Pascal Chimbonda and Dimitar Berbatov will be out of Spurs before the month is out, according to The Sun. What is the matter with these blokes? They could at least stick around long enough for their club’s big day at Wembley – it might be another 100 years before Tottenham get another crack at some silverware.

But even the prospect of a Carling Cup final against Chelsea isn’t enough to keep Berba and Chim at White Hart Lane. Chimbonda looks bound for Newcastle, confirming all our fears by declaring: “I am definitely leaving Spurs. It’s all about the money. I don’t care about the final. I don’t care about the Cup.”

As for Bulgarian striker Berbatov, boss Juande Ramos says he won’t try to keep him if a £30m bid lands on his desk – sounds to me as if Tottenham are getting desperate. But with Chelsea out of the chase, Manchester United are the only serious takers so expect a cheeky £15m offer from Fergie.

'The Reds – so-called because of their debt mountain – could do with some good news'


Kevin Keegan’s first job at Newcastle is to extend the dressing room. As well as Chimbonda, he is said to be after £7m Jonathan Woodgate from Middlesbrough – who is also a Spurs target (Daily Mirror) – and Blackburn wide man David Bentley (various). Kev is also offering Obafemi Martins a £26m deal to stay at St James’ Park until 2013 (The Sun), which seems a bit rash when the player still has three-and-a-half years left on his current contract. Should Kev really be left in charge of the cookie jar?

Peace has broken out at Anfield where Tom and Jerry, or whatever those tight-wad Yanks are called, are ready to soothe troubled Rafa Benitez by buying him his favourite midfielder, Javier Mascherano (Daily Mirror). Some of you might have noticed that Mascherano is already a Liverpool player but let’s not complicate the issue. The Reds – so-called because of their debt mountain – could do with some good news.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been cradle-snatching again, but in Gillingham instead of on the continent (Daily Mirror). His new kid on the block is 15-year-old striker Luke Freeman, famed as the youngest player to appear in the FA Cup proper when the Gills lost to Barnet in this year’s first round. The initial £500,000 fee, rising to £1m, looks a snip compared to how much was wasted on Theo Walcott.

Roy Carroll – remember him? – is involved in a tug of war between Derby and Rangers. Hard to believe, but the Gers have stepped in and blocked the ex-Man United and West Ham keeper’s move to Pride Park – even though he was paying them to terminate his contract so he could leave the Ibrox club.

Manchester City’s hopes of signing £8m Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano (various) are in ruins after the Brazilian, who is joint La Liga top scorer, declared: “I don’t want to go.”

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has given up on Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe and Liverpool’s Peter Crouch and is trying to land River Plate hot-shot Radamel Falcao, valued at around £5m (Daily Express). And worrying news for Scott Carson – O’Neill is apparently reluctant to pay Liverpool’s £10m asking price to keep the England keeper at Villa Park. He is ready to sign American Brad Guzan for just £2.2m instead, if Celtic and Arsenal don't beat him to the MLS stopper.

Villa old boy Milan Baros is heading back to the Premier League – Pompey are signing him on loan from Lyon.

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