Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Posted: 20 Dec 2023, 23:39
"BBC Tottenham have looked at Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin, 21, as a centre-back target. He is expected to cost ¬£26m should he move in the January window. (Telegraph - subscription needed) Real Madrid are set to make shock move to sign Argentina striker Mauro Icardi, 30, from Turkish club Galatasaray.(Marca) Borussia Dortmund are interested in Tottenham Hotspur's Spanish defender Sergio Reguilon, 27, who is on loan at Manchester United. Reguilon has a clause to end his loan in his contract. (Bild - in German, subscription needed) Brentford have warned Arsenal and Chelsea they will have to pay a 'decent' fee if they want to sign England striker Ivan Toney, 27. (Talksport) Tottenham, Aston Villa and Brighton have made contact with Juventus about English winger Samuel Iling-Junior, 20, although no offers have been made yet. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian) RB Leipzig are interested in signing Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, 23, but matching the England international's wages could be a problem for the German club. (Bild - in German, subscription needed) While Sancho could leave, Manchester United are not expecting to make any major signing in January, director of football John Murtough has told fans. (The Athletic) Fulham and Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha, 28, is no longer a target for Liverpool in January. Other top clubs want him, however, Bayern Munich consider him to be too expensive. (Sky Sport Germany) Newcastle United have opened talks with English midfielder Lewis Miley, 17, over signing a long-term deal when he turns 18 later this season. (Telegraph - subscription needed) Arsenal sporting director Edu has decided to block advances for 23-year-old Poland centre-back Jakub Kiwior in the January transfer window. (Express) Championship side Preston North End are interested in signing Manchester United's English midfielder Dan Gore, 19, on loan for the rest of the season. (Manchester Evening News) Copenhagen are ready to sell 18-year-old Swedish winger Roony Bardghji, a target for Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, in January. (90min) Sky Paper Talk DAILY MAIL It seems increasingly likely Dan Ashworth will replace John Murtough as Manchester United's football director once Sir Jim Ratcliffe moves into Old Trafford. The Premier League are to urge fans to behave themselves ahead of the festive fixtures - following a spate of incidents at recent matches. Emma Raducanu is likely to turn to Nick Cavaday, a name from her younger days, to assist her when she comes back in the New Year after nearly eight months away from the game. Raphael Varane's future at Manchester United should become clearer in the next couple of weeks after he and manager Erik ten Hag appeared to have set aside their differences. Alexis Mac Allister is set to be out of action until January. Real Madrid-bound Endrick has revealed his hopes of playing alongside Kylian Mbappe once he joins the Spanish club in the summer. Neymar has been ruled out of the 2024 Copa America, as he is unable to recover in time from a torn ACL for the start of the tournament, which will be played in the US in June. Manchester United interim chief executive Patrick Stewart has been holding a series of meetings with staff and fans to update them on the INEOS investment. Thibaut Courtois has revealed he will miss out on Belgium's Euro 2024 campaign due to his knee injury sustained in August. DAILY EXPRESS Raphael Varane reportedly wants to stay at Manchester United and extend his contract. Liverpool and Arsenal have been placed on red alert following comments made by Brazilian midfielder Andre Trindade. Manchester United's Dan Gore is reportedly attracting interest from Championship outfit Preston ahead of the January transfer window. Liverpool's hopes of landing Lucas Beraldo in January have taken a painful hit, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly closing in on the Brazilian. Lewis Hamilton was reportedly the only one of the 10 highest-paid F1 drivers not to receive a bonus for his performances in 2023. Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has claimed Mick Schumacher would have been 'better understood' had he joined Red Bull. Emma Raducanu has been advised by Tim Henman to drop down into Challenger events to kickstart her career. UFC 296 star Bryce Mitchell has thanked his opponent Josh Emmett, who he says ""could've killed him"" after a scary knockout Jake Paul has announced he will be part of Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. DAILY MIRROR Aaron Ramsdale ""absolutely has to leave"" Arsenal according to former player Emmanuel Petit, who can see he is ""miserable"". Manchester United and Tottenham are reportedly set for a January transfer battle for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo. Aaron Ramsdale has been told being axed at Arsenal has made him a better goalkeeper... by the man who has taken his No 1 shirt. Granit Xhaka feels he has mellowed significantly since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Arsenal