The top stories from papers and websites - 27 April 2012

• Chelsea are lining up a £35m summer swoop for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, who is seen as the ideal replacement for Didier Drogba.


• Meanwhile, Madrid boss Jose Mourinho wants to sign Manchester City Sergio Aguero if Higuain does depart.


• Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini may recall striker Mario Balotelli for Monday's derby with United and has confirmed he intends to beat a host of top clubs to the signature of Lille star Eden Hazard.


• Aston Villa could turn to Norwich boss Paul Lambert if they sack Alex McLeish.


• Liverpool have agreed a deal to film exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of their dressing room for a documentary. Filming for the six-part programme, which is to be produced by American broadcaster Fox Soccer, will begin next month.


• Leicester City have placed a £5m price-tag on Kasper Schmeichel. Spurs and Bundesliga side Schalke are both planning summer moves for the Foxes keeper.

• Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will open his chequebook in a bid to persuade Pep Guardiola to manage Chelsea after he is expected to confirm later today that he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season.


• Spurs defender Vedran Corluka, on loan at German club Bayer Leverkusen, says Harry Redknapp is to blame for the north London club's "failing" season.


• Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has been invited to the FA Cup final as a VIP guest following his remarkable recovery from an on-pitch cardiac arrest.


• Everton boss David Moyes is ready to snap up Wigan's Senegalese midfielder Mohamed Diame on a free transfer in the summer, but he could face competition from Newcastle. The 24-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season.


• Leeds boss Neil Warnock has signed a new deal and is set to make Portsmouth central defender Jason Pearce his first signing.

• Chelsea look set to miss out on Pep Guardiola as their new boss as the Spaniard wants a break from football.


• Championship side Leicester are set to allow Matt Mills, Jermaine Beckford, Paul Konchesky, Sean St Ledger, Sol Bamba and Lee Peltier to leave the club in the summer.

• Chelsea, Manchester City and both Milan clubs want Pep Guardiola as their manager after he is expected to step down as Barcelona head coach today.


• Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted for the first time that neighbours City are now their main rivals - not Liverpool.


• Feyenoord look set to land Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt after former team-mate Salomon Kalou confirmed the striker wants to head home.


• Sunderland are hoping they can entice Blackburn winger Junior Hoilett to stay in the Premier League if Rovers are relegated next month - but Bayern Munich and Marseille are also interested.


• Former England boss Fabio Capello hopes to land a job in the Premier League and insists he has no intention of retiring.


• Full-back Ian Harte will sign a new contract with Championship winners Reading.


• Leeds manager Neil Warnock wants to sign striker El Hadji Diouf - the man he branded a "sewer rat" last year.

• Kenny Dalglish says he will have no problem welcoming Alberto Aquilani back to Anfield if AC Milan decide against signing him permanently.

• Chelsea are expected to make a formal approach for Pep Guardiola to take over as their manager if the Spaniard quits Barcelona today.

• Arjen Robben has fired the opening salvos when he said that Bayern Munich would dismantle Chelsea if they tried to "park the bus" in the Champions League final next month.


• Paris Saint-Germain are ready to make a summer swoop for Luka Modric. The mega-rich French club believe Spurs will not be able to hold on to their prize asset again, after keeping him out of Chelsea's clutches last year.

• Brian Kennedy is on the verge of joining up with Paul Murray to force through a joint bid to buy Rangers.


• Former boss Walter Smith believes Rangers could be relegated next season if they fail to overturn the SFA's 12-month transfer embargo.


• Gers winger Sone Aluko is set to reject a lucrative move to Swiss club FC Sion.

• Arsenal are reported to be in 'advanced negotiations' with French club Rennes over the signature of Yann M'Vila. It is thought the French international, who has been capped 18 times by his country, could set the Gunners back around £22 million.

• Owen Hargreaves will not be offered a new deal by Manchester City at the end of the season, a decision that could spell the end of his career given his injury record.

• AC Milan are hoping to lure Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou to the San Siro this summer.


• Borussia Dortmund have given Manchester United and Chelsea target Shinji Kagawa until the end of the month to commit his future to the club.

• Reading are preparing a summer swoop for Blackburn striker Yakubu , if Rovers are relegated.