All the very latest football news and transfer gossip across Europe!

With just a month to go until Christmas and the January transfer window less than six weeks away, Clubs are drawing up both long and short term targets to either bolster or save their season! I am not just talking about the acquisition of players, but managers and backroom staff too!


Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Real Madrid, Chelsea, Paris St-Germain, Arsenal, Barcelona, Everton, Liverpool, Wales, Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Rennes, Athletic Bilbao, Juventus, Crystal Palace, Watford, West Ham, Holstein Kiel, RB Leipzig, Changchun Yatai, Leicester, West Brom, Derby, Sunderland and Ross County to name but a few!


Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could be on the move, with Juventus, Real Madrid, PSG and Atletico all interested - The Sun

Arsenal's German playmaker Mesut Ozil wants Barcelona to pay him 370,000 euros (£329,559) a week to join them in January. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is willing to let the 29-year-old leave, as long as he does not join Manchester United on a free transfer next summer - AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper) and Daily Mail

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has dismissed Arsenal's £40m bid for striker Karim Benzema as embarrassing - The Sun

West Brom caretaker manager Gary Megson insists his first game in charge, against Tottenham, is not going to be an audition for a permanent job - Daily Telegraph

West Brom are likely to fail with a bid to appoint Sam Allardyce as their next boss. The ex-England boss is keen to return to international management - Daily Mirror

Watford are confident manager Marco Silva does not want to join Everton as he is house-hunting in Hertfordshire - Daily Mirror

However Everton are considering appointing RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick instead - Daily Express

Paris St-Germain have opened discussions with Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini. The 30-year-old Belgium international is out of contract in the summer - Le10Sport (French sports newspaper specialising in football) and Daily Mail

Swansea boss Paul Clement says he still has support from the club's board despite a disappointing start to the season - Guardian

Wayne Rooney has called on the Everton board to end the uncertainty and appoint a new manager following last night's humiliating 5-1 defeat to Atalanta at Goodison Park - Daily Express

Eden Hazard admits that he admires Real Madrid, but says that he has no interest in leaving Chelsea for the time being - Daily Mail

Liverpool have made contact with PSG over a January loan move for 24 year-old Germany midfielder Julian Draxler - L'Equipe (French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport)

Eliaquim Mangala admits he could leave Manchester City in search of regular football, despite the side's injury crisis at the heart of their defence - The Sun

Stoke, West Ham, Everton and Southampton are interested in former Watford striker Odion Ighalo. The 28-year-old moved to Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai in January - Tutto Udinese (Italian football news website)

Arsene Wenger wants Feynoord boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst to be his successor as Arsenal manager - Daily Star

Crystal Palace will rival West Ham for the signing Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter, 27, in January - Daily Mirror

Rennes are pursuing a loan deal for Leicester forward Islam Slimani, but face competition from Watford and Crystal Palace - Daily Mail

Chris Coleman has backed Craig Bellamy to succeed him as Wales manager, and says his lack of experience could be a positive - Daily Star

Former England defender Sol Campbell said he would be interested in becoming the United States' head coach - ESPN

Jack Wilshere admits he may have to leave Arsenal to get regular football as he is frustrated with his current game-time - Daily Mirror

Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to go head to head for the signature of highly-rated Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte - Daily Express

Spain midfielder Juan Mata, 29, wants to extend his stay at Manchester United and has not ruled out playing until he is 40 - ESPN

West Ham asked to be given an away fixture on Boxing Day because nearby Stratford station would not have been able to cope with the number of fans and post-Christmas sales shoppers - Daily Telegraph

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says he "does not care" that Danny Rose was upset by being left out of the north London derby - Guardian

Chelsea have made the most money from player sales since the Premier League began - Daily Star

Glenn Murray says he would get more credit for his performances with Brighton if he had a foreign name - Daily Telegraph

Derby County want Joe Ledley to sign a new deal at the club, but Sunderland are keen on the 30-year-old midfielder - Daily Mirror

Burnley are monitoring Kilmarnock's 23-year-old winger Jordan Jones ahead of the January transfer window - Daily Mail

Leeds United scouts watched Bundesliga Two top scorer Marvin Ducksch play for Holstein Kiel against Nuremberg last weekend.

