Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is considering his future at Anfield, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona all waiting in the wings to sign the Spain international.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are also preparing a £40m bid for Benfica winger Angel di Maria but face opposition from Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.(ESPN soccernet) 
Liverpool are lining up a move for Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, who is a free agent at the end of the season. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been assured by chief executive David Gill that he will have money to spend in the summer, despite the club's huge debts. (Daily Mail) 
One of Ferguson's summer targets could be Real Madrid's Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain.(caughtoffside.com) 
Tottenham are preparing a £6m bid for Ipswich's 17-year-old striker Connor Wickham.(Daily Mirror) 
And Spurs could also move for Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun, who has started just 19 Premier League games this season.(caughtoffside.com) 
Birmingham hope to sign Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on a permanent deal having resigned themselves to losing on-loan Joe Hart back to Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
City are also are interested in Portsmouth's veteran keeper David James - a former Aston Villa player.(the Sun) 
Manchester City forward Robinho says he is desperate to leave the club and remain at Santos where he is currently on loan. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton will ask Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to allow young midfielder Jack Wilshere to remain at the club on loan for the first half of next season.(Guardian) 
Meanwhile, Bolton defender Gary Cahill has admitted that he would find it difficult to turn down an offer from a big club. Arsenal and Manchester United are rumoured to be interested in the centre-half. (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal want end their on-going goalkeeping problems by signing both West Ham's Robert Green and Manchester City's Joe Hart.(caughtoffside.com) 
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is tracking Sporting Gijon defender Roberto Canella.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are interested in bringing former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant back to England after a year in Spain at Real Zaragoza.(Daily Star) 
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry looks certain to leave Barcelona with the United States his likely destination.(Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are favourites to sign Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper after stand-in manager Neil Lennon watched him for the second game in a row at the weekend. (Daily Mail) 


OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool are bracing themselves for Rafa Benitez's departure with rumours of his exit from Anfield to Juventus gathering momentum.(Daily Mirror) 
Benitez will seek assurances over available transfer funds this summer before deciding whether to stay at Liverpool. (the Times) 
Juventus have given Benitez until the end of the week to sign a four-year deal.(the Independent) 
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer fears the club's success this season could lead to manager Roy Hodgson leaving Craven Cottage for "a bigger club". (Guardian) 
But Hodgson will shun a move to Liverpool saying he is instead "happy" to stay at Fulham. (the Sun) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan has allowed first-team coach Colin Cooper, goalkeeping coach Stephen Pears and reserves boss Martin Scott to leave the club.(Daily Mail) 
Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been left out of Holland's 26-man training squad ahead of the World Cup, having recently come out of international retirement after two years (Daily Mail).
West Ham striker Carlton Cole has apologised to fans for the team's performance this season, admitting "it can't get any worse," and saying speculation over the future of boss Gianfranco Zola is partly to blame.(Daily Express) 
Former England boss Steve McClaren says he has had "a lot of interest from a lot of places" after leading FC Twente to the Dutch league title, and says a rumoured new job at Wolfsburg is "far from a done deal".(Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's players will earn a £70,000 bonus if they win their remaining two fixtures and secure Champions League football.(Daily Mail) 
Ahead of Tuesday night's showdown between Manchester City and Spurs, which could decide who finishes fourth, Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has revealed his mother is a City fan and will be at the game (Various). 
West Ham's England centre-back Matthew Upson says he managed to overcome years of injury by stuffing his boots with pages torn out of the phone directory to aid his balance.(Daily Star)
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