Blimey, they're back already. Barely have we recovered from the blow of hearing that Corinthians no longer covet Carlos Tevez, than the boys from Brazil are here again. Football, eh?
The club's director of football, former Brazil star Edu, never really crossed Carlos off that shopping list he compiled on the back of his credit card receipt on the original flight over.
Maybe it was just a bit of mistranslation when Edu said last week that Corinthians would not be renewing their interest in signing "controversial striker Tevez," as theMail describes him.
They recall, as we do, that "the former Arsenal midfielder told BBC Sport: 'At the moment there are no plans to try and sign him again.'
"However, Edu has now suggested the Brazilians could be back in the reckoning to re-sign their former player, currently suspended pending an investigation into an alleged refusal to play as a substitute.
"Edu told Sky Sports News: 'It was quite difficult to sign him because at the time it was shortly before our transfer window. We will see what the situation is and look to sign him in the summer.
We want to see how Tevez is, we will see if we can do a deal - he is very famous in Brazil and everyone loves him
"Edu, who played for Arsenal, was back in London last week for a conference. While there he did meet with Tevez's advisor Kia Joorabchian but the pair did not speak specifically about the player."
Of course not. Our information is that they discussed the volatile futures market in coffee beans and David Essex leaving EastEnders. Probably.
Meanwhile, our pals over at footballtransfertavern.com have heard from their man in the tapas bar where Jose Mourinho lunches, and they share that info with us today, as is their wont.
They reckon: "It is reported that Real Madrid are interested in signing the 27-year-old Argentinian come January, which will surely put a delightful smile on the striker.
"Reports have suggested that City are looking into signing a winger, with Roberto Mancini looking to strengthen his squad in January. Madrid and Argentinian midfielder Angel Di Maria has been mentioned in a player-plus-cash offer for Tevez."
Does that sound like a goer to you? The writer does point out: "What may hinder Tevez’s chances of landing this deal is his substantial wage demands. If Tevez were to overtake Cristiano Ronaldo and become Real’s top earner, I’m sure the Portuguese winger will have something to say."
And we'll probably need asterisks to report what he does say. We were just joking about Jose lunching in the tapas bar, by the way. He takes sandwiches, and a flask.
GARETH BARRY has warned Manchester City’s egotistical stars to stop the strops or risk wrecking their Premier League title bid.
With Carlos Tevez expected to learn his fate in the next 24 hours following City’s internal investigation into his refusal to play against Bayern Munich, Barry said: “It’s important that players keep their focus and not get too disappointed when they’re not playing.” On the same night as the Tevez controversy, Edin Dzeko reacted badly to being substituted and this year there were similar shows of dissent from both Mario Balotelli and James Milner.
Barry added: “Everyone has got to stay together and be patient. That’s going to be the key to success this season. When their chance does come, it’s important they take it.
“The club and the squad are still on a learning curve. It’s our first real experience of this. It’s our first season in the Champions League and we are looking to be going on long cup runs as well. The players and the whole club are adapting to it and I’m sure we can have a great season. If you look at our finishes – fifth in 2010, then third last season when we won the FA Cup – that’s great progression. If we can keep doing that, then a league title is not going to be too far away.”
Tevez will fly back to Manchester today after a break in Argentina to await the outcome of City’s probe into the Munich affair. His two-week ban ends tomorrow and he is understood to be ready to return to training on Thursday. But if City find him guilty of gross misconduct they could terminate his contract immediately. Express
Today’s Daily Star boast a world exclusive, revealing the sensational news that City face losing Carlos Tevez! Surely not. The article goes on to claim that City will have to accept a lower bid than the £34m they rejected from Corinthians over summer.
Elsewhere, Clubcall report that that City are interested in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for the thirty seventh time since Roberto Mancini took over as manager, and are also chasing Real Madrid schoolboy Jose Angel Pozo. City are understood to be willing to offer just under £750,000 for the rights to the player.
Reece Wabara apparently wants to extend his loan stay at Ipswich Town, whilst Edin Dzeko believes Bosnia can pull off a “miracle” against France tonight
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has warned on-loan striker Emmanuel Adebayor that he will have to take a substantial pay cut on his current £150,000-a-week salary to secure a permanent move from Manchester City. Daily Mirror
Liverpool will continue in their pursuit of Manchester City winger Adam Johnson by making further enquiries for the player in the January transfer window. Footybunker
London 2012: West Ham Olympic Stadium deal collapses
The Olympic Park will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2013 Continue reading the main story
The deal to award West Ham the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games has collapsed, the BBC can disclose.
The board of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has ended negotiations amid concerns over delays caused by the ongoing legal dispute with Tottenham.
The OPLC, government and Mayor of London have instead agreed the stadium will remain in public ownership.
A new tender process will be opened for an anchor tenant who will now lease the stadium for an annual rent.
It is understood West Ham will be bidding to become the tenant at the stadium.
The new tender process will be launched this week and any interested bidders will have to submit proposals by January.
A fund of £50m has been set aside from public money to convert the 80,000-capacity stadium at Games time to a 60,000-seater venue afterwards.
