All the Latest Transfer Gossip across Europe!

The January 2013 transfer window only opened four days ago, but it is safe to say that the media is rife with transfer rumours across Britain and Europe!

Clubs have 27 more days to reshape and strengthen their squads with players that they feel can help them achieve 'comparative' success, whether they are chasing trophies, eyeing up promotion or bidding to avoid relegation.

With purse strings being pulled ever increasingly tighter by the owners of many clubs, perhaps the loan market will play a more significant role than ever in this winter window!

Here is a round up of all of today’s latest transfer gossip:

Is your club involved?

Chelsea, Newcastle, Lille, West Ham, Liverpool, QPR, Inter Milan, New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles Galaxy, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Fulham, FC Twente, Tottenham, Toulouse, Monaco, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, PSV, Aston Villa, Wigan, Sporting Kansas City, Liverpool, Sunderland, Hull, Hannover, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Swansea, Reading, Sporting Lisbon, AC Milan, Corinthians, Bayern Munich, Mainz 05, West Brom, Zenit, Dianamo Kiev, Genoa, Southampton, Birmingham, Bolton, Blackburn, Brighton, Bristol City, Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers, Fleetwood, Lazio, Willem II, Bournemouth and Northampton........are all caught up in the latest transfer news/rumours across Europe, as we speak.

Chelsea have completed the signing of striker Demba Ba from Newcastle on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee - skysports.com and caughtoffside.com

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Mathieu Debuchy (right) from Lille - soccernet.espn.go.com and skysports.com

Joe Cole has completed his transfer to West Ham United from Liverpool, with the 31 year-old signing an 18-month contract at Upton Park - soccernet.espn.go.com

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has been offered Inter Milan forward Wesley Sneijder, 28, to boost his side's relegation scrap - The Sun and transfermarketweb.com

QPR boss harry Redknapp was also happy to confirm that loan moves for Los Angeles Galaxy's Robbie Keane and New York Red Bulls' Tim Cahill are under consideration - skysports.com

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has been quoted by Spanish newspaper AS as describing reports linking striker Radamel Falcao, 26, with Real Madrid as "totally false" - skysports.com

Borussia Dortmund CEO Aki Watzke has rubbished recent reports linking centre-back Mats Hummels, 24, with a January move to Manchester City - soccernet.espn.go.com

Manchester United may wait until the summer before bidding for Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha (right), but his arrival could mean the end of Nani’s time at the Manchester club - footballgossip.org.uk and soccernet.espn.go.com

Fulham have confirmed the signing of teenage forward Chris David from FC Twente after having missed out on him during the summer after a problem with his medical - skysports.com

Tottenham are leading the race to sign France midfielder Moussa Sissoko, 23, on a pre-contract agreement from Toulouse, but face competition from Monaco - The Times and footballgossip.org.uk

Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh has signed a six-month loan deal with West Ham United, at least according to Jack Sullivan, the son of Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan. Arsenal are expected to make a significant contribution to Chamakh’s £60,000-a-week wages during his time at Upton Park - footballgossip.org.uk

Arsenal are looking at a move for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Kevin Strootman (right), 22. Arsene Wenger has earmarked a move for the young Dutch international, and will offer Russian winger Andrei Arshavin as part of an offer that the Arsenal boss hopes will tempt the Eredivisie side into selling the Dutch international - caughtoffside.com

Aston Villa are considering a move for Manchester City's out-of-favour 30-year-old defender Joleon Lescott - Daily Mirror and footballgossip.org.uk

Tottenham will listen to offers for England international midfielder Jake Livermore, 23, this month, with West London rivals QPR and Fulham monitoring the situation - Daily Mail

Wigan Athletic have completed the signing of Honduran midfielder Roger Espinoza (right) from Sporting Kansas City. The 26 year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the DW Stadium - sportsmole.co.uk and skysports.com

Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell is keen on a £7million move to Hull City - The Sun, The Mirror and Daily Mail

Hannover have confirmed that they are hopeful of sealing a deal for Arsenal defender Johan Djourou. Hannover are keen to take Djourou, who has two years left on his current deal, on a loan deal with a view to that becoming permanent in the summer - sktsports.com

Ipswich Town have raided Championship rivals Nottingham Forest to sign 25 year-old striker David McGoldrick on loan - skysports.com

