Wednesday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

City chasing Blackpool keeper as Given replacement
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is chasing Blackpool keeper Matty Gilks as he looks for a replacement to fill Shay Given’s gloves.
Mancini made a personal check on the respected shot-stopper after his scouts pushed him for the job of taking over as Joe Hart’s understudy.
City will let Republic of Ireland star Given go in the January window, but they are looking to find a keeper who is willing to come and join their squad as number two to England’s Hart.
Gilks has had a meteoric rise after a career at the lower levels. He helped Blackpool win promotion and has been a star in the Premier League while also getting a call-up from Scotland.
Mancini did not see Gilks tested too much against nine-man West Brom, but his personal visit to the game confirms the live interest - and Blackpool will sell.
Gilks is refusing to sign a new deal and can go for nothing in the summer, with boss Ian Holloway admitting he may have to cash in on him in January.
The Seasiders may get around £700,000 for Gilks, who is one of their lowest-paid players and has refused to sign a new deal because of the temr son offer and the chance to walk free next summer.
City are now in the chase for Gilks, but will also look at others who fit the profile in the next few weeks - with the realisation that Given is on his way out.

Manchester City plotting £15m move for Renato Augusto
Manchester City are interested in Bayer Leverkusen's attacking midfielder Renato Augusto.
The 22-year-old was likened to Kaka during his early years in Brazil and is valued around £15m.
Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller accepts he will have to sell the midfielder if City table an offer.
Highly-rated: Renato Augusto

He said: 'This shows that we have a good team here in Leverkusen. However, we cannot compete financially with the big European clubs.'

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini to sell Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge
Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, has lost patience with Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge and is likely to sell them in the January transfer window.
Mancini, who is set to include both players in his squad for for the Europa League clash with Lech Poznan on Thursday, is determined to impose his own personality on his squad.
Both Wright-Phillips and Bridge, signed for a combined £21 million by previous manager Mark Hughes, have failed to convince Mancini that they are prepared to buy into his methods and approach.
Sport on television City were prepared to offer Wright-Phillips, 29, a new four-year contract this year, but the England midfielder rejected the terms on offer, with his adoptive father, Ian Wright, accusing the club of “mugging him off”. With Wright-Phillips’s £60,000-a-week contract due to expire in June 2012, City are prepared to sell him.
Despite starting the opening game of the season at Tottenham, Wright-Phillips has made just three Premier League appearances this term and has not started a league fixture since the 1-1 draw with Blackburn on Sept 11.
The emergence of Adam Johnson, and versatility of James Milner and David Silva, has reduced Wright-Phillips’s involvement. Liverpool are keen to sign Wright-Phillips and Blackburn are also likely to be interested should the takeover by Indian company Venky’s go through, so City are hopeful of recouping at least half of the £9 million they paid Chelsea for him in August 2008.
City are resigned to making a significant loss on Bridge, who has done little to justify his £12 million transfer fee since arriving from Chelsea in January 2009.
Although the 30 year-old has been hampered by injury, plus the distraction last season caused by allegations that his former partner had an affair with John Terry, Bridge’s form has been poor.
Mancini’s public support for the player during the Terry saga has not been repaid with performances on the pitch and, despite summer signing Aleksandr Kolarov being sidelined with an ankle injury since the opening weekend of the season, Bridge has made only one start in the league this season.
Joleon Lescott and Pablo Zabaleta have been selected ahead of Bridge and Mancini has made it clear that the former England defender faces an uphill battle to reclaim a first-team place.
With Bridge having almost 2½ years to run on his £90,000-a-week contract, City are bracing themselves for a financial hit on the player.
But having fallen to fourth choice left-back at Eastlands, Bridge faces an extended period on the sidelines if he fails to secure a move in January.
Mario Balotelli suffered a thigh strain in training on Tuesday and is a doubt for the clash against Lech Poznan.

