Gossip column: Rooney, Van Gaal, Mourinho, Matuidi, Higuain
Last updated on .From the section Football
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Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Wayne Rooney is the next big-money target for China's Super League. The 30-year-old Manchester United striker could be offered £500,000 a week to move to the Far East. (Expressen via Daily Mirror)
Louis van Gaal, 64, believes he will still be Manchester United boss next season if he returns them to the Champions League. (Sun)
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, 53, believes he will only get the United job if they finish outside of the Premier League top four. (Manchester Evening News)
Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, 26, and midfielder Luka Modric, 30, will be among Mourinho's targets if he replaces Van Gaal. (Sport - in Spanish)
Manchester United investors did not question Ed Woodward on Van Gaal's position - or his team's performances - during a conference call with the club's executive vice-chairman. (Guardian)
Bookmakers have installed Barcelona forward Neymar, 24, as the favourite to be Mourinho's first signing at Old Trafford. (Metro)
Former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins believes Mourinho could try to sign Chelsea captain John Terry, 35, if the Portuguese manager takes over at Manchester United. (Talksport)
Van Gaal says he has been "very unlucky" with injuries which he believes has affected United league's position. (Independent)
Tottenham are in advanced talks to sign Marseille's Belgium international striker Michy Batshuayi, 22, who has scored 21 goals in 46 games for the French club. (L'Equipe, via Metro)
Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain rejected a £40m January move to Chelsea because the Blues would not guarantee that the 28-year-old would be their first-choice striker.(Daily Mail)
Chelsea are hopeful of signing 28-year-old Paris St-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi, who could cost £39m.(L'Equipe via Daily Star)
Blues midfielder Willian, 27, says his former club Shakhtar Donetsk harmed Alex Teixeira's chances of playing for Brazil by blocking the 26-year-old midfielder's move to Liverpool. (Squawka.com)
Liverpool have made Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 23, their first choice as they seek a new goalkeeper but have also expressed an interest in Mainz's Loris Karius, 22. (Bleacherreport.com)
Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue, 32, has been told he must prove his fitness to earn a contract at Sunderland. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Former Stevenage manager Teddy Sheringham, 49, wore a disguise to watch the club's first match after his sacking. (Times - subscription required)
Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby says the next step for protesting fans is to secure a cap on away-ticket prices in the Premier League. (Liverpool Echo)
Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew says winger Wilfried Zaha, 23, is worth a place in the England squad. (Croydon Advertiser)
Leeds are threatening legal action after an advert criticising owner Massimo Cellino was placed outside Elland Road by a fans' group. (Yorkshire Post)
Celtic manager Ronny Deila says he has felt like a criminal during Celtic's recent bad spell. (Daily Record)
Swansea City boss Francesco Guidolin wants his players to copy Italian players when it comes to defending set-pieces. (Wales Online)
Best of social media
Crystal Palace striker Fraizer Campbell recalled his days at the Manchester United academy with this Instagram picture and wrote: "Back where it all started #throwbackthursday #theatreofdreams."
Everton manager Roberto Martinez presented the club's goal of the month award for January to nine-year-old fan George Shaw, who has cerebral palsy, for his half-time effort during the match against Swansea.
Newcastle forward Siem de Jong was among the footballers at the Premier League Darts on Thursday and posted a video on Instagram. His fellow Dutchmen Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen were among the players in action.
Former Barcelona defender Carlos Puyol was pictured alongside Bojan Krkic as the forward signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract at Stoke. Puyol, his fellow Spaniard's agent, tweeted: "Thank you for your confidence, happy to follow this path together."
Burnley midfielder Joey Barton revealed a sporting ambition as he tweeted:"Looks some golf course this Pebble Beach. Love to have a go in this Pro-Am someday."
Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld took over the club's Instagram account and posted some #ThrowbackThursday pictures including photographs of him playing for his first club, Germinal Beerschot Youth, as an 11-year-old.
Everton's Bryan Oviedo posted a training-ground picture accompanied by an inspiring motto in both English and Spanish.
And finally
A five-year-old Blackburn fan who was broken-hearted by striker Jordan Rhodes' sale to Middlesbrough met his hero thanks to a Boro supporters' group. (Lancashire Telegraph)
A Leicester fan plans to buy a racehorse and name it Vardyavinaparty if he wins big with the bookmakers on Saturday. (Daily Express)