Swansea City striker Danny Graham, 27, is Reading manager Brian McDermott's next target following the capture of  Daniel Caricco (right), 24, from Sporting Lisbon - The Times and Daily Express

Fabio Coentrao's future at Real Madrid is in danger after the 24-year-old full-back failed to show up for the first training session of the year - Marca (in Spanish) and caughtoffside.com

Brazil striker Alexandre Pato, 23 - a previous target of Manchester City and Chelsea - has left AC Milan for Corinthians for around £12m - Tottusport (in Italian) and caughtoffside.com

Bayern Munich have confirmed a deal that will see them sign Mainz 05 defender Jan Kirchhoff at the end of the season. The 22-year-old will join Bayern on a three-year deal in the summer, once his current contract has expired - sportsmole.co.uk

Arsenal are reportedly among the clubs who are considering a January bid for Jonas Olsson, but West Bromwich Albion insist the defender is going nowhere. Last summer WBA took steps to ensure Olsson would not leave, and gave the Swede a new four-year contract, but the terms are rumoured to include a £3million release clause - skysports.com

Joel Obi's agent says the player is unlikely to leave Inter Milan, but confirmed Sunderland's interest in the Nigerian ace. The Black Cats have been linked with a January move for the 21-year-old, but his agent insists that a deal is unlikely -skysports.com

Inter have confirmed the arrival of former Italian international striker Tommaso Rocchi from Lazio. Inter have secured the services of the experienced striker on a permanent deal with reports suggesting the 35-year-old will be there till June - goal.com and insidefutbol.com

Yann M’Vila (right) is ready to leave Rennes during the current transfer window if a fee can be agreed with the French club. The news is likely to be listened to carefully by a number of clubs who have been keen on M’Vila in the past. Interested parties include Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Zenit St.Petersburg and most recently QPR - insidefutbol.com

Genoa's Andreas Granqvist will not be returning to England after links with Liverpool and Sunderland, as he is set for talks with Zenit and Dynamo Kiev - La Gazzetta dello Sport

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has insisted he is not interested in signing Birmingham City's 19 year-old goalkeeper Jack Butland - soccernet.espn.go.com

Brighton's 21-year-old defender Lewis Dunk is a target for both Bristol City and Blackburn - skysports.com

QPR have signed defender Tal Ben Haim on a short-term deal until he end of the season. The Israel was a free agent since leaving Portsmouth in August - skysports.com and footballgossip.org.uk

Bolton manager Dougie Freedman is set to sign Barnsley striker Craig Davies, 26, in a £300,000 deal. Freedman wants the powerful frontman to bolster his struggling side - Daily Mail

Martin Olsson's agent has claimed that West Ham are one of a number of clubs looking to land the 24 year-old Blackburn defender- skysports.com

Willem II have confirmed that they are hoping to agree a deal with Bournemouth for Lorenzo Davids (right) - skysports.com

Swindon have completed the permanent signing of defender Darren Ward, 34, following his release by Millwall - skysports.com

Doncaster Rovers have announced the signing of 29 year-old midfielder Lee Fowler from Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee - skysports.com

Northampton have completed the signing of defender Clarke Carlisle on an 18-month contract - skysports.com

The Best Selling Replica Club Shirts in the World

A German sport market research company, has released a very interesting survey on the world’s best selling club football shirts.

Dr Rohlmann’s and his PR Marketing team focused on the sales period 2007/8 to 2011/12 inclusive, in order to have the most accurate overview.

Not suprisingly the survey found that Manchester United and Real Madrid are the two clubs selling the most replica shirts with both United and Madrid averaging 1.4million shirts sales globally each year in the past five years !

As the graphic below shows, Barcelona are No.3 on the sales list (Nike, average 1.15m sales a year) followed by Chelsea in fourth place (adidas, 910,000). The top ten also includes Bayern Munich (adidas), Liverpool (adidas during the research period, now Warrior), Arsenal (Nike), Juventus (Nike), Inter Milan (Nike) and AC Milan (adidas).

Chelsea are the most significant ‘climbers’ since detailed market statistics were last published by this site two years ago. They were adidas’s joint-second best sellers with Liverpool and Bayern Munich two years ago, but have moved clear into second place for adidas – and fourth overall – now!

