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BBC
Real Madrid are assessing the prospect of signing Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland, 23, because of concerns about whether France forward Kylian Mbappe, 25, will leave Paris St-Germain to join them. (AS - in Spanish)
England winger Jadon Sancho, 23, has arrived at Borussia Dortmund to complete a loan move to his former club having fallen out of favour at Manchester United. (Sky Sports)
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, 23, remains top of Tottenham's list as Spurs look to bring in a midfielder in January, with the Blues willing to do a deal for the England international at the right price. (Independent)
Newcastle United have been told that English striker Dominic Solanke will not be sold this month after making an enquiry for the 26-year-old Bournemouth forward. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Bayern Munich are in talks to sign England defender Eric Dier, 29, from Tottenham after missing out to Spurs in the race for Genoa's Romania centre-back Radu Dragusin, 21. (Independent)
Arsenal have made a £22million bid for Getafe and Spain striker Borja Mayoral, 26. (Sun)
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has turned down approaches from Fenerbahce, Marseille and a Saudi Pro league side, with the 28-year-old Frenchman set to stay at Old Trafford until his contract runs out in the summer. (Athletic - subscription required)
Manchester United have offered Uruguay winger Facundo Pellistri, 22, in a swap deal for Sporting Lisbon and Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand, 24, but the bid has been rejected because Hjulmand has a £69m release clause. (Sun)
West Ham are weighing up making bids for Ajax's Dutch forward Steven Bergwijn, 26, and Sunderland's English winger Jack Clarke, 23, as they look to sign one attacking player in January. (Telegraph - subscription required)
The Hammers have ruled out a move for former Manchester United and England midfielder Jesse Lingard, 31. (Daily Mail)
Brentford and Crystal Palace are also interested in Clarke, who was at Tottenham before joining Sunderland.(Evening Standard)
Brighton have joined the race for Serbian attacking midfielder Lazar Samardzic with Napoli having agreed a deal with Udinese for the 21-year-old. (Sky Sports Germany)
Wolves are not under pressure to sell Max Kilman, with West Ham linked to the 26-year-old English defender. (Mail)
Wolves have made a move for 27-year-old Scotland striker Che Adams, whose contract at Southampton runs out in the summer. (Football Insider)
Spanish club Sevilla are favourites to sign Manchester United and Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, 20, on loan for the rest of the season. (Manchester Evening News)
Napoli could make a move for Arsenal's Poland international Jakub Kiwior, 23, and Chelsea's French defender Malang Sarr, 24, as they look to bring in a centre-back in January. (La Repubblica, via Football Italia)
Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo, 24, says he is focused on Barcelona amid links to Bayern Munich. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Mauricio Pochettino's position as head coach of Chelsea is not expected to be put in any jeopardy while the club retain a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe.
Newcastle have made an enquiry about Dominic Solanke but have been told that Bournemouth will not sell him this month.
West Ham are targeting Sunderland winger Jack Clarke and Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn in the January transfer window as they look to cope with a series of injuries to key players.
Steve Borthwick will not be available for consideration for the British and Irish Lions coaching team but his England assistants will be given the green light if they are selected by Andy Farrell, who will on Thursday be confirmed as the head coach for the tour of Australia next year.
Hampshire County Cricket Club's majority shareholder is in advanced talks to sell his stake to the part-owners of Indian Premier League team Delhi Capitals.
British tennis chiefs have rejected shock ATP proposals to partner with Saudi Arabia as the Middle East nation makes the sport its latest target for domination this year.
Arsenal have made a £22m bid for Getafe striker Borja Mayoral.
West Ham are desperately looking to sign a forward this month after injuries and the African Cup of Nations decimated their forward line.
Trevoh Chalobah is a January transfer target for West Ham, according to reports.
Manchester United could recall left-back Alvaro Fernadez from his loan spell at Granada as they try to cope with their latest injury crisis.
