What The Sports Pages Say

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Sunday September 4



•Arsenal have suffered a fresh blow in their pursuit of Alexandre Lacazette as Lyon have offered the striker a new deal.
•Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic will start his coaching badges in the New Year - in preparation of becoming a manager when he retires.


•Wayne Rooney should be like an 'older brother' to the rest of his England team-mates if he wants to be a successful captain, according to former Bolton skipper Jay-Jay Okocha.
•Gary Neville has called for an investigation after former top referee Mark Halsey made the explosive claim that he was told by superiors to overlook some controversial incidents.


•Tony Pulis' future at West Brom is hanging in the balance with the Baggies manager "50-50" to be in charge come the end of the international break.
•Jose Mourinho wants to spend £15m on Monaco right-back Fabinho in January.
•Marcelo Brozovic will sign a new contract at Inter Milan - but it will earn him less than a deal with Chelsea.
•Benik Afobe believes Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is the main reason best friend Jack Wilshere has joined him at Dean Court.
•Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes his Hoops stars are rightly red-hot favourites going into Saturday's Old Firm clash.
•A source close to Tony Pulis admitted it is only "50-50" that he will be in charge at West Brom come the end of the international break.


•Jose Mourinho will dust off the cheque book again in four months to splash £15 million on Monaco right back Fabinho.
•Liverpool were stunned on transfer deadline day when Croatian Ante Coric, 19, turned down a medical ahead of a £15m move from Dinamo Zagreb.
•Man City's Vincent Kompany has undergone a series of blood tests for the medics to give the thumbs-up on a welcome return to action.
•Steven N'Zonzi pulled out of a £25m move to Leicester before the transfer window closed last Wednesday.


•Harry Kane is in talks with Tottenham over a bumper new deal to become the club's highest-paid player.
•Manchester United are plotting a move for Antoine Griezmann next summer as the Red Devils plan to spend big again.
•Pep Guardiola has "humiliated" Yaya Toure with a Champions League snub, says Man City outcast's agent.
•Everton's new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has questioned his club's failure to land major transfer targets this summer.


•Leicester an England striker Jamie Vardy says it was an "easy" decision to reject an offer from Arsenal this summer, as both his "head and his heart" wanted to remain with the Foxes.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Monday September 5



•Ex-Manchester City youngster and Paris Saint-Germain star Adrien Rabiot admits he fancies a move back to Premier League.
•Barcelona will offer Lionel Messi a 'contract for life' to end hopes of a Premier League switch but not before they hand Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez new deals.
•Mesut Ozil wants Jack Wilshere's number 10 shirt so he can follow in the footsteps of his heroes Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Pele.


•Blaise Matuidi has revealed he wanted to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer but is happy to remain at the French champions.
•Antoine Griezmann will not consider leaving Atletico Madrid unless Diego Simeone quits the Spanish giants.
•Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero hails 'robot' Joe Hart for his professionalism over Torino move.


•Lucas Digne was already the subject of a bid from Liverpool when Barcelona came in for him, according to a club official.


•Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe reckons Jack Wilshere has already taken his side to the next level after his sensational loan switch from Arsenal.
•Steven N'Zonzi pulled out of a £25m move to Leicester before the transfer window closed last Wednesday.


•David Beckham has advised Wayne Rooney to disregard Alan Shearer's call to retire from England duty.
•Norwich City are weighing up a swoop to sign the former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh.
•Blackburn are plotting a January bid for Lens central defender Abdoul Ba.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Tuesday September 6



•Everton are to offer Ross Barkley a new long-term contract.
•England Under-21s action will not harm Marcus Rashford's development, says Gareth Southgate.
•Police officers have been told Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho could clash at the Manchester derby.
•Lucas Piazon says he wants to leave Chelsea for another club for more than one season.


•Everton left it too late to sign Andriy Yarmolenko, claims the Dynamo Kiev president.
•Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has been enjoying a holiday in Italy during the international break.
•West Ham are relishing the return of Dimitri Payet to Premier League action this weekend.
•Sam Allardyce insists Wayne Rooney is still England's main man and is undroppable.


•Romelu Lukaku has pledged not to quarrel with Everton despite his desire to leave the club.
•Middlesbrough blocked Aston Villa's deadline day swoop for Jordan Rhodes.
•Sunderland are rivalling West Brom to sign free agent Momo Sissoko.
•Mark Hughes has told Jack Butland to forget about England and get himself fit for Stoke.
•Danny Simpson says he cannot wait for Leicester's Champions League campaign to get underway.


•West Brom have reportedly decided against offering a deal to Arsenal youngster Tyrell Robinson.


•Jonny Evans is set for a bumper new contract at West Brom following Arsenal's summer interest.

