Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could sign an extension to his contract even if the club loses its legal battle against 115 alleged breaches of financial rules. (Athletic - subscription required)
Sporting's Portuguese boss Ruben Amorim, 39, and Bayer Leverkusen's Spanish head coach Xabi Alonso, 42, top Manchester City's list to replace Guardiola if he decides to leave. (Mail)
Liverpool have accepted that Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, will not sign a new contract and are looking to negotiate a sale to Real Madrid in January. (Marca)
Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested in England full-back Alexander-Arnold. (Talksport )
Manchester City's pursuit of Wolves' Algeria left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, 23, has been boosted by their appointment of Hugo Viana as sporting director. (Mail - subscription required)
Barcelona rejected a 250m euro (£208m) offer from Paris St-Germain in the summer for their 17-year-old Spain winger Lamine Yamal. (Goal)
Arsenal and Manchester City are among the admirers of 23-year-old Atalanta and Belgium midfielder Charles de Ketelaere. (Caught Offside)
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is keen to sign Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 27, in January as he attempts to rebuild his midfield. (Sport - in Spanish)
Manchester United are interested in RB Leipzig and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 21, who is expected to depart the Bundesliga club next summer. (Mail - subscription required)
Bayer Leverkusen and Germany defender Jonathan Tah, 28, Canada and Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies, 23, and Lille and Canada forward Jonathan David, 24, are being tracked by Barcelona. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Real Madrid have lined up Bayer Leverkusen and Netherlands full-back Jeremie Frimpong, 23, as a target if they are not able to sign Alexander-Arnold. (Marca )
Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei, 21, has been advised by Italy Under-21 boss Carmine Nunziata to consider his Blues future in January if he is not getting game time. (Rai Radio 1 via Metro)
New England boss Thomas Tuchel could make approaches for staff currently at his former club Chelsea, with the German, 51, keen to assemble a new backroom team that he trusts. (Mail)
Former Liverpool and Rangers winger Ryan Kent, 27, has had his contract terminated by Fenerbahce after falling out of favour under manager Jose Mourinho. (Daily Record )
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MAIL
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was not among the 10 candidates the FA say they interviewed for the England job - because they could not afford him.
The FA are on a collision course with top-flight clubs over plans to play two lucrative England friendlies in the USA next summer.
Chelsea have trademarked a new emblem ahead of their 120th anniversary with its designers describing how it is intended to symbolise their status as 'London's true club'.
Ireland have asked UEFA to host additional 2028 European Championship matches after Northern Ireland's Casement Park ground was ruled out as a tournament venue due to staggering refurbishment costs.
Former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin could be set for a surprise return to English football six years after leaving the Gunners.
THE ATHLETIC
Sources who know Pep Guardiola believe that if Manchester City were to be found guilty and severely punished by the Premier League over their 115 financial charges, it would make it more likely that he would sign a contract extension.
Senior Manchester United officials met members of The 1958 fan protest group for the first time at Old Trafford this week.
Manchester City are set to appoint Therese Sjogran as their new women's director of football.
DAILY MIRROR
Thomas Tuchel was reportedly eyeing up a return to the Premier League before accepting the England job.
Manchester United look set to be left frustrated in their pursuit of Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies.
Jurgen Klopp has set his sights on young Barcelona duo Aleix Garrido and Noah Darvich as he prepares to start his new role at Red Bull.
Liverpool have been given a huge boost with Mohamed Salah potentially not needed for Egypt during the next international break - as they continue talks over extending his contract at Anfield.
The proud mum of Thomas Tuchel believes it is 'written in the stars' for her son to win the World Cup for England.
Ex-Arsenal stars Bernd Leno and Alex Iwobi were crucial to Emile Smith Rowe's move to Fulham this summer.
THE GUARDIAN
Thomas Tuchel is not expected to attend Premier League matches to scout players before he begins his role as England's head coach on 1 January.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Jordan Pickford faces a fight to hold on to his place as England's undisputed No 1 for the 2026 World Cup under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
THE SUN
Ederson says Manchester City already know the man they want to replace Pep Guardiola.
Frazer Clarke has revealed that a leading surgeon was woken up in order to treat him after his brutal knockout by Fabio Wardley.
Howard Webb has revealed that the Premier League is trialling a radical new corner rule.
THE TIMES
Red Bull have been accused of cheating by altering the ride height of their car in between qualifying and the race.
