What The Sports Pages Say

Tuesday's Newspapers:
21st April 2020


DAILY MIRROR
Mesut Ozil is one of the Arsenal players to reject the club's plea to take a 12.5 per cent wage cut from his £350,000 weekly salary.
Sylvain Distin has been put off going into management because of the lack of chances for black ex-professionals.
Port Vale owner Carol Shanahan fears EFL clubs will start to go bust if rescue packages are not put in place to save them from the financial impact of coronavirus.
Paris St-Germain's Kylian Mbappe could be worth as little as £35m because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a former member of the European Parliament. The forward had been linked with a £250m move to Real Madrid before the pandemic.

DAILY STAR
Chelsea have reignited their interest in Napoli forward Dries Mertens.
Manchester United have reportedly "held talks" with Jorge Mendes over a possible £110m deal for Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix.


THE SUN
Mauro Icardi could become the central figure in a three-way transfer deal involving Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.
Darren Fletcher is returning to Manchester United to become one of the club's ambassadors.
Real Madrid might not play any behind closed doors games at the Bernabeu and have asked permission to use their reserve team's Alfredo di Stefano Stadium instead.
Manchester United have ended their interest in Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez, but Arsenal and Everton remain interested.
Arsenal are keen on 16-year-old Rennes midfielder Noah Francoise, but face competition for his signature from PSG and Sevilla.
Steve Bruce will be given until the end of the season to prove to the prospective new Newcastle owners he can deliver European football. Mauricio Pochettino is already being linked to the club.
Leaked documents have shown Barcelona's doomsday scenario of £882m losses and the Nou Camp being closed for 10 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.


DAILY MAIL
Newcastle's Saudi Arabian buyers told Mike Ashley not to announce the sale of the club until it is fully completed.
Manchester United have plans in place to protect their players' mental health should the United Kingdom's lockdown continue.


THE GUARDIAN
Manchester United are redrawing their transfer policy because of coronavirus and it will almost certainly leave them unable to afford Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
FIFA say a planned £800m investment in women's football between 2019 and 2022 will not be cut despite the impact of coronavirus.

DAILY EXPRESS
Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey is a target for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, but the Spanish club believes they can tie the 26-year-old down to a new contract.
Manchester City have joined the race for Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid also interested in the striker who is out of contract in the summer of 2021.

SCOTTISH SUN
Hibs chief Leeann Dempster has warned a meteor is about to hit Scottish football, calling for a ceasefire within the game and urging clubs to focus on a way to cope with the coronavirus crisis.

Manchester United will not be able to buy a player as expensive as Spurs striker Harry Kane, 26, as they rethink their transfer strategy because of financial uncertainty caused by coronavirus. (Guardian)

But United are now favourites with the bookmakers to sign Kane and Borussia Dortmund's 20-year-old England winger Jadon Sancho. (Evening Standard)

Former Liverpool midfielder and Sky pundit Graeme Souness has warned Manchester United they risk having their "trousers taken down" if they have agreed a deal with Sancho behind Dortmund's back. (Daily Mirror)

Paris St-Germain's 21-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe, who has been linked with a £250m move to Real Madrid, could be worth as little as 40m euros (£35m) because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a former member of the European Parliament. (Daily Mirror)

Atletico Madrid’s Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey is a target for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, but the Spanish club believes they can tie the 26-year-old down to a new contract. (Express)

Manchester City have been tipped to join the race for Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid also interested in the 30-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer of 2021. (Express)

Manchester United have ended their interest in 28-year-old Real Madrid and Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez, but Arsenal and Everton are both interested. (Sky Sports, via the Sun)

Manchester City midfielder David Silva, 34, is in talks with former club Valencia as his contract is set to expire on 30 June, but the deal has been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. (ESPN, via Manchester Evening News)

Silva has named four Manchester United players in the side of the best opponents he has faced in his time in England - Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City target Kalidou Koulibaly, 28, who has also been linked with Paris St-Germain, says he is more interested in a move to England, but staying in Italy is also an option for the Napoli centre-back. (Le10Sport, via Sports Illustrated)

Manchester United fans who are eager to see next season's kit may have been done a favour by Barcelona, who appear to have accidentally leaked it via an online game of Pro Evolution Soccer. (Sun)

Chelsea are set to miss out on left-back Alex Telles, with Paris St-Germain set to buy the Porto player for £21.8m. The Blues will turn their attention to Leicester's Ben Chilwell as a result. (Gauchazh, via the Sun)

Steve Bruce will be "given until the end of the season to prove to the prospective new Newcastle owners he can deliver Europe" with ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino being linked to the club. (Sun

Wednesday's Newspapers:
22nd April 2020



DAILY MIRROR
Newcastle's prospective new owners have identified Mauricio Pochettino as their No 1 target to replace Steve Bruce as manager.
Arsenal remain hopeful of agreeing wage cuts with at least two of three players who have thus far rejected their advances.
RB Leipzig and Germany forward Timo Werner could be preparing for a move to the Premier League by taking English lessons, with Liverpool and Chelsea both interested in the 24-year-old


DAILY MAIL
League One and Two clubs are set to back a radical plan to revert to regional leagues in a bid to stay afloat after the coronavirus crisis concludes.
Manchester United's hopes of signing Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez are diminishing after the Spanish club demanded no less than his buyout clause of £135m.
Gareth Southgate has been warned England might have to play three games in two-week international breaks next season as part of FIFA's plans to revive the global football calendar.
Lee Charnley will leave his role as Newcastle United managing director after a handover period once the club's new owners complete their takeover.
Real Madrid have offered £62m flop Luka Jovic to Napoli in a bid to drive down the price for their target Fabian Ruiz.


THE SUN
Arsenal stars 'felt pressured' into taking pay cuts with head coach Mikel Arteta 'leaning' on young players who feel they cannot say no to him.
Arsenal could claim an unlikely Champions League spot next year with UEFA being pushed to use coefficient scores to decide which teams play in their 2020-21 competitions.
Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for defender Diogo Dalot.
The World Health Organisation has reportedly recommended to UEFA that all football is suspended until the end of 2021 to avoid the threat of a second, potentially worse, pandemic.
Chelsea are reportedly "close" to a deal with Barcelona to sign former Liverpool forward Philippe Coutinho.
Roma have agreed deals with Manchester United and Arsenal to keep loanees Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan beyond June 30.
Monaco midfielder Cesc Fabregas has hinted at a move to Major League Soccer, saying he’s a fan of the league.
Real Madrid are now set to keep Gareth Bale for another season. The Wales winger looked certain to leave the club because of his uneasy relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane.
Loris Karius has complained to FIFA and wants his loan contract with Besiktas ripped up after the Turkish club failed to pay his wages.


THE STAR
Chelsea are still keen to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and could include current No 1 Kepa Arrizabalaga in a swap deal.
Real Madrid have conceded they will not be able to sell Gareth Bale because his £650,000 weekly wage is highly unlikely to be matched by any other team after the coronavirus crisis ends.


THE TIMES
Medical experts are warning professional footballers and other elite athletes could be at greater risk from the effects of Covid-19 if they return to training and competing during the pandemic.


DAILY RECORD
Aberdeen defender Ash Taylor has demanded a decision from the SPFL and described their reaction to the coronavirus crisis as a "mess".


Chelsea are close to signing Barcelona and Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 27, who is on loan at Bayern Munich. (Sun)

England and Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, 20, who has been linked with Manchester United, was on the verge of a move to Old Trafford from Manchester City back in 2017. (Mirror)

RB Leipzig and Germany forward Timo Werner could be preparing for a move to the Premier League by taking English lessons, with Liverpool and Chelsea both interested in the 24-year-old. (Mirror)

Jorginho's agent says they will enter talks about a contract renewal with Chelsea after there were rumours the Italy midfielder, 28, would follow former manager Maurizio Sarri to Juventus. (Calciomercato - in Italian)

Real Madrid are now set to keep Gareth Bale for another season. The 30-year-old Wales winger looked certain to leave the club because of his uneasy relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane. (Sun)

Real are prepared to offer up Serbia striker Luka Jovic, 22, to Napoli in an attempt to bring down the £70m price of 24-year-old Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz, who is also a target for Manchester City. (Mail)

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, 26, could be set for an early return to Anfield from Turkish club Besiktas after making a complaint to Fifa over unpaid wages by his loan club. (Evening Standard)

Tottenham will target West Ham centre-back Issa Diop, 23, and Wolves and Mexico striker Raul Jimenez, 28, in a £96.9m transfer move. (Football365)

Manchester City are interested in Brighton's 22-year-old centre-back Ben White, who is on loan with Leeds. (The Athletic, via Sports Illustrated)

Ex-Newcastle defender Warren Barton thinks the Magpies' new owners will sack manager Steve Bruce and replace him with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. (Express)

Monaco and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas, 32, has hinted at a move to Major League Soccer, saying he’s a fan of the league. (Sun)

Thursday's Newspapers:
23rd April 2020



THE SUN
Arsenal are holding talks with £50m-rated Thomas Partey over a move, the player's dad has confirmed.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could reportedly be the subject of a "cheeky" bid from Chelsea at the end of the season.
The scale of the operation required to play a single Premier League match behind closed doors has been revealed by official documents in Germany, with Bundesliga chiefs saying that a minimum of 322 people are needed.
David Beckham has reportedly entered negotiations to bring James Rodriguez to Inter Miami from his former club Real Madrid.
Alexis Sanchez has endured a "traumatic" year while on loan with Inter Milan, according to Chile boss Reinaldo Rueda.
Watford could be reported to FIFA after allegedly failing to pay the clubs that trained Ismaila Sarr.
The career of former Stoke striker Jese Rodriguez has been left in limbo after he had his contract at Sporting Lisbon terminated.


DAILY STAR
Mauricio Pochettino is interested in holding talks with Newcastle United when the club's takeover is complete, according to reports.
Liverpool could miss out on £18m in bonus payments if Barcelona offload playmaker Philippe Coutinho to Chelsea this summer, it has emerged.


DAILY MAIL
The Premier League has drafted in a group of cardiologists to provide a report on the potential effect on players of coronavirus, amid concerns over the harm a potential return to football may cause.
Tottenham will be on the lookout for a new right-back in the next transfer window leaving Serge Aurier's future in doubt.
West Ham manager David Moyes hopes the over-indulgent football industry will 'reset' itself after the coronavirus pandemic left multiple clubs facing financial oblivion.
Michael O'Neill has turned his back on a £500,000 Euro 2020 bonus after stepping down as Northern Ireland manager on Wednesday.

DAILY EXPRESS
Liverpool have reached an agreement with Wolves to loan Loris Karius to Molineux next season, according to reports in Turkey.

DAILY TELEGRAPH
Wayne Rooney is leading talks with Derby County over wage reductions as the club race to reach an agreement before April 30.
Queens Park Rangers players have been asked by the club to consider a 50 per cent paycut, the largest yet for a Championship team and a signal of the pressure that some in the division are feeling in the grip of the coronavirus crisis.
A growing pool of Football League clubs are trying to budget for the prospect of behind-closed-doors games for the remainder of this year due to the coronavirus crisis.