 

[Cable Hogue]

Leicester City

Leicester have held on to all of their stars from last season,except Kante.What a great result.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Wednesday September 7



•Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is under serious consideration to become the next Arsenal manager.
•Leicester want Eduardo Macia - the man who brought Fernando Torres to Liverpool - to become their next director of football.
•Jack Wilshere has held talks with Arsene Wenger about signing a new Arsenal contract.
•Branislav Ivanovic faces a fight for his Chelsea future with boss Antonio Conte plotting a defensive reshuffle.
•Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stunned his Manchester team-mates by turning up with his own personal physio.


•Manchester United fans have criticised Feyenoord after receiving a heavily reduced ticket allocation for the Europa League clash.
•Marcus Rashford hopes his hat-trick for England Under-21s has given Sam Allardyce and Jose Mourinho a dilemma.
•Chelsea new boys David Luiz and Marcos Alonso trained together for the first time on Tuesday ahead of Swansea away.


•West Brom have approached Roy Hodgson over a return to replace under-fire manager Tony Pulis.
•Crystal Palace face competition to sign free agent and former Arsenal star Mathieu Flamini.
•Liverpool's international stars returned to training on Tuesday ahead of the Premier League clash with Leicester.
•Joe Hart is not as good as people thought he would be, says former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
•Arsenal's Alex Iwobi is poised to face Southampton after shaking off a hip injury.


•Joe Allen believes his move away from Liverpool has boosted his form for Wales and Stoke.
•Hull's Michael Dawson is set for a shock return from injury earlier than expected.


•Tottenham are sweating over the fitness of Danny Rose after he played through the pain for England.
•Luke Shaw is hoping to prove his fitness to Jose Mourinho so he can play in the Manchester derby.


•Christian Benteke rejected a huge-money move to China to sign for Crystal Palace.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Thursday September 8



•Chelsea are set to hijack any move Manchester United make for Antoine Griezmann.
•Jose Mourinho will bury the hatchet with Pep Guardiola by inviting him for a drink after the Manchester derby.
•Manchester City are willing to let Joe Hart leave the club for a 'considerate' transfer fee - as a thank you for his years of service.
•Barcelona fear Lionel Messi could be ruled out for four months if his groin problems persist.


•Man United boss Jose Mourinho is considering giving strike sensation Marcus Rashford his first club start of the season against arch-rivals City on Saturday in the wake of the stunning midweek hat-trick he scored on his debut for England Under-21s.
•Pep Guardiola was "lucky" at Barcelona and made Bayern Munich "more boring to watch", according to former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.


•Manchester United are serious in their pursuit of Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale, according to reports in Spain.
•Bournemouth have told Arsenal to forget trying to lure boss Eddie Howe to The Emirates.


•Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew believes Wilfried Zaha has the potential to play for Barcelona one day.
•Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill have stuck the knife into former manager Jose Mourinho ahead of Saturday's Manchester derby by questioning his abilities as a manager.


•Jose Mourinho's feud with Arsene Wenger shows no sign of abating after the Arsenal manager would not let Mourinho sit next to him at a UEFA conference.
•Yaya Toure has not given up on his Manchester City career - and is aiming to spend the rest of the year proving himself to Pep Guardiola.


•Chelsea will rival any attempt by Manchester United to prise Antoine Griezmann out of Atletico Madrid in future transfer windows after watching him for the last two years.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Friday September 9



•Tottenham's Harry Kane is a transfer target for AC Milan as Chinese buyers prepare for a big-money takeover of the Serie A side.
•Marcus Rashford prepared for the Manchester derby by watching his closest pals play in a non-league match - and even paid his £5 admission fee.
•The relationship between Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Matteo Darmian is in 'total breakdown', according to reports.


•Playing Wayne Rooney in midfield is "an insult" as he does not have the skills to compete against the best in that position, claims former Manchester United captain Paul Ince.
•Marcello Lippi has been offered £50.8m to return to China and manage former club Guangzhou Evergrande.


•Sevilla midfielder Vicente Iborra claims he favoured staying in the Spanish top-flight over a move to Sunderland this summer.
•Manchester United target Leonardo Bonucci is set for a bumper new contract with Juventus.
•Slovakia's Martin Skrtel has sensationally claimed Harry Kane was told to provoke him - resulting in his sending off during the World Cup qualifying clash with England.


•Claudio Bravo is set to be handed a baptism of fire in the Manchester derby on Saturday despite having had only two training sessions with his new team-mates since his £13.75m move from Barcelona.
•Saido Berahino looks set for a shock move to Europe before returning to the Premier League, former agent Jon Smith has hinted.
•Alessio Romagnoli has revealed he is glad AC Milan rejected Chelsea's bid for him.


