Thursday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 03 Oct 2024, 11:21
BBC
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid are in the running to sign Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen next summer, with the Bundesliga club wanting €150m (£125m) for the 21-year-old. (Bild - in German)
Barcelona are hoping to strike a deal with Brazil forward Neymar, 32, in January when he is free to talk with clubs before his contract with Al-Hilal expires in June 2025. (Sport - in Spanish)
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe and ex-Chelsea manager Graham Potter are two of the leading candidates to replace Erik ten Hag if he leaves Manchester United, while former England manager Gareth Southgate and Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi are also in the frame. (Teamtalk)
But, reports from Italy suggests that former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is favoured by Sir Alex Ferguson to become the next Manchester United manager. (Express)
Southampton manager Russell Martin is at increasing risk of losing his job following his side's poor start to the season. (Mirror)
Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has hinted his interest in the England manager role, which is currently held by interim manager Lee Carsley. (Football London)
Real Sociedad's Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 25, says he has no regrets after turning down a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window. (Mirror)
Arsenal are set to face competition from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus for 24-year-old Lille and Canada forward Jonathan David. (Football Insider)
Borussia Dortmund's 22-year-old winger Karim Adeyemi is a target for Liverpool. The Merseyside club want the Germany forward to replace Mohamed Salah in the summer. (Sun)
Everton are not concerned about a January transfer window approach from rivals Liverpool for 22-year-old English centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. (Liverpool Echo)
Everton could reignite their interest in Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron, 30, who is likely to leave Newcastle United in January. (Teamtalk)
Manchester United could opt to trigger a one-year extension to 31-year-old England defender Harry Maguire's deal, which comes to an end at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, as they want to avoid him leaving for free. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Lee Carsley is intent on making Cole Palmer central to his England plans as he prepares to name his squad for the Nations League games against Greece and Finland.
Marcus Smith has agreed a new long-term deal with Harlequins despite significant interest from Bristol Bears.
The RFU has allegedly been "silenced" by World Rugby over criticism of the handling of the women's WXV tournament which has been plagued by tiny attendances and poor ticket sales.
DAILY MIRROR
Russell Martin is at increasing risk of losing his job as a result of Southampton's sorry start to the season.
Martin Odegaard has been left out of Norway's upcoming international fixtures as his absence continues.
Manchester United's flight to Porto was hit with a lengthy delay because of bad weather - just 24 hours before kick-off. Erik ten Hag's squad landed in Portugal three hours later than scheduled on Wednesday evening, scuppering their preparations ahead of Thursday's Europa League match.
Former Arsenal defender Cedric Soares says he is "ready to join" a new club, having left the Gunners at the end of last season.
THE SUN
Barcelona are reportedly considering a shock move for Neymar.
Dominic Solanke is hoping for a long-awaited England recall on Thursday.
Newcastle United could be without up to 10 players for their Premier League trip to Everton on Saturday with Alexander Isak also missing Sweden's two games during the international break with a broken toe.
FIFA bosses could confirm on Thursday that they will not be kicking Israel out of world football despite an appeal from Palestine that the governing body was breaching its own rules on discrimination.
DAILY MAIL
Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi insists he has zero regrets about turning down a move to Liverpool in the summer despite his side's poor start to the season.
Thierry Henry has revealed he didn't rate Bukayo Saka while he was in Arsenal's academy.
Harry Kane is facing further "big-match criticism" after what has been described as an "invisible" display for Bayern Munich against Aston Villa in the Champions League.
Lionel Messi will return to Argentina's national team for the South American World Cup qualifying matches against Venezuela and Bolivia. The 37-year-old star had missed recent matches because of an ankle injury.
THE GUARDIAN
The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has indicated Liam Lawson has an opportunity to make his case to replace Sergio Perez and line up alongside Max Verstappen for the team, potentially as early as next season.
George Ford faces missing England's autumn campaign due to the injury he sustained on Sale duty last Saturday.
THE ATHLETIC
Brighton and Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke is expected to return from a groin injury after the October international break.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign South American youngster Diego Leon.
Formula One bosses have cancelled the 'rookie race' aimed at showcasing the best young drivers. The event was scheduled to take place at the end of the 2024 season but plans have been delayed until 2025.
James Maddison is convinced Mikey Moore, who could feature for Tottenham against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday, is a star in the making.
Snooker's World Championship could be looking for a new home after Barry Hearn warned Sheffield Council it has three years to revamp the "not fit for purpose" Crucible Theatre.
DAILY RECORD
Callum McGregor insists Celtic owe their supporters an apology after their battering by Borussia Dortmund.
Football Talk
West Ham eye move to sign Valencia star Hugo Duro
West Ham United are reportedly considering making a move to sign Valencia star Hugo Duro, as per the Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Hammers decided to reinforce the attacking department by signing Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund this summer. However, he hasn’t been able to serve his new club property thus far this campaign due to injury problems.
As a result, Julen Lopetegui has been using Michail Antonio in the centre-forward position. Danny Ings is also at the Spaniard’s disposal but both are currently in the twilight of their career.
The East London club have found it difficult to score goals this term and have found the back of the net only six times in as many games in the Premier League thus far. As a consequence of that, they are currently languishing down 14th in the table with five points, sitting only two points above the relegation zone.
Therefore, it seems Lopetegui is looking to address the goal-scoring problems by signing a new striker next year and according to the report by Fichajes, West Ham have expressed their interest in Duro.
Valencia would be open to letting the 24-year-old leave the club should they receive an offer of at least £21m from his potential suitors. Therefore, West Ham can manage to secure his signature for an affordable price.
However, the Spanish outlet states that purchasing Duro won’t be easy for Lopetegui’s side as Aston Villa are also keen on purchasing him as a potential replacement for Jhon Duran – whose future is currently uncertain at Villa Park.
The Spaniard has established himself as a key player for Los Ches having moved to the Estadio Mestalla from Getafe. He enjoyed a productive campaign in La Liga last term, scoring 13 goals and registering two assists in 37 appearances. The forward has scored twice thus far this season in five league starts.
He is still very young and has yet to reach his full potential. Therefore, Duro’s age profile would be perfect to strengthen West Ham’s attack and he could be a shrewd acquisition if they purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether Lopetegui’s side eventually opt to make a concrete approach to secure his signature next year to strengthen the frontline.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid are in the running to sign Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen next summer, with the Bundesliga club wanting €150m (£125m) for the 21-year-old. (Bild - in German)
Barcelona are hoping to strike a deal with Brazil forward Neymar, 32, in January when he is free to talk with clubs before his contract with Al-Hilal expires in June 2025. (Sport - in Spanish)
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe and ex-Chelsea manager Graham Potter are two of the leading candidates to replace Erik ten Hag if he leaves Manchester United, while former England manager Gareth Southgate and Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi are also in the frame. (Teamtalk)
But, reports from Italy suggests that former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is favoured by Sir Alex Ferguson to become the next Manchester United manager. (Express)
Southampton manager Russell Martin is at increasing risk of losing his job following his side's poor start to the season. (Mirror)
Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has hinted his interest in the England manager role, which is currently held by interim manager Lee Carsley. (Football London)
Real Sociedad's Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 25, says he has no regrets after turning down a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window. (Mirror)
Arsenal are set to face competition from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus for 24-year-old Lille and Canada forward Jonathan David. (Football Insider)
Borussia Dortmund's 22-year-old winger Karim Adeyemi is a target for Liverpool. The Merseyside club want the Germany forward to replace Mohamed Salah in the summer. (Sun)
Everton are not concerned about a January transfer window approach from rivals Liverpool for 22-year-old English centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. (Liverpool Echo)
Everton could reignite their interest in Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron, 30, who is likely to leave Newcastle United in January. (Teamtalk)
Manchester United could opt to trigger a one-year extension to 31-year-old England defender Harry Maguire's deal, which comes to an end at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, as they want to avoid him leaving for free. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Lee Carsley is intent on making Cole Palmer central to his England plans as he prepares to name his squad for the Nations League games against Greece and Finland.
Marcus Smith has agreed a new long-term deal with Harlequins despite significant interest from Bristol Bears.
The RFU has allegedly been "silenced" by World Rugby over criticism of the handling of the women's WXV tournament which has been plagued by tiny attendances and poor ticket sales.
DAILY MIRROR
Russell Martin is at increasing risk of losing his job as a result of Southampton's sorry start to the season.
