Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Monaco are ready to make a world record £85m bid for Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and pay the 28-year-old a £17m annual salary.

Full story: Independent

Manchester United are prepared to pay Robert Lewandowski £90,000 a week to convince him to move to England. The 24-year-old was expected to stay in Germany and move to Bayern Munich, but Borussia Dortmund have vowed not to sell him to their Bundesliga rivals.

Full story: the Sun

Bent has been out of favour at Aston Villa

Alan Pardew is considering a £6m bid for striker Darren Bent, 29, who has been told he can leave Aston Villa.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will tell Brazil international centre-back David Luiz, 26, he must play how he is instructed or he will be sold.

Full story: Daily Express

New Everton boss Roberto Martinez is hoping to sign Wigan's Antolin Alcaraz by the end of the week. The 30-year-old is a free agent but the Paraguay international had an injury-hit spell at the DW Stadium.

Full story: Daily Mirror

But another Wigan player, Arouna Kone, has distanced himself from a move to Everton with the 29-year-old insisting he is happy to stay.

Full story: Metro

Newcastle face competition from Italian and Russian sides to land long-term target Douglas. The 24-year-old centre-back is available on a free transfer after his contract with Dutch side Twente came to an end.

Full story: The Journal

West Ham are hopeful of concluding a deal for 36-year-old former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini.

Full story: Daily Mail

Norwich boss Chris Hughton is closing in on PSV Eindhoven's Swedish international forward Ola Toivonen who has scored 59 goals in 125 appearances since moving to the Dutch League. The 26-year-old is also a target for Fulham.

McShane began his career as a youth player at Manchester United

Full story: Daily Mirror

Hull City's Republic of Ireland defender Paul McShane is on the verge of signing a new three-year deal with the newly promoted Premier League club, a year after the 27-year-old almost quit the game.

Full story: Daily Mail

Queens Park Rangers are hoping to persuade Danny Simpson to drop out of the Premier League. The 26-year-old defender will become a free agent when his Newcastle United contract expires at the end of the month.

Full story: Shields Gazette

Swansea could negotiate another loan move for Netherlands midfielder Jonathan de Guzman, 25, if they cannot agree a fee with Spanish side Villarreal.

Full story: Wales Online

GLOBAL GOSSIP (sourced by BBC Monitoring)

Sunderland have signed French midfielder El-Hadji Ba, 20, from Le Havre on a three-year deal.

Full story: L'Equipe

Senna was part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2008

AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani says Stephan El Shaarawy, 20, is not "unsellable". The Egyptian-born striker is interesting Manchester City.

Full story: Gazzetta Dello Sport

Malaga have signed on-loan Portuguese defender Vitorino Antunes, 26, on a four-year deal for £1m.

Full story: El Mundo

Villarreal have announced the departure of veteran midfielder Marcos Senna, 36, for the MLS, but it is not yet clear which team he will be joining.

Full story: RTV.es

OTHER GOSSIP

Wayne Rooney, 27, is worried that the Manchester United fans will not forgive him after former manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that the striker had made a second transfer request in three years. The England international disputes that claim.

Full story: the Times [subscription required]

Villas-Boas has yet to stay more than one season at a club during his managerial career

Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas is set to be offered £40m to become the new manager of Paris St-Germain. The French champions had lined up Guus Hiddink to replace Real Madrid-bound Carlo Ancelotti, after Jose Mourinho snubbed them to return to Chelsea, but Hiddink has decided to stay at Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Incoming Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has already held a strategy meeting with sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano before being officially announced in the role.

Full story: Daily Mail

Midfielder Joey Barton has asked to be paid £3.5m to quit relegated Queens Park Rangers. The 30-year-old, who spent last year on loan at French side Marseille, has two years left on a £70,000-a-week deal and is demanding half of that to get him off the payroll.

Full story: the Sun

AND FINALLY

Manchester City have lost another member of staff after the death of the club's cat Wimblydon. Wimblydon arrived at the club's Carrington training ground around 13 years ago and is estimated to have eaten 200 mice and 7,000 sachets of food during his time there as well as drinking more than 100 litres of milk.

Full story: Manchester Evening News