Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has turned down a transfer request from defender Kolo Toure. The centre-back has failed to secure a regular first-team spot this season and has attracted the attention of big-spending Manchester City. Manager Mark Hughes wants to strengthen his defensive capabilities but Hill-Wood insists the Gunners are not looking to sell. "I know about it (the transfer request)," said Hill-Wood. "But we are not going to accept it. We are not looking to let any of our players go and he is under contract - and we expect him to honour it." Toure joined Arsenal seven years ago and is the last remaining member of 'The Invincibles' squad, which went undefeated for the duration of the 2003/04 season.

 Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is determined not to step off the gas against Gillingham on Sunday. Villa begin 2009 sitting pretty in fourth in the Barclays Premier League after a superb eight-match unbeaten run. They do not play again in the league until they face West Bromwich Albion on 10th January but O'Neill will not ease up and rest players for the FA Cup third-round tie at League Two Gillingham. "We have got a big game coming up against Gillingham now," O'Neill said. "I watched them last Sunday and I thought they played exceptionally well. They are a lovely footballing side. We want to try to win the game. We have a couple of injuries but we will go as strong as possible. This is the FA Cup and we want to try to compete and get through in the tie."

 Sam Allardyce is looking to bring in some familiar faces this month. The former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United coach accepts that new recruits are essential to Rovers' cause, and has hinted that he may turn to players he has worked with in the past in an effort to bolster his squad. Senegalese striker El Hadji Diouf is enduring a torrid time at Sunderland and has been linked with a reunion with his former Trotters mentor, while out-of-favour Manchester City defender Tal Ben Haim is also believed to be an Allardyce target, having previously working with the experienced manager at the Reebok Stadium. "If you've worked with a player before, you know what they can do," said Allardyce. "The most important thing is coping with the pressures in this league over a season. Players like them (Diouf and Ben Haim) are very experienced."

 Bolton are debating whether to make a renewed bid for West Brom midfielder James Morrison. The club's initial £3m offer for the Scotland international was rejected by their Barclays Premier League rivals. Manager Gary Megson is keen to beef up his small squad now the transfer window has re-opened with midfield a priority. He confirmed the initial bid was turned down, adding: "Whether we will make a renewed bid remains to be seen as there are other players we are interested in."

 Fit-again defender Ricardo Carvalho is determined to help Chelsea reach the FA Cup final after missing out on their triumph over Manchester United two seasons ago through injury. Carvalho's season has been wrecked by knee and hamstring problems but he returned in the 2-2 draw at Fulham last Sunday as a replacement for injured Brazilian defender Alex. A knee ligament injury robbed the Portugal centre-half of a place in Jose Mourinho's side as Chelsea became the first club to win the trophy at the new Wembley thanks to a late goal from Didier Drogba. Ahead of the third-round tie against Southend United, Carvalho said: "I was there (at Wembley). Okay I was injured at that time but I was watching the game and the atmosphere was fantastic and after we got the trophy, I went in the dressing room and the feeling was unbelievable. I want to repeat that and to win at home on Saturday but you have to play serious and respect the other team. The FA Cup is different. It is a big day for Southend and you have to prove you are better, you have to run as hard as they do and you have to play with the ball because you have more quality."

 Everton chairman Bill Kenwright is confident Everton will improve their squad in the next transfer window. Kenwright admits that transfer windows are stressful times for chairmen but he remains fully focussed on providing as much support as possible for manager David Moyes. Moyes has already revealed that he expects to be dealing principally in the loan market next month. Kenwright said: "Hopefully we will be able to do some good deals in the January window. Nothing makes the transfer window easier. The only thing that makes it easier is the knowledge that you are as one. You can't be 'got at' if you have total trust between chairman, board and manager."

 Fulham defender Brede Hangeland admits his first year at Craven Cottage has felt like "an eternity". Hangeland arrived last January from FC Copenhagen and immediately found himself pitched into a relegation battle as Fulham pulled off a dramatic late escape. "To be honest those 12 months feel like an eternity," said Hangeland. "A lot has happened in that time but it's been a great experience. We're obviously in a better position now and we're looking to build on our recent performances. I've seen some ups and downs and I can't say that it's been dull - it's been anything but! It's hard to compare myself as a player to the one I was a year ago but I'm sure I'm a better player now having had that experience. Certainly the team is a lot stronger now and we have come a long way together and I have to say a lot of that is down to the manager and the coaching staff."