Thomas Tuchel is planning to return to his former employers at Chelsea when he assembles his new England backroom staff, with performance analyst James Melbourne expected to join the FA and goalkeeping coach Henrique Hilário also under strong consideration.
Clubs in the top two divisions of women's football want to allow fans to drink beer at their seats while watching matches.
The Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has insisted that the club are well prepared for life after Pep Guardiola and have already lined up a successor if the manager decides to leave at the end of the season.
DAILY RECORD
Cameron Carter-Vickers is back in training ahead of Celtic's top-of-the-table clash with Aberdeen.
Lawrence Shankland has handed new Hearts boss Neil Critchley a major boost by returning from the hamstring injury that forced him out of the Scotland squad.
SCOTTISH SUN
Hampden chiefs are ready to step up their fight against pyro louts - with ten-year Football Banning Orders on the table at Holyrood.
Rangers are one of a number of top European sides on transfer alert tonight after former Ibrox hero Ryan Kent agreed a mutual termination of his contract with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
Simo Valakari faces a race against time to make a St Johnstone dugout debut as he is still waiting for his work permit.
Aberdeen hero Bojan Miovski insists his two-year stint at Pittodrie changed his life and enjoyed his time there so much he has refused to rule out a potential, emotional return.
Duncan Ferguson admits his young Inverness Caledonian Thistle squad are in "shock" after PFA Scotland CEO Fraser Wishart visited to lay bare the dire implications of administration.
Football Insider
West Ham plotting to sign Vangelis Pavlidis amid ‘tough negotiation’ – sources
Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent
West Ham are plotting a move to sign Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis in the January window, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that Benfica are expected to demand big money for the striker, and negotiations could prove tough for the Hammers.
Julen Lopetegui oversaw a summer spending spree upon his arrival at the club, and therefore will now be wary of over-spending and risking financial breaches, further complicating a deal.
West Ham have been tracking the 25-year-old Greece international for a while now, having shown an interest during the summer before his £15.8million move to Benfica.
Now, amid growing concerns surrounding the fitness and form of Niclas Fullkrug, they have turned their attention back to the striker’s signature.
Sources say the Hammers initially aimed to bring in another forward on top of Fullkrug in the summer transfer window but were unable to land a deal.
Pavlidis’ two-goal display against England at Wembley is said to have caught the eye of previously interested sides including West Ham, and they are now expected to explore the possibility of a deal.
West Ham plotting January swoop to sign Vangelis Pavlidis
This comes after former Hammers scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that they are among a number of clubs keeping tabs on Pavlidis.
Fullkrug’s struggles at the beginning of his West Ham career mean Lopetegui’s side are still in need of a striker, and are continuing to monitor their options.
On top of those issues, the futures of both Michail Antonio and Danny Ings remain up in the air with both strikers likely to depart at the end of the season when their contracts expire.
Pavlidis is a name they know well given their summer interest before his move to Portugal, and that interest has now been reignited.
Since joining Benfica, the Greece international has found the net twice in nine appearances, but his record of 80 goals in 137 appearances for AZ inspired interest from across Europe.
Lopetegui has come under increasing pressure after winning just two of the Hammers’ opening seven games of the season so far.
This has partly been due to the difficulties his squad have faced after a summer overhaul. – but he is hopeful a new striker in January will see an upturn in form in the second half of the season.
The Athletic
Niclas Fullkrug’s injury absence is only exacerbating his slow start at West Ham
By Roshane Thomas
There were plenty of smiles as the West Ham United players left the home dressing room after the 4-1 win against Ipswich Town in their final game before this international break, but there was one exit which offered little encouragement.
Niclas Fullkrug was walking with a limp as he left the London Stadium. In different circumstances, the 31-year-old striker would have been heading off on international duty with Germany. Instead, he missed their matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands and will also be unavailable for Saturday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur as he continues to nurse a calf injury.
Fullkrug first sustained the knock while representing his country in September. The initial diagnosis was not considered to be serious and he returned to light training before the 1-1 draw against Fulham, West Ham’s first match after that international break. But he has suffered a setback with his recovery.
The £27million ($35.1m at the current exchange rate) summer signing from Borussia Dortmund last featured against Manchester City on August 31. He has only played 63 minutes in the Premier League, having missed West Ham’s past five matches in all competitions.
“Fullkrug is out because he’s still recovering from his injury,” West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui told reporters on Thursday. “He initially thought he had one non-important injury, but he has had complications and we are waiting for him to get better.
“We thought he would be out for a maximum of two weeks, but he has been out for over a month and a half. Hopefully, he will be ready in the next few weeks, but right now, he is out. I don’t know how long he will be out. We will see.”
West Ham are entitled to compensation from football’s global governing body FIFA, as outlined by its club protection programme, an insurance policy which covers the risk of players suffering injuries while playing international football. But it will do little to make amends for Fullkrug’s slow start to life at the London Stadium.
Fullkrug’s due diligence before making the move from last season’s Champions League runners-up involved canvassing the opinions of former West Ham players Sebastien Haller, who was a team-mate at Dortmund last season, and Thilo Kehrer, a fellow German international.
Following that victory over promoted Ipswich, he posted a picture on his Instagram captioned: “Big win at home, can’t wait to be back.”
But with a return date unclear, captain Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio will continue to deputise up front in Fullkrug’s absence. Antonio returned to training on Thursday, having started for Jamaica in a CONCACAF Nations League fixture at home against Honduras in the early hours of Tuesday UK time.
The 34-year-old, who is into the final year of his contract, has started six of West Ham’s seven league games and scored his first goal of the season against Ipswich. Lopetegui has trusted him to lead the line in Fullkrug’s absence — Bowen is often tasked with the lone striker role once Antonio has been substituted during games, but the England international is better suited to his natural position on the right flank.
Last season, Bowen registered 20 goals and 10 assists across 44 appearances, his best return for the club since joining from Hull City in January 2020.
But it could have all been different for West Ham had they landed the striker who was their first-choice transfer target this summer. They turned to Fullkrug when their £30million offer for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran was rejected. The 20-year-old Colombia international certainly seemed interested in the move, having faced disciplinary action at Villa after he made West Ham’s famous ‘Irons’ crossed-forearms gesture on Instagram Live.
West Ham needed a youthful offensive presence. It is why Atletico Madrid forward Samu Omorodion, another 20-year-old, was also considered. He joined Porto of Portugal instead and has seven goals in as many games for them, including two against Manchester United in the Europa League. He also hit four goals for Spain Under-21s against their counterparts from Malta on Tuesday.
Despite a total summer expenditure of more than £120million, Fullkrug was the only forward West Ham signed to challenge Antonio and Danny Ings for a starting berth. When the recruitment team, led by technical director Tim Steidten, went through the shortlist of potential additions up front, he emerged as the best option.
Despite his age, Fullkrug’s goalscoring record for Germany (14 in 22 caps), Werder Bremen (49 in 124 appearances) and Dortmund (15 in 43) was viewed favourably by countryman Steidten. The duo also previously worked together at Bremen.
Fullkrug’s only West Ham start so far was in the Carabao Cup win against Bournemouth. Although his performance during 74 minutes on the London Stadium pitch that night was underwhelming, he aspires to excite fans and form a great understanding with Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta.
“I am confident that I will be able to perform at my best and score lots of goals,” Fullkrug told West Ham’s website. “I have a very good feeling — I’m strong, fit and in shape — and I just want to get out there and start playing. I need assists, too. I’m not a guy who will dribble past five players. I am capable with both feet and have good aerial ability. These are my strengths.”
There was a period earlier in Fullkrug’s career where injuries also curtailed his impact. Between 2018 and 2021, he missed 61 matches for Hannover and Bremen with issues including a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee and a broken toe and was largely unable to play without pain. From 2021 onwards, calf and knee problems have caused him to sit out more matches.
West Ham have repeatedly struggled to recruit a proven No 9, with Haller and Gianluca Scamacca recent examples of this. Fullkrug’s redeeming feature is his ability to bounce back. Once he recovered from that ACL injury suffered in September 2019, he scored six goals across 19 league appearances for Bremen in the 2020-21 season.
Other West Ham strikers have also endured slow starts, only for their fortune to change.
Carlos Tevez did not score until his 20th game for the club but ended that 2006-07 season with seven goals, playing a key role in them avoiding relegation from the Premier League. Andy Carroll scored in his ninth appearance in November 2012 and finished his seven-year West Ham career with 34 goals from 142 appearances. And it was not until David Moyes, in his first spell as the manager in 2017-18, transitioned Marko Arnautovic from a wide player into a centre-forward that he started to earn the supporters’ approval.
Only time will tell if Fullkrug follows suit.