Darren Bent's embracing of the latest in internet crazes - though it's probably old hat to you hip cats - is making the headlines across the board. Bent's use of Twitter to have a blast at Daniel Levy over the protraction of his desired move to Sunderland has caused much amusement, though perhaps not to laughing-boy Levy or indeed Bent's agent.

Both The Sun and The Mirror lead off on this tale of silly boy playing with his toys.

Xabi Alonso's handing in of a transfer request is another big story with The Guardian's estimable Sid Lowe describing how Liverpool's wantaway midfielder has done Real Madrid's bidding in asking for the move. Now for the negotiation. The Times says Real have braced themselves for more disappointment despite making an improved £28million offer for the Spain midfield player.

The Mirror suggests that Rafa Benitez is holding out for £30m.

Arsene Wenger meanwhile has a huge amount of money burning a hole in his pocket but doesn't want to spend it, screams The Daily Star.

One club spending big are Manchester City, always in the news. Their latest chase is for Joleon Lescott. That's annoyed Everton, including Phil Neville, who tells the Daily Mail that City are trying to steamroller the move. The Telegraph joins many others in predicting, not particularly bravely, that Manchester's Blues will be back in for the England defender.

Meanwhile, Mark Hughes' press conference comments about not letting other managers play mind games with him have been connected with Sir Alex Ferguson, in the Guardian, and elsewhere to Martin O'Neill.

Well, Arsenal need a defensive midfielder before the seasons starts, so we suppose it was only a matter of time before they were linked with former skipper Patrick Vieira.

The Frenchman has been targeted by Tottenham as he looks to get himself ready to play at South Africa in 2010; and the Sun have reported that manager Arsene Wenger is keen to bring him back to the club he loves instead.

Arsenal haven't won a bean since he left in 2005 and, although it would go against his policy of signing young players and developing them first, Wenger is probably as keen as the fans are for the side to return to their glory days.

Speaking of unexpected returns... Kevin Keegan could be being lined up by a potential suitor of Newcastle. The Sun are really happy with themselves for their stories surrouding former greats today and reckon that the Toon hero will sign if a Dubai tycoon succeeds with a £100m bid for the troubled club.

Maybe they'll bring back Alan Shearer to play up front too.

If everyone is a little bored of the Xabi Alonso saga, the Daily Mail can help you out. They think the deal to take the Liverpool man to Real Madrid is done and that the Reds are already lining up replacements.

Rafa Benitez is apparently preparing a £12m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole and will offer Hull £5.5m for defender Michael Turner - although both of the players' clubs have reiterated that they have no desire to sell either of them in recent weeks.

One man who won't be going back to Liverpool is Robbie Keane. The Irishman is back at Spurs, but even though he says he's really quite happy with the signing of Peter Crouch, he won't be if he doesn't get a game. The Daily Mail say that Aston Villa are monitoring the situation - although they didn't seem that interested the last time.

Villa are also tracking West Ham and England defender Matthew Upson, as they need to replace Zat Knight with someone. A £12m bid is the best they can offer and Upson might be keen to play in Europe.

The Daily Mirror seem to think Martin O'Neill is keen to pair Upson with Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin though, and that he is ready to offer £4.5m for the 30-year-old.

The Daily Star have picked up some Portsmouth news too, but only really as an excuse to use the 'SPLIT OVER NIKOLA FEE' headline. Apparently Croatian forward Nikola Kalinic's move to Fratton Park is being held up over the method of payment for the £5.5m fee. We suggest American Express.

And finally, the secret behind Fulham's recent rise has been revealed by Danny Murphy. And it's notthing to do with Roy Hodgson. No, it's all about Pilates, although the midfielder wasn't exactly glowing in his praise for the new system, saying: ''We're doing specialist work, Pilates stuff. It's not my favourite. I'd rather be doing other things.''

Some people can let things go. Sir Alex Ferguson is not one of them. The United boss is still bitter over Real Madrid's capture of Cristiano Ronaldo and has had a few things to say over their summer dealings - albeit with a cheeky grin on his face.

"They will have plenty of problems with balance," he told the Independent. "I told Ronaldo before he flew out that he will end up playing centre-half because I don't think they have one. I don't envy (Real coach Manuel) Pellegrini picking his team. Barcelona are different because they have grown their squad properly and added one or two players each season."

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror are claiming that Owen Hargreaves has suffered another setback in his recovery from a long term knee complaint and could be out until Christmas. Although United are fairly used to playing without him..

United may have finished their spending, but City sure haven't. And it's Joleon Lescott on the radar next. The Daily Mirror (and almost everyone else) reckons that the Everton man will join along with Kolo Toure, to provide a platform for the various attacking players on show at Eastlands.

Elano's future looks unclear though, as AC and Inter Milan will do battle over the Brazilian, say the Sun. Seems like a good move for his career, but it could mean the end of Andrea Pirlo's stay at the San Siro - although the Daily Star have him moving to Chelsea anyway.

Not ones to do things by halves, the paper claim that it will cost £8.6m for Pirlo's move to London, plus striker Claudio Pizarro and defender Michael Mancienne would head to Italy in return. Although we smell a rat with that kind of link.

The Daily Mail think that Tottenham don't have enough strikers yet and should try and buy Middlesbrough's Tuncay Sanli.

The fact that Stuttgart have had a £9m bid already accepted shouldn't put them off, but the Daily Mirror claim that Harry Redknapp has already made an £8m-plus-player deal offer for Hull centre-half Michael Turner, with Pascal Chimbonda offered to Hull manager Phil Brown.

Newcastle's plight continues, as the Sun carry news that Alan Shearer will be back in his pundit chair and not in the hotseat at St James's at the start of the season. BBC frontman Gary Lineker says: "Shearer will be in the studio with us unless something dramatic happens.'' Dont worry Gary, we're not sure Newcastle have anything dramatic in them at the moment.

And finally, it's the last of the long-running transfer sagas, but the Daily Express seem to think that Xabi Alonso's move to Real Madrid could be almost done. Rafa will do well to get the £30m he wants, but it should all be done and dusted this weekend. We hope.

The papers now seem convinced that Arsenal defender Kolo Toure will head to Manchester City.

The Daily Mail has an EXCLUSIVE on a story which has been in the papers for four days. The paper says that the Ivory Coast international will move for £15m and will double his wages to £120,000-a-week.

Apparently the transfer is so advanced the centre back could make his debut against Barnsley at the weekend.

Miguel Veloso has long being linked with a move to the Premier League, and today he's linked with both Man City and Bolton. It says he can leave Sporting Lisbon for £15m, but surely the Trotters don't have that cash? It's in The Sun.

The Daily Mirror quotes John Terry as he outlines Roman Abramovich's role at Chelsea. Apparently he sniffs around everywhere and can't keep his nose out!

Darren Bent looks to be heading to Tottenham. The striker was on the flight to China on Monday but got a call and the last minute and had to get off the plane, and takeoff was delayed while they found his bags! It's in the Daily Mail.

Blackburn Rovers' defender Stephen Warnock is said to be interesting Aston Villa. The Daily Mail says the former Liverpool man is a £6m target.

Rovers, meanwhile, have been lined with a loan move for Chelsea striker Franco di Santo in the Daily Mirror. The paper states that Big Sam is also interested in Pascal Chimbonda.

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins is desperate to leave, says the Daily Mirror. Thing is, Mike Ashley won't sell a player until he's sold the club.

The Daily Mail confirms that Portsmouth are about to enter the transfer market with a £5.5m bid for Hadjuk Split's Croatian international striker Nikola Kalinic.

After being rejected by Hull City (!), the Daily Mirror says Jerome Thomas could join Wolves.

Hull, meanwhile, are in a race with Everton to land Tottenham's £7m-rated full-back Alan Hutton. Read that in The Sun.

And the Daily Express claims that Hull will look to up their Crock Count by signing Dean Ashton from West Ham United for £5m. Stoke and Fulham are also watching on.

