Thursday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Posted: 14 Dec 2023, 12:27
"BBC Manchester United risk losing French defender Raphael Varane, 30, on a free transfer next summer with his contract due to expire a year earlier than originally publicised. (Athletic - subscription) Barcelona and other top European clubs are tracking 22-year-old Manchester United and England forward Mason Greenwood, who is currently on a season-long loan at Getafe. (Talksport) Napoli have held constructive talks with Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen's camp about extending the 24-year-old's contract until 2026, including a release clause of about £115m. (Sky Sports Italy) Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not at risk of the sack as the club do not want to make any big decisions until the expected sale of 25% of the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos group is resolved. (Independent) However, former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter is being lined up to replace Ten Hag at Manchester United. (Sun) Ex-Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui is also well placed to succeed Ten Hag if the Old Trafford club decide to part ways with the Dutchman. (Relevo - in Spanish) AC Milan are in talks with Arsenal over a loan deal for 23-year-old Poland defender Jakub Kiwior. (Calciomercato - in Italian) Borussia Monchengladbach and Switzerland defender Nico Elvedi, 27, has emerged as a January target for Chelsea following another injury setback to England full-back Reece James, 24. (Teamtalk) Manchester United's failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages has left a £28m hole in their transfer budget and may mean they are more open to listen to offers for 31-year-old Brazil midfielder Casemiro, France striker Anthony Martial, 28, and Varane. (Mail) Eintracht Frankfurt and Girona are keen on 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek, who wants to leave Manchester United. (Fabrizio Romano) West Ham's hopes of signing VfB Stuttgart's Guinea forward Serhou Guirassy, 27, have taken a blow as Borussia Dortmund are also keen. (Bild - in German) Chelsea are willing to listen to offers for Dutch left-back Ian Maatsen, 21, in next month's transfer window. (Mirror) Aston Villa could sign 19-year-old Red Bull Salzburg and Israel midfielder Oscar Gloukh in January for up to £50m. (Football Insider) Wolves have agreed a new deal for South Korea forward Hwang Hee-chan, 27, until June 2028 with an option for a further season. (Fabrizio Romano) Everton, Burnley and Leeds United are among the clubs monitoring 21-year-old English defender Archie Brown, who plays for Gent. (Mail) Bayern Munich's assistant coach Anthony Barry is a leading candidate to become the Republic of Ireland's new manager. (Telegraph - subscription) Nottingham Forest have a verbal agreement to sign Brazil and Fluminense defender Nino, 26. (Florian Plettenberg) Sky Paper Talk THE SUN Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter is being lined up to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager after meeting with incoming investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Barcelona have ruled out a swap deal involving Jadon Sancho and Raphinha, according to reports. Donny van de Beek's huge wages could block a move to his keenest admirers Eintracht Frankfurt. Tottenham have no interest in letting Barcelona target Giovani Lo Celso go in January - and certainly not on loan. Argentina stars have teased Alejandro Garnacho so much over his love for Cristiano Ronaldo that he is too shy to talk. Arsenal have accumulated a staggering bonus of £66m for qualifying into the round of 16 of the Champions League. Julen Lopetegui has been earmarked to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, reports suggest. Manchester United transfer target Serhou Guirassy has rejected a new deal at Stuttgart, reports suggest. THE ATHLETIC Raphael Varane could become a free agent in the summer with his contract at Manchester United set to expire a year earlier than previously publicised. Alexis Mac Allister remains a doubt for Liverpool's game with Manchester United at the weekend as Jurgen Klopp confirmed his knee injury was ""more tricky"" than first imagined, but not serious. Former Tottenham set-piece coach Gianni Vio has taken up a role at Championship club Watford. The four men charged over the hanging of an effigy of Vinicius Junior from a bridge near the Real Madrid training ground will appear in court on January 11. Nottingham Forest have appointed Simon Rusk as their first specialist set-piece coach. Liverpool have been granted permission to use their newly-developed Anfield Road Stand for their game against Manchester United on Sunday and attract their biggest home crowd in 50 years. THE GUARDIAN The shirt Lionel Messi wore during Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup final victory over France is expected to sell for a record-breaking $10m (£8m) when a set of six shirts he wore go under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York on Thursday. DAILY TELEGRAPH Erik ten Hag's long-term future