Thursday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Newcastle United have explored the possibility of bringing England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 22, back to the club, having sold him to Nottingham Forest in 2024. (i Paper - subscription required), external

Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl says 23-year-old France winger Michael Olise, who has been linked with a number of clubs, does not have a release clause in his contract, which runs until June 2029. (Talksport), external

Manchester United are still interested in 24-year-old Germany defensive midfielder Angelo Stiller, but Stuttgart's asking price for the 24-year-old is expected to be more than €50m (£43.5m). (Sky Sports Germany), external

Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher is also a target for Manchester United, who view the 25-year-old as a potential replacement for fellow England international Kobbie Mainoo, 20. (Football Insider), external

England centre-back Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United for free when his contract comes to an end next summer as the Old Trafford club have yet to offer the 32-year-old a new deal. (Mail - subscription required)

Aston Villa and Newcastle United are among the clubs keen on 21-year-old Porto and Spain striker Samuel Omorodion, who has previously been close to joining Chelsea and had talks with Nottingham Forest. (A Bola - in Portuguese), external

England defender Fikayo Tomori is in talks with AC Milan over a new contract, with the 27-year-old having said he does not want to leave the Serie A side. (Fabrizio Romano), external

France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 28, is thought to want to leave Crystal Palace, with Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham possible destinations. (Caught Offside), external

West Ham are keen on 24-year-old Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee and could try to sign him on loan from Manchester United in January. (i Paper), external

Borussia Dortmund could send 20-year-old English midfielder Jobe Bellingham, who they signed from Sunderland last summer, out on loan in January. (Football Insider), external

English attacking midfielder Samuel Alker, 16, has yet to agree to signing a professional deal with Leeds United when he turns 17 in March and is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. (Mail)




Sky Paper Talk

Premier League

Liverpool are said to be considering Bayern Munich star Dayot Upamecano as a possible alternative to Marc Guehi - The Mirror.

Carlos Baleba has held private talks with Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler amid persistent links to Manchester United, who are continuing to monitor the midfielder's situation closely -The Sun.

Lisandro Martinez is poised to finally rejoin his team-mates in Manchester United training this week after his comeback was delayed slightly - The Mirror.

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali is set to continue discussions over an improved contract, but the club's bosses are not overly concerned about his future following an unreported extension clause last year - Daily Express.

John Terry's dream of managing former club Chelsea could be over after a lack of managing opportunities - The Sun.

Leeds United have sensationally withdrawn their invitation to former owner Andrea Radrizzani for the game against West Ham on Friday - Daily Mail.

Championship

Birmingham's stunning plans to build a new £3bn stadium will be supported by the creator of Peaky Blinders - The Sun.
Scottish football

Thelo Aasgaard hopes the arrival of new boss Danny Röhl gives him a fresh start as a Rangers player - Scottish Sun.

Kilmarnock have signed a young Celtic goalkeeper Tobi Oluwayemi on loan - Scottish Sun.
European football

Marcus Rashford will continue to go from strength to strength and become even more important for Barcelona, according to manager Hansi Flick - The Mirror.

Antonio Conte has sounded alarm bells in the wake of Napoli's dismal 6-2 defeat by PSV, warning the side's nightmare in the Netherlands could be the start of a deeper crisis after 'mistakes' were made in the transfer window - Daily Mail.

Rugby Union

Tom Willis, England's persona non grata, has done Steve Borthwick a major favour by helping Luke Cowan-Dickie escape a suspension for England's Quilter Nations Series - Daily Telegraph.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes his side's Gallagher Premiership trip to Northampton will show whether Steve Borthwick should pick 19-year-old winger Noah Calouri for England this Autumn - The Times.

NFL

The NFL will not drop Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl half-time headline performer, commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday, despite criticism from Donald Trump and some of his supporters. - The Guardian.

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson fired back at Sean Payton on social media on Tuesday, after his former coach questioned his ability over the weekend - The Guardian.





Caught offside

West Ham & Villa eye transfer move for Man City star who’s unlikely to sign new deal

Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is understood to be a target for a number of clubs in the Premier League and beyond.

As first reported here in my Daily Briefing exclusive, Kovacic is not in talks to sign a new contract with Man City, and the club are expected to be open to offers to let him go.

The experienced Croatia international is no longer playing regularly for City, and he could get the chance to play more at West Ham or Aston Villa.

Those two clubs are among his suitors at the moment, according to my sources, though there’s the sense that AC Milan could be leading the race for his signature.

Mateo Kovacic to leave Manchester City for AC Milan?

It’s suggested that Kovacic could be keen to be reunited with his fellow countryman Luka Modric at the San Siro, but there is nothing advanced yet on this situation.

In all likelihood, however, Kovacic will soon be leaving the Etihad Stadium.

“There are no talks ongoing over a new contract for Kovacic at City,” one source, who asked to kept anonymous to protect relationships told me.

“The likelihood is that City will be receptive to offers in January. Milan in particular are looking at this opportunity to accelerate a move.

“West Ham and Aston Villa are also interested, but less advanced for now. Same for Villarreal and Real Betis,” they added.

City have other options in midfield now, with Kovacic slipping down the pecking order and surely looking surplus to requirements.

It now surely makes sense for all parties involved if the 31-year-old leaves City this January, and it seems clear he won’t be short of options when it comes to choosing a new club.



Football Talk

West Ham interested in signing Real Madrid forwards Endrick and Gonzalo Garcia in January

West Ham United are 19th in the Premier League with only one win to their name so far this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo has to deliver results soon if the Hammers are to survive relegation come the end of the campaign.

Goals have visibly dried up for the Londoners, who have scored only six times in the league, and a striker’s acquisition is the need of hour with neither Callum Wilson nor Niclas Fullkrug delivering for the team in the final third.

According to TBR Football, West Ham are prepared to look for cost-effective prospective signings in the winter, and have shortlisted Real Madrid forwards Endrick and Gonzalo Garcia, who they may sign on loan, as they look to revamp their offence.

Both players have struggled for game time at the Santiago Bernabeu owing to competition from the likes of Arda Guler, Franco Mastantuono, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior, so they may be allowed to leave in order to play more often.

Endrick the likelier to join West Ham

With the international breaks set to end in November and Real Madrid effectively set to play a game every three days thereafter, they would not want to significantly trim their squad depth and consequently, they are unlikely to let both players leave together.

Xabi Alonso has shown a decent level of trust in Gonzalo Garcia, who was also the top scorer in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, so he might be the one retained for the second half of the season, thereby opening the door for Endrick’s departure.

Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed that Endrick is expected to leave Madrid in January to pursue regular minutes, and as such, he is likely to be a better signing for West Ham than Gonzalo Garcia anyways given the Premier League’s nature.

Endrick is one of the strongest young strikers around Europe, able to hold off defenders in the box, and has a powerful finish too. His aerial prowess is a weak point, but he makes up for it by intelligently moving into open spaces closer to goal.

It will be interesting to see if Endrick and Real Madrid are both in agreement about a loan spell in the Premier League, or whether the two parties prefer that the Brazilian remains in La Liga to continue his development in a more familiar setting.

[matchless]

Thanks Alan