Paper Talk
Manchester United hope Cristiano Ronaldo will return as the Real Madrid superstar 'seeks new challenge', but Paris St Germain have denied preparing a blockbuster end-of-season move for the Portuguese forward.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa is "detestable", says former West Ham midfielder Alou Diarra.
Referee Mike Dean will remain on Premier League duty next weekend, despite his controversial afternoon at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
England boss Roy Hodgson is keeping tabs on Tottenham's Dele Alli over a possible call-up.
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed his shock at Wayne Rooney being offered double his own salary at Old Trafford.
West Ham's Andy Carroll looks set to start his first match since February against Leicester in the Capital One Cup.
Liverpool's Lucas has told his teammates to relax - despite the Reds' poor start to the season.
Morgan Schneiderlin believes Anthony Martial will only get better after his sensational start to his Manchester United career.
Bournemouth defender Sylvain Distin has no plans to hang up his boots - despite being just 12 days younger than manager Eddie Howe.
Phil Jones has given Manchester United an injury boost by returning to training after his blood clot.
Napoli are set to bid for Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo in January.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas has admitted that he did reluctantly sign a contract with Manchester United on transfer deadline day.
Manchester City star Yaya Toure reckons the Arsenal 'Invincibles' will never be matched.
Arsenal fans have launched a barmy campaign to boycott the Costa coffee shop chain which shares part of its name with controversial Chelsea striker Diego Costa.
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he considered a move to sign Mario Balotelli before the controversial Italian striker signed for Manchester City.
Arda Turan could make a shock early debut for Barcelona after injury to midfielder Rafinha opened up a potential loophole in the club's FIFA-imposed ban on registering players.
Dick Advocaat says he will quit Sunderland if he feels another manager would do a better job - but for the time being is backing himself to keep the club in the Premier League.
Diego Costa is facing a three-match ban for grappling with Laurent Koscielny during Chelsea's win over Arsenal.
Costa, meanwhile, escaped from the fall-out from Saturday's match by relaxing at Peppa Pig World.
Manchester United are showing an interest in promising Heerenveen centre-back Jerry St Juste.
Barcelona superstar Neymar has intimated his desire to see Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho at the Nou Camp.
Meanwhile, the Spanish giants are preparing a raid on Arsenal for Theo Walcott to replace Pedro who joined Chelsea this summer.
Chelsea are planning a raid on Real Madrid in the January transfer window for right-back Dani Carvajal.
The Blues will also make a renewed effort to sign Kostas Manolas from Roma in January.
Sir Alex Ferguson has blamed Paul Pogba's agent for the player's controversial decision to quit Manchester United.
Manchester United reportedly turned down the chance to re-sign Dimitar Berbatov in the summer.
Arsenal legend Tony Adams has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson made repeated attempts to get him to sign for Manchester United.
Adebayo Akinfenwa has claimed he would "snooze" Diego Costa if the pair ever squared up on the pitch.
David Moyes is fighting to remain as coach of Real Sociedad and says that he will draw on the lessons learned during his time at Manchester United to ensure that his tenure in Spain does not last less than a year.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful football manager of all time, would have stayed on at Manchester United were it not for the death of his sister-in-law, he has revealed.
Arsenal are expected to report on Tuesday that a second £3million payment has been made by the club to a company owned by majority shareholder Stan Kroenke.
BBC
Manchester United are ready to make a £90m bid for Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 30, amid claims he could leave the La Liga side next summer. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United are also interested in signing 18-year-old Heerenveen centre-back Jerry St Juste after the Dutch player impressed against PSV Eindhoven last month. (Daily Mail)
Defender Phil Jones, 23, is ready to return to the Manchester United squad against Sunderland on Saturday after recovering from a blood clot in his calf. (Daily Telegraph)
Barcelona are considering a January transfer-window move for Liverpool's Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho, 23. (TalkSport via Fichajes)
AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi says Paris St-Germain's Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 33, wanted a move to the club but they ended up with Liverpool's Mario Balotelli, 25. (Daily Star)
AFC Wimbledon striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, 33, says "there would only be one winner" if he came up against Chelsea and Spain striker Diego Costa, 26. (Daily Express)
Liverpool and Belgium striker Christian Benteke, 24, is doubtful for Saturday's game against his former club Aston Villa because he has a hamstring problem. (Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is thinking about sending 20-year-old Belgium striker Divock Origi out on loan in the January transfer window. (Het Laatste Nieuws - in Dutch)
Walsall and Saint Kitts and Nevis winger Romaine Sawyers, 23, believes his side can cause a shock when they face Chelsea in the League Cup on Wednesday. (Express & Star)
Tottenham are keeping an eye on Red Star Belgrade's 17-year-old Serbia striker Luka Jovic who is valued at £6m. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham and Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen, 28, has backed team-mate Harry Kane, 22, to end his barren run in front of goal. The English striker has not scored in five league games this season. (Evening Standard)
Manchester City are in no rush to give 18-year-old Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho a new deal, despite reported interest from Tottenham. (Manchester Evening News)
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says 23-year-old striker Callum Wilson is ready for the international stage and will recommend him for an England call-up. (Bournemouth Echo)
Bournemouth's French defender Sylvain Distin, who became the Premier League's oldest outfield player of the season at the age of 37, says he has no plans to retire. (The Sun - subscription required)
Everton's Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu, 21, wants to "feel important" after failing to make a start for the Toffees so far this season. (Liverpool Echo)
Sheffield Wednesday are interested in signing Sunderland striker Danny Graham, 30, on loan and are willing to cover his wages. (Sunderland Echo)
Aston Villa midfielder Idrissa Gueye, 25, has travelled to France to see a specialist about a hamstring problem picked up on international duty with Senegal. (Birmingham Mail)
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew says he won't be bothered by any ill-feeling towards him from Charlton fans when the sides meet in the League Cup on Wednesday. Pardew was in-charge of the Addicks when they were relegated from the Premier League in 2007. (Croydon Advertiser)
David Moyes is fighting to remain as coach of Real Sociedad and will draw on the lessons learned during his failed spell at Manchester United to ensure that his tenure in Spain does not last less than a year. (The Times - subscription required)
Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, 28, says he cried after a proposed move to Manchester United collapsed because he wanted to remain the Spanish capital. (Cope - in Spanish)
Best of social media
Tottenham's players enjoyed a recovery session in the swimming pool after their victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend. Four of their players recorded an impressive score of 117 in head tennis, winger Nacer Chadli said on Twitter.
