What the papers say

Paris St Germain are looking into making a fresh bid for Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, according to the Daily Telegraph. After this season the 28-year-old, who scored twice against Real Madrid on Wednesday, will have two years left on his contract. The fee is expected to be £70million.

The papers continue to discuss Declan Rice‘s future. The Telegraph says Arsenal are preparing a £92m offer for the West Ham midfielder – which would be a club-record transfer – while the Daily Mirror reports Bayern Munich are also interested in the 24-year-old England international.

Elsewhere, Jurgen Klopp is “desperate” to keep James Milner at Liverpool, the Mirror reports, adding that the 37-year-old midfielder has been offered a coaching role at Anfield. Brighton and his former club Leeds are said to be interested in signing Milner.

Metro reports via Italian publication Il Mattino that Manchester United have moved a step closer to signing Napoli defender Kim Min-jae after agreeing personal terms. The 26-year-old only joined the club last summer in a £17m deal from Fenerbahce.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Martin Odegaard: 90min reports the 24-year-old Arsenal and Norway midfielder is set to sign a new deal with his club.

Albert Sambi Lokonga: The Daily Express says the 23-year-old Arsenal midfielder could be interested in a move to Burnley to be reunited with his former Anderlecht manager Vincent Kompany.

Bernardo Silva has described Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland as “beasts” after the destructive duo ran riot in Manchester City’s vital win over Arsenal.

De Bruyne scored twice from Haaland assists and then made another for John Stones before the Norwegian got on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory put the treble-chasing champions in firm control of the Premier League title race as they moved within two points of the leaders with two games in hand.

Haaland has now scored a stunning 33 goals in the competition this season – one short of the record – and laid on seven assists while De Bruyne’s figures are seven and 16 respectively.

City midfielder Silva said: “We knew that they could come doing man-to-man and we tried to stretch them as much as possible because, if they do man-to-man against us, they have to deal with Kevin and Erling up front. It’s never going to be easy in that spot.

“It was perfect for Kevin. They gave space for Kevin and to Erling to run. When you give them this kind of space, they are so difficult to defend.

“Two beasts running, their movements – Kevin with the passes, Erling with the scoring – this was the opposite.

“They did it perfectly, they created lots of chances. We could have scored even more.”

City now have a superb chance to emulate Manchester United’s 1999 achievement of winning all three of the remaining trophies on offer.

As well as being in command of their title destiny they are through to the FA Cup final, where they will face United, and they take on Real Madrid in the last four of the Champions League next month.

Manager Pep Guardiola has been reluctant to publicly discuss the prospect of winning the treble.

Silva insists the subject is not off-limits but the focus is very much on taking one game at a time.

The Portuguese said: “No, he hasn’t banned anything! We’re big men and we talk about whatever we want.

“But these players know that the best way to achieve good things is to think just about the next one. If we don’t beat Fulham on Sunday we put ourselves in a difficult position to win the Premier League.

“If we don’t win the Premier League we arrive in the final of the FA Cup and in the semi-finals of the Champions League not in a good momentum.

“We want to try and stay in this good momentum to try and go as far as possible. The team is doing very well at the moment and we’re going to try and keep it that way.”

Erling Haaland's goalscoring feats are comparable to those of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, according to Bernardo Silva, who believes his Manchester City team-mate shares the former's hunger for goals.

Haaland has led City's push for a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble this season, scoring at a remarkable rate since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund last year.

The Norwegian has hit 48 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions this campaign – already a record tally for a player representing a Premier League club. 

Haaland has averaged a goal every 67.2 minutes and converted 58.6 per cent of his Opta-defined big chances for City, leaving Silva to compare his mentality to that of his Portugal colleague Ronaldo.

"The goal figures, it's unbelievable. It's Cristiano and Messi level, that amount of goals," Silva told Arab News.

"Hopefully Erling can keep going that way because we need his goals until the last game of the season.

"He has definitely got the same mentality as Cristiano, always wanting to be in the box, always wanting to score. 

"He doesn't care if he touches the ball one or two times, when he touches it, he scores. He's just a proper striker."

Haaland's total of 54 goal contributions is the best of anyone playing in Europe's top five leagues this season, with Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe second with 42 (34 goals, eight assists).

With Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr likely signalling the end of his era-defining rivalry with Messi, Silva was asked whether Haaland and Mbappe could be the protagonists of a similar struggle in the future.

"Probably, yes," Silva said. "You have a few players apart from them who are doing very well, like Vinicius [Junior] as well. But it's true, those two are very young and doing very well.

