Wednesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours
Last updated on .From the section Football
.jpg)
For updated transfer news and gossip throughout the day, read our breaking news service Sportsday Live.
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Kevin Strootman's agent has confirmed Manchester United have enquired about the 22-year-old Dutch star - and revealed the PSV Eindhoven midfielder wants a move to the Premier League.
Arsenal have been told by Schalke they will need to bid more than £6m to prise striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, 29, from Germany.
Liverpool are hopeful the managerial chaos at Chelsea will not impact on their efforts to sign striker Daniel Sturridge, 23, in January.
Chelsea are ready to test Feyenoord's resolve in January by making a £5m bid for their 20-year-old captain and defender Stefan de Vrij.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed his interest in Crystal Palace's 20-year-old forward Wilfried Zaha.
Manchester United have stepped up their bid to sign St Etienne defender Kurt Zouma, 18, but face a battle with local rivals City.
Theo Walcott, 23, and Bacary Sagna, 29, have both been left out of the club's new 2013 calendar - but Wenger claims their omission is not a signal Arsenal are about to sell the pair.
Southampton left-back Luke Shaw, 17, insists he is staying at St Mary's despite interest from Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
West Ham are poised to sign young Irish striker Sean Maguire, 18, after he impressed on trial.
OTHER GOSSIP
Everton manager David Moyes has given the first definitive answer about his future plans by revealing he expects to begin discussions over a fresh contract in the new year.
Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard has condemned the "primitive" and "intolerant" attitude towards homosexuality in football.
Arsene Wenger has vowed to ignore unhappy Arsenal fans as he made a staunch defence of his managerial record.
Uefa president Michel Platini has admitted his organisation is considering scrapping the Europa League in favour of extending the Champions League.
Gabriel Agbonlahor is pleased to see Christian Benteke, 21, becoming a hit with the Aston Villa fans, with the striker again leading the line against Reading on Tuesday as Darren Bent's controversial absence from Paul Lambert's team-sheet continues.
Bus tycoon Sandy Easdale is being courted as a possible investor in Rangers, with a club spokesman saying that the McGill's boss's jailing for 27 months over a VAT fraud in 1997 was a long time ago and he had served his debt to society.
Celtic and Ireland striker Anthony Stokes has been photographed at a Dublin memorial party for murdered Real IRA boss Alan "The Model" Ryan.
A bust-up with chairman Ralph Topping is the reason why Stephen Thompson resigned from the Scottish Premier League board, the Dundee United chairman having been accused of leaking sensitive information.
The prospect of Scotland's top-flight clubs presenting a united front next week to accelerate a new league construction proposal evaporated after Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson resigned from the board.
Rangers chairman Charles Green says the Third Division club will not support the Scottish Premier League's proposed changes to the structure of the leagues while it continues to threaten the club with the stripping of titles for alleged double payments to players.
Alan Hutton, who has joined Nottingham Forest on loan, says Paul Lambert told him when he became Aston Villa manager in the summer he would not play this season, but the Scotland defender has refused to reveal the reason.
AND FINALLY
If you think you've ever had a tough day at work, spare a thought for Japanese football reporter Daisuke Nakajima who travelled 6,000 miles to cover a match - only for it to be called off before a ball was even kicked.
Comments
Join the conversation
I agree, it seems someone at the bbc has decided to pull certain bits of this story to give an impression to the readers that its all done and dusted. no where on their full news story does it mention that ramires still insists something was said. this is not the unbiased news reporting that the bbc should offer and it makes me doubt what censorship is present in other stories
So basically f-ing over clubs who may relay on the money their team get from that tournemant. All that means is that top teams from the EL will be in CL and the minows will get nothing,
Why don't they try and revive the EL by putting less teams in it, STOP letting 3rd place CL loser into the knockouts and try making it a more desirable to win. Winner gets a CL spot.
Stop CL drop outs into KO rounds.
Reduce group stage to 32 teams, thus one less KO round in February.
Play on alternate weeks to CL on Tuesday/Wednesday
Give winners spot in the 4th qualifying round of CL.
Also bring in regional KO 3rd comp (Euro Nations Cup) to absorb those out of smaller Europa League/those knocked out of later qualifying rounds
Not sure why the Monty Pyhton reference was appropriate - they were sound points.
Anyway, how did you become King? I didn't vote for you! You can't expect to wield supreme executive power cos some watery tart threw a sword at you ;-D
This is not just my view about Scotland but also other small nations like Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium etc which might not have the best of leagues but they still have 2 or 3 big teams that suffer because of the current system!
Agree with the Europa League qualifying for CL idea though maybe even both finalists with runner up into the qualifying round to add even more incentive.
I note with great interest that the "rumour" from The Times has been removed in regard to Ramirez insisting that Mark Clattenberg did in fact say what was alleged.
---
I also read that on the gossip page this morning. Can't think why the beeb don't want Ramires opinion heard on this, after all he was there. it's almost like they want us to see things a certain way.
Not sure about the other half of Glasgow but Celtic fans have won awards all over Europe for having the best fans!