Wednesday's gossip column: Football transfers and rumours

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For a list of confirmed transfers, check out our transfers page.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Wales winger Gareth Bale, 24, flew back from Spain and held talks with Manchester United before completing a world record £86m move to Real Madrid.

Pirlo has previously come close to joining Chelsea

Full story: Daily Mirror

The Premier League champions offered Tottenham more than £120m in a bid to get Bale.

Full story: The Sun (subscription)

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham could be alerted by uncertainty of Andrea Pirlo's future at Juventus. The Italy midfielder, 34, could be allowed to leave in January if the Turin club decide against extending his current deal beyond this season.

Full story: Daily Mail

Chelsea are set to move for Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala, 22, in the January transfer window. Monaco are also interested in the France international centre-back.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta made his first start of the season at Swindon

Manchester United defender Rafael is considering a return to Brazil, with Corinthians a possible destination for the right-back, 23.

Full story: Daily Star

Athletic Bilbao could move for Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta in January. The Spanish right-back, 24, has only made one substitute appearance in the Premier League this season.

Full story: Daily Express

Arsenal and Juventus are both interested in Red Bull Salzburg's Austrian defender Martin Hinteregger, 21.

Full story: Inside Futbol

Manager David Moyes says Manchester United are short of two players.

Full story: The Sun (subscription)

Arsenal and Tottenham are set to miss out on 27-year-old free agent striker Ciprian Marica.

Full story: talkSPORT

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Brighton manager Gus Poyet has held talks with Sunderland owner Ellis Short about replacing Paolo Di Canio at the Stadium of Light. Steve McClaren and Tony Pulis are also in the race for the job.

Full story: Daily Telegraph

Uruguayan Poyet, 45, is set to be offered the job, with director of football Roberto De Fanti wanting a young "tracksuit" manager with good man-management skills.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Former Birmingham manager Alex McLeish, 54, says he wants the Sunderland job.

Full story: talkSPORT

PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored three goals this season

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is in line to replace Fatih Terim as Galatasaray manager.

Full story: Daily Mail

Norwich manager Chris Hughton could face the sack if the Canaries are beaten at Stoke on Sunday.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 31, will now earn £12.6m a year, rather than an annual salary of £11.6m, after signing a contract extension at Paris St-Germain.

Full story: L'Equipe (French)

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will have no hesitation about using Luis Suarez against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday following the end of his 10-match suspension.

Full story: Guardian

Twenty-eight-year-old striker Leroy Lita's time with Swansea's first-team squad has come to an end says manager Michael Laudrup.

Full story: Daily Express

GLOBAL GOSSIP (supplied by BBC Monitoring)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 31, remains the "gondola" of Paris St-Germain despite the recruitment of Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani in transfer window.

Full story: Le Figaro

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says his team still have the capability to score many goals despite the departure of midfielder Mesut Ozil. The former Chelsea manager added that his team's performances have been "great" even without Ozil's "great offensive quality".

Full story: As.com

AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri says Mario Balotelli must change as he is "no longer a child", after the 23-year-old striker's confrontation with the referee during his team's loss to Napoli.

Full story: Tuttosport.com

AND FINALLY

Gareth Bale is renting Kaka's house in Spain. Real Madrid mediated on a rental agreement between Bale and the Brazilian midfielder, 31, who has returned for a second spell at AC Milan.

Full story: El Mundo Deportivo (Spanish)