Tuesday's gossip column: Football transfers & rumours

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Senior Manchester United players such as Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra are growing increasingly frustrated with Wayne Rooney's behaviour as the 27-year-old striker looks to push through a move to Chelsea.
Full story: the Independent 
Chelsea are preparing a third bid for Rooney after failing with a second offer for the England striker on Sunday night.
Full story: talkSPORT 
Manchester United manager David Moyes must decide whether to risk Rooney receiving an angry backlash from Reds supporters in Sunday's Community Shield against Wigan.
Full story: Daily Mail 

Rooney will miss Tuesday's friendly with AIK with a shoulder problem

Liverpool are prepared to sell winger Stewart Downing, 29, to Newcastle for £5m. Downing, who has played for Middlesbrough and Sunderland, moved to Anfield for a reported £20m from Aston Villa two years ago and is now considering his options.
Full story: Liverpool Echo 
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has no intention of selling David Luiz despite interest from Barcelona in the 26-year-old Brazil defender.
Full story: Daily Mirror 
Atletico Madrid's Brazil striker Diego Costa, 24, says he wants to stay at the Spanish club despite interest from Liverpool.
Full story: Inside Futebol 
QPR's Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar, 33, is on the verge of joining Italian side Fiorentina, a year after moving to Loftus Road from Inter Milan.
Full story: Daily Star 
Turkish side Besiktas want to sign Jermaine Defoe, 30, after failing with a move for his fellow Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 29.
Full story: Daily Mail 
PSV Eindhoven's Sweden striker Ola Toivonen, 27, is open to a summer move to Norwich.
Full story: Sky Sports 
Hull want to sign Marseille's France midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, 28, on a season-long loan and are set to pay Evian £1.5m for Ivorian midfielder Eric Tie Bi, 23, after failing with moves for Sunderland's Lee Cattermole and Jack Colback and Stoke's Wilson Palacios.
Full story: Daily Mirror 

Amalfitano won his only France cap against Germany last year

Millwall are in talks to sign Australian midfielder Ruben Zadkovich, 27, from Newcastle Jets.
Full story: Daily Star 
Stoke are continuing to insist that midfielder Steven Nzonzi will not be sold. The club rejected a written transfer request from the 24-year-old in May.
Full story: Daily Express 
Everton have made an approach for 24-year-old Ajax defender Toby Alderweireld.
Full story: the Guardian 
Cardiff are willing to pay £4m for Queens Park Rangers midfielder Stephane Mbia, 27.
Full story: the Sun (subscription required) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Clint Dempsey's £5.2m annual salary at Seattle Sounders is bigger than David Beckham's basic wages were at LA Galaxy. The United States international left Tottenham to join the MLS team over the weekend.
Full story: NBC Sports 
Ally McCoist's future as Rangers manager is hanging in the balance after Walter Smith quit as club chairman.
Full story: Daily Express 

GLOBAL GOSSIP (from BBC Monitoring)

The image of Real Madrid target Gareth Bale, 24, has been removed from the official Tottenham Twitter page.
Full story: AS (in Spanish) 
Stuttgart director of sport Fredi Bobic has dismissed suggestions the Bundesliga club will attempt to sign Lewis Holtby, just seven months after the Germany midfielder, 22, joined Tottenham from Schalke.
Full story: Kicker (in German) 

Alonso joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in 2009

Liverpool's Slovakia international defender Martin Skrtel, 28, is closing in on a move to join former manager Rafael Benitez at Napoli.
Full story: Gazzetta dello sport (in Italian) 
Schalke's Julian Draxler, 19, has said he lost sleep over offers from Manchester City and Real Madrid before deciding to stay with the club. The Germany midfielder said he would only move to Borussia Dortmund if he were "brainwashed".
Full story: Bild (in German) 
Real Madrid have offered Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso, 31, a one-year extension to his contract amid rumours he may follow Jose Mourinho to Chelsea.
Full story: AS (in Spanish) 
Sporting Lisbon's Diego Capel, 25, says he would be "delighted" to sign for Marseille. The Spanish midfielder, 25, has also attracted interest from Liverpool.
Full story: Sport 24 (in French) 
Stuttgart have rejected an offer from Schalke for Guinea international midfielder Ibrahima Traore, 25.
Full story: Die Welt (in German) 
Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says the European champions have finished their transfer business for the summer.
Full story: Bild (in German) 

AND FINALLY

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has been demonstrating his ability as a pianist, playing the Italian national anthem to team-mate Andrea Pirlo.
Full story: A Bola (in Portuguese)