Paper Talk
Real Madrid want to take Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho back to the Bernabeu next summer.
Ryan Giggs is a shock contender to succeed sacked Garry Monk as manager of Swansea.
Real Madrid star James Rodriguez wants a move to Chelsea after becoming unhappy at Bernabeu.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa has hinted at a possible return to Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama his top transfer target in January.
Bayern Munich's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer fears Pep Guardiola could be attracted to Old Trafford because of Manchester United's global appeal.
Arsenal are trying to poach Leicester’s highly-regard scout Steve Walsh.
Stoke are ready to hand a new deal to Marko Arnautovic.
Wayne Rooney is being offered a 75million deal to be reunited with Sven Goran Eriksson at Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG.
Swansea are considering a move for Ostersunds’ English manager Graham Potter, who has won a third promotion in five years with the Swedish club.
Remi Garde has confirmed an interest in signing Ashley Cole to help Aston Villa's survival bid.
Manchester United's players have cancelled their Christmas party in the wake of the club's humiliating Champions League debacle.
Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot has dismissed talks of rifts within the dressing room as the Magpies attempt to turn their season around.
Manchester United are plotting a £50million summer move to beat Chelsea to Everton's John Stones.
Arsene Wenger is lining up a move for Charlton forward Ademola Lookman as Arsenal's first signing of the January transfer window.
Diego Costa has dropped a big hint he is ready to quit Chelsea and return to Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United have sent scouts to watch Anderlecht's midfield prodigy Youri Tielemans, who was also watched by representatives from Everton and Aston Villa.
Swansea are keen to assess Ryan Giggs's managerial intentions before making a final decision on the identity of Garry Monk's successor at the Liberty Stadium.
Manchester United are working on separate deals for Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Gareth Bale, but fear that the demands of the Barclays Premier League represent a significant obstacle to recruiting one of the game's global superstar.
Brendan Rodgers is expected to reject the chance to return to Swansea in place of Garry Monk because he hopes to succeed Roy Hodgson as England manager this summer.
Manchester United's hierarchy firmly believes that success in the Premier League is far more important than an extended run in the Champions League, a fact that adds extra pressure on Louis van Gaal as he returns to domestic duty at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Steven Naismith has paid for Christmas dinner for hundreds of homeless people though he may be leaving Everton soon after his manager Roberto Martínez hinted that the forward's future may lie away from Goodison Park.
The Scottish forward sponsored an annual meal in Glasgow organised by the charity, Loaves and Fishes, which helps those sleeping rough in the city.
BBC
Manchester United are lining up separate bids for Real Madrid forwards Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo - as well as Barcelona striker Neymar. (The Times - subscription required)
United will also make John Stones the most expensive defender in the world, with the Old Trafford club happy to spend £50m on the 21 year old. (Daily Star)
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney could be on his way out though - with Chinese side Shanghai SPG ready to give the England captain £25m a year over three years. Rooney would be reunited in China with former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. (Daily Mail)
Real Madrid are keen to take Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho back to the Bernabeu next summer. Mourinho, 52, left Madrid in 2013 after three years but president Florentino Perez remains a fan. (The Sun)
Chelsea and Spain forward Diego Costa, 27, has hinted about a return to Atletico Madrid, where he played from 2010 to 2014. (Daily Express)
Arsenal will counter their latest raft of midfield injuries by bidding for Southampton's Victor Wanyama, 24, in January. (Mirror)
The Gunners could also sign Dynamo Moscow striker Aleksandr Kokorin, 24, for £4.3m in January. (Izvestia - via Metro)
Former Arsenal and Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, 34, could make his return to the Premier League with struggling Aston Villa. (Daily Mail)
West Brom manager Tony Pulis phoned former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher last week and urged him to follow fellow pundit Gary Neville into management. (BBC Radio 5 live)
Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini says he "trusts" the philosophy of manager Louis van Gaal and believes that goals will come for him and the team. (NBC Sports)
Sunderland could allow reserve goalkeeper Vito Mannone to move back to Italy next month, with Verona keen to sign him. The Black Cats will recall Jordan Pickford, 21, from his loan spell with Preston North End if Mannone does move on. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Championship side Charlton insist that 18-year-old forward Ademola Lookman will stay at the Valley - despite being linked to Premier League giants Arsenal and Chelsea. (News Shopper)
Who will replace Monk at Swansea?
Swansea have put Manchester United assistant Ryan Giggs on their shortlist to replace Garry Monk as manager. (Independent)
Another Premier League legend - former Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp - is also among the favourites at the Liberty Stadium. (London Evening Standard)
Alternatively, former Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, 48, and his ex-Chelsea team-mate Roberto di Matteo, 45, are both in the running at Swansea. (Guardian)
Graham Potter, a 40-year-old Englishman who currently manages Ostersunds in Sweden's top flight, is also being considered by the Welsh club. (Daily Mail)
Best of social media
League Two side AFC Wimbledon were excited after they were granted permission to build a new stadium near to their old Plough Lane home. (AFC Wimbledon)
Erik Lamela was overjoyed after scoring his first hat-trick for Tottenham in their Europa League game against Monaco on Thursday. He wrote on Twitter : "We finished first in the group, a special night for my hat-trick and team play! Come on you Spurs."
