Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam wants to return to English football - as manager of Fulham.
Valencia tried to lure Ryan Giggs to Spain before they went for Gary Neville - but the Manchester United legend believes he's in line to take over from Louis van Gaal.
Jose Mourinho claims it is too easy for foreign managers to earn Premier League jobs - and believes English coaches should fear for their futures.
Everton are keen on signing Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, who has found game time hard to come by.
THE SUN
Manchester United will step up their chase for Pep Guardiola after the 2-1 loss against Bournemouth and their Champions League exit
Jose Mourinho has dismissed reports that Diego Costa wants to return to Atletico Madrid, insisting the £32m striker is happy at Chelsea.
Alexandre Pato has put Manchester United and Chelsea on red alert - after he revealed he wants to move to the Premier League.
Yaya Toure will be offered a staggering £24m deal after tax to quit Manchester City for China.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has hinted he may make a move for Leicester goal machine Jamie Vardy. Mourinho said: "He is top scorer and it is normal big clubs want him. It is a beautiful story and his record is historic."
Rio Ferdinand says Louis van Gaal must get rid of the fear engulfing Manchester United every time they take to the pitch.
Lionel Messi has launched a potty-mouthed tirade at critics of his displays for Argentina.
DAILY STAR
Arsenal are bracing themselves for a remarkable swoop from Real Madrid to take their star man Mesut Ozil. Madrid are eyeing a move for the German international should James Rodriguez leave the Bernabeu.
Leeds boss Steve Evans is facing questions over his future after allowing owner Massimo Cellino into the dressing room during games.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has dismissed claims he has an incurable heel injury.
Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling has hinted that he's about to leave the Bundesliga club. According to reports, he's a major target for Liverpool and there could be a deal in place to bring him to England in January.
DAILY MAIL
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is hoping to start discussing a new deal at Stamford Bridge, despite his poor form at the start of the season.
Mario Balotelli has said that he cannot wait for Euro 2016 - prompting Italy coach Antonio Conte to ask sarcastically whether the maverick striker would be playing or watching on television.
Jose Mourinho has refused to rule out Diego Costa returning to Atletico Madrid, but maintains the striker is happy at Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho has revealed his pre-match routine; he likes to find a quiet corner and watch a movie for half an hour. He said: "I like to be in my little office at Stamford Bridge, lying there, watching a movie on my iPad. I hate it when the guy knocks on the door and tells you to come for the (TV) interview."
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Aleksandr Kokorin's move to Arsenal is a 'done deal'. The Dynamo Moscow forward is available at a knock-down price because his contract is up in the summer.
THE INDEPENDENT
The Football Association will consider a foreign coach to succeed Roy Hodgson if his four-year reign as England manager comes to end at Euro 2016.
England's Euro 2016 game against Wales in Lens next summer could be rescheduled with broadcasters keen for their fixture to be moved to an evening kick-off rather than its current 2pm slot.
DAILY RECORD
Alex Miller has insisted he has not even considered taking the manager's job at St Mirren.
DAILY EXPRESS
Arsenal's reported pursuit of Celta Vigo winger Nolito has hit a snag after he suffered a thigh injury.
Erik Lamela has stated he is going nowhere as interest increases in the Tottenham midfielder.
Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is expected to sign a new Liverpool contract after getting a vote of confidence from Jurgen Klopp.
BBC
Manchester United are considering sacking manager Louis van Gaal and replacing him with former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti in order to seal a move for Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 30. (Daily Star)
Napoli have made United's Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela, 22, a target for the January transfer window. (Gazzetta Dello Sport, via Metro)
Paris St-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti, 23, could move to Old Trafford to make room in the French champions' squad for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, 22. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)
Manchester United still hope they can beat rivals Manchester City to the signing of Pep Guardiola and have increased their contact with the Bayern Munich manager. (ESPN FC)
Swansea are monitoring Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli's dispute with the country's football federation, but former Brighton and Sunderland manager Gus Poyet remains the frontrunner for the Swans' vacant managerial post. (WalesOnline)
Roy Hodgson has been told by the Football Association to reach the last eight at Euro 2016 to earn new two-year deal as England boss. (Daily Mail)
The FA will consider a foreign coach to succeed Hodgson if his four-year reign with England comes to an end after next summer's tournament in France. (Independent)
Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling, 31, has suggested he may have played his last game for the club, increasing speculation that he could be on his way to Liverpool in January. (Sky Sport Deutschland via Metro)
Crystal Palace are leading the way in the chase for 24-year-old Juventus striker Simone Zaza, who is also wanted by Watford and Norwich. (Sun)
Leicester are considering a £2m bid for AC Milan's Dutch anchorman Nigel de Jong, 31. (Sunday People)
Ex-Manchester United defender Jaap Stam - currently an assistant coach at Dutch side Ajax- is keen to take his first step into management with Fulham. (Daily Mirror)
Former Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes says he has had several job offers since being sacked by Real Sociedad in November. (Sky Sports, via FourFourTwo)
Questions have been raised over the future of Leeds manager Steve Evans after owner Massimo Cellino appeared in the dressing room twice in recent weeks during half-time. Evans had previously said he would quit if Cellino interfered with tactics. (Daily Star)
Best of social media
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is on his way to Japan with his team for the Club World Cup, but has found the in-flight pyjamas a little baggy for his 5ft 7ins frame.
Tottenham forward Harry Kane is not mincing his words in the wake of his side's defeat by Newcastle on Sunday. "Very bad result. We need to learn to keep our foot on the pedal when 1-0 up and kill teams off," he wrote on Twitter.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini congratulated ex-team-mate Petr Cech as the now-Arsenal stopper matched David James' record of 169 Premier League clean sheets. "Many congratulations for such a great achievement. Many more to come for the best GK ever in PL. #Topclass," he tweeted.