in the summer. DAILY TELEGRAPH Craig Levein, the former Scotland manager, wants Rangers and Celtic in the Premier League so they could share increased revenue with other Scottish clubs. Tottenham are set to step up their pursuit of a centre-back in January and have looked at Genoa's Radu Dragusin as a possible target. Alexandre Letellier, the Paris Saint-Germain reserve goalkeeper, was held at knifepoint with his young family during a robbery at his home. Mike Ashley's move for Yorkshire is at risk of being derailed after Colin Graves entered advanced negotiations to secure a sensational return. Former Chelsea striker Rati Aleksidze played a possible minor role in a global investment crime gang, according to prosecutors investigating a cyber scam worth ""billions"". Manchester United are likely to have to tighten their belts in the transfer market next year as the club bid to ensure they do not flout Premier League financial rules like Everton, a senior Old Trafford executive has warned. The Premier League is facing renewed pressure to make conversations between referees and video assistant referees public after LaLiga agreed to do so. Newcastle have opened talks over a long-term deal for Lewis Miley when he turns 18 later this season. THE GUARDIAN Leading players from Afghanistan's men's team have urged FIFA to investigate allegations of match-fixing against the president of the country's football federation, and confirmed their boycott of the national side will continue until Mohammad Yousef Kargar is removed from his post. The Masters, which already has the smallest field of the majors, could have even fewer players than usual in 2024 depending on the first three months of the PGA Tour season. THE SUN Bukayo Saka has helped to build a container village for earthquake victims in Morocco. A parrot has learned the words to West Ham's famous song about Jarrod Bowen. Anthony Joshua and Jarrell Miller were forced apart following a heated clash ahead of this Saturday's stacked Saudi card. Brentford have admitted Arsenal and Chelsea target Ivan Toney could move ""very shortly"". Aston Villa's plans to expand Villa Park have been put on hold for the foreseeable future. RB Leipzig are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho. THE TIMES George Ford has been backed by Alex Sanderson to replace Owen Farrell as England captain because he is a ""calming influence"" and ""exceptionally emotionally intelligent"". THE ATHLETIC RB Leipzig are in talks over a deal worth ‚Ǩ25m (¬£21.5m) for Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas. Real Madrid defender David Alaba has successfully undergone surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Granit Xhaka says he hopes Kai Havertz can make his critics ""eat their words"" after backing the Germany international to enjoy a similar turnaround in fortunes at Arsenal as he did. Endrick has joined US sportswear brand New Balance ahead of his transfer to Real Madrid. Xavi has warned against placing too much immediate pressure on Barcelona's incoming teenage forward Vitor Roque, but says he hopes the signing will one day ""be at the level"" of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. DAILY RECORD Nick Montgomery reckons Derek Adams might have scored a huge own goal with his stinging attack on the quality of Scottish football ahead of the January transfer window. SCOTTISH SUN American billionaire Bill Foley will invest an initial ¬£6m in Hibernian if and when the SFA give their approval to him taking a minority stake in the club. Derek Adams has said sorry to his Ross County players for claiming his old Morecambe squad was ""100 times better"". Mail Lucas Paqueta is West Ham's born entertainer with a bag of tricks, but the Brazilian does the hard yards too... the Irons need their in-form playmaker to take centre stage to end David Moyes' Anfield hoodoo Lucas Paqueta has been in stunning form for West Ham in recent weeks He scores and assists goals, but is also willing to put in the hard yards for his side By Kieran Gill David Moyes has never won at Liverpool in 20 visits as a manager but when there is a potential victory to be pinched, it helps having a playmaker with feet as delicate as a pickpocket's hands. Lucas Paqueta performed so well in West Ham's 3-1 Premier League loss at Anfield in September that there was applause from home supporters when he was substituted after 87 minutes. They know as well as West Ham's fans that the in-form Paqueta is someone to fear in Wednesday night's Carabao Cup quarter-final. Someone who could sidestep you in a phone box. Someone who plays killer passes, like his two assists for Mohammed Kudus against Wolves on Sunday. Someone who wins fouls, providing James Ward-Prowse with set-piece opportunities. Someone who frustrates the hell out of his manager, too, when one of his tricks leads to the loss of the ball. Yet Moyes has given Paqueta rare dispensation, telling his Brazilian magnifico that he will not slap on the shackles at the risk of losing what makes him so special. 