"Kylian is more of a dribbler with the ball and Haaland is mainly inside the box like a proper striker, but both are very, very good at what they do. 

"It's not going to be easy to match the level that Cristiano and Messi did, but they are up there at the top."

Pep Guardiola is keen for Manchester City to keep Bernardo Silva beyond the end of this season, declaring he would like the see the midfielder stay "forever".

Guardiola acknowledged Silva was interested in a move to Barcelona last year, but a transfer failed to materialise and the Portugal international stayed with the Premier League champions.  

Silva has appeared in 27 of City's 29 league games this term, and he produced arguably his best performance of the campaign in Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

While the 28-year-old will likely attract more admiring glances in the next transfer window, Guardiola wants him to stay at the Etihad Stadium for the long term.

"With Bernardo, it's not the first season we are together. What he is on and off the pitch… he's so sensitive, intuitive," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"All the club, not just me, want the best when you are lucky enough to have these kinds of football players and human beings in your team.

"You would love to have him forever, it doesn't matter what position he plays or what he has to do, his contribution is massive."

Silva is not the only City midfielder to have been linked with Barcelona, with the agent of Ilkay Gundogan denying reports the Germany international has agreed to join the Blaugrana upon the expiration of his contract.

Asked whether he expected to duo to stay, Guardiola said: "I don't know what is going to happen. Honestly, I'm not involved, ever. In that, the club can take the lead and decide everything.

"The words I gave to you right now about Bernardo… Bernardo could be the same as Ilkay, for many, many years. He's even my neighbour!" 

Silva and Gundogan have both featured in four Premier League title triumphs since joining City, though the Champions League trophy has so far eluded them.

That could change this term as City remain in contention for a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble, but Guardiola believes it is too soon to envisage winning all three.

"The treble starts to happen when you are in the three finals, when you are there," he said. "You can talk about that when they start. 

"Now you are just in the quarter-finals, not even reaching the finals, it's okay for the writers but the reality is completely different."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal eased to a 6-0 win away at Luxembourg in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Ronaldo got the ball rolling early on with a tap-in, before further goals from Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva made it 3-0 inside 18 minutes, while Ronaldo added another just after the half-hour mark.

Second-half goals from substitutes Otavio and Rafael Leao completed another routine victory for Portugal after their 4-0 win over Liechtenstein to kick off their qualifying campaign and the rein of new head coach Roberto Martinez.

They sit top of Group J after two games, two points ahead of Slovakia in second after their win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Portugal took the lead in the ninth minute when a ball to the far post from Bruno Fernandes was headed back across goal by Nuno Mendes, giving Ronaldo a simple tap-in from close range.

The advantage was doubled just six minutes later, as this time Silva's inswinging ball from the right was nodded across Luxembourg goalkeeper Anthony Moris and into the corner of the net by Joao Felix.

Silva got on the end of a long pass from Joao Palhinha to head in the third, while Ronaldo grabbed his second and Portugal's fourth in the 31st minute when Fernandes played him through on goal, with the Al Nassr striker placing his left-foot shot low to Moris' right.

Portugal had another in the 77th minute when Leao and Otavio combined, with the latter heading home the Milan attacker's cross from the left.

Leao saw a late penalty saved by Moris after winning it himself, but made up for it shortly after when his run inside from the left ended with a composed finish.

Roberto Martinez has told Thomas Tuchel that Anthony Barry will remain part of Portugal's coaching staff even if he swaps Chelsea for Bayern Munich. 

Tuchel revealed at Saturday's unveiling as Bayern's new head coach that he is hoping to add Barry, who he worked with at Chelsea, as one of his assistants.

Highly regarded Barry has also spent the past year working alongside Martinez at international level, first with the Belgium national side and now Portugal.

And regardless of whether the 36-year-old stays at Stamford Bridge or joins Tuchel in Germany, Martinez expects him to remain as part of his own coaching set-up.

"I've been with Anthony for many years. What happens in international football has nothing to do with club football," Martinez said. "If there's a change, it'll be from club to club."

Martinez's tenure as Portugal boss got off to a positive start with a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in Thursday's opening Euro 2024 qualifying fixture.

Portugal fielded a strong line-up for that game that included Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored twice on the day he became the most-capped player in men's international football.

Bernardo Silva was also on the scoresheet, but he has warned his team-mates not to take next Group J opponents Luxembourg lightly, even if they are ranked 92nd in the world.

"The truth is we don't know what to expect because teams can change depending on what they see in the games we've been playing and they can adapt to our game," Silva said. 

"We expect a difficult game. The last time we came here we went through a lot of difficulties. The team has improved a lot. If I'm not mistaken, they haven't lost in seven games. 