Dr Rohlmann pointed out that "Oscillations are normal because any sporting success or lack of success drives shirt sales, sometimes up, sometimes down, as does the acquisition or sale of particular stars."
For example, in the case of Chelsea, there was a 2011/12 uplift, undoubtedly as a result of their success in the UEFA Champions League. A second example of this would be at Bayern Munich. Bayern sold between 1million and 1.5million replica kit shirts in 2011/12, when Bayern reached the Champions League final (against Chelsea), which was played in their own stadium in their home city of Munich. A third and final example of success increasing shirt sales could be allied to Olympique Marseille. Their average replica shirt sales over the last five seasons is about 350,000 per year. But if you refer exclusively to the 2009/10 season, when they won the French championship, adidas sold nearly 500,000 replica shirts."

Premier League winners Manchester City sold somewhere just over 250,000, but their five-year average is 175,000 per year – sufficient only to place them 17th in Europe.

However, it is important to remember the results of the survey are based solely on the the volume of replica shirts sold and does not include other official club merchandise, such as training kit, jackets, bags, caps, towels, calenders e.t.c.

If the survey were to include all licensed merchandise sold by football clubs, then Liverpool would be ahead of Real Madrid. Liverpool are adidas’s top-selling team in terms of sales of overall merchandise.

The official Manchester United Investor Relations website says that "over five million items of Manchester United (Nike) branded licensed products were sold in the last year, including over two million Manchester United jerseys." Dr Rohlmann says that for 40 per cent of all United merchandise to be shirts "is extremely high compared to other top European football clubs."

The market research looked in particular at the major European leagues (La Liga, Barclays Premier League, Serie A TIM, Ligue 1 Orange, Bundesliga). However the PR marketing team also looked into big clubs in "less powerful leagues" to assess their value. The conclusion was that no other club in any other European league came close to matching the sales of the top ten listed clubs.

First and foremost, the richest football clubs have the marketing power to create, market and sell their football shirts. Secondly, the power of the domestic league is also a crucial element.

Out of the top 10 teams, four came from the English Premier League: Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, three from Seria A: Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus, two from La Liga: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and one from the Bundesliga: Bayern Munich.

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, 'the big hitters' of the Turkish Super Lig, both adidas teams, have a huge amount of local and global fans. However their replica shirts sales would amount to a lesser number than the 10th highest ranked club. Another element to consider is the amount of counterfeit clothing products coming out of from Asia and Turkey. This has a very damaging effect on club sales of official merchandise in the less glamorous and affluent leagues.

A 'big' club like Ajax Amsterdam, an adidas club, in a 'small' league like the Dutch Eredivisie league might expect to sell 100,000 shirts and probably fewer in most seasons. Glasgow Celtic, a Nike club are believed to be the biggest sellers among Scotland’s clubs, with 'good year' sales at the lower end of the top 10, ie: several hundred thousand per year, many of them overseas in North America, Canada and Australia. This is still somewhat less than the likes of AC Milan or Inter which sell an average of 350,000 to 425,000 units per calender year.

Source: Dr Peter Rohlmann, www.pr-marketing.org/  and http://www.sportingintelligence.com


When it comes to sporting the name of their favourite Premier League player on the back of a replica shirt, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is officially the most popular choice of fans around the world.

Global sales data from Sporting iD, who determined the top five by the number of player names sold for official replica shirts, said it was a close race for the top three positions.

Rooney edged out Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Chelsea frontman Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, formerly with Manchester United and now with Real Madrid, is the fourth most popular over the 20 seasons of the Premier League, with Chelsea's Frank Lampard fifth.

Sporting iD global sales and marketing director Rob Thayne said: "We first started producing Rooney's official player identity in 2002, after he made his professional debut with Everton at the age of 16. We then had to expand that production greatly following his move to Manchester United in the summer of 2004. But Rooney truly went into a league of his own in 2007 when Ruud van Nistelrooy vacated the Manchester United number 10 shirt, and there is a global demand that shows no sign of abating."

Rooney is the first United player to lead the list since Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2007/08 season. But one name could have beaten Rooney to the award. "Had David Beckham remained in the Premier League then the list might have looked different. Certainly his move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2003 triggered record sales of 'Beckham 23' shirts, and before him Eric Cantona was a best seller in the 1990's," said Rob Thayne.

