Thursday’s news and rumour roundup.
Arsenal are looking at the free-transfer market in a bid to ease their defensive problems. Former Everton defender Joseph Yobo, 34, and ex-West Brom centre-back Diego Lugano, 33, are among the players they have discussed –(Daily Mail)
The Gunners are also plotting to re-sign their former midfielder Lassana Diarra, 29, who is a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Moscow – (Daily Express)
Chelsea and Liverpool are both keen to sign 18-year-old German midfielder Julian Brandt from Bayer Leverkusen – (Daily Mirror)
Juventus have cooled their interest in Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata, 26, and will instead compete with Arsenal and Liverpool to sign 27-year-old Barcelona playmaker Pedro – (Daily Express)
Ipswich are set to sign free agent Jack Collison, 25, after the midfielder was released by West Ham – (Sky Sports)
Tony Pulis, 56, is ready to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Cardiff City – if the 41-year-old Norwegian is sacked as manager – (Wales Online)
Barnsley are considering a loan deal for Fulham striker Marcello Trotta, 21 – (Daily Star)
Southampton striker Emmanuel Mayuka, 23, is poised to drop down a division to join Wolves on loan – (Talksport)
Former Tottenham coach Tim Sherwood, 45, is a contender to become Lokomotiv Moscow manager – (Sky Sports)
Goalkeeper Joe Hart, 27, says Manchester City must bounce back from their defeat against Bayern Munich by beating Chelsea on Sunday – (Daily Telegraph)
Midfielder Mikel Arteta, 32, has told his Arsenal team-mates they can forget about winning the Champions League if they play like they did against Borussia Dortmund again – (Independent)
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says left-back Danny Rose, 24, has been left out of his squad to play Partizan Belgrade for football reasons, and not because he was subjected to racial abuse in Serbia, while playing for England Under-21s two years ago – (Sky Sports)
Sturm Graz coach Darko Milanic, 46, is the front-runner for the vacant manager’s job at Leeds United – (Daily Mirror)
One of Cardiff, Glasgow and Dublin is likely to find out it has been unsuccessful in its bid to host Euro 2020 games when the venues are announced on Friday – (Daily Mail)
West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald, 48, has turned down the chance to become Carlisle manager for a second time – (Cumberland News & Star)
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes Mario Balotelli needs time to adapt at Anfield, but says the 24-year-old striker showed on the club’s Champions League return that he is willing to meet the demands required – (Guardian)
Rodgers says Balotelli has been taking lessons in the history of the club’s great strikers including Luis Suarez, 27, who was sold to Barcelona in the summer – (Liverpool Echo)
Wilfried Bony claims to be fully focused on Swansea City at the end of a summer in which his future was called into question – (Sky Sports)
Schalke youngster Julian Draxler has reportedly revealed he was keen to join Arsenal in the January transfer window – (Metro)
Michael Ballack believes countryman Mesut Ozil should have stayed at Real Madrid – (Daily Star)
Daniel Sturridge could return for Liverpool for the Merseyside derby after starting light training at Melwood – (Daily Mirror)
Leicester, Norwich and Brighton are all thought to be monitoring David Accam, with Helsingborg bracing themselves for offers for the forward in the New Year – (Sky Sports)
Jack Wilshere is reportedly confident that the ankle injury he picked up during Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund is not serious – (Metro)
Rio Ferdinand has revealed how he struggled to get on with players from Manchester United’s big rivals – (Daily Star)
Paul Lambert has signed a new contract with Aston Villa to keep him at the club until the summer of 2018 – (Inside Futbol)