BBC
Manchester United are interested in Inter Milan's 22-year-old Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez, who would cost 111m euros (£95.6m). (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Manchester City are among the clubs tracking Steaua Bucharest's 21-year-old Romanian forward Florinel Coman. (Mail)
Germany midfielder Emre Can will be allowed to leave Juventus in January, with Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain interested in the 25-year-old former Liverpool player. (Tuttosport, via Mirror)
Liverpool are considering the possibility of fielding two teams in two competitions on the same day, with their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa and Club World Cup semi-final potentially clashing. (Mirror)
Manchester United and Juventus are the frontrunners among 20 clubs monitoring the progress of Norway striker Erling Braut Haaland, with Red Bull Salzburg open to selling the 19-year-old in the summer. Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested. (Guardian)
Norwich City are a possible destination for Spartak Moscow's Czech Republic holding midfielder Alex Kral, 21. (Norwich Evening News)
Juventus are watching Manchester United's Netherlands Under-21 winger Tahith Chong, who is out of contract at Old Trafford next summer. (Mail)
Roma want to complete the permanent signing of United's 29-year-old England defender Chris Smalling, who is on loan at the Serie A side this season, for £18m. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian)
Crystal Palace are among the teams interested in signing Liverpool's England Under-21 striker Rhian Brewster, 19, on loan this season. (Sun)
Inter Milan are monitoring Parma's Italian right-back Matteo Darmian, 29. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)
Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll, 30, is set to make an appearance against former club West Ham United after returning to training following a groin strain. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Edinson Cavani is not "completely happy" at Paris St-Germain, says boss Thomas Tuchel, who has started the 32-year-old Uruguay forward on the bench since his return from injury. (Le Parisien - in French)
Everton have fast-tracked the development of 16-year-old English midfielder Tyler Onyango, bringing him into their under-23 squad months earlier than planned. (Liverpool Echo)
Middlesbrough have told senior players they will have to take significant pay cuts to stay at the Championship club. (Mail)
Former England team-mates Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, who were recently involved in a social media row following the release of the latter's book, have both been named as pundits as part of Amazon Prime's Premier League coverage next month. (Times - subscription required)
Two Italian senators have said they will bring forward a political debate to reassure fans of Serie A's "impartiality" following two controversial penalty decisions in games involving Napoli and Juventus.(ESPN)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Ben Fisher
In the summer, while dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on deals for Rodri and João Cancelo, it seems Manchester City also had officials making notes in sleepy Cesena. It was there where a Phil Foden-less England crashed out of the Under-21 European Championship following a 4-2 defeat by Romania, in which Florinel Coman stole the show, scoring twice. Coman is no relation to Kingsley but he has, rather handily, been compared to another France whizz, Kylian Mbappé, by the Steaua Bucharest owner George ‘Gigi’ Becali. City, as well as West Ham and Roma, like what they have seen.
Coman, who has since made his senior bow for Romania, is a graduate of the Gheorghe Hagi academy. Hagi’s son, Ianis, earned a big-money move not to supposed suitors Liverpool or Real Madrid but Belgian side Genk on the back of a dazzling tournament, while Internazionale’s George Puscas sealed a dream switch to, er, Reading. Coman could follow suit, with the 21-year-old winger guaranteed a move to a mid-ranking Serie A side if nothing else.
Across town, Manchester United are sniffing around Inter’s Lautaro Martínez but the forward will not come cheap. That might entice those at Old Trafford more than anything but United will not get much change out of £100m for the Argentinian. Martínez has been banging in the goals for Antonio Conte’s side, scoring nine in 14 appearances for the Serie A side this season. Shelling out such a fee might be doable if Roma give the green light to turn Chris Smalling’s loan into a permanent £18m deal.
Crystal Palace may be turning heads with their grand academy plans but they also have their eyes set on a January move for Liverpool’s former Chelsea youngster Rhian Brewster. The 19-year-old has no shortage of admirers but, should Liverpool make the striker available for a short-term loan, Palace hope to head the queue. Championship sides Swansea and Bristol City are also believed to be keen.
Norwich City are lining up a move for Spartak Moscow’s 21-year-old midfielder Alex Kral while, after watching Liverpool’s teenagers take the Carabao Cup by storm – well, edging out Arsenal on penalties – Everton have fast-tracked the development of 16-year-old Tyler Onyango, with the midfielder joining up with David Unsworth’s under-23s.
