EDIT: Wednesday's "LIGHT BLUE" B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Real Madrid centre-back Pepe receives lucrative offer from Manchester City
Pepe Related LinksCompetitionsPremier LeaguePrimera Division TeamsManchester CityReal Madrid PlayersPepe Real Madrid centre-back Pepe has received a lucrative offer from Manchester City , according to Spanish sources.
Pepe’s contract at Real expires at the end of next season, and the two sides are yet to reach an agreement over an extension.
And according to the Spanish AS newspaper, Manchester City are waiting in the wings with an £80,000-a-week deal for the 27-year-old, while Real are offering him about £58,000.
Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with the Portuguese defender.

Manchester City set to complete record breaking signing of Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko, according to reports
Edin Dzeko is set to break the Bundesliga transfer record by joining Manchester City from Wolfsburg for a fee in the region of £34.1 million (40 million euros), according to reports in Germany.
The Bosnian striker has made no secret of his desire to leave the German side for a bigger club and, while his dream has always been to join AC Milan, the fact the Italians have just signed Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria reduces the chances of that move coming off.
However, Manchester City have the ambition to become one of Europe's top clubs and they also have the financial backing, and a transfer of Dzeko next month is looking more likely.
Coach Roberto Mancini has also confirmed that he is a fan of the 24-year-old.
The Wolfsburger Allgemeine newspaper quotes Mancini saying: "We have the chance to win the league this year and the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko.
"This player can decide titles and that is why we want him."
Wolfsburg's managing director Dieter Hoeness declared last week that his club is preparing to make major changes to the playing personnel after a disappointing first half of the season.
Selling a player of Dzeko's talent may not be his preference, but the player's malaise at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, who currently seem unlikely to provide him with the chance to play in the Champions League next season, may be one of the reasons the team has not been functioning since Steve McClaren took over as coach in the summer.
A fee of 40 million euros (£34.1 million), which the Wolfsburger Allgemeine reports would be made up of an initial fee of 30 million euros (£25.6m) with five million (£4.2m) to follow in the case of City qualifying for the Champions League, while five million euros would go on signing-on and agent fees, would break the Bundesliga's transfer record.
Bayern Munich currently hold that with their 30 million euros outlay on Mario Gomez from Stuttgart in 2009.
Diego's sale from Werder Bremen to Juventus last year is the most expensive foreign sale to date at 27 million euros, while he returned to the Bundesliga last summer, joining Wolfsburg for a cut-price fee of 15.5 million.
And the Wolves are set to make a huge profit on a player they signed for just four million from FK Teplice in 2007.
He won the Bundesliga golden boot award last season after coming runner-up to his team-mate Grafite in Wolfsburg's championship-winning year.
He has already found the back of the net 10 times this season, taking his overall tally to 66 in 111 games for the Wolves.
MCF.NET THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=36477

WAG OF THE DAY


OTHER BOLLOX
Celtic manager Neil Lennon is eager to bring out-of-favour Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne and midfielder Stephen Ireland to Parkhead on loan. Daily Mirror

Sir Alex Ferguson is set to reinforce his Manchester United midfield with a £12m New Year move for Real Madrid's Lassana Diarra. the Sun

United are also preparing a summer move for CSKA Moscow keeper Igor Akinfeev, who Ferguson sees as a long-term replacement for current number one Edwin van der Sar. caughtoffside.com

Fulham hope to make Chris Samba their first signing of the January transfer window but the Blackburn defender wants assurances over Mark Hughes's future first. Daily Mail

However, the Cottagers may face competition from Arsenal, who are keen on the £8m-rated centre-back. caughtoffside.com

The Gunners are also reportedly back in the hunt for Werder Bremen centre-back Per Mertesacker. imscouting.com

Liverpool have rejected a loan offer from Birmingham City for 24-year-old winger Ryan Babel, who has also attracted interest from West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. Football365

Juventus are preparing a £27m-offer for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie and the Italian side may also be willing to throw midfielder Felipe Melo into the deal. caughtoffside.com

Stoke are close to signing on-loan winger Jermaine Pennant, 27, on a permanent contract from Spanish side Real Zaragoza. TalkSPORT

German side Werder Bremen are interested in Aston Villa's 25-year-old defender Curtis Davies, who is currently on loan with Leicester City. Daily Mirror

Villa manager Gerard Houllier has handed a trial to Colorado Rapids' Jamaican striker Omar Cummings. Daily Mail