Chris Eagles has joined Scottish Premiership club Ross County until the end of the season - skysports.com

All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

With the January transfer window in full swing, there is plenty of transfer talk and a few deals have been done! Many clubs across Europe are doing their best to strengthen their squads as the second half of the season gets underway. Some clubs are trying to push on in an attempt to lift some silverware, others to consolidate their current situation, and needless to say their are plenty of clubs busy looking to bring in new personnel as they attempt to save their seasons!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: West Ham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Dimitri Payet, Jack Wilshire, Alvaro Morata, Real Madrid, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, Virgil van Dijk, Patrice Evra, Robbie Brady, Southampton, Everton, PSG, Michy Batshuayi, Robert Snodgrass, Morgan Schneiderlin, Carl Jenkinson, Liverpool, Sevilla, Middlesbrough, Fulham and Slaven Bilic to name but a few!


Dimitri Payet will be sold by West Ham this month. The Hammers will hold out for the highest price they can get for the 29-year-old, who is refusing to play for the club, according to manager Slaven Bilic. Payet has reportedly told West Ham he wants to return to France for "personal reasons" - Daily Mirror

Premier League leaders Chelsea will move for 29-year-old West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet, who Hammers boss Slaven Bilic says is refusing to play for the club - The Sun

PSG want to sign Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi. The Belgian, who signed from Marseille for £33m in the summer, is yet to start a Premier League game for Antonio Conte's side, making 12 substitute appearances - L'Equipe (French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport)

Manchester City, Everton and Italian side AC Milan are monitoring the future of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere. The 25-year-old is on loan at Bournemouth and his contract with the Gunners expires next season - Daily Star

According to latest rumours coming from Italian sources, Liverpool and German international defensive midfielder Emre Can, who turned 23 just yesterday, has become a main target for Juventus. Can is currently on a deal with The Reds until June 2018, the player is likely to cost about 16 million euros - transfermarketweb.com

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been speaking to Mesut Ozil's agent, and says he's very relaxed about the contract situation with the German - skysports.com

Crystal Palace are close to signing former 35 year-old Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra - Sky in Italy, via Sky Sports

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is preparing to make a bid for 24 year-old Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata - OK Diario (Spanish digital newspaper Okdiario.com)

Jeff Schlupp has joined Crystal Palace on a four and a half year deal from Leicester City. He will be available to play in Palace’s match at West Ham tomorrow - skysports.com

Everton have confirmed the signing of Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United - skysports.com

Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke will block any efforts by manager Sam Allardyce to offload him to West Brom - Daily Mirror

Sevilla are the latest club to cool their interest in signing Liverpool's Mamadou Sakho. The Reds are thought to want around £20m for the French international centre back. However, several clubs, including Southampton and Swansea, have been unwilling to match his wages, understood to be around £105,000 a week - skysports.com

Jesse Lingard has agreed a new Manchester United contract worth £95,000 per week- skysports.com

Eddie Howe has said there have been no talks with Chelsea about John Terry going to Bournemouth on loan - skysports.com

Lyon are the only club trying to sign Manchester United winger Memphis Depay, 22, on a permanent deal but have offered substantially less than the £15m asking price - ESPN and skysports.com

Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson looks set to go on loan to Crystal Palace, with a deal expected in the next two or three days. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: “With Carl, yes, there is a possibility that he will move, in the next two or three days.” - skysports.com

Stoke manager Mark Hughes has revealed talks have reopened with West Brom in a bid to finally thrash out a deal for Saido Berahino. West Brom Head Coach Tony Pulis says it's not just Stoke interested in signing striker Saido Berahino - skysports.com

Burnley have made an offer worth up to £13m for Norwich winger Robbie Brady, 24. The Republic of Ireland international is also wanted by Crystal Palace and Sunderland - Daily Mirror

Burnley and Leicester have bid around £10m for Norwich midfielder Robbie Brady. The 24-year-old is reportedly valued at £13m by the EFL Championship side, with Hull City due 25 per cent of any deal. Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Aston Villa are also reportedly interested in Brady - Daily Mail

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, 25, is believed to be a transfer target for Everton - Daily Star

Dutch international winger Luciano Narsingh (26), has officially joined Swansea City from PSV Eindhoven on a deal until June 2019, after four seasons with the Eredivisie club - transfermarketweb.com

