Saturday's B*ll*x (updated)

[Chinners]

Inter line up £17m summer swoop for Man City star
Inter Milan are lining up a £17million summer bid for Gareth Barry, according to sources in Italy.
The Manchester City midfielder is top of a long list of transfer targets drawn up by new Inter manager Leonardo.
But, with Barry under contract at Eastlands until 2014, Inter know they will have to offer a huge fee to land him.
It is understood the Serie A champions might be prepared to up their opening offer of £17m if it is rejected by the club.
And they are also ready to negotiate a possible player-swap deal for the 29-year-old England midfielder.

Manchester City tell Shay Given he can leave once replacement is found
Shay Given seeking regular first-team football
• Coventry goalkeeper Keiren Westwood among City targets
Shay Given's preference is to go out on loan from Manchester City. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images
Manchester City have told Shay Given they will allow him to leave but only if they find a replacement first. The club are sympathetic to the position of the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper now that he has lost his place to Joe Hart but do not want to leave themselves short as they compete with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table.
Uppermost in Roberto Mancini's thoughts is the situation at the end of last season, when Given and Stuart Taylor were injured and, with Hart on loan at Birmingham City, an emergency loan had to be arranged for Marton Fulop of Sunderland.
Given's desire is to go out on loan and Mancini confirmed the club are looking at potential replacements, with Coventry City's Keiren Westwood, a former City reserve and now Given's understudy for the Republic of Ireland national team, among the options. However, Mancini has also made it clear to Given that he will not let him go unless a deal has already been arranged for someone else to come in as back-up to Hart.
"We can't take the same risk as last season," Mancini said. "We have seen two or three [possible options] but Shay doesn't decide this situation. I have talked about this with Shay and he told me that, if we have a chance to take another goalkeeper, [he would like to go] … but finding a goalkeeper like Shay?"
The inference is clear, namely that City are reluctant to lose a player of Given's calibre in case the England goalkeeper is injured during the second half of a season in which Mancini's club still have aspirations of winning a first league title since 1968.
They will go top if they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Eastlands tomorrow, when Edin Dzeko will make his debutfollowing his £27m move from Wolfsburg.
"I'm excited because we've bought a good player, one of the top strikers in Europe," Mancini said.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez and Dzeko together but at the moment it's impossible [Balotelli is injured].
"When Mario returns in one month they can play together and we know now we have a player in Dzeko who can score with his head every time."
That appears to leave no room for Emmanuel Adebayor, who hopes to seal a loan move this month. However, Real Madrid, who were linked with the striker, were last night understood to have cooled in their interest. Adebayor had been on the Spanish club's shortlist but a deal is now thought to be unlikely.

Roque Santa Cruz speaks to press shocker
BLACKBURN are bracing themselves for Roque II, but their eponymous hero Santa Cruz claims he was never given a chance to fight his corner by Roberto Mancini.
Even though the return to Ewood Park is, for now, a loan move, Santa Cruz is adamant that while Mancini is in charge, he never again wants to play for Manchester City.
“I wouldn’t like to go back,” he said. “If it is up to me, I would stay here.”
Paraguay international Santa Cruz scored 23 Premier League goals in 57 appearances for Blackburn in his last stint at the club before Mark Hughes took him with him to Manchester City for £18million in 2009. Injury problems beset his first few months at Eastlands and then, just as he was regaining fitness, Santa Cruz’s mentor was sacked. He feels he was never given a fair crack of the whip.
“I had quite an open relationship with him [Mancini] but he once told me clearly I would not be part of his plans.
“It became clear that I needed to move. I never got a proper chance to play – three minutes here, five minutes there once in a while and it was not enough to get the match fitness I need.
“When you train well and put in all the effort and deserve the chance to play week after week, you expect your chance, but that never came. In that sense I have been ignored.
“Of course, he needs to use the players he brought in but there were chances where I could have played and he chose not to play me.” Factoring in his £90,000-a-week wages on top of his £18m fee, the 11 hours of Premier League football Santa Cruz did manage in 18 months have cost City £37,500 per minute and his three goals have been worth more than £8m apiece.
He completed a medical two minutes ahead of yesterday’s noon registration deadline, making him available to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. And Santa Cruz believes his months of inaction have a silver lining.
“Happily, I have managed to get rid of the tendinitis I was suffering and now I am pain free,” he said. “As a result, I expect to enjoy my football again.”
With Blackburn having failed to land Ronaldinho and David Beckham, Santa Cruz becomes manager Steve Kean’s first signing.
Santa Cruz was a crowd favourite at Ewood Park in his previous spell but Kean knows that, just as with films, the sequel often struggles to live up to the original.
“Probably, there is more expectation on him now,” said Kean.
“People will be saying he is an £18m striker and expecting him to deliver, whereas the pressure was probably off him first time round. But that is good to get him on his toes.”
Kean is also trying To sign midfielder Jermaine Jones on loan from Schalke, while owners Venky’s have added Ghandi Babu and Mahesh Gupta to the board of directors.

