Newcastle United appear ready to outbid West Ham for Reading left-back Nicky Shorey (News of the World). Toon manager Sam Allardyce is ready to up the ante and offer £5.75m this week for the England international. Steve Coppell appears to be losing patience with contract rebels Shorey and Leroy Lita, and has demanded a resolution sooner rather than later. Hammers’ boss Alan Curbishley has been chasing 26-year-old Shorey all summer and now has to persuade the former Leyton Orient player that a return to East London would be more advantageous than a move to the North-East.

It seems that the good start to the season has given the moneymen at St James’ Park the impetus to keep spending – Newcastle are ready to use Emre as bait to land Barcelona midfield ace Deco (News of the World). Portuguese international Deco has also been linked with Chelsea, and I very much doubt the addition of Emre to the deal will hold much interest to Barca. Only straight cash, and lots of it, is likely to make the La Liga giants sit up and take notice. There’s also the question of whether Deco would fancy the move. Newcastle are definitely on their way up in the world, and can rightly consider themselves top-six challengers, but I do not think they are quite ready to entice the likes of Deco to Tyneside. However, Michael Owen made a similar choice, so who knows?

Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is set for a move to Newcastle (News of the World). Cudicini is stuck in a rut, having made just 13 Premier League starts in the past three seasons. At 33, it may be time to get away from Stamford Bridge, but he could just end up as second choice at St James’ Park. Shay Given is, in my opinion, the best keeper in the world, certainly the most consistent and seemingly immovable ... just ask Steve Harper, who has made fewer than 50 appearances in almost 15 years at the club. Carlo, if I were you, I would look at attracting interest from either abroad or indeed a host of other Premier League clubs who do not happen to have a top stopper.  For instance, given Jens Lehmann's recent blunder, and Arsenal's purchase of a young replacement in Łukasz Fabiański, I would have thought that the surprisingly uncapped Cudicini would fit the Emirates perfectly. Whether Jose Mourinho would sell to a rival is another matter.

‘It seems that the good start to the season has given the moneymen at St James’ Park the impetus to keep spending’


Despite Tottenham’s 4-0 drubbing of Derby, Jurgen Klinsmann is being touted to take over from Martin Jol(Mail on Sunday). Jol apparently has six matches to save his job, strikingly similar to the length of time Alan Curbishley has to prove himself at Upton Park. I cannot believe that Daniel Levy and Co would be as short-sighted as that after what Jol has achieved at White Hart Lane, I believe he is safe in his post and he would only go of his own choosing if he was offered the Dutch national coach’s role.

Is Kevin Nolan on his way out of the Reebok? His recent substitution along with tactical changes under new Bolton boss Sammy Lee have led Nolan to become unhappy with life as a Wanderer. Asked how he felt about his more advanced role, Nolan said: "I don't know where I'm playing at the moment, mate. And I don't know why I was taken off." When asked why he looked so unhappy at being replaced by Daniel Braaten, Nolan replied somewhat predictably: "I wasn't happy." (tribalfootball.com)

Nolan is a class act and would have won an England cap by now had he been plying his trade with a more fashionable outfit. His performances in the Premier League have warranted a least a shot at international football. His unhappiness, post-Big Sam, gives him the perfect opportunity to make the move away. The Bolton fans might not like it, but their side are in deep trouble and a player of Nolan's class can’t be expected to show endless loyalty, especially if he feels he is being played out of position or subbed unfairly.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he is gambling over his new contract negotiations (tribalfootball.com). The Frenchman is still to put pen to paper and apparently his decision depends on movement upstairs at the Emirates. His quotes are always a little cryptic, but even for Arsene these latest words are frankly baffling. See if you can decipher meaning from them. "It is true that it is a gamble I take," he said, "but when I take a gamble at some stage, it is with people who are in charge. They tell me certain things, and I believe or believe not, then I say, ‘Listen, I want to sign only one year.' It is down to me if I want a longer contract or not and there is a takeover, because I know from the moment I sign that it can happen." Quite.

Either it’s the language barrier, which has never been a problem before with such an educated boss, or maybe Wenger is on too high a dosage of prescription drugs ... or thirdly, and most likely, the quotes are made up or misinterpreted. What do you think?