Football transfer rumours: Roman Pavlyuchenko to Spartak Moscow?

Today's Mill enjoyed the bit with the water gun
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Tottenham's Roman Pavlyuchenko, lost and trapped on the fringes of the squad at White Hart Lane. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images

As the Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy wakes up this morning to news that West Ham United are set to be named as the preferred bidder for the Olympic Stadium, he might be forgiven for wondering what it was all for. All that time and money wasted drawing up plans for a venue that will never be built and chasing Pele for a supportive quote. I mean, the man even spent a good month pretending that he wanted to sign David Beckham on loan fer Chrissakes!

But hang about, perhaps there is a happy end to this tale after all. No, we're not talking about the news that Tottenham and LA Galaxy have agreed a partnership that will see players flit freely back and forth between the clubs for years to come. We're talking about news that David Beckham saved a whole family from certain death. Well, OK, that's probably over-egging the pudding just a touch, but he did help push their car to a safe spot after they broke down on a roundabout, which was a very decent thing to do.

Perhaps for his next trick Becks could help free Roman Pavlyuchenko, lost and trapped somewhere on the fringes of the Tottenham squad. Spartak Moscow have come clean about their inerest in the Russian striker, and have until 10 March before their transfer window closes – a fact which could give them the jump on fellow suitors Roma and Newcastle United.

Speaking of Newcastle, their former manager Chris Hughton could be set for a return to management after West Bromwich Albion showed up on his doorstep with tears in their big, pleading eyes. The club is probably just on the rebound after having their advances turned down by Roy Hodgson, but with Hughton still smarting from his own rejection by Newcastle the Mill sees good prospects for a short-lived and heavily externalised relationship which comes to an abrupt end when both parties realise they don't really like each other enough to go down for one another.

If Hughton truly is over his ex, then he certainly won't have stayed up all night last night refreshing internet pages that suggest the club are also about to part ways with Jonás Gutiérrez. The Argentinian is apparently being pursued by Lazio, who intend to make an offer in the summer. Staying in Italy, Liverpool are said to be mooting a £10m bid for Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng, though their manager Kenny Dalglish was more interested in watching Connor Wickham and Wilfried Zaha play for England Under-19s last night.

Hodgson's other former club, Fulham, are also making headlines this morning with their reported interest in Freiburg's Papiss Demba Cissé. The club actually made enquiries in January, but while they were shot down then, word is that they may have more luck in the summer.

Other suggested moves today include an £11m Galatasaray offer for Salomon Kalou, and a Blackburn Rovers bid for the AZ Alkmaar midfielder Rasmus Elm. In the more immediate term, Leicester City are to sign the Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma on loan.