HEADLINES
Ter Stegen: After the break, Barcelona will come back stronger
Rudiger admits he’s ‘honoured’ by Bayern Munich links
Abramovich travels to London for first time since 2018
Memphis: I will never regret signing for Barcelona
Liverpool request to move Watford game rejected
Ward-Prowse replaces injured Kalvin Phillips in England squad
Barcelona still owe €115m in unpaid transfer fees
Frenkie de Jong insists Barcelona crisis is ‘exaggerated’
SPANISH PAPERS
Luis Enrique insists Spain will be ‘ambitious and try to win from the start’ against Italy in the Nations League semi-final, but hit out at the media. ‘I know football much better than you do.’
Sergio Busquets admits Italy ‘deserved to win’ UEFA EURO 2020 and it’s ‘an honour’ to face them in the Nations League, but Spain want the victory this time.
According to Mundo Deportivo, It was Jordi Cruyff who convinced president Laporta to not fire Ronald Koeman. He insisted that the manager needs to have Agüero, Dembélé and Ansu Fati all fully fit before judging the team.
Barcelona have made contact for goalkeeper André Onana but Inter are favourites to land the Ajax player.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has said in an interview that he is hopeful the club can sign Kylian Mbappe on a pre-contract agreement in January.
PSG are planning to make another contract renewal offer to Kylian Mbappé, a short-term deal that would make him the highest paid player at the club. But Real Madrid is still the player’s preferred destination.
Frenkie de Jong insists that Barcelona are ‘not in a rut’, despite the Spanish club’s disastrous start to the 2021-22 campaign that has left Ronald Koeman’s job hanging by a thread.
Roberto Mancini targets more international glory with Italy just months after Euro 2020 success, insisting the Nations League is an ‘important competition.
GERMAN PAPERS
Bayern Munich will play in a full capacity at Allianz Arena again starting from the next home game against Hoffenheim on October 23.
Antonio Rüdiger focused on Chelsea job despite Bayern Munich interest – the German’s current deal expires in June 2022: “It honours me and shows that I have been doing things right in the last few years but I don’t let that distract me too much.”
ITALIAN PAPERS
Italy will wear a special edition Puma jersey using Ultraweave technology for the two Nations League games, then it will be worn by the Women’s team in October.
AC Milan ultras making their views clear about Gianluigi Donnarumma using this banner outside the Italy national team’s hotel: “Donnarumma, you’ll never be welcome in Milan again.”
Gianluigi Donnarumma pleaded for Milan supporters not to insult him on his return to San Siro for Italy against Spain, but a banner has already warned he’ll ‘never be welcome here again.’
According to the latest reports, Dusan Vlahovic’s agent prompted #Fiorentina to abandon contract talks with his excessive demands, including 10% commission on a future sale.
Juventus are reportedly looking to sell Weston McKennie and Aaron Ramsey this winter, while targeting AS Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni.
AS Roma centre-back Chris Smalling will be out for three weeks with a thigh injury, and will thus miss the next three games against Juventus and Napoli.
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini admitted the Azzurri have ‘great respect for Spain’ and said he was ‘ashamed as an Italian and a Tuscan’ after the racial abuse of Kalidou Koulibaly.
Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has been named Serie A Coach of the Month for September after maintaining a 100 per cent record.
Roma are in negotiations to extend their contract with defender Gianluca Mancini, which currently runs to June 2024.
There are reports Juventus are planning to wear fluorescent yellow with dark green logos for the 2022-23 away kit, designed by Adidas.
Lorenzo Pellegrini, Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Chiesa are all options to play as a False 9 for Italy in the Nations League against Spain today.
BRITISH EXPRESS
THE SUN
Manchester United are fully behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and have no intention of sacking him.
Arsenal have won their battle against FIFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Liverpool and Chelsea will have to pay £34m to land Monaco’s precocious midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Chelsea fans will be relieved to find out the club inserted a £40m buy-back clause in Tino Livramento’s Southampton contract.
Manchester United sent scouts to watch Benfica striker Darwin Nunez but he flopped on the latest occasion.
Antonio Rudiger’s Chelsea contract talks are ‘on hold’ after the German was left ‘disappointed’ by the Blues’ last offer, reports claim.
Kalvin Phillips ruled out of England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary with a calf injury. James Ward-Prowse has been called up to replace the Leeds United player.
DAILY MAIL
Roman Abramovich is set to visit Chelsea during a rare trip to London.
Manchester City are trying to persuade the EFL to let clubs make five substitutions in this season’s Carabao Cup.
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott has shown encouraging signs in his road to recovery from an ankle break at Leeds by posting an image of him on an exercise bike.
Unvaccinated England stars look set to be able to play at next year’s World Cup in Qatar following reports at least five Three Lions players have refused to have the Covid jab.
Premier League clubs are worried about their England stars playing on Andorra’s plastic pitch, leaving Gareth Southgate with a selection headache for Saturday’s clash.
Manchester United are reportedly in the process of tying down two more of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom staff to new contracts.
Ninety-four per cent of Newcastle United Supporters Trust members demanded Steve Bruce resign.
Gary Lineker has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United was completed in his back garden.
William Saliba is set to be integrated into Arsenal’s first team from next season after his loan at Marseille comes to an end, according to reports.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Liverpool were rejected a request to move their next game at Watford to an evening kick-off to give them a chance of fielding Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino.
England manager Gareth Southgate will be forced to factor in Andorra’s plastic pitch when he selects his team for the latest World Cup qualifier, with Harry Kane’s ankles rated as one of the main areas of concern.
Mohammed Salah is demanding up to £380,000-a-week to sign a new Liverpool contract.
