Football rumours from today's newspapers
More to follow ......

• Barcelona are ready to offer Wayne Rooney an escape route from Manchester United as he struggles to cope with the scrutiny he is under following allegations about his private life.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is prepared to offer Tottenham £13m and midfielder Lassana Diarra in exchange for left-back Gareth Bale.
  (The People)


• Arsenal are to revive their summer interest in Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina as manager Arsene Wenger loses patience with current number one Manuel Almunia.
  (News of the World)


• Alternatively Wenger is keen to sign Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon in January for £7m in the wake of Almunia's poor performance in their defeat by West Brom.
  (caughtoffside)


• Chelsea are ready to do battle with Italian side Juventus in their pursuit of £32m-rated attacker Neymar. An added attraction for Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is that the 18-year-old Santos star would be eligible to play in the Champions League.
  (The People)


• Tottenham are monitoring Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano, who caught manager Harry Redknapp's eye over the summer, amid claims the Brazil international has fallen out with club coach Antonio Alvarez.
  (The People)


• Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he has had background checks done on Udinese forward Alexis Sanchez, but he is not planning to move for the Chile international just yet.
  (News of the World)


• Striker Emmanuel Adebayor could call time on his Manchester City career with both Inter Milan and AC Milan keen to take him to Italy in January.
  (The People)


• Manager Gerard Houllier has identified Panathinaikos striker Djibril Cisse and Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago as his first targets at Aston Villa.
  (The People)


• Sunderland are readying a move for Libertad's Paraguay international midfielder Victor Caceres who is available on a free transfer. Preston midfielder Adam Barton is also in boss Steve Bruce's sights.
  (The People)

• Royal Bank of Scotland says it has not ruled out the possibility of Kop Holdings, the company which owns Liverpool, going into administration.
  (Sunday Telegraph)


• New York-based investment banking firm Inner Circle Sports, which helped George Gillett and Tom Hicks to purchase Liverpool in 2007, has been in contact with the club to offer their help in finding new owner.
  (News of the World)


• Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is set to claim the England captaincy from Rio Ferdinand on a permanent basis.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• In what could be seen as a sign of support, Gerrard applauded Liverpool fans who stayed behind after the 2-2 draw with Sunderland to protest against Gillett and Hicks.
  (News of the World)


• Cardiff boss David Jones has added his voice to the criticism of Roberto Mancini's training regime at Manchester City by blaming Craig Bellamy's latest injury problems on the Italian.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Spurs defender Jonathan Woodgate is facing a fight to save his career after Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp revealed his latest treatment in Australia for a long-term groin problem has been a failure.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Several West Ham players are considering taking legal action against the club over money they believe they are owed for their image rights.
  (Sunday Times)

• New Aston Villa manager ­Gerard Houllier had asked the France Football Federation to keep his role as technical director open for him for a year in case he lost his Villa job. But his request was refused.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Players at Championship leaders QPR are in line for £3.2m in bonuses if they convert their good start to the season into promotion to the Premier League.
  (News of the World)


• Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has banned his players from organising a Christmas party as he fears the possibility of more bad publicity for the club.
  (News of the World)


• Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland has shrugged off criticism of his car and choice of interior decoration after he and his girlfriend's house was described as "the tackiest home in Britain". "Me and Jess built this house and we are totally happy with it," he said.
  (Sunday Times)