Barcelona are struggling financially but Xavi is desperate to reinforce his attack following Sergio Aguero's retirement.

Ferran Torres and Edinson Cavani are believed to top Barca's transfer list heading into the January window.

It could be a busy month ahead for the LaLiga outfit.

 

TOP STORY – TORRES, CAVANI TO BARCA?

Manchester City's Ferran Torres and Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani are priority objectives for Barcelona, according to Marca.

Barca continue to be linked with Spain international Torres as Xavi attempts to bolster the embattled LaLiga giants.

Cavani has also emerged as a top target after Sergio Aguero retired from football and the duo could reportedly arrive in January.

 

ROUND-UP

- The Daily Mail claims Arsenal are open to selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang next month, but the Gunners are more likely to move on from the former skipper at the end of the season. Aubameyang has been stripped of the captaincy and linked with Barca and Juventus.

Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt are eyeing Yusuf Demir as Diario Sport reports Barca have decided to cut short the 18-year-old's loan spell from Rapid Vienna.

Rafael Leao is poised to sign a contract extension with Milan until 2026, per Nicolo Schira.

- Calciomercato says Arsenal have not given up on signing Juve attacker Dejan Kulusevski. The Sweden international has also been linked to London rivals Tottenham.

Barca are monitoring United sensation Mason Greenwood, reports El Nacional. England international Greenwood is highly rated at Old Trafford.

- Jeunes Footeux says Liverpool have joined the race to sign Lille star Jonathan David. The Canada international is reportedly wanted by Arsenal, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte labelled Harry Kane a "world-class striker", adding the Spurs star is one of the best players he has worked with despite his goalscoring woes.

Kane is the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner, but the Tottenham talisman has struggled this season, scoring just once in 14 appearances.

It comes after Kane eyed a Spurs exit before the start of the 2021-22 campaign, however, a proposed move to champions Manchester City did not materialise.

Despite looking a shadow of his usual self, Conte – who has managed the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Carlos Tevez and Diego Costa – hailed England captain Kane.

"Harry is a world-class striker," Conte said ahead of Sunday's showdown with Liverpool. "Every day that I train him I understand very well that he's a world-class striker.

"He's one of the best I've had the pleasure to train. He's amazing. I like to have him in my team.

"For sure Jurgen [Klopp] likes to have Mo Salah. But I like to have Harry in my team.

"He's an important player for us and my expectation was very high and to play an important game against Liverpool."

On Kane's lack of goals, Conte added: "It's very strange, no? It's very strange.

"If you compare what he did in the past, this is very strange. But also in the past, in my experience, before as a player and then as a coach, it happens.

"I played with important strikers who – for a long period – didn't score. But my judgement about them didn't change.

"I wanted to have them in my team also if they don't score. Because if you have Harry Kane in your team, you feel stronger, for sure."

Tottenham have won just one of their past 17 Premier League games against Liverpool (D4 L12), losing each of the last six in a row.

Conte's four Premier League meetings with Liverpool have seen him win once, draw twice and lose once. The Italian's first ever defeat in the competition was in a home game against Liverpool, with his Chelsea side losing 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in September 2016.

Antonio Conte labelled Mohamed Salah "one of the best players in the world" ahead of the clash between Tottenham and Liverpool on Sunday.

Liverpool are just a point away from Premier League leaders Manchester City, with Salah's fine form leading the way for Jurgen Klopp's side once again.

The Egypt international was on target in Thursday's 3-1 win over Newcastle United, equalling Jamie Vardy's Premier League record for scoring or assisting in 15 consecutive games.

Salah has 24 direct goal involvements in the league this season (15 goals, nine assists), only former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer in 1994-95 has ever tallied more before Christmas in the competition (25 – 16 goals, nine assists).

Conte, who crossed paths with Salah when the forward was playing for Roma, said he is expecting a tough task against Liverpool as he heaped praise on the quality of the 29-year-old.

"I think he's one of the best players in the world," Conte told reporters when asked about Salah. "During the game, we have seen he scores or makes assists. He's a very decisive player. 

"Every time he has the ball he's a danger. He has improved a lot, I remember him when he played in Italy. 

"Now he's improved in an incredible way. Now I think he's one of the best players in the world and in every game he's very decisive."

