Friday's gossip column: Football transfers and rumours

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Ander Herrera has scored twice in 61 appearances in La Liga for Athletic Bilbao.

Manchester United target Ander Herrera is set to remain with Athletic Bilbao after club president Josu Urrutia ruled out selling the 24-year-old midfielder.

Full story: Daily Express

Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa will be allowed to rejoin Borussia Dortmund in January in a swap deal which will see 24-year-old defender Neven Subotic go in the opposite direction.

Full story: Daily Star

Another player possibly heading out of Old Trafford in January is Wilfried Zaha, with Newcastle, West Brom and Stoke among the Premier League clubs hoping to offer the 20-year-old a loan deal.

Full story: the Times (subscription required)

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has been urged to join Paris St-Germain by the French club's forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Full story: the Sun (subscription required)

Liverpool are braced for Real Madrid to return with a £45m bid for Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, 26, when the transfer window opens in January.

Full story: Daily Mail

Chelsea have beaten a host of big clubs including Barcelona and AC Milan to the signature of Porto's Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi, 25, who will move to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Full story: Daily Express

Anzhi Makhachkala striker Lacina Traore, 23, is set to leave the Russian club in the January transfer window, with Liverpool eager to sign him.

Full story: talkSPORT

Arsenal face a struggle to sign PSV Eindhoven's 17-year-old striker Zakaria Bakkali as the Dutch club are poised to offer him a new long-term deal.

Full story: talkSPORT

Juventus and Napoli are interested in Blackpool's England Under-21 winger Tom Ince, 21, after learning they could strike a deal in January to sign him for £335,000.

Full story: Daily Star

OTHER GOSSIP

Alan Pardew took charge of Newcastle in December 2010 after Chris Hughton was sacked.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew believes he retains the backing of club owner Mike Ashley, despite rumours about his future.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Pardew fears he could be sacked if Newcastle lose heavily at Cardiff on Saturday.

Full story: Daily Express

Stoke manager Mark Hughes says he made a mistake in leaving Fulham after only one season in charge at the end of the 2010-11 campaign.

Full story: the Times (subscription required)

New Derby County manager Steve McClaren is not planning a drastic clear-out of players.

Full story: Derby Evening Telegraph

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs, 39, says there are no excuses for their faltering start under David Moyes and rejects suggestions Sir Alex Ferguson's departure as manager is a factor.

Full story: the Guardian

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers took some of his players to watch Bayern Munich beat Manchester City 3-1 in the Champions League.

Full story: Daily Mirror

Barcelona right-back Dani Alves insists Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster, 25, would be the perfect choice to replace Barca keeper Victor Valdes, 31, when he leaves the Nou Camp next summer.

Full story: Daily Record

AND FINALLY

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is in great goalscoring form, but that didn't excuse him from a light-hearted telling off by manager Brendan Rodgers for wearing ear-rings during training.

Full story: Daily Mail

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has shown just how good his close control is by doing keepie-ups with a piece of chewing gum.

Full story: Daily Mail