Friday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, 24, is interested in joining Real Madrid when he leaves his current club, with the Norwegian's contract expiring in 2027. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa is being linked with a loan move away from the club as the 26-year-old looks to regain form, with AC Milan, Roma, and Inter Milan all potential options. (Calciomercato.it - in Italian)

Arsenal and Liverpool are still keen on a potential transfer move for Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler, 19, as the Turkey international continues to struggle for playing time this season. (CaughtOffside)

Arsenal could join the race to sign Sporting and Sweden striker Victor Gyokeres, 26, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to improve his attacking options. (GiveMeSport)

Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, is keen to sign a new long-term deal beyond 2028 at Newcastle, despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. (i Sport)

However, Newcastle do not see any rush to open talks with Isak given he has three years left on his contract. (Mail - subscription required)

Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, 23, could return on loan to Serie A after just one goal in 11 appearances for the Red Devils, with Juventus the most likely destination for the Dutchman. (Tuttosport via TeamTalk)

Besiktas are keen on the possibility of taking Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 27, on loan, with Newcastle, Arsenal and Manchester United also interested in the Englishman. (Fotomac in Turkish)

English managers Graham Potter and Gareth Southgate are among the candidates to replace Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner if the Eagles' form does not improve under the Austrian. (TeamTalk)

Arsenal are considering a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, 24, having previously tried to sign the Serbian in 2022. (Caught Offside)  

Barcelona directors have met with the agent of 21-year-old Spain midfielder Pedri to discuss his contract situation, which is yet to be resolved. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Middlesbrough have ruled out the possibility of 22-year-old English midfielder Hayden Hackney joining Newcastle United or Tottenham Hotspur in January. (GiveMeSport)

Ipswich Town could terminate Kalvin Phillips' loan deal from Manchester City in the January transfer window if the 28-year-old midfielder does not get up to speed at Portman Road. (Football Insider)

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has expressed an interest in activating a £16m buy-back clause in Spanish left-back Alvaro Fernandez's contract at Benfica. The 21-year-old left Old Trafford this summer. (Express)

Outgoing Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain is a target for clubs in the Saudi Pro League. (Mail - subscription required)

Liverpool are set to step up their interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, 24, amid uncertainty surrounding the future of 33-year-old Netherlands centre-back Virgil van Dijk. (Football Insider)




Sky Paper Talk

DAILY MAIL

Newcastle are not in contract talks with Alexander Isak and there are no plans to enter negotiations with more than three years to run on his current deal - but it raises the chance of a summer move and will put Arsenal on red alert.

Callum Wilson is unlikely to feature in Newcastle's busy three-game week after feeling a muscle tightness, with the club keen for the striker to return in the best possible condition.

DAILY MIRROR

Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl insists the club's top brass believe in Vincent Kompany - despite their battering by Barcelona.

Former Marseille midfielder Abdelaziz Barrada has died aged 35 after suffering a heart attack.

Manchester United fans were attacked by a group of Fenerbahce ultras on Wednesday night ahead of their Europa League clash in Istanbul.

Arsene Wenger has seemingly thrown his weight behind Manchester City as they battle the 115 financial charges that have been brought against them.

Howard Webb has singled out Michael Oliver as the best footballer among the Premier League's referees.

Roberto Mancini is set for an eye-watering pay-out after leaving his role as head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team after just 14 months.

THE TIMES

The head of English cricket has warned the government that a major project to revive the sport among state school pupils could die if promised funding is withdrawn.

The Premier League will oppose any moves by the incoming football regulator to set the level of parachute payments after ministers claimed the system "causes wage inflation and increases clubs' debts".

DAILY TELEGRAPH

The Kookaburra ball will again be used for four rounds of County Championship action in 2025 - but the experiment of using it in early-season conditions has been shelved.

The first-ever England women's futsal team had to contribute to the costs of their own heart screening, training sessions and budget-airline hold-luggage fees ahead of Fifa World Cup qualifiers this month.

Lord Triesman, the former chairman of the Football Association, has said he is "deeply concerned" that the governing body he used to lead is "not providing women and girls with fair, safe sport" because of its policy of allowing biological males to compete in the female category.

World Rugby wants to clamp down on players shielding team-mates catching high balls after issuing a series of desired objectives to referees and coaches ahead of the November Tests.

THE GUARDIAN

Keir Starmer will try to find a host country for the 2030 Commonwealth Games this week as ministers try to shore up the event's future.

Lando Norris says he will make changes to his approach in his world championship battle with Max Verstappen.

Belgian ultrarunners Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert and Frank Gielen set a Backyard Ultra ultramarathon world record in the early hours of Thursday by running nearly 738km in four days and 14 hours in Retie, Belgium.

DAILY STAR

Juan Roman Riquelme attempted to stop police from clashing with fans in the early hours of Thursday morning.

DAILY EXPRESS

Valtteri Bottas has revealed that he has had conversations with Mercedes about a sensational return to the team in 2025, telling Toto Wolff 'I would consider it' when asked about his potential whereabouts for next year.

Franco Colapinto has explained that he snubbed Martin Brundle's interview on the grid walk at the United States Grand Prix because he was running late for the national anthem and wanted to stay in the zone ahead of the race.

DAILY RECORD

Dundee United have written to the SFA and the SPFL asking for clarity after Inverness called time on Terrors goalie Jack Newman's loan deal.

SCOTTISH SUN

Duncan Ferguson has insisted he did all he could to help stricken Caley Thistle - as he became the first to be culled by administrators BDO.




The Hard Tackle

Aston Villa, West Ham United lead race to sign Bazoumana Toure

Aston Villa and West Ham are the latest sides to show an interest in Bazoumana Toure ahead of the January window, with the winger set to cost £8 million.

According to Fotbollskanalen, Bazoumana Toure has concrete interest from the Premier League, as two new sides have joined the hunt. Aston Villa and West Ham United are the latest in the chase for the exciting left-winger, for whom Hammarby will charge at least £8 million in January.

Bazoumana Toure is creating a reputation for himself as one of the exciting players to watch out for. The Hammarby winger has been in the news lately due to interest from Premier League sides. There are a host of others from outside of England looking at him, but a move to the top tier of English seems likely.

Aston Villa and West Ham United are the latest to look at the promising forward ahead of the January window, as he will be open to the chance to join either. The 18-year-old forward has many other suitors, including Manchester United and ten other sides who have recently watched him in action.

Crystal Palace are also keen on signing him, and so far, the Eagles are considered the front runners for his signature. However, the presence of Villa and the Hammers could make the chase interesting enough for the winger to evaluate his options ahead of the January window.

Hammarby reportedly wants £8 million from his sale, and this might sound reasonable enough for the cash-rich Premier League sides. He might not be the ready-made player these clubs will want, but there’s something promising about his future that has drawn many top sides towards him.

Aston Villa and West Ham are exciting choices for Toure

Julen Lopetegui wants to add more offensive players in his ranks at West Ham, which could give his attacking unit the lift and competition it needs. They have a few young and experienced professionals, and someone like the 18-year-old forward could benefit from the manager’s track record with youngsters.

In this particular chase, Aston Villa might be the more attractive destination for a player like Toure, as their presence in the Champions League is a big plus point. Either way, Unai Emery is a top coach with a brilliant record in developing young wingers from his time at different clubs.


 

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.

[Texas Iron]

Cheers….

[frank marker]

Thank you Alan.

For those of you who are prepared to venture into the dark corners of the internet there is a summary of our woes in the Guardian, although no new insight.