THE SCOTTISH SUN
Rangers icon Ronald de Boer has urged UEFA to give the SPFL board approval to hand Celtic the Premiership title.
Brendan Rodgers insists he still has no regrets over walking out on Celtic's 10-in-a-row bid.

Brazil striker Neymar, 26, will have to take a pay cut of around £26m if he wants to move to Barcelona from Paris St-Germain this summer. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Paris St-Germain have made tying down France striker Kylian Mbappe, 21, to a new contract their number one priority this summer despite suffering a drop in income because of the coronavirus pandemic. (ESPN)

Chelsea are set to step up their interest in Leicester's England full-back Ben Chilwell, 23. (Sun)

Inter Miami owner David Beckham has spoken to Real Madrid about the possibility of signing Colombia forward James Rodriguez, 28. (Goal)

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, 26, is set to join Wolves on loan for next season. (Fantatik - in Turkish)

Karius is close to cancelling his two-year loan contract at Besiktas and returning to Anfield early after a dispute over unpaid wages. (Guardian)

Newcastle's prospective new owners have made Paris St-Germain's Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, 33, a prime transfer target and also hope to appoint Massimiliano Allegri or Mauricio Pochettino as manager. (ESPN)

Arsenal have opened talks with Atletico Madrid over a deal to sign Ghana international Thomas Partey, 26, according to the midfielder's father. (Mail)

Tottenham are interested in signing Real Betis' Brazilian full-back Emerson, 21, who is co-owned by Barcelona. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Tottenham are also set to rival Inter Milan in a bid to sign Barcelona's Brazilian midfielder Arthur, 23. Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Chelsea are competing with Atletico Madrid for the signing of 16-year-old Netherlands U21 striker Mohamed Sankoh from Stoke. (Goal)

Premier League clubs are aiming to resume training on 9 May with a number of managers telling their players to prepare for a return to work. (Sun)

DR Congo winger Yannick Bolasie, 30, is to return to Everton after Sporting Lisbon cut his loan spell short in an attempt to cut costs. (A Bola - in Portuguese)

A group of League One and League Two sides have told the Football League that a salary cap will need to be introduced next season in order to avoid a number of clubs going out of business. (Mail)

Schalke boss David Wagner says the club cannot afford to sign Jonjoe Kenny, 23, from Everton on a permanent deal but would like to extend the defender's loan for another season. (Sky Sports)

Leeds will still sign Portuguese winger Helder Costa, 26, from Wolves on 1 July despite the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis. (Football Insider)

Friday's Newspapers:
24th April 2020


Manchester United's determination to sell Paul Pogba


DAILY STAR
Manchester United have refused to trigger the 12 month extension in Paul Pogba's contract - and remain determined to sell him in the next transfer window.
Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius looks likely to turn down the chance of a £7m move to Wolves.

DAILY MAIL
Ajax star Hakim Ziyech will be free to join Chelsea in a planned £36.6m move in June with the Eredivisie set to be cancelled - but the midfielder won't be able to play for his new team this season even if it is delayed.
Manchester United have slapped an astonishing £35million price tag on Paris Saint-Germain target Diogo Dalot.
British billionaire Alki David is confident he will attain the naming rights for Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium in a potentially record-breaking deal.
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi would reportedly prefer to rekindle his partnership with Neymar than for the club to sign Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan in the summer.

THE SUN
Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish will avoid being frozen out by England manager Gareth Southgate despite their lockdown antics.
Philippe Coutinho can get back to his best by leaving Barcelona and joining Chelsea, Brazil legend Rivaldo insists.
Sol Campbell is on the brink of quitting as Southend boss.

DAILY TELEGRAPH
Sabri Lamouchi is in talks over a new contract at Nottingham Forest while the head coach, his staff and the board are taking significant pay cuts to assist the club during the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus crisis has left some Women's Championship and National League players homeless and unable to negotiate new contracts.

DAILY EXPRESS
Real Madrid have been tipped to sign Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba this summer.
Wolves star Adama Traore is being monitored by Liverpool and Arsenal.
Manchester United target Jadon Sancho has had his transfer value slashed by Borussia Dortmund ahead of the summer window, reports say.


DAILY MIRROR
Borussia Dortmund are confident they can ward off transfer interest from Man Utd to convince Jadon Sancho to sign an extension to his contract.
Chelsea are struggling to come to a decision on the future of goalkeeper and record-signing Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Liverpool have reportedly made contact with Philippe Coutinho over transfer speculation linking the 27-year-old with a return to Anfield.
Man Utd and Man City have been given a free run at Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez after Barcelona decided against taking up their first option to buy the midfielder.
Atletico Madrid star Thomas Partey has denied his father's claim that the Gunners were in negotiations to sign the midfielder.
Liverpool's controversial Champions League match against Atletico Madrid is the subject of an official inquiry into whether there is a link between the game and a rise in coronavirus cases.
Inter Milan have reportedly entered the race to sign Man Utd midfielder Paul Pogba.

SCOTTISH SUN
Celtic fans have been told to stay away from Parkhead if the Hoops are crowned nine-in-a-row league champions during lockdown.
Jason Naismith insists it would be an honour to wear a Hibs shirt hailing our NHS heroes next season.


DAILY RECORD
Aberdeen's plan to restart the season behind closed doors is set to be rejected after UEFA bosses effectively green lighted the SPFL's plan to crown Celtic champions.


RB Leipzig and Germany forward Timo Werner, 24, is ready to join Liverpool if the Premier League side pay his £52m release clause. (Sky Sports)

Chelsea and Brazil playmaker Willian, 31, is in talks with Liverpool over a move when his contract expires. (Sport, via Mirror)

Borussia Dortmund are ready to make England winger Jadon Sancho, 20, their second-highest earner in order to keep him at the club despite interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. (Forbes)

Manchester United are considering selling Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot, 21, to Paris St-Germain. (Daily Mercato)

Philippe Coutinho could get back to his best if the 27-year-old Brazilian midfielder leaves Barcelona and joins Chelsea, according to Brazil legend Rivaldo. (Sun)

Liverpool have told Coutinho they do not intend on buying him back from Barcelona. (Sport Witness)

Former Liverpool and Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has urged the Blues to sign Coutinho. (Talksport, via Express)

Leicester City are prepared to rival Manchester United to chase the signing of Borussia Monchengladbach and France striker Alassane Pea, 27. (Le10 Sport, via Leicester Mercury)

Manchester United will deploy Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish as a right winger if they complete a deal for the 24-year-old Englishman. (Athletic, via Birmingham Mail)

Juventus are weighing up a summer bid for Napoli and Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik, 26. (Calcio Mercato)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been dealt a boost in his pursuit of Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu, 19, with the Eredivisie side set to have to sell players to land their top summer target. (Voetbal International, via Express)

Arsenal's Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 31, hopes to stay in Italy with Roma next season following a spell on loan, while Manchester United's English defender Chris Smalling, 30, is also a key part of the Serie A club's transfer plans after his successful loan spell. (Mail)

Arsenal are set to complete a permanent move for Flamengo's Spanish defender Pablo Mari, 26, who joined the Gunners on loan in January. (Athletic)

Jamie Carragher says Liverpool players were 'shocked' their club managed to sell Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50m in 2011 and says they knew they had "kidded" their rivals. (Sky Sports, via Mail)

Juventus are looking for a buyer for Italy winger Federico Bernardeschi, 26. (Goal - in Italian)

Saturday's Newspapers:
25th April 2020


DAILY TELEGRAPH
Arsenal's Premier League and European rivals believe the club will be forced to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the next transfer window.
Kepa Arrizabalaga could get another season to try to impress Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard following the coronavirus crisis.

THE SUN
Alexis Sanchez is facing a footballing limbo with neither Inter Milan nor Manchester United wanting him.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche has revealed he gave Arsene Wenger a glass of "rubbish" red wine after a game - and had to apologise.
Bury owner Steve Dale has amazingly revealed he is waiting for  the  FA to put his club into the National League for next season.
Cedric Soares is keen to secure a permanent move to Arsenal despite failing to complete a single minute for the Gunners since joining them on loan.
Manchester United have been offered flop Angel Di Maria back as part of a swap deal with Paul Pogba, according to sensational reports.

DAILY MIRROR
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has been told to stop waiting and make his move for Paul Pogba this summer.
Everton are reportedly considering a stunning bid to bring Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho to Goodison Park.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has suggested there will be no matches played in front of supporters in the division until next year amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Bundesliga stars may have to wear masks on their return to football - with games stopped if they slip off.
Liverpool have earmarked Lazio forward Joaquin Correa as a potential transfer target, according to reports from Italy.

DAILY STAR
Saudi Arabian investors were reportedly interested in buying Manchester United before turning their intentions to Newcastle.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's father has appeared to back calls from Arsenal fans for his son to extend his contract with the club beyond next summer.
Barcelona are set to test Manchester United's position on Diogo Dalot after a strong assessment of the right-back.
Barcelona and Manchester City are among the leading candidates interested in signing Benfica defender Ruben Dias, according to reports.
Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with Barcelona about the prospect of signing Emerson - and the Catalan club are ready to sell.


DAILY MAIL
Brighton hired a mental health specialist to speak with players and staff after a survey found the number of footballers reporting symptoms of depression has doubled since the sport's shutdown.
Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final clash with Atletico Madrid will be the focus of an inquiry by the city council amid concerns it could have led to a high number of coronavirus infections in the area.
Real Madrid will take their interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland no further after being put off by the fees of agent Mino Raiola, according to reports in Spain.
Atletico Madrid could be left clinging to the faint hope that UEFA will come up with a 'wildcard' system for next season's Champions League, in the event of this season's competitions not being able to be finished.


THE TIMES
The Premier League is planning to resume the season with matches at "approved" stadiums when the government grants permission for clubs to return to action.
The former Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has emerged as a contender for a key position at Newcastle United if the Amanda Staveley-led takeover of the club is allowed to go through.


DAILY RECORD
West Ham are on the trail of Rangers keeper Robby McCrorie.
Aberdeen have put plans for their new £50m stadium on hold.

