Arsenal may be outgunned in race to sign Saloman Kalou

German club Schalke are willing to break the bank for Saloman Kalou, also wanted by Arsenal and West Ham

Lille's Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou
(Image credit: DENIS CHARLET/AFP/Getty Images)

It's nice to be wanted and according to Talksport few people are more in demand right now than Lille striker Saloman Kalou. The 28-year-old Ivorian goal machine is being chased by Arsenal and West Ham United, and now Talksport claims that German outfit Schalke want a piece of the action.

Lille are apparently struggling to balance their books and so the French club will listen to offers for Kalou. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is said to have "a long-standing interest" in the frontman and Hammers' gaffer Sam Allardyce has also identified Kalou as a man to add some oomph to his attack. But Talksport report that French radio station RMC is claiming Schalke are poised to table a mouthwatering bid for Kalou.

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And might Liverpool be about to add Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to their summer spending spree? Metro says the 30-year-old Dutch striker, who scored for Holland in their Last 16 defeat of Mexico at the weekend, is mulling over his future with Schalke.

Huntelaar has one year outstanding on his contract and, asked about his future by German rag Bild, he gave credence to the speculation. "Regarding rumours about Liverpool it'd only be fair to speak to Schalke first," he said. "The negotiations with the club have been running for some time… after the holidays I'll speak further with Schalke. This is soon enough."

In other news Sky Sports reports that the agent of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has confirmed there is interest in his client from across the Channel. The veteran gloveman is considering his future at the Bridge with Belgian Thibaut Courtois likely to be Jose Mourinho's No 1 choice this season.

As a result, agent agent Viktor Kolar told Czech website Aktualne: "Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest and we have also communicated with Monaco." Pressed on whether a move was imminent, Kolar said of the 32-year-old Cech: "He has two years left on his Chelsea contract and has an interest to continue there. Mourinho did not tell him that he would not count on him anymore….[but] the situation has developed in a way, of course, but for now he is staying at Chelsea."

Finally, BBC Sport reports that QPR are set to sign a pair of central defenders in Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker. The 35-year-old Ferdinand, recently released from Manchester United, will join on a free transfer, while the 22-year-old Caulker is returning to London after a spell with Cardiff City.

According to the BBC, Cardiff's demotion to the Championship last season triggered a clause in the former Tottenham defender's contract which allows him to leave.

Bill Mann is a football correspondent for The Week.co.uk, scouring the world's football press daily for the popular Transfer Talk column.