BBC
Manchester United's England forward Marcus Rashford, 21, is in advanced talks over an improved, long-term contract that will more than double his wages to £200,000 a week. (Star)
Tottenham and Arsenal are monitoring Borussia Monchengladbach and Germany centre-back Matthias Ginter, 25. (Sky Sports)
Spurs are also interested in Leicester City's English midfielder James Maddison, 22, as a potential replacement for 26-year-old Denmark international Christian Eriksen, who is a target for Real Madrid. (Express)
Paris St-Germain could make a summer move for Chelsea and France midfielder N'Golo Kante, 27. (Le10 Sport, via Sun)
Former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is to hold talks with Inter Milan director Beppe Marotta over taking charge at the Italian club for a second time. (Mirror)
Arsenal are leading the race to sign Benfica defender Alex Grimaldo, 23. Manchester City, Napoli and Inter Milan have all been linked with the Spanish left-back. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Juventus' 24-year-old Italy defender Daniele Rugani - who is a target for Chelsea - is set to receive an improved contract until 2023 at the Serie A club. (Calciomercato)
Liverpool and Chelsea are both keen to bring in Brescia's 18-year-old Italy Under-19 midfielder Sandro Tonali, with the Serie B club, who are top of the league, demanding a 50m euro (£43.8m) fee if they are promoted to Serie A this season. (Football London)
Manchester United remain interested in three centre-backs - 27-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli and Senegal, Inter Milan's Slovakia international Milan Skriniar, 23, and 22-year-old Denmark Under-21 international Joachim Andersen of Sampdoria. (Manchester Evening News)
Ander Herrera is keen to stay at Manchester United as discussions over a new contract for the 29-year-old Spain midfielder continue. (Independent)
Chelsea sent scouts to watch Portuguese trio Joao Felix, Ruben Dias and Bruno Fernandes in the Lisbon derby. Midfielder Felix, 19, and defender Dias, 21, play for Benfica, with midfielder Fernandes, 24, in the Sporting Lisbon side. (O Jogo, via Metro)
Manchester United may move for Felix as contract talks with 30-year-old Spanish midfielder Juan Mata have stalled. (Mirror)
Ireland Under-19 striker Ali Reghba is unlikely to sign a permanent deal at Leicester City, despite impressing during a trial spell at the Premier League club. (Leicester Mercury)
Former Juventus defender Mehdi Benatia, 31, says he chose to join Qatar side Al Duhail over Manchester United because he wanted to raise his family in a Muslim country. (Goal)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Jacob Steinberg
Having seen how well it worked out for Chelsea when they brought José Mourinho back for a second stint at Stamford Bridge, Internazionale are thinking about rekindling their love affair with the Portuguese ice hockey star. The flame hasn’t died and Inter suit Beppe Marotta is planning talks with the football heritage expert about a romantic reunion.
However, while those memories of Mourinho winning the Champions League with the Nerazzurri in 2010 still burn strong, the Italian giants should know the man they knew has developed quite a strong fondness for Marouane Fellaini in recent years.
Speaking of people with connections to Inter, Philippe Coutinho is having a rotten time at Barcelona. The Brazilian midfielder is struggling to convince Camp Nou regulars of his worth, so he could be heading back to the Premier League, with Chelsea and Manchester United both interested in annoying Liverpool fans by signing the 26-year-old.
Chelsea scouts were at the recent Lisbon derby to watch Benfica’s João Félix and Rúben Dias and Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes. Félix and Fernandes are midfielders. Putting two and two together, the Mill reckons that Maurizio Sarri is interested in signing a new midfielder. Further calculations suggest that means Sarri is dissatisfied with his current options in the engine room — so it’s just as well that Paris Saint-Germain want N’Golo Kanté.
United are also set for a busy summer. Despite Victor Lindelöf’s improved form, which just happens to have coincided with Mourinho leaving Old Trafford, they still want a new centre-back. Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Inter’s Milan Skriniar and Sampdoria’s Joachim Andersen feature on their shopping list.
