What the papers say

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a possible destination for Jadon Sancho if his unhappy stay at Manchester United ends in January. The Daily Telegraph reports the England winger, 23, is wanted by teams in the Saudi Pro League, although he has also been linked with Juventus and remaining at United beyond the transfer window.

Tottenham’s Brazilian forward Richarlison has also caught the eye of Saudi clubs, according to the Telegraph. They are lining up a possible January move for the 26-year-old.

Wayne Rooney has been warned he will have a fight to lure Elliot Lee, 28 , away from Wrexham, according to the Daily Mirror. Rooney has identified the attacking midfielder as a prime target after taking over at Birmingham City.

Former player John Obi Mikel has offered to help Chelsea sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, 24. The Sun reports Mikel offered to “broker the deal” in a podcast interview with his fellow Nigerian.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Raphinha: Barcelona are hoping for bids from across Europe for the former Leeds winger, 26, in the summer.

Florian Wirtz: Bayer Leverkusen’s Germany midfielder, 20, is on Real Madrid’s list of transfer targets.

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho will be placed on the transfer list by Manchester United unless he apologises to manager Erik ten Hag, according to the Guardian. The England winger, 23, has been out of the first-team picture since criticising Ten Hag in a social media post in early September.

Hannibal Mejbri, who has featured four times since Sancho was sidelined, is one of three United players reportedly set to receive contract extensions. The Manchester Evening News says the 20-year-old Tunisia midfielder and defensive duo Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 25, and Victor Lindelof, 29, will have their current deals extended by a year.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala. According to the Daily Mirror, the 20-year-old is unhappy at not having a guaranteed starting spot at the German giants and Jurgen Klopp’s side are said to be interested.

Jose Mourinho, Xabi Alonso and Zinedine Zidane are all on Real Madrid’s shortlist should they need to replace manager Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Jack Butland: Wayne Rooney has made the former England goalkeeper, 30, his top target at Birmingham, but Rangers are not keen to sell.

Luis Suarez: Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino has confirmed he hopes to land the 36-year-old Uruguay striker.

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho could leave Manchester United in January, the Daily Mail reports, with the Red Devils said to be willing to subsidise his wages to offload the 23-year-old forward. Sancho, who is reportedly paid £300,000 a week at United, remains out of the first-team picture at Old Trafford following his stand-off with boss Erik ten Hag.

The Times says Tottenham defender Eric Dier could move back to his former club Sporting Lisbon in January, or when his contract runs out next summer. The 29-year-old is yet to feature for Tottenham this season after playing 33 games for the club last term. The England international joined the club in 2014 from Portuguese outfit Sporting.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Vinicius Junior: The 23-year-old Real Madrid superstar is yet to sign a new contract with the club, with his current deal running out next summer, Spanish outlet Sport says.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Football Insider reports that Manchester United have commenced talks with their 25-year-old right-back to sort out a new contract.

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho is looking increasingly likely to call time at Old Trafford in January. The Daily Mail, citing Sky Germany, says the 23-year-old winger has been in regular contact with former club Borussia Dortmund, amid his stand-off with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

Staying with the Red Devils, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has emerged on the club’s radar for a potential January move. According to the Mail, the centre-back is viewed as a potential replacement should Harry Maguire depart the club in the new year. Branthwaite is also wanted by Manchester City, having impressed on loan at PSV Eindhoven.

And The Telegraph reports former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is open to replacing Michael Beale as Rangers manager.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Lionel Messi: The Daily Mirror says the Inter Miami forward will return to his first club, Newell’s Old Boys, when his contract expires in 2025.

Jeremie Frimpong: The left-back is set to re-sign with Bayer Leverkusen, according to the Daily Record.

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho has been urged by players at Manchester United to end his dispute with manager Erik ten Hag, according to the Daily Mirror. The Times reports that the PFA has offered to help the England winger, 23, settle his differences with ten Hag.

Arsenal are gearing up to grab Ivan Toney, with the Daily Mirror reporting Brentford have valued the 27-year-old at £60 million ahead of a likely move for him in the January transfer window.

Jesse Lingard has ended his one-month training stint at West Ham to move to Saudi Arabia, with the Daily Mirror reporting club manager David Moyes insisting the club is comfortable with Lingard’s decision.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Chelsea secretly parted ways with Bruno, who joined Craven Cottage under former manager Graham Potter’s watch and was a first-team coach under Mauricio Pochettino.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Romelu Lukaku: Roma are keen to turn the 30-year-old striker’s loan from Chelsea into a permanent move.

