Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Everton manager David Moyes hopes to outbid Stoke in the battle to sign Cardiff's £6m-rated midfielder Joe Ledley, 22. 
Derby have put a £5m price tag on winger Kris Commons, 25, who is being targeted by Wigan. (Daily Mirror) 
Striker Marlon Harewood is looking for a new club after returning to Aston Villa from his loan spell at Championship winners Wolves, where he failed to score. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland are ready to bid £3m for highly-rated Cardiff City defender Roger Johnson. 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently at the helm of FC Twente, has emerged as the front-runner to become Ajax's new coach following the departure of Marco van Basten on Wednesday. 
Park Ji Sung has been promised a place in Manchester United's line-up for the Champions League final against Barcelona in Rome on 27 May. Park was left out of the squad for United's victory over Chelsea on penalties last year. 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will earn a £750,000 bonus from owner Mohamed Al Fayed if he guides the Cottagers into Europe this season. 
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has told England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce that he wants to play in next month's European Championship in Sweden. 
Newcastle players have backed manager Alan Shearer over his feud with Joey Barton. Shearer has told Barton to stay away from the club until the end of the season. 
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has rubbished reports that Craig Gordon is not being picked to avoid paying a bonus of £330,000 to Hearts. The keeper has played 49 times for the Black Cats following his £9m move from Hearts and the bonus payment will be triggered when he plays his 50th game. (The Sun) 
Former Cheltenham and Carlisle manager John Ward is favourite to succeed Dean Glover as Port Vale boss. (Daily Star) 
Championship clubs will enjoy a £400,000 windfall following Birmingham's immediate return to the Premier League. By winning promotion at the first attempt, the Blues do not collect their second parachute payment of £11.2m and that money will now be split between the other teams. (Various) 
Scotland boss George Burley believes Uefa should change their rules to prevent the "injustice" of Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher missing the Champions League final. (Daily Record) 
And the Uefa general secretary David Taylor admitted an exception could be made so that Fletcher could play in the final in Rome. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY 

West Brom supporters are to wear lifelike masks of boss Tony Mowbray in a show of support at the club's final Premier League game this season. Organiser Dean Walton will distribute 1,800 masks to Albion fans travelling to the match at Blackburn. (The Sun)
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