Football rumours from today's newspapers

• Manchester City are ready to snap up £34m-rated Barcelona midfielder Gai Assulin for nothing after the Israeli teenager cancelled his contract with the Catalan club.
  (The Mirror)


• Manchester United are poised to bid for Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra. His arrival could result in Tom Cleverley being sent on loan to Bolton.
  (The Mirror)


• United could also offer midfielder Anderson and about £12m to land Werder Bremen's Germany World Cup star Mesut Ozil. Full story: caughtoffisde.com
  (caughtoffside)


• Liverpool have opened talks with Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, paving the way for Javier Mascherano to leave Anfield.
  (The Sun)


• Poulsen's agent - Joern Bonnesen - has denied any kind of agreement has been made between the Danish midfielder and Liverpool.
  (IM Scouting)


• .com Birmingham have lined up an ambitious bid to land Italian World Cup-winning left-back Fabio Grosso on a season-long loan deal from Juventus.
  (Daily Mail)


• Tottenham have opened talks over the £4m signing of Portugal striker Yannick Djalo from Sporting Lisbon but Newcastle are also reported to be interested.
  (The Mirror)


• James Milner hopes his proposed move from Aston Villa to Manchester City will finally be approved by this weekend with fellow midfielder Stephen Ireland set to move in the opposite direction.
  (The Mirror)


• Sources in Barcelona say the family of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas are upset at the Catalan outfit's failure to sign the midfielder.
  (Daily Mail)


• Fabregas is set to have talks with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Thursday to discuss his future.
  (The Sun)


• Barcelona's world player of the year Lionel Messi says he is confident Fabregas will join him at the Nou Camp before the current transfer window closes.
  (Daily Express)


• Defender Per Mertesacker, who has been linked to Arsenal, is staying at Werder Bremen, according to the Bundesliga outfit's general manager Klaus Allofs.
  (IM Scouting)


• Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair is set to reject interest from Ipswich and Swansea to join Premier League new boys Blackpool.
  (The Sun)


• Birmingham are hoping to sign Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf on loan.
  (The Sun)


• Tottenham look set to let Morocco international midfielder Adel Taarabt leave White Hart Lane for QPR in a deal that could be worth up to £1m.
  (Daily Mail)


• West Ham have been offered Cagliari keeper Federico Marchetti if current number one Robert Green leaves for Fulham.
  (The Times)


• But new Fulham manager Mark Hughes has wrecked keeper Mark Schwarzer's dream move to Arsenal by telling the Australian he is staying at Craven Cottage.
  (The Mirror)


• Leeds United boss Simon Grayson is set to sign Tottenham's young England centre-back Steven Caulker on a season-long loan deal.
  (The Mirror)


• Kilmarnock have handed a trial to former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.
  (Daily Record)


• Celtic winger Aiden McGeady's proposed £9.5m move to Spartak Moscow could now be back on.
  (The Guardian)

• Indian tycoon Ahasan Ali Syed is interested in buying Blackburn Rovers and is prepared to invest £300m into the club.
  (The Guardian)


• West Ham players and coaching staff have been hurling abuse at goalkeeper Robert Green in a bid to prepare him for the World Cup backlash expected from crowds this season following his error in the match against the United States.
  (The Guardian)


• Hull owner Russell Bartlett has denied claims the club is heading for administration because of money owed on transfers.
  (Daily Mail)

• Manchester United's Portuguese winger Nani has upstaged his team-mates by showing up to training in a limited edition Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni - costing £150,000. It is one of only 250 made in the world.
  (Daily Mail)