Friday's gossip column - transfers and rumours

TRANSFER GOSSIP

For updated transfer news and gossip throughout the day, read our breaking news service Sportsday Live.

Could Rio Ferdinand return to West Ham?

West Ham could offer Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 33, a return to London when his contract at Old Trafford ends next summer.

Full story: Daily Mirror

West Ham are also interested in signing Lokomotiva striker Andrej Kramaric, 21, who has scored eight goals in just 12 league starts while on loan from fellow Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

Full story: talkSPORT

Wealthy Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala are planning a big-money move for Manchester United's 27-year-old striker Wayne Rooney. Anzhi team director Roberto Carlos said: "Why not? He's one of the best players in the world and any team would be happy to have him in their squad."

Full story: the Sun

Liverpool sent scouts to watch Celtic forward Gary Hooper, 24, play against Barcelona on Tuesday night, as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his strike force in January.

Full story: Daily Mail

Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama has rejected the offer of a contract extension and that will encourage the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to step in with a January offer for the Kenya international for whom £8m summer bid from QPR was rejected.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

OTHER GOSSIP

Several senior Manchester City players have been disillusioned by manager Roberto Mancini's approach, culminating in their 3-1 Champions League defeat at Ajax.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke jumped to the defence of his Arsenal regime following a stormy Annual General Meeting. He said: "I am ambitious for the club. We have an exciting future and our goal is to win trophies."

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Blackburn assistant manager Eric Black says Harry Redknapp would be a "sensational" appointment at Ewood Park. The former Tottenham boss is rumoured to be interested in the role.

Full story: Daily Star

Manchester City are close to persuading former Barcelona director of football Txiki Begiristain to join the club, after the 48-year-old also attracted the interest of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea.

Full story: Daily Mail

Former Arsenal star Stewart Robson believes the Gunners' defensive problems could be down to a "rift" between manager Arsene Wenger and his assistant Steve Bould.

Full story: talkSPORT

Ashley Cole is eager to defuse tensions with the Ferdinand family by shaking hands with Rio when Chelsea play Manchester United on Sunday.

Full story: Daily Mail

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has revealed he felt "really uncomfortable" when the Villa fans chanted his name while he was still the manager of Norwich.

Full story: Birmingham Mail

BBC football pundit and former England captain Alan Shearer is among the front-runners to become the new manager of Ipswich after being interviewed for the post on Thursday.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Former Scotland and Hearts manager George Burley is hoping for a return to former club Ipswich Town after the Championship strugglers sacked Paul Jewell.

Full story: Daily Record

West Brom are targeting Cardiff City's head of player recruitment Iain Moody as a successor to sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Full story: The Times (subscription required)

Rangers chief executive Charles Green has ditched plans to make a quick exit from Ibrox and vowed to stay at the Glasgow club until they have risen from Division Three to the Champions League.

Full story: Daily Record

Rangers are angry that the Scottish Football Association sent a £200,000 sell-on fee for former Ibrox midfielder Charlie Adam's move from Liverpool to Stoke City to the administrators of the old club instead of the new one.

Full story: Daily Record

Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson says Rangers will almost certainly not be fast-tracked into the Scottish Premier League because there is no way 11 out of the 12 clubs will agree on a form of league reconstruction.

Full story: Daily Record

Dunfermline Athletic are facing turmoil after the resignation of seven directors, including club legend Jim Leishman, over attempts to buy the club from major shareholder Gavin Masterton, sparking fears among fans over the future of the club.

Full story: The Herald

Scotland captain Gemma Fay, whose side missed out on the Euro 2013 finals after a last-second play-off defeat by Spain, says the Scottish Football Association needs to offer professional contracts if it wants their near all-amateur squad to continue to outperform professional squads at international level.

Full story: The Herald

AND FINALLY

Australian football fans are being given the chance to see "what makes Emile Heskey so good" as Fox Sports launch Heskeycam.

Full story: The Independent

Dumbarton have been inundated with application for their managerial vacancy, but chief executive Gilbert Lawrie says 75% of them come from computer football management game geeks.

Full story: Daily Record