The The Vertigo Gossip

The Vertigo Gossip

PENNANT TO KEEP RONALDO'S PLACE WARM
All other gossip seems rather insignificant compared to all this Kaka nonsense, but here we go anyways.

The most amusing tittle-tattle appears in The Daily Mirror, who claim that Real Madrid, not perturbed by him turning them down once, will make a new move for Jermaine Pennant.

The paper reports that, while Real have a ฃ3.5million permanent agreement already in place with Liverpool, they will instead ask for a six-month loan move, with Pennant providing a stop-gap before Cristiano Ronaldo moves there in the summer.

Apparently Real believe they have an agreement for Ronaldo all wrapped up, even though Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted on numerous occasions that he wouldn't sell his man to Real, while the man himself has been slightly less than 100% certain about his future at Old Trafford.

However, AC Milan have apparently offered Pennant a pre-contract, while assorted rags claim Porstmouth are going to make a move for the winger, who will be out of contract come the summer.


CHELSEA IN FOR TEVEZ?
Before the world went completely insane, we would laugh this story off in The Daily Star heartily, but now we just don't know what to believe anymore.

The paper claims that Chelsea are planning to lure Tevez away from Manchester United at the end of the season, when the Argentine's loan agreement runs out.

They report: 'The Blues see Tevez and Seville's Luis Fabiano as the men they need in order to revamp their strikeforce after losing patience with Didier Drogba, who will move on this summer.'

And lookey here! They quote a 'club source' as saying: "Chelsea like Tevez very much and he will be their major summer target, along with Fabiano, who is almost certain to arrive."

SPURS TO USE BENT TO GET JONES
It seems that 'Arry Redknapp is pretty keen on Sunderland's Kenwyne JOnes.

According to The Times, Spurs have had several cash offers of 'up to ฃ10million' turned down for Jones, so will now try and use Darren Bent, who they value at ฃ12million, in a part-exchange deal.

The chances are that Sunderland will still say 'No dice', having declared that the striker is not for sale, but that won't deter our hero.

Meanwhile, The Times (along with a few other papers) claim that Spurs will raise their offer for Wilson Palacios to ฃ14million, while The Guardian reckons they may include Jermanie Jenas in the deal, and that might just do the trick as far as Wigan are concerned.

More on that one here.


SPURS CLOSE ON BELLAMY
While Sky Sports News reports that both Spurs and Manchester City have had new bids for Craig Bellamy turned down, The Daily Mail begs to differ and claims Tottenham were 'locked in talks' with the Welshman over a ฃ12million move to White Hart Lane.

The Mail claims that Citeh are expected to match Spurs' bid on Friday, and that: 'While Spurs would be unable to match personal terms available at City, Redknapp will hope Bellamy's initial preference for a move across London will prove decisive.'


SOME OTHER CITEH STUFF
Amid all the Kaka broohaha, it's nice to see a new name in the frame for Manchester City.

And that name comes in The Daily Mail, who claim that Mark Hughes is close to signing Hamburg's holding midfielder Nigel De Jong.

The paper reports: 'The 24-year-old is valued at ฃ15m and City manager Mark Hughes sees him as the club's future anchorman after failing in bids to sign Scott Parker from West Ham and Lassana Diarra (now at Real Madrid) from Portsmouth.'


ARSENAL TO USE BENDTNER TO GET UPSON
Quick line that we've heard before, but is interesting nonetheless.

The Daily Mirror reports that Arsenal are set to make a ฃ12million move for Matthew Upson, with Arsene Wenger apparently 'desperate' to sign a centre-half in January.

So desperate, in fact, that they will include Nicklas Bendtner as a ฃ5million makeweight in the deal.


AND THE REST...
Reading will let Stephen Hunt join Tottenham for ฃ5million...Blackburn have been told it will cost them ฃ9million to land Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko...Crystal Palace are chasing Sheffield United striker Danny Webber...Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is targeting Nurnberg's Greek striker Angelos Charisteas...Luis Boa Morte wants to stay at West Ham after snubbing a ฃ1.5m move to Hull...Benfica striker Ariza Makukula is set to join Bolton on loan...West Brom boss Tony Mowbray is pessimistic about landing Paris St Germain striker Peguy Luyindula...Espanyol say goalkeeper Carlos Kameni has a deal in place to join Manchester City...Former Liverpool midfielder Darren Potter, 24, has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Wolves.