SPORTS AND GAME, GOSSIPS AND TRANSFERS (Tuesday)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Fulham are lining up a deal to sign Swedish full-back Behrang Safari on a free transfer after the 25-year-old decided to quit FC Basle at the end of the season.
talkSPORT

Wigan are favourites to sign Coventry City's Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Keiren Westwood on a Bosman free transfer in the summer but face competition from Everton and Celtic.
Daily Mail

Liverpool will this summer look to follow up their purchase of Luis Suarez from Ajax by attempting to lure his former team-mate Christian Eriksen to Anfield. The Danish playmaker has been likened to a young Dennis Bergkamp.
caughtoffside.com

Arsenal are lining up a club record summer bid for £25m-rated Sevilla winger Jesus Navas.
talkSPORT

Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris has opened the door for a move to Manchester United during the summer by admitting he may quit the French club.
talkSPORT

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell believes ex-Blades defender Kyle Walker - who has just received his first call up to the England squad for Wednesday's friendly with Denmark - can be better than right-back rival Glen Johnson. Walker is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Tottenham.

talkSPORT

Midfielder Charlie Adam insists that ambition and not money will be the driving force when he eventually leaves Blackpool. The Scotland midfielder is expected to be sold in the summer after handing in a transfer request last month and seeing Blackpool turn down offers from Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa in the January window.
Daily Mail

West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger is hoping to make his long-awaited comeback for the reserves when they face West Brom on Wednesday night. The German has not played for the Hammers since joining from Lazio in the summer because of thigh injury.
Daily Mail

AND FINALLY

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp may have been largely frustrated during the January transfer window but he is poised to unveil one of his own personal big signings at Newbury on Saturday when his newly acquired £100,000 horse Bygones In Brid races.
talkSPORT

 

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH plans to make a £50million summer swoop for Cesc Fabregas.

Chelsea's billionaire owner will try to hijack any Barcelona bid to land the Arsenal skipper. Capturing Fabregas would be an even more astonishing Blues coup than the recent £50m British record signing of Fernando Torres from Liverpool. Chelsea see the Spaniard as the ideal partner for Frank Lampard in the side's engine room. But Abramovich faces a huge task to convince the Gunners to part with their talismanic midfielder, who last year asked to be allowed to join Barca. Emirates boss Arsene Wenger slapped on a £60m price-tag to stave off the Catalan giants and, in the end, he convinced his captain to stay.

Team Of The Year

Spain have been named the Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Monday. La Furia Roja won the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, French legend Zinedine Zidane received a lifetime achievement award.

Out For A Month

Inter striker Diego Milito will miss the Champions League tie with Bayern Munich after picking up a thigh injury. The Argentine's brace helped the Nerazzurri to a 2-0 victory over the Germans in last season's final, so his absence will be keenly felt.

Wolfe Sack McClaren

Former England manager Steve McClaren has paid for Wolfsburg's poor Bundesliga performance as he was sacked on Monday afternoon. Assistant coach Pierre Littbarski will take over from the 49-year-old, who was only given the role last summer.

Cleared For Italy

Italy boss Cesare Prandelli has confirmed that Thiago Motta will be able to turn out for the Azzurri in international football. The Brazilian-born Inter player had been named in Prandelli's squad to face Germany pending FIFA approval, which has now been granted.

Kenny’s Still King

Kenny Dalglish's style is more in keeping with Liverpool's ideals than Roy Hodgson's tactics were, club owner John W Henry has said. The Scotsman was recently promoted to the role of manager after the Reds made a wretched start to the season and is presently rejuvenating the side.

2022 WC Set For Summer

It had been suggested that the Qatar-based tournament would take place in winter, but it seems that FIFA president Sepp Blatter has decided to stick by the traditional summer date, despite roasting hot temperatures being the norm at that time of year in the region.