And finally
Arsenal's official Twitter feed got a little over-excited after Aaron Ramsey put them 2-0 up against Aston Villa on Sunday, wrongly awarding him a second and third goal inside a minute. (London Evening Standard)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted his squad join him and his staff at the coaches' Christmas lunch after their own festive meal was cancelled for fear it would interfere with their preparation for a busy period of games. (Daily Mirror)
A crisp manufacturer has made limited edition packs to "honour" Leicester striker Jamie Vardy's recent good form. (NBC Sports)
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been compared to controversial Republican presidential candidacy frontrunner Donald Trump in a critical newspaper editorial in the city. (Manchester Evening News)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Jacob Steinberg
Real Madrid lost again on Sunday, going down 1-0 at Villarreal, but luckily they have identified the source of their problems:
Rafael Benítez they haven’t got enough creative players. Mesut Özil fits the bill, even though they sold him to Arsenal two years ago.
Never let it be said that Madrid are dysfunctional. Arsenal will make up for the loss of their assist machine by signing Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi, although they will have to fend off interest from Tottenham Hotspur. They usually get the better of their neighbours.
The bad news keeps coming for fallen giants Chelsea and Manchester United, both of whom have been casting furtive glances at Paul Pogba. Unfortunately it seems that Paris Saint-Germain are going to steal a march on them by offering Juventus Marco Verratti in exchange for the France midfielder. Poor Chelsea! Poor Manchester United! It’s a Christmas tragedy.
Liverpool’s ears perked up when they heard Stefan Kiessling suggesting that he has played his last game for Bayer Leverkusen, plus word that Dries Mertens is taking his time signing a new contract at Napoli.
Swansea City are thinking about making Jorge Sampaoli their new manager, although those whispers about Gus Poyet, currently at AEK Athens, refuse to go away.
Leicester City have decided they’ve become too likeable. They’ll rectify that by signing Milan’s Nigel de Jong for £2m. David Moyes reckons he has had several (punditry) offers since he was sacked by Real Sociedad last month.
OS
Manager on Monday
Slaven Bilic said he was extremely impressed and encouraged by the hard-work and determination shown by his side in recent games.
The Hammers are now unbeaten in three games, following draws with West Brom, Manchester United and Stoke City.
Despite injuries to key players such as Dimitri Payet, Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses and Winston Reid, Bilic said his side have coped well so far: “I am very happy that the players who have come in since the injuries have stepped up, they have really stepped up. Their all round play has brought something different to our game.
“We are missing some really key players, especially offensively. Considering that, we did very well. I told the guys before and after Old Trafford that the only we way are going to compensate for that is by working as a team. We are still going to miss big players but the effect will be minimized if we work hard collectively, not as individuals. With teamwork and hardwork, that is exactly what we did.”
Up next for the Hammers is a tough away trip to Swansea City on Sunday 20 December. In their final game before Christmas, Bilic reasserted his desire to win every game they contest.
He continued: “If you ask me before the start of every game I would never take a point, especially when we are at home, but even away also.
“Reflecting on the Stoke game, I cannot be unhappy. The effort was definitely there, I couldn’t ask for more.
“We wanted to win, we always want to win. Sometimes you have to take risks, this is football, it is worth throwing everything you’ve got for three points. Saying that, the team defends as a whole and attacks as a whole, so the eleven on the pitch are only half of it, it is the shape, the mentality that is key.”
HITC
West Ham dynamo Mauro Zarate equals Premier League best, betters Payet
Mauro Zarate created more chances than any other player this weekend.
Dan Coombs
West Ham were frustrated at the weekend as they drew 0-0 at home to Stoke City, but it was not for lack of trying.
That applies particularly to Argentine forward Mauro Zarate, who tried his best to carve open the Potters' defence.
Zarate created eight goalscoring chances - the best record in the Premier League among any side to play on Saturday and Sunday.
He was three clear of his nearest challenger, Liverpool's Alberto Moreno.
Stoke's most prolific creator was Bojan, who made three key passes in the stalemate in East London.
Zarate's performance was commendable, and it equalled a Premier League best for the season, level with Mesut Ozil - who also had his most prolific game of the season against Stoke City.
The common name on the list of best performances this season is Dimitri Payet, who created seven chances in three separate matches, a figure Zarate exceeded this weekend.
He now needs to show consistency while Payet is out injured, for this was the only match in which Zarate has played in which he has created more than two chances, better one on only two occasions previously.
West Ham hopeful of signing Argentina international Federico Mancuello for £2.5m
Dan Coombs
Mancuello plays for Independiente and has two international caps for Argentina, with one goal, netting against El Salvador.
The 26-year-old plays predominantly as a central midfielder but is also capable of featuring at left wing or at left-back.
In 34 games in all competitions in 2015 Mancuello has scored 13 goals and provided nine assists.
The Sun claim West Ham are hopeful of signing him at just £2.5 million, and do not need to worry about a work permit as he hold an Italian passport.
The Hammers are unlikely to be the only side interested, and the bargain price could increase.
He has played in South America his entire career to date, into his second spell with Independiente after a brief stint at Belgrano.
West Ham are currently adjusting to the loss of Dmitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini to injury, and have drawn their last two games 0-0.
Both are expected back in the New Year, but the addition of Mancuello would mean they will have greater strength in depth, and he could develop into a real star in the Premier League.