Tuxedo kit
Spanish third division team Cultural Leonesa have revealed a new James Bond-style tuxedo kit which they will wear for the first time this weekend. (Twitter)
And finally
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling may earn a reported £180,000 a week but he has been driving a £12,000 Smart car to training this week. (The Sun)
Arsenal goalkeeper and keen drummer Petr Cech believes sessions on the video game Rock Band with former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini have improved his reactions and made him a better goalkeeper. (London Evening Standard)
Manchester United's players have cancelled their own Christmas party following their Champions League exit on Tuesday, as they did not want to be seen out partying during a difficult time for the club. (Daily Mail)
Guardian Rumour Mill
John Ashdown
There have been points when you wonder: where can the Mill go next? We’ve had the tug-of-loves between the massive clubs, the mega-moves, the all-summer-long “Him to Them?” blockbusters. How can the Mill top all that? We’ll tell you how: tittle-tattle isn’t just about clubs anymore. It’s about entire countries.
So welcome to the battle of the super powers: it’s China v United States for the services of … Wayne Rooney. The Chinese Super League want Rooney to be their “poster boy” according to the Mail and are prepared to hand the Manchester United striker £75m over three years in order to make it happen. Shanghai SIPL would be the most likely destination, managed as they are by Rooney’s former England mentor Sven-Göran Eriksson.
MLS is also interested though and would perhaps offer Rooney a lifestyle not available in China, although the Americans haven’t got £75m burning a hole in their pockets. (The Chinese Super League are also keen on John Terry, which suggests that someone has just been going through the England squad list for the 2006 World Cup – expect Jermaine Jenas, Peter Crouch and Scott Carson to be linked with a move soon).
And speaking of the 2006 World Cup, Ashley Cole is on the January shopping list of Aston Villa. Rémi Garde wants his former Arsenal team-mate to sure up the left-hand side of his defence and fancies his chances of tempting him back to the Premier League seeing as he’s well and truly frozen out at Roma.
Arsenal have scribbled the name Victor Wanyama at the top of their list of targets but it’ll take more than £15m to prise the midfielder away from Southampton. They’ll face competition from across north London for the Kenyan’s signature as Spurs are still smarting from missing out in the summer.
In other upper-mid-table-Premier-League-clubs-struggling-to-hold-on-to-their-prized-asset news, Everton are braced for a £50m bid from Manchester United for England defender John Stones. Don’t get too excited though – nothing is happening here until the summer. It could be a busy summer for Louis van Gaal – Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane are all mentioned in dispatches today, which, the Mill is sure, is nothing to do with the club exiting the Champions League and attempting to distract the detractors with a bit of juicy gossip, no sirree.
There’s a battle brewing between Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal over Charlton youngster Ademola Lookman.
Who is going to be the next Swansea City manager? Ostersunds boss Graham Potter is the surprise name in the frame according to the Mail, while the Manchester Evening News reckons Ryan Giggs wouldn’t be averse to swapping Old Trafford for the Liberty Stadium.
And in other managerial news, Real Madrid want José Mourinho back again.
C&H
Olympic Stadium LED wrap approved
The London Legacy Development Corporation has confirmed that the proposed LED Stadium Wrap for the former Olympic Stadium has been granted planning permission on the 27th October, subject to conditions of operation and impact mitigation. The procurement process for the new wrap is ongoing and a preferred contractor should be announced before the end of the year. The news was published in LLDC’s board meeting from 24th November.
The wrap will stretch around the north, east and south sides of the Stadium and would be capable of displaying moving, colour content. The LEDs will be housed in a structure attached to back of the existing Stadium bowl. Hours of usage will be limited so as to be sensitive to neighbouring uses and ecology. The west side of the Stadium, facing the Fish Island Conservation Area, will not have any LEDs.
The LLDC say the wrap is intended to fulfil the following objectives:
Enhance the Stadium aesthetics and provide a creative, feature lighting installation;
Provide flexibility to reflect the look and feel of events taking place within the multi-use Stadium;
Provide a positive community asset – promote the wider Park, whilst ensuring content is sensitive to neighbours and neighbouring uses;
Provide the opportunity for Stadium naming rights partner activation.
Shoot
Premier League and Championship clubs scout League Two star shot-stopper
A number of Premier League and Championship clubs are all reportedly monitoring Wycombe Wanderers goalkeeper Matt Ingram ahead of the January transfer window.
The likes of West Ham United, Hull City and Nottingham Forest are all understood to be scouting the highly-rated League Two shot-stopper throughout the course the start of this campaign.
The 21-year-old, who has enjoyed previous loan spells at non-league sides Hayes and Yeading United and Oxford City, has kept nine clean sheets in 22 appearances in all competitions for the Chairboys so far this season.
Ingram; who stands tall at 6ft 3in, is fastly becoming renowned as one of the Football League’s hottest prospects having kept 15 shutouts last term to help Wycombe reach the League Two play-off final.
GibFootball
West Ham are monitoring Porto winger
West Ham may sign 22-year-old Porto winger Juan Quintero, who was loaned to Rennes earlier this season, this information appeared in several Portuguese sources today and English media-outlets are already discussing the possibility of the transfer.
His time in France has not been as successful as he would have hoped, and Goal France reported this week that he wants to leave in January, with several clubs already expressing an interest.
Portuguese newspaper Record cite L’Equipe, noting Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad as one of those registering an interest.
Quintero was a previous star of the under-20 World Cup, scoring seven times in 11 games for his country, clinching a move from Italian side Pescara to Porto, but he has not held down a regular place.
Porto put a clause of £14 million in the loan deal to Rennes making him available to buy, but West Ham would be better off seeking to negotiate a loan until the end of the season if the player is successful in cancelling his loan deal.
