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January 31st, 2010:

The same paper also believes that Yossi Benayoun will cease to be a Red come tomorrow evening.

The Sunday Mirror believe that Hull City have rejected another bid for winger Stephen Hunt, with a desperate Wolves upping their offer to £4 million. Wolves are also in the running for Egyptian striker Mohamed Gedo.

Asier Del Horno (of former Chelsea fame) has been frozen out at Valencia and moved to Valladolid on loan till the end of the season.

Gabriel Obertan has been linked with a move to Fenerbache on loan till the end of the season.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has joined Italian Serie A side Lazio from Stuttgart. Hitzlsperger has been a spectator at Stuttgart most of the season and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, the club agreed to let him go in search of some first team action in a World Cup year.

Wigan are reportedly very close to signing Crystal Palace prodigy Victor Moses.

The Mirror also talks about Michael Owen unlikely to keep a place at Manchester United next season, with Sir Alex reportedly keen on getting rid of the striker in the summer.

Arsene Wenger has hinted an interest in signing David Villa in the summer. Should he be able to land the Valencia striker, Arsenal might just have "everything" with a natural goal scorer to add to the beautiful football they play. He told the club's official website, "Marouane Chamakh is not available because he is playing with Bordeaux and Bordeaux don't want to release him. David Villa as well, Valencia don't want to let him go."

Fiorentina have expressed an interest in taking Roman Pavlyuchenko on loan.

With Stoke appearing favourites to land Portsmouth keeper Asmir Begovic, Tottenham have turned their attention towards Manchester United third choice stopper Ben Foster.

Some moves that are reportedly not happening in this window - Aruna Dindane to Birmingham, Rafinha to Wolfsburg, Antonio Cassano to Fiorentina.

New names linked - Habib Beye to Sunderland, Dindane to Blackburn, Ivan Ramis to Celtic, Ari to Spartak Moscow, Junmin Hao to Schalke, Danny Shittu to Rangers, Ilan (Brazil and St. Etienne) to West Ham.

Moves back on - Adam Johnson to Man City, Okaka to Fulham, Begovic to Stoke.

January 30th, 2010:

Babel's going nowhere, atleast not until the summer. Rafa Benitez has decided not to get rid of the bench-warmer, and actually rewarded him with 7 minutes of playing time today.

Birmingham though are reportedly keeping on making bids for the aforementioned Dutch forward and Tottenham's Roman Pavlyuchenko. The problem is they keep getting rejected!

The Daily Mirror has news of Arsene Wenger offering Marouane Chamakh a more competitive pre-contract, with the Moroccan not so keen on Liverpool given the uncertainty surrounding the club.

Another rare done deal in the transfer window, with Younes Kaboul completing a move back to former club Tottenham. This deal has all the wrong reasons written all over it. The sale price is rumoured to be just £5 million, won't do moneyless Pompey much good and is a far cry from the £14 million price tag the center back supposedly had at the start of the window. I can understand Kaboul wanting to reunite with Harry Redknapp and the surety he'll be in the Premiership next season, but I wonder if he'll get any game time considering he will be behind King, Woodgate, Dawson and Bassong in the pecking order. Oh well, atleast it'll help Portsmouth pay wages!

The Daily Mail believe Manchester City have made an offer of £7 million for Parma's young Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga. For those of you wondering if this has something to do with shirt sales in Africa, we've heard the 22-year old is actually a pretty decent player. Speaking of Parma, news just in that the Italian Serie A side has re-signed veteran Argentine striker Hernan Crespo 10 years after selling him to Lazio!

The Mail also has another story about the striker clear out at Ewood Park, with Sam Allardyce reportedly ready to part with Jason Roberts. Wolves appears to be the most likely destination.

Poor old West Ham's striker shopping has come down a few rungs - they've gone from Ruud van Nistelrooy to Eidur Gudjohnsen to Mido! I think if they can land the Egyptian star, it might really work out well for them, he might have a lot more in the engine room to offer than the two veterans.

The Independent  have heard that Anderson's move from Manchester United to Lyon has hit a stumbling block, with the French club feeling that the young Brazilian's wage demands are considerably higher than expected.

More news coming in from Italy, another veteran striker Nicola Amoruso has moved from Parma to Atalanta, and 22-year old Robert Acquafresca who was on loan at Atalanta from Genoa, has gone back to his original club - all emanating from the Crespo move reported earlier.

January 29th, 2010:

Juventus have sacked coach Ciro Ferrara, and replaced him with Alberto Zaccheroni. Zaccheroni has an amazing CV, having managed almost all of Italy's top clubs for very short periods of time. He served as head coach of AC Milan from 1998-2001 and Inter in the 2003-04 season in addition to stints with Lazio, Udinese, Torino and Bologna.

Brazilian midfielder Anderson may have just played his last game for Manchester United, with The Sun reporting that the £18 million signing is about to get offloaded to Lyon before the week is out.

Young Jack Wilshire has completed his loan move from Arsenal to Bolton. While they may have their spats off the pitch, Arsene Wenger surely regards Owen Coyle as a manager, entrusting him with helping convert the future England international into a finished product with some valuable game time at the highest level. Bolton have also converted left-back Paul Robinson's loan stay with the club into a permanent transfer.

Sunderland have stepped up the chase to sign Benjani, with the Daily Mail reporting that a £1.5 million bid has been tabled for the ageing Zimbabwean striker. The Mail also reports that Victor Moses may have to get into the Premiership the hard way, with promotion challengers Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and West Brom all making bids for the young striker.

The Daily Star has a story that Hull City is looking to sell anyone they can before the window closes to prepare themselves for the prospect of relegation. The news has been strongly refuted later in the day by manager Phil Brown.

Porto seems to have done some good business signing Brazilian striker Kleber from Cruzeiro for a fee rumoured to be about €5.5 million. Think he'll make the team for the Champions League second round against Arsenal in February!

The Stefano Okaka deal which we were hearing about since December is finally set to happen with the young striker in London currently undergoing his medical before a move to Craven Cottage.

While his club owners are still fuming at Tottenham for their apparent highjacking of the Eidur Gudjohnsen transfer, West Ham manager Gianfraco Zola is hoping to pick up a few players on loan, with David Bentley his reported latest target.

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry's contract comes up at the end of next season, and with no indications as yet that the club would want to renew it, the French international may look for a move away from the continent with the MLS the most likely destination.

Arsene Wenger has indicated that there is a very small chance Arsenal will do any business in the January transfer window. The Frenchman told Arsenal.com, "It is not impossible [to sign a player before the window shuts] but at the moment it is unlikely."

Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara has rejoined Portsmouth on loan till the end of the season. The hard working left-footer will be vital to Pompey's survival.

Pompey though are in serious risk of losing their goalkeeper, best defender and top goal scorer before the window closes with Asmir Begovic, Younes Kaboul and Aruna Dindane all linked with a move away from Fratton Park.

Wigan left-back Figueroa has ended speculation regarding his future by inking a new deal that will keep him with the Latics till 2012.

Burnley have signed 23-year old Celtic left back Danny Fox on a three-and-a-half year contract. Fox is the third player to join the Clarets in the transfer window, following the acquisition of goalkeeper Nicky Weaver and central defender Leon Cort.

Some stories that we might build on over the course of the evening as they develop - Palermo linked with Valon Behrami, Manuel Fernandes heading to Inter, Wolfsburg signing Gremio defender Rever and Brimingham City looking at Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli.

January 28th, 2010:

It looks highly unlikely now that Manchester City will sign Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago, with his existing club refusing to part ways with the young Argentine. But Roberto Mancini's side look set to table a bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.

Tottenham have added another trophy forward to their bench, with former Chelsea and Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen joining on loan from Monaco. Wonder if this means that Roman Pavlyuchenko will finally be sold in the couple of days, surely Harry Redknapp doesn't need three strikers on the bench! Birmingham we're told are listening.

Tottenham have been linked with more than half the Portsmouth side depending on which media service you listen to. Good Old 'Arry's old connections with the clubs could mean anyone half decent could be a Spurs player by the end of January, as the club try desperately to raise money to be able to pay wages next week. According to the Daily Mail, Spurs are close to re-acquiring Younes Kaboul for £8m and are also keeping tabs on young keeper Asmir Begovic.

Man United's Anderson might be set to exit the club following his failure to show up for training and was thus omitted from the squad that faced City yesterday. The Brazilian has had discussions with Vasco da Gama according to reports in The Mirror.

David Nugent will be one of those Pompey boys who isn't getting sold, with Burnley extending his time on loan with them till the end of the season.

Look for the Jack Wilshere loan saga to conclude in the next 24 hours with Bolton being the likely destination.

Manchester City have confirmed that Brazilian striker Robinho has been shipped off on loan to  Santos till the end of the season.

The Rafa Benitez to Juventus story just won't go away, with unsubstantiated rumours running rampant that this weekend could well be his final game in charge of The Reds. However, it seems significantly more likely that a move should it happen will not take place before the summer.

Sky Sports News has information that Portsmouth are about to lose Aruna Dindane, with Birmingham City reportedly having agreed a £4 million fee with Lens for the striker.

American international Kenny Cooper has been linked with a move to Portsmouth.

January 27th, 2010:

The Daily Mirror reports that Tottenham are about to highjack West Ham's attempt to sign Icelandic international Eidur Gudjohnsen. As a consolation though, they are prepared to offer the Hammers David Bentley, who despite impressing against Fulham last night is not the kind of "professional" Harry Redknapp wants around at White Hart Lane. Giovani Dos Santos meanwhile has been (finally) offloaded to Galatasaray till the end of the season. If you're wondering why so many players are moving to the Turkish giants all of a sudden, it's coz Frank Rijkaard is the manager there.

Staying with Tottenham, center-back Michael Dawson, who has been really impressing of late, has been given a two-year contract extension that will see him stay at the club till 2015.

Arsenal's young forward Jack Wilshire is expected to move to Bolton later today.

The Mirror also reports that Portsmouth are looking around for players available on loan and on free transfer, and are set to make a move to bring Jamie O'Hara back to the club asap.

Good news for Everton fans, South African midfielder Steven Pienaar denies having heard from German giants Bayern Munich.

Some more twitter-twatter. Juliano Belleti will remain a Chelsea player till his contract expires in June 2010. Flamengo, who wish to bring the Brazilian home cannot apparently afford his transfer fee, and will wait for him to be available on free.

Inter Milan are looking to fill the void left by the sale of Patrick Vieira by bringing in Miguel Veloso. Veloso has also been linked to a host of Premier League clubs. Rivals AC have meanwhile rejected claims that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will be leaving the club this summer. We're a little disappointed to hear this on two fronts - a) He'll be spending more time warming the benches at the San Siro b) We'll go through this transfer melodrama again in July

Sky Sports reports that Manchester City are edging closer to a deal with Roma outcast Marco Motta.

Some confirmed deals - Lazio have signed Villarreal midfielder Sebastian Eguren on loan until the end of the season, Manchester United winger Zoran Tosic has joined Cologne on loan and Yildiray Basturk (under guidance from Tugay) has joined Blackburn from Stuttgart.

Burnley have signed former Manchester City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver on a free transfer till the end of the season. Weaver had signed a short term deal with Dundee United at the start of the season after his contract with Charlton expired in the summer of 2009. An England Under-21 international, Weaver started every game of the season for Dundee before his short term contract expired in January.

A second capture for Burnley in the day, they have signed Carl Cort's brother Leon from Stoke City for £1.5 million. Labelled as the defender who never gets booked, Cort also has rarely seen any first team action over the last couple of years, leaving him a frustrated squad member desperate for a move. Hopefully the 30-year old isn't cover in case Burnley get relegated, and he may actually get to display his wares in the Premiership over the second half of the season.

January 26th, 2010:

Finally some closure to a few rumours - the Independent broke a story this morning about Manchester United making a move to sign Chris Smalling. Sky Sports News followed it up with information that a bid for the player had been accepted, and they also shared that Arsene Wenger had indicated that United had outbid him for the services of the England Under-21 international. Further news broke over the course of the day that the offer from United had indeed been accepted, the player had agreed personal terms, but a medical is pending. Rumours surfaced over the course of the evening of Arsenal (who may have upped their bid) having also had an offer accepted ... However, the matter was finally to put to rest by a statement on the Manchester United website -

"Manchester United has agreed terms for the transfer of Chris Smalling from Fulham. Chris has agreed personal terms with the club and will join for the beginning of the 2010/2011 campaign. He will remain at Fulham until the end of the current season."

Meanwhile over in Birmingham, Craig Gardner's long awaited move from Aston Villa to their cross town rivals has finally been completed. At only £3 million, the versatile youngster looks to be a steal.