Mourinho raises the stakes in bid to rescue Adebayor from Manchester City as Real Madrid face up to life without Higuain Real Madrid are ramping up their bid to land Manchester City misfit Emmanuel Adebayor.
The Spanish giants are desperate for extra firepower after losing Gonzalo Higuain for the rest of the season.
Argentina hitman Higuain had an operation on his back injury in Chicago on Tuesday and it was later confirmed that he will be sidelined for up to four months.
Although Real initially distanced themselves from January additions, director general Jorge Valdano has now revealed they will bring in new striker.
The preference is for a short-term loan, with the player available for Champions League duty. Adebayor fits that bill and City are understood to be willing to allow him to leave, as long as the majority of his £160,000-a-week wages are covered.
Valdano said: 'We are exploring the market now the uncertainty around Higuain has been resolved. We'll see if we can find a player who can help us for six months.
'Many names are being mentioned and it's best not to go into details. But it's true we are looking for a No 9.'
Adebayor has fallen behind Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli at Eastlands and the arrival of £27million Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko this month will further limit his chances.
Adebayor has failed to impress at City since joining from Arsenal for £25m in the summer of 2009.
He was also involved in a training ground brawl with former Gunners team-mate Kolo Toure earlier this month. Both players were fined over the incident.
Real are also considering moves for veteran Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who is out of contract at Bayern Munich in the summer, and Nelson Haedo Valdez of Hercules.
Coach Jose Mourinho watched his side beat city rivals Atletico 3-1 on Thursday night in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final.
But Real continue to play catch-up in La Liga as they sit two points behind Barcelona having lost 5-0 to their bitter rivals at the end of November.

WAG OF THE DAY
You can count Peter Crouch of the Tottenham Spurs among a list of athletes that include Wayne Rooney and Tiger Woods. All three men like prostitutes.
You're looking at Monica Mint, the woman Crouch was hooking up with, even though he already had a super-hot fiancee at home.
That's right, Abbey Clancy, the model and British celebrity, was playing second fiddle to Miss Mint.


OTHER BOLLOX
Schalke's out-of-favour USA midfielder Jermaine Jones looks set to go on loan to England's Blackburn Rovers until the end of the season. Bild (in German)

Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao is wanted by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as a replacement for Patrice Evra, who could move abroad in the summer. Daily Mail

Tottenham are interested in Marseilles left-back Tay Taiwo, who has entered the final six months of his current deal with the French club. (the Times)

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar will reject Chelsea to sign for Tottenham next week. Daily Mirror

Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter Milan are all interested in Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez. Daily Mail

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho says that striker Karim Benzema, who has been linked with a move to England, will not be leaving the club during the transfer window. the Independent

Aston Villa are stepping up their efforts to sign Wigan left-back Maynor Figueroa after the club allowed Stephen Warnock to return to Liverpool on loan. Daily Mail

Espanyol defender Victor Ruiz is wanted by both Blackburn Rovers and Fulham. (the Times)

Wolves are chasing Lens midfielder Sidi Keita.Daily Mail

St Johnstone face competition from Hearts and Hibernian for the loan signing of Leigh Griffiths following the striker's £150,000 move from Dundee to Wolves. (the Sun)

Scotland striker Kenny Miller is preparing to open signing talks with Turkish champions Bursaspor, with today's match against Hamilton likely to be his last for Rangers. (the Sun)

Celtic and Rangers face a head-to-head battle for the signature of Derby County midfielder Kris Commons, whose contract ends in the summer, although his present club retain hopes of re-signing the Scotland international. (the Sun)

Scunthorpe United are poised to wrap up a £600,000 deal for Kilmarnock striker Conor Sammon. (the Sun)

Hibernian are considering a bid for Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Adam Rooney, pondering a loan deal for Arsenal's Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and giving a trial to former Reading man Heidar Thorvaldsson as they look to bolster their striking options. (the Sun)

Kilmarnock and Hibernian are battling to land Brechin City midfielder Craig Molloy on a pre-contact agreement. (the Sun)