Wolfsburg are weighing up the chance of signing 29 year-old Argentinian forward Mauro Matias Zarate from Fiorentina. The former Inter Milan, Lazio and West Ham player has a contract with Fiorentina until June 2018, and has recently started new contract talks with the Serie A club - Corriere dello Sport - Stadio (Italian national sports newspaper)

Simone Zaza has accepted an offer from Valencia, according to Sky in Italy. The Juventus striker, currently on loan at West Ham, will move on loan to the Spanish side for 2m euros, with an obligation to buy for an extra 16m euros - Sky in Italy

Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce has made an initial £6m bid for Sunderland full-back Patrick van Aanholt, 26, who is rated at £10m by the Black Cats - Daily Mail

David Moyes has admitted Sunderland have knocked back a bid from Crystal Palace for Patrick van Aanholt. Sky sources understand the bid to be in the region of £6-7m - skysports.com

Hull City have announced the signing of Everton's froward Oumar Niasse on a six-month loan and midfielder Evandro Goebel on a permanent deal from Porto. Everton forward Niasse will be available for the clash with Bournemouth tomorrow, while the Goebel deal is down to international clearance.
Niasse, who has had a torrid time since joining Everton from Lokomotic Moscow, will be at the KCOM Stadium until the end of the season - skysports.com

Aitor Karanka would like to keep Ben Gibson at Middlesbrough for his entire career amid speculation in the British press that Chelsea are lining him up as a £30m replacement for John Terry - skysports.com

Middlesbrough are closing in on the signing of Bojan from Stoke. It's understood Stoke would want around £12m if the deal were to be a permanent move. West Brom made an enquiry earlier in the transfer window. Daily Star and skysports.com

West Brom are set to join West Ham in the race for Hull's Robert Snodgrass. The Scot, 29, has rejected a new contract offer at Hull, while West Ham have had a bid rejected for Snodgrass - Daily Mirror

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admits Tom Carroll could be set to leave the club, due to a lack of first team opportunities - skysports.com

Derby County midfielder Will Hughes has signed a new contract with the club until 2020 - skysports.com

Championship side Leeds have rejected offers of £7m for full-back Charlie Taylor, 23, from Premier League sides West Brom, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace - Guardian

Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago has revealed that he turned down three offers from elsewhere after coach Diego Simeone told him to stay at the club. Recent reports from Spain claimed that the Portuguese midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of the season, was contemplating leaving the club to head to China- skysports.com

Sheffield United have announced the signing of Daniel Lafferty from Burnley with the defender penning a two-and-a-half year deal at Bramall Lane for an undisclosed fee - skysports.com

Norwich boss Alex Neil has been chatting with the media and has confirmed the club are in talks with Swansea over the transfer of Martin Olsson - skysports.com

Brentford’s valuation of striker Scott Hogan has still not been met, despite bids having been received from more than one club. Hogan trained yesterday and today and will be in the squad to face Newcastle at Griffin Park tomorrow. It is understood the club value him at around £15m, with a 30 per cent sell on clause due to his former club Rochdale - skysports.com

Aston Villa are eyeing up a bid for Fulham's Tom Cairney. The midfielder, 25, is valued at around £10m, and was sold by Villa manager Steve Bruce while at Hull three years ago. Newcastle are also reportedly keen on Cairney - Daily Mirror

Fulham midfielder Jozabed has joined La Liga side Celta Vigo on loan for the remainder of the season - skysports.com

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has confirmed that Chris Martin is available again for selection after refusing to play since Boxing Day - skysports.com

David Davis has signed a new three-and-a-half year deal with Birmingham City, the club announced this afternoon - skysports.com

Aberdeen have rejected a reported £500,000 bid from Cardiff for winger Jonny Hayes - skysports.com

Doncaster Rovers have signed goalkeeper Ian Lawlor from Premier League giants Manchester City. The 22-year-old failed to make a senior appearance during seven years at City, although he has gained first-team experience during loan spells at Barnet and Bury - skysports.com

All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

With the new season well underway and the summer transfer window slamming shut in just 10 days' time, many clubs across Europe are frantically trying to tie-down players to new deals or are looking to bring in new players to fill any voids in their squads!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Zinedine Zidane, Arsene Wenger, Sam Allardyce, Liverpool, Tottenham, Valencia, Danny Drinkwater, Andriy Yarmolenko, Giorgio Chiellini, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Ajax to name but a few!


Sam Allardyce has told Sky Sports News HQ that Joe Hart will be named in his first England squad on Monday. The Manchester City man has been dropped by manager Pep Guardiola, and is set to leave the Etihad before the end of the window - skysports.com

Chelsea are set to make a £25m bid for Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini - The Sun

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane insists James Rodriguez is happy at the club, despite links in the British press with a move to Chelsea and Arsenal - skysports.com

Santos striker Gabriel Barbosa could be set to link up with Brazilian team-mate Neymar at Barcelona, with Manchester United and Leicester also interested - The Sun

Arsene Wenger has admitted he hopes Arsenal's signing of Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi "will be done" before the transfer deadline - SFR Sport (French TV station)

Valencia say defender Shkodran Mustafi won't be sold in this transfer window. Mustafi has already agreed in principle to move to Arsenal. The defender has a £43m buyout clause and is in the Valencia's squad for their first La Liga game of the season against Las Palmas tonight - skysports.com

Arsenal may have to spend £50m on acquiring defender Shkodran Mustafi - Daily Mirror

Tottenham are keen on signing Barcelona forward Munir. The 20-year-old has also reportedly gathered interest from Everton and Stoke, and is rated at around £13m - Sport (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is weighing up a move for Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko - The Sun

England midfielder Danny Drinkwater, 26, will become the latest Leicester City player to sign a new contract this week, thought to be worth £90,000-a-week - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

There have been plenty of reports over the weekend linking Middlesbrough striker Jordan Rhodes with a move to the Championship, with Wolves at the front of the queue to sign him. 'Boro paid £12million to sign him from Blackburn last January but he was left out of the squad for the win at Sunderland yesterday - skysports.com

Tottenham have made a number of offers for Espanyol's 21 year-old Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez - skysports.com

Sunderland have bid £3m for Barnsley defender Alfie Mawson as they prepare to lose Lamine Kone - Daily Mail

Newcastle forward Siem De Jong has joined PSV Eindhoven on a season-long loan - skysports.com

Tim Krul is set to sign a new one-year contract with Newcastle, but will leave the club on loan to join Ajax. The goalkeeper is reportedly wanted as a replacement for Jasper Cillessen, who is close to joining Barcelona - Daily Mail

West Brom are keen on signing Southampton's forgotten man Jay Rodriguez on loan. Hull City are also interested - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

West Brom have signed Everton defender Brendan Galloway on a season-long loan deal - skysports.com

Hull City have offered Abel Hernandez a new bumper deal in an effort to keep the striker at the club. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Newcastle and Aston Villa - Hull Daily Mail

Nottingham Forest face a battle to keep hold of teenage midfielder Oliver Burke before the transfer window closes, with Arsenal, Sunderland and West Ham all circling the Scotland winger - Daily Mirror

Hull City caretaker-manager Mike Phelan has urged the club to allow him to beef up the squad after their fine opening to the Premier League campaign - Daily Mail

Arsenal are interested in signing Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi, after failing to sign Leicester City star Mahrez. The Dragoes value him around £35milliom - Daily Mirror

Phil Jones could be sold to free up enough space for Southampton defender Jose Fonte to join Manchester United - Daily Express

Championship side Wolves have signed Cameron Borthwick-Jackson on a season-long loan from Manchester United, as well as Ola John from Benfica - skysports.com

Fiorentina want to sign West Ham's 24 year-old Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang - Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian newspaper)

Liverpool are poised to sell 23 year-old defender Tiago Ilori to Olympiakos for £5milliom. The defender has made just three appearances since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2013 - The Sun.

Atletico Madrid are interested in 22 year-old Portuguese born Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva - AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Antoine Griezmann admits he would be tempted by a move to the Premier League if he left Atletico Madrid - The Guardian

Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado, 28, is expected to complete a permanent move from Chelsea to Juventus in the next few days - ESPN

Los Angeles Galaxy have ruled out a move for Joleon Lescott, with the 34-year-old defender seeking a way out of Championship club Aston Villa - Daily Mirror

Leon Britton has signed a one-year extension to his Swansea contract, keeping him at the club until 2018 - skysports.com

Former QPR and Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt wants to move to Marseille. The 27-year-old, currently at Benfica, is desperate to leave the club and "return home" - France Football (French football news website)

FC Porto have convinced Portugal Under-21 striker Andre Silva, 20, to sign to a new five-year contract - ESPN

Reading manager Jaap Stam is hoping to sign defender Tyler Blackett from Manchester United skysports.com

Liverpool set the highest possession rating for a losing team in the Premier League with 80.6 per cent against Burnley at the weekend - Daily Mail

Cheltenham Town are set to sign free agent forward Jeffery Monakana - skysports.com

All the very latest transfer gossip across Europe!

