New Gossip

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester City have made an official approach for Hamburg midfielder Nigel de Jong, the Bundesliga's director of sport Dietmar Beiersdorfer has confirmed. (Press Association, 1405 GMT)

Spanish media reports that Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has resigned over a vote-rigging scandal. (AP, 1250 GMT)

AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti says he hopes to coach Kaka "for many more years," but confirmed the club is evaluating a record offer from Manchester City. (AP, 1248 GMT)

Portsmouth have had a bid accepted for Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant. (Press Association, 1241 GMT)

Portsmouth agree a fee with Liverpool for winger Jermaine Pennant. (Sky Sports News, 1126 GMT)

West Ham striker Craig Bellamy turns down the offer of a new contract and insists he wants to leave the Upton Park club for Tottenham, but his request has been rejected. (Sky Sports News, 1150 GMT)

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho wants to sign Jermaine Jenas from Tottenham. (Sky Sport News, 1132 GMT)

Liverpool manager Benitez has rejected a new contract offer, insisting he will only agree to one if he is given more control over football matters rather than having to answer to chief executive Rick Parry. (liverpoolecho.co.uk, 1125 GMT)

Charlton striker Andy Gray has turned down a move to Stoke. (Press Association, 1122 GMT)

Leeds chairman Ken Bates has rejected two approaches from Barclays Premier League sides for midfield prospect Fabian Delph. (Press Associtation, 1110 GMT)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce says Tottenham have "virtually agreed" a deal to sign midfielder Wilson Palacios. (Press Association, 1040 GMT)

There is no chance of Rangers striker Kris Boyd joining Lazio, according to the Italian club's chairman Claudio Lotito. (Press Association, 0815 GMT)

West Ham reject new bids from Tottenham and Manchester City for striker Craig Bellamy. (Sky Sports News, 0800 GMT)

KAKA LATEST

Reports in Italy suggest the price Manchester City will have to pay for Kaka has now risen from £100m to £130m. (Daily Telegraph)

Other reports claim City will make a more conservative, yet still increased, bid of £108m for the Brazilian. (Sun)

Mark Hughes is so confident of signing Kaka that he has already drawn up a new 4-1-4-1 system to accommodate the former world footballer of the year in his proposed debut against Newcastle on 28 January. (Guardian)

Kaka is set to tell Manchester City he will sign for them but not until the summer, although AC Milan are considering a £75m offer plus £32m in other fees for the deal to go through in January. (Daily Star)

Kaka would join City for £108m, the agents involved would earn £18m and the player's father £9m. (Guardian)

Manchester City forward Robinho claims the club has been planning their shock move for Kaka since last summer. (Daily Star)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Portsmouth are weighing up a shock £4m move for Celtic striker Scott McDonald. (Various)

Real Madrid have made a fresh move to sign Liverpool winger Jermain Pennant on a six-month loan until May, when he will make way for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (Daily Mirror)

But Portsmouth are confident of taking Pennant to Fratton Park and hope to open negotiations over the weekend. (Various)

Manchester City are close to signing Hamburg's Nigel de Jong with the Dutch holding midfielder valued at £15m. (Daily Mail)

But City manager Mark Hughes has warned Blackburn and West Ham they risk losing millions if they keep playing hardball over striker Roque Santa Cruz, and striker Craig Bellamy and midfielder Scott Parker respectively. (Daily Mirror)

Spanish club Espanyol say they have a deal in place for their goalkeeper Carlos Kameni to join City. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to offer striker Nicklas Bendtner in a part exchange deal for West Ham's former Gunners defender Matthew Upson. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is set to launch a £14m bid for Tottenham striker Darren Bent. (Daily Mirror)

Bent could be on his way to Sunderland, however, with Spurs stepping up their attempts to sign Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones by offering the England international in exchange. (Times)

Tottenham have made an improved cash bid for Jones after having a £13m bid turned down. (Sun)

Spurs have won the race to sign Wigan's £14m-rated midfielder Wilson Palacios. (Sun)

Spurs hope to conclude a £13m straight cash deal for Palacios, although midfielder Jermaine Jenas could be offered in a part exchange deal. (Guardian)

Wigan will use a sizeable chunk of the money generated from the anticipated sale of Palacios to recruit the Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt from Reading. (Guardian)

But Hunt has been told he can leave Reading for Tottenham if Spurs are willing to pay £5m. (Various)

Ivory Coast full-back Arthur Boka claims he had an offer from Spurs but will resist the lure of the Premier League to sign a new one-year deal with Stuttgart. (Daily Telegraph)

West Ham striker Craig Bellamy will leave for Manchester City if the London club is offered "a substantial amount", an Upton Park executive says. (Guardian)

A player staying at West Ham is Luis Boa Morte after the winger failed to agree terms with Hull. (Various)

Steve Finnan's £1m move to Hull has fallen through after a medical revealed a deep-seated problem with the full-back's left thigh. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea are plotting to lure Carlos Tevez away from title rivals Manchester United in the summer - they see the Argentine forward and Sevellia striker Luis Fabiano as the men to revamp their strikeforce. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth are also close to agreeing a loan deal for Real Madrid forward Javier Saviola. (The Sun)

Bolton are considering an approach for Benfica striker Ariza Makukula after he rejected a loan move to West Brom. (Daily Mail)

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is targeting Nuremberg striker Angelos Charisteas, who scored the winning goal for Greece at Euro 2004. (Daily Mirror)

Blackburn and Hull are showing an interest in signing Oldham's £1m-rated winger Chris Taylor, while Rovers face competition from Celtic for Salzburg's 6ft 5ins striker Marco Janko. (Daily Mail)

Lazio are lining up a £3.6m deal for Rangers striker Kris Boyd. (Daily Mirror)

Doncaster have made a move to sign Hibernian star Dean Shiels on a pre-contract. (Various)

Aberdeen striker Darren Mackie is a target for English sides Coventry City and Blackpool. (The Scottish Sun)

Dundee chief Stephen Thompson has told Celticthey will be wasting their time if they try to sign Lukasz Zaluska before the end of January. (Daily Record)

Hearts have made have made several agents aware that they are prepared to offload winger Andrew Driver. (Daily Record)

OTHER FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Chelsea will examine Joe Cole's knee on Friday morning amid fears he faces a lenthy lay-off - the winger tweaked ligaments against Southend on Wednesday night. (Various)

Frank Lampard has warned Chelsea boss Luiz Filipe Scolari not to alienate Didier Drogba because on his day the Ivorian is "the best striker in the world". (Guardian)

Chelsea midfielder Deco insists under-pressure Scolari must be given more time to turn his team into world beaters. (Daily Star)

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has pleaded with the Anfield board to make defender Daniel Agger an offer he can't refuse amid speculation the Dane will leave for AC Milan. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

West Ham prodigy Tyler Rix has turned his back on the club after being offered a £1m record deal to play saxophone. (Sun)

A Premier League footballer broke down in tears after blowing £1m at a casino in one night. (Daily Star)

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo's received a ticket for parking his Bentley GT Speed at a bus stop for two hours while he went for lunch with his family. (Daily Star)

Several media outlets were left red-faced after tipping Moldovan international Masal Bugduv as football's next big thing only for it to emerge that the player does not exist - a web of blog postings had created the player out of nothing. (Guardian)