Papers 25/07

[jezza]

Arsenal have rejected a £16.5m Chelsea bid for Ashley Cole - and want £25m for the England defender. (Times, Mirror)

The Gunners want Chelsea defender William Gallas in part-exchange for Cole but Blues boss Jose Mourinho will not let Gallas leave. (The Sun)

Portsmouth want Chelsea midfielder Geremi and are also willing to pay the £4m that Manchester City want for defender Sylvain Distin. (The Times)

Paul Ince is waiting to find out if he has a future at Wolves. (The Sun)

Portsmouth and Bolton are both interested in Villarreal defender Juan Pablo Sorin who would cost £2m. (Times)

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is also keen on Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson. (Daily Mirror)

Want-away Fulham midfielder Steed Malbranque is a £4m target for Reading. (The Sun, Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough are set to launch a £2.5m bid for Blackburn's Brett Emerton but Fulham and West Ham are also keen on the Australian winger. (Daily Express)

Sunderland defender Julio Arca is on the verge of a £2m move to Middlesbrough. (Daily Mail)

Boro have offered midfielder Adam Johnson on loan as part of the deal for Arca. (The Times)

Inter Milan are close to completing the signing of Juventus midfielder Patrick Vieira for £8.9m. (The Guardian)

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OTHER GOSSIP

American tycoon Randy Lerner, who owns the Cleveland Browns American Football team, is preparing a takeover bid for Aston Villa. (Various)

Former Liverpool and England winger - and ex-Celtic coach - John Barnes is set to be appointed coach of Jamaica. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United's former Everton star Wayne Rooney has criticised Toffees manager David Moyes in his autobiography. (Daily Mail)

Everton defender Alan Stubbs has backed team-mates James Beattie and Andy Johnson to break into the England squad. (Daily Express)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/5212132.stm

 

[kimirocks]

Ppfftt 25Mil for Cole, most definately not worth it. And the idea of a part-exchange with Gallas is just plain stupid. Don't bother Roman, save your money, get a better player.

 

[Embers]

2.5 for Emerton = No thanks, thats just too much.

Have Portsmouth actually bought anyone yet?

 

[Boro]

Middlesbrough are set to launch a £2.5m bid for Blackburn's Brett Emerton but Fulham and West Ham are also keen on the Australian winger. (Daily Express)

Sunderland defender Julio Arca is on the verge of a £2m move to Middlesbrough. (Daily Mail)

Boro have offered midfielder Adam Johnson on loan as part of the deal for Arca. (The Times)

I'd be surprised if we go for Emerton, especially for that amount. We'll see.

The Arca deal should be done in a couple of days, although there is no chance of Johnson going the other way. Everyone seems to want him, but he'll be an important back up to Downing this season.

 

[apollo_creed]

Arsenal have rejected a £16.5m Chelsea bid for Ashley Cole - and want £25m for the England defender. (Times, Mirror)

Say no to Roman again. I dare you.

]The Gunners want Chelsea defender William Gallas in part-exchange for Cole but Blues boss Jose Mourinho will not let Gallas leave. (The Sun)

Delusion Grandeur at its finest.

Portsmouth and Bolton are both interested in Villarreal defender Juan Pablo Sorin who would cost £2m. (Times)

Bolton Big Sam has the powers of persuasion.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is also keen on Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson. (Daily Mirror)

He's 'keen on him' is he?

Each to their own I suppose.

American tycoon Randy Lerner, who owns the Cleveland Browns American Football team, is preparing a takeover bid for Aston Villa. (Various)

Probably English football's third biggest club, and I think their fans deserve something like this to happen. It may not necessarily be the best thing but anything's better than Doug Ellis 'spending', surely?

 

[sainter]

Have Portsmouth actually bought anyone yet?

Not one.

Glen Johnson on loan has been their only signing.

I'm sure they'll make plenty of signings once they remember who they are and what kind of club they are.

 

[apollo_creed]

Not one.

Glen Johnson on loan has been their only signing.

I'm sure they'll make plenty of signings once they remember who they are and what kind of club they are.

A Premier League one?

 

[sainter]

A Premier League one?

A Premier League club that has just come into money and is trying to throw it at any high profile player with a pulse.

You'd know about that.

 

[Borgsta]

Probably English football's third biggest club, and I think their fans deserve something like this to happen. It may not necessarily be the best thing but anything's better than Doug Ellis 'spending', surely?

Nah, not even close. Villa would be about the 7th biggest club in England. A nothing club which is very close to being relegated.

 

[Cooldude]

Apparently we have a 6 mil, yes, 6 ****ing mil, bid for Pennant accept

Speechless...

 

[Embers]

A Premier League club that has just come into money and is trying to throw it at any high profile player with a pulse.

You'd know about that.

Glen Johnson barely has a pulse id say. Surely if your gonna buy a club you buy one thats better then Portsmouth.

 

[DB10]

Say no to Roman again. I dare you.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy the club.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy Vieira.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy Pires.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy Henry.

Arsenal'll say no to him as much as they damn well want, oh lord of the cliche.

 

[Embers]

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy the club.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy Vieira.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy Pires.

Arsenal said no to him when he wanted to buy Henry.

Arsenal'll say no to him as much as they damn well want, oh lord of the cliche.

That wasnt the best decision was it

 

[DB10]

It wasn't?

I seem to recall us winning the league and not losing a game during that season following that decision.

Hmm.

 

[Embers]

Apparently we have a 6 mil, yes, 6 ****ing mil, bid for Pennant accept

Speechless...

Id be happy with that if it was for any team other then Liverpool. Surely he wont be playing ahead of Garcia Sissoko and co. Would he even make the bench.

 

[kimirocks]

It wasn't?

I seem to recall us winning the league and not losing a game during that season following that decision.

Hmm.

Where are you now though? 4th place at best. Gonna be a tough year for the gunners, Tottenham v Arsenal, now that's a game I wanna see.

 

[DB10]

So?

In case you hadn't noticed we sold off nearly all of our senior players and have rebuilt the entire team over the last two years. We're not aiming to make a serious charge for the title or anything this season, we're doing that in 2008.

We could finish tenth or wherever and I still would be glad we said no to Abramovich.

And it won't be a tough season at all. I expect us to easily make the top four.

 

[jefffff34]

I'd rather be in Arsenal's position they are in now rather than buying their way to success with a Scrooge McDuck money bin out the back of Stamford Bridge like Chelsea are doing.

 

[Borgsta]

I expect us to easily make the top four.

As do I. I honestly cant see Man Utd makinng top 4 unless they do some serious buying in the next few weeks.

 

[jezza]

I would (unfortunately) have Arsenal as very serious challengers to Chelsea this season.

 

[Embers]

Man U will probably struggle to make the top 6 at this rate.

 

[Borgsta]

I would (unfortunately) have Arsenal as very serious challengers to Chelsea this season.

I wouldnt yet. My prediction so far is:

Chelsea
Liverpool
Arsenal

 

[DB10]

Agreed.

Think Liverpool and Arsenal will end up with virtually the same points at the end of the season.

 

[Embers]

Alot of teams have gotten worse over the transfer window which makes it more likely for Tottenscum to get a top 4 spot.

 

[Borgsta]

Alot of teams have gotten worse over the transfer window which makes it more likely for Tottenscum to get a top 4 spot.

We came 5th last year. Which teams have gotten worse that have helped us?