With Wayne Rooney edging closer to a "bumper pay day", it is the turn of midfielder Anderson to be linked with an exit from the club. The Sun are reporting that young Brazilian midfielder decided to skip practice, and Sir Alex is rapidly losing patience with the 21-year old. Anderson was left out of the squad for the game against Hull, and Manchester United are looking at recovering as much of that  £18 million they spent on him, with Lyon the most talked about destination currently.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has made a solid statement of intent regarding the future of center-back Matthew Upson. Sullivan said, "He will not be sold now. In the summer he will have 12 months to go on his contract. If he wanted to play Champions League or European football you couldn't stand in his way. So unless Matthew wants to sign a new deal he will have to be sold next summer. Nobody else has to go. The squad is thin and in the summer we will be looking to discover the next Ronaldo." ... I wonder though if that process of discovery will take place in the Premiership!

Pacy winger Wayne Routledge, once spoken of in the same breath as Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott, has joined Newcastle United from QPR on a three and a half year contract.

The Sun also says that Man CIty have had a £12 million offer for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago turned down, think this is rather old news, with Marca yesterday reporting that City have re-approached Madrid with a revised £15 million bid. Sounds like the papers are struggling to come up with some good stories!

23-year old Argentine striker Marco Gastón Ruben Rodríguez is on the verge of completing a £7 million, 4.5 year move from Villarreal to Wigan Athletic. Its good to see the Latics board giving Manager Roberto Martinez solid backing.

Great news for Pompey fans, their transfer embargo has finally been lifted, giving them just under a week to do a round of distress buys yet again. Avram Grant though will still need to sell players to fund any acquisitions he has in mind. His squad is currently so small that he was only able to name 5 of the alloted 7 substitute spots for the FA Cup win over Sunderland during the weekend, and further injuries mean it's very much possible that Pompey may only name 3 substitutes for their next league encounter.

Real Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano denies any interest in singing Wayne Rooney, in fact he goes a step further questioning Rooney's (and English players in general) adaptability and claims they were never really interested! Tch, Tch. Surely he should humbly accept defeat and admit that money can't buy everything.

Robinho's move to Santos seems to be on hold right now with Santos unable to match the Brazilian's wages, while Manchester City are in no mood to pay him when he turns out for another club. Robinho needs to take a £2 million pay cut for a 6 month stint with Santos. Meanwhile, Sao Paulo are also being linked with a possible move.

The Daily Star has reported that Arsene Wenger is keen on 'reviving' his interest in Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and bring him over to the Emirates on loan till the end of the season. Find this hard to believe, if he was going to sign Huntelaar surely he would have done it three weeks ago when he was woefully short of strikers, and not wait till Nicklas Bendtner returns. Everton are also rumoured to be interested in the Dutchman, and could be a more likely destination given the departure of Jo and the injury-proneness of Louis Saha.

Sunderland are the latest in a long line of clubs to be linked with cash strapped Portsmouth's defender Younes Kaboul.

West Ham have reportedly agreed a fee with Blackburn for the signing of South African international Benni McCarthy. I can see him flourishing under Zola. West Ham like to get the ball on the ground and should be able to create enough to keep Benni happy. Blackburn fans meanwhile will be delighted that playmaker David Dunn has signed a new 2 and a half year deal with the club. Not too far down the road Bolton have signed American international Stuart Holden.

The Daily Mail says that Hull are stepping up their interest in Mido, in a bid to land the Egyptian striker before the closure of the transfer window. They also report that Turkey midfielder Yildiray Basturk is flying in to Blackburn to hold talks with the club today.

The biggest rumour of the day comes undoubtedly from Italy, where Juventus are reportedly preparing to bring in Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. It is difficult to judge the Liverpool fans' reaction to this piece of news from the Times. Guus Hiddink is the potential replacement, and it may not come as too much of a surprise if they are relieved to see the back of their Champions League winning manager.

January 25th, 2010:

David Villa has peaked interest in England again reportedly telling Spanish paper AS that he would be open to a move to the Premiership. His agent will definitely be a busy man tonight.

Another Spanish daily, Marca, report that Manchester City have made a revised £15 million offer for Real Madrid defensive midfielder Fernando Gago. Should that deal go through, I really wonder if Patrick Vieira will get a game for City any time soon!

Young Slovakian midfielder Vladimir Weiss has moved from Manchester City to Bolton on loan till the end of the season.

Robinho's request to go back to Santos to "save his World Cup dream" has been thrown into oblivion with Roberto Mancini reportedly saying that he hopes that the Brazilian will stay! Manchester City are also reportedly eyeing a move for Roma right-back Marco Motta, wonder what Zabaleta makes of that story.

Barcelona are looking at securing Dani Alves and Gerard Pique to long term deals. The pair have been identified as key to the club's future and the management if keen on locking them in for the long haul.

Tuttosport believe that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's happiness levels at Juventus are not what they used to be, and his openness to a move abroad is growing. Bayern Munich appear to be the most interested, but chances are there will be few clubs across Europe who would not have gone on high alert.

Arsenal, who tried to sign Buffon many moons ago have been linked with 27-year old Legia Warsaw stopper Jan Mucha by his agent. Josef Tokos says his client was watched by Arsenal's scouts, and talks had progressed to a decent level after which her never heard back from the Gunners. While that news is more than a bit surprising, the gentleman goes on to tell SITA that he is currently in talks with Everton, and a deal is likely soon. This is a toughie to interpret, why would Everton need a keeper of that age when they have a very competent Tim Howard already between the sticks. The Gunners meanwhile appear to be happy with young Vito Mannone, getting the young Italian to agree to a long term deal with the club.

The Daily Express are reporting that Liverpool are set to sign Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic on a pre-contract so that he can join the club on a free transfer in the summer. In a similar deal to the one reportedly offered to Marouane Chamakh, Liverpool are definitely looking at bolstering their forward line.

The Sun have news that James Beattie's nightmare at Stoke following a bust-up with manager Tony Pulis is about to end with a £3 million move to West Ham.

Darren Ferguson has reportedly dipped into his father's well, bringing Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck on loan to Preston for the rest of the season. Surely it would have made more sense for Welbeck to send him to another club in the Premiership, wonder if the kid was given the option of saying no!

Wolverhampton Wanderers have bolstered their squad by signing Chaleroi's Algerian midfielder Adlene Guedioura on loan until the end of the season.

The Daily Mail are reporting that Dynamo Moscow are willing to shell out £7m for Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun. I can't see Rafa ever selling the versatile midfielder, though the price is pretty goof for a 29-year old, which could help sway his mind.

