Saturday's paper gossip round-up
Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 1:47 PM | by Ben McAleer 
United want the new Luka Modric, Fulham want a midfielder and Rodgers tells Downing to go hard or go home.
Manchester United are battling Real Madrid for 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.
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.
Arsenal are tracking FC Basel's Austrian defender Aleksandar Dragovic, 21, who was the subject of a £2m bid from Norwich City last summer.
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.
And Rodgers has set his sights on Champions League qualification this season.
Full Story: Liverpool Daily Post
Goalkeeper Joe Hart has declared that Manchester City's shaky start to their Premier League title defence is inexplicable.
Tottenham midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson says it was the north London club's greater ambition which persuaded him to reject Liverpool in favour of White Hart Lane.
Steve Kean's resignation as Blackburn Rovers manager has disappointed Venky's, the club's owners, according to managing director Derek Shaw.
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 says the eagerness of Brian McDermott attracted him to the newly-promoted Premier League club - after the Royals boss gatecrashed his honeymoon in Dubai.
Forres Mechanics manager Charlie Rowley is confident his Highland League side can pull off a major shock against Rangers in the Scottish Cup.
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.
David Beckham has revealed that his son Romeo has spurned the chance to support his father's former club Man United to follow Arsenal instead.
