Monday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Posted: 02 Oct 2023, 12:31
"BBC Arsenal will turn to Manchester City's 27-year-old England midfielder Kalvin Phillips in January as the Gunners look to strengthen their midfield. (Fichajes - in Spanish) The Gunners also maintain an interest in Wolves' Portugal forward Pedro Neto, 23, and could make a move in January. (Mirror) Chelsea's heavy spending is set to continue in January with the club targeting Napoli's 24-year-old Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen and Brentford's England forward Ivan Toney, 27. (Guardian) Chelsea are also seeking a £500m loan from US financial institutions to fund the signings after spending £1bn over the last three transfer windows. (Sun) Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are keeping tabs on Feyenoord's 22-year-old Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez. (Fichajes - in Spanish) Barcelona's16-year-old Spain winger Lamine Yamal is set to sign a new three-year deal with the club, which contains a 1bn euros (£867m) release clause. (Fabrizio Romano) Newcastle are monitoring Crystal Palace's Denmark defender Joachim Andersen with a view to making a move for the 27-year-old in January. (Football Insider) Barcelona are open to selling Spain forward Ansu Fati next summer after the 20-year-old finishes his loan spell at Brighton. (Sport - in Spanish) Lionel Messi has urged Inter Miami to sign Real Madrid's 38-year-old Croatia midfielder Luka Modric. (Cadena Ser - in Spanish, via Mirror) Barcelona have opened talks with Corinthians for 18-year-old Brazil midfielder Gabriel Moscardo as they look to beat Chelsea to his signing. (Sport - in Spanish) Tottenham will look to sign Bayer Leverkusen's 24-year-old Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba in January. (Fichajes - in Spanish) Juventus are hoping to tie down France midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 28, on a new three-year contract after he turned down a reported move to Manchester United in the summer to sign a one-year extension. (Tuttosport - in Italian) Highly rated England youth midfielder Dan Rigge, 17, is set to sign a new long-term deal at West Ham, despite interest from four Premier League clubs and two sides in La Liga. (Fabrizio Romano) Sky Paper Talk THE SUN Alexis Mac Allister could face an FA rap for suggesting referee Simon Hooper was against Liverpool in their defeat to Tottenham. Manchester United winger Antony has been pictured back in training. DAILY MIRROR David Beckham has defended his deal with Qatar that saw him paid around £125m by the country. Real Madrid are reportedly interested in Newcastle stars Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, with the LaLiga giants set to send a scout to watch the duo in action in the Champions League. Jose Mourinho has hit back at his critics by claiming to have received the ""biggest and craziest offer"" in managerial history. DAILY MAIL Aston Villa captain Rachel Corsie said players wanted to wear their controversial Castore home kit for their season opener against Manchester United, despite concerns about its wet look. Juventus are working on a new long-term contract for French midfielder Adrien Rabiot after convincing him to stay in Turin during the summer. Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli revealed the club were prepared to allow Dusan Vlahovic to join Chelsea this summer. Lamine Yamal is 'set to sign a new three-year deal with Barcelona that includes a £1bn release clause', according to Fabrizio Romano. North Korea football coach Sin Yong Nam defended his players after several clashed with match officials on the pitch after their 2-1 defeat to Japan in the Asian Games quarter-finals in Hangzhou on Sunday. THE GUARDIAN Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi was scratched from Inter Miami's line-up against New York City FC - a game with significant Major League Soccer playoff implications for both clubs. Messi has a leg injury, the severity of which has not been revealed. DAILY TELEGRAPH Liverpool want the release of the VAR audio to establish how and why Luis D??az's goal was wrongly disallowed in their contentious defeat to Tottenham as they demanded 'full transparency' from the refereeing governing body. England will have no qualms about starting Tom Curry in the final World Cup pool D match against Samoa despite the openside flanker playing just two minutes of rugby in the past four months. A furious Aston Villa manager Carla Ward called for full-time referees in the Women's Super League after Kirsty Hanson was sent off in the opening-day loss to Manchester United. DAILY RECORD Pascal Jansen, Kevin Muscat and Marcelo Gallardo are all in the frame to replace Michael Beale as Rangers manager. Queen's Park are set to pull off the ambitious signing of Stuart McKinstry. The Spiders will sign the Scotland U21 cap on a deal for the rest of the season. Kieran Tierney has been left fuming by his latest injury setback as the Arsenal's star Sociedad adventure has hit a major roadblock. The Athletic Tomas Soucek divides opinion at West Ham – but is a key figure for David Moyes By Roshane Thomas and Liam Tharme Tomas Soucek has equalled his goalscoring tally of three from last season, and is crucial to manager David Moyes’ plans — so why does the midfielder divide opinion among West Ham United supporters? The 28-year-old scored again in the 2-0 home win against Sheffield United to add to goals in the cup victories over Lincoln City and Backa Topola. But when West Ham’s social media accounts posted the line-up at 2pm on Saturday, many hoped Soucek would be dropped in favour of £38million ($48m) summer signing Mohammed Kudus. While the Ghana international has shown glimpses of his talent, Soucek has got back to his best. The