Papers: Grant to Hammers

The Daily Mirror leads on the news that Gianfranco Zola is to quit - with Portsmouth manager Avram Grant set to replace him on the Upton Park hotseat.

The Mirror claims that Zola is unhappy with where the club is headed, and wants to walk away despite his £1.8 million annual salary. Grant is favourite to replace the pint-sized Italian, with Martin Jol, Steve McClaren and Croatian national coach Slaven Bilic also reportedly on the shortlist of Davids Gold and Sullivan.

The Sun also covers its back page in Hammers-related news, with Sullivan's assertion that "if we get the right bid we will sell any player except (Scott) Parker" prompting the headline 'Under the Hammer'.

Sullivan's claim is clearly not true, incidentally, since it's clear that if they got the right offer they would sell any player includingScott Parker.

If Real Madrid offered to clear West Ham's entire debt mountain with a silly-money offer for the England man then Gold and Sullivan would be straight round their superstar's pad helping him pack his suitcases.

There could be a World Cup reprieve for the England WAGS as the Independent claims Fabio Capello is to rethink the ban on players bringing their wives and girlfriends out to South Africa for the World Cup.

That'll be good news for Steven Gerrard and Alex Curran, who have told the Daily Star (in a front-page 'world exclusive') about their 'Love Split Hell'.

To the paper-buying punter at the news stand it's a story that promises salacious gossip about one of the country's best-known footballers and his equally well-known wife. Inside, however, the story turns out to be very different: Curran and Gerrard are apparently right as rain, and the 'love split hell' refers to having to put up with internet gossip that they're about to break up.

As false advertising goes this is an almighty humdinger - a bit like buying a car and finding out after the deal is done that you've just bought a parking space. Mind you, if you do get duped then at least the Star only costs 20p.

The presence of WAGS at the World Cup may or may not prove to be good news for England fans - depending on whether they like Heat magazine - just as Wayne Rooney's early return for Manchester United this weekend could also prove a blessing or a curse.

The PFA Player of the Year is trying to rush his return from a groin injury so that he can help keep United's title chances alive against Sunderland this weekend, according to the Daily Mail.

The Sun carries a story about Robbie Keane's potential return to the Premier League, with Wolves apparently keen to snap up the Tottenham striker - currently enjoying a terrific loan spell at Celtic - now that they know they'll be in the top flight again next year.

Wolves are also reportedly keen on Reading midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard, with £3m summer bids in the offing for each, according to the Mirror and the Daily Mail.

Staying in the Midlands, it looks like Birmingham City's Steven Carr has some explaining to do about his inflammatory hand gestures to Aston Villa fans during the derby at the weekend.

A fan has complained to police about Carr apparently making a well-known hand gesture to a section of the crowd. Carr will have to convince investigating officers that he was merely waving a friendly greeting rather than inciting Villa fans to acts of self-abuse.

And finally, the news that Manchester City have asked the League to agree an emergency goalkeeper loan following the injury to Shay Given has prompted The Times to do a bit of investigating - and it turns out that no fewer than nine goalkeepers are on the payroll at Eastlands.

Think about that the next time your other half complains that, despite wardrobes full of evidence to the contrary, she has literally nothing to wear to a party.