Anthony Martial's wife Samantha posted a picture on Instagram of their son with the man of the match trophy given to the Frenchman after Manchester United's win over Southampton.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has paid tribute to his girlfriend Andriani Michael for helping him through his injury troubles. He posted a picture of the two of them on his Instagram account with the message: "When nothing seems to be going your way, it's important to have people around you that love you.....but more importantly, the one you love."
And finally...
Luis Suarez Martin, Cafu and Christophe Berra Martin are just some of the suggestions for a poll on what Norwich full-back Russell Martin should name his newborn son. (Norwich Evening News)
The dentist father of Everton's Uruguayan striker Leandro Rodriguez stopped his son from turning professional until he got a good education. (Guardian)
Fans of Cristiano Ronaldo are being invited to buy raffle tickets to spend a day with the Real Madrid forward including watching him get a haircut. (Daily Mail)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Barry Glendenning
Following the sensational but unfounded game-changing porcine claims carried in Monday’s Daily Mail, rumours that Manchester United are on “red alert” over speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo has decided to leave Real Madrid next summer seem strangely underwhelming. The Mirror report that the Portuguese goal-getter is “ready for a new challenge” and suggest United will tempt him to revisit an old one and pay a world record fee of £90m for the privilege. The scorer of a phenomenal 321 goals in 305 appearances for Real, Ronaldo is understood to favour a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but Manchester United suits will prostrate themselves before the 31-year-old in the hope of luring him back to Old Trafford, where he would be paid £15m per year to play out his dotage.
Jerry St Juste may sound like an end-of-pier lounge crooner from a low-rent British seaside resort, but that won’t stop United attempting to sign the 18-year-old Herenveen central defender who attracted admiring glances from club scouts when they were doing their homework on PSV before last week’s Champions League encounter at the Philips Stadion. St Juste impressed during his side’s 1-1 draw with PSV last month and may have done enough to earn himself a move to the Premier League.
Having signed Turkey skipper Arda Turan from Atlético Madrid last summer despite a transfer ban imposed by Fifa that precludes the bearded midfielder from lining up for them until January, Barcelona are hoping to exploit a loophole that could enable them to get him into their team a lot sooner. The fact that Rafinha is expected to be out for over five months with torn cruciate ligaments means Barcelona should, in theory, be able to register a replacement and they’ve already gone cap in hand to the Spanish FA, who will seek clarification from Fifa.
Liverpool supporters who are already disgruntled with their team’s poor start to the season will be further irritated by speculation linking their midfielder Philippe Coutinho with a move to Barcelona in January. Neymar and Luis Suárez are both understood to be big fans of the Brazilian and speaking at a corporate event, the former said of his compatriot: “Coutinho is a crack [player] and I would like to play alongside him for Barcelona”.
José Mourinho will attempt to rectify the problems presented by Branislav Ivanovic’s slump in form by signing Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal in January. The 23-year-old Spain international is contracted to Real until 2020, but Chelsea will attempt to prise him away from the Bernabéu for a fee somewhere in the region of £14m.
Marcos Rojo is another defender who could find himself on the move, having apparently failed to weasel his way back into Louis van Gaal’s affections at Manchester United after missing the final leg of his club’s pre-season tour after forgetting to have his passport renewed. With his personal documents back in order, the defender could find himself flying to Napoli, who have expressed an interest in signing him up at the turn of the year.
Aged just 17 and valued at £6m, Red Star Belgrade striker Luka Jovic has got antennae twitching at Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, who are all impressed with the Serb’s return of 10 goals in 31 appearances since breaking into his club’s first team last year.
Meanwhile in Sunderland, Danny Graham’s comparatively meagre return of one deflected goal in 30 matches for the Wearside club could see him shipped out on yet another loan spell. Having spent time at Hull City, Middlesbrough and Wolves since signing for Sunderland, the striker’s next port of call will be Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, who have apparently agreed to cover his wages.
HITC
Neil Warnock raves about Victor Moses
Chelsea-owned West Ham United winger Victor Moses worked with Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace.
Subhankar Mondal
Former Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock said on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on talkSPORT on Monday morning that Victor Moses can be as good as anybody in the Premier League.
Moses joined West Ham United on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea on transfer deadline day and has started the 2015-16 campaign strongly.
The Nigeria international winger has scored one goal in two Premier League appearances for the Hammers. The 24-year-old has a pass accuracy of 74% and has won seven dribbles.
The former Liverpool loanee was an important player in West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City away from home at the Etihad Stadium in the league on Saturday evening.
It was Moses who opened the scoring for the London outfit with a brilliant effort in the first half.
Warnock, who worked with Moses at Palace, rates the West Ham winger highly and said on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on talkSPORT on Monday morning: “He is a good signing and I know that he didn’t want to go back to Stoke…
“He is improving all the time… When he has got his confidence, he is as good as anybody in the Premier League, so I am pleased for him.”
Moses has been on the books of Chelsea since 2012, but he has failed to make his mark at Stamford Bridge so far.
The Nigerian played on loan for Liverpool and Stoke City during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons respectively, but he was not exactly at his best.
Hopefully for West Ham, Moses will be able to maintain his good form and score goals regularly over the course of the 2015-16 campaign.
OS
Slaven Speaks - Leicester City
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic says the Club have a strong chance of winning the Capital One Cup this season and will be looking to maintain their impressive away form when they travel to the King Power Stadium.
The Hammers have enjoyed a superb start on their travels picking up memorable wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and Premier League leaders Manchester City last Saturday.
The players were back in for training on Monday before making the short trip to the Midlands and are full of confidence as they prepare for the first major cup competition this season.
Bilic is taking the Capital One Cup seriously and hopes the latest victory over the Premier League leaders will give everyone in the squad the confidence to achieve a similar kind of result when they face Leicester.
Bilic said: “The greatest manager of the Croatian team said that after a big win he would not like to play for a couple of months and to enjoy it.
“But we have the game on Tuesday and it is a big game for us. It is a competition where we know we have a chance.
“You never know what will happen but what I can say is that we will give our best.
“We are approaching the competition with the aim to win it if possible. We are not the favourites but that will be our approach.”
Bilic is hoping to utilise his squad for the game on Tuesday night, but will be unable to choose new signings Michail Antonio and Nikica Jelavic as they are cup-tied.
Mauro Zarate, Andy Carroll and James Collins will all be pushing for a starting place and the Hammers manager reveals he will look to rest some players who have worked so hard in the recent victories over Newcastle and Manchester City.
Bilic added: “We will try to look at other players. It is a shame that Michail and Jelavic cannot play as they have already played in the competition and are cup-tied.
“But we will try to maintain our chances and keep the same quality on the pitch.
“If possible it will be good to rest a couple of players who played against Newcastle and Manchester City on Saturday.”
Youngsters Reece Oxford, Josh Cullen and Elliot Lee could all come into contention, while Cheikhou Kouyate is also hoping to make a return to the squad after missing the City victory with a minor niggle.
HITC
Belic makes West Ham debut; and 18-year-old Jordan Brown opens season account
Jordan Brown scored for West Ham's under-21 side last night against Newcastle.
Dan Coombs
Jordan Brown scored his first under-21 goal of the season for West Ham in last night's draw with Newcastle United.
Brown took only five minutes to make his mark, with his colleagues queuing up to congratulating him after his opener.
West Ham conceded goals to Ivan Toney and Callum Roberts, before a late impact from new boy Luka Belic rescued the game.
Luka Belic of West Ham United in action during the Premier League U21 match between West Ham United and Newcastle
Belic was only signed last week, and came off the bench at half-time to replace goalscorer Brown.
He made an impact on his debut after he was felled in the area and won a penalty with one minute to go, which was scored by Martin Samuelson.
Brendan Pearson of Newcastle brings down Luka Belic of West Ham United during the Premier League U21 match between West Ham United and Newcastle at Boleyn Ground
West Ham U21s midfielder Martin Samuelsen scores a late penalty to secure a 2-2 draw with Newcastle
Who is Jordan Brown?
PIC: Jordan Brown is mobbed by his teammates after scoring the opening goal. Still 1-0. #COYI pic.twitter.com/BYPhaF2HiO
— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) September 21, 2015
Here are five facts...
- Brown is just 18-years-old, and was making his third appearance for West Ham's under-21s this season. He had six goals for the Hammers at this level beforehand.
- The striker has seven caps for England's under-17 side, scoring three goals in those appearances
- He began his youth career with Arsenal, before making the switch to the Hammers in 2013.
- Brown already has one first team appearance to his name, coming off the bench for the final 10 minutes of a Europa League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu at the start of the season.
- He was handed a new contract in May, but his current deal will need renewing again at the end of this season.
