Rumour Mill: Chelsea, Liverpool and the two Manchester sides all reportedly ready to deal

Chelsea are baulking at spending big
money and the two Manchesters lining up
their respective January targets headline
Tuesday's Rumour Mill. Have your say!
The January transfer window is now open with
clubs ready for business in a bid to boost their
squads for the second half of the season.
Who do you think are the leading
contenders for a January transfer window
move? Which players would you like to see
arriving at your club? Or departing from
your club? Leave a comment at the foot of
the story to join the conversation.
Darren Bent has Anfield admirers
Liverpool may be ready to bid for Aston Villa
striker Darren Bent, who has become unsettled in
Birmingham "following a summer of change and
a succession of niggly injuries", Daily Mail reports.
Bent joined Villa from Sunderland for £24 million
in the 2011 January transfer window, but he has
recently expressed frustration at the lack of
service he is receiving at the club.
He has also incurred the wrath of fans by missing
Villa’s 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool - opting to
go Christmas shopping instead.
Bent has a number of admirers in the Anfield
hierarchy, including director of football Damien
Comolli - who oversaw the striker's 2007 £16.5m
transfer from Charlton Athletic to Tottenham
Hotspur.
Bent's prospective move from Villa Park could
free funds to allow the club to make a short-term
move for Robbie Keane.
Villa keen on Robbie
Villa boss Alex McLeish wants to take Robbie
Keane back to the Barclays Premier League, on a
short-term deal as the Republic of Ireland striker
takes a break at the end of the United States Major
League Soccer season.
Keane could be open to the plan, to keep himself
fit before heading back to Los Angeles Galaxy and
building up for the Euro 2012 finals with his
country.
Keane needs clearance from the Galaxy and the
MLS - plus a big insurance payment - to facilitate
the move, but The Mirror reports that Villa are
keen to secure a deal similar to that achieved by
Arsenal for Thierry Henry.
Chelsea seeking 'Jack Rodwell
replacement'
Blackburn Rovers midfielder Steven Nzonzi is on
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas's list of
transfer targets for January, Metro reports citing
reports in France.
The Blues have previously been linked with
Newcastle United's Cheick Tiote and Everton's Jack
Rodwell as Villas-Boas seeks for a physical
presence in midfield.
But that pair are each valued in excess of £20
million by their clubs, leading Chelsea to explore
other options.
France Football has reported that Nzonzi, 23, has
been monitored by Blues scouts with a view to
making a formal bid when the transfer window
opens.
Nzonzi is rated a £7 million player.
United looking towards 'heaven'
Lille playmaker Eden Hazard could be on his way
to Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson
offering £25 million plus a number of squad
players in exchange for the Belgian youngster,
caughtoffside.com reports.
Ferguson is reported want the Belgian, 20, so
much that he is prepared to sweeten the deal by
loaning the attacking midfielder back to the Ligue 1
club for the remainder of the season.
Hazard has scored seven goals and chipped in
with five assists this season as Lille went into the
winter break on the third rung of the ladder
behind Montpellier and big-spending Paris Saint-
Germain.
Darron Gibson, Mame Biram Diouf and Michael
Owen are reported to be among the squad
players offered to Lille in addition to the transfer
fee.
And, of course, Man City have to feature in
Rumour Mill
Manchester City are always going to be linked
with a large number of prospective targets, given
their exponential backing from Abu Dhabi, but the
Sun's report that Roberto Mancini wants to sign
Daniele de Rossi from AS Roma carry more
weight than most rumours.
Mancini is a known admirer of de Rossi, 28, and
Roma could be tempted into business as the
player is out of contract in the nothern summer.
City also need cover for Yaya Toure, who may
miss six weeks of the Barclays Premier League
season on African Cup of Nations duty with Ivory
Coast.
"De Rossi is a champion and would be the perfect
man for City," the Sun quoted Mancini as saying.