BBC
Liverpool have submitted an initial request to speak with Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso as they pursue a replacement for the departing Jurgen Klopp. (Bild - in German)
Tottenham are targeting a wide forward as their major summer signing, with Wolves' Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 23, and Crystal Palace's England winger Eberechi Eze, 25, currently the two main targets. (Independent)
Manchester United will make a decision on the future of 22-year-old English forward Mason Greenwood, who is currently on loan at Getafe, by the end of May. (Sun)
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in signing German goalkeeper Diant Ramaj, 22, of Ajax. (Bild)
Dele Alli's Everton career could be revived later this year as the Toffees are open to handing the former England midfielder, 27, a new deal. (Express, via Athletic)
South Korea forward Son Heung-min, 31, is happy at Tottenham with formal talks on a new contract set to get under way. (Football Insider)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta would welcome manger Xavi staying in the role and reversing his decision to leave the club at the end of the season. (Sport - in Spanish)
Liverpool will look to sign Brentford's Cameroon winger Bryan Mbeumo, 24, for a bargain price if the Bees are relegated to the Championship. (Express)
Portugal forward Rafael Leao, 24, has been linked with Barcelona but says he "can't leave" AC Milan. (Sport - in Spanish)
Italy midfielder Jorginho, 32, could return to Serie A when his Arsenal contract expires this summer. (Goal)
Saudi Pro League clubs are targeting a number of Premier League stars in the summer transfer window, as well as younger players such as Argentine 20-year-old forward Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at Frosinone from Juventus. (ESPN)
Saudi second-tier side Al Qadsiah made a lucrative offer to former Spain midfielder Sergi Roberto but the Barcelona captain, 32, would prefer a move to MLS. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Brighton will receive a record fee for a 14-year-old after a tribunal ruled Chelsea must pay up to £4.25m for England Under-17 striker Shumaira Mheuka, who is currently 16 but was signed in 2022. (Football Insider)
Michael Edwards would want complete control before considering a return as Liverpool's sporting director, which would likely mean a move for Bournemouth's technical director Richard Hughes instead. (Mirror)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Saudi clubs will come back for another huge raid on the Premier League this summer. And the Saudi Pro League are almost certain to see Liverpool superstar Mo Salah as their No 1 target and biggest prize.
Manchester United have set a deadline of the end of May to decide Mason Greenwood's future after Sir Jim Ratcliffe hinted he could return to the club.
Liverpool have made first contact over Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, it has been claimed, but the Spaniard doesn't look like a slam dunk for replacing Jurgen Klopp.
Crystal Palace are at war with their Holmesdale Fanatics supporters group by removing a long-standing banner in order to put in new LED advertising.
DAILY MAIL
Xavi has reportedly been asked to stay on as Barcelona head coach despite announcing he will step down at the end of the season.
Former Leicester City head of recruitment Lee Congerton is wanted as sports director of Saudi Arabia club Al Ahli.
Wayne Rooney has not given up on his dream to manage in the Premier League and singled out Everton and Manchester United as his dream clubs.
Newcastle are reportedly interested in German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann if they decide to replace Eddie Howe as manager this summer.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
West Bromwich Albion's new owner Shilen Patel is targeting a return to the Premier League for the club after completing a £60m takeover.
Former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards will want more control over football operations before considering a shock return to Anfield as the club's owner, Fenway Sports Group, retain hope of luring him back.
EVENING STANDARD
Chelsea could be forced to pay up to £7.65m to Brighton for two academy talents after an FA tribunal ruling.
THE GUARDIAN
Premier League clubs will meet on Thursday to discuss ditching existing profit and sustainability regulations and adopting a UEFA-style framework of financial rules.
An Olympic coach who tried to force the sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya home from the Tokyo Games to Belarus, where she feared for her safety, was banned from the sport for five years on Tuesday.
THE TIMES
Football's lawmakers are coming under pressure to scale back trials of blue cards and sin-bins when they meet this weekend. UEFA has made clear to the International FA Board (IFAB) that it opposes any moves to introduce such measures into the game.
Kent County Cricket Club are seeking to buy their ground in Beckenham and develop the site to allow them to bid to become a third London Hundred team when the tournament expands.
THE SUN
Erling Haaland's agent has held a meeting with Barcelona in what could be a hint at the forward's future.
Taylor Swift is being lined up for a blockbuster Super Bowl Halftime Show performance next year - and could help generate a $1bn NFL windfall.
DAILY RECORD
Caoimhin Kelleher has been linked with a move to Celtic this summer - and a major overhaul at Liverpool could give the Premiership side an opening.
Brentford are interested in Rangers youngster MacKenzie Strachan.
Sport Witness
Tottenham and West Ham in picture for same signing – Spurs’ good ties with club could give them advantage
Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Everton have Udinese’s Festy Ebosele on their agenda for the summer.
That’s according to Udinese Blog, who state Tottenham, West Ham and Everton all like the 21-year-old.
The right wing-back has an assist from 26 games this season. Even though his statistics aren’t that impressive, his form has helped him draw the attention of Tottenham, West Ham and Everton. It has also helped him make debut for the Republic of Ireland last year.
Spurs, for their part, have set their sights on the former Derby County man. They previously signed Destiny Udogie from Udinese and could knock on the Italian club’s door again.
The report states the north London club are joined by David Moyes’ side and Everton in keeping tabs on the player.
For now, Tottenham, West Ham and Everton are named as the Irishman’s admirers, and they are all thinking about him for the next window.
If Ange Postecoglou’s side are keen on signing Ebosele, their good ties with Udinese could give them an advantage over both West Ham and Everton.
The Athletic
Lucas Paqueta’s return was helped by Vinicius Jr – he is West Ham’s point of difference
By Roshane Thomas
When Lucas Paqueta aggravated his calf injury against Bristol City in January, close friend and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior knew the best person to aid his recovery.
The duo played together at Brazilian side Flamengo and Vinicius Jr allowed Paqueta to stay at his house in Madrid so he could train alongside his fitness coach, Thiago Lobo. Lobo, who was at Santos, works closely with Vinicius Jr and helped the forward bulk up following his move to Madrid in 2018. Paqueta thanked the trainer and West Ham United’s medical team for helping him return to full fitness in an Instagram post following the 4-2 victory over Brentford.
Paqueta’s belated return was a welcome boost for manager David Moyes. His side were back to their best, scoring four goals for the first time this season, Jarrod Bowen scoring his first career hat-trick, Mohammed Kudus registering his first assist since November and Paqueta’s presence giving his team-mates much-needed confidence.
“Having Lucas back was a real boost,” said Bowen. “You see what he does, not just with the ball but without it — he fights, the way he wins free-kicks, the way you can just tell he’s winding the opposition up, it’s massive for us.”
Paqueta initially sustained the injury in the 2-0 win over Arsenal in December. He missed the goalless draw against Brighton & Hove and lasted 14 minutes in his return in the FA Cup tie against Bristol City. His absence highlighted how integral he remains to Moyes. West Ham struggled with creativity and failed to score in three consecutive games in February against Manchester United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Paqueta is a unique talent and there is no obvious alternative in the squad who matches his ball retention, through balls and his ability to unlock synergy with Kudus and Bowen.
The duo were ineffective since the turn of the year. Bowen had not scored since the 2-0 win over Manchester United in December, while Kudus’ return from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ghana saw an over reliance on him to support the former Hull City forward.
The eight game winless streak, coupled with conjecture over Moyes’ long-term future was exacerbated by Paqueta’s absence. This season the Brazil international has scored five goals and provided six assists across 28 appearances. With the attacking midfielder in the line-up, West Ham have played 19 league games, sealing 11 wins, 1.8 goals scored per game, 1.5 goals conceded per game and 1.9 points per match.
But in the seven games he has missed, West Ham are porous defensively and have a paltry return of 0.7 goals scored per match.
“Everyone can see Lucas is a very special player,” said Edson Alvarez. “We’ve really missed him. The team is solid but you need someone who is different with the ball and that is Lucas.”
Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in August 2022 in a deal worth €60million (£51.3m/$64.8m at today’s exchange rates). His contract expires in the summer of 2027, with West Ham having the option to extend for a further year.
The market analyst CIES Football Observatory values Paqueta at €50m, but his £85m release clause kicks in this summer and champions Manchester City remain admirers. In August they had a £70m bid rejected and their plans for an improved bid were halted when Paqueta was informed by the Football Association of an investigation over potential betting breaches. That case is still active six months on.
The West Ham hierarchy want to keep Paqueta and plan to scout up-and-coming talent in Brazil. In January, Moyes was offered the chance to sign forward Marcos Leonardo on loan from Santos, but he and his recruitment team felt the 20-year-old was not ready. Leonardo has since left the Brazilian side to join Benfica and has scored four league goals in seven appearances.
Paqueta will help ease frustration over the non-arrival of an attacker in January. It is not just Bowen and Kudus he gets the best out of, but Emerson Palmieri elevates his game when Paqueta features. Of all the stats to emerge from the victory against Brentford, most pertinent is the 11-game unbeaten run West Ham are on when the trio of Paqueta, Kudus and Emerson start. It consists of 10 wins and one draw.
Emerson amassed a goal, an assist and created the most chances (four) against Brentford. Paqueta occupies the left flank, although he is capable of playing as a No 10 or central midfielder. His offensive attributes means he is a focal attacking outlet, but he does not shy away from defensive responsibilities (as shown in his touch map below). This gives Emerson license to roam forward with the trust that Paqueta will provide support.
Kudus played on the left in Paqueta’s absence but he does not offer the same support defensively as Paqueta, as shown in Kudus’ touch map in the 2-0 loss away to Nottingham Forest.
“Anyone who’s watched a lot of us this season will have been excited to see Paqueta back, and linking up with Emerson,” said Moyes. “Their understanding is so goo — Paqueta’s return made a big difference to the team.”
When Paqueta departed the pitch on 76 minutes against Brentford, he received a standing ovation. His return was long overdue and one which could change West Ham’s fortune for the remainder of the season.
