Happy Christmas to all WhoersBBC
Barcelona are already planning for next season and want to bring Paris St-Germain and Brazil forward Neymar back to the club. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
RB Leipzig's head of football Oliver Mintzlaff has revealed they are struggling to compete with Manchester United in the race to sign Norway striker Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg. (Mail)
Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Isco, 27, in a £44m deal by Real Madrid, which would pave the way for the Spanish giants to make a move for Tottenham's 27-year-old midfielder Christian Eriksen. (Mirror)
Arsenal and Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Sead Kolasinac, 26, is a transfer target for Napoli and Roma. (Sky Sports)
Real Madrid have told Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola that they will not be signing the 26-year-old in January. (Mail)
Tottenham will need to pay £50m to sign French central defender Issa Diop, 22, from West Ham. (Express)
Spurs are keen on Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare. The 20-year-old has also been considered by Manchester United. (L'Equipe - via Football 365)
Borussia Dortmund will not sanction the sale of England winger Jadon Sancho, 19, in January. (Bild)
Manchester United have told Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic, 31, and Argentina defender Marcos Rojo, 29, they can leave the club. (Star)
AC Milan have placed a £26m price tag on midfielder Franck Kessie, with Wolves keen on signing the 23-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder in January. (Calciomercato - in Italian)
Lyon have identified Atletico Madrid and France midfielder Thomas Lemar, 24, as a primary transfer target. (L'Equipe - in French)
Atletico have also reached an agreement to sign Paris Saint Germain an Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, 32. (Star)
Fulham and Brentford are considering moving for Jack Clarke, 19, in January if Tottenham recall the winger from his loan spell at Leeds. (Mail)
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been backed to sign Juventus' Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, 33, on a short-term deal. (Express)
Everton have been encouraged to sign Wolves and Mexico striker Raul Jimenez, 28, as well as Southampton front man Danny Ings, 27. (Talksport - via Star)
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says Croatian centre-back Filip Benkovic, 23, could go on loan in January amid reported interest from Championship side Derby. (Leicester Mercury)
Forward Andy Carroll, 30, is set to earn a new-one year deal at Newcastle United with boss Steve Bruce impressed by the Englishman since his return. (Mirror)
A joke eBay sale of Stoke City has been pulled after bids for the club reached £65,000. (Stoke Sentinel)
Guardian
West Ham's Lukasz Fabianski could be in contention for Boxing Day return
Goalkeeper could face Crystal Palace after three months out
David Martin also close to fitness but Roberto stands by
Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is nearing full fitness and could be in contention for West Ham’s Boxing Day match against Crystal Palace, Manuel Pellegrini said. The manager added that fellow stopper David Martin, who suffered a similar hip injury against Southampton earlier this month, is also in line to return over the festive period. He also admitted that the beleaguered Roberto “didn’t have good performances” when deputising for Fabianski, but offered the Spaniard a lukewarm vote of confidence as he remains on standby for a return to the side.
Fabianski tore his hip muscle while taking a goal-kick during the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on 22 September, and was replaced by Roberto, whose gaffe-prone run in the side could see him sold in the January transfer window. The 33-year-old’s form was so alarming that pressure has been heaped on Mario Husillos, the Argentinian director of football responsible for bringing him to the club last summer. He was subsequently replaced in the side by Martin but may find himself back in action if neither of his rivals for the position are passed fit.
After West Ham’s Premier League match against Liverpool was postponed due to the European champions’ participation in the Club World Cup in Qatar, Pellegrini’s side have had 12 days between games. However they now have a run of three in seven days, with the Palace match followed by the visit of Leicester on Saturday and Bournemouth on New Year’s Day.
Speaking on Monday, the manager said he would assess both keepers’ fitness before the fixture at Selhurst Park: “Both of them are recovering, we will see in the next days who is able to play. I don’t think either will be able to play both games in 48 hours, so we’ll see in the next couple of days who will be playing at Crystal Palace. Fabianski is working every day a little bit harder. If he is not ready for the 26th [Palace], then maybe the 28th [Leicester] or the 1st [Bournemouth].”
Pellegrini added: “Roberto didn’t have good performances when he played but I always say he has a career behind him, a lot of experience. Maybe he was a bit unlucky but I continue to trust in him. If he has to play he will do it in the way we know he can do.”
The club has also been boosted by positive updates on midfielders Manuel Lanzini, who has been sidelined since November with a collarbone fracture, and Felipe Anderson. Pellegrini said: “Lanzini has worked without any problems for around 10 days. It’s maybe more easy to return after a shoulder injury. Felipe has worked a complete week without problems after his illness. Jack Wilshere has had some problems with his groin so he hasn’t worked with the squad.”
Sport Witness
West Ham ‘have already informed club’ they intend to pay transfer fee in January
Athletic Club Bilbao’s Unai Núñez has been restricted to only six appearances in the league this season and because of the limited role, he will be open to the idea of leaving in January.
According to AS, the 22-year-old has serious options to leave Bilbao. West Ham United ‘want’ the 22-year-old and ‘have already informed the club’ about their desire to sign him in January.
The centre-back’s current deal with the La Liga side runs down in 2023 and he has a €30m release clause in his contract.
It’s claimed the London based club have communicated to Athletic their intention to pay the defender’s asking price.
Even though West Ham have decided to pay his buyout clause, they still have to convince Núñez.
AS claims the Premier League side will have help from their summer signing Pablo Fornals in convincing his compatriot. The midfielder has been in regular contact with Núñez, his friend, to sooth any doubts about life in London and at West Ham.
West Ham, however, need to be wary about Bayern Munich, who are in the market looking for a replacement for Javi Martínez and they could offer Martínez as a part of a deal for Núñez.
Express
West Ham stance on Bruno Henrique transfer after scouting Flamengo star against Liverpool
West Ham had Bruno Henrique watched during Saturday’s Club World Cup final between Flamengo and Liverpool.
By James Benson
West Ham see Bruno Henrique as a player who can make an immediate impact at the London Stadium if they seal a transfer deal for the Flamengo star in January. Henrique tormented Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold during the first half of Saturday’s Club World Cup final under the watchful eye of a Hammers scout.
West Ham had Bruno Henrique watched as Manuel Pellegrini looks for options to bolster his attack when the transfer market opens next week.
The under-fire boss has so far been let down by his £45m investment in Sebastian Haller and needs goals to propel his side towards safety.
Flamengo livewire Henrique has scored 24 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions in 2019 and was impressive during their quest to add another piece of silverware to this year’s haul.
The Rio de Janeiro-based club came up short as they looked to add the Club World Cup to their Brazilian top-flight and Copa Libertadores trophies.
But Bruno Henrique made his mark, particularly in the first half, giving Alexander-Arnold plenty to think about thanks to his trickery and speed.
90min.com report West Ham scouted the 28-year-old during the Doha showdown, which ended in a 1-0 Liverpool win thanks to Roberto Firminpo’s strike.
And the East Londoners are said to see Bruno Henrique as someone who can help them straight away as they look to pull clear of the relegation zone.
Bruno Henrique addressed speculation over his future following the defeat to Liverpool, with Chinese side Shanghai SIPG eager to snap him up.
"My aim since I came here has been to contribute," Bruno Henrique said. "Neither me nor Flamengo have received any proposals.
"Now I want to rest, enjoy my family and the holidays. It's been an exhausting year. We can leave here with our heads held high."
