New Year's Day gossip column - transfers and rumours

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TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool have had a loan bid for Barcelona striker David Villa rejected. The Spanish club want a £16m permanent deal for the 31-year-old.
Arsenal have offered £10m for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez. This fails to meet the £14.7m release clause in the 24-year-old's contract though.
Paris Saint-Germain say they have not approached Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, 32, about moving to France when his contract expires in the summer.
Swansea are ready to make a move for Bolton defender Marcos Alonso, 22, in the January transfer window.
Stoke have told veteran defender Danny Higginbotham, 34, he can leave the club in January, but it's unlikely he will join Ipswich, where he's been playing on loan.
Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will fight it out for the signature of Crystal Palace's £10m-rated forward Wilfried Zaha, 20.
Sunderland are weighing up a move for 21-year-old Inter Milan midfielder Joel Obi, who is rated at £5m but has made just one Serie A appearance this season in a campaign blighted by injury.
Juventus are ready to offer £5m plus full-back Paolo De Ceglie in order to beat Manchester City to 20-year-old Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang.

OTHER GOSSIP

Tottenham, Fulham, Stoke, West Brom, West Ham and Aston Villa all turned down the chance to sign Michu. The Spaniard, 26, instead moved to Swansea for £2.2m and is the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League, with 13.
Midfielder Joe Allen believes his Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez is "unstoppable" in his current form.
Chelsea's Victor Moses is glad he chose to play international football for Nigeria instead of England.
Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla, 28, believes he has achieved "great things" since moving to Arsenal in the summer

AND FINALLY

Former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf gave an excellent rendition of Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay on Portuguese television.