Sundays Gossip Column

[Scottish Mag 3]

TRANSFER RUMOURS

 

 

Tottenham are ready to make a £3m swoop for Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi, the player who was headbutted by France's Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. (The People)

 

Curtis Davies is set to ask West Brom for a transfer, with Tottenham tipped to make a bid for the defender. (Sunday Mirror)

 

Liverpool target Yossi Benayoun will tell West Ham he wants to leave when the midfielder returns from holiday this week. (The People)

 

Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi, who has been linked to Juventus and who had loan spells at Newcastle and Parma, wants to be given the chance to prove himself at Old Trafford. (Various)

 

Striker Carlos Tevez, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, is on the verge of agreeing a deal to stay at West Ham, which would cost the London club £9m for the next season. (News of the World)

 

Chelsea winger Arjen Robben turned down two offers of a new deal in the past week and wants permission to speak to Real Madrid about a move. (News of the World)

 

West Ham want Benfica midfielder Manuel Fernandes, who had spells with Portsmouth and Everton. (The People)

 

Middlesbrough want midfielders Gary O'Neil and Sean Davis in a swap deal for Portsmouth target Yakubu. (The People)

 

Sheffield United captain Phil Jagielka, who has been linked to Everton and Wigan, will stay with the club if they are saved from relegation by the Premier League's arbitration panel. (The People)

 

Everton have joined Fulham, Blackburn and Middlesbrough in the battle for West Ham striker Bobby Zamora. (News of the World)

 

Wigan are set to join the race to land Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage, who is also a target of Sheffield United. (News of the World)

 

Liverpool have opened talks with Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito. (Various)

 

Ipswich are eyeing Birmingham midfielder Neil Kilkenny. (The People)

 

Fulham have made the first firm bid for West Ham striker Marlon Harewood, who has been told he can leave. (The People)

 

Sunderland are set to make a £2.5m bid for Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. (The People)

 

Lyon's Alou Diarra and Watford's Hamuer Bouazza are top of Portsmouth's midfield shopping list. (The People)

 

Celtic are keen on Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly, who has also been linked to Monaco, Marseille, Newcastle and Tottenham. (The People)

 

Everton are poised to make a £2.5m bid for Manchester United striker Alan Smith. (News of the World)

 

West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins, who was part of the failed deal to bring Charlton striker Darren Bent to Upton Park, is still set to join the Addicks. (News of the World)

 

 

OTHER GOSSIP

 

 

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to become the new manager of Manchester City - if ex-Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's £120m takeover of the club goes through. (Sunday Mirror)

 

Former world player of the year Zinedine Zidane says David Beckham is "one of the game's greatest players" and believes Real Madrid should have done everything in their power to keep the midfielder, who is set to join LA Galaxy. (Sunday Mirror)

 

American-based entrepreneur Daniel Williams is the man behind a £67m takeover bid for Blackburn. (The People)

 

Former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness has launched a bid to take over Coventry. (News of the World)

 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that, with 14 names linked to replacing him in the 2006-2007 campaign, he might have left the club if he had not been "in a mature state of mind within myself".

 

Inter Milan's former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira believes the uncertainty at the Emirates Stadium following the departure of vice-chairman David Dein is harming the club. (Sunday Mirror)

 

Wigan boss Chris Hutchings wants his one-time assistant at Bradford, Martin Hunter, to leave Norwich and become his new number two. (The People)

 

Scott Parker, West Ham's new arrival from Newcastle, does not have a get-out clause in his contract because he believes his new club will keep their Premier League place, despite Monday's arbitration tribunal. Relegated Sheffield United are challenging the decision not to dock points from the Hammers for breaking ownership rules over the signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, who is now at Liverpool. (Various)

 

Former England and Arsenal defender Tony Adams has hit out at the coaching set-up in his home country but wants to manage the national side one day. (Sunday Mirror)

 

 

AND FINALLY

 

 

A new Premier League theme will be played when teams toss the coin before each fixture next season, with DJ Judge Jules' old top-flight tune being replaced by a ditty composed by Peter Lawler and which was recorded at the Abbey Road studios by session musicians. It will also be used on the preview and review shows that are screened the world over. (The People)