Chelsea are keeping an eye on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's situation at Arsenal and hope to make a summer move for the 30-year-old Gabon striker. (ESPN)

Barcelona and Inter Milan are also keen on Aubameyang, with clubs believing the Gunners will be forced to sell him at a knock-down price this summer. (Telegraph)

Arsenal have put contract talks with Aubameyang on hold and are ready to listen to offers for the striker. (Mail)

Chelsea have agreed a one-year contract extension with French striker Olivier Giroud, 33. (Di Marzio - in Italian)

The Blues have made contact with Lille over Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, 21. (Le10Sport - in French)

Barcelona want to sign French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, 23, from Tottenham and have offered a part-exchange deal that would see French centre-back Samuel Umtiti, 26, and Portuguese right-back Nelson Semedo move the other way. (Sky Sports)

Chelsea are preparing to keep Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, 25, despite being keen on AC Milan's Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma, 21. (Mail)

Paris St-Germain have offered Argentina midfielder Angel di Maria, 32, back to Manchester United, along with 26-year-old Germany winger Julian Draxler, as part of a swap deal for France midfielder Paul Pogba, 27. (Calciomercato, via Sun)

RB Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche has no transfer approaches have been made for Germany striker Timo Werner in recent weeks despite strong reported interest in the 24-year-old from the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona. (Goal)

Manchester City, PSG and Juventus are all chasing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, 21. (RMC Sport - in French)

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has named the price at which bidding can start for the club's Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz, 24, with Manchester City keen on his signature. (Teamtalk)

Chelsea midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi, 19, says he would love his club to sign fellow England international Jadon Sancho, 20, from Borussia Dortmund. (Mirror)

Everton have contacted Barcelona over the availability of 21-year-old Brazilian defender Emerson, who is currently on loan at Real Betis. (Sport - in Spanish)

The Toffees have made a loan move for Barca's Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, 27. (Sport - in Spanish)

Roma are ready to offer a three-year contract to 32-year-old Napoli and Belgium forward Dries Mertens. (Corriere dello Sport, via Goal in Italian)

Arsenal's 23-year-old Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos, who is on loan from Real Madrid, says he has been assured his future is at the Bernabeu. (Evening Standard)

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are eyeing former Liverpool striker Fabio Borini. The 29-year-old Italian now plays for Hellas Verona. (L'Arena, via Birmingham Mail)

Sunday's Newspapers:
26th April 2020


SUNDAY MIRROR
Kevin Keegan is being lined up for a sensational return to Newcastle, and their £300m takeover could even be rubber-stamped later this week.
Liverpool told Philippe Coutinho they were not interested in re-signing him when he discussed a potential return.
Borussia Dortmund are eyeing Arsenal's Bukayo Saka.
Sven-Goran Eriksson has warned English footballers: Take the wage pain, or clubs will go under.
Manchester United's Scott McTominay has been taking lessons from Cristiano Ronaldo on how to keep himself fit and focused during lockdown.


THE SUN ON SUNDAY
West Ham and Leicester are considering making moves for Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos.
Mohamed Salah would be devastated if the Premier League season is canned by COVID-19 and Liverpool are denied lifting the title, according to his former captain at Egyptian club Al-Mokawloon.
Manchester City can land a bigger jackpot than rivals United and Chelsea, if they force a Jadon Sancho bidding war this summer.
Bury owner Steve Dale is seeking to alleviate a £3.7m stadium debt in order to help secure the expelled club's future.
Everton transfer chief Marcel Brands is teeing up Dutch AZ Alkmaar star Teun Koopmeiners for a £12m swoop.
Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are both in the hunt for Sean Dyche - if coronavirus ruins Burnley's transfer plans.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been talking to Inter Milan stars ahead of a potential summer San Siro switch, according to reports.


THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Jose Mourinho is interested in signing right-back Thomas Meunier on a free transfer but will have to convince chairman Daniel Levy to relax his desire to bring down the average age of the Tottenham squad.
The Premier League and English Football League are facing calls for decisions to be taken over whether there would be promotion and relegation in the event the season is abandoned.


THE SUNDAY TIMES
English football faces a June 1 deadline to get back to full training or finishing the 2019-20 season may become impossible.
Alan Pardew should think twice about collecting his survival bonus at ADO Den Haag, after the abandonment of the Eredivisie season, according to Ruud Gullit.


THE OBSERVER
Premiership clubs face losing out on millions in central funding because of a clause in the longstanding agreement with the RFU which will become active at the end of the coronavirus pandemic-interrupted season.


THE SCOTTISH SUN
SPFL clubs are set to reject Rangers' calls for a second vote probe - because they fear a six-figure legal bill.
Scottish football will plead with Nicola Sturgeon to allow next season to start behind closed doors.


SUNDAY EXPRESS
Inter Milan have emerged as front-runners to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Arsenal ready to sell this summer after pulling the plug on contract talks with the striker.

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Tottenham have joined the race to sign Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic after he admitted he is considering his future at the club.
Newcastle fans hoping for a major spree by their club's prospective Saudi Arabian owners are set to be disappointed as the Premier League and UEFA insist spending restrictions will stay in place.


Paris St-Germain have made a bid for Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba, 27, including 32-year-old Argentine midfielder Angel di Maria - who had a failed stint at Old Trafford in 2015 - as part of the deal. (Mail)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s father Pierre-Francois has seemingly urged the 20-year-old Gabon striker to sign a new contract at Arsenal in an Instagram post of his son signing his first contract at the club. (Mirror)

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 35, has pledged to stay at Juventus until 2022 amid rumours linking him with a return to former club Manchester United. (Sun)

Borussia Dortmund believe they can persuade England winger Jadon Sancho, 20, to stay at the club despite speculation that a move to Manchester United has been agreed. (Teamtalk)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez still dreams of signing Paris St-Germain striker Neymar, according to the 28-year-old Brazilian’s agent. (Goal)

PSG would “rather let Kylian Mbappe rot on the bench” than sell the 21-year-old France striker to Real Madrid. (Sun)

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has personally called PSG’s Belgian defender Thomas Meunier, 28, in an attempt to secure the full-back’s transfer this summer. (Express)

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, 23, told a fan he would be staying at the club, quelling rumours of a move to Manchester United. (Goal)

Leicester are still interested in Lille striker Victory Osimhen, 21, but could lose out to Italian sides Juventus and Inter Milan in their pursuit of the Nigerian. (Mail)

Arsenal will need to qualify for next season’s Champions League to be able to afford Atletico Madrid and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 26. (Express)

Norwich have agreed a deal to sign 23-year-old Luxembourg forward Danel Sinani from F91 Dudelange on a three-year deal. (Sky Sports)

Monday's Newspapers:
27th April 2020

Potential new rules and procedures for the return of football in the UK dominate Monday's back pages.


THE SUN
Clubs may be allowed to make five substitutions during games should the Premier League season be allowed to resume to avoid player burn out.
Roy Hodgson has told friends he does not expect to be allowed to attend Crystal Palace training or matches when the Premier League returns as stricter restrictions will remain in place for over 70s.
Manchester City are keen to boost their defensive depth by signing Juventus centre-half Leonardo Bonucci.
Chelsea came close to signing Neymar three years before he left Santos for Barcelona, according to one of the now PSG star's former agents.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be forced into a major clear out to boost his end of season transfer kitty.
Alan Pardew wants to stay on as boss of Dutch side Den Haag.


DAILY EXPRESS
Newcastle have opened talks with Napoli over defender Kalidou Koulibaly and also want to sign PSG striker Edinson Cavani and Real Betis forward Nabil Fekir.
Liverpool are closing on an unlikely financial boost as Juventus want to sign Luis Alberto, who the Anfield club included a 30 per cent sell-on fee on when they sold him to Lazio in 2016.

DAILY MIRROR
Premier League clubs have been briefed on the possibility of hotel lockdowns for players and staff as part of draconian regulations for a potential return to action.
Chelsea players want to discuss deferrals rather than cuts in their coronavirus pay negotiations.
Mohamed Salah has had to alter his training regime due to the start of Ramadan and has been putting himself through his paces in the early hours of the morning.
Arsenal have reportedly jumped ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign Chelsea winger Willian on a free transfer this summer.
Bukayo Saka left Arsenal fans scratching their heads when he posted a cryptic social media video amid speculation Borussia Dortmund are plotting a move for the left-back.


DAILY MAIL
Premier League clubs have warned players they must be ready to resume training with 48 hours' notice amid Government plans to quarantine arrivals from overseas for 14 days - that would include stars like Willian and Fernandinho who are among those to have left the country during the pandemic.
Out-of-contract players are on a collision course with EFL clubs over plans to ask them to play through July without extra payment.
Arsenal have made contact with Real Madrid regarding centre-back Eder Militao, according to reports in Spain.
Wilfried Ndidi has distanced himself from a possible move away from Leicester City by admitting he has no reason to leave the club.
Watford have joined the fight to sign full-back Kwadwo Asamoah who has fallen out of favour at Inter Milan.
AC Milan want Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic as their long-term replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Bitter UFC rivals Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz could have their trilogy fight on Dana White's "Fight Island" later this summer.


THE STAR
Newcastle are set to enter the Premier League-dominated race for Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho.


DAILY TELEGRAPH
Premier League clubs have snubbed an SOS appeal from St John Ambulance, whose volunteers are recognisable at major sporting events around the United Kingdom and usually earn £29,000 per week from top division matches.
World football players' union FIFPro insist safety must be guaranteed before any football resumes and are concerned an early return could send out the wrong message while coronavirus remains a threat.
Derby County are facing a crucial 48 hours as they attempt to strike a wage deferral deal with their players, after it emerged the Championship club will lose up to £10 million due to the coronavirus pandemic.
THE TIMES
The Government is urging the Premier League and other sporting competitions to step up planning for their returns in a bid to lift the national mood after more than a month of lockdown.
Premiership Rugby is facing a significant drop in value for broadcasting rights after failing to secure a deal before the coronavirus crisis struck.
THE GUARDIAN
Everton could force Moise Kean to make a public apology, on top of a likely £100,000 fine, for breaching lockdown rules.
Six Nations organisers are considering creating a new window for the women's competition, moving it away from men's games to try and increase exposure.
DAILY RECORD
Hearts remain on collision course with their players with those failing to accept a pay cut facing having their contracts suspended.
SCOTTISH SUN
Bayern Munich are preparing to snatch another Celtic kid - with Barry Hepburn set to head for Germany.
Clubs may be allowed to use five subs in a game if the Premiership season resumes.

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who is on loan at Bayern Munich, was told by Liverpool that they were not interested in re-signing him when the 27-year-old Brazil international discussed a potential return. (Mirror)

Napoli and Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly, 28, has emerged as a surprise target for Newcastle United. (Foot Mercato - in French)

Arsenal have pulled out of contract talks with striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 30-year-old Gabon international is linked with a move away from Emirates Stadium, with Manchester United, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea all interested in signing him. (Mirror)

The Gunners have jumped ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign Chelsea and Brazil winger Willian, 31, on a free transfer this summer. (ESPN - via Metro)

Manchester United’s Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea says he wants to stay at Old Trafford for "many years", but the 29-year-old faces competition for his position from 23-year-old Englishman Dean Henderson, who has impressed on loan at Sheffield United. (Mail)

Neymar's former agent Wagner Ribiero says the Brazil and Paris St-Germain forward, 28, considered joining Chelsea when he was 17. (Mail)

PSG and Belgium defender Thomas Meunier has been "won over" by Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho regarding a summer move, but the 28-year-old still hopes he could get a new deal at the Parc des Princes. (L’Equipe, via Teamtalk)

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has spoken to Napoli striker Dries Mertens and hopes to secure the 32-year-old Belgian on a free transfer. (Mail)

Netherlands full-back Jetro Willems, 26, has suggested he wants to move to Newcastle on a permanent basis after spending the start of the season on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt before getting injured. (Goal)

Chelsea have suffered a setback in their chase of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana because the 24-year-old Cameroon international looks set to return to Barcelona. (Express)

Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, 23, has reiterated his commitment to Leicester City after recent reports of interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United.(ESPN)

Barcelona's hopes of signing Inter Milan and Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez, 22, have been diminished because of the impact coronavirus has had on the club's finances. (Mail)

Tuesday's Newspapers:
28th April 2020


THE SUN
West Ham insiders have said "nobody is safe" in the club's massive squad overhaul this summer with Chelsea circling around £70m-rated England midfielder Declan Rice, who left the Blues as a 15-year-old.
City Football Group is set to make French club Nancy its ninth purchase once the coronavirus pandemic has passed.
Marcus Rashford has been at Manchester United's Carrington training ground to complete his rehab from a back injury.
Willian's hopes of staying in London by joining Arsenal in the summer could be quashed by the Chelsea winger's wage demands.
Newcastle are looking to sign former Sunderland striker Fabio Borini according to a report in Italy.


