Friday’s news and transfer rumour roundup.
Manchester City are keen to sign Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld, who is currently on a season-long loan at Southampton from Atletico Madrid, but Saints have a £6.8m option on the 25-year-old – (Daily Mail)
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is preparing to spend in excess of £150m on five new players – a right-back, centre-back, midfielder, winger and striker – in the summer – (Daily Express)
Liverpool are preparing a bid for Borussia Dortmund’s 24-year-old striker Ciro Immobile in the summer and reports suggest the German side will let him go – (Daily Star)
Chelsea stars Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois agreed deals to join Tottenham before signing at Stamford Bridge, according to former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp – (talkSPORT)
Barcelona have emerged as favourites to sign Arsenal target Lars Bender, 25, from Bayer Leverkusen – (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will be offered a new one-year contract at Old Trafford after becoming a key player for manager Louis van Gaal – (Daily Mail)
The Red Devils are also celebrating after beating Arsenal and Manchester City in the race to sign Belgian rising star Indy Boonen, 16 – (Nieuwsblad – in Dutch)
Everton are preparing a summer move for Real Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, 22, who is currently on loan at Porto – (Daily Mirror)
West Brom boss Tony Pulis is not looking for any ‘free agent’ signings to cover for strike duo Saido Berahino, 21, and Brown Ideye, 26 – (Birmingham Mail)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, 52, is expected to sign a new four-year contract at Stamford Bridge in the summer despite having two years left on his current deal – (Guardian)
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes says Lionel Messi is so good that when the Red Devils played Barcelona he hoped the Argentine would take up positions as far away from him as possible – (Independent)
Former Arsenal captain Thierry Henry, 37, who is being touted as a potential long-term successor to manager Arsene Wenger, has joined the club’s backroom staff in role focused on youth development – (Daily Mail)
Newcastle United have offered striker Siem de Jong, 26, a coaching role during his rehabilitation from lung operation – (Daily Mirror)
Chelsea supporters have the worst record in the Premier League for arrests for racist or indecent chanting, according to official Home Office statistics – (Metro)
Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, 20, claims cleaning Rickie Lambert’s boots when the pair were at Southampton helped turn him into an England player – (Daily Star)
Romeo Beckham has joined brother Brooklyn at Arsenal after playing for their academy side against Liverpool. Dad David travelled to the North West to see his middle son make his Gunners debut – (Liverpool Echo)
Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic has quashed speculation linking him with a summer move to Liverpool after insisting he is solely focusing his efforts on doing well at the Italian side – (Metro)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has admitted it is his “dream” to manage the club – (Daily Mirror)
Santi Cazorla has NOT agreed to join Atletico Madrid this summer – (Daily Star)
New Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has backed himself to rescue the club from the drop by saying the only way is up for the Midlands giants – (Daily Express)
Chris Herd is out for the rest of the season and will return to parent club Aston Villa for surgery on a medial ligament injury – (Sky Sports)
Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar has reportedly no plans to sign a new deal at the club – news that could put Manchester United and Southampton on red alert ahead of this summer – (Metro)
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward signed until the end of the season with the Hammers on a free transfer but this move is subject to international clearance, which is still pending – (Daily Star)
Manchester United have signed Belgian teenage star Indy Boonen on a three-year deal, according to reports in his homeland – (Sky Sports)