Friday's football gossip

[Scottish Mag 3]

TRANSFER RUMOURS

 

 

Javier Mascherano will join Liverpool in a few days - but needs to check he is eligible to play because of Fifa regulations limiting the number of clubs a player can represent in one season. (Various)

 

West Ham will spend more than £20m in January in a bid to save their Premiership status - with £5m Fulham skipper Luis Boa Morte their first target. (Various)

 

Other targets for the Hammers include Matthew Upson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Mark Viduka. (Various)

 

Tottenham have made a £4m bid for West Ham's Anton Ferdinand. (The Sun)

 

Spurs boss Martin Jol has seen a £7m offer for Charlton's Darren Bent rejected. (Daily Mail)

 

Tottenham are ready to offer Wayne Routledge and Calum Davenport to Watford, in return for Watford striker Ashley Young. (The Guardian)

 

Young is closing in on a £5.5m move to Liverpool, with Watford ready to replace him with £1m Will Hoskins from Rotherham. (Daily Express)

 

Manchester United will try to sign Blackburn's David Bentley - if their move for Owen Hargreaves falls through. (Daily Mirror)

 

Charlton boss Alan Pardew has made a shock bid for Portsmouth's veteran striker Andy Cole. (Daily Mirror)

 

Rangers are closing in on a double swoop for Wigan defender Andy Webster and Falkirk striker Alan Gow. (Daily Record)

 

Aston Villa will sign Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley, but not until the two teams have played in the FA Cup and league. (Daily Mirror)

 

Charlton have agreed a £2.7m fee for Arsenal striker Anthony Stokes. (The Sun)

 

Newcastle are still confident they can capture the signature of Liverpool's Peter Crouch. (Various)

 

Chelsea want to sign Valencia's veteran Argentine defender Roberto Ayala. (Daily Mail)

 

Fulham striker Collins John has rejected a move to Watford after they failed to meet his personal demands. (Various)

 

Real Madrid are considering a shock £7m bid for Everton defender Joleon Lescott. (Daily Mirror)

 

Sheffield United are on the verge of signing Egypt international defender Ahemed Fathi from Ismaily in a £700,000 deal. (The Sun)

 

QPR have rejected two £2m bids from Spurs and Man City for winger Lee Cook. (Various)

 

Southampton's young star Gareth Bale has rejected a new contract with the club. (Daily Mirror)

 

Hibs player Scott Brown says he has been threatened by the club's supporters after requesting a transfer. (Daily Record)

 

Sunderland boss Roy Keane will raid former club Celtic for midfielder Stephen Pearson in a £400,000 deal. (Daily Mirror)

 

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce is lining up a surprise swoop for Coventry's Stern John. (The Sun)

 

Benfica's Manuel Fernandes is keen to stay in England despite his loan spell with Portsmouth coming to an end. (The Sun)

 

Marseille star Franck Ribery says he has snubbed a second bid by Arsenal - but will consider joining the Gunners in the summer. (Daily Star)

 

Millwall want to re-sign their joint-record scorer Neil Harris from Nottingham Forest. (The Sun)

 

Sheffield United winger Paul Ifill will join Crystal Palace. (Daily Mirror)

 

 

OTHER GOSSIP

 

 

Macclesfield boss Paul Ince claims institutional racism is blighting black players' chances of becoming Premiership managers - but says he still hopes to move there one day. (Various)

 

Walter Smith is poised to return to Rangers to take charge of the club for the second time - with Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant as his assistants. (Various)

 

Liverpool legend Sammy Lee has told boss Rafa Benitez to stop being so criticial of Bolton. (Daily Star)

 

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill fears Manchester United's veteran striker Henrik Larsson - who played under him at Celtic - will come back to haunt him in Sunday's FA Cup tie. (Various)

 

 

AND FINALLY...

 

 

Macclesfield's £600-a-week defender Matty McNeil hopes laughter affects Chelsea's megabucks stars in Saturday's FA Cup tie.

 

The 29-year-old former fruit and veg van driver is nicknamed Borat by his team mates - because of his resemblance to Sacha Baron Cohen's character. Although he hates the name, he hopes it will make the Blues' players lose concentration. (Various)

 

Palermo's sporting director Rino Foschi received an unwelcome festive present after his team fell 13 points behind leaders Inter Milan - inside a nicely wrapped parcel was a bloody goat's head. (Daily Express)

[Brock Manson 0]

TRANSFER RUMOURS

 

1) Manchester United will try to sign Blackburn's David Bentley - if their move for Owen Hargreaves falls through. (Daily Mirror)

 

2) Newcastle are still confident they can capture the signature of Liverpool's Peter Crouch. (Various)

 

3) Real Madrid are considering a shock £7m bid for Everton defender Joleon Lescott. (Daily Mirror)

 

 

1) He's a cracking player I'd like to see in black&white (or blue&white )

 

2) Please no.

 

3) Who comes up with this shite???

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Tottenham have made a £4m bid for West Ham's Anton Ferdinand.

 

Fantastic news if true. I know people rate Dawson, but he's been awful evertime I've seen him up here. Ferdinand looks average at best as well. Put them together and hopefully Spurs will finally fuck off out the PL.

[Bombadil 0]

Tottenham have made a £4m bid for West Ham's Anton Ferdinand.

 

Fantastic news if true. I know people rate Dawson, but he's been awful evertime I've seen him up here. Ferdinand looks average at best as well. Put them together and hopefully Spurs will finally fuck off out the PL.

 

I like your thinking!

[Ugly Mackems 134]

SWP to WHU and AF to CFC in exchange

[Gejon 2]

SWP to WHU and AF to CFC in exchange

 

 

They can't be THAT desperate for a defender!