29/12/2010 – Wednesday’s Paper Round-Up

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon is eager to bring out-of-favour Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne and midfielder Stephen Ireland to Parkhead on loan.

Sir Alex Ferguson is set to reinforce his Manchester United midfield with a £12m New Year move for Real Madrid’s Lassana Diarra.

United are also preparing a summer move for CSKA Moscow keeper Igor Akinfeev, who Ferguson sees as a long-term replacement for current number one Edwin van der Sar.

Fulham hope to make Chris Samba their first signing of the January transfer window but the Blackburn defender wants assurances over Mark Hughes’s future first.

However, the Cottagers may face competition from Arsenal, who are keen on the £8m-rated centre-back.

The Gunners are also reportedly back in the hunt for Werder Bremen centre-back Per Mertesacker.

Liverpool have rejected a loan offer from Birmingham City for 24-year-old winger Ryan Babel, who has also attracted interest from West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool’s new Director of Football Strategy Damien Comolli was at Southampton yesterday to run the rule over the Saints’ latest teen sensation Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Juventus are preparing a £27m-offer for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie and the Italian side may also be willing to throw midfielder Felipe Melo into the deal.

Stoke are close to signing on-loan winger Jermaine Pennant, 27, on a permanent contract from Spanish side Real Zaragoza.

German side Werder Bremen are interested in Aston Villa’s 25-year-old defender Curtis Davies, who is currently on loan with Leicester City.

Villa manager Gerard Houllier has handed a trial to Colorado Rapids’ Jamaican striker Omar Cummings.

Villa are also keen to sign striker Nicklas Bendtner from Arsenal, who may also be joined out of the Emirates exit by fellow striker Carlos Vela, midfielder Denilson and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Real Madrid centre-back Pepe has received a lucrative offer from Manchester City, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

Mick McCarthy wants to bring Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane back to Wolves, the club the Republic of Ireland forward first joined in 1997.

West Ham look set to sign Dieumerci Mbokani on loan from Monaco if they can get a work visa for the Congolese striker.

The Hammers may also look to sign Manchester United’s Michael Owen on loan after the striker admitted he may have to leave Old Trafford to reignite his career.

Valon Behrami has given Roma until 10 January to reach a deal over his transfer from West Ham. The Swiss midfielder is desperate to return to Italian football after an injury-hit spell in the Premier League.

Everton, Newcastle and Blackburn are chasing Barcelona’s teenage midfielder Oriol Romeu.

Hull have been put off a bid for James Vaughan after his club Everton put a £2m price-tag on the striker.

However, the Tigers are close to sealing a £1.5m-deal for Leicester striker Matty Fryatt after Foxes boss Sven Goran Eriksson admitted the player is almost certain to leave in January.

England boss Fabio Capello has risked angering Europe’s top clubs by backing calls for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be held during the winter. Capello, who is due to leave his role with England in 2012, believes it would be too hot to play in Qatar during June and July.

Blackburn caretaker boss Steve Kean has refuted accusations that there were underhand tactics at play when he was asked to take over from Sam Allardyce. “It was an absolute shock when I received the phone call from the chairman which was half an hour before it hit the press that Sam was going to leave,” said Kean.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes the side are struggling to find “the right chemistry” this season. The Blues are on their worst run in 11 years after a 3-1 loss at Arsenal left them six league games without a win.

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour believes that champions Chelsea are now out of the title race after the 3-1 defeat at the Emirates.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez believes that the attacking, passing football played by sides like his own and Arsenal will benefit the next generation of English footballers. “When you play in that sort of style players are forced to make decisions and think on the pitch,” said Martinez.

Former Portsmouth manager Paul Hart is poised to become the new manager of Sheffield United.

Liverpool are to reward striker David Ngog with a new long-term contract. The 21-year-old has 18 months remaining on his current deal.

Birmingham City have upped their contract offer to winger Sebastian Larsson. The Swede, 25, who cost £1m from Arsenal, can leave at the end of the season.

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier (pictured) has revealed why John Carew was late to report for his club’s Christmas programme – the striker was stuck in snow in his native Norway.

For full stories, head over to the BBC website.

18/12/2010 – Saturday’s Paper Round-Up

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Everton are on the trail of out-of-favour Manchester City strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz.

Meanwhile City will look to replace want-away striker Carlos Tevez with River Plate’s £10m-rated forward Rogelio Funes Mori.

Manchester City will also attempt to lure Wolfsburg’s 24-year-old striker Edin Dzeko to Eastlands with a five-year deal worth £6m per year.

City face competition from Arsenal who are planning a big money January move for Dzeko.

