Thursday's gossip column - transfers and rumours

For updated transfer news and gossip throughout the day, read our breaking news service, Sportsday Live.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Everton target Oscar Cardozo, 29, is set to extend his contract at Benfica - and the Paraguay striker will have a £47.7m buy-out clause.
Kevin Strootman
Kevin Strootman has won 11 caps for the Netherlands
PSV Eindhoven's Kevin Strootman, 22, has put Manchester United on alert after the Dutch midfielder revealed he intends to quit the club in the January transfer window.
Manchester City Norwegian midfield prospect Abdisalam Ibrahim,   21, who is on loan at his native Stromsgodset, is a target for Norwich, Wigan, Southampton and Reading.
The agent of AGF Aarhus forward Aron Johannsson  has insisted Arsenal have not been in touch regarding a possible move for the 21-year-old Icelandic striker.

OTHER GOSSIP

Blackburn will make a formal approach to Tottenham in the hope of persuading assistant first team coach and former player Tim Sherwood, 43, to become their new manager.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini can match United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's infamous 'hairdryer' for blasting his players, insists Brazil defender Maicon, 31.
Former Argentina international Matias Almeyda, 38, who spent eight years in Italy playing for Lazio, Parma, Brescia and Inter Milan, claims Italian football is rotten to its core with corruption in his autobiography.
Marko Marin
Marko Marin moved to Chelsea from Stuttgart in July
Chelsea's German winger Marko Marin, 23, believes the Blues are good enough squad to win the Premier League - and retain the Champions League.
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, 23, says he misses playing alongside Robin van Persie following the Dutch striker's summer transfer to Manchester United.
Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song said the club's failure to win trophies was behind the 25-year-old Cameroon international's decision to join Barcelona.

AND FINALLY

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe, 19, won his father £10,000 when he made his debut in the League Cup win over Newcastle. Mick Tunnicliffe bet £100 that his son would one day play for the Reds at odds of 100-1 around 10 years ago.
A bronze statue of former France forward Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt on Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final has been unveiled in front of Paris's Pompidou Centre.
Season ticket holders at Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders in the United States will soon hold a vote on whether to retain general manager Adrian Hanauer in what the club say will be the first such vote in US professional sport.