FOOTBALL GOSSIP 
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will switch his sights back to Borussia Dortmund’s 24-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski if he is unable to sign Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, 26. Arsenal’s hopes of signing Swansea City defender Ashley Williams, 28, are fading as the Welsh club are refusing to lower their £10m asking price. Manchester United will turn their attention to Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, 23, if they fail to convince Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo, 28, to return to Old Trafford. But Bale’s future at White Hart Lane has been made “clear” to Spurs target Paulinho. The 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder reveals he is on the verge of joining from Corinthians, with assurances given about Bale staying at the club. Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez, 27, tops the list of targets for Manchester City as they look to replace Carlos Tevez. Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo, Roma’s Pablo Osvaldo and Benfica’s Oscar Cardozo are also in contention. West Bromwich Albion are interested in Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair, 24, with the former Swansea player hoping to go out on loan. Sunderland are close to signing Argentina right-back Gino Peruzzi, 21, who shot to prominence with Velez Sarsfield after he kept Neymar quiet over both legs of a Copa Libertadores tie. Liverpool are monitoring Mamadou Sakho’s situation as the Paris St-Germain defender, 23, stalls on signing a new contract. Sakho made his senior international debut for France in a 2-1 win over England at Wembley in November 2010. Premier League newcomers Crystal Palace have agreed a fee to sign Peterborough United striker Dwight Gayle. The 22-year-old spent the 2011-12 season on loan at non-league Bishop’s Stortford. Sunderland will receive £2m when they sell Egypt international Ahmed Elmohamady to Premier League rivals Hull City in the next 24 hours. The 25-year-old right-sided player helped Hull win promotion during a loan spell last season. Swansea City are hopeful they will complete the signing of Wilfried Bony from Vitesse Arnhem, despite the Dutch club’s denial that a deal has been agreed for the 24-year-old Ivory Coast striker. Newcastle United could be poised to make a £15.2m offer for St Etienne’s 24-year-old striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov, 27, has hinted he would be happy to follow striker Carlos Tevez in taking a pay cut and moving to Juventus. Marseille have confirmed the signing of Lille forward Dimitri Payet, 26, subject to a medical. Barcelona attacker Gerard Deulofeu, 19, is a loan target for a number of English clubs which include Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton. Brighton’s new manager Oscar Garcia is also keen, though Arsenal are regarded as favourites. Former Tottenham midfielder Glenn Hoddle has urged current forward Gareth Bale, 23, to remain in England despite interest from Real Madrid – even if it means moving to Manchester United or Manchester City. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, 33, is making no effort to hide his desire to see new Manchester United manager David Moyes “wobble” at Old Trafford, but concedes the Premier League champions will be in the title race this season. Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, 26, has backed Jose Mourinho to make a successful return to Chelsea, but says Real Madrid will not be weakened by the departure of the ‘Special One’. The lawyers of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, 26, deny their client has reached a settlement with the Spanish tax authorities to avoid facing tax fraud charges in court. Both Messi and his father are due to appear at a court hearing on 17 September. Newly promoted Monaco will start the French season on minus two points following crowd trouble during a game against Le Mans. Chelsea target Marco van Ginkel will seek assurances over first-team football before deciding to leave Vitesse Arnhem. The 20-year-old is reportedly a £9m target for Jose Mourinho’s side, but the Dutchman does not want to jeopardise his chances of making the World Cup squad. The Euro 2016 logo has been launched in Paris – 1,080 days before the start of the tournament in France. Fifa’s official champagne of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil has been announced – as Brazilians demonstrate over high transport fares, corruption and the cost of staging next year’s tournament. Tottenham’s technical director Franco Baldini will hold talks with David Villa, 31, before the end of the week as the London club intensify their bid for the Barcelona forward. Arsenal have put together a package to lure Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, 27, to the Emirates. The club’s hierarchy believe a signing such as Rooney will help persuade manager Arsene Wenger to sign a contract extension. Liverpool will seek urgent talks with striker Luis Suarez, 26, to assess whether he is in breach of contract following claims from Spain he has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid. And the Anfield club must pay £25m within 10 days if they want to sign 24-year-old attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk. Real Madrid have offered cash and players – including 25-year-old Argentina winger Angel di Maria – to Tottenham in an attempt to deliver Gareth Bale for newly appointed boss manager Carlo Ancelotti. Manchester City could offer 27-year-old striker Edin Dzeko to Borussia Dortmund as part of the deal to bring striker Robert Lewandowski, 24, to the Etihad. Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has given director of football Joe Kinnear the names of Aston Villa striker Darren Bent, 29, and West Ham defender James Tomkins, 24, as the club look to strengthen before the start of the season. Swansea are also willing break their transfer record fee to bring Vitesse Arnhem striker Wilfried Bony, 24, to the Liberty Stadium. Dimitar Berbatov, who has been linked with Galatasaray and Zenit St Petersburg, will see out the remaining year of his Fulham contract, says the agent of the 32-year-old former Manchester United striker. Manchester City defender Micah Richards, 25, is a surprise target for Champions League winners Bayern Munich. The German champions are willing to pay £14m for Richards, who has two years remaining on his current contract. Rafael Benitez claims Real Madrid have “recovered their values” after appointing Carlo Ancelotti as manager. Benitez, now at Napoli, faced the Italian twice in Champions League finals. Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, 29, announced that he turned down AC Milan after joining Juventus from Manchester City. Premier League newcomers Hull City are expected to announce new contracts for defenders Liam Rosenior, 28, and Paul McShane, 27, in the next few days. It follows the news that defender James Chester, 24, has signed a new three-year deal.
