Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo says he wants to follow coach Carlo Ancelotti from the San Siro to Chelsea, and Milan chairman Silvio Berlusconi has hinted they could let him go (Daily Mirror). 
Real Madrid's former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze says he would be open to the idea of playing in England again if Madrid let him go (Sky Sports).

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are talking to Brazilian club Gremio about a deal for their 18-year-old midfielder Douglas Costa - dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo.(The Times) 
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor has hinted he could leave if Alan Shearer does not get the manager's job at St James' Park.(Daily Telegraph) 
Atletico Madrid, Sunderland and Sevilla are all chasing Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora. (The Sun)
West Ham, Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham are all in the running to sign former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen after Barcelona confirmed he can leave for the right price (Daily Mirror).
Wolves are ready to break their club's transfer record with a £6.5m move for Reading forward Kevin Doyle(Daily Mail) 
Highly rated Sheffield United youngster Kyle Naughton could be sold to bring in money for several new signings, with Aston Villa and Everton keen on the £5m-rated defender.(Daily Mail) 
Argentine striker Carlos Tevez's next transfer after he leaves Manchester United will be heavily scrutinised by the Premier League to ensure there is no third-party ownership involved.(The Guardian) 
Chelsea are having talks with CSKA Moscow about £15m-rated left-back Yuri Zhirkov. (The Times) 
They are also interested in Inter Milan right-back Maicon after missing out on Glen Johnson, who joined Liverpool. (The Sun) 
Hull, Wolves and Portsmouth are all challenging Celtic for the signature of Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune, who played under new Celtic boss Tony Mowbray on loan at West Brom last season. (Daily Record)
Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is targeting moves for Aberdeen striker Lee Miller and out-of-contract Motherwell midfielder Stephen Hughes. (Daily Star)
Venezuela midfielder Juan Arango claims Celtic are among the clubs chasing his £3m signature from Mallorca. (Scottish Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool may need to treble Javier Mascherano's wages to keep the midfielder at the club after signing defender Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. Mascherano is believed to be unhappy because he is paid less than most of his team-mates.(Daily Mirror) 
England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce says he is "inept" compared to England senior boss Fabio Capello and may need more club management experience before furthering his international coaching career. (The Times) 
Titus Bramble is poised to be named Wigan's new captain, taking over from Mario Melchiot (The Sun).
Matthew Le Tissier's consortium bidding to buy Southampton have been told they cannot appeal against the club's 10-point penalty for going into administration (The Sun). 
Motherwell are widening their managerial search to include former Sunderland boss Malcolm Crosby and ex-Stockport gaffer Jim Gannon. (Daily Star)
However, former Northern Ireland and Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is leading the race to take over at Fir Park. (Scottish Sun) 
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown needs ankle surgery and is a doubt for the club's Champions League qualifying campaign. (Scottish Sun)
Uefa have delayed Celtic's planned tie up with Hungarian side Upjest, stalling Parkhead reserve coach Willie McStay's takeover as manager in Budapest. (Scottish Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle have unveiled a new yellow striped two-tone away kit for next season.(The Sun) 
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole had his late grandmother's wedding ring resized for him to wear when he got married at the weekend. (The Sun)
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