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Manchester United are in talks to bring Mexico international striker Humberto Suazo to Old Trafford from Monterrey. The 29-year-old is valued at £10m by his current club.talkSPORT

Arsenal have moved ahead of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man Utd and Tottenham and into pole position to sign Werder Bremen playmaker Marko Marin. footylatest.com


Stoke still want to bring in Liverpool anchorman Lucas Leiva after they failed to land the Brazilian in the summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Even before his man-of-the-match performance against on Tuesday, Inter Milan were keen to secure an option on Tottenham star Gareth Bale. The Italian side believe a deal worth between £20m and £30m may persuade Spurs to sell the Wales international. talkSPORT

Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia is attracting interest from West Ham, Napoli and Bordeaux. talkSPORT

Juventus defensive midfielder Claudio Marchisio has caught the eye of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson who may bid for the 24-year-old either in January or at the end of the season. footylatest.com

Blackburn and Everton are poised to swoop if midfielder Charlie Adam's Blackpool contract is cancelled over a dispute over bonus payments. Daily Mirror

West Ham will cash in on out-of-favour striker Carlton Cole in January with the Hammers hoping Liverpool revive their August interest. Daily Mail

Birmingham hope to capture in-form Cardiff striker Jay Boothroyd on a cut-price deal as the 28-year-old continues to stall on a new deal with the Bluebirds. Daily Mail

OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is expected to make his return from injury against Liverpool on Sunday. Daily Mail

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says his next managerial move will be into international football. Daily Mirror

Nottingham Forest striker Robert Earnshaw is eager to sign a new four-year deal at the City Ground. Daily Mirror

Sunderland midfielder David Meyler has played for the first time since a double knee ligament injury at the end of last season in a reserve team match against Liverpool on Monday. The 21-year-old is two months ahead of schedule in his recovery. Daily Mail

Liverpool owner John W Henry has warned manager Roy Hodgson that he will have to focus on developing fresh talent rather than big-name signings. Daily Mail

Newcastle anchorman Joey Barton believes his side's inconsistent form has foiled accumulator bets all over the country. Daily Mirror

[Dameerto]

City chasing Blackpool keeper as Given replacement

...Mancini did not see Gilks tested too much against nine-man West Brom, but his personal visit to the game confirms the live interest - and Blackpool will sell...

So the Journo doesn't think he was there to scout West Brom ahead of our game at the weekend then? I'm not too surprised really.

[CITYSTEVEDON]

if bale can go for 20m, then im in but i doubt spurs would sell him, hes there best player

[Chinners]

EXTRA BOLLOX
More on Shaun Wright-Phillips being put up for sale by Manchester City
The winger wants a new contract worth £100,000 a week but talks have broken down after City offered him only £70,000 a week
Manchester City are open to offers for Shaun Wright-Phillips, a player who has started only three games for Roberto Mancini this season and has publicly expressed his disappointment about the club's refusal to grant him a lucrative new contract.
Wright-Phillips's representatives are seeking a deal taking him closer to the £100,000-a-week salary enjoyed by many players signed since the club entered Abu Dhabi ownership. Contract talks have foundered and, despite City's need of home-grown players like Wright-Phillips to meet their Premier League quota, bids will be considered in January. The 29-year-old, who left City for Chelsea for £21m in 2005 and returned for a fee of £9m three years later, has been linked to Liverpool, though that club's new American owners may not relish the idea of a player with such limited potential resale value. Wright-Phillips's current £60,000-a-week deal expires in 2012 and his father, Ian Wright, has been particularly vocal about the year-long extension and £10,000-a-week rise the England midfielder has been offered. City do not feel Wright-Phillips is a dressing-room agitator, despite his manager's unhappiness with an interview the player gave to The Sun in March, in which he depicted himself as an under-appreciated individual. There is a feeling at Eastlands that he is being badly advised.