THE TIMES
Premier League chiefs have been given four weeks to provide UEFA with their plans to restart matches this summer.


DAILY MAIL
Premier League clubs face an astonishing £4m bill for coronavirus testing kits.
Barcelona have made Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele available for swap deals.
The Premier League transfer window is unlikely to open until the end of August.
Newcastle have taken chief scout Steve Nickson off the government furlough scheme after telling him to get to work on a series of summer transfer targets.


DAILY STAR
American businessman Henry Mauriss could re-ignite his bid to take over Newcastle United if their Saudi Arabian offer fails to reach completion.
Chelsea are turning their attentions to Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz after cooling interest in Philippe Coutinho.
Manchester United are now part of a "four-club race" to sign Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa.


DAILY TELEGRAPH
FIFA council member Michel D'Hooghe says players should be given yellow cards if they spit during matches when football resumes because of fears of spreading coronavirus.


SCOTTISH SUN
Ann Budge has won her battle with Hearts players who were refusing to take a wage cut with the final rebels having stood down.
Kilmarnock will back changes to the SPFL structure which would cut it down to three 14-team divisions…but only if the changes made are permanent.
Former Celtic star Islam Feruz is ditching football to set up a company selling designer caps.


Everton striker Moise Kean, 20, has been linked with a move to Napoli. The Italian is likely to be disciplined by Everton after breaking government coronavirus guidelines earlier this week. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian)

Barcelona have made record signings Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 27, and French forward Ousmane Dembele, 22, available for swap deals this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Chelsea were interested in Coutinho but are now targeting Bayer Leverkusen and Germany playmaker Kai Havertz, 20. (Athletic - subscription required)

Arsenal have made a £43m bid for Atletico Madrid and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 26. (Express)

Liverpool are the favourites to sign Lille striker Victor Osimhen, 21, although Leicester and Chelsea are also interested in the Nigerian. (Le Foot Mercato - in French)

Borussia Dortmund's sporting director says he is "totally relaxed" over the future of Jadon Sancho. The England winger, 20, has been linked with a move to Manchester United. (Sport1 - in German)

However, Manchester United are willing to sell France midfielder Paul Pogba, 27, and England midfielder Jesse Lingard, 27, to fund a move for Sancho. (Sun)

Arsenal have missed out on signing 15-year-old Manchester United midfielder Omari Forson on a professional contract. (Mail)

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Real Valladolid's Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu, 21. (AS - in Spanish)

Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi says he is enjoying himself at the club, despite the Nigerian, 23, being linked with a move to Manchester United or Arsenal. (Teamtalk)

Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos, 23, says he hopes to return to Real Madrid when his season-long loan deal at Arsenal ends. (Movistar - in Spanish)

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa says his former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could "never" last a full season at a club like Real Madrid. Conte has been been Inter Milan manager since May 2019. (ESPN)

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min could miss the return to Premier League training. The South Korean, 27, is currently completing national service and will have to quarantine himself when he returns to the country. (Evening Standard)

Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas says he will never return to the Premier League. (Mail)

Wednesday's Newspapers:
29th April 2020



THE SUN
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be available for just £30m as Arsenal do not want to lose him for nothing when his contract expires in 2021.
Arsenal and Manchester United are part of a five-way fight to sign Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder.
Manchester United face a fight with Liverpool for the signing of Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
EFL clubs are risking arguments as they will ask out-of-contract players to finish the coronavirus-hit season if it goes beyond June 30.
Arsenal have been told they will need to find £44m to sign on-loan Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos on a permanent basis.


THE TIMES
The Premier League faces a revolt from clubs over "Project Restart" plans with fears over player safety and opposition to the prospect of playing matches at neutral venues.

DAILY MAIL
Manchester United have shelved plans to go to India in preseason while Manchester City have called off talks over potential games in the United States and Europe.
The Premier League will control all coronavirus testing on players in a bid to complete the season.
Roma are hoping to keep Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan after his loan expires but talks have been put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Everton have held talks with Barcelona over 20-year-old centre back Jean-Clair Todibo. The Frenchman is currently on loan at Schalke.
Captain Tom Moore will be presented with a WWE title belt on his 100th birthday after helping raise more than £29m for NHS charities.


DAILY MIRROR
The Premier League is wary of announcing a return amid backlash fears over their plans for comprehensive testing of players, potentially twice a week.
Premier League clubs are not in favour of accepting an offer from Wembley Stadium to help finish the 2019/20 season there.


DAILY STAR
Manchester United and Arsenal appear to have been beaten to the signing of RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, who is set to stay in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Paris Saint-Germain could move their remaining Champions League games to Qatar after the remainder of the Ligue 1 campaign was called off on Tuesday.
Police have been consulted over the prevention of Liverpool fans congregating wherever the behind-closed-doors game is played that could see them crowned Premier League champions.

SCOTTISH SUN
Coronavirus testing kits could cost Scottish Premiership clubs £150,000 if the remaining games on the schedule are cleared to be played.


Manchester United may be pushed into selling France midfielder Paul Pogba, 27, for a cut-price deal because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on football finances. (Goal)

Arsenal will sell Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 30, for £30m as they do not want him to leave on a free transfer. (Sun)

The Gunners have yet to offer a contract extension to German midfielder Mesut Ozil, 31. (ESPN)

West Ham will refuse any offer made by Chelsea for England midfielder Declan Rice, 21. (Goal)

Newcastle and Everton have emerged as surprise contenders for the signature of Ajax and Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek. Manchester United and Real Madrid have also been linked with the 23-year-old. (Le10 Sport - in French)

Everton have offered a four-year deal to Real Madrid and Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez, 28. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Arsenal and Manchester United are both interested in signing Monaco and France striker Wissam Ben Yedder, 29. (L'Equipe - in French)

Everton have held talks with Barcelona over 20-year-old centre back Jean-Clair Todibo. The French youngster is currently on loan at Schalke. (Mail)

Liverpool have opened talks with the representatives of Lille and Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen, 21. (Le10 Sport - in French)

Newcastle are considering replacing manager Steve Bruce with Flamengo boss Jorge Jesus, who led the Brazilian club to the 2019 Copa Libertadores title. (Goal)

Arsenal will have to pay Real Madrid 50m euros (£44m) if they want to sign on-loan Spain midfielder Dani Ceballos, 23, on a permanent deal. (AS - in Spanish)

Arsenal are struggling to tie 18-year-old English winger Bukayo Saka down to a new contract with other Premier League clubs interested. (90min)

Chelsea want to sign Paris St-Germain's 17-year-old French midfielder Kays Ruiz-Atil, who is out of contract in 2021. (L'Equipe - in French)

Thursday's Newspapers:
30th April 2020



DAILY MAIL
Premier League clubs want to organise behind-closed-doors friendlies at stadiums as part of their pre-season plans ahead of the resumption of the 2019-20 season.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is one of the leading candidates to become Pep Guardiola's new assistant at Manchester City.
Manchester United stars have been told to prepare for a return to training on May 18 - and to clean their own kit.
Premier League medics believe attempts to complete the season will not collapse if a player or staff member tests positive for the coronavirus.
French President Emmanuel Macron is imploring his counterparts in Europe to block any plans for the football season to restart in their respective countries, according to reports.
Napoli forward Dries Mertens remains an option for Chelsea.


DAILY TELEGRAPH
Tottenham players will receive their April salaries in full on Thursday - a month after chairman Daniel Levy called on footballers to accept pay cuts.
A number of Premier League managers are understood to be wary of being rushed back into playing football because of the risks involved to players and staff.
Premier League and Championship clubs have risked being prevented from spending any money on new signings in the next transfer window, after taking up the government's offer to defer PAYE payments.


THE SUN
Football's top stars fear a premature resumption could see them infect their families with Covid-19, according to the world players' union.
Unai Emery is open to a Premier League job following his Arsenal sacking, but says La Liga is likely to be his next destination.
Newcastle are set to be one of just five Premier League clubs to spend big this summer.
The fate of the Football League season could hinge on a key vote by players about whether they work beyond their contract dates.


DAILY STAR

England goalkeeper Joe Hart wants a free transfer to Leeds - and would be willing to take a pay cut if they got promoted.



DAILY MIRROR
The framework for a Premier League return has been cleared by Boris Johnson's office, including crucial plans for widespread testing of players.
Premier League players will have to wear face masks in training and all footballs will be disinfected by staff wearing PPE as part of draconian rules designed to allow a return to group training.
A string of black and ethnic minority players fear the Premier League's rush to restart leaves them at risk of catching coronavirus.
Jadon Sancho is being offered the chance to follow the likes of David Beckham in wearing the legendary No 7 shirt at Manchester United.
Jurgen Klopp has been told Ferran Torres would be a 'perfect fit' for his Liverpool team amid transfer links with the Valencia starlet.


THE TIMES
Manchester United's owners are facing another drop in the club's share price that would result in hundreds of millions being wiped off its value.
Most of the chief executives of English sport's governing bodies have agreed to take temporary pay cuts that in some cases will involve sacrificing thousands of pounds.


DAILY RECORD
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has revealed his anxious staff have been bombarded with vile abuse and threats of violence on the back of a controversial vote to end the season early during the coronavirus pandemic.
St Johnstone midfielder and PFA Scotland chairman Liam Craig has slammed Scottish football's decision makers for drowning players' voices out of the league reconstruction debate.

THE SCOTTISH SUN
Celtic are braced to lose yet another top prospect with Manchester City poised to poach exciting midfield talent Josh Adam.

