All the latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

With the January transfer window closing next Tuesday, there has plenty of talk of possible 'big name' transfers, but little in the way of action so far this month!
The only big money transfer of note was the predicted move of Bolton's Gary Cahill to Chelsea for £7million. Meanwhile there are also lot of loan deals in the pipeline, but can the players, their agents and the clubs agree terms before the transfer window shuts!

As the clock ticks down here is the most recent transfer gossip to be doing the rounds!

Is your club involved?

Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lille, PSG, Arsenal, Hanover 96, Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Manchester City, Liverpool, Lazio, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, QPR, Tottenham, São Paulo, Bolton, Crystal Palace, Stoke, Everton, Ajax, Inter Milan, Newcastle, Burnley, Watford, Swansea, Blackpool, AZ Alkmaar, Kalmar FF, West Brom, Zenit St Petersburg, Juventus, Cagliari, Sunderland, Blackburn, MK Dons, Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Southend and Shrewsbury are all caught up in transfer gossip as we speak.

Chelsea are also after Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Willian Borges da Silva, but have been told by the Ukrainians that they will have to fork out £25m for the 23-year-old - The Guardian

Lille striker Eden Hazard (right) has admitted Carlo Ancelotti's presence at Paris Saint-Germain is drawing him towards joining the French club. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked with the 21-year-old - Inside Futbol

Paris St Germain ended their interest in a January deal for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez earlier this week, but coach Carlo Ancelotti hopes the French club may be able to sign the Argentine in the future - skysports.com

Chelsea defender Alex has completed a €5 million [£4.1m] transfer to Paris Saint Germain this weekend The Brazilian has signed an 18-month deal with the French Ligue 1 leaders - goal.com

Hannover 96 are keen to sign Senegalese international striker Mame Biram Diouf, 24 on loan from Manchester United - footballpress.net

Chelsea could make a £3m move for Manchester United defensive midfielder Paul Pogba (right). The 18-year-old is out of contract in the summer and has refused to sign a new deal - The Guardian

Manchester United could make a shock move for German midfielder Michael Ballack after Bayer Leverkusen indicated the 35-year-old could be available - Caught Offside

Arsenal striker Carlos Vela is hopeful of extending his loan stay at Real Sociedad and possibly turning it into a permanent switch. The 22-year-old Mexico international has been at the La Liga side since the start of the season - Caught Offside

Edinson Cavani's agent has played down talk of a stunning late switch to Manchester City. It has been suggested in the Italian media that Napoli are bracing themselves for a late move for their 24-year-old Uruguayan striker (right). Liverpool are also rumoured to be keen on the striker - talkSPORT and Caught Offside

Queens Park Rangers hope to sign former Liverpool forward Djibril Cisse from Lazio. The 30-year-old Frenchman would cost £4m, although he may join on loan. Adel Taarabt may head in the opposite direction - The Guardian and skysports.com

Bolton have made a £5m bid for Crystal Palace's England Under-21 international Wilfried Zaha, but face competition from Newcastle and Stoke - Daily Mirror and footballgossip.org.uk

Tottenham are in talks with São Paulo over Brazil Under-20 defender Bruno Uvini - The Guardian

Everton are closing in on Ajax striker Mounir El Hamdaoui (right). The 27-year-old Moroccan could move to Goodison Park on loan before sealing a permanent move for £5m in the summer - talkSPORT

Everton are being linked with Inter Milan striker Luc Castaignos, according to reports from Italy. The Toffees are being linked with the a move for the former Feyenoord youngster, either on loan or in a permanent deal - footballgossip.org.uk

Newcastle United want Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez and Watford's Adrian Mariappa. However Swansea City are also keen on the Watford defender - The Guardian and Daily Mail

AZ Alkmaar have completed the signing of 19 year-old right-back Mattias Johansson from Swedish side Kalmar FF - sportinglife.com

Blackpool are lining up a season-long loan move for West Brom's Czech Republic striker Roman Bednar - skysports.com

West Brom head coach Roy Hodgson is hopeful of concluding a deal to sign Zenit St Petersburg winger Szabolcs Huszti (right), for the remainder of the season - sportinglife.com and The Press Association

Juventus are tracking Belgian international Radja Nainggolan 23, but the midfielder has a deal tying him to Cagliari until June 2014 - footballpress.net

David Dunn has signed a new contract with Blackburn until the summer of 2013 - sportinglife.com

Newcastle United midfielder Alan Smith is set to leave the club for League One side MK Dons - football gossip.org.uk

Nottingham Forest are considering a third bid from Leicester for centre-back Wes Morgan. The Foxes' previous offer was believed to be in the region of £800,000 - sportinglife.com

Sunderland are considering a bid for unsettled Besiktas targetman Hugo Almeida (right), 27, who is rated at £3m - Sunderland Echo

League Two promotion chasers Southend have bolstered their defensive options with the signing of Pat Baldwin from Colchester on a free transfer until the end of the season - skysports.com

Shrewsbury Town have signed Romaine Sawyers on a month-long loan from West Brom - skysports.com

All the latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

With the January transfer window opening in a matter of days, let's take a look at the latest transfer rumours to be making the headlines, as clubs across Europe get a one last chance this season to shuffle their squads in a final push for success, whether it in the form of trophies, UEFA Champions League/Europa League qualification, or simply to maintain their status in their respective leagues.
As the clock ticks down here is the most recent transfer gossip to be doing the rounds!

Blackburn, Fulham, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester United, Manchester City, Lille, Olympiakos, Bolton, Chelsea, Everton, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls, Dijon, AC Milan, Liverpool, Racing Club de Avellaneda, Paris Saint Germain, QPR, Arsenal, FC Köln, Olympique Lyonnais, Fiorentina, Tottenham, Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, Anzhi Makhachkala, Watford, Montpellier, Newcastle, Sochaux, Malaga, AS Roma, Leicester City, Doncaster Rovers, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Nottm Forest, West Ham, Valencia, Swindon Town, Huddersfield and Bournemouth..........are all caught up in transfer gossip as we speak.

