Our man in Turin tells us that Alessandro del Piero is contemplating allowing someone other than Juventus pay him £80,000-a-week next season. "The sensational news has put Manchester United and Chelsea on red alert," the News of the World hyperventilated when they heard the news.

The same paper reckons Roma boss Fabio Capello will replace Alex Ferguson at the end of next season while the Sunday Mirror says Argentinian Juan Veron and Celtic's Henrik Larsson will be on Old Trafford's playing staff by the time he arrives, (not to mention Ruud Van Nistelrooy, whose entrance will signal Dwight Yorke's exit to Chelsea).

Groundhog day: if we'd a pound for every time Sheffield Wednesday's Alan Quinn was linked with a move to Everton, Coventry or Spurs or Brentford's Irish midfielder Martin Rowlands was all set to join Leicester we could probably afford del Piero's wages - the same rumours have surfaced yet again. Meanwhile, our man in Bradford tells us that Andy O'Brien is all set for Newcastle.