Post by mrleeds on Dec 31, 2008 11:20:35 GMT 1
BBC Sport
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Portsmouth have turned down a combined £30m bid from Tottenham for defender Glen Johnson and strikers Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe. (The Guardian)
Pompey have slapped a £15m price tag on England striker Defoe, who is also a target for Aston Villa. (The Sun)
Or, Portsmouth will demand £20m for Defoe, who wants to rejoin Tottenham after leaving them for Fratton Park a year ago. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester City have joined Spurs and Villa in the chase for Defoe. (The Guardian)
Liverpool remain confident of bringing England right-back Glen Johnson to Anfield in January. (Daily Mail)
The Reds are set to tempt Pompey with a £6.5m offer for Johnson and will also move for Wigan frontman Emile Heskey. (The Times)
Spurs have had a bid of £9m rejected for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, but will return with a bigger offer by the end of the week. (Daily Express)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is set to bring in former Liverpool right-back Steve Finnan from Espanyol. (Daily Express)
Arsenal will bid £12m to sign Everton's Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta as a stand-in for the injured Cesc Fabregas, who is out for the next four months. (The Sun)
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger considered making another offer for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, after failing with a £15m bid in the summer, but feels Arteta is a more realistic target. (The Sun)
Wenger has also lined up Udinese playmaker Gokhan Inler to bolster his midfield. (Daily Star)
Everton manager David Moyes could be tempted to cash in on Arteta to fund a swoop for CSKA striker Wagner Love. (The Sun)
Wenger could also bid £10m for Dynamo Kiev's Senegal centre-back Pape Diakhate but faces competition from Manchester City and Portsmouth. (The Sun)
Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Andrei Arshavin is prepared to take a pay cut from his current wages of £90,000-a-week to clinch a £12m move to Arsenal. (Daily Mirror)
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is eyeing Wagner Love, Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa and Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano despite being told he must sell before he buys in January. (Daily Mirror)
Scolari has demanded cash for a striker, although he is willing to sell Florent Malouda or Salomon Kalou if he has to raise funds himself. (Daily Express)
Fabiano is Scolari's first choice signing but Palmeiras hit-man Kleber and Inter Milan forward Andres D'Alessandro are his other targets. (Daily Express)
Middlesbrough are determined to keep Turkey striker Tuncay at the Riverside despite interest from Chelsea. (The Times)
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz is wanted by Real Madrid as well as Manchester City, but will only leave Ewood Park for another Premier League club. (The Sun)
City are set to seal an £18m deal for Santa Cruz by the end of the week. (Daily Mail)
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes will bid £8m for Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge, but will turn to Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm if the Blues refuse to sell. (Daily Express)
Hughes hopes to beat Arsenal to the signing of Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given as he launches a £50m January spending spree when the transfer window opens on Thursday. (Daily Express)
West Ham have told Manchester City target Scott Parker that he will not be allowed to leave Upton Park, even though the midfielder has indicated he would like to talk to the Eastlands club. (The Independent)
The Hammers have told City to up their £15m joint bid for Parker and Wales striker Craig Bellamy to £20m if they want to land the pair. (The Independent)
Another City target, Arsenal defender Kolo Toure, has demanded a move away from the Emirates after a bust-up with team-mate William Gallas. (Daily Star)
Newcastle could launch a £4m raid for highly rated Wolves winger Michael Kightly (The Sun)
As well as the Magpies, Kightly is also being tracked by Everton and Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)
Everton are also watching Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. (Daily Mail)
Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has emerged as a £3m target for Spanish side Atletico Madrid, just days after snubbing their city rivals Real. (The Sun)
Or, Real have agreed a £3.5m deal for Pennant but could decide to sign Wigan's £15m-rated Luis Antonio Valencia or Benfica's Angel di Maria for £17m instead. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham and Wigan are also weighing up a bid for Pennant. (Daily Mirror)
Wigan will ask for £20m for Valencia if Real follow up their interest in the Ecuador international. (Daily Mail)
Atletico Madrid have offered former Liverpool wideman Luis Garcia on loan to Tottenham, Blackburn, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough until the end of the season. (Daily Mail)
Bolton have launched a £3m raid for West Brom midfielder James Morrison and will bid £1.5m for West Ham defender Calum Davenport. (Daily Express)
Bolton and Everton will fight it out for Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, who has scored 12 times in 19 games in France this season. (Daily Star)
Wolves could lose on-loan Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne to Everton but want Leyton Orient's £500,000-rated centre-back Tamika Mkandawire as a replacement. (The Sun)
Ipswich will bid £1.5m for Newcastle striker Andy Carroll in January. (The Sun)
Leyton Orient have set their sights on Stevenage star Steve Morison and are willing to pay £100,000 to land the striker. (Daily Star)
Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell is set to spend £1m to capture Barnet winger Albert Adomah, who has also been linked with Watford and Plymouth. (The Sun)
Rotherham's former Celtic striker Mark Burchill could make a return to Scotland with Livingston. (Daily Star)
Coventry City want to bring in Livingston defender James McPake, who has signed a pre-contract deal to join the Sky Blues in the summer, for a nominal fee in January but say the Scottish Division One side are asking for an "unrealistic fee".
Rangers striker Alan Gow is considering making his loan stay at Blackpool permanent after the Championship side offered him a two-and-a-half year contract - but Burnley and Leeds are also interested. (Daily Record)
OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola will consider stepping down if stars are sold without his consent in January. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has written off Arsenal hopes of winning this year's Premier League title. (The Sun)
Following Sunday's draw with Fulham, Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has changed his mind about resting his big-name stars in Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie with Southend and will now play the likes of Petr Cech, Joe Cole, Michael Ballack, Deco, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. (The Sun)
Scolari read the riot act to his squad at a stormy meeting at the club's training ground on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will consider allowing winger Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Portugal to recharge his batteries before his side's Premier League showdown with Chelsea on 11 January. (The Times)
Nottingham Forest will name former Derby County boss Billy Davies as their new manager before Saturday's FA Cup tie against Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
Norwich City will turn to former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd as a replacement for current manager Glenn Roeder if they do not improve their form in the Championship. (The Sun)
Celtic winger Aiden McGeady could face Dundee United on Saturday after returning to training this week following his two-week suspension by his club. (Daily Record)
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood has banned his players from Pittodrie and cancelled training after a flu bug laid low several members of his squad. (Daily Record)
The Gulf state of Qatar is considering bidding to become the first Arab country to host the World Cup finals, in either 2018 or 2022. (The Guardian)
AND FINALLY
David Beckham sported a new tattoo on his left arm as he began his loan spell with AC Milan from LA Galaxy on Tuesday. It is written in Hebrew and says: "My son, do not forget my teaching but keep my commands in your heart." (The Sun)
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Portsmouth have turned down a combined £30m bid from Tottenham for defender Glen Johnson and strikers Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe. (The Guardian)
Pompey have slapped a £15m price tag on England striker Defoe, who is also a target for Aston Villa. (The Sun)
Or, Portsmouth will demand £20m for Defoe, who wants to rejoin Tottenham after leaving them for Fratton Park a year ago. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester City have joined Spurs and Villa in the chase for Defoe. (The Guardian)
Liverpool remain confident of bringing England right-back Glen Johnson to Anfield in January. (Daily Mail)
The Reds are set to tempt Pompey with a £6.5m offer for Johnson and will also move for Wigan frontman Emile Heskey. (The Times)
Spurs have had a bid of £9m rejected for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, but will return with a bigger offer by the end of the week. (Daily Express)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is set to bring in former Liverpool right-back Steve Finnan from Espanyol. (Daily Express)
Arsenal will bid £12m to sign Everton's Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta as a stand-in for the injured Cesc Fabregas, who is out for the next four months. (The Sun)
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger considered making another offer for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, after failing with a £15m bid in the summer, but feels Arteta is a more realistic target. (The Sun)
Wenger has also lined up Udinese playmaker Gokhan Inler to bolster his midfield. (Daily Star)
Everton manager David Moyes could be tempted to cash in on Arteta to fund a swoop for CSKA striker Wagner Love. (The Sun)
Wenger could also bid £10m for Dynamo Kiev's Senegal centre-back Pape Diakhate but faces competition from Manchester City and Portsmouth. (The Sun)
Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Andrei Arshavin is prepared to take a pay cut from his current wages of £90,000-a-week to clinch a £12m move to Arsenal. (Daily Mirror)
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is eyeing Wagner Love, Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa and Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano despite being told he must sell before he buys in January. (Daily Mirror)
Scolari has demanded cash for a striker, although he is willing to sell Florent Malouda or Salomon Kalou if he has to raise funds himself. (Daily Express)
Fabiano is Scolari's first choice signing but Palmeiras hit-man Kleber and Inter Milan forward Andres D'Alessandro are his other targets. (Daily Express)
Middlesbrough are determined to keep Turkey striker Tuncay at the Riverside despite interest from Chelsea. (The Times)
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz is wanted by Real Madrid as well as Manchester City, but will only leave Ewood Park for another Premier League club. (The Sun)
City are set to seal an £18m deal for Santa Cruz by the end of the week. (Daily Mail)
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes will bid £8m for Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge, but will turn to Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm if the Blues refuse to sell. (Daily Express)
Hughes hopes to beat Arsenal to the signing of Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given as he launches a £50m January spending spree when the transfer window opens on Thursday. (Daily Express)
West Ham have told Manchester City target Scott Parker that he will not be allowed to leave Upton Park, even though the midfielder has indicated he would like to talk to the Eastlands club. (The Independent)
The Hammers have told City to up their £15m joint bid for Parker and Wales striker Craig Bellamy to £20m if they want to land the pair. (The Independent)
Another City target, Arsenal defender Kolo Toure, has demanded a move away from the Emirates after a bust-up with team-mate William Gallas. (Daily Star)
Newcastle could launch a £4m raid for highly rated Wolves winger Michael Kightly (The Sun)
As well as the Magpies, Kightly is also being tracked by Everton and Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)
Everton are also watching Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. (Daily Mail)
Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has emerged as a £3m target for Spanish side Atletico Madrid, just days after snubbing their city rivals Real. (The Sun)
Or, Real have agreed a £3.5m deal for Pennant but could decide to sign Wigan's £15m-rated Luis Antonio Valencia or Benfica's Angel di Maria for £17m instead. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham and Wigan are also weighing up a bid for Pennant. (Daily Mirror)
Wigan will ask for £20m for Valencia if Real follow up their interest in the Ecuador international. (Daily Mail)
Atletico Madrid have offered former Liverpool wideman Luis Garcia on loan to Tottenham, Blackburn, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough until the end of the season. (Daily Mail)
Bolton have launched a £3m raid for West Brom midfielder James Morrison and will bid £1.5m for West Ham defender Calum Davenport. (Daily Express)
Bolton and Everton will fight it out for Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, who has scored 12 times in 19 games in France this season. (Daily Star)
Wolves could lose on-loan Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne to Everton but want Leyton Orient's £500,000-rated centre-back Tamika Mkandawire as a replacement. (The Sun)
Ipswich will bid £1.5m for Newcastle striker Andy Carroll in January. (The Sun)
Leyton Orient have set their sights on Stevenage star Steve Morison and are willing to pay £100,000 to land the striker. (Daily Star)
Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell is set to spend £1m to capture Barnet winger Albert Adomah, who has also been linked with Watford and Plymouth. (The Sun)
Rotherham's former Celtic striker Mark Burchill could make a return to Scotland with Livingston. (Daily Star)
Coventry City want to bring in Livingston defender James McPake, who has signed a pre-contract deal to join the Sky Blues in the summer, for a nominal fee in January but say the Scottish Division One side are asking for an "unrealistic fee".
Rangers striker Alan Gow is considering making his loan stay at Blackpool permanent after the Championship side offered him a two-and-a-half year contract - but Burnley and Leeds are also interested. (Daily Record)
OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola will consider stepping down if stars are sold without his consent in January. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has written off Arsenal hopes of winning this year's Premier League title. (The Sun)
Following Sunday's draw with Fulham, Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has changed his mind about resting his big-name stars in Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie with Southend and will now play the likes of Petr Cech, Joe Cole, Michael Ballack, Deco, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. (The Sun)
Scolari read the riot act to his squad at a stormy meeting at the club's training ground on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will consider allowing winger Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Portugal to recharge his batteries before his side's Premier League showdown with Chelsea on 11 January. (The Times)
Nottingham Forest will name former Derby County boss Billy Davies as their new manager before Saturday's FA Cup tie against Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
Norwich City will turn to former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd as a replacement for current manager Glenn Roeder if they do not improve their form in the Championship. (The Sun)
Celtic winger Aiden McGeady could face Dundee United on Saturday after returning to training this week following his two-week suspension by his club. (Daily Record)
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood has banned his players from Pittodrie and cancelled training after a flu bug laid low several members of his squad. (Daily Record)
The Gulf state of Qatar is considering bidding to become the first Arab country to host the World Cup finals, in either 2018 or 2022. (The Guardian)
AND FINALLY
David Beckham sported a new tattoo on his left arm as he began his loan spell with AC Milan from LA Galaxy on Tuesday. It is written in Hebrew and says: "My son, do not forget my teaching but keep my commands in your heart." (The Sun)
