BBC
Manchester United are not expecting any club to meet their £70m valuation of England forward Marcus Rashford, 26, this summer. (ESPN)
Paris St-Germain have cooled their interest in Rashford and will pursue other transfer targets before the summer window. (i Sport)
Rashford has told Manchester United he does not want to leave the club and is focused on finding his form. (TBR Football)
Meanwhile, United manager Erik ten Hag, 54, does not know if he will be in charge at Old Trafford next season. (HITC)
Arsenal have offered Italy midfielder Jorginho, whose current deal expires in June, a new contract and the 32-year-old is expected to sign it. (Athletic - subscription required)
West Ham will face competition from AC Milan for Lille manager Paulo Fonseca, with the 51-year-old seen as a potential replacement for Hammers boss David Moyes. (i Sport)
Scotsman Moyes, 61, has attracted interest from Spartak Moscow amid uncertainty over his future at West Ham. (Mail)
Austria's former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick wants to be the new Bayern Munich manager, with talks expected to be held on Wednesday. (Bild - in German)
Chelsea and England forward Raheem Sterling, 29, has not had any contact with the Saudi Pro League about a summer transfer, however, the Blues would be willing to sell on-loan Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, 30, to them. (Caughtoffside)
Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 29, has hinted he will consider his future at Manchester United after Euro 2024, but for now he is focused on the FA Cup final and the tournament in Germany this summer. (Danz Portugal - in Portuguese)
A number of clubs in Saudi Arabia are interested in Barcelona's 21-year-old Spain forward Ansu Fati, who is currently on loan at Brighton, and former France defender Clement Lenglet, 28, who is on loan at Aston Villa. (Sport - in Spanish)
Manchester United are still planning to sell English forward Mason Greenwood, 22, this summer, with a final decision to be made at the end of the season. (Fabrizio Romano)
Chelsea have denied that they paid for Ruben Amorim's flight to London last week, or that they had any meetings with the 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon boss. (Matt Law, Telegraph, via X)
Borussia Dortmund want to keep Ian Maatsen at the club beyond this season following the 22-year-old Dutch winger's successful loan spell from Chelsea. (Fabrizio Romano)
Leicester have held talks with 37-year-old English striker Jamie Vardy about extending his stay at the club. (Mail)
Crystal Palace are likely to sell Republic of Ireland Under-21s midfielder Killian Phillips, 22, in the summer transfer window. (Teamtalk)
English midfielder Callum O'Hare, 25, who is a target for Aston Villa and West Ham, has told Coventry City he will leave the club on a free transfer this summer. (Football Insider)
Rangers have held talks with right-back Ben Johnson, who has also attracted interest from Crystal Palace and Leeds United, with the 24-year-old expected to leave West Ham United as a free agent at the end of the season after rejecting multiple new contract offers. (The Athletic)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MAIL
Arne Slot has identified £50m-rated Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners as his first signing once he is confirmed as Liverpool's replacement for Jurgen Klopp.
Harry Kane believes Jude Bellingham was trying to talk him into missing his penalty during Bayern Munich's compelling 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Tom Lockyer says he has made peace with never playing football again if doctors tell him to quit following his cardiac arrest.
Bruno Fernandes has hinted he could consider a shock departure from Manchester United this summer in an interview with a Portuguese outlet but says talk of his future will be on the back burner until Euro 2024 is out of the way.
Manchester United have received allegations that "scumbag" fans have been posing as disabled supporters to gain access to away fixtures this season.
Premier League referees are set to use the stadium PA system to explain VAR decisions after visiting their pitch-side monitor, PGMOL chief Howard Webb has confirmed.
Former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will lead the nation's Governmental commission looking into the Spanish Football Federation after a corruption probe.
THE SUN
Everton face being plunged into administration - landing them a nine point hit.
Jamie Vardy is set to have another crack at the Premier League after agreeing terms on a one-year deal to stay at Leicester City for their return to the top division.
Manchester United fans were left fuming after an apparent online leak of their new blue away shirt featuring new sponsor Snapdragon which some said looked more like a cricket kit.
