Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o claims he has turned down a £35m move to Manchester City. Inter Milan also want the Cameroon star but he says he wants a new deal at the Nou Camp. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are keen on signing Lokomotiv Moscow goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, who is currently on loan at Grasshoppers Zurich, as back-up for Heurelho Gomes. (The Sun) 
Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are tracking CSKA Moscow's Czech Republic international striker Tomas Necid, 19, who is available for £3m. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is set to swoop for teenage Brazilian centre-back Jose Rodolfo Pires Ribeiro Dodo from Corinthians. The 17-year-old could end up costing United £5m. (Daily Mirror) 
Ferguson is also watching 16-year-old Real Valladolid centre-back Victor Mongil, after being told the defender is one for the future. (Daily Mirror) 
Derby County defender Claude Davis hopes to turn his loan spell at Crystal Palace into a permanent move. (Daily Express) 
Hearts midfielder Bruno Aguiar, who is wanted by Rangers and Celtic, says he has not decided where he will be playing next season. (Daily Record) 
Hibernian boss Mixu Paatelainen fears striker Steven Fletcher and defender Rob Jones could both leave Easter Road in the summer. Nottingham Forest have been linked with a £1m move for Jones and Celtic are long-term admirers of Fletcher. (Daily Record) 
Aberdeen duo Scott Severin and Lee Mair are set to leave Pittodrie at the end of the season because the Dons cannot afford to offer them new contracts. Burnley want midfielder Severin and St Mirren have approached defender Mair. (Daily Record) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Roy Keane wants the vacant Ipswich Town job and could be in charge of the Tractor Boys in time for their trip to Cardiff City on Saturday. (The Sun) 
Ipswich representatives made an approach to Keane last week - when Jim Magilton was still in charge at Portman Road - and held further talks with the former Sunderland boss on Monday. (The Sun) 
Magilton, who had been in charge of Ipswich for almost three years, was sacked over the phone on Wednesday. (Daily Mail) 
Keane could be unveiled as Ipswich boss on Thursday. (The Guardian) 
Part of the terms of Keane's appointment will see the former Manchester United midfielder relocate from Cheshire to East Anglia. Keane did not move house when he was in charge at Sunderland. (Various) 
Aston Villa defender Martin Laursen is expected to announce his retirement by the end of the week. The Dane has been warned that attempting to play on through his persistent knee problems could cause him problems in later life. (Daily Express) 
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz fears his knee injury will cost him a big-money move away from Ewood Park this summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle United manager Alan Shearer will not drop Michael Owen despite the striker having failed to score in his last eight appearances for the Magpies. (The Sun) 
Shearer is using a therapist to give his players one-to-one talks in an attempt to boost their confidence ahead of Monday's crucial clash with fellow strugglers Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins has postponed groin surgery until the summer so he can help the Magpies in their battle against the drop. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin says he wants to stay with the Gunners for the rest of his career. (The Sun) 
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will recover from his ankle injury in time to face Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. (Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, have pledged to work together to raise the funds they need to refinance the club's loans and retain control of the Reds. (The Times) 
Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has been offered the chance of taking over as manager of the Czech Republic. (Daily Star) 
AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is Chelsea's top target to be their next boss, has been learning English all season. England midfielder David Beckham, on loan at the San Siro from LA Galaxy, said: "Every time I try to fix his English, he insists on making errors and we end up laughing". (The Sun) 
Inter Milan could terminate Adriano's contract on Thursday. The Brazil striker said earlier this month that he is taking a leave of absence because he has "lost the joy of playing". (The Independent) 
Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce will hand a new one-year deal to veteran goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, 37, but will allow Antoine Sibierski to leave the JJB Stadium this summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Watford boss Brendan Rogers says club-record signing Nathan Ellington, who cost the Hornets £3.25m from Wigan in August 2007, has no future at Vicarage Road. (Daily Star) 
Derby County boss Nigel Clough is set to release more than 10 players at the end of the season as he looks to overhaul his squad at Pride Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Hearts hope to upgrade Tynecastle so it is suitable to host European ties if they qualify for next season's Europa League. The Jambos have been forced to play at Murrayfield since 2003 because their own stadium and pitch does not currently meet Uefa requirements. (Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY 

Former England international midfielder Paul Gascoigne has signed up for a celebrity version of BBC1 comedy obstacle course gameshow 'Total Wipeout'. (The Sun)
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