sport

The Level Par Gossip

RAFA HINTS AT KEANE MOVE
Liverpool are expected to step up their pursuit of Tottenham's Robbie Keane when they return from Germany this week.

The dearth of strikers at Anfield was highlighted on Tuesday night when a team shorn of Fernando Torres was held to a goalless draw against Hertha Berlin.

"We are working hard to bring in new players," confirmed Rafa Benitez afterwards. "We will see what happens over the next few days."


CHELSEA BELIEVE THEY WILL SIGN ROBINHO
Chelsea reportedly believe they will sign Robinho during the next two weeks with the Real Madrid forward set to be their final capture of the summer.

Despite the Brazilian's announcement last week that he would be staying at the Bernabeu, The Independent claims that the club are 'increasingly confident that they will be able to sign Robinho from Real Madrid within the next two weeks following another meeting in London with the Brazilian's agent Wagner Ribeiro.'

'The transfer fee for the 24-year-old is still to be finalised, with Chelsea sources insisting they will not pay more than £30m for the striker. But personal terms are now understood to have been agreed, while Ribeiro yesterday reassured Chelsea that Robinho wants to join them if he leaves Real and that the club are prepared to sell. Indeed, Real have privately been accused by the Brazilian Football Confederation of withdrawing Robinho from their Olympic squad so as not to jeopardise his transfer,' the newspaper reports.

Chelsea have made no secret of their interest in Robinho, with chief executive, Peter Kenyon yesterday declaring: "I think as far as Robinho is concerned it is quite right he has been one of our targets. We have had several conversations with Madrid and he is a player we think would add a great deal to Chelsea.

"We have got a fantastic squad and that has been strengthened with [Jose] Bosingwa and Deco and I think the coach [Luiz Felipe Scolari] was just looking for one more to complete what he thinks is the perfect squad. There is still a long way to go on that one [Robinho], but we are very, very interested and the clubs are in dialogue."


CHELSEA CAVE TO FRANK
Various papers, but in particular The Daily Express, claim this morn that Chelsea will bow to Frank Lampard's demands for the extra year on that contract extension.

Apparently, after 'weeks of wrangling', Lampard has been offered the five-year deal worth around £150,000-a-week that he's been sulking over, which will both commit him to Stamford Bridge for the rest of his career, and make him the highest paid player in the Premier League.

That will apparently end any prospect of a move to join up with old boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, who had hoped to sign Lampard either this summer or next, when his present deal runs out.


ROB IN, DROG OUT?
The Daily Mirror goes big this morning with word that there may be a big swap deal involving Spain and Chelsea.

While it's hardly like-for-like, they claim Didier Drogba will be off to Barcelona, allowing Robinho to swan in from Real Madrid as his 'replacement'.

Having apparently been priced out of a move for Emmanuel Adebayor, Barca will turn to the cheaper option of Drogba, who will cost a trifling £15million.

That will allow Chelsea to splash out £25million on Robinho, after Peter Kenyon claimed the Brazilian was Big Phil Scolari's only transfer target this summer.

Do you believe him? Thought not.


CHIMBONDA MOVING TO SUNDERLAND
The Times says that Pascal Chimbonda will undergo a medical at Sunderland today.

The Spurs full-back is thought to be a target for Newcastle and Aston Villa but it sounds as if he has been persuaded to move to the Stadium of Light after holding a meeting with Roy Keane at the weekend.

It remains to be seen if Steed Malbranque, Younès Kaboul and Teemu Tainio will follow Chimbonda to the north-east but The Times reckons that the 29-year-old 'will cost about £4.9 million alone if the combined package falls through'.

Kaboul, by the way, is apparently being sought by both Portsmouth and Villa, as well as Sunderland.


CITY WANT BELLAMY
Manchester City are being linked with a move for West Ham's Craig Bellamy after Benjani Mwaruwari suffered a thigh strain in training.

Mwaruwari's injury is expected to keep him on the sidelines for at least a month and leaves Mark Hughes short of options in attack. New record £19m signing Jo is not expected to return from the Olympics, where he is with the Brazil squad, until September. Hughes' response could be to bid for Bellamy, with whom he enjoyed great success during the Welshman's single season at Blackburn Rovers.

According to The Independent, 'Hughes has already spoken to the club's board about making an offer for another West Ham player, Lucas Neill, but they are understood to have resisted his request for the right-back whose form has dipped badly in the past year.

'While West Ham may be prepared to sell Neill, they have no intention of parting with Bellamy, their £7.5m signing from Liverpool last summer, who spent most of last season on the injury list.'

Meanwhile, The Daily Mirror claims City will make a 'shock bid' for Marseille striker and Lord of the Manor of Frodsham, Djibril Cisse.

The 'crisis' at City is such that the Mirror even rather fanicfully mentions loan moves for either Nicolas Anelka or Andriy Shevchenko as possibles, while various other papers claim Hughes will try to snap up Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn.


JOHNSON FOR FULHAM
Andy Johnson is expected to move to Fulham after being omitted from the Everton team that played Preston in a friendly last night.

Having featured in Saturday's game at Cambridge, the striker was at Deepdale at kick-off but did not stay to watch. According to The Sun, Johnson is now 'set for Craven Cottage'.


BULLARD TO RETURN TO WIGAN
But while Johnson moves in, the papers reckon that Jimmy Bullard could be moving out of Fulham.

The Times says that the midfielder has been put up for sale and, if the Mail is to be believed, Wigan have already made their move by asking the Cottagers for permission to speak to their former player. It was only two years ago that Bullard moved south from Wigan.

Meanwhile, Wigan have finally completed a loan deal for Egypt striker Amr Zaki.


JUST ONE HOUR AT EVERTON
Everton are not expecting to pursue a deal for Vladimir Stojkovic following the goalkeeper's brief visit to Merseyside.

Stojkovic was due to train with Everton with a view to moving to Goodison Park on a season-long loan from Sporting Lisbon.

However, the Serbian stayed just over an hour before leaving and the Toffees are now likely to shelve plans to make an offer.


AND THE REST...
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has told Inter that Sulley Muntari is not for sale...Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has made a bid of £5million plus Charles N'Zobia for Celtic winger Aiden McGeady...Birmingham have told QPR defender Martin Taylor is not for sale...Crystal Palace, Norwich and Bristol City are all chasing Coventry's wantaway striker Michael Mifsud...Stoke have made a staggering £6million bid for Sunderland's number two goalkeeper Marton Fulop...West Ham have 10 days to tie up a deal for Marseille's former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse...Blackburn boss Paul Ince will make Chile midfielder Carlos Villenueva his first signing...Sunderland are closing in on Tottenham midfielder Teemu Tainio...Coventry have made a bid for Portsmouth defender Martin Crainie...Cardiff are set to hijack Leeds' £300,000 move for Wolves striker Jay Bothroyd...Tottenham have made an enquiry for Stuttgart centre back Fernando Meira...Sunderland are keen on Valencia striker Nikola Zigic for £5million, while Stoke want to tie up a loan deal for the giant Serbian...Released West Ham winger Nolberto Solano is in talks with LA Galaxy...Hull are holding talks with Wigan striker Marlon King and have offered £4million for Portmsouth defender Noe Pamarot...Sevilla have offered striker Arouna Kone to Middlesbrough.