Football rumours from today's newspapers

• Chelsea are closing to sealing a deal for Benfica defender David Luiz after making an improved offer of £21m for the Brazilian.
  (Daily Telegraph)


• Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti has already been put off any approach for Bolton's Gary Cahill after the Trotters placed a £25m valuation on the defender.
  (The Times)


• Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made Blackburn defender Christopher Samba his top target as he tries to patch up his injury-hit back four.
  (The Mirror)


• Liverpool have been told that only an "obscene" offer will be enough to land Uruguay striker Luis Suarez from Ajax. The Reds are now likely to make Anderlecht's Romelu Lukaku their primary target.
  (talkSPORT)


• After being quoted a figure of £20m for Suarez, Liverpool may turn their attention to Sevilla forward Alvaro Negredo. Full story: the Times (requires subscription) The Reds hoped to use the proceeds from the proposed sale of Ryan Babel to Hoffenheim to fund a move for Suarez but midfielder Babel is ready to turn down the transfer in the hope of securing a loan move to former club Ajax.
  (The Mirror)


• Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is ready to sign Barnsley's Adam Hammill in a £500,000 deal, despite late interest from the midfielder's old club Liverpool.
  (The Mirror)


• West Ham are proving their "commitment" to manager Avram Grant by selling midfielder Valon Behrami to Fiorentina to fund an £8m move for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane.
  (The Mirror)


• Alternatively the Hammers may recruit Paris St Germain striker Peguy Luyindula.
  (The Independent)


• Blackburn have made a £500,000 bid for Birmingham winger Sebastian Larsson, hoping Blues will decide to sell now rather than lose the player on a free transfer when he is out of contract in the summer.
  (The Mirror)


• Blackburn are set to sign Argentine forward Mauro Formica from Newell's Old Boys in a £3m deal.
  (The Mirror)


• Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is preparing a substantial bid for Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie as he looks to address his lack of effective attacking options.
  (caughtoffside )


• Mourinho has set his sights on luring Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez to the Bernabeu. Madrid officials believe an offer of between £37.6m and £41.8m may be enough to prise City's talisman away from Eastlands. br/>(Daily Telegraph)


• Fulham are ready to swoop for Southampton's highly rated teenage midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with his proposed £10m switch to Arsenal on the verge of breaking down.
  (Goal)


• Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is in advanced talks over a switch to Fulham.
  (The Guardian)


• Sunderland are set to spend some of the money brought in by the sale of striker Darren Bent on Paris St Germain midfielder Stephane Sessegnon.
  ( InsideFutbol )


• Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is a £5m target for Chelsea as manager Carlo Ancelotti hopes to bring in a deputy to first-choice Petr Cech.
  (Daily Express)


• Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has earmarked Peterborough playmaker George Boyd as Charlie Adam's replacement - if the Scottish midfielder leaves Bloomfield Road this month.
  (The Sun)


• Tottenham are locked in a battle with Benfica to clinch the signing of Marseille defender Taye Taiwo. The Nigerian international, valued at £5m, has also been targeted by Everton.
  (talkSPORT)


• Newcastle and Tottenham are believed to be interested in Italian World Cup winner Mauro Camoranesi, with Stuttgart having confirmed the 34-year-old midfielder is surplus to requirements.
  (Metro)


• Middlesbrough defender David Wheater is expected to make the switch to Premier League Bolton in a £4m move.
  (Daily Telegraph)


• Everton striker James Vaughan is joining Celtic on loan for the rest of the season in a shock move that includes a £250,000 'rental' payment.
  (The Mirror)


• Rangers striker Kenny Miller is set to seal a £300,000 switch to Turkish side Bursaspor, which will earn him a tax-free £50,000 a week.
  (Daily Record)


• Aston Villa's club record £24m swoop for Sunderland striker Darren Bent looks set to trigger a flurry of transfer window activity that propels top-flight spending past the £100m mark.
  (City AM)

• Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has made a return to football as director of soccer at New York Cosmos. The Frenchman described the club as "a mix between football and art".
  (The Sun)


• West Ham manager Avram Grant's family begged the Israeli to quit Upton Park before Saturday's defeat by Arsenal following reports that Martin O'Neill was set to be appointed in his place.
  (The Sun)


• Manchester United are to offer 37-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs a new one-year deal at Old Trafford. The Welshman has made 600 league appearances for the club.
  (Daily Telegraph)


• Chelsea will attempt to tie defender Branislav Ivanovic to Stamford Bridge with a new four-year deal.
  (Daily Express)


• Midfielder David Beckham's first proposed run-out in a Tottenham shirt, a reserve match against QPR behind closed doors, was thwarted by Los Angeles Galaxy after the United States side raised concerns over security at the London club's training ground.
  (The Sun)


• Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has branded Birmingham's failed £6m bid to buy him a publicity stunt, expressing bemusement at a statement released by Blues explaining why the deal had failed.
  (Daily Mail)

• Former Chelsea and Newcastle boss Ruud Gullit has reportedly been hired as head coach of Terek Grozny, a team in Russia's Chechen Republic.
  (The Mirror)


• Leeds manager Simon Grayson has banned his players from wearing snoods in their FA Cup third round replay against Arsenal this evening. "During a game they should be running around to keep themselves warm," he said.
  (Daily Telegraph)