Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, 27, wants to move to Manchester United. He scored against the Premier League leaders in the Champions League last week.

Full story: Daily Mail

Hamburg will attempt to land Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner, 25, at the end of the season. The Dane has been on loan with Italian side Juventus.

Full story: talkSPORT

Lukas Modric wants a move back to England with Manchester United

Juventus and Atletico Madrid are interested in signing 27-year-old Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski.

Full story: the Sun

Barcelona expect Arsenal to bid for goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 31, in the summer. However, boss Arsene Wenger is still weighing up a move for Liverpool's Pepe Reina as an alternative.

Full story: Daily Mail

Chelsea have joined Manchester City in the race to sign Saint-Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 23, who has scored 32 league goals this season.

Full story: the Sun

Everton are continuing to monitor FC Twente midfielder Leroy Fer, 23, after scouts watched him against Vitesse Arnhem at the weekend.

Full story: Daily Mail

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio is in talks to take over as Reading manager following the sacking of Brian McDermott.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Could Paolo Di Canio be the next Reading boss?

Meanwhile, the bookmakers have Di Canio and former West Ham and Charlton boss Alan Curbishley as favourites to replace McDermott.

Full story: Reading Post

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 21, is almost certainly out of Arsenal's Champions League last-16 second-leg tie with Bayern Munich.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Newcastle defender Steven Taylor, 27, is targeting his first England senior cap later this month.

Full story: the Guardian

Jose Mourinho's long-rumoured return to the Premier League appears a step closer after claims his move away from Real Madrid was officially agreed last year.

Full story: Metro

Coventry City face a real threat of administration next week with the saga involving rent and matchday revenue at the Ricoh Arena rumbling on.

Full story: the Guardian

Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, 26, should be named PFA Player of the Year, according to ex-Everton striker Andy Gray, who won the award in 1976-77.

Full story: talkSPORT

Jack Wilshere is set to miss Arsenal's Champions League game against Bayern Munich

Chelsea's fixture pile-up is testing the planners and they may be forced to play three matches in five days.

Full story: The Times (subscription required)

England boss Roy Hodgson is considering ending the international exile of Rio Ferdinand, 34, for March's international double-header against San Marino and Montenegro.

Full story: Independent

Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 25, has fuelled talk of a summer exit with the cancellation of a autograph session at the club store.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Blackburn winger David Bentley, 28, admits he absolutely loves being hated by opposition fans and says they buy the right to have a go at players when they pay for a match ticket.

Full story: the Sun

GLOBAL GOSSIP (sourced by BBC Monitoring)

Jose Mourinho is to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, after a deal struck with the club's directors in January, according to Portugal's Caden SER. His departure will spark a managerial chain reaction that affects Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris St-Germain.

Full story: Cadenaser

Levante's former Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins, 28, has secured a move to US Major League Soccer with the Seattle Sounders.

Full story: Deportes

Juventus have been fined £3,500 for racist chanting by their fans which was directed at AC Milan's Mario Balotelli earlier this year.

Full story: Tuttosport

AND FINALLY

A football match where five players were sent off has been described as "not dirty".

Full story: Metro