Football rumours from today's newspapers

• Inter Milan are weighing up a move for Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar. The 28-year-old South African is out of contract at the end of the season and the Toffees may be forced to cash in during the January transfer window.
  (The Mirror)


• Brazilian 18-year-old Neymar claims Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Juventus are all trying to prise him away from Santos, but the striker says he would prefer a move to the Turin club.
  (Daily Mail)


• Manchester City are considering splashing out £7m to trigger Espanyol's release clause for their highly rated 21-year-old centre-half Victor Ruiz.
  (The Sun)


• Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is convinced that his Spain team-mate Cesc Fabregas still wants to move to the Nou Camp, although it is believed the Catalan giants will not be able to afford the Arsenal midfielder.
  (Daily Mail)


• Ipswich boss Roy Keane will attempt to land Scotland left-back Stephen Crainey from Blackpool.
  (The Mirror)


• Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Anderlecht's 17-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored 19 goals in his first full season with the Belgian club.
  (caughtoffside)


• West Ham manager Avram Grant wants to make a move for Kaiserslautern's Croatian 27-year-old striker Srdan Lakic, valued at about £2m by the German outfit.
  (The Mirror)


• Arsenal are ready to spend £18m for the services of Aston Villa and England winger Ashley Young. The 25-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at Villa Park.
  (caughtoffside)

• Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has quashed speculation he might retire at the end of the season. "If my health deteriorated it would be different but retirement is for young people - they can do something else," the Scot told a sport conference in Doha.
  (The Guardian)


• Meanwhile, the 68-year-old Ferguson has also revealed he would have loved to have been manager at Barcelona. "Ideology and philosophy, the whole place is fantastic," he says.
  (The Sun)

• Clarence House insist princess-to-be Kate Middleton will not be joining her new fiance Prince William in lobbying for England's 2018 World Cup bid.
  (The Guardian)