Czech Republic international set the tone alongside Lucas Paqueta in the opening game of the season when he registered an assist in the league opener against Bournemouth, and has been in impressive form since. After winning the Europa Conference League in June, the players were given three and a half weeks off. Soucek went to Greece on holiday with his family and the break has had the desired effect. “I feel fresh because we had many, many games last season and now we had a few weeks rest and not that long a pre-season,” said Soucek. “My legs are ready and I want to (play a big role in the season ahead). The break was perfect because I was able to rest, switch off and now I feel ready. I just hope that everyone can see on the pitch that I feel motivated to impress in every game. “I am happy that I got on the scoresheet again and if Alisson (the Liverpool goalkeeper) didn’t save my shot I could be on four goals. I feel very good. Maybe last season I didn’t feel right, didn’t feel that motivated, but this season I feel great. We have a very strong squad, we’re in four competitions and I just hope this season can be even better than last season.” In August, Soucek signed a new deal that will keep him at the London Stadium until the summer of 2027. The midfielder, who joined from Slavia Prague on loan in January 2020 before the move was made permanent that July, could have left at the end of 2022-23 had that new deal not been agreed. At this stage last season, Soucek had registered one goal, 10 shots and had an xG of 0.15 per shot after six league appearances. His range of shots were in a central position, which suggests most of his efforts were from set pieces. This season, however, Soucek’s range of shots have spread across the penalty area. His xG, shots and xG per shot have not improved significantly but he has benefited from playing in an advanced role following the addition of €40million (£34.4m) summer signing Edson Alvarez. The Mexico midfielder (19, in the graphic below) plays in the anchor role and sits in front of the back four of Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and Emerson Palmieri. This gives Soucek (28) the license to roam forward, as shown in the average team position against Sheffield United… “We changed it a bit,” said Moyes after the Sheffield United win. “We played Tomas higher up, we wanted to see him get in the box more and in the opening 30 minutes it looked like it. As the game went on it became a bit more difficult.” Soucek had an underwhelming 2022-23, with Soucek’s three goals paltry return across his 50 appearances in all competitions. It was a huge contrast to 2021-22 when the midfielder scored six goals, while in 2020-21 he was named player of the year having ended the campaign with 10 goals. Soucek sacrificed the offensive side of his game last season to allow Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal in July, to transition into a box-to-box midfielder. Soucek played a defensive role, while Rice often roamed forward. It meant Soucek had fewer goalscoring opportunities, which culminated in him having his worst season under Moyes. Most of the midfielder’s touches in the league were on the right flank. He seldom made the late runs into the box that were his trademark on moving to West Ham. Only three per cent of his touches were in the opposition box. But his touches in the opposition box total has doubled after seven league games this season. Defensively he has also been important for Moyes with 14 per cent of his touches being in his own box. Soucek is also taking fewer touches per 90 compared to last season. Since 2020-21, Soucek has played the most minutes of any player (9680) under Moyes. He has started the most games (108) and ranks first for headed shots (65). It is another reminder of his importance to the team. It is not just his offensive attributes that Moyes likes. Soucek is among the senior figures who entrusted with the vice-captaincy role. “I like to be a leader, like I try to be for the Czech Republic,” he said. “I’ve been here a while now and I like to help other players both on and off the pitch. As the years go on, I’m here longer and longer, and with that my place is higher in that regard. My behaviour is the same though — I just want to be helpful. But, being a leader, it’s not about how long you are here. It’s about your helpfulness.” Soucek has helped West Ham have their best start to a season since 2015-16. He may polarise opinion but he has justified his selection. (Photo: West Ham United FC/Getty Images) The Athletic West Ham’s Emerson talks tattoos, Paqueta’s dancing and upgrading his Fiat By Roshane Thomas The parking lots at elite clubs around the globe tend to be crammed with cars worth many mortgages, but Emerson Palmieri was more modest in his choice of transportation when he turned out for Santos in his native Brazil. He drove a Fiat Palio because he wanted to save up to buy his parents, father Reginaldo and mother Eliana, a house in Sao Paulo. “The Fiat was my first car and when you start your career, you need to think about things like this,” says Emerson. “It’s not about expensive cars or watches. You need to think about your parents and your family first. When I started playing and earning money at Santos, I would give money to my parents to help them. “I was happy I could help them financially. After I signed my first professional contract at 16, I started to feel like I could do something special for me and my family because they deserve everything.” The 29-year-old’s journey to West Ham started at Santos before spells at Palermo, Roma, Chelsea and Lyon. The Brazilian side is alma mater to Neymar, of Al Hilal, and Felipe Anderson, formerly of West Ham and now at Lazio. Emerson made 33 appearances from 2011 to 2015 for Santos before leaving for