January 24th, 2010:

With Real Madrid reportedly stepping up their bid to sign Wayne Rooney from Manchester United, the Red Devils seem to be adding finishing touches to a new improved deal for their star striker. The in-form striker could see a huge pay rise from his current £100,000 a week deal to £170,000, plus improvements to his image rights contract.

News of the World has some hefty scoops today with reports of Manchester United selling Nemanja Vidic to Barcelona and replacing him with Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini. The Reds are reportedly looking at making a hefty profit in the bargain as well. The daily also reports that Tottenham have offered Robbie Keane to West Ham in exchange for Carlton Cole.The first rumour appears to have some substance to it, the latter seems to sound more like rumour-mongering to be honest.

Robinho seems set for a move away from the Eastlands, but not to his "beloved" Barcelona. Instead, The Times would have us believe talks are on with Brazilian side Santos, with whom the striker started his career, are hoping to secure him on loan with an option to sign him permanently. As for why he won't be joining Barca, The Mail on Sunday has an interesting story with Carles Puyol and Xavi reportedly telling coach Pep Guardiola to distance himself from links to Brazilian forward Robinho. The Barca veterans reportedly believe the Man City bench-warmer to be a disruptive influence.

The Hammers meanwhile continue to be linked to a number of strikers including Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Mail on Sunday), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Sunday Mirror) and Benni McCarthy (The Sunday Times). The last of these appear convinced that McCarthy's deal is done and dusted, and the South African striker will complete his move soon enough to make his debut on Tuesday against Portsmouth. The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Telegraph are together promising a double swoop for Arsenal with Chris Smalling and Victor Moses the reported transfer victims. While these rumours have been swirling around for a while now, both papers are promising that Arsenal are close to completing the deals. Arsene Wenger meanwhile stays tight lipped with his we will let you know when it happens policy.

People have news that Chelsea are close to signing Adam Johnson from Middlesbrough in a deal reportedly worth £5 million. The youngster who usually plays on the wings could indicate a concerted effort that Carlo Ancelotti is making to shift from his preferred diamond formation. People also claim to have heard of an improved £100 million offer from Manchester City for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. Surely the quality of such a claim will depend on which club manages to secure the all important fourth spot in the Premiership table which would give them a shot at Champions League football next season.

The Sunday Mirror has Manchester United linked again with a goalkeeper, this time Atletico Madrid's 19-year old reserve keeper David de Gea. Ben Amos' days in Manchester appear to be numbered.

Some rare good news for Liverpool, with News of the World reporting that Pepe Reina is set to commit his future to the club by signing a 5-year contract. Arsenal.com also report that William Gallas is close to inking a new deal with the Gunners. Nicolas Anelka too is involved in contract negotiations, and like Joe Cole, a new contract has been promised but terms appear to be a stumbling block.

Guus Hiddink is inching closer to a return to England, with Chelsea and Manchester City reportedly set to offer him a seat in the upper echelons of the Club, while Liverpool looking at the Russian national coach as a potential replacement for Rafa Benitez.

David James to Stoke deal looks set to be completed very very very soon. Or so we hope, we're really tired of reporting on it, and like Avram Grant and hope he gets some money to save Portsmouth from relegation. Conflicting reports about David Nugent though, Soccernet report that he is likely to be sold to Burnley this week, however the young striker indicated earlier in the week that he won't take any decision till the end of the season (meaning till he is sure his new team won't get relegated!)

The Sunday Times meanwhile has a really exciting new development to report with Everton's South African midfielder linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich. The move could be seen as cover for Franck Ribery should the French playmaker leave Bayern in the summer.

We can't wait for Monday...

January 23rd, 2010:

The Sergio Canales saga seems to be drawing to a close with the Daily Mail reporting that the young Spaniard has agreed to a £5.5 million move to Real Madrid. Not so sure if the move is the best decision possible, but the charms of representing the Spanish giants is often to hard for youngsters to resist.

After being linked to a host of players in this January transfer window, Birminghman have finally managed to snap up Craig Gardner from Aston Villa. A fee of £3 million is being mentioned for the talented former England Under-21 international. City manager Alex McLeish made the following comments on their official website, "Craig is a versatile and dynamic player who can perform in a number of positions, players like that are really worth their weight in gold."

Is it just me or have swap loan deals increased over the last couple of season's? The latest one has Inter Milan flop Ricardo Quaresma heading back to Sporting in return for midfielder Miguel Veloso, this according to Il Corriere Dello Sport.

Real Zaragoza have terminated legendary Argentinian Roberto Ayala's contract by mutual consent. El Ratón played 75 games for Zaragoza over the last 3 seasons. The clubs website had the following statement, "“This afternoon, Real Zaragoza have agreed to terminate the contract of Roberto Fabian Ayala. Real Zaragoza appreciates the professionalism, commitment and delivery Ayala has shown while the wearing the shirt of the club, last season as captain. The club want to convey their best wishes, both sporting and personal."

Who's in the hunt for Huntelaar? If you answered, "several clubs" then you're right! De Telegraaf claims that Birmingham City, Everton and West Ham are all trailing the Dutch hitman. However, he's also been linked to Wolfsburg, Ajax and Arsenal in the past.

The Daily Mail also reports that Manchester United are tracking Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko. Tottenham are also apparently interested in the 20-year old, who could cost in excess of £18 million. The French midfielder of Malian descent, who currently plays for Toulouse, is a typical box-to-box player who's drawn comparisons with Patrick Vieira for his style of play.

In the same article, The Daily Mail also links United's Serbian winger Zoran Tosic with a move to Cologne. Tosic arrived a year ago in a deal that was also supposed to bring Adam Ljajic to Old Trafford from Partizan Belgrade, but United opted out of Ljajic's deal and seem to have given up on Tosic, too, who's only made one appearance for the senior side in the League, last season's final match against Hull City when the first squad was rested for the Champions League final.

Carlo Ancelotti insists Joe Cole will be a Chelsea player next season, despite the impasse over the player's contract extension. Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the situation, with Cole a free agent in the summer.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has told Rafa Benitez to "Pay up or Shut up" regarding Liverpool's interest in Kenwyne Jones. Rafa is known to be short on cash and wants Jones on loan for the remainder of the season, but Bruce is against any deal that won't see his own transfer kitty swelled substantially.

Everton have landed Arsenal's Phillipe Senderos on loan for the rest of the season. The Toffees need another centre-back after Lucas Neill's shock move to Galatasaray, while Arsene Wenger has for long been looking to offload the defender, but was expected to be in favour of selling him instead of sending him out on yet another loan spell. Senderos' contract expires at the end of the season, and sadly this is the last the Gunners will see of the young Swiss center-back.

