World Football Gossip Roundup: Higuain, Sterling, Moyes Turns 10, M'Vila, Pogba

In the absence of B/R's lead blogger Mike Cummings, who has been granted leave from writing duties for an entire day to prepare for Friday's Champions League draw madness (you could call it a day off), it falls on me to deliver today's gossip roundup.

As usual, transfer tittle-tattle leads the way—with mentions for a Real Madrid striker who is determined to focus on playing for Real Madrid and a Manchester United youngster who may yet stay a Manchester United youngster.

I'll be brief and to the point. Here's the gossip roundup for Tuesday, March 13 on planet football.

Higuain: Leave Me Alone Until the End of the Season

Manchester City and Chelsea continue to be frantically linked with Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, but the Argentine is playing it cool.

"I am not going to talk about my future," Higuain is quoted at Talksport.co.uk today. "I will devote my attention to Real Madrid for the remaining months of the season and try to do my job to help the team."

Higuain scored in Madrid's 3-2 win against Betis at the weekend, but his starting spot is far from assured in Jose Mourinho's team with the likes of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo hanging around.

Expect this one to run and run until the end of the season.

Spurs Want Liverpool Teenager

According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham are lingering with intent around 17-year-old Liverpool prospect Raheem Sterling.

Sterling is yet to break into the first team at Anfield, and the suggestion here is that Spurs will offer him more senior opportunities if he agrees to join them.

The report claims Spurs are sending a scout to watch Sterling in action for Liverpool's youth team against Ajax tomorrow night.

Here's a nice little show reel of the man in action.

Moyes Turns 10 at Everton

David Moyes will celebrate his 10th anniversary as Everton manager on Wednesday—a remarkable feat in the modern era, especially when you consider the lack of funds he's had to play with at Goodison Park.

Fittingly, the fixture gods have thrown up a rearranged meeting with Liverpool on Tuesday night to celebrate, and they'll be plenty who fancy the blue half of Merseyside to come out on top.

Everton have beaten Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham in recent weeks, while Liverpool will come out at Anfield having lost their last three Premier League games in a row.

Check out this excellent BBC Sport column by former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen on Moyes' achievements, which includes a graph demonstrating his league positions with Everton season-by-season.

M'Vila to Leave Rennes

Yann M'Vila has been a staple of the gossip columns for some time, but it looks as though the Rennes midfielder will finally make good on the speculation this summer.

"Yann M'Vila won't be a Stade Rennais player next season," said Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti, as quoted at Goal.com.

The 21-year-old French international is said to be of particular interest to Arsenal and Real Madrid.

Watch this space.

Pogba to Stay at United?

Manchester United's Paul Pogba looked ready and packed to make a move to Italy with Juventus, but his cameo appearance against West Brom at the weekend appears to have re-opened the door to a United future.

The Manchester Evening News say the 18-year-old could well now decide to "snub" Italy and stay in rainy Manchester instead.

United fans will be pleased to hear it, having reportedly clapped his every touch in the 2-0 win after he came on as a substitute on Sunday.