Spartak Moscow made a shock enquiry about the availability of West Ham boss David Moyes earlier in April as they look to replace Spaniard Guille Abascal.
Several teams are ready to make their move to sign Romelu Lukaku this summer, when Chelsea will look to sell the striker rather than loan him out again, while Roma could look to former Blue Michy Batshuayi as his replacement.
Iain Dowie has thanked those who helped save his life after he suffered a "big cardiac arrest" during a spin class at his local gym.
Nicky Butt potentially faces a jail sentence or a heavy financial penalty after pleading guilty to a charge of causing serious injury by careless driving in court on Tuesday.
Mercedes are preparing a record-breaking £128m-per-year deal to sign Red Bull's multiple world champion Max Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton's replacement, according to sources in Austria.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Newcastle United are set to move ahead with plans to redevelop and expand St James' Park after completing a feasibility study into what can be done to modernise their historic stadium.
Bristol City Women's chief executive Gavin Marshall says the competitiveness of women's leagues is being badly hindered by inadequate compensation fees when academy products are snapped up by other clubs.
Monty Panesar has revealed he wants to be Prime Minister one day after launching his political career as part of George Galloway's Workers Party of Britain - he will stand for election in the Ealing Southall constituency.
Olympic medal hopefuls are privately warning of anti-China protests in Paris this summer amid mounting outrage over the "contamination" doping-test furore around 23 swimmers prior to the previous Games in Tokyo.
Montpellier will go ahead with their signing of Billy Vunipola from Saracens this summer despite the negative headlines around his arrest in Spain last weekend.
Organisers are not expecting LIV Golf chief Greg Norman to attend the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon this summer but the R&A's Mike Woodcock said the controversial Australian was "welcome to check out resale platforms".
THE TIMES
Premier League officials have still not approved Chelsea's sale of two hotels to a sister company for £76.5m 10 months after it was executed, leaving questions about the club's compliance with PSR rules.
Players contesting The Open at Royal Troon in July will face the longest hole in the tournament's history, after the 15th was lengthened to 623 yards for the 152nd edition, and the shortest with the eighth potentially playing just 99 yards.
THE ATHLETIC
Declan Rice has revealed he joined Arsenal over Manchester City last summer because he preferred the project put to him by the Gunners which offered him more midfield freedom.
Rangers have opened talks with West Ham defender Ben Johnson over a potential move to Ibrox when his contract expires in the summer.
DAILY EXPRESS
Liverpool have reportedly pulled the plug on any end-of-season parade with their hopes of Jurgen Klopp's farewell including a Premier League title appearing now to be unlikely.
Alvaro Fernandez is set to be the first permanent departure from Manchester United at the end of the season amid reports in Portugal that he will join current loan club Benfica for just over £5m.
DAILY MIRROR
Paul Parker has urged his former club Manchester United to forget about signing Ivan Toney from Brentford this summer and instead go "all in" for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins.
THE GUARDIAN
Any attempt at resurrecting plans to stage Premier League fixtures outside England and Wales will be met with vehement "studs to the knee" opposition, the Football Supporters' Association have said.
Zambia's women face being barred from playing in this summer's Olympic Games soccer tournament after FIFA threatened the country's FA with suspension amid accusations of money-laundering offences against its president Andrew Kamanga and "undue influence by third parties".
DAILY RECORD
Fabio Silva will not be returning to Rangers when his loan spell from Wolves expires in the summer according to reports in his native Portugal.
Scotland fans will have one final chance to snap up "gold dust" Euro 2024 tickets when organisers put 100,000 more up for sale on Thursday morning.
Dundee United supporters groups have sent a combined warning to fans that they should stay off the Tannadice pitch on Friday night or face not being able to see the club publicly receive their Championship trophy after two previous invasions.
Rangers will find out in June whether they have been granted planning permission for a statue of club legend Walter Smith on land between the corner of the Copland Road Stand and New Edmiston House.
THE SCOTSMAN
Inter Milan are ready to make a summer move for Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley according to reports in Italy which says Serie A clubs are looking to Scotland for value signings.
The Athletic
Will West Ham fans wish Lucas Paqueta well when he leaves? That depends on him
By Roshane Thomas
History shows that West Ham United have had enough experience losing star players, but how one leaves often determines the way they are viewed years later.
This summer, Manchester City are expected to reignite their interest in Lucas Paqueta when his £85million ($106.8m) release clause becomes active in June. Although the 26-year-old is still under investigation by the FA for alleged betting breaches, his departure seems inevitable and the manner in which he leaves will decide whether or not he will be viewed favourably by supporters.
For example, before Declan Rice joined Arsenal in July for £105m ($132m), he was determined to help West Ham avoid relegation in the Premier League and lift the UEFA Conference League trophy as captain. He fulfilled both objectives and, despite being booed by a smattering of fans during February’s 6-0 loss to Arsenal, he was applauded off the field having refused to celebrate his goal. Post-West Ham, he still mentions his love for the club and how appreciative he is of the support he received from manager David Moyes.
Joe Cole is another who still receives a warm reception whenever he returns to the London Stadium for punditry. He was the prodigious talent who former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign when he was 14. He was made captain aged 21 by Glenn Roeder and joined Chelsea for £6.6m after West Ham’s relegation in 2003. There was no bitter departure — just acceptance that a player of Cole’s quality deserved to test himself at a higher level. When he returned in January 2013, it was a case of Cole returning home.
Contrast that with Jermain Defoe, who infamously handed in a transfer request a day after West Ham were relegated in 2003. “When I look back at it now, I think I was maybe naive at the time,” Defoe told Sky Sports in 2020. “As a young player, you should never ask to leave the football club and hand in a transfer request. It was a massive regret.”
Paul Ince started his career at West Ham, but he has never been forgiven for being photographed in a Manchester United shirt before his transfer in 1989 was completed. When Ince returned to the Boleyn Ground in May 1994 with Manchester United aiming to win the Premier League, West Ham fans taunted him with banners carrying the word “Judas”.
Dimitri Payet refused to train or play and went on strike before forcing a return to Marseille in 2017, while Marko Arnautovic submitted a transfer request in 2019 to force a move to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port. Payet and Arnautovic are fondly remembered for their performances on the field, but their departures still leave a sour taste.
Paqueta does not need to immerse himself into West Ham history to influence how he should conduct himself in the forthcoming weeks, but it is worth mentioning that the playmaker does not intend to force an exit this summer. He remained professional when the club were reluctant to sell him to City last summer — after rejecting an opening bid of €70million (£59.8m; $75.1m).
Paqueta is a player that can do extraordinary things, a talent that can thrive on big occasions and one that has been polished into a diamond under Moyes.
In possession, it is part of Paqueta’s role to create and make risky passes, so naturally, it is unsurprising that he sometimes loses possession of the ball.
The data shows Paqueta’s turnover rate (possession lost as a share of total touches) of 29 per cent is less than Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, and only just above average compared with his positional peers.
Paqueta’s starting position is mainly the left flank and most of his passes are targeted towards the penalty spot.
He has 1.3 open-play chances created per 90 in the Premier League — more than any other West Ham player with 900+ mins. A rate of 0.19 open-play expected assists (the xG value of the shot assisted) per 90 suggests he is creating chances worthy of an assist once every five games.
Paqueta will be aware of the need to be more consistent, as compared with other left/right/central attacking midfielders (with 900+ mins), he is ranked 23rd on the list compared with his peers like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who, for context, is highest on 0.35 xA.
Paqueta’s ascent to becoming West Ham’s club-record signing (for a fee of £51m) in the summer of 2022 has not been easy. He was close to quitting his boyhood club Flamengo as a youngster. When he left the Brazilian side in 2018 to join AC Milan, he then failed to settle during his two-year spell.
It was at Lyon where Paqueta belatedly rediscovered the promising form he had shown at Flamengo. He left for London having scored 21 goals and provided 13 assists in 80 appearances for Lyon across all competitions. West Ham missed out on transfer targets Matheus Nunes, who joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Sporting Lisbon, and Amadou Onana, who joined Everton from Ligue 1 side Lille, which led to Paqueta’s arrival.
This season, the Brazil international has scored eight goals and provided seven assists across 40 appearances. In 2022-23, he amassed five goals and seven assists in 43 appearances.
“I have grown this season and have got better and better,” said Paqueta. “My evolution was important from last season to this one. I have to do my work here at West Ham. I have an enormous respect for the club. I’m very happy here and if I don’t say that, I’d be lying.
“What has been said about Man City is all stuff from the previous transfer window. Now it’s about finishing the season and to wait and see what will happen.”
How Paqueta will be viewed by supporters is also dependent on his performances in the remaining league games against Chelsea, Luton Town and Manchester City.
The Brazilian’s form has tailed off since his goal in the 2-1 away win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of April. He also failed to attend his team’s Europa League quarter-final second-leg tie against Bayer Leverkusen last month. Fellow suspended player Emerson Palmieri was present, so too were injured goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and Southampton loanee Flynn Downes.
There have been happier moments, like his assist for Bowen in last season’s Europa Conference League final triumph over Fiorentina, fans crooning their version of the We Buy Any Car advert song and leaving Aaron Cresswell in sheer excitement at an outrageous piece of skill.
A summer move seems right for all parties, especially if West Ham are unable to offer European football next summer. A big sale could potentially allow them to rebuild their squad with a new manager, with Moyes’ long-term future still unclear.
Rice and Cole are just two examples of how to leave gracefully. Paqueta will hope to follow suit, otherwise, it may put a stain on his time at West Ham.
West Ham United hopeful Aaron Cresswell will stay, Ben Johnson expected to leave
By Roshane Thomas
West Ham United are hopeful Aaron Cresswell will remain at the club for another season, but fellow full-back Ben Johnson is expected to leave when his current deal expires.
Cresswell, 34, is entering the final months of his current deal, which does not include a one-year option.
The defender has received limited game time this season, with Emerson Palmieri considered the first-choice left-back. Last summer West Ham rejected Wolverhampton Wanderers’ £1m offer for the England international.
Should the full-back extend his stay at the London Stadium, it is unlikely he will receive a testimonial due to costs. The last West Ham player to receive a testimonial was Mark Noble in 2016.
Johnson, meanwhile, is set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, with Rangers one of a number of clubs interested.
The 24-year-old’s representatives have held talks with the Scottish side and has also attracted interest from Crystal Palace and Championship side Leeds United.
The right-back has rejected multiple contract offers from West Ham. Their recent offer was a four-year package, but both parties failed to reach an agreement. In February 2022, the versatile defender turned down a six-and-a-half-year deal.
The former England under-21 international has made 22 appearances this season, but most have been cameo appearances from the bench having struggled to dislodge first-choice right-back Vladimir Coufal.
Johnson won the young player of the year award in 2021 and won both the UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA European U21 Championship in the summer of 2023.
This felt like the end of an era for West Ham and David Moyes - clarity is needed soon
Sport Witness
West Ham set to extend outcast’s contract – Hammers don’t want him… they just want a fee
By Naveen Ullal
Nathan Trott has made only one appearance for West Ham United and that was in the FA Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers in January 2021.
West Ham signed the goalkeeper for their academy in 2016 and a lack of opportunities in their first team resulted in him going out on loan. He’s been on loan at Vejle Boldklub since 2022.
Trott has kept six clean sheets and conceded 32 goals from 27 games for the Danish club this season and his form hasn’t gone unnoticed.
That’s according to Tipsbladet, who state the West Ham man has received ‘concrete interest’ from several Danish clubs while a few other foreign clubs have also shown interest in him.
The 25-year-old’s deal at the London club lasts until the end of this season and the report states it’s a ‘dream’ for the interested parties to sign him on a free transfer in the summer window. That won’t be an easy task.
Earlier this year, the stopper revealed the Premier League side have an option to extend his deal for two more years.
Tipsbladet now claim ‘everything points to’ West Ham activating that option, in order to help them earn a fee. There’s no deadline and the Hammers have time until the end of June, to extend Trott’s contract until 2026.
In short, West Ham are in control of Trott’s future and want a fee.
