TRANSFER BATTLES: Bale, Mignolet, Torres, Bendtner, Zanetti, Joaquin, Cisse, Nani, Garay, Scholes, Laudrup, Coyle

Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to outbid Real Madrid in the £85million battle to sign Gareth Bale. The French champions are pursuing Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas and hope his capture as head coach will help convince Bale to follow.

However, even if Villas-Boas opts to stay in London, that will not dampen PSG's determination to win the bidding war for Bale and pay the huge fee in one go.



PSG have spent more than £200m on transfer fees since their 2011 takeover by Qatar Sport Investments, the company backed by the Qatari royal family, yet they accept it could take a world record to prise Bale from Tottenham. That is currently £80m, the fee Real Madrid paid to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo



Liverpool hope to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet for £8million in the next week. The Merseyside club have bid £7m but the Wearsiders are holding out for nearer £10m, with the clubs likely to reach a compromise.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has taken the initiative as speculation continues to link his current No 1 Pepe Reina with a switch to Barcelona, where Victor Valdes is refusing to sign a new deal.



Barcelona are back on the trail of young Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The 17-year-old impressed the Spanish club's scouts with his performance during the recent friendly with Manchester City in New York.

Chelsea placed the England youth international on a lucrative contract following interest from Barca and rivals City earlier this year but that has not deterred the Spaniards who are keen to strengthen their own youth ranks after losing players to English clubs in recent seasons.



Barcelona have also held initial talks over a £20million move for Fernando Torres. Coach Tito Vilanova has earmarked the Spain international as a striker who could fit into their budget as they prepare to overhaul their squad.

Barcelona are willing to listen to offers for 11 of their squad including Tottenham target David Villa and Thiago Alcantara who is wanted by Manchester City and United.



Borussia Monchengladbach want to sign Arsenal outcast Nicklas Bendtner. Manager Arsene Wenger is determined to off-load the Denmark striker, who earns £50,000 a week, and has made him available for £2m.

Bendtner, who has had unsuccessful loan spells with Sunderland and Juventus in last two seasons, claims five clubs are chasing him.



He said: ‘Arsenal have agreed with five clubs so now it is up to me to make a choice.

‘I will make that choice within the next 14 days. They are all good clubs. It is a hugely important choice I’m faced with. I must go where I am wanted. As a footballer, there is only one thing that can make you happy: playing time.’

The 25-year-old last appeared for Arsenal in August 2011, but turned down a move to Bundesliga side Hamburg earlier this year under the belief the club didn’t match his lofty aspirations.

But speaking this week, he added: ‘Will it be good for me to go to a big club where I risk the bench?

‘No, I’d rather go somewhere where the club is located just below the top where I can play every week. I can take a step back to take three forward.’

Injured Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti has been given a one-year contract extension by the Serie A club despite facing months out of action and turning 40 in August.

The Argentine defender, who has played more than 840 games for Inter, had an operation on his ruptured Achilles at the end of April and was told he faced six months on the sidelines.

'We talked at length about the injury and we decided to do another year together,' Zanetti told the club website (www.inter.it) on Wednesday.



'They have shown once again their belief in me and my passion for Inter.

'I hope I can repay them on the pitch for this gesture of affection and esteem.'

'I am doing everything I can to come back fit and healthy, and to be ready for the coach and my team-mates.'



Fiorentina have agreed to buy former Spain winger Joaquin from La Liga side Malaga pending a medical, the two clubs said on Wednesday

'Malaga would like to thank Joaquin for his dedication, professionalism and commitment to the club and wish him good luck in his first professional experience outside Spain,' Malaga said on their website.



Queens Park Rangers striker Djibril Cisse is on loan at Al-Gharafa and the Qatari club want to make the move permanent. Its been reported that the French striker is giving the proposal serious consideration.



Out-of-favour Manchester United winger Nani has his heart set on a move to Juventus or Monaco this summer. The Portuguese international has suffered an inconsistent couple of seasons at Old Trafford and is not in manager David Moyes’s plans.



Nani has attracted interest from Galatasaray in Turkey and from clubs in his home country but has told friends in Portugal that he would prefer a move to Italy or France. Juventus and Monaco both have an interest and have had informal talks with Nani’s representatives from Jorge Mendes’s Gestifute agency.

United, for their part, want in the region of £8million for the player.



Reports in Portugal suggested that United have a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Benfica for Argentinian central defender Ezequiel Garay.

Sportsmail revealed United’s interest in the 26-year-old last winter but the club distanced themselves from the latest reports yesterday.



Meanwhile, former United midfielder Paul Scholes — who retired at the end of last season — is still waiting to be invited for talks about a coaching role at Old Trafford. The former England star is expected eventually to become part of United’s youth coaching set-up.



Relations between Swansea City and Michael Laudrup fell to a new low last night, with the club severing all ties with their manager’s representative.

There was a massive disagreement between chairman Huw Jenkins and Laudrup’s agent of more than 20 years, Bayram Tutumlu, is partially responsible for the bust-up that could lead to the Dane’s departure this summer.

Finally, Wigan see Steve McClaren and Owen Coyle as the top two candidates to succeed Roberto Martinez and the club hope to make an announcement today

Owner Dave Whelan has revealed he wanted to focus on managers who are out of work, which seemingly rules out Gus Poyet, on gardening leave at Brighton, MK Dons’ Karl Robinson and Charlton’s Chris Powell.



‘I have tried to stay away from managers who are in work at the moment because there is a fee involved with those,’ Whelan said.

‘There are plenty of excellent managers who are looking for a job. There are quite a few well-known lads out there.

‘We will be finished interviewing today. I’ve told the ones I’ve already spoken to that there will be a decision made tomorrow.’