The Mail has a few other interesting stories including a stingy bid for young Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses from 'Money Bags' Manchester City which was not surprisingly thrown back at them. They also link Blackburn to Eidur Gudjohnsen and Yildiray Basturk, and Fulham to FC Basle striker Marco Streller.

Blackburn are also drawing some eyeballs in the Daily Mirror with Fenerbahce reportedly interested in signing left-winger Morten Gamst Pedersen and West Ham set to pick up South African international Benni McCarthy.

And finally... scratch another striker off the availability list - Ruud Van Nistelrooy has completed a move to Bundesliga outfit Hamburg on a free transfer after Real agreed to release the striker. Hamburg coach, Bruno Labbadia made the following comments, "Yes, we have made an agreement with (Ruud). I'm very happy that he decided to join us. He's joined for free."

January 22nd, 2010:

Yesterday's late breaking story about Manchester United's interest in signing Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini just got a blue tinge to it with cross-town rivals also jumping into the fray, willing to offer the star a considerably better pay package. The Daily Mail also reports that Tottenham are keeping an eye on the situation.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Manchester City have opened their cheque book and made a huge £15 million offer for the versatile Valon Behrami. The Swiss international has been putting on quite a show for the Hammers and it will be hard for the new owners to reject such a hefty bid.

Brian Laws has made France under-21 international striker Frederic Nimani his first signing as Burnley boss. The Clarets have agreed a five-month loan deal for the AS Monaco frontman with a view to a possible permanent deal. The powerful striker, who stands at well over six feet, scored seven times for Monaco last season after coming through the club's youth system but has had limited opportunities this term.

Young Vladimir Weiss, who was on the verge of breaking into the Manchester City first team before Patrick Vieira joined the club has been shipped out on loan to Bolton. Another player sent out on loan is Wigan winger Daniel de Ridder, he will be plying his trade for Hapoel Tel Aviv after failing to break into new manager Roberto Martinez's first team plans.

Arsene Wenger has given another interesting statement on reports linking him with a move for Fulham youngster Chris Smalling. He is quoted on the club's official website as having said, "He is a player we know. But there is no truth in it at the moment. Maybe in the future. 'At the moment' is at the moment. [But] I never rule anything out."

The Sun and The Daily Mail are fighting it out over the next destination of Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. While the former thinks it is West Ham, who have put up a £100,000 offer on the table, the latter say that the Dutchman has rejected the offer and would prefer a move to White Hart Lane. While Tottenham is easily the bigger club, the priority for Van Nistelrooy should be first team football, something he is guaranteed at the Hammers. At Tottenham, he could well find himself swapping stories with Robbie Keane on the subs bench!

News from Spain, however, is linking the former Manchester United star striker with a move to Germany with Hamburg.

Speaking of Hamburg, the Press Association report that Ivory Coast defender Guy Demel has rejected an offer to play for Sunderland despite being offered a rather hefty wage hike. The Press Association also have an interesting insight into the Joe Cole situation at Stamford Bridge, with Carlo Ancelotti apparently denying any possibility of Cole leaving the club.

Younes Kaboul has suddenly become the hottest property in football with Sunderland, Tottenham, Manchester City, Lens and Lille all in the reckoning. Surely Pompey will be able to cash in on the young Frenchman and ease some of their financial woes.

Portsmouth though could be earning their first slice of bread this January sooner than we think with summer signing Mike Williamson set to be sold for a loss to Newcastle United. Their attempts at trying to offload England international David James are not working out, with another offer from Stoke having reportedly been rejected.

A fourth player that Spurs are linked with today is Simon Kjaer with the Daily Mirror believing that Tottenham have made an £11 million bid for the player, but are unable to meet his wage demands. I find this hard to believe, Tottenham won't have that kind of money to spend till they sell Roman Pavlyuchenko and Kjaer has already ruled out a move in January.

The Mirror also has a couple of interesting striker stories with Marouane Chamakh (who had last week confirmed that he will definitely leave Bordeaux in the summer) promising his suitors - Liverpool and Arsenal - that he will take a decision before the end of the month. From what I know of the two clubs, chances are 25-year old Chamakh will prefer the bigger money on offer, and Liverpool is the more likely destination.

The other story revolves around Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, with West Ham and Birmingham reportedly the two sides that are keen on taking the player on loan. The move is critical for the young Dutchman if he is to get a place in the squad for the World Cup this summer. Milannews.it though have other ideas, they believe a double-Dutch deal is on, involving a possible swap between Huntelaar and twitter-addict Ryan Babel.

A late night story from yesterday, defender Matthew Kilgallon has signed a three and a half year deal with Sunderland.

January 21st, 2010:

Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Canales' father (and agent) says that his son is very close to signing with Real Madrid according to reports in AS. The Spanish giants have reportedly made the best financial offer, however, he believes that Chelsea and Manchester City too have made interesting bids. Amazingly the name of Arsenal is missing from the story despite rumours that Wenger had spoken to Canales senior emerging just a few days ago. Guess the Gunners' monetary position was not commensurate with the family's expectations.

Everton are making a lot of news today with David Moyes linked with a move for Philippe Senderos, and a couple of exits for Jo (released from loan, sent out by Man City to Galatasaray) and David Vaughan. There is definite truth in one piece of news emerging from Goodison, with Mikel Arteta set to make his long awaited return from injury in the Merseyside derby!

A couple of interesting late rumours, Roberto Mancini has been linked with a swoop for Fernando Gago to further strengthen his midfield, and Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting that the red side of Manchester have expressed an interst in Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The Daily Star reports that Benni McCarthy is likely to be Gianfranco Zola's first signing under new ownership. Just yesterday reports had emerged that Zola has been given an £8 million war chest to save the club from relegation. West Ham also appear to be in the running for Ruud van Nistelrooy, however, are likely to face competition from Stoke City, who have reportedly made a £2 million bid. Honestly, can see Van Nistelrooy joining a club like West Ham, the history and style of play would suit him, Stoke though really seems a long shot.

Danish defender Simon Kjaer has reportedly told Sporten that he is happy at Palermo and is not looking to leave the club. Hopefully that can put a group of rumour-mongers who daily link the young defender to Chelsea + Tottenham + Manchester City to rest.

Some more striker news floating around includes Fulham making a move for the out-of-favour duo of James Beattie and Daniel Cousin, Hull signing an equally bench-worn David Healy, Wigan targeting Spanish hitman Aritz Aduriz, Derby looking at Arsenal youngster Gilles Sunu and the twitter-happy Ryan Babel having a re-think about Birmingham!

