Bayern Munich's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Confirms Interest in Borussia Dortmund Playmaker & Arsenal Target Mario Gotze

The Bundesliga giants have made it clear that they are closely monitoring the playmaker's situation and stress that his current club may not decide what his next move will be.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has rubbished suggestions that Borussia Dortmund will be the ones to determine where Mario Gotze's future lies.

Borussia Dortmund supremo Hans-Joachim Watzke recently stated that there is no chance that Gotze would leave the Bundesliga champions for another German club, but Rummenigge refuses to rule out the suggestion that the 19-year-old will ply his trade at the Allianz Arena in the future.

"Those kinds of comments are quite remarkable. There are three parties involved in a transfer. It remains to be seen whether the player agrees with him," Rummenigge was quoted as saying by Sport Bild.

"There's no doubt about it that Mario is a fantastic player. He fully deserves all the recent praise. He not only plays very spectacular, but is also quite efficient.

"And we all know that Bayern have a preference for players who represent Germany at international level..."

Gotze has a contract until the summer of 2014 with Borussia Dortmund and was a target for Arsenal in the summer transfer window.

Louis van Gaal in Talks Over Vacant Hamburg Job

Former Bayern Munich boss Louis van Gaal is in talks with Hamburg over their vacant coaching position, according to a report from Sport1.

The northern outfit have recorded only one point in their first six Bundesliga games, which prompted the club to part company with head coach Michael Oenning on Monday.

Now the Dutch trainer has reportedly been speaking with club chiefs in a bid to iron out a deal which would see him take over the struggling side.

The 60-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by the Bavarian giants in April after two seasons at the helm. During his time at the Allianz Arena, he led Bayern to a league and cup double in 2010, as well as an appearance in the Champions League final.

Van Gaal also has previous coaching experience with Ajax, Barcelona, AZ and the Dutch national side, but another former Netherlands boss, Marco van Basten, remains in contention for the Hamburg job.

Ajax Could Cash In On Arsenal and Liverpool Target

Ajax will decide whether or not to sell Arsenal and Liverpool target Jan Vertonghen depending on how they fare in the Champions League group stage.

The talented defender has attracted strong interest from the Premier League pair in the past and is also on the radar of a host of other clubs across Europe.

Ajax hope to cling onto him until at least the summer, but may consider selling if they fail to progress into the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

The Dutch club have been drawn alongside Real Madrid, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb in a tough-looking group, and could cash in on Vertonghen if they fail to make the lucrative second round.

Incidentally, Group D opponents Lyon are one of the clubs keeping tabs on the 24-year-old Belgian and, according to reports in France, the Ligue 1 side could be ready to firm up their interest with a January bid.

But, should Ajax decide to sell in the New Year, Lyon could face stiff opposition from Liverpool and Arsenal given their previous interest.

Birmingham Willing To Re-sign Crock McFadden

Chris Hughton has told James McFadden he could still have a future at Birmingham.

The out-of-contract Scotland forward has been on the look-out for a new club while he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out of action since last September.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is monitoring the situation with a view to offering the 28-year-old the chance to re-build his career at Molineux.

But Hughton, who is desperate to add bodies to a squad decimated by owner Carson Yeung’s post-relegation fire-sale this summer, feels McFadden could still earn a new deal at St Andrew’s.

Chris Hughton has told James McFadden he could still have a future at Birmingham.

The out-of-contract Scotland forward has been on the look-out for a new club while he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out of action since last September.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is monitoring the situation with a view to offering the 28-year-old the chance to re-build his career at Molineux.

But Hughton, who is desperate to add bodies to a squad decimated by owner Carson Yeung’s post-relegation fire-sale this summer, feels McFadden could still earn a new deal at St Andrew’s.

“He has been training with us for a good while now - since the summer. He’s one we’re still assessing,” said Hughton.

“He’s training on the back of quite a big injury, and the club knew it was going to take him a period of time to recover.

“With that, it’s about making sure he completes his rehab and getting into football work. He’s a player of very, very good ability and he has shown that in the past.”

Hughton is also scouring the loan market for new blood and also considering the possibility of offering a new deal to Stuart Parnaby, who is also a free agent after his deal with Blues expired in the summer.

Arsenal Plot Move to Sign Barcelona Starlet Wing Wizard

Arsenal are reportedly monitoring Barcelona youngster Rafa Alcantara with a view to making a move to capture the teenager in January.

Gunners scouts have been watching the 18 year old in action for Barcelona’s B team where the Brazilian has made an immediate impact. Rafa is more commonly referred to as Rafinha, and is the younger brother of midfielder Thiago Alcantara who is currently on the fringes of the Nou Camp first team after a successful pre-season with the Catalan club.

Unlike his brother, Rafa has opted to represent Brazil even though he has represented Spain at Under 16, 18 and 19 level. The speedy winger can also ply his trade in an attacking midfield role and is said to be a player that Arsene Wenger is taking particular attention to.

The Sao Paulo born starlet is said to be hedging his bets in contract terms and is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal which has led many interested parties to believe that he may be considering his options.

