Todays Football Gossip Column

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea have set aside £60m to sign Real Madrid
forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, next summer. (Daily
Express)
Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Loic Remy, 27, says he cannot
understand Liverpool's decision to pull the plug on his move
to Anfield this summer. (Daily Star)
Hull City's record signing, striker Abel Hernandez, 24,
says he rejected Benfica in favour of a "dream" Premier
League move on deadline day. (Sky Sports)
Thursday's
Daily Mirror
back page
Former Tottenham, Fulham and Wales midfielder Simon
Davies, 34, has signed for Pembrokeshire-based amateur
team Solva AFC. (Wales Online)
Nicolas Anelka's agent has denied speculation that the
striker, 35, could have joined Fiorentina prior to
agreeing a deal with Indian side Mumbai FC until
Christmas. (Sky Sports)
Chelsea have expressed an interest in Barcelona's 11-year-
old prodigy Xavier Simons. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile Barca have secured first rights to 18-year-
old Santos striker Gabriel. (Daily Mail)
Birmingham City manager Lee Clark, 41, hopes to complete
the loan signing of a Premier League player on Thursday.
(Birmingham Mail)
Championship leaders Nottingham Forest are poised to
allow defender Greg Halford, 29, to join Bolton
Wanderers on loan with the deal expected to go through
on Thursday. (Daily Mail)
OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United legend Gary Neville, 39, has
questioned the club's logic in selling forward Danny
Welbeck, 23, to rivals Arsenal for just £16m. (Talksport)
European governing body Uefa has "rewritten rules" to allow
Manchester City to sidestep Financial Fair Play sanctions.
(Independent)
Tottenham's owner, 77-year-old businessman Joe Lewis,
wants to sell the club for £1bn. (Daily Mirror)
BBC pundit Phil Neville, 37, has backed former Manchester
United and England team-mate David Beckham, 39, to take
on a senior role at the Football Association - or even make a
move into politics. (Daily Mail)
Sturridge
picked up an
injury on
England duty
Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge, 25, faces
a race against time to be fit for the Merseyside derby
later this month. (Liverpool Echo)
Tottenham could make a shock move to Milton Keynes while
their new stadium is built. (Sun - subscription required)
Mike Ashley is willing to listen to offers to sell
Newcastle United as he looks to bring an end to a
troubled seven-year reign at St James' Park. (Daily
Telegraph)
Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, 53, has two games
to save his job. (Daily Express)
New signing Danny Welbeck, 23, has pleaded with
Arsene Wenger to be given an extended run at centre
forward in the Arsenal team. (Times - subscription
required)
The president of Sporting Lisbon has launched an outspoken
attack on the investor funds which have bought "economic
rights" in scores of footballers in Portugal and elsewhere.
(Guardian)
Midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 26, has vowed to "fight for
my place" in Manchester United's strongest XI.
(Guardian)
The future of Blackpool manager Jose Riga, 57, looks
doubtful after his behaviour was condemned by chairman
Karl Oyston. (Times - subscription required)
Back page of
the Daily Mail
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, 29, believes team-
mate Olivier Giroud, 27, will come back even stronger
when he returns from injury. (Sun - subscription required)
Defender Tyler Blackett, 20, is hoping to keep his place in
Manchester United's first-team squad, despite the arrivals of
Marcos Rojo, 24, and Daley Blind, 24. (Manchester Evening
News)
Massimo Cellino's ownership of Leeds United could
come under renewed scrutiny, Football League chief
executive Shaun Harvey has warned. (Yorkshire Post)
Tottenham executive director Darren Eales has been
confirmed as the club president of Major League Soccer's
new Atlanta-based franchise. (Evening Standard)
BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish took a leaf out of
Yaya Toure's book on the day he turned 19 - by asking
his club on Twitter if they had remembered to get him a
birthday cake.
AND FINALLY
New Villa loan signing Tom Cleverley, 25, took part in a
Twitter Q&A hosted by the Premier League on Tuesday -
with predictably mixed results. (Birmingham Mail)
Liverpool sold £50,000 worth of Mario Balotelli replica shirts
on the day that the 24-year-old striker signed from AC Milan.
(Telegraph)