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BBC
Paris St-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe, 25, has decided to join Real Madrid at the end of the season. (Le Parisien - in French)
Manchester United and Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 29, rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal during the January transfer window. (Record via Manchester Evening News)
Germany winger Leroy Sane, 28, is set to snub interest from Liverpool, Chelsea, and Barcelona in favour of a new deal at Bayern Munich. (Sport - in Spanish)
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's future could hinge on how much money he is given to spend this summer. (Mirror)
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl thinks it is unlikely they will be able to sign England winger Jadon Sancho permanently after his loan move from Manchester United ends this summer. (Sky Sports Germany via Mail)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has sent scouts to monitor Tottenham's 18-year-old English midfielder Tyrese Hall. (Football Transfers)
Arsenal will sell 24-year-old Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, who is on loan at Luton Town, in the summer. (Football Insider)
English defender Trevoh Chalobah, 24, is ready to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea.(Caught Offside)
Arsenal are planning a new contract with 25-year-old Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu when he returns from the Asian Cup. (Fabrizio Romano)
Egypt are in talks with Herve Renard, who is currently in charge of the France women's side. (Koura Plus via Goal)
Disney+ is in advanced talks to buy the Liverpool documentary detailing manager Jurgen Klopp's final six months at Anfield in a deal that will earn the club about £10m. (Mail)
Sky Paper Talk
SUNDAY MIRROR
Arsenal will consider rivalling Chelsea for the signing of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.
Erik ten Hag's future could hinge on how much money he is given to spend by Manchester United this summer.
Two-time world darts champion Peter Wright hit out at pundit and former pro Chris Mason over suggestions Chris Dobey was worthy of a place in Premier League Darts this year.
Joachim Andersen had a second run-in with Crystal Palace fans in the space of a month, following his team's heavy defeat at the hands of Brighton.
Liverpool's owners have appointed the baseball savant Theo Epstein as a senior advisor, with the mastermind behind World Series wins at two different franchises expected to be a key figure behind finding Jurgen Klopp's successor.
MAIL ON SUNDAY
Bayern Munich considered a move for struggling Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk at the tail end of the January transfer window.
Wayne Rooney is reportedly eyeing a return to management in Saudi Arabia after he was sacked by Birmingham City last month.
Manchester City look set to compete with Barcelona to sign Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich.
Borussia Dortmund have admitted it will be 'very, very difficult' to sign Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho permanently after his loan finishes.
Strasbourg fans continued to protest against Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly in their Ligue 1 clash with PSG on Friday.
Yves Bissouma tested positive for malaria during his time at the AFCON tournament, it has been confirmed by Mali's head coach Eric Chelle.
Peter Wright has apologised to Chris Dobey after a war of words which saw 'Snakebite' describe the Masters as a 'Mickey Mouse' event.
Jose Mourinho has paid tribute to Marouane Fellaini, whom he managed while at Manchester United, after the 36-year-old announced his retirement.
Jordan Henderson admitted he had no idea that Gareth Southgate was coming to Amsterdam to watch his Ajax debut against PSV.
THE SUN ON SUNDAY
Pep Guardiola will fight Erik ten Hag all the way in the chase for Crystal Palace sensation Michael Olise.
Bruno Fernandes turned down an "astronomical" offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in the January transfer window, according to reports.
Croatian heavyweight Agron Smakici was the sparring partner who cut Tyson Fury that delayed his undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
Chelsea duo Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have deleted their Twitter accounts after receiving abuse in the wake of their side's defeat to Liverpool.
THE SUNDAY TIMES
Gareth Southgate was in the stands to watch Jordan Henderson make his Ajax debut on Saturday night as the 33-year-old midfielder completed his swift return to European football in a feisty 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.
The Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has insisted that he will not resign despite "hurtful" chants by fans during his side's 4-1 defeat by Brighton.
SUNDAY EXPRESS
Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister says he is learning on the job after being tasked with playing in a deeper role than he would like this season.
THE ATHLETIC
Duncan McGuire's transfer to Blackburn Rovers from Orlando City is once again on the verge of collapsing due to a Blackburn error in registering the player.
Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon left the stadium on crutches after being forced off against Luton Town in "a lot of pain" with what looked to be an ankle injury.
Sean Dyche will be banned from the touchline for Everton's Premier League trip to Manchester City after picking up a third booking of the season.
Antonio Rudiger will be in the squad for Real Madrid against rivals Atletico Madrid despite fears over a thigh injury.
Arsenal, Liverpool, and Brighton are all set to be boosted by the returns of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Wataru Endo, and Kaoru Mitoma after Japan's exit from the Asian Cup.