Here is a round up:

Blackburn boss Steve Kean expects the green light to bid £2 million for unhappy Fulham striker Andy Johnson (right) today - and make him one of the first signings of the winter transfer window. QPR are also keen, but the 30-year-old is not a priority capture for them just now - Daily Mirror and The Guardian

Bayer Leverkusen are desperate to take Dimitar Berbatov back to the Bundesliga and have been in contact with the Manchester United striker - Daily Mail

Manchester City could fuel the rivalry with Manchester United by snapping up two of their best up-and-coming youngsters Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba.
Both Pogba and Morrison, both 18 years-old are out of contract at the end of season and City are best-placed if neither players agrees a new deal - Daily Express, Daily Mail and footballpress.net

Manchester City are also rumoured to be lining up a £25m swoop for Lille's Eden Hazard (right), who will be immediately loaned back to France for the remainder of this season - skysports.com and The Guardian

Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill has agreed in principal to join Chelsea in January - footballpress.net

Bolton boss Owen Coyle will swoop for New York Red Bulls and USA defender Tim Ream as a replacement for Gary Cahill - Daily Star

Bolton hope toalso sign Josh McEachran on loan from Chelsea, after sending back the unwanted Gaël Kakuta, who's now heading for Dijon - The Guardian

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas insists Chelsea will not be trying to buy Everton's Jack Rodwell when the transfer window reopens.
The Blues were this week linked with a £20million bid for the midfielder, who made his senior England debut last month - sportinglife.com

Chelsea are facing an unexpected battle to keep Oriol Romeu less than six months after signing him. Barcelona are said to want to bring the midfielder, who has broken into Andre Villas-Boas' first team, back to the Nou Camp as a replacement for Serie A-bound Seydou Keita in summer - Daily Mirror

Liverpool target Teo Gutierrez (right) has been made available by his club - but only if his £8m valuation is met. The Racing Club de Avellaneda (of Argentina) forward has been attracting the attention of a number of clubs across Europe and the impending eight game ban Luis Suarez is facing has heightened Liverpool's thoughts of adding another striker to their squad - talkSPORT

AC Milan have dismissed reports that Brazilian star Alexandre Pato has asked for a big-money move to Paris Saint Germain. The forward admitted yesterday that his relationship with Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri is not ideal, and that has only increased speculation of a €50million (£42m) switch to France - skysports.com and Daily Mirror

Manager Arsene Wenger is set to consider offers for Arsenal trio Marouane Chamakh, Andrey Arshavin and Sebastien Squillaci as he looks to make way for possible additions to his squad next month - Caught Offside

Andrey Arshavin appears to be closer than ever to leaving Arsenal with Chelsea among the clubs who could be keen on him - Metro

Arsenal will only make loan signings this January but are preparing a £30m summer spending spree on FC Köln striker Lukas Podolski, Fiorentina midfielder Juan Vargas (right) and Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff. Poldolski and Gourcuff would cost the Gunners a combined fee in the region of £15 million pounds, with Vargas' fee expected to be around £10 million - footballpress.net

Tottenham will consider a move for Blackburn defender Chris Samba when the transfer window opens next week, after missing out on Gary Cahill - Daily Mail

Roman Pavlyuchenko's agent claims the Tottenham Hotspur striker is prepared to join Anzhi Makhachkala unless he receives a better offer in January. The 30 year-old forward is unhappy with his lack of playing time and has been linked with a return to former club Spartak Moscow, along with rivals Lokomotiv Moscow and Queens Park Rangers - skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Blackburn are lining up a bid for £5m-rated Watford striker Marvin Sordell - Daily Star

Montpellier owner Louis Nicollin has ruled out selling striker Olivier Giroud (right) to Newcastle United after claiming the club are 'too small' for the striker. Giroud is reportedly a target for Newcastle in the January transfer window as Alan Pardew seeks to boost his attack after a move for Sochaux's Modibo Maiga collapsed. The French international has also been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Malaga - skysports.com

Tottenham's 25 year-old defender Vedran Corluka looks set to join Italian giants AS Roma - Daily Star and The Sun

Olympiakos have been linked to a move for Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak - The Guardian

Middlesbrough are keen on landing Nottingham Forest striker Ishmael Miller. The 23-year-old only moved to the City Ground in the summer, when Forest paid West Bromwich Albion just over £1million - skysports.com

Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock has ruled out a bid to sign former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb in January. Hleb has spent the first half of the season on loan at Wolfsburg from Barcelona, but the Bundesliga club will not be extending the arrangement - sportinglife.com

Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson insists will not be 'held to ransom' in the January transfer window amid reports he has made a bid for Doncaster Rovers striker Billy Sharp (right). Foxes boss Pearson is keen to improve his squad in the New Year and reports claim that Leicester have offered £3million for Sharp - skysports.com

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is keen on bringing Valencia defender Ricardo Costa to East London - skysports.com

Derby County manager Nigel Clough is hoping to release several members of his squad during the January transfer window. Midfielder Stephen Pearson, currently on loan at Championship rivals Bristol City, and goalkeeper Stephen Bywater could be among the first to leave the club in the New Year - skysports.com

Swindon Town will give Leon Clarke to Huddersfield on a free after he fell out with manager Paolo di Canio, but have turned down Bournemouth's £500,000 bid for winger Matt Ritchie, whom they rate at £2m - skysports.com and The Guardian

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

After a busy week in Europe, as the final Champions League group games were completed, and with the traditionally busy Christmas fixture list on the horizon, clubs across Europe are hard at work as they plan ahead for the second-half of the season.