Clearly Wenger is known for trusting to youth and has picked up a number of top young talents from across Europe to ply alongside those coming through the ranks at the Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal boss is also well known for bringing in youngsters from Barcelona, having brought in Cesc Fabregas to North London as well as Jon Toral in the more recent past.

Tottenham Send Scouts to Watch Portuguese Prospect in Action

After an impressive display in the 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is already looking at ways to further strengthen his squad.

Spurs have bounced back from defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City and are now showing signs of the form that saw them push for a top four finish last season.

Tottenham scouts have twice been to watch Portuguese midfielder Eder in action for his club Academica Coimbra and are said to have been impressed with the young talent.

The 23-year-old holding midfielder has just one year left on his contract, but the clubs directors would rather cash in on the player during the January window.

Academia do not want the player to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires and would reportedly be willing to accept an offer in the region of £2million.

Spurs let Wilson Palacios join Stoke during the summer, but the club do still have Sandro and Scott Parker competing for a starting role as a defensive midfielder.

However, the club are still showing real interest in Eder and could decide to pick up the player in January.

Manchester United Eye Scottish Starlet

Skysports.com understands that Manchester United are hot on the trail of Dundee United starlet Scott Allan.

The 19-year-old midfielder has made his breakthrough at Tannadice this season and a number of clubs are already queuing up to catch him in action.

He is also a Scotland Under 21 international, with a series of excellent displays on the international scene leading to speculation back in August about his future, with Newcastle mentioned before deadline day.

Now skysports.com understands that Manchester United are one of the clubs keeping tabs on him.

Martin Ferguson attended Dundee United's clash with Dunfermline last month with the purpose of catching Allan in action, but on the day he did not make it off the bench.

But with Sir Alex dispatching his brother, and most trusted scout north of the border, it is a clear indication that Allan has made a big impact.

It is also believed that Allan is yet to agree a new contract at Tannadice, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Should Allan decide to leave and move to England then the Tangerines would only be due minimal compensation.

Old Firm giants Rangers and Celtic are also well aware of Allan, but the chance of a move to the Premier League could be too much for any young Scot to turn down.

United boss Peter Houston has already confirmed talks are on-going over a new deal, and they remain hopeful he could be persuaded that his short-term future is best served on Tayside.

McCarthy Eager To Sign McFadden

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is keen on signing striker James McFadden after a successful trial period at Molineux.

McFadden departed Birmingham at the end of last season after an option on his contract was not taken up by the Carling Cup holders.

The Scottish international is keen to resurrect his career after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury 13 months ago and has impressed McCarthy in training this week.

McCarthy said: "I sincerely hope there are going to be some developments with McFadden. He has looked fine this week with us, I want to sign him.

"When will that happen and how far down the road we are, I don't know.

"But he is a talented lad and a good character and has fitted in really well.

"He has enjoyed it, at least I think he has, and he will be a great addition to our squad, definitely.

Premier League Switch Appeals To Parolo

Highly-rated Cesena midfielder Marco Parolo has declared that he would relish the opportunity to ply his trade in English football but admits he is a long way off being ready to play for a team like Chelsea.

Reports in Italy have suggested that the Blues considered a move for the 26-year-old during this summer's transfer window after being impressed with his performances in Serie A.

Parolo has blossomed into a high-class performer over the past couple of seasons and made his senior international debut for Italy in March.

He hopes to one day try his luck in another top European competition such as the Premier League or Germany's Bundesliga, but recognises that he still has to improve if he is to earn a move to somewhere like Stamford Bridge.

Parolo also made it clear that it was not his immediate target to go elsewhere as he continues to enjoy life with Cesena and hopes to have a successful season at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi.

Style

"I am not your traditional Italian midfielder as I have a lot of different characteristics than others," Parolo told Goal.com. "I really admire Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.

"The Premier League and the Bundesliga are leagues where they play a type of football that's very similar to my style.

"Chelsea are a very big club and I still have plenty of progress to make before I'm ready for a team like them.

"Let's not get carried away and take one step at a time. I'm feeling very well at Cesena for now and want to repay them for the faith they've shown in me."

Swedish Striker Emerges As 'Legitimate' Arsenal Target

Arsenal are being linked with a £12 million move for Swedish striker Ola Toivonen.

The PSV Eindhoven forward was linked with a move to England in the summer, with both Liverpool and the Gunners though to be keen on bringing the 25-year-old to the Barclays Premier League.

It's Arsenal who now solely lead the charge though, with talkSPORT reporting that the Emirates outfit have highlighted the prolific player as a 'legitimate' target.

A £12 million price-tag placed on the player's head by his Eredivisie club is not thought to be an issue for Arsenal, who have money to spend following the sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the transfer window.

With Maraoune Chamakh failing to ignite in north London and Nicklas Bendtner destined to stay away from Arsenal on completion of his loan at Sunderland, the Gunners now appear to be in the market for a striker despite the arrivals of Gervinho and Park Chu-Young in July and August respectively.

Toivonen, who has scored 35 goals in 76 Eredivisie appearances for PSV in Holland, could be the attacking answer for Arsenal, who could potentially make their move in January.