Stuart McCall hopes to make Donal McDermott his first signing as Motherwell manager and has held talks with Manchester City about taking the winger on loan. (Daily Express)

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on former Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill replacing Avram Grant at West Ham. Daily Mail

West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo could be sacked if his side fails to get a result against Blackpool on Saturday. Daily Star

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to drop midfielder Michael Essien and striker Didier Drogba for the game against Blackburn as he looks to arrest the club's miserable run of form. the Guardian

Ancelotti has revealed his fear that the club will not qualify for next season's Champions League. (the Times)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hopes Gareth Bale will not come back to haunt him in Sunday's game against Tottenham after conceding he was the one that got away for the Old Trafford outfit. Daily Mirror

Meanwhile, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp believes that if his side loses Sunday's game, Manchester United will win the Premier League title. the Sun

Burnley are offering Eddie Howe a three-and-a-half-year contract worth £1.75m to join them from Bournemouth. Daily Mirror

Barry Hearn has thrown his weight behind Tottenham's bid to move into the London 2012 Olympic Stadium after the Games. Leyton Orient's chairman said: "Unfortunately the [Olympic] stadium is poorly designed, unfortunately the stadium is a waste of public money and it's things like that, that the government and the people involved in the Olympics don't want to hear." talkSPORT

Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, who is out of the derby against Sunderland, is struggling to play again this month. Daily Star

Qatar spent £27m on communications alone in 2010 as they pulled out all the stops to win the vote for the 2022 World Cup. (Daily Telegraph)

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov has agreed to back the change to a 10-club Scottish Premier League - if it agrees to a "more equal" distribution of income away from Celtic and Rangers. (the Scotsman)

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, who will play in his 600th league game if he features in Sunday's match with Tottenham, says yoga has been key to his longevity in the sport. the Independent

[Twobob]

Ok Ok - Stuck here working at daft O'clock and see the bollox are out - crack em open and no WAG ... deflated again!

Aint bothered reading the bollox now - I'm on bollox strike.

[pride in battle]

My word chinners, you do get up early in the morning, Thanks from us blues who go to warmer climates in the winter haha

[Chinners]

Get up? I've only just got in!!

and what do you mean Twobob, the wag is the first thing sourced.

[shawzy]

Inter after our Gaz? Id be fookin gutted if we sold him.

[Twobob]

Get up? I've only just got in!!

and what do you mean Twobob, the wag is the first thing sourced.

I must be going insane - I saw no tatties and now I see tatties :-)

Life is complete again - Thanks Chinner ya Owd bollox ya

[1950]

Hey Chinners, why'd you change the wag? Arianny Celeste was a much better choice.

[halnone]

If Inter really are offering £17m then it would be a great deal. He's not getting any younger.

[john@staustell]

If Inter really are offering £17m then it would be a great deal. He's not getting any younger.

Ludicrous story all round.

As for Ade I reckon a loan fee of around £10M should do it if Real are that desperate!!

[Mase]

If Inter really are offering £17m then it would be a great deal. He's not getting any younger.

Ludicrous story all round.

As for Ade I reckon a loan fee of around £10M should do it if Real are that desperate!!

If we keep relations good with Real it will work well for us in the long term.

[Chinners]

EVENING BOLLOX
Edin Dzeko found Manchester City debut 'harder than German football'
Edin Dzeko admitted he had found his Manchester City debut tough, despite his new club climbing to the top of the league with a 4-3 win over Wolves. The Bosnia striker, a £27 million signing from Wolfsburg, played alongside Carlos Tevez at Eastlands and his arrival was almost completely overshadowed by his strike partner's performance.
Manchester City beat Wolves 4-3 on Edin Dzeko's debut (PA)
Tevez scored a superb solo goal and a header as City went from 1-0 down to 4-1 up, with Kolo Toure and Yaya Toure also on the scoresheet.
City were forced to hang on in the closing stages after Kevin Doyle and Ronald Zubar added to Nenad Milijas's opener, but did so to move above Manchester United at the head of the Premier League table.
Dzeko was delighted with the result, but told BBC Sport the game was 'more harder than in Germany'.
However, he saw signs he could adapt to English football and form an effective partnership with City captain Tevez.
'It was the first game. I thought it was alright – not just me and Tevez, but the whole team,' he said.
Asked how long it would take him to find his feet in the Premier League, Dzeko added: 'A few games maybe. But if every game we win like this, then no problem.'
City boss Roberto Mancini was also satisfied with the Dzeko-Tevez partnership and predicted it would improve in the coming weeks.
'It is not easy at the moment but Dzeko is a good player and so is Carlos. When you have two good players, it is easy to play together,' said the Italian.