 Hull City have joined the chase for Liverpool's out-of-favour winger Jermaine Pennant. In one of the most surprising developments of the January transfer window, Pennant has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish champions Real Madrid. Yet with that transfer still seeming unlikely, other clubs have been alerted to the former Arsenal player's potential availability. Wigan Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City have all been linked to the 25-year-old, who has failed to impress in two-and-a-half years at Anfield, and now Hull City have revealed their interest. Manager Phil Brown said: "I would be very interested in Jermaine Pennant if he was available at the right price. We will be making enquiries."

 Rafa Benitez has lauded Pepe Reina as the Barclays Premier League's best goalkeeper as his countryman closes in on another Anfield landmark. The Spanish stopper is just seven short of 100 clean sheets since joining Liverpool from Villarreal in 2005. Such miserly goalkeeping has earned him three Golden Glove awards for most shut-outs - and Reina is well on course to retain the prize this term. "In the first year we signed him we had 82 points, with a lot of clean sheets, and that made a difference and gave the defenders massive confidence," said Benitez. "He's getting better each season. He has a very, very good mentality and is very positive. I'd say he is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League and also in Spain. He's very, very important for us, not just because he's a good goalkeeper but also because of his mentality."

 Manager Mark Hughes admits the first half of the season has been a "frustrating" one for him and the team and is determined to deliver consistent results in 2009. Hughes is expected to be busy in the January transfer window thanks to the strong financial backing of the Abu Dhabi United Group who completed their takeover of the club in September. The Blues' disappointing results so far in 2008 led to speculation that Hughes' job could be under threat and he accepts the club need to start punching their weight. He said: "The season has been frustrating because at times in certain games we have shown how good a side we can be and in other games we have really disappointed. What we need is a consistent level of performance and if we can get that then we can go into the second half of the season with confidence. We must go into matches expecting to win them, not hoping to win them. It has been a busy six months what with the change of ownership off the field and the UEFA Cup ties added to the mix. The number of games has been a drain on us in that sense but we are through to the knock-out stages in Europe and that, along with the FA Cup, gives us something to look forward to."

 Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed fresh speculation linking him with Real Madrid and insisted he is happy at Manchester United. Ronaldo was linked with a switch to the Bernabeu throughout the summer and the story was revived recently following claims the Spanish club had reached an agreement with United over the sale of the Portugal international. But Ronaldo said he was happy and settled in Manchester and not interested in a move. "There's always speculation, not just about me but about the future of players all around the world," the 23-year-old said. "People were speaking about me this summer but that was normal because of what I did during the season. What people are saying now is not true. Who says that is a liar because I am happy at the club, I want to stay here. I feel at home here. I feel very happy here."

 Gareth Southgate insists Stewart Downing's success in a central role against Manchester United has given him plenty of food for thought. Downing switched from his usual left-sided role and featured alongside Julio Arca and Gary O'Neil for Boro at Old Trafford on Monday. Southgate was impressed by what he saw and said: "We wanted to have a look at Stewart in the middle. We wanted to find a way of making sure we got his qualities into the game. He's played most of his football wide left but I thought he did very well on Monday and he showed that he can play inside as well."

 Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear has told his players to forget the club's injury worries and put the "beast back in our performances". Kinnear has had to cancel training this week such has been the length of the club's injury list. Nicky Butt and Jose Enrique could join Obafemi Martins, Joey Barton, Mark Viduka, Habib Beye, Alan Smith and Claudio Cacapa on the sidelines for the trip to Hull City in the FA Cup. But Kinnear will not accept any excuses as the Magpies seek to bounce back from their 5-1 mauling by Liverpool. He said: "I want us to get a bit of the beast back in our performances, certainly in defence. We've got to be strong again and show a bit of the courage and spirit we did in the games before Christmas. We're missing players and it's killed us but we've got to improve. Yes, injuries left us in tatters but I expect a better level of performance than the one we put on against Liverpool."

 Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie has promised to back manager Tony Adams in the transfer window. He has also warned anyone interested in striker Jermain Defoe, it will take an exceptional offer to secure him. Pompey have already secured full-back Nadir Belhadj on a permanent deal for £4.4m after he impressed during his loan from Lens. Adams brought in £20m from the sale of Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid but Portsmouth have not confirmed how much of that will be available to the manager. However, Storrie said: "Tony will be given the means if he wants to strengthen the squad. From talking to him I know he is looking to do most of his business in the summer. That's when he feels we will get more value for money and more players are available. But we are still talking to people now and are looking to bring in two or three during the window to improve the squad. All this about selling this player and that player, it's utter rubbish. We are primarily looking to recruit and are planning to bring players in. It would take something exceptional or the player wanting to move on somewhere for anyone else to leave."

 Manager Tony Pulis insists Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin have "kissed and made up" in the wake of their altercation at West Ham United on Sunday. Fuller was sent off for slapping his captain after the pair had a heated exchange following the home team's equaliser early in the second half. But Pulis said the grievance had been sorted out at a team meeting on New Year's Eve and it was time to move on. He said: "Ric and Griff have apologised to one another and to the group as a whole. They have also been punished in-house and it's over and done with. We had a really good meeting with everyone having their say and, as I've said many times before, we've got a smashing group of lads here. There isn't one bad egg among them." Some reports have suggested Fuller could be sold as a consequence of the flashpoint but Pulis said: "That's absolute nonsense. People can construe what they want but Ric and Griff had an argument and it has now been sorted. They have kissed and made up. Ric has two-and-a-half years left on his contract and he's going nowhere. All the talk about sacking him or selling him, or this and that, is a load of rubbish."

 Ricky Sbragia expects his former club Bolton Wanderers to provide a difficult test for his players on Saturday. Sbragia spent two seasons on Bolton's coaching staff before moving to the Stadium of Light and is aware of the threat they will pose in the FA Cup third-round match. "Bolton have got a good team," he said. "They are very physical and play a system which complements what they have got - and they play it well. They keep the ball alive, they play a lot of second balls into the box and they hope you are going to switch off. As for ourselves, we just want to get back on the winning road again, that's important. I don't think any game gets in your way as far as that is concerned. We know what we're here for and what we've got to do in terms of the league but to do well in the cup would be good for the club."

 Harry Redknapp admits he is torn between the club's current plight and his love of the FA Cup. Spurs face Wigan in a Friday-night fixture, the first match of the third round, but Redknapp has other matters on his plate such as next week's Carling Cup semi-final and climbing the Barclays Premier League table. "There are lots of games, too many in all honesty," Redknapp said. "They are coming thick and fast and there is not time to get your breath. With a squad of this size, we're fighting on too many fronts. If we were sitting in the top half maybe we wouldn't be bothered but when you are where we are, you could do without all these games."

 Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Simpson has not wasted any time in the January transfer window by snapping up Joss Labadie on an emergency loan from West Bromwich Albion. The central midfielder, 19, who is a regular in the Baggies' reserve side, arrives at the Prostar Stadium on an initial 28-day agreement after which both clubs will then review the situation in regards to a possible extension. Simpson said: "I've brought in Joss Labadie from West Brom to add a different option to the centre of our midfield. He's a player who is highly regarded at Albion and will help to strengthen our options in midfield."

 Young defender Joe Widdowson has signed for Grimsby Town on loan in an initial one-month deal. The 19-year-old played a part in the club's prestigious tour of North America in the summer and had the "unbelievable" experience of marking David Beckham in the MLS All-Star Game in Toronto. The Forest-Gate born Academy graduate, who has previously enjoyed loan spells at Rotherham United and Carlisle United, could make his debut for the Mariners in their League Two fixture away at Barnet on Saturday.

 Manager Steve Bruce would love a run in the FA Cup - but believes Fate is against him. Bruce takes his side to White Hart Lane and a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur, which he views as a stiff test. The Latics manager said: "I really do not have the best of luck on cup draws. I always get drawn against a big team. Every year it's Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United. Being away to Spurs is not the most ideal draw."