BBC
Chelsea could move to sign Arsenal and England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, 25, after confirmation Blues stopper Robert Sanchez will be sidelined with a knee injury. (Talksport}
Barcelona may sell Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, 35, this summer to help fund a move for Newcastle's 26-year-old Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. (Football Transfers)
Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Jude Bellingham's younger brother Jobe off the back of the 18-year-old's impressive start to life at Sunderland. (Sport - in Spanish)
West Ham are hoping to sell 27-year-old Spain midfielder Pablo Fornals to help fund their January spending, with the Hammers keen to sign two full-backs and a striker. (90Min)
Tottenham are lining up a move for Benfica's Brazilian defender Morato, 22, after he impressed scouts watching him against RB Salzburg in the Champions League in midweek. (Sun)
Chelsea are braced for a £34m battle with Italian giants Juventus, Inter Milan and Roma for the signature of Torino and Italy defender Alessandro Buongiorno, 24. (Sun)
United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson, 23, may cut his loan at Union Berlin short and return to parent club Leeds in January because of a lack of regular first-team football. (Teamtalk)
Liverpool face competition from Newcastle, AC Milan and Roma for £60m-rated Bayer Leverkusen and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, 21. (Bild - in German, subscription required)
Manchester United will not make a decision about Erik ten Hag's future as manager until Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment deal is complete, even if they were to suffer a heavy defeat at Liverpool on Sunday. (Football Insider)
Luka Modric is set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season as the club is not expected to offer the 38-year-old Croatia midfielder a new contract. (Sport - in Spanish)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Tottenham are lining up a stunning move for Brazilian wonderkid Morato after scouting him in the Champions League this week.
Chelsea are in the midst of a goalkeeping crisis with Robert Sanchez set to be out for several weeks.
Premier League sides may not know until April if they will have a fifth Champions League place next season.
Chelsea are tracking the highly rated Torino and Italy defender Alessandro Buongiorno.
Lewis Hall may be heading back to Chelsea after Eddie Howe could not confirm if the left-back will be a Newcastle player next season.
Chelsea are reportedly set to axe Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen and Noni Madueke in order to fund transfers in January.
DAILY EXPRESS
Arsenal and Tottenham reportedly sent scouts to watch Royal Antwerp starlet Arthur Vermeeren play against Barcelona in midweek.
Casemiro is ready to call quits on his Manchester United career in the January transfer window if a suitable offer for his signature arrives, according to reports.
DAILY MAIL
Thomas Tuchel snapped at a journalist after being asked about whether Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness could one day be his successor at Bayern Munich.
The PGA Tour is close to agreeing a multi-billion-dollar deal with a consortium of owners of major US sports teams including John Henry and Arthur Blank, according to reports.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is in advanced talks about funding a second IPL to take place every autumn which would represent a major threat to international cricket.
Simona Halep has said that if her four-year doping ban is upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport at her appeal in February, her career will most likely be over.
DAILY MIRROR
Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker has backed Andre Onana to succeed in the Premier League, despite his indifferent start at Manchester United.
Joel Glazer will be the sole power-broker on whether Manchester United sack Erik ten Hag if they suffer their third consecutive defeat against Liverpool on Sunday.
Daniel Farke has warned his Leeds players he will be tough with them, insisting: "I'm not here to win the Nobel Peace Prize."
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Premier League referees will be given the green light to continue freelancing in far-flung countries after it was found doing so played no part in the Liverpool offside goal fiasco.
THE ATHLETIC
Xavi insists he is not considering leaving Barcelona after a difficult week that brought back-to-back defeats against Girona and Royal Antwerp.
Aston Villa's holding company V Sports, jointly controlled by owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, has entered into an agreement with investment company Atairos for it to become a partner.
Real Madrid's new-look Santiago Bernabeu stadium looks spectacular already - but the club do not expect work to be completed until spring - that means the official inauguration is now planned to take place between the end of May and early June.
THE GUARDIAN
Kevin De Bruyne is determined to become the "best player in the world" on returning from a hamstring injury sustained in Manchester City's opening-day win at Burnley.
Wayne Rooney has stressed the importance of him and his Birmingham City players ignoring the "Wagatha Christie" backdrop to their match against Leicester City.
EVENING STANDARD
Marco Silva insists he is "not worried" that Tosin Adarabioyo might leave in January, despite Fulham's failure to convince the defender to sign a new contract on three separate occasions.
THE TIMES
Ross Barkley says he feels that he is good enough to play for England again.
Concerns around the increasing demands on top players will be underlined on Sunday when FIFA is set to announce the dates for the new 32-team Club World Cup in the United States in 2025 - likely to be another summer tournament.
The majority of the 120-strong members of FIFA's legal, compliance and ethics division have rejected an improved relocation offer to move from Zurich to Miami.
There seems little chance of serious opposition threatening UEFA's proposals to allow its president, Aleksander Ceferin, to stand for a fourth term in office and to scrap the age limit of 70 for senior officials.
The FA's legal defeat in its attempt to impose caps on payments to agents could lead to future challenges of some Financial Fair Play (FFP) charges, according to the barrister Nick De Marco KC, who has been involved in a number of cases.
A male British Olympic athlete is the subject of an anti-doping investigation linked to a criminal case in the United States.
Paris 2024 Olympics organisers have been studying Britain's recent royal events such as the Coronation and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee as part of planning for what is likely to be a spectacular but security-testing opening ceremony based on the River Seine.
DAILY RECORD
Juan Miranda says Real Betis are launching a deep inquest into how they tumbled out of the Europa League against Rangers.
Danilo has vowed to return better than before as the Rangers striker updated fans on his knee surgery.
