Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal and Liverpool are set to battle it out for the signature of Swansea City defender Ashley Williams, 28, in the summer.

Full story: Daily Mail

Chelsea are planning to hijack West Ham's £12m move for Vitesse Arnhem's Ivory Coast international striker Wilfried Bony, 24.

Full story: the Sun

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert is keen on a reunion with 27-year-old Norwich defender Russell Martin, who has played under the Scot at Wycombe as well as Carrow Road.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Glenn Murray has scored 29 of Crystal Palace's 67 league goals this season

Arsenal's summer transfer plans include selling 25-year-old striker Gervinho to Turkish side Galatasaray for £12m and buying Liverpool's 30-year-old goalkeeper Jose Reina.

Full story: Daily Mail

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, 29, is to "soldier on" until the summer before making a decision on his future. Toure still has two years left on his contract but has been linked with a summer move to Paris St-Germain.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Tottenham are one of the clubs chasing Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, with Inter Milan and Manchester City also keen on signing the 22-year-old.

Full story: Daily Mail

Spurs are also plotting a move to pip Liverpool in the race to sign £8m-rated Blackpool winger Thomas Ince, 21.

Full story: Daily Star

Newcastle chief scout Graham Carr has been in France watching 23-year-old Saint-Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Full story: the Times (subscription required)

Everton's 36-year-old captain Phil Neville, whose contract expires in the summer, says he is willing to move to a club outside the Premier League to prolong his playing career.

Full story: Liverpool Echo

Fulham want Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray, 29, who has scored 30 goals for the Championship club this season.

Full story: Daily Mirror

OTHER GOSSIP

Monaco have offered Roberto Mancini a £170m transfer fund in an attempt to lure the 48-year-old Manchester City manager to France next season.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Wayne Rooney has delivered a critical assessment of England's 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Montenegro, with the 27-year-old Manchester United striker saying the Three Lions were handed a "lesson" and needed to "learn how to see out games better".

Full story: Daily Star

But England boss Roy Hodgson defended his players, claiming they failed to beat Montenegro because they are "not robots".

Full story: Daily Mail

Hodgson will hold talks with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson before weighing up whether to extend an olive branch to Rio Ferdinand, who turned down the chance to return to the international fold.

Full story: Daily Express

The Football Association stands to miss out on as much as £26m in income if England fail to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Fifa is set to decide whether to take disciplinary action against Montenegro for the behaviour of their fans in the draw with England.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Lionel Messi played the full 90 minutes against Bolivia but, for once, was unable to score

Chris Coleman may not continue as Wales manager when the current World Cup qualifiers end next autumn, with the 42-year-old suggesting he could return to club management overseas.

Full story: the Guardian

Chelsea's former chief scout and director of youth development Frank Arnesen, 56, claims there was no chance for young players to make their mark on the first team during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Full story: London Evening Standard

Newcastle's Massadio Haidara, 20, says he has "learned a lot" after falling victim to a controversial challenge by Wigan's Callum McManaman. "I am learning more about the English game and it is a great education for me," said the French full-back.

Full story: Newcastle Chronicle

Defender Nacho Monreal, 27, has urged his Arsenal team-mates not to waste their energy by taking any notice of their critics. He said they should instead channel all their attention into finishing in the Premier League's top four.

Full story: Independent

Dunfermline players have been told to expect a "brutal" round of redundancies after administrators moved into East End Park.

Full story: Daily Record

AND FINALLY

Argentina's Lionel Messi was reportedly sick on the pitch at half-time during his country's 1-1 draw away to Bolivia in a match played 13,000 feet above sea level.

But the day ended well for the 25-year-old as he was presented with a Bolivian poncho by President Evo Morales.

Full story: Daily Mail

Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, who scored both goals in Italy's 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Malta on Tuesday, says falling in love with his new girlfriend has helped him settle down following his move to AC Milan.

Full story: London Evening Standard