REAL MADRID have made a shock move to land Carlos Tevez.
Manchester City could be ready to sell as they prepare their first bid of £20million for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.
Spanish champions Real have asked to be told if City plan to offload their star.
And City would want £25m for their Argentine, who has two years left on his £198,000-a-week deal.
Etihad boss Roberto Mancini made his peace with Tevez at the end of last season after the forward’s strike — but he may want to sell to fund his summer buys.
Man City set their sights on highly rated Brazilian defender
Manchester City have turned their attention to Brazilian Dede in their bid to bolster their defence as Roberto Mancini has seemingly given up on AC Milan’s Thiago Silva. €20m is the figure quoted by some press sources in Brazil, where the 23 year old was also linked with Milan. City have been keen on adding quality in the central defensive region as Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany have been over-worked. Mancini has been a huge fan of Silva but Milan’s reluctance to sell the Brazilian and the high asking fee has forced the Italian manager to look elsewhere.
But Dede has reiterated his desire to stay with Vasco da Gama for a couple of more seasons, although he did suggest that he had progressed to reach the European level. Tottenham Hotspur were also interested in the sweeper, who has earned rave reviews for his elegant style of defending. As for the links with Milan, the Italian giants are themselves fretting over PSG’s bid for Silva and with the French moneybags capable of offering astronomical salaries they might face a battle to keep hold of their leading defender. Dede might well be their back-up option should PSG land Silva.
Manchester City are ready to discuss a new £52m contract with attacking midfielder David Silva - to fight off interest from Real Madrid. Daily Star Sunday
I fear no one! Mario taunts Roy's heroes ahead of quarter-final showdown
Mario Balotelli has told his Manchester City team-mates and England opponents that he fears none of them as the two nations prepared for Sunday’s Euro 2012 quarter-final in Kiev.
Balotelli, who is expected to return for Italy to take on Roy Hodgson’s men, spoke publicly for the first time at this tournament on the eve of the match to warn his club-mates that he plans to end England’s dream.
Balotelli, who was dropped for the game against the Republic of Ireland but came off the bench to score, said: ‘All the Manchester City players are my friends: James Milner, Joe Hart and Gareth Barry. But the player I fear the most? I don’t fear anyone. I just hope it’s going to be a good match and I think it’s going to be fun to play against my team-mates. They know me and I know them. I just hope it’s going to be nice and fun.
‘But I just want to win. Even if they’re my team-mates, I hope they’re going to lose.’
Balotelli shouted angrily when he scored against the Republic of Ireland last Monday, causing team-mate Leonardo Bonucci to cover his mouth with his hand and disguise what he was saying.
But the controversial Italian, famous for police being called to his home when fireworks were let off in the house, for handing out £50 notes in Manchester at Christmas and for exasperating City manager Roberto Mancini so much that he threatened not to play him again, said he had no need to prove himself at the Olympic Stadium.
‘I don’t know what you mean when you ask if I’m going to make you angry or happy,’ said Balotelli, who is expected to play tonight, even though coach Cesare Prandelli says he will not name the side until an hour before kick-off.
‘Like all of my team-mates I want to put in a good performance and whether you’re entertained is up to you. I don’t think Mario the person needs to demonstrate [anything] to anyone. Because people who know me know what I’m like. I don’t have to demonstrate it to the English, Italians or anyone.’
Asked about a potential celebration, Balotelli added: ‘First I have to score!’
‘The national shirt has always meant a lot to me since I was a kid. It’s absolutely normal that in the first few games I was very emotional. It’s my first European Championship and I think it’s normal to have a reaction.
‘The only thing was I hadn’t scored a goal and that’s why got worked up [against Ireland]. But I wasn’t angry I didn’t have problems with the team or on the pitch. It’s contrary to your colleagues who said I have an attitude problem. I’m fine.’
England boss Roy Hodgson is relishing the challenge. England have never beaten a major nation away from Wembley in the knock-out stages of a tournament. They have not progressed beyond a quarter-final for 16 years and have only reached two semi-finals in 62 years of World Cups and Euros.
Dangermen: Gigi Buffon looks on as Di Natale, Cassano and Balotelli jog past
Hodgson said: ‘We’re going into a game that would give us the chance of putting one very unpleasant statistic away — that we haven’t beaten a major team in a tournament finals up to now. It would be nice if we stopped that statistic being thrown at us.
‘Most importantly, it would be nice if we could win and get to the semi-final. It would give us the chance to beat another big team.’
City's England winger Adam Johnson has emerged as a late challenger for one of the three over-age spots in the Team GB Olympic squad. Mail on Sunday
Gary Neville: England shouldn't wind up Italy's Mario Balotelli
England players will be wasting their time if they try to get Italy's Mario Balotelli sent off in their Euro 2012 quarter-final, Gary Neville has warned.
Balotelli has a famously fragile temperament and England stars may be tempted to wind him up in a bid to make him see red in Kyiv on Sunday night.
Neville, a member of Roy Hodgson's coaching team, believes that would be counter-productive and could even lead to the Three Lions going down to ten men.
