Tuesday's gossip column
Last updated on .From the section Football
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool are lining up summer spending spree with moves for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez, 23, Barcelona's Mali midfielder Seydou Keita, 32, and Lille's 21-year-old Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard.
Liverpool will watch FC Basel midfielder Granit Xhaka in action for Switzerland this week, after director of football Damien Comolli received glowing reports on the 19-year-old starlet.
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny is confident that striker Robin van Persie will remain at Emirates Stadium beyond this season. The 28-year-old Dutchman has a year left on his contract and has said he will not discuss fresh terms until the summer.
Full story: London Evening Standard
But Arsenal's Moroccan forward Marouane Chamakh could be offered an escape route out by Italian side Fiorentina.
Harry Redknapp wants to manage Arsenal midfielder Theo Walcott, 22, again - either with England or Spurs. The pair worked together when they were with Southampton.
Birmingham want Manchester United defender Ritchie de Laet on loan to strengthen their promotion bid.
The agent of Manchester United's French teenager Paul Pogba says discussions over his future are "precarious".
Newcastle are leading the chase to sign Dijon's 24-year-old midfielder Benjamin Corgnet.
OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City midfielder James Milner, 26, insists that he could handle the job of being England captain.
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, 34, says that lifting the Carling Cup can be the catalyst for the Reds to enjoy major success on a regular basis again.
Meanwhile, Cardiff's Anthony Gerrard turned to Twitter to apologise to fans at missing the crucial penalty in the Carling Cup final shoot-out against Liverpool.
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, 24, has hit out at critics who claim he is enduring a difficult season in the Premier League.
Former Blackburn captain Chris Samba has dismissed suggestions that he only moved to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala for financial reasons.
Chelsea boss Andre-Villas Boas has admitted for the first time he fears the Chelsea axe.
Bolton captain Kevin Davies claims the mood around the club is still positive despite the club's deepening relegation worries and says he hopes to feature in Saturday's game against Manchester City after a knee injury.
Queens Park Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes is planning to listen to the concerns of irate fans on a pub crawl before Saturday's game with Everton.
Fulham's January signing Pavel Pogrebnyak has admitted that he is finding the pace of the Premier League exhausting, although the Russian has scored in each of his first two games.
Paul Scholes says Manchester United may have to win all of their remaining 12 league games if they are to win the title.
AND FINALLY
Premier League referees get 92% of decisions correct according to Prozone computer technology.
