Latest football rumours from today's newspapers.
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Robbie Fowler has missed out on a move to Norwegian champions Brann Bergen because of his excessive wage demands. (Daily Mirror)
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Fowler now looks set to join Blackburn on a pay-as-you-play deal. (Daily Mail)
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Or, the 33-year-old has already been offered a three-month deal by Rovers. (Daily Telegraph)
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Blackburn boss Paul Ince hopes to sign young striker Nick Blackman from his former club Macclesfield. (Daily Mirror)
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Birmingham City have taken West Ham midfielder Nigel Quashie on trial with a view to a three-month loan deal. (Daily Mail)
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Watford hope to ease their cash crisis by sending players out on loan - Crystal Palace want Jobi McAnuff, Coventry are keen on Mart Poom and Ipswich are chasing Damien Francis. (The Sun)
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Manchester United and Chelsea are fighting to sign 16-year-old Danish defender Nicolai Boilsen from Brondby. (Daily Express)
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Crystal Palace want Sheffield United striker Danny Webber on a three-month loan. (The Sun)
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Ipswich are keen to bring Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson to Portman Road on loan. (The Sun)
OTHER GOSSIP
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Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez says Steven Gerrard could be fit to face Manchester United on Saturday after missing England's World Cup qualifiers this week. (The Sun)
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Joe Cole will start England's crunch World Cup qualifier with Croatia on Wednesday. (The Sun)
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Scotland captain Stephen McManus says Lee McCulloch's decision to desert the national team has created a climate of crisis around the camp. (Daily Record)
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Secret plans have been drawn up by the Football Association to sell off part of the company that operates Wembley Stadium. (The Guardian)
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Manchester City's prospective new owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, could replace the club's current executive chairman Garry Cook with MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Guides or Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon. (The Guardian)
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Aston Villa are set to offer Bulgarian midfielder Stiliyan Petrov a two-year contract extension. (Daily Star)
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Gianfranco Zola has confirmed that he has accepted an offer to become West Ham boss and the club will announce his appointment on Wednesday. (Various)
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Zola hopes to lure his former Chelsea team-mate Steve Clarke from Stamford Bridge as part of his new Upton Park coaching team. (Daily Star)
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Another Chelsea old-boy, Pierluigi Casiraghi, will also be part of Zola's Hammers team. (Daily Star)
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But Casiraghi insists he will stay on as Italy under-21 coach for next summer's European Championship finals. (Press Association)
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Zola says he will play attractive attacking football to win over Hammers fans unhappy about his Chelsea connections. (Daily Mail)
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Tottenham's assistant coach Gus Poyet has ruled out any chance of him becoming Newcastle's new manager. (Various)
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Or, Poyet has been in talks with Newcastle but will make them wait before deciding if he wants to take over from Kevin Keegan. (Daily Express)
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Poyet is reluctant to go to St James' Park because he is aware of the hostility between Magpies fans and the Newcastle hierarchy. (Independent)
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Didier Deschamps has expressed an interest in the Magpies post but the club have learned he is likely to succeed Raymond Domenech as France coach if that position becomes vacant. (The Guardian)
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Real Mallorca coach Marcelino Toral is another possible Newcastle target. (Daily Mail)
AND FINALLY
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Boxer Ricky Hatton is kicking himself after giving up his VIP box at Manchester City's Eastlands stadium because he thought the club would struggle this season. (The Sun)