Spurs have not played since a 3-0 win over Norwich City on December 5, with fixtures against Rennes, Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester City all cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club.

However, Conte's side remain within touching distance of the Champions League spots, while boasting three games in hand on most of the teams around them.

But the former Inter head coach explained keeping morale up has been a difficult challenge amid a testing period with new club Spurs.

"The morale was very, very down, also because we prepared and had training sessions to play games," he added. 

"We prepared for all these games and in two weeks, three times we didn't play.

"For sure, the morale is down when this type of situation happens. For example yesterday [on Thursday], we were ready to play against Leicester.

"We were there and then before lunch, they told us the game was postponed. Then lunch, another travel, when we arrived [back at Hotspur Way] another training session. It's not easy.

"It's also not easy to explain to the players and find the right energy when you're prepared to play and the game is postponed. To come back, have another training session and today to prepare for another game versus Liverpool and you don't know if you are able to play.

"It's not simple, surely. If the morale is down, I think I can justify [that in] my players and the whole environment. 

"But at the same time, we're ready to play on Sunday an important game against a really good, amazing team. With the difficulty we're facing, we're ready to play this game."

Edinson Cavani re-signed with Manchester United at the start of the season but Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford has hampered the Uruguayan.

And following Sergio Aguero's shock retirement, the door has opened for Cavani at Camp Nou.

Cavani is believed to be on the verge of swapping Manchester for Barcelona.

 

TOP STORY – CAVANI TO CAMP NOU

Edinson Cavani will join embattled LaLiga giants Barcelona in January to replace Sergio Aguero, according to TyC Sports.

Aguero announced his retirement from football this week due to a heart problem and Barca are on the lookout for a replacement.

Manchester United forward Cavani has emerged as a target, with the Uruguay international reportedly rejecting an offer from Boca Juniors to move to Camp Nou.

 

ROUND-UP

- The front page of Friday's Gazzetta dello Sport claims Antony Martial is eager to leave United for Serie A giants Juventus. He has also been linked with Atletico MadridCavani, Paris Saint-Germain's Mauro Icardi and former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are believed to be among Juve's targets.

- Barca have held talks regarding a move for Juve winger Federico Bernardeschi, claims Sport. The Italy international is out of contract at the end of the season.

- Neither United nor PSG have opened talks with Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong, reports Fabrizio Romano. Bayern Munich and Liverpool are also believed to be interested.

Newcastle United have offered £88million (€100m) for Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic, according to Calciomercato. Vlahovic is wanted by Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern, Tottenham, Arsenal, Inter, Juve and Atletico.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is urging footballers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.

In recent months, it has become increasingly clear that vaccine take-up is not as high among elite footballers as within the rest of society.

A story in British tabloid The Sun last week said Premier League clubs feared the government would ban unvaccinated players, suggesting there remains a reasonable proportion holding out.

The Premier League last released vaccination data in mid-October, at which point it was said only 68 per cent of players were fully vaccinated – in terms of wider society, over 80 per cent of adults aged 16 or older in England reported having been double-jabbed as early as July.

Vaccination has become an especially hot topic in the United Kingdom over the past few weeks amid the increase in football match postponements due to COVID-19 outbreaks, and UEFA is beginning a drive to promote the vaccine over the coming months.

"We've just launched a video promoting vaccination, it will go out tomorrow, I think," Ceferin told a news conference on Thursday.

"We should promote the vaccine and we will. We don't have the power to force anyone to be vaccinated, but the promotion starts today and in my humble opinion the video is good because only doctors talk in it.

"They explain why the vaccine is so important. They are experts saying the vaccine is good because of this, this and this, and that side effects are very rare. We will start promoting the vaccine now."

Bayern Munich were reported to have taken a particularly strong stance against unvaccinated players, with claims they would dock wages of anyone forced to into quarantine if they had not been jabbed.

As many as five Bayern players – including Joshua Kimmich – were said to have delayed getting the vaccine, while it emerged in October that several members of the England squad were still unvaccinated.

However, Ceferin remains hopeful that such situations will soon be a rarity.

"For me, I believe in science," he said. "I got vaccinated, and I think [the players] should get vaccinated] as soon as possible, but I still believe for now it's a personal choice.

"People aren't stupid. If you explain in a nice way, not judging them, explain why it's good.