Mauricio Pochettino is the first choice of Newcastle's prospective new owners to replace Steve Bruce as manager and they are willing to pay him £19m per year. (Sky Sports)

Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick held a 30-minute phone call with Manchester City and Germany winger Leroy Sane, 24, to discuss a potential transfer. (Bild, via Goal - in German)

Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho, 20, is being offered the number seven shirt by Manchester United in a bid to tempt him to the club. (Mirror)

France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, 23, is considering his future at Tottenham, with Barcelona reportedly interested. (Sky Sports)

Roma boss Paulo Fonseca wants to sign Chelsea and Spain winger Pedro, 32. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian)

Arsenal have been told they must pay more than £25m if they want to land Celtic's French forward Odsonne Edouard, 22. (Express)

Napoli forward Dries Mertens, 32, is interested in a move to London, with Chelsea still keen on the Belgium international. (Mail)

Arsenal have reportedly made contact with Real Madrid over a potential deal for Spain left-back Sergio Reguilon. The 23-year-old is currently on loan at Sevilla. (ABC, via Star)

Leicester are interested in signing Saint-Etienne's French centre-back Wesley Fofana, 19. (Le10 Sport - in French)

AC Milan will look to sell former Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina when the transfer market re-opens. The 37-year-old is currently on loan at Aston Villa. (Calciomercato)

Nigel Pearson will remain as Watford manager until the end of the season, when it resumes, despite his contract expiring in May. (Sky Sports)

Arsenal will look to make free transfers and swap deals during the summer transfer window because of the financial impact of coronavirus. (Mail)

Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho, 28, says he considered leaving the Blues after just one season because of the criticism he faced from fans. (FourFourTwo)

Friday's Newspapers:
1st May 2020


A divide appears to remain in the football world as to whether the sport can and should return or not to conclude the season.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero insists players are "scared" to return to action during the coronavirus pandemic


DAILY MAIL
Manchester United want Ajax starlet Donny van de Beek to replace Paul Pogba if he leaves Old Trafford.
EFL players below the Sky Bet Championship have been told it is likely that the season will not be finished, with too many coronavirus tests needed to resume action, and stadiums likely to be empty until January.
Coronavirus testing results are planned to be fast-tracked for Premier League players, with managers hoping to get the all-clear two days after each game when the season resumes.
Next season's League Cup could be scrapped should the number of teams in the Premier League be increased in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.


THE SUN
An anonymous Premier League club owner has warned that footballers will be able to refuse to play if the season resumes amid coronavirus fears.


DAILY MIRROR
Crisis-hit clubs at all levels are ganging up on agents who are owed hundreds of thousands of pounds from outstanding invoices from recent deals in January, amid the ongoing pandemic.
Brendan Rodgers says it would be "an absolute shame" if his former club Liverpool were not able to lift the 2019-20 title.


DAILY TELEGRAPH
The Premier League faces a pivotal 24 hours, with serious scepticism among some players and chief executives over the feasibility of new detailed proposals to resume the season on June 8 that have now been circulated to clubs.
The EFL needs 66,000 coronavirus tests to be carried out on players and staff to complete the 2019-20 season heightening fears that the situation is unworkable and the campaign will have to be abandoned.


DAILY RECORD
Bayern Munich are the latest top club who are considering a move for Hearts' 17-year-old starlet Aaron Hickey.


Manchester United favour a move for Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, 24, over his England team-mate and Leicester midfielder James Maddison, 23. (Manchester Evening News)

Real Madrid and Barcelona have joined the race to sign Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho. Manchester United are also keen on the 20-year-old. (Bild - in German)

Arsenal face competition from AC Milan to sign Real Betis and France midfielder Nabil Fekir, 26. (Marca - in Spanish)

Bayern Munich are only willing to pay £60m for Manchester City and Germany winger Leroy Sane, 24. (Sky Sports)

Barcelona will not sell Brazil winger Philippe Coutinho for less than 100m euros (£87m). Chelsea have been linked with the 27-year-old. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Inter Milan are keen to make Victor Moses' loan deal permanent but want Chelsea to drop their 12m euros (£10m) asking price for the 29-year Nigeria winger. (Calciomercato)

Manchester City have started negotiations with Barcelona over a deal for Portugal right-back Nelson Semedo, 26. The deal would involve fellow Portugal right-back Joao Cancelo, 25, moving in the opposite direction. (Sport)

Brazil midfielder Fernandinho, 34, wants to sign a new deal at Manchester City. (Sky Sports)

Bournemouth and Scotland winger Ryan Fraser, 26, wants to join Tottenham when his contract expires this summer. (Football Insider)

Arsenal's head of football Raul Sanllehi has told club staff that transfers are not a priority this summer. (Standard)

Manchester United will reject any bids for English goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the next transfer window. The 23-year-old is currently on loan at Sheffield United. (ESPN)

Aston Villa's Spanish striker Borja Baston will return to former club Real Zaragoza when his contract expires in the summer. The 27-year-old joined Villa in January. (Sport Aragon - in Spanish)

Burnley and former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, 33, is keen on a move to Leeds United, and would be willing to take a pay cut. (Football Insider)

Saturday's Newspapers:
2nd May 2020


the sun

Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson and Mark Noble have been inundated by calls from worried players over whether it is safe for football to return.
Manchester United players are taking legal advice over missed pay rises that would cost them up to a combined £50m if coronavirus means the season concludes.
Dean Henderson is set to leave Manchester United on loan again whenever the 2020/21 season is able to get under way as he is not keen to sit on the bench behind David De Gea.


daily telegraph

Bundesliga squads will be tested twice a week for coronavirus and players will have food delivered to hotel rooms during isolation in order to stage matches behind closed doors.
The Premier League season is set to be completed at neutral venues, with the help of 40,000 coronavirus tests.
Bournemouth midfielder Jordon Ibe has undergone treatment to address his mental health after being caught driving without a licence.
League One and League Two clubs may be asked to vote on a series of radical changes to budgets and squad sizes as early as next week as the EFL looks to introduce tighter financial controls.


the times

Newcastle's players will return to training next week and key members of staff have been taken off furlough in a sign that the club is preparing for the season to be finished.


daily mail

Manchester United have emailed staff asking them to come up with ideas to create a better atmosphere at Old Trafford if games are played behind closed doors.
Premier League clubs are already preparing for playing the entirety of next season behind closed doors, with Manchester United and Arsenal set to lose up to £100m from lack of matchday revenue.
Chelsea players' U-turn on accepting pay cuts last weekend followed pressure from players at other Premier League clubs.
English football's powerbrokers are in talks over establishing a financial relief fund to protect players left unemployed because of the coronavirus.


daily star

Jude Bellingham met with legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson when he visited the club's Carrington complex as he ponders a move from Birmingham City.
Feyenoord's Turkey U21 star Orkan Kokcu is being coveted by Arsenal but the Premier League side face competition for his signature from Sevilla.
Wolves striker Raul Jimenez has said it would be tough to ignore Real Madrid or Barcelona if they showed interest in him.


daily mirror

Civil war is in danger of breaking out between Premier League clubs with the top six facing criticism over their desire to complete the 2019/20 season.
Timo Werner looks set to miss out on a move to Anfield as champions-elect Liverpool now look virtually certain to do no transfer spending this summer.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta cancelled a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen striker Kevin Volland just after he took over at the Emirates.
Barcelona need to raise €70m before June 30 and will listen to offers for almost all of their players.

Sunday's Newspapers:
3rd May 2020


The Premier League could be faced with a player revolt



SUNDAY MIRROR
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made plans to make Paul Pogba a key part of Manchester United's future and build a partnership with Bruno Fernandes but Real Madrid are set to table a cut-price £70m bid for the wantaway Old Trafford star.
Premier League clubs are facing a player revolt over the plan to restart the season with a number of foreign stars approaching their governments and agents for advice on whether it will be safe for them to return to action on June 12.
Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp is leading a consortium of football superstars including Phillip Cocu, Dirk Kuyt, Ronald Koeman and Henrik Larsson aiming to buy a Premier League club.
Manchester United are preparing for a doomsday scenario of empty stadiums for up to six months after football re-starts.
Premier League clubs will be offered a star-studded host of Barcelona players to buy or loan this summer, including World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, as the Spanish giants are desperate to raise funds amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Tottenham have slashed Jose Mourinho's transfer budget with loan signings are now high on the agenda as last year's Champions League finalists look to cut costs.



THE SUN ON SUNDAY
The Premier League is being offered an amazing Plan B escape route - to end the season in sunny Australian city Perth.
Manchester United hope to beat Tottenham to the signing of Sunderland's young striker Joe Hugill for a six-figure sum.
Burnley will claim a huge £10m in compensation for miracle-worker manager Sean Dyche with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa monitoring his situation.
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce remains very popular among his squad who are determined to prove to the new owners that he should be kept on beyond this season.
EFL clubs could receive a multi-million-pound handout from the Premier League if they get their season going.
Bosses at a Premier League club have told their players they can opt out of Project Restart for health and safety.
Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah would risk being jailed in Saudi Arabia if the Blades beat Newcastle after the proposed takeover.


THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
There is a major rift emerging between the top 14 Premier League clubs and those in the bottom six, with concerns that the relegation strugglers will try to block the completion of the season and plunge the league into financial disaster.
Broadcasters could be allowed to interview players and managers during games in innovative plans being discussed by the Premier League to head off demands for money to be repaid because the season is set to be completed behind closed doors.
Sky Bet Championship clubs have discussed restarting the season in July, after lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic is over.
The Football Association fear losses reaching £300m from sport grinding to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic.


THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Mesut Ozil has chipped in to help those struggling with the coronavirus in Turkey after pledging £80,000 for Muslims during Ramadan.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has said it would not 'sit well' with him if Premier League stars were favoured to undergo regular coronavirus tests ahead of frontline NHS staff and key workers.
Marcelo has no plans to surrender his Real Madrid left-back slot to Ferland Mendy just yet, rubbishing rumours he is set for a switch to Juventus.
Montpellier midfielder Junior Sambia is ready to return home after a scary battle against coronavirus over the past couple of weeks.
Leeds want to go with 20-year-old Illan Meslier as their Premier League goalkeeper next season if they win promotion.



SUNDAY EXPRESS
West Ham are considering offloading their £45m club-record signing Sebastien Haller after just one season at the London Stadium.
Leicester City plan to move for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney if they lose Ben Chilwell.


SCOTTISH SUN
Rangers are poised to pull the trigger on their 'smoking gun' in the next 72 hours and submit their dossier of evidence they claim proves SPFL skullduggery to all 42 member clubs.
Scottish FA president Rod Petrie has confirmed that this year's Scottish Cup will be played to a conclusion - even if it takes us into 2021 to get it done.


SUNDAY MAIL
Celtic are keeping tabs on Legia Warsaw's Michal Karbownik but the club will have to beat Dynamo Moscow and Real Betis to land the attacking left-back.
Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson admits the financial impact of COVID-19 could scupper Rangers' bid to sign Ianis Hagi.

Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 28, has hinted he could quit Manchester City if their Champions League ban is upheld. (HLN, via Manchester Evening News)

Roma want to sign Chile forward Alexis Sanchez on loan. The 31-year-old is currently at Inter Milan, on loan from Manchester United. (Sky Sport Italia, via Goal - in Italian)

Roma also want to keep Manchester United loanee and England defender Chris Smalling, 30, for at least another season, says manager Paulo Fonseca. (ESPN)

Bayern Munich and Brazil winger Philippe Coutinho, 27, will be a target for Newcastle if they make Mauricio Pochettino the club's new manager. (Mirror)

Lille have received an 85m euros (£75m) bid from an unnamed club for Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen. The 21-year-old is wanted by Liverpool. (Telefoot - in French)

Real Madrid are planning to sell at least five players this summer, including Wales winger Gareth Bale, 30. (AS - in Spanish)

Leicester and Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, 23, is a target for Paris St-Germain. (ESPN)

Newcastle and West Ham are among a number of Premier League clubs to have enquired about Real Madrid and Serbia striker Luka Jovic, 22. (90min)

Leicester will make a move for Arsenal and Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney, 22, if England left-back Ben Chilwell, 23, is sold. (Express)

Barcelona could sell Uruguay striker Luis Suarez this summer with several MLS teams said to be interested in the 33-year-old. (Marca)

Newcastle, Everton, West Ham and Leicester are all monitoring the situation of Manchester United and England midfielder Jesse Lingard, 27. (90min)

Southampton hope to sign Reims' French defender Axel Disasi, 22. (Mail)

Leeds will look to make 20-year-old French goalkeeper Illan Meslier's loan deal from Lorient permanent if they win promotion to the Premier League. (Telegraph)

Monday's Newspapers:
4th May 2020


THE SUN
Premier League chiefs are working on a new seven-week football festival if the season resumes, but it must start by June 19 - otherwise it will be impossible to complete the season before UEFA's cut-off point of August 2.
One major Premier League club has already started sending out kits to their players' homes to test themselves as about 40,000 testing kits - costing about £4m - are to be bought by the league in a bid to get games resumed.
Controversial plans to stop Premier League relegation this season are gathering support with a growing set of top-flight clubs backing the idea of playing out fixtures at up to 10 neutral stadiums - if the threat of relegation is removed.
Arsenal and Tottenham are interested in Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon, who has been on loan with Sevilla this season, according to reports in Spain.


DAILY MAIL
The Premier League will make a desperate plea for unity this week amid claims that the bottom six clubs are sabotaging plans to resume the season, while some of the 'big six' are lobbying for guarantees that promotion and relegation will still be implemented, even if the season is curtailed.
Alexis Sanchez has desires on moving back to his native Chile following a failed spell at Manchester United.
Premier League clubs will hold urgent talks with their players this week amid major concerns from footballers over proposals to restart the season.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has followed the Players Together campaign by helping to launch an eBay shirts raffle to raise funds for NHS heroes.
Jack Wilshere has insisted that he has 'unfinished business at West Ham' and said he is determined to show manager David Moyes and the Hammers faithful what he can do.


DAILY TELEGRAPH

The League Managers Association has revealed it has received no contact from the EFL for three weeks and the union is stressing that the health of members is its main focus when football returns from the coronavirus pandemic.
Scrapping relegation might be the only way to convince struggling Premier League clubs to play the remainder of the season at neutral venues, according to one leading club executive.
Women's football and the grass-roots game will remain two central planks of the Football Association's strategic planning as it sets about cutting £75m from the annual budget.
Tanguy Ndombele is determined to stay and fight for his place at Tottenham Hotspur despite his strained relationship with Jose Mourinho and interest from Barcelona.


DAILY MIRROR

Premier League clubs have been told the "eight to ten" neutral ground plan is an experiment - and all 20 could be used next season.
Arsenal are ready to sell Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer to help raise funds for a low-budget transfer window with Roma keen to sign the Armenian on a permanent basis.
William Saliba will be allowed to train with Arsenal when he arrives in North London but cannot play any games until the 2020/21 season kicks off even though the Ligue 1 season has been brought to an end.
Kylian Mbappe is considering the offer of a new deal at PSG which would launch him into the same kind of wage bracket as Neymar.

DAILY STAR
Barcelona goalkeeper and Chelsea transfer target Marc-Andre ter Stegen says he is "very happy" at the Nou Camp despite contract talks being on hold.
Chief football officer for Juventus Fabio Paratici believes fewer clubs will be able to afford Paul Pogba's wage demands amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Club safety officers fear a lack of consultation over the Premier League's Project Restart could leave players and officials at risk. (THE GUARDIAN)
Real Madrid winger Lucas Vazquez admits the prospect of playing in the Premier League is "very attractive" to him. (THE GUARDIAN)
Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga hopes his impressive rise can continue when football finally resumes and has set his sights on an England call-up. (PRESS ASSOCIATION)
Manchester United will remind Marcos Rojo of his responsibilities after the defender was filmed appearing to flout Argentina's coronavirus lockdown rules. (PRESS ASSOCIATION)
Kevin De Bruyne has admitted he will consider his future if Manchester City's two-year ban from European competition stands, but suggested he could stay at the Etihad Stadium even if he faced a year out of the Champions League. (STORY HERE)
Manchester United are keeping tabs on a RB Leipzig centre-back - not the highly-coveted Dayot Upamecano, but his 20-year-old team-mate and compatriot Ibrahima Konate. (LE10 SPORT IN FRANCE)
Tottenham are leading the race to sign Barcelona and Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic, 32. (MUNDO DEPORTIVO IN SPAIN)


Tottenham are leading the race to sign Barcelona and Croatia's 32-year-old midfielder Ivan Rakitic. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Inter Milan want to sign 27-year-old Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)

France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, 23, wants to stay and fight for his place at Tottenham amid interest from Barcelona. (Telegraph)

Chelsea and Spain forward Pedro, 32, is wanted by Roma and Real Betis. (Goal)

Arsenal are prepared to sell Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer to raise funds. The 31-year-old is currently on loan at Roma. (Mirror)

Sevilla are interested in French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. The 25-year-old is on loan at Monaco from Chelsea. (France Football - in French)

Arsenal and Chelsea both want to sign Feyenoord's Turkish midfielder Orkun Kokcu, 19. (Express)

Real Madrid and Spain winger Lucas Vazquez, 28, says the idea of playing club football in England is "very attractive" to him. (Guardian)

Manchester United have made contact with the representatives of RB Leipzig's French centre-back Ibrahima Konate, 20. (Le10 Sport - in French)

Manchester United and the Netherlands legend Jaap Stam, 47, says he has held talks with FC Cincinnati to become the MLS club's new head coach. (Goal)

Tuesday's Newspapers:
5th May 2020


DAILY MAIL
Newcastle will have to pay Tottenham £12.5million if they want to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager this month due to a clause in his contract, but the Argentine will be able to sign for free in June.
Key plans on the safe return to football are set to be finalised at a cross-sport meeting with the Government on Wednesday, with plans expected to be put to players for essential feedback.
The Premier League are set to delay Friday's crucial meeting aimed at rubber-stamping Project Restart until next week after it emerged Boris Johnson will reveal the next phase of the UK's lockdown on Sunday.
A Manchester City-themed aircraft that was unveiled by Premier League stars in October has been converted into a cargo plane to collect frozen beef from Sudan during the coronavirus pandemic.
Manchester United's plans to increase the capacity at Old Trafford have been placed on hold thanks to the coronavirus crisis.

DAILY MIRROR
Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi told staff on a conference call last week that budgets would be tight for the summer and it would be highly unlikely for any major deals at the Emirates.
Norwich boss Daniel Farke has insisted the Premier League cannot return if it risks a single life.


DAILY TELEGRAPH
Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has made it clear he would like to move to Arsenal and is hoping a deal can be struck between the clubs.
Agents of Premier League players expect some clubs to launch campaigns to discourage them from returning under the terms of Project Restart.
Arsenal would be the Premier League club most financially affected by playing next season behind closed doors, according to research which reveals potential losses across the division of £878.2 million.
Agents fees are set to push towards a record-breaking £300million for Premier League transfers for last season, but the coronavirus pandemic is expected to halt clubs paying extravagant commission, while in the lower leagues there are fears middle-men will go out of business.


DAILY STAR
Ajax boss Erik ten Hag has confirmed the club "have an agreement" with Chelsea target Andre Onana that would allow the goalkeeper to leave for the right price this summer.


THE SUN
Wembley is back on the agenda as a potential venue to complete the Premier League season.
Tottenham face a further £10million cash blow as NFL chiefs have cancelled this year's four "London Games".
Manchester United have agreed to sign Joe Hugill from Sunderland but the £200k transfer is being held up as the teenager is banned from travelling for a medical due to lockdown restrictions.
Manchester United face a dilemma on whether to let Dean Henderson stay at top-four rivals Sheffield United - and potentially help deny them a £60million-plus Champions League slot.
Aston Villa are poised to get the green light to recall England keeper Tom Heaton for their fight against the drop.
Premier League players have been ordered not to spit and to wear snoods or masks when they go back to training.
David Moyes has revealed he'd ask for Billy Gilmour in exchange for Declan Rice if Chelsea come knocking for his star man this summer.

DAILY RECORD
Plans to hold a historic summit of all top-flight clubs to effectively end the season were dramatically put on hold - incase the Scottish government makes the decision for them on Tuesday.
Serie A side Lazio are set to pounce for Ianis Hagi if Rangers don't take up their option on the loan star.

THE SCOTTISH SUN
Leigh Griffiths revealed he wants to stay at Celtic for the rest of his career.

Liverpool have told Timo Werner’s representatives they need more time to decide on whether to make a formal offer for the 24-year-old RB Leipzig striker as they wait to see what impact the coronavirus will have on the next transfer window. (Guardian)

Inter Milan are preparing a part exchange with Leipzig for the German international, with Austrian Valentino Lazaro, also 24, who is currently on loan at Newcastle, part of the deal. (Tuttosport - in Italian)

Real Madrid are preparing to make an offer to Manchester United to sign French midfielder Paul Pogba, 27. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Real are also looking at a deal to sign Rennes teenager Eduardo Camavinga, with the Old Trafford club keen to sign the 17-year-old too. (AS - in Spanish)

Sao Paulo midfielder Igor Gomez is also a target for the Madrid side but the 21-year-old’s club has not received an official approach for the player. Barcelona, Sevilla and Ajax are also keen on the Brazilian. (Goal via Globo Esporte)

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, 26, has made it clear he would like to move to Arsenal and is hoping a deal can be struck between the clubs with Alexandre Lacazette switching as part of the deal. (Telegraph)

Former Aston Villa forward Nii Odartey Lamptey has warned Partey against a move to England. The Ghana international is also wanted by Juventus and Inter Milan. (Standard)

Turkish side Fenerbahce are reportedly working on a deal to sign Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, 31 before the end of his current deal next year. (Sun)

Brazilian striker Neymar remains keen to leave PSG and rejoin Barcelona with the 28-year-old believed to be happy to take a 50% wage cut to move back to Spain. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Newcastle will have to pay Tottenham £12.5m if they want to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager this month - but they can sign him for nothing after 31 May. (ESPN)

Former Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes believes Manchester City’s German midfielder Leroy Sane, 24, who is strongly linked with a move to Munich, is overrated and ‘not worth £100m’. (Independent via Sport Bild)

Arsenal and Chelsea are set to battle it out to sign Feyenoord’s £23m-rated Turkish midfielder Orkun Kokcu, 19. (Sun)

Leicester City have been linked with an move for 20-year-old German defender Ismail Jakobs but FC Koln want £9m from the Foxes to secure the deal. (Leicester Mercury via Todo Fichajes)

Former England and Manchester City keeper Joe Hart could reignite his career at Leeds United and the 33-year-old is far stronger mentally after a downturn in his career, says former team-mate Danny Mills. (Football Insider)

Manchester United are close to finalising a deal for teenage Sunderland striker Joe Hugill, holding off competition from Arsenal and Tottenham for a player who does not turn 17 until October. (Manchester Evening News)

Chelsea forward Pedro says he has “many offers” but the 32-year-old is waiting to speak to the Stamford Bridge club about his future beyond the end of the season. (Standard)

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that the club have an agreement with Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana that the 24-year-old will be allowed leave the club this summer amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona. (Mail)

Italian winger Stephan el Shaarawy says he was close to returning to Roma in January from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in a bid to earn a place in his country’s Euro 2020 squad. (Goal)

Wednesday's Newspapers:
6th May 2020


Football to be played without a ball.
Man Utd are looking to pounce on long-term Liverpool target Timo Werner.


DAILY EXPRESS

Manchester United have placed Timo Werner on their transfer shortlist, despite Liverpool leading the race for the RB Leipzig striker's signature.
Cristiano Ronaldo was planning to leave Real Madrid to re-sign for Manchester United - but then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and the deal broke down.


DAILY MAIL

Chelsea winger Willian has already sealed his reunion with Jose Mourinho by agreeing to join Tottenham this summer.

The Premier League are set to revamp the owners' and directors' test in light of the £300m Newcastle takeover backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
The top three UK sports - football, cricket, and rugby - are facing combined losses of almost £2bn if they are forced to write off the season.

THE SUN

Manchester United have made a last-ditch £30,000-a-week offer to Angel Gomes to sign a new deal before he quits for free this summer.
Arsenal could have to sell six players to fund the remaining fee left to pay for Nicolas Pepe.


THE MIRROR

Manchester City will go head to head with Liverpool in the race to sign highly-rated KV Mechelen midfielder Aster Vranckx.

DAILY STAR

Manchester City's John Stones believes football shouldn't be in a rush to return - and would prefer to see games resume when supporters are allowed into stadiums.
Arsenal have expressed their interest to Bayern Munich about youngster Angelo Stiller after impressing for their academy.


THE TIMES

Manchester United have told their players who are overseas to return to England in the next seven days.
Medical specialists will present their Covid-19 safety protocols directly to players and managers in another landmark teleconference call next week.


SCOTTISH SUN

Former SFA technical director Mark Wotte has said he wants to return to Scotland and land the St Johnstone job.


LIVERPOOL ECHO

Senior figures at Liverpool are unhappy with Loris Karius's treatment at Besiktas but he has little chance of reigniting his Reds career.

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

Manchester United missed out on signing Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, despite Jose Mourinho making it clear to the club he wanted to sign the defender.


Manchester United are keen to sign Juventus and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 29, as part of a swap deal for France midfielder Paul Pogba, 27. (Express)

Sporting Lisbon have been reported to Fifa by Sampdoria, who claim they are owed a £4m sell-on fee following the sale of Bruno Fernandes, 25, to Manchester United in January. The Portuguese midfielder left Italy for Sporting in 2017. (Mirror)

Arsenal may be forced to sell six players to fund the remainder of 24-year-old Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe’s £72m fee for his move from Lille last summer. (Sun)

Chelsea winger Willian, 31, is expected to stay in London when his contract at Stamford Bridge expires in June, with the Brazilian opting to reunite with his former Blues manager Jose Mourinho at Tottenham. (Mail)

Manchester City are interested in River Plate's Lucas Martinez Quarta, 23, and want to bring the Argentine to Etihad Stadium, with his compatriot and fellow central defender Nicolas Otamendi, 32, going the other way. (Sports Witness via TNT Sports - in Spanish)

Juventus will step up their pursuit of Fiorentina's Italy winger Federico Chiesa, with his club willing to sell “for the right price," while Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter Milan are also interested in the 22-year-old. (Goal)

Manchester United need to make a decision on the future of England Under-21 goalkeeper Dean Henderson, 23, who has starred during his time on loan at Sheffield United, with his Old Trafford contract expiring at the end of June. (Sun)

Everton’s hopes of signing Napoli’s Allan, 29, are fading with the Serie A club’s owner saying the Brazilian midfielder’s £65m price tag will not drop because of Covid-19 - which is also the case for Liverpool target, Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly, 28, who is valued at £95m. (Il Napolista - in Italian)

Arsenal are interested in Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Angelo Stiller, 19. (Bild - in German)

Paris St-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe, 21, has asked for a clause in his contract renewal to allow him to leave the Ligue 1 champions for Real Madrid or another European club in the future. (AS - in Spanish)

Juventus and Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain has not decided whether to travel back to Italy from his homeland, with his boyhood club River Plate interested in signing the 32-year-old. (TuttoSport - in Italian)

Lyon want to keep on-loan Villarreal and Cameroon forward Karl Toko-Ekambi, 27. (Goal)

DC United are still interested in signing a defender when the MLS transfer market reopens, after their plans were interrupted when the league was suspended two games into the season. (MLSsoccer.com)

The video assistant referee will continue to be used in the Premier League if and when the season restarts. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Thursday's Newspapers:
7th May 2020



DAILY STAR

RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann is said to be one of four names on a list of targets from Newcastle's potential new owners.

THE MIRROR

Football fans could be back in stadiums by October under Boris Johnson's six-month plan to get the United Kingdom out of lockdown.
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has seen his wealth rise by £323m amid the coronavirus crisis.


DAILY MAIL

Manchester United are ready to reignite their interest in Napoli winger Hirving Lozano, according to reports in Italy.
Premier League clubs threaten a vote to relegate the bottom three if they block Project Restart proposals to stage games at neutral grounds next month.
Manchester United are waiting to see when the Premier League season will restart before opening talks with Shanghai Shenhua over extending Odion Ighalo's loan.
Premier League clubs face another hurdle to restarting the season after it emerged that players have to take their holidays by June 30.
Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly edging closer to the Newcastle hotseat.


DAILY EXPRESS

Juventus have reportedly contacted Chelsea about the possibility of signing midfielder Jorginho.
Manchester United are considering delaying their transfer swoop for Jadon Sancho by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

THE GUARDIAN

An unidentified player at Serie A club Torino has tested positive for coronavirus in the first round of testing before the side's planned return to training on Friday.
Manchester United have an agreement in place to sign Sunderland teenager Joe Hugill.



THE TIMES

Luke Shaw has revealed that Manchester United players are now fined if they do not turn up to team bonding events.


DAILY TELEGRAPH

The Premier League will ban team celebrations, shirt-swapping and spitting when matches resume.


LIVERPOOL ECHO

Liverpool have once again been linked with a move for Werder Bremen forward Milot Rashica.

Manchester United want to extend the loan deal of Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo, 30, from Shanghai Shenhua. (Standard)

Arsenal’s hopes of signing France left-back Layvin Kurzawa from Paris St-Germain have been boosted by there being “zero” chance the 27-year-old will sign for Barcelona. (Le10 Sport - in French)

Liverpool, Southampton and RB Leipzig are in a three-way chase for Werder Bremen winger Milot Rashica, 23, with the Kosovan’s contract set to expire in June. (Bild - in German)

Manchester United have offered forward Angel Gomes, 19, a £300,000-a-week deal in a bid to stop him leaving for free in the summer - and to reassure the England Under-20 international he features in their future plans despite the club’s interest in Birmingham City midfielder Jude Bellingham, 16. (Sun)

The Old Trafford club are also keen on Sunderland’s 16-year-old forward Joe Hugill, with Arsenal, Tottenham, Wolves and Leeds interested in the teenager as well. (Northern Echo)

Chelsea’s French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, who is currently on loan at Monaco, wants to return to AC Milan. The 25-year-old spent the 2018-19 season on loan at the San Siro. (Calciomercato - in Italian)

Both Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in KV Mechelen's 17-year-old Belgian midfielder Aster Vranckx. (Mirror)

Manchester City are preparing a 32m euros (£28m) bid for Marseille’s French defender Boubacar Kamara, 20. (Le10 Sport - in French)

Roma want Arsenal to pay a portion of Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s £180,000 weekly salary if the Premier League side want to make the 31-year-old’s loan move permanent. (ESPN)

The Gunners are favourites to sign RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano, 21, ahead of Tottenham and Manchester United, who are also tracking the France Under-21 defender. (Football.London)

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, 71, will be able to take charge of his side if and when the Premier League restarts, despite fears he would have to self-isolate because of coronavirus rules. (Mail)

After his loan spell at Besiktas was cancelled, Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, 26, is set to return to the club to see out the remaining two years on his contract, according to his agent. (Fanatik via Sport Witness)

Jurgen Klopp turned down the chance to manage Mexico in 2015 in favour of taking charge at Liverpool. (Goal)

Friday's Newspapers:
8th May 2020



DAILY MAIL

Premier League players must keep their cars spotless as part of coronavirus hygiene measures.
Manchester United's players have stepped up their training at home in preparation for the season to restart.
Liverpool have partially reopened their training base at Melwood to enable players to resume training in isolation.
Kylian Mbappe has been awarded the Ligue 1 Golden Boot following the cancellation of 2019-20 season due to coronavirus despite being level on goals with Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder.


THE SUN

Manchester United are stepping up their pursuit of Jack Grealish - in a £50m move for the Aston Villa star.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker faces a police quiz and a £1,000 fine after breaking lockdown rules three times in 24 hours.
A gang have raided the homes of Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and Leicester's late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, stealing more than £1m of valuables.
Premier League clubs opposed to the restart fear Liverpool will play the kids once they have won the title.
Chris Wilder has told Manchester United it would be 'morally' wrong for them to recall Dean Henderson.


DAILY TELEGRAPH

The toxic rift over plans to complete the Premier League season at neutral venues has deepened, with positions becoming more entrenched amid mounting threats over the consequences of clubs failing to break the deadlock.
Premier League clubs fear they will be met with resistance if their players are asked to follow the lead of the Bundesliga and go into a week-long group quarantine away from their families ahead of any restart to the season.
Premier League rebel clubs will be told failure to complete this campaign will put next season under threat and will have catastrophic consequences for the football industry.
League One and League Two clubs who want to spend more than potential new budgetary caps could be subjected to a "super tax", with the money raised then redistributed to rival teams.
A psychologist who has been helping players cope with the impact of the coronavirus crisis has warned many are scared of returning ahead of the resumption of the Premier League season.
The Premier League is not intending to send squads of players into quarantine if one of them tests positive for coronavirus once they return to training.
Tottenham are interested in buying Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and will wait until after the coronavirus pandemic before making a final decision on making an offer for him.