Here is all today's latest football news and transfer gossip with Karim Benzema, Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos, Manchester United, Fabian Delph, Christian Benteke, Liverpool, Emanuel Adebayor, Bayern Munich, Angel Di Maria, Chelsea, Victor Moses, Paris St-Germain, Crystal Palace, Loic Remy, Paris St-Germain and Edinson Cavani all in the news! 

Here is a round up of all the latest transfer gossip across Europe today!

Is your club involved?

Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Everton, Juventus, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, Anderlect, Swansea, Granada, Newcastle, Anderlecht, Crystal Palace, QPR, Leicester, Espanyol, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Besiktas, Chievo, Sampdoria, Reading, Huddersfield, Burnley, Genk, Cambridge United and Rotherham ....................are all caught up in the latest transfer news/rumours across Europe, as we speak.

Arsenal will offer £40m for Real Madrid's 27-year-old French striker Karim Benzema - The Sun.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rubbished rumours linking the north London club with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Wenger claims he is not aware of any offer.
"I don't know where that story comes from," he said. "That's not happening at the moment, no." - talkSPORT and transfermarketweb.com

Liverpool are on the brink of completing a £32.5m deal for Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke - skysports.com and Daily Mirror

Manchester United could keep David De Gea this season, with Real Madrid increasingly likely to wait until next summer to sign the 24-year-old Spain goalkeeper on a free transfer - The Times

Manchester United will tell Real Madrid to accept their £35m offer for Sergio Ramos or forget any hope of signing David de Gea this summer - The Independent

Bayern Munich are set to seal the signing of Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal, 28, from Juventus for £28m. - The Guardian

Bayern Munich are moving quickly to replace Bastian Schweinsteiger as they close in on a move for Arturo Vidal while Mario Gotze could move in the opposite direction - The Guardian and transfermarketweb.com

Paris St-Germain believe they can tie up a deal for Manchester United midfielder Angel Di Maria, 27, by the weekend - Daily Mail

PSG will not allow striker Edinson Cavani, 28, to move to Old Trafford as part of any deal for Angel Di Maria - Daily Telegraph

A week ago Fabian Delph said he was not leaving Aston Villa to join Manchester City, but could the move be back on? There is a picture doing the rounds of Delph going for a medical and Manchester Evening News reporter James Robson has just tweeted: "Confirmed City move for Delph is back on" - skysports.com and bbc.co.uk

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed striker Yaya Sanogo has joined Ajax on a season-long loan deal - skysports.com

Arsenal are set to make an improved offer in excess of £30m for Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Daily Express

Borussia Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc has commented on recent reports linking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a move away from the club, saying that the forward won’t be going anywhere - transfermarketweb.com and skysports.com

Everton have turned down a £20m offer from Chelsea for defender John Stones - skysports.com

Manchester United will bid £42m for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, 29, after the Spanish club rejected an opening bid of £31m - Diario AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has confirmed the Spanish club is in talks with Chelsea regarding left-back Filipe Luis's return - transfermarketweb.com and bbc.co.uk

AS Roma are looking at Manchester City's Bosnian striker striker Edin Dzeko - skysports.com

La Liga side Granada have confirmed their interest in signing forward Michu from Swansea - skysports.com

Real Madrid have agreed a €6m fee for Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casilla - bbc.co.uk and skysports.com

Tottenham will also offer cash plus winger Aaron Lennon, 28, for Everton midfielder James McCarthy, 24 - Daily Mail and Daily Express

Roberto Martinez says midfielder James McCarthy is staying at Everton this summer and wants to build his team around the Republic of Ireland international skysports.com

Chelsea want to sign £15m-rated Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, 20, from Anderlecht, but Newcastle and Swansea are also interested - Daily Star

