Aston Villa want to splash out �6m on Palermo's Brazilian midfielder Simplicio. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth striker Kanu, 30, is being lined up for an end-of-career move to South African club Mamelodi Sundowns. (Daily Mail)

AC Milan want Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to exploit a Fifa loophole and buy his way out of his contract at the end of the season for �4m. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth are favourites to sign Lorient striker Pierre-Andre Gignac, who is also wanted by Marseille in January. (Various)

Leeds striker David Healy is being closely watched by a number of Spanish clubs. (Daily Star)

Manchester City are planning January moves for MK Dons striker Izale McLeod and Crewe midfielder Billly Jones. (Daily Mirror)

Leeds will cash in on defender Matthew Kilgallon in the January transfer window. (Daily Star)

Kilgallon will be a target for Wigan, Reading and Charlton in the January transfer window. (The Times)

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is facing a fight with French side Strasbourg for Paris St Germain rebel midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo. (Daily Mirror).

Liverpool will appeal against keeper Jerzy Dudek's sending off against Everton reserves - to avoid having a rookie on the bench at Manchester United on 22 October. (The Sun)

Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's agent Athole Still is livid that Wayne Rooney's goalscoring problems are being blamed on the Swede's handling of the Manchester United striker at the World Cup. (Daily Express)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has warned billionaire owner Randy Lerner to expect rocky times, despite the club's unbeaten start to the Premiership campaign. (The Sun)

Midfielder Jimmy Bullard has returned to Fulham after undergoing knee surgery in the United States and there is an outside chance he could be fit for the final games of the season. (Various)

West Ham dismissed a takeover bid by Icelandic biscuit baron Eggert Magnusson because it is understood that it would have left the club with huge debts. (The Sun)

Hammers bidder Magnusson is a lifelong Tottenham fan, with Jimmy Greaves his favourite all-time player. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham's major shareholders are seeking assurances over the financing of the �70m takeover by Magnusson, who is president of the Iceland Football Association. (The Guardian)

An "extremely wealthy" Scandinavian banker is behind a consortium wanting to buy West Ham - but it is not Magnusson, who is the figurehead for the group. (The Independent)

Midfielder Joe Cole insists he is ready for a Chelsea comeback after continuing his comeback from a knee injury by playing the full 90 minutes of a reserve match. (Various)

Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish has ruled himself out of the battle to become the new manager of Norwich. (Daily Record)

Striker Mark Burchill is back in training at Dunfermline after two months out with hernia and knee problems. (Daily Record)

Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is now at Real Madrid, has said that he respects Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson, despite the differences that led to the Dutchman's transfer. (The Independent)

West Ham striker Dean Ashton is targeting a return at Christmas after breaking his ankle when on duty with England in August. (The Independent)

Bournemouth are set to name former Newcastle assistant manager Kevin Bond as their new manager. (Various)

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan is pressing on with his High Court action against Greater Manchester police over the cost of providing cover for games at the JJB Stadium. (Daily Telegraph)

England's travelling fans made three separate visits to schools in Croatia on Wednesday to foster good relations ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier between the two nations. One trek to Sisak High School meant a three-hour round trip to Zagreb but still attracted 50 supporters from the ages of nine to 75. (Daily Mail)

The bulldozers have moved in on Highbury as the redevelopment of the ground began this week, with Arsenal's former home being turned into luxury apartments and the pitch becoming the gardens. (Daily Star)