Transfer gossip: Iniesta, Rakitics Puel, Ozil, Kane, Real Madrid, Ancelotti

Transfer gossip (12:00 update)

Barcelona midfielders Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic have opposed the club's plans to sign Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho. (Diario Gol via Express)

Diafra Sakho has insisted that he remains determined to leave West Ham after his failed transfer deadline day move to Rennes. (Sky Sports)

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is looking to keep Charly Musonda for the rest of the season and does not want him to leave on loan in January. (London Evening Standard)

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek, having already bought defender Davinson Sanchez from the Dutch club in the summer. (Soccer News via HITC)

Chelsea are ready to pay £71m for Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez at the end of the season. (Don Balon via Daily Star)

Striker Kevin Gameiro, 30, says he is prepared to fight for his place at Atletico Madrid. The France international has been linked with Everton. (Diario AS via Talksport)

Chelsea are considering Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri, 58, as a replacement for manager Antonio Conte, 48. (Football Italia, via Daily Star)

Michael Appleton is set to step down as caretaker-manager at Leicester as the Foxes close in on the appointment of former Southampton boss Claude Puel. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United have not made a move for Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil - but are one of three clubs the 29-year-old Germany playmaker would be willing to leave the Gunners for. (Manchester Evening News)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insists "signing Harry Kane has not passed through my head" after the European champions were linked with a move for the 24-year-old Tottenham and England striker. (Daily Mirror)

QPR are facing the biggest fine in football history, £40m, after failing in their legal challenge to accusations they broke financial fair play rules to gain Premier League promotion in 2014. (Daily Mail)

Former captain Wayne Rooney won't have the chance to sign off his England career by featuring in next month's friendlies with Germany and Brazil. (The Sun)

Pedro Caixinha is odds-on to be sacked as Rangers manager before the next Old Firm meeting in December. (Daily Record)

Reported Everton target Carlo Ancelotti, 58, is in talks to join Chinese Super League team Guangzhou Evergrande, according to Chinese media. (Daily Mirror)

Senegal forward Diafra Sakho, 27, says he wants to leave West Ham. (Claude Atcheba)

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte rules out the possibility of 21-year-old midfielder Charly Musonda being allowed to leave the club in January on loan. (Daily Express)

The agent of Southampton midfielder Sofiane Boufal, 24, claims Italian sides Fiorentina and Inter Milan wanted to sign him during the summer. (SFR Sport via Talksport)

Former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel, 44, has not ruled out the option of becoming the new Everton manager if he is approached. (Sky Sports)

Meanwhile...

More than 1m football fans tried to purchase tickets for Wednesday's Under-17 World Cup semi-final between England and Brazil in Kolkata, leading to the meltdown of Fifa's online ticketing system. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City staff spent several minutes chasing a squirrel on the loose at Etihad Stadium prior to Tuesday's Carabao Cup match against Wolves. (Daily Mail)

The crafty squirrel was eventually caught by Manchester City staff

Netherlands great Patrick Kluivert has given his backing to compatriots Frank de Boer and Ronald Koeman after the pair were both sacked following poor starts to the season. (Talksport)

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has refused to blame his summer signings after the defeat at home to Brighton last Friday. (Evening Standard)

Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said at a pre-match news conference he had not heard of Anne Frank. The Italian football federation has announced a passage from her diary would be read before forthcoming matches in response to acts of anti-Semitism by Lazio fans. (Calciomercato.com - in Italian)

The United States is considering potential host cities for its 2026 World Cup bid. (Washington Post)

The back pages

The best of Tuesday's gossip

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Liverpool outcast Danny Ings, 25, on loan in January but face competition from three Premier League clubs. (News Shopper)

Or, the Liverpool forward may be set for a January loan move to the Championship with Leeds United or Hull City. (The 72)

Manchester United and Arsenal are monitoring Marco Reus' situation at Borussia Dortmund. (Sky Sports Germany, via Daily Mirror)

Liverpool will make a move for Paris St-Germain forward Julian Draxler if Philippe Coutinho leaves Anfield. (Daily Star)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says it would take 250m euros (£223m) to buy Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane, 24. (Calciomercato)

Former Everton defender Alan Stubbs thinks Ross Barkley will leave Goodison Park but would struggle to get into either Arsenal or Tottenham's team. (Daily Star)