The Gossip Column - Monday, 26 May 2008

Gilardino to take purple paycut?

A deal worth 8.5m is said to have been agreed to take the misfiring Milan striker to the Stadio Artemio Franchi. No announcement has been made yet but it is expected to be confirmed later this week that Gilardino is prepared to take a pay cut as he searches for first team football and will be reunited by his former Parma mentor Cesare Prandelli.

Verdetto

Done deal; a move away from the San Siro was always likely as Milan look to bring in new faces and the striker needs a move to recapture the form that saw him originally earn a move to Milan. The chance to work with Prandelli and have that faith restored in him again may have persuaded him to be less demanding on wages

Petr Cech to replace Dida?

More news coming out of the San Siro is that Milan are also lining up a move for Chelsea number one Petr Cech to solve their goalkeeping crisis as they search for a replacement for Dida. It is suggested that a figure of 30m could bring the Cech goalkeeper to Italy.

Verdetto

No chance; the 30m may be tempting, but Chelsea and the player himself will be reluctant to enter into negotiations. That 30m will be spent elsewhere (signing Drogba).

Kaka out - Ronaldinho and Deco in?

Barcelona are said to be ready to let Milan have their top priority transfer signing Ronaldinho along with Deco and 16m in exchange for Kaka.

Verdetto

If you believe the financial problems at Milan then this deal doesn't make a lot of sense, just adding to the wage budget. Deco won't add too much to the squad now that Flamini has signed and there are younger alternatives they could move for. Milan are likely to prefer to sign Ronaldinho for his full valuation and if they have to let Kaka go (which the signing of Roanldinho suggests) then they would prefer it be a cash only deal, in which case Chelsea are probably the only club who are prepared to match the players valuation.

Malouda to Juventus?

The former Lyon star has never been able to hold down a regular starting spot at Chelsea this season and may be thinking of moving on with a move to Italy on the cards. Reports in the French press suggest that Juventus are rumoured to be closely monitoring the situation.

Verdetto

Juventus have restablished themselves in Serie A and are back in the Champions League. During one of the lowest moments in the clubs history they have done well to collectively stay together as a squad and make an instant return and push for Scudetto title. Now they must bring in fresh faces and build a team capable of taking the next step, a team that can maintain a title challenge and be a force in Europe once again. Malouda would certainly fit in well at Juve, despite a poor season he is still a quality player and has been another promising player to struggle in what seems to be an ever expanding squad at Chelsea. The recent sacking of Avram Grant may mean that we sea a number of players shown the door in the summer as whoever replaces him seeks to rebuild the squad. Having already dug deep into his pocket Abramovich may not be so willing to throw more cash at his Blue empire.

The player would welcome the move to Juventus, as he wants to play regular first team football and is more than capable of holding down a place for a Champions League team. It could well be a season of change at Chelsea, budgets may be restricted and that may be a catalyst to this move happening. Chelsea could potentially break transfer records this summer but the new manager will have to raise the majority of the funds himself. So if both parties can agree a price there is a fair chance we could See Flo in a Juve shirt next season

Xabi Alonso to Leave Anfield?

Juventus are also said to be keen on Liverpool's Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso. It has been reported that the two clubs have been in talks regarding the transfer with Liverpool apparently holding out for 14m.

Verdetto

Well I think it is fair to say that the relationship the Liverpool owners have with the supporters and Rafa Benitez is not in perfect Harmony at the minute. Liverpool were once a great domestic club, and are now becoming known as European specialists. Having won the UEFA Cup and Champions League in recent years, it is the Premiership they have been longing to win. There is a strong feeling that the squad needs further strengthening and more quality if they are to maintain a title challenge all season. Benitez is eyeing a number of changes but has not been given the vast transfer budget he had wished and perhaps had been suggested he would get when the American owners took over at Anfield last year. This leaves him in the position of having to sell to raise cash and Alonso is just one of a growing list of players that could leave this summer transfer window.

If he does head to Italy it will certainly suggest Serie A is the place to be next season with Flamini already leaving England for Italy and a number of other deals likely (Drogba, Hleb, Schevchenko?). I could see Rafa being willing to sell under the right circumstances: if the money is right then every player has their price. He may not be first choice anymore so an exit could well be on the cards, however a move back to Spain may be the preferred option.

Puds