FORMER Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is reportedly being lined up by QPR to help fire them away a Premier League relegation dogfight.

Mark Hughes’ struggling side, bottom of England’s top-flight and without a league win all season, have joined Liverpool and West Ham in attempting to snap up the French international.

The 33-year-old has not settled at Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua since leaving Chelsea last season.

But they could struggle to match Anelka’s reported wage of �250,000 a week in China.

Meanwhile, Rs midfielder Joey Barton wants to make his loan move to French side Marseille a permanent deal.

The 30-year-old is delighted with how he has settled into life at the Stade Velodrome, praising the club for making him feel welcome since his temporary move.

Elsewhere, Manchester United and Tottenham target Mehdi Benatia – the Udinese defender – could be on his way to Juventus instead in January.

The 25-year-old Moroccan – also a reported target of Chelsea and Barcelona – is believed to have held talks with Juventus officials, who are said to be willing to meet Udinese’s asking price of �15m.

Benatia has been capped 20 times by Morocco at senior international level.

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has urged Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard to move to a big club before it’s too late.

But Gerrard, who has spent his entire 14-year career at Anfield, has hit back, insisting: “I’m a big fan of Zlatan but I’m not going to take his advice. I’m at one of the world’s biggest clubs.”

The two are likely to clash in tonight’s international friendly in Stockholm.

Liverpool have approached Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala over a deal to sign 6ft 8in striker Lacina Traore, 22, who scored against the Reds in the Europa League last week.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs are considering a January move for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano.

AC Milan have intensified their efforts to beat Chelsea and Manchester City to sign Pep Guardiola as their next manager.

Manchester City, Liverpool and Southampton are battling it out to sign Domenico Berardi, an 18-year-old striker with Italian club Sassuolo.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, 24, insists he has no intention of leaving after being linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

And finally, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is lining up a January swoop for Derby County’s 24-year-old right-back John Brayford.