Friday's gossip column

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are set to bid £32m to meet the release clause for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa. The Brazil-born forward, 25, is also wanted by Chelsea and has scored 19 goals in La Liga this season.
Diego Costa
Brazilian Costa signed a new five-year contract with Spanish club Atletico in August
Napoli could move for Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata after manager Jose Mourinho made it clear that the Spaniard could leave Stamford Bridge. Juventus, Inter Milan, Paris St-Germain, Manchester United and Liverpool also want the 25-year-old but Chelsea will not let him join another Premier League team.
Blackpool winger Tom Ince, 21, tops Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's wish list to strengthen Cardiff's squad in January. Ince, son of Blackpool boss Paul, is rated at £8m.
Chelsea will demand £25m from Wolfsburg for Kevin de Bruyne. The Bundesliga side want to sign the Belgium winger, 22, this month, while Atletico Madrid want to sign him on loan.
Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium winger De Bruyne has started only two Premier League games this season for Chelsea
West Ham and Stoke are to battle it out to sign Manchester City's 21-year-old Swedish striker John Guidetti on loan.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini will only consider sizeable bids for Joleon Lescott, 31, this month. The England defender's contract expires in the summer and he is wanted by Besiktas, Tottenham, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Monaco.
However, City will allow Lescott to join either Tottenham or Newcastle on loan.
Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher, 26, is interesting Celtic and Hull City and is rated at £4m.
Newcastle have made a £4m move for Montpellier's French winger Remy Cabella, 23.
Swansea will attempt to take Liverpool's England winger Raheem Sterling, 19, on loan if the Reds are able to sign Egypt winger Mohamed Salah, 21, from Basel.
Chelsea are interested in Basel's Switzerland defender Fabian Schar. The 22-year-old has also been tracked by Arsenal and Manchester United.
Manchester United manager David Moyes will allow Dutch left-back Alexander Buttner, 24, to join Turkish champions Galatasaray and midfielder Nick Powell, 19, is set to stay on loan at Wigan despite interest from Swansea and Hull.
Stoke could sell Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios to Real Betis for £500,000, having signed the 29-year-old for £6m in 2011.
Southampton's 18-year-old full-back Luke Shaw, who is a transfer target for Chelsea and Manchester United, has indicated he wants to stay where he is rather than chase a big-money move in January.
Nottingham Forest are preparing another offer for 26-year-old West Bromwich Albion midfielder Graham Dorrans - having failed to sign the midfielder before the Football League loan deadline at the end of November.
Derby County are set to sign Tottenham's 26-year-old midfielder Simon Dawkins in a deal worth up to £500,000.

OTHER GOSSIP

Southampton have complained to the Premier League over comments made by referee Mark Clattenburg towards their captain Adam Lallana during Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Everton.
Swindon Town are set to terminate the contract of former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger after the 22-year-old missed training.

AND FINALLY

Two Stockport County supporters have been sent an anonymous letter saying they "stink" so badly that they are ruining games for other fans.
Fenerbahce's former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles appeared to be in agony as the Portugal international, 30, tweeted a photo of himself having a large tattoo on his right leg.
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