Gossip: Ranieri, Mancini, Hiddink, Pearson, Rooney, De Gea

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Alternatively, Leicester's players had no idea the 65-year-old was about to be dismissed. (Daily Star)

Ranieri was not expecting to be sacked by the Premier League champions and "knew nothing about the club's decision". (Calciomercato)

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is the favourite to take over at King Power Stadium. (Daily Star)

Ex-Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink is also among those under consideration for the job. (Telegraph)

Some Leicester players want former boss Nigel Pearson to return to the club. (Times - subscription only)

• Ranieri sacked nine months after title win
• Reaction: Ranieri sacking unforgivable - Lineker
• Analysis: Were Leicester right to sack Ranieri?

Real Madrid will try to tempt Manchester United into selling Spain goalkeeper David de Gea, 26, by offering France defender Raphael Varane, 23, in return. (Don Balon, via Daily Express)

England striker Wayne Rooney will leave Manchester United at the end of the season despite insisting on Thursday he is staying at Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

Everton had a bid for Rooney, 31, rejected in January and could try to re-sign him in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal's players are convinced manager Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract that keeps the Frenchman at Emirates Stadium for the next two seasons. (Times - subscription only)

Gunners right-back Hector Bellerin, 21, is open to a return to Barcelona should Wenger leave the club this summer. (Mundo Deportivo, via Guardian)

Atletico Madrid have told Manchester United they want to keep striker Antoine Griezmann, 25, for one more season but have lined up Lyon forward and France team-mate Alexandre Lacazette, also 25, as a possible replacement. (Telegraph)

Juventus' Brazil right-back Dani Alves, 33, could be reunited with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City next season. (Daily Mail)

Arsenal face competition from Juventus to sign 18-year-old Monaco's France Under-19 striker Kylian Mbappe, who scored in the 5-3 Champions League defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday. (Bleacher Report)

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, is in line for a huge bonus after surpassing 20 goals for the season. (Sun)

England manager Gareth Southgate is considering calling up Burnley striker Andre Gray. The 25-year-old has scored seven Premier League goals this season. (Daily Mail)

Benfica's president has flown in for talks with Manchester United about Portugal right-back Nelson Semedo, 23, and is also negotiating a deal with Manchester City for Brazil goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, 23. (A Bola, via Sun)

United have given a trial to 16-year-old Helsingborgs forward Alex Timossi Andersson, who also trained with Bayern Munich earlier this season. (Expressen, via Manchester Evening News)

Chelsea tried to sign Inter Milan winger Jonathan Biabiany, 28, in January but ran out of time to finalise the deal, according to the Frenchman's agent. (Calciomercato)

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And finally

Bournemouth want their players to wear orange glasses for two hours before they go to bed to reduce the effects of blue light emitted by mobile phones, tablets and televisions. (Sun)