Arsenal and Tottenham are battling it out to sign Matthias Ginter from Borussia Dortmund, who probably aren’t bracing themselves for Stan Kroenke and Daniel Levy to start a furious bidding war. Meanwhile Leicester plan to keep James Maddison away from Spurs by arguing that luxury cheese rooms are naff.
Mirror
Assistant who allowed offside Liverpool goal vs West Ham dropped by officials' body
EXCLUSIVE: Simon Beck "given the weekend to go shopping" after letting offside James Milner set up Liverpool's goal in 1-1 draw
By Darren Lewis
Blundering assistant Simon Beck has been axed from this weekend’s matches after the gaffe that's kept Liverpool level with Manchester City in the title race.
Beck allowed James Milner to cross for Sadio Mane to score against West Ham last Monday night — even though Milner was clearly offside when he received the ball.
West Ham struck back to earn a point, but boss Manuel Pellegrini is still angry with the official’s performance after the final whistle and the PGMOL are understood to be sympathetic to his point of view.
The draw means Liverpool and City are now both on 62 points, though the champions have the superior goal difference
Beck has been spoken to by his bosses and “given the weekend to go shopping”, according to a source.
Pellegrini said on Thursday: “I don’t include the referee because it was the linesman’s mistake. For the first goal [Milner] was one and a half metres offside but if you see the linesman he was watching the ball, not the line.”
Referring to an incident at the very end of the same match, when an offside Divock Origi was incorrectly allowed to play on, the Hammers boss was also unhappy.
He added: “The last play of the game, you can see the linesman is up with the line of play. It is difficult to see why he didn’t raise his flag.
“If we’d lose 2-1 it would have been unacceptable. It was one mistake and allowed them to draw. Every game is different, which means football gives you chances for revenge.
“But I’m proud of the way we played against Liverpool. If we continue this way. I will be more happy than angry.”
Sun
West Ham teenage star Ben Johnson has amazing family pedigree with cousin Ledley King and uncle Paul Parker
The right-back can draw on a wealth experience as he looks to be the lastest product through the West Ham academy.
By Charlie Wyett
WEST HAM defender Ben Johnson is not related to the former Canadian sprinter by the same name – but he still boasts a remarkably strong sporting background.
The exciting young right-back is one of the latest top prospects to have come through the Hammers’ academy and looks to have a big future at the club as he continues to impress for the Under-23s.
West Ham defender Ben Johnson can call on two football legends for advice about the beautiful game
The impressive West Ham youngster has a cousin and an uncle who played in the Premier League
Johnson, 19, can turn to his cousin Ledley King, the former Tottenham defender, for any football advice.
Yet remarkably, Johnson can also call on his uncle.
He is former England, Manchester United, QPR and Fulham defender Paul Parker.
Equally, another uncle is Neville Douglas, a former England schools sprinter.
The youngster, who also boasts some major pace, can also play at wing-back having started out as a wide midfielder.
He has been on the bench for West Ham’s senior team just once – against Manchester City last season –and the club have high hopes for him over the next year or so.
His immediate problem is that West Ham can call on Pablo Zabaleta, Ryan Fredericks and also Michail Antonio in the right-back position but he has been urged to remain patient.
Johnson has been with West Ham since the age of seven and has featured in every age-group side and was rewarded with a new contract a year ago, keeping him tied to the club until the summer of 2020.
In the 2016/17 season, he started 19 times for the under-18s side and made his Premier League 2 debut against Leicester.
Last term, he started three EFL Trophy ties, delivered an assist in a 3-1 group stage win over Bristol Rovers and was named on the subs bench for that clash against City in December 2017.
This season, Johnson has started the opening 15 Premier League 2 Division One games and once again, started all three EFL Trophy group-stage matches.
Johnson has all-round talent with good vision and excellent passing and crossing skills. He has been working hard on becoming stronger in the air.
He has yet to have been recognised by England at youth level with Norwich’s Max Aaron having been picked ahead of him for the under-19s.
But once again, it is only a matter of time before we hear more of this major talent.
