England

French giants look to departing Chelsea boss. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts PSG are considering an approach for Rafael Benitez when he leaves Chelsea, as they seek a replacement for the Real Madrid-bound Carlo Ancelotti, according to L'Equipe. The former Liverpool and Valencia manager has been in charge on a temporary basis at Stamford Bridge this season, and will leave the club in the summer as they seek a permanent appointment for the team. Benitez led the Blues to the Europa League in his short time with the club, and is now being linked with a number of managerial vacancies around Europe, including at Napoli and Malaga. However, PSG have now made the Spaniard their main target to replace their manager Ancelotti, who in turn will replace the Chelsea-bound Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. The Italian has just led the French giants to the Ligue 1 title, and has been approached by Real Madrid after they confirmed Mourinho would be leaving the Benerbeu at the end of the season. Arsene Wenger had also been linked with the PSG job, but he has committed his future to Arsenal, and it seems they are keen to wrap up a deal for a new boss as quickly as possible, and will move to hire Benitez swiftly. Benitez generally divides opinions in the game, but has brought success wherever he has gone, apart from a short-lived spell with Inter Milan in 2010.

Striker insists he wants to stay at Old Trafford. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Wayne Rooney is reported to be angry at the speculation regarding his future at Manchester United according to The Mirror. The Old Trafford striker has been strongly linked with a move away from the club in recent days after reportedly informing retiring boss Sir Alex Ferguson of his desire to leave the club a few weeks ago. But Rooney has slammed those suggestions, insisting he wants to fight for his future under new boss David Moyes. Rooney fears the rumours are part of a campaign against him that is looking to force him out of the club and into the arms of wealthy French side PSG. United would be likely to receive a significant transfer fee from PSG were they to sanction his departure. The likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are all thought to be monitoring the situation in case a move to the French capital breaks down. Speculation around Rooney’s future has been rife ever since he was controversially dropped for Manchester United’s Champions League last sixteen tie against Real Madrid. That followed a general trend which has seen Rooney’s importance to the United team diminish since the arrival of Robin Van Persie from Arsenal last summer.

Cottagers finally bag Boateng and Amorebieta. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Fulham have completed the double signing of Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta, Sky Sports reports. The Cottagers have been linked with Ghanaian midfielder Boateng for some time now and have finally managed to snap him up on a one year deal with the option to extend for a further year. The former Cologne man saw his contract with Ukrainian side Dnipro earlier this year following a dispute that put a halt to negotiations with Martin Jol's side. "I'm very happy that I have signed and I want to thank the chairman, the manager and the board at Fulham Football Club," he said. "I've been working hard to come here and I'll do my best for the club. "It's been a long road for me but now I'm here I'm so happy and I can't wait to start and give everything I have." Venezuelan defender Amorebieta has ended his eight year association with Spanish side Athletic Bilbao to join up with Fulham on a four-year deal. The 28-year-old was thought to be on the radars of Arsenal and Zenit St Petersburg but Jol was able to convince him to link up with his squad instead. "I'm delighted to have signed a four-year deal with Fulham and I'm looking forward to competing in the Barclays Premier League next season," Amorebieta said. "I'm impressed with the talent already at the club and I look forward to meeting the players for pre-season training in July."

Chilean now expected to move to Etihad Stadium. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Manchester City could be close to landing their new manager, with Manuel Pellegrini confirming his exit from Malaga at the end of the season, according to the Daily Mail. The 59-year-old has done a fine job with the Spanish club in the last few years after a harsh sacking by Real Madrid, and is also well respected in La Liga for his work with Villareal. The Chilean's impressive work has seen him linked with both Chelsea and Manchester City in recent months, as both teams have been looking for new managers. Chelsea now look likely to replace departing interim manager Rafael Benitez with Jose Mourinho, making a move to City for Pellegrini looking all but certain after they sacked Roberto Mancini earlier this month. Pellegrini will be expected to help the club win back the Premier League title next season, after Mancini performed poorly for the club this year, as they failed to mount a strong challenge against Manchester United and also suffered a shock FA Cup final defeat to underdogs Wigan. The departing Malaga boss will look to bring star player Isco with him to the Premier League, as well as other raids on La Liga players.

Nou Camp side reportedly snap up much sought after youngster. Check in to Espanyol vs FC Barcelona Barcelona have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Santos striker Neymar according to Spanish source Marca. The Nou Camp side are one of many of Europe's 'Elite' tracking the 21 year old Brazilian international and this source claims that the Catalan club have signed an agreement with Neymar that will see the youngster join the club in July after taking part in the Confederations Cup. Such a move could mean that this weekend's clash between Santos and Flamengo could be the last Neymar plays for the club he joined as an 11 year old, though there is talk of allowing the player to return for a farewell fixture before the 2013/14 La Liga season kicks-off. Neymar's current Santos contract is due to run until the summer of 2014 but does include a €65m (£55.7m) release clause which it appears will be triggered by Barcelona, such a move could be officially confirmed today. The Brazilian international is considered by many to be one of the top young talents in world football and his record in his native country can not be argued with, the forward netting 136 goals in 222 fixtures as well as 20 goals in 32 appearances for his national team. However Neymar will find life in European football an entirely different prospect and it will be interesting to see just how much of an impact the Santos man will make when he leaves Brazil.

