Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham's 23-year-old playmaker Gareth Bale is an £80m target for Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Full story: Daily Mirror

But Real Madrid are confident they will win the battle for the Wales international - and have set a 15 June deadline for a deal to be done with Tottenham.

Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas is being linked with a return to the Premier League

Full story: Daily Star

Jose Mourinho has signed a £40m four-year deal to return as Chelsea manager after coming to London on a two-day trip this week. The 50-year-old will be unveiled next week.

Full story: The Sun

Manchester United and Manchester City are also competing to bring former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, 26, back to the Premier League next season.

Full story: Daily Mail

New Napoli manager Rafa Benitez wants to take Chelsea defender David Luiz, 26, with him to Italy.

Full story: Daily Express

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, 22, is being targeted by Atletico Madrid as a £17.5m replacement for Radamel Falcao, who has moved to Monaco

Full story: The Sun

Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Julio Cesar admits he has had negotiations about staying in England with a Premier League club, believed to be Arsenal.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Arsenal could make an approach for unsettled Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, 28, in the summer.

Full story: Daily Express

Aston Villa have made a £3.5m bid for Lech Poznan winger Aleksandar Tonev. But Celtic and German side Werder Bremen are also in negotiations for the 23-year-old Bulgaria international.

Full story: Daily Mail

Newcastle and Liverpool could be ready to rekindle their interest in 22-year-old forward Bojan Krkic after AC Milan decided against keeping the Barcelona outcast.

Full story: talkSPORT

Potential Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been boosted by the news that 25-year-old midfielder Marouane Fellaini has decided to commit his future to the club.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Defender Matt Kilgallon, 29, could be on his way to Ipswich Town after leaving Sunderland.

Full story: Shields Gazette

OTHER GOSSIP

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup and chairman Huw Jenkins are on course for showdown talks, with Jenkins refusing to be drawn on the Dane's future.

Full story: South Wales Evening Post

Chelsea sporting director Michael Emenalo has offered to resign from his role to facilitate Jose Mourinho, but his proposal was rejected by club owner Roman Abramovich.

Full story: The Times (subscription required)

David De Gea says he cannot wait to start working with new Manchester United boss David Moyes.

Full story: Metro

GLOBAL GOSSIP (sourced by BBC Monitoring)

Montpellier have reached a four-year deal with AS Nancy striker Djamel Bakar, 24.

Full story: L'Equipe

Lukas Podolski, 27, scored after just nine seconds as Germany's B team beat Ecuador 4-2.

Full story: Welt

Samir Nasri, 25, has pulled out of the French national team's off-season tour of South America because of a knee injury.

Full story: Le Monde

AND FINALLY

Sir Alex Ferguson's first-ever Manchester United team sheet, from his debut loss at Oxford in 1986, is going under the auctioneer's hammer.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Arsenal trio Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs appear to have a career in the cockpit lined up when they retire - after successfully landing an aeroplane.

Full story: Metro