And Stoke are being linked with a move for Fulham's Danny Murphy. Surely the Cottagers would not sell? They may have success in spending £6m on Pompey's John Utaka, though. That's in the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mirror says that Burnley are going back in with another bid for Sheffield Wednesday striker Marcus Tudgay.

And finally, Villa stopper Brad Friedel feels he is in such good shape that he feel he can continue playing into his 40s. It's in The Sun.

John Terry - who else? - dominates the morning agenda after agreeing to stay with Chelsea. Having put us all out of our misery, JT looks like he's won a new contract; wonders never cease. The Daily Mail suggests that he won't be getting the £250k a week that Manchester City supposedly offered for him but that he's going to have to settle for a mere £150k. How will he survive?

City are now in for Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott, say The Times.

The Mail carries a rare piece of transfer gossip in saying that Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce wants Zenit St Petersburg striker Pavel Pogrebnyak for Blackburn as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz, which looks like a decent deal to these eyes if it comes off.

Aston Villa seem to have won the battle for Sylvain Distin but the fee remains a sticking point. Portsmouth want £4m, while Villa want to pay £2.5m. Liverpool may yet be waiting in the wings. That's in the Daily Express.

South African midfielder Steven Pienaar could be quitting Everton, say the Mail. He's not happy with his new contract offer and Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina are circling.

Peter Crouch is set for Spurs, say The Sun. £13m is the fee and it seems Tottenham chief Daniel Levy has again been found wanting at the negotiating table. The Guardian disagrees, saying Harry Redknapp is pessimistic about sealing the deal.

The Mirror meanwhile says that David Beckham is set to head to Milan rather than his rumoured return to the Premier League.

On Saturday we brought you the news that Kolo Toure was of interest to Manchester City. Well, the Sunday Times claims the Ivory Coast defender has agreed personal terms!

So, is it a done deal? And will Joleon Lescott and John Terry make it a £100m defensive treble?

The Mail on Sunday, however, quotes Kolo's brother Yaya as saying City are not big enough.

So who could Arsenal sign? The News of the World thinks that they may splash out £7m on Chelsea's Salomon Kalou. The same paper links the Gunners to Brazilian wonderkid Wellington.

The Mail on Sunday thinks that despite Chelsea's confidence that Terry will stay, City are actually closing in on the England skipper. The paper quotes a deal worth £35m.

The News of the World reports that John Terry DOES still want to talk to Mark Hughes' side.

It's a different story for the Sunday Express, though, as they firmly believe Terry will stay and also pen a new £150,000-a-week contract.

And in typically fun fashion, Jose Mourinho has told the News of the World he expects Manchester City to challenge for the title.

Ferderico Macheda had a dream start to life at Manchester United, but is he really worth £20,000-a-week at this stage? The News of the World reports this as being his new contract.

We now know that Peter Crouch is likely to head to Tottenham. But could Klaas-Jan Huntelaar be making the same move? The News of the World states that he could be made the highest-paid player in the club's history. The fee could be £18m.

Going out of the other door will surely be Darren Bent, with Sunderland the most likely port of call. It's a £15m fee, says the News of the World.

And the News of the World also links Tottenham's Alan Hutton with a £7m move to Everton after Spurs picked up those two Sheffield United kids.

Jermaine Jenas, though, has rubbished talk of leaving Spurs in the Sunday Express.

It looks like Hull City could miss out on a striker again, with Fulham manager Roy Hodgson convinced Bobby Zamora will stay at Craven Cottage. Read the News of the World.

Remember Dean Ashton? Yes, that West Ham striker! Well, the Sunday Express thinks he'll be on his way out with three clubs willing to pay £5m for the crock. Stoke City, Fulham and Hull City are leading the chase, allegedly.

West Ham's former Real Madrid (!) loanee is interesting Bayer Leverkusen, says the News of the World.

Portsmouth's transfer targets, according to the News of the World, are Nottingham Forest duo James Perch and Chris Morgan.

Finally...Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney says in the Sunday Express that the recession is leading to a huge 20% pay cut for players in the lower divisions.

Another day, another round of Manchester City rumour... but this time with quotes! Crack open the bubbly!

The Independent carries a story with Emmanuel Adebayor calling on Kolo Toure to quit Arsenal and join City. Now we all know old Kolo and William Gallas don't exactly see eye to eye.

"We all know how good Kolo Touré is and I think the club need one good more good defender like him or John Terry. We all hope that it comes soon," he said. We think it could happen.

But Gael Clichy is not so nice. He accuses Adebayor of moving to Manchester City for the money in The Sun.

Also in The Independent, CEO Garry Cook dismisses claims that City have ruined the game with their big spending ways.

One player who does seem to be on the way out at the Emirates is Emmanuel Eboue. Fiorentina have been following him for some time and The Sun believes he will make the move for £6.5m.

The Daily Express claims several clubs are interested, and reckons the fee will be more like £9m.

Over at Liverpool and the increasing Spanish interest in their players. The Sun reports that a deal is done to take Alvaro Arbeloa to Real Madrid in a deal worth around £4.5m.

And the Daily Mirror says that Andrea Dossena is off. The Liverpool misfit could be heading to Napoli for a cut-price fee.

The Daily Express claims that Tottenham's move for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is being held up by the player's demands for a £4m payoff from Real Madrid.

And apparently Spurs' bid for Newcastle's Sebastien Bassong is on hold.... until Mike Ashley sells up! That could take a while. Read the Daily Express.

Martin O'Neill has again insisted there is no chance that Aston Villa will entertain any offers for England international Ashley Young. Read it in The Sun.

It seems that there's a battle on between Fulham and Everton, according to the Daily Mirror. The paper reports that both clubs want highly-rated Swedish youngster Rasmus Elm who plays for Kalmar. They have already rejected bids from Dutch club Heerenveen and Valenciennes of France.

Bobby Zamora, who is unsurprisingly hestitating on a move to Hull City, has been told it's £40,000-a-week or no deal. It's a hard life. The story is in The Sun.

The Daily Mirror reports the old news that Everton want Hull's Michael Turner. They also claim that Fulham could be interested too.

Bit of a surprise as a new signing made his debut for West Ham against Thurrock on Sunday. It was none other than Gianfranco's son, Andrea! It's in The Sun.

Portsmouth, meanwhile, are set to sign Steve Finnan and Hajduk Split's Nikola Kalinic, and that's in The Sun.

And finally... Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has been quick to praise good old English tucker in The Sun.

He said: "English food is roast beef and you have very, very, very good breakfasts. In Italy, it is only coffee and brioche. I even had Yorkshire pudding the other day and I thought it was really good. I can eat it but the players can't! Their diet is more controlled than mine."

Emmanuel Adebayor has defied the principle of not looking back in anger by blaming Arsenal fans for his exit from the Gunners. Now at City on a vast wage believed to be £150,000-170,000 a week the Togo charmer says that it was not the money he went for. This quote will surely make him a target for the boo boys at the Emirates: "One Arsenal fan who worked somewhere for £10 and was offered work elsewhere for £30 to say they would refuse." The Sun lead off on that.

Manchester United's lack of spending is one of the growing stories of the summer and The Times picks up chief exec David Gill's quotes that United are not prepared to enter into auctions with Manchester City and Real Madrid over megabucks wages.

The Times continue a theme of rich owners and the likes and say that Tom Hicks, the Liverpool co-owner, is under pressure to provide guarantees for the club's £350million loan as the clock ticks on his efforts to refinance the debt before today's deadline.

On the very same morning, the Daily Star suggest that Liverpool have emerged as shock contenders to take Peter Crouch back to Anfield for £12m - £1m more than they sold him for. At the same time, The Telegraph reports on the latest non-development in the Xabi Alonso saga, saying that Liverpool are denying that their "injured" midfielder is to be sold to Real Madrid.

Manchester City are the story of the English summer and Harry Redknapp gazes jealously over at them in wonder and suggests to the Daily Mirror that Mark Hughes can lead his team to a title challenge.

Crisis club corner: Mike Ashley has annoyed and delayed Alan Shearer so much that the Newcastle United legend is to turn his back on his beloved club. That's in the Daily Express and comes from close pal Rob Lee.

