TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal wants Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne, 23. (Sun - subscription required)
Arsenal are ready to make an £8m bid in January for Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings, 21. (Daily Telegraph)
The Gunners are also planning a £15m bid for Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin in January in an effort to beat Premier League rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United to the 25-year-old. (Daily Express)
Inter Milan are weighing up January moves for Arsenal's Costa Rican forward Joel Campbell and Tottenham's Argentine midfielder Erik Lamela, both 22. (Talksport)
The agent of Colombian striker Jackson Martinez says the 28-year-old will not be leaving Porto despite interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham. (Daily Star)
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew fears Moussa Sissoko could be the next player to be lured away from St James' Park with Arsenal linked with the 25-year-old French midfielder. (Daily Mail)
Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain are still keen to land Chelsea forward Eden Hazard in January but the Blues are are ready to offer the 23-year-old an improved deal. (Daily Express)
Cruzeiro midfielder Luca Silva, 21, is set to snub Manchester United and Arsenal to join Real Madrid. (Daily Star)
Leicester City will try to bring in a defender and a striker in the January transfer window, with Toronto FC forward Jermain Defoe, 32, still an option. (Leicester Mercury)
OTHER GOSSIP
Sergio Aguero, 26, is in the form of his career and would have won the World Cup for Argentina had he avoided injury, according to Manchester City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta, 29. (Daily Telegraph)
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is considering "a number of options" as he seeks a new assistant following Roy Keane's exit. (Birmingham Mail)
Liverpool have sent England striker Daniel Sturridge, 25, to Los Angeles to step up rehabilitation from a thigh injury. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United strikers Wayne Rooney, 29, and Radamel Falcao, 28 have recovered from injury and will be ready for Monday's Premier League trip to Southampton. (Manchester Evening News)
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes thinks Barcelona are a ghost of their former selves because they are "bored". (Independent)
Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross has warned Arsenal will be walking into a hate-filled bearpit when they meet at the Britannia Stadium this weekend. (Sun - subscription required)
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli, 24, will submit evidence of the discrimination he has faced to the Football Association as part of their investigation into his "Super Mario" tweet. (Guardian)
Fraser Forster, 26, believes his summer move to Southampton from Celtic has given him the platform to dislodge Manchester City's Joe Hart, 27, as first-choice England goalkeeper. (Times - subscription required)
BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Wayne Rooney showed off his musical talent by singing at Manchester United's Christmas party on Wednesday. The England captain posted a picture on Instagram, but the world is still waiting for the Audioboom sound file.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has shown his players how to do it on the club's YouTube channel with a brilliant free-kick during training.
AND FINALLY
Coventry City have been kicked out of the home dressing room at the Ricoh Arena and relocated to the away team changing area by rugby union club and stadium owners Wasps. (Coventry Telegraph)
Burnley boss Sean Dyche believes young English academy players are too soft, saying: "I was speaking to an eight-year-old who did a hamstring. I said: 'I can't believe you know what a hamstring is, son. You go out there and get yourself running.'" (Times - subscription required)
Harry Redknapp has told his QPR players to forget about organising a Christmas party and instead focus on avoiding relegation. (Guardian)