Former Everton midfielder Li Tie is facing a lengthy jail term after being charged with a series of bribery offences.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester United's FA Cup fourth round tie may have to take place at a neutral venue should Eastleigh progress past Newport.
Thomas Partey is finally preparing to make his long-awaited return to first-team action.
Wolves are under no financial pressure to sell captain Max Kilman this month amid growing interest in the centre-back from West Ham.
Lazio and Roma fans were involved in violent clashes ahead of their Coppa Italia quarter-final on Wednesday night, before the trouble continued throughout the match.
Gio Reyna could leave German giants Borussia Dortmund by the end of the January transfer window, as Marseille and Sevilla are the reported frontrunners to land the American midfielder.
Lucas Paqueta has dismissed claims he could be out of action for 'at least two months' with a calf injury.
Nottingham Forest hero Andy Reid is in talks over a role with the academy at his boyhood club with Nuno Espirito Santo bringing his own coaching staff to the City Ground.
THE ATHLETIC
FIFA has extended the suspension of Marc Overmars from holding any position in Dutch football to a global ban.
Cristian Romero is pushing to be involved for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United on Sunday.
Robin Koch said he understood anger over Leeds United's relegation and the mass exodus of players which followed it but insisted he had taken the right decision for his career after accepting a long-term move to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Daniel Maldini, the son of the legendary Italian footballer Paolo Maldini, has joined Monza on loan until the end of the season from AC Milan.
Watford are considering a loan deal for Udinese's Antonio Tikvic to add cover in central defence.
Burton Albion have agreed a loan deal for Manchester United striker Joe Hugill.
Zinedine Zidane's fourth son Elyaz is set to leave Real Madrid and join Real Betis.
Watford midfielder Edo Kayembe is returning from AFCON preparations with DR Congo due to injury.
THE GUARDIAN
Barcelona have warned fans that they should be "prudent and discreet" if they travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup this week in an unprecedented briefing that also insists supporters "strictly respect the country's customs and ways".
THE INDEPENDENT
Eagle Football Holdings is exploring selling its 45 per cent stake in Crystal Palace, in a move that could have repercussions for the direction of the club as well as the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur are pressing ahead with plans to try and buy a number eight with Chelsea's Conor Gallagher still top of the list.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United have failed with an attempted swap deal involving Facundo Pellistri for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand, according to reports.
Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has launched a foul-mouthed attack on the agent of team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia over suggestions that he will move to the Saudi Pro League at the end of the season.
Former Manchester United star Nemanja Matic is reportedly pushing to leave Stade Rennais this month.
EVENING STANDARD
West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brentford are all weighing up a January transfer window move for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
THE TIMES
Everton have added one of the UK's top barristers - Laurence Rabinowitz KC - to their legal team for the club's appeal against their 10-point deduction.
The British & Irish Lions are finalising plans to launch a women's team with an inaugural three-Test series against New Zealand in 2027.
George Ford's hopes of being named England's first-choice fly half at the start of the Six Nations Championship are in the balance after he underwent two injections after a knee injury.
DAILY RECORD
Rangers, Bournemouth and Norwich City are all interested in Motherwell youngster Max Willoughby.
Ross County and Dundee are among a string of clubs who are interested in a January loan for Burnley's Michael Mellon.
Rangers are bracing themselves for a battle for the signing of Ridvan Yılmaz with Galatasaray now showing an interest in the left-back.
Brondby chief Carsten V. Jensen has declared that Mathias Kvistgaarden will not be sold this month amid interest from Celtic.
SCOTTISH SUN
Rangers look set to back away from a deal for Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi.
Nicolas Kuhn is continuing to attract transfer interest this January with Brendan Rodgers keen to sign the winger.
