A PRICE ON BENT DEAL
There's been plenty of talk about Darren Bent joining Liverpool and the Sunday Mirror go a step further by suggesting that Aston Villa would find it very difficult to turn down a £24m bid for the striker who kept them in the Premier League last season with nine goals in 16 games.
Villa might certainly look at that £24m figure and think that they could buy three or four decent players to launch a concerted assault on a top-eight finish.
But surely Liverpool don't need Bent when they have £35m striker Andy Carroll?
PODOLSKI FOR ARSENAL
We've heard this one before too, but it seems to be gathering momentum, with the Mail on Sunday putting a £10million figure on the deal that would take Germany star Lukas Podolski to Arsenal in January.
'Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has one of the biggest transfer funds in Europe at present, with about £40m still left over from the summer sales of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy,' says the MoS.
In case you haven't been keeping track of the Bundesliga, Podolski has scored 14 goals in 16 league games this season. But bearing that in mind, would Podolski be happy to play second fiddle to Robin van Persie.
WALCOTT WAR
We're not sure we should give this too much credence but the Daily Star Sunday claims: 'THEO WALCOTT and Arsenal are at WAR over his demand for a new £85,000-a-week, four-year deal.' Liverpool, Chelsea, PSG and Juventus are all mentioned as potential suitors.
AND THE REST
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will snap up Daniele De Rossi if Roma put him up for sale...Doncaster have turned down a bid from Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson for striker Billy Sharp...Newcastle are monitoring Montpellier's France Under-21 international defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, but are no longer interested in his team-mate Olivier Giroud...Everton boss David Moyes is keen on a move for Catania striker Maxi Lopez...Unsettled Sunderland midfielder Stephane Sessegnon is a target for French side Marseille...Bolton will use the £8million they receive from Chelsea for defender Gary Cahill to make a bid for Fulham striker Bobby Zamora...Manchester City's £17.5million misfit Roque Santa Cruz is wanted by Brazilian club Cruzeiro...Sevilla are hoping to finalise a move for Tottenham midfielder Giovani dos Santos in the next few days...
Andy Johnson is on a collision course with Fulham after neighbours QPR lodged a £1.3million bid for the striker...Andre Villas-Boas is keeping tabs on Valencia star Roberto Soldado as he prepares to revamp his Stamford Bridge strikeforce...Blackburn boss Steve Kean is making an ambitious bid to sign Real Madrid's unwanted star Esteban Granero on loan for the relegation battle...Nedum Onuoha is facing decision time as he looks for first-team Premier League football. Blackburn and Bolton are interested with QPR and West Brom also waiting in the wings...Manchester United superkid Will Keane is wanted on loan by Carling Cup conquerors Crystal Palace - with Dougie Freedman desperate on a deal...
Stoke are plotting a move for Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell. He's rated at £3million...Bolton boss Owen Coyle will be given his pick of a Chelsea youngster to take on loan next season - as Gary Cahill heads the other way...Danny Rose is in line for January loan move from Tottenham - to keep alive his Olympic dream...QPR face a crunch decision over Adel Taarabt - with Al-Sadd ready to meet his £15million valuation...Sunderland are being linked with a move for Tottenham midfielder Stephen Pienaar...Blackburn's unwanted man Keith Andrews could price himself out of a move with his wage demands...John Terry is a target for China's top two clubs, who will offer him an escape route from the unsavoury row overshadowing his season.
