Sunday's gossip column

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will offer £10m plus out-of-favour winger Jermaine Pennant for Wigan's Ecuadorian attacking midfielder Antonio Valencia. (News of the World)

Fulham and Stoke are both plotting to make a bid for Liverpool centre-back Sami Hyypia. (News of the World)

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari wants to sign Bordeaux's Gabriel Obertan, 19, but the Blues' interest has prompted Manchester United to send scouts to watch the winger. (News of the World)

Watford look set to take Arsenal's England Under-19 midfielder Henri Lansbury, 17, on loan. (News of the World)

Aston Villa lead the race to sign Barnsley striker Reuben Noble-Lazarus, 15, who became the youngest player in Football League history when he made his debut in midweek. The Yorkshire club will demand £2m in compensation if he goes. (News of the World)


OTHER GOSSIP
Tottenham are ready to offer Terry Venables a shock return to White Hart Lane as senior figures at the club see the former manager as the perfect man to replace under-fire sporting director Damien Comolli. (News of the World)

Newcastle players are convinced that Kevin Keegan's return is imminent after the former boss turned up at a charity golf event and intimated to senior players that moves are afoot to secure his return to St James' Park. (Sunday Mirror)

QPR are again eyeing Peterborough's young boss Darren Ferguson. The 36-year-old was in the frame for the job in the summer but the club's new owners opted for Iain Dowie. (News of the World)

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes will travel to the Middle East next month for talks with new chairman Khaldoon Al Maburak and will present the Abu Dhabi United Group with a transfer wish-list. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY

Sir Alex Ferguson has banned Manchester United players from holding their own Christmas party. The United boss has ruled out a repeat of last year's private gig when they bussed in groups of women to a luxury hotel in Manchester city centre. (News of the World)