Guardian Rumour Mill
John Brewin
Arsenal to sign striker? Is this is the one they’ve been waiting for. Possibly. Gunners fans across the world will be hitting YouTube and FBref to see what’s what with Borja Mayoral. A brief precis: he’s the strike partner of Mason Greenwood at Getafe, is 26, and has never played for Spain. So make of that what you will. The price is quoted at £22m, rather cheaper than Ivan Toney. There’s links with a midfielder, too, Martín Zubimendi of Real Sociedad, Mikel Arteta’s former club, with a doable £50m release clause.
Elsewhere in north London, Tottenham are still in the hunt for Conor Gallagher, last seen wearing the Chelsea armband in the Blues’ loss at Middlesbrough. That sale would raise money for Chelsea’s potential spree. There’s wild talk of buying Victor Osimhen out there. Radu Dragusin, a favourite of this page this month, is coming to Spurs, with Eric Dier heading to Bayern Munich to clear space in the squad.
Talking of wild, wild rumours, try this one for size. Real Madrid fancy signing Erling Haaland if their move for Kylian Mbappé (Rumour Mill passim) falls flat. Seems unlikely, right? Now, at least.
Manchester United have offered current not-so-supersub Facundo Pellistri, 22, in a swap deal for Sporting and Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand, 24, but the bid has been rejected because of a £69m release clause. They’d love to chuck in Anthony Martial too but the striker wants to stay in Manchester till the end of the season. Meanwhile, expect Jadon Sancho to be returned to Borussia Dortmund either today or tomorrow. And Hannibal Mejbri to go on loan to Sevilla.
Newcastle news. Or lack of it. Dominic Solanke has been bid for but that bid has been rejected by Bournemouth. Maybe come back in the summer is the response. That goes for Arsenal, too, also reported to have been in the hunt for the in-form striker.
Two rumour mill legends are involved in a classic piece of merry-go-round action: Ché Adams of Southampton is wanted by Wolves, while Danny Ings has been linked with a return to Southampton from West Ham. Wolves are meanwhile issuing a “hands-off” to West Ham on Max Kilman. Those who smell a swap deal may be in business.
The Hammers are involved in a classic tug of war for Jack Clarke, the Sunderland winger also wanted by Brentford and Crystal Palace.
The Athletic
West Ham need Cornet and co to step up in absence of Paqueta, Bowen and Kudus
By Roshane Thomas
As David Moyes leaned forward while answering questions, he was optimistic and seeking to calm any concerns over Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta. He did not want it to seem like his West Ham United side were on the verge of an injury crisis.
The duo were on the casualties list following Sunday’s 1-1 FA Cup third-round draw against Championship visitors Bristol City, but Moyes was hopeful their absences would not be lengthy enough to accelerate the need for offensive incoming during the winter transfer window.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t think it would necessarily play a part. Obviously, if we’re going to lose people long-term… but I’ve not heard anything to suggest anybody’s severe. It’s this time of the year, you can get injuries.”
But Moyes’ hopes have now been dashed with the news that Paqueta (calf) and Bowen (ankle) will be sidelined for extended periods. Their importance to his team cannot be overstated: Bowen is West Ham’s top scorer in all competitions with 14 goals and Paqueta has thrived in his second season in England, registering five goals and six assists.
It will only act as another blow for West Ham’s manager, with Mohammed Kudus now on Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) duty with Ghana for several weeks, while Michail Antonio, who has been sidelined since November with a knee injury, has suffered a setback in training as he works towards a comeback.
Life without Paqueta and Bowen will quicken the need to sign for reinforcements — and the potential addition of a left-winger is considered a priority. West Ham, who are operating with a limited budget, have been linked with Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur.
There are alternatives for Paqueta in the squad in Said Benrahma, Maxwel Cornet and Pablo Fornals, but they have hastily fallen out of favour.
Benrahma, who is the subject of interest from Lyon in France, was not selected for Algeria’s 26-man squad for AFCON, Cornet was similarly overlooked by hosts Ivory Coast, and Fornals’ struggles show no sign of abating. Those three have made a combined total of 51 appearances in all competitions this season, with zero goals and three assists between them.