Players will come and go in January, as clubs wheel and deal in the transfer window. There are numerous reasons why clubs and players move in the New Year. Some clubs may be be strapped for cash, others may be struggling in their respective leagues while others may boast an array of injured players and feel the need to freshen up their squads. Players themselves on the other hand may find they are surplus to requirements, maybe they are not playing on a regular basis for their clubs or have fallen out with their boss. They may also be out of contract in the summer and need to find a new club, or perhaps they are quite simply looking for more money!

AC Milan, PSG, Manchester City, Chelsea, Ajax, LA Galaxy, Valencia, Tottenham, Arsenal, Juventus, West Ham, Blackburn, Spartak Moscow, Aston Villa, Schalke, Olympique Marseille, Bayern Munich, Villarreal, Wolfsburg, Lazio, QPR, Birmingham City, Stoke, Newcastle and West Brom, Wigan, Napoli, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Cardiff, Burnley and Sheffield United are all caught up in transfer gossip as we speak.

Here is a round up:

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani remains hopeful the club can agree a loan deal for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez despite reported interest from Paris St Germain - footballpress.net and sportinglife.com

Chelsea and Manchester City are thought to be monitoring Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel (right), who says he will not sign a new contract at the club. The 23-year-old is also wanted by Valencia - The Sun and The Guardian

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has dismissed reports linking midfielder Frank Lampard with a move to LA Galaxy. Lampard appears to have fallen out of favour with Villas-Boas in recent weeks, fuelling suggestions the 33-year-old may be on his way out of Stamford Brigde and perhaps heading across the pond to ply his trade in Major League Soccer - skysports.com

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed his interest in signing wantaway Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka. owever, Allardyce, who worked with Anelka at Bolton, admits he is keeping tabs on the striker's situation, although he concedes he would only move for the 32-year-old on a free transfer in the summer rather than next month - The Sun and skysports.com

Spurs, Arsenal and Juventus are all reportedly interested in Chelsea's out-of-favour defender Alex - Daily Star and football.co.uk

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Steven Nzonzi is wanted by Spartak Moscow, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa also thought to be interested in the £7m-rated Frenchman - The Sun and The Guardian

Bundesliga side Schalke are keen to hijack Arsenal's interest in FC Köln's Germany international striker Lukas Podolski, 26. Schalke want to sign Podolski as a replacement for former Real Madrid man Raul, 34, who is contracted to the club until next summer - talkSPORT

Croatian international Ivica Olic (right) looks set to leave Bayern Munich in January. The 32 year-old Bayern forward is being tracked by Villarreal, Wolfsburg, Juventus and Lazio - skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Already tracked by several European top clubs and ready to leave Olympique Marseille, Ghanaian international André Ayew is now a primary target for Chelsea. The London club are thought to be ready to offer in the region of £10 million for the 21 year-old winger in January - footballpress.net

QPR midfielder Alejandro Faurlin is believed to be attracting interest from Napoli and two other Premier League clubs - Daily Mail

Meanwhile, Neil Warnock's side have joined Stoke, Newcastle and West Brom in the chase for Birmingham City defender Liam Ridgewell - Daily Mirror

Arsenal and Tottenham will be the clubs battling for signing Belgian international centre-back Jan Vertonghen from Ajax in January. The 24 year-old is currently on a deal with Dutch club until June 2013, and might decide to wait until the end of the season to leave - Metro and footballpress.net

Premier League sides West Brom and Wigan are both lining up moves for Nottingham Forest defender Luke Chambers, who is out of contract at the City Ground in the summer - Daily Mail

Stoke City are planning to offer £3m for Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha (right), and are looking at Blackburn Rovers winger Junior Hoilett as well. Enoch Balotelli, the 19-year-old brother of Manchester City's understated forward, might join the pair at the Britannia. Balotelli has been training with the Potters for a few weeks - The Guardian, The Metro and skysports.com

Aston Villa are holding talks with goalkeeper Brad Guzan over a new contract. The 27-year-old United States international is set to step into the breach tomorrow at Bolton, following an injury to Shay Given. His contract expires next summer and boss Alex McLeish is confident he can come in and make an immediate impact - skysports.com

Championship duo Cardiff and Burnley are chasing Sheffield United's Matt Lowton. The 22 year-old who can play at the back or in midfield has been an ever-present in the United side this season - skysports.com

The World's Richest Football Club Owners

#5 – Silvio Berlusconi – AC Milan

In 5th Position, is Silvio Berlusconi who was born in Milan in 1936. He has been an Italian politician and a businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the controlling shareholder of Mediaset, the largest broadcasting company in Italy, and owns a controlling stake in Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the largest Italian publishing house. He has been the owner of Italian football giants AC Milan since 2006. According to Forbes, Berlusconi is Italy's third richest man, with his net worth believed to be in the region of $7.8 Billion.

Under his ownership AC Milan won the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In 2007 he signed the gifted Brazilian Alexander Pato for €24 million and in 2009 he brought the legendary David Beckham to play for Milan on loan from MLS side LA Galaxy. Despite being one of several Italian clubs at the centre of charges of match fixing and corruption in 2007, Milan managed to maintain a strong squad of players with a wealth of experience and the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Massimo Ambrosini and Gennaro Gattuso are all still playing under Berlusconi. Last season they finally came out of the shadows of their fierce city rivals Internazionale, and were crowned Italian Serie A league winners for the eighteenth time in their illustrious history.

Silvio Berlusconi has an extensive record of criminal allegations, including mafia collusion, false accounting, tax fraud, corruption and bribery of police officers and judges. His leadership was also undermined by sex scandals. After losing his majority in parliament amid growing fiscal problems related to the European debt crisis, Berlusconi officially resigned as Prime Minister on the 16th November 2011.