•Matteo Darmian could be heading towards the Manchester United exit door with the defender and Jose Mourinho's relationship at a 'complete breakdown'.
•Roberto Martinez has won an astonishing £10m pay-off from Everton for his sacking... and it could have been more.
•Jose Mourinho has cancelled plans for double training at Manchester United and scrapped Louis van Gaal's 'spy' cameras in a bid to topple City.
•Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is targeting Ben Gibson and Michael Keane as potential John Terry replacements.


•Jose Mourinho has instructed his Manchester United players to bully Manchester City in the air on Saturday as Old Trafford braces itself for the most high profile match in British top flight history.
•Aston Villa will attempt to shift Gabby Agbonlahor's mammoth £4m contract by offloading him to Major League Soccer.


•Landon Donovan has surprised MLS by coming out of retirement to rejoin the LA Galaxy for the rest of the season.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Saturday September 10



•Pep Guardiola has accused Zlatan Ibrahimovic of stabbing him in the back ahead of the first Manchester derby.
•Jose Mourinho has played down his rivalry with Pep Guardiola and insists Brook vs Golovkin is the only fight this weekend.
•Kevin De Bruyne insists Man City can cope without suspended talisman Sergio Aguero at Old Trafford.
•Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits he is flattered to be compared to Manchester United great Eric Cantona.
•Arsene Wenger has backed Jack Wilshere to go on to become Arsenal manager.
•Antonio Conte has backed David Luiz to become a top defender at Chelsea after improving Juventus' backline during his time in Italy.
•West Brom boss Tony Pulis has admitted Hal Robson-Kanu was NOT a transfer target in a fresh blast at the board.
•Alex McLeish has warned Brendan Rodgers he will never experience an atmosphere like the Old Firm ahead of his derby bow as Celtic boss.


•Antonio Valencia made an extraordinary long-haul dash to get back to England in time for the Manchester derby.


•Manchester City will be harder to beat without their top goalscorer Sergio Aguero, claimed Jose Mourinho as he warned his rivals: 'We are fine, we are ready, we are waiting.'
•Neymar came close to joining Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain this summer before committing his future to Barcelona, according to the Brazil star's agent Wagner Ribeiro.
•Real Madrid will respond to FIFA's transfer ban by offering Gareth Bale a new-five year contract next month that will make him one of the top three earners in the world.


•West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has revealed he failed in a move for AC Milan's Carlos Bacca because the striker wanted to join Arsenal.
•Nice are playing 'Russian roulette' in singing Mario Balotelli from Liverpool, Marseille defender Rod Fanni believes.
•Arsenal and Manchester City target Ricardo Rodriguez says his faith kept him at Wolfsburg during the summer transfer window.
•Manchester United target Fabinho has signed a new contract at Monaco that effectively ends the Red Devils' hopes of signing the defender.


•David Moyes has challenged Victor Anichebe to prove he's no has-been following his move to Sunderland.
•Pep Guardiola has hit out at Zlatan Ibrahimovic for going public over their Barcelona bust-up.


•Everton have been told it will cost in the region of £30m to acquire land for a new stadium on the banks of the river Mersey.
•Mark Hughes has confirmed that Jack Butland is facing up to 10 weeks out following his ankle surgery.


•Premier League clubs were last night continuing to distance themselves from a breakaway Champions League after the head of Spain's La Liga said that the latest reforms had only enhanced the prospect of a new tournament of Europe's best clubs.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Sunday September 11



•Antonio Conte has asked Chelsea's power brokers to sanction a world-record bid for Atletico Madrid hitman Antoine Griezmann next summer.
•The Blues boss has also ordered firebrand striker Diego Costa to tame his taunting tantrums without losing his passion.
•Chelsea will dump Cesc Fabregas when the transfer window opens at the start of next year.
•Manchester United are weighing up a surprise move for Juventus wonderkid Grigoris Kastanos.


•Manchester United are already eager to hand Zlatan Ibrahimovic a new contract.
•Arsenal are close to agreements on new contracts for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
•Everton defender Ashley Williams has told how he helped change Subbuteo forever when, as a nine-year-old, he wrote to the football game's makers asking why there were no black players in their England team sets representing the likes of Des Walker and his hero John Barnes.
•Gareth Bale's former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes the Welshman can challenge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the voting for the Ballon d'Or World Player of the Year award if he can excel with holders Real Madrid in the Champions League this season.