'I'm pulling my hair out half the time and the other part of it, I'm celebrating because he can make passes that other people can't see and don't make,' Moyes said of his ¬£51million maverick when asked by Mail Sport this week. 'I'm not someone who likes giving too much leeway to any of my players. But as I've got older, I've realised that when you have that talent, you have to let them flourish.' Paqueta's party tricks against Wolves won him his own segment on Match of the Day 2. Quite right, too, because it was a dazzling display of step-overs and spins which deserved appreciation beyond the London Stadium. What was not shown was the industry that goes with the wonder, as underlined by the statistics. You might think Edson Alvarez has been West Ham's top tackler this season, but it is Paqueta. You might think Tomas Soucek is their strongest dueller, but it is Paqueta. You might think Jarrod Bowen has won possession most in the final third, but, surprise, surprise, Paqueta again. This relentless work rate is even more impressive because Paqueta has been secretly carrying a calf injury - a consequence of the club's hectic schedule. West Ham do not want to lose their star man, though two of Mail Sport's previous revelations are worrying in that regard. First, we broke the news he is being investigated by the Football Association amid irregular betting activity on him receiving yellow cards. Then, we revealed that Paqueta's contract contains an ¬£85m buyout clause which comes into play in the summer. As painstakingly secretive as it is painfully slow, the FA's probe is still ongoing. Sources say investigators are struggling to find any direct links to Paqueta. Confidence is growing at West Ham because of that, though there will be no celebrations until it is confirmed. The Hammers board are also wary that if and when his name is cleared, Paqueta will not be short of admirers, including the potential return of Manchester City after they chased him previously. In the meantime, West Ham are making the most of his flair and freedom, and Kudus is looking like the biggest beneficiary. Word is when Kudus was mulling over the club's offer, the Ghanaian speedster wanted two guarantees: that he would get ample game time, and that he would be playing with Paqueta. Hammers technical director Tim Steidten insisted they had no interest in selling to City. West Ham completed the ¬£38m signing of Kudus, though Ajax had the good sense to insert a 10 per cent sell-on clause. The market analyst CIES Football Observatory say he is now the club's most valuable asset at ¬£69m, closely followed by Paqueta and Bowen. Moyes is still fiddling with his front line. Towards the end of the win over Wolves, we saw another new variation with Kudus at No 10 and Paqueta at No 9. Tonight, Bowen is expected to lead the line with Kudus on his right and Paqueta on his left ahead of his best friend, Emerson. For all the talk of Moyes' position being under threat - his contract expires at the end of this season with no talks having opened yet - West Ham are in fine health with his help. They are eighth in the Premier League, above Brighton and Chelsea and chasing down Manchester United and Newcastle. They are through to the Europa League's last 16 as winners of their group. They still have the FA Cup's third round to follow against Bristol City. Moyes may be pragmatic, but if the sorcerous Paqueta can have his way tonight, West Ham's manager may finally secure that magic first win at Anfield for a place in the Carabao Cup's semi-finals. LUCAS PAQUETA STATS Chances created from open play West Ham ranking: 1st Premier League ranking: 14th Tackles won West Ham ranking: 1st Premier League ranking: 4th Duels won West Ham ranking: 1st Premier League ranking: 2nd Touches of the ball West Ham ranking: 1st Premier League ranking: 30th Sport Witness ‚ÄòWatch out for West Ham‚Äô ‚Äì Moyes‚Äô side ready to burn competition, ‚Äòcould satisfy‚Äô fee requested for signing West Ham United are one of the clubs in the picture to sign Torino defender Alessandro Buongiorno. That‚Äôs according to Roma Metropolitan Magazine, who discuss West Ham‚Äôs interest when explaining AS Roma‚Äôs intention to sign the 6ft 4"" centre-back. Jos?© Mourinho‚Äôs side really like the 24-year-old as they want to strengthen the defence in January. Roma general manager Tiago Pinto is ready to make an approach but it won‚Äôt be easy due to the competition from the Hammers and others. The defender has scored two goals and registered an assist from 15 games this season and the outlet says he‚Äôs one of the players who performs consistently at a high level in Serie A. This has seen several clubs take notice, including a few Premier League sides. The report states Roma must ‚Äòwatch out for West Ham‚Äô in the transfer race. The Italy international‚Äôs contract lasts until 2028 and Torino chairman Urbano Cairo has requested a fee of over ‚Ǩ30m to sanction his sale. It‚Äôs claimed David Moyes‚Äô side ‚Äòcould satisfy‚Äô the Turin club‚Äôs request and get ahead of the competition to sign Buongiorno. Along with Roma, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Napoli are also in the background, but they wouldn‚Äôt be able to compete with the likes of West Ham and other English clubs."