Saturday's Footy Gossip

[Biff]

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham have launched an amazing bid to sign Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, offering him about £75,000 a week to join them.
Full story: Various

Manchester City must cough up £22m and about £2.5m a year in wages to sign Palermo striker Edinson Cavani.
Full story: Daily Star

City will offer £20m plus a choice of one of four players in their attempt to lure James Milner from Aston Villa. England internationals Micah Richards and Shaun Wright-Phillips, Under-21 star Nedum Onuoha and Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland are all being offered as bait.
Full story: Daily Mirror

City boss Roberto Mancini has placed Juventus' Brazilian midfielder Diego at the top of his summer wish list.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

But it looks like City will miss out on Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure as he wants to sign for Chelsea.
Full story: Daily Mirror

And City may lose striker Craig Bellamy to Tottenham, who are weighing up a £14m move for him.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is also considering making a bid for West Ham defender Matthew Upson.
Full story: footylatest.com

Arsenal and Liverpool have joined Roma in the race for Brazilian striker Adriano who becomes a free agent at the end of this month.
Full story: footylatest.com

Manchester United are considering a £22m move for Real Madrid playmaker Rafael van der Vaart.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

Arsenal have set their sights on £16m-rated Italian international centre-back Giorgio Chiellini, who plays for Juventus.
Full story: caughtoffside.com

Barcelona have promised to walk away from signing Cesc Fabregas - if Arsenal say no. Barca have contacted the Gunners about their captain, but are yet to receive an answer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Prospective West Ham manager Avram Grant wants to make Manchester City winger Martin Petrov, who is available on a free transfer, his first signing when he takes over at Upton Park.
Full story: Daily Mail

Tottenham are planning talks with midfielder Luka Modric in an effort to ward off transfer bids from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.
Full story: Daily Mail

Wigan have rejected an improved offer from Birmingham City for winger Charles N'Zogbia. The Latics turned down a bid of around £8m last week and are thought to want at least double the £6m they paid Newcastle for the 23-year-old.
Full story: Daily Mail

Arsenal are set to lose midfielder Fran Merida to Atletico Madrid after the Spaniard rejected a deal with the Gunners.
Full story: The Sun

Celtic are targeting Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper, who is valued at £3m.
Full story: The Sun

Burnley boss Brian Laws is set to stage a £2m swoop for Peterborough striker George Boyd.
Full story: The Sun

Barnsley are trying to sign Stoke striker James Beattie on loan.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley, who is wanted by Blackburn, Stoke and Wolves, says he will stay at the club only if they win the Championship play-off final and earn promotion.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Everton are leading the chase for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Moutinho, who would cost at least £17m.
Full story: Goal.com


OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello is ready to ditch his World Cup qualifying blueprint - and unleash Manchester United's Wayne Rooney as a lone striker in South Africa with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard playing in the link role behind.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi handed coach Diego Maradona a World Cup scare on Friday when he injured his right knee in a training match. Initial reports were unclear about the seriousness of the injury, but a spokesman later insisted: "It's nothing, it's a scrape on his right leg." (Reuters)

Former Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has rejected Roman Abramovich's invitation to return to Chelsea despite being offered more money than he stands to earn as manager of West Ham. Grant has turned down the director of football role he filled at Stamford Bridge before replacing Jose Mourinho as manager in September 2007.
Full story: Daily Mail

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is ready to stay at the club "if he is allowed".
Full story: Daily Mirror

Bordeaux have lined up ex-West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola for a speedy return to management.
Full story: Daily Mirror


AND FINALLY

Cardiff boss Dave Jones, whose side take on Blackpool in Saturday's Championship play-off final, says he wants to be the first Premier League manager to ride his horse into training.
Full story: Daily Mail

Jose Mourinho has revealed he cried after Inter Milan beat Chelsea in the Champions League because he realised he had knocked out the friends he had "gone to war with".
Full story: The Sun

[Keane16]

England manager Fabio Capello is ready to ditch his World Cup qualifying blueprint - and unleash Manchester United's Wayne Rooney as a lone striker in South Africa with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard playing in the link role behind.
Full story: Daily Mirror

I think personally this should be the way to go. Rooneys really got to grips with being the lone man upfront for United this season and obviously Gerrard plays week in week out as the support guy. We've got plenty of talent to fill 4 midfield positions without Gerrard in there, whereas if we play anyone of the other strikers with Rooney it's always gonna feel like a wasted shirt.

[Biff]

Yeah, it could be the way to go. I personally think Gerrard's best position is deeper but for England maybe he'd play better in the hole as we have Lampard coming from deep and they seem to get in each other's way when both playing in the middle. It's also a bit silly playing Gerrard on the left when we have a lot of pacey wingers at our disposal, plus Joe Cole who is better there.