Chelsea offer £43m for Franck Ribery

Chelsea have emerged as the team leading the pack for the signature of Bayern Munich's wantaway midfielder Franck Ribery. The Stamford Bridge side are in negotiations with Bayern, and are believed to be willing to splash out up to £43m on the French international. Ribery had previously been believed to be Old Trafford bound, and the capture of the player by the currently rudderless Londoners would be a major coup...

Ryan Babel is to part company with Liverpool after two years on Merseyside after Anfield boss Rafa Benitez told his agent that the player was able to talk to other clubs about a possible move. Babel was signed by Benitez for £11m from Ajax in July 2007 but has struggled to establish himself in the Liverpool line-up - only 42 of his 91 appearances for the club have been in the starting XI. Aston Villa, Tottenham and Arsenal are all believed to be interested in the 22-year-old Dutch winger...

Wigan manager Steve Bruce looks set to become Sunderland's new boss, as the northeast team, fresh from being taken over by Ellis Short, want to avoid the final day frayed nerves they suffered this year when they had to wait until the last day of the season to book their place in next season's Premier League. Having paid £3m themselves to bring Bruce to the JJB Stadium from Birmingham in 2007, Wigan are demanding £5m compensation from Sunderland...

Chelsea's unsettled Portuguese midfielder Deco has pleaded with former Porto boss Jose Mourinho to release him from his Stamford Bridge misery and take him to the Inter Milan. The 31-year-old was bought by previous Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, but since Guus Hiddink's interim stewardship of the west Londoners Deco, who has disappointed this season, has been frozen out. Deco could be joined in the exodus by another Mourinho protege, Ricardo Carvalho... ·