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It is a mark of a club's ambition, or audacity, or just plain delusion, when they switch their attention from targeting unhappy and underperforming players, to those who are happy and performing: Manchester City's advances towards Thierry Henry represent the latter.

The former Arsenal striker has been in scintillating form for Barcelona this season, and City chief executive Garry Cook is reported to have acquired the services of Pini Zahavi - the Max Clifford of football agents - to launch a super bid for the Frenchman.

Cook has made no secret of his desire to bring big names to Eastlands, and Henry, although 31-years-old is understood to be keen on a move back to England, despite his success at the Nou Camp after an injury-disrupted first term.

While City are seeking lucrative stars, Aston Villa are aiming at a slightly different clientele: yes, perhaps Wes Brown would not sell as many shirts as Henry, but the defender is being offered a fresh start after a season of injury hell in the Midlands.

Brown is hardly going to put bums on seats at Villa Park, but he would be another solid piece in Martin O'Neill's jigsaw: an all-English jigsaw, minus Zat Knight perhaps, and priced at just £3.5 million he would be another fine bit of business for the club's Guinness-swilling American owner, Randy Lerner.

The Milan clubs are each proud owners of loyalty cards at the Gossip Shop, and today they are scouring the racks for English-based defenders: namely, Nemanja Vidic and Gael Clichy.

Vidic, barring his recent suspension, has been lauded regularly for his combative displays at the back for Manchester United, but the Serb has told both Italian clubs' chairmen that they will not be signing contracts for his services this season.

But Clichy has been the subject of more considered, more fervent speculation, with Milan and their ever-bashful vice-president, Adriano Galliani, lining up a £14m move for the left-back over the summer, to potentially join compatriot Mathieu Flamini at the San Siro.

Moving to London, and Chelsea interim boss, Guus Hiddink, is understood to have given fellow Dutchman Frank Rijkaard a 'glowing endorsement' to be his permanent successor in the summer.

The former Barcelona manager's prospects of securing the Stamford Bridge hotseat are thought to be enhanced if Frank Arnesen clings on to the much-maligned director of football role. If anyone can suggest what the Dane has actually achieved in his current role, the rest of us would be most interested.

Staying in West London, and former Blues defence-shielder, Claude Makelele, has been rumoured to be taking on a coaching and ambassadorial role at the club - that is unless France coach Raymond Domenech decides to force him out of retirement again.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is entitled to be feeling rather bullish this morning after his side's 2-0 win over the Premier League champions, and he is looking to build on the Cottagers' secured top-flight safety, by launching bids for Tom Huddlestone and Victor Moses.

Huddlestone, the imposing and previously chunky Tottenham midfielder, has reportedly been told by his manager Harry Redknapp that he can leave for £5 million in the summer, while Crystal Palace starlet, Moses, an England youth international is another name added to Mohamed al Fayed's bill.

The classic 'come and get me' platitude of: "I'm flattered by the interest shown in me," has been given by French international Yohan Cabaye in the direction of Arsenal, with the 23-year-old seemingly very keen to confirm the Gunners' interest.

The Stewart Downing saga has been once again reignited with a £15 million transfer to Spurs from Middlesbrough looking all but certain in the summer, with Sunderland apparently willing to dispense with Kenwyne Jones after rejecting the same price from chairman Daniel Levy.

Everton have lined up PSV wonderkid Dirk Marcellis, a centre back who stepped into the void left by Brazilian Alex's move to Chelsea at the Dutch club, with Toffees' boss David Moyes reportedly declaring himself an 'admirer'.

Newcastle are another club looking to get their summer transfer targets established in good time, with Shay Given's potential replacement coming in the form of Huddersfield's highly-rated young keeper Ben Smithies.

Two abrasive verbal attacks came from Manchester City captain Richard Dunne, who astonishingly accused Didier Drogba of "conning referees", while Hull boss Phil Brown insisted that his Tigers would "continue to get under their opponents' skin" to stave off relegation - stirring stuff.

And finally, the grass is always greener for Arsenal's award-winning groundsman Paul Burgess, who will be sprinkling Miracle-Gro on the Bernabeu carpet after Real Madrid poached his services.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport