Latest football rumours from today's newspapers.

• Manchester City will launch a bid for 23-year-old Bayern Munich and Germany striker Lukas Podolski in January. (Daily Mirror)



• Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill will launch a bid to sign 30-year-old Wigan striker Emile Heskey in the January transfer window. (Daily Mirror)



• Valencia and former Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes has said he would welcome a move back to the Premier League with Tottenham. (Daily Mirror)



• Stephane Mbia has pleaded with his club Rennes to let him join Arsenal in January after the Gunners failed with a bid for the 22-year-old during the summer as the French club are holding out for £10m. (The Times)



• Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is also keeping an eye on 21-year-old Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, who impressed for Italy during the Olympics. (The Times)

• Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, 25, could be out for six months after injuring his cruciate ligaments playing for Ghana on Friday. (The Sun)



• Sami Hyppia, 34, has said he would have considered leaving Liverpool if he knew he was not to be included in the Reds' 25-man Champions League squad. (Various)



• Croatia manger Slaven Bilic has criticised Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for not allowing Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves to join up with the England squad. (The Sun)



• Gerrard, 28, has told Benitez that he will not be ready to face Man Utd at Anfield on Saturday after participating in only one training session since a minor groin operation. (Daily Star)



• Joe Cole has warned that no-one is assured of a place in the England team under Capello. (Various)



• Tottenham assistant manager Gus Poyet is on the brink of becoming Newcastle's new manager after the 40-year-old Uruguayan met club officials in London. (The Sun)



• Gianfranco Zola, Didier Deschamps, Roberto Mancini and Slaven Bilic are believed to be the names on Newcastle's managerial shortlist (The Gaurdian). Newcastle fans angry at the way the club is been run want to ban owner Mike Ashley from sitting amongst supporters and from wearing his black and white replica shirt at games. (Various)



• Zola will be offered the manager's job at West Ham today after a second round of talks between the 42-year-old Italian and Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury. (Various)



• Zola will be offered the job after West Ham rejected Croatia manager Slaven Bilic's offer to take the job on a part time basis until January. (Daily Mirror)



• Paolo Di Canio may also join the club to work under Zola, although Pierluigi Casiraghi is also tipped for a role at Upton Park. (Daily Star)



• Former Italy manager Roberto Donadoni also remains in the frame to replace Alan Curbishley at Upton Park. (Daily Mirror)

• According to a new survey the average cost of going to watch a Premier League match is £106.21 - a 35% increase over two years. The poll also revealed that 26% of fans would consider going to less games as a result. (The Sun)



• England manager Fabio Capello has wasted little time in getting to grips with the English language after Joe Cole revealed the Italian knows plenty of swear words. (Various)



• New Man Utd striker Dimitar Berbatov has moved into the Presidential Suite of the Lowry Hotel for the next 12 weeks at a cost of £42,000 while he searches for a new home in the north west. (Daily Star)



• Manchester City's new owners, the Arab United Group for Development, plan to turn the club into one of the most recognisable brands in the world. The plan includes marketing soft drinks, cars, fast food restaurants and credit cards. (Daily Star)