DAILY MIRROR


Sean Dyche has refused to rule out the possibility of leaving Burnley.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has warned the Premier League is facing a full scale revolt over the Project Restart plans.
FIFA will sanction an increase from three to five substitutions per game when football returns amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Liverpool are keen on signing Werder Bremen's £33m star Milot Rashica, according to the president of the Kosovan Football Federation Agim Amedi.
Manchester United have tabled a last-ditch £30,000-per-week contract to try and keep teenage star Angel Gomes at Old Trafford.


DAILY STAR

Amanda Staveley's Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle is set to be formally announced by the end of next week, according to sources close to the country's royal family.
The government and Premier League could face legal action from top-flight clubs if players contract COVID-19 if and when the season starts again.
New Premier League protocols could reportedly ban swapping shirts after matches and even team celebrations.



Borussia Dortmund expect England star Jadon Sancho to stay put this summer. But, in contract to this, sources close to the player claim he is unlikely to extend his current contract, which expires in 2022 and could still move on. He will not come cheap though, with the Bundesliga giants expecting in excess of £100m. (SKY SPORTS)
Manchester United are on a fresh collision course with outcast Alexis Sanchez, with the Chilean set to return to Old Trafford in the summer despite wanting to stay in Italy. (DAILY EXPRESS)
Chelsea star Jorginho could be reunited with former boss Maurizio Sarri, as Juventus have reportedly opened talks with the Italian's agent over a £35million summer transfer. (DAILY EXPRESS)
Barcelona are considering loaning out Philippe Coutinho again. If he makes another 24 appearances for the LaLiga giants, that will take him to 100 and Liverpool will reportedly be due a £17m payment. (MARCA)
Everton are poised to join the race for to battle Trabzonspor's £26m-rated goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. Sevilla, Atalanta, Benfica and Lyon are also said to be interested. (FANATIK)
Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson has claimed the SPFL's governance was the worst he's ever known as his position on the league board hung in the balance. (DAILY RECORD)

Newcastle will spend 80m euros (£70m) on Barcelona and Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho if the club's proposed takeover goes through. The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Bayern Munich. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Newcastle's potential new owners also want to sign Napoli and Senegal centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly. The 28-year-old is expected to leave the Italian club this summer for around £69.8m. (Sky Sports via Star)

However, Koulibaly is also considering a move to Liverpool. (Calciomercato - in Italian)

Borussia Dortmund expect England winger Jadon Sancho, 20, to remain at the club, despite continued interest from Manchester United. (Sky Sports)

Arsenal could be given the chance to sign Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, 27, as a direct replacement for Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aubameyang, 30, is out of contract next season, while Argentine Icardi is currently on loan at Paris St-Germain. (Tuttosport via Teamtalk)

The Gunners are also close to securing an agreement with free agent George Lewis. The Norwegian winger, 19, was previously at Tromso. (Metro via Goal)

Barcelona teenager Marc Jurado, 16, has turned down an offer of a professional contract with the Spanish club. The right-back is set to join Manchester United in the summer. (ESPN)

Chelsea target Dries Mertens has yet to agree a contract extension with Napoli. The Belgian forward, 33, is out of contract in the summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian)

Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are all interested in Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The Serbian, 25, will be allowed to leave the club for upwards of £80m. (Mail)

Kosovo and Wolfsburg winger Milot Rashica, 23, is a transfer target for Liverpool, the president of the Kosovo football federation has said. (Standard)

Championship leaders Leeds United are the favourites to sign Linfield midfielder Charlie Allen. The Northern Irishman, 17, has attracted interest from Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool. (Yorkshire Post)

Chelsea are interested in Monaco defender Fode Ballo Toure. The Frenchman, 23, is under contract until 2023. (Foot Mercato - in French)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's agent has denied that Arsenal want to sell the Armenian. Mino Raiola said the rumours about the midfielder, 31, were "fake news". (Express)

Barcelona's Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic, 32, says he is not thinking about leaving the club, despite his contract expiring in 2021. (Sky Germany - in German)

Saturday's Newspapers:
9th May 2020



daily mirror

Premier League clubs fear up to 50 players could revolt against plans to resume the season.
Arsenal are closing in on the signature of teenager George Lewis on a free transfer after the Norwegian winger's two-week trial with the Gunners.
Liverpool have been linked with a swoop for Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka - but the Gunners are reportedly planning to be rebuff all interest in the left-back.
Liverpool have reportedly jumped ahead of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris-Saint Germain in the race to sign Kalidou Koulibaly.
An EFL club have purchased technology from Hong Kong that could increase the chances of football returning while another 40 are in talks.
Louis van Gaal blames "evil genius" Ed Woodward for his Manchester United sacking - more than he does Jose Mourinho.
Salomon Rondon has revealed he came desperately close to joining Manchester United in January.


the sun

League One and League Two will be called off next week when the 47 clubs vote to end the season with immediate effect.
Arsenal have been offered Mauro Icardi in a swap deal with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, incredible reports from Italy claim.
Manchester United have no intention of recalling their goalkeeper Dean Henderson from Sheffield United before this season can be finished.
Manchester United have reportedly enquired over the possibility to bring Real Valladolid centre-back Mohammed Salisu to Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Odion Ighalo wants to extend his loan spell at Manchester United until the end of the season - whenever that may be.
Cesc Fabregas has claimed that Barcelona would be worthy winners of the LaLiga title as he responded to former team-mate Thibaut Courtois.
Paulo Dybala has expressed his desire to reunite with old Juventus pal Paul Pogba.


daily mail

Premier League clubs will vote this Monday on proposals to extend players' contracts until the day after the end of the rescheduled season when they meet to discuss Project Restart.
The Government is set to recommend that all UK sportspeople agree a coronavirus charter before returning to action.
Facebook has cracked down on a fake news campaign targeted at discrediting Manchester City.
Pakistan would be willing to extend their tour of England this summer if the planned three-match Test series against West Indies is scuppered.


the times

Stewart Donald could sell Sunderland without repaying more than £20 million in parachute payment money that is owed to the club.
A growing number of Championship clubs are pushing for the season to be curtailed and the table decided on a points-per-game system - but with a play-off to decide the final promotion place to the Premier League.


daily telegraph

Premier League footballers are scheduled to start being tested for coronavirus next Thursday with clubs told to expect their results in just 24 hours, sparking further controversy over 'Project Restart'.
Premier League clubs are preparing to square up to each other in Monday's meeting over the threats, bullying and backbiting regarding 'Project Restart'.
Premier League clubs will resist the option to scrap the Video Assistant Referee for the rest of the season following concerns over sporting integrity.
England are exploring whether they could use additional venues to stage international cricket this summer in addition to the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford, with Durham's ground a prime contender.
Salomon Kalou may have played his final game for Hertha Berlin, with the German club intending his suspension to last the rest of the season.


daily star

Mikel Arteta has been urged by former manager Arsene Wenger to bring back his style of football to Arsenal.
Rennes wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga insists he is "not thinking too much" about reports linking him with a big-money move to Liverpool or Real Madrid this summer.


daily record

Hibs supremo Leeann Dempster helped relegate Ann Budge to her face as top-flight clubs killed off hope of reconstruction.


scottish sun

John Bennett believes the reaction of the SPFL board to Rangers' dossier only serves to prove an independent enquiry is needed.
Former Hearts chairman George Foulkes insists the only option left is to declare the Premiership null and void.

Sunday's Newspapers:
10th May 2020

Coronavirus:
Bundesliga 2 side Dynamo Dresden players test positive, return delayed
Dresden were due to play Hannover away on May 17; entire squad, coaching and supervisory staff must go into 14 days of quarantine at home



THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Inter Milan Christian Eriksen is living at club's training ground due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Russia are facing a new football scandal after WADA and FIFA uncovered evidence of a state-sponsored doping programme.

THE SUN ON SUNDAY
One Premier League club fears being without five stars due to Covid-19 health concerns if the season restarts.
Anthony Knockaert called for the season to be scrapped - and branded it "absurd" players are not being consulted.
A top police official has called for the Premier League to delay next month's proposed return over coronavirus fears.
Ex-Spurs star Kieran Trippier will cost £20m if Premier League clubs want to bring him back to England.

SUNDAY MIRROR
The Premier League's bottom six will only agree to finish the season at neutral venues if relegation is scrapped.
Real Madrid have set Arsenal a June 15 deadline for a decision over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Manchester United plan on sealing a £20m move for Swansea defender Joe Rodon - on the advice of Ryan Giggs.

SUNDAY EXPRESS
Liverpool are planning to offer Sadio Mane a fresh blockbuster contract that would see him completing his career at Anfield.
Chelsea and Manchester United have joined Tottenham in the pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain star Thomas Meunier.
United are preparing an offer for Inter's Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez, but Barcelona and French giants PSG are also interested in the 22-year-old.

DAILY STAR ON SUNDAY
Manchester City's Raheem Sterling could miss out on huge new deal due to coronavirus.
Football's financial crisis has not prevented Manchester United offering a £1,200-a-week contract - to 16-year-old Joe Hugill.

THE SUNDAY TIMES
The Premier League is aiming to reassure players and staff with £4m coronavirus nasal testing.


SUNDAY MAIL
Douglas Park says Rangers will pay for an independent investigation into the SPFL themselves if it's voted for at Tuesday's EGM.

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund that will take an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle are also looking to acquire Brazilian top-flight club Botafogo. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Manchester United have made initial enquiries about the possibility of signing Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu this summer. (Manchester Evening News)
The Red Devils, Chelsea and Spurs are interested in Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. (Caught Offside)
Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella is set to leave for Ligue 1 side Nantes when his contract expires this summer. (Football 365)
Tottenham are currently leading Manchester United in the race to sign Paris St-Germain's Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier, 28. (Sun)

Manchester United are considering replacements for David de Gea, even though the 29-year-old Spain goalkeeper signed a new four-year contract in September. (Mirror)

Manchester United are preparing an offer for Inter Milan's Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez, but Barcelona and PSG are also interested in the 22-year-old. (Express)

The Red Devils, Chelsea and Tottenham are all interested in Lazio's Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 25. (Caught Offside)

Liverpool are prepared to make a move for 17-year-old Brazilian forward Talles Magno, who plays for Rio de Janeiro side Vasco de Gama. (Star)

Liverpool could also swoop in for Arsenal left-back Bukayo Saka, with the English 18-year-old’s contract talks on hold. (Sun)

The Reds' Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella, 22, will join Ligue 1 side Nantes when his contract at Anfield expires this summer. (Football 365)

Tottenham should sign Bournemouth’s Scottish winger Ryan Fraser, 26, on a free transfer this summer, says former Spurs striker Darren Bent. (Express)

Real Madrid’s 23-year-old Spain playmaker Dani Ceballos, who is on loan at Arsenal, has shut down rumours linking him to Sevilla with a Donald Trump GIF. (Sun)

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Liverpool will always be recognised as Premier League champions, even if the season is cancelled. (TalkSport