Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic would welcome a move to Barcelona, his agent said on Friday following reports the clubs were discussing a deal. (Press Association 0847 BST)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United will sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid if the Spanish giants stump up a stunning £75m. (Daily Mirror) 
If Real do not sign the Portugal international winger by the end of the month they will have to pay him £26m as a result of a promise made to him by the club's former president Ramon Calderon. (Daily Star) 
Real's vice-president Fernando Tapias appeared to confirm on Spanish radio that the club does indeed have such a penalty clause written into an alleged pre-contract agreement made between Calderon and Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes. (The Independent) 
Meanwhile, new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez (on photo) said he believes Ronaldo has a £75m get-out clause in his United contract and said he is "working to bring Ronaldo to Real Madrid". Perez also all but confirmed that AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka will join the club for £62m. (The Sun) 
Yet another seemingly Madrid-bound star is Valencia's David Silva. Liverpool are also keen on the midfielder but look as though they will miss out on him after he had talks at the Bernabeu. (The Times) 
Chelsea are set to offer Ashley Cole a £27m four-year deal in order to fend off interest in him from Barcelona, who are believed to be ready to bid £20m for the left-back. (The Sun) 
As well as hanging on to their best players, Blues midfielder Frank Lampard has urged the club to sign "someone to do something special", identifying a need for a creative midfielder or a striker. (The Independent) 
The players Lampard has in mind are Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Valencia's David Villa. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to bring Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, brother of Gunners defender Kolo, to the club and is set to bid £12m for him. (The Sun) 
The Gunners are favourites to beat Manchester City to the signature of £8m-rated Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, who they see as a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Mirror) 
But Arsenal face competition for the Bosnian from Manchester City, who are also looking at Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, Portsmouth's Peter Crouch and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. (The Guardian) 
Adebayor's future, meanwhile, could be in Italy as AC Milan are believed to be poised to make a £15m bid for the Togo striker. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa are bracing themselves for a battle to hold on to Ashley Young, with Chelsea and Real Madrid set to be interested in the £20m-rated winger. (Daily Mirror) 
Villa have targeted Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone as a replacement for Gareth Barry and will bid £6m for him. (Mirror) (Daily Mirror) 
David Bentley could also make the switch from White Hart Lane to Villa Park, but only if Spurs are prepared to accept £5m less than the £15m they paid Blackburn for him. (Daily Star) 
The clear-out at Spurs could also see Didier Zokora join Sevilla - but the Spaniards are thought to want to pay £2m less than the Londoners' £8m valuation of their man. (Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City want to sign Liverpool's Xabi Alonso as they want him to form a midfield partnership with their new £12m signing Barry. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland want to sign the world's tallest player, Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who stands at 6 ft 8 ins. New boss Steve Bruce is set to sanction a club record £10m bid for the Valencia player. (Daily Mirror) 
Bruce also wants to raid former club Wigan to sign midfielder Lee Cattermole. (The Sun)
Bolton and Birmingham are competing to sign Anderlecht's Argentine playmaker Lucas Biglia, who would cost about £6m. The pair are also battling to snap up ex-Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davies. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton have warned Manchester City that defender Joleon Lescott is not for sale. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham want to hijack Everton's £6m swoop for Rennes full-back Rod Fanni. (Various)
Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire could be priced out of a move to Greek side Olympiakos as Rovers are holding out for £2m more than the £3m bid they have received. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is lining up a bid for Marseille striker Djibril Cisse, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland. But the Frenchman is believed to prefer a move to Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic, Bolton and Genoa are interested in Manchester City midfielder Gilson Fernandes. (Daily Express) 
Newcastle's controversial midfielder Joey Barton has insisted he will not be forced out of the club and does not want a transfer despite his bust-up with interim boss Alan Shearer. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United will pay Watford £400,000 for versatile defender Leigh Bromby. (Daily Star) 
New QPR boss Jim Magilton is set to raid former club Ipswich for striker Jon Walters and midfielder David Norris. (Daily Star)
Shrewsbury want to sign striker Jake Robinson, who has been released by Brighton. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been demanding a central striker's role for next season, as he is fed up of being played out on the left flank. (Daily Express) 
New Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he is 50 times better as a boss now than in his early days when he was a "hothead" and used to sulk. (Daily Mirror) 
Bury manager Alan Knill is in talks with the club about a contract extension as he enters the final year of his current deal. (Daily Star)
Brendan Rodgers, who is set to become the new Reading boss, has revealed he was advised to take the job by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. (The Sun) 
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is on his way to Sporting Lisbon after being snubbed by Portsmouth. (The Sun)
A Middle East consortium is set to compete a takeover for League Two side Notts County. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Chris Waddle and fellow commentator Jon Champion will be fined £100 for each football cliche they come out with during England's game against Kazakhstan, with the money being donated by Setanta to the Bobby Moore fund. (Daily Star)
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