Xavi believes Barcelona are "paying the price" of the Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira corruption case after Vitor Roque was sent off during their 3-1 win over Alaves on Saturday.
Mali players had to be kept away from referee Mohamed Adel following their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.
SUNDAY MAIL
Aberdeen are set to appoint an interim boss until the summer - with Neil Warnock one of three candidates being discussed.
THE SCOTTISH SUN ON SUNDAY
Neil Warnock is inching closer to a sensational appointment as Aberdeen boss after the club decided to appoint an 'interim' coach until the end of the season.
Inside Futbol
West Ham United Already Asked Club About Summer Target
West Ham United have already made an enquiry about Burnley winger Wilson Odobert as they eye a summer swoop, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The Hammers were left frustrated in the winter transfer window as they tried and failed to beef up their attacking options.
Said Benrahma was allowed to leave for French side Lyon, while Maxwel Cornet is a player West Ham stood ready to let go.
Boss David Moyes is already thinking ahead to the summer transfer window and Burnley man Odobert has caught his eye.
West Ham have even already put in an enquiry for the Frenchman.
The 19-year-old was only signed last summer by Burnley, who plucked him from French outfit Troyes.
However, the Clarets look set to have a fight on their hands to be able to keep hold of Odobert if they drop out of the Premier League.
West Ham are likely to face competition though, with Brighton also admirers of the France Under-21 international.
The Athletic
West Ham’s January transfer window: Phillips a coup but attacking recruits will have to wait
By Roshane Thomas
West Ham United’s hunt for a left-sided attacker proved elusive in this year’s winter transfer window, but David Moyes did at least secure his main target in Kalvin Phillips.
The England midfielder has joined on loan from champions Manchester City for the remainder of the season. Moyes was keen to make more additions to his squad before Thursday night’s deadline, but those hopes were ultimately dashed. So where does this leave West Ham for the season’s last four months? Which positions will they prioritise in the summer window? And who is likely to be saying goodbye to the club then?
The Athletic looked at what happened, and what may be in store in the coming months.
What did West Ham do in January?
Phillips was West Ham’s sole signing, despite attempts to secure Al Ittihad’s Jota and Nordsjaelland forward Ibrahim Osman.
The England midfielder had interest from Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Juventus, but was convinced to move to the London Stadium after speaking to Declan Rice, the former West Ham captain who moved to Arsenal for £105million ($133m) in July.
Moyes watched Phillips extensively during a period when the Scot was out of work from May 2018 to December 2019, and failed with a £50million bid to bring him to West Ham from Leeds United in January 2022. He was keen to secure the player now, given the lack of cover for Edson Alvarez.
Moyes believes Phillips can play a key role in the team over the second half of this season, as Jesse Lingard did in January 2021. The Manchester United loanee scored nine goals in 16 league matches to help West Ham finish sixth and qualify for Europe.
“This time a couple of years ago, we got Jesse Lingard and he really helped us,” said Moyes. “I’m hoping Kalvin can have a similar impact. For some time he’s been a mainstay of the England national team. He’s someone who has been a really good player.
“The move to City hasn’t worked as well as he would have liked. Everybody has something to prove. Jesse had something to prove and Kalvin has as well. Him and Declan were neck and neck for a couple of years. Declan has gone on to an incredible level with us and his new club. I see no reason why Kalvin can’t do that.”
Phillips’ arrival will have no bearing on Lucas Paqueta’s potential departure to Manchester City come the summer. In August, West Ham rejected an offer worth an initial £60million, rising to £70m, from City for the Brazil international. Pep Guardiola then pursued other targets when it emerged Paqueta was being investigated by the Football Association for potential betting breaches.
The £85m ($107.7m) release clause in Paqueta’s contract kicks in this summer, but West Ham have no plans to include him in a deal with Phillips to ensure the latter’s signing becomes a permanent move.
What didn’t they do?
Moyes was hopeful of augmenting his attacking options to add to the trio of Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus. But the hunt for a left-sided attacker proved futile.
“We’ve looked really, really hard to try and find one,” said Moyes. “We’ve made offers for some younger ones and tried for some others. We wanted something else. The problem you’ve got is that when you’ve got Paqueta, Kudus and Bowen, it’s very difficult to say, ‘We’ll get one better than them.’
“We’ve tried to find a way of maybe getting someone behind them, a backup who could do it, but we’ve not been successful. Mainly because either we couldn’t get them or the prices were too big.”
A deal for Saudi Arabian champions Al Ittihad’s former Celtic forward Jota proved difficult due to tax issues. West Ham walked away from a move for Osman due to his Danish club Nordsjaelland’s asking price, and a loan move for Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal was rejected. Their interest in Ajax’s ex-Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn was never formalised with a bid.
