Arsenal go after Chelsea's teen starlet Romelu Lukaku

AS ARSENAL prepare to get battered by Bayern in tonight's Champions League tie in Munich, Caughtoffside.com offers a glimmer of hope for gloomy Gooners ahead of next season's Europa League campaign.

Apparently Arsene Wenger is preparing to make a play for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku who has caught the eye this season while on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

The 19-year-old joined the Blues from Anderlecht in 2011 and though he hasn't been able to dislodge Fernando Torres as Chelsea's main frontman, he's scored 13 goals in 26 league appearances this season for the Baggies. That, says Caughtoffside, has made Wenger sit up and take note, and the Nutty Professor is "to test the water" with an early summer bid for the Belgian international.

Lukaku for his part is said to be eager to remain in England playing for one of the top Premier League clubs or, if the worse comes to the worse, for Arsenal.

Sir Alex Ferguson may be furious about speculation that Wayne Rooney is out of favour at Old Trafford but that hasn't stopped the gossips from doing what they do best. The striker has already been linked to Bayern Munich, and now the Daily Star suggests that the Liverpudlian could head to Monaco in the summer.

Apparently the French club are ready to blow their rivals "out of the water" with a huge transfer fee and salary offer, which could be enough to persuade United to sell up and Rooney to move. Monaco are owned by billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev who is on a mission to lead the club back to the top of Europe and sees Rooney as the man to spearhead the assault.

The money United get for Rooney could be spent on Argentine centre back Ezequiel Garay, reports Caught Offside. The 26-year-old defender, who once played for Real Madrid but now turns out for Benfica, could be the long-term replacement for Rio Ferdinand. The website claims that negotiations are already underway and a deal could be agreed in the next few weeks.

Talksport claims that Paris Saint-German are whispering sweet nothings in the ear of Manchester City flop Samir Nasri. Since shamelessly walking out on Arsenal in 2011, the small Frenchman's career has gone downhill faster than a toboggan on the South Downs. Now it appears Nasri could be on the brink of fleeing back across the Channel to PSG.

Talksport says that the big-spending Parisian club are expected to bid around £15 million for the pint-sized playmaker at the end of the season after Roberto Mancini allegedly made it clear to Nasri that he wasn't happy with his performances at the Etihad. City paid Arsenal £24m for Nasri two years ago and though Talksport say they would like to get the same from PSG, they might cut their losses and accept £15m.

Perhaps that is why the Metro is reporting that Liverpool are planning a "double raid" on PSG in the summer, with manager Brendan Rodgers eager to bring Jeremy Menez and Kevin Gameiro to Anfield. It's reported that Liverpool scouts have been in Paris recently to run the rule over 25-year-old winger Menez as well as frontman Gameiro.

According to the Metro, Rodgers is particularly smitten with former Roma star Menez, who just has a little over a year left to run on his current contract. Though he began the season brightly, the French international has fallen out of favour with coach Carlo Ancelotti and Liverpool are cautiously optimistic they'll seal the deal in the summer.

Italian rag Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Spurs are in hot pursuit of Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo, with the Lilywhites going so far as to make enquires about the possibility of striking a deal with the Italian club at the end of the season. Osvaldo has netted 11 goals in 22 Serie A appearances this season and the Argentine has caught the eye of Andre Villas-Boas as a result.

The bad news for Spurs is that the Argentine ace is already being stalked by Juventus and the ridiculously rich Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, but it's rumoured the South American will give Tottenham serious consideration provided they can offer him Champions League football next season.

Finally, the Daily Mail reports that West Bromwich Albion gaffer Steve Clarke popped over to Holland to watch Chelsea loanee Tomas Kalas in action for Vitesse against Twente last weekend. The right-back first came to the attention of Baggies' European scout Tony Spearing, and on his recommendation Clarke went to tak a look the 19-year-old Czech international.

Though Kalas is on Chelsea's books until 2017, the Mail says it's unlikely the teenager will ever break into the first team squad at the Bridge. A permanent move to WBA in the summer could "benefit all parties involved". ·