By Samuel Ekun
Spanish champions Atletico Madrid claim they have turned down an offer from Manchester City for 19-year-old defender Jose Gimenez. (Daily Mirror) (external)
Manchester United are set to make striker Radamel Falcao’s loan deal from Monaco permanent within the coming days after becoming satisfied that the 28-year-old Colombia star is “fully up to scratch physically”. (Metro) (external)
Tottenham are interested in signing Everton midfielder James McCarthy. The 24-year-old cost the Toffees £13m when he joined them in September 2013. (Daily Mail) (external)
Midfielder Frank Lampard, 36, could stay at Manchester City beyond the end of this season, says the club’s manager Manuel Pellegrini. (Guardian) (external)
Birmingham City aim to keep hold of 18-year-old winger Demarai Gray after rejecting a £1.5m bid from Championship leaders Bournemouth. (Birmingham Mail) (external)
Central defender Martin Demichelis, 34, will be offered a new one-year deal with Manchester City to keep him at the club until the summer of 2016.(Manchester Evening News) (external)
OTHER GOSSIPS
Didier Drogba is set to hang up his boots at the end of the season as Chelsea close in on the signing of Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric, with the 36-year-old striker set to take up a coaching role under Jose Mourinho instead. (Daily Express) (external)
Ryan Bertrand, 25, is ready to sign a permanent deal at Southampton when his season-long loan from Chelsea comes to an end. (Setanta.com) (external)
West Brom have tempted former Stoke and Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis back into management with a massive salary and transfer budget.(Sun, subscription required) (external)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho may face a ban from the Football Association after he criticised the fitness of referee Phil Dowd following the Blues’ 5-3 defeat by Tottenham on Thursday. (Times, subscription required) (external)
Mourinho also says that attacking midfielder Eden Hazard, 23, needs to be protected by referees or the Belgium international will leave the Premier League.(Daily Telegraph) (external)
Manchester United’s Ashley Young, 29, who can play in midfield or as a wing-back, will be out for at least a month because of a hamstring injury. (Sun, subscription required) (external)
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has called for a greater use of television technology to decide controversial moments. It comes after the Foxes conceded a dubious penalty in their 2-2 draw at Liverpool. (Times, subscription required) (external)
Derby boss Steve McClaren has dismissed speculation linking him with the vacant Newcastle United manager’s job. (Newcastle Chronicle) (external)
BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
A New York City fan posted a ‘missing poster’ of Frank Lampard on Twitter (external) after the 36-year-old midfielder extended his loan deal at Manchester City.
Tottenham winger Andros Townsend, 23, paid tribute on Twitter (external) to team-mate Harry Kane after his two-goal heroics helped the North London club beat Chelsea 5-3 on Thursday. He wrote: “He’s one of our own, he’s one of our oooown @hkane28 he’s one of our own!! What a win! Great start to 2015!”
AND FINALLY…
It was not just Townsend who was impressed with Kane as the 21-year-old striker was bombarded with marriage proposals following the victory over Chelsea.(Daily Star)
