Friday's B*ll*x
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:24 amChelsea and City chasing Milan's Pirlo
Roberto Mancini is ready to battle Carlo Ancelotti to land AC Milan’s midfield ace Andrea Pirlo.
The star is set to leave the San Siro on a free transfer, because Milan want him to accept a substantial pay-cut in exchange for a new deal as they try to trim their wage bill.
Chelsea’s former Milan boss Ancelotti remains keen on the Italy playmaker after failing to land him last year and will try again – if he's still in charge this summer.
Manchester City struggled for creativity when Adam Johnson was injured recently and manager Mancini feels Pirlo could bring a different dimension to his developing side.
He is also attracted by his compatriot’s experience - Pirlo has won many top honours in the game, including the Champions League and World Cup.
Mancini feels he needs seen-it-all operators such as Pirlo in his squad as he builds a title-winning team at Eastlands, especially as Patrick Vieira is widely expected to quit this summer.
Juventus are also interested in Pirlo, but the Turin club could not match the package megabucks City could put together.
Barcelona poised to pip Manchester City to Vargas signing
Spanish giants Barcelona are winning the race to sign coveted Fiorentina wing-back Juan Vargas - leaving Manchester City out in the cold.
Reports last week in the Italian press claimed City had the upper hand after initial talks had taken place, but Gazzetta dello Sport are now saying Pep Guardiola's side are in pole position to secure the 27-year-old's signature.
The shift in fortunes concerns Nou Camp forward Bojan Krkic, who Barca are now offering as a makeweight in a possible deal for the Peru captain.
Guardiola is looking to strengthen his side down the left while defender Eric Abidal recovers from liver surgery.
Balotelli would be great signing for Milan - Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi's son has claimed Mario Balotelli would be a great signing for Milan.
The Manchester City striker has admitted his desire to play for the Rossoneri despite signing a five-year contract last summer.
And Pier Silvio Berlusconi, the vice-president of the Italian prime minister's TV companies, said: "Balotelli is a great player and very young. Certainly, he would be good for us but I don't think this is the moment to talk about it.
"We have a lot of strength in attack. For now, we are fine."
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli chants ‘Rooney, Rooney’ at Wayne Rooney prostitute Jenny Thompson!
We’ll let you off with this one, Mario
After yesterday’s cry for help to Ronaldo, Mario Balotelli is back to true form in today’s newspapers.
The Manchester City star is alleged to have launched into chants of “Rooney, Rooney” after he spotted the prostitute at the centre of the Wayne Rooney scandal across a crowded restaurant.
The 20-year-old saw hooker Jenny Thompson at the San Carlo Italian restaurant, where he dines every evening. He is said to have begun chanting Rooney’s name as she returned to her table from the toilets.
The Sun alleges Balotelli then “burst out laughing and flicked the finger at Jenny’s friends”. The young Italian is then said to have picked a fight with Thompson’s friend Sam Birch by blowing a raspberry in his face and inviting him to step outside.
Birch said: “He said ‘Come with me’ and walked outside. He tried to grab my arm before squaring up.
“Our foreheads were touching and I wasn’t going to back down. Then he swore at me in Italian and the waiters ran over and took me inside.”
Balotelli left in his white Maserati shortly after the incident, while the restaurant has since barred Thompson.
Birch added: “He was acting crazy. I think he is unhinged.”
