Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are set to make a £50m double swoop for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o and Manchester United forward Carlos Tevez. (Daily Star) 
Eto'o will earn a staggering £250,000 a week - £13m a year - if the £25m transfer to City goes through.(The Sun) 
Manchester United are on the verge of completing a £16m deal to sign Wigan winger Luis Antonio Valencia. (Daily Mirror) 
But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is in danger of missing out on Lyon striker Karim Benzema, who looks set to join Real Madrid in a £28m deal. (Daily Star) 
Liverpool have beaten Barcelona to the signing of 16-year-old Cadiz midfielder Jesus Fernandez.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton are tracking £5m-rated Sweden Under-21 striker Marcus Berg, who plays for Groningen. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves have put in a £1.5m bid for Monaco's Croatian midfielder Jerko Leko. (Daily Mirror)
The Molineux club are also set to spend £2.5m on Marseilles defender Ronald Zubar. (The Times) 
Portsmouth midfielder Arnold Mvuemba is set to sign for French side Lorient after a three-year spell at Fratton Park. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham are interested in Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson and will table a £1m bid for him this week. (The Sun) 
Hull defender Sam Ricketts is set to make a £2m switch to Portsmouth after rejecting a new deal with the Tigers. (The Sun)
Blackburn will pay £400,000 to sign French midfielder Steven N'Zonzi from Amiens. (Daily Mirror) 
Reading are bracing themselves for bids for centre-back Andre Bikey, who has a £3m release clause in his contract. (Daily Mirror)
Cardiff are keen to sign Charlton centre-back Mark Hudson in a £700,000 deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Gillingham are ready to bid £150,000 for Dagenham & Redbridge striker Paul Benson. (The Sun)
Brighton are in talks with Motherwell keeper Graeme Smith but face competition for his signature from Aberdeen. (Daily Mirror) 
Motherwell boss Jim Gannon will make Stockport goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams his first transfer target. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has pleaded with boss Sir Alex Ferguson to be played as a centre-forward and not a winger. (The Times) 
Former Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has claimed Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and Petr Cech did not accept his methods of training while he was at the Blues. The Brazilian also says he will never again work in English football.(The Sun) 
West Brom will appoint Alan Irvine as their new manager on Monday after his switch from Preston was agreed on Sunday evening. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull manager Phil Brown has insisted his interest in signing Newcastle striker Michael Owen is not a publicity stunt. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Some of the Premier League's top players have travelled abroad to seek the sun - Steven Gerrard is in Ibiza, Robin van Persie has hit the beach in St Tropez and Jermaine Jenas is basking in Italy. Don't they know Britain is set for temperatures of up to 93F this week?
www.bbc.co.uk