Monday's Gossip column
- From the section Football
.jpg)
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Queens Park Rangers are preparing an improved £3.25m bid for 31-year-old West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie, who will be fined two weeks' wages by the Baggies after criticising the club on Twitter.
Chelsea made an audacious bid to re-sign Didier Drogba, 34, but the striker turned down their offer and is set to join Turkish side Galatasaray from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.
Norwich are preparing an improved £7m offer for Celtic striker Gary Hooper. The SPL side insist they want £8m for the 25-year-old but Norwich have offered £4.5m.
The Canaries and Fulham are both lining up £3m bids for QPR forward Jamie Mackie after the 27-year-old was told he could leave Loftus Road.
Manchester City are expected to announce they have sold striker Mario Balotelli, 22, for about £17m on Monday.
Arsenal are set to step up their chase for Barcelona's David Villa, 31, after manager Arsene Wenger admitted his side are short of fire power.
Chelsea are getting ready to make a surprise bid to sign Birmingham City's England Under-21 keeper Jack Butland as a long-term investment.
Everton manager David Moyes will redouble his efforts to bring in a new face before the transfer window closes in order to ease the burden on his squad.
OTHER GOSSIP
Paul Dickov is facing the sack just hours after masterminding Oldham's shock FA Cup fourth-round victory over Liverpool.
Huddersfield Town want to interview former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins this week as they step up their search for a new manager, following the sacking of Simon Grayson.
Former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Tony Coton has defended under-fire keeper David de Gea, describing criticism of the Spaniard as "over the top".
AND FINALLY
A ball-boy was taken off duty at Stoke for hurling a snowball at the driver of the Manchester City team bus.
Arsenal's FA Cup win over Brighton was overshadowed by a fight among Gunners supporters after a fan unfurled a banner calling for Wenger to leave the club.