Saturday's gossip column - transfers and rumours

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are battling Real Madrid to the signature of teenage Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Alen Halilovic. The Croatian, 16, is already being compared to Luka Modric - who was a United target before moving from Tottenham to the La Liga giants.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos
Kyriakos Papadopoulos has signed for Schalke until 2016
Greece defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos,  a rumoured target for Manchester United, has signed a new contract at German club Schalke. The 20-year-old centre-back has extended his deal until 2016.
Everton manager David Moyes has yet to open talks over a new contract - but insists nothing "sinister" should be read into the situation.
Fulham boss Martin Jol is close to a deal to bolster the centre of his midfield.

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed that he dropped Carlos Tevez for last Sunday's match against Arsenal because he felt the striker had lost his fitness.
Former Liverpool winger John Barnes says the punishments handed out to Luis Suarez and John Terry will not rid football of racism.
Brendan Rodgers has questioned whether winger Stewart Downing has the fight to play for Liverpool.
Joe Hart
Joe Hart has yet to keep a clean sheet this season
And Rodgers has set his sights on Champions League qualification this season.
Goalkeeper Joe Hart, 25, has declared that Manchester City's shaky start to their Premier League title defence is inexplicable.
Tottenham midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, 23, says it was the north London club's greater ambition which persuaded him to reject Liverpool in favour of White Hart Lane.
Hoffenheim midfielder Boris Vukcevic, 22,  has been put in an induced coma after receiving 'life-threatening' injuries in a road accident, the German club has announced.
Reading summer signing Danny Guthrie, 25, says the eagerness of Brian McDermott attracted him to the newly-promoted Premier League club - after the Royals boss gatecrashed his honeymoon in Dubai.

AND FINALLY

American hip-hop star Snoop Dogg showed his skills are better suited to the stage rather than the football pitch - after missing two open goals in a television appearance.