Football transfer rumours: Kasper Schmeichel to Bayern Munich?

Today’s flim-flam wants to be elected

A shocking bold-type confession in this morning’s Sun: “FERGIE: I WANT TO BED CHERYL”.

The Mill had to take quite a long breath after reading this. What to make of it? The ultimate statement of enduring longevity, perhaps. Retiring? How’s this for retiring? And while you’re at it check out my florid, hoarsely-panting 68-year-old leaked inter-generational celebrity sex tape. Maybe it’s a simple statement of fact, a knightly tribute to the nation’s favourite doll. Or more likely desperate next-generation mind games ahead of the final round of Premier League matches, some kind of crazed mess-with-Ashley’s-head gambit.

Although, to be honest the Sun does seem to be a bit confused itself. “BLACK EYED PEAS star FERGIE has told pal WILL.I.AM that SHE will bed CHERYL COLE before he does,” it goes on to say. “Bisexual Fergie, 35, has been teasing her bandmate about his huge crush on the GIRLS ALOUD star.”

Will.I.Am. Bisexual Fergie. The Mill has gone a little blank to be honest, and it’s probably all for the best. Particularly when there’s news in the Daily Mirror that Arsène Wenger is about to pay £10m for Dynamo Kyiv’s Pape Malickou Diakhaté, the vice-captain of Senegal and fancy-sounding defender who “also plays in midfield”, which already sounds slightly too poncy and Arsenal. Bone-headed big-money disappointment William Gallas could be flouncing off elsewhere after being offered only a one-year deal. He says Roma, Paris St Germain and Juventus are all prepared to give him two years.

Sam Allardyce is in a hoarse and fetid funk over Cardiff City’s Welsh international Joe Ledley, who is available “on the cheap this summer”. Birmingham and Bolton are both after the scuttling cross-patch bald full-back Paul Konchesky. And the spotless courtly gent Roy Hodgson, who would never even think of doing that to Cheryl, has Nicky Shorey up his sleeve.

In the Daily Mail Bayern Munich want to pay £7m for the scurrying Manchester United wing, strike defensive attacking midfield indie guitarist Park Ji-sung. Sir Alex Ferguson says he needs two players. He may be getting rid of ambling tearful goal-scapegoat Dimitar Berbatov, indolent Glenn Hoddle-lite Michael Carrick, juddering, creaking, back-firing defensive Rolls Royce Rio Ferdinand and apparently want-away ace grappler Nemanja Vidic.

Rafael Benítez is all set once again to hold more “crunch talks”, the latest in an endless round of crunch talks for a man whose life consists of little else but crunch talking, with this new fellow Martin Broughton. If Chelsea buy Fernando Torres for £70m Benítez wants to be allowed to waste every penny on disappointing Chilean left-backs, skinny Frenchmen who play in the reserves for six years and angry-looking but basically pointless ageing European defenders.

West Ham are after the 17-year-old Shrewsbury “wonderkid” Tom Bradshaw, who has scored three goals, which is enough, apparently, to qualify for wonderkid status. Chelsea have smeared their face with rabbit dung, packed a small Tupperware box with peanut butter sandwiches, put on their taupe combat-style outdoor trousers and begun “tracking” holding midfielder Fabian Rinaudo of Gimnasia La Plata. Rinaudo has been likened to Javier Mascherano and is described as “a 5ft 8in terrier”.

Back in the Sun Benítez may not actually be going to Juventus, who aren’t offering him enough “power”. Nicolas Anelka is going to sign a new two-year deal at Chelsea. “It’s 99.5% done,” says an insider, holding up 99.5 fingers.

Wolves want to buy the Crystal Palace midfield goal machine Darren Ambrose. The sum of £1.5m should do it. Kasper Schmeichel is “eyeing a deal” with Bayern Munich. Bayern have offered him a contract. He is eyeing it. Birmingham, West Brom and Derby are also politely interested.

According to Goal.com Thiago Silva’s agent says he’s unlikely to go to Chelsea. “Thiago Silva is very happy at Milan and he wants to honour his contract. I know nothing because if there was a team interested in Thiago they should contact Milan, I am just his agent,” Paulo Fernando Tonietto said, adopting a sickly and humble facial expression and trying to make himself look, really, really, really small, like a tiny defenceless hedgehog, or a little mouse with three legs.

Strolling, muscle-bound, almost entirely inflexible slowcoach Michael Ballack could be off to Schalke. “We are indeed interested in signing Michael Ballack. I’m confident that he’s ready to accept a pay cut if he decides to return to the Bundesliga this summer,” Felix Magath told the Berliner Kurier, which sounds a bit like one of those newspapers sulky hooded teenage boys tip in vast quantities every week over the side of railway embankments before shamelessly ambling back to the shop to claim their £12.52, which they will then spend on individual cigarettes and a selection of energy drink shots.

Transfer windowNotts CountyBayern MunichCardiff CityBlackburn RoversArsenalRomaDynamo KyivBarney Ronayguardian.co.uk

Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Arsenal | Premier League match report

Blackburn came from behind to move up three places into the top half of the table, leaving Arsenal still short of the point they need to make sure of third place. In a game in which all the goals came from corners, two mistakes from Lucasz Fabianski that led directly to both home goals only served as a reminder that Arsenal still need to invest in a reliable goalkeeper.