"All figures show vaccinated people are less likely to get infected and all vaccinated people are less likely to have strong effects of COVID if they are infected.

"Sooner or later, if not all, the vast majority will understand it."

Ceferin was also asked to address the challenges of matches not being able to go ahead because of outbreaks, with particular focus on Tottenham.

Their Europa Conference League match with Rennes was unable to go ahead last week and UEFA ruled it could not find a "viable solution in order to reschedule the match".

Spurs are reportedly still attempting to find a workaround, including the possibility of playing the game in France rather than London, but they remain in a tricky situation after their clash with Leicester City was also postponed.

UEFA referred the case to their disciplinary arm and as such Spurs may have to forfeit the game with a 3-0 defeat – Ceferin accepts it may feel unjust but insisted these regulations ensure football's integrity.

"We have our regulations that are clear," he said. "Maybe they're sometimes hard to understand, but without them I don't think we could finish last season without stopping it.

"I know it sometimes looks unfair that a team has to play a certain match in a certain timeframe or the result is 3-0 for the other team, but if we didn't have clear rules then we wouldn't be able to finish the season.

"I sincerely hope we won't need those regulations soon."

Leicester City's Premier League clash against Tottenham has become the latest Premier League fixture to be postponed due to coronavirus outbreaks.

Spurs had already seen their past two matches against Rennes in the Conference League, and Brighton and Hove Albion in the top flight curtailed due to not having enough players available due to the number of positive COVID-19 tests in their squad.

However, the Foxes have also been affected by a spate of infections in their camp, with a further number of positive tests on Thursday leading to the match being called off and Leicester closing first-team operations for 48 hours.

A club statement read: "Leicester City can confirm that the Premier League Board has decided to postpone Thursday night’s fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.

"The decision was taken with guidance from medical advisors after the club resubmitted its application for postponement after confirmation this morning (Thursday) of further positive tests for COVID-19 within the first team squad. As a result, the club has an insufficient number of First Team players available to fulfil the match.

"Given the increase in positive tests among first team personnel, first team operations at Seagrave will now be closed for 48 hours, serving as a circuit breaker to help reduce the risk of further infection. First team players and staff will undergo a subsequent round of testing on Saturday.

"The club regrets the inconvenience caused to Tottenham Hotspur and both sets of supporters by Thursday night’s postponement."

Manchester United's clash at Brentford, and Burnley's home fixture with Watford this week were already postponed for coronavirus-related reasons.

It is proving particularly problematic for Spurs, who also saw a match against Burnley bite the dust at late notice due to poor weather earlier this month and now have three Premier League matches to catch up.

Antonio Conte's side are seventh in the table having played 14 games, while Leicester are ninth having played 16.

The race for Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland is on.

Haaland is reportedly being chased by several top clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Each club will be looking for an edge in the race for the Norwegian.


TOP STORY – BARCELONA NOT KEEN ON POGBA-HAALAND PACKAGE

Barcelona are unlikely to bring in both Haaland and Paul Pogba, reports SPORT.

Agent Mino Raiola, who represents both players, is reported to have recently met with Barca president Joan Laporta.

Young striker Haaland is unmistakably an appealing player to Barcelona, but they would need to find the funds to buy him from Borussia Dortmund. Barcelona, who have major financial issues, are said to be wary of taking on Manchester United star Pogba's wages, and he may not be an ideal technical fit for coach Xavi. Pogba's United contract is due to expire at the end of this season.

Manchester City are also readying themselves to chase Haaland but will not over-spend, reports the Manchester Evening News.

ROUND-UP

- Cashed-up Newcastle United are bullish about their prospects of signing Atletico Madrid's England defender Kieran Trippier in January, according to Football Insider. Talks between the Magpies and Trippier are reportedly already under way.

- Premier League trio Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United could be all set to make a move to sign Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic after he rejected a bumper extension offer, reports Talksport.

- Paris Saint-Germain have joined the queue of clubs hoping to sign out-of-favour Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo, reports Calciomercato. Arthur has also been linked with Lazio.

- Fenerbahce are set to swoop for Luuk de Jong, who is on loan at Barcelona from Sevilla, claims Mundo Deportivo. Barca are eager to let him leave from his loan.

