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"BBC Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, 29, has been offered to Aston Villa but Unai Emery is not sure if the England attacker fits into his plans. (Mirror), external Sterling was kept in the dark about being frozen out at Chelsea and has ruled out a move to Saudi Arabia. (Mail), external Liverpool are set to offer Everton ¬£63m plus ¬£7m in add-ons for their England defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 22. (Sun), external Southampton are considering an approach for Arsenal and England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, 26. (Mail), external Arsenal are on the brink of finalising a deal to allow England forward Eddie Nketiah, 25, to join Nottingham Forest. (ESPN), external Leicester City are closing in on a deal for Crystal Palace's 32-year-old Ghana forward Jordan Ayew. (Sky Sports), external Two more attacking midfielders are also on Leicester boss Steve Cooper's wish list before the window closes. (Telegraph - subscription required), external Norwich City have emerged as surprise contenders to sign 22-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder Reinier from Real Madrid. (O Globo - in Portuguese) Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid and Spain Under-23 striker Samu Omorodion after the 20-year-old saw a ¬£34m move to Chelsea fall through earlier this month. (Mail), external Tottenham and Manchester United are monitoring Barcelona and Denmark defender Andreas Christensen, 28. (Sport - in Spanish), external Tottenham are set to allow 19-year-old centre-back Ashley Phillips to join Stoke on loan. (Athletic - subscription required), external Girona have agreed a deal worth an initial ¬£21.2m plus add-ons with Watford for Colombia midfielder Yaser Asprilla, 20. (Sky Sports), external Brighton, Real Sociedad and Real Mallorca are battling to sign 35-year-old Germany defender Mats Hummels on a free transfer. (Florian Plettenberg), external Barcelona have agreed personal terms with Italy winger Federico Chiesa, 26, who is set for an ¬£11m switch from Juventus. (Sport - in Spanish), external Everton, AC Milan, Bayern Munich and a number of clubs in Turkey are interested in signing Newcastle's England defender Kieran Trippier, 33. (Talksport), external Brentford are poised to wrap up a ¬£10m deal for 18-year-old Brazilian winger Gustavo Nunes from Gremio. (Fabrizio Romano), external Republic of Ireland defender John Egan, 31, is training with Burnley after leaving Sheffield United. (Football Insider) Guardian Rumour Mill John Brewin The path from Everton to Liverpool is not one well travelled. Nick Barmby was the last. If the other route is more travelled ‚Äì think Kevin Sheedy, Peter Beardsley, Abel Xavier ‚Äì it‚Äôs still not the done thing. So, Jarrad Branthwaite to Anfield, a deal that‚Äôs been bubbling under. Will it happen? The offer is ¬£63m plus ¬£7m in add-ons to prise the centre-back across Stanley Park. If Everton fans are used to seeing their stars sold too early ‚Äì Wayne Rooney, Franny Jeffers, John Stones spring easily to mind ‚Äì then perhaps a new ownership under John Textor may prevent a deal. Branthwaite‚Äôs links with Manchester United were closed out by their purchase of Matthijs de Ligt. United are closing in on a deal to sign Manuel Ugarte on a season-long loan deal from PSG, with obligation to buy. Jadon Sancho? Loaned to Barcelona. Raheem Sterling in action for Chelsea during a pre-season friendly against Internazionale Raheem Sterling may find himself with a quick route out of Chelsea‚Äôs bomb squad and that large, though over-busy, gymnasium, if Aston Villa can do a deal. That will almost certainly mean Chelsea having to foot some of the wage bill, while Villa get a sweet deal for a player they think they can get a decent spin from. Saudi Arabia is OUT as an option. Sterling will be expected to take a wage cut somewhere along the line and the same may go for Romelu Lukaku, who may, at last, be set for Napoli. Talks with Chelsea are expected, after a ¬£25.5m deal was turned down. Aston Villa have also been offered the chance to sign the Atl?©tico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion, who was previously a target for Chelsea. Aaron Ramsdale has gained a reputation as a great squad man, willing to back up David Raya at Arsenal, but he wants first-team football and there‚Äôs a vacancy at Southampton, where Gavin Bazunu is out until 2025 and Alex McCarthy is approaching veteran status. A loan or a permanent deal? Saints may have to dig deep for the latter and there‚Äôs another option in the Netherlands goalkeeper Justin Bijlow from Feyenoord, who was Arne Slot‚Äôs No 1 choice there but is out of favour with the new manager, Brian Priske. Elsewhere, Jordan Ayew is another set to leave Crystal Palace, to act as Jamie Vardy‚Äôs bagman at Leicester. Across the east Mids, Eddie Nketiah and Nottingham Forest approaches done-deal status. To replace him, Ademola Lookman, so outstanding in last season‚Äôs Europa League final, with Atalanta willing to do a deal for the Wandsworth boy. And for another homecoming, Wilfried Zaha has been linked with Wolves as he seeks to end his time at Galatasaray. A return to Palace has been mooted but perhaps the trail has gone dead. Sky Paper Talk EVENING STANDARD Crystal Palace are among a number of clubs to express an interest in exploring a deal for Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling. Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Manuel Ugarte on a season-long loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain, with an obligation to make the move permanent. West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui admits the uncertainty surrounding the transfer window might be affecting his players. THE GUARDIAN Aston Villa have held talks over a move for Raheem Sterling, who is looking for a new challenge after being told that he has no future at Chelsea. John Textor is considering two offers and has serious interest from four other investors for his 45 per cent stake in Crystal Palace as he attempts to accelerate his efforts to buy Everton. DAILY MAIL Gareth Southgate has finally decided on his future, as it was revealed that the former England manager will take on the role of technical observer at UEFA this season. Crystal Palace have made a ¬£12m offer for Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix and bid for Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo. Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion. DAILY STAR Arsenal are reportedly poised to capitalise on PSG's hesitation and secure Ademola Lookman in a massive swap deal. DAILY MIRROR Arsenal have re-entered the race to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, according to reports from Italy. Ashley Cole is in discussion with the Football Association about becoming part of Lee Carsley's backroom team. Xabi Alonso reportedly phoned Sepp van den Berg shortly before Liverpool struck an agreement with Brentford for the defender's transfer. Sir Jim Ratcliffe would consider replacing Erik ten Hag with Ruud van Nistelrooy if Manchester United make a poor start to the season. Manchester United could rake in half a billion pounds by selling the naming rights to their proposed new stadium, it's been claimed. Noni Madueke's future at Chelsea is in doubt after the London club's spending spree - with Newcastle among the club's ready to offer a loan rescue. DAILY EXPRESS Bayern Munich sold Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United against Vincent Kompany's wishes this summer, according to reports. Andreas Christensen is reportedly open to returning to the Premier League two years after leaving Chelsea for Barcelona. Everton manager Sean Dyche has said Dele is not ready to return to match action despite the midfielder being back in training. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag continued to display his commitment to youth players by reportedly welcoming Jim Thwaites, just 16 years old, to first-team training at Carrington on Wednesday. Liverpool may decide to switch their focus to the potential signing of Leon Goretzka, who has been tipped to leave Bayern this summer, after missing out on Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. THE SUN Liverpool want to snatch ¬£70m Jarrad Branthwaite from Merseyside rivals Everton. Jadon Sancho could be heading to Barcelona in a bid to re-track his career. Wolves are joining the race to sign Wilfried Zaha after the club identified him as a potential replacement for Pedro Neto. Euro 2024 winner Dani Olmo will remain stuck in limbo even if Ilkay Gundogan returns to former side Manchester City as a free agent. David De Gea's hotly anticipated return to football began with a nightmare. Manchester City star Erling Haaland appears to be switching sides - by trying out a ¬£15,000 red-light therapy bed. THE TIMES Sean Dyche has admitted that Everton will be susceptible to offers for players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin right up until the transfer window closes as financial issues at the club continue to bite. Erik ten Hag has warned his fringe players that he will not tolerate any act of defiance, such as the one that caused a rift with Jadon Sancho last season. THE ATHLETIC Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Sekou Kone, an 18-year-old Malian side Guidars FC. THE INDEPENDENT Italian giants AC Milan have introduced a new policy to protect players who become pregnant while at the club, meaning players ""don't have to make a choice"" between being a mother or a footballer. Kyle Walker explains his parenting style and admits he does not allow his children to beat him at garden football. DAILY RECORD Sheffield United have reportedly ramped up their interest in Celtic winger Mikey Johnston - and it could even see the Hoops turn a profit in their approach for Auston Trusty. Celtic fans are even more convinced that Mateusz Bogusz is on his way to Parkhead after eagle-eyed supporters clocked that a private jet from Los Angeles was set to arrive in Glasgow late on Thursday night. Rangers are reportedly keeping tabs on Benfica prospect Martim Neto - and could land the a loan deal if the player wants to leave his boyhood club. THE SCOTTISH SUN Rangers star Rabbi Matondo could be on his way to England, according to a report. Aberdeen are in the hunt to sign Aussie winger Marcus Younis. Rangers applied to Glasgow City Council this week for planning permission to install safety nets at high risk Ibrox fixtures such as Old Firm games, council documents show. Florian Plettenberg @Plettigoal ?üö®‚öíÔ?è Edson #Alvarez, 100 % planned in for the season by West Ham! ‚Ķ as he‚Äôs considered to be a very important player. #WHUFC, only willing to listen for exceptional offers. There are inquiries on the table for the 26 y/o midfielder. Contract until 2028. @SkySportDE GFF Carlos Soler absent as West Ham move nears Paris Saint-Germain are preparing for their first home match of the 2024/25 season. They will face Montpellier HSC at the Parc des Princes on Friday evening, however, they will do so without Manuel Ugarte and Carlos Soler ‚Äì two players nearing moves away from PSG. Both have been omitted from the matchday squad. Soler is expected to leave in the coming day, and like Ugarte, he will play no part against Montpellier. The Spaniard is nearing a move to West Ham, estimated to be worth around ‚Ǩ23m. Both Ugarte and Soler have now likely already played their final matches for Les Parisiens. The Athletic Wan-Bissaka v Coufal ‚Äì the West Ham right-back battle that could run and run By Roshane Thomas Julen Lopetegui‚Äôs first Premier League starting XI as West Ham United head coach was always going to be intriguing. After spending ¬£122million ($159.8m) since replacing David Moyes there were multiple decisions to make ‚Äî how many of the eight signings would be named from the start against Aston Villa? The answer was just two. Centre-back Maximilian Kilman and midfielder Guido Rodriguez got the nod as Villa won 2-1, with fellow new boys Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug introduced from the bench. The decision to start Vladimir Coufal over Aaron Wan-Bissaka caused a stir. Lopetegui went for the Czech, with Wan-Bissaka nearing full fitness following his ¬£15million move from Manchester United. The 26-year-old has signed a seven-year deal. Tim Steidten, the technical director, was in the market for a right-back after academy graduate Ben Johnson left on a free transfer to join newly promoted Ipswich Town. Wan-Bissaka is West Ham‚Äôs eighth summer signing, joining Todibo, Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Fullkrug, Wes Foderingham, Kilman and Rodriguez in moving to London Stadium. Although he was an unused sub against Villa, he represents West Ham‚Äôs future and has not joined to be understudy to Coufal having struggled to hold down a place at Old Trafford in recent seasons. A trip to Crystal Palace this weekend will be a homecoming for Wan-Bissaka after he came through the ranks at Selhurst Park, but Lopetegui has not revealed who he sees as his first-choice right-back yet. Whoever starts in forthcoming league games against Manchester City, Fulham and Chelsea will give a clear indication. Wan-Bissaka left Palace for Manchester United for ¬£50m in 2019. At his boyhood club, Wan-Bissaka became an England Under-21 international and, in the season before moving to Old Trafford, was named player of the year. His meteoric rise was impressive considering he had not played as a defender in Palace‚Äôs academy until the middle of the 2016-17 season. The full-back impressed when he marked Wilfried Zaha in a training session. Richard Shaw, Crystal Palace‚Äôs former under-23 coach, then transitioned Wan-Bissaka, a winger, into a defender. But he struggled to consistently showcase those defensive attributes during his five-year spell at Old Trafford. Having described joining West Ham as a ‚Äúno brainer‚Äù, Wan-Bissaka will hope to revive his career under Lopetegui. ‚ÄúI can‚Äôt wait to get on the pitch, get to know the players, and push on from there,‚Äù Wan-Bissaka said on his arrival. ‚ÄúI see a team that is in it together, that will push each other to win, and a group that has got each others‚Äô backs through thick and thin. ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs an amazing feeling to be back in London, and I‚Äôm excited for what‚Äôs coming. I was born here, so I know the ins and outs of London, which plays a big part in my life, so to be back playing in this city means a lot to me.‚Äù In Lopetegui‚Äôs pre-match press conference, he backed Wan-Bissaka to earn his first senior England call-up, spoke about what he will bring to the team and admits the defender has a point to prove. But Coufal has no intention of conceding his spot in the team. In December, West Ham activated the one-year option in his contract. The Czech Republic international, who was part of their squad at Euro 2024, is in the final year of his deal and talks over a contract extension have not taken place. But Coufal is relaxed about the situation and still believes he has a lot to offer. This summer, Turkish side Galatasaray enquired about his availability but it did not lead to a formal offer. The 32-year-old will reassess his future in January if he struggles with game time in the coming months. Since joining from Slavia Prague in October 2020 for ¬£5million, the full-back has mostly been an ever-present in the side. When Bayer Leverkusen explored signing him in January 2023, Moyes convinced the defender to stay, amid competition from Thilo Kehrer, now at Monaco, and Johnson. Coufal retained his place in the team but ended 2022-23 with a paltry return of one assist across 38 appearances. The following season, the full-back registered seven assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, his second highest in a single campaign. Coufal is more attack-minded than Wan-Bissaka. He is in the top 10 Premier League defenders since 2019-20 for chances created (126) and assists (19); Wan-Bissaka‚Äôs best offensive season was five assists in 2020-21. He was a provider on three occasions last term in 30 appearances. Although Wan-Bissaka has his limitations offensively, he is better in one-on-one defensive situations. Since 2019-20, he ranks first among defenders in the Premier League for tackles won (220); Coufal ranks 17th with 133. ‚ÄúWan-Bissaka is the best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world,‚Äù Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool and England defender, said in March 2020. ‚ÄúI don‚Äôt think anyone would be able to get the better of him one-v-one.‚Äù It has been a tough few seasons for Wan-Bissaka, but now he has the opportunity to become a regular first-team starter again. Coufal has faced and beaten off competition before in Ryan Fredericks, Kehrer and Johnson ‚Äî and is ready to meet the challenge head on. The battle for the right-back spot is well and truly underway."