Villa are also keen to sign striker Nicklas Bendtner from Arsenal, who may also be joined out of the Emirates exit by fellow striker Carlos Vela, midfielder Denilson and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. caughtoffside.com

Mick McCarthy wants to bring Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane back to Wolves, the club the Republic of Ireland forward first joined in 1997. Daily Mirror

West Ham look set to sign Dieumerci Mbokani on loan from Monaco if they can get a work visa for the Congolese striker. Daily Mail

The Hammers may also look to sign Manchester United's Michael Owen on loan after the striker admitted he may have to leave Old Trafford to reignite his career. caughtoffside.com

Valon Behrami has given Roma until 10 January to reach a deal over his transfer from West Ham. The Swiss midfielder is desperate to return to Italian football after an injury-hit spell in the Premier League.Daily Mirror

Everton, Newcastle and Blackburn are chasing Barcelona's teenage midfielder Oriol Romeu. imscouting.com

Hull have been put off a bid for James Vaughan after his club Everton put a £2m price-tag on the striker. Daily Mirror

However, the Tigers are close to sealing a £1.5m-deal for Leicester striker Matty Fryatt after Foxes boss Sven Goran Eriksson admitted the player is almost certain to leave in January. Daily Mirror

England boss Fabio Capello has risked angering Europe's top clubs by backing calls for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be held during the winter. Capello, who is due to leave his role with England in 2012, believes it would be too hot to play in Qatar during June and July. Daily Mail

Blackburn caretaker boss Steve Kean has refuted accusations that there were underhand tactics at play when he was asked to take over from Sam Allardyce. "It was an absolute shock when I received the phone call from the chairman which was half an hour before it hit the press that Sam was going to leave," said Kean. talkSPORT

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes the side are struggling to find "the right chemistry" this season. The Blues are on their worst run in 11 years after a 3-1 loss at Arsenal left them six league games without a win. Daily Mirror

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour believes that champions Chelsea are now out of the title race after the 3-1 defeat at the Emirates. talkSPORT

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez believes that the attacking, passing football played by sides like his own and Arsenal will benefit the next generation of English footballers. "When you play in that sort of style players are forced to make decisions and think on the pitch," said Martinez. Daily Mirror

Former Portsmouth manager Paul Hart is poised to become the new manager of Sheffield United. the Sun

Liverpool are to reward striker David Ngog with a new long-term contract. The 21-year-old has 18 months remaining on his current deal. Daily Mail

Birmingham City have upped their contract offer to winger Sebastian Larsson. The Swede, 25, who cost £1m from Arsenal, can leave at the end of the season. Daily Mirror

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has revealed why John Carew was late to report for his club's Christmas programme - the striker was stuck in snow in his native Norway.Daily Mirror

RIP BOLLOX :Avi Cohen, former Liverpool defender, dies
Avi Cohen, the former Liverpool and Glasgow Rangers defender, has died in a Tel Aviv hospital after being involved in a car crash whilst on his motorbike.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12086368

[Fidel Castro]

Don't rate Pepe to be honest and don't think it would be fair on either Kolo or Kompany to be dropped in favour of him. Lescott has come in and done a good job too.

[Dameerto]

...Selling a player of Dzeko's talent may not be his preference, but the player's malaise at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, who currently seem unlikely to provide him with the chance to play in the Champions League next season, may be one of the reasons the team has not been functioning since Steve McClaren took over as coach in the summer...

That's all the reason they need.

[Ted Hughes]

Hmm, not sure I believe Bob said those things about Dzeko to the German press.

[Chinners]

EVENING BOLLOX
Manchester City are in talks with Wolfsburg over signing Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko.
Despite the strong rumours in Germany earlier that have suggested that the Premier League outfit are on the verge of recruiting the 24-year-old forward for a record Bundesliga fee, such accounts are premature, with talks between City's chief negotiator Brian Marwood and Dzeko's agent still at an early stage.