Source: Data supplied by www.sporting-id.com

All the Latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

With the the 2012/13 English domestic football season only eleven days away, there is a plenty of transfer speculation doing the rounds as one would expect. However there has been a spot of business completed today!

Here is a round up of all of today’s latest transfer gossip and any done deals:

Is your club involved?

Arsenal, Malaga, Juventus, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, PSG, Sao Paulo, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Liverpool, Swansea, Bologna, Tottenham, Galatasaray, Queens Park Rangers, Montpellier, Newcastle, Wigan, Chelsea, Marseille, Blackpool, Stoke, Wolves, Huddersfield, Fulham, Blackburn, Cardiff, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Nottm Forest, Norwich, Sheff Wed, Reading, Derby, Trabzonspor, Real Oviedo, Sabadell, Deportivo La Coruna, AS Roma, Parma, Hamburg, Hearts and Rangers ..........are all caught up in the latest transfer rumours across Europe, as we speak.


Arsenal have completed the signing of attacking midfielder, Santi Cazorla (right) from Malaga for an undisclosed fee. The 27 year-old Spanish international, has reportedly moved from debt-ridden Malaga for a fee in the region of an initial £16million - skysports.com and transfermarketweb.com

Juventus are interested in Liverpool's Luis Suarez. It is understood that Juventus would ideally love to pair Van Persie and Suarez in a dream attack. Whether either deal is pushed on remains to be seen, but Italian champions Juve are aiming big. They have already made a firm move for Van Persie but, as with rival bidders Manchester City and Manchester United, they have not been able to agree terms with Arsenal – Daily Mirror and skysports.com

Lucas Moura is said to be favouring a move to Paris Saint-Germain rather than Manchester United, with the 19-year-old rumoured to consider Manchester "boring." United are also unable to meet Sao Paulo's demands - which are reportedly around £36 million for the player and a further £6million for his representatives in fees – Daily Mirror, skysports.com, sportinglife.com and talkSPORT

Inter Milan chairman Massimo Moratti claims his club are out of the running for Moura because PSG have already made Sao Paulo a huge offer to sign him – insidefutbol.com

Roberto Mancini has rejected a bid from AC Milan to sign striker Edin Dzeko on a season-long loan from Manchester City – Daily Star

Liverpool have told Manchester City that defender Daniel Agger, 27, will cost at least £22m after City made an informal inquiry for the Dane - The Guardian, The Times and transfermarketweb.com Liverpool are set for further talks with Swansea City midfielder Joe Allen now that the 22-year-old's involvement at the Olympics is over. However Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has insisted that Joe Allen will be 'very, very expensive' and whould cost Liverpool more than £20million – The Metro, sportinglife.com and skysports.com

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup has told Liverpool they will have to pay at least £15m or forget about signing Allen – Daily Star

Bologna are demanding a fee in the region of £16m for Gaston Ramirez (right), 21, a target for Liverpool and Tottenham. Inter Milan are also said to be looking at the Uruguayan playmaker - talkSPORT

Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin would be prepared to move to Turkey, according to his agent, amid reports of a £4million bid from Galatasaray. Queens Park Rangers have also been linked with the Russian – Daily Mirror, skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Dave Whelan is waiting to see if Chelsea will match Wigan Athletic's valuation of Victor Moses following fresh talks regarding the winger. A reported £4million bid has already been rejected and there are now claims that Latics chairman Whelan has lowered his asking price from £10million to £8.5million - skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Chelsea have made a 'serious approach' for Marseille defender Cesar Azpilicueta, according to the French club. Marseille are thought to want £8million for the Spanish full-back and big-spending Chelsea could be prepared to match that fee as they seek to solve a problem position at right-back. Sources in France are saying Chelsea are prepared to offer Gael Kakuta as part of any deal for Azpilicueta - sportinglife.com and skysports.com

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has confirmed he is close to signing Wolves winger Michael Kightly - sportinglife.com

Stoke City winger Jermaine Pennant has denied speculation that he is set to leave the club to join Premier League rivals Wigan Athletic. Pennant has been linked with a move to Wigan due to Stoke being on the brink of signing Michael Kightly from Wolves - skysports.com