Aston Villa rejected an offer to sign striker Jhon Duran on loan, and Sunderland’s £20million valuation of Jack Clarke proved prohibitive.
Moyes wanted to add depth with West Ham pushing for a top-six finish and make inroads into the latter stages of the Europa League, with his side awaiting a last-16 tie next month.
The manager will hope his key players avoid injuries in the coming months. Kudus has now returned following Ghana’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations but Paqueta and Michail Antonio remain sidelined with calf and knee injuries respectively.
What will they need to prioritise this summer?
The main priority for West Ham will be to sign a striker.
The club spent a combined £75.5million on Gianluca Scamacca and Sebastien Haller, but both struggled to adapt to Moyes’ playing style. Former England international Danny Ings has only scored three goals in 37 appearances in all competitions since joining from Villa for £15m in January last year, while 19-year-old Divin Mubama is yet to reach an agreement over a contract extension and could leave the club at the end of the season.
Callum Marshall, also 19, joined West Bromwich Albion on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
The Northern Ireland international had interest from 10 clubs, but a switch to the Championship side was considered best for his development. Ian Pearce, the former West Ham defender, is West Brom’s head of recruitment and he outlined how Marshall would improve in the second tier. Sporting director Mark Noble also played an important role in Marshall signing a contract extension until 2027 before his move.
Ahead of Thursday’s 1-1 home league draw against Bournemouth, Moyes admitted he previously tried to sign their forward Dominic Solanke. “We made a big offer for him in the summer and we didn’t get him,” said Moyes. “That’s a fact.”
Solanke joined Julian Alvarez of Manchester City, Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa and Nice attacker Terem Moffi in opting against a move to West Ham since Moyes returned for his second spell in charge in December 2019.
Who is likely to be playing their final months for the club?
Said Benrahma was always set to leave in this mid-season window, but not in such dramatic fashion.
Fulham had been keen to secure the Algerian on loan with an option to buy, but were reluctant to pay a loan fee. Instead, he was given permission to travel to France and open talks with Lyon, with a loan deal including an option to make the move permanent on the table.
Yet, as the deadline passed on Thursday night, the transfer had not been concluded.
Lyon blamed West Ham, releasing a statement in which they questioned the London club’s behaviour and claimed that they “failed to finalise the required administrative procedures despite all the agreements (being) concluded”. Those notions were rejected by West Ham, who were deeply unimpressed by Lyon’s reaction.
A resolution was eventually achieved on Friday, with world football’s governing body FIFA validating the 28-year-old winger’s registration and the move proceeding as originally planned. Benrahma has joined in an initial loan deal, with Lyon holding the option to sign him permanently at the end of the season.
That was not the only hold-up on deadline day.
Real Betis, under former West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini, also endured difficulty in finalising Pablo Fornals’ €8million (£6.8m; $8.7m) return to La Liga. West Ham had activated a one-year option in Fornals’ contract, which was due to expire in 2025, in December but the attacking midfielder made it clear he was keen to leave.
He attended the Bournemouth game and said goodbye to his team-mates in anticipation of returning to his homeland, where he previously played for Malaga and Villarreal, only for the same glitch in the system to threaten his departure.
“There was a last-minute problem with Fornals — we think it was a computer problem,” said Real Betis chief executive Ramon Alarcon. “Betis sent all the documents correctly and on time and it seems West Ham had a computer problem. It wasn’t just with Betis. It was with other deals (they had).”
The club confirmed his departure on Friday with Fornals reunited with Pellegrini, who managed him at West Ham in the 2019-20 season, in Seville.
Maxwel Cornet had interest from Palace and Nottingham Forest, but the winger opted to stay and plans to re-evaluate his situation in the summer. His contract expires in the summer of 2027, although there is a one-year option to extend it.
Thilo Kehrer has joined Monaco on loan in a deal that includes an option for the side from France’s Ligue 1. West Ham rejected Palace’s enquiry for his fellow defender Ben Johnson. The 24-year-old full-back’s current contract expires in the summer, but the club intend to offer him a new one in the coming weeks.
Aaron Cresswell, 34, Angelo Ogbonna, 35, and Lukasz Fabianski, 38, are entering the final months of their contracts.
This summer will mark 10 years since Cresswell joined from Ipswich Town — the full-back has made 335 appearances in all competitions — but he is unlikely to be rewarded with an extension or testimonial. The most recent West Ham player to receive a testimonial was Noble, in 2016.
Ogbonna and Fabianski are yet to enter talks over new deals.
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