Another striker, Robinho, who just can't seem to play well away from home has reportedly told the Daily Mirror he is prepared to fight for a place and has no issues with his new manager. Naughtily we would like to add a 'yet' at the end of the line.

On the subject of Stoke, they are continuing to be linked to David James and now Sheffield Wednesday keeper Lee Grant, don't see any strength in either of these with Thomas Sorensen already coming out and stating he is committed to the club.

Sky Sports News reports that Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed Charleroi midfielder Geoffrey Mujangi-Bia on loan for the rest of the season...ok.

The Daily Mail report that Manchester City are still keen on signing Rubin Kazan left-back Cristian Ansaldi. A week or so ago Ansaldi had shared that he had not even been contacted by City, sounds like a desperate rumour to me.

And finally... Guus Hiddink's agent has told the Sun that he has been on the phone with Liverpool

January 20th, 2010:

Pep Guardiola has signed a 1-year contract extension at Barcelona. The Super Spaniard who spent 12 years as a player at Barca led the team to six trophies in his debut season and has lost just 9 games since taking over from Frank Rijkaard. He will, however, only ink his new deal after the Barcelona Presidential elections this summer.

According to the Daily Mirror, Chelsea and Manchester United are both monitoring Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales whose contract at Racing Santander runs out in 6 months time. The same newspaper has also reported that Gianfranco Zola could bring back striker Bobby Zamora from Fulham, a real long shot considering that Zamora is injured!

The new West Ham owners have ruled out any plans of selling former England midfielder Scott Parker and have reportedly given Gianfranco Zola a kitty of £8 million to freshen up the squad.

Agents love money, and there is plenty of it at Manchester City. Adrian Mutu's agent says that Man City are interested in signing the Fiorentina forward while Milos Krasic's says City have expressed an interest in his man.

Lots of rumours related to Tottenham today with continuing speculation linking Ruud Van Nistelrooy with a move to White Hart Lane. The former Man Utd striker has reportedly turned down a move to Galatasaray. Back to Tottenham, who The Guardian have reported are thinking of bringing back Younes Kaboul to the club to cover for the oft injured Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate.

AS report that Real Madrid seem to be back in the hunt for Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi, they are also linking the club with a move for Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstube as a replacement for the injured Pepe.

West Ham are reportedly interested in giving Brazilian striker Jo some first team action. The Man City player, currently on loan at Everton had a falling out with boss David Moyes after giving himself a holiday for Christmas.

Former Barcelona striker Maxi Lopez has signed for Catania.

Goal.com claims to have inside access to one of Wayne Rooney's advisers and are carrying a story today about his unhappiness over his present contract being less than Rio Ferdinand's. Rooney reportedly has more lucrative offers from big clubs across the continent and is hopeful that United will be able to match them.

Sky Sports News reports that Arsenal's enquiry for young Fulham center-back Chris Smalling has been rejected. In the summer Arsene Wenger was also strongly linked with a move for Brede Hangeland. Fulham have made it pretty clear that they are not a 'selling-club'.

The speculation surrounding Mathieu Flamini just does not seem to die down with the Daily Mirror linking him with a move back to England with Manchester City on loan.

Galatasaray continue to be linked with Premier League stars with Ryan Babel and Benni McCarthy being the latest. The Daily Mail claims that manager Frank Rijkaard is ready to offer the South African regular football in his bid for playing in the World Cup. Strikers Van Nisterlrooy, Carew and Jo have all been linked in recent weeks.

Tuttomercatoweb reports that Wolfsburg hitman Edin Dzeko contract has a €40 million release clause. Not sure if AC Milan would pay that sum although Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung reports that a swap deal including the likes of Huntelaar, Jankulovski and Kaladze plus cash may entice Wolfburg to do business. While they're getting rid of players, why not throw Flamini in there too?

Steve Bruce has reportedly told the Sunderland Echo that every player in his club has a price! Among other things he also expressed an interest in former Arsenal trainee Guy Demel and denied any interest in Nuno Gomes.

Having already signed Zaki, Hull City have identified his Egyptian strike partner Mido as their next target. Mido told The Daily Mail, "Hull have been talking to me for a month now and another English club, who I cannot name at the moment, are also interested." The other English club is believed to be Fulham; although Ajax are also considering a swoop for the El Zamalek striker.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has poured water over the potential move of Dinamo Zagreb hitman Mario Mandzukic. Wenger is keen to try and strengthen his attacking options given the long-term absence of influential Dutch striker Robin Van Persie. Arsenal's website showed the following, "No, You will hear a few names until the end of the transfer window without there being any truth in it."

January 19th, 2010:

ESPN reports that former Birmingham owners David Sullivan and David Gold have completed their takeover of West Ham United.

The Wayne Rooney to Spain rumour refuses to die. Has a familiar feel to it, that's how Real landed Ronaldo, the only issue is Rooney is British. That being said, the Daily Star believes that Barcelona is willing to offer him wages of £8m a year after tax. Throw in the opportunity to play alongside Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, and that's a pretty tough offer for anyone to turn down. Plus, am guessing Pep Guardiola would yell a lot less than Sir Alex!

The Daily Telegraph believes that Tottenham are once again in the race to sign Ruud van Nistelrooy. Personally folks I think that ship has long sailed. Galatasaray here he comes!

After Tottenham, Mathieu Flamini has now been linked with a move to Manchester City. Milan have issued a statement in response: "We have heard rumours regarding possible interest from Manchester City for Flamini, but for the time being, there has been no official offer, interest or talks between AC Milan and Manchester City. Flamini is an AC Milan player." It is the sort of statement I would make if I want to sell, not keep the player! Sounds more like a come and take him offer.

The Daily Mirror thinks that Jermaine Beckford has withdrawn his transfer request in the hope that he can land a summer move to the Premiership, with Everton his preferred destination. Wonder what David Moyes has to say about that.

The Daily Mail reports Arsene Wenger has had a chat with young Spaniard Sergio Canales' father (and agent) to emphasize the very apparent value of sending the talented midfielder to the Emirates. A host of clubs including Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing the wonderkid as well, and most if not all would be prepared to offer Canales higher wages that the Gunners.

Reports of a possible move for Fulham reserve Chris Smalling are also growing with the Daily Mirror believing that Arsene Wenger is willing to spend £7 million to land the young center-back. Personally, I doubt he will even dream of making the move till he can sell Philippe Senderos. Good new for the Swiss youngster, Celtic appear to be ready to swoop.