The Athletic
What European football means for West Ham: ‘I get emotional when I hear the Europa League music’
By Roshane Thomas
“Me and my dad weren’t fortunate enough to get tickets for the Europa Conference League final. We watched it at the Orbit in Stratford, next to West Ham’s stadium. My dad had stomach cancer at the time and to have that moment with him was special.”
Adam Leatherbarrow, a West Ham United supporter, has experienced some of the best moments of his life over the past three years.
“I prefer European games over league games,” says Leatherbarrow. “It’s something new, something exciting, and we seem to thrive in it. Supporters of other clubs dismiss the Europa League and Conference League, but that’s because they haven’t experienced it. I’m 37 and I’ve only seen us win something once in my lifetime. That’s thanks to us being in Europe.
“It was like Del Boy and Rodney (from Only Fools and Horses) when they say, ‘One day we’ll be millionaires’. And then it actually happens, that’s how it felt winning the Conference League. Before the final, me and my dad had a bit of a rocky relationship, we didn’t speak for a while. My daughter was born, we patched things up and us having that moment in Stratford after the final was the highlight of it all.
“Before Said Benrahma took his penalty, I couldn’t watch it. Then my dad started jumping on me and that’s how I knew he scored. Us having these moments happened through us being in Europe. Thankfully, he’s got the all-clear. He can’t go to games at the minute, but I can’t wait to cherish more European nights with him.”
Manager David Moyes has previously mentioned how winning the Europa Conference League has made him more determined as a manager. Players, such as midfielder Tomas Soucek, have also alluded to the winning mentality in the squad. Every match, supporters will chorus, “Champions of Europe, we know what we are”.
West Ham’s European journey under Moyes began with qualification for the 2021-22 Europa League by finishing sixth in the Premier League. They have exceeded expectations. They reached the semi-final but lost to Eintracht Frankfurt that season, then won the Europa Conference League in June this year.
Before West Ham beat Freiburg 2-0 on Thursday to advance to the last 16 of the Europa League as group winners, courtesy of goals from Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez, The Athletic spoke to fans to find out how much European football means to them.
“I don’t think anyone knew what to expect during our first season in Europe,” says supporter Stephanie Barnett. “But it was a learning curve for the club and its supporters and although we didn’t win the Europa League, we saw West Ham’s potential. There’s been a real togetherness among fans for booking flights and hotels, such as strangers finding cheap ways to travel together because they love the club.
“When you think about West Ham over the years, we’ve always been the bridesmaid, never the bride, losing to Frankfurt in the semi-finals and the number of times we’ve been knocked out in the quarter-finals in domestic cup competitions. I was with my friend Susan in Prague and I said, ‘I can’t believe we’re in the final of a European competition’.
“When the final started, it felt like an out-of-body experience. It sounds bad but I was expecting us to fail. I’ve been so used to West Ham falling at the last hurdle for the past 40-odd years. When Lucas Paqueta played that pass to Jarrod Bowen, it felt like time had slowed down. Then it just went wild in the stands, grown men in tears, I was in tears — one of the best moments ever as a supporter.
“I even get emotional when I hear the Europa League anthem before games. I used to refer to West Ham as an up-and-down club — one season we’re up, then we’re fighting against relegation. Now we’re through to the next round of a European competition. I have so many stamps in my passport thanks to West Ham. I’ve already booked my hotel and flights for Dublin (the final for this season’s Europa League will be held at Aviva Stadium). I booked Prague early, too, so hopefully, I’ll be lucky a second time. I don’t want this journey to end.”
The 2-1 loss to Olympiacos this October was West Ham’s first European defeat in 17 games. Victory over Freiburg saw Moyes’ side win their 10th consecutive home game in European competitions, becoming just the fifth English team to do so. West Ham have relished playing in Europe and supporters, such as Richard Dodds, have built up a bank of unforgettable memories.
(Richard Dodds)
“European football has given me some of the best days of my life supporting West Ham,” he says. “I started following the club when I was six, now I’m 57. I’ve been to Greece, Serbia, Germany and so many other countries. It’s transformed following West Ham and has been the best three years. It’s still frustrating sometimes that we play defensive under the manager, but on the bright side, we have European football. It’s a day out with your mates, you meet people who end up being friends for life. Will our European run continue? I’m not sure after the next round but, if it does, long may it continue.”
Joe, who is walking his dog Leo, shares a season ticket with his brother. Although he is inclined to see a managerial change, he is grateful he has been able to enjoy European nights at the London Stadium.
“We can’t expect too much in terms of West Ham playing in the Champions League, but playing in the Europa League or Conference League are the next best things,” he says. “It’s a completely different experience for fans and the atmosphere is often better than the league games. In knockout football, you fancy us against anyone over two legs.
“I’ll never forget that game against Sevilla. I sit in the upper tier and it’s not often fans will stand for the whole match but they did against Sevilla and it was amazing. I still think this will be Moyes’ last season and our performances in the league haven’t been enjoyable. A lot gets said about the atmosphere and style of play, but if Moyes wins the Europa League, maybe it might change my opinion. At the end of the day, he’s given us European football, but I’d still take my chance with another manager.”
“I haven’t been able to attend the away games but the last three years have been unbelievable,” says Darren Smith. “Before we became a European club, most supporters were jealous that other fans of English clubs got to experience European trips. Now we’ve had those magical moments. We’re a club that’s not going to compete to win the Premier League. With us being in Europe, we’ve been in cup finals every Thursday for the last three years.
“It feels like we’ve been spoilt in a way. I’m not a massive Moyes fan but I can’t fault what he’s done for the club. You have to give the guy credit. A cold Wednesday night against Norwich City, or a club similar, doesn’t compare to a European night under the lights when it’s just as cold. You look forward to going regardless because you don’t know how long it will last.”
