Football transfer rumours: Benítez to buy James Milner and Glen Johnson?

They won only one of their first four games and were knocked out of the Champions League before it actually became the Champions League, and while things have shown signs of picking up in recent weeks, there is still a sense that Something Needs To Be Done. With that in mind, Rafa is apparently keen on buyingGlen Johnson and James Milner to help right this listing ship. Well, more than one way to skin a cat, we guess. Rafa would also like Carlos Vela to come on down and join him, a rumour about which the Mill is desperately struggling to conjure up an opinion, but we simply can't. Another day, another Juan Mata rumour. Most people probably get really irritated if they're constantly being talked about, the constant back-biting and half-truths proving damaging and wearisome, but not Juan. He probably takes it all in his stride with a handsome smile and will offer you a nice cup of coffee, or perhaps a green tea if he's worried that you're taking in too much caffeine. Which he almost certainly will, but not in a preachy way. Perhaps it's this sort of charming hospitality that has encouraged both Juventus and his former club Valencia to declare themselves well up for spending £20m on him, with the former said to be "closing in" on a deal for the Spanish shifter. Juve might as well sort themselves out a residency at the Ibis budget hotel at Salford Quays (reasonable prices, a short walk to Old Trafford and also with easy access to the Lowry Outlet Mall, should they require some of the tremendous fashion bargains on offer), because it looks like they will be spending quite a bit of their time in high-level discussions with Manchester United - they want Javier Hernández as well, the striker who is currently on loan at Real Madrid but is of course owned by Louis and the boys. And hey, if neither of those deals come off, at least Max Allegri will be able to get a discounted sweater from Gap, Kazinform quotes the Guardian. As for players arriving at United, there's word going round that they could be interested in Nigel de Jong, presumably on the basis that they haven't had a proper bastard in midfield for a long time now, and someone of De Jong's robust ilk could be just the man to give them a proverbial rocket up their proverbial bumbums. Another apple of their eye is Roma's Kevin Strootman, currently indisposed with a rather severe case of the knee ouchies but in demand nonetheless. His current employers are all-too aware of this it seems, and are planning to shower him in more euro notes than the Crystal Maze dome had silver tokens, in an effort to shield their man from the evils of the world/a move to United. Arsenal could be in business come January, and naturally they will ignore the positions that they desperately need to strengthen and instead get a few more players in places they already have plenty. Of course, the rate at which Arsenal players drop like particularly sickly flies suggests they cannot have too many in any position, but quite whether the Gunners should be focusing their attentions on men such as the Croatia midfielderMarcelo Brozovic and the Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenikewhen their defence has about as much structural integrity as the houses of Little Pig One (straw) and Little Pig Two (sticks), is ... well, up for debate, shall we say. Still, never let anyone tell you that Arsène Wenger doesn't have his priorities straight - with Lukas Podolski looking like he's heading for the nearest exit door, the manager already has a man in mind to replace his fourth-choice left-winger, specifically Anderson Talisca of Benfica, a Brazilian forward who Chelsea are also scoping out like some sort of horny slacker in an early-90s coming-of-age drama. Any other business? Ron Vlaar is looking for double his wage to stay at Aston Villa, but we think we told you that yesterday. Chelsea's Oriol Romeu will be perfectly happy to become Stuttgart's Oriol Romeu on a permanent basis, if José Mourinho can't find it in his heart to give the Spanish midfielder anything resembling regular football. Tottenham kidMilos Veljkovic is heading in the direction of a three-month loan to Middlesbrough. Spurs are umming and ahhing about whether to go all out for the Fiorentina striker Ante Rebic. And Liverpool might recall strikerDivock Origi from loan at Lille, even though they bought him in the summer and immediately loaned him back to the French club, leading to queries about whether "recall" is the correct word to use since he's never actually played for them.