Should West Ham fail to augment their attacking options before Tuesday’s replay with Bristol City, their prospects of advancing to the last 32 of the competition will be harder, with Benrahma, Fornals and Cornet struggling to show any semblance of form. However, the trio have no excuses to now prove a point, having largely been onlookers since August. Of the three, the main beneficiary of Bowen and Paqueta being sidelined will be Cornet.
The 27-year-old, who was signed for £17.5million ($22.3m) from Burnley in the summer of 2022, has almost become a forgotten man at West Ham. He has played one minute in the Premier League this season — and only managed 245 goalless minutes in the previous one.
There has been speculation surrounding former loanee Jesse Lingard’s potential return to the club. The 31-year-old is in Dubai, training alongside Fornals, and has been without a club since his release by Nottingham Forest in June. But despite Lingard scoring nine goals in 16 appearances during a six-month loan from Manchester United in 2020-21 and training at Rush Green last summer, The Athletic has been told there is no interest in re-signing the former England forward.
Divin Mubama is likely to deputise up front for Bowen. The 19-year-old, who is entering the final months of his deal, has made 10 appearances (only one of them a start) this season. Mubama has been the preferred option from the bench over Danny Ings in recent weeks, with the former Aston Villa and England striker limited to cameo appearances as a substitute. Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Ings on loan this month, but with Bowen and Antonio both sidelined, a departure is unlikely.
Another option for Moyes is to deploy Tomas Soucek as a false nine. Initially a forward in Slavia Prague’s academy before finding a home as a midfielder, he has shown an eye for goal throughout his West Ham career. But with Soucek and Edson Alvarez being Moyes’ preferred central-midfield partnership, this would only be a last resort.
Moyes’ bench for what turned out to be a goalless draw with Brighton & Hove Albion last Tuesday included academy players Lewis Orford, Kaelan Casey and Levi Laing. Attackers Callum Marshall and Gideon Kodua could also now be among the substitutes for the cup trip to Ashton Gate. Marshall, who has attracted interest from League Two side Colchester United, has scored 19 goals and provided five assists in 13 appearances this season for West Ham Under-21s.
Kodua is yet to feature in a first-team matchday squad, but that could change in the coming days. The 19-year-old forward scored for the under-21s in their 2-1 loss to third-tier Wycombe Wanderers in the last 16 of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday. He also got a memorable goal in last season’s FA Youth Cup final win against Arsenal.
First-team coaches Kevin Nolan and Mark Robson are in regular contact with under-21s manager Steve Potts and will be aware of the youngsters who deserve to train with the seniors. “If anyone asks me who is the one (standout player) of the group, it is still a very tough one to pick,” Potts has said. “I will be intrigued to see how their careers pan out because there is a number in this group that can have very good careers.”
Coping without Bowen and Paqueta will not be an easy task. The only solace is defender Konstantinos Mavropanos’ rib injury is not as bad as initially feared, the fixture list is also not as packed and punishing as it could have been with no Premier League match for the club this weekend thanks to the division’s staggered winter break.
In the short term, at least one of Benrahma, Cornet, Ings, Mubama and Fornals needs to step up and carry the offensive mantle until Paqueta and Bowen return.
Inside Futbol
Club Worried About Costs Of Signing West Ham United Star
West Ham star Said Benrahma has remained a priority for Lyon, but the French giants are wary of the potential cost of trying to sign him this month.
The Hammers are open to offers for Benrahma, who has made just five Premier League starts this season.
West Ham want to sell him to raise funds for a new attacker and Brentford and Wolves are interested in getting their hands on Benrahma.
He has also been linked with a move to France where Lyon are interested in signing the West Ham star in the ongoing transfer window.
According to French sports daily L’Equipe, Benrahma is a priority target for the Ligue 1 giants but they have obstacles to overcome in their pursuit of the player.
Lyon remain interested in signing him but the club are worried about the big money it would require to sign the winger.
