Friday transfer gossip

• Wayne Bridge is set to come to Manchester on Friday to discuss personal terms - it is widely reported now that a £12million fee was agreed with Chelsea. The Sun suggests Bridge will be offered a 4 year deal on £100k/week (£5.2m/year, or £21m total) - an increase on his £70k/week at Chelsea.

• Shay Given is looking for a way out of Newcastle United, and has mentioned that City are interested. A statement released by his lawyer, Michael Kennedy, says that Given is "very despondent" after the 5-1 loss to Liverpool and now "feels compelled to consider his position" at Newcastle. The story is in Friday's Mail and Independent. There has been some online chatter about a move for Given over the last 24 hours, and he could be exactly the experienced foil for Joe Hart we're looking for.

• The Times reports we've made a new £8million bid for Scott Parker. This is not a big increase on the £7.5m offer we had turned down on December 29th. But West Ham Chief Executive Scott Duxbury made a statement this week saying that "we must not be afraid of interest in or bids for our leading players. Each approach will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career". Essentially an admission that everyone has a price, this suggests that we won't struggle to buy Parker. Now left back is sorted, a new central midfielder becomes a bigger priority. I'd love to gamble on a big name like Senna or Cambiasso, but our league position means we cannot afford to risk buying someone without Premier League experience.

• Valencia officials have admitted that Davids Villa and Silva are up for sale, for 'an exorbitant offer'. Exorbitant is what we do best, so Valencia's cash crisis could play into our hands here. Basically, they are in terrible debt and President Vicente Soriano has said "We will fight to give the club the economic stability that it needs. Right now that is the most important thing - more than any kind of sporting success" - an admission even plainer than Scott Duxbury's. Of course, David Villa would rather hang on six months then join Real. But Valencia's financial crisis could just force him to City.