The talk in football
Expect to see a series of denials regarding the prospect of David Beckham's move from Real Madrid to Chelsea. But don't forget his mooted move to the Spanish capital from United was greeted, at one stage, by the Real president Florentino Perez with the words "never, never, never". One thing is for sure, the Madrid players were warned before the England captain's arrival that the "party was over" and some of their off-the-field antics would fall under scrutiny because of the Beckham circus hitting town. So some of them who enjoyed the party life previously may not be unhappy to see him go.
Sven's £10m exit clause
Still in Madrid, the rumours about Sven-Goran Eriksson continue and this could be a factor in Beckham's future. Despite vehement denials from the Football Association to the contrary, a source rings Talk to say the Swede definitely has a specific release clause in his contract allowing him to leave after Euro 2004 if Real - no other club are mentioned - approach the FA and meet a fixed amount of compensation, believed to be more than £10million.
No way Jose is Real deal
But if Sven doesn't go, who could replace Carlos Queiroz at the Bernabeu? One of the front-runners is believed to be Jose Mourinho, the much sought-after Porto coach. The former translator for Sir Bobby Robson has also been linked to Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham and is certain to be able to take his pick of several top jobs in the summer. But the feeling is he may be too inexperienced for the Madrid hot-seat given all the big egos, a criticism already being levelled at his Portuguese colleague Queiroz.
Claudio's £7m Ken debt
It appears good old Ken Bates may have left a little parting gift for Roman Abramovich with Claudio Ranieri's contract as manager. Word reaches us that there was a £1million fixed compensation clause if he was sacked in his original deal with the club. But two years ago the deal was renegotiated by Bates and it is believed the clause was taken out, leaving the payout to cover whatever was left on his contract. As Ranieri has more than three years to go on his current £2m-plus deal, the final figure will be close to £8m if he goes in the summer.
Drugs? Clubs just say no
Mystery continues to surround the identity of the young Premiership player who, it is being reported, failed an in-house drug test for cocaine. Talk is told the football authorities have asked each club whether one of their players is involved and each has replied "no". But there seems to be some substance to the story (excuse the pun). The episode highlights the problem of clubs conducting tests and not revealing the results, as they are not publicly accountable, unlike the FA's independent scheme.
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