Manchester City's Adam Johnson lends support to passionless Balotelli
Italian has scored eight goals in 11 appearances • Johnson continues to impress from the subs' bench
Adam Johnson said he is not worried about Mario Balotelli's emotionless reaction to scoring goals for Manchester City. The manager Roberto Mancini cheerfully admitted he could "punch" the Italian, so bemused is he by the 20-year-old's failure to extract any excitement from the most passionate of sports.
Balotelli claims to be only doing his job and does not view his feats – eight goals in 11 appearances after his hat-trick against Aston Villa yesterday – as anything out of the ordinary.
It does not appear there is any chance of the former Internazionale player changing his ways, even if City manage to sustain their challenge at the top of the Premier League and clinch the title, as the striker confidently predicts. But that is no concern for Johnson and his team-mates. As long as Balotelli keeps on performing to present levels, they are not concerned how he reacts.
"That is just him. It is the way he is," said the England winger. "I don't think you can read anything by it. He is the type of person who doesn't tend to show much emotion. As long as he scores goals, it doesn't matter. And he showed yesterday what a goalscorer he is; a tap-in and two penalties."
It helped put the gloss on another excellent City performance 48 hours after an equally emphatic success over Newcastle at St James' Park. There are issues for Mancini to address; City tend to throw in the odd ineffective display when it is least expected, such as the one that saw them defeated by Everton at Eastlands immediately before Christmas.
Yet there is an argument for saying City are the most consistently convincing challengers in a title race that extends to five contenders, none of whom can put forward a compelling case to be champions.
City have the extra advantage of being able to spend heavily during next month's transfer window, with the Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko on City's radar, even if Mancini will not enter into any public discussion on the matter.
"You must always play for the top," he said. "Maybe you don't have a team that can win the league but you must always play for it. We have a good team. But we need to improve. And this season is strange. It is very long."
Saturday's game against Blackpool is followed by a trip to Arsenal that could do much to shape the seasons of both clubs as they attempt to exert pressure on the title favourites Manchester United.
Realistically, the best Johnson can hope for on the latter occasion is to be introduced from the bench. Yet again yesterday, though, he proved what a penetrative force he can be for the Blues. Johnson crossed for Joleon Lescott's controversial second goal and the former Middlesbrough winger was then sent tumbling by Marc Albrighton to set up Balotelli for his hat-trick sealing penalty.
"All my life I have run at defences. It is the main part of my game and that will never change," said the winger. "I have played on the right quite often for City even though I am left-footed.
When you are playing on the other side, you tend to want to come in on to your strong foot. I do that but I try to mix it up as well and go on the outside. We have got ourselves into a good position but no one is getting carried away. We will just try to keep winning games and see what happens."

Paraguayan wants permanent route out of Eastlands
Out-of-favour Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has snubbed a loan move to Lazio because he wants a permanent deal, according to the Italian club.
The Paraguayan does not feature in the plans of Eastlands boss Roberto Mancini and the Premier League title contenders want to make room for Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko.
Talks have been taking place with Serie A side Lazio regarding Santa Cruz, who was signed by former City boss Mark Hughes, but a six-month loan appears unlikely.
"We take into account Santa Cruz's reaction and his desire to make any transfer permanent," Lazio president Claudio Lotito is quoted as saying by Italian media.
"We are aware of this and consider it a wise decision for him. It's no coincidence that Lazio seek a strong rapport with their players and therefore understand his questions and ambitions."
Meanwhile, Lotito insists that Romanian defender Stefan Radu is not for sale amid reports of interest from Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona.
He said: "As for Stefan Radu, he is not for sale."

[Chinners]

Ha ha, own up ... which of you change the title of this thread ... ha ha, it's funny mind

[Beefymcfc]

Ha ha, own up ... which of you change the title of this thread ... ha ha, it's funny mind

It says you edited mate.

Well in, you'd have got my vote for the dedication shown to your Bollox; every man's gotta look after their Bollox but everyday is just immense.

[Dameerto]

You have to feel them daily, to get a grip on any lumps forming.

[Chinners]

Ha ha, own up ... which of you change the title of this thread ... ha ha, it's funny mind

It says you edited mate.

Well in, you'd have got my vote for the dedication shown to your Bollox; every man's gotta look after their Bollox but everyday is just immense.

Cheers . . . but it wasn't me, honest ... still, it made me chuckle so good work whoever it was

[Wonderwall]

Ha ha, own up ... which of you change the title of this thread ... ha ha, it's funny mind

It says you edited mate.

Well in, you'd have got my vote for the dedication shown to your Bollox; every man's gotta look after their Bollox but everyday is just immense.

Cheers . . . but it wasn't me, honest ... still, it made me chuckle so good work whoever it was

thought is was warranted :-)

[Chinners]

Ah .. cheers WW, I should have realised ...