Thursday’s news and transfer rumour gossip.
Liverpool are in pole position to sign Germany midfielder Marco Reus, 25, after talks over a new contract at Borussia Dortmund collapsed – (Metro)
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is planning on signing Southampton’s 25-year-old £20m-rated England attacker Jay Rodriguez – (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal are keen to sign 30-year-old Juventus full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner – (Talksport)
Arsenal are also looking to sign Spartak Moscow midfielder Romulo, 24, this January, with manager Arsene Wenger preparing to offer the Russian club £9.5m plus striker Yaya Sanogo on loan – (Daily Express
Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are interested in 25-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender Omer Toprak – (Daily Star)
Some of Rio Ferdinand’s Queens Park Rangers team-mates will welcome his three-match FA ban over an offensive Twitter post as they are understood to believe the Hoops’ side is stronger without the former England captain – (Daily Mirror)
Daniel Sturridge has defended “misunderstood” fellow Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli – (Talksport)
England striker Sturridge, 25, fears his recent muscle injury problems could be a hereditary condition – (Daily Telegraph)
Goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel now regards Manchester City as a “bigger club” than their city rivals Manchester United based on recent form – (Manchester Evening News)
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says the club’s superstitious Russian owner Maxim Demin rarely attends the club’s matches because he feels he is a jinx – (Bournemouth Echo)
£86m signing Gareth Bale, 25, is set to return for Real Madrid against Liverpool in the Champions League next week after recovering from a muscle injury – (Daily Express)
Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside plays down talk of an imminent takeover after a Thai consortium claimed to be in discussions over a £40m deal – (Guardian)
Spain’s national team doctor Juan Jose Garcia Cota claims Chelsea striker Diego Costa, 26, had no problems with his hamstring while on international duty – (London Evening Standard)
Old Trafford legend Bryan Robson says Manchester United have badly missed the steadying influence of Michael Carrick, 33, this season – (Daily Express)
West Brom’s Argentina midfielder Sebastian Blanco, 26, admits he had doubts about moving to the Premier League but now feels he made the right decision – (Birmingham Mail)
Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has backed Sunderland’s Vito Mannone, 26, to bounce back from his latest goalkeeping howler –(Northern Echo)
Everton midfielder Darron Gibson, 30, could miss the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland at Celtic Park on 14 November after jarring his knee in training – (Irish Independent)
Atletico Madrid’s Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, 28, says one of the reasons for his departure from Bayern Munich was his lack of respect for manager Pep Guardiola – (As.com – in Spanish)
Barcelona’s new signing Luis Suarez, 27, says he was close to joining Juventus in the summer of 2012 but Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers convinced him to stay at Anfield – (Tuttosport – in Italian)
Manchester United are closely monitoring Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes, 26, and midfielder Julian Draxler, 21 – (Bild – in German)
Manuel Pellegrini admitted his side are suffering from a crisis of confidence ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby – (Daily Mirror)
Alexis Sanchez is unhappy with life at Arsenal and has apparently fallen out with teammate Mesut Ozil – (Daily Star)
Liverpool want to finally sign Mexico World Cup hero Guillermo Ochoa in January and install him as their number one goalkeeper – (Metro)
Mark Clattenburg was greeted with ironic applause from fans at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night as he refereed his first match since being hit with a ban for attending an Ed Sheeran concert – (Daily Express)
Radamel Falcao’s permanent move to Old Trafford has been agreed and that a £44million move has been agreed and shaken on – (Daily Mirror)