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is a top transfer target for Arsenal, according to ex-Gunners stopper Bob Wilson. Metro
Sir Alex Ferguson's hopes of bringing Manuel Neuer to Manchester United have been hit after the Schalke goalkeeper claimed he only wants to leave Germany to go on holiday. Daily Mirror
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is considering a move for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, who he worked with when the pair were both at Birmingham. Wigan playmaker Charles N'Zogbia is also in Bruce's sights.Daily Star
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has joined Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan in the race for Roma defender Philippe Mexes - although Dalglish would prefer to sign Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill. Daily Mirror
Birmingham City defender Scott Dann has also been targeted by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. Caught Offside
Defender Wes Brown is considering leaving Manchester United at the end of the season as the 31-year-old believes he stands a better chance of signing a long-term deal elsewhere. Daily Mail
Arsenal will conduct a major clear-out in the summer in order to re-invest in big name signings. Caught Offside
Arsenal's pursuit of Dutch youngster Stefan de Vrij has been dealt a major blow after the Feyenoord defender revealed his desire to play for Barcelona. talkSPORT
Tottenham will battle Ajax and Borussia Dortmund for VVV Venlo striker Ahmed Musa. It is expected to take more than £5m to secure the 18-year-old Nigerian. Daily Star
Ipswich's £10m-rated striker Connor Wickham has dampened speculation that he may make a summer switch to Arsenal, Liverpool or Tottenham by insisting he wants to secure promotion from the Championship with his current club. Metro
Bolton are poised to make a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Andreas Ottl. talkSPORT
Arsenal are to make a shock move for Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Caught Offside
As many as eight senior players - including winger Ashley Young and striker Gabriel Agbonlahor - are considering their Aston Villa futures after growing unhappy with manager Gerard Houllier's strict regime. The Frenchman has banned mobile phones from the dressing room and imposed a system of fines for those breaking his rules. Daily Mail
Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Hamburg striker Mladen Petric as manager Alan Pardew looks to bring in new attacking options following the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January. Caught Offside
Bolton defender Ricardo Gardner is set to end his 13-year spell at the club by signing for Preston in the summer. talkSPORT
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has claimed no club could bid enough money to convince him to part with Luka Modric - not even if they offered a billion pounds. Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is considering retiring from England duty amid rumours he will be axed for the game against Wales. Metro
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has denied that left-sided star Gareth Bale was injured before he joined up with the Wales squad. Bale, 21, has pulled out of Saturday's match against England with a hamstring injury which international boss Gary Speed claims he picked up with his club. Daily Mail
Tottenham defender William Gallas is poised to sign a new two-year deal at White Hart Lane. the Sun
Scotland midfielder Scott Brown says he will approach Sunday's friendly against Brazil in the same determined, competitive way as he would a Sunday League match. (Daily Record)
Qatar 2022 World Cup organisers are designing cloud-like craft that will hover between stadiums and the sun to stem the summer heat. Metro
Manchester United winger Nani claims that manager Sir Alex Ferguson has made him cut out the tricks that he used when playing on the streets as a youngster. Daily Mirror
Former Aston Villa and England midfielder Lee Hendrie, 33, is currently plying his trade at Indonesian side Bandung. His new team are bottom of their division after just one win in their first nine games of the season. the Independent
West Brom defender Jonas Olsson has paid Stoke a bill of £200 after he smashed a picture in the Britannia Stadium tunnel following January's 1-1 draw. Daily Mail
Roberto Mancini is ready to battle Carlo Ancelotti to land AC Milan’s midfield ace Andrea Pirlo.
The star is set to leave the San Siro on a free transfer, because Milan want him to accept a substantial pay-cut in exchange for a new deal as they try to trim their wage bill.
Chelsea’s former Milan boss Ancelotti remains keen on the Italy playmaker after failing to land him last year and will try again – if he's still in charge this summer.
Manchester City struggled for creativity when Adam Johnson was injured recently and manager Mancini feels Pirlo could bring a different dimension to his developing side.
He is also attracted by his compatriot’s experience - Pirlo has won many top honours in the game, including the Champions League and World Cup.
Mancini feels he needs seen-it-all operators such as Pirlo in his squad as he builds a title-winning team at Eastlands, especially as Patrick Vieira is widely expected to quit this summer.
Juventus are also interested in Pirlo, but the Turin club could not match the package megabucks City could put together.
Barcelona poised to pip Manchester City to Vargas signing
Spanish giants Barcelona are winning the race to sign coveted Fiorentina wing-back Juan Vargas - leaving Manchester City out in the cold.
Reports last week in the Italian press claimed City had the upper hand after initial talks had taken place, but Gazzetta dello Sport are now saying Pep Guardiola's side are in pole position to secure the 27-year-old's signature.
The shift in fortunes concerns Nou Camp forward Bojan Krkic, who Barca are now offering as a makeweight in a possible deal for the Peru captain.
Guardiola is looking to strengthen his side down the left while defender Eric Abidal recovers from liver surgery.
Balotelli would be great signing for Milan - Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi's son has claimed Mario Balotelli would be a great signing for Milan.
The Manchester City striker has admitted his desire to play for the Rossoneri despite signing a five-year contract last summer.
And Pier Silvio Berlusconi, the vice-president of the Italian prime minister's TV companies, said: "Balotelli is a great player and very young. Certainly, he would be good for us but I don't think this is the moment to talk about it.
"We have a lot of strength in attack. For now, we are fine."
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli chants ‘Rooney, Rooney’ at Wayne Rooney prostitute Jenny Thompson!
