Friday news (includes West Ham)
Posted: 26 Jan 2024, 12:50
"BBC Newcastle United could sell English striker Callum Wilson, 31, for about ¬£18m in the final week of the January transfer window, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all alerted to his availability. (Standard) France forward Kylian Mbappe, 25, has received an offer to join Real Madrid as a free agent in the summer and another to renew his contract with Paris St-Germain, but he remains undecided on his future. (ESPN) That move could help Manchester United secure the signing of Real Madrid's 23-year-old Brazil winger Vinicius Junior. (Mirror) Mbappe wants to join Real Madrid but the Spanish side are offering about half the 70m euros (¬£59.7m) per year that the forward wants to move to the club. (Sport Bild - in German) Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has asked the club to re-sign French striker Karim Benzema, 35, from Saudi club Al-Ittihad. (Sport - in Spanish) Bayern Munich are in talks with Galatasaray about signing 23-year-old French right-back Sacha Boey from the Turkish club after ending their interest in Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier. (Le Parisien - in French) Chelsea are among the clubs interested in signing Aston Villa's Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 20, before the January transfer deadline. (Sky Sports) Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag wants Ajax and Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey and Everton's English defender Jarrad Branthwaite, both 21, but the Dutchman is no longer in control of transfers. (Mirror) Newcastle United are closely monitoring Nottingham Forest's English forward Morgan Gibbs-White, 23, for a January move. (Football Insider) Wolverhampton Wanderers are stalling on a ¬£30m move for Chelsea's 22-year-old Albania forward Armando Broja as they work to ensure they comply with Premier League spending rules. (Mail) The Football Association of Ireland is hopeful of hiring England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley to be the Republic of Ireland's senior manager. (Independent) Morgan Rogers is believed to be keen to join Aston Villa after Middlesbrough rejected two bids from the Premier League side for the 21-year-old English forward. (Mail) Crystal Palace are closing in on a deal to sign Colombia right-back Daniel Munoz, 27, from Belgian Pro League side Genk. (South London Press) Blackburn Rovers are plotting a move for Queens Park Rangers' Irish defender Jimmy Dunne, 26, this month. (Football Insider) Ivory Coast want France women's boss Herve Renard to be their manager for the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations but the French Football Federation have rejected their approach for a short-term loan. (L'Equipe - in French) Tottenham could recall French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele from a loan spell at Galatasaray and send him elsewhere with Rennes and Al Ettifaq interested in the 27-year-old. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian) Sunderland have reiterated their interest in Manchester United's 21-year-old Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo, who scored 14 goals in 40 games on loan for them last season. (Manchester Evening News) Ipswich Town have made AFC Wimbledon and Iraq striker Ali Al-Hamadi, 21, a major target in the final week of the transfer window. (East Anglian Daily Times) Sky Paper Talk DAILY MAIL Kylian Mbappe reportedly faces a huge pay cut should he decide to finally leave Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid. Wolves have pressed pause for now on a ¬£30m move for Armando Broja as they work to ensure they comply with Premier League spending rules. Barcelona are reportedly 'not considering sacking Xavi' despite their torrid start to the 2023-24 campaign. Ange Postecoglou has revealed James Maddison is ready to return in a big boost for Tottenham ahead of Friday night's FA Cup showdown with Manchester City - and warned the England international is itching to make up for lost time. The Football Association is investigating the tragic death of Sheffield United vice-captain Maddy Cusack after her family presented the governing body with new information. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is reportedly being monitored by Newcastle as they look to bolster their midfield before the transfer window closes. Liverpool will turn to neuroscientists to help in their quest for four trophies this season, with German firm Neuro11 booked in for sessions with the squad before their Carabao Cup final against Chelsea next month. The FA has invited Sven-Goran Eriksson to England's friendly international against Brazil in March following his revelation he is suffering from terminal cancer. DAILY TELEGRAPH Ange Postecoglou is already rated as a dark horse to top Manchester City's list of potential successors to Pep Guardiola should the Spaniard decide to leave his post at the end of his current contract in the summer of 2025. DAILY MIRROR Sir Jim Ratcliffe has only been to Manchester United's training ground a couple of times but there has already been a change in the mood. Dimitar Berbatov believes Manchester United should think twice before pressing ahead with a summer swoop for Michael Olise. Pep Guardiola warned Manchester United poaching Omar Berrada from Manchester City will not turn them back into world beaters. Pep Guardiola admitted he cannot explain Manchester City's woeful record away to Tottenham. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has apologised for his comments on Mohamed Salah's injury, following criticism from the Egyptian national team. Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey is the latest Ajax old boy Erik ten Hag wants to be reunited with at Manchester United. Former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has taken a new job, joining Turkish side Umraniyespor as CEO. The Carabao Cup final could be brought forward amid fears Chelsea and Liverpool fans could clash in the build-up to next month's match at Wembley. THE SUN Newcastle are ready to sell Callum Wilson for a cut-price ¬£18m - putting Premier League rivals on red alert. Forgotten Premier League flop Emerse Fae has been handed the task of reviving the Ivory Coast's AFCON campaign. Dele Alli has been forced to undergo surgery again, in another injury blow for the midfielder. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Paul Woolston has joined Hartlepool United as a coach following his retirement. Lionel Messi has christened the world's largest cruise ship as a part of Inter Miami's partnership with Royal Caribbean International. DAILY STAR Question marks have been raised over South Korea's draw with Malaysia as they avoided a showdown with Japan at the Asian Cup. Preston North End footballer Finlay Cross-Adair has admitted to attacking a woman in a hotel. Coventry City boss Mark Robins has promised they will simply walk off the pitch if his team faces any kind of racist abuse. Ronaldinho's late-night bongo drum sessions almost had an influence on Lionel Messi, according to officials at Barcelona. THE ATHLETIC Erling Haaland will ""hopefully"" be available to return to action against Burnley at the end of January after six weeks out with a foot injury. Mauricio Pochettino believes Armando Broja can still be a top striker for Chelsea but has told him he has to be ready to deal with the intense scrutiny of playing for such a big club. Wolves boss Gary O'Neil admits Wolves' transfer approach has become even more ""careful"" over the last week as the club shape their plans around finances. Mohamed Salah has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to state he will ""do everything"" to return for Egypt and help them achieve Africa Cup of Nations success despite his injury. The Football Association has opened a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Maddy Cusack and her family's complaint about Jonathan Morgan, the manager of Sheffield United's women's team. Chelsea Women are set to sign Colombia international striker Mayra Ramirez from Liga F side Levante. Former AC Milan and Croatia midfielder Zvonimir Boban has quit as UEFA's chief of football in protest over a controversial plan to let the governing body's president Aleksander Ceferin extend his reign to 2031. THE GUARDIAN Sam Kerr is staying at Chelsea, having agreed an extension to her contract, which was set to expire in the summer. DAILY EXPRESS Karim Benzema has been linked with a move to Chelsea, with recent reports suggesting he is ready to call time on his career in Saudi Arabia after just six months at Al Ittihad. Tottenham might have the perfect opportunity to strike a deal for Brighton's Evan Ferguson after the Seagulls reportedly expressed an interest in signing Bryan Gil. Mauricio Pochettino claims Chelsea are 'ready' for whatever the January transfer window throws their way. Arsenal transfer target Ivan Toney has been told it appears his head is ""all over the place"" as speculation over his Brentford future continues to dominate the January transfer window. THE SCOTTISH SUN Jota's long-running saga over his Saudi Arabia future could be coming to an end, a report says. Edinburgh City have been hit with a points deduction following an SPFL disciplinary hearing. Gary Caldwell would not play James Scott at Exeter because of the abuse the player was getting from his own fans. A judge has struck out cocaine possession and dealing charges against former Republic of Ireland footballer Anthony Stokes due to delays in analysis of a suspected drug seizure worth ‚Ǩ4,500 last year. DAILY RECORD Brendan Rodgers has hammered home the message Matt O'Riley is not for sale during the January transfer window. Brendan Rodgers is well aware Celtic fans reckon their club is sitting on a pile of money and are desperate to see some of it spent. Debut goal hero David Keltjens says St Johnstone was his ticket out of Israel. Now he hopes his move to Perth can help drive him right back to his homeland - and into the national team. Rangers are showing a serious mark of intent by spending north of ¬£4m on Mohamed Diomande, according to Andy Walker. Guardian Rumour Mill John Brewin The January transfer market enters its closing-down weekend, and business continues to be less than brisk. There may some knockdown offers around, starting with Callum Wilson ‚Äì a Newcastle team short on firepower of late have decided that the sellers‚Äô market for strikers could land them some profit and sustainability leeway. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United: if you want him, a player said to be unhappy with life on Tyneside, you got him ‚Äì the price will be a knockdown ¬£18m for the Cov-born penalty king. Miguel Alm??ron, still linked with Saudi Arabia, is said to be far happier remaining at the club. Edging out such players leaves room for other recruitment, and Morgan Gibbs-White is a player Eddie Howe would like to add to his forward line. Nottingham Forest, whom Gibbs-White captains these days, have even bigger FFP problems than Newcastle, with a Premier League judgment looming, and they may need to start selling to pick up brownie points. Whether Manchester United want Wilson, the decision will not be up to Erik ten Hag, with Ineos‚Äô takeover of sporting matters at Old Trafford removing him of his executive role on transfers. He likes the look of striker Brian Brobbey at old club Ajax ‚Äì no surprises there ‚Äì and Jarrad Branthwaite, the Everton defender, but Ten Hag must now kowtow to a transfer committee. Something on their in-tray would be the possible availability of Vin??cius J??nior, as discussed on Thursday. Would that mean someone had to be shipped out? Vin??