Avram Grant tells media: Ask your source about West Ham sacking rumours - I'm still the manager*
Avram Grant insists he is still West Ham United manager despite their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal and constant rumours he is set to be sacked.
The Israeli told those at his post-match press conference to ask their source rather than him with regard to the sacking rumours and insisted he would only discuss on-field team matters.
Grant insisted his act of throwing his scarf into the crowd was not a goodbye act, as he has done it repeatedly after recent home matches.
"Why do you ask whether that was my last game? I think you need to ask the person who gave you the rumours," said Grant.
"I don't know if I'm being sacked - ask the source about that and you can ask me questions about the team."
When asked if he was still the club's manager, he responded: "I'm here talking to you aren't I?
"If you were aware, I have been throwing my scarf into the crowd for the last matches to the children that are there.
"In addition to that, I did it today because it was emotional with the supporters. We lost 3-0 and they were still supportive. It was touching to see that and I did what I did.
"I think you need to respect the supporters as many stayed behind to show their support and clap their hands."
Grant admitted the constant speculation has been difficult for him to deal with on both a personal and a professional level.
"Look, I live my life it's my job and I have a job to do," he added.
"I admit it hasn't been easy if I'm honest but I still need to do my job and that's important.
"I'm very happy for the boys today - there are not many times that you lose but have to play without so many players.
"You can say that our first choice and second choice midfield isn't playing and players gave their everything against a strong Arsenal side so I thought the effort was good and that's important for me."
Grant continued by saying despite the poor result against Arsenal, avoiding relegation was still very much a possibility.
“If you look at the table there are seven teams in the same position within two or three points,” he said.
“If we can make things good both on the pitch and off it, we can get points. I don't think we are a team who are playing like a team down the bottom.
“With West Ham, look what happened last year - the club was not in a good situation and my job is to make the club go in the right direction.
“I think that even if we are down at the bottom, look at what we have done in the last three weeks - I think we are doing the right things.
“But what we need is a squad as we have a lot of injuries and you can see with the bench we had three young players and players who haven't played much like Benni McCarthy.
“Even with this current situation we are very close to escaping relegation.”

* I apologise if this info has changed in the next 5 minutes whilst I'm preparing this update

1950's EVENING WAG


Rumours are circulating that Walsall's hunt for a new manager could soon be over, with former Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Charlton Athletic star Mark Kinsella set to be announced as the replacement for Chris Hutchings.
Kinsella is a free agent following his dismissal as part of the Charlton Athletic backroom staff, after the Addicks decided to part company with their manager Phil Parkinson. He was seen at the game this afternoon, creating speculation that he was about to be appointed as the manager.
The former Republic of Ireland international started his coaching career with the Saddlers back in 2006, taking over as caretaker manager following Kevan Broadhurst's sacking. He was only in charge for 2 games, and oversaw one win and one defeat in what was the end of a relegation season

Norwich were tonight said to have had an approach for Brighton & Hove Albion's Elliott Bennett.
Bennett, a 22-year-old winger and older brother of Bury midfielder Kyle, was on the scoresheet for the Seagulls this afternoon as they ran out 3-1 winners against Peterborough United at the Withdean.
Brighton boss Gus Poyet appeared to confirm the news following today's game, telling The Argus: 'We don't want to sell and we are going to fight to keep him.

Pienaar spurns offer to join Chelsea for possible move to Spurs
Chelsea's continuing frailty in the transfer market has been underlined by a failure to secure Steven Pienaar as a reinforcement for their faltering Premier League campaign.
The South Africa midfielder has ruled out a January move to the champions after a series of negotiations last week ended with the player unconvinced that Chelsea was the best venue to further his career.
Pienaar, 28, will now join Tottenham Hotspur if the club agree a fee with Everton for an immediate transfer or sign for one of his continental suitors.

Sheffield Wednesday are signing Carlisle striker Gary Madine and Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds.
For more see The Star on Monday, January 17.
Undisclosed fees have been agreed, Owls manager Alan Irvine confirmed after his team's 2-2 draw with Charlton.

Jose Mourinho says he would be only too happy if Real Madrid lured Ruud van Nistelrooy back to the club prior to the close of the Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrates his goal for Hamburg against Schalke on Saturday
Real have been linked with a range of strikers - including Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor - following a long-term injury suffered by Gonzalo Higuain that has left the club with only Karim Benzema as a recognised striker.
Van Nistelrooy, 34, is another name believed to be under consideration, despite only leaving the Bernabeu to join Hamburg 12 months ago.