Chelsea are set to lose another striker as Loic Remy is closing in on a transfer to Crystal Palace - Daily Star

Chelsea's bid to sign Barcelona winger Pedro for £22m will be blocked if Joan Laporta wins the presidential election at the Nou Camp on Saturday - The Independent

Paul Pogba's agent believes the Juventus and France international could join Barcelona if Joan Laporta wins the Catalan club’s forthcoming presidential elections - skysports.com

Tottenham have made an £8m bid for Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 24, who spent last season on loan at Stoke - The Sun

A bookmaker has suspended betting on QPR striker Charlie Austin joining Newcastle United after a flurry of money was placed on the 26-year-old moving to St James' Park - skysports.com

Leicester City forward Leonardo Ulloa is a target for Turkish club Besiktas - The Sun

Middlesbrough have agreed a £2.8m fee with Espanyol for Uruguay striker Lewis McGugan - Daily Star

West Brom boss Tony Pulis has made a move for Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert - Daily Mirror

West Brom will step up their interest in Arsenal's Serge Gnabry after Nottingham Forest rejected their £5m offer for winger Michail Antonio - Daily Star

Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood will target Tottenham striker Emanuel Adebayor, 31, to replace Benteke - Birmingham Mail

Reading want £4m from Swansea for Wales winger Hal Robson-Kanu - Daily Mirror

Burnley have received international clearance for Jelle Vossen following his move from Genk earlier this month. The Belgian forward is in line to make his debut against Accrington on Saturday - skysports.com

Huddersfield have announced the signing of striker Jordy Hiwula from Manchester City - skysports.com

28-year-old Bosnian full-back Ervin Zukanovic has left Chievo to sign for Sampdoria
- transfermarketweb.com

Cambridge United have signed Rotherham midfielder Conor Newton on a two-year deal - skysports.com

All the very latest transfer gossip across Europe!

Here is all today's latest football news and transfer gossip with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Gonzalo Higuain, Chelsea, PSG, Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Hugo Lloris, West Ham, Arsenal, Zenit, Steve McClaren, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Juventus and Steve Bruce all in the news! 

Here is a round up of all the latest transfer gossip across Europe today!

Is your club involved?

Arsenal, PSG, Juventus, Manchester United, Liverpool, Burnley, Napoli, Lazio, Manchester City, Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid, Swansea, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Real Sociedad, Arsenal, Benfica, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Stoke City, Barcelona, Sevilla, Real Madrid, West Brom, Everton, Bayern Munich, Valencia, Tottenham, Monaco, Olympique Marseille, West Ham, Leicester City, Wolves, Aston Villa, Southampton, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Everton, Fenerbahce, Espanyol, Samdoria, Newcastle United, Inter Milan, Derby, Aston Villa, Reading and Hull City.................are all caught up in the latest transfer news/rumours across Europe, as we speak.


A few English media outlets have picked up on a report on Italian website 'Tuttomercatoweb' which suggests Zlatan Ibrahimovic is considering leaving PSG and the club would be willing to sell him for just £11 million as he has one year left on his contract. Reports in Italy indicate Arsenal could be willing to meet that price tag - transfermarketweb.com

Juventus are set to rival Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli. The newspaper reports the two Premier League clubs have held talks with his brother who acts as his agent, but Juve are thought to be interested amid talk they could lose Carlos Tevez - Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian daily sports newspaper based in Milan)

Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign striker Danny Ings from relegated Burnley on July 1 after his Turf Moor contract expires, subject to a medical - skysports.com

Manchester United are set to try to outbid Chelsea for the signature of Lazio midfielder Felipe Anderson with the 22-year-old set to attract offers around £30m - Daily Star

Manchester City are set to pay £40m to bring Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, 23, back to the Premier League. The Belgium international previously played for Chelsea - Daily Mirror

Manchester City will make "an imminent" bid for Liverpool midfielder Raheem Sterling, 20, as they look to boost the "home-grown" quota of players in their Champions League squad for next season - Manchester Evening News

Both Juventus and Wolfsburg are interested in Atletico Madrid's 29-year-old forward Mario Mandzukic - El Mundo Deportivo (Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper published in Barcelona)

Hugo Lloris has stunned Spurs by admitting he fancies moving to Manchester United and Tottenham could lose a second player after Liverpool opened talks over signing Nabil Bentaleb for £10m - The Sun

