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Page last updated at 07:17 GMT, Friday, 1 April 2011 08:17 UK

Friday's gossip column - transfers and rumours

TransfersOther gossipAnd finallyNews image


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are closing in on a £25m move for England forward Ashley Young, who has rejected a £80,000 a week new deal from Aston Villa.
Full story: The Sun

German centre-back Per Mertesacker is set to join Arsenal in the summer after the general manager of his current club Werder Bremen, Klaus Allofs, indicated the international could leave.
Full story: Metro

Bolton are resigned to selling £20m-rated England defender Gary Cahill in the summer with Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa and clubs on the continent all interested.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Liverpool are preparing a clear-out as the Anfield side looks to generate funds for significant signings this summer. The likes of midfielders Milan Jovanovic, Alberto Aquilani and Christian Poulsen and full-backs Philipp Degen and Paul Konchesky will all be sold.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

The Merseysiders, meanwhile, will battle with Chelsea and Barcelona to sign Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder Willian.
Full story: Daily Mail

Belgian hotshot Romelu Lukaku, who has been linked with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, is being tipped for a summer move to the Premier League by his current club Anderlecht.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Lukaku will cost Chelsea about £25m if they decide to bid for the youngster in the summer.
Full story: talkSPORT

Aston Villa are ready to launch another attempt to sign Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, as long as Gerard Houllier remains as manager.
Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng is a target for German outfit Bayern Munich less than a season after arriving from Hamburg.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Real Madrid are said to be lining up moves for Tottenham midfielder Sandro and Man United striker Javier Hernandez as Real manager Jose Mourinho looks to the Bernabeu board to back him in the summer transfer market
Full story: caughtoffside.com

The Spanish giants are also preparing to offer £15m move for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba as Mourinho continues his behind-the-scenes power struggle with general director Jorge Valdano.
Full story: Daily Mail

Real Madrid look to have the upper hand over Chelsea in the race to sign Brazilian striker Neymar after reportedly offering Santos forward Kaka as part of a possible deal.
Full story: talkSPORT

Robert Pires is weighing up whether to retire or to play in Qatar, Australia or the United States when his short-term contract with Aston Villa expires this summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Meanwhile, Villa are monitoring 21-year-old Le Havre striker Ryan Mendes da Graca.
Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester United are preparing an audacious summer move for Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

United have held initial talks about a £17.5m move for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea as a long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar, who will retire at the end of the season.
Full story: Daily Star

Arsenal are locked in a battle with AC Milan to secure the signing of Udinese defender Mehdi Benatia.
Full story: talkSPORT

Newcastle's hopes of finding a replacement for former striker Andy Carroll have taken another hit with reported target Mario Gomez set to join Napoli from Bayern Munich.
Full story: talkSPORT

OTHER GOSSIP

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier says he has the full backing of chairman Randy Lerner - despite the club hovering one point above the Premier League's relegation zone.
Full story: The Guardian

Tottenham's Gareth Bale hopes to be compared with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who he faces next week in the Champions League quarter-final, and Barcelona's Lionel Messi as among the best footballers in the world.
Full story: The Sun

Roy Hodgson says he never had a chance of winning over Liverpool fans because they wanted Kenny Dalglish as manager rather than him. Hodgson, who was sacked by Liverpool in January, will manage West Brom against his former club in the Premier League on Saturday.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has ordered striker Mario Balotelli to stop his bad-boy antics because the club's patience is wearing thin.
Full story: Daily Express

Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has been hailed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's natural successor and the man whose goals can fire Manchester United to the Treble by former Red Devils forward Andy Cole.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Former Germany striker Oliver Bierhoff says England will never win the World Cup or European Championships with a foreign manager. The Times (subscription required)

Injury-plagued midfielder Yossi Benayoun is hoping to return within a fortnight to aid Chelsea's push for silverware.
Full story: Daily Mail

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Harry Redknapp being the next Premier League manager to leave his post. The Tottenham boss, who has been linked with the England job once Fabio Capello leaves the role, was 100-1 on Thursday morning but that dropped to 8-1 by the afternoon.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Sunderland want to secure permanent deals for midfielder Sulley Muntari and defender John Mensah. Black Cats boss Steve Bruce has first options on the on-loan pair, who will cost £5m each from Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
Full story: Daily Mail

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez admits to being baffled by Spurs counterpart Harry Redknapp's reputation as an old-school English manager and believes he would reign in Spain too.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Former England manager Steve McClaren watched Newcastle train - but the ex Wolfsburg and FC Twente boss was purely attending as an observer.
The Times (subscription required)

AND FINALLY

Crystal Palace fans have weighed in to defend cheerleaders The Crystals, who have been blamed by some of their fellow supporters for distracting players before games. "The Crystals add some much-needed vibrancy, glamour and pizzazz to the Selhurst match day and with us unbeaten [at home] since they started performing, they have become something of a good luck charm," said supporter Lt David Roberts of the Royal Navy.
Full story: Metro

Real Madrid have banned Shakira's music at the Bernabeu - because the Colombian singer's boyfriend Gerard Pique plays for rivals Barcelona.
Full story: Daily Star

APRIL FOOL'S ALERT? CHECK THE DATE...

Portugal have sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Spain for 160 million euros in a bid to reduce their crippling national debt. Observers claim the move could lead to "the destruction of the World Cup".
Full story: the Independent

Fulham have ordered their players to perform a "Moonwalk" goal celebration if they score against Blackpool this weekend to mark the unveiling of the Michael Jackson statue, which stands outside the ground.
Full story: Daily Mail

Spanish giants Barcelona will visit Port Vale for a friendly this summer - but as Vale's first team will be in the United States, they will face the Valiants' youth team instead. Tickets are on sale until noon.
Full story: Port Vale official website

Luton Town have officially changed their nickname from the Hatters to the Van-Makers, to celebrate the fact that the future of van production at the local Vauxhall plant has been secured.
Full story: Luton Town official website

Non-League side Darlington have an emergency loan swoop for Chelsea's young Portuguese striker Paolo Fril. (Check the anagram!)
Full story: Darlington official website



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see also
Friday's Scottish gossip
01 Apr 11 |  Scotland
Thursday's gossip column
31 Mar 11 |  Gossip
Thursday's Scottish gossip
31 Mar 11 |  Scotland
Wednesday's gossip column
30 Mar 11 |  Gossip
Wednesday's Scottish gossip
30 Mar 11 |  Scotland
Tuesday's gossip column
28 Mar 11 |  Gossip
Monday's gossip column
28 Mar 11 |  Gossip
Monday's Scottish gossip
28 Mar 11 |  Scotland
Transfers - March 2011
01 Mar 11 |  Football


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