Gossip column: Bale, Cavani, Cech, Ben Arfa, Milner, Sanchez

For a list of all the latest deals, check out the transfers page.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to offer £120m to sign 25-year-old winger Gareth Bale, already the world's most expensive footballer, from Real Madrid. (AS)

Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc has run out of patience with striker Edinson Cavani, 27, paving the way for a £50m move to Arsenal in January. (Daily Express)

Manchester City are preparing a £25m bid for Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic, 28. (Daily Star)

Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid for a world-record fee of £85.3m in 2013

French Ligue 1 side Nice want to sign Hatem Ben Arfa from Newcastle, after Hull City cut short a loan deal with the 27-year-old midfielder. (Daily Mail)

Petr Cech's agent has confirmed talks have taken place between the Chelsea goalkeeper, 32, and Real Madrid. (Daily Star)

Striker Jermain Defoe, 32, has flown back to London to resolve his future - and is eyeing a move to Queens Park Rangers. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United could face a battle to retain a string of their most highly-rated young players in 2015. (Daily Mail)

Tom Cleverley, 25, the on-loan Aston Villa midfielder, will play a waiting game over his future before he becomes a free agent in the summer.(Times - subscription required)

Exiled Manchester City midfielder Scott Sinclair, 25, could be set for a move to Crystal Palace. (Sun - subscription required)

Besiktas are considering a January loan move for Chelsea's 25-year-old winger Mohamed Salah.(Independent)

Tottenham midfielder Paulinho, 26, looks set for a January loan switch to Inter Milan. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Stoke and Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis has said he would be willing to talk to Brighton about their managerial vacancy. (Talksport)

Wednesday's Daily Star back page

Former England striker and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has backed Harry Kane, 21, to become one of the greatest forwards in Tottenham's history. (Evening Standard)

Cardiff City boss Russell Slade has revealed why he let 19-year-old midfielder Mats Daehli leave the club, claiming the Norwegian's "heart wasn't in it". (Wales Online)

Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones, 32, has told the dropped Simon Mignolet, 26, that he won't give up the number one jersey at the club without a fight. (Daily Mirror)

Andy Carroll has told Chelsea that there will be no 19th-century football from West Ham United when the 25-year-old forward's side face the league leaders at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. (Guardian)

Manchester City are set to confirm a trip to Abu Dhabi in January. (Manchester Evening News)

West Brom manager Alan Irvine says the club are braced for bids for 21-year-old star striker Saido Berahino.(Sun - subscription required)

Arsène Wenger fears that defender Calum Chambers, 19, has "hit the wall," having had too much responsibility forced on to his young shoulders during his fledgling Arsenal career. (Guardian)

BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

England midfielder James Milner shows he's a good sport as he plays up to his "boring" parody Twitter account on day 23 of Manchester City's online advent calendar. (Manchester City FC, via YouTube)

James Milner flicks through a copy of Avoid Boring People

And on the theme of Christmas fun and games, Grimsby Town have had a lot of fun creating a parody 'advert' featuring the club's top scorer Lenell John-Lewis.

Arsenal and Chile forward Alexis Sanchez is a demon on the piano, it seems. In an Instagram posting by Arsenal team-mate Lukas Podolski, the 26-year-old is seen giving an impressive rendition of Richard Marx's 1989 hit Right Here Waiting.

AND FINALLY...

A host of footballers, coaches, managers and officials have joined forces for a poetic tribute to the 1914 Christmas Truce. Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany, Gary Neville and Sir Trevor Brooking are just some of the names who recited lines for a video that will appear on Christmas Day - commemorating 100 years since soldiers on both sides of No Man's Land are said to have taken a festive respite from the horrors of the First World War by playing football.(FootballRemembers.com)

And Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has got into the Christmas spirit by sending 500 parcels to a children's cancer charity back in Uruguay. (Telegraph)