- Barcelona have set an asking price of €90million (£77m) for Frenkie de Jong according to Fichajes, amid interest from Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

Antonio Conte expressed his disappointment with UEFA and the Premier League as Tottenham await the verdict on their postponed Rennes clash.

Tottenham were due to meet Rennes in the Europa Conference League last Thursday, but the clash was called off after eight Spurs players and five members of staff returned positive COVID-19 tests.

Conte's side have since had their top-flight meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion postponed after the outbreak, while UEFA is expected to make a decision by the end of the week on the outcome of the game against Rennes.

European football's governing body indicated a new date for the game could not be agreed upon by the two clubs, after COVID-19 cases in the Spurs camp caused a call-off of the fixture.

It remains to be seen what UEFA rules, with Tottenham having needed a win from the Rennes game to reach the knockout stage. Rennes sit top of Group G, after three wins and two draws from their five games. All other group-stage games have been completed.

Spurs lodged a request with the Premier League to postpone their clash with Leicester City on Thursday to allow the Rennes fixture to be fulfilled, but the idea was rebuffed – much to Conte's frustration.

"We want to play the [Rennes] game," Conte told reporters at a news conference. "Tottenham deserves to play the game, to play the last game of this group.

"It's a really strange situation because we didn't play through no fault of our own but because of a big problem and because the government decided to close our training ground, to stop our training session for three days.

"For this reason we didn't play, not for another reason. I think it's not our fault for what happened. We deserve to play this game and to try to have a chance to go to the next round."

Brendan Rodgers also confirmed Leicester, who have nine players absent through positive coronavirus tests and injuries combined, want Thursday's clash rearranged, but the Premier League have refused to do so.

Manchester United's trip to Brentford on Tuesday and Watford's game at Burnley have already both been postponed, though Conte and Rodgers seem set to be forced to meet at the King Power Stadium.

However, Conte explained how he remains bemused by the decision to punish Spurs for a problem that he does not think they caused.

"We don't find a good solution between UEFA and the Premier League, why does Tottenham has to pay for this?

"It's not fair we have to pay for a situation that isn't our fault. I understand if we did something wrong but in this way, for the club, the players, the staff, it's very difficult to understand what is happening."

Spurs head north three points ahead of Leicester, who have played two games more than Conte's side after their respective cancellations against Burnley and Brighton.

But Conte revealed the situation within his squad has not changed too much as players continue to attempt to regain fitness following the outbreak.

"Yes, the situation has not changed so much," he added. "The players are back in training and other players are continuing to be isolated, but also for the players back in training, they need time.

"They need a bit of time to be fit and find again a good physical condition. When you have COVID-19, it is not only 10 days.

"Many times the virus makes your body not so strong. For this reason, you have to go slowly, also because you risk having players injured after having it.

"I enjoyed the work we did with the players. It was good and I have seen a great availability, will and desire to improve.

"I have enjoyed this type of situation. It was a pity to have this problem, with nine players with COVID-19, because it has interrupted the work with the whole squad."

Could Bayern Munich really part with Robert Lewandowski?

The 33-year-old talisman has broken all kinds of records in Munich, but he is not getting any younger.

With Erling Haaland the face of a new era, Bayern may be tempted for the Borussia Dortmund star to lead the way.

 

TOP STORY – LEWANDOWSKI OUT, HAALAND IN?

Bayern Munich could sell Robert Lewandowski to raise funds for in-demand Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, according to Sport Bild.

Bundesliga champions Bayern are planning with Lewandowski for the future, though they have reportedly not written off the idea of bringing in Haaland, who has been linked with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Should Bayern and Lewandowski not agree to a new deal, the Poland international is believed to be interested in a switch to the Premier League or PSG.

As for Bayern, they feel cashing in on Lewandowski for around €60million would help in landing Haaland, who has a release clause of €75m.

Bayern are also eyeing Barca's Ousmane Dembele, while Inter's Lautaro Martinez, Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic and Juventus star Federico Chiesa are among their alternative options.

 

ROUND-UP

- Eurosport claims LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid want to bring in wantaway United forward Anthony Martial in a swap deal.

Barca and Atletico are interested in Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta, says Sport. Azpilicueta is a free agent at the end of the season. Chelsea team-mate Antonio Rudiger is also set to become available on a free transfer.

