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Paper Talk
Tottenham are set to cash in on £25m-rated goalkeeper Hugo Lloris - but not until the summer.
Arsene Wenger is ready to step up his interest in St Etienne centre-back Loic Perrin.
Sunderland have joined the race for Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, 27, who will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane this month.
Jose Mourinho has said there is no chance of Petr Cech leaving Chelsea this month. Third-choice keeper Mark Schwarzer is on the verge of joining Leicester - and Mourinho's recalled his young goalkeeper Jamal Blackman from Middlesbrough as cover.
Celtic's highly-rated centre-back Efe Ambrose is a target for Premier League strugglers QPR and Leicester City. The £2m-rated Nigeria international would consider a loan move.
Brendan Rodgers will make a £23m bid for West Brom striker Saido Berahino - but the Liverpool manager has been told he has to off-load Fabio Borini first. Borini turned down a £14m move to Sunderland in August but has started just one league game this season.
Arsenal have had a second bid for turned down for Legia Warsaw defensive midfielder Krystian Bielik.
Crystal Palace are ready to hijack QPR's bid to sign Mauro Zarate on loan following the appointment of Alan Pardew. The 27-year-old West Ham striker has had a medical at Loftus Road and has already agreed personal terms.
Morgan Schneiderlin is ready to finish the season at Southampton after admitting it will be "delicate" to leave this January. The France midfielder - who has been linked with Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal - went 'on strike' to force a transfer last summer.
Liverpool have already begun to prepare for life after Steven Gerrard, by making moves for three players over the weekend - including Bayern Munich's Xherdan Shaqiri.
Paul Clement is the surprise new name on Newcastle's managerial short-list.
Liverpool have revived their bid to sign Bayern Munich star Xherdan Shaqiri.
Real Madrid will almost double Liverpool's wage offer to snatch Raheem Sterling in a £35million deal.
Manuel Pellegrini is hoping James Milner signs a new contract at Manchester City, after Milner's two goals saw the champions come from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis has said that he is under no pressure to sell Saido Berahino - even though by doing so he could double his transfer budget.
Stoke City are set to complete the loan signing of Germany international defender Philipp Wollscheid from Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the season.
Another football club is braced for a huge public backlash today with Oldham set to announce they will sign convicted rapist Ched Evans.
Chelsea and Manchester United have been told to pay £20million if they want to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.
Liverpool are in advanced talks over a deal to recall Divock Origi early from his loan.
Frank Lampard will not be joining New York City until the beginning of July, MLS commissioner Don Garber has revealed.
Celtic have been offered Nigerian strike target Olarenwaju Kayode for a cut-price £350,000 because his Israeli club are desperate for money.
Frank Lampard is to leave Manchester City at the end of the season and finally join New York City in July. The former England international recently extended his City deal.
Aston Villa have made a move to sign Manchester City misfit Scott Sinclair on loan. The 25-year-old has also attracted interest from Norwich, QPR and Crystal Palace.
Leicester City have a had a £750,000 bid for Wigan's Scotland international Shaun Maloney rejected.
Steve McClaren will not be taking over the vacant managerial position at Newcastle United, Derby County chief executive Sam Rush has insisted.
Hatem Ben Arfa has reached an agreement with Newcastle to have his contract terminated with immediate effect.
Stoke City boss Mark Hughes expects the club to soon wrap up the loan signing of defender Philipp Wollscheid from Bayer Leverkusen.
Oldham manager Lee Johnson has expressed grave concerns about the signing of Ched Evans but has been overruled by the club's owners.
BBC
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea and Manchester United have been told they will have to pay £20m if they want to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, 21. (Daily Express)
Liverpool are set to pay Lille £3m to bring striker Divock Origi back to Anfield this month. The 19-year-old Belgium international is currently on a season-long loan at the French club from Brendan Rodgers's side. (Liverpool Echo)
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini wants to sign Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler, although the German side want £25m for the 21-year-old. (Daily Star)
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, 34, has turned down an offer worth £18m to play in Qatar when he leaves the Reds at the end of the season. (Sun - subscription required)
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, 26, is set to disappoint Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United by signing a new deal with the Spanish side. (Daily Star)
Tottenham are prepared to sell goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, 28, for £25m. (Sun - subscription required)
Liverpool will make a £23m bid for 21-year-old West Brom striker Saido Berahino — once they can sell unwanted Fabio Borini, 23. (Sun - subscription required)
However, new West Brom manager Tony Pulis insists he is under no pressure to sell Berahino, even though by doing so he could double his transfer budget. (Daily Telegraph)
Crystal Palace are ready to hijack QPR's bid to sign West Ham forward Mauro Zarate, 27, on loan following the appointment of manager Alan Pardew. (Daily Mirror)
QPR manager Harry Redknapp says his club "need a miracle" if they are to sign a striker in the January transfer window. (Talksport)
Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, 30, has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Liverpool and has said he is happy at the Championship club. (Sheffield Star)