The Sun reports that a hopeful Fernando Torres has requested Rafa Benitez to buy a quality player from Spain. They quote him as having said, "If I could, I would take David Villa or David Silva to Liverpool as a partner in attack. I wish they could come."

Benitez meanwhile appears to be still fantasizing about adding the giant Kenwyne Jones to his front line. A move that appears more than a bit puzzling to Reds fans.

The Daily Star believe that Steve Bruce is keen on swapping Kieran Richardson for Maynor Figueroa.

Cash rich Birmingham City continue to be linked with a ton of players including Craig Gardener, Milan Jovanovic, Maxi Lopez, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Aiden McGeady. We're still however waiting for Alex McLeish to land someone!

The Daily Mirror reports that Lille are stepping up the pace to land Younes Kaboul.

Owen Coyle wants to have a chat with Arsene Wenger about the prospect of borrowing Jack Wilshire till the end of the season after the second game of their ridiculous double header at the Emirates on Wednesday.

The New York Post has an interesting article about Thierry Henry and Raul of Barcelona and Real Madrid fame heading to the MLS next year. Henry's situation is especially peculiar as his contract with Barca expires in the summer and there seems to be no hints whatsoever of a new deal. Wonder if he plays well in the World Cup will Wenger think of re-signing his favourite striker too.

The Independent have a story on the possible return of Nuno Gomes to the Premiership, this time at Sunderland while the Guardian are convinced that Zenit have pulled out of the race to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko. The Russian was reported yesterday as wanting to stay in the Premiership.

January 18th, 2010:

The Daily Mail are reporting today that Liverpool are looking to take Sunderland target man Kenwyne Jones on loan till the end of the season. This is one rumour I find hard to fathom. I can understand Liverpool not having the cash to buy him yet, but why would Sunderland be willing to lose the striker without some major cash coming in to enable them to replace him. The Independent meanwhile quotes Steve Bruce as indicating a swap between Jones and Liverpool's twitter-addict Ryan Babel is out of the question.

Speaking of Babel, Liverpool have decided to fine the winger for his comments on being excluded from the squad that travelled to Stoke last weekend.

News of the World is reporting that Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko would rather stay in England than move back to Russia. With that in mind, Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has made a £10 million bid to secure his signature as they look to bolster their attacking ranks.

Is Arsenal's Swiss centre-back, Philippe Senderos finally on the move? The Daily Mail certainly thinks so linking him on a loan move to Scottish heavyweights, Celtic. Staying with Arsenal for a moment, The Daily Mirror claims the Gunners as tracking Fulham defender Chris Smalling. A fee in the region of £7 million is being mooted for the England Under-21 international. I guess Wenger is jealous of the Cottagers defensive record?

Sky Sports News has indicated that Stefan Okaka's loan move from Roma to Fulham has fallen through. Sadly, the rumour had been hogging constant space in the newspapers for a few weeks now, usually a sign in itself that a deal is struggling to get completed. Fulham will be desperate to sign a forward looking player after the injury to Clint Dempsey over the weekend, and might turn across town to Arsenal to take Jack Wilshire on loan.

Robinho's imminent departure from Manchester City has the rabble-rousers running excited in the media after his 51 minute substitute appearance and disappearance at Everton.

The Daily Express quotes Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck as rubbishing rumours of a Joe Cole exit. The Blues super boss believes they will be able to hang on to the England international.

The Daily Mirror reports that West Ham would be willing to sell Scott Parker, but for nothing less than £15 million. While I have nothing but respect for the former England international, that price is likely to scare away any possible suitors. Maybe that's what the Hammers want!

The Mirror also believe that Harry Redknapp is have a re-think about a possible bid for England no.1 David James. The Tottenham boss had decided against bringing his Pompey keeper to Spurs at the start of the month.

The Sun is linking Liverpool with another basement bargain in the person of Liege front man Milan Jovanovic. They are expected to receive competition from Milan who are also keeping tabs on the striker, whose contract runs out at the end of the season.Sky Sport Italia report that 'The Beast' Julio Baptista will not be joining Inter, after their valuation for the player's services failed to match Roma's.

Fiorentina have signed 24-year old Argentine international Mario Bolatti from Porto. The player played 36 games last season on loan at Huracán. Barcelona were once interested in the youngster, though it is reported that he may have turned them down!

The transfer window is well past the half-way point and Pompey have not sold a single player so far. It is widely believed that this must do so urgently if they are to pay salaries next month, and those £10 million bids for Younes Kaboul may start looking a lot more enticing. Nadir Belhadj who scored that fantastic goal against Liverpool last month has been linked today with a move to Benfica.

And finally some exciting news! Hull City have managed to sign Egyptian striker Amr Zaki on loan for the remainder of the season. The Tigers website states, "We are pleased to confirm the loan signing of Amr Zaki from Zamalek FC". Zaki was on loan to Wigan last season where he scored 10 goals in 29 games and was the third top scorer in the Premier League at one point.

January 17th, 2010:

Fresh off the Presses

Mail on Sunday -

Real Madrid and Inter Milan have expressed an interest in signing Steven Gerrard with Manchester City also reportedly monitoring the Liverpool situation carefully. I'll be honest with you, I think this rumour will run and run till the end of the season till we finally get to see where Liverpool find themselves at the end of the season. Then it will become the story of the summer...but from what I know of Stevie G, whatever frustration he may express about the situation of the club, he will never abandon his home in its darkest hour. Irrespective of how bad the situation gets, think Gerrard will finish his career right where it began.

The other stories coming out of the Mail include the impending sale of Ben Foster, after Fergie has determined the goalkeeper doesn't have the skill to be no.1 for United, and Tottenham joining the Chelsea - Man City nexus for Palermo center-back Simon Kjaer

Sunday Mirror -

Joe Cole looks set to head away from Stamford Bridge after the club and the player have reached an impasse on the salary bracket he should fall into. While both would like to extend the current contract, the Mirror believes Cole has asked for pay parity with Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien, all of whom fall in Chelsea's second string earning bracket. Given Cole's appearances for the club it seems unlikely that Chelsea will meet his demands, opening the door for other clubs. While Tottenham and Man United have expressed interest in the England midfielder, they are also unlikely to break their salary structure to accommodate his demands. That leaves only one club in England with the financial muscle - Manchester City.

The Mirror also believes that Ruud van Nistelrooy will complete a move to Galatasaray in the coming week in desperate search of some first team football.

