Wednesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours (BBC)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has cast doubt over the future of Dimitar Berbatov by appearing to suggest the Bulgarian could leave for Paris Saint-Germain. The French club are reportedly willing to pay between £18-£20m for him.
Full story: The Guardian
Leicester are ready to table a £7m bid for Reading striker Shane Long as manager Sven-Goran Eriksson bids to beat off competition from Premier League clubs for the prolific forward.
Full story: Daily Mail
Barcelona are set to make a final push for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas by tabling a £35m offer for the Spain midfielder.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Manchester City are trying to sign Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon by offering striker Emmanuel Adebayor in a swap deal.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Tottenham have stolen a march on their main rivals, rumoured to include Arsenal and Manchester United, in the race to sign Joey Barton on a free transfer by instigating the first talks with the Newcastle United midfielder.
Full story: Metro
But Celtic are also keen to sign Barton, who has been placed on the transfer list and told he can leave St James' Park for free.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Newcastle have conceded defeat in their attempts to keep left-back Jose Enrique at the club, paving the way for a £5m move to Liverpool to be completed this week.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Sunderland have agreed to sell midfielder Steed Malbranque to French club St Etienne, freeing up funds for them to potentially force through a loan deal for Manchester City winger Adam Johnson.
Full story: Daily Mail
Fulham are considering whether to raise their offer for Cameron Jerome, after seeing a £2m bid for the striker turned down by Birmingham City.
Full story: the Guardian
New West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has made a move for Liverpool's French striker David Ngog.
Full story: the Sun
Arsenal are to send chief scout Steve Rowley to watch Scott Dann this weekend as they ponder a £10m bid for the Birmingham defender, with boss Arsene Wenger growing frustrated at Everton's asking price for Phil Jagielka.
Full story: Daily Mail
Tottenham have bid for Blackburn's Christopher Samba in a £10m cash-plus-player deal. Spurs are willing to offload Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, David Bentley or Sebastien Bassong.
Full story: The Sun
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is ready to persuade the club's owner Roman Abramovich to try to land AC Milan's Brazilian forward Pato in a £30m player-plus-cash deal.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder has touched down in China for the Italian Super Cup game against AC Milan with a formal offer from Manchester United having been made. The Netherlands international will be given a week to consider whether to take a significant pay cut to move to Old Trafford.
Full story: Daily Mirror
The father of Valencia winger Juan Mata, who also acts as his agent, has said that the Spanish club have rejected an offer from Arsenal for his son.
Full story: the Times (requires subscription)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned centre-backs Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic that new signing Phil Jones will be challenging for their first-team places this season.
Full story: talkSPORT

AND FINALLY

Mario Balotelli's Manchester City team-mates gave the prank-loving striker a distinctly fishy taste of his own medicine by planting a bag filled with kippers behind the front seat of his Maserati. He discovered it a fortnight later.
Full story: Metro
Arsenal may face the embarrassment of taking two team photographs on Thursday - one with and one without Cesc Fabregas. The club are believed to be weighing up the idea ahead of their official photoshoot. It would mean one picture including Fabregas, who is believed to want to move to Barcelona, and one without their current captain - leaving vice-captain Robin van Persie to wear the armband.
Full story: Daily Star