Thursday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Manchester City are plotting a £75m bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson next summer but are likely to face stiff competition from Chelsea for the 22-year-old England international. (Express, external)

Tottenham are preparing a blockbuster move to bring Harry Kane back to north London from Bayern Munich next summer and are ready to meet the 32-year-old England captain's release clause and wage demands. (Teamtalk, external)

Crystal Palace are relaxed about the future of Adam Wharton amid increasing speculation of interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United for the 21-year-old England midfielder. (Sky Sports, external)

Manchester United are interested in signing a striker in the summer and are targeting Mateo Retegui, with Ruben Amorim prepared to spend up to £52m to sign the 26-year-old Italy forward from Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah. (Fichajes - in Spanish, external)

Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz continues to push for an improved contract at Juventus but with talks yet to bear fruit, clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona are keeping a close eye on the 20-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian, external)

Paris St-Germain are holding contract negotiations with Bradley Barcola, 23, after the France forward attracted interest from several clubs including Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the summer. (L'Equipe - in French, external)

Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to battle each other to sign Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, 26, on a free transfer next summer but Manchester United are also interested in the France international. (Footmercato - in French, external)

AS Roma are in pole position to sign Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee but Como also have the finances to bring the 24-year-old Netherlands striker back to Serie A. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian, external)

Juventus have rebuffed multiple enquiries for France defensive midfielder Khephren Thuram, 24, from Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool during the past six months. (TBR Football, external)

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has doubts about his long-term future at Stamford Bridge amid Juventus considering the 45-year-old Italian as a serious candidate to take charge of the Serie A club. (Teamtalk, external)




Sky Paper Talk

Manchester City are plotting a £75m bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson next summer but are likely to face stiff competition from Chelsea for the 22-year-old England international - Daily Express.

Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton has moved above Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba on Manchester United's transfer wishlist - The i.

Chelsea have no concern over the future of Moises Caicedo following the midfielder's split from former agent Manuel Sierra - The Telegraph.

Joshua Zirkzee could be offered an escape route from Manchester United by Roma, who are monitoring his situation before a potential January loan bid - The Times.

Manchester United are optimistic that a deal for land around Old Trafford, that would pave the way for their new stadium, will be struck - Daily Mail.

A controversial new 'salary cap' which some believe will destroy the Premier League could become a reality as early as next month - Daily Mail.

Harry Kane has said that his penalty heartbreak against France at the last World Cup has changed him as a player and given him extra motivation to lead England to glory at the tournament next summer - The Guardian.

Manchester United will look into changing the perimeter of the Old Trafford pitch to avoid the risk of injury to players - The Sun.

Noussair Mazraoui could be back for Manchester United's upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield - The Sun.

Premier League clubs are expected to take the knee ahead of kick-off for the next two rounds of fixtures, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has said - The Athletic.

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP

Kevin Muscat is close to being named the next manager of Rangers - The Scottish Sun.

Kevin Muscat took a step closer to becoming the next Rangers head coach when his main rival for the position, Danny Rohl, pulled out of the running - The Times.

Nico Raskin says he wants to "feel the love" again at Rangers after his bust-up with Russell Martin - The Scottish Sun.

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Paris Saint-Germain are holding contract negotiations with Bradley Barcola after the France forward attracted interest from several clubs including Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the summer - L'Equipe.

Kenan Yildiz continues to push for an improved contract at Juventus but with talks yet to bear fruit, clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona are keeping a close eye on the 20-year-old - Gazzetta dello Sport.

Roma are in pole position to sign Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee but Como also have the finances to bring the striker back to Serie A. - Gazzetta dello Sport.

WORLD CUP

Donald Trump has claimed that FIFA president Gianni Infantino would move World Cup matches from certain cities if the US president decides they are "unsafe", and said that he would be prepared to strip Los Angeles of the 2028 Olympics - The Times.

The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, implied the city was ready for a face-off with US president Donald Trump over his claim he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, 22 miles south west of the city - The Guardian.

RUGBY

George Ford has turned down offers from overseas and the rebel R360 league to sign a new three-year contract at Sale Sharks, driven by a desire to prolong his England career - The Times.

FORMULA 1

George Russell will remain with ­Mercedes for next season but the length of the contracts signed by the Briton and his team-mate, Kimi Antonelli, have not been specified, potentially leaving the F1 team open to once more pursue Red Bull's Max ­Verstappen for 2027 - The Guardian.

GOLF

Rory McIlroy has said it will be at least a decade until he is ready to lead the European Ryder Cup team - The Times.

Rory McIlroy is eager to shift discussion of last month's Ryder Cup from the dominant theme of unruly spectators to the "incredible" strength of Europe's display - The Guardian.






Sport Witness

Player has rejected West Ham approaches so far – Hammers pursuing him insistently

In August, TuttoSport reported West Ham failed with an attempt to sign Parma’s Zion Suzuki.

This was because of the Italian club’s stance, as they wanted over €30m to sell the goalkeeper.

More background has now emerged about the 23-year-old, and ParmaToday take a closer look. The outlet reports it’s Suzuki himself who has been rejecting a move to West Ham.

The London club and Napoli have been pursuing the Japanese keeper insistently for some time. Suzuki’s intentions have always been to stay at Parma for another season.

He sees the Serie A club as the right place for his development. Suzuki works very closely with goalkeeping coach Nicola Pavarini and the two have a very strong relationship.

The youngster is said to be taking obsessive care of his body and has been following hyper-personalised programmes. These are reasons he feels right at home at Parma, making sure that West Ham interest doesn’t tempt him.

The report provides some optimism for the Hammers at the end. Suzuki’s preferred destination is the Premier League and he would like to play in England in the future.

So far this season, the goalkeeper has played six Serie A games in what has been a mixed campaign for him.



The Hard Tackle

West Ham United considering Francesco Pio Esposito swoop

West Ham United may look to sign 20-year-old Italian international Francesco Pio Esposito from Serie A title hopefuls Inter Milan next year.

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Francesco Pio Esposito is the subject of interest of West Ham United. The Hammers are keen on reinforcing their offensive unit by signing a striker in one of the next two transfer windows after losing Niclas Fullkrug to another injury. So, the 20-year-old Inter Milan attacking sensation has emerged as a target for the East London outfit.

The Hammers have reportedly compiled a shortlist of candidates to pursue as they look to bolster their offensive unit by signing a striker. Apart from Esposito, five other attackers are on West Ham United’s wishlist, with the Inter Milan prodigy a potential long-term solution in the final third.
Francesco Pio Esposito and his recent rise

Francesco Pio Esposito is the latest highly rated prospect to rise in prominence in his homeland. The 20-year-old spent his formative years in Italy, rising through the ranks at Inter Milan, but he made his mark in senior football during his loan spell with Spezia Calcio. Meanwhile, after returning to Inter Milan, the youngster was impressive during the FIFA Club World Cup.

While the Italian international has not been a regular for Inter Milan this season, he has managed one goal in 154 minutes of game time in Serie A. Meanwhile, Esposito’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several well-known clubs, particularly from the Premier League. West Ham United will be among the prospective suitors vying for his signature next year.
Premier League adventure beckons?

West Ham United’s interest in Francesco Pio Esposito makes sense. The Hammers are scouring the market for a striker after Niclas Fullkrug picked up another injury, thus continuing his underwhelming stint with the East London outfit. Additionally, Callum Wilson is approaching the twilight of his career.

With the veteran English striker struggling with fitness issues in the last few years, West Ham cannot depend on him for the long haul. Several candidates, including Ivan Toney, have thus emerged on West Ham United’s radar, with Esposito also a viable target.

The report has also revealed other targets on West Ham’s wishlist: Joshua Zirkzee, Karim Adeyemi, Mateo Pellegrino, and Roberto Piccoli. Meanwhile, West Ham may face a tall order to land Esposito, considering Inter Milan battled hard to keep the 20-year-old Italian international at San Siro beyond the summer transfer window.

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.

[Texas Iron]

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