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BBC
Manchester City are interested in signing Chelsea and England left-back Ben Chilwell, 26, in the summer. (CaughtOffside)
French league champions Paris St-Germain will make a move for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola if he leaves the English club. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
Chelsea have identified Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 24, as their top forward target for this summer's transfer window. (90min)
Inter Milan want to renew Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku's season-long loan at the club in the summer and a meeting with the Blues about the 29-year-old Belgium international's future is likely to take place in March. (Gazzetta dello Sport, via Metro)
Los Angeles FC do not believe they will be able to convince Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 33, to join them on a short-term loan move from Chelsea. (Mail)
Tottenham are interested in Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, 22, as they look to sign two new central defenders for next season. (Mail)
RB Leipzig may look to re-sign midfielder Naby Keita, 27, in the summer after they had a deadline-day bid rejected by Liverpool for the Guinea international. (Bild - subscription required)
Barcelona and Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie, 26, turned down a move to Tottenham in the January transfer window. (Sport - in Spanish)
Inter Milan are ready to enter into more talks with Chelsea over a permanent deal for Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku. The 29-year-old is currently on loan at the Serie A side. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)
Ajax are stepping up their attempts to land Liverpool's sporting director Julian Ward when he departs his role at Anfield at the end of the season. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Leeds United are considering a move for Feyenoord manager Arne Slot to become their new manager. (Times - subscription required)
Barcelona want to extend the contract of club captain and former Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets, 34. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Birmingham City and England youth international George Hall. Everton and Leeds are also interested in the 18-year-old midfielder. (Football Insider)
Barcelona will pursue a deal for Bayern Munich and France right-back Benjamin Pavard, 26, in the summer. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti could be set to replace Tite as Brazil head coach. (GeGlobo, via DefensaCentral - in Spanish)
Former Leicester City team-mates, defender Danny Simpson, 36, and ex-England midfielder Danny Drinkwater, 32, are among a group of unemployed footballers organising kick-abouts to keep fit. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Portugal forward Joao Felix, 23, says he is unsure if he will stay at Chelsea when his loan deal from Atletico Madrid runs out at the end of the season, as the Blues do not have an option to buy him included in the deal. (AS - in Spanish)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Ben Chilwell has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester City, according to reports.
Former Manchester United and France footballer Patrice Evra was today given a criminal conviction for posting homophobic abuse online.
Marcus Rashford has been fined after he admitted speeding in his £670k Mercedes and slapped with six points.
Chelsea have completed the signing of Jimmy Jay Morgan from Southampton.
Manchester United are close to entering the next phase of a sale with several interested parties jostling to purchase the club.
Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech held talks with Roma but a deal fell through during the January transfer window, reports suggest.
Erik ten Hag is considering ditching Wout Weghorst for their return league fixture against Leeds after another underwhelming performance from the on-loan Netherlands striker.
Chelsea have secured yet another signing, this time bringing in leading physio Fearghal Kerin to try and get to the bottom of a series of hamstring injuries within the squad.
THE TIMES
At least five serious bidders are preparing to do battle in the bid to buy Manchester United, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe stepping up his interest by involving major investment banks JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.
DAILY MAIL
A group of five serious bidders have emerged as the battle to buy Manchester United heads for the next stage.
Manchester City are considering introducing netting in the away section at the Etihad Stadium following numerous incidents at matches against rivals Liverpool - the latest of which left a 15-year-old girl 'scarred for life'.
Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo has signed a new long-term contract at Old Trafford.
Tottenham are interested in England defender Marc Guehi as Crystal Palace brace themselves for a fight to keep another key player ahead of next season.
Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel could face contempt of court charges after accusing a female employee of having a sexual relationship with the county's former physio.
MLS franchise LAFC fear they will be unable to convince Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to make a short-term move to the United States.
Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has been selected to take charge of Saturday's Club World Cup final between Real Madrid and Al Hilal.
Lionel Messi has emerged as a doubt for Paris Saint-Germain's mouth-watering Champions League clash with Bayern Munich next week because of a hamstring problem.
Ollie Pope has opened up on how changes in England's coaching regime and the arrival of Brendon McCullum as head coach have helped him fall back in love with batting again.
THE ATHLETIC
Everton have hired Lee Sargeson from Brighton and Hove Albion as manager of scouting operations.
Feyenoord have not had an approach from Leeds United over head coach Arne Slot - and are planning to knock back any move.
