Thursday's Gossip Column

[Craig 6700]

TRANSFER RUMOURS

 

Arsenal are close to securing a season-long loan for Real Madrid's Julio Baptista, with Jose Reyes returning to Spain for a year. (Various)

 

Arsenal may also be about to sign the two finest young players in South America - Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez - from Corinthians. (The Times)

 

Tottenham will offer £5m for Liverpool's Harry Kewell and also wrap up a £5.25m deal for Wigan's Pascal Chimbonda. (The Sun)

 

Spurs will also sign Steed Malbranque from Fulham, with Wayne Routledge going the other way on loan. (Guardian)

 

While Martin Jol has made a last-ditch bid to swoop for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing. (Daily Mirror)

 

If they cannot sign Downing, Spurs may turn their attentions to Lyon's Hatem Ben Arfa. (Daily Mirror)

 

Ashley Cole has resigned himself to fact that his move from Arsenal to Chelsea will not go ahead. (Various)

 

Though Arsenal could still accept a £20m offer from the Blues. (Daily Mirror)

 

And if they don't, Chelsea could yet pull the plug on Robert Huth's £6m move to Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)

 

Meanwhile, Chelsea have been rebuffed by Juventus with a cheeky £8m bid for left-back Giorgio Chiellini. (Daily Express)

 

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wants to wrap up a deal for 18-year-old Japanese striker Sho Ito. (Daily Mirror)

 

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes could sign Egyptian centre-back Wael Gomaa to cover for injured Ryan Nelsen. (Daily Mirror)

 

Manchester United have not given up hope of signing Owen Hargreaves from Manchester United. (Daily Mail)

 

Manchester City may try to sign Marcus Bent from Charlton after Birmingham's £2m bid to get him collapsed. (Daily Mail)

 

PSV Eindhoven have submitted an improved bid for Liverpool defender Jan Kronkamp. (Guardian)

 

Portsmouth are hoping to tie up deals for Ghanaian World Cup stars Stephen Appiah and Sulley Muntari. (Independent)

 

Harry Redknapp is also set to complete a deal for Croatian World Cup striker Niko Kranjcar. (Daily Mirror)

 

Roy Keane wants Blackburn defender Andy Todd to be his first signing as Sunderland manager. (Independent)

 

The Black Cats boss also wants to grab former Republic of Ireland colleagues Graham Kavanagh and David Connolly from Wigan. (Daily Mail)

 

As well as landing Man Utd reserve Liam Miller, Portsmouth defender Andy O'Brien and Blackburn midfielder Jonathan Douglas - all Irish. (Daily Mirror)

 

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is hoping to sign Barcelona striker Javier Saviola before the transfer window slams shut at midnight. (Independent)

 

But if O'Neill does not sign the Argentine, he could yet make a bid for Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe. (Independent)

 

Having signed Nicolas Anelka, Bolton have now set their sights on Paris St Germain winger Vikash Dhorasoo. (Daily Mirror)

 

Southampton boss George Burley wants to sign his old Derby playmaker Inigo Idiakez from the Rams. (Daily Mirror)

 

Liverpool are still hoping to sign Blackburn defender Lucas Neill but may have to up their bid to £4m. (Independent)

 

Brighton have accepted a bid from Sheffield United for livewire striker Colin Kazim-Richards. (Guardian)

 

Carlisle's Michael Bridges has handed in a transfer request in a bid to secure a move to Hull. (Daily Mail)

 

Plymouth boss Ian Holloway wants to boost his squad by signing Dutch defender Marcel Seip and young England striker Cherno Samba. (Independent)

 

Ipswich have sold striker Nicky Forster to Hull for £200,000 and will sign Crystal Palace frontman Jon Macken on loan. (Daily Star)

 

Celtic have had a £500,000 bid for New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph rejected by American Major League Soccer. (Daily Record)

 

 

OTHER GOSSIP

 

Kevin Keegan could make an extraordinary return to management with Doncaster Rovers, as replacement for Dave Penney. Doncaster chairman John Ryan is a close friend of the former England boss. (The Times)

 

Didier Drogba has told William Gallas: Stop tearing Chelsea apart. (The Sun)

 

Sir Clive Woodward is set to leave Southampton and quit full-time professional football in the process, with an announcement expected in the next 48 hours. (Guardian)

 

Jens Lehmann is leading a revolt of Germany players who want to wear their own sponsored boots, not adidas.

 

The Football League have stopped the practice of demoting Premiership referees to their games after they have made serious errors in top-flight games. (Daily Mail)

 

Steven Gerrard says he doesn't care if Man Utd fans boo him during England's Euro 2008 qualifier with Andorra at Old Trafford on Saturday. (The Sun)

 

Lomana LuaLua has been banned from wearing the initial of his dead son on the back of his Portsmouth shirt. (The Sun)

 

 

FUNNIES

 

Michael Ballack was fined £47,000 for failing to declare to German customs a handbag that he bought for his wife in Dubai. (The Times)

 

Fulham right-back Moritz Volz believes David Hasselhoff could play a role in solving the world's ills. "People laughed when he tried to claim that Baywatch had played a part in brining peace to the world but I think he had a point," Volz tells FourFourTwo magazine.

 

England midfielder Steven Gerrard says a team bonding trip to a comedy club has done wonders for the spirit within the squad. "It was a good night. We all enjoyed it," he said. "One of the comedians was a Manchester United fan and he was right after me - then there was a Scouser and some of the United boys got a bit."

[Craig 6700]

Absolute nish about us!

[Toonpack 10059]

Absolute nish about us!

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Understandable really, we haven't even got a clue what we're doing ourselves, so the papers ain't going to have a sniff either

Edited August 31, 2006 by Toonpack