The post-Games stadium will be capable of hosting major athletics events and Premier League football.
That opens the possibility for Championship football club West Ham and their bid partner Newham Council to submit a new, lower risk proposal which could still see them move in after London 2012.
London 2012: Latest Olympic news, sport, features and programmes from the BBC
In pictures: The London 2012 Olympic Park
With West Ham's finances under strain following their relegation from the Premier League last season, the new arrangement could be much more attractive as it would only cost around £2m a year to lease the stadium.
That money will help offset estimated running costs of more than £5m a year.
The OPLC has decided to take drastic action because of the uncertainty being caused by the legal challenges from Tottenham but also Leyton Orient.
Both clubs are contesting the original decision to award the stadium to West Ham because of their reliance on a £40m loan from Newham Council, which they say is effectively state aid.
Spurs are seeking a judicial review of the decision and the next hearing at the High Court was due to be held next Tuesday.
But to complicate matters further, an anonymous complaint was made to the European Commission last week which could have meant even further delays.
And despite London Mayor Boris Johnson's ultimatum to Spurs last week to settle the dispute before next Tuesday and accept a funding package to help redevelop their White Hart Lane ground, the OPLC had lost confidence in a quick resolution.
The clock is ticking for the OPLC because it has set a deadline of 2014 for the new tenants of the stadium to move in.
For that to happen, planning permission must be submitted by March 2012 to ensure work starts immediately after the Games.
James Pearce toured the stadium as it neared completion in February 2011
The prospect of a never-ending battle in the courts raised fears that the stadium could lie idle for years after the Olympics had finished.
The other catalyst for the U-turn is London's bid for the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
Last week's visit of the inspection team from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was dominated by the continuing uncertainty over the stadium's future and, in particular, the running track.
With London facing a real contest against Doha in November's vote, the government and mayor wanted to send a strong message to the IAAF that they are committed to staging the event in the Olympic Stadium.
But the latest twist to the controversial saga will raise serious questions about how such an important decision could be thrown back into confusion with just 10 months to go to the Games.
There will also be concerns over why another £50m of public money is going to be poured into a stadium which has already cost over £500m.
[spoiler]Giorgia Palmas. Italian model who used to date Christian Vieri. Now she’s with Bologna midfielder Davide Bombardini
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Contract talks between Didier Drogba and Chelsea have been put on hold, paving the way for the Ivory Coast striker to leave Stamford Bridge on a free transfer at the end of the season. (The Times)
Barcelona are planning a £12m summer move for Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole. Daily Mirror
Meanwhile, Russian big spenders Anzhi Makhachkala are ready to offer Cole £200,000 a week to lure the defender away from London. the Sun
Real Madrid are ready to bid £30m for Manchester United's Mexican striker Javier Hernandez. the Sun
Chelsea are to renew their interest in Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin, and could make an offer for the Uruguay international in January, according to reports on Spanish radio. Footylatest
Blackburn winger Junior Hoilett is stalling over signing a new contract with Tottenham and Newcastle both keen on a summer move for the 21-year-old. (The Sun)
Arsenal will attempt to sign Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff after the Ligue 1 side's president admitted he will have to sell his stars to balance the books. Caughtoffside
The Gunners are also on the trail of Toulouse defender Aymen Abdennour, with scouts tracking his progress in France. The Tunisia left-back moved to Toulouse from Etoile du Sahel in the summer and has impressed at the Ligue 1 club. talkSHIT
QPR have expressed an interest in signing Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who is also wanted by German side Borussia Dortmund. Footylatest
Udinese goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic has told a Serbian newspaper that he is a transfer target for Tottenham. The 25-year-old Serbia international is currently on loan at Siena. talkSHIT
Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing young United States international Brek Shea after a prolonged period of monitoring the FC Dallas attacker. Caughtoffside
England striker Wayne Rooney has written to Uefa in a bid to keep his Euro 2012 suspension down to one game. The Guardian
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina has revealed to Spanish newspaper El Pais that he came close to leaving Liverpool a handful of times, especially during the disastrous Tom Hicks and George Gillett reign. talkSHIT
Newcastle have ripped down their 'Newcastle United' sign from the East Stand at St James' Park and are auctioning the letters off for charity, with the N currently fetching the most at £510. The Independent
Former Arsenal defender Gilles Grimandi, now the club's chief scout in France, believes Arsene Wenger's side suffer more injuries than other teams because "we keep hold of the ball more." Daily Express
Derby manager Nigel Clough's move back to manage Nottingham Forest is off - because he does not have the proper coaching badges. Under new regulations brought in last summer, Championship clubs can only appoint bosses with A or Pro licences but Clough only has a B licence. Daily Mirror
Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has turned down the chance to be the new manager of German side Schalke, according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial. The Spaniard is reportedly only interested in taking over at a club he feels is capable of challenging for silverware. Insidefutbol
Liverpool and Newcastle legends including Alan Shearer, Faustino Asprilla and Steve McManaman have rolled back the years to recreate the famous 4-3 game from 1996 for charity - but the Kevin Keegan-managed Magpies still could not exact revenge and lost 4-1. Metro