Mancini will today publicly address the issue of Carlos Tevez's stay in Argentina, which has been extended because of City's departure to Poland to face Lech Poznan, rather than his inability to fly while suffering a dead leg that is still causing him pain. Tevez's travel to and from Argentina is by private jet, allowing him as much room to stretch and lie down as he wishes, so, contrary to some suggestions, the transit is not a problem.
Tevez was due to have flown to Manchester on Monday but City told him there was no point as the club's medical staff would be departing for Poland today. Tevez's representatives view that as a positive gesture on the club's part and it certainly does not point to grave concerns on Mancini's part about the fitness of his most important player. It is understood that Tevez is desperate to face Manchester United next Wednesday, though City – who will assess him on Friday – will be unwilling to give many clues as to his fitness before then, to retain an element of surprise.
Tevez is under the care of the Argentina national team doctor, who has treated him on City's behalf in the past, and he will now fly back from Argentina tomorrow, arriving later that day or early on Friday, when he will be assessed.
The decision to allow Tevez to leave in the first place is based on personal circumstances which have kept him apart from his two daughters. Tevez and his long-term partner, Vanesa, were separated last spring and she now lives with her parents, which explains why the children remain at such a distance from him. Tevez is very close to his eldest daughter Flopy and has seen very little of the younger child, Katie, whose difficult and premature birth led to another extended absence from the UK for Tevez last season.

Emmanuel Adebayor has insisted that his on-field row with Vincent Kompany at Wolverhampton was perfectly justifiable. "If I have to have arguments with all my team-mates every single weekend in order to help us win the game, I will be doing exactly that and I would want the same in return," he said.
However, Mancini has attempted, via a team meeting, to instill in his players the message that disputes and discontent must not go beyond the walls of the dressing room.

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Arsenal are planning a £10m bid for Werder Bremen's 26-year-old defender Per Mertesacker. givemefootball.com

Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale has received a glowing report from Italian journalists in the wake of Inter Milan's 3-1 defeat at White Hart Lane on Tuesday. Corriere dello Sport declared: "Bale show, Superb Bale," and Tuttosport enthused: "Frightening Bale, he sweeps away Inter." (Press Association)

Everton are lining up a £3m bid for Queen's Park Rangers striker Jamie Mackie. Metro

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is tracking Sampdoria and Italy's 28-year-old striker Antonio Cassano. Metro

Anderlecht midfielder Jonathan Legear expects Newcastle United to come in for him in January with a £3m bid. the Times - subscription required

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is set to make Bundesliga side Energie Cottbus a £2m offer for their Germany Under-21 striker Nils Petersen. Daily Mail

Birmingham hope to capture in-form Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd on a cut-price deal as the 28-year-old continues to stall on a new contract with the Bluebirds. Daily Mail

Napoli are not interested in a rumoured £35m bid for their midfielder Marek Hamsik and striker Edinson Cavani by Manchester United. Daily Express

West Ham defender Holmar Orn, 20, could be heading out on loan after joining up with Steve McClaren's Wolfsburg for a four-day trial. Daily Mail

Aston Villa striker John Carew looks set to be offloaded by boss Gerard Houllier, who axed the player while the two were at Lyon. (Daily Express)

Juventus defensive midfielder Claudio Marchisio has caught the eye of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who may bid for the 24-year-old either in January or at the end of the season.footylatest.com

OTHER BOLLOX
Former Manchester United forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be lured away from his job as the club's reserve team boss by the offer of management with Norwegian side Molde. Daily Mail

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who watches DVDs of former Gunners striker Thierry Henry in a bid to emulate his hero, is not far off from becoming the club's main target man, according to his manager Arsene Wenger. Various

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has frozen out teenage midfielder Fabio Borini after the Italy Under-21 player rejected the club's contract offer. Daily Mail

Former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari says the credit for improvements to Blues players such as Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole is down to him. Daily Mail

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway says captain Charlie Adam was so keen to play against West Bromwich Albion on Monday that he overcame his fear of needles and had a painkilling injection on his ankle. "We had to hold him down," Holloway declared.
Full story: Various

A re-education programme is on the cards for stewards at Aston Villa after they ejected a teenage fan who accidentally tumbled on to the pitch after heading the ball back into play during Villa's derby match with Birmingham on Sunday. Daily Mail

[Wonderwall]

EXTRA BOLLOX
More on Shaun Wright-Phillips being put up for sale by Manchester City
The winger wants a new contract worth £100,000 a week but talks have broken down after City offered him only £70,000 a week

Good luck trying to earn 70k a week anywhere else in the world Shaun