BBC
Chelsea want as much as £70m for England midfielder Mason Mount, 24, despite him entering the final year of his contract. (Athletic - subscription required)
Mount is interested in joining Bayern Munich and being reunited with his former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. (Guardian)
German champions Bayern Munich are close to completing a deal for Chelsea's English assistant coach Anthony Barry. (90min)
West Ham United's Declan Rice, 24, is not a target for Bayern and they did not hold a meeting with the England midfielder's representatives last week. (Sky Sports Germany)
Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal have offered to make Paris St-Germain's Argentina forward Lionel Messi, 35, the world's highest-paid player. (Mirror)
Major League Soccer club Inter Miami are hopeful of signing Messi and Barcelona's Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets, 34, next season. (Sport - in Spanish)
Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane, 29, remains Manchester United's top striker target but Ajax's Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus, 22, and Benfica and Portugal's Goncalo Ramos, 21, are among their other options. (Manchester Evening News)
Manchester United's hopes of signing Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 25, could be boosted by Barcelona's pursuit of Manchester City's Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, 32. (Mirror)
Gundogan's agent has denied the Manchester City captain has made a decision on his future, although he is "open" to a move away. (Guardian)
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, 36, has emerged as a leading contender for Tottenham Hotspur as they seek a successor to Antonio Conte. (Sun)
West Ham are likely to part company with manager David Moyes at the end of the season, regardless of whether the club avoids relegation. (90min)
Leeds United could turn to former Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira in the summer if Spanish boss Javi Gracia - appointed as Jesse Marsch's successor until the end of the season - does not stay on. (TalkSPORT)
Manchester City's Spain defender Aymeric Laporte, 28, is a target for Paris St-Germain. (Football Insider)
Chelsea and Tottenham are set to battle to sign Inter Milan and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, 23, this summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
Spurs may look to make the loan deal for Barcelona and France defender Clement Lenglet, 27, a permanent deal for around 14m euros (£12.3m), with the centre-back no longer in Barcelona's plans. (Sport - in Spanish)
Arsenal will try to sign Barcelona and Spain defender Eric Garcia, 22, again in the summer after being rejected by the player in the January transfer window. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Manchester City and Paris St-Germain have made initial bids for Hajduk Split and Croatia defender Luka Vuskovic, 16, but the Croatian side are in no rush to agree a deal because they know a host of clubs across Europe are interested. (90min.com)
Brighton's 18-year-old Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson wants to continue his development with the Seagulls, despite interest from several Premier League clubs. (Sun)
Several Premier League teams are interested in Barcelona's Denmark centre-back Andreas Christensen, 26. (ESPN)
Barcelona's 20-year-old Spain forward Ansu Fati remains keen to succeed at the La Liga club despite his lack of playing time. (AS - in Spanish)
Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, 32, says he is still happy at Manchester United as talks over a new deal at the club continue. (Sky Sports)
Leeds United and Spain forward Rodrigo Moreno, 32, could leave the club this summer if they are relegated. (Football Insider)
France forward Olivier Giroud, 36, is set to sign a new deal with AC Milan that will run until 2024. (Fabrizio Romano)
AC Milan have been offered Guinea midfielder Naby Keita, 28, ahead of his exit from Liverpool this summer when his contract expires. (Calciomercato - in Italian)
Jose Mourinho has told Roma he wants to honour his contract, which runs until 2024. There had been rumours the Portuguese boss would leave the club amid interest from Paris St-Germain. (Corriere dello Sport - subscription required)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal have offered to make Lionel Messi the world's highest-paid player in a proposed deal that would eclipse that of Cristiano Ronaldo at rivals Al Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo was rebuffed after attempting to wrest control of the Manchester United captaincy from Harry Maguire as the situation at Old Trafford deteriorated last season.
THE SUN
A report in Spain has claimed Real Madrid have placed Reece James "top of their transfer wishlist".
Arsenal are ready to rival Barcelona in the race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, according to reports.
Chelsea are reportedly plotting to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Inter Milan and in doing so blocking a return to Barcelona.
Vincent Kompany has emerged as a leading contender to become Tottenham's new boss.
Manchester United are exploring an Old Trafford revamp, according to reports.
Thomas Frank says he is flattered to be touted as Antonio Conte's replacement at Tottenham but insisted he is happy at Brentford.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Premier League clubs have avoided £470m in tax since 2015, according to a financial think tank alleging "improper and possibly illegal behaviour" across the game.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has pulled off a major coup by landing the highly rated Felix Jones, who was a key cog in South Africa's 2019 World Cup triumph.
DAILY MAIL
Chelsea will reportedly demand £70m from clubs who are interested in signing Mason Mount this summer.