#4 – Roman Abramovich – Chelsea

In 4th position is Roman Abramovich. In June 2003, Roman Abramovich bought the companies that control Chelsea Football Club in London at a cost of £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club. The club immediately embarked on an ambitious programme of commercial development, with the aim of making it a worldwide brand on a par with footballing dynasties like Manchester United and Real Madrid. Over £100 million was also spent on new players.

In 2004-05 Abramovich has been alleged to be involved in various wrongdoings by many people. It is also alleged that, at one time, then Russian president Boris Yeltsin himself provided Abramovich with protection from prosecution for various criminal activities ranging from stealing diesel fuel to illegally acquiring Sibneft at a staged contest. Nonetheless, many of the allegations against Abramovich are unproven and he has never been convicted of any crime in any world court.

Under his ownership, the 45 year-old Russian has done marvelous things for Chelsea. In Abramovich's second season at Stamford Bridge José Mourinho was recruited as the new manager and Chelsea ended the following season as Premier League champions, for the first time in 50 years. Since the takeover the club have won eight major trophies – the Premier League on three occasions, the FA Cup three times and the League Cup twice. They also reached UEFA Champions League Final for the first time in the history of the club in 2007-08. Despite José Mourinho's success on the field a feud developed between Abramovich and Mourinho off of it. It is alleged that Roman actually forced him to buy Andriy Shevchenko for a then British record transfer fee of around £30 million (€35.3 million), when Mourniho did not want to buy him. This along with murmurings of discontent about Abramovich's meddling and interfering in his work as manager, ultimately led to Mourinio leaving the London club in September 2007. However in the 2009-2010 season Chelsea won for the first time in their history the Premier League and FA Cup 'double' under Carlo Ancelotti's stewardship and Abromovich’s rule.

It is argued that Abramovich's involvement with Chelsea has distorted the football transfer market throughout Europe, as his wealth often allows the club to purchase players virtually at will. In January 2011, Spanish footballer Fernando Torres completed his move from Liverpool to Chelsea on a five-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee reported to be £50 million, which set a new record for a British transfer and made him the fourth most expensive footballer in history.

Abramovich has become the world's greatest spender on luxury yachts, and had been linked to five yachts in what the media have called 'Abramovich's Navy.' He also owns a private Boeing 767, an Airbus A340 and three Eurocopter helicopters. It is said that the aircraft and his yachts are fitted with radar to detect missile threats, and different defensive counter-measures. Abramovich has recently boosted his security staff to a 40 person 'private army,' making him one of the best protected businessmen in the world.
Prior to the financial crisis, he was considered to be the second richest person living within the United Kingdom. His net worth is $13.4 Billion.

#3 – Amancio Ortega Gaona – Deportivo La Coruna

In 3rd position is Amancio Ortega who owns the Spanish side Deprtivo La Coruna. He is also known as the 'Fashion Kingpin' who founded a retail company named Inditex Group, parent company of the Zara chain. He owns 59.29% of the Inditex Group (Industrias de Diseño Textil Sociedad Anónima) which includes the brands Zara, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Zara Home, Kiddy's Class, Tempe, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear/Often and Bershka and has more than 92,000 employees. His net worth is $31 Billion. In 2011 Forbes ranked Ortega as Spain's richest man, Europe's second richest man and the seventh richest man in the world.

His Deportivo side were relegated to the Spanish second división at the end of the 2010-11 season, after twenty consecutive seasons in the top flight of Spanish football - La Liga, finishing in the top half of the table in 16 out of 19 seasons. As a result, the club has been a regular participant in European competitions, playing in the UEFA Champions League five seasons in a row. Even though they are not up there with the Spanish and world giants in Barcelona or Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna boast a proud footballing history since they were founded back in 1906.

Ortega however keeps a very low profile and there are practically no photographs of him.

#2 – Laxmi Mittal – Queens Park Rangers (QPR)

In 2nd Position is the Indian born Laxmi Mittal owner of Queens Park Rangers (QPR), who recently got promoted to the English Premier League by winning the Coca-Cola Championship last May.

The 61 year-old lives in the UK and is the richest man in India, Asia and the United Kingdom. He is presently the sixth richest individual in the world with a net worth of $31.1 Billion. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company. Mittal is an independent director of Goldman Sachs, member of Board of Directors to Goldman Sachs Media/Film IP Group and a member of the Board of Directors of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company.

He currently has a 54% share holding in QPR and looks likely to purchase further shares in the West London club, now that they are competing in the English Premier League.

#1 – Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed – Manchester City

.....and in first position is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan owner of English Premier League club Manchester City. The 41 year-old is a United Arab Emirati politician and a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family. He is known as a 'trillion dollar man.' In 2007 he was appointed as the Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of UAE. His net worth is approximately around $555 Billion. None of the above four mentioned compare to Sheikh Mansour in the wealth stakes!

Since the day he arrived as the owner of Manchester City, he changed the entire future of the club by splashing the cash on many high profile players. He first bought in Carloz Tevez, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry and Emmanuel Adebayor. Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, City completed the transfers of Jérôme Boateng, Yaya Touré, David Silva, Aleksandar Kolarov and Mario Balotelli. James Milner signed during the first week of the season and Edin Džeko joined the club during the January 2011 transfer window. The spending didn't stop there and this season he went out and spent more than a $100 million on Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri.

Under his ownership, Manchester City prospered last season by winning the FA Cup and bringing silverware to Eastlands for the first time since City's League Cup triumph back in 1976. They also finished third in the Premier League and in doing so gained automatic promotion into this seasons financially lucrative UEFA Champions League. At the moment no other rich tycoon football owner is even near to him when it comes to finances. He is known as the 'Jackpot of Manchester City' and he truly is.