Europe. In June, his childhood club presented him with an award for being the first player to win all UEFA titles, winning the Conference League, Champions League and Europa League. “It’s my team, the team my family supports. I was born in Santos, my dad loves the club and when I played for them, it was a dream come true — the award was such an honour,” says Emerson. “I was fortunate enough to play with top players like Neymar. It was a good time looking back now. Santos is famous in Brazil because there are a lot of talented players in the academy. When you arrive there, you have competition for places. “My dad would be at work so my mum dropped me to training every day until I was 14. Then I started to go training by myself and I was almost starstruck when I saw Elano and Neymar. I started to train and play with them and that’s when I knew it was serious. That’s when I decided it’s my time to shine and I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by.” Emerson is married and has three children with his wife, Thai. The names of his parents are tattooed on his right arm, with his wife and children on his left. The defender is deeply religious, which explains the significance of his shirt number. “I have the Champions League and Europa League tattooed as well,” says Emerson, both of which he won with Chelsea. “It was great winning the Conference League with West Ham and I plan on getting a tattoo of that in the next few weeks. I believe in God; the number 33 is always with me and the year was 33 when Jesus Christ was reborn. “I like the number three, I wore No 3 for Santos, my birthday is the third of August and every team I’ve played for, I’ve tried to get the No 3 first. But when I arrived in Roma I took the 33 shirt and it’s given me luck.” Since joining from Chelsea for £13million ($15.4m) in 2022, Emerson had to be patient for his chance but is now the first-choice left-back. The Italy international has markedly improved from early struggles and played an important role in West Ham avoiding relegation in 2022-23 as well as their European success. The defender’s sacrifices over his career have paid off, having left the family home to join Italian side Palermo on loan in 2014-15. “In the first three months, I was with my dad, but he had to go back to Brazil,” Emerson says. “I stayed there alone and it was my first season in Europe without my parents. For six months, it was hard not being with them. When I joined Roma (in 2015), it was better because I was able to adapt, I learned the language, but Palermo was a tough experience. “In life, we have a lot of bad moments. I remember when I received my first call-up to the national team in 2017 and two days later I ruptured my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). In my mind, I lost hope of playing for Italy. I was thinking about rehab and it taking the best part of seven to eight months to recover. That was the worst moment of my career, but family and friends helped me and what I’d been through before at Palermo helped me bounce back.” Emerson represented Brazil at under-17 level and it was a big decision to play for Italy. When Italy asked if he would represent them, the defender waited five months in the hope he would earn a call-up for Brazil. That never materialised and he switched international allegiance in 2017, eligible for Italy through his grandfather on his mother’s side. Emerson’s 29 caps included winning the Euros in 2021. “I was born in Brazil, my parents are Brazilian, my heart is Brazilian,” says Emerson. “But professionally I feel Italian because when I go to Italy, everyone tries to help me, from the coaches I’ve worked with, the players and the people. Three years after playing in Italy, I received a call-up and I was happy to say yes.” The biggest moment in his West Ham career was starting ahead of Aaron Cresswell in the Europa Conference League final in Prague. Cresswell, who joined from Ipswich Town in 2014, is a stalwart of the squad, but at 33 his best days are behind him. Emerson has repaid Moyes’ faith with a string of impressive performances. “The manager is like a father to us because he tries to help in every aspect, on and off the field,” says Emerson. “He works a lot with us on the mental aspect of our game. I love playing football, I play with a smile on my face, I try to always be happy.” Off the field, Emerson has been instrumental in helping Lucas Paqueta become one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. The Brazil international joined from Lyon in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth €60million (£51m; $63.4m). Emerson has acted as Paqueta’s translator (Michael Steele/Getty Images) The 26-year-old has scored eight goals and registered six assists and had interest from Manchester City in the summer, but a move was halted due to the midfielder being investigated by the Football Association over potential betting breaches. Emerson and Paqueta have formed a close bond. The playmaker and Moyes danced in the dressing room after the Conference League final, but Emerson has no plans to join them anytime soon. “He has everything, from power, skills and he loves the game,” he says. “He has what it takes to become a top player. He’s like a brother, but when he starts to dance, I always tell him, ‘I’m out’. It’s only Lucas dancing, never me! We played together in Lyon and when I joined the club, he helped me feel settled. “When he arrived here last season, I was more than happy to return the favour and help him. Not just about what to expect in the Premier League but outside as well, like learning the language. I help him translate and like I said, that guy is a brother to me.” Emerson feels at home at West Ham and is thriving under Moyes. So, has the Fiat been upgraded? “Yes, I drive an Audi now,” Emerson laughs."