'If you go into the game thinking "I'll go and try to wind up Balotelli", you could get sent off yourself,' the former Manchester United defender said.
'It's too big a game. Referees nowadays stamp on every little thing that happens - pulling shirts, standing on people's toes. Those days are gone. You are just going to get banned for two, three or four matches.'
Neville branded Manchester City striker Balotelli 'a clown' following his sending off at Arsenal in April, but has been impressed by what he has seen of the 21-year-old at Euro 2012.
'He has been very composed in this tournament,' he said.
'I've watched a lot of the Italians in the last 48 hours. He plays well with Antonio Cassano up front. They are a real handful.
'It may be a player on the pitch can sense something but the biggest concern about Mario Balotelli for England tomorrow is not whether we can wind him up. I can assure you of that.'
Balotelli is expected to return to Italy's starting line-up for the last-eight clash, after coming off the bench to score in the 2-0 win over Ireland.
Samir Nasri challenges journalist to fight after France exit
Controversial midfielder Samir Nasri challenged a member of French media to a fight in an astonshing foul-mouth tirade as France crashed out of Euro 2012 on Sunday night.
A 2-0 defeat to reigning champions Spain in their quarter-final clash saw Les Bleus bow out of a tournament that had promised so much.
Victory over Ukraine in their second Group D match had increased France's unbeaten run to 23 games with many tipping Laurent Blan's men as outsiders for the competition.
However, the wheels quickly came off after a shock defeat to already eliminated Sweden in their final match which led to a furious dressing room bust-up involving several players.
Nasri was one of those caught up in the melee, resulting in him being dropped from the starting XI for the defeat to Spain, although he emerge as a second half substitute as France chased the game.
Emotions were understandably still raw after the game with Manchester City ace Nasri no doubt still unhappy at the decision to omit him from the side let alone his country's exit from the tournament.
Nothing though could have prepared the waiting press pack for Nasri's reaction to being asked for his thoughts on the defeat as he made his exit from the Donbass Arena.
Having initially refused to answer any questions from journalists as he boarded the team bus, Nasri then remerged having apparently forgotten something only to confront one journalist who again pressed for his reaction.
In front of startled onlookers Nasri is then said to have lauched into an expletive filled rant against his inquisitor and the French press in general who he claimed wrote "c**p stories" about his team.
With the red-mist now firmly descended Nasri was then heard challenging the reporter to a fight as he said: "Now you can say that I've been badly brought up! Come over there and let's fix this."
Nasri's remarkable outburst is the latest in a long line of bust-ups with the French press who have been highly critical of the former Arsenal man in the past.
Indeed, Nasri's frustration with the boys in the press box was all too apparent after scoring the equaliser in France's 1-1 draw with England in their Group D clash, with his controversial celebration aimed directly at them.
OFFICIAL CLUB BOLLOX: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/What-the-pap ... ty-June-24
SNUB COUNT: 159
[spoiler]Anine Bing is a model and also know for her high profile relationship with Anders Svensson
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Winger Gareth Bale, 22, has handed Tottenham a massive boost by deciding to stay at White Hart Lane for at least one more year. Sunday Mirror
Spurs have made a shock move to sign Liverpool midfield target Gylfi Sigurdsson. Sunday Express
Danny Murphy will join Blackburn Rovers after the 35-year-old former Liverpool and England midfielder's contract with Fulham expired. Lancashire Telegraph
Sweden defender Olof Mellberg has emerged as a surprise summer transfer target for Everton. The 34-year-old former Aston Villa captain is out of contract with Greek champions Olympiakos. Liverpool Echo
Newcastle striker Leon Best, 25, has been made an offer that he "may find hard to turn down" by Blackburn. Newcastle Chronicle
Liverpool and Everton are shaping up for a huge transfer battle, with both clubs tracking Inter Milan striker Luc Castaignos, 19. Metro
Luka Modric, 26, has decided he wants to leave Tottenham to play for Spanish champions Real Madrid. Manchester United and Paris St-Germain have both been chasing Modric, but it seems the Croatia midfielder has set his heart on playing for manager Jose Mourinho. Sunday Mirror
Modric is also a target for Lokomotiv Moscow after Slaven Bilic's arrival as boss. Sun on Sunday
Chinese clubs are eyeing Wayne Rooney and other young Premier League stars in a bid to help them conquer the football world. Sunday Express
Fabio Capello has gone "crazy" at suggestions he has been helping Italy prepare for Sunday's Euro 2012 quarter-final showdown against England. Mail on Sunday
England cannot afford to wind up Italy hot-head Mario Balotelli - because they are more likely to get themselves sent off, according to coach Gary Neville. Sunday Mirror
Andre Villas-Boas is in a three-way fight for the Spurs job along with former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick and Laurent Blanc, who managed France at Euro 2012. Sunday Telegraph
Tottenham will hope to talk to Blanc about the vacant manager's post at White Hart Lane this week after France's exit from Euro 2012 to Spain. Mail on Sunday
The England team chef has revealed the secret recipe that is helping England at Euro 2012 - peanut balls, a tasty concoction given to the players as an energy boost. Footy Latest
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