"We know that the game can be difficult at times. We have to fight against that, dominate the game and create opportunities to score goals and win."

Martinez is still getting to grips with his squad, having only replaced Fernando Santos two months ago, and he suggested changes will be made against Luxembourg.

"It's very important to have fresh people," he said at his pre-match press conference. "Three days after the game with Liechtenstein, it's important that everyone is physically well. 

"We've been together for three days. I've been delighted with the level of unity, ambition and commitment I've seen. The quality of the squad is exceptional. 

"We're just at the beginning of the journey; we have to grow together. But it's always easier when you win. Our last win was important from that point of view."

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is garnering a lot of interest, sitting clear at the top of the Serie A scoring charts this term with 21 goals.

The 24-year-old Nigerian striker is contracted with the runaway Serie A leaders until 2025.

While they would love to retain his services long-term, the breakout star hinted that may not be in the cards after recently showing interest in a move to the Premier League.

TOP STORY – NAPOLI PLACE BUMPER PRICE TAG ON OSIMHEN

Foot Mercato reports Napoli have placed a €150million price tag on Osimhen, amid new interest from French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG have entered to race for the Nigerian, with Manchester United and Chelsea both reportedly chasing his signature in the off-season.

But Napoli have moved to protect their prize asset and will not entertain a lower price.

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– However, Relevo claims PSG's off-season priority signing is Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese is reportedly keen for a new challenge, although he is contracted until 2025 and City asked for £80m (€90m) for him last off-season.

– Manchester United are ramping up their interest in Monaco centre-back Alex Disasi, claims The Mail. The Frenchman is rated at £44m (€50m), with United boss Erik ten Hag keen to bolster his defensive ranks in the next transfer window with uncertainty over the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

– Football Insider claims Liverpool have not been deterred by Borussia Dortmund's reported €150m demand for Jude Bellingham. The Reds are determined to land the English midfielder amid interest from Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.

– Sport claims Chelsea may release Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from his contract after the season, with Mundo Deportivo reporting he is set to return to Barcelona as a low-cost option.

– Unnamed Saudi Arabian and Qatari clubs are interested in Luka Modric,  but the veteran Croatian midfielder remains in talks with Real Madrid on a new deal, according to Sky Sports Germany.

– Barcelona's veteran full-back Jordi Alba could have his contracted terminated in the off-season as the Blaugrana looks to trim their wage bill and focus on new signings, reports Sport.

Harry Maguire's future at Manchester United is unclear, having fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.

The United club captain is contracted until 2025 and his deal includes £200,000 per week wages.

Maguire has only started one of United's last eight Premier League games and did not play in Thursday's Europa League win over Real Betis.

TOP STORY – PSG SET FOR SHOCK MAGUIRE MOVE

Paris Saint-Germain are set for a shock £50million (€56m) move for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, according to The Sun.

It has been claimed that Maguire is among a list of players that United are willing to sell in the off-season with Newcastle United and West Ham reportedly interested.

According to The Sun's report, PSG tabled a deal for Maguire in January, but time ran out to finalise it and the French champions will move again for him.

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– The Independent reports Real Madrid are plotting an overhaul to bring in a new generation of young stars, with Manchester City's Erling Haaland top of the list along with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

– The Guardian reports Manchester United will enter the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, with interest also from Liverpool and Newcastle United. Mount and Chelsea are currently in the middle of a contract dispute, potentially making him available, with United viewing him as a cheaper alternative to Bellingham.

–  Barcelona are in the market to sign Manchester City's Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo if Bayern Munich do not make permanent his loan spell, claims Sport.

– Newcastle are circling to sign Southampton free-kick specialist James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider. Newcastle are one of numerous Premier League clubs interested in him.

– Gazzetta dello Sport reports Inter have tabled a two-year contract offer to Edin Dzeko amid interest from West Ham.

– L'Equipe claims PSG are ramping up their bid to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva in the off-season.

Bernardo Silva is one step closer to getting his desired move to Barcelona after it was reported that Manchester City have named a price for their wantaway midfielder.

Silva, 28, is in his sixth season with City, but after four Premier League titles and 51 goals for the club, he recently spoke about his wish for a new challenge following multiple transfer windows with heavy interest from Barcelona.

The Portugal international, who scored against Newcastle United on Saturday, has a contract that ties him to the club until 2025, but City might be set grant his wish at the end of the season and allow him to leave – for the right price.