Mohamed Salah: Negotiations between Liverpool, Saudi Arabia and the striker’s agent are becoming the subject of a Harvard study.

What the papers say

The clock appears to be ticking on Jadon Sancho’s time at Manchester United. The Daily Star reports United are willing to sell the England winger, 23, in January for less than the £73million they paid Borussia Dortmund.

Another winger is being linked to a move to Old Trafford, with Manchester United among several clubs keen on Club Brugge youngster Antonio Nusa. The Daily Express reports Arsenal and Chelsea are also interested in the 18-year-old Norwegian, who is valued around £30million.

One forward not going anywhere is Son Heung-min. According to the Daily Telegraph, Tottenham are ready to trigger an option in the South Korean’s contract which will keep the 31-year-old at the club for a further year until 2026.

There are comings and goings off the pitch at Tottenham. The Guardian reports chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini has left the club ahead of the appointment of a new sporting director.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Michail Antonio: Wolves, Everton and Nottingham Forest could step in if the 33-year-old striker fails to agree a new deal at West Ham.

Khephren Thuram: Liverpool and Tottenham are among several top European clubs on the trail of Nice’s 22-year-old France midfielder.

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United looks bleak after Erik ten Hag admitted he does not know whether the winger will play for the club again.

The 23-year-old is training away from the first team as a disciplinary measure after claiming on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” following his omission from the squad for the defeat at Arsenal before the international break.

Ten Hag hinted that it was not just this misstep that was taken into consideration when deciding the punishment, though repeatedly declined the opportunity to speak about Sancho when asked at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of Brighton.

The episode bears similarity to the way Cristiano Ronaldo was jettisoned out of the club after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last year and Ten Hag said he did not know how long Sancho’s disciplinary procedure would last or whether he will represent United again.

Asked directly whether he would pull on the United shirt again, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know. I am sitting here. Tomorrow we have a big game, we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed programme. I focus on that.”

On how long the disciplinary process might last, the Dutchman replied: “I don’t know but, as I say, I don’t think about that. I think about tomorrow. I think about the way the team has to progress. I have a lot to consider to make the right decisions.

“He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.”

Ten Hag, who claimed he inherited a club with “no good culture” when he took over, was at pains to stress that he was not focused on Sancho and the team is the most important thing.

“It’s in favour of the team. That is what my decision is based on,” he said.

“That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team. I don’t think about that (Sancho’s tweet) and I don’t talk about that, because I have to win a game. It is all about that.

“The players who are there and available deserve me. I have to guide them, I have to prepare them, it is about that. I only focus on the players who are available.

“It is also not about me, it is about the team and the club. I put my energy into giving the best performance tomorrow against Brighton.

“As a club, as a team we have to deal with that. But once again it is no importance to the coming games, I have to put my energy so that the team play their best tomorrow, in a week, the coming period. I have to focus on that.”

Sancho’s misdemeanour is the latest in a long line of off-field issues that Ten Hag has had to deal with since his appointment last summer and he said part of his brief was to instil better discipline at the club.

Ten Hag said: “Strict lines is what the club asked me because there was no good culture before I entered last season, so to set good standards, that is what I did and it is my job to control the standards.

“Of course, it is never someone only makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome about strict lines.

“If staff or players or whoever, there is a structure to cross lines so you have to be strong.”

Jadon Sancho will train away from the Manchester United first-team squad for a period, the Premier League club have announced.

The development comes after the England international recently complained about his treatment in a social media post.

Sancho claimed he had been made a “scapegoat” after manager Erik ten Hag said he left him out of the squad for the game at Arsenal on September 3 because of poor performance in training.

United have confirmed the matter is now being treated as a disciplinary issue.

A statement from the club read: “Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue.”

Sancho had gone on the offensive in response to Ten Hag’s comments after United’s 3-1 defeat in the game at the Emirates Stadium.

Ten Hag said the 23-year-old had not been included because he had failed to reach the levels expected of him.

“Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him,” the Dutchman said. “You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected.”

Sancho responded later that day with an explosive statement on Twitter.

He wrote: “Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week.

“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”

The post has now been deleted but it remained visible for some days afterwards.