Real Valladolid has suspended 12 club members for abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during a league fixture in December.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed Sergio Busquets wants to "live the American experience" when he eventually decides to leave the Nou Camp.
Leeds United's attempt to appoint Andoni Iraola as their next head coach is at a standstill despite a bid to secure a deal over the past 24 hours.
Tigres have announced the departure of head coach Diego Cocca ahead of anticipated confirmation that he will become the new Mexico manager.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will fight it out with private Qatari investors and US consortia for Manchester United, having secured two of Wall Street's biggest lenders to bankroll his deal.
Birmingham fans are fearing the worst amid a Football League investigation and the threat of relegation.
Coaching from the stands is to be allowed at Wimbledon for the first time this summer as the All England Club falls into line with the other three slams.
THE GUARDIAN
The former Wales attacker Jason Bowen is living with motor neurone disease, an online fundraiser for his treatment has revealed.
Ukraine's athletes have accused the International Olympic Committee of rewarding Vladimir Putin's aggression and being "on the wrong side of history".
DAILY STAR
Duncan Ferguson has claimed he was only sent to prison for assault because of a rival-supporting judge.
Former college students were in shock after realising Leeds United's caretaker boss Michael Skubala was their old teacher.
EVENING STANDARD
Martin Odegaard has revealed how Mikel Arteta persuaded him to join Arsenal over a Zoom call in 2021.
Owen Farrell has admitted his surprise at the strength of criticism around his midfield partnership with Marcus Smith.
DAILY MIRROR
Russia's Olympic ice dance icon Roman Kostomarov may now reportedly lose his hands after undergoing surgery to amputate his feet after contracting severe pneumonia.
Former England women's head coach Lisa Keightley is currently working as Paarl Royals' tactical performance coach and hopes other female coaches will also be given opportunities to work in men's cricket.
Prospective Sheffield United owner Dozy Mmobuosi insists he can lead the club back to the Premier League - and keep them there long-term - if his £90m takeover is ratified by the EFL.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea could be among the beneficiaries of a firesale at Inter Milan in the summer which might include Alessandro Bastoni, Marcelo Brozovic, Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez.
DAILY RECORD
The possible move of Ange Postecoglou from Celtic to Leeds has been resurrected.
Raith Rovers star Kieran Ngwenya is facing a club vs country battle ahead of the Challenge Cup final.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has backed former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard to take over at Leeds United.
Motherwell will face competition from a number of Scottish Premiership rivals and teams from England's Championship if Leeds United decide to release current Fir Park loanee Stuart McKinstry at the end of the season.
SCOTTISH SUN
Gus MacPherson has branded Michael Beale's 'cow field' blast over the McDiarmid Park pitch 'unprofessional'.
VAR will be used for the first time in the Scottish Cup as Celtic take on Rangers.
Michael Beale is refusing to rule out a Rangers return for Steven Davis.
The Athletic
If Declan Rice joins a 'Big Six' side, he will become as marketable as Kane and Grealish
A big-money move would not only increase Declan Rice's wages, it would also massively enhance his marketability
Roshane Thomas
Declan Rice produced a man-of-the-match performance against Newcastle United last weekend, so it was only fitting David Moyes followed up with an equally eye-catching sales pitch.
“Declan showed so many things,” he said. “Undoubtedly he’s a top-class player and he will be a British transfer record and more whenever he leaves West Ham.”
If he is to move on, it would not just be to West Ham’s financial benefit. Rice would surely receive a significant pay rise and his commercial value would also increase if he joined a “Big Six” side. The midfielder may feel that the latter is overdue.
He has done some notable work on the commercial side in recent months. In April, he teamed up with high-end fashion brand Prada to feature on the cover of Circle Zero Eight magazine before starring in Sports Direct’s Christmas advert alongside Mason Mount, Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona. He also has a boot deal with Adidas and recently featured in a Muller Rice campaign (a dairy food company).
But he is still some way off many of his England team-mates.
Raheem Sterling, of Chelsea, is the face of male grooming brand Gillette Labs; Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham featured alongside Lionel Messi and Stormzy in a star-studded World Cup 2022 advert for Adidas; Jack Grealish, the Manchester City winger, has a deal with Italian designer Gucci and Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is the face of sports brand Under Armour.
But how marketable is Rice compared to Grealish, Bellingham and England captain Harry Kane? Adrian Wright, the ex-marketing and sales director at West Bromwich Albion, explains.
