Thursday's gossip column

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Turkish club Besiktas are trying to prise defender Joleon Lescott away from Manchester City but manager Manuel Pellegrini does not want him to leave.
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is wanted by Manchester United
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is wanted by Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has left the door open for Juan Mata to quit Chelsea this month, despite insisting he doesn't want the Spaniard to leave.
Manchester United are considering a club record bid to sign Juventus' Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal, 26.
Arsenal are preparing a January bid for Manchester United's Mexico striker Javier Hernandez, 25.
Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis is lining up a £2.5m bid for Blackburn defender Scott Dann, 26.
Manchester United boss David Moyes is closing in on Dinamo Zagreb's £6m-rated striker Robert Muric, 17, for a bargain £300,000

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City are planning to squeeze in a friendly against Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates on 14 January, to open the club's new stadium.
Sacked Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay watched his former club Celtic kick off the new year on Wednesday with a 1-0 Scottish Premiership win over Glasgow neighbours Partick Thistle.

AND FINALLY

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo will take on Paris St-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a battle-of-the-superstars friendly in Doha on Thursday.
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