Thursday news (includes West Ham)

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"BBC Manchester United are targeting Everton's 21-year-old English defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who is valued at between ¬£60-70m. (Sky Sports), external Aston Villa are interested in Chelsea's 24-year-old England midfielder Conor Gallagher. (Independent), external New Liverpool manager Arne Slot is keen to make a bid for Aston Villa and England forward Ollie Watkins, 28, as a replacement for Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, 24. (Sun), external Manchester City are considering a move for Werder Bremen's 28-year-old German goalkeeper Michael Zetterer. (Bild via Sport Witness), external Liverpool are planning to offer 20-year-old Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley a new improved contract. (Teamtalk), external Manchester United are considering a swap deal involving 22-year-old England striker Mason Greenwood and Atletico Madrid's 24-year-old Portugal forward Joao Felix. (Star), external Everton and West Ham have opened talks with Burnley over a deal for 22-year-old French defender Maxime Esteve. (L'Equipe - in French) , external Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, 47, is a contender for the Leicester manager's job. (Mirror), external Real Madrid plan to announce the signing of France and Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, 25, before this summer's Euros. (Fabrizio Romano) Chelsea have to raise funds through players sales before 30 June to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules. (Sun), external New Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany wants Middlesbrough coach Aaron Danks to join his backroom team. (Mail), external RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg and Roma are interested in Manchester City's 28-year-old England midfielder Kalvin Phillips. (Sun), external Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is in talks over a new contract that would see him become one of the highest paid managers in the Premier League. (Mail), external RB Leipzig‚Äôs 20-year-old Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko is Arsenal's top transfer target this summer. (Mirror), external Rennes and Lyon are set to bid ¬£35m for West Ham's 28-year-old Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd. (Football Insider) Sky Paper Talk THE INDEPENDENT Aston Villa are looking at Conor Gallagher as they attempt to boost the squad ahead of next season's Champions League campaign, with Chelsea open to doing business due to Profit and Sustainability Rules. Bayern Munich are interested in a move for Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, as the new club hierarchy sees him as the midfield profile they have been missing. THE SUN Aston Villa are braced for new ¬?Liverpool boss Arne Slot to launch a bid for Ollie Watkins. Football's top leagues and player unions will today join forces to tell Fifa: ""We will not play in your Club World Cup - you're killing the game."" Chelsea want to back Enzo Maresca with at least four key signings this summer - but must fix their financial issues first. Kalvin Phillips is considering leaving the Premier League entirely as he aims to resurrect his career. Jude Bellingham has been labelled the world's most valuable player - and worth a staggering ¬£238m, according to the Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory. Manchester United are reportedly ready to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Swiss double-winner Raphael Wicky is a new name under consideration to become Sunderland's next manager. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are being lined up for an incredible reunion, according to reports. THE TIMES Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have initiated the biggest shake-up of the working practices and the environment at Manchester United's Carrington training ground in the complex's 24-year existence. The semi-automated offside system to be used by the Premier League next season will harness artificial intelligence and ""force fields"" to identify when attackers are ahead of defenders. DAILY MAIL Manchester United staff were angered and frustrated by YouTuber IShowSpeed's appearance at a post FA Cup final bash after the victory over Manchester City. Premier League clubs in Europe will be helped by a seeding system in next season's Carabao Cup, giving them a potentially easier path in a measure designed to reduce fixture congestion. Jurgen Klopp was spotted boarding a private jet to leave Liverpool after bidding a final farewell to the Merseyside giants. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is heading into formal contract talks on course to become one of the best-paid bosses in the Premier League. Caoimhin Kelleher has admitted he could leave Liverpool this summer as he pursues his ambition to become a first-choice goalkeeper. Middlesbrough coach Aaron Danks is wanted by Bayern Munich to become part of Vincent Kompany's backroom team. The Club World Cup will go on to establish itself as a bigger sporting spectacle than the traditional World Cup despite its naysayers, according to Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Aston Villa, West Ham and Arsenal are looking at USA Under-20s international Rokas Pukstas. DAILY MIRROR Arsenal are in the market for a new striker - with RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko top of their wanted list - and, while they are not expecting superstar signings this summer, they will strengthen their squad. Ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has emerged as an option for Leicester as they search for Enzo Maresca's replacement. THE ATHLETIC The Carabao Cup will use a new seeding mechanism to keep Champions League and Europa League teams apart in the third round of next season's competition. West Ham United are close to signing Flamengo centre-back Fabricio Bruno. Manchester City will allow Julian Alvarez to represent Argentina at the Olympic Games in Paris if he is selected. Aston Villa defender Matty Cash has been omitted from Poland's preliminary squad for this summer's European Championship in Germany as he continues his rehabilitation from injury. West Ham United are close to agreeing a deal with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham. Franck Haise is close to becoming the new head coach of Nice after the INEOS-owned club reached an agreement with Lens for his appointment. Brentford have finalised a deal to sign United States Under-19 goalkeeper Julian Eyestone on a free transfer. Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has admitted Julian Nagelsmann's decision to leave him out of Germany's preliminary 27-man squad for this summer's European Championship has left him ""bitter"". Chelsea have announced a new ""strategic growth plan"" which will see the women's side sit alongside the men's team in the club's sporting structure. Esme Morgan is set to move to National Women's Soccer League side Washington Spirit. Greenland has submitted an application to CONCACAF for membership in the confederation, which governs international football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, according to social media posts by the Football Association of Greenland and the men's national team manager Morten Rukjaer. THE GUARDIAN Sir Jim Ratcliffe has identified Manchester United's dire injury record as a critical area to address, believing this will hugely improve performance after a season when the squad sustained more than 60 injuries. DAILY TELEGRAPH Sir Jim Ratcliffe will demand Manchester United's manager prepares for next season within tight profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in a severe end to extravagant net spending. The Saudi Pro League chief football executive says Jordan Henderson's sudden exit did not harm their project but was instead more damaging to the England international ""on a personal level"". Wembley chiefs are on alert to stop pro-Palestine protests at Saturday's Champions League final amid copycat fears after 'wretched' demonstrations at the women's equivalent. Roland Garros favourite Iga Swiatek laid into the French crowd for shouting out during rallies after she had just saved match point in a breathless comeback to beat the former world No 1 Naomi Osaka. DAILY EXPRESS Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will reportedly battle with Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich for Leeds teenager Archie Gray this summer. EVENING STANDARD Premier League clubs will vote next week on a proposal put forward by Crystal Palace aimed at boosting the competitiveness of English sides in Europe. Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo has confirmed he has held ""a little discussion"" over his future amid interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. Tottenham forward Richarlison has said he will be playing in England next season and dismissed suggestions he is in talks to leave the club as ""fake news"". Crystal Palace are closing in on the signing of Morocco centre-back Chadi Riad, who is due to undergo a medical ahead of his ¬£14m move from Barcelona. DAILY RECORD Rangers will head to Cancun for a transfer summit this summer, with an Ibrox representative set to check into TransferRoom's Mexico convention on June 3 and 4. Chief executive Carsten V. Jensen has hinted he expects interest to resurface in Brondby's key men - and Celtic's long-running interest in Mathias Kvistgaarden. Rangers have ended their interest in Jose Cordoba as the Ibrox side pulled the plug on a deal for the ¬£3m defender - with left-sided South American Thomas Galdames linked. SCOTTISH SUN Kyogo Furuhashi has been targeted for a shock move away from Parkhead this summer - according to a report in his homeland. Rangers have been linked with a move for Chilean defender Thomas Galdames who is set to play his last game for his Argentinian club Godoy Cruz this week. The Athletic West Ham close to signing Fabricio Bruno from Flamengo By Roshane Thomas and Mario Cortegana West Ham United are close to signing Flamengo centre-back Fabricio Bruno. Nothing is finalised but a deal which would see the 28-year-old move to the London Stadium for an initial ‚Ǩ13.5million plus ‚Ǩ1.5m in add-ons and sign a five-year contract is progressing. He was left out of Flamengo‚Äôs squad for their 3-0 Copa Libertadores win over Millonarios on Tuesday due to the discussions. The defender would become Julen Lopetegui‚Äôs first signing after the Spaniard was confirmed as West Ham‚Äôs new head coach earlier this month. West Ham are also close to signing Wes Foderingham on a free transfer with the goalkeeper set to leave relegated Sheffield United upon the expiration of his contract at the end of next month. Bruno has spent his entire career playing in Brazil, representing Cruzeiro, Chapecoense, and RB Bragantino before joining Flamengo in February 2022. The defender has made 114 appearances for Flamengo helping the side win the 2022 Brazilian Cup and the 2022 Copa Libertadores. He has made two appearances for the Brazil national team, earning his first cap during the 1-0 victory over England on March 23 at Wembley. Bruno was not included in Dorival Junior‚Äôs 23-man provisional squad for the 2024 Copa America. ‚ÄòNo surprise West Ham are targeting defenders‚Äô It is no surprise new head coach Lopetegui intends to make defender Fabricio Bruno his first summer signing. Last season, West Ham were porous defensively. They conceded 74 Premier League goals, the fourth-highest behind Sheffield United (104), Luton Town (85) and Burnley (78). In 2022-23, West Ham only conceded 55 goals in the league. Strengthening the heart of the defence will be a priority for Lopetegui, with Nayef Aguerd attracting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League and Angelo Ogbonna set to leave when his contract expires this summer. Mail Arsenal, Aston Villa and West Ham are keeping tabs on USA starlet Rokas Pukstas, who is impressing in midfield at Croatian side Hajduk Split The 19-year-old American has caught the eye of the Premier League trio An all-action midfielder, Pukstas is looking to take the next step in his career By Simon Jones Aston Villa, West Ham and Arsenal are looking at USA Under 20s international Rokas Pukstas. The Oklahoma-born all action midfielder plays for Hajduk Split and has taken a colourful career path. He started out at Sporting Kansas City's academy before having a trial with Manchester United in 2019 then spending time with Barcelona's academy. He moved to Hajduk Split in 2020 and has become a first team regular being an integral part of the side that won the Croatia Cup last year. The son of a former Olympic marathon runner, Pukstas has also been approached to represent Lithuania. European clubs, particularly from Germany, have started to take note of his performances as well as scouts from Premier League trio Villa, West Ham and Arsenal. Split are expecting offers this summer with the youngster keen to take the next step up in his career. Pukstas has also recently joined the Niagara agency who represent the likes of Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata and Red Bull Leipzig's Dani Olmo who is a summer target for Bayern Munich."