All the latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

With international football top of the agenda this week and next, top flight clubs across Europe are able to take a well-earned break from domestic football.
However the transfer rumour mill door continues to revolve, as clubs look to strengthen their sides. Whether it be this January or next summer clubs across Europe are constantly planning for the future, and today some of the biggest clubs in Britain and Europe are the subject of transfer speculation.

Liverpool, Barcelona, Anzhi Makhachkal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Valencia, Sochaux, Tottenham, Newcastle, Rennes, New York Red Bulls, Arsenal, West Brom, Villarreal, Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Napoli, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Wolfsburg, Rosenborg, Espanyol, Fulham, Celtic and Glasgow Rangers are all caught up in transfer gossip as we speak.

Here is a round up:

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish's has been linked with a move for Barcelona striker David Villa. Reports in Spain say the 29-year-old striker is unhappy at Barcelona and has fallen out with Lionel Messi - The Guardian

Liverpool who were looking at Sochaux midfielder Ryad Boudebouz (right) in May are back in for for the Algerian international. Expect a bid in January - The Guardian

There is also reported interest from Liverpool in Barcelona star Seydou Keita. Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala, are also keen to land the Mali international - skysports.com

Real Madrid are looking tempt Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic into making a big money move to the Bernabéu next Summer. The Seriban, who signed a new deal early last season, will have just two years left on his contract at the end of the season - football.co.uk

Manchester United are running the rule over Valencia defender Adil Rami (right) as Sir Alex Ferguson plans for the eventual replacement of both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Sources in Spain have confirmed the English champions’ interest in the Valencia defender. Rami is thought to have a buy-out clause of €25million in his contract, well within reach for the Red Devils. The Frenchman only joined Valencia in the summer, moving from Lille, the side which he helped to last season’s Ligue 1 title - insidefutbol.com

Alan Pardew’s Newcastle has made a dream start in the Premier League this campaign and are now preparing to bolster their attacking options by signing Tottenham duo Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenkov, both 29, for £20million in the January transfer window - european-football-updates.blogspot.com

Arsenal have entered the race to sign Rennes' 6ft 3in midfielder Tongo Hamed Doumbia, The 22 year-old is rated at £8million - Daily Mail and footylatest.com

New York Red Bulls defender Tim Ream has spoken out on interest from two English Premier League sides. The 24-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, while West Brom are also believed to have asked the American to head over to the Hawthornes on trial. Ream has been in fine form for New York Red Bulls, profiting from playing in the same side as the likes of Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez - insidefutbol.com

Villarreal are keen to bring in teenage Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, 18, on loan in the January transfer window - Daily Mirror

France International midfielder Yann M' Vila (right), 21, who Arsenal made an unsuccessful £20 million bid for on transfer deadline day in August, says he is prepared to leave Rennes - but not until after Euro 2012 - Metro and Daily Mail

Blackburn Rovers and West Ham are thought to be considering a move for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha - The Guardian

West Ham are ready to throw caution to the wind and snap up the lesser known Ferdinand, Rio and Anton's cousin Kane. The 19 year-old Southend midfielder will cost £500,000 - The Sun

AC Milan are weighing up replacing their summer signing Taye Taiwo with Barcelona full-back Maxwell. The 26-year-old has failed to cement his place in the first-team since his move from Marseille in the summer, while Maxwell has found opportunites at Camp Nou few and far between since leaving Milan's great rivals Inter for the European champions two years ago - goal.com and insidefutbol.com

AC Milan are stepping up their efforts to pip Arsenal to the signing of Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo. AC Milan have put together an offer of €3 million for the Fiorentina midfielder. Fiorentina are keen to prevent losing Montolivo on a free transfer in the summer and may accept a cut-price deal for the 26-year-old - sportmediaset.mediaset.it

Chelsea have been linked with Wolfsburg striker Mario Mandzukic (right). The 25-year-old Croatian joined Wolfsburg last year for a fee of €8M from Dinamo Zagreb. Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is known to be on the lookout for more striking power to add to his squad, especially given that Nicolas Anelka is heading for the exit door and could soon be joined by Didier Drogba - insidefutbol.com

Napoli have played down speculation linking Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik with a move away from the club by revealing they expect him to sign a contract extension at the Stadio San Paolo - skysports.com

Rosenborg defender Mikael Lustig would be willing to discuss a move to Celtic, with the Bhoys one of a number of clubs chasing his signature. The Swedish full-back is set to become a free agent in the New Year and his imminent availability is attracting plenty of interest. Premier League outfit Fulham are also known to be in the running, while Spanish side Espanyol are keen to bolster their defensive options.

Glasgow Rangers are considering signing India international strikers Jej Lalpekhlua and Sunil Chettri in the hope of opening up a new market in the subcontinent. The duo will arrive in Glasgow before the end of the month for a trial with Ally McCoist's side - Daily Record

The Physio Room - Injury Update

With the new Premier League season only four days away, spare a thought for the English Premier League clubs' physios and medical teams and their 'healing hands.'



However following three nights of rioting in London, England's friendly at Wembley tomorrow night against the Netherlands has been postponed on police advice - which in the light of the seriousness of the trouble is in my opinion the correct decision.



The FA chairman David Bernstein said the FA had consulted with the police, Government and Brent Council, and in a statement said: "We were unable to host the fixture under the terms of our safety certificate or guarantee the safety of the fans."



I am sure there is a peculiar, almost selfish sense of relief on the part of any club manager who had players involved in the England set-up, so close to the opening weekend of the English Premier League season, but no satisfaction in the reason for the postponement.



