* Milan say they would like Ronaldo. Acting president Adriano Galliani:
"We wouldn't change Kaka for Ronaldo but we would definitely like to have both of them.
"If you had our Ronaldo in attack and Kaka and Cristiano behind, then you could calmly go to the cinema and, without worry, ask how Milan got on.
"However, life doesn't allow you to have everything you want.
"Who is better — Kaka or Cristiano Ronaldo?
"We had to be tough to find a player of Kaka's calibre in Brazil.
"He's the top scorer in the Champions League with nine goals. He scored twice at Old Trafford and has the pure class of a phenomenon."
* Ray Ranson steps up his bid to but the Divs. This from the Guardian:
Ray Ranson has claimed he would make as much as £20m available for team-strengthening if his £90m bid for Manchester City is successful, although the club themselves were quick to express concerns over the viability of the approach of their former right-back and his consortium.
Ranson, 46 and reportedly competing for control with Thailand's recently ousted prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and a US consortium, which could well be after only 29%, claimed: "We are long-term investors. We are backed by a UK-based investment fund.
There will be team-building funds available and there will be investment in the academy and the first team. Let's make no mistake about it: these overseas guys are into it for one thing only, to make a return. My aim is more long-term. I would like to implement my vision of how a 21st- century club should be run."
However, City's statement to the Stock Exchange read: "Ray Ranson's indicative proposals have contained a number of material conditions that the board do not believe can be fulfilled and this has been communicated to his advisers. The board can confirm it received, and responded promptly to, a highly conditional indicative proposal from Ray Ranson and his advisers on March 12, 2007. Since March 12, 2007, neither the purported '£90m bid' nor further proposals have been received from Ray Ranson."
* The Guardian report that William Gallas will leave Arsenal for Real Madrid following a bust up.
* The Independent on Alan Ball:
Alan Ball, the youngest member of England's World Cup-winning side, died of a suspected heart attack after trying to put out a bonfire in his garden, Hampshire police have confirmed. The 61-year-old was found collapsed at his home in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Firefighters and police were called to his home in Warsash, Hampshire, at 12.15am yesterday when his body was discovered. A Hampshire Police spokesman said that Ball had been trying to tackle a bonfire that had got out of control when he collapsed and died. There were no suspicious circumstances to the death, he added.
Ball had spent the day working on his garden, and it appeared the fire had spread to a fence. He died hours after watching television coverage of Manchester United's Champions League semi-final victory against Milan. His son Jimmy spoke to him after the match, in which Paul Scholes set up United's equaliser with an inspirational through ball.
He said: "I was talking to him last night just after the football and he was in great form. We were talking about Scholes' pass. And then I got a phone call in the middle of the night. It's unbelievable and very, very sad."
Neighbours said that they saw a fire engine arrive on Tuesday night but there did not appear to be any major incident.
Ball's friend, Terry Hussey, said Ball had been due to play in a charity golf match yesterday. He said: "I last saw him on Sunday and he was as fit as a fiddle. He was due to play in the charity golf tournament today for the Wessex Heart Foundation, which is quite ironic I suppose."
* There will be a minute's silence at Goodison on Saturday - Ball used to play for the Everton.
* Andy Cole, now on loan with Birmingham talks about Dwight Yorke, now with Sunderland:
"Dwight Yorke is one of my biggest mates and, of course, he also knows Steve Bruce. Dwight knew I was coming here to Birmingham because I talked to him about it, and we said just because it did not work out for him at Birmingham does not mean it is not going to work out for me.
"Dwight and I are opposites. That is why we were so successful together, I think, and why we still get along so well.
"Birmingham are a very big club with a great fan base, everyone knows that, and I think they were very unlucky to have been relegated from the Premier League last season.
"Twelve months later and the club are in a great position to go straight back up again, but it is a very tight race for promotion.
"We are on top at the moment, but Sunderland have been on a great run recently and you cannot discount Derby."