Premiership Rumour Mill: Fergie looks to tempt £10m Italian striker to Old Trafford

The Premier League champions are set to offer Sampdoria a huge sum for Italian starlet Fabio Quagliarella after learning Louis Saha may not start the new campaign after undergoing knee surgery.

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United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to spend £70m this summer strengthening his squad and Quagliarella tops his list, acording to reports in the Daily Express.

He is latest striking sensation in Italy after his two Euro 2008 qualifying goals against Lithuania on his full debut last week - and 13 in Serie A last term.

The speedy forward has been watched by United for months and Ferguson had scouts at Sampdoria's match with Palermo two weeks ago.

Ferguson has already spent £55m in the last month, bringing Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves to Old Trafford.

But these arrivals have not solved his forward problems with Saha and Ole-Gunnar Solksjaer injured and Alan Smith a reported target of Sunderland.

Quagliarella, 23, is also half owned by Udinese who have confirmed they will sell their stake and intend to profit on any sale.

This would complicate the move while Sampdoria general manager Beppe Marotta insisted: "It might be better for him to stay here another year."

Bolton boss Sammy Lee is heading the chase for Rangers and Belgium winger Thomas Buffel.

Rangers boss Walter Smith is believed to be ready to sell Buffel but Lee wants fitness assurances after the knee problems that ended his participation in last season's Scottish Premier League.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is trying to lure Pompey old boy Yakubu back by offering Middlesbrough a cash-plus-players exchange.

Boro value Yakubu at £8 far more than Redknapp is willing to pay for a striker who left Fratton Park two years ago.

But Redknapp is ready to offer Sean Davis - and possibly fringe players - in a bid to tempt Boro to deal.

Pompey may also miss out on Lyon midfielder Alou Diarra after Werder Bremen topped their £5m bid by another £1m.

Tottenham will put the squeeze on Jermain Defoe by offering the England striker a three-year deal - then listen to offers if he does not sign.

Defoe still has two years left on his White Hart Lane contract but Spurs are determined they will never again see a player run his contract down and leave for nothing - as Sol Campbell did in 2001.

Defoe, 24, will be offered around £30,000 per week - a pay rise of 22 per cent - by Martin Jol.

But if Defoe and his advisors snub the offer, Tottenham will be prepared to let him go this summer so they can guarantee at least £12m for him - with Manchester United and Liverpool looking to head the race.

Jol insists he wants the striker to stay following interest from former club West Ham and Portsmouth.

But Defoe, who scored 19 goals last season, is unconvinced Jol has full faith in him after playing second fiddle to Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

He also fears his England prospects are being harmed by a lack of regular first team football, and that he could even be forced further down the pecking order if another front man arrives at the club.

Jol, who wants four top strikers, is expected to release Egyptian Mido for around £6m and use the cash to fund another partner for Keane and Berbatov to maintain his rotation policy.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has enraged West Ham by offering an 'insulting' £1m for Yossi Benayoun.

The 27-year-old Hammers midfielder has stalled on a new five-year contract and admits he would like to move to Anfield.

But Liverpool's cheeky attempt to get him on the cheap has been greeted with a brick wall of silence from West Ham who are now even more determined not to let him go.

Reports suggest the Reds were ready to offer £1m now and another £1m in a year's time.

This has been rejected as 'insulting' by Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson but has clearly unsettled Benayoun who was due to sign an imporved £50,000 a week deal.

Israel international Benayoun was offered the new contract three weeks ago then claimed he would be 'delighted' to stay with the 'best supporters in England.'

West Brom are plotting a £750,000 swoop for Celtic striker Craig Beattie.

Albion boss Tony Mowbray is resigned to losing last season's top scorer Diomansy Kamara who wants to quit the Championship side.

And the Baggies have lined up Beattie as a replacement with the Scottish forward on his way out of Park Head following the arrival of Chris Killen from Hibs and Motherwell's Scott McDonald.

Mowbray is a long-time fan of Beattie, 23, after trying to sign him for Hibs.