The News of the World reports that Benfica winger Angel di Maria becomes the latest (read yesterday's rumours) to turn down the chance to play at Eastlands. Reportedly a very big money offer had been accepted by his club, but Maria snubbed the opportunity to move to the Premiership title aspirants.

Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer, who is being touted as a possible long term replacement for Edwin van der Sar at United and has also been linked to Bayern Munich, says all he has heard are stories in the press and no official contact has been made.

Another goalkeeper who doesnt appear to be going anywhere is the man who David James was supposed to replace at Stoke City, Thomas Sorensen. He said, "I'm fully committed to Stoke and I'm not going anywhere."

Arsene Wenger has indicated that he would rather send huge prospect Jack Wilshire on loan in England rather than to FC Twente. He wants the kid to get acclimatized to the physical demands of the Premiership.

Goal.com reports that Amr Zaki has passed his medical at Hull and has completed a move there on loan till the end of the season. Wonder if he will turn up for training though :)

Birmingham City have reportedly had a bid for cross town rivals midfielder Craig Gardener rejected. They are expected to up their offer.

January 16th, 2010:

Arsenal have officially completed the re-signing of Sol Campbell on a short-term contract till the end of the season. He is the first player in Arsene Wenger's long reign at the club to be resigned by the Frenchman. Wenger was quoted on the official Arsenal website as having said, "Sol has been training with us since September and during this time he has shown he still has the required fitness, hunger and passion to compete at the top level."

Manchester City may have all the cash in the world, but they still aren't the preferred destination for a number of players. The latest star believed to have given the Eastlands outfit the snub is CSKA Moscow's winger Milos Krasic. Krasic has impressed in this year's Champions League and is expected to move to another club, with CSKA already out of the competition and struggling in the Russian league. The winger, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder, is said to be hoping to play for either Arsenal or Manchester United.

Ryan Babel's exit from Anfield seems all but certain, with the Dutch winger dropped from the side completely for the fixture against Stoke despite the injuries to Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, and Yossi Benayoun. Babel announced Rafa Benitez's decision on his Twitter site, further angering Rafa, who is now expected to sell Babel to any non-Premier League side that comes with a decent offer, so as to use the money to bring in another striker.

The Daily Star believe that Chelsea have joined Manchester City in the race to sign Palermo's young Danish centre-back Simon Kjaer. With two big spending clubs pressing, Palermo can effectively name their price.

Amr Zaki may not be heading to Stoke but to Hull City, While the Egyptian has always been good for goals, his lack of discipline will surely disrupt the Tigers quest for survival.

In other Liverpool related news, The Daily Mail would have us believe that the Reds asked Manchester City if they could take Roque Santa Cruz on loan until the end of the season. Yeah, right. After all, Man City is such a nice club, run by people who love to help out others in need, even if it needs them to give one of their own players to their direct competitors for the 4th and final Champions League spot. If Rafa really thought this deal may happen, then he's totally lost it. If the Daily Mail made the whole thing up... well that somehow makes a little sense.

Michele Paolucci has rejoined boyhood club Juventus on loan from Siena.

The Times believe that Tottenham are leading the chase for former Manchester United player Kieran Richardson. Richardson, currently at Sunderland, is unhappy with the occasional left-back appearance he's been making this season. Birmingham and Fulham are also reportedly interested in the 25-year old.

And finally...there are actually suitors reportedly lining up for Arsenal's beleaguered Swiss center back Philippe Senderos. The Daily Mirror believes that list to include Bayern Munich, Cagliari, Real Zaragoza and Atletico Madrid.

January 15th, 2010:

Guus Hiddink appears to be the front runner for the as yet non-vacant role at Liverpool. The former Chelsea manager has apparently requested Roman Abramovich's blessing before he accept a rival role. One man who will neither want nor seek Abramovich's blessings is Chelsea's legendary former boss Jose Mourinho. 'The Special One' while not ruling out a move to Liverpool has indicated that the present owners and the lack of funds they possess are a huge turn-off.

Mourinho though has far from distanced himself from making a move from making a move for Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard. The Daily Mail believes that the Kop favourite will soon run out of patience with the lack of talent around him and will seek greener pastures in search of glory.

In one of the most surprising announcements I've heard this month, The Daily Mail reports that Real Madrid is interested in signing Crystal Palace's young Victor Moses!

The Independent continues to link Arsenal to Mauro Zarate, but the price for the little Argentine has come down substantially from an exorbitant £40 million to a still pretty high by Wenger standards 17. Surely the press should know by now that Wenger doesn't spend that much money. Arsenal and Real are also reportedly battling it out for Racing Santander's Sergio Canales. The decision between learning and glamour a tough one for the 18-year old Spaniard.

The Daily Mail reports Arsenal as tracking right-back Cesar Azpilicueta currently plying his trade with La Liga outfit Osasuna. The Spain Under-21 international has a £12million buyout clause but the Professor is unlikely to pay such an amount for the gifted 20-year-old.

Everton have been once again linked with Arsenal's soon to be out of contract defender Philippe Senderos.

The Daily Mail has linked Manchester United with an £18 million swoop for Porto defender Rolando (notice the anagram). What a quick about turn from panic selling, panic selling...

Gary O'Neil is too good for the Championship...or so the Daily Mirror and Sky Sports would both believe Sam Allardyce to have surmised. The Blackburn boss appears interested in bringing the Middlesbrough midfielder back to the Premiership.

Tottenham striker, Roman Pavlyuchenko's move to the Russian league will have to wait - Zenit St Petersburg are unable to make their mind up regarding the striker according to The Daily Mail. Manager Harry Redknapp is keen to offload him with Fulham, Birmingham City and West Ham all looking to bring the Russian on loan. The Spurs however would like to sell him to provide funds for further transfers.

Reports all over France indicate that Mancini has been given till the weekend to join Marseille, else they will turn their eye in the direction of Anfield and enquire about the always benched Ryan Babel.

Rumours of Hernan Crespo joining Juventus are gaining momentum. Hogwash I say, he isn't even scoring goals in Genoa.

Yesterday we mentioned the David James to Stoke City deal. However, Sky Sports News reports that the Potters have decided against signing him due to his wage demands. This will come as welcome news to Portsmouth who are battling to avoid relegation.

And finally...a comment from one of our most ardent fans - "They should close the Jan transfer window...nothing really happens!" While I grudgingly quote Werder Bremen's loan capture of Tunisian international Aymen Abdennour from Etoile Sportive du Sahel in stout defense.