HEADLINES
Man City tried to sign Lukaku in 2020, reveals agent of Chelsea star
Mbappe out of PSG clash with Lille and Messi doubtful
Onana resumes Ajax training as drug ban nears end
Lautaro Martinez signs new Inter contract
Christian Pulisic makes long-awaited return to Chelsea training
Emiliano Sala plane deaths: Flight organiser David Henderson convicted
Liverpool legend Rush tips Salah as strong candidate for 2021 Ballon d’Or
Rooney rips Man Utd players for lazy effort against Liverpool
Sergi Barjuan appointed as interim Barcelona head coach
Neymar backtracks on Brazil retirement after 2022 World Cup
SPANISH PAPERS
Barcelona’s current financial situation will not allow them to offer Ronald Koeman’s replacement a high salary due to the salary cap imposed on them by LaLiga.
Mateu Alemany and Rafa Yuste are travelling to Qatar for talks with Al Sadd and Xavi, according to Diario Sports. Personal terms are not expected to be a problem. Barça want to appoint their new coach as soon as possible.
Barcelona are already preparing the paperwork to appoint Xavi as the new Barça manager. This will be done after his contract is broken with Al Sadd, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Dani Alves: “I think Xavi will be at Pep Guardiola’s level. Barça will be in the hands of a manager that understands the style of football.”
Santi Cazorla: “Xavi is ready to coach Barcelona. He has a clear idea. It is what Barça needs, to return to its style. He likes alternating the formations between 4-3-3 and a 3-4-3. I don’t know if Al Sadd’s management will facilitate his departure.”
Luka Modric has returned to training with his team-mates on Thursday and could feature in Real Madrid’s clash with Elche this weekend.
Xavi Hernández has already told the Barcelona management that he will not be counting on Luuk De Jong. The club hopes to sell the striker this winter.
Several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea and Newcastle, have been sounded out over their interest in signing Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard in the January transfer window.
Miralem Pjanic hit out at Ronald Koeman after it was announced that Barcelona had sacked the coach, but after posting on social media the midfielder soon retracted the message.
FRENCH PAPERS
Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of Paris Saint-Germain’s clash with Lille due to an ear infection while Lionel Messi is doubtful with a knock, as summer signing Sergio Ramos nears a return to full training.
Paris Saint-Germain have announced that Kylian Mbappé remains sidelined with an ENT infection, and will only return to training at the start of next week.
Neymar has insisted that his comments on walking away from the Brazil national team after the 2022 World Cup have been ‘misunderstood’ and he has no plans to retire from international duty.
GERMAN PAPERS
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was at Säbener Straße yesterday for treatment. The striker will be sidelined for around two weeks with a thigh strain.
ITALIAN PAPERS
Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne was asked about his contractual situation after scoring a brace in the 3-0 win over Bologna on Thursday. ‘You always think about the same thing’.
According to reports in Argentina, Napoli refused to take part in the Maradona Cup for economic and organizational reasons.
Romelu Lukaku’s agent Federico Pastorello reveals the Belgian star wanted to return to Chelsea even before his move to Inter.
Former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas says Antonio Conte is the toughest coach he’s ever had and refuses to rule out a transfer to Serie A: ‘Never say never.’
Inter owner Steven Zhang has clarified that talk about a potential sale to PIF is ‘falsehood’ and ‘speculation’.
Max Allegri has picked up five points less than Andrea Pirlo after 10 Serie A games, as Juventus’ struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to Sassuolo on Wednesday.
Inter Milan have officially announced Lautaro Martinez has signed a new deal with the Nerazzurri until June 2026.
Inter are open to sell Christian Eriksen to a country where he can play, as the Denmark international is ‘temporarily inhibited’ by the medical authority in Italy.
BRITISH EXPRESS
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Manchester United will not sell Paul Pogba in January and are fully prepared for the midfielder to leave at the end of the season for free when his contract expires.
Barcelona are closing in on the appointment of Xavi Hernandez as their new head coach following the sacking of Ronald Koeman on Wednesday night.
Donny van de Beek and Eric Bailly are seeking assurances over their respective futures at Manchester United after being frozen out of the first-team picture.
DAILY EXPRESS
Neymar has urged Paris Saint-Germain to go into battle with Liverpool for the signature of Leeds midfielder Raphinha.
Former Newcastle midfielder Geremi has thrown his hat into the ring to become the club’s new sporting director.
Chelsea believe they will have to sell three players in order to finance a return for Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard.
Dele Alli is being tipped for a January departure from Tottenham.
MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to announce that they are expecting twins, as the Manchester United forward’s partner is reportedly twelve weeks pregnant.
Donny van de Beek and Eric Bailly are seeking assurances over their respective futures at Manchester United after being frozen out of the first-team picture.
LONDON EVENING STANDARD
Carabao Cup winners will earn £100,000 from the competition. In the Champions League, each group-stage victory alone is worth £2.5 million.
Newcastle have reportedly joined Man United in the race for Barcelona ace Ousmane Dembele.
DAILY MIRROR
Ronald Koeman will receive a pay-off of £10m after he was sacked mid-flight by Barcelona president Joan Laporta on the way back from Wednesday’s defeat by Rayo Vallecano.
DAILY MAIL
Newcastle’s new owners are looking at Watford forward Ismaila Sarr as a potential first new signing in January but the Hornets appear determined to hang on to their biggest asset.
Newcastle and Chelsea have reportedly been alerted to the possibility of signing Eden Hazard in January with the Belgian attacker struggling for game time at the Bernabeu.
Wayne Rooney says Manchester United’s struggling stars lack effort and commitment, and has also stopped short of giving his backing to under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Harry Maguire will lead Manchester United players’ public fight-back on Saturday after the crisis club’s week from hell. The United skipper is scheduled to be grilled by broadcasters ahead of the crunch game at Tottenham, the club’s first outing since Sunday’s humiliating 5-0 loss at home to Liverpool.
LIVERPOOL ECHO
Naby Keita is back in Liverpool training after he was stretched off the pitch at Old Trafford last weekend.
Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara is also back in full training.
FOOTBALL LONDON
Christian Pulisic returned to training with the rest of the Chelsea first team. N’Golo Kante, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta all returned to training as well.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Ben White, Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard could be available for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Leicester City.
THE SUN
Arsenal are on red alert after Switzerland star Denis Zakaria stalled on signing a new contract with Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.
Manchester United have been boosted in their hopes of signing Kingsley Coman next summer with Bayern Munich now reported to be “determined” to sell the France winger.
Aston Villa are in pole position to land in-demand River Plate striker Julian Alvarez, who has been scoring at nearly a goal-a-game for the Argentinian side this season.
Eddie Nketiah is set to snub the offer of a new contract with Arsenal unless he receives more playing time.
