BBC
Manchester City are close to completing a deal to sign England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. (Teamtalk), external
Anderson favours a move to City over neighbours Manchester United, but Nottingham Forest value the 23-year-old at more than £70m. (Talksport), external
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are set to battle to sign England Under-19 centre-back Samuel Amissah, 18, from Fulham. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Liverpool want 19-year-old Yan Diomande to replace Mohamed Salah on the right wing and the RB Leipzig winger could cost them £87m. (Teamtalk), external
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto de Zerbi are Tottenham's top managerial targets this summer - however former player Robbie Keane, now in charge of Ferencvaros, could be considered if they are relegated to the Championship. (GiveMeSport), external
Arne Slot's position as Liverpool boss is set to come under significant scrutiny at the end of the season, with former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso the only manager the club's owners want to succeed the Dutchman. (Teamtalk), external
Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, 24, will join Arsenal on a permanent transfer from Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season. (Sun), external
The Gunners will need to sell a first-team player this summer, with Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard, 27, and Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli, 24, among the potential candidates. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Manchester United plan to hold contract talks with Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 31, after this summer's World Cup. (Football Insider), external
Chelsea and Manchester City are among the clubs interested in Bayern Munich's 21-year-old Germany midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, who could cost 65m euros (£56m). (Caught Offside)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Elliot Anderson favours a move to Man City over neighbours Manchester United, but Nottingham Forest value the 23-year-old at more than £70m - Talksport
Nottingham Forest have told global head of football Edu Gaspar to stay away from the club as his departure moves closer - The Telegraph
Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle has sensationally opened the door to a return to the crisis club as an assistant to a fellow Spurs great - The Sun
Piero Hincapie will join Arsenal on a permanent transfer from Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season - The Sun
The Gunners will need to sell a first-team player this summer, with Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli among the potential candidates - The Telegraph
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are set to battle to sign England U19 centre-back Samuel Amissah from Fulham - The Telegraph
EFL
Mike Ashley, the former Newcastle United owner, is set to lodge a revised bid for crisis club Sheffield Wednesday in the next 24 hours - The Telegraph
Scotland
Celtic are targeting two Premiership stars as part of a summer squad overhaul, according to a report - Scottish Sun
World football
World Cup matches will effectively be shown in quarters rather than halves as broadcasters seize on mandatory new breaks to show more TV adverts - The Telegraph
A crunch World Cup play-off clash has been thrown into chaos amid fears Iraq national football team may not even be able to travel to the match - The Sun
Europe
Jurgen Klopp could return to management as he is getting "nostalgic" for the dugout amid links with Real Madrid and Germany - The Sun
OS
Young striker Josh Ajala signs new contract
West Ham United is delighted to announce that Academy forward Josh Ajala has signed a new contract with the Club until the summer of 2028.
Ajala, who has been the top scorer for the U21s over the last two seasons, was joined by his parents to sign his new terms at Rush Green training ground.
Having signed his scholarship forms in 2023, moving to east London from Chelsea, Ajala wasted no time in making a name for himself at youth level, scoring 19 goals as the U18s finished runners-up in Premier League South.
Professional terms were signed on Ajala’s 17th birthday and, while still an U18s scholar, he continued his development with the U21s the following season where he maintained his impressive goalscoring form.
After making his England youth debut in September 2024, Ajala finished the 2024/25 season in double figures for both the U18s and U21s and claimed the Premier League Cup Golden Boot, scoring the all-important brace in the final against Reading as the U18s won the tournament for the first time.
Despite missing the first couple of months of this season through injury, Ajala has still managed to reach double figures across all competitions.
Reflecting on his development so far in Claret and Blue, Ajala said: “I think West Ham has been a really good place for my development over the last couple of years. When I first joined the Club, everyone was so welcoming and I feel like the group of players we have share a great bond. There’s a lot of togetherness on and off the pitch and I think that shows in our results.
“I feel like I’ve been in good form for a lot of the time, scoring goals for both the Under-18s and Under-21s. I want to keep scoring goals for the youth teams and hopefully that will give me the chance to do so for the first team. Every young player dreams of making that step up into senior football, whether that’s playing with the first team or going out on loan to get first-team experience.”
Ajala got his first taste of involvement with the first team when he was named in the matchday squad for the fourth round of the FA Cup at Burton Albion in February. Although he did not feature, three days later he showed exactly why he had been included as he scored two stoppage-time goals to send the U21s through to the National League Cup final at Boreham Wood.
“Being on the bench for the first team is a great experience,” Ajala continued. “It’s just a step closer to making my debut which is something I’ve dreamed of since I was very young.
“When I look at the next couple of years in terms of development, I want to make sure I’m scoring goals, playing to the best of my ability and trying to fulfil my potential, whether that’s here with the first team or out on loan.”
This season has also seen a change in his position, but not in his goalscoring output. Deployed as a winger for the U21s, Ajala has demonstrated his versatility across the front line while maintaining his high goalscoring rate, form which has recently earned him a Premier League 2 Player of the Month nomination.
Joining his close family for the signing of his contract, West Ham United Academy Director Kenny Brown praised the young forward’s progress over the last two-and-a-half seasons since joining the Hammers.
“It shows Josh’s mentality and how bright he is,” Brown said. “He doesn’t get into physical battles when he doesn’t need to. He pulls off shoulders, finds space and gets on the ball again and again.
“He doesn’t just receive the ball in forward areas, he maintains possession and is progressive with it. He wants to be facing goal as soon as he receives the ball. His retention of the ball and his end product are up there with the very best.
“I think what you’ve seen is him developing as a footballer. He’s not just a No9 now, he can play across any of the front three positions and he’s got all the attributes - his work rate, his finishing with both feet and he’s still going to grow physically too.
“I’m sure Josh will continue to be involved around the first team, working alongside senior players where the levels really jump. I have no doubt he’ll adapt to that and it’s exciting.
“This is the place for Josh to thrive and develop, and we’re all looking forward to seeing what’s to come.”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Josh on signing his new contract and wish him continued success in Claret and Blue.