The English Premier League is littered with 'foreign players' from all over the world, and there are still plenty of international fixtures involving them on Wednesday and Thursday. On that note tonight's game between Ghana and Nigeria at Vicarage Road, Watford has also been postponed for safety reasons. As well as full internationals there are a number of UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualifying games being played tonight and tomorrow.



International teams involved in friendlies with Premier League players on their books include: Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Spain, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Russia, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, Bulgaria, Australia, Croatia, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Denmark and the USA.



Those managers with players involved will be praying all of them return from international duty injury free.



Meanwhile there is a full programme of English Premier League fixtures this weekend, so here is your chance to catch up on which players are definitely out injured, who is doubtful or struggling, and who will be fit to play for their clubs. Also some players are carrying over suspensions picked up at the tail end of last season, so they will also be unavailable for selection.



There are some Premier League teams who have players that are already out before a ball has been kicked, and other clubs have players that are struggling to be fit for the opening fixtures this weekend.



Some of the more high profile players carrying injuries at the moment include: Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen and Jack Wilshire, Aston Villa's Darren Bent, Tottenham's Rafael Van Der Vaart (right), Manchester United's Danny Welbeck , Liverpool's Glen Johnson and Chelsea's Frank Lampard.



Click on the 'link' to find out the latest on your Club's injury woes, and how soon it will be before some of your teams players will be back in action.



Those players that are definitely ruled out through suspension include: Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge (right), Manchester City's Kolo Toure, and Everton's Seamus Coleman.

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

Transfer speculation is rife as we approach the beginning of July. It looks like some of the 'bigger' domestic and European clubs are going to have to pay top dollar to secure the services of some of the players they feel will help them land trophies next season.

On the flip of the coin a lot of players will become free agents on the 1st July.
A free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired, and who is thus eligible to sign for another club. In some instances this gives some of the less affluent clubs the chance to pick up some experienced players without the initial expense of a transfer fee, before personal terms are agreed. However the power is with the players as they use the fact that there is no transfer fee involved to often negotiate a financial package including wages, in excess of what they were earning at their previous club.

Expect some major financial wheeling and dealing to take place in July, as clubs fight it out to lure the most sought after players to 'their' club. Meanwhile many of the free agents will more often than not find they have more than one club to choose from, and it may well all boil down to which club can afford to offer the player the most money!
It is at this time of year in the world of football that the infamous phrase "show me the money," which first came to prominence in the 1996 movie 'Jerry Maguire' seems most apt.

Chelsea, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United, Valencia, Manchester City, Porto, Fiorentina, Partizan Belgrade, AZ Alkmaar, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool, Blackpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Wigan, Sochaux, Galatasaray, West Brom, Stoke, Birmingham, Monaco, West Ham, Newcastle, Bolton, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Peterborough, Reading, Sunderland, Derby, Barnsley, Dundee United, Cardiff and Tranmere......................are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your club involved?

Chelsea's Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien is for sale and already attracting interest from various clubs. Bayern Munich have now joined AC Milan and Real Madrid in the chase to sign the 28-year-old, who is worth at least 28 million Euros - footballpress.net

Manchester United are confident of being able to sign Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, 23, for £20m - caughtoffside.com

Barcelona have turned down a £15million offer from Manchester United for Spanish Euro Under-21 Championships star Thiago Alcântara (right) - footballpress.net

Alcântara may in fact end up at Arsenal as a makeweight in the Cesc Fábregas deal, though other sources believe that Barcelona are preparing a £31m straight-cash offer for the Arsenal midfielder that should land on a desk in north London sometime today - The Guardian

Arsenal have made Valencia midfielder Juan Mata, another star of Spain's U21 side, their top summer transfer target. The Gunners have offered £18m for the 23-year-old - Daily Mail

Barcelona star David Villa has quashed rumours linking him to Chelsea and Manchester City, claiming he wants to end his career at Barcelona. The 29-year-old joined the Catalans last summer for €40 million and went on to score 23 goals in all competitions as the Spanish giants claimed the double with the Primera Liga and the Champions League - Internationalbusinesstimes.com

Manchester City are lining up a triple swoop for Fiorentina midfielder Alessio Cerci, 23 (right), Partizan Belgrade defender Stefan Savic, 20, and 24-year-old Argentina international keeper Sergio Romero from AZ Alkmaar - The Sun & The Guardian

Manchester City will need to spend a club record £36m if they want to land Brazilian forward Givanildo Vieira de Souza aka 'Hulk' from Porto - Daily Star & The Guardian

Bayern Munich are interested in Manchester United winger and Portugal international Nani. An attempt to sign him will be made if Franck Ribery is sold - footballpress.net

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will make a double raid on Tottenham with a £60m bid for midfielder Luka Modric and the left-sided Gareth Bale - caughtoffside.com

Bayern Munich admit they are waiting on news in their bids for Manchester City's Jerome Boateng and Bayer Leverkusen's Arturo Vidal. Boateng has already revealed that he has agreed terms with Bayern, but as yet they cannot agree a fee with Manchester City - skysports.com

Liverpool are close to completing the signing of Charlie Adam, the Blackpool midfielder, with Jonjo Shelvey moving in the opposite direction on a season-long loan. The Anfield club are also set to sign Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing (right) - The Independent

If Downing leaves, then Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish plans to spend half of the estimated £18m asking price on Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia as a direct replacement - Daily Mail

Aston Villa are also interested in signing Stoke winger Matthew Etherington as a replacement for Ashley Young - Daily Mail

Aston Villa are plotting an audacious £14million bid to bring James Milner back from Manchester City - The Mirror

Chelsea have been told they can have Arda Turan (right) from Galatasaray, but only if the Turks get £7m and Didier Drogba in return - The Sun & The Guardian

West Brom have joined the race to sign Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, along with Newcastle, Stoke and Bolton, where he scored eight goals on loan last season - The Sun & The Guardian