United, who have claimed six points from their opening four Premier League games this season, return to action after the international break as they host Brighton on Saturday.

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United appears uncertain after a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag.

It is the latest instalment in what has been a frustrating spell at Old Trafford for the England international.

Here, the PA news agency looks at where it has gone wrong.

What has happened?

Ten Hag did not include Sancho in his squad for Sunday’s game at Arsenal, saying the player had not reached the required “level” in training. This was quickly disputed by Sancho in a strong statement on social media. The 23-year-old claimed he had been made a “scapegoat” for a long time and that claims about his conduct in training were “completely untrue”. Coming after two difficult years at the club, it raised questions over his future.

What were the previous issues?

Sancho’s United career does not seem to have ignited. Considered one of England’s brightest young prospects, he arrived amid much fanfare in the summer of 2021, but illness initially restricted his involvement. Then there was the turbulence of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being replaced by Ralf Rangnick before Ten Hag’s arrival last summer. Confidence clearly suffered and Sancho was unable to find any consistent form.

What has happened under Ten Hag?

Sancho’s performances did not significantly improve after Ten Hag’s arrival last summer and he was consequently overlooked for England’s World Cup squad. Ten Hag went on to criticise his “fitness state” and revealed he spent time training away from the squad on an “individual programme”. Since then opportunities have been restricted by the form of Marcus Rashford and further competition from Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.

Is wasn’t meant to be this way was it?

Absolutely not. Sancho was highly rated in Manchester City’s academy and the club were disappointed to lose him when he opted to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Some questioned whether that move was wise and suggested he should have stayed to work under Pep Guardiola, as Phil Foden did, but it seemed to pay off. Sancho had four highly fruitful years in Germany and became an established international. He seemed ready for the move in 2021, but it has simply not gone to plan.

What happens next?

After going public with his grievances in the way he did, it seems unlikely he will be back in the United side any time soon. He would need to settle his differences with the manager and then convince him he is playing well enough to be selected. That could take time. There have been suggestions a Saudi Arabian club could offer an immediate way out, but there has been no firm interest reported. It could be a quiet few months ahead.

Jadon Sancho claimed he has been “a scapegoat for a long time” as the Manchester United winger hit back at boss Erik ten Hag for saying he was dropped for the Arsenal game because of poor training performances.

The 23-year-old did not travel to north London for Sunday’s Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, where two stoppage-time goals condemned the Red Devils to a 3-1 defeat.

Sancho was conspicuous by his absence from the squad having come off the bench in their first three matches, with Ten Hag revealing afterwards that he was dropped due to sub-par training.

“Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him,” the United boss said after the defeat.

“You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected.”

Sancho later posted on Twitter: “Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week.

“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, l’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair! “All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team.

“I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and (am) grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge.

“I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”

Sancho has struggled for consistent form since moving to Old Trafford for Borussia Dortmund for £73million in 2021. The England international has scored 12 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.

He started Ten Hag’s first season brightly but did not feature from October 22 until February 1 – a period that saw him watch the World Cup from afar and do an individual winter fitness programme in the Netherlands.

Sancho played in the Carabao Cup final win against Newcastle after returning and ended the campaign with seven goals and three assists.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag revealed Jadon Sancho was dropped for the trip to Arsenal due to poor training performance.

The England winger did not travel to north London for the match, where United conceded two late goals to fall to a 3-1 loss at the Emirates Stadium.

Sancho, 23, had previously come off the bench in the first three Premier League games of the new season.

But Ten Hag accused the forward of not reaching the “level” required to be part of his matchday squad against the Gunners.

“Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him,” the Dutchman said after the defeat.

“You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected.”

Sancho has struggled for consistent form since moving to Old Trafford for Borussia Dortmund for £73million in 2021.

He has scored nine league goals and provided just six assists in his 58 appearances for the Red Devils and will now have to prove himself to Ten Hag to get back in his thinking for the visit of high-flying Brighton after the international break.

Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min rescued a much-needed point for Tottenham but their Champions League hopes hang by a thread following a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

Ryan Mason was instilled as interim boss following Cristian Stellini's exit in the wake of Sunday's crushing 6-1 defeat at Newcastle United, though matters did not start well, with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford putting Erik ten Hag's side in control.

Yet Porro's terrific goal injected life into Spurs before Son completed the comeback late on.

