Real scoff at Gerrard valuation and other red-hot gossip

Real Madrid are unwilling to pay Liverpool's estimated asking price of £30m for midfielder Steven Gerrard. According to reports, the La Liga giants have been in touch with Gerrard's agent and believe that in principle the England captain would be prepared to move to the Bernabeu. However, Liverpool's whopping asking price is described as "the obstacle" to a deal. Elsewhere, Everton are hot on the heels of Benfica’s £20m-rated Paraguayan international striker Oscar Cardozo; Arsenal are considering making a swoop for Ajax defensive duo Gregory Van der Wiel and Jan Vertonghen; Birmingham are closing in on a £4.5m deal to sign Palermo's Italian striker Fabrizio Miccoli; and Sunderland are set to renew their interest in Marseille's 25-year-old Nigerian World Cup left-back Taye Taiwo.