 

Fulham defender Moritz Volz's holiday in Miami has been hit by toilet problems. He said: "The hotel toilet would not stop flushing and flooded the bathroom. Luckily, no solid waste was involved but after a long flight the last thing I wanted was to change rooms in my pyjamas. Then it got worse when the toilet in the new room made siren noises that were louder than the local fire engines." (The People)

 

Former Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro has revealed that one of the reasons he joined Chelsea this summer was his passion for horse racing. The Peruvian owns 35 horses, which race in his homeland, Argentina and England.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Scottish Mag

[Scottish Mag 3]

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND international Alan O'Brien is being tracked by Celtic, West Brom, Wolves and Leicester after making it clear that he won't be signing a new contract at Newcastle.

 

The 22-year-old winger has been offered the chance to be put through his pre-season paces at Parkhead by Gordon Strachan, but a move to the Championship looks more likely.

 

Dublin-born O'Brien has rejected three contract offers from the Toon because he is desperate to play regular first-team football.

 

He has won five caps and was Man of the Match in the Republic's recent 1-1 draw with Bolivia in the USA.

[wellsy 0]

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND international Alan O'Brien is being tracked by Celtic, West Brom, Wolves and Leicester after making it clear that he won't be signing a new contract at Newcastle.

 

The 22-year-old winger has been offered the chance to be put through his pre-season paces at Parkhead by Gordon Strachan, but a move to the Championship looks more likely.

 

Dublin-born O'Brien has rejected three contract offers from the Toon because he is desperate to play regular first-team football.

 

He has won five caps and was Man of the Match in the Republic's recent 1-1 draw with Bolivia in the USA.

 

Hmmm thats unfortunate to see him go as im sure he could of been more then useful for us. Apparently has pace to burn as well, which would of been handy.

[Bombadil 0]

If West Ham can really hold onto Tevez, they will be extremely dangerous next season. I'm just glad Roeder has gone, I would be suicidal at the thought of next season if he was still in charge.

[Kid Dynamite 5937]

They will just be us in disguise next season. It will be emre, parker, duff, owen all over again. A team full of good players suddenly making £75k a week and deciding to take it easy for a season or two.

[Shearergol 0]

Harewood to Fulham?

[tinofbeans 86]

harewoods a footballer?

 

shurely shome mistake!

[Barney 0]

Liverpool have opened talks with Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito. (Various)

 

Brilliant Player. Bit like Berbatov, he'd do brillianly in the Prem.

[Fred 0]

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND international Alan O'Brien is being tracked by Celtic, West Brom, Wolves and Leicester after making it clear that he won't be signing a new contract at Newcastle.

 

The 22-year-old winger has been offered the chance to be put through his pre-season paces at Parkhead by Gordon Strachan, but a move to the Championship looks more likely.

 

Dublin-born O'Brien has rejected three contract offers from the Toon because he is desperate to play regular first-team football.

 

He has won five caps and was Man of the Match in the Republic's recent 1-1 draw with Bolivia in the USA.

 

Hmmm thats unfortunate to see him go as im sure he could of been more then useful for us. Apparently has pace to burn as well, which would of been handy.

 

 

Not arsed in the slightest like, he's just not good enough. It might come up and bite us in the arse in years to come but I don't think he's 1st team material.

 

He was exciting when he broke into the reserves because he is quick but he's got nowt else. Paula Radcliffe can run quick but I wouldn't want her marauding down our left flank.

 

She'd be better than matty pattison mind you

[mrkikiet 0]

Liverpool have opened talks with Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito. (Various)

 

Brilliant Player. Bit like Berbatov, he'd do brillianly in the Prem.

 

If both he and his brother leave it doesn't matter if Zaragoza get Saviola and another central midfielder they're going to be pretty fucked. Plus I can't find anything i the Spanish press about it.

 

I'm not convinced by D.Milito in the prem, i suspect he might be another Morientes.