Taking the weekend off gambling wise for a couple of reasons.

a) My picks of sucked the last two weekends.

b) Also a fan of taking a step back every once in awhile to regain focus. With a lull heading into next weeks Super Bowl figured it was a good time to enjoy a weekend during other things.

c) FA Cup weekend in England and have generally stayed clear of making many bets in these Cup contest.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill believes he has won the battle to sign Wigan striker Emile Heskey and expects to seal a £3m move on Friday. (The Sun)

With Wigan making a move for the oft traveled Mido yesterday it was only a matter of time before they threw up the white flag concerning Emile Heskey.

Manchester City have offered striker Didier Drogba a double-your-money deal worth £180,000 a week to quit Chelsea. (The Sun)

Makes more sense that Manchester City fruitless pursuits of the Kaka’s, Henry’s, Villa’s and Buffon of the world.

West Ham are close to agreeing a deal to sign Brescia’s Savio Nsereko for a fee that could total £10m after club executives spent the past two days in Italy holding talks. (The Independent)

That is a lot of money for a player in Serie B. Not only would he need to adapt to a new country but also a much higher standard of play.

Spurs are ready to revive their interest in West Ham’s Carlton Cole after they had an £8m bid for the striker turned down at the beginning of January. (Daily Star)

Why would Tottenham make a move when they have a similar player in Darren Bent is beyond me? Making a move for Cole should mean Tottenham would be interested in shipping Bent out.

Manchester City are ready to pay £19m for Sporting Lisbon and Portugal midfielder Miguel Veloso, who has been a long-term target for local rivals Manchester United. (The Sun)

Already talked about Veloso at length here but Manchester City just spent 14 million for Nigel De Jong who plays the same position. Can’t see City making a move for another holding midfielder.

Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who travelled to Hull City to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms on Thursday, is contemplating whether to become the Tigers’ £5m record buy. (The Sun)

Sure seems like Fulham is doing everything possible to send Bullard a signal that his time at the club is coming close to an end.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s resolve to keep hold of the Stamford Bridge club could be tested with a £750m takeover bid by a group of mainly German investors. (Daily Star)

When you lose the vast majority of your fortune these rumours are bound to pick up stream.

West Ham midfielder Jack Collison thinks manager Gianfranco Zola is one of the best players at the club - even at 42. “Some of the things he does in training makes us look silly, to be honest. It’s just a joy to watch him out there,” said the 20-year-old. (The Sun)

If West Ham lose any more strikers Zola just might end up being their best option up front.