Sunday's gossip column: Football transfers & rumours

Gareth Bale's future will be decided in the next 48 hours, with Tottenham's billionaire owner Joe Lewis set to demand £100m for the 24-year-old attacker from Real Madrid.
Full story: Mail on Sunday 
Real only want to pay £20m up front for Bale, with the rest of the world-record fee spread out in instalments.
Full story: The People 
Elsewhere, it is claimed that Tottenham will refuse to meet Real to discuss a deal for Bale.
Full story: Sunday Telegraph 
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has criticised Real for making their interest in Bale public.
Full story: skysports.com 
Spurs are considering a bid for unsettled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and Colombia international Jackson Martinez, both 26, as they plan to reinvest the income from Bale's impending transfer to Real Madrid.
Full story: Sunday Times (subscription required) 
Villas-Boas's side have also had to step up their search for a new centre-half after being forced to field a makeshift pairing in the heart of their defence during a friendly at Monaco.
Full story: Metro 
Striker Wayne Rooney, 27, will ask Manchester United for a transfer this week.
Full story: Sunday Mirror 
Chelsea are preparing an "imminent" second bid of around £40m for Rooney - and the England striker will leap at the chance to become Jose Mourinho's number one striker at Stamford Bridge.

Marouane Chamakh endured a scoreless, three-game loan spell at West Ham last season

Full story: Mail on Sunday 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has has told a close friend "I'll get Luis Suarez" - even though Liverpool are adamant the clubs are way off a deal for the striker.
Full story: The Sun (subscription required) 
But Reds boss Brendan Rodgers remains insistent Suarez is not for sale, although he adds that, if he were, the price tag would be closer to the £100m being touted for Gareth Bale.
Full story: Sunday Express 
Manchester United will set their sights on Bayern Munich's 29-year-old midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger - if a third bid for Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas, 26, fails this week.
Full story: Sunday Mirror 
Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse, 28, is mystified by reports linking him to Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Full story: Evening Chronicle 
Out-of-favour Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh, 29, has agreed to join Premier League new boys Crystal Palace on a six-month loan deal.
Full story: Sunday Mirror 
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina, 30, will join Barcelona - rather than return to Liverpool - after his season-long loan with Napoli is over.
Full story: Daily Star 
Aston Villa left-back Enda Stevens, 23, has been made available for transfer by manager Paul Lambert.
Full story: Birmingham Mail 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes he would have been bored if he had taken the England job in 2007. "At that time my plan was just to try to motivate myself for a job that doesn't fulfil me," the 50-year-old said. "What do I do? During the day, I'm not training, so I have to go and see players train in their clubs."
Full story: Sunday Mirror 
Mourinho says his Chelsea team can play fantasy football this season - but claims he has never been ordered to do so by owner Roman Abramovich.
Full story: Mail on Sunday 

Inter Milan are considering recruiting Patrick Vieira as head coach

Inter Milan plan to keep an eye on Patrick Vieira's progress as head of Manchester City's elite development squad with a view to naming him head coach in the future. The 37-year-old played for the Italian side from 2006-2010.
Full story: The People 
The Football League faces a fight with Fifa to maintain the loan system that operates outside the current transfer window restrictions.
Full story: Sunday Express 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 34, says he does not support goal-line technology as it will take away some talking points from the sport.
Full story: The People