- Calciomercato reports PSG are eyeing a move for Bayern forward Kingsley Coman. The 25-year-old Frenchman made three appearances for PSG before leaving the capital in 2014.

- Salzburg sensation Karim Adeyemi is wanted by Barca, Inter and Liverpool but the Germany international wants a move to Dortmund, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Antonio Conte needs to instil "aggressiveness" in his squad in order to transform "fragile" Tottenham into a force to be reckoned with, according to Louis Saha.

The Italian, who has won major honours with the likes of Inter, Juventus and Chelsea, admitted he was facing the "biggest challenge" of his career at Spurs.

He has inherited a side in decline, with last season's seventh-placed finish their lowest since 2008-09.

After the failed reign of Jose Mourinho and the ill-fated stint of Nuno Espirito Santo, it is Conte's job to revive Tottenham's fortunes, with a return of 10 points from his first four Premier League games hinting at a brighter future to come.

But a chastening loss to Slovenian minnows Mura in the Conference League – a competition in which Spurs' fate remains unknown amid a coronavirus-enforced cancellation of their final group match against Rennes – underlined the frailties still present.

And Saha, who spent a brief spell at Spurs in 2012, outlined the scale task Conte had taken on.

"I think that there are still a lot of things to be done in Tottenham. It's a bit similar to Arsenal," the former Manchester United forward told Stats Perform.

"They are fragile in terms of the squad. They are fragile in terms of consistency, whoever the manager.

"The manager is not playing. He can give you aggressiveness. But if the players themselves are not aggressive, you can't change them. That's their nature.

"Sometimes...you have great players, but they are too nice in some way. And they do not provide what you need to win tough games.

"I'm not saying that they need to be fighters. But I remember, for example, I was playing with Carlos Tevez, with [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy, with [Wayne] Rooney and we were all different, but I felt that they were very aggressive and sometimes I see the players some teams have, when you play away, you need that type of player.

"I don't know if there are enough players like that in such a squad. I'm not trying to compare, but I think it's an indication."

Next up for Conte's side, who are seventh but only three points outside the top four with two games in hand, is Thursday's trip to Leicester City.

Fiorentina's Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic is attracting a long list of suitors.

Vlahovic is under contract at the Stadio Artemio Franchi until June 2023.

Fiorentina are hoping to convince him to extend amid increasing interest in him.

 

TOP STORY – FIORENTINA SET €100M VLAHOVIC PRICE TAG

Fiorentina have set a whopping €100million (£85m) price tag for Vlahovic according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Juventus and Manchester City are all keen on the Serbian striker.

Vlahovic netted 21 Serie A goals last season and has already got 15 to his name this term, making him hot property.  

ROUND-UP

- Marseille defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara is on Manchester United's radar with a view to sign him as a free agent, reports The Athletic.  Wolverhampton and Newcastle are also believed to be interested in Kamara.

- Real Madrid are in the box seat to sign Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger following positive discussions, according to The Guardian. Rudiger is set to exit Chelsea as a free agent at the end of this season.

- Tottenham are set to allow Dele Alli to exit the club in January, claims The Athletic. England international Alli has made eight league appearances for Spurs this season and is understood to not be in new manager Antonio Conte's plans.

- Fichajes claims that Manchester United will join Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for Porto winger Luis Diaz.

- Newcastle wants to sign Lille's 21-year-old defender Sven Botman in January, reports The Guardian.

The Premier League has reverted to emergency measures after a record number of players and staff tested positive for coronavirus in the past week.

The league recorded its highest figures for a seven-day period after 42 positive tests were returned, surpassing the 40 from January.

The results come from a total of 3,805 tests carried out in the week of December 6-12.

An increase in cases is already beginning to take its toll on the fixture list, with Sunday's game between Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham postponed after an outbreak in the Spurs camp.

Manchester United's game at Brentford, scheduled for Tuesday, is in doubt after the Red Devils closed their training complex following an outbreak.

The Premier League will step up its testing programme after new measures were introduced in England amid the threat posed by the Omicron variant.

"The safety of everybody is a priority and the Premier League is taking all precautionary steps in light of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the country," a statement read.

"The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and will increase the frequency of both Lateral Flow and PCR COVID-19 testing of players and staff.