Martin Odegaard has been left out of Norway's upcoming international fixtures as his absence continues.
Manchester United's flight to Porto was hit with a lengthy delay because of bad weather - just 24 hours before kick-off. Erik ten Hag's squad landed in Portugal three hours later than scheduled on Wednesday evening, scuppering their preparations ahead of Thursday's Europa League match.
Former Arsenal defender Cedric Soares says he is "ready to join" a new club, having left the Gunners at the end of last season.
THE SUN
Barcelona are reportedly considering a shock move for Neymar.
Dominic Solanke is hoping for a long-awaited England recall on Thursday.
Newcastle United could be without up to 10 players for their Premier League trip to Everton on Saturday with Alexander Isak also missing Sweden's two games during the international break with a broken toe.
FIFA bosses could confirm on Thursday that they will not be kicking Israel out of world football despite an appeal from Palestine that the governing body was breaching its own rules on discrimination.
DAILY MAIL
Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi insists he has zero regrets about turning down a move to Liverpool in the summer despite his side's poor start to the season.
Thierry Henry has revealed he didn't rate Bukayo Saka while he was in Arsenal's academy.
Harry Kane is facing further "big-match criticism" after what has been described as an "invisible" display for Bayern Munich against Aston Villa in the Champions League.
Lionel Messi will return to Argentina's national team for the South American World Cup qualifying matches against Venezuela and Bolivia. The 37-year-old star had missed recent matches because of an ankle injury.
THE GUARDIAN
The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has indicated Liam Lawson has an opportunity to make his case to replace Sergio Perez and line up alongside Max Verstappen for the team, potentially as early as next season.
George Ford faces missing England's autumn campaign due to the injury he sustained on Sale duty last Saturday.
THE ATHLETIC
Brighton and Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke is expected to return from a groin injury after the October international break.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign South American youngster Diego Leon.
Formula One bosses have cancelled the 'rookie race' aimed at showcasing the best young drivers. The event was scheduled to take place at the end of the 2024 season but plans have been delayed until 2025.
James Maddison is convinced Mikey Moore, who could feature for Tottenham against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday, is a star in the making.
Snooker's World Championship could be looking for a new home after Barry Hearn warned Sheffield Council it has three years to revamp the "not fit for purpose" Crucible Theatre.
DAILY RECORD
Callum McGregor insists Celtic owe their supporters an apology after their battering by Borussia Dortmund.
Football Talk
West Ham eye move to sign Valencia star Hugo Duro
West Ham United are reportedly considering making a move to sign Valencia star Hugo Duro, as per the Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Hammers decided to reinforce the attacking department by signing Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund this summer. However, he hasn’t been able to serve his new club property thus far this campaign due to injury problems.
As a result, Julen Lopetegui has been using Michail Antonio in the centre-forward position. Danny Ings is also at the Spaniard’s disposal but both are currently in the twilight of their career.
The East London club have found it difficult to score goals this term and have found the back of the net only six times in as many games in the Premier League thus far. As a consequence of that, they are currently languishing down 14th in the table with five points, sitting only two points above the relegation zone.
Therefore, it seems Lopetegui is looking to address the goal-scoring problems by signing a new striker next year and according to the report by Fichajes, West Ham have expressed their interest in Duro.
Valencia would be open to letting the 24-year-old leave the club should they receive an offer of at least £21m from his potential suitors. Therefore, West Ham can manage to secure his signature for an affordable price.
However, the Spanish outlet states that purchasing Duro won’t be easy for Lopetegui’s side as Aston Villa are also keen on purchasing him as a potential replacement for Jhon Duran – whose future is currently uncertain at Villa Park.
The Spaniard has established himself as a key player for Los Ches having moved to the Estadio Mestalla from Getafe. He enjoyed a productive campaign in La Liga last term, scoring 13 goals and registering two assists in 37 appearances. The forward has scored twice thus far this season in five league starts.
He is still very young and has yet to reach his full potential. Therefore, Duro’s age profile would be perfect to strengthen West Ham’s attack and he could be a shrewd acquisition if they purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether Lopetegui’s side eventually opt to make a concrete approach to secure his signature next year to strengthen the frontline.