Football transfer rumours: Scott Dann to Manchester United?

What with Saturday's draw at Everton and his Carling Cup-style side's struggles against Rangers last night, Sir Alex Ferguson 's recent team selections have gone down about as well as a Lady Gaga fancy-dress theme at an animal rights Christmas party, but now even his choice of classy Manchester pre-match bolt-hole is the subject of criticism. It is his habit to take his team to the Lowry Hotel to relax and focus before games, a trend that has continued despite Wayne Rooney using the very same venue to relax and focus with a couple of, ahem, ladies of dubious standing on a handful of recently-publicised occasions. "It must have sent a shiver down Wayne's spine returning to the scene of the crime," a "team source" with a habit of saying extremely convenient things to passing journalists told the Sun. Talking of talented but follically troubled United stars, "skint soccer legend Nobby Stiles sobbed yesterday as he put his 1966 World Cup winner's medal up for sale", reports the same paper. Also heading for auction: his European Cup winner's medal and final shirt, and Alan Ball's World Cup final shirt, which for some reason he swapped for his own. "I've had a bit of a bad time and I want to leave something for my family," he blubbed. The Mirror's headline? "Nob sobs as he flogs togs". Talking of Manchester-based footballers linked with high-profile matches against German speakers, Carlos Tevez has prepared for Manchester City's Europa League fixture against Salzburg by having a "Herrcut". It's a good week for the bank accounts of England's fringe wingers, with Shaun Wright-Phillips close to agreeing a four-year contract at Manchester City and Aston Villa opening talks with "prize asset" Ashley Young . Blackpool are all set to snap up Portsmouth reject David Nugent on loan , after failing to sign him on transfer deadline day because he was hiding in a cupboard. "With 20 minutes to go we had Nugent wrapped up – but no one could locate him, so he couldn't sign and then it all fell through," said Ian Holloway. Fulham are readying themselves for Mark Schwarzer finally moving to Arsenal , or into an old age home, whichever is sooner, by targeting Crystal Palace's pyjama-clad keeper Julián Speroni in a £750,000 January swoop. There is a possibility that Victor Obinna's loan move from Internazionale to West Ham could be made a permanent one, according to the Mill's top-level sources. "There is a possibility that my move could be made a permanent one," said Obinna. The Birmingham centre-back Scott Dann is expected by the Express to be the centre of a January transfer tussle between Liverpool and Manchester United . Also in the new year, the Norwegian midfielder and childhood Newcastle fan Per Ciljan Skjelbred will be forced to choose between his boyhood heroes and the German Champions League side Schalke as he finally packs his bags and leaves Rosenborg. Marlon King is apparently unlikely to sign for Coventry City and thereby rejoin Aidy Boothroyd, with whom he had an extremely successful spell once before, as Nottingham Forest , with whom he had an extremely unsuccessful spell once before, somewhat bizarrely emerge as a rumoured alternative destination. International news now, and the Togo FA has taught our very own Football Association a few things about dealing with teams that suffer humiliating reverses on foreign fields by insisting that the side who lost 3-0 to Bahrain in a friendly last week were definitely not Togolese in any way. "The players were completely fake," said their chairman. "We have not sent any footballers to Bahrain. The players are not known to us." Meanwhile the Portuguese FA has slapped Diego Maradona on their shortlist of candidates to replace Carlos Queiroz as coach of the national team. Go on, Portuguese FA, do it! Do it! Fellow South Americans José Pekerman and José Aguirre are also under consideration, though the former Sporting coach Paulo Bento is considered, sadly for those who appreciate good footballing comedy, to be in the driving seat.