Kia Joorabchian will sign Brazilian midfielder Carlos Alberto for West Ham if his prospective takeover of the club goes through. (The Guardian)

Arsenal and Chelsea are watching Marseille's Nigerian left-back Taye Taiwo. (Daily Star)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is keeping tabs on Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt (The Sun).

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has been in talks with Lyon about a return to France - but wants to stay with the Blues. (The Sun)

Drogba is to open talks with Chelsea over a new deal which will make him one of the highest paid players at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Star)

Chelsea have approached PAOK Salonika's Portugal Under-21 international Daniel Fernandes about solving their goalkeeper crisis. (Daily Mail)

Bournemouth boss Kevin Bond wants midfielder Richard Hughes from his old club Portsmouth. (Star)

Blackburn duo Andy Todd and Michael Gray are both set to leave the club either on loan or in a permanent deal. (Daily Mirror)

Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor is set to put pen to paper on a new contract at Ibrox. (Daily Record)

Celtic have told Shaun Maloney they will not be held to ransom over his wage demands. (Daily Record)

England manager Steve McClaren has asked his players to tell him their views on the poor performances against Macedonia and Croatia. (The Sun)

Charlton manager Iain Dowie was banned from training the day after the Addicks' Carling Cup victory over Bolton 'for his own good'. (Daily Express)

An unnamed Liverpool director is unhappy with manager Rafael Benitez. (Daily Mirror)

Terry Butcher's job as manager of Sydney FC is in jeopardy after he had a public row with Hollywood actor Anthony LaPaglia. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield United defender Claude Davis threatened his Blades team-mate Ade Akinbiyi with a cut-throat razor after a training ground bust-up. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal midfielder Lauren has had a setback in his recovery from his knee injury and is out until January. (The Sun)

Peter Taylor is to continue as England Under-21 boss for the Euro 2007 Championships. (Various)

West Ham defender John Pantsil has apologised to boss Alan Pardew for his part in the club's Carling Cup defeat at Chesterfield. (The Sun)

Former Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis admits he is a 'fish out of water' after selling the club to Randy Lerner. (Daily Express)

Steven Gerrard accepts he will have to play on the right of midfield for Liverpool. (The Sun)

Former Nottingham Forest manager David Platt is suing the club over an unpaid �50,000 bonus. (Telegraph)

On-loan Middlesbrough defender Jonathan Woodgate fears his England chances have been hit because he named Grease as his favourite film in a recent interview.

Players at Scottish Division One side Livingston have posed for a 2007 calendar to be sold at lingerie store Ann Summers. (Daily Record)