Even more transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies

Karim Benzema to Manchester United
The French striker’s agent Karim Djaziri revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson wants to sign his client this summer. Just last week, Djaziri was quoted as saying that Benzema was happy to stay with the Ligue 1 club for another year.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Djaziri doesn’t expect Lyon to demand more than 40 million euros but the French side are in a great bargaining position as they know that the Red Devils have plenty to spend and need a striker.

Michael Owen to Hull
Phil Brown has confirmed that he was deadly serious about trying to sign Owen after his Newcastle contract expires next week. He said: “Hopefully Michael

Laurent Blanc is a shock contender to succeed Juande Ramos

The Spanish press are reporting that Laurent Blanc has emerged as a frontrunner for the Real Madrid job after Zinedine Zidane recommended him to Florentino Perez, the favourite to be elected president at the Bernabeu.

The Frenchman, once of Barcelona, guided Bordeaux to second in Ligue 1 last season and they are only two points off the top spot in this campaign.

However, The Spoiler believes it would still be too much of a gamble hiring someone who has only managed for two seasons and, unlike Pep Guardiola at Barca, has no prior experience at the club. It would also be very harsh on Juande Ramos - whose league record is P16 W14 D1 L1.

Striker has “unfinished business” in the South of France

Last Summer, Ivorian hitman Didier Drogba was linked to a whole host of clubs, including his former employer Olympique Marseille. The stroppy striker shares a special relationship with the Ligue 1 side, so much so that their fans were willing to club together and raise the transfer fee necessary to bring him back.

Drogba - who failed to make the Chelsea squad for last week’s match with Stoke - hinted in yesterday’s Evening Standard that he would like to return to the club for whom he made just 35 appearances:

“It’s unfinished business with Marseille. It’s hard to know if one day we will have the chance to finish this adventure, maybe in a better way.

“I still feel at home there. It’s not necessarily the right moment for me to speak about a possible return to L’OM. I have a lot of respect for Chelsea and as long as I’m under contract with them, I can’t express myself.

“If something is made to happen, I don’t know on which conditions, L’OM are going to have to contact Chelsea.”

It seems Le Drog has set his sights on a return to his former club, but if a transfer did go ahead, he would probably have to deal with a hefty pay cut: Marseille were recently offered the striker on loan, but declined as they couldn’t afford to cover his wages.

[Goal.com]

Liverpool/Marseille, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 2, Free £10 bet

Rafael Benitez will tonight become Liverpool’s most experienced European boss of all time, by taking charge of his 66th game as Reds boss (one greater than Bill Shankly). The Spaniard can also equal Bob Paisley’s record for most European wins as Liverpool boss with a victory, and while they have failed to win their last two home games against Marseille, chickendinner believe it will be third time lucky tonight. Here’s why:

MARSEILLE DON’T WIN AWAY
Since Marseille won 1-0 at Anfield last October, they have lost six consecutive away games in the Champions League and UEFA Cup (excluding qualifiers). After losing their opening three games in this year’s competition, Marseille appeared to turn the corner by beating PSV 3-0, but since then they have lost at home to Lorient and drawn with Lille in Ligue 1.

FINAL HOME GROUP GAMES
Liverpool have won their final home group game in three of Rafael Benitez’s previous four seasons, drawing with Real Betis on the other occasion. Porto (4-1), PSV (2-0) and Olympiakos (3-1) have all been beaten by margins of two goals or more in this corresponding fixture in recent years. In contrast, Marseille lost their final away game 2-1 in Besiktas last year. In the near

French keeper commits a big “non non”

Avid fans of goalkeeping errors will no doubt be aware of the howler AS Nancy’s Gennaro Bracigliano committed last night in a UEFA Cup tie against polish side Lech Poznań. The Frenchman strongly refutes the goal, but the fact that he let it touch the crossbar while walking it back into the net with him really let his case down.

[The Offside]

Europe’s seventh favourite league provides a classy effort

We know the folks in Ligue 1 are capable of being a little bit racist and a little bit sexy, but they can also bang the goals in with style and aplomb. Here’s FC Nantes defender Rémi Maréval launching a screamer against Olympique Marseille.

[Unprofessional Foul]

Dutchman throws some manly poses with his WAG

In the French version of this week’s Sport magazine (the freebie that is thrust in your face whenever disembarking from public transport on a Friday morning), former Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Liverpool star Boudewijn Zenden has proudly shown off his rock-hard abs, boyband wardrobe and model wife Clio Pajczer. Why? Because he can, that’s why.

In the interview, 32-year-old Zenden, now playing with Marseille, boasts of the ‘insane love’ he shares with his partner, and how they are the couple bringing the glamour to Ligue 1.

See more steamy pictures after the jump…