Nicky Butt is set to join Sheffield United for �500,000 after an unhappy spell at Newcastle. (Daily Mirror)

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd will face a struggle to stay in control if ex-owner Sir John Hall sells his 28.8% majority stake in the club. (The Sun)

Manchester City will offer ex-Man Utd midfielder Quinton Fortune a deal if he passes a tough medical. (The Independent)

Niall Quinn has made an offer to buy Sunderland but is haggling over the �16m asking price. (Daily Mirror)

Celtic want to sign striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who is out of contract at Middlesbrough. (Daily Star)

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign 15-year-old Norwegian rising star Magnus Wolff Eikrem. (The Times)

Celtic striker John Hartson has told team-mates at Parkhead that he has agreed personal terms to join West Bromwich Albion. (The Guardian)

Colin Hendry, the former Blackburn, Rangers and Scotland defender, is in talks to become Carlisle's new boss. (The Sun)

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan wants Derek Riordan to start pre-season training with them rather than join them from Hibs in October when his contract runs out. (Daily Record)

Craig Bellamy has been offered a �65,000 a week pay packet by Blackburn in a bid to fend off a raid from Liverpool. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell could be resigned to losing Steve Sidwell as the midfielder is stalling over a new deal and Charlton could be about to table a �2.1m bid. (Daily Mirror)

Wayne Rooney is so fired up ahead of England's game against Sweden that he had to be ordered not to play in goal during a free-kicks training session. (Daily Star)

Sweden coach Lars Lagerback reckons compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson should be "ashamed" of his "obscene" �5m-a-year salary with England. (The Sun)

Trinidad & Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker has phoned Eriksson "seven times in the last 24 hours" with tips on how England should handle Sweden in their final group game. (The Independent)

FA security chiefs fear German fans will wage a dirty tricks campaign against England's players if the two teams meet in the second round. (The Sun)

Togo's mutinous players say they still haven't received the payments they claim they are owed for reaching the World Cup finals, but will not boycott their final match against France on Friday. (Daily Star)

The pitch in Cologne - venue for Sweden v England - cut up so badly after rain during the team's final training sessions that one goalmouth was cordoned off to prevent further damage. (The Guardian)

Former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson says he will be the toast of Scotland if he scores for Sweden against England to ensure they finish top of Group B. (Daily Record)

Sweden midfielder Anders Svensson says Frank Lampard is too slow and that opponents give the midfielder and England too much space. (Various)

Jurgen Klinsmann has asked the media to stop gathering at his family's bakery in Stuttgart - takings are down because of the perpetual media scrum for a chat with the German coach's mum. (Daily Mirror)

Mexico coach Ricardo Ka Volpe, ordered by Fifa to stop smoking on the touchline during games, has turned to prayer instead - his nerves are now soothed by offering up words to the Virgin of Guadeloupe. (The Times)

German tabloid Bild has published a league table of spending in Baden-Baden by the wives and girlfriends of England's players. Wayne Rooney's fiancee Coleen McLoughlin tops the cash-splashers, apparently. (The Guardian)

German TV licencing officials are tracking down non-payers by trawling the streets and swooping on addresses without a licence when they hear cheers and hollering during Germany's matches. (The Times)

Lost in translation? Italy coach Marcello Lippi apparently had this to say about Daniele De Rossi's sending off for elbowing the USA's Brian McBride: "I have left him to boil in his own soup. He's a fantastic guy, but he must change his computer chip." (Daily Mail)

Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo would strip down to his underwear if it helped win a penalty shoot-out. (Daily Telegraph)