•Everton will try to land Watford captain Troy Deeney in the mid-season transfer window.
•Uruguay defender Martin Caceres is heading to the Premier League, with West Brom, Southampton, Sunderland and Swansea all having registered an interest in the defender, who is available on a free transfer after his contract with Juventus ran out in the summer.
•Midfielder Jesse Lingard is on the verge of signing a new four-year contract at Manchester United.


•Cristiano Ronaldo has lashed out at Xavi Hernandez after the former Barcelona player suggested the Real Madrid man was unlucky to be living in the same era as Lionel Messi.


•Rangers fans caused extensive damage to a toilet block at the away at Celtic Park after the first Old Firm league derby in Glasgow in four years.
•Kyler Walter has agreed a £19.5m deal to stay at Spurs.
•Trouble flared in Manchester's Northern Quarter after Saturday's derby, with fans attacked with glass bottles and street signs.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Monday September 12



•Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he will axe his derby defeat flops and start Marcus Rashford against Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday.
•Romelu Lukaku is upset with Everton because they would not pay to fly him back from international duty with Belgium.
•Erik Lamela wants a huge new deal worth £120,000-a-week, which is double his current salary, to extend his contract at Tottenham.
•Everton boss Ronald Koeman has told Ross Barkley he has nobody to blame but himself for being overlooked when new manager Sam Allardyce chose his first England squad.
•Sir Alex Ferguson sought out Pep Guardiola to congratulate the Spaniard after his derby triumph at Old Trafford.


•Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is owed £2.5m from former club Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports.


•Furious Chelsea defender Gary Cahill will not face a ban despite appearing to criticise referee Andre Marriner in a video posted to Twitter.
•Liverpool are set to go toe-to-toe with Juventus over Borussia Monchengladbach wonderkid Mahmoud Dahoud next summer.


•Louis van Gaal was spotted in the crowd at the US Open women's final on the same day Manchester United took on Manchester City in the derby at Old Trafford.
•THE TELEGRAPH
•Watford striker Troy Deeney accused West Ham players of "trying to mug us off" and being "disrespectful" in the Hornets' 4-2 win on Saturday.


•Jesse Lingard has apologised for his poor first-half display in Manchester United's derby day defeat on social media.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Tuesday September 13



•Manchester United's stars had a blazing clear-the-air row during half-time of Saturday's derby, with Jose Mourinho allowing his players to bicker among themselves to blow off steam.
•Juventus star Juan Cuadrado admits he did everything in his power to orchestrate a move away from Chelsea this summer.
•Sporting Lisbon president Bruno de Carvalho wants to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club.


•El-Hadji Diouf has reopened his feud with Steven Gerrard, bizarrely blaming the former Liverpool captain for Mario Balotelli's failure at Anfield.
•Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has laid into Mark Hughes' players after their 4-0 collapse at home to Spurs on Saturday.
•Axel Witsel will definitely leave Zenit St Petersburg at the end of the season and Liverpool could renew their interest in the Belgian.


•Lazio will offer Stefan de Vrij a new contract in an effort to stop him joining Chelsea, according to reports.
•Manchester United are reportedly favourites to sign James Rodriguez after being told he will get little game time at Real Madrid, according to reports.


•West Ham have launched an investigation into the £6.2m deal that saw Arthur Masuaku move to the club from Greek champions Olympiacos in the summer.
•Manchester United have written to supporters travelling to Thursday night's Europa League match against Feyenoord to tell them to 'dress conservatively'.
•Manchester United spent £8.4m to end Louis van Gaal's spell in charge of the club at the end of last season.
•Luke Shaw is likely to be spared a return to the Netherlands with Manchester United on the first anniversary of suffering a horrific double break of his right leg after he picked up a slight hamstring injury in the Manchester derby.


•PSG star Marco Verratti says he would rather not play football than change his style.
•West Brom are set to seal a £170m deal with new Chinese owners on Thursday, with Tony Pulis keen for talks to resolve his future.


•Chelsea are reportedly interested in Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Wednesday September 14



•Henrikh Mkhitaryan is frustrated at not being played in his favourite position by Manchester United.
•Liverpool and Tottenham are involved in a tug-of-war over River Plate's £15.2m striker Lucas Alario.
•David Luiz will make an early debut for Chelsea as cover for injured captain John Terry against Liverpool on Friday Night Football.
•Sunderland's defenders cannot understand each other as they all speak different languages, according to left-back Patrick van Aanholt.
•Steve McClaren, currently studying for a Masters degree in Sporting Directorship, wants to run a club rather than manage it.


•The future of West Brom boss Tony Pulis remains uncertain after it emerged the club have been looking to replace him since the end of last season, with former manager and ex-England head coach Roy Hodgson having been sounded out as a possible replacement.
•West Ham United have launched an investigation into the £6.2m deal that saw Arthur Masuaku move to the club from Olympiakos in the summer.
•Jose Mourinho has revealed his private battle with an unnamed manager to sign Manchester United's prized asset Paul Pogba.