This one just won't go away. The John Terry saga is this summer's blockbuster mini-series and there's still a difference of opinion over how it will end.

Over at The Guardian, it is said that JT has agreed in principle to stay at Chelsea, thus eschewing the chance to join Manchester City on a megabucks deal. The Daily Mail meanwhile say that City are set to make the England skipper an offer he can't refuse. Could the type of money that means £1m a month yet talk?

The Independent also believe Terry will stay put to follow Didier Drogba in committing to the club and new boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Elsewhere, serial charmer Ashley Cole has been taking time out on the Blues' U.S tour to remind Arsenal fans why they love him so. Yes, Ash now wants City to beat Arsenal out of the top four. Gooners will be angry after reading the Daily Mirror.

Keeping it Manchester, the Glazer family have made it public that United's unwillingness to spend the cash they got for Cristiano Ronaldo is nothing to do with them holding the purse strings. In fact, they say that the reasons behind the low spend is that they don't want to spend money on "mercenary" players. That's both in the Daily Star and The Times.

Elsewhere, there's widespread coverage of Sven's move to Notts County, with The Guardian pointing out the club's new owners are yet to be ratified by the Football League.

Transfer talk: Liverpool are in the bargain basement for Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin, say the Mirror but Martin O'Neill is set to anger his old pal Rafa Benitez by offering £3m for him. So say the Daily Mail anyway.

Everton, perhaps resigned to losing Joleon Lescott to Manchester City, have made a counter-bid for Nedum Onuoha. That can be seen in The Mirror.

Chelsea outcast Deco could be heading to Galatasaray, according to The Times. And Marouane Chamakh, previously linked with Arsenal, may yet be heading to Sunderland as Steve Bruce gets a £10m bid ready. That's in The Sun.

Much of this summer's transfer talk has centred on the future of Liverpool's Xabi Alonso. It has seemed certain that the midfielder would return to Spain with Real Madrid, but now there's a doubt.

The Daily Mail believes both Manchester City and Chelsea are both ready to swoop after talks with Real hit a brick wall.

Another Liverpool player linked with a move away is Javier Mascherano. The Sun has added fuel to the fire of a mooted switch to Barcelona, with the Argentine's agent claiming that he is "tired of life in England". Could it be on?

So who could be coming in at Anfield? According to the Daily Mirror, one player could be Alberto Aquilani. The paper states that Roma have confirmed Liverpool's interest.

More Beckham talk now, and it's only six months until he can officially sign for another club, with Chelsea, Tottenham and Fulham all said to be ready to offer him a return to England should a move to Milan not happen. It's in the Daily Mail.

And Spurs are said to be also keen on Manchester City's Martin Petrov, would could become available. The Daily Mail also states that Harry Redknapp is ready to step up his bid for Peter Crouch after Sunderland pulled out of the race. The Sun makes Spurs favourites to land the lanky one.

The Daily Mirror has an EXCLUSIVE (with no quotes) insisting that Spurs will pay £17m for Real Madrid's Alvaro Negredo.

Another City striker (which one!), Ched Evans, is closing in on a £3m move to Sheffield United, according to the Daily Mail.

It looks like there's a bit of a race on for Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt. A price of £4m is being quoted and the Daily Mail believes there is interest from Birmingham, Sunderland and Wigan.

Hull City don't seem to be able to sign anyone. But will they sell? Fulham and Everton are both being linked with a move for central defender Michael Turner. Soccernet, though, finds it hard to believe the £9m fee quoted in the Daily Mirror.

Surprise, surprise, Manchester City are the ones in the news again today as Elano looks to get himself out of the club before he's smothered by all the new players.

The Brazilian, 28, is trying to engineer a move on a season-long loan to German club Cologne or Inter Milan after being told not to join the club's pre-season tour of South Africa, say the Independent.

City are also keen to sign John Terry [no surprise] there, but the Daily Star think £40m is the magic number to seal the deal.

The Times also reckon that Joleon Lescott is keen on a move, and will PLEAD with David Moyes to be allowed to move to City for £18m. Which, of course, would probably spell the end of Richard Dunne's Eastlands career.

Aston Villa are suddenly splashing the cash and have been linked with moves for two Tottenham players. Alan Hutton is one, and the Sun say that Jermaine Jenas is the other. Although they would cost a combined total of £15m, which seems a lot.

While the Guardian agree that Jenas will cost a cool £10m, they seem to think he'll be headed to Inter Milan as the Italians look to spend some of the cash they'll get for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Daily Mirror think that Nigel Reo-Coker is a £3m target for Middlesbrough; but a swap deal for Turkish striker Tuncay Sanli, who they value at £5m could be on the cards.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are looking to make a difference to their squad. However the Daily Mirror think it won't be with Klaas Jan-Huntelaar who is set for an £18m move to Stuttgart instead.

Bolton have made a £2m bid for Hull midfielder Sam Ricketts, say the Daily Star. Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is giving up on Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole after failing with a £6m bid. Birmingham are ready to make a £4m offer for Reading's Stephen Hunt.

The Daily Telegraph say that Sunderland could be successful in their £12m bid to sign Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch. But we'll find out later.

And finally, Sir Alex Ferguson believes Cristiano Ronaldo's love for Manchester United could see him return one day. "He may come back, you never know... He loved United," said Ferguson in the Sun; before reigniting his war of words with Carlos Tevez, claiming he is ''not worth £25m.''

So, Chelsea want John Terry to stay. The manager does. The fans do. His fellow players do. No, all we need is for the player himself to say he's going nowhere. The silence, therefore, is deafening from the club's skipper.

It really is a quiet day, though, with most of the sports pages taken up with the golf and the cricket.

It all means that while good old "Mr Chelsea" stays silent we have no option but to continue with this tedious tale of rumour and counter rumour. Today's Dail Mail confidently predicts that Mark Hughes will up their bid to £40m.

The Daily Mirror expects City to up their bid for Everton's Joleon Lescott, expecting an offer in the region of £18m. They will double the England international's wages.

Manchester United have been tracking Douglas Costa for some time, but now the Guardian says that the Red Devils have asked Gremio to lower their demands. The problem is that Chelsea are now waiting in the wings.

One of Manchester City's strikers, Craig Bellamy, has vowed to fight for his place. We think he'd be better off leaving - you can read it in the Daily Mirror.

Arsenal sold Emmanuel Adebayor to City over the weekend and although Arsene Wenger said there is no need to replace him, the Daily Mail seems to think otherwise. The rag predicts that the Gunners will make a move for Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac or Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh.

The Sun says that Manchester United were forced to dock Carlos Tevez's wages after the star's mansion was trashed prior to him moving out. The rented property needed £30,000 worth of repairs.

Everton need more numbers and could add to their squad with the signing of Sweden Under-21 midfielder Rasmus Elm. They face competition from PSV Eindhoven, Ajax and Fulham for the Kamarr FF star, who has been shown around the club. It's in the Daily Mail.

Lots of talk about Peter Crouch recently, and the Daily Mirror claims he is demanding £90,000-a-week to make the long trek north from Portsmouth to play for Sunderland.

And Portsmouth will have to wait to find out if Sulamain al-Fahim's takeover will get the go-ahead. The Premier League have promised to leave no stone unturned before approving the takeover, it's in the Guardian.

According to the Daily Mail, Fulham have spent £1.5m on Bjorn Helge Riise from Lillestrom and will also test West Brom with a new £3.25m bid for Jonathan Greening. Bobby Zamora is to have talks with Hull.

The Tigers, according to the Daily Mirror, will look to sign Andriy Voronin on loan from Liverpool.

The Daily Mirror says Blackburn Rovers have turned their back on Christian Vieri - he must be finished if even Big Sam does not feel he can get his career back on track - and may look to loan Chelsea's Franco di Santo.

It's Sunday and therefore the News of the World rumour mill is in full swing. Let's start with the news that Ashley Young could be on his way out of Aston Villa, with Tottenham and Liverpool both set to bid around £20m.

