Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to win the race to sign £50m-rated Spanish striker David Villa from Valencia. (Sunday Express)
The billionaire owners of Manchester City are to rock ailing Liverpool by launching an audacious £50m bid for star striker Fernando Torres.(Mail on Sunday) 
Spanish giants Barcelona are tracking Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe, 27, who has scored 15 goals already this season. (Sunday Express)
Chelsea target Sergio Aguero, 21, claims he has no intention of leaving Spanish side Atletico Madrid this summer. (Sunday Express) 
Liverpool are ready to offload Dutch striker Ryan Babel, 22, on loan to German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich with a view to making the move permanent for around £9m in the summer.(News of the World) 
The Reds are also keen on bringing striker Diego Forlan, 30, back to the Premier League from Spanish side Atletico Madrid, but boss Rafael Benitez has been told he must sell before he can buy.(The People) 
Manchester City are lining up a £20m bid for Argentina winger Diego Perotti, 21, who plays in Spain for Sevilla.(News of the World) 
City have also joined the race to sign Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson, increasing the likelihood that Robinho will leave Eastlands.(The People) 
Chelsea and City will go head-to-head to sign Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso in the January transfer window.(The People) 
Tottenham are lining up a £10m bid for West Ham defender Matt Upson with Alan Hutton going the other way.(The People) 
Manchester United are keen on signing Japanese striker Takayuki Morimoto, 21, who is currently playing for Catania in Italy.(The People) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy could bolster his defence by bringing in Preston's Republic of Ireland international Eddie Nolan, 21, for £500,000.(News of the World) 
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton is targeting Manchester United's 20-year-old midfielder Tom Cleverley, who is currently on loan at Championship side Watford.(News of the World) 
Hull manager Phil Brown looks poised to hijack Matt Kilgallon's £2m move to Newcastle. The defender looked set to move to Tyneside after snubbing the offer of a new deal at Sheffield United, but the Tigers hope to lure Kilgallon with a three-year deal worth £25,000-a-week.(News of the World) 
Newcastle duo Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith are set to snub the chance to return to the top flight in the January transfer window despite interest from Wigan and Everton respectively. (Sunday Express)
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies is keen to bring Michael Dawson back to the City Ground from Tottenham, along with his team-mate Gareth Bale.(Sunday Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce wants to sign Newcastle defender Jose Enrique and is prepared to let Kieran Richardson move in the opposite direction to make the deal go through. (Sunday Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

' time as Manchester City manager could be coming to an end after a seventh successive Premier League draw. Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink are among those in the frame to replace him.(News of the World) 
Meanwhile, former Chelsea manager Mourinho has revealed that he is pining for a return to the Premier League.(News of the World) 
Liverpool have rejected the chance to share a super-stadium with Everton and said "it will never happen". Everton chief Robert Elstone approached the Reds after their plans for a new ground in Kirkby were rejected last week.(Sunday Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klinsmann will tell Liverpool that he would not turn them down again after rejecting the chance to replace Rafa Benitez as manager two years ago.(The People) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is furious with the Dutch FA for misdiagnosing Robin van Persie's ankle injury - the striker faces five months out after damaging ligaments. (Various)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand will learn in the next 10 days whether his bad back has ended his dreams of playing for England in the 2010 World Cup. (Sunday Express) 
Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is lining up an improved deal at Stamford Bridge that could take his weekly salary from £80,000-a-week to £120,000-a-week.(News of the World) 
New Portsmouth manager Avram Grant hopes to persuade former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp to give up his TV pundit career and join him at Fratton Park as his assistant.(News of the World) 
Former Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate will serve court papers on the club this week after failing to his compensation money after being sacked.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson says his dream is to lead his League Two side Notts County to Champions League victory. (Sunday Mirror) 
Nicky Shorey, 28, is ready to quit Aston Villa after revealing he has grown "extremely frustrated" at life under Martin O'Neill and will step up his attempts to find another club in the New Year.(Sunday Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Frank Lampard will donate £20,000 to Great Ormond Street children's hospital if Chelsea lose to Arsenal after agreeing to a wager with 12-year-old Gunners fan Jake Peach. If Chelsea win, Peach, a leukemia survivor and former patient at the London hospital, will wear a Blues shirt for the day. (Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY...FINALLY

Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook will write to the club's fans to apologise after announcing at a 60th anniversary dinner for the Official Supporters club at Eastlands: "I'd like to welcome Uwe Rosler into the Manchester United hall of fame."(Sunday Mirror)
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