West Ham look to have beaten Manchester City to the signing of Fulham's Steed Malbranque. (News of the World)

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is lining up a �7m move for Ghana World Cup striker Sulley Muntari. (The People)

Manchester City are set to sign Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell for �2m. (Daily Star Sunday)

Manchester United and Chelsea are locked in a �25m battle to sign Spanish international Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid. (Sunday Mirror)

Newcastle are preparing to bid �12m for Charlton striker Darren Bent. (News of the World)

But �10m-rated Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt is also one of Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder's top targets. (Daily Mirror)

Benfica have put a �14m price tag on winger Simao with Liverpool and Chelsea both interested in the player. (Daily Star Sunday)

Reading are lining up a �2m swoop for Ghana defender John Mensah. (Daily Star Sunday)

Real Madrid are set to offer Chelsea �13m for Dutch winger Arjen Robben. (Daily Star Sunday)

Sheffield United want Ghana star Derek Boateng and will bid �1.5m for the ALK Stockholm player. (The Observer)

Harry Redknapp hopes to end Jean-Alain Boumsong's unhappy spell at Newcastle by bringing the defender to Portsmouth. (The People)

Spurs are ready to make a �7m bid to bring Chelsea winger Damien Duff to White Hart Lane. (Sunday Mirror)

Blackburn's Lucas Neill is a target for European Cup holders Barcelona, after being recommended to the Spanish club by Australia coach Johan Neeskens. (News of the World)

Sven-Goran Eriksson has ordered his England stars to take ice baths and drink gallons of water to beat the heat in Stuttgart. (News of the World)

Bryan Robson has urged Sven-Goran Eriksson to abandon his zonal marking system for the clash with Ecuador. (News of the World)

Thierry Henry has been criticised by former France team-mates Frank Leboeuf and Christophe Dugarry over his World Cup performances. (News of the World)

Ecuador and Aston Villa star Ulises de la Cruz has labelled English football racist. (News of the World)

Sweden's Henrik Larsson says England can still win the World Cup, despite Michael Owen's injury. (Sunday Mirror)

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton believes John Terry should be England captain, rather than David Beckham. (Sunday Mirror)

Sven-Goran Eriksson is on a shortlist to replace Guus Hiddink as manager of Australia. (Sunday Express)

Sven-Goran Eriksson grew up in Sweden with the nickname "Two Pancakes" because he was so skinny. (News of the World)

Ecuador's players have been promised a herd of cattle each by the country's president if they beat England on Sunday. (Daily Star Sunday)

Fans who paid up to �65 to see Elton John at Hove, near Brighton, are selling off their tickets for just 99p because the concert clashes with England's game against Ecuador. (Sunday Express)

Spanish newspapers are claiming soothsayer Nostradamus predicted Spain will win the 2006 World Cup. (Sunday Mirror)

Meanwhile, an Israeli biblical scholar claims that the Book of Numbers says that Argentina will win the World Cup 3-0. (The Observer)

German tabloid Bild has analysed Bastian Schweinsteiger's name and revealed that it means God Protects The Man Who Slept In The Barn With The Pigs. (The Observer)