Swansea have joined Crystal Palace and Southampton in the race to sign Chelsea striker Loic Remy, 28, who is keen for more starts than he managed in his debut season at Stamford Bridge - Daily Mirror

Out-of-favour Arsenal striker Joel Campbell, 22, has been linked with a £6m move to Spain to join David Moyes' Real Sociedad - Daily Mail

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan, although the move may be dependent on Angel Di Maria's departure from Old Trafford - caughtoffside.com

While working on closing the negotiation with Yevhen Konoplyanka, Stoke City are looking to sign another offensive winger, Aaron Lennon (28). Playing on loan for Everton and still on a deal with Tottenham until June 2016, the former English international would cost Stoke in the region of 11 million pounds - transfermarketweb.com

Zenit Saint Petersburg's Argentinian international centre-back Ezequiel Garay is on the radar of Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. The 28 year-old is also being tracked by Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Valencia and his ownership is esteemed around 18 million euros - transfermarketweb.com

Barcelona have agreed a deal with Sevilla to sign versatile wide-man Aleix Vidal for £7.5m, plus performance related add-ons of up to £5m, but he can't play until January - Daily Mail and skysports.com

West Brom are close to sealing a £3.4m deal for Real Madrid attacking midfielder Cristian Benavente, although the Spanish club will insist on a buy-back clause. He has been playing for their second team, Castilla - The Times

Tottenham are keen to sign Monaco striker Anthony Martial with the highly-rated 19-year-old likely to cost them £18.2m - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

West Ham have almost completed the signing of Ghanaian international winger and forward André Ayew (25), due to leave Olympique Marseille as a free agent after five seasons playing for Ligue 1 giants - Daily Mail

West Ham have agreed a £4.3m fee for Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang, although the 23-year-old has yet to agree terms - gianlucadimarzio.com / Italian sports journalist

Sampdoria will have to splash out over £30m if they want to prise Enner Valencia away from West Ham - Daily Mirror

Southampton are lining up a move for Espanyol defender Hector Moreno in case they lose Toby Alderweireld, who is a target for Tottenham and Chelsea - Daily Mirror

Bayer Leverkusen have completed the permanent signing of Greek international Kyriakos Papadopoulos from Schalke after the centre-back spent the season on loan at the BayArena -skysports.com

Everton will look to bring former Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles to the club after being put on the transfer list at current club Fenerbahce - Liverpool Echo

Leicester City are leading the race to sign Wolves forward Bakary Sako, who is also being looked at by Aston Villa and West Brom - The Sun

West Brom will attempt to coax former Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, 28, back to the Midlands from Crystal Palace as cover for first-choice Ben Foster - Birmingham Mail

Liverpool will look to beat Arsenal to the signature of Inter Milan midfielder Mateo Kovacic after reportedly being told he would cost just £18m - Liverpool Echo

Steve McClaren will immediately discuss the need to make domestic signings at Newcastle United, after completing his expected appointment as manager this week - Newcastle Chronicle

Derby County are expected to make Aston Villa striker Darren Bent, 31, and Reading defender Alex Pearce, 26, the first two signings under new manager Paul Clement, both on free transfers - Derby Telegraph

Hull City boss Steve Bruce has placed a £30m price tag on left-back Andy Robertson -
Hull Daily Mail

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

The Wierd and Wacky World of Football

In 1990, the Football League banned Scarborough from wearing shirts advertising 'Black Death' vodka on the grounds of bad taste.

A Manchester City fan was banned in 1995 from bringing dead chickens into City’s Maine Road ground. He used to celebrate City goals by swinging the birds around his head.

In 1998, the Macclesfield mascot, Roary the Lion (right), was sent-off for making obscene gestures during a players’ brawl in the match with Lincoln City.

A Tanzanian soccer match was postponed in 1978 after the referee was arrested on the pitch and accused of smoking marijuana just before the kick-off.

Barcelona’s Hristo Stoichkov was banned for six months in 1990 for stamping on the referee’s foot after being sent off in a Cup tie against Real Madrid.

Cash-strapped Portsmouth cancelled their weekly order of new jockstraps in 1999, a move which would save £112. Administrator Tom Burton ordered the club to wash them instead of buying new ones.

