Chelsea and Manchester City are in the hunt for Liverpool’s Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso after his proposed £35m move to Real Madrid stalled. Daily Mail

Remember when Arsenal were interested in Alonso last summer? Highly unlikely they are interested now considering what his price has shot up too. Deep down Rafa must be liking this news. It keeps Real Madrid honest and also increases the price for Alonso should they wish to sell.

Tottenham and Fulham want Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch after his £12m move to Sunderland fell through. (Daily Telegraph)

I’m sure both clubs enjoyed reading the news of how Crouch turned down Sunderland preferring to stay in the south of England.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will now turn his attention to Tottenham forward Darren Bent. (Daily Telegraph)

Darren Bent is one of those players who always seems to be mentioned in this transfer rumours yet at the end of the day always stays where he is.

Another option for Bruce may be Bordeaux’s Morocco international forward Marouane Chamakh. The Guardian

Don’t picture Chamakh pleading to the press for Sunderland to make a bid for him like he did when Arsenal was interested.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti anticipates Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, who was on loan at AC Milan last season, will leave the club before the start of the 2009-2010 campaign, with Dynamo Kiev and Fenerbache interested. The Guardian

Shevchenko didn’t do himself any favours when he didn’t preform last year for Ancelotti at A.C Milan.

Tottenham have tabled a £17m bid for Real Madrid’s 23-year-old Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo. Daily Mirror

Michele Platini won’t be up in arms over this transfer but these are the type of transfers which hurt football. Ronaldo to Real Madrid for 80 million is a sure thing knock on wood. 17 million for a player with one good season under his belt like Negredo is hurting football. A club should rarely pay that much money for a player they could of had for less then 5 million a year ago.

And Spurs are weighing up a move for Manchester City winger Martin Petrov, 30, and could prize him away from Eastlands for £5m. Daily Mail

Just about any Man City player from the Sven era or previously to that should be nervous about their place right about now.

Fulham are set to make a £9m offer for Hull City defender Michael Turner, which includes striker Bobby Zamora going in the other direction. (Daily Mirror)

Remember the first half of the season hearing Turner for England. Not so much in the second of the season.