Stoke will make a joint bid in the region of £8m for Birmingham duo Scott Dann and Cameron Jerome. Stoke are also keen on £4m-rated Monaco defender Cédric Mongongu. Meanwhile Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen could be on his way to West Ham - Daily Mirror & The Guardian

Peterborough United's director of football Barry Fry has confirmed the club have accepted an offer from Leicester City for Craig Mackail-Smith - skysports.com

Sochaux starlet Ryad Boudebouz claims Liverpool have expressed an interest in acquiring his services. That has opened the door for Liverpool to make an approach, with tentative discussions regarding a possible move to Anfield already underway - skysports.com

Leicester City are set to win the race to sign Neil Danns (right). The 28-year-old is available on a Bosman transfer as his contract with Crystal Palace is set to expire and he has decided to leave Selhurst Park. A host of clubs have been chasing the midfielder, with both of the Old Firm, Celtic and Rangers, holding talks, and the likes of Bolton, Hull City and Southampton are all understood to have made moves for him - skysports.com

Newcastle are interested in Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson (23), and will try to hijack his planned move to Sunderland - footballpress.net

Sunderland are also preparing a £7m bid for Reading's Shane Long - The Guardian

Dundee United manager Peter Houston has confirmed talks have been held with several clubs regarding in-demand striker David Goodwillie. SPL champions Rangers have made an approach along with Championship clubs Blackpool and Cardiff. Cardiff are rumoured to be favourites to win the chase - skysports.com

Dale Jennings has signalled his intention to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world as negotiations with his club Tranmere Rovers and Bayern Munich reached a critical stage last night. Tranmere are understood to have negotiated a package of around £500,000 up front for the 18-year-old striker in a deal that could rise to £1.5 million - The Independent

Derby County defender Miles Addison has agreed to join Barnsley on a six-month loan deal - skysports.com

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

As the 2010/11 football season reaches its climax, transfer rumours and gossip are in full swing as we speak, as clubs go chasing the players they feel could make a difference in their pursuit of success next season.

In England, there are only a couple of outstanding issues in the top flight still to be decided - relegation from the Premier League, the FA Cup this Saturday, with European qualification at stake next season for the winners, and of course the UEFA Champions League Final on the 28th May, when Barcelona take on Manchester United at Wembley.

For everyone else it is back to the drawing board, so expect a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done this Summer by a host of clubs, both at home and abroad.

Manchester City, AC Milan, Ajax, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Schalke, Manchester United, Olympique Marseille, Fiorentina, Auxeere, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Blackpool, Bolton, Blackburn, Sevilla, Wolfsburg, Valencia, Zenit St Petersburg, QPR, Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Everton, Hull, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Chievo and Leicester..........are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

Manchester City are chasing Ajax star Jan Vertonghen (right), Ajax coach Frank de Boer has confirmed. The 24-year-old Belgium international defender has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, with Manchester United and Arsenal also rumoured to have him on their radar - skysports.com

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini says he also wants AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Eastlands - BBC Sport, along with Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas, in an attempt to power Manchester City to the Premier League title next season. The Arsenal skipper is already being hunted by Barcelona - The Sun

Roman Abramovich is moving a massive step closer to his total rebuilding of Chelsea with a £25million deal for Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Kaká - Daily Express

Arsenal are looking to offload Brazilian Denilson - Sevilla and Wolfsburg are both interested - The Mirror

Arsenal are set to be offered the chance to re-sign defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra by Real Madrid this summer, with Real wanting around £12m - Daily Express/Daily Mirror

Currently on a deal with Olympique Marseille until June 2014, French international midfielder Mathieu Valbuena (right) might leave in order to join Manchester United in the summer, since Alex Ferguson is still keen on him - footballpress.net

Dutch international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar insists he has no plans to leave Schalke this summer. Huntelaar is contracted to Schalke until June 2013 and has netted eight goals in 23 Bundesliga appearances - skysports.com

Schalke are also battling with arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund for the signing of Auxerre's Irenusz Jelen, according to the Poland international's agent - skysports.com

Fiorentina are looking at the possibility of re-signing the AC Milan and Italian international forward Antonio Cassano, for a fee thought to be in the region of about 18 million euros - footballpress.net

Liverpool are in pole position to sign Aston Villa's Ashley Young (right) for a £15m fee. The England forward rejected a new deal at Villa Park earlier this season and has also been linked with a move to Manchester United - The Guardian

Blackpool's Charlie Adam is still on Liverpool's agenda following a thwarted move in January and a new central defender is also among the targets with Bolton's Gary Cahill and Phil Jones of Blackburn both possible targets - The Guardian

Birmingham are on alert after long-term target Nathaniel Clyne put talks over a new deal with Crystal Palace on ice - Daily Mail

Neil Warnock has offered Jimmy Bullard a Premier League return with QPR having made a bid to sign the Hull midfielder on loan next season - Daily Star

German champions Borussia Dortmund are interested on QPR talisman Adel Taarabt - Daily Mail

Chelsea are ready to make a fresh move to sign Valencia winger Juan Mata (right) - TalkSPORT.

Andrei Arshavin would be welcome back at Zenit St Petersburg if Arsenal decide to sell the striker, the Russian club have confirmed - The Telegraph

West Ham's 22-year-old center back Winston Reid has denied rumours linking him with Italian outfit Chievo. "I don't know anything about it, I am not thinking about the market. I am just thinking about ending the season and I hope that we won't be relegated." - footballpress.net

Aston Villa, Birmingham and Everton are monitoring Leicester defender Sol Bamba - Daily Mail

Clash of the Titans at Old Trafford - Betting News with Betfred

versus

It has been billed from all quarters as potentially the Premier League title-deciding game of the season, so let's hope Manchester United versus Chelsea is an exciting encounter that lives up to all the pre-match hype.