The winger has been one of the best in the Premier League over the past few seasons, so he'll certainly cost a few quid, but Martin O'Neill is surely not going to let him go now that Stewart Downing has arrived. Whatever happened to Liverpool's move for David Silva?

Tottenham, meanwhile, might sneak in as they have been quiet so far this summer. They need a left winger, but are being distracted by chasing yet another striker. The News of the World claims that they have bid £12m for Peter Crouch; while the Mail on Sunday says that they'll find out on Monday if Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will be moving to them instead of Stuttgart.

Spurs might also reignite their interest in signing David Beckham before the 2010 World Cup, says the same paper. Chelsea are also reported to be keen to offer Becks an escape route from the United States and keep him on track for next year's showpiece - and they might win the race.

In a case of pot and kettle, Chelsea are getting rather angry with Manchester City over their 'tapping up' of John Terry, says the News of the World. The Blues are furious that Mark Hughes openly spoke about his pursuit of the England skipper - even spelling out why Terry should sign on at Eastlands - although we have yet to hear anything from the man himself which might clear everything up.

Instead, City will spend the £30m they were going to land JT with, on Joleon Lescott. City had a £15m turned down by Everton and are now reportedly ready to go into 'crazy-money' mode in order to get themselves a new centre-back before the start of the season. Everton would have to be tempted by that, wouldn't they?

The Sunday Times have a nice report on the fact that City's 'crazy' spending has landed them rather a large wage bill. So large in fact, that when you combine it with the transfer fees they've paid already it could set a new record at over $1bn by the time they're done.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are looking to fill the void left by Emmanuel Adebayor. The News of the World says they'll splash £10m on Bordeaux's striker Marouane Chamakh, who is keen to join up with Arsene Wenger.

And finally, Carlos Tevez may have wanted to get rid of all things Manchester United, but he has bought Cristiano Ronaldo's old house for £4m and will be neighbours with old teammate Rio Ferdinand. I'd give it a good clean if I were you Carlos.

Emmanuel Adebayor's move to Manchester City is stalling as the Togo man has the cheek to wait for a move to Chelsea. Having been given a work permit, and agreed a fee, now the striker wants to see if the Blues fancy offering him some European football - and the Citizens won't be happy with that.

The Times reckon that the deal will still be discussed over the weekend, but City have shown with Samuel Eto'o that they are not willing to wait around for someone to make up their mind.

Adebayor is really not making any friends as the Daily Mirror report that the wants a 'loyalty' payment of £2m because he did not hand in a transfer request, before he moves. For a player whose lack of commitment soured his relationship with the Gunners fans, it's an amazing move. But not, in these modern times, unbelievable.

Liverpool meanwhile, in the same paper, are set to step up their move for David Villa. He'd be a cracking addition alongside fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres, but the Reds would have to beat Barcelona's 42m euros bid - which was rejected - and get closer to 50m.

From the top to the bottom, as Portsmouth continue to hemorrhage players. Peter Crouch is closing on a move to Fulham or Sunderland for a cool £12m, the Daily Star say that he'll make up his mind over the weekend. But there are reports that Jermain Defoe has told Harry Redknapp that he wants to be reunited with the tall striker - which 'Arry was quite keen to do himself anyway.

The Independent say that Sylvain Distin will be next out of the Fratton Park door. Aston Villa are set to pounce with a £3m bid and Leeds United's Fabian Delph could follow as they have made a £4m take-it-or-leave-it offer.

Tottenham could lose a few players themselves though, as the Times report that Pascal Chimbonda could be on his way to Blackburn and Sunderland have also made an enquiry about defender Alan Hutton.

Rounding up some of the rest of the gossip is the Daily Star. Stoke midfielder Seyi Olifinjana is in talks to join French club Monaco. Portsmouth might actually sign a player as Zimbabwe left-back Onismor Bhasera is on trial; Wolves are will beat Celtic and Wigan to the signature of Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy. Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon is confident he will complete his takeover of Newcastle in the next few days as part of a consortium. And new Southampton boss Alan Pardew will offer new deals to strikers Jason Euell and Stern John.

And finally, Hull boss Phil Brown has not won over many fans with his transfer policy. £5m on crocked Jimmy Bullard and now the Sun claim that he is ready to put £3m towards offering Joey Barton a way out of Newcastle. Given Brown's previous battles with Dean Windass for his off the pitch antics, it doesn't seem a good move. And they might have been tipped off by the fact that the Toon are willing to pay part of his wages to get him off the club's squad list.

Good morning and welcome to your daily Manchester City fun fest.

Today there's talk that Diego Forlan could be heading to Manchester, to play for City. The Daily Mail reports that Atletico Madrid want £30m, though, for a player who was rubbish at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has said in The Sun that there was never any chance he would move to Manchester City.

It seems that United are no longer interested in Douglas Costa. The Gremio forward appears to be too pricey at £20m - and the Red Devils are unhappy with payments to agents. It's in the Times.

Rumours about Xabi Alonso's future refuse to go away, and the Daily Mirror believes he is close to a £32m move to Real Madrid.

The Daily Mail believes that Peter Crouch will turn his back on a move to Sunderland as he wants to return to London, we're sure Abby will be happy. It seems like Fulham is a sure-fire next port of call. It's also in The Sun.

The Sun says that Sylvain Distin will join Aston Villa from Portsmouth for just £2m.

It would seem West Ham are desperate for a new striker as they are so worried about Dean Ashton's long-term fitness. The Daily Mail claims Gianfranco Zola will make a move for Inter Milan's Mancini.

Chelsea are said to be eager to bring Nemanja Matic to the Bridge from MFK Kosice for £5m. It's in The Sun.. While in the same paper Ricardo Carvalho has been told he has to stay at the club.

Alvaro Negredo to complete a move from Atletico to Tottenham? That's what The Sun says.

Big Sam may have Christian Vieri on trial, but The Sun says he is also giving a trial to Austrian striker Erwin Hoffer to replace Roque Santa Cruz.

And finally, Oasis supremo Noel Gallagher has told the Daily Mirror that Man City should not sign John Terry from Chelsea because he's a "Cockney cry baby".

There a lot of talk about Emmanuel Adebayor in today's papers. Does he want to move to Man City or not? And for how much cash?

The Sun says that the Togo international is stalling on a move to Eastlands.

And surely he hasn't been offered to Manchester United? That's what the Daily Mail claims.

In the Guardian, it is thought he is concerned that City are not considered a big club back home in Africa.

A couple of snippets of Carlos Tevez news, after all he's been in this blog so often he feels like a close personal friend. The Daily Mirror reports that his decision to join City was all down to Diego Maradona, while the same paper suggests the striker could buy Cristiano Ronaldo's old pad.

The Daily Mirror also have a doubtful story of City bidding £12m for Spurs flop David Bentley.

Coming in at Tottenham could be Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The Dutch striker, who has no future at Real Madrid, is stalling on a move to Germany with Vfb Stuttgart, with the Daily Mirror saying he wants to move to London. It's also reported by the Daily Mail.

Down at the Emirates, it's been a relatively quite summer of transfer dealings for Arsene Wenger. And it could well stay that way if you believe The Sun, The paper claims that Bordeaux have upped their asking price for striker Marouane Chamakh who will now cost £7m PLUS defender Mikael Silvestre. Ouch.

West Ham are being strongly linked with Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen, who played with Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea. The Daily Star says the Hammers will have to fork out £5m to land the 30-year-old.

The Sun reports that Paul Hart is to be kept on as Portsmouth manager when Sulaiman Al Fahim's takeover goes through. No Roberto Mancini, then. The story even has quotes!

And finally... it seems Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour is even more generous that we first thought. The Sun reports that the whole squad has been handed special edition Franck Muller watches - worth £168,000 each!

Most of the Man City stuff which makes the papers today has been covered on your very own ESPN Soccernet, so let's concentrate on other stuff here.

We don't often hear much from the Daily Telegraph in this wonderful world of tittle tattle, but the paper is suggesting that Xabi Alonso could be a Real Madrid player by the end of the week for a fee in the region of £30m. The Spanish international clearly does want to go.

It's different in The Sun, though, as that paper says that Real Madrid could be about to give up on Alonso.

The Daily Mirror reports that Liverpool have told Javier Mascherano that he has no chance of leaving Anfield this summer.

The Daily Telegraph also claims that Rafael Benitez will turn to Valencia's David Silva to replace Alonso.

We have to bring up a little gem on Man City from the Daily Telegraph, though. We've heard of John Terry possible going from Chelsea to Man City, but now it is claimed that Peter Kenyon could return to Manchester with a move to Eastlands.

One City player set to leave is Craig Bellamy, who must be a little annoyed not to get the chance to shine under Mark Hughes once again. It could be a move to Sunderland, so says the Daily Mail.

We're starting to wish that Peter Crouch would just sign for someone, as he's linked with either Fulham or Sunderland every day. The Sun believes Fulham will bid £11m if they manage to offload Bobby Zamora to Hull City. The Daily Mail already thinks Sunderland have had a £12m bid accepted.

Talking of Sunderland, and The Sun reports their bid of £14m for Darren Bent has not been enough to tempt Spurs.

We brought you the story yesterday of Patrick Vieira possibly moving to Tottenham Hotspur in a shock move. The Daily Mirror now says that Inter Milan are so desperate to get rid they would pat Spurs to take him!

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale - yes, the player who has never, ever played when Tottenham have won a match - could be heading to AS Roma. A born winner. Read the Daily Mirror.

Spurs and Everton are completing their fight for Sheffield United's Kyle Naughton. The Toffees thought they had the highly-rated defender in the bag but now he's thinking of going to White Hart Lane, reports the Daily Star.

The Daily Express says that Aston Villa are confident of beating away Tottenham and Chelsea as they track Ashley Young. However, the Daily Mail says that Bolton lead Wolves in the race to sign Zat Knight.

Sam Allardyce built his Bolton reputation on revitalising the careers of fallen stars, but can he do the same for Christian Vieri? The 36-year-old former Italy international has been on trial at Blackburn Rovers with The Sun saying the striker will be given plenty of time to prove his worth.

The Daily Mirror reports that Barry Ferguson could be offered the chance to get his career back on track by Birmingham City.

Stoke will up their interest in Lens striker Aruna Dindane, who is valued at £3.5m, and that's in the Daily Mail.

More fun and frolics up at Newcastle, where they still have no new manager and no takeover. Now, so says the Daily Telegraph, Joe Kinnear is set to return to the club after recovering from heart surgery. Is it really worth it, Joe? Is it really worth it, Newcastle?

The Sun reports that Jose Enrique will take a £20,000-a-week pay cut to escape his Newcastle hell. The same paper speaks of fans' favourite Habib Beye leaving too.

But our favourite story of the day comes from the Daily Telegraph. Wayne Rooney seems to believe he might have become a priest but for his footballing skills!

Carlos Tevez is on the back pages, as he readies himself to play for Manchester City next season; but John Terry is also a focus of attention as he stalls over a possible move to follow the Argentine.

The Chelsea skipper has been unusually quiet over his desire to either stay at Stamford Bridge or to leave for Mark Hughes' revolution. The Daily Star reckon that he has been offered £250,000 a week by the Eastlands outfit and seems to be using the transfer talk to earn himself a new, improved contract at the Blues.

Chelsea were once in for Emmanuel Adebayor, but have been usurped again by City, who are in the running to sign the Arsenal striker for around £25m. The Sun claim that the Togo man will be given £130,000 per week for five years, making a stunning £60m investment. Not bad for a player who could be the new Jo.

Arsene Wenger seems unbothered though, as he's reportedly lining up Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh as a replacement already.

The Daily Mirror reports that Wenger is also keen to poach young Chelsea winger Frank Nouble, 17, who doesn't reckon he'll get much of a chance at Chelsea. And quite right too.

Tottenham are in the papers again and have an odd choice for their midfield, ex-Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira. The Daily Mail say that the Frenchman will be available on a free and could be the latest big name to be brought in on a pay-as-you-play deal.

The Daily Star reckon Spurs' transfer moves could be funded by selling Darren Bent to Aston Villa, with Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing also a target for Martin O'Neill for a combined fee of £24m.

The Daily Mirror, however, seem to think that Tottenham would much rather splash £11m on a pair of full-backs [as if they don't have enough already] and Sheffield United are a little annoyed that it appears to be their pair of Kyles: Naughton and Walker.

Everton were chasing them, so their nose has been put out of joint, although a £6m bid for Marseille midfielder Lorik Cana could make them feel better as he says he will move to Goodison if they stump up the cash.

The Daily Mirror round up some of the rest of the gossip nicely including: West Ham and Real Madrid flop Julien Faubert being wanted by Bayer Leverkusen; Everton's attempts to get Benfica midfielder Hassan Yebda for £3m; Sheffield United licking their wounds with the capture of Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and a £7m tug-of-war between Villa and Everton for Leeds midfielder Fabian Delph.

And finally, we brought you the new yesterday that ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair and goalkeeper Steve Harper are not happy with the Toon ''tragedy'' and now Habib Beye feels the same. The Sun report that the player has insisted he must leave the club in order to save his career - which means no more chants to the tune of 'Happy Days': ''Sunday, Monday, Habib Beye....'' Shame.

Could it be? Another of the summer's long-winded transfer stories coming to a close? Could Carlos Tevez finally be on his way to Manchester City?

Yes, say the Daily Mail and it will cost the Eastlands outfit £25m, as well as a cool £150,000 per week in wages.

Now that they've lost out on Samuel Eto'o, the Blues are apparently also interested in signing Sevilla man Luis Fabiano, which might just mean some more bench time for old Carlos. Poor lad.

A signing that won't effect the Argentine [unless he decides he fancies a foray up front for a bit] is John Terry and he is still mulling over a move to Manchester - says the same paper. The Blues skipper is closing on a move, but Chelsea have made it clear to the player that they will not increase his wages to ward off interest.

Real Madrid are still sniffing around Xabi Alonso like a dog around some old food, but The Sun insist that boss Manuel Pellegrini is almost ready to sign him as he said: "He's an important player as he has shown with the Spanish team.''

Adding ''it won't be easy'', it could be a while before Xabi is wearing that famous white strip. And especially if Madrid keep lowering their price, like the Daily Mirror say they have been.

The Daily Mail are leading the race for Stewart Downing and that might mean something for the future of Ashley Young. Tottenham are keen, but not on defender Zat Knight - who Villa are set to lose - with Wolves ready to join Bolton in a battle to sign him.

Sunderland, fresh from the signing of a bright young Campbell, are now interested in some defenders and The Sun think Michael Dawson might be a cheaper - and maybe even better - option than Richard Dunne.

In other news, The Sun have the news that all Hull fans don't want to hear.. Jimmy Bullard is still injured. And until October too.

The Daily Star have upset a lot of Southampton fans [like they really need any more upset] and reckon that Tony Adams is the man to take over the reins at the faltering club.

And finally, various papers have the news that Manchester United have had to change their long-planned exhibition about Cristiano Ronaldo. The 'Best Player In The World' display at Old Trafford was made just as he hot-footed it to Madrid, so Red Devils' bosses have made it a 'farewell' presentation instead.

John Terry's proposed move to Manchester City rumbles on in the Sunday newspapers following the Chelsea skipper's crisis talks with Blues owner Roman Abramovich last night.

The News of the World report that Terry stopped short of handing in an official transfer request but the central defender is determined to speak with City officials over the proposed move

Terry, 28, will be offered £280,000 a week plus a £5m signing-on fee if Chelsea accept City's £40m offer.

If the England captain does head to Eastlands, Chelsea will replace him with Newcastle's England Under-21 centre-back Steven Taylor, according to the Sunday Express. Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the 23-year-old centre-back but the Blues are poised to make a £10m swoop.

The Star on Sunday claim that should City manager Mark Hughes miss out on Terry he will turn his attention to Porto defender Bruno Alves. The £20m-rated Portugal international is also wanted by Barcelona.

