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The Gossip Shop peddles a wide variety of wares on its shelves, from fancy goods imported from exotic foreign shores to home-grown produce barely within its sell-by-date.

Despite the impending global financial meltdown, clearly there is still a market for most products; and to prove it, today's edition of GS has a little bit of everything, all in one nicely packaged pre-Christmas gift parcel.

Starting at the high-value end of the spectrum, Everton's unfortunate injury crisis looks set to put their pursuit of a striker into hyperdrive.

With Yakubu preparing to spend the rest of the season staring at the four walls of a treatment room and Louis Saha again proving - if further proof were actually needed - that he is more brittle than a fresh Jacob's cracker, Everton desperately need cover in the striking department.

Attacking options currently consist of Victor Anichebe and Jose Baxter, a situation that simply won't do; David Moyes knows it and he has already admitted he will have to delve into the transfer market in January to find replacements.

Having failed to lure the likes of Wagner Love and Stephen Hunt to Goodison Park over the summer, what the Toffees now desperately need is a fit and healthy goalscorer who is capable of providing something close to Yakubu's 18-ish goals a season.

So, with Michael Owen - also a failed summer target - ruled out of the running for obvious reasons, two other big names have come to the fore.

First up is Owen's Newcastle team-mate Obafemi Martins, whose hissy fit after being hauled off at the weekend cannot have gone down too well with Toon boss Joe Kinnear.

He has since issued an apology, but words like "I still do not know or understand why I was called off" and "perhaps it was wrong" hardly smack of absolute remorse.

Players have left clubs for lesser reasons and with the door to a January exit now teased open, a New Year bid from Everton could well see the Nigerian link up with his countrymen Yakubu - once fit again - and Anichebe at Goodison.

If not, Moyes will look to the Bundesliga, where the future of highly-rated-but-not-really-that-good Lukas Podolski continues to capture the imagination of the Bild-reading public.

The Germany international has largely failed to live up to expectation at Bayern Munich and has been strongly linked with a move back to former club Cologne at the end of the season.

Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness confirmed: "I can truly imagine Podolski leaving at the end of this season."

Green lights do not get much greener than that, and although Cologne have first option on the striker, a couple of extra euros thrown at them will surely help pave the way for a deal with Everton.

A third option for Moyes is Wigan's Emile Heskey, especially now Latics supremo Dave Whelan looks set to sanction a move away in January in a bid to avoid losing the best part of £4 million if the player runs down his contract and leaves for free in the summer.

Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City are also interested in the England international, although that interest could wane if he doesn't start adding to his meagre tally of just two goals so far this season.

But the most eye-catching transfer story of the day has to be the one which links West Ham to Juventus starlet Sebastian Giovinco.

The 20-year-old is one of Europe's most exciting prospects and having impressed Gianfranco Zola for Italy Under-21s, the Hammers boss is willing to lure the nippy forward away from the comforting bosom of the Old Lady of Turin.

"He's one of those players who can change a game. So I might be interested," Zola said in the Mirror.

But, proving that a rumour in the Gossip Shop has a shelf-life, just like any other product in any other shop - except, perhaps, a hardware store - Juventus have been quick to pour cold water on the idea.

Juve boss Claudio Ranieri said: "We want him to gain experience with us."

And finally, in other news, Asian player of the year Server Djeparov has said he wants to train with Chelsea - but then again, which relatively unknown Uzbek midfielder wouldn't? - and West Brom are to trial Lithuania midfielder Mindaugas Kalonas, who currently plies his trade with Bohemians in Ireland.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport