Paper Talk
Paul Pogba could become the highest paid midfielder in world football with Manchester City preparing a record £70m bid for the former Manchester United player.
Liverpool are reportedly closing on a double deal for English pair Danny Ings and James Milner with both players out of contract in the summer.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are reportedly in contention for Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia according to his agent.
After the success of Diafra Sakho West Ham could return to Ligue 1 with Guingamp striker Claudio Beauvue in their sights after he notched 25 goals in the French top-flight.
Tony Pulis is planning to hijack Aston Villa's £2.5m deal for Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair in an attempt to lure him to West Brom.
Harry Kane has insisted Spurs most stop making 'sloppy mistakes' if they're to progress and Mauricio Pochettino could be set for a White Hart Lane clearout this summer.
Manchester United are interested in Danny Ings while they could return to PSV to secure Memphis Depay's teammate Georginio Wijnaldum to strengthen midfield options.
Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool need to strengthen and they could be in competition with Chelsea for Real Madrid reserve Jese who has struggled to nail down a first team slot.
Gareth Bale continues to be linked with a return to the Premier League amid news that he feels 'isolated' in the dressing room with Manchester United and Chelsea just two of the teams linked with the Welshman.
Pepe has slipped down the Barcelona pecking order but Luis Enrique has cooled talk that the Liverpool and Arsenal target will leave the Nou Camp.
Ashley Young's form deserves a recall to Roy Hodgson's squad according to Manchester United teammate Chris Smalling.
Real Madrid are willing to let Karim Benzeba leave the Bernabeu while they can still command a fee of £40m for the French international and Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are leading the chase.
One player set to stay in Madrid is midfielder Isco who insists he has no intention of leaving Real to move to the Emirates.
Arsenal could bolster their defensive options by signing Virgil van Dijk with the Dutch defender having impressed for Scottish Champions Celtic this season.
West Ham hope to re-sign Carl Jenkinson on loan from Arsenal next season. The Hammers have also considered Glen Johnson, but the right-back's wage demands are an issue. The same is true of Micah Richards.
Southampton and Rotherham sent scouts to watch Dundee Utd's Nadir Ciftci and John Souttar over the weekend.
Hearts are ready to splash out almost £400,000 on Croat superkid Niko Datkovic, a centre-back who plays for Rijeka.
BBC
Manchester City are willing to make Paul Pogba the highest-paid midfielder in the world and are preparing a British record £70m bid for the 22-year-old Juventus player. (Daily Star)
West Ham are interested in signing £6m-rated striker Claudio Beauvue, 27, from French side Guingamp. (Mirror)
Midfielder Tom Cleverley has hinted he wants to stay at Aston Villa. The 25-year-old is currently on loan from Manchester United. (Daily Express)
Wales forward Gareth Bale, 25, is becoming increasingly isolated in the Real Madrid dressing room because he cannot speak Spanish. (Daily Mail)
West Brom will try to hijack Scott Sinclair's move to Aston Villa with their own £2.5m summer bid. The 26-year-old winger is expected to leave Manchester City in the summer. (Daily Mirror)
Defender Chris Smalling, 25, says Manchester United team-mate Ashley Young, 29, deserves a recall to the England squad after the winger's improved form this season. (Daily Mail)
Liverpool have stepped up their interest in Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 25-year-old Gabon international would cost £15m. (Shoot.co.uk)
Swansea City keeper Lukasz Fabianski, 30, is enjoying his new home in south Wales - even the traffic jams caused by cows. (Guardian)
Striker Papiss Cisse, 29, believes he can score the goals to help keep Newcastle United in the Premier League. (Shields Gazette)
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, 25, will be available for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final against Juventus, despite suffering an injury in Saturday's draw with Valencia. (AS.com, in Spanish)
Swansea City can take a step towards a surprise top-six place if they can upset Arsenal on Monday, according to captain Ashley Williams, 30. (Wales Online)
Tottenham striker Harry Kane, 21, says the team must stop making "sloppy" mistakes if they are to achieve anything this season. (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott, 26, has developed the qualities needed to become a successful central striker for the Gunners. (Evening Standard)
And Wenger says that Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, 20, could have suffered a career setback by becoming an England international while so young. (The Sun - subscription required)
Manuel Pellegrini says he is unaware of reports that he is soon to be replaced as manager by Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola. (Four Four Two)
Meanwhile, Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus believes the players have lost belief and are unsettled under Guardiola. (Sky Sports)
Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller, 25, has fuelled rumours that he will join Manchester United by saying he has a good relationship with Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal. (Metro)
Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in signing Karim Benzema, with Real Madrid willing to sell the 27-year-old French striker. (Daily Star)
Real Madrid's German midfielder Sami Khedira, 28, could also be a target for Manchester United and Arsenal, but is most likely on his way to Schalke. (Goal)
Liverpool are in the running to sign Barcelona full-back Martin Montoya, 24, according to Spanish reports. (Sport Witness)
QPR boss Chris Ramsey agreed with his captain, Joey Barton, that the club have some "bad eggs". (Guardian)
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will stick with temporary boss John Carver next season, says West Brom manager Tony Pulis. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Manager Jose Mourinho says midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek will have a career at Chelsea after the 19-year-old made his first start against Liverpool. (Goal,com)
Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini refused to deny reports goalkeeper Samir Handanovic could leave the club in the summer, with Manchester United and Juventus reported to be interested in the 30-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport, in Italian)
Best of social media
Chelsea captain John Terry is off on holiday, it seems. The defender posted on Instagram: "Few days in the sun. Well deserved rest with @toni26terry."
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as a guest for the match against Liverpool. The Italian 41-year-old caught up with old team-mates Didier Drogba and Petr Cech, and tweeted: "It was great to see @Capitancarloc at the Bridge today."
Crystal Palace defender Peter Ramage, who spent four years with QPR, reacted to his former team's relegation on Sunday. Ramage tweeted: "Disappointed for the QPR today, horrible feeling, but they've bounced back before and sure they can do it again!"
Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel spent his Sunday night helping with the homework. The USA international tweeted: "SATS revisions...my daughter looks thrilled."
Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam is ready to put a few memories on the wall. He tweeted: "Some of my tops I have collected over the years ready to be framed."
And finally
Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat says he would have to get a divorce if he was stay on at the club next season. (Independent)
A match steward made a last-ditch tackle to prevent an angry fan from confronting the referee during a Mexican league match between Santos and Puebla. (Metro)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Barry Glendenning
Austerity? What austerity? Although smirking assassin Iain Duncan Smith is ready to return to the cabinet to oversee £12bn in welfare cuts, Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is unlikely to feel any sort of pinch. Manchester City are widely reported to be on the verge of offering the 22-year-old down with £250,000 per week - netto - in the hope of repelling the advances of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, who are also showing predictable interest in the player. Pogba’s Mr 15%, Mino Raiola, who also represents Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marek Hamsik, Romelu Lukaku and Mario Balotelli among others, is reported to be very, very happy at the prospect of negotiating a deal that would earn Juventus a minimum of £50m and his client £385,000 per week before tax.
Manchester City are also being linked with a £30m move for Kevin De Bruyne, who helped Bundesliga side Wolfsburg qualify for the Champions League this season, following his £18m departure from Chelsea in January 2014. The Express reports that the Belgian winger has had his ear repeatedly bent and burned by his compatriot Vincent Kompany, who’s been giving him the hard sell. In the event of his arrival at the Etihad, City striker Edin Dzeko could move the other way.
Meanwhile at Old Trafford, Manchester United suits are plotting another raid on Eindhoven, where 24-year-old PSV midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has caught the eye of Louis van Gaal. An attacking, right-sided midfielder blessed with scorching pace and a razor sharp football brain, Wijnaldum caught the eye of Arsenal and Liverpool as a young Feyenoord player, but chose instead to advance his football education in the Netherlands with PSV. “If you want to be fully prepared for the top foreign leagues then I believe you have to have learned everything in the Eredivisie,” he once said and five years on, it’s probably safe to say he’s ready to make the step up. United are also reported to be in “advanced” negotiations with Southampton’s right-back Nathaniel Clyne, whose future may well be decided this week. “Of course, we like to know what he decides and then if he accepts this offer from the club,” said his manager Ronald Koeman on Saturday. “We like to know it. After the weekend, it will be a good time to sit together and mention what will happen with Clyne. I can give him some advice, but it’s difficult. He has to make that decision.”
Having got used to playing in front of small crowds at Monaco, Dimitar Berbatov could continue to do so in the intimate but considerably more bawdy environs of Bournemouth’s compact Dean Court stadium. Everybody’s favourite louche Bulgarian is 34, but remains as fleet of foot over 20 metres as he was a decade ago and ought to be available on a free transfer from a club that is only allowed a 22-man squad next season as punishment for past transfer naughtiness.
Having failed to make an impact at Manchester City or Aston Villa, the next leg of Scott Sinclair’s retirement tour could take him to the Hawthorns, where West Brom are believed to be interested in taking him off City’s hands. Another Villa loanee, goalscoring’s Tom Cleverley, has “hinted” that he wants to make his move to Villa Park from Manchester United permanent, possibly by walking up and down outside Old Trafford wearing a sandwich board with “I want to make my move to Villa Park from Manchester United permanent” daubed on it in big letters. The Manchester United purgatory of Radamel Falcao is also approaching its end, with Spanish side Sevilla, who see him as a potential replacement for his compatriot Carlos Bacca, who looks likely to leave the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán despite insisting he is happy with his lot in Seville.
In other red hot South American striker news, French sports daily L’Equipe say Radamel Falcao is determined to leave PSG this summer, with Manchester United his likely destination. Another striker likely to take his business elsewhere is Real Madrid’s £40m-rated French goal-getter Karim Benzema, who is also wanted by United. And Arsenal. And Liverpool.
Chelsea representatives are planning to drive a van to Atlético Madrid’s training ground, where they will bundle central defender Diego Godin, midfielder Koke and striker Antoine Griezmann into the back and leave the thick end of £110m by way of compensation. Up in Merseyside, Liverpool are hoping to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, having missed out on the Manchester United bound Memphis Depay, who they didn’t really want anyway. In dire need of new attacking options for next season, the club’s transfer committee have held protracted talks amongst themselves, taken a vote and agreed they like the cut of the Gabon international’s jib.
And finally, the number of Guadeloupean strikers gracing the Premier League could increase by one if West Ham are successful in their bid to bring Guingamp hitman Claudio Beauvue to Upton Park. Having revealed last month that he’d be leaving the Ligue 1 club this summer, the 27-year-old has attracted interest from Tottenham, Hull City, and Everton, but West Ham are rumoured to be in the boxseat as far as securing his services is concerned.
OS
Manager on Monday
Sam Allardyce says that the focus will remain on looking to beat Everton at home in the next match to reach the 50 points target and remain on course to secure the aimed-for top ten finish.
Much is being discussed on whether the amount of possible bookings that may or may not be picked up by either the Hammers or the Toffees when the two teams meet at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, may affect who could take the final Fair Play Europa League place.
But Hammers boss Allardyce will have his players only focusing on bouncing back from the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend and getting three points in what is the final home of the 2014/15 season.
“I am not going to look at it in that way, whether we are going to get any less cautions or more than Everton. We just want to go out and play them to beat them, that’s the only thing we will be looking at.
“I am not going to start saying to the players, watch what you do, don’t get cautioned because we might not finish number one for European fair play place. It will be all about going out there, playing our best and trying to win. And if we do that the right way, hopefully we are still in the position for the fair play place."
Big Sam emphasised concentrating on the targets and aims that has been the mainstay all season, having been in the top half of the table throughout the current campaign.
“Our position is to finish with 50 points or better and finish in the top half where we have been all season. It would be very disappointing to me if we don’t manage that.
“I know we have got more points than we have ever got since promotion - we have one more point than in year one back in the Barclays Premier League - but we have to get to the 50 point mark and stay in the top half of the table."
The manager was ruing not being able to stick the ball into the back of the net at Villa Park on Saturday and knows that and keeping a clean sheet will be a key for facing Roberto Martinez’s men this weekend.
He also said the continuing strong performances of young West Ham defender Reece Burke, who featured in his third straight league match for the first-team against Villa was fantastic for the club and said it further enhanced the long-admired academy the club is famed for.
“When you look across the Barclays Premier League today, there are very few players under the age of 21 that are actually playing [in first team] on a regular basis.
“In fact, probably less than double figures I would have thought. If you look across the whole of the Premier League, it’s a pity but it shows you how difficult it is for youngsters to break into a Premier League team when he is an under 21.
“Obviously Reece has got in our side out of the fact we have two of our main defenders injured [James Tomkins and Winston Reid], and when you get your chance, you have to grasp it in this game.
“For me, he [Reece] has done that, he has grasped his chance, he has done a fantastic job and I think that West Ham finding this lad from age of nine, is very unusual now, because when you see youngsters breaking in, you will see that they have probably been bought in by the bigger clubs when they are 14 or 15 not when they are eight or nine like Reece.
“It’s great for him, it’s great for the reputation of the club, he played a part in making sure we didn’t give anything else away in the game at the weekend and that is great.”
Big Sam added that being more clinical in front of goal would be the main key to undoing an Everton side.
“Like I have said, we can’t score a goal at the minute from open play, we’ve gone so long, I can’t remember the last one, it’s that long ago. The last goals we have scored were with Mark Noble from the penalty spot and Aaron Cresswell from a free kick. It’s been a long time since we scored from open play.
“We have to know, that when we play Everton on Saturday, if we don’t keep a clean sheet, it’s unlikely we are going to win because we are struggling to score goals at the minute, so the need for to go back to being more clinical as well as keeping a clean sheet is vital.”
Mirror
West Ham keen on summer move for £6million Guingamp striker Claudio Beauvue
By Darren Lewis
The Guadeloupean hitman wants to test himself in England after a terrific season in Ligue 1 at the Stade du Roudourou
Bound for England: Beauvue wants to ply his trade in the Premier League
West Ham are interested in £6million Guingamp striker Claudio Beauvue.
The 27-year-old has scored 25 goals this season and is keen to build on this success by moving to the Premier League.
Bertrand Desplat, Guingamp President, confirmed his player was interested in a move.
“It seems that this is the will of Claudio – to go to England,” he said
Beauvue claims to have an agreement with his club which means that he could leave this summer.
The Frenchman, who has played wide right and as a central striker for Guingamp this season, said: “The deal I had with the club president was that I would leave in the event of a beautiful season.
“The season has been very beautiful.”