We’ll let you off with this one, Mario
After yesterday’s cry for help to Ronaldo, Mario Balotelli is back to true form in today’s newspapers.
The Manchester City star is alleged to have launched into chants of “Rooney, Rooney” after he spotted the prostitute at the centre of the Wayne Rooney scandal across a crowded restaurant.
The 20-year-old saw hooker Jenny Thompson at the San Carlo Italian restaurant, where he dines every evening. He is said to have begun chanting Rooney’s name as she returned to her table from the toilets.
The Sun alleges Balotelli then “burst out laughing and flicked the finger at Jenny’s friends”. The young Italian is then said to have picked a fight with Thompson’s friend Sam Birch by blowing a raspberry in his face and inviting him to step outside.
Birch said: “He said ‘Come with me’ and walked outside. He tried to grab my arm before squaring up.
“Our foreheads were touching and I wasn’t going to back down. Then he swore at me in Italian and the waiters ran over and took me inside.”
Balotelli left in his white Maserati shortly after the incident, while the restaurant has since barred Thompson.
Birch added: “He was acting crazy. I think he is unhinged.”
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is a top transfer target for Arsenal, according to ex-Gunners stopper Bob Wilson. Metro
Sir Alex Ferguson's hopes of bringing Manuel Neuer to Manchester United have been hit after the Schalke goalkeeper claimed he only wants to leave Germany to go on holiday. Daily Mirror
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is considering a move for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, who he worked with when the pair were both at Birmingham. Wigan playmaker Charles N'Zogbia is also in Bruce's sights.Daily Star
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has joined Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan in the race for Roma defender Philippe Mexes - although Dalglish would prefer to sign Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill. Daily Mirror
Birmingham City defender Scott Dann has also been targeted by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. Caught Offside
Defender Wes Brown is considering leaving Manchester United at the end of the season as the 31-year-old believes he stands a better chance of signing a long-term deal elsewhere. Daily Mail
Arsenal will conduct a major clear-out in the summer in order to re-invest in big name signings. Caught Offside
Arsenal's pursuit of Dutch youngster Stefan de Vrij has been dealt a major blow after the Feyenoord defender revealed his desire to play for Barcelona. talkSPORT
Tottenham will battle Ajax and Borussia Dortmund for VVV Venlo striker Ahmed Musa. It is expected to take more than £5m to secure the 18-year-old Nigerian. Daily Star
Ipswich's £10m-rated striker Connor Wickham has dampened speculation that he may make a summer switch to Arsenal, Liverpool or Tottenham by insisting he wants to secure promotion from the Championship with his current club. Metro
Bolton are poised to make a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Andreas Ottl. talkSPORT
Arsenal are to make a shock move for Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Caught Offside
As many as eight senior players - including winger Ashley Young and striker Gabriel Agbonlahor - are considering their Aston Villa futures after growing unhappy with manager Gerard Houllier's strict regime. The Frenchman has banned mobile phones from the dressing room and imposed a system of fines for those breaking his rules. Daily Mail
Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Hamburg striker Mladen Petric as manager Alan Pardew looks to bring in new attacking options following the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January. Caught Offside
Bolton defender Ricardo Gardner is set to end his 13-year spell at the club by signing for Preston in the summer. talkSPORT
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has claimed no club could bid enough money to convince him to part with Luka Modric - not even if they offered a billion pounds. Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is considering retiring from England duty amid rumours he will be axed for the game against Wales. Metro
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has denied that left-sided star Gareth Bale was injured before he joined up with the Wales squad. Bale, 21, has pulled out of Saturday's match against England with a hamstring injury which international boss Gary Speed claims he picked up with his club. Daily Mail
Tottenham defender William Gallas is poised to sign a new two-year deal at White Hart Lane. the Sun
Scotland midfielder Scott Brown says he will approach Sunday's friendly against Brazil in the same determined, competitive way as he would a Sunday League match. (Daily Record)
Qatar 2022 World Cup organisers are designing cloud-like craft that will hover between stadiums and the sun to stem the summer heat. Metro
Manchester United winger Nani claims that manager Sir Alex Ferguson has made him cut out the tricks that he used when playing on the streets as a youngster. Daily Mirror
Former Aston Villa and England midfielder Lee Hendrie, 33, is currently plying his trade at Indonesian side Bandung. His new team are bottom of their division after just one win in their first nine games of the season. the Independent
West Brom defender Jonas Olsson has paid Stoke a bill of £200 after he smashed a picture in the Britannia Stadium tunnel following January's 1-1 draw. Daily Mail