Manchester United are reportedly considering a move for Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel while they attempt to sign David De Gea to a new deal.
Lionel Messi has reaffirmed to Argentina team-mates that he is inclined to extend his contract at PSG before exploring a move to Major League Soccer.
Morgan Schneiderlin admits he's still angry at himself for wasting his opportunity at Manchester United.
Tottenham chief Fabio Paratici has jetted back to England to face growing uncertainty over his future after he was hit with a global ban from football.
Manchester United's latest financial figures illustrate that the Glazers' reported asking price of £6bn is far too high.
Brighton will discuss a new deal for striker Evan Ferguson this summer to reward his excellent progress.
THE TIMES
West Brom's auditors have stated there is a "material uncertainty" over the company continuing as a going concern because of a lack of guarantees over finances.
The Olympic athletes Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie decided enough was enough and quit their training camp in South Africa after an argument over using a hire car to visit a coffee shop for a drink.
DAILY EXPRESS
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's eye-watering bid to buy Manchester United will reportedly not face any issues with the new, stricter owners' and directors' test.
Tottenham have reportedly identified Brighton's Evan Ferguson as a long-term successor to Harry Kane.
Leeds could reignite interest in Patrick Vieira and make him their next manager in the summer, according to reports.
The Premier League has reportedly rejected a £15m proposal by Netflix to make a documentary about the 20 top-flight clubs.
Liverpool are admirers of Chelsea defender Levi Colwill and could look to sign the central defender this summer if the Blues are willing to do business, according to reports.
THE INDEPENDENT
Tottenham forward Bethany England has been told not to give up on her dream of representing England at this summer's World Cup.
THE ATHLETIC
The Professional Footballers' Association will launch a campaign this summer to warn players of the risks of using snus.
West Brom's directors have effectively written off the £5m loan the Championship club's owner Guochuan Lai paid to one of his Chinese companies in June 2021, signalling their belief that it is never coming back.
Aston Villa could welcome Boubacar Kamara back for the trip to Chelsea as his recovery has gone quicker than planned.
THE GUARDIAN
Ilkay Gundogan's agent has denied the Manchester City midfielder has made a decision on his future after repeated suggestions that the Germany international is joining Barcelona this summer.
Mason Mount is interested in joining Bayern Munich and reuniting with Thomas Tuchel after the former Chelsea manager was appointed by the German club last week.
DAILY STAR
Arsenal have announced their intention to fight ticket touting - with tickets for their final game of the season selling for as much as £50,000.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic's hopes of wrapping up a quick fire title will not be delayed by the coronation of King Charles.
Lee Johnson fears it will take Middle East millions for the Premiership's lesser lights to wrestle power away from Scotland's west coast.
SCOTTISH SUN
Alfredo Morelos has narrowed his next destination down to two clubs, Aston Villa and Sevilla, it's being reported.
Reo Hatate is set to miss Celtic's return to Premiership action at Dingwall on Sunday to ensure he's 100 percent fit for the Old Firm.
The Athletic
West Ham’s ‘significant’ legal dispute with London Stadium owners – what’s going on?
By Roshane Thomas and Matt Slater
It’s not only on the pitch where uncertainty reigns at West Ham United.
David Moyes’ side are in the relegation zone with 12 games of the season left, and the club are in a spat with their landlords.
Lyn Garner, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which owns the London Stadium, told the London Assembly this month she was “very confident” of progress on a deal to sell naming rights for the ground this year once a “significant” legal dispute with West Ham has been resolved.
The revelation of the spat comes at the same time as rumours Daniel Kretinsky, who became West Ham’s second-largest shareholder when he bought a 27 per cent stake in November 2021, could soon become their majority owner. Those rumours were sparked when an ‘anti-embarrassment’ clause — meaning a portion of any takeover money had to be paid to the LLDC — expired this month.
But what is the dispute about? And what does it mean for the club, the stadium and any potential takeover?
What is the ‘significant’ legal dispute between West Ham and the LLDC?
The LLDC confirmed to The Athletic that the dispute is over Kretinsky’s investment in West Ham 16 months ago. The two sides are fighting over the amount due under the anti-embarrassment clause, which was active when Kretinsky bought his shares. The LLDC told The Athletic: “E20 (the body set up by the LLDC to manage the stadium) and West Ham are in a dispute pertaining to the Stadium Premium Amount due in respect of the investment in West Ham United in November 2021. The terms and status are confidential.”
What is an ‘anti-embarrassment’ clause?
These are very common in business — you put them into deals as a form of insurance against looking foolish for selling an asset too cheaply.