Stoke City are in talks to sign Polish international left-back Sebastian Boenisch, 25, who is available after his contract with Werder Bremen expired – Daily Mirror, transfermarketweb.com and sportinglife.com

Montpellier star Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (right) has confirmed that Newcastle United remain interested in his signature. The highly-rated France international defender has admitted he would relish the chance to move to Tyneside. However, the 23 year-old also states that he would see the move to Newcastle as a perfect stepping stone to move on to AC Milan who have seen a bid rejected - skysports.com

Huddersfield Town are set to sign Cardiff City defender Anthony Gerrard on a three-year contract. It is understood that 26 year-old Gerrard has travelled to Huddersfield to undergo a medical and hold talks about finalising a move to the club – skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Huddersfield Town are refusing to comment on reports that Blackburn Rovers are the latest club to have made a bid for striker Jordan Rhodes. Fulham are already understood to have seen a bid turned down, while Blackburn boss Steve Kean recently confirmed he has made an offer for the 22 year-old – skysports.com

Stephen Dobbie is still a major transfer target for Blackpoolmanager Ian Holloway, who has made clear his admiration for the Swansea striker - sportinglife.com

Cardiff City are keen to sign Craig Bellamy from Liverpool, although Mark Hughes would like to add the Welshman to his QPR squad – Daily Mail

West Bromwich Albion have completed the signing of Markus Rosenberg. The 29-year-old has put pen to paper on a three year deal having previously been a free agent following the conclusion of his contract at Werder Bremen – skysports.com and transfermarketweb.com

Crystal Palace are considering a move to bring 22 year-old Manchester City defender Ryan McGivern back to the club on loan – skysports.com

Nottingham Forest boss Sean O'Driscoll has set his sights on Norwich City defender Elliott Ward. Ward played under O'Driscoll during a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers in 2010 - skysports.com

Derby County have today added 18 year-old defender Michael Hoganson to their ranks, following a successful trial spell. After being released by Newcastle United at the end of last season, the free agent has signed a one-year contract at Pride Park - sportinglife.com and transfermarketweb.com

Currently a free agent after not having his deal with Manchester United renewed, former English international striker Michael Owen, 32, is in negotiations with Trabzonspor. Owen is asking for a £3million euros annual fee, the Turkish club are offering 2 and a half.

Sheffield Wednesday have signed Michail Antonio (right) from Premiership side Reading for an undisclosed fee. Antonio has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Hillsborough, following a successful loan spell with the Owls last season - transfermarketweb.com

Real Oviedo have signed winger Aaron Bueno, 28, from Sabadell - transfermarketweb.com

Carlos Marchena López has joined Deportivo La Coruna. The former Spanish international defender, 33, was released from his contract with Villarreal at the end of last season - transfermarketweb.com

After AS Roma and Aleandro Rosi mutually agreed on the early termination of the player's contract with the club the Italian right wingback, 25, has agreed a four year deal with Parma - transfermarketweb.com

Austrian international centre-back Paul Scharner, 32, formerly of Wigan Athletic and West Bromwich Albion, has joined Hamburg on a 2 year deal - transfermarketweb.com

Former Hearts striker Kevin Kyle has become the third player to sign for Rangers today following earlier deals for former St Johnstone striker Francisco Sandaza and former Lazio and Udinese defender Emilson Cribari - skysports.com and sportinglife.com

All the Latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

The domestic football season may be all but over but the transfer rumours inevitably continue to fuel the internet and the newspapers. With the European Championships only a couple of weeks away and the Olympics to follow, it would seem that clubs across Europe are keen to do as much business as possible before these tournaments begin. It is in their interests to make their moves early and get any new players on board as quickly as possible, so the players have longer to settle in. There is also the chance that players involved in the summer tournaments may increase in value should they shine. Likewise the opposite may be true. It's a gamble but the 'bigger' clubs across Europe are keeping the sports journalists on their toes as we speak!

Here is a round up of today's latest transfer gossip:

Is your Club involved?

Manchester City, Lille, Juventus, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Porto, Napoli, Manchester United, San Paulo, Tottenham, Marseille, Everton, Ajax, AC Milan, Newcastle, Bolton, QPR, Aston Villa, West Ham, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Wigan, Wolfsburg, Crystal Palace, Stoke City, Wolves, Blackpool, Swansea and Sochaux..........are all caught up in transfer rumours as we speak.

