Kawasaki competition manager Michel Bartholemy has told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport that he wants five-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi alongside John Hopkins at Team Green next year.

This is hardly a surprise.

Any MotoGP team serious about success will surely try to acquire the services of the Italian superstar, whose Yamaha contract expires at the end of 2008.

A bigger question is probably which manufacturer(s) are not interested in attempting to sign Rossi.

Would reigning world champion Casey Stoner tolerate having 'The Doctor' at Ducati next year? Will Honda swallow its pride and try to tempt the Italian to return after a bitter split at the end of 2003?

With the new Rossi-Bridgestone partnership gathering momentum, and the 2008 M1 much more competitive than last year's model, Rossi remaining at Yamaha next season is seen as the most likely scenario at this stage.