For example, you might sell a piece of land that a few years later becomes much more valuable because the authorities decide to develop the area. You could not have predicted that when you sold it, but you could have put an anti-embarrassment clause in the deal that meant the new owners would need to pay you a chunk of any sale, mitigating the lost profits you could have earned. Obviously, no buyer would agree to such insurance being in place forever, so the clause would have an end date.
In this case, the LLDC was covering itself against the possibility West Ham’s value would rise considerably in the medium term, which would raise questions about why it did not demand better terms when it made the tenancy agreement with the club in 2013. West Ham’s value has risen considerably over the past decade and that deal looks better and better for the club, and worse and worse for the UK taxpayer, which is currently having to cover some of the running costs of the stadium — for example, security expenses.
That is not West Ham’s problem, of course, but to make matters worse, majority owner David Sullivan and the estate of David Gold, the club’s third biggest shareholder who died earlier this year, will now be able to really cash in after the clause expired on March 21. That is quite embarrassing for the politicians who did the deal in 2013, including Boris Johnson, the then-London mayor and more recently UK prime minister.
Who are the big shareholders now?
Sullivan still has his 38.8 per cent share, followed by Kretinsky, whose deal in 2021 included the option of a full takeover. Kretinsky — through investment group 1890s Holdings — and colleague Pavel Horsky joined the board of WH Holding Ltd, the club’s parent company. Kretinsky appointed his close advisor Jiri Svarc to the West Ham board last August.
Gold’s 25.1 per cent share of the club has been inherited by his family, including daughter Vanessa, who has held executive positions elsewhere in the business world. Gold’s shares are potentially worth more than £200million ($247m). Meanwhile, businessman Daniel Cunningham, Gold’s daughter Jacqueline’s husband, joined West Ham’s board of directors in January 2021. American billionaire Albert Tripp Smith has an eight per cent share and other investors have the remaining 1.1 per cent.
Kretinsky has first option on Sullivan’s shares and second on the Golds’ stake, but he cannot proceed unless Sullivan and the Gold family are willing sellers.
Is a takeover likely to take place?
All parties want to wait until the end of the season. West Ham are 18th and given their precarious league position, plans of a takeover could be impacted if they suffer relegation. The deaths of David and then Jacqueline Gold, who passed away this month, have also affected any takeover talks.
What are Kretinsky’s plans for the stadium?
Kretinsky is rumoured to be interested in buying the London Stadium, originally built to stage the 2012 Olympics, from the LLDC if he completes a full takeover of West Ham but declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic. When asked about reports of Kretinsky’s interest in buying the stadium and whether a sale is something it would think about, the LLDC responded: “Nothing has ever been put forward that can be considered.”
In the same meeting where Garner told the London Assembly she was “very confident” of progress on the sale of stadium naming rights this year once the dispute is resolved, she also said: “We now have a number of sponsors engaged at quite a high level to discuss a sponsorship deal encompassing the stadium and the (surrounding) park, which we are doing together.” The terms of the tenancy agreement, confirmed to The Athletic by the LLDC, are that the first £4million of any annual sponsorship fee for the stadium would go to E20, with any surplus shared equally with the club.
What do fans think of Kretinsky?
Sue Watson, chair of the West Ham United Supporters’ Trust, says: “I would like Kretinsky to meet members of the trust so he can outline his plans for the club. (New) Chelsea owner Todd Boehly met their supporter groups when he was in the process of buying the club from Roman Abramovich.
“Even if Kretinsky has no intention of increasing his stake, part of me suspects he is considering his options. Supporters aren’t fond of the board but sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. That’s why it would be an act of good faith for Kretinsky to outline his plans for the stadium, the manager, the scouting and the training facilities. At some point, we’ll need to hear from him.”
What is Kretinsky like as an owner?
Sparta Prague are the most successful football club in Czech history, with 36 league titles, but the most recent one came in 2014. It is not for want of investment from Kretinsky, but they have suffered while fierce city rivals Slavia Prague and new kids on the block Viktoria Plzen dominate.
“He’s one of the most successful businessmen in the Czech Republic,” says Filip Horky, a Sparta fan and journalist who works for Czech media outlet Flash News, of Kretinsky. “But he isn’t universally loved by supporters. He’s made a lot of mistakes, like the hiring and sacking of managers. They were really bad decisions and they set the club back. We started to lose our identity, which made supporters angry.
“Kretinsky realised that and hired (former Czech Republic, Sparta Prague and Arsenal midfielder) Tomas Rosicky as sporting director, so he can be in charge of those decisions. If Kretinsky does become owner of West Ham, hopefully he would’ve learned from his mistakes.
“Sparta Prague has made steady improvement in the last three years. This season we’re in a title race with Slavia Prague (the clubs are level on points after 24 games). It’s probably one of the best seasons since he became owner but it’s been a long journey to reach this point.”