Cardiff City will not sign Chelsea forward Islam Feruz on loan. The 19-year-old had been scheduled to talk to Bluebirds boss Russell Slade on Monday. (Wales Online)
OTHER GOSSIP
Former England boss Glenn Hoddle is a candidate for the vacant manager's job at Newcastle United. (Newcastle Chronicle)
The Newcastle United Supporters Trust has written to the Football Association and the Premier League questioning the role and future of club owner Mike Ashley. (Daily Telegraph)
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has accused Manchester City of an "error in judgement" after they extended 36-year-old midfielder Frank Lampard's loan until the end of the season. It meant his move to MLS side New York City will be delayed. (Guardian)
Garber says Lampard will not play for New York City until July, meaning he will miss the first four months of the MLS season. (Daily Telegraph)
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has warned the fans who booed him during their FA Cup win over Blackpool that it will not help the team's performances. (Daily Mirror)
Burnley are expecting such a low crowd for Monday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Tottenham that one of the stands at Turf Moor has been completely shut. (Daily Mail)
Birmingham City players have expressed their satisfaction at beating Blyth Spartans 3-2 in the third round of the FA Cup after accusing the Northern Premier League side of being "disrespectful". (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Former Liverpool winger John Barnes has dismissed the notion that his side lost the 1988 FA Cup final because they were intimidated by Wimbledon. The Reds face AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday evening. (Daily Telegraph)
The Professional Footballers Association are trying to end "initiation ceremonies", which include players having to sing in front of their team-mates when joining a new club. (Daily Mail)
A group of Hull City supporters found their day going from bad to worse after the bus taking them home from their 2-0 FA Cup defeat by Arsenal crashed outside the Emirates Stadium. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, 30, says the club's fans have waited "too long" for success in the FA Cup. United, who last won the trophy in 2004, beat Yeovil 2-0 to progress to the fourth round. (Manchester Evening News)
GLOBAL GOSSIP (sourced by BBC monitoring)
Paris St-Germain have not given up the idea of recruiting Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and could be willing to pay a record sum of £164m for the 27-year-old. (L'Equipe - in French)
Manchester City are keen to sign Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler, 21, and could be willing to trade defender Matija Nastasic, 21. (Bild - in German)
Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has said dismissed the possibility of the 29-year-old Real Madrid striker playing for Paris St-Germain, saying it is "impossible". (Le Figaro)
Around 45,000 fans came out at the Vicente Calderon to welcome Atletico Madrid's new signing Fernando Torres, 30. (Marca - in Spanish)
BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick posts a picture on WhoSay of him with Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown. Carrick wrote: "Nice surprise bumping into Ian Brown on a morning stroll."
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott is relieved to be back in the Gunners starting line-up. On 4 January 2014 he was carried off on a stretcher and had only played for 51 minutes since then, before starting Sunday's FA Cup game against Hull. He wrote on Twitter: "One year today since injury - felt great to play 75 minutes and as always a huge thanks for the support."
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba posted a picture on Instagram of the ripped shirt that he had to change during his side's FA Cup win against Watford on Sunday.
AND FINALLY...
Netherlands international midfielder Demy de Zeeuw, 31, has posted an advert on business social networking site LinkedIn in an attempt to find a club. He was released by Belgian side Anderlecht in the summer. (Metro)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Ian McCourt
You’re scared, right? It’s cold outside and it’s January outside. You’re back in work and you’re broke. You spent all day yesterday curled up on the couch, with a knot in your stomach. And no matter how many episodes of Escape to the Country you watched, that feeling of fear would just not go away. Worst of all, you made that stupid pledge to keep January dry, didn’t you? You woke up with a fur on your tongue and an ache in your little belly (and those mysterious teeth marks “down there”) and you thought it would be a good idea not to touch a drop till February. What were you thinking? How are you even going to get through today, never mind the entire month? Well maybe the Mill can help. Why not start of the day by letting this transfer rumour ruminator lead you away to a fantasy world where people ride unicorns up mountains, throw ducks at balloons and rumours are fast, hard truths?
First up is the ‘Mega Exclusive’ that Tottenham Hotspur’s Hugo Lloris is doing one to Real Madrid for the princely sum of £25m. Yes, you read that right. Hugo Lloris is doing one to Real Madrid. Not that he has any say in it. Given that his life involves sipping a bit of coffee in L’eau à La Bouche or reading a bit of philosophy at the East Barnet Library, the French keeper is happy in London but it seems the suits over at White Hart Lane have other ideas. While living in a hollowed out mountain, where they stroke their cats and laugh deep throaty laughs, they have put their heads together and decided that the best way to back Mauricio Pochettino and his bid to take his team to the Promised Land is to sell one of his best players from right under his nose. That’s how the rest of those teams who qualify for the Champions League year after year and season after season do it, right? But before you break out the Magic Markers, a nice, long piece of plain linen and two bamboo sticks for poles, ask yourself this: would Spurs really jeopardise their future by selling one of their best players to Los Blancos for a vastly inflated price? Ah, yes. Good point. Sorry: good points.
Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers has been so impressed with his strikers this season that he has decided the best way to get more goals would be to spend £3m on getting Divock Origi out of his loan deal with Lille and on the first flight to Liverpool. Origi, in case you have better things to do than follow the career of an unproven, 19-year-old Belgian footballer, has four Ligue 1 goals to his name this season, none of which have been scored since the very early days of October. What could possibly go wrong, eh? But Origi is not the only striker who is going to be rocking up to Anfield during this transfer window. Rodgers reckons £23m – a million for every year – should convince West Bromwich Albion to part with Saido Berahino. Given Berahino looks thrilled with life at The Hawthorns, that one should not prove to be too complicated.
Elsewhere, the Manchester City top dog, Manuel Pellegrini has decided that his side are desperately short of meandering midfielders who play neat and tidy football and like to take long shots from impossible angles. With that in mind and after a quick Googling of the code for Germany, he has dialled up Schalke and asked if they would be interested in letting him wag his chin with Julian Draxler. The German club will, politely but firmly, tell him where to stick it but Pellegrini is nothing if not persistent and he’ll try and try again. This time though he’ll offer Matija Nastasic, a defender Schalke having been day dreaming about for quite some time now. That should seal the deal.
Over in Spain, Sergio Busquets has told Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United that they have as much chance of signing him as the Mill has of winning this year’s Miss Teen South Carolina contest. However, one La Liga-based baller, Raphaël Varane, to be exact, may well be on his way to the Premier League. José Mourinho had such a whale of a time over in Madrid that he is looking to recreate those fun-filled days by bringing Madrid to Stamford Bridge in the shape of the £20m-rated defender. However, he faces a fight for the young man’s signature from Manchester United and Louis van Gaal. Choosing between Chelsea and Manchester United. Hard life, eh?
Mirror
Crystal Palace plot transfer hijack of Mauro Zarate's move to QPR from West Ham
By Darren Lewis
Striker has had a medical and agreed terms with the Rs but HASN'T signed on loan and now their relegation-fight rivals from across London hope to swoop in
Crystal Palace are ready to hijack QPR’s bid to sign Mauro Zarate on loan following the appointment of Alan Pardew.
The 27-year-old West Ham striker has had a medical at Loftus Road and has already agreed personal term with the west Londoners.
However, the deal has been delayed as the Hoops are now looking to lower the terms of the loan.
And Palace have since expressed a late interest.
Despite their 4-0 FA Cup third round win at non-League Dover on Sunday, the Eagles want more firepower up front as they prepare for a run-in relegation battle under new boss Pardew.
We revealed last week that Zarate wants first-team action after accusing the Hammers' manager Sam Allardyce of refusing to play him.
Southampton, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Newcastle are all also keen, but Argentine Zarate is settled in London and would prefer to join another capital club.
The forward has made only eight appearances under Allardyce, scoring twice - with one of them coming AGAINST Palace at Selhurst Park back in August.
OS
Adrian eyes winning return
Adrian is keen to celebrate his 28th birthday with victory at Everton on Tuesday
Birthday boy Adrian is determined to help the Hammers get back to winning ways when they take on Everton in the FA Cup on Tuesday evening.
The No13 celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday, rounding off a fine spell for him, which has seen him win many plaudits in the West Ham goal and take the Club's Player of the Month prize for December.
However, the team's results dipped slightly over Christmas and Adrian is more concerned with changing that at Goodison Park.
"We had some chances to win against West Brom on Thursday, but didn't score the second goal to take the points," he reflected.
"Maybe there was a little fatigue because it was a long week, with three games in seven days.
"The boys need to relax and recover, but we did show good performances in the games and now we need to come back to our form.
"It's my job to make saves as a goalkeeper and sometimes you can save the goal, and other times it's not possible.
"I'm happy and need to continue in this vein. It's my second season here and have really adapted to London, the city, the weather and my English is much better now."
Liverpool Echo
Steven Naismith hopes Everton FC's recent win over West Ham could give them FA Cup edge
Everton FC attacker insists Blues know what to expect in third round of cup
Steven Naismith believes Everton FC’s recent win over West Ham could give them an edge as they look to repeat the feat tomorrow in the FA Cup.
The Blues have only triumphed in three Goodison fixtures this season, the last coming via a 2-1 league victory over an injury-hit Hammers on November 22.
But Naismith, 28, hopes the fresh memory of how Sam Allardyce’s men operate, might help the under-fire Toffees get back to winning ways in the third round of the cup tomorrow night.
He said: “You have to beat everybody to win the competition – that’s the way we look at it.
“It’s a home draw and we had a tough game against West Ham not so long ago. It’s fresh in our memories and we know what we will need to do to get a win again, this time in the cup.
“They have signed very well and Stewart Downing changing his position slightly has given them a boost too. They are a quality team and deserve to be where they are in the league because they have played some very good football.”
Naismith insists he is still feeling confident on a personal note this season, even if the team’s overall form has been disappointing lately.
And the Scot, an ardent believer in the value of hard work, believes that ethic is shared in a dressing room which, he insists, is still full of quality despite the recent slump.
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