Gossip column: Varane, Gerrard, Lloris, Draxler, Origi, Hoddle

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Manchester United have been told they will have to pay £20m if they want to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, 21. (Daily Express)external-link

Liverpool are set to pay Lille £3m to bring striker Divock Origi back to Anfield this month. The 19-year-old Belgium international is currently on a season-long loan at the French club from Brendan Rodgers's side. (Liverpool Echo)external-link

The Sun
The back page of Monday's Sun newspaper

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini wants to sign Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler, although the German side want £25m for the 21-year-old. (Daily Star)external-link

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, 34, has turned down an offer worth £18m to play in Qatar when he leaves the Reds at the end of the season. (Sun - subscription required)external-link

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, 26, is set to disappoint Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United by signing a new deal with the Spanish side. (Daily Star)external-link

Tottenham are prepared to sell goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, 28, for £25m. (Sun - subscription required)external-link

Liverpool will make a £23m bid for 21-year-old West Brom striker Saido Berahino — once they can sell unwanted Fabio Borini, 23. (Sun - subscription required)external-link

However, new West Brom manager Tony Pulis insists he is under no pressure to sell Berahino, even though by doing so he could double his transfer budget. (Daily Telegraph)external-link

Crystal Palace are ready to hijack QPR's bid to sign West Ham forward Mauro Zarate, 27, on loan following the appointment of manager Alan Pardew. (Daily Mirror)external-link

QPR manager Harry Redknapp says his club "need a miracle" if they are to sign a striker in the January transfer window. (Talksport)external-link

Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, 30, has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Liverpool and has said he is happy at the Championship club. (Sheffield Star)external-link

Cardiff City will not sign Chelsea forward Islam Feruz on loan. The 19-year-old had been scheduled to talk to Bluebirds boss Russell Slade on Monday.(Wales Online)external-link

OTHER GOSSIP

Former England boss Glenn Hoddle is a candidate for the vacant manager's job at Newcastle United. (Newcastle Chronicle)external-link

The Newcastle United Supporters Trust has written to the Football Association and the Premier League questioning the role and future of club owner Mike Ashley. (Daily Telegraph)external-link

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has accused Manchester City of an "error in judgement" after they extended 36-year-old midfielder Frank Lampard's loan until the end of the season. It meant his move to MLS side New York City will be delayed. (Guardian)external-link

Daily Mail
The back page of Monday's Daily Mail

Garber says Lampard will not play for New York City until July, meaning he will miss the first four months of the MLS season. (Daily Telegraph)external-link

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has warned the fans who booed him during their FA Cup win over Blackpool that it will not help the team's performances.(Daily Mirror)external-link

Burnley are expecting such a low crowd for Monday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Tottenham that one of the stands at Turf Moor has been completely shut.(Daily Mail)external-link

Birmingham City players have expressed their satisfaction at beating Blyth Spartans 3-2 in the third round of the FA Cup after accusing the Northern Premier League side of being "disrespectful".(Birmingham Evening Mail)external-link

Former Liverpool winger John Barnes has dismissed the notion that his side lost the 1988 FA Cup final because they were intimidated by Wimbledon. The Reds face AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday evening.(Daily Telegraph)external-link

The Professional Footballers Association are trying to end "initiation ceremonies", which include players having to sing in front of their team-mates when joining a new club. (Daily Mail)external-link

A group of Hull City supporters found their day going from bad to worse after the bus taking them home from their 2-0 FA Cup defeat by Arsenal crashed outside the Emirates Stadium.(Daily Mail)external-link

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, 30, says the club's fans have waited "too long" for success in the FA Cup. United, who last won the trophy in 2004, beat Yeovil 2-0 to progress to the fourth round.(Manchester Evening News)external-link

GLOBAL GOSSIP (sourced by BBC monitoring)

Paris St-Germain have not given up the idea of recruiting Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and could be willing to pay a record sum of £164m for the 27-year-old. (L'Equipe - in French)external-link

Manchester City are keen to sign Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler, 21, and could be willing to trade defender Matija Nastasic, 21. (Bild - in German)external-link

Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has said dismissed the possibility of the 29-year-old Real Madrid striker playing for Paris St-Germain, saying it is "impossible". (Le Figaro) external-link

Around 45,000 fans came out at the Vicente Calderon to welcome Atletico Madrid's new signing Fernando Torres, 30. (Marca - in Spanish)external-link

BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Ian Brown and Michael Carrick
Stone Roses' Ian Brown with Michael Carrick

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick posts a picture on WhoSay of him with Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown. Carrick wrote:external-link "Nice surprise bumping into Ian Brown on a morning stroll."

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott is relieved to be back in the Gunners starting line-up. On 4 January 2014 he was carried off on a stretcher and had only played for 51 minutes since then, before starting Sunday's FA Cup game against Hull. He wrote on Twitter:external-link "One year today since injury - felt great to play 75 minutes and as always a huge thanks for the support."

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba posted a picture on Instagramexternal-link of the ripped shirt that he had to change during his side's FA Cup win against Watford on Sunday.

AND FINALLY...

Netherlands international midfielder Demy de Zeeuw, 31, has posted an advert on business social networking site LinkedIn in an attempt to find a club. He was released by Belgian side Anderlecht in the summer. (Metro)external-link