West Ham are looking for somewhere around €20m for Benrahma and he is also on substantial wages at the London Stadium.
Lyon are wary of the overall cost of doing a deal, including the transfer fee and wages, to sign the player this month.
Talksport
Wanted man
West Ham are tracking Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah along with Bayern Munich.
As talkSPORT reported in the summer, Chelsea are willing to cash-in on academy product Chalobah, who has not played a single minute this season.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel retains an admiration for his former player and is actively looking for centre-back cover.
West Ham’s interest is likely to depend on the future of Nayef Aguerd, with the Morocco World Cup star on the radar of Saudi Pro League clubs.
The Hammers are also eyeing Wolves captain Max Kilman, as exclusively revealed in last week’s transfer notebook.
The Standard
West Ham stance on Jesse Lingard return clear amid injury crisis
Fresh speculation has arisen after the former Hammers loan star was pictured training with Pablo Fornals
Malik Ouzia
West Ham are not interested in re-signing Jesse Lingard this month, despite their growing injury crisis.
The Hammers are desperately searching for attacking reinforcements after Lucas Paqueta was ruled out for up to two months with a calf problem. Mohammed Kudus is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, while Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen are also currently sidelined, though the latter could return by the start of next month.
Lingard left Nottingham Forest after his contract expired last summer and has been without a club ever since, after potential moves to Inter Miami and the Saudi Pro League failed to materialise.
The England international enjoyed a superb spell at West Ham on loan from Manchester United during the second half of the 2019/20 season.
The Irons have made strong attempts to sign him on multiple occasions since, most notably when he turned the club down in favour of a move to Forest 18 months ago, but decided against offering him a contract following a stint training at Rush Green as a free agent this summer.
The 31-year-old was this week pictured on Instagram training alongside Hammers midfielder Pablo Fornals in Dubai, with David Moyes having given his players four days off following Sunday’s FA Cup draw with Bristol City.
That sparked fresh suggestions that Lingard could be handed the chance to revive his career at the London Stadium on a short-term basis, but sources at the club say there is no such plan.
Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn remains a key target this month, while there is also interest in Sunderland’s Jack Clarke, but concern the Championship side will not sell until the summer unless a substantial offer is made.
The Hammers have also monitored Norwich winger Jonathan Rowe, with the club looking to target home-grown players where possible.
Sport Witness
Journalist hints at West Ham transfer for player – Agents have ‘strong network’ in England to seal ‘record deal’
West Ham United are showing an interest in NK Istra defender Dario Maresic as they look to bolster their options this month.
That’s according to journalist Peter Linden, who has hinted that the Hammers are looking into a deal for the 24-year-old.
He covers the defender today and how he could be set to feature at Euro 2024 for Croatia, should he change citizenship first.
That would be a big moment for the defender, whose career has so far been limited to Austria, an unsuccessful spell in France and now NK Istra.
He’s been impressing with the latter since joining them on loan from Reims in July 2022, a deal that was turned into a permanent one this year.
And, according to Linden, those performances have not gone unnoticed. He reports that ‘it will be decided’ in the next three and a half weeks, i.e. during this transfer window, whether Maresic gets a move to the Premier League.
He claims that West Ham are in the picture for the defender, in a move that would undoubtedly be a ‘career highlight to date’.
Now, he makes no mention of where West Ham’s interest has come from, whether they’ve made any initial moves or even what they’d pay, he simply says a move is being thought about.
Linden does make clear, though, that Maresic is seen as a player with big potential and is represented by the Universal agency, who also represent Luka Modric, Emiliano Martinez and Alexander Isak. They are known to have a ‘strong network’ in England.
West Ham, for their part currently have Konstantinos Mavropanos and Angelo Ogbonna as their central pair and Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma as cover so they’re not short on central defenders. They did let Thilo Kehrer leave this month, though, so need a replacement.
That could potentially be Maresic, according to Linden, who would secure a ‘record deal’ for NK Istra should he depart.
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