Stupid Rumours

First up, the BBC's gossip page:

Stupid:
Fulham can sign Sami Hyypia for £1.5m - if Liverpool can find a replacement for the defender. (The Sun)
- While he's not going to play every game, this is Liverpool's real weakness, in terms of strength in depth. Carragher and Agger are top quality, but they don't have any back-up there.

The Magpies are set to offer £4m for Everton's Phil Neville. (Various)
- Cascading from yesterday's rumours... Obviously, what's happened is that Big Sam's said to someone that he'd like a player like Phil Neville, and it's grown arms and legs up to the point where he's offering £4m for him. Everton are not going to sell their captain.
Everton will sign Manuel Fernandes on a fixed-term contract similar to the one that took Carlos Tevez to Manchester United. (Telegraph)
- Groan...
Wigan striker Emile Heskey may earn a recall for England's friendly against Germany on 22 August. (Daily Star)
- Words fail me.

Interesting:
West Ham have resurrected a £6m deal for Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer and he is expected to complete the move within days. (Daily Express)
- Finally, this would be good to clear up. Very, very good move for Newcastle.

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is in talks with Barcelona's Brazilian full-back Juliano Belletti over a £3m move. (Daily Mail)
Bolton have reluctantly agreed to sell Senegal defender Abdoulaye Faye to Newcastle for £2m. (Daily Star)
- Big Sam realises what Glenn Roeder and Graeme Souness didn't; Newcastle need a defence. He's bought well so far, and cheaply.

From the Guardian's Rumour Mill:

Stupid:
Speaking of Brazilian full-backs, and don't stop us if you've heard this one before, Sam Allardyce is once again sniffing around Brazilian full-back Juliano Belletti. Not content with being the only manager in the world who thinks Barcelona is a place to go shopping for defenders, he'll also stop by Liverpool for a striker - poor neglected Peter Crouch.
- Newcastle just do not need any more centre forwards, do they? Where does this story come from? They were linked to him under Roeder.

The Sun's managed to find a new twist on Yakubu's imminent move to Everton. Apparently Toffees defender Joseph Yobo has "ordered" the Yak to join him on Merseyside, which is an interesting interpretation of Yobo's statement: "I'll be happy if he joins us".
- Yet another example of tabloid tittle-tattle.

Interesting:
If he [Big Sam]'s lucky he might even see Lawrie Sanchez while he's up there, since the Fulham boss is tying up a £1.5m deal for Sami Hyypiä.
- What happened to the Hyypia to Newcastle rumours? They still need a centre half or two, and he'd fit the bill, especially at that price.

From Football365:

Stupid:
NEVILLE FOR TOON? NOT REALLY
Sam Allardyce must be a busy man. The Independent says that, as well as Faye, the Newcastle manager is 'is interested in trying to sign Phil Neville'. However, it's a pretty poor piece of Transfer Gossip as Alllardyce is described as being 'realistic about his chances' of signing Neville. 'Neville, the captain of Everton, joined the Goodison Park club two summers ago and signed a five-year contract. At 30, Neville might be expected to cost up to £4m but Everton are not hard-pressed for cash and Neville is not the sort of player who would cause disruption at a club simply to engineer an exit. 'No bid has been made by Newcastle but if one does materialise by the end of this transfer window then Everton will have to inform the player and the situation could develop,' the newspaper says. 'Could develop'?! They really don't know how to write salacious transfer gossip, do they?
- Yet another example of broadsheet transfer tittle-tattle. See above, but this gets closer to what I was saying. Nonsense.

Interesting:
Derby chairman Peter Gadsby is considering reporting West Ham to the Premier League for an alleged illegal approach for Giles Barnes...
- Good on him.