Rumour Mill: Diego Costa close to Chelsea move, Manchester United after Luke Shaw, Jurgen Klopp

THE world’s most in-demand striker takes a step closer towards moving to Chelsea, while Man United keeps an eye on a new defender and a new manager.

TODAY’S Rumour Mill kicks off with a humdinger — the chances of the world’s most in-demand striker going to Chelsea just went up dramatically.

Atletico Madrid star Diego Costa may be nursing a sore leg after coming off second best in a clash with a post during his team’s win over Getafe earlier this week, but the pain may be eased by news he’s in line for a £185,000-a-week to move to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Atletico manager Diego Simeone spoke with astounding honesty when asked about the scenario he’s faced with, as the world’s clubs circle the Brazilian-born Spain striker.

“It will depend on him and what he thinks is best for his future,” Simeone told radio station Onda Cero.

News_Rich_Media: Atletico Madrid have edged closer to their 10th La Liga crown, going three points clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Getafe.

“I will support any decision he makes. It’s natural that Chelsea are interested in him and that makes me happy, because my aim and that of my coaching staff is to see our players improve.

“We understand that Chelsea have huge financial power and if he wants to live off football for the rest of his life, I will have no problem in him going.

“It was like Radamel Falcao — how could I tell him not to go to Monaco? He gave life to this club.”

Despite missing a penalty this week, Costa has still found the back of the net 26 times this season — two less than Cristiano Ronaldo — to put Atletico in pole position to take out the La Liga title.

A move for him to Chelsea could potentially spell the end of Fernando Torres’s time at Stamford Bridge.

News_Rich_Media: The top five goals form round 34 of the Premier League.

LUKE A SHAW THING FOR UNITED?

The hype surrounding young Southampton defender Luke Shaw continues to go through the roof, with the Daily Mail reporting he’s on the verge of signing a £30 million pound deal to take him to Manchester United.

The Red Devils have been locked in a battle with Chelsea — and Real Madrid, if reports from last week are to be believed — to sign the highly-rated left-back, and it now appears United has moved ahead in that fight.

News_Image_File: Luke Shaw looks destined for a move away from Southampton at the end of the season.

Working in David Moyes’ favour is the fact he can just about guarantee Shaw will be first-choice at Old Trafford, with veteran Frenchman Patrice Evra reportedly on the way out, whereas he’d have to beat out competition from the likes of César Azpilicueta and Ashley Cole at Stamford Bridge.

In more good news for United fans, the Daily Mail is reporting chief executive Ed Woodward is working hard to bring Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho to Manchester.

The Portuguese star has a whopping £37 million buy-out clause but United is hopeful of working its way around that. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

News_Rich_Media: Liverpool's stunning 3-2 victory over Manchester City at Anfield is the headline moment for round 34 of the Premier League.

ALL IN FOR ORIGI

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers seems rather pleased with his squad at the moment, and rightly so, with the Reds on the cusp of winning the EPL title for the first time in over two decades.

But that hasn’t stopped the Northern Irishman from looking for players to add for next season, and atop that list is a teenager named Divock Origi, according to The Daily Mirror.

News_Image_File: Divock Origi (L) has former Chelsea star Salomon Kalou (C) as a teammate at Lille.

The Belgian has scored five goals for French side Lille this season and has also caught the eye of Liverpool’s English rivals Arsenal.

MOYES CAN’T KLOPP JURGEN

Now that we’ve got that horrific pun out of the way, it’s time for some bad news for David Moyes.

The Mirror is reporting Borussia Dortmund manager and master of amusing facial expressions Jurgen Klopp is atop a list to replace Moyes if the powers that be at Old Trafford decide they’ve seen enough after a disastrous first season in charge.

Klopp won many admirers while guiding Dortmund to the Champions League final last season and has a proven track record of developing young players into superstars — Mario Goetze and Marco Reus chief amongst them.

News_Image_File: Dortmund's Jurgen Klopp has won many admirers in Europe.

Those skills would be handy at United given the club is ripe for regeneration next season.

In more news that is unlikely to endear Moyes to Klopp, Dortmund has re-signed gun midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

The Scottish manager has supposedly had his eye on the 23-year-old German for a while but hopes of bringing him to Old Trafford appeared distant when Dortmund posted a photo on its Twitter account of Gundogan putting pen to paper on a deal that runs until 2016.

BEN ARFA RUFFLING FEATHERS ON TYNESIDE

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse at Newcastle, one of their most gifted players may be agitating for a move away from Tyneside.

Hatem Ben Arfa has, according to the Daily Mail, been involved in some heated exchanges with both teammates and management in recent weeks, with the latter displeased with the Frenchman’s fitness — or lack thereof.

News_Image_File: Hatem Ben Arfa is ruffling some feathers at Newcastle United.

Meanwhile, Alan Pardew has found some spare time in between copping insults from Geordie fans and putting out snarky remarks about the local media to prepare for a play at Ajax midfielder Siem de Jong.

Pardew missed out on the talented Dutchman last year but is looking at having a second bite at the cherry at the end of this season.

BARKLEY TO LIVERPOOL? TELL ‘EM THEY’RE DREAMING

Everton has had to part ways with brilliant young talent plenty of times in the past — a lad called Rooney springs to mind — but it’s not often that said talent heads across the other side of town to Liverpool.

So you can understand why Toffees manager Roberto Martinez could only laugh when asked about rumours the red half of Merseyside was preparing to make a £38 million bid for Ross Barkley.

News_Image_File: Ross Barkley to Liverpool? No chance.

“Well according to speculation, we turned down £50m from Man United so we certainly wouldn’t accept £38m from Liverpool,” Martinez said.

Sounds pretty reasonable to us.