TOP STORY – CITY SET ASKING PRICE FOR BARCELONA-BOUND BERNARDO

According to Sport, City have told Silva that they will accept any incoming bid that reaches their demand of £57.5million (€65m).

Barcelona are well aware of the latest development, and are said to be doing all they can in the coming months to ensure the financial rules allow them to make the move. However, Silva's contract demands could be a stumbling block for the Spanish giants.

Reports suggest City previously rejected Barcelona's £62m (€70m) approach during the January window.

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– Calciomercato is reporting Inter will seek a €40m fee for defender Denzel Dumfries.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United and Liverpool are among the Premier League teams preparing to make a run at New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

– City will pursue RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol if they sell Paris Saint-Germain target Aymeric Laporte, per the Daily Star.

– Football Insider is reporting Arsenal, City, United and Liverpool are all showing interest in Brighton and Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister , who the Seagulls are expected to price at £70m.

– According to Calciomercato, Milan are targeting £22m-rated (€25m) Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Pep Guardiola believes his team cleared an "important" hurdle after a 2-0 win over Newcastle United allowed Manchester City to pile pressure back onto Arsenal.

Goals from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva saw City come out on top in the first Premier League game of the weekend.

The victory trimmed Arsenal's lead to two points just minutes before the Gunners kicked off against Bournemouth, and there are likely to be plenty more twists and turns to come in the title race, as Guardiola acknowledged.

His post-match comments also seemed to indicate he believes Manchester United are in the mix, too.

"Before the game it was 'bye', now we are 'hello'," Guardiola told BT Sport. "Many things are going to happen.

"Today was an important game, and tomorrow we are going to sit in front of the TV to watch Anfield [Liverpool against United]. That's what we are going to do."

Silva's clinching goal ensured it was ultimately a routine City win, although the champions were less dominant than they had been against Nottingham Forest a fortnight earlier when they conceded a late equaliser.

Guardiola recognised his team had to "suffer" as Newcastle applied pressure in the second half, with Silva delighted to come through a tough test.

"Throughout this season we have had very good moments," Silva told BBC Sport, "and then for one reason or another we've slipped in weird ways in weird games.

"We're trying to get back to the momentum where the team feels good and that it is in a good run, step by step and game by game."

Assessing the title race, the City midfielder added: "I prefer to be first; it's much better [than second].

"Arsenal are in a much better position than us, but we're going to try to control just what we can. If we focus too much on if they will slip or not, we will slip ourselves."

Declan Rice's West Ham contract is due to expire next year and he has rejected fresh terms, prompting interest from rival English clubs.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been linked with the 24-year-old England international midfielder.

But the Hammers have rated Rice at £100million, which would be close to a British-record transfer fee.

TOP STORY – CITY TAKE POLE POSITION FOR RICE

Manchester City are leading the pursuit to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, reports TEAMtalk.

The report claims City have come into contention with a probable trio of off-season departures paving the way for the English champions to afford the move.

Kalvin Phillips, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are all potentially on the way out at Etihad Stadium as City contemplate a midfield overhaul.

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– Fichajes claims Manchester City have placed an €80m (£71m) price tag on Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva, with Barcelona interested in securing his services. However, the report claims that valuation will likely price out the Blaugrana.

– Bayern Munich are set to hand Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting an improved contract from €5m a year to €10m including bonuses a year as part of an extension until 2024, reports Bild. The Cameroonian had been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham previously, and the deal may put to bed Bayern links with Spurs forward Harry Kane.

– Barcelona have been linked with Manchester City's Julian Alvarez lately, but Football Insider claims Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on the Argentinian forward as they look for depth behind Karim Benzema.

– Mundo Deportivo reports Real Madrid are tracking Benfica's 19-year-old defender Antonio Silva, although he is contracted with the Portuguese club until 2027.

– Manchester United and Atletico Madrid will battle it out to sign Roma forward Paulo Dybala, who has a €12m (£10.6m) release clause in his contract, according to Fichajes.

– Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has declined Manchester United's advances and opted to sign with Eintracht Frankfurt, claims the Daily Express.

– Napoli are looking to secure Chelsea and Newcastle United target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to a new deal until 2028 to ward off interest, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte will miss Manchester City's away game against RB Leipzig with illness, Pep Guardiola revealed.

De Bruyne and Laporte were surprise absences from the City squad for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

But Guardiola was able to confirm the nature of their problems after landing in Germany.

The City manager was unsure if either player – both of whom started against Nottingham Forest on Saturday – would return for this weekend's game at Bournemouth, having come down with illness in recent days.

Those absences will leave Guardiola with decisions to make around his team selection, although he had already been provoking some curiosity by naming Bernardo Silva, a midfielder, at left-back.

Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko fulfilled that role previously, but Silva struggled against Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and then appeared to be at fault for Forest's equaliser on Saturday.

Guardiola said he was "not so stupid to think Bernardo is a full-back" as he explained his thought-process.

"People say we conceded the goal on the left side because Bernardo's playing there, but people don't realise – the view is like he's a left-back who has to defend in that position," he said.

"Bernardo helped us to do what we had done against Nottingham Forest. Without Bernardo, it was not possible to concede [only] one counter-attack and one or two actions at the end and [have] the amount of control of the game."

Manchester City missed the chance to return to the Premier League summit as Chris Wood's late goal secured a 1-1 draw for Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's men had been usurped after Arsenal's last-gasp win over Aston Villa earlier in the day, but they looked set to reclaim top spot thanks to Bernardo Silva's sumptuous first-half strike.

City wasted a host of glorious opportunities to extend their lead in the second half, with Erling Haaland guilty of one particularly glaring miss, and they were duly punished late on.

Substitute Wood popped up at the back post to score his first goal for the club to punish City's profligacy and hand Arsenal the advantage in the title race.

Manchester United will reportedly aim to sell Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial and Alex Telles after the season to fund the purchase of a new marquee talent.

The Old Trafford side are said to be investigating a number of targets expected to cost in excess of £100million, including Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Tottenham talisman Harry Kane and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.

United are very familiar with Premier League stars and England internationals Kane and Rice, while Osimhen has enjoyed a rise to prominence this season with the Serie A leaders.

With 16 goals in 17 league appearances this campaign, the 24-year-old Nigerian has already set a new personal best goal tally, and he has been one of the driving forces for a Napoli team sitting 13 points clear at the top.

TOP STORY – UNITED IDENTIFY LIKELY SALES TO FUND NEW SIGNING

According to the Manchester Evening News, Telles, Maguire and Martial have all been identified as players United would like to cash-in on to at least partially pay for a new £100m signing.

That report states Kane and Osimhen are the primary targets, as well as Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos and Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus.

Meanwhile, Talksport adds that United had a £100m bid for Rice turned down by West Ham before the season, but that he could be pried away at the end of the campaign for £120m plus add-ons.

United are willing to pay £107m (€120m) for Osimhen, and they expect competition from Chelsea, per The Express.

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– AS is reporting United are interested in 29-year-old Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco. Barcelona have the option to purchase the Belgian for €20m, but if they pass, Atletico will listen to offers from the Premier League.

– Paris Saint-Germain will rival Barcelona in the pursuit of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, per Le10Sport.

– According to The Athletic, Real Madrid believe Jude Bellingham will choose the Premier League if he leaves Borussia Dortmund. 

– 90min is reporting Chelsea are scouting 23-year-old Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as they look to address the position at the end of the season.

– Inter have added 25-year-old Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo to their list of potential replacements for outgoing centre-back Milan Skriniar, per Tuttomercatoweb.

Manchester City have reportedly identified Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister as their desired replacement for Ilkay Gundogan at the end of the season.

Mac Allister, 24, is enjoying a career-best season, with his five goals in 17 Premier League fixtures already matching his best ever tally for a full league season.

The talented creative midfielder also made six starts for Argentina during their march to victory at the Qatar World Cup, scoring his first senior international goal during a 2-0 win over Poland in the group stage.

His emergence as a player capable of shining on the world stage, as well as his contribution to Brighton's terrific season, has apparently caught the eye of City boss Pep Guardiola.

TOP STORY – CITY VIEW MAC ALLISTER AS IDEAL GUNDOGAN REPLACEMENT

According to Fichajes, Gundogan is expected to leave City when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Bernardo Silva could follow if he gets his wish with a LaLiga move.

The report states Guardiola is a big fan of Mac Allister, and believes he has proven himself as a capable Premier League producer.

Fichajes claim Brighton have set an asking price in the range of £40million, indicating they are more willing to part ways with him than 21-year-old Moises Caicedo, with both of their contracts expiring in 2025.

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– ESPN is reporting Napoli will hold firm with an asking price of at least €100m (£90m) for 24-year-old striker Victor Osimhen, who has strong interest from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

– According to 90min, Chelsea's top priority now is sorting out a contract extension for 24-year-old England international Mason Mount.

– Mason Greenwood will look to revive his career in China if United decide to let him go, per the Sun.

– Caught Offside is reporting West Ham and Everton will have to return after the season if they want to sign 27-year-old winger Sheraldo Becker, with Union Berlin unwilling to deal in January due to their strong league position.