On countless occasions, the most-hyped Premier League matches tend to disappoint, but when these two sides met at Stamford Bridge back on the 1st March, it was a classic!

The Champions League games failed to match these heights, but the fate of this particular game is very much in Chelsea's hands, as it is they who need to come out fighting and take all three points, if they want to keep their back-to-back title ambitions alive. The Premier League betting makes the Londoner's 9/4 to win the game.

A few months ago Chelsea were on course to drop 18 points behind their Manchester rivals, when they went 1-0 down to United at Stamford Bridge, but they came back to win that game 2-1, and it immediately boosted the confidence around the club, and they have been in sparkling form ever since.

Having taken 25 points from a possible 27 available, the Blues' are snapping at the heels of United, knowing a win at Old Trafford on Sunday and they can draw level with their rivals - and that is something that looked a long shot back in February when they were still in their slump.

If Chelsea can hit top spot with two games remaining the impetus would be with them, but United always manage to step up in the important matches and that is why they cannot be discounted, especially at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are 5/4 to win the match and 2/9 to win the Premier League with Betfred.

Most tipsters in the Premier League title race make United favourites to regain the title, particularly as Ferguson's men have the luxury of knowing a draw on Sunday will be good enough to keep them three points clear, with just a couple of games to play.

Chelsea captain John Terry reckons he "always believed" they could get back into the title race, but they are still outsiders to win the title as United have looked fairly solid, if not setting the world on fire, for many months now.

Chelsea, who are 3/1 to win the title, managed to win this fixture at Old Trafford last season, and the England defender reckons there is "no reason" why they cannot go on and repeat that feat again, and put the outcome of the Premier League title race firmly in their own hands!

My Tip of the Week:

Expect Chelsea to go hell for leather for the win, but United should manage 'their usual trick' and get the goals to hold their rivals. A draw is priced at 23/10, but a 2-2 scoreline also looks appealing at 14/1.
Meanwhile United's on-fire Mexican striker Javie Hernandez is 6/4 to score at anytime in the match, and add to his 19 goals already this season.

Sunday 8th May: Manchester United v Chelsea, kick-off 4.10pm, live on Sky Sports1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

As the end of the 2010/11 football season approaches, clubs are already putting out 'feelers' in an attempt to lure players to pastures new, as they bid to strengthen their squads in preparation for the start of next season.

In the next month of so the destiny of many clubs will mapped out for them. Some will be preparing for life in a different league as a result of promotion or relegation, and in the dizzy heights of the Premier League, European qualification will be on the agenda. This season's successful clubs will find themselves in the enviable position of having money to spend in the summer, whilst others will be forced to make cuts in their financial budgets.

Player's contracts will also dictate where they ply their trade next season. Some players will be out of contract at the end of this season, while others will be in the final year, perhaps forcing parent clubs to offload certain players in order to raise some funds through transfer fees, and at the sametime lowering their wage bill.

Tottenham, Manchester United, Santos, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Schalke, Valencia, Arsenal, Benfica, West Brom, Zenit St Petersburg, West Ham, Chelsea, Newcastle, Malaga, AZ Alkmaar, Bolton, Sunderland, Everton, Manchester City, Sevilla, Bayern Munich, Rennes, Norwich, Swansea, Parma, Fulham and Blackburn Rovers.............are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will test Tottenham's resolve by making a £35m offer for winger Gareth Bale this summer - caughtoffside.com

Manuel Neuer's agent has rejected reports the goalkeeper has refused to pen a new contract at Schalke. The Germany No.1 (right), has been linked with a host of top European clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United - skysports.com

Chelsea target Neymar has opened the door for a £30m move from Santos to Barcelona by saying he wants to play alongside Lionel Messi in the Catalan club's attack - The Sun

Liverpool are keeping an eye on Benfica midfielder Nicolas Gaitan and have been linked with Valencia playmaker Juan Mata – as have Manchester City and Arsenal - The Guardian

Liverpool have agreed a pre-contract to sign Rennes midfielder Sylvain Marveaux - Skysports.com

Liverpool and Everton are set for a Merseyside transfer tussle over Sevilla winger Diego Perotti (right) this summer - talkSPORT

West Brom have promised themselves a special treat if they avoid relegation, in the unlikely shape of Zenit St Petersburg's Serbian striker Danko Lazovic - The Guardian

West Ham are lining up a surprise £1.5m bid for Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork, who is currently on loan at Burnley - Daily Mirror

Newcastle are ready to raid Malaga for star striker Jose Salomon Rondon - if the Spanish side are relegated from La Liga - talkSPORT

Norwich City captain Grant Holt has signed a new three-year contract to keep him at Carrow Road until 2014 - sportinglife.com

AZ Alkmaar striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (right) has got the Premier League scouts all excited, with Bolton, Sunderland, West Ham and Everton all ready to battle unnamed Italian and German rivals for the 21-year-old Icelandic international, who would cost £5.5m - The Guardian

Fulham defender John Pantsil is set to leave Craven Cottage at the end of the season, after falling out of favour with manager Mark Hughes - Daily Mail

Chelsea are considering a move to re-sign Arjen Robben, who may be seeking a move in the summer if current club Bayern Munich do not qualify for the Champions League - caughtoffside.com

Striker Fabio Borini is seeking urgent talks with Chelsea as he weighs up interest from Parma and Swansea. The Italy Under-21 striker's contract expires at the end of the season - Daily Mail

Nikola Kalinic's agent insists the striker could be forced to leave Blackburn Rovers in the summer due to his lack of playing time. The 23-year-old Croatian international is happy at Ewood Park, but his agent Tomislav Erceg has admitted that the striker will consider his future in the summer if the situation fails to improve - skysports.com