•Everton boss Ronald Koeman is keen on Juventus wonderkid Grigoris Kastanos.
•Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will block any Chelsea move for defender Matteo Darmian.
•Mike Phelan will be named Hull manager on a long-term contract following talks with the consortium set to buy the club.
•England left-back Danny Rose is set to become the next player to commit himself to Tottenham.
•Stoke have joined the chase for Udinese midfielder Jakub Jankto.
•Jack Wilshere will have to prove his fitness to Arsenal during his year-long loan spell at Bournemouth.
•Everton's Monday night hat-trick hero Romelu Lukaku plans to give his matchball prize to his mum.
•Craig Bellamy has been offered the chance to take his first steps in management at Cardiff City with their U18 side.


•Alexis Sanchez is demanding a hefty pay rise during contract negotiations with Arsenal.
•Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford says watching how hard Cristiano Ronaldo trained during his time at Old Trafford inspired him to succeed in the game.
•Algeria international Ryad Boudebouz claims he turned down a move to Manchester United earlier in his career.
•Patrick Vieira has revealed he was disappointed not to land a coaching role at Arsenal.
•Former West Ham and Chelsea striker Frank Nouble wants to return to English football.


•Tottenham have opened talks with the Qatar Investment Authority over naming rights for the redeveloped White Hart Lane.


•Manchester United have suffered a setback in the revamp of their academy set-up after West Brom's chief talent-spotter Steve Hopcroft turned down the opportunity to join them.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Thursday September 15



•Arsenal are trying to bring a swift conclusion to contract extension talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. Both will be offered pay rises and the club are confident Ozil will sign but there is not so much optimism over Sanchez.
•Burnley are interested in signing former West Brom forward Stephane Sessegnon., with the Benin international, 32, a free agent following his release from the Hawthorns at the end of last season.
•Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will not try to wind-up 'world-class' Chelsea striker Diego Costa during Friday night's clash.
•Southampton manager Claude Puel has traded tips with England rugby head coach Eddie Jones in an attempt to kick his team's poor start to the season into touch.


•No fewer than 11 English sides, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs, sent scouts to Benfica's Champions League match against Besiktas. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Southampton, West Ham, West Brom and Aston Villa were also in attendance - the home side's Victor Lindelof, Alex Grimaldo, Eduardo Salvio and Goncalo Guedes are believed to be the players attracting the interest.
•Sunderland are plotting a new bid for Norwich's Steven Naismith. Black Cats boss David Moyes was close to sealing a deal for the Scotland international before the summer window closed and is ready to move again in January.
•Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, 27, wants a wage increase and a buyout clause included in any new deal he signs with the club.
•AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca has explained why he turned down what he concedes was a "very good" offer to join West Ham this summer, saying his reservations included concern his family may encounter problems in England without an EU passport.
•Dimitri Payet has hit back at Watford skipper Troy Deeney over his 'rabona' party piece - and insisted: "I would do it again."
•Teddy Sheringham could make a shock return to management with A-League side Newcastle Jets.


•Chelsea will make another offer for Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij, 24, in January after having a bid for the Netherlands international rejected in the summer.
•Arsene Wenger persuaded Euro hero David Ospina to stay at Arsenal by promising him he would play in the Champions League Gunners No 1 Petr Cech has accepted the arrangement, as he appreciates the ability of the Colombian international and gets on very well with him.


•Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed how the German giants managed to beat Manchester United to the signing of highly rated Portuguese star Renato Sanches.
•New UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin could cut England's four Champions League spots to three.
•Jose Mourinho will block any move Chelsea make to land Manchester United outcast Matteo Darmian, according to reports.
•Manchester United and Everton both want to sign 18-year-old Juventus midfielder Grigoris Kastanos, who will cost around £17m.


•Arsenal are keeping their struggling trio of English palyers - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere - waiting over contract negotiations but fresh talks are being scheduled with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.


•Wales forward Gareth Bale is in negotiations with Real Madrid over a new long-term contract


•FIFA has cleared the way for Great Britain to field Olympic football teams at the Tokyo 2020 games, but Northern Ireland and Wales are refusing to drop their opposition.
•Tony Pulis could be offered a way out of West Bromwich Albion with Queens Park Rangers monitoring his position as the Premier League club's head coach.