as Manchester United manager is under threat with Ineos waiting in the wings. Manchester United are facing a financial hit of about £28m after their early Champions League exit. Uefa disciplinary chiefs have rejected calls from the head of football policing in the UK for Legia Warsaw to be thrown out of the Europa Conference League over the fan violence that left five officers injured before the club's defeat at Aston Villa. Bayern Munich assistant coach Anthony Barry is a leading candidate for the Republic of Ireland job but it would require a compensation package to land him from the Bundesliga champions after joining them earlier this year. Fast bowler Josh Tongue appears unlikely to play again until the English summer having been ruled out of the tour of India with a pectoral injury. THE TIMES Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek are the two likeliest departures from Manchester United in the January transfer window as the club look to raise funds after their exit from the Champions League - they would also listen to offers for Casemiro and Raphael Varane. The organisers of the Paris Olympics have been presented with a serious headache over the positioning of the two sandpits for the athletics only seven months before the Games. DAILY MAIL Manchester United's failure to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League has left a £28m dent in the club's transfer budget and could put more pressure on the club to sell players in January. Manchester City have released a short statement condemning violence against their supporters in Serbia after attacks on travelling fans took place ahead of their Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade. Barcelona have been banned from taking showers at their own home stadium as Catalonia fights to manage a record drought. Manchester United are overhauling their medical set-up after launching an internal review into the crucial department. Everton and Burnley are among the clubs keeping an eye on former Derby youngster Archie Brown. DAILY MIRROR Chelsea will listen to offers for out-of-favour left-back Ian Maatsen in next month's transfer window. Around £2.5bn from Roman Abramovich's sale of Chelsea remains frozen due to a ""disagreement"" over how the money will be used. EVENING STANDARD Crystal Palace intend to sign a central midfielder and a left-back in the January transfer window, with Jean-Philippe Mateta ready to leave. Former Liverpool player Fabinho has backed his old club to fight for the Premier League title after being impressed by their recent late wins. DAILY RECORD Stoke City have reportedly ""held initial talks"" with former Rangers boss Michael Beale to replace Alex Neil. Lazio have been hit with a suspended stadium ban and bumper UEFA fine following a spate of unsavoury incidents during their acrimonious Champions League clash with Celtic last month. SCOTTISH SUN Abdallah Sima has admitted he would love to make his Rangers loan move permanent. Aberdeen have a major sweat over star man Bojan Miovski for the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt - and Sunday's Viaplay Cup final. Danny Handling and several of his team-mates have quit Edinburgh City amid fears the capital club is heading for administration. Florian Plettenberg @Plettigoal Borussia Dortmund is not a serious option for Serhou Guirassy this winter. There are also no talks or negotiations with them. If he leaves Stuttgart in the winter, he wants to be established as the main striker. Newcastle and ManUtd are seriously interested in the 27 y/o striker. As always reported: He is not willing to sell his release clause (less than €20m). No option for him. @_dennisbayer | @berger_pj | @SkySportDE Caught Offside West Ham could receive huge investment from highly controversial figure West Ham might attract a significant investment from Bobby Kotick, a controversial figure in the gaming industry. Following the recent passing of David and Jacqueline Gold, the family has decided to sell up to 10% of their 25% stake through Rothschild. Vanessa Gold emphasised the importance of selling to someone deemed suitable with the club’s best interests in mind to preserve her father’s legacy. Bobby Kotick is now being suggested as a potential acquirer of the shares, according to West Ham Football on social media. Bobby Kotick, the current CEO of Activision Blizzard, known for publishing Call of Duty, is in the spotlight for a potential investment in West Ham. Recently involved in a dispute with Sony over Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Kotick, as a major shareholder, is set for a substantial payout. His change-of-control protection could lead to even more if Microsoft opts for a leadership change. While he’s agreed to stay until year-end, the prospect of extending his tenure seems uncertain. Eager to accumulate more wealth, Kotick might follow Tripp Smith, another American investor, in supporting West Ham. While the American billionaire has an extraordinary amount of cash to his name, questions will have to be asked over whether or not he is even capable of being part of a football operation, given his lack of experience."