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has become frustrated in his pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Deco and will instead turn his attention to Tottenham Hotspur's Jermaine Jenas, The People report. Mourinho first enquired about Jenas, 26, when Spurs boss Harry Redknapp contacted him over the availability of Ricardo Quaresma.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are preparing a £25m swap deal, involving midfield flop David Bentley, to bring Aston Villa winger Ashley Young to White Hart Lane, according to the Mail on Sunday.

But Spurs will face competition for his signature from Manchester United, who, the Sunday Express report, are also on the verge of completing a £20m deal to sign 18-year-old Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa from Gremio

Liverpool have rejected offers from three clubs for striker Fernando Torres, one of which was believed to be around £60m, from an English club other than Manchester City, Reds manager Rafael Benitez told the Sunday Times. "It was a proper offer, a big one, but we said no and he wanted to stay here," said Benitez.

Samuel Eto'o maybe ignoring phone calls from Barcelona chief Joan Laporta but it seems he can no longer expect one from Manchester City as their "stratospheric" bid might not be enough to land the striker.

The Daily Star report that City face competition for the 28-year-old's signature from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who is willing to use a large chunk of the £80m Cristiano Ronaldo cash to sign the Cameroon international.

However, the Daily Mirror claim the Fergie has targeted Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero and is plotting a player-plus-cash offer for the Argentine. The South American ace, the 21-year-old son-in-law of Diego Maradona, is a possible option with Atletico ready to sell - if the price is right.

Meanwhile, City are set to complete the signing of Argentina striker Carlos Tevez before they jet out on their pre-season tour of South Africa on Wednesday, according to The Sun.

City will pay Kia Joorabchian £26.5million to facilitate Tevez's move across Manchester from Old Trafford.

Staying with City for the moment, it seems that captain Richard Dunne could be on the move after Stoke City and Sunderland both had £4m bids accepted. But the Daily Express report that the centre-back is determined to stay at Eastlands.

Despite Dunne's reluctance to leave City are to increase their bid of £32 million for Chelsea defender John Terry, according to the Daily Telegraph. The new offer will be submitted once City chief executive Garry Cook returns from Brazil, where he is attending Robinho's wedding.

Over at Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is weighing up an offer for Wigan Athletic midfielder Lee Cattermole, The Independent report, just in case La Liga targets Javier Mascherano or Xabi Alonso leave Anfield.

And finally... Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch is the subject of a £11m bid from Fulham, according to the Daily Mail, while The Times claim Sunderland are about to lodge a £15m bid for the England international.

Guess what? Yep, there's a lot about Manchester City in today's papers. So let's start with Samuel Eto'o.

Mark Hughes has been tracking the Barcelona striker all summer but seems to be getting a little bored. The Daily Mirror claims that City have given him 24 hours to say yes or he will not become "the best-paid player in English football". It's also in The Sun.

Still with the Daily Mirror and City's pursuit of John Terry. Despite Chelsea insisting there is no chance of the England skipper heading north, this paper claims that City will not give up.

Another player who does not seem to be out of the transfer headlines at the moment is Cesc Fabragas. Tracked by both Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Arsenal midfielder is said to be at the centre of a bidding war between the two Spanish clubs. But will the Gunners sell? Read the Daily Mirror.

The Sun reports that Barcelona have made a new bid for Fabregas.

Still at the Emirates, and some interesting quotes from goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. It seems a bit odd that he would tell boss Arsene Wenger to work a bit harder... but that is the case in the Daily Mirror.

Almunia says: "We need the manager to work harder to get what we need, the club to make an extra effort to make us more competitive. We need more than youth."

Spurs are eager to recoup as much as possible from the amazing £18m fee they paid Charlton for Darren Bent a few years ago. Which means, according to the Daily Mirror, they are demanding £12m from Sunderland for his signature.

But Sunderland could be locked in a bidding war for Peter Crouch after Portsmouth apparently turned down their £11m bid. Pompey are hoping to start a bidding war between the Black Cats, Fulham and Blackburn, says the Daily Mail. We still hope AC Milan up their interest!

Tottenham have been tracking Joe Cole this summer but, according to the Daily Mail, he will snub that interest and sign a new four-year deal with Chelsea.

The Daily Mail confirms Thursday's news that Leeds United's Fabien Delph is wanted by Aston Villa.

Mix in Villa and Tottenham and you get John Carew. The Daily Express says that 'Arry wants the Norwegian for £5m.

Newcastle "boss" Alan Shearer is apparently going mental at the continuing impasse up in the north-east. Still, only four weeks to go until the start of the season! Read The Guardian.

Patrick Vieira to Birmingham City? Never! And his agent agrees too in The Sun.

Could Stoke be about to smash their transfer record? A Daily Mirror EXCLUSIVE claims they are rushing to push through a record £10million bid for Rennes midfield powerhouse Stephane M'Bia. Thing is, it's in The Sun too with a £6m price tag. Oh, and it's also in the Daily Mail.

We told you on Thursday that Roberto Mancini was being lined up to be the next manager of Portsmouth, now the Daily Mirror claims he will only accept the position if he gets a healthy transfer war chest.

And just along the south coast at Southampton there seems to be a bold attempt to lure back former boss Gordon Strachan, without a club since leaving Celtic. But will he drop down to League One? It's in The Sun.

Hull City seem to find a brick wall down every transfer avenue.... which means they look likely to waste a shed load of cash on "two goals in 32 games" Bobby Zamora, says The Sun.

The summer silly season is in full flow now, and it's all thanks to the Daily Star.

We all know that Manchester City want Samuel Eto'o while Barcelona are in the hunt for Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas. So why not link the two? Yep, the paper says that Barcelona intend to sell their Cameroon striker and use the cash to nab Fab from the Gunners.

In the Daily Mirror, Lionel Messi has urged Barca to sign Fabregas.

And if you choose to believe The Sun, then Arsene Wenger will need that cash to sign new players as the money has run out for big signings. It's explained in detail in the Daily Mirror.

So will there be the cash to sign Sebastien Bassong from Newcastle United? The Daily Mail quotes the defender as saying the Gunners are in for him.

Over to Old Trafford, and the Daily Mirror thinks Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now a target.

The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool have reportedly lined up Esteban Cambiasso and Mathieu Valbuena as potential reinforcements in case their midfield is weakened by raids from Spain.

Jose Mourinho is desperate to get old mates Deco and Ricardo Carvalho to Inter Milan this summer but would prefer to get them on the cheap. However, according to the Daily Star, the Blues are holding out for £12m.

Man City have, of course, also been strongly linked with signing John Terry from Chelsea. The Daily Mirror says the England skipper will get a pay rise to make sure he stays put.

Chelsea have already shocked us by signing Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough, and now the Daily Mail thinks they'll be back to the Riverside to sign Adam Johnson!

Not much action at Aston Villa so far this summer. But the Daily Mirror thinks Martin O'Neill is about to launch a double swoop for Tuncay and Stewart Downing of Middlesbrough.

Portsmouth are in continual turmoil with the uncertainty over the takeover by Sulaiman al-Fahim. But it hasn't stopped former Inter boss Roberto Mancini being linked with the manager's job in the Daily Star.

The Sun today claims Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp could bid £3m for Sheffield United whizkid Kyle Walker. And the same paper says Darren Bent will head to Blackburn. The Daily Mirror links Big Sam to Kenwyne Jones of Sunderland.

Sunderland have also been linked with Darren Bent, but The Sun has Steve Bruce now looking to take Mido to the club from Boro. He had the Egyptian on loan at Wigan last term. Could Bruce also be back to Wigan to sign Lee Cattermole for £5m? That's in the Daily Mail.

And The Times has Sunderland making an £11m bid for Pompey's Peter Crouch.

More striking rumour, with The Sun insisting that Fulham are battling with Hamburg to sign Marcus Berg from Groningen. He finished top scorer at last month’s European Under-21 Championships.

The Sun believes Wigan are lining up a bid for Victor Moses of Crystal Palace.

