TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are weighing up £5m move for Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic, 21, after scouting the Dinamo Zagreb midfielder during their Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy. (Daily Mirror) 

The Gunners are also interested Sevilla's £24m-rated Poland midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak but face competition from Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund for the 24-year-old's signature. (Daily Express) 

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has no intention of letting Germany striker Lukas Podolski, 29, leave in the January transfer window. (Bein Sports) 

Crystal Palace and Sunderland are tracking the progress of 24-year-old Senegal international Stephane Badji, who has a £600,000 release club with Norwegian club SK Brann. (Daily Mail) 

Bayern Munich are expecting to receive a January bid for Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri, 23, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham among those interested. (Daily Star) 

Napoli boss Rafael Benitez has ruled out a January move for Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli, 24, calling it a "hypothesis that I have never considered". (Liverpool Echo) 

Manchester City midfielder George Evans, 19, is training at Blackpool ahead of a possible loan move to Bloomfield Road. (Sky Sports) 

Liverpool and Arsenal face competition from Dynamo Moscow for 28-year-old Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, who is out of contract next summer. (Talksport) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England striker Wayne Rooney has ordered his team-mates not to be scared of Scotland in their friendly at Celtic Park. (Daily Star) 

Manchester United are facing an injury crisis with 10 first-team players set to be unavailable for Saturday's clash with Arsenal. (Independent) 

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has warned Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas and striker Diego Costa that their places in the national team are not guaranteed following their absence from the latest squad through injury . (The Times - subscription required) 

Manchester United are considering a post-season tour of the Far East or India as the club prepares to shed light on the financial cost of missing out on the Champions League with the release of quarterly figures for the opening months of this campaign. (Daily Telegraph) 

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has hinted strongly he will leave Italian club Napoli at the end of the season to rejoin his family on Merseyside, fuelling speculation of a possible Anfield return . (Daily Mirror) 

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is expected to be available for their trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday despite pulling out of the Italy squad with a hamstring injury. (Guardian) 

BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Jack Wilshere posted a picture on his Instagram  of his England team-mates closely huddled together on a bus to their aeroplane ahead of their flight to Glasgow for the friendly with Scotland with the message "Glasgow here we come! @alexoxchamberlain @chambers1995 @nathaniel_clyne #Welbz #Hendo".

Belgium international Dries Mertens has given an encouraging bulletin on his health after he was knocked out in his side's clash with Wales on Sunday. The forward posted a picture of himself on his Twitter account  giving the thumbs up from his hospital bed.

AND FINALLY

An England fan's experience of their 3-1 win over Slovenia at Wembley last week was ruined after his view was blocked by a butler delivering 16-inch hot dogs to fellow supporters. (Metro)