Transfer Rumour Gossip: Man United Target Top Pair, Arsenal Set for Stunning £34m Attacker Bid, Blues Boss Will Not Sell Juan Mata

A round-up of Friday’s biggest transfer stories.

Mega-rich Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco are lining up a stunning £34m bid for Arsenal wide man Theo Walcott in January.

Full story: The Daily Mail

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe is concerned that the north London club are trying to force him out of White Hart Lane in the new year by not offering the England international a contract extension.

Full story: The Daily Mail

Manchester City want to replace out-of-form goalkeeper Joe Hart with highly rated Celtic No 1 Fraser Forster in January.

Full story: The Metro

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has no plans whatsoever to allow Juan Mata to join Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain for £30 million in the new year.

Full story: The Daily Express

Manchester United have now decided to end their long-running interest in coveted Borussia Dortmund front man Robert Lewandowski.

Full story: The Daily Star

Cardiff City are hoping to be able to persuade Manchester United to loan them out-of-favour wide man Wilfried Zaha at the turn of the year.

Full story: The Daily Mail

Unsettled Chelsea midfield player Kevin De Bruyne plans on waiting until the January transfer window reopens before deciding whether to quit the west London club on loan in order to preserve his World Cup dream.

Full story: The Daily Express

Manchester United plan to go head to head with Serie A giants AC Milan in the new year for the signature of St Etienne left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.

Full story: The Daily Express

Recent new Liverpool signing Iago Aspas is understood to already be considering his future at Anfield after finding it hard to break into the Reds first team, and may return on loan to La Liga next year, with Valencia said to be interested in the forward.

Full story: The Daily Star

Out-of-favour Sunderland striker Connor Wickham is on the verge of returning to Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday on a six-month loan deal in January after failing to impress in his short career to date at the Stadium of Light.

Full story: The Daily Mirror

New Sunderland front man Emanuele Giaccherini is believed to be interesting Serie A giants Inter Milan, although recently appointed Blacks Cats boss Gus Poyet says that he wants to keep the Italy international at the Stadium of Light.

Full story: The Daily Mirror

Stand-in Manchester United captain Patrice Evra has called on his team-mates to win their next ten league matches in a row if the Red Devils want to get back into the Premier League title race.

Full story: The Daily Mirror

Arsenal midfield player Mikel Arteta says that he admires controversial Liverpool attacker Luis Suarez ahead of the two teams’ top-of-the-table clash in the Premier League at the Emirates on Saturday.

Full story: The Daily Mirror

West Ham United head coach Sam Allardyce has prioritised a place in this season’s Capital One Cup final at Wembley in March ahead of winning points in the Premier League, with the Hammers facing a last-eight clash against London rivals Spurs.

Full story: The Daily Mirror

Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has admitted that the south-east London club may not appoint a successor to the recently departed Ian Holloway in the Selhurst Park dugout until after next month’s international break.

Full story: The Daily Mirror

Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen now plans on staying at the Emirates in January after having been given reassurances from national manager Marc Wilmots that the defender will retain his place in the Belgium squad for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil, even if the 27-year-old continues to remain on the subs’ bench at the Emirates.

Full story: The Daily Mail

Manchester United are planning on using unwanted midfielder Anderson as a makeweight in a possible deal to bring highly rated Porto centre-back Eliaquim Mangala to Old Trafford at the turn of the year.

Full story: The Daily Star

Chelsea are hoping to be able to sign in-demand Paris Saint-Germain midfield player Blaise Matuidi as soon as the winter transfer window opens again for business in January.

Full story: The Daily Express

Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace are set to open talks with Wales manager Chris Coleman shortly about taking over from Ian Holloway as the next Eagles boss.

Full story: The London Evening Standard

Aston Villa coach Paul Lambert has revealed that he is in absolutely no hurry whatsoever to start negotiations about extending his contract at Villa Park.

Full story: The Birmingham Mail

Arsenal playmaker Mikel Arteta says that the north Londoners made a mistake not trying harder to sign in-form Liverpool forward Luis Suarez during the summer.

Full story: Independent

Manchester United front man Robin van Persie is concerned that if he is not given more rest over the coming weeks, then his injured toe and groin may become even worse.

Full story: The Times

David Beckham’s eldest son Brooklyn, 14, is set to undergo a trial at his former club Manchester United.

Full story: The Metro

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Luis Suarez’s off-pitch problems would not have prevented the Gunners from signing the Uruguay international last summer.

Full story: The Daily Mail

Manchester United goalkeeping coach Chris Woods believes that current Red Devils No 1 David de Gea has all the attributes to become the best goalkeeper in the world.

Full story: The Daily Mail