A quirky little story from The Sun, and it seems Liverpool defender Fabio Aurelio could be out for six months after twisting his knee on holiday while playing footy with his kids.

And even funnier, the Daily Mirror says that Newcastle United's wannabe owners plan to put Alan Shearer and Gianluca Vialli together in a managerial dream team.

This Wednesday is the day in England (and Wales this time) that the nation turns its attentions to another game. Cricket's Ashes series gets underway, the full story of which is told on Cricinfo, our sister site. Many a football fans has turned to the sports section of his chosen daily and found that football is relegated to a single page. Two, if you're lucky.

Does that stop our gentlemen of the press getting stuck into rumour and conjecture? Of course it doesn't.

Always a good place to start is Newcastle where it seems something of a revolt is going on. The Guardian's well informed scribe Louise Taylor documents what seems to a rebellion calling for Alan Shearer to be installed as boss at St James' Park. Not only that the club's leading "stars" (ahem) will walk if Mike Ashley does not sell the club. The soap opera that keeps on giving is still, well, giving.

Chelsea's quiet summer, give or take a Russian flanker and a "want-away skipper" may take off if talk in the Telegraph and Guardian that Franck Ribery is set to made more available because, shock, horror, Real Madrid think they might have spent too much. Not only that but Jorge Valdano, Real sporting director, says Liverpool's Xabi Alonso is overpriced at £35m.

On the subject of Mr Chelsea, John Terry, we find ourselves back again. The Mirror say Manchester City will mount another bid while The Indepedent say that Wayne Bridge, pal of JT now playing for City wants his mate in the same defence and has intimated (no direct quotes) that the modern-day gladiator is ready to move up to the Cheshire plain. The Sun say Terry wants a showdown with Roman Abramovich.

Should City fail to land JT then the Daily Star say they will turn to Bayern Munich's Lucio as their back-up.

Elsewhere, Spurs want Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, and will send Didier Zokora and £2m to the Potteries, say The Sun.

Much-wanted Belgian midfielder Steven Defour is Everton's target and they are prepared to pay £13m to Standard Liege for him say The Independent.

Does everyone believe that John Terry is staying at Chelsea? Well, the talk in Fleet Street is divided. While many quote Carlo Ancelotti as saying that a mooted move to Manchester City would be "impossible", the Daily Telegraph takes up an interesting line.

Their take on things is that what Ancelotti was really doing is saying that "JT" will have to renege on his own pledges to be able to join City, thus losing the crown of "Mr Chelsea". Peter Kenyon in The Independent says that he has received a personal assurance from Terry that astronomical wages are not enough to tempt him to Manchester.

On the subject of Chelsea, the Daily Star say that the Blues will make one last bid for Franck Ribery, despite the signing of Yuri Zhirkov on Monday, and the presence of Ashley Cole to man the left full-back role.

Elsewhere, Manchester United introduced Michael Owen to their other players on Monday, say the Daily Telegraph while The Sun say that Klaas Jan Huntelaar will be the next striker to arrive at Old Trafford, from all places, Real Madrid.

Much coverage is given to Cristiano Ronaldo's glity and surely over-the-top presentation at Real Madrid in front of 80,000 adoring fans, a state of play which no doubt pleased the winking one.

Couple of interesting news lines: Sunderland and Aston Villa are disputing the services of Peter Crouch. The Guardian say that Sunderland lead the chase while The Sun say Aston Villa are back in for a player they had previously.

The Mirror land a scoop that Paddy Kenny, goalkeeper of Sheffield United has failed a drugs test during last season's play-off game with Preston North End.

One can ignore the tittle tattle only for so long when the press pack are united in their persistence of a story and they just won’t let ‘JT to City’ go.

The Sun is reporting this morning that Terry and City boss Mark Hughes were both holidaying in Dubai last week, though there is no mention of a late night whisper-off down on the beach.
Jason Dyer, from Hertfordshire, said he saw Terry one night at dinner then Hughes the next morning at breakfast. He subsequently found it “amazing” to learn City had made a bid just a few days later. I take it Jason isn’t a football fan.

According to The Guardian, as soon as Carlo Ancelotti has set up his email account and placed a selection of family photos on his new Stamford Bridge desk he’ll summon JT to the office for a chinwag about his commitment to the cause.

The Daily Star reckon Ancelotti and Chelsea will wave goodbye if City stump up a whopping £40million for the 28-year-old, while Sparky’s attention will turn to Barcelona’s premier perm, Carlos Puyol, should Terry stay put.

One man who is almost certain to pitch up in west London this week is CSKA winger Yuri Zhirkov, say The Independent. Making the opposite journey, probably via electronic transfer, will be £18million big ones.

Despite his recent declaration of love for all things Arsenal (apart from their recent lack of silverware, of course) The Sun report the Gunners will flog Cesc Fabregas to Real Madrid if they are offered £40million. The ubiquitous “insider” says Arsene Wenger will come under “enormous pressure” to sell if he receives an offer of that size.

The Daily Mirror reckon Roy Hodgson is agahst after defender Brede Hangeland rejected a new contract, but the £3.5million signing of Polish striker Pawel Brozek should soften the blow.

Harry Redknapp has been unusually quiet this close season, but The Telegraph say he’s been trying to talk 36-year-old Luis Figo out of retirement. He also fancies a flutter on Athletico Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.

If Harry does snare Llorente he'll consider letting Darren Bent leave for Sunderland. Steve Bruce apparently wants to pair him with Pompey's Peter Crouch.

The Times claim Bruce won't be getting Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux though, and to end today's blog I'll let their president Jean-Louis Triaud explain why: “What the f*** would he do at Sunderland? You have heard him say he will only sign for a big English club. I don’t want to insult Sunderland, but I don’t even know where they finished last season.”

John Terry's mooted exit from Chelsea is gathering moss in Fleet Street. The News of the World say that "JT" will this week be told to hand in a written transfer request to prove he's serious about quitting Stamford Bridge.

The Mail on Sunday says Manchester City will make one last effort to prise England captain John Terry from Chelsea with a £35milliion bid and wages of £200,000 a week, which is down from the £300,000 mooted previously. "Mr Chelsea" may have to throw that nickname into the abyss if he does ask to leave.

Another deal we thought we'd never see is still in the headlines. Michael Owen is quoted by several papers, including the Telegraph and Express as saying he has made to feel like a "criminal" because of his injuries. Which seems to lack perspective, but who said footballers have that these days?

His move to Manchester United has been hailed by Glenn Hoddle, who says in the Sunday Mirror that Owen will be a more lethal Manchester United marksman than Carlos Tevez. Hoddle once described Owen as not being a natural goalscorer...

On the subject of Tevez, Carlitos tells the People that he is not a traitor for leaving Manchester United for rivals City. One thinks he will not get to be the judge of that.

The News of the World meanwhile says United are in for Samuel Eto'o and that the Cameroon striker will drop his astronomic wage demands to play alongside Magic Mike.

Another familiar face in the gossip pages is Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez who, as well as buying every player ever, now wants the world's wealthiest football clubs to create a European Super League, and is ready to take on Uefa if they do not adapt the Champions League to better suit the ambitions of the biggest clubs. Self-interest all the way there, then. That in the Sunday Times.

Other rumours: The Mirror says AC Milan are ready to offer £20million cash plus Mathieu Flamini for Emmanuel Adebayor which looks to be a decent deal to these eyes.

And talking of good deals. The People has Peter Crouch set to move to Sunderland after Black Cats boss Steve Bruce made a £14million bid that matches Portsmouth's asking price though Crouch is waiting for an approach by AC Milan..... Question is this; will Portsmouth be able to field 11 players next season?

The British press are in mourning for Scottish loser Andy Murray, who failed to end this sceptered isle's hunt for a Wimbledon champion. But even chirpy funster Murray cannot bounce another confirmer card Michael Owen out of the headlines.

Yes, Magic Mike's move to Old Trafford has surprised and shocked many, including what seems to be the mjaority of Manchester United fans. The Independent locates the timeline of a deal that happened very suddenly, saying that Sir Alex Ferguson moved as soon as he realised Karim Benzema was going to Real Madrid.

