DI MATTEO'S MIND STARTS TO ROME
Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo says he would jump at the chance to return to Serie A. ''I'm happy with things from all points of view in London,'' he told the Corriere dello Sport. ''I've started a business which I find very stimulating and I've got an excellent rapport with the club, the team and the coach. But if the chance came to return to Italy, I certainly wouldn't turn it down. It all depends on Chelsea, rather than me, since I've got a contract with them until June 2002.''
The 27-year-old left Lazio in 1996 after a bust-up with then-coach Zdenek Zeman. He was linked with Juventus last year but has more recently been the subject of rumours that he will return to the Rome club, now coached by Sergio Cragnotti.
''There is talk about this going around and the club still has a big place in my heart but I can certainly deny that I've had a meeting with Cragnotti, he said. ''My prospects with Chelsea are good - we've won three major trophies in two years and next season we'll be back in the European Cup Winners' Cup and we play Real Madrid for the European Super Cup. But, should Chelsea ever decide to put me on the transfer list I would come back to Italy straight away.''
ONE Italian squad member who isn't interested in playing in Britain is former Middlesbrough malcontent Fabrizio Ravanelli. The Marseilles striker met Rangers officials at Italy's World Cup training camp over a reported £5m transfer to Ibrox but rejected their £1.5m-a-year salary offer. "I won't play in Scotland, it's not big enough for my ambition," he said.

TRIO IN THOMPSON TUG-OF-WAR
Aston Villa, Leeds United and Everton are heading for a three-way fight over the signature of Bolton's £5m-rated midfielder Alan Thompson. Villa boss John Gregory laid out his summer transfer plans in a meeting with chairman Doug Ellis this week and is making the 24-year-old his primary target. Everton boss Howard Kendall also wants the goalscoring Geordie to help lift his slumbering giants away from the foot of the table. He promised: ''If Alan becomes available, there will be an interest from us. He has proved he is a special type of midfield player who can score goals, not just in the season just gone but also in others.'' Villa are also looking for a new striker after the sale of Savo Milosevic to Real Zaragoza and Stan Collymore's resounding bellyflop. Sources suggest a bid of £4m for Crystal Palace youngster Matt Jansen could be on the cards.
LEEDS face a second transfer battle, competing with Tottenham for Sampdoria's Italy Under-21 defender Emanuele Pesaresi. Spurs boss Christian Gross has been scouring Europe for someone to fill his problem left back spot while counterpart George Graham didn't get the performances he expected from David Robertson last season and knows he needs a tighter defence going into the UEFA Cup.

CELTIC BUY-OUT'S ALIVE AND KICKING
Celtic-mad Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr is supporting businessman Brian Dempsey's attempted buy-out of Bhoys boss Fergus McCann's shares. Kerr said: "I can confirm that I have been in discussions with Brian Dempsey with regard to Celtic's future. It is well known that I love this club and the people who support it. I am delighted to support Brian and others in our attempt to ensure that ownership of the club goes back to Celtic shareholders and supporters, as Mr McCann promised it would."
McCann, whose behind-the-scenes row with championship-winning coach Wim Jansen led to the Dutchman quitting the club after just one season, isn't likely to be interested though he's planning a stock market flotation that'll earn him way more than a simple buy-out.

MAGPIES STOP, LOOK AND LAURSEN
Fans looking up into the stands during Sunday's Danish Super League match between Silkaborg and Aarhus would have spotted Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish, his No 2 Terry McDermott, English agent Paul Stretford and Danish agent Jesper Olsen. They were there to watch Silkaborg's Denmark Under-21 centre half Martin Laursen, a tall, pacy 20-year-old who can play as a sweeper or as a man-marker and who is available for £1.1m. Laursen is a big fan of English football and fancies the idea of being part of Newcastle's Cup Winners' Cup challenge next season. The great news for Magpies fans is that he is much better suited to the physical nature of the Premiership than his countryman Jon Dahl Tomasson, who started slowly after moving to St James' Park last summer before tailing off steeply.

KOP CALLING ON COLLINS
Liverpool could be about to offer Monaco £2m for Scotland midfielder John Collins. The 30-year-old's contract with the French side runs out at the end of next season and they could be persuaded to cash in now rather than see him leave for nothing as a Bosman free agent in 12 months.

COSTA WANTS ENGLISH MOVE
It looks unlikely that Gabriel Batistuta will be leaving Fiorentina for the Premiership, but one of his teammates in Florence might soon be on his way here. Portugal's stylish midfielder Rui Costa is reportedly keen on a move to England, news that will have Tottenham, Manchester United - especially now that the Marc-Vivien Foe deal has hit the rocks - and Newcastle United hopping excitedly from foot to foot. The 26-year-old would probably cost around £6m.

SCOTS SET FOR WINTER BREAK
Common sense breaks out in football shocker! Chairmen of the clubs in Scotland's new Premier League meet this week to thrash out the blueprint for its first-ever season with a complete shutdown during the worst of the winter weather high on the agenda. It will be proposed that the league suspends play for three weeks in January, so players and fans don't have to turn out in conditions that can sometimes see vital matches descend into farce. The plan will also create four free Saturdays in the schedule to be used for Euro 2000 qualifying ties.