Gossip column: Mourinho, Capello, Costa, Guardiola, Rooney

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Former England boss Fabio Capello wants to replace Jose Mourinho if he is sacked by Premier League champions Chelsea.(Sun)external-link

Mourinho will be given a stay of execution as Blues manager - but must win back the players.(Daily Mirror)external-link

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is "agonising" over the prospect of sacking Mourinho.(Daily Express)external-link

Sun back page
Monday's Sun back page

Mourinho said very little to the media following his side's sixth league defeat of the season, but according to Blues' Brazil midfielder Ramires he "didn't say anything" to his players either. (Chelsea website)external-link

Aston Villa caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald says the Premier League's bottom club "almost have to play top-four standard football, points-wise, to get ourselves out of trouble".(Daily Star)external-link

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, 37, is considering a loan move to Serie A side Bologna. The Montreal Impact forward will be free to move during the MLS off-season from next month. (Daily Mirror)external-link

Manchester United and Manchester City are competing for the signature of 18-year-old Anderlecht midfielder Youri Tielemans.(Daily Star)external-link

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, 30, has received a multi-million pound sponsorship offer from sportswear giants Adidas, who would like him to switch from Nike.(Sun - subscription required)external-link

Daily Mail backpage
Monday's Daily Mail back page

Chelsea striker Diego Costa could be banned for four matches after appearing to kick out at Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel in Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.(ESPN)external-link

But another report claims Costa will not be punished as the FA is satisfied the incident does not warrant further action. (Daily Mail)external-link

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola is "very close" to agreeing a contract extension with the German champions. His current deal expires at the end of the season.(Sport - in Spanish)external-link

Two weeks before he retired, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Patrice Evra that he planned to stay on for another five years and was "99%" sure Real Madrid's 30-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo would return to the club.(Times - subscription required)external-link

By making his 35th appearance for Everton in the 6-2 victory over Sunderland, Arouna Kone earned a 12-month extension to his contract with the club. Kone, 31, scored a hat-trick in Sunday's win.(Liverpool Echo)external-link

Everton are considering making a bid for Barcelona's 20-year-old forward Munir El Haddadi. (Don Balon - in Spanish)external-link

A scientific study in the United States has found that persistent heading of modern lightweight footballs can cause lasting brain damage.(Guardian)external-link

Best of social media

The irony of Sunderland conceding six goals a week after claiming their sixth successive win over Newcastle was not lost on former Magpies striker Alan Shearer. "That's football!" he tweeted.external-link

ALan Shearer Twitter

Tottenham striker Harry Kane was among the 80,000-plus spectators at Wembley for Sunday's NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions. "Love coming to Wembley Stadium to watch the NFL," the England international wrote on Twitter. external-link

A Japanese school team scored a contender for goal of the season - with the ball not touching the ground between a goalkeeper's punt and an acrobatic finish. (Eurosport)external-link

And finally

A row over felled trees has broken out between West Brom midfielder Craig Gardner and his neighbours in a Warwickshire village. The 28-year-old is accused of "destroying the privacy" of his fellow villagers by cutting down large trees on his property. (Coventry Telegraph)external-link

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp offered Reds winger Jordon Ibe his glasses after the 19-year-old misplaced a pass during a training session. (Metro)external-link

Werder Bremen forward Zlatko Junuzovic, 28, nutmegged Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos three times in swift succession as his team were beaten 3-1 on Saturday. (Talksport)external-link