In 2003, Manchester City's Shaun Goater (right) celebrated Nicolas Anelka's goal at Birmingham by kicking an advertising hoarding, but he injured his knee in the process and had to be substituted.

Up until 2005 Young Boys of Switzerland played their home games at the Wankdorrf Stadium, Bern in Switzerland.

West Ham defender Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick against three different goalkeepers in the 8-1 win over Newcastle in 1986. The injured Martin Thomas was replaced in the Newcastle goal first by Chris Hedworth, then by Peter Beardsley.

Bury players refused to do any more promotional work for the club in 1997 as a protest at the lack of nappy-changing facilities at Gigg Lane for their wives.

In 2004, James Hayter (below) came on as an 84th minute substitute for Bournemouth against Wrexham and scored the fastest Football League hat-trick ever. It took less than 140 seconds.

The Scottish Cup tie between Falkirk and Inverness Thistle in 1979 was postponed no fewer than 29 times because of bad weather.

Fans at Gillingham were subjected to celery searches in 1996. a craze had started for waving sticks of celery while chanting an obscene song. So anyone caught in possession of the vegetable was threatened with a life ban.

Sheffield Wednesday keeper Kevin Pressman has the somewhat dubious distinction of holding the record for the fastest ever red card in English football. He was sent off after just 13 seconds on the opening day of the 2000/01 season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Cameroonian, Roger Milla (right), is the oldest player to play in the World Cup. He was all of 42 years and 39 days when he played against Russia in 1994!
During that game, he also scored, making him the oldest goal scorer in the World Cup!

West Bromwich Albion's 'Hawthorns' stadium is English football's highest ground above sea-level.

In 1950 India withdrew form the World Cup because FIFA refused to let their team play barefoot.

The Anglican church in 2002 in England decided that instead of loosing its parishoners they would try a new approach. A number of parishes held services earlier, then put TV screens on altars and the lawns. One put a sign out front that read "make jesus the center forward of your life" and urged fans to come to church in their jerseys.

A History of Idiosyncratic Events in Football – Part Four

--------------Kings Of The Drop--------------

There is nothing worse for a professional footballer (injury excluded) than relegation, unless of course, it's more relegation.

Carlton Palmer, perhaps surprisingly for a player who otherwise had a relatively distinguished playing career, which included eighteen full England caps - is right up there with the 'Kings Of The Drop,' having gone down five times with West Brom (1985/86), Sheffield Wednesday (1989/90), Nottingham Forest (1998/99), Coventry (2001/02) and Stockport County (2002/03).

Neil Redfearn can also write the names of five relegated employers on his 'Curriculum Vitae.'
Bolton (1982/83), Lincoln (1985/86), Barnsley (1997/98), Charlton (1998/99) and Halifax (2001/02).
Redfearn's playing career spanned over twenty years and he played for 13 different league clubs. Redfearn is currently fifth in the all-time list of most Football League appearances. His last league appearance for Rochdale in 2004 took his total to 790.

Perhaps the biggest 'Jonah' of them all is poor Simeon Hodson, (below right) who managed to taste relegation three times before his 21st birthday!

In all Hodson has been involved in teams relegated from the top five levels of the English football league system.

Notts County (1983/84) relegated from the old First Division, Lincoln (1985/86) relegated from the Third Divsion, Lincoln again (1986/87) relegated from the Fourth Division.
In 1990/91 he was part of the West Bromwich Albion team relegated from the Second Division.

In 1992/93 he was a member of the Mansfield Town team relegated from the Second Division also, which following the inception of the FA Premier League, was now the third level of the league system.

It is worth noting that, though he left before the season's end, he played for Notts County in the 1984/85 season when they went on to be relegated from the Second Division. Consequently, his first four seasons saw him involved with clubs relegated from the top four levels in order. Incredibly, his fifth season (1987/88) saw him initially at Newport County (but he left two months before their demise to join West Brom), as they went on to be relegated from the Fourth Division.
That makes five relegations and one near miss in a League career of just ten seasons.

To cap it all off, in 1999/2000 he was relegated from the Football Conference with Altrincham.......to complete the set!

Thus, he can claim to have been relegated from the top five levels of the English football league system with five different clubs.

In 2001, aged 35, a knee injury forced Hodson to retire. He is now a PCSO for the Warwickshire Police.