echo

SAM Allardyce rushed from Newcastle United’s training camp in Austria in an attempt to complete his fifth signing of the summer after a frantic weekend of mobile phone calls finally paid off. Allardyce, who has already lured Joey Barton, Geremi, David Rozehnal and Mark Viduka to St James’s Park, was co-ordinating the intensive training sessions at the camp in Stegersbach, but departed suddenly on Sunday to conduct personal negotiations with his latest transfer target. United’s manager, who met the player for face-to-face talks yesterday, had refused to halt his attempts to reshape the United squad he inherited from Glenn Roeder during the get-together on the Continent and has been working tirelessly to secure deals for a number of players. The new signing, thought to be a defender, is expected to be confirmed as a United player in the next 48 hours following Allardyce’s personal effort to meet him. The Journal also understands that several conversations have taken place between the Newcastle boss and Barcelona officials, with the Magpies still pondering the possibility of signing striker Eidur Gudjohnsen and defender Edmilson. United have also been attempting to clarify Deco’s position at the Nou Camp. The Catalan club were keen to sell the Brazil-born Portugal international earlier in the summer to make room for Chelsea’s Frank Lampard, but they have become increasingly concerned they will not be able to prise the England international away from Stamford Bridge. As a result, sources in Barcelona have begun to claim that the club are going on a charm offensive with Deco by offering him the vice-captaincy in an effort to appease him over their long-standing interest in Lampard. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old is keen to play in England and could still be persuaded to leave Spain if Newcastle can convince him that they are no longer going to be Premiership also-rans. The Magpies were also reportedly attempting to sign Manchester United left-back Gabriel Heinze yesterday, although sources close to the player have quickly distanced the Argentinian from a move to the North-East. It is no secret that Allardyce is looking to sign a new left-back this summer and that Heinze is likely to leave Old Trafford after a disappointing season. However, like Wes Brown, another player Allardyce was rumoured to be interested in this summer, Newcastle’s manager does not believe he will be able to get the 29-year-old to leave the reigning Premiership champions for Tyneside. Heinze, who is playing for his country in the Copa America, has attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona, as well as Liverpool. Newcastle are not high on his preferred list of destinations should he leave Manchester. The Red Devils are reluctant to sell the defender to traditional arch rivals Liverpool, but would listen to offers from a club on the Continent, as well as Newcastle. Meanwhile, Steven Taylor has revealed he would be happy if Newcastle United became one of the most hated teams in the country under Allardyce. Taylor, who has not been with the rest of the United squad in Austria because of his involvement in the European Under-21 Championship last month, is hoping to see St James’s Park become the formidable fortress of old under Allardyce. The Magpies were beaten seven times on home soil last season, but Taylor believes Newcastle can once again make it one of the most unpopular destinations in the country to visit. He said: “We would like to be hated. People hated Bolton for the way they played and I would be happy with that. It has been successful the way they have been playing. “I think one thing we need to bring up here is to make everyone hate coming to St James’ Park. We need to make it a horrible place to come to now.” from Journal Sport on icNewcastle