‚Äôs best position looks rather like that of Marcus Rashford. A United player going out on loan could be Amad Diallo, back to Sunderland where he did well last season, only to start just once this season for Ten Hag. Chelsea have been by no means as active as they were this time last January ‚Äì for good reason ‚Äì but their various sporting directors like to do a deal if possible. Armando Broja has been on open sale for much of this window and the club closest linked with him is Wolves, though they, like most clubs, are on the edge when it comes to financial regulations. Fulham are another club linked, and Chelsea will be lucky to get the ¬£50m price quoted and benchmarked against Manchester United‚Äôs Rasmus Hojlund. An offer of ¬£35m is believed to be the limit. A possible replacement might be Aston Villa‚Äôs Jhon Dur?°n, a player of talent though one who has had problems in playing enough for Unai Emery‚Äôs team. Villa would like to sign Middlesbrough‚Äôs Morgan Rogers, though Dur?°n has an injury that precludes him playing for the next few weeks. After their problems with Christopher Nkunku, would Chelsea fancy signing an injured player? It seems unlikely but hardly impossible. Other possibilities? Emerson Royal to depart Spurs for Al Nassr, home of Cristiano Ronaldo? The player would like to stay in north London. And Lautaro Mart??nez, the Internazionale striker, is said to fancy a move to La Liga as his new contract remains unsigned. OS Seven things you need to know about West Ham United's new midfielder Kalvin Phillips 1. He started out with Wortley FC Kalvin Phillips started his football life with Wortley FC, a not-for-profit, community football club which has been based in West Leeds since 1974. Wortley runs dozens of junior teams for boys and girls aged between four and 17, as well as senior teams for adults, in local competitions. Phillips joined the club at the age of seven in 2003. He spent seven years with Wortley before joining Leeds United‚Äôs Academy at the age of 14 in 2010. 2. He was a star for his hometown club Kalvin Phillips became a true star for his hometown club, Leeds United. After debuting at 19 in April 2015, Phillips went on to play 234 times for the Peacocks, scoring 14 goals. The midfielder played 37 times as Leeds won the EFL Championship title in 2019/20, ending the club‚Äôs 16-year absence from the Premier League, and his performances earned him a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. 3. He was nicknamed the ‚ÄòYorkshire Pirlo‚Äô While Mark Noble was nicknamed the ‚ÄòCockney Pirlo‚Äô by West Ham United supporters who compared him to AC Milan and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo, Leeds United fans drew the same comparison to Kalvin Phillips. The Elland Road faithful nicknamed Phillips the ‚ÄòYorkshire Pirlo‚Äô in admiration of his passing ability, particularly over longer distances, and tenacious tackling. 4. He was capped by England before playing in the Premier League While instances of players being capped by England while playing outside the top-flight are not uncommon, instances of players making their England debut before appearing in the Premier League have been very rare. Only three players have done so this century ‚Äì Preston North End striker David Nugent in 2007, Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha in 2012 and Kalvin Phillips when he debuted against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League in September 2020. 5. He has become an England regular After making his England debut in September 2020 at the age of 24, Kalvin Phillips has appeared in 31 out of a possible 42 international matches for the Three Lions. Phillips has started 23 of those 31 games, losing just four, including the UEFA Euro 2020 final penalty shootout defeat by Italy at Wembley Stadium in July 2021. His performances saw him voted England Player of the Year in 2021. 6. He forged a superb partnership with Declan Rice On 22 of Kalvin Phillips‚Äô 31 appearances for England, he has appeared alongside former West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice. The duo have finished on the losing side just three times when they have appeared together, in UEFA Nations League ties with Denmark and Hungary and the UEFA Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy at Wembley in 2021. Of their 22 appearances together, 14 have ended in victories. Ten have seen England keep clean sheets, and the Three Lions have conceded just 15 goals in total in those games. Only Harry Kane, with 26, and Harry Maguire, with 24, have shared the pitch with Phillips on more occasions for Gareth Southgate‚Äôs side. 7. He has recently become a father Kalvin Phillips‚Äô 1.3 million followers on Instagram were informed on Boxing Day 2023 that the midfielder and his partner Ashleigh became parents for the first time in November. Phillips, who has been in a relationship with Ashleigh since 2011, when the couple were both just 15, posted a number of black and white photos on his social media account to announce the arrival of their baby. West Ham can confirm that defender Billy Bates has departed the Club by mutual consent and signed for Isthmian League side Cheshunt, where he started his career as a schoolboy. The Club would like to thank Billy for his hard work and commitment during his three-and-a-half seasons at the Academy of Football and wish him all the best for his future career."