Real Madrid have made Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, a priority target. (Athletic - subscription required)
Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella, 27, but the Italy midfielder is also on the radar of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
Arsenal are following the progress of Red Bull Salzburg and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 21, as they begin to plan for next summer's transfer window. (Football London)
Crystal Palace are not willing to entertain any offers for 26-year-old Senegal forward Ismaila Sarr in January. (Football Insider)
Manchester United have added Turkey boss and former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella, 50, to their shortlist of potential candidates to replace Dutch boss Erik ten Hag, 54, at Old Trafford. (Ajansspor - in Turkish)
Ten Hag will have to oversee an immediate improvement in results and performances at Manchester United if he is to keep his job beyond the next international break. (Mirror)
Manchester United are lining up midfield replacements for Denmark international Christian Eriksen, 32, as well as Brazil international Casemiro, 32. (Football Insider)
United are also clear favourites to sign Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 27, if he leaves Barcelona next summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
Real Madrid are considering a January move for 18-year-old England youth international Josh Acheampong, with Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham also interested in the Chelsea right-back. (Independent)
Crystal Palace are eyeing David Moyes, 61, to replace manager Oliver Glasner, 50, after a poor start to the Premier League season. (Caughtoffside)
Thomas Tuchel's appointment as England manager has boosted Newcastle's hopes of signing England and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, 24, with Eddie Howe now more likely to remain at St James' Park. (Givemesport)
Liverpool are in advanced talks with Sevilla over a deal for French 24-year-old defender Loic Bade. (Todo Fichajes - in Spanish)
Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden, 29, has agreed to represent Jamaica at international level, having previously played for England at every age group up from under-16s to under-21s. (Teamtalk)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MAIL
The FA reached out to Carlo Ancelotti over taking the role of England manager prior to settling on Thomas Tuchel, it has seemingly been revealed.
Nottingham Forest - fresh from a £750,000 fine for an astonishing online attack on a VAR official - are advertising for a social media manager.
Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia, who has been out of action for 17 months is reportedly nearing a return.
DAILY MIRROR
Trent Alexander-Arnold is top of Real Madrid's transfer shortlist.
Raphael Varane has revealed he played the final 11 years of his career - including his three seasons at Manchester United - with only "one knee". And the France World Cup winner admitted: "I haven't tackled for years".
Erik ten Hag has ended the international break with a little more breathing space, following Thomas Tuchel's appointment as England boss and his predecessor Gareth Southgate's decision to take a prolonged break before returning to management.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Cricket's governing body is undertaking cost-cutting redundancies as part of a wider plan to decentralise the game.
Gary Lineker claims the Football Association spoke to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti as part of the process to replace Gareth Southgate, before appointing German coach Thomas Tuchel.
Manchester United are confident their new chief executive Omar Berrada will not be implicated in Manchester City's legal battle with the Premier League over allegations of financial irregularities.
THE SUN
New England boss Thomas Tuchel might be set to turn to a pair of stars who he is known to admire - Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling.
Zinedine Zidane has been in constant talks with one of Manchester United's trusted chiefs.
Former Arsenal star Francis Coquelin could be set for a surprise return to England with Leeds United.
THE ATHLETIC
Tensions at academy level between Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have led to scouts being denied access to youth games.
DAILY RECORD
FCSB owner Gigi Bacali has revealed they plan to rest players for their Europa League clash with Rangers as he puts Bucharest derbies at the top of his agenda.
Darren Bent has told Rangers that a return to Sunderland is the only path out of Ajax that "makes sense" for Jordan Henderson.
THE SCOTTISH SUN
A Highland businessman will meet the Caley Thistle board in a last-ditch bid to buy the stricken club and avert administration.
Football Talk
West Ham United indicate interest in signing Flamengo centre-back Léo Ortiz
West Ham United have indicated interest in signing Brazilian centre-back Léo Ortiz from Flamengo to bolster Julen Lopetegui’s backline, according to Brazilian journalist, Bruno Lemos.
The 28-year-old has been an ever-present figure in Filipe Luís’ defence this season, featuring in 41 matches across all competitions. His commanding presence at the back has helped the Mengão keep four consecutive clean sheets in his last four matches in the Brazilian Serie A.
As per Lemos, Ortiz’s performances have ignited the interest of West Ham, who have identified the Brazilian as a prime target ahead of the January window.
However, the Hammers face stern competition from Italian sides, Juventus and Fiorentina, who have also joined the race to sign the experienced centre-half, according to the Brazilian transfer guru.
The 28-year-old is contracted to the seven-time Brazilian champions until 2028 with a valuation of €9m (£7m) by Transfermarkt — a fee that is very much within the Hammers’ reach.
Experienced centre-back
West Ham have had a mixed start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. After spending €144 (£120m) in the transfer window, sitting in 12th place after seven matches with only two victories recorded so far is not where the Hammers may have expected to be at this time of the season.
Although a convincing 4-1 victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town may have taken pressure off Lopetegui after a run of five games without a win, the overall team cohesion remains a worrying concern.
One of the areas of the pitch that has proved to be troublesome has been the defence. The Hammers have kept only two clean sheets in nine matches across all competitions and have conceded 11 goals in the Premier League, the third most by any team in the top 15.
Despite already adding Maximilian Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to their defence in the summer, adding a top-level experienced defender like Ortiz would provide Lopetegui’s backline with the much-needed coordination.
With the report adding that the East London club had tried to sign him in previous windows, it appears the time might just be right to present a concrete offer for the Brazilian ace to help salvage their defensive concerns in the winter transfer window.
The 4th Official
West Ham United Have Set Their Sights On This Talented Defender: Should Lopetegui Go For Him?
West Ham United have set their sights on Flamengo defender Leo Ortiz as they look to strengthen their squad next year.
In a recent tweet, journalist Bruno Lemos mentioned that West Ham United have set their sights on Flamengo defender Leo Ortiz. It has been claimed that the Hammers would have to rival Fiorentina and Juventus in the race to land the Brazilian centre-half.
Ortiz’s Impressive Form In Brazilian Football
Ortiz has been a dominant presence at the heart of Flamengo’s defence recently after he managed to put in a run of impressive displays for them in the Brazilian Serie A. The Porto Alegre-born talent has made 31 appearances for the Brazilian outfit thus far, scoring one goal and grabbing two assists in all competitions.
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The 28-year-old has been a rock at the back for Flamengo based on his average of 1.1 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 1.6 clearances per 90 minutes in the Brazilian Serie A. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from inside his half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 87.4% in the top tier of Brazilian football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Brazilian club will run out at the end of 2028 which could make it difficult for West Ham to snap him up on the cheap next year.
Should West Ham United Boss Julen Lopetegui Go For Ortiz?
Ortiz loves a tackle and can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive.
The Brazilian sensation can even use his strong 1.85m frame to win his fair share of aerial duels. However, he would need some time to cope with the high intensity of the Premier League if the Hammers manage to get a deal done for him next year.
We can expect Ortiz to add more quality and depth to West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui’s defence. He has what it takes to compete for a regular starting place at the London Stadium in the coming years.
At 28, Ortiz is playing in his prime which makes him a decent choice for the East London club to pursue in 2025. All in all, Lopetegui would be wise to go for a player of his quality this January or at the end of this season.