Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Chelsea are willing to pay £40m for 27-year-old Valencia striker David Villa. (Various) 
Cash-strapped Valencia will actually demand £45m for the Spanish international. (Daily Express) 
Chelsea are also keen on Tottenham forward Roman Pavlychenko, with manager Gus Hiddink criticising Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's treatment of the player. (The Sun) 
Manchester United will offer Fraizer Campbell - currently loaned out to Spurs - a new long term contract in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham are lining up a bid to land England Under-21 star Adam Lallana from Southampton. (Daily Star) 
Chelsea are preparing a £10m swoop for Paris St Germain midfielder Stephane Sessegnon. (The Sun)  
Fulham will continue their quest to sign Spurs duo Gareth Bale and Tom Huddlestone at the end of the season. (The Times) 
Manchester United are closing in on 18-year-old Brazilian star Douglas Costa from Gremio. (The Sun) 
 
OTHER GOSSIP 

Ahead of their clash with Liverpool, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has laid into Reds boss Rafa Benitez by saying he loves "whingeing and moaning". (Various) 
Bayern Munich, fresh from a 4-0 drubbing by Barcelona in the Champions League, want Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to replace Jurgen Klinsmann as manager and are willing to pay the Frenchman £5m a year. (Daily Mail) 
SFA chief Gordon Smith has made a U-turn in the row over Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor's Scotland future. A day after saying they could return, Smith has now written off their hopes of playing for Scotland again. (Daily Record) 
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp reckons his midfielder Tom Huddlestone could be as good as Glenn Hoddle. (The Guardian, Daily Mirror) 
Former Newcastle striker Les Ferdinand reckons the club's temporary boss Alan Shearer will not leave St James' Park if he fails to prevent relegation from the Premier League. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY 

Shearer has been grabbing advice from Newcastle's former bosses such as Kenny Dalglish, Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan. Their message to him was: "Welcome to the madhouse". (Various)
www.bbc.co.uk