New Year's Day gossip column - transfers and rumours

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool have had a loan bid for Barcelona striker David Villa rejected. The Spanish club want a £16m permanent deal for the 31-year-old.

Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will offer midfielder Frank Lampard, 34, and left-back Ashley Cole, 32, the chance to move to Old Trafford when their contracts are not renewed by Chelsea at the end of the season.

Full story: Daily Star

Paris Saint-Germain say they have not approached Cole about moving to France.

Full story: ESPN

Tottenham are in pole position to sign Schalke defender Lewis Holtby, 22, whose contract runs out at the end of the season.

Full story: the Times (subscription required)

Manchester United want to sign Frank Lampard when his Chelsea deal runs out

Arsenal have offered £10m for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez. This fails to meet the £14.7m release clause in the 24-year-old's contract though.

Full story: Goal.com

Swansea are ready to make a move for Bolton defender Marcos Alonso, 22, in the January transfer window.

Full story: Sky Sports

Stoke have told veteran defender Danny Higginbotham, 34, he can leave the club in January, but it's unlikely he will join Ipswich, where he's been playing on loan.

Full story: Sky Sports

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will fight it out for the signature of Crystal Palace's £10m-rated forward Wilfried Zaha, 20.

Full story: the Guardian

Sunderland are weighing up a move for 21-year-old Inter Milan midfielder Joel Obi, who is rated at £5m but has made just one Serie A appearance this season in a campaign blighted by injury.

Full story: talkSPORT

Everton boss David Moyes is eyeing up a six-month loan deal for Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair, 23.

Full story: the Sun

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hopes to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kevin Gameiro, 25, on loan.

Full story: the Times (subscription required)

Southampton are set to pip Liverpool and Everton to sign England and Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland, 19.

Full story: the Sun

Reading are hoping to beat QPR to the signing of Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole, 31.

Full story: Daily Star

Arsenal are expected to sound out Southampton over their 17-year-old defender Luke Shaw, with manager Arsene Wenger having identified the left-back as one of his transfer priorities for 2013.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Juventus are ready to offer £5m plus full-back Paolo De Ceglie in order to beat Manchester City to 20-year-old Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang.

Full story: talkSPORT

OTHER GOSSIP

Striker Mario Balotelli is staying put at Manchester City because the club's owner Sheikh Mansour is a big fan of the striker.

Full story: the Sun

Six Premier League clubs turned fown the chance to sign striker Michu

Tottenham, Fulham, Stoke, West Brom, West Ham and Aston Villa all turned down the chance to sign Michu. The Spanish striker, 26, instead moved to Swansea for £2.2m and is the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League, with 13.

Full story: Daily Mail

Midfielder Joe Allen believes his Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez is "unstoppable" in his current form.

Full story: Liverpool Echo

Chelsea's Victor Moses is glad he chose to play international football for Nigeria instead of England.

Full story: Goal.com

Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla, 28, believes he has achieved "great things" since moving to Arsenal in the summer.

Full story: Arsenal.com

AND FINALLY

Former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf gave an excellent rendition of Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay on Portuguese television.

Full story: Metro