•The England U21 side are at the centre of potential security concerns, after Aktobe, a city which remains on a state of high terror alert and was the target of attacks three months ago, was chosen to stage their European Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan next month.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Thursday September 15



•Arsenal are trying to bring a swift conclusion to contract extension talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. Both will be offered pay rises and the club are confident Ozil will sign but there is not so much optimism over Sanchez.
•Burnley are interested in signing former West Brom forward Stephane Sessegnon., with the Benin international, 32, a free agent following his release from the Hawthorns at the end of last season.
•Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will not try to wind-up 'world-class' Chelsea striker Diego Costa during Friday night's clash.
•Southampton manager Claude Puel has traded tips with England rugby head coach Eddie Jones in an attempt to kick his team's poor start to the season into touch.


•No fewer than 11 English sides, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs, sent scouts to Benfica's Champions League match against Besiktas. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Southampton, West Ham, West Brom and Aston Villa were also in attendance - the home side's Victor Lindelof, Alex Grimaldo, Eduardo Salvio and Goncalo Guedes are believed to be the players attracting the interest.
•Sunderland are plotting a new bid for Norwich's Steven Naismith. Black Cats boss David Moyes was close to sealing a deal for the Scotland international before the summer window closed and is ready to move again in January.
•Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, 27, wants a wage increase and a buyout clause included in any new deal he signs with the club.
•AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca has explained why he turned down what he concedes was a "very good" offer to join West Ham this summer, saying his reservations included concern his family may encounter problems in England without an EU passport.
•Dimitri Payet has hit back at Watford skipper Troy Deeney over his 'rabona' party piece - and insisted: "I would do it again."
•Teddy Sheringham could make a shock return to management with A-League side Newcastle Jets.


•Chelsea will make another offer for Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij, 24, in January after having a bid for the Netherlands international rejected in the summer.
•Arsene Wenger persuaded Euro hero David Ospina to stay at Arsenal by promising him he would play in the Champions League Gunners No 1 Petr Cech has accepted the arrangement, as he appreciates the ability of the Colombian international and gets on very well with him.


•Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed how the German giants managed to beat Manchester United to the signing of highly rated Portuguese star Renato Sanches.
•New UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin could cut England's four Champions League spots to three.
•Jose Mourinho will block any move Chelsea make to land Manchester United outcast Matteo Darmian, according to reports.
•Manchester United and Everton both want to sign 18-year-old Juventus midfielder Grigoris Kastanos, who will cost around £17m.


•Arsenal are keeping their struggling trio of English palyers - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere - waiting over contract negotiations but fresh talks are being scheduled with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.


•Wales forward Gareth Bale is in negotiations with Real Madrid over a new long-term contract


•FIFA has cleared the way for Great Britain to field Olympic football teams at the Tokyo 2020 games, but Northern Ireland and Wales are refusing to drop their opposition.
•Tony Pulis could be offered a way out of West Bromwich Albion with Queens Park Rangers monitoring his position as the Premier League club's head coach.


•The England U21 side are at the centre of potential security concerns, after Aktobe, a city which remains on a state of high terror alert and was the target of attacks three months ago, was chosen to stage their European Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan next month.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Friday September 16



•Manchester United will make a move for James Rodriguez, who will be allowed to leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window.
•Neymar admits he spoke to rival clubs before signing a new Barcelona contract this summer.
•Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has revealed he was a striker when he started out playing for German side Hamburg.


•Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insists Cesc Fabregas is not for sale.
•La Liga has offered its backing to Valencia after the club issued a statement on Wednesday threatening legal action against several groups of 'ultras' connected with the club.
•Stiliyan Petrov said he would have played for Aston Villa for free if they had offered him a chance to return to professional football.


•Alexis Sanchez will be offered a two-year contract extension to keep him at Arsenal until 2020.
•Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann is taking his future into his own hands after parting company with his agent in order to represent himself.
•Antonio Conte is ready to go back for Lazio defender Stefan De Vrij in January.
•Steven Gerrard has revealed he has not discussed a coaching role with Liverpool, but says he gets on 'very well' with boss Jurgen Klopp.


•Lyon are reportedly back in for free agent Emmanuel Adebayor after initial talks broke down earlier in the week.
•Odds have been slashed on Diego Simeone to join Arsenal as their next boss after he revealed he will step down from his role at Atletico Madrid at the end of next season.


•Chelsea striker Diego Costa has revealed his ill-disciplined behaviour on the pitch stems from the fact he cannot stand losing.


•Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has extended his contract at the club by a year, keeping him The Etihad until 2020.
•Moussa Sissoko has claimed that he joined Tottenham Hotspur instead of Everton because the Merseyside club dithered over the £30m transfer and could not offer Champions League football.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Saturday September 17



•Manager Jose Mourinho has told his Manchester United stars they must prove to him they can motivate themselves.
•Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany he will not walk straight back into the starting line-up when he is fit.
•Tony Pulis insists he will not quit as West Brom manager, despite the club's recent takeover and fan unrest at his football style.
•Rafa Benitez reckons it's time England manager Sam Allardyce took a good look at the cream of the Championship.


