Football rumours from today's newspapers

• Barcelona are refusing to give up hope of signing Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and believe they can land him with a £38m bid.
  (The Mirror)


• However, the London club are looking to the future and are weighing up offers for Swedish teenagers Kristoffer Olsson, 15, and Robert Mirosavic, 16, after a successful second trial at the Emirates. Midfielder Olsson plays for IFK Norrkoping, while striker Mirosavic has been offered a youth contract by Helsingborg.
  (Daily Mail)


• Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish ran the rule over Celtic left-back Emilio Izaguirre during the Old Firm derby against Rangers on Sunday.
  (Daily Mail)


• Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is ready to sign United States international midfielder Alejandro Bedoya from Swedish side Orebro and is flying him in for talks this week.
  (The Mirror)

• Chelsea's under-pressure manager Carlo Ancelotti is set to be offered an escape route from Stamford Bridge by Roma after Claudio Ranieri resigned as boss of the Serie A side on Sunday.
  (Daily Mail)


• Ancelotti, whose out-of-form Blues side went out of the FA Cup at the hands of Everton at the weekend, has come in for criticism but insists he will not quit the Stamford Bridge club.
  (The Guardian)


• However, Ancelotti may have the decision made for him, depending on his side's result against Copenhagen in the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie on Tuesday.
  (The Independent)


• Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was so furious that his side found it difficult to beat non-League Crawley in the FA Cup that he is ready to ship out Bebe and Gabriel Obertan at the end of the season.
  (Daily Star)


• Marseille manager Didier Deschamps says he was asked by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish to take over the Reds in the summer before Roy Hodgson was appointed but could not take the job and go back on his word to stay at the French club.
  (The Sun)


• West Ham captain Matthew Upson is set to miss the rest of the season because of a damaged Achilles tendon.
  (Daily Mail)


• Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp wants to reward injury-prone defender Jonathan Woodgate with a new contract in the summer.
  (The Mirror)


• Rangers boss Walter Smith says his side's performance in the 3-0 defeat by Old Firm rivals Celtic was the worst of his second spell in charge of the club.
  (Daily Record)

• Everton's cricket-loving captain Phil Neville says he should have done the Sprinkler dance - made famous earlier this winter by England's Ashes-winning team - after his penalty knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup.
  (Daily Mail)


• Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt insists the team's resurgence is down to him taking over the dressing room DJ duties.
  (The Sun)