“Most brands will only capitalise on a player endorsement as a result of their social media following,” he said. “Rice will have a certain number of photoshoots for brands, for example, that will help him to leverage his audience. But he’s not that commercial when you compare him to Kane or Bellingham. Kane has 3.8 million followers on Twitter and 13.9 million on Instagram. Declan has fewer followers on social media in comparison (494,000 on Twitter and 1.6 million on Instagram).
“If you look at Kane’s Instagram, he has things around mental health, his boot deal, it’s very commercial. Declan has a few things on there but he’s not that high profile. He only has 172 posts, Kane has more than 1,000. He would be enticing for brands because he plays for England. He’s not commercial because he plays for West Ham.
“It’s mostly attacking players who have large social media followings. You won’t get many tabloids writing about Rice’s performance against Nottingham Forest. But if he scores a screamer, or a penalty in the last minute, that would gain more traffic on social media.
Rice’s commercial value is dwarfed by that of England team-mate Harry Kane (Photo: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
“Grealish is a £100m player and he’s leveraged the fact he’s one of the most expensive British transfers ever. That could be Rice this summer.”
For Rice to reach the same commercial value as his England team-mates, it seems likely he will have to break the record for the most money paid for a transfer by a British club.
Enzo Fernandez currently holds the record following his €121million (£106m, $131m) move to Chelsea from Benfica on deadline day last month. Before sealing his move to Stamford Bridge, Fernandez spoke about Rice in glowing terms.
“I try to watch as much football (as I can) and learn a little bit from everyone,” he said. “I like Rice of England, I try to watch him and learn.”
Rice has been capped 39 times for England and has played 222 games for West Ham. Fernandez, however, has made just 114 club appearances so it is no surprise Moyes is adamant Rice would command a higher transfer fee. Though Fernandez is, of course, a World Cup winner.
Grealish, who became the first player to move to a British club for £100m when he joined Manchester City from Aston Villa in August 2021, had made 252 club appearances when he put pen to paper.
If Moyes is correct that Rice will break the record, the bidding war for the midfielder will start at £106m at the very least. And it is worth remembering that, in April 2022, the West Ham manager said the minimum he would accept for Rice would be £150m.
However, the midfielder has rejected three contract offers which means this summer is the London club’s last opportunity to earn a sizeable fee for the Englishman.
The British transfer record has been broken 10 times since the start of 2000. Only three of those deals have been for midfielders and just three have been for Englishmen.
The only examples of midfielders breaking the record are Juan Sebastian Veron joining Manchester United in 2001 for £28.1m, Paul Pogba rejoining Manchester United in 2016 for £89m and Fernandez’s move to Chelsea for £106m.
It should be noted that respected analysts of the market, CIES Football Observatory, value Rice at €80m (£70m).
Rice’s most recent performance — against Newcastle last Saturday — reaffirmed why Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are interested in him and could potentially break the record to sign him.
The 24-year-old midfielder won possession 12 times (the most by any West Ham player), won four duels, attempted six passes in the final third and made three interceptions in his side’s 1-1 draw. And, crucially, it was his corner that led to Lucas Paqueta scoring West Ham’s equaliser.
Rice’s contract expires in the summer of 2024, although West Ham do have an option to extend for a further year. But, with Rice most likely to leave this summer, the club have no intention of activating the clause.
“I hope he sees out his time here,” said Moyes. “But look, there’s a lot of talk about it and I think Declan will be blowing that British record out of the water, that’s for sure, when it comes around.”
So what are his options in the Premier League?
Newcastle have emerged as a potential suitor with manager Eddie Howe labelling Rice a “top-quality player” following last Saturday’s draw. But Dan Ashworth, the club’s sporting director, has already hinted the club would be against signing a £100m player.
Arsenal are optimistic about their chances of securing Rice’s signature this summer, though they do already have Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard and Jorginho as their midfield options.
Meanwhile, Manchester City being hit with more than 100 financial fair play-related charges could seriously harm their summer transfer window and Liverpool have a long-standing interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham.
A return to boyhood club Chelsea also remains a possibility and Manchester United have been linked with a move for Rice in the past.
In short, nothing — other than Rice leaving the London Stadium — is close to being a certainty.
Regardless of where he ends up, though, this summer promises to be a lucrative one for Rice. The months ahead could end up playing a defining part in his career.
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