•Tottenham are discussing a £150m six-year deal with Qatar Investment Authority for the naming of their new stadium.
•Pep Guardiola has recruited Lionel Messi's nutritionist to help get his Manchester City squad in shape.
•Leonardo Bonucci has revealed he was tempted by a summer move to Manchester City.
•Diego Simeone insists he remains committed to Atletico Madrid despite reducing his contract by two years.


•Ruud Gullit claims Louis van Gaal will have cracked open the champagne following Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord last night.
•Ivory Coast ace Franck Kessie admits he dreams of playing for Manchester United.
•Manchester United great Nemanja Vidic has revealed he nearly joined Liverpool.
•Christophe Dugarry claims he pretended to cry during a meeting with Louis van Gaal when the two were together at Barcelona.


•Lyon manager Bruno Genesio has confirmed that Emmanuel Adebayor is close to joining Les Gones on a free transfer.
•Arsene Wenger insists Granit Xhaka will soon show why he is his star signing of the summer and the missing piece in Arsenal's puzzle.
•Chelsea received a bizarre good luck message from the band KISS on Friday just hours before their Premier League clash with Liverpool.
•West Ham starlet Reece Oxford has signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Sunday September 18



•Manchester City are ready to make a move for Chile international Alexis Sanchez if he fails to agree a new deal with Arsenal.
•Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called on UEFA to keep the Champions League accessible to all nations - despite the gulf between the powerhouse Big Four and the rest of Europe.


•Manchester United are ready to hand Marcus Rashford a new contract - just four months after the teenage forward signed a four-year deal.
•Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas is attracting interest from Italian giants Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
•Manchester City are monitoring young winger Leon Bailey after he scored twice for Genk in their Europa League defeat to Rapid Wien.
•West Brom are targeting a deal for former Everton forward Lacina Traore following the Ivorian's impressive spell on loan at CSKA Moscow.


•Manchester United are keeping tabs on Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez with manager Jose Mourinho keen to strengthen his defence.
•Burnley will offer centre-back Michael Keane a new contract in order to fend off interest from Chelsea.


•Chelsea want Tottenham defender Ben Davies to boost their homegrown players and are willing to pay up to £20m.


•Sunderland defender Papy Djilobodji claims he was never given the chance to shine at Chelsea.
•Pep Guardiola insists that Kevin De Bruyne can become the best player in the Premier League and that he is the equal of any player he has coached - other than Lionel Messi.
•Manchester United would welcome any approach from Bastian Schweinsteiger to try and bring his time at the club to an early end.


•Real Madrid are willing to let midfielder Isco leave, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham potential suitors.
•Manchester United are leading the race for Monaco star Bernardo Silva, according to reports.


•Tottenham Hotspur must put Wednesday's Wembley defeat by AS Monaco in the Champions League behind them by beating Sunderland at White Hart Lane on Sunday, according to captain Hugo Lloris.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Monday September 19



•Teenage central defender Reece Oxford has stalled on a new West Ham deal, with Manchester United waiting to pounce.
•Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has opened up on setting up his world record deal and why he believes the French midfielder will win the title at Manchester United.
•Mario Balotelli was left out of Nice's squad to face Montpellier on Sunday, with reports citing the striker's fragile physical condition for his omission.
•Sheffield Wednesday player Jeremy Helan has retired from football at 24 to concentrate on religion.
•Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that South Korean winger Son Heung-min wanted to leave White Hart Lane in the summer.
•Chris Sutton has insisted the Rangers job is too big for Mark Warburton.


•Alan Pardew has tipped Andros Townsend for an England recall after his sensational debut Crystal Palace goal on Sunday against Stoke.
•Yaya Toure missed the chance of a Manchester City recall for the weekend's Bournemouth clash due to a migraine.
•Ronald Koeman believes Gareth Barry can play another two seasons with Everton after playing his 600th Premier League game this weekend.


•Robert Huth has revealed how Arsenal players taking selfies after their February win over Leicester 'got the blood boiling' and inspired the Foxes to make history.
•Manchester United and Manchester City have joined the race to sign Jamaican wonderkid Leon Bailey, 19, who plays for Genk. He was named the best young player in Belgium last season.
•Man City boss Pep Guardiola is plotting a sensational January move for Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez.


•Jose Mourinho was critical of Luke Shaw after Man Utd's defeat at Watford, but lavished praise on Ashley Young.
•Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez struggled to find the words to describe his thoughts after the loss against Wolves: "It's very difficult for me to express in English."


