Football rumours from today's newspapers

• Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been identified as Real Madrid's number one transfer target this summer.
  (Daily Telegraph)


• Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly met with Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Miami, to discuss a potential move to Stamford Bridge.
  (IMScouting)


• Real Madrid look set to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Benfica winger Angel Di Maria.
  (IMScouting)


• Arsenal and Tottenham are locked in a head-to-head battle for the signature of £9m-rated Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
  (footylatest)


• Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James could be in line for a move to Fulham as Arsenal step up their interest in the Cottagers' Mark Schwarzer.
  (Daily Mail )


• Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland could also be on the move, to Sunderland, as a replacement for Craig Gordon who has failed to convince manager Steve Bruce he is up to the job.
  (Daily Mail )


• Arsenal have become the latest team to be linked with Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole, but the player will not decide on his future until after the World Cup.
  (The Mirror)


• James Milner has refused to commit his future to Aston Villa and could be in line for a £30m move to Manchester City.
  (Daily Express)


• Hamburg's German defender Jerome Boateng has confirmed that he will sign for Manchester City after the World Cup.
  (Daily Star)


• Manchester City will play a waiting game for Wolfsburg's Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, but have no intention of breaking his £34m buy-out clause.
  (Daily Express)


• Another Manchester City target - Inter Milan full-back Maicon - says he has no intention of moving to Eastlands, but instead would like to link up with former Inter boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.
  (IMScouting)


• Birmingham are preparing a £4.5m offer for Newcastle's 21-year-old striker Andy Carroll.
  (Daily Mail )


• Fulham have agreed a £2m deal with Lyon for French striker Frederic Piquionne, who was at loan at Portsmouth last season.
  (The Mirror)


• Portsmouth have turned down a "derisory" £300,000 offer from Rangers for striker Tommy Smith.
  (Daily Express)

• "Sacked" (Daily Mirror), "Rafa Out" (The Sun), "Rafa's £3m Kop Off" (Daily Star), "Rafa is Out" (Daily Mail), "End of Road for Rafa" (Daily Express), "Benitez on the Brink" (Daily Telegraph), "Liverpool offer Benitex £3m to quit" (Guardian), "Benitez set to quit" (The Independent). With the World Cup just over a week away, there is only one story dominating the back pages of Thursday's newspapers.
  (various)


• It is claimed that player power is responsible for Benitez's potential departure from Anfield.
  (The Mirror)


• Liverpool's wish list to replace Benitez is thought to include ex-Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, Fulham's Roy Hodgson and former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink.
  (Daily Mail )


• Inter Milan are now thought to be monitoring Benitez's situation and are lining up the Spaniard to replace Jose Mourinho who this week joined Real Madrid.
  (The Sun)


• Hiddink meanwhile has ruled himself out of the running to be Inter Milan's next coach, after his agent claimed he was the club's number one choice.
  (the Independent)


• Hull are in talks with former Portsmouth and Crystal Palace manager Paul Hart about becoming their new boss.
  (The Mirror)

• Captain Rio Ferdinand has revealed striker Wayne Rooney to be England's karaoke king with the Manchester United star set to entertain his team-mates on and off the pitch in South Africa.
  (The Mirror)