Manchester City are ready to pull the plug on their proposed move for Lille playmaker Eden Hazard, 21, unless the player and his agent lower their financial demands - The Times

Belgian international Eden Hazard (right) admits Chelsea's Champions League victory has made a difference to his plans - Daily Mail and football.co.uk

Juventus will turn their attentions to Manchester City's Edin Dzeko, 26, as they prepare to pull out of the race to sign Arsenal forward Robin van Persie, 28 - Daily Mail and The Guardian

Manchester City are set to take advantage of Juve's move by stepping up their interest in Van Persie, while the Italians could bid for Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, 25, as well as Dzeko - The Guardian

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has given Liverpool a boost by distancing himself from any move to Real Madrid or Barcelona - Daily Express and Daily Mirror

Manchester City face a battle to retain the services of playmaker David Silva who will be offered the chance to return to his native Spain by Real Madrid - Daily Star and The Guardian

Barcelona are set to make a £10million bid for Manchester City right-back Pablo Zabaleta, as a replacement for Dani Alves - The Sun and The Guardian

Top of Chelsea's shopping list this summer is the Atlético Madrid striker Radamel Falcao (right). The Columbian  will cost a cool £50m. Other options include Porto's Hulk, Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuaín and Napoli's Edinson Cavani - Daily Mirror and The Guardian

Chelsea have given Arsenal a deadline of next week to make a decision on whether they want to sign on-loan midfielder Yossi Benayoun, 32, on a permanent basis - The Metro and footballpress.net

Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura, 19, who currently plays for Sao Paulo, is another target for the European champions, although Manchester United are also interested - The Times

Tottenham want 25-year-old Marseille striker Loic Remy and could swap Luka Modric, 26, for Real Madrid's Lassana Diarra, 27 - footballpress.net , Daily Mirror and The Guardian

Modric is determined to join a Champions League club ahead of next season, although Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is thought to be holding out for a fee of £50m - Daily Telegraph

The Tottenham chairman Levy also travelled to Holland on Monday in an attempt to close a deal for Ajax's Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen (right), who is also wanted by Arsenal and AC Milan - Daily Mail

Louis Saha has made it clear that he is not looking to leave Tottenham in the summer - The Sun and sportinglife.com

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri is adamant Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva will not be sold this summer. Both have been linked with Manchester City.

American star Landon Donovan has reiterated his desire to return to Everton - sportinglife.com

Newcastle have been told they need to increse their offer in order to sign Bolton midfielder Mark Davies. The Magpies have made an offer about £3.5 million pounds for the player - Evening Chronicle

QPR are hoping to make the most of the uncertainty at Aston Villa with a move for goalkeeper Shay Given, 36, who played under Rangers boss Mark Hughes at Manchester City. West Ham's 31-year-old Robert Green could also be a target - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

Adel Taarabt could be on his way out of Loftus Road with Wolfsburg reviving an interest in the £8m-rated 22-year-old playmaker - Daily Mail and The Guardian

QPR boss Hughes is also plotting a move for Wigan Athletic forward Victor Moses, 21, (right) - Daily Mirror and The Guardian

Joe Cole insists he has unfinished business at Liverpool despite being linked with a return to boyhood club West Ham this summer. However Lille are thought to be open to taking him back for another 12 months - skysports.com and Daily Mail

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is plotting a triple swoop on Sunderland for Kieran Richardson, Craig Gordon and George McCartney - Daily Mirror and The Guardian

West Ham have completed the permanent signing of Portsmouth goalkeeper Stephen Henderson, 24, on a three-year contract, for an undisclosed fee - footballpress.net and sportinglife.com

Crystal Palace midfielder Stuart O'Keefe has signed a new three-year contract. The 21-year-old, who broke into the first team this season, has committed himself to Selhurst Park until the summer of 2015 - skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Stoke City have been told they must increase their offer to a figure in the region of £10 million if want to sign Wolves' Matt Jarvis, 25 - footballpress.net

Thomas Ince (right) insists he is committed to Blackpool despite their Championship play-off final defeat to West Ham - skysports.com

Blackpool want to turn 29-year-old Swansea forward Stephen Dobbie's loan into a permanent deal - Daily Mirror

Sochaux have signed the deal extension of the striker Cedric Bakambu (21), until June 2015 - footballpress.net

All the latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

As we approach the business end of the season, and despite the fact that only free agents and loan extensions are negotiable between now and the end of the season, transfer rumours inevitably continue to fuel the internet and the newspapers. Clubs across Europe, not surprisingly are already planning ahead and looking at players with a view to next season. Meanwhile players themselves are also assessing their options with an eye on a possible summer move.

