Football: Rumours - Fact and fiction from the Sunday papers

Jon Culley
Monday 22 December 1997 00:02 GMT
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In spite of Middlesbrough's unhappy experience with him, the News of the World says Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli has been given a chance to return to the Premiership with Sheffield Wednesday. Manager Ron Atkinson is reported to have offered Marseilles a pounds 5m package, including French defender Patrick Blondeau and Italian forward Benito Carbone.

The Mail on Sunday says Everton are ready to follow today's likely purchase of French striker Michael Madar from Deportivo la Coruna with the sale of skipper Gary Speed to Newcastle in a package involving defender Darren Peacock. Howard Kendall, also said to want Bolton's Jamie Pollock and Birmingham forward Paul Devlin, will then offer pounds 5m plus England wing- back Andy Hinchcliffe for Manchester City's Georgi Kinkladze.

The People predicts that Madar could be in Kendall's line-up for the Boxing Day match with Manchester United, but reckons Kendall will not entertain Newcastle's interest in Speed unless Kenny Dalglish is prepared to part with David Batty.

Derby County have jumped to the head of the queue for Carlisle's 20-year- old striker Matt Jansen by forging a "nursery" link with the Cumbrian club similar to the arrangement Liverpool have with Crewe, according to the Mail.

Manchester United, turned down by Chile's Marcelo Salas and told - says the People - that they must wait until the summer to sign Dynamo Kiev striker Andrei Shevchenko, are ready to offer Brian Laudrup pounds 40,000 a week to join them from Rangers, reports the News of the World.

The People says that Liverpool, meanwhile, are lining up packages worth pounds 10m each to keep Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman at Anfield, with five- year deals on a basic pounds 30,000 a week for the England pair.

The Mirror reports that Rangers are ready to let Ally McCoist leave Ibrox on loan in the New Year, with both Wolves and Birmingham interested in taking the Scottish star to the Midlands.

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