The Daily Mail say the deal was only done after the most gruelling of medical examinations. Martin Samuel meanwhile says this could be a move that works for everyone, though Des Kelly wonders why a club with £80m banked for Cristiano Ronaldo is snapping up players on a free transfer and is hitting the bargain bin.

The Mirror meanwhile, has Fabio Capello handing the move a ringing endorsement, though Martin "Laptop" Lipton uses no quotes and sources this information from the England boss's "close friends".

Far more expensive than Michael's deal to join United is Manchester City's somewhat mystifying move for John Terry. The Sun say the deal, should it go through - it was turned down on Friday, will land Terry £300,000-a-week, which could offset any guilt about repeated badge-kissing carried out in the past.

Another lovable funster in Ashley Cole is the latest target for Real Madrid, say The Sun. Ashley has snubbed a new Chelsea deal because, gasp, he wants more money.

Liverpool's transfer summer continues to be a rocky one, with Xabi Alonso, like everyone else, heading to Real Madrid but only if Alvaro Negredo comes the other way, say the Mirror. A possible replacement for Alonso is Gokhan Inler, but an £18m asking price does not look worth paying to Udinese, say the Mail.

One man staying is Robin Van Persie, say The Independent. And suicide corner to finish, The Times say that Birmingham want to take Joey Barton on loan to play alongside Lee Bowyer.

Well for all the paper gossip over the past few weeks, we really didn't see this one coming. Michael Owen turning up at Manchester United on a free transfer - although it should be a pay-as-you-play deal.

The injury ravaged striker has been out of form, out of fitness and has now been out of a club for about two days, before Sir Alex Ferguson made his move. But he'll have to pass a stringent medical if he's going to make his bow in a red shirt. All the papers have it, but it's still a bit of a shock.

The Daily Mail reckon that Owen will sign for a paltry £20,000-a-week, with performance-related bonuses taking him the rest of the way to living in the manner to which he has become accustomed.

In four years at Newcastle, Owen started 65 games and scored 30 goals, say most of the rags. But he is reported to have cost the relegated club an eye-watering £41m in fees and wages. What a bargain!

Elsewhere, the Daily Telegraph are pretty sure that Franck Ribery won't be going to Chelsea, and will choose Real Madrid instead.

The club have also rejected a bid for John Terry from Manchester City. The defender has reportedly been tracked for quite some time now, but the Blues aren't budging and it's doubtful that the England skipper would be up for a move either.

Barcelona are still in the running for a big signing this summer and have targeted Cesc Fabregas as their main main. The Sun quote Joan Laporta as saying: “As I’ve said many times, Cesc has Barcelona in his DNA and I think that one day he should play for Barca.'' Cesc has said he's staying, but for how long?

Some other gossip, although everything seems a little soft now the news of Owen has arrived, and we'll begin with Tottenham. The club will have to pay £12m to sign Lille's 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder Michel Bastos, but are pretty keen say the Daily Mail.

The Daily Star have news of Aston Villa's search for a new striker now that Owen has apparently snubbed them and Marcus Berg is attracting attention after his performances for Sweden at the U-21s.

They also claim West Brom have rejected a £2m bid from Fulham for Jonathan Greening and that Manchester City's Zimbabwean striker Benjani is being lined up for a £5m move to Stoke.

Hull boss Phil Brown could be ready to offer Dietmar Hamann a 12 month contract and Wolves are set to seal a deal for Greg Halford.

We'll leave it to the Daily Mail for the final word, as they seem to think that if AC Milan lose out on Emmanuel Adebayor, they'll go for Peter Crouch instead. Rossoneri Robot?

It's been a quiet few weeks for the usually big-spending Chelsea, but now they look like they might just kick into gear and sign someone.

In fact, the Blues haven't even got their manager on board yet, as he is apparently delaying his arrival in London to try and secure the signature of former charge Pato from Milan. The Sun wants a striker before the beginning of training next Monday and the Brazilian is top of his list.

Another Milan player possibly on his way with Carlo Ancelotti is Andrea Pirlo and the Daily Express are pretty sure that the Italian will sign soon.

But no, say the Daily Mail! Why have a Pato or a Pirlo when you can pick up a nice Franck Ribery? They think that Chelsea are keen to disrupt Real Madrid's moves to sign the Frenchman, although the way things have been going it's pretty unlikely he's going to choose anywhere but the Bernabeu - he said so himself.

The Daily Telegraph are bored of players being linked to Chelsea, so they are focused on the fact that Ricardo Carvalho and Deco's move to Inter Milan is stalling because the Blues want £12m for them. Quite how Inter think they should be allowed to sign them for free remains a mystery.

Away from Stamford Bridge, Liverpool are the focus of the Daily Express. Javier Mascherano is the man and Barcelona is the destination as the Nou Camp club are preparing a £25m bid.

No paper round would be complete with the traditional Carlos Tevez story, but it could all be coming to a close in the next few days as Manchester City are waiting. The Daily Express have the news that Tevez is ready to sign on Monday and the wages on offer are £120,000 - although he'll be a little upset if they land Samuel Eto'o.

William Gallas is staying at Arsenal, but the Daily Mirror are sure he won't be around for long as his contract runs out soon. Inter are waiting to pounce, but could land him on a free next year.

Rounding up some interesting gossip from the rest of the papers, we have Birmingham keen to sign Arsenal left-back Armand Traore on a season-long loan - but they're really more keen on former Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira who has been offered £100,000 a week; Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey could be set for a £4m move to Everton despite saying that he was happy at the Cottage and thanking them for making him a better player; the Daily Star are sure that Aston Villa are set to offer £3.5m plus midfielder Barry Bannan for Wigan defender Titus Bramble [why, oh why?].

Chelsea are ready to offer Ashley Cole a new four-year deal with the club, which is thought to be in the region of £120,000 a week - say the Times - and there's some bad news for Newcastle fans, as Obafemi Martins, despite getting a £5,000 a week pay rise, still can't tell the time properly; and that's in the Sun.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona are a little annoyed that Real Madrid have been hogging all the headlines and are even more angry that Franck Ribery would rather go to the Bernabeu instead of the Nou Camp. Nevermind though, there's still Cesc Fabregas to make them smile

The Daily Star reckons that the Catalans have made Cesc a top target for the summer, despite already have a load of small playmaker types including Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

The Arsenal captain is growing more tired with the fact that the Gunners haven't won anything in the last few years and he won't last much longer if Arsene Wenger doesn't bring some silverware to the Emirates.

Loik Cana is on the radar regardless of Fabregas' future, but the Daily Express think that the Marseille man might fancy a move to White Hart Lane instead.

Real Madrid are stalling over their move for Xabi Alonso, say the Daily Mail, as the Liverpool midfielder has a sell-on clause in his contract which ends in July and would do poor old Real Sociedad out of their deserved 20 percent.

Manchester United are starting to spend their £80m Ronaldo fee and Antonio Valencia is already in at a cool £16m. But Karim Benzema could be the next to join, the Times reckon the French international is the man. Actually so does his team-mate Miralem Pjanic who claims a £38m move is in the offing.

The Daily Star seem to think that £11m-rated Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac could come a bit cheaper and he scored lots of goals in the French League too.

Michael Owen's future is officially up in the air as his contract has expired now. The Independent are there to bring us the scoop on which clubs are interested in him: Everton and Aston Villa. We much preferred it when Stoke and Hull were heading the queue and a move to Greece was on the cards.

Brazilian Jo is also struggling to find himself a club, so Everton might just take him back on loan again for the season. The striker has no chance of first-team action should he return to Eastlands and the Sun pretty sure that David Moyes won't be spending £18m on a hair rival to Marouane Fellaini.

And finally, from being sponsored by Brother, to Big Brother, Manchester City are set to bring in Endemol to push their global brand. The Guardian report that the City circus is set to recruit the reality TV specialists to make their names around the world. ''Daaaay Four: And Stephen Ireland has eaten Nedum Onuoha's Weetabix - all hell is going to break loose''. Might make some interesting viewing.