William Gallas yesterday confirmed the rumours that he wants to follow Thierry Henry out of Arsenal by claiming they lacked ambition and stating that "several players are questioning the club's future" ­ even though they are poised to launch a £13m bid to sign Newcastle United's Obafemi Martins later this week. The signing of Martins, after the £16m departure of Thierry Henry, would add to the £8m purchase of Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva as Arsène Wenger reshapes his forward line. The Arsenal manager is also adding to his defensive options with the former French Under-21 right-back Bakary Sagna arriving in London last night for talks after Arsenal agreed a fee, thought to be close to £7m, with Auxerre. Sagna, 24, has pushed for the move to the Emirates for some time and even threatened to boycott pre-season training. Martins is yet to make up his mind on whether he wants to quit Newcastle. However, he has told the club that if he stays he wants a significant rise on his £60,000-a-week contract, which would take him close to the top earner, Michael Owen, who is paid more than £100,000 a week. If the demand is rejected, as appears almost certain, the 22-year-old Nigerian will press for a move and has a buyout clause which Arsenal are prepared to trigger. The purchases ­ to add to the arrival of the Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski for £2m and the promising Harvard Nordtveit from the Norwegian club FK Haugesund, also for £2m, would take Arsenal's spending to £32m this summer, which makes a mockery of Gallas's claim that they are failing to " recruit". However, Wenger may also face another battle to hold on to his biggest talent after Real Madrid's new coach, Bernd Schuster, yesterday chose his first press conference to reiterate the club's desire to acquire midfielder Cesc Fabregas. "I like Cesc Fabregas, he plays in the same position as I did in my playing days," the former German midfielder said. "He has improved a lot in England, and learnt a lot from Arsène Wenger, a coach who I admire and who has done over the years a very good job with young players. I believe he is one of the few players in his position that can carry a team on his back, and when I say teams, I mean quality teams." Although the 20-year-old Spaniard has committed himself to Arsenal ­ as long as Wenger stays ­ it appears that resolve will be tested by Real who also still want Chelsea's Arjen Robben and may strike a deal to keep Jose Antonio Reyes on loan from Arsenal. Of less importance, but greater irritation, to Wenger are the comments from Gallas, which appeared on the player's own website. The French defender ­ 30 next month ­ said: "Today I am at Arsenal but I do not know what can occur tomorrow. All happens so quickly in football. Around us, all the teams are recruiting but what is planned to compensate for the departure of Titi Henry?" Gallas has made no secret of his desire to play for one of the leading Spanish or Italian clubs and his comments, following his poor form last season, will not be well-received by Arsenal's fans. He is also close to Henry, who made clear that one of the reasons he left Arsenal was that he felt he had more chance of winning trophies at Barcelona. Effectively Gallas made the same claim when he said: "I am not at Arsenal to play for third place. It is necessary to recruit players of reputation because the young players have many qualities but the season is very long. If not, one will have to change and do the same as the other teams: recruit with more means. I will have a discussion with Arsène Wenger and board members to know the objectives of the club this season and what they wish to set up to build an even more competitive team." A complication has been the question marks over Wenger's own future. With one year left on his contract he has made clear that he is also wants certain assurances before signing another extension. However, the Arsenal board is increasingly confident it can give those assurances and negotiations are said to have gone well, although Wenger is unlikely to make a final decision until the autumn. story from The Independent

Chelsea Arjen Robben's lawyer is in Spain to hold talks with Real Madrid, who still want to sign the winger. (The Sun) Liverpool are set to sign Ajax winger Ryan Babel after returning with a £13.5m bid on Monday night on the back of having a £10m offer rejected. (The Sun) Fiorentina are ready to sign Freddie Ljungberg from Arsenal for £5.5m. (The Guardian) Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas will turn his back on a £27m move to Real Madrid, even though he is a top target for new Madrid boss Bernd Schuster. (Daily Star) Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is ready to make an £8m bid for Spurs striker Jermain Defoe. (Daily Star) Arsenal are poised to launch a £13m bid for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins this week. (The Independent) Newcastle have emerged as rivals to Liverpool in the race to sign Manchester United Gabriel Heinze. (Daily Star) Blackburn boss Mark Hughes wants Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mirror) Portsmouth will complete the signing of Preston striker David Nugent on Tuesday. (Various) Chelsea misfit Khalid Boulahrouz is poised to join Seville in a half-price £3.5m deal. (Daily Mirror) New Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is make Swede Christian Wilhelmsson his first signing. (Various) Everton are mulling over the possibility of making a bid for £6m-rated Wigan defender Leighton Baines. (Daily Express) Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is ready to offer Celtic £3m for midfielder Thomas Gravesen. (Daily Mirror) Leicester look set to land a £2m double swoop to sign Stephen Clemence and DJ Campbell from Birmingham. (Daily Star) Leeds striker Robbie Blake is in talks with Burnley about a £500,000 return to Turf Moor. (Various) Arsenal defender William Gallas has demanded crunch talks with Gunners manager Arsene Wenger over the failure to bring in a big name to replace striker Thierry Henry. (Various) New Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has pleaded with fans not to compare him to former Old Trafford captain Roy Keane. (Daily Mirror) Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is set for a row with new director of football Avram Grant - as the Portuguese manager does not want Grant sitting in the dug-out during matches. (Various) Meanwhile, Grant insists that his appointment has been done with Mourinho's blessing. (The Guardian) LA Galaxy boss Alexi Lalas has warned David Beckham to concentrate on football, not showbiz, when he begins playing for the club. (Various) Dundee have revealed that they turned down new Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster when he wanted to become boss at Dens Park in 2000. (Daily Record) AND FINALLY Sven-Goran Eriksson is to call on the advice of mystical gurus and introduce yoga to Manchester City's training regime. (The Sun) Manchester United players are making plans to keep Charley in the Big Brother house - so that they can keep ribbing her cousin, team-mate Kieran Richardson. (Daily Star) Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson says Jean Claude Darcheville impressed his new team-mates with some swanky sleight-of-hand magic tricks. (Daily Record)