We always look forward to seeing the catalogue for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize land on our desks here at 1000 Words and this year is no different. Featuring a selection of meaty essays by David Evans, Christopher Bucklow, Gerry Badger and Ian Jeffrey it is a veritable banquet for the brain - one that provides a perfect accompaniment to an exhibition that arguably offers the most expanded view of what photographic practice is, or can be, since the prize’s inception. Below is a series of video interviews with the four finalists: Mishka Henner, Cristina de Middel, Chris Killip and Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin that are worth sitting down to watch. The winner will be announced at the award evening on 10 June 2013. To read our review of the shortlisted artists and their work click here. Who gets your vote?

It’s been nearly six years since I saw The Hothouse, and my notes on the last viewing were quite short: as I liked it, that meant I thought it would be even better as performed by Simon Russell Beale at the conveniently located Trafalgar Studios. Well, hmm. I think I may have been wrong about this. The marriage of the top male comedic performer on stage today and Pinter is not, shall we say, made in heaven. I found much joy in a play set in an insane asylum in which everyone is working to their own advantage; you get to wonder what each character’s real goals are. But in this version … every thing seems muddy. Miss Cutts, is she really a nymphomaniac looking to seduce every male member of staff, or is it just how Indira Varma plays her? (Jessica Rabbit, of course, was just written that way.) Gibbs, is he really there to help Roote (Beale), and, if so, what is he doing with a knife in his shirt? The conflict between the characterizations and how the play is written becomes most glaring when Roote suddenly attacks Lush, with whom he had been drinking just a moment before. It seems completely out of keeping with his character, which is that of a bumbling official not much in charge of his subordinates. Where did the anger come from? Why would Lush submit to such horrible treatment? The more I thought about it, the more it all seemed a clash; Pinter has written the man to be violent and capable, not to be a doddering fool. The characters need to all seem murderous; instead, it’s the play that gets it in the neck. I watched this play from the cheapie “on stage” seats, and the overall experience was very odd: not just a backstage feel, but the exposed “three hundred people are watching me” thing combined with not very good angles for about half of the show (not a lot of backs but too many). I liked how cheap the seats were, but given that many of them weren’t even padded, by the interval I found my bum had gone completely numb. In a way, I was glad the show was played for laughs, because it kept my attention; overall, though, I was disappointed by this show and by my seats, and I certainly wouldn’t have thought it worth paying £45 or up to sit in the stalls. This Hothouse is merely tepid: give it a pass. (This review is for a performance that took place on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013. It continues through August 3rd, at which time the cast will go on a well-deserved holiday.)

Real join chase for in-demand Malaga ace. Check in to Malaga CF vs Deportivo La Coruna Real Madrid could attempt to hijack Manchester City's attempts to sign attacking midfielder Isco from Malaga, according to talkSPORT. The talented 21-year-old is one of the most sought-after young players in the world, impressing a number of top clubs after his displays for Malaga this season. Chelsea and Manchester City have long been chasing the Spaniard, but City's impending appointment of Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini looked like swinging the deal in their favour. However, with Isco having a minimum release fee clause in the region of £20million, Real Madrid may look to activate it and keep the exciting prospect in La Liga. Isco may still favour a reunion with his manager Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium, but the two clubs will now battle it out to land the midfielder, who has scored 8 goals in La Liga this season. It is understood that Real Madrid have upped their interest in the Malaga man after missing out on their main target Gareth Bale, who looks set to sign a new contract to stay at Tottenham. Manuel Pellegrini has also identified the likes of Marco Reus and Jesus Navas as targets for when he joins Manchester City this summer.

Loan striker mulling over permanent move to Upton Park. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts Liverpool have accepted an offer of £15million from West Ham for Andy Carroll, with the striker now weighing up a permanent move to Upton Park, according to the Telegraph. The 24-year-old has just completed a season on loan with West Ham, and manager Sam Allardyce is keen to tie down the 24-year-old on a permanent basis, after being impressed by his performances this year. However, despite his improved form, Carroll is said to be uncertain about joining a club that cannot offer him European football, and may wait to see if any other teams show an interest in his services. The former Newcastle man is unlikely to feature for Liverpool again, as Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that Carroll does not fit into his plans next season. The Reds are keen to make back a decent chunk of the £35million they spent on the England international in 2011, and will then look to invest in some new attacking players to take the goal-scoring burden off star striker Luis Suarez. West Ham may also look at another targets upfront if they do not land Carroll, with Stoke City's Peter Crouch and Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku both being linked with the club.

Moroccan hitman to return to old stomping ground. Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts French side Bordeaux are set to offer their former striker Marouane Chamakh a lifeline with a return to the club as he looks set to leave Arsenal, according to talkSPORT. The 29-year-old is set to leave The Emirates this summer after failing to settle since joining from the former French champions in 2010. He spent the second half of last season on loan with West Ham where he failed to exert any influence over their season by making just three appearances and failing to score a single goal. It capped off a bad year for the Moroccan striker as he had also failed to make an appearance for the Gummers since his peripheral role in 2012. He had enjoyed a decent first season in north London, bagging 11 goals and creating 8 assists in 41 games, but he just couldn't match the hype and the hope that surrounded his signature. Chamakh had been a hit for the French club, however. After first signing in 2002, he notched up over 300 appearances during an eight year spell, scoring 75 goals. And the former Ligue 1 winners have offered him a lifeline to return to the club after president Jean-Louis Triaud urged him to come back. "For me, we can talk about a return when the player or his agent picks up the phone and calls me. For now, it does not happen," he said.