Toon blog
Bruce confirms 4 players will miss West Ham – but 1 set to return…on one condition
Steve Bruce has confirmed that tomorrow’s trip to West Ham will come too soon Fabian Schar, Matt Ritchie and Florian Lejeune – but Andy Carroll is set to return IF he comes through training today.
Sean Longstaff is also ruled out for the next three after his straight red against Wolves last weekend, meaning the likes of Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-Yeung are in contention for tomorrow’s game.
Here’s what Bruce has had to say on the injury front when speaking to the press in the last few moments:
“Andy Carroll has trained the last couple of days, so he’ll come back into the squad. It’s still too early for Matt Ritchie and Fabian Schär.”
“He (Schar) could be OK for Bournemouth (next Saturday). He’s been sore with his knee for a while, but we don’t think it’s too serious.”
Hopefully Schar is back for Bournemouth, with his ability to create from deep and get us on the front foot especially valuable at home.
As for Ritchie, he’s been ‘close’ for a long time but continues to miss out. Let’s hope he’s back soon and hasn’t suffered any setbacks.
Bruce then spoke out about Lejeune’s fitness, confirming he’ll play again for the U-23’s on Monday in hope of him returning to first-team action after the international break:
“He’ll play again at Aston Villa on Monday night. Hopefully he’ll get 75 or 80 minutes in that one. We’ve another international break coming up, and hopefully after that he’ll be available.”
The NUFC boss then discussed the ‘two solutions’ he’s faced with following our struggles in the final third, suggesting he must decide between a change of formation and change of personnel:
“That is the conundrum we face. There’s two solutions – change the system or change personnel.
“So we will see how we go tomorrow and that’s obviously the conundrum which I face.”
After just 4 shots on target in our last 4, let’s hope we pose much more of a threat at West Ham tomorrow.
HITC
Report: Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham among clubs keen on teenager Chris Ojeme
Aiden Cusick
Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham United are among the clubs being credited with interest in the Millwall teenager, Chris Ijeme.
All Nigeria Soccer reports that Arsenal are leading the race for Ojeme - who has been likened in style to Jadon Sancho - with Liverpool, West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City also keen.
Although the winger does not turn 16 until 2021, it is claimed that he is expected to play for Millwall's Under-18 side before the end of this season.
Like Sancho, Ojeme hails from south of the river Thames, where he is said to have been spotted playing grassroots football two-and-a-half-years ago.
Sancho started out in Watford's youth ranks before being poached by Manchester City in 2015.
But it was not until his transfer to Borussia Dortmund two years later that the teenager was finally allowed to flourish, and he has since earned 10 England caps.
Arsenal and Liverpool have already missed out on another Millwall winger of Nigerian descent, with Samuel Edozie joining Manchester City instead.
And the Lions are likely to prefer a move to any of those for Ojeme, over their rivals West Ham.
The Boot Room
Report: West Ham interested in FCSB winger Florinel Coman
By Tom Procter
West Ham United are reportedly interested in FCSB winger Florinel Coman.
The Hammers are intrigued over the Romania international, who has been scouted recently by Premier League champions Manchester City.
There is also interest from AS Roma over in Italy.
Coman, 21, has been impressing over in the Romanian top-flight in recent times.
Last term in all competitions, the left-sided player scored 12 goals and made 10 assists for Steaua, and his good form has continued into 2019/20, where he has eight goals and five assists from his first 19 appearances.
Coman has previously been likened to French superstar Kylian Mbappe for his blistering pace by legend Gheorghe Hagi
TBR’s view – Coman an exciting proposition
West Ham don’t have an awful lot of pace in their squad, particular from the players that play in the wide areas.
Felipe Anderson, Robert Snodgrass, Andriy Yarmolenko and Pablo Fornals are all good technicians, but will seldom knock the ball past a full-back and do them for sheer pace.
The currently injured Michail Antonio has that in his locker, but him aside there simply isn’t much mobility.
Coman is a raw talent and clearly has a good eye for goal – he could be an exciting addition to West Ham’s squad if Manuel Pellegrini can sell the Irons project to him.
He’d likely find opportunities much easier to come by than at City.
