Football rumours from today's newspapers

• Manchester City are preparing transfer bids for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko and Barcelona defender Dani Alves - and have no intention of replacing current manager Roberto Mancini.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Manchester United have made an enquiry about Benfica's Portugal left-back Fabio Coentrao - in case Patrice Evra leaves the club in the summer.
  (News of the World)


• But United face competition from neighbours City who are ready to offer £20m for the 22-year-old in the summer.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal has put Manchester United on alert after admitting the club could sell star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger next summer if he does not extend his contract, which expires in 2012. (Sunday Times) Bayern meanwhile will battle it out with Aston Villa for the signing of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
  (IMscouting)


• Tottenham midfielder Niko Kranjcar is to be offered a January exit route from White Hart Lane. But it is to German club Hamburg rather than Premier League Liverpool, who were thought to be leading the race to sign the £7m-rated Croatian.
  (Metro)


• David Bentley is another Spurs midfielder who could be on his way out of White Hart Lane with Fulham keen on the 26-year-old winger.
  (News of the World)


• Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is lining up an £8m move for Newcastle defender Jose Enrique and he is also keeping tabs on Magpies striker Andy Carroll.
  (News of the World)


• But Magpies owner Mike Ashley has reiterated his desire to hang on to star striker Carroll saying the 21-year-old is "not for sale".
  (Sunday Express)


• Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt could sign for South China, the champions of Hong Kong, in a deal worth a staggering £200,000 a week.
  (Sunday People)


• Redknapp will also make a third bid for Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach in January this time offering £3m for the England under-21 star.
  (Sunday People)


• Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is lining up a January move for out-of-favour Aston Villa striker John Carew.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Villa could replace Carew with Juventus' Brazilian striker Amauri who would be available for about £5m.
  (caughtoffside)


• Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier is also to launch a January bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner.
  (Sunday People)


• Chelsea are lining up Blackburn defender Phil Jones as the perfect replacement for injured captain John Terry.
  (News of the World)


• Or, Chelsea could launch a £15m January move for Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill as they fear Terry could be sidelined until March because of a troublesome back injury.
  (Sunday Mirror)


• Liverpool will offer forward Ryan Babel as part of an £18m deal to land Aston Villa winger Ashley Young.
  (News of the World)


• The Reds are also interested in bringing Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland to Anfield in January.
  (caughtoffside)


• Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal target Xherdan Shaqiri is reportedly in talks with Inter Milan with the Basel winger set to seal a £5m deal with the Italian club.
  (IMscouting)


• Everton manager David Moyes is interested in bringing Wolves midfielder Karl Henry to Goodison Park.
  (News of the World)

• Gerard Houllier says he feels "alive again" at new club Aston Villa, and admits he made poor signings in his final two 'exhausting' years at Liverpool after suffering heart problems.
  (Mail on Sunday)


• Boss Roberto Mancini has had a blazing training ground row with four of his unhappy Manchester City players, who claim he is giving Italian striker Mario Balotelli special treatment.
  (Mail on Sunday)


• Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has accused his team-mates of cheating the club and admits they will never win anything if they continue to fight with each other.
  (News of the World)


• Mancini meanwhile will be given another £80m to spend on new players in January as will only be sacked if the club fail to make the Champions League at the end of the season.
  (Sunday People)


• Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has questioned if the club's frustrated manager Arsene Wenger has the right players at his disposal after watching them lose the north London derby 3-2 to Tottenham on Saturday.
  (talkSPORT)


• Manchester United duo Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs will be offered new one-year deals at the club to extend their playing careers by an extra season.
  (News of the World)


• Insiders at Chelsea fear that manager Carlo Ancelotti could walk away from the club at the end of the season as the first cracks begin to show in his relationship with the club.
  (News of the World)


• West Ham co-owner David Gold has told manager Avram Grant that his job is safe for now, despite their latest defeat - a 3-0 loss to Liverpool on Saturday.
  (Mail on Sunday)

• Wigan may be one of the least-supported clubs in the Premier League, but - ever since Hugo Rodallega arrived at the Lancashire club just under two years ago - vast hordes of Columbians walk around their native country wearing Latics shirts as they avidly follow the club's matches on television.
  (Mail on Sunday)


• Arsenal are set to create football history with the cost of an 'ordinary' seat for a Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium in the new year poised to break the £100 barrier.
  (Mail on Sunday)