"The League can today confirm that between Monday 6 December and Sunday 12 December 3,805 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, there were 42 new positive cases.

"The Premier League's COVID-19 Emergency Measures, which are applicable to all clubs, include protocols such as wearing face coverings while indoors, observing social distancing and limiting treatment time. These are in addition to the more frequent testing."

Although the details of players and staff affected are not divulged, Tottenham, Manchester United, Leicester City, Brighton and Aston Villa have all revealed they have cases.

Tottenham could face Rapid Vienna in the Europa Conference League knockout round play-off with the result of their postponed final group match with Rennes still to be decided.

Spurs' Group G finale, which was due to take place last Thursday, was postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak at the club.

They sit third in the group behind Dutch club Vitesse and it is UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body that will decide which team progresses after the governing body ruled the match with Rennes would not be rescheduled after failing to find a pre-December 31 date that works for both sides.

Vitesse will progress to face the Austrian club if the game is ruled a Rennes win or a draw.

Meanwhile, Tottenham's Premier League rivals Leicester City, who crashed out of the Europa League, were pitted against Randers of Denmark.

Celtic suffered the same fate as the Foxes and the Glasgow giants will take on Bodo/Glimt for a place in the last 16.

They are not the only former European champions in the draw, with Ligue 1 side Marseille drawn against Qarabag and PSV set to face Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

The first legs will take place on February 17 and the return legs a week later.

Conference League knockout round play-off draw in full:

Marseille v Qarabag
PSV v Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Fenerbahce v Slavia Prague
Midtjylland v PAOK
Leicester City v Randers
Celtic v Bodo/Glimt
Sparta Prague v Partizan Belgrade
Rapid Vienna v Vitesse or Tottenham

Paul Pogba's club future continues to be a major topic of speculation.

The 28-year-old is into the final year of his Manchester United contract.

Pogba has flirted with the idea of an extension but has been stalling on a decision.

 

TOP STORY – REAL AND PSG HOME IN ON POGBA

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are both ready to ramp up the race to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United, claims Marca.

Pogba is running down his United contract, meaning he will be a free agent in mid-2022.

Real and PSG will rekindle their interest after new United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said Pogba should not need to be convinced to stay.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani has offered his services to Juventus, according to Calciomercato. The Uruguayan veteran has also been linked with Barcelona.

- Barcelona are plotting moves for Chelsea's trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Christian Pulisic and Antonio Rudiger, reports Mundo Deportivo.

- Milan are circling to sign Liverpool's super-sub Divock Origi as they seek a long-term replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, claims Tuttomercato. Atalanta are also interested.

- Calciomercato reports that Roma are considering a move for Spezia midfielder Jiulio Maggiore. The 23-year-old is out of contract in 2023 and valued at €8m (£6.8m).

- Roma are also interested in a move for Norwich City's Max Aarons, according to Corriere dello Sport. Tottenham and Everton are also in the race.

- Lyon are interested in a move for Villarreal's Arnaut Danjuma, claims Todofichajes. Manchester United and Barcelona are also tracking the ex-Bournemouth winger.

Manchester United's search for a permanent new manager continues to roll on.

Ralf Rangnick has taken over on an interim basis following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's axing.

Several big names have been linked with the vacant post.

 

TOP STORY – TEN HAG TOP OF MAN UTD'S LIST

Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag has moved to the head of the queue to be Manchester United's new manager, claims The Mirror.

Ten Hag guided Ajax through a record-breaking Champions League group campaign where they won all six games.

United have now made appointing him their priority as he ticks all the boxes for the 20-time English champions.

 

ROUND-UP

- Newcastle United have reached out to Manchester United about the prospect of a January move for Jesse Lingard, claims The Sun.

- Tottenham are tracking Chelsea's Andreas Christensen, joining Manchester City and Manchester United in pursuit of him, reports the Daily Star.

- Liverpool have set a £10million asking price for West Ham target Nat Phillips, according to The Sun.

- The Reds are also interested in signing Real Madrid winger Rodrygo and are willing to pay £68m (€80m), reports El Nacional.

- La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Inter have not held any talks with Stefan dr Vrij amid links with Tottenham and Newcastle United.

- Brazilian powerhouse Corinthians have enquired about Manchester United's veteran Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani, claims Globo Esporte.

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