Tuesday's Footy Gossip

[Biff]

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is battling it out with former club Chelsea and Manchester United for £15m-rated Benfica winger Angel di Maria.
Full story: Daily Mail

Chelsea are leading the chase to sign Racing Santander's Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales who is also being tracked by Arsenal and Manchester City.
Full story: Daily Mail

Liverpool are also monitoring 18-year-old Canales. (Daily Star)

Manchester United could cash in on star striker Wayne Rooney to help ease the club's debts. Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are considering £70m bids for the England international.
Full story: The Sun

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery admits that Chelsea or Real Madrid are in a straight fight for his services should he leave the Bundesliga side.
Full story: The Sun

Arsenal are considering a move for Everton striker Louis Saha whose contract negotiations at the club have broken down. Tottenham and Liverpool are also said to be keen.
Full story: Daily Mail

Tottenham have had a £5m bid for Benfica forward Javier Saviola turned down by the Portuguese club for "sporting reasons".
Full story: Daily Mirror

Bordeaux's in-demand striker Marouane Chamakh has promised a decision soon on his future. Arsenal and Liverpool are both believed to be keen on signing him on a cut-price deal with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Out-of-favour Birmingham forward Gary McSheffrey could attempt to resurrect his career with a move to Championship side Sheffield United.
Full story: The Sun

Manchester City have replaced city rivals Manchester United in a partnership agreement with Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. The deal will give City first option should Sporting sell any of their players. (The Guardian)

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce insists it will take a "mind-blowing" offer to prise striker Kenwyne Jones away from the Black Cats and doubts if the clubs who want to buy him would prove able - or willing - to meet the necessary price.
Full story: The Guardian

Bruce has denied making a £5m bid to take Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to the Stadium of Light.
Full story: The Independent

Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, currently at Egyptian side Zamalek, has been offered to Stoke City, Sunderland, and Blackburn Rovers.
Full story: The Times

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is weighing up a £5m move for Mallorca forward Aritz Aduriz which may see striker Hugo Rodallega leave the DW Stadium.
Full story: The Sun

Portsmouth could lose Aruna Dindane with parent club Lens set to recall the striker early from his loan spell at Pompey. The French side fear the Premier League outfit lack the funds to make the deal permanent.
Full story: The Guardian

Birmingham City and Wolves have expressed an interest in Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt who may be offloaded if the cash-strapped club are forced to sell players.
Full story: The Times

Fulham have agreed a loan deal for Roma's 20-year-old striker Stefano Okaka, although the player has yet to sign off on the temporary switch.
Full story: The Independent

Wolves are set to offer £1.5m for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford but Newcastle are still leading the fight to sign the 26-year-old.
Full story: Daily Mail

But Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has warned Leeds that unless a deal is tied up swiftly for Beckford he will turn his attentions to a loan deal for Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood.
Full story: Daily Mirror

New Bolton manager Owen Coyle could offer Beckford the chance to play for his side after expressing interest in the unsettled forward. (The Guardian)

Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin doubts whether manager Arsene Wenger will make any signings during the transfer window.
Full story: Daily Star

Derby striker Luke Varney will become Sheffield Wednesday manager Alan Irvine's first signing at Hillsborough.
Full story: Daily Mirror


OTHER GOSSIP

Joe Cole's contract talks with Chelsea have stalled over the wage demands of the England international, who is free to leave for nothing at the end of the season.
Full story: The Times

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has suggested in an email to a supporter that the summer transfer market will be a "big" one for the Premier League club. "Our debt is very managable (sic) [see Man U] and we never use player sales for debt service," said Hicks. "Our interest on £200m is about £16m. The new stadium will be the game changer. Managing director Christian [Purslow] is working very hard on it. Jan is a poor-quality market. The summer window will be big."
Full story: Daily Mirror

The Glazer family, which owns Manchester United, has personally borrowed £10m from the club, according to financial results released yesterday.
Full story: The Guardian

West Ham could have new owners within 24 hours although investment company Intermarket, who made the highest bid for the club, missed a deadline to prove it had the cash to finance a £100m takeover.
Full story: The Times

Burnley are set to spring a major surprise by naming former Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws as their new manager.
Full story: Daily Mail

Alternatively, Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll could be taking charge at Turf Moor but Burnley will have to pay £1m compensation to get their man.
Full story: The Sun


AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry says his leadership qualities were evident even when he was coming through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. As a youngster he shouted at former Blue Gianfranco Zola for giving the ball away in a reserve match, earning the praise of Italian manager Gianluca Vialli.
Full story: The Independent

Despite postponing their Premier League clash with Tottenham at the weekend because of icy conditions around Anfield, Liverpool were still encouraging fans to take tours of the stadium throughout the cold weather. (Daily Mail)

AC Milan and LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has revealed his latest tattoo. The 34-year-old has an image of Jesus Christ sitting on the cross inked into his side.
Full story: Daily Mirror

West Ham's league game with Wolves on Sunday was postponed because of an incorrect weather forecast for more snow.
Full story: Daily Mail

[Wazza]

Code: Select all

Despite postponing their Premier League clash with Tottenham at the weekend because of icy conditions around Anfield, Liverpool were still encouraging fans to take tours of the stadium throughout the cold weather. (Daily Mail)

[Rossi]

Code: Select all

Despite postponing their Premier League clash with Tottenham at the weekend because of icy conditions around Anfield, Liverpool were still encouraging fans to take tours of the stadium throughout the cold weather. (Daily Mail)

I dont get why this made the news, or why its funny?

[Gilbretto]

Code: Select all

Despite postponing their Premier League clash with Tottenham at the weekend because of icy conditions around Anfield, Liverpool were still encouraging fans to take tours of the stadium throughout the cold weather. (Daily Mail)

I dont get why this made the news, or why its funny?

I was thinking the same?

[Biff]

Yeah, it isn't exactly a big deal for people who are local to go on the tour if they want to, even in snowy conditions, but it would have been more of a problem for Spurs away fans to travel up. Plus the traffic would be a lot more for a game.

There are some people who think it was postponed so we can reschedule the game for when Spurs are out of form!

[Wazza]

I think the humour comes from the assumption that the match was called off due to safety concerns for fans walking in and around the stadium. But the conditions were apparently good enough for them to encourage stadium tours, where presumably the same route to the ground would have been taken as matchday fans. I don't think the concept is overly complicated, even for you lot.

[Rossi]

Yeah because about 30 people going on a tour which is mainly indoors is the same as 40,000 people flooding the surrounding areas where the pavements are still covered in ice which at some stages it's almost impossible to stay on your feet on.

[Wazza]

I'd imagine there's more walking on the stadium tour than there is going to the match.

Can nothing be said about Liverpool anywhere without you professional boycotters moaning?

[Rossi]

Are you for real? Fucking hell.

How does it compare in the slightest? 40,000 fans on icy roads/pavements OUTSIDE the stadium, Spurs fans travelling up during chaos on roads from London, a lot of the daytrippers who have had cancelled flights

OR

A stadium tour, predominantly INDOORS where there's no danger. A tour which you can easily just say we'll just go another day and not miss the match and lose £40 on your ticket.

[Wazza]

You were clearly beaten severely as a child.

[Gilbretto]

You were clearly beaten severely as a child.

You lost the plot again Wazza?

[Rossi]

You were clearly beaten severely as a child.

You lost the plot again Wazza?

Probably blame it on the brandy again.