Saturday's gossip column

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has made signing Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz his top priority in January. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce is hopeful of signing loan striker Amr Zaki on a permanent deal from Cairo side Zamalek. (Daily Mirror)

Ipswich are interested in signing crocked Portsmouth striker David Nugent, who has just had a second hernia operation. (Sun)

James Milner insists he is not frustrated at playing a bit-part since his £12million move to Aston Villa from Newcastle. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Charlton Athletic could become the latest club in English football to move into foreign ownership after receiving a cash offer from a group of Dubai-based investors. (Various)

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has prepared a three-year business plan in a bid to convince boss Roy Keane he should stay at the club. (Sun)

Coach Fabio Capello claims England are on the verge of a brave new era ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan at Wembley. (Various)

But Capello has begged England fans not to boo his side if they are struggling to score against Kazakhstan. (Sun)

Kazakhstan manager Bernd Storck has warned his squad they will never play for their country again if he spots them hero-worshipping at Wembley against England. (Daily Star)

Wales boss John Toshack laughed off jibes that his side will face a 'pub team' on Saturday by insisting that Liechtenstein will be no pushovers. (Daily Mail)

Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie believes the days of massive transfer fees could be over as football begins to feel the full effects of the credit crunch. (The News, Portsmouth)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is said to have lost $12billion on the Russian stock exchange. Abramovich saw his fortune dwindle as Russia's Micex Index went into freefall. The value of two of his companies on the Moscow-based index, steel maker Evraz and mining company Highland Gold, left the Russian $11.9billion lighter in his pocket. (Press Association)

But Abramovich's advisers played down suggestions that the Chelsea owner's personal wealth had been badly affected by the stock market crash. (Daily Telegraph)