Rumours: Fact and Fiction from the Sunday papers

Terry Venables will not need to worry for long where his next pay cheque might be coming from. According to the Mirror, he could collect a staggering pounds 2.5m by steering Nigeria to shock glory in the World Cup, starting with pounds 500,000 basic salary for a two-month job.

Meanwhile, says the People, Everton, Real Sociedad and Deportivo La Coruna head the queue of clubs keen for El Tel to become their manager, although the News of the World reckons that Everton are on the trail of former Milan and Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi to take over should Howard Kendall fail to reverse their decline.

Manchester United will know by 21 December, the Mail on Sunday predicts, whether the Chilean striker Marcelo Salas has chosen Old Trafford ahead of Spain or Italy. If the answer is no, says the People, Alex Ferguson will switch his attention to the Greek forward Nikos Mahlas, of Vitesse Arnhem, currently top scorer in the Netherlands.

Lazio will pay Steve Staunton pounds 5m for a four-year deal should he leave Aston Villa on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer, the News of the World reports, suggesting also that Emerson is poised to leave Middlesbrough for Tenerife for a pounds 5m fee.

The People says Sheffield Wednesday are ready to swap Benito Carbone for the Atalanta striker Nicola Caccia and may take on another Italian, the Marseilles defender Alberto Malusci, in exchange for the unsettled Patrick Blondeau.

The Mail on Sunday suggests Tottenham may move for Blackburn's Lars Bohinen, who has asked for a transfer, and Michael Thomas could join QPR from Liverpool as Ray Harford's first signing, while both People and Mirror name Steve Bruce as favourite to succeed Harford at WBA.