Saturday's gossip column - transfers and rumours

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are set for an £8m move for Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. The 25-year-old Bosnian has also been linked with Liverpool.

Full story: Daily Mail

Begovic joined Stoke from Portsmouth in January 2010

AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus all hope to sign Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, 22. The Italy international has started just seven games in all competitions this season.

Full story: Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian)

Arsenal have not held any contract talks with Theo Walcott since August. Liverpool want to sign the England forward, 23, in January and Manchester City and Chelsea will consider taking him on a free transfer when his current deal expires in the summer.

Full story: Daily Mail

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season but president Florentino Perez is determined to persuade the Portuguese, 27, to stay ahead of the club elections at the end of the campaign.

Full story: Marca (Spanish)

Keane scored three goals on loan at Villa last season.

Manchester United could be set to miss out on Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, with AC Milan set to offer £13m for the 24-year-old Italy international next month.

Full story: talkSPORT

QPR manager Harry Redknapp is considering a loan move for LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane, 32. The Republic of Ireland veteran played under Redknapp at Tottenham.

Full story: Daily Mirror

West Ham are hoping to sign Nordsjaelland goalkeeper Jesper Hansen but Italian side Catania are also tracking the Dane, 27.

Full story: talkSPORT

OTHER GOSSIP

After hearing of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's claim that City get too many penalties ahead of Sunday's derby, Roberto Mancini said: "I remember last year very well, when [Ashley] Young, went swimming."

Full story: Guardian

Mancini has continued the mind games ahead of Sunday's match by claiming United "are better than us at this moment."

Full story: Manchester Evening News

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will consider Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp if he fails to persuade former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, who is currently on a sabbatical in New York, to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Full story: Daily Mail

Klopp has won successive Bundesliga titles.

Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez has held discussions with captain John Terry and Frank Lampard in an attempt to persuade the influential duo to back his regime.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is set to announce that coach Jose Mourinho, who had been expected to leave the Bernabeu in the summer, will stay in the Spanish capital until 2016, Manuel Pereira, a journalist from Portuguese paper A Bola, has told Marca TV.

Full story: Marca (Spanish)

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says moving to the Olympic Stadium would: "deliver what would be a fantastic venue in the future of West Ham United. We have a wonderful atmosphere at Upton Park and it would be even better at the Olympic Park."

Full story: Evening Standard

AND FINALLY

Stoke striker Peter Crouch is glad he is not single after having three teeth knocked out in the 2-1 win over Newcastle last week. "I said when I had them knocked out it's a good job I'm married, otherwise I'd be struggling!" stated the former England forward, 31, who will wear a brace and a gum shield in order to play against Aston Villa.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Davies considered a rugby career

Swansea left-back Ben Davies, 19, only picked football over rugby union three years ago and was confident of a career with the oval ball if he had failed to make it as a footballer.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Paris St Germain manager Carlo Ancelotti has dropped Nene for this weekend's game against Evian after the Brazilian striker, 31, threw a tantrum, which included smacking the top of the dug-out, after being told to stop warming up in the 2-1 midweek win over Porto in the Champions League.

Full story: L'equipe (French)

Former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov, the Oldham manager, has to attend his mother-in-law's 70th birthday party on Sunday when the big derby with United takes place.

Full story: Manchester Evening News