•Arsene Wenger is convinced Arsenal have removed any doubt they are good enough to push for the title and says his players have overcome a huge mental block.
•West Brom defender Jonny Evans has jumped to the defence of manager Tony Pulis and says their opponents have simply sussed them out.


•Joey Barton will have to beg for his Rangers future in a crisis meeting with Mark Warburton on Monday - and it still may not be enough to save him from the axe.
•Inverness boss Richie Foran accused referee Don Robertson of bottling the decision to send off Celtic's Erik Sviatchenko in Sunday's 2-2 draw.
•Alex Rae has been sacked by St Mirren with the team bottom of the Championship.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Tuesday September 20



•Manchester United are weighing up a January swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Isco.
•Tottenham fear Harry Kane could be out for up to two months with ankle ligament damage suffered in the victory over Sunderland.
•Francesco Guidolin is under mounting pressure at Swansea following their poor start to the new Premier League season.
•Vincent Kompany is set to make his latest long-awaited return from injury for Manchester City in their EFL Cup tie at Swansea.
•Antonio Conte is giving serious consideration to bringing summer signing Marcos Alonso into his Chelsea team and dropping Branislav Ivanovic.


•Jose Mourinho faces a battle to win over Manchester United's dressing room after the latest public attack on his players.
•Manchester United defender Phil Jones is set to be sold in January, with Arsenal and Liverpool ready to bid.
•Yaya Toure is set to be handed his first competitive start under Pep Guardiola in Manchester City's EFL Cup clash at Swansea.


•Manchester City and Barcelona are refusing to take no for an answer in their pursuit of Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin.
•Mamadou Sakho's exile from the Liverpool team will continue after Jurgen Klopp revealed the defender is not in the physical condition to play a competitive game.
•Joey Barton says he'd make a far better England boss than Sam Allardyce or Roy Hodgson.


•Antonio Conte is already coming under pressure at Chelsea, with owner Roman Abramovich holding a meeting with club officials following last Friday's 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool.
•Jurgen Klopp has told Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet there is no first choice goalkeeper at Liverpool.


•John Terry is expected to return to the Chelsea side for Saturday's crucial Premier League trip to Arsenal.
•Manchester United believe that Jose Mourinho is equipped with a competitive squad and are unlikely to strengthen further in January, despite three defeats in a week which have put the new manager under early pressure.


•Luke Shaw is unhappy at being made a scapegoat for the 3-1 defeat at Watford by Jose Mourinho.
•Patrick van Aanholt's disappearance form the Sunderland team just minutes before kick-off at Tottenham was due to concerns that the defender may be suffering from a serious medical condition.


•Joey Barton admits he would not have moved to Rangers with the benefit of hindsight after being hit with a three-week suspension.


•Nottingham Forest forward Nicklas Bendtner insists he will celebrate if he scores against former club Arsenal in their EFL Cup match.


•Joey Barton has no future at Rangers following his three-week suspension, says former captain and Ibrox legend Barry Ferguson.
•Hamilton are running the rule over former Arsenal, Sunderland and Middlesbrough right-back Justin Hoyte.

 

[sarahmic]

Latest Paper Talk


Wednesday September 21



•Real Madrid have been warned off Thibaut Courtois after sending a bizarre fax message to the Chelsea goalkeeper.
•Leicester's Danny Drinkwater is a shock £30m January transfer target for Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.
•Man Utd's Luke Shaw has suffered a groin tear - but wants to play through the pain.
•Sevilla are the latest side to enter the race for Chelsea outcast Cesc Fabregas.


•Manchester United will not be loosening their purse strings for Jose Mourinho in January - unless an exceptional target comes on the market.
•Manchester City rejected the chance to sell Yaya Toure in the summer - because they didn't want the Ivory Coast midfielder to come back to haunt them.


•Barcelona have made the signing of Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin their top priority for next summer's transfer window.
•John Mikel Obi is open to talking to other clubs as he waits to see whether he will be offered a new Chelsea contract.


•Manchester United believe that Jose Mourinho is equipped with a competitive squad for the Premier League season and are unlikely to strengthen further in January.
•Luke Shaw was disappointed with Jose Mourinho's criticism of him in Man Utd's defeat to Watford and will not get the chance to make amends in the EFL Cup match at Northampton due to a slight groin tear.


•Billy Davies has held talks with St Mirren chairman Gordon Scott about the vacant manager's job.
•Hearts boss Robbie Neilson reckons the club will tie down Alim Ozturk and Sam Nicholson after it was revealed the key duo have opened talks.
•Hamilton Accies will not be offering former Arsenal right-back Justin Hoyte a permanent deal.