Friday's gossip column - transfers and rumours
Last updated on .From the section Football
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners are ready to sanction an £80m world-record transfer fee and a salary of between £400,000 and £500,000 a week to land Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
Three former Chelsea managers are plotting raids on the club. Fernando Torres is a £45m target for Guus Hiddink's Anzhi Makhachkala, Carlo Ancelotti wants Ashley Cole at Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, coached by Jose Mourinho, are eyeing Raul Meireles.
Torres' agent has hinted that the Spanish striker, 28, could be tempted by a move to Serie A side Roma.
Chelsea are ready to make a £35m bid for Real Madrid's Angel di Maria. The Argentina winger, 24, is seeking to double his £40,000 a week wages.
Juventus want to muscle in on this summer's anticipated auction for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani. Manchester City and Chelsea both want to sign the 25-year-old Uruguay international.
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill wants a reunion with Gabriel Agbonlahor and Richard Dunne, both of whom he managed at Aston Villa.
Big-spending La Liga side Malaga plan to scupper Manchester United's attempts to land Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Arsenal striker Carlos Vela wants to stay at Real Sociedad when his loan spell finishes at the end of the season.
West Brom are keen on signing Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng. The 28-year-old wants to leave his current club FC Dnipro in Ukraine, after a reported race row with an opponent earlier this month.
OTHER GOSSIP
Tottenham will turn to Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers if Harry Redknapp is appointed England boss.
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway believes the Football Association could be too scared to name Redknapp England manager.
Former national team manager Terry Venables believes that the delay in appointing a successor to Fabio Capello may harm England's Euro 2012 hopes.
Full story: The Daily Telegraph
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has publicly expressed his admiration for Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric, saying that he is "definitely one of the best in the Premier League".
Mancini and Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli have patched up their differences following a training ground bust-up on Wednesday.
Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland is ready to make himself available for Ireland again - but not before Euro 2012.
Injury-hit Bolton Wanderers may turn to 18-year-old Josh Vela, who is yet to make a first-team appearance, against Wolves because they are so short of midfielders.
AND FINALLY
Fans of German fourth-tier football team Magdeburg formed a human arrow pointing to the net to help end the relegation-threatened team's goal drought.
Diego Maradona ran from the dugout to the stands to rescue his girlfriend from angry fans, during his team Al Wasl's 2-0 defeat to Al Shabab in the UAE League.
