Jermaine Pennant, the out-of-favour Liverpool winger, has been given the chance to revive his career at AC Milan after being offered a pre-contract agreement by the Italian club, The Times has learnt.

Only a fortnight after the collapse of a move to Real Madrid, Pennant is being courted by another of Europe’s superpowers, with Milan eager to sign the player as a free agent when his contract with Liverpool expires at the end of the season.

The wage demands of Pennant, who is believed to be on about £60,000 a week at Anfield, are thought to have scuppered a move to Real two days before Christmas, but having been given what one source described as “a second chance of a lifetime”, Milan are confident that they will get their man, even though the winger is still pondering the offer.

It is another astonishing development in the career of a player whom Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, tried unsuccessfully to offload last summer and has been on the scrapheap at Anfield since.

Pennant, who turns 26 on Thursday week, has not played for Liverpool since October 29, when he started in the 1-0 Barclays Premier League win at home to Portsmouth, with Benítez having lost patience with the player’s lifestyle and timekeeping. Although Wigan Athletic and Hull City are interested, Pennant has indicated that he favours a move abroad.

Milan are also preparing an £8 million offer for Daniel Agger, but Liverpool insist that the Denmark defender is not for sale.

Decent bets

Arsène Wenger is considering a move to bring back Matthew Upson. The Arsenal manager sent Steve Rowley, his chief scout, to watch his former player in West Ham United’s 3-0 victory over Barnsley in the FA Cup third round at Upton Park on Saturday, although Upson was a late withdrawal from the match with a virus. The central defender, 29, is understood to favour a move to a top-four club, despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur. Wenger signed Upson from Luton Town as a teenager more than a decade ago, but sold him to Birmingham City in 2003.

Another player who may leave Upton Park is Julien Faubert, the 25-year-old midfield player who is wanted by Nantes. The French club have asked West Ham to reduce their valuation of the Frenchman, who cost £6.1 million when he moved from Bordeaux 18 months ago.

Blackburn Rovers are interested in signing Gaël Givet, the Marseilles left back, while El-Hadji Diouf, the Sunderland forward, claims that he is in talks with Blackburn and is keen to team up again with Sam Allardyce, the manager, whom Diouf played under at Bolton Wanderers.

Wigan expect to complete the signing of Hugo Rodallega for £4 million from Necaxa. The Colombia striker scored 15 goals in 36 games for the Mexican club last season.

Stoke City have given a trial to Lamine Diatta, the defender who has been without a club since he left Newcastle United in the summer. Tomas Pekhart wants to resolve his future at Tottenham. The forward, who signed from Slavia Prague in 2006, has not made an appearance for the club and recently cut short a loan spell at Southampton. Alan Gow is in talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Coca-Cola Championship side, after Rangers confirmed that a £250,000 fee has been agreed for the midfield player.

Dead certs

Derby County have signed Seb Hines, the defender, on a month’s loan from Middlesbrough. The 20-year-old will be eligible to play against Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi-final, first leg tomorrow.