Wednesday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Juventus preparing to tempt City boss Mancini with Serie A
Juventus are growing increasingly confident that they can lure Roberto Mancini away from Manchester City this summer.
The Italian is closing in on securing a first-ever Champions League spot for the big-spending Eastlands outfit.
But Mancini’s future is less clear as Juventus continue to make moves to bring him back to his homeland.
The Old Lady have failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League and manager Luigi Del Neri is expected to leave at the end of the campaign.That would open the door to Mancini returning to Serie A, where he has already manager Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter Milan.It is believed that Mancini’s appointment as boss could co-incide with the elevation of former fans' favourite Pavel Nedved to a sporting director role. He is currently a Juve director and member of the board.
Mancini has faced heavy pressure since taking over at ambitious City at the end of 2009.
After narrowly failing to guide the club into the top four last season, Mancini has been consistently in the spotlight as he attempts to repay the Middle East owners for their huge spending spree.
It has already been claimed that Mancini would aim to sign City striker Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Milan if he takes over at Juve. Mail

Mancini meets Juventus to discuss return to Italy
Roberto Mancini has told Juventus officials in London he is interested in joining them next season.
The Manchester City manager is now planning further talks with the Italian giants before the FA Cup Final.
Mancini has demanded a huge summer transfer budget to overhaul the squad as his price for returning to Serie A.
The Turin club have promised to return to the ex-Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter Milan coach with details of their spending plans. The meeting took place in London on April 13 – two days after City’s 3-0 thrashing at Liverpool.
Mancini, 46, held talks with Juventus director and old Lazio team-mate Pavel Nedved, assistant sporting director Fabio Paratici and super agent Mino Raiola.
But Mancini’s position at City has strengthened with the FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester United and three points at Blackburn.
With five matches left, City lead Tottenham by four points in the race for the final Champions League place, which could trigger big summer spending at the world’s richest club.
Mancini is a lifelong Juve fan and has always said he wants to coach them, but his City deal runs until 2013. Mirror

Manu facing a Real pickle
REAL MADRID look ready to turn their back on Emmanuel Adebayor when his loan move from Manchester City ends next month.
Adebayor, 27, has fired four goals - two of them against Tottenham in the Champions League - in his short stint at the Bernabeu.
And the former Arsenal striker was delighted to land the first major trophy of his career last week, when Real beat bitter rivals Barcelona 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final.
But City's asking price of £12million for a player who cost them £25m from Arsenal in 2009, plus the player's wage demands, has put Real off - especially as their striking situation has changed.
Karim Benzema continues to score freely while Gonzalo Higuain is firing again after a four-month lay-off, netting a hat-trick against Valencia last Saturday.
And City boss Roberto Mancini, who could be about to lose hitman Carlos Tevez, is ready to welcome Adebayor back.
The Italian said: "At the end of the season, we will see. If Emmanuel wants to stay here, he can."
But Adebayor is keen to leave City for good and would love to stay at Real.
He will be very disappointed at the news but does have another option, with Lazio also keen on the Togolese star. Sun

OTHER BOLLOX
Arsenal are ready to reluctantly sell captain Cesc Fabregas for £35m - with boyhood club Barcelona his likely destination - despite having four years of his £120,000-a-week contract to run. the Sun

Another player who could be on his way out of Arsenal is Andrey Arshavin, with Zenit St Petersburg confirming they would happily take the striker if the Gunners decide to sell. Daily Mirror

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is weighing up a move for Chelsea captain John Terry as he looks to strengthen his defence. Daily Mail

Inter Milan's Dutch star Wesley Sneijder has called Manchester United a "beautiful club" in an interview which will give United manager Sir Alex Ferguson encouragement to attempt a £25m summer swoop for the 26-year-old. Daily Mail

Manchester United are also on the verge of signing 18-year-old French defender Raphael Varane for £3.7m from Lens in order to head off interest from Arsenal. Daily Mail

But Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina claims he would never join Manchester United, giving the clearest indication yet that he will start next season at Anfield. Daily Mail

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is ready to go head-to-head with Manchester United counterpart Ferguson for £15m-rated Blackburn defender Phil Jones. the Sun

West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie is likely to be a Tottenham target this summer after admitting his desire to play European football. Metro

Nigerian international Odemwingie, who cost Baggies only £1m from Lokomotiv Moscow last summer, is ready to turn down Juventus to stay at the Hawthorns. the Sun

West Ham are eyeing a move for Portuguese prodigy Marcio Dieb. Hammers boss Avram Grant has invited the £500,000-rated midfielder, who plays for third division club Barreirense, back for a second trial after he shone earlier in April.the Sun

Leicester boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has been given a £10m-plus transfer budget to mount a Premier League push with the Foxes next season with the club's Thai owners ready to sanction a move for striker Emile Heskey from Aston Villa and Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given. Daily Mirror

Ian Holloway has drawn up two different lists of summer transfer targets for Blackpool. The Tangerines manager is preparing for life either in the Premier League or Championship with the club fighting the drop. Daily Mirror

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is understood to be intent on removing Carlo Ancelotti as Blues manager even if the club retain the Premier League title. According to well-placed sources, Abramovich is still hoping to persuade Guus Hiddink to replace Ancelotti this summer even though the 64 year-old has made it clear he does not intend to walk out as the coach of Turkey. Daily Telegraph

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claims "powerful" TV companies are preventing the introduction of a winter break in British football. Metro

Queens Park Rangers majority shareholder Bernie Ecclestone has indicated he would consider selling the club, estimating its value at £100m. Daily Mail

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has been told he will not be sacked before the end of his contract. The Latics are deep in relegation trouble with only four matches remaining in the Premier League. But Wigan owner Dave Whelan insists manager Martinez will stay at least until his deal expires in summer 2012 - even if the club's six-year stay in the top flight ends. the Sun

Northampton Town fan Derry Felton has become a YouTube sensation after footage of him staging a one-man pitch invasion on his motorised wheelchair was uploaded.Metro

[avoidconfusion]

Gutter press trying to disable our club again with the stories about Mancini I see.

[Beefymcfc]

Gutter press trying to disable our club again with the stories about Mancini I see.

Yeah, but if he goes to Juve, what about poor Carlos?

[craigmcfc]

Gutter press trying to disable our club again with the stories about Mancini I see.

Yeah, but if he goes to Juve, what about poor Carlos?

He'll stay here as player-manager

[Dameerto]

Carlos would stay, because we'd bring Maradona in as a replacement.