Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been given £30m to spend as a reward for signing his new five-year contract at Anfield. (The Sun)
Benitez signs long-term Reds deal

Benitez will use those funds to make a fresh attempt to sign Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry and to launch a bid for Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon. (The Sun)

Wigan winger Antonio Valencia and Valencia midfielder David Silva are also on Benitez's shopping list. (The Times)

But Silva's Valencia team-mate David Villa is out of Liverpool's price range and is expected to join Real Madrid or Barcelona in the summer. (The Times)

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic is staying at Old Trafford, according to his agent Silvano Martina who has told AC Milan and Inter Milan to forget trying to sign the Serbian this summer. (Daily Mail)

AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti hopes to bring Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Chelsea forward Didier Drogba to the San Siro in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn hopes majority shareholder Ellis Short will bankroll a summer spending spree that will see the Black Cats sign at least three big name players. (The Sun)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is interested in Standard Liege's £13m-rated midfielder Steven Defour. (The Sun)

Wolves have beaten Nottingham Forest to the loan signing of Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood, who will move to Molineux permanently at the end of the season in a £2.5m deal. (Daily Mirror)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy hopes to beat West Brom to the £1.5m signing of Doncaster's Welsh international midfielder Brian Stock. (Daily Mirror)

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has made a £400,000 bid for Liverpool defender Jack Hobbs, who is currently on loan with the League One leaders. (Daily Star)

Huddersfield Town have slapped a £4m price tag on their teenage goalkeeper Ben Smithies. (Daily Mirror)

Former Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso, 37, currently playing for San Marino side SS Cosmos, has agreed to join Maltese champions Valetta for next season. (Daily Record)

Former Newcastle defender Lamine Diatta, now a free agent, says he is interested in a move to Hamilton. (Daily Record)

In the latest twist to the Carlos Tevez saga, Fulham have submitted a claim for £700,000 in compensation from West Ham over lost prize money because they finished below the Hammers in the Premier League in the season Tevez played at Upton Park. (The Independent)

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has ruled out selling the club and says he will stay at Anfield for as long as Reds manager Rafa Benitez does. (The Sun)

Benitez turned down approaches from Atletico Madrid, an Italian club and an unofficial approach from a third party claiming to represent a Premier League side - thought to be Chelsea or Manchester City - before agreeing to stay at Anfield. (The Times)

The Liverpool boss is keen to secure the long-term future of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres at Anfield. (Various)

Torres will be offered a huge new deal that will see him given a massive pay rise to keep him happy. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov is on the brink of signing a new three-year deal at Villa Park. (Daily Star)

England boss Fabio Capello feels Barcelona are the biggest threat to the four Premier League sides in the Champions League. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea find out their quarter-final opponents on Friday and Capello believes Barca and their Argentine star Lionel Messi are are the team they need to avoid. (The Sun)

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo believes Bayern Munich are the most dangerous side left in the Champions League. (The Sun)

Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink could return to Stamford Bridge on a full-time basis in November if Russia fail to reach next year's World Cup finals. The Dutchman has a clause in his contract with the Russian FA. (The Sun)

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes another four wins will be enough to earn his side a seventh-place finish in the Premier League and a place in the Uefa Cup next season. (The Sun)

Sunderland's majority shareholder Ellis Short could take overall control of the club. (The Independent)

Newcastle's interim manager Joe Kinnear, who is recovering from a triple bypass operation, says he will decide in the summer whether to stay on as Magpies manager. (The Sun)
Kinnear on track for April return

Tottenham are considering issuing new shares to help finance their proposed new 60,000-capacity stadium. (The Times)

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott and Tottenham star Aaron Lennon are both still in contention to make the senior England squad to face Slovakia despite being called up by England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce this week. (The Independent)

Celtic captain Stephen McManus has backed Barry Ferguson to lead Scotland by example against the Netherlands this week after the Rangers skipper came under fire for recent performances. (Daily Star)

Hamilton manager Billy Reid has hit out as SPL rules which forced him to sign Senegal captain Lamine Diatta without seeing him play. (Daily Star)

Ayr United join Liverpool as the only two teams in Britain with an unbeaten home record. (Daily Star)

Stephen Hughes reckons Motherwell clinching a European slot this year would be a bigger deal than last season's achievement. (Daily Star)

Cash-strapped Livingston were forced by a Sheriff to pay expenses to a timber company who were owed money for outstanding work. (Daily Star)

Meanwhile, the West Lothian club's largest shareholder, Ged Nixon, has said the First Division club are in a critical state amid fears over their existence. (Daily Mail)

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo says Hearts will determine the destination of the SPL title by inflicting damage on Celtic and Rangers. (Scottish Daily Mail)

Security could be increased for Poland's trip to face Northern Ireland in their forthcoming World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park following an attack on the home of the Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc after Sunday's Co-operative Insurance Cup final over Rangers. (Daily Mail)

Meanwhile, one of Scotland's top police officers says domestic violence soared by 88% following last weekend's Old Firm Co-operative Insurance Cup final at Hampden Park. (The Scottish Sun)

Pittodrie legend Willie Miller has ordered Aberdeen's shattered players to make up for their Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Dunfermline and seal a place in Europe. (Daily Mail)

Gus MacPherson has revealed that St Mirren's win over Celtic in the Scottish Cup has earned him praise from Gianfranco Zola and Dick Advocaat. (Scottish Daily Express)

Queen of the South netted almost £1million from last season's run that saw them face Rangers in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden. (Scottish Daily Express)

Spurs' Alan Hutton has vowed to be fit in time to help Scotland in their bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup when they face Holland next week. (Daily Record)

However, George Burley has already told Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp that the former Rangers defender won't play against the Dutch. (The Scottish Sun)

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish has backed Scotland to overcome the odds and beat the Dutch in amsterdam next week. (Daily Record)

Meanwhile, safety fears have been raised over the seating arrangements at the Amsterdam ArenA which could see Scotland fans sitting among their Dutch opposition during the match. (Daily Record)

Stranraer's bid to avoid going bust have received a major boost after the club were given permission to speak to Loreburn Housing Association, with a view to set up a loan partnership. (The Scotsman)

England striker Michael Owen has denied being injury prone despite making just 60 starts for Newcastle since joining the Magpies for £16m from Real Madrid in 2005. "I know people will laugh," says Owen. (Daily Star)

Several Blackburn players underwent beauty treatments during their stay at a health farm last week. (Daily Star)

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