Wednesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours
Last updated on .From the section Football
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For transfer news and gossip throughout the day, read our breaking news service Sportsday Live.
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United have joined the race for Arsenal's Theo Walcott, 23, in a move similar to Robin van Persie's switch to Old Trafford in August.
Liverpool are set to buy Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge, 23, and 20-year-old Blackpool forward Thomas Ince - as well as allowing Joe Cole, 31, to leave - in the January transfer window.
Chelsea will step up their pursuit of Corinthians midfielder Paulinho, 24, after Oriol Romeu was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Full story: The Times (subscription only)
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is ready to replace Demba Ba with Dynamo Kiev striker Artem Milevskiy, 27.
West Bromwich Albion striker Shane Long, 25, says he is not looking to leave The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.
Manchester City are monitoring developments with Paris Saint-Germain defender Mamadou Sakho, 23, as they consider allowing Joleon Lescott to leave in January.
City are also weighing up a £5m move for Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, 22, as manager Roberto Mancini looks to add competition for number one Joe Hart.
Reading are lining up a January swoop to bring former Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, 31, back to the Premier League.
Sunderland are facing competition from Italian club Palermo to sign Manchester City striker John Guidetti, 20.
Wolves manager Stale Solbakken insists it is "out of the question" that midfielder Bakary Sako, 24, will leave the club in January.
OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has three games to save his job.
Wally Downes has left his position as first-team coach at West Ham by mutual consent. The 51-year-old was appointed to the role after Sam Allardyce replaced Avram Grant as manager in 2011.
MK Dons manager Karl Robinson, 32, has been left "shaken" after being attacked by Brentford supporters.
Liverpool have apologised to Fulham over the tapping-up of Clint Dempsey in the summer.
Robin van Persie says his impressive start at Manchester United is down to the likes of younger strikers Javier Hernandez, 24, and Danny Welbeck, 22, keeping him fresh.
Burnley defender Jack Errington, 17, has undergone heart surgery as a result of a scan introduced following Fabrice Muamba's on-pitch cardiac arrest in March this year.
Striker Michael Owen, who has only managed 51 minutes since joining Stoke on a free transfer in the summer, says he is eager to make up for lost time and is in contention to face Everton on Saturday after the 32-year-old played in a friendly against Preston.
FA chairman David Bernstein says he is keen see David Beckham take up a role with the FA in the future. The former England midfielder, 37, ended his six-year spell with LA Galaxy by winning the MLS Cup at the beginning of December.
AND FINALLY
West Ham have become the first Premier League club to be featured in hit US television series The Simpsons.
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Adebayor ran the length of the pitch and slid to his knees in front of the Arsenal fans, thats why he got a fine. It was the same when Neville did it against Liverpool, he deliberately ran towards them from the other side of the pitch.
Rio celebrated right in front of the United fans, at the end we scored at.
KÃllìnghölmê_Clᥠ(aka Charlie Cheesecake)
Listen fella i was at the match he celebrated with the united fans. heres the thing your blaming rio for having to pass the city fans, we were all stuck in one corner as usual, get over the city fans let themselfs down. scott the season ticket holder for 3 years ran onto the pitch, lol 3 years and we get called glory hunters!!!
The problem with these folk that are slating Rio is, its because its Rio and United. They arent interested in the facts, just the drama. Do they think the City players and fans would have clapped gracfully and calmly if they had scored the winner?!
Its too much to ask of some people to actually look at it without hating United for a split second...
I was at the game too. Rio was in front of us celebrating with everyone else, but of course he will have looked over at the City fans, how can you not, they're right there next to us!!!!!
Running the length of the pitch is obviously different, its deliberate. City fans sat next to us whilst our players celebrated was just a hilarious cherry on top of the cake.
(I make no apologies for my spelling)
He hasnt been doing anything special for a very long time.
Kepping in line with their signing policy will they pay £30 million for him and £100,000 + a week to warm the bench like some of the recent high priced, low impact signings?