Here is a round up of today's transfer gossip:

Is your club involved?

Newcastle United, AZ Alkmaar, Chelsea, Porto, Guizhou Renhe, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Santos, Manchester United, Schalke O4, FC Twente, Napoli, Liverpool, Arsenal, Udinese, Napoli, Arsenal, Rennes, Toulouse, Fulham, Montpellier, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan, Brighton and Barnsley are all caught up in transfer gossip as we speak.


Chelsea are planning a £30m summer move for Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul, 23, and 25-year-old Magpies midfielder Cheick Tiote - The Independent

Newcastle have sent scouts to watch highly rated AZ Alkmaar midfielder Adam Maher (right), 18, as a possible replacement for Tiote - The Independent

Meanwhile Chelsea have held talks to sign Porto's Brazilian striker Hulk, 25, for a reduced fee of 40m euros (£34m) - Daily Telegraph

Chinese Super League club Guizhou Renhe are preparing summer moves for Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, both 33, in deals that would see each player earn £250,000 a week - skysports.com and The Sun

Barcelona have made a 14m euro (£11.6m) down-payment to Brazilian club Santos for 20-year-old forward Neymar - Cadena Ser (Spain's biggest radio station).

Striker Edin Dzeko is considering quitting Manchester City in the summer. Dzeko has not requested a transfer but City officials are aware of his unhappiness over a lack of first-team opportunities. The 26-year-old could be set for a swap deal with Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain (right) - The Independent

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is poised to leave Manchester United at the end of the season despite the English champions taking up an extra year's option on his contract, his agent said on Sunday. Several clubs from Spain, Germany and France have been linked in the media with signing Berbatov - The Guardian and The Independent

Schalke 04 are prepared to break the bank in a bid to keep Klaas Jan Huntelaar on their books in the long term. The former Real Madrid and AC Milan striker has scored 38 goals in 37 appearances for the Royal Blues in all competitions this campaign. This despite rumours yesterday that Schalke 04 are looking at FC Twente striker Luuk de Jong as a possible replacement for Huntelaar - football365.com

Reports in Italy are linking Liverpool and Arsenal with Udinese duo Mehdi Benatia, 24 (right) and Mauricio Isla, 23, but they face competition from Napoli. Benatia is a Moroccan international defender, whilst Isla is a Chilean international defender/midfielder - talkSPORT

Arsenal are interested in Rennes 21 year-old midfielder Yann M'Vila. Gunners scouts watched M'Vila in a recent match against Toulouse - footballpress.net

Dirk Kuyt has admitted he could be forced to consider his future at Liverpool if he does not play more reguarly next season. The Dutchman insists he is happy at Anfield and would consider finishing his career at Liverpool, but that he might have to reconsider his options if he finds himself on the sidelines. skysports.com and sportinglife.com

Barcelona are plotting a shock summer move for Manchester United twins Fabio and Rafael da Silva, both 21 - caughtoffside.com

Crystal Palace's highly rated right-back Nathaniel Clyne (right) is a summer target of Manchester United. The England Under-21 international who is out of contract at the end of this season has been on the Reds' radar for sometime now, and Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to have been impressed with the Stockwell-born defender in Palace's shock Carling Cup quarter-final win at Old Trafford last November. Source: Take your pick!

Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu has conceded he is likely to leave Craven Cottage at the end of the season. Etuhu is unhappy with his lack of regular first-team action under Martin Jol - skysports.com and The Sun

Blackburn striker Ruben Rochina is eyeing a summer move away from Ewood Park, if he continues to be left on the bench. The former Barcelona player has not started a Premier League game since New Year’s Eve - Daily Mirror

Arsenal are also believed to be chasing Montpellier and France striker Olivier Giroud (right), 25, who has also caught the eye of both Aston Villa and Newcastle United and Arsenal are also set to swoop for Toulouse centre-back Aymen Abdennour - Metro and sportinglife.com

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cotterill has revealed his frustration after failing to sign Portsmouth forward Luke Varney - skysports.com and Daily Express

Brighton & Hove Albion have extended the loan deal of Manchester City winger Gai Assulin until the end of the season - skysports.com

Sheffield Wednesday boss Dave Jones, who took Robbie Fowler to Cardiff in 2007, is set to offer the former Liverpool striker a deal at Hillsborough until the end of the season - Daily Mail

Wigan's Irish striker Conor Sammon is wanted on loan by promotion-seeking Sheffield Wednesday - Daily Mirror

Barnsley have signed Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper David Button on a month's loan after losing David Preece for the rest of the season - skysports.com

Talking AVB - Reaction today to the sacking of the Chelsea boss.

Football is in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment!

Portsmouth, Rangers, Port Vale, Harry Redknapp and Andre Villas-Boas are all hot topics of conversation, so let's see what the players, managers and journalists think about one of the issues dominating the news as we speak!

Here are what some people have written or tweeted today in reaction to the sacking of Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas:


The Daily Telegraph's Henry Winter on Twitter: ‏"So it cost Abramovich £28m to sack Ancelotti & recruit AVB. He could have kept Ancelotti, a Double-winner. Just a thought."

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty on Twitter: "Encouraging words from Luiz Felipe Scolari for AVB's replacement: It will be hell for whoever succeeds him."

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson says "the patience shown to Sir Alex Ferguson when he became Manchester United manager no longer exists in football." Hodgson was speaking following Andre Villas-Boas' sacking as Chelsea boss, a day after the Blues lost 1-0 at the Hawthorns.

Former Chelsea coach Ray Wilkins has leapt to the defence of the club's players in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas' sacking Villas-Boas lost his job yesterday amid reports of dressing-room unrest at Stamford Bridge, but Wilkins told talkSPORT: "I found the players an absolute delight to work with. They are a very nice bunch of guys, they are a hard-working bunch and, coupled with that, they are an extremely talented bunch. We didn't have a problem. I don't think the players swayed the owner."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Andre Villas-Boas' sacking as Chelsea boss: "I feel sorry for Andre Villas-Boas because I know him and I like him as manager and as a man. I'm sorry that he was not given enough time to do his job. When you're not given time you have no chance."

AVB waits in line as Roman fills out an eighth managerial P45 in nine years!

Chelsea winger Juan Mata has declared the club has two months to save their season in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas' removal. Speaking to Chelsea TV, he said: "I think we have to start again. We have a very good squad and we have two months to achieve our objectives in the Premier League, in the FA Cup and Champions League. We are not in a good moment, we are not in a good run of results, but we all want to change it. I think we are ready to change it."

Eddie Newton has been talking about his new coaching role at Chelsea. "The ambition is to get fourth place," he told Sky Sports News. "We will push as hard as possible to get it. Every game is important until the end of the season."

Tony Cascarino on twitter: "Good managers don't lose dressing rooms. That's a simple truth."

Rafa Benitez's agent has again insisted that there has been no contact from Chelsea regarding the possibility of the former Liverpool manager replacing Andre Villas-Boas.

League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan says Andre Villas-Boas was 'frustrated and saddened' to be sacked by Chelsea and has suggested the club are becoming an 'embarrassment'.

Bevan went on to say: "Looking for what is an eighth manager in nine years is a serious embarrassment to the owner, the club, the fans and the league."

Chelsea defender David Luiz has taken to Twitter to thank former manager Andre Villas-Boas: He tweeted: "Thanks AVB! You are an amazing guy! Big hug."

Opta Sports tweeted: "47.5% - André Villas-Boas won just 19 of his 40 games in charge of Chelsea, the lowest win% at the club since Glenn Hoddle (34%). Gone."

All the latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

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

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

Is your club involved?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All the latest Transfer Gossip across Europe

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

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

Here is a round up:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

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

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

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

Here is a round up:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The World's Richest Football Club Owners

#5 – Silvio Berlusconi – AC Milan

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

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

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

#4 – Roman Abramovich – Chelsea

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

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

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

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

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

#3 – Amancio Ortega Gaona – Deportivo La Coruna

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 – Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed – Manchester City

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

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

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