Robin van Persie’s first goal in six months put Arsenal in front after 13 minutes, the Dutch striker finishing off an old-fashioned near-post corner routine after Bacary Sagna flicked on Samir Nasri’s cross. Conceding from any sort of set piece never puts Sam Allardyce in the happiest frame of mind, though the lead was no more than Arsenal deserved. They could have been ahead as early as the second minute had not Carlos Vela missed the target when a mistake by Gael Givet allowed Theo Walcott to roll the ball invitingly across the face of goal.

Allardyce had been relaxed enough about this game to take in the Wigan v Hull match earlier in the afternoon, reportedly checking the relegated Tigers for possible bargains. Blackburn had nothing in particular to play for here, though Allardyce’s summer spending plans are probably based on a mid-table finish rather than a position just above the relegation candidates.

With every league place dropped counting as money lost, the Blackburn hierarchy will have been relieved to see David Dunn grab an equaliser before the interval, while the travelling Arsenal support would not have been surprised to see another goalkeeping misjudgement cost their side. Fabianski had done reasonably well in keeping out a couple of Morten Gamst Pedersen shots from free kicks, but when he came for a 43rd minute corner and missed he left Dunn a simple tap-in once Keith Andrews had returned the ball back across the six yard line.

Arsenal’s reserve goalkeeper went some way to redeeming himself with good saves from Pedersen and then Junior Hoilett at the start of the second half as Blackburn began to exert some pressure, before Martin Olsson saw a goal disallowed for a borderline offside. Fabianski was almost as relieved as Mikael Silvestre when the defender’s sliced clearance nearly produced an own goal, only for his luck to run out from the subseqent corner when a woeful attempt to punch away Pedersen’s cross simply allowed Chris Samba a free header right under the crossbar.

This time Fabianski did not so much come for the ball and miss as fail to assert himself on his own goal line. Pedersen cleverly delivered his corner into the area where the goalkeeper, rather than his centre-halves, would have to deal with it, and Fabianski fatally allowed himself to be crowded out.

Arsène Wenger had been unhappy with Blackburn’s persistent fouling of Van Persie earlier in the game, Vince Grella in particular pushing his luck after picking up a booking and Pederson also being cautioned for a badly mistimed tackle, though in the end the Arsenal manager had no choice but to contemplate the weaknesses in his own side.

Apart from Fabianski, Walcott was largely anonymous once again, Vela was negligible and even Van Persie faded towards the end. “Blackburn defended well and were sharper than us in the fight, but it was a poor game,” Wenger said. “We were not good, but I thought Lucasz was fouled on both occasions. The referee has to give a goalkeeper more protection than that. Blackburn do it very well, but in football if you don’t go for the ball, if you push the opponent inastead, then it is a foul. I thought Lucasz had a good game.”

An unrepentant Allardyce simply grinned when informed of Wenger’s complaints. “We beat them fair and square,” he said. “We did identify the goalkeeper as a weak line and tried to play on that, putting in plenty of crosses and putting him under pressure, but you are allowed to do that. The referee gave some fouls that perhaps weren’t, and missed some that possibly were, but we caused them problems in that area. If you play on your opponents weaknesses eventually they will be exposed.”

Arsenal now need a point or more from their final games against Fulham to make sure of third. “We are playing at home,” Wenger said. “I don’t think we need to worry about what Tottenham or Manchester City do.”

Premier LeagueBlackburn RoversArsenalPaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk

Squad sheets: Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal

There could be a case for billing this as a battle of which team drifts off first. Arsenal cannot finish above third and will not be overly troubled by the thought of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City wheezing down their necks. Blackburn might cast themselves as the types to rattle Arsenal but this fixture usually brings an easy win for today’s visitors. Sam Allardyce will no doubt impress on his charges the importance of climbing at least one place up the table, with each rung on the ladder worth an extra £720,000. James Callow

Venue Ewood Park, Monday 5pm (ESPN) Tickets £28-£35 (0871 222 1444) Last season Blackburn 0 Arsenal 4 Referee M Atkinson

This season’s matches 29 Y118, R6, 4.21 cards per game

Odds Blackburn 11-4 Arsenal 15-13 Draw 5-2

Blackburn Rovers

Subs from Brown, Grella, Samba, Emerton, Diouf, Jacobsen, Chimbonda, Hoilett, Kalinic, Di Santo, Bunn, Basturk

Doubtful Samba (groin), Emerton (hamstring)

Injured None

Suspended None

Form guide DLDDWW

Disciplinary record Y56 R2

Leading scorer Dunn 8

Arsenal

Subs from Mannone, Traoré, Mérida, Eastmond, Eduardo, Vela, Arshavin,

Bendtner, Walcott

Doubtful Arshavin (calf)

Injured Almunia (wrist, 9 May), Fábregas (leg, Aug), Denílson (groin, Aug), Djourou (knee, Aug), Gibbs (foot, Aug), Gallas (calf, Aug), Vermaelen (calf, Aug), Ramsey (broken leg, Dec) Suspended None

Form guide DLLWDW Disciplinary record Y52 R1

Leading scorer Fábregas 15

Match pointers

• Arsenal have scored 14 goals in their last three league meetings with Blackburn

• Paul Robinson has let in 47 goals in his last 15 league games against Arsenal

• Blackburn have not lost back-to-back home Premier League matches since Sam Allardyce took over in 2008

• Arsenal have dropped 12 points from winning positions away from home this season, more than any other team except Wigan (13)

• Blackburn have hit the goal frame 17 times this season, a joint high with Liverpool

Blackburn RoversArsenalPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk