|
BBC
Swansea are trying to persuade former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal to become their next manager after sacking Paul Clement. (Daily Mirror)
Former Stoke, West Brom and Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis is the favourite to succeed Clement. (Daily Star)
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, 29, is nearing a move to Paris St-Germain after his agent flew to the French capital for talks. (Canal Plus - via Metro)
PSG will bid £25m to try to sign Sanchez, though Manchester City still want the Chile international after failing with a £60m bid in the summer. (Express)
Sanchez will stay at Arsenal until the end of the season, then join Manchester City on a free transfer in a deal that will earn him £400,000 a week. (Daily Mirror)
Barcelona are willing to pay £132m to sign Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 25, in January. (Sport - via Daily Mail)
Atletico Madrid say 25-year-old full-back Sime Vrsaljko, a target for Liverpool, will not be moving next month. (Corriere dello Sport - via Daily Mirror)
Chelsea are set to fail in their bid to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, 20, next month but are still interested in Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, 24, and Monaco forward Thomas Lemar, 22. (London Evening Standard)
Lemar is thought to prefer a move to Liverpool over a switch to Stamford Bridge or Arsenal. (Independent)
Arsenal and Liverpool are in talks to sign Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, 21. (Diario Gol - via Daily Star)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says there is a 90% chance he will not add to his squad in January. (BeInSports - via London Evening Standard)
Valencia have agreed a £31m fee for Paris St-Germain winger Goncalo Guedes. The 21-year-old has been on loan at the Spanish club and has interested both Arsenal and Manchester United. (L'Equipe - via Sun)
Arsenal and Manchester City are monitoring Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski, 25, with a view to bidding for him next summer. (Times - subscription required)
Arsenal and Everton target Steven N'Zonzi appears to have been spotted at Gatwick Airport. The former Stoke and Blackburn midfielder, 29, has told Sevilla he wants to leave. (Sun)
Newcastle are favourites to sign striker Islam Slimani, 29, from Leicester. (Leicester Mercury)
The Magpies have also secured a loan deal for Chelsea winger Kenedy, 21, and he is set to arrive when the transfer window reopens next month. (Daily Mail)
Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro's agent says the 24-year-old, who is a target for Newcastle, could move in January. (Tribal Football - via Newcastle Chronicle)
West Brom will focus on signing Middlesbrough defenderBen Gibson if they sell Jonny Evans, 29. The Baggies will, however, meet stiff resistance from the Championship club for the 24-year-old. (Birmingham Mail)
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 25, says he wants to stay and has targeted a place in England's 2018 World Cup squad. (Sky Sports)
Liverpool will refuse to let striker Daniel Sturridge leave in January, putting his hopes of featuring for England at the World Cup in jeopardy. Newcastle, West Ham and Stoke are interested in the 28-year-old. (Daily Mail)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has given Ben Woodburn the green light to leave the club on loan. Leeds United and Sunderland are keen on the 18-year-old forward. (Daily Express)
Inter Milan director Walter Sabatini has insisted the club have no desire to let Joao Mario, 24, leave in the January transfer window. The defender has been linked with Manchester United and Paris St-Germain. (Independent)
West Ham have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Bologna forward Simone Verdi as the club's sporting director says the 25-year-old does not want to leave. (Sky Italia - via Talksport)
Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, 34, has hinted at his frosty relationship with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola but insists he has no desire to leave the Premier League leaders anytime soon. (Goal.com)
Meanwhile...
Mark Hughes will go into the home match against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday facing the sack if Stoke City show no sign of improvement and suffer a sixth defeat in seven games. (Guardian)
Keeping Swansea in the Premier League will be the "hardest" job any top-flight manager would have faced in the past three years, said former Scotland boss Gordon Strachan. (Sky Sports)
Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson has come under scrutiny for failing to pick Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah in his team of the season so far. (Liverpool Echo)
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey was one of several players wishing Tomas Rosicky luck in retirement. Ramsey wrote on Instagram: "Good luck Tommy in the next chapter of your life. It was a pleasure to play alongside you. Thank you for all the good times & I hope to see you soon!"
Best of Wednesday's gossip
Newcastle United have joined the race to sign Chelsea defender David Luiz in the January transfer window, but are only interested in a loan deal for the Brazilian, 30. (Shields Gazette)
Leicester City are lining up a bid for Portugal and Benfica full-back Andre Almeida, 27. (Leicester Mercury)
Chinese club Chongqing Dangdai Lifan are not interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Andreas Iniesta as they believe he is not good enough to play in the Chinese Super League. (Marca via the Chongqing Morning Post)
Real Madrid are preparing to pay Athletic Bilbao and Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's 20m euro release clause in January and want to confirm the 23-year-old's signing in the first week of the new year. (AS)
Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano, 33, is close to completing a move to Chinese side Hebei Fortune. (Sport)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Paul Doyle
As clubs across the land enter into the festive spirit, Jürgen Klopp has given orders for Anfield to be festooned with all sorts of decorations, including tinsel, baubles and Daniel Sturridge. And although West Ham, Newcastle, Stoke and Swansea all want to take the striker off Liverpool’s hands when the new year clear-up begins, Klopp is determined to keep hold off him and will stow him in the attic with the inflatable snowmen and reindeers until their time around again. So Sturridge’s attempts to earn a World Cup spot may boil down to smiling endearingly whenever the cameras pans to him and hoping Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes a public appeal on his behalf in a a post-match interview.
By contrast, Klopp is said to be willing to listen to loan offers for Ben Woodburn. Chris Coleman is reaching for the phone at this very moment, preparing to remind the youngster who made him a Wales international. But Leeds United will be in touch to remind him where Sunderland are in the Championship table.
As for incomings at Anfield, there are unconvincing mutterings about Steven N’Zonzi. The former Stoke midfield is known to be keen on a return to England from Sevilla, but Arsenal is believed to be his most likely destination, although Everton think they’re in with a chance. Arsenal and Liverpool are also vying for the affections of Real Madrid’s young midfielder Dani Ceballos, as are Spurs.
Atlético Madrid are refusing to play ball with Liverpool over the signing of full-back Sime Vrsaljko, just as Liverpool will refuse to listen to Barcelona if they come calling again for Philippe Coutinho in January. Monaco, on the other hand, may be open again to offers for Thomas Lemar, especially if those offers get over £80m. With Arsenal and Chelsea also in the hunt, the figure could yet get quite outrageous, even if the player is thought to be sweetest on Liverpool.
Tottenham fancy a piece of Paris Saint-Germain’s winger Lucas Moura and think they may be able to wangle a good deal because the French club have to offload players to make a gesture towards compliance with financial fair play regulations. But that will not stop them attempting to prise Alexis Sánchez from Arsenal. Other than that, however, PSG will only be making free signings this January and that could mean a sensational return to the big time for Lassana Diarra, who is currently developing his interest in numismatics with Qatar’s Al Jazira.
Louis van Gaal would very much like to return to management with Swansea, which does not mean he hopes to be the Welsh club’s next appointment; he might be happy to wait until Paul Clement’s immediate successor is sacked. The Dutchman will be happy so long as he’s in situ by 31 March, which is when Swansea travel to Old Trafford. Tony Pulis can do the gig for a while before then.
Sam Johnstone – the Manchester United goalkeeper presently on loan at Aston Villa – has emerged as a target for Crystal Palace, West Brom and West Ham, all of whom are telling him that David de Gea isn’t going anywhere soon. Matteo Darmian, meanwhile, could be off to Napoli, while West Brom hope to persuade Ben Gibson to leave Middlesbrough.
Finally, Rafael Benítez is going to unashamedly ask either Mike Ashley or Newcastle’s next owner for several million pounds to buy Islam Slimani from
Leicester.
HITC
David Moyes watched John McGinn at Sunderland...is West Ham move possible?
Danny Owen
West Ham United manager David Moyes says he will be looking for midfielders in January. And Scottish Premiership star John McGinn may be on his radar again.
West Ham fans will be encouraged by the fact that David Moyes placed his faith in prodigious youngsters Declan Rica and Domingos Quina in their 1-0 EFL Cup defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old duo partnered each other in the centre of midfield at The Emirates and, if you believe the hype, Rice and Quina are the future of West Ham.
Nonetheless, it appears that Moyes wouldn't have started the teenagers but for to injuries and Manuel Lanzini’s suspension. And the manager has suggested that he will target midfielders in January to ensure he doesn't have to rely on such inexperience again.
“Tonight we were short on midfield players and generally we're short in that area and we could do with adding a little more craft,” Moyes said in quotes reported by The Mail. “It's an area we're short at the moment. But January is never the easiest month to deal with.”
But will Moyes be tempted to turn to a player he was interested in during his time at Sunderland? According to The Mail, the Scot travelled to Easter Road on a number of occasions last season to watch Hibernian in action with midfielder John McGinn the star of the show.
The Scotland international, who won the second tier’s Player of the Year award last season, is a man in demand with Celtic and Nottingham Forest heavily linked. But with the midfielder valued at around £5 million - in the eyes of manager Neil Lennon anyway - such a fee may be beyond some of McGinn’s interested suitors.
West Ham, however, would have little difficulty paying £5 million to bring in arguably the brightest young midfielder in Scottish football.
And McGinn's dynamic, thrusting performances from the centre of the park would be warmly received at West Ham, whose one-paced midfield has frequently been a cause of consternation among supporters.
C&H
Hammers set price for striker
West Ham want a minimum of £12 million for Diafra Sakho this winter.
However, although the striker continues to be linked with the likes of West Brom and Cardiff City there remain doubts over his physical condition which will demand an exhaustive medical.
Publicly, the Irons are allowing a figure of £15 million to be attached to the want away striker but would be more than happy to do a deal around the £12 million mark.
His injury issues are now hopefully behind him but given his history the Irons will face a battle to get the price they require.
It remains more likely that Sakho is set for a move abroad with Rennes still interested after their summer interest which brought a reported bid of £9 million.
Generally speaking medicals are more lenient in France than in the UK although the Hammers will be hoping they get several bids in order to hike up the price.
HITC
Liverpool will keep Daniel Sturridge with West Ham target Danny Ings set to be allowed to leave on loan
Jordan Harris
Liverpool have decided that they will keep Daniel Sturridge and will loan out Danny Ings in news that will encourage West Ham United.
According to a report from the Daily Mirror, Liverpool have decided that they will look to keep Daniel Sturridge during the January transfer window as they want sufficient cover as they plan to let Danny Ings leave on loan.
Both Ings and Sturridge have endured frustrating seasons for the Reds, with the pair making just 11 Premier League appearances between them this term, with the latter the only one to have appeared in a starting lineup in the top flight in that time.
The Mirror reports that both forwards would be keen to leave Anfield on a temporary basis next month, but as Jurgen Klopp feels that Ings would particularly benefit from a loan exit, Sturridge will have to rely on a team offering £30 million to sign him permanently if he wants to move away in January.
The news is certainly set to provide a boost for West Ham, who the Mirror reports are keen on signing Ings in January, as it appears that it is highly likely that he will be on the move.
The 25-year-old has been prolific for the under-23 side since he returned from injury, so it is not surprising that David Moyes is keen on landing him as the Hammers look to keep themselves away from the bottom three in the top flight.
Both Liverpool and West Ham face sides around them in their next game, with the Reds travelling to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night, while the Irons host fellow strugglers Newcastle United at the London Stadium the next day.
|