Defender Pascal Chimbonda will be asked to leave Blackburn, despite Steve Kean taking over from sacked manager Sam Allardyce.

Russian side Zenit St Petersburg are lining up a move for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech with the Blues looking to sign CSKA Moscow stopper Igor Akinfeev (left) as a replacement.

Manchester United are set to raid Bundesliga strugglers Borussia Monchengladbach for talented midfielder Marco Reus.

United are also thought to be leading the chase to sign Borussia Dortmund’s teenage midfield sensation Mario Goetze.

The Red Devils are also believed to be interested in Shakthar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa. Chelsea and Arsenal are believed to be chasing the 20-year-old.

It promises to be a busy Christmas period for United who have also upped their interest in Zenit St Petersburg attacking midfielder Danny. The 27-year-old Portuguese international scored nine goals in helping his side win the Russian championship.

Real Madrid are set to offer £60m as well as a player for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale.

Tottenham youngster Danny Rose has stunned the club by saying he wants to leave.

Rangers are set to pip Stoke, Wigan, and Bolton to the signing of Leeds midfielder Brad Johnson.

Newcastle United are hoping to seal a deal for Southampton duo Rickie Lambert and Jose Fonte.

Midfielder Valon Behrami will be one of the first West Ham players axed in the January transfer window.

Tottenham face stiff competition from Atletico Madrid for Borussia Dortmund striker Shinji Kagawa.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is considering whether to take the captain’s armband away from Carlos Tevez over the player’s demands to leave.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will not ‘bottle’ out of taking a penalty against Chelsea despite his horror miss against Arsenal on Monday.

Liverpool fans are in outrage after defender Paul Konchesky was left red-faced by his mum’s Facebook blast.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will speak to defender Ledley King about his conduct after he was photographed looking bleary eyed leaving a nightclub in the early hours of the morning.

Former England manager Steve McClaren has two games to save his job at Wolfsburg.

Newcastle midfield dynamo Cheik Tiote did not own a pair of football boots until he was aged 15.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson should stay on at Old Trafford until 2030, according to England manager Fabio Capello. Ferguson would be nearly 90 by that time.

For full stories, head over to the BBC website.

11/10/2010 – Monday’s Paper Round-Up

AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato has told Manchester City and Chelsea they have no chance of signing him – as he would only quit the Italian club for Barcelona.

Wolves midfielder David Jones, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is being tracked by Bolton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.

[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=michel+bastos&iid=9531579″ src=”http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9531579/soccer-2010-lyon-monaco/soccer-2010-lyon-monaco.jpg?size=500&imageId=9531579″ width=”234″ height=”351″ /] Manchester United are believed to be considering a move for Lyon’s Brazilian winger Michel Bastos (left) in the January transfer window.

Liverpool have their eye on Swiss left-back Reto Ziegler, who has turned down a new contract with Sampdoria.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has hit out at the “chaos” surrounding the club’s future.

New England Sports Ventures (NESV) has positioned itself to renegotiate its proposed £300m purchase of Liverpool and has threatened to walk away if the club are docked nine points as a result of administration.

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has an as yet undisclosed “Plan B” to ensure that the club’s sale to NESV goes through without the club going into administration.

The Football Association is still struggling to sell tickets for Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier between England and Montenegro at Wembley.

Scotland assistant manager Peter Houston says the team would gladly stick with their controversial 6-4-0 formation in Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Spain at Hampden if they thought it would bring success.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has dropped a bombshell by admitting he is thinking of walking away from football.

Manchester City are now serious title contenders, according to Manchester United defender Gary Neville.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has hit back in the row over aggressive tackling in the Premier League.

Ex-Arsenal star Kenny Sansom believes rising Gunners star Kieran Gibbs is two or three years away from taking Chelsea star Ashley Cole’s position as England left-back.

Arsenal and France right-back Bacary Sagna expects to be on the sidelines for another three weeks as he continues his recovery from a left thigh injury.

Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri has called on manager Arsene Wenger to play him in a more central position, rather than out wide.

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan claims his time at the Selhurst Park helm cost him £47m.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is trying to persuade Bernabeu legend Zinedine Zidane to help him as a coach rather than concentrate on his role as adviser to president Florentino Perez.

Injured Fulham and England striker Bobby Zamora, who broke his leg in September, has been going to the gym daily as part of his rehabilitation and aims to outmuscle Chelsea’s Didier Drogba on his Premier League return and “bully” defenders even more.

Artur Boruc has revealed playing in the SPL with Celtic made him Lazy. The Polish goalkeeper, who has lost three stones since ending his five-year spell at Celtic by joining Fiorentina last summer, said: “In Glasgow I became lazy because they loved me no matter how I played”.

For full stories, head over to the BBC website.