A draw might stop the rot for Spurs, though their Champions League hopes are fading fast, with United still six points clear in fourth with two games in hand.

Spurs effectively picked up where they left off on Tyneside, cracking after seven minutes when Sancho cut back into the box and powered a low strike past Fraser Forster.

Desperate defence from Ivan Perisic on the goal-line denied the winger a second after an effort ricocheted off Forster and towards a gaping net.

United would not be denied their second however, with Rashford superbly bringing down a sweeping long ball from Bruno Fernandes before tucking home.

Clement Lenglet hit the bar as Spurs came out of the blocks after the restart, and they had their equaliser when Porro prodded a wonderful finish beyond David De Gea.

Fernandes missed a golden chance two minutes later, smashing a one-on-one opportunity against the crossbar.

His misfire was punished in with 11 minutes remaining – Son on hand to tap in at the left post following Harry Kane's lovely assist.

Luke Shaw hailed the "amazing confidence" shown by Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to take penalties in Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final shoot-out win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Sancho and Rashford stepped up third and fourth respectively for United at Wembley, where the game finished 0-0 after extra time, and were both successful from 12 yards as United prevailed 7-6 on penalties.

The United team-mates, along with Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, suffered racist abuse on the back of missing penalties in England's shoot-out defeat to Italy at the same venue in the Euro 2020 final.

Shaw, who was on the scoresheet in that meeting with Italy, believes his international and club colleagues deserve huge praise for stepping up and converting in the tense showdown against Brighton.

"I was next to Jadon. I said, 'Whatever happens happens, just be confident. It's part of football, things happen, these things happen’," Shaw said.

"I think maybe what was playing on their minds are the things that come with it, the racism and stuff that they experienced last time.

"For me, they showed amazing confidence to step up and because the last time they took one in a shoot-out it was here and the memories that come with that.

"But I'm really happy for both of them to put themselves forward and take really good penalties."

Versatile defender Shaw was shifted to centre-back against Brighton to cover for the absences of suspended Harry Maguire and injured pair Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

The 27-year-old helped keep a clean sheet and, fitness depending, is certain to start next month's first ever FA Cup final between United and fierce rivals Manchester City.

And Shaw, who has won the EFL Cup and Europa League with United, insists he will never take appearing in major finals for granted after playing his part in the Red Devils' latest run to Wembley.

"As players we can never take anything for granted," he said. "Every day with this manager you have to be 100 per cent at it in training; around the place because he sets high standards. 

"If you don't meet them, you don't play no matter what the circumstances are – whether there's injuries, suspensions, it does not matter.

"So, for me, I don't take it for granted. Still, the back end of the season is the most important – that's when you win stuff, and we want to win this trophy so we have to give it everything."

Lionel Messi appeared set to re-sign with Paris Saint-Germain late last year, but the situation has changed.

There have been reports that the Argentinian World Cup winner is unhappy at PSG, with links to an MLS move.

Messi is contracted until the end of this season and had initially agreed to a one-year extension to stay in the French capital.

TOP STORY – MESSI AND PSG RELATIONSHIP IRREPARABLE

L'Equipe claims Messi's relationship with PSG irreparable and he is all but certain to exit at the end of this season, with a return to Barcelona appearing increasingly likely.

Messi spent more than 20 years at Camp Nou, before Barca's financial challenges led to his departure for PSG in August 2021, with the club keen to welcome him back.

The 35-year-old was jeered by PSG fans during Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Lyon amid speculation of his departure.

ROUND-UP

– The Athletic reports signing Tottenham forward Harry Kane is Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's "absolute priority" in the off-season. Kane is out of contract with Spurs in 2024.

– The Sun claims United are strongly considering selling under-performing winger Jadon Sancho in the off-season, with a view to using the sum generated to purchase their next forward.

– United have also held exploratory talks with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, per The Athletic.

– Real Madrid have been linked with Chelsea's Reece James and Football Insider claims they are willing to pay £90m (£102.5m) for his services, with 31-year-old right-back Dani Carvajal struggling with injuries.

– Arsenal are plotting a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the next transfer window, according to Fichajes.

– Talksport claims  Graham Potter has declined the opportunity to become Leicester City 's new manager, with The Mail reporting that he will wait until the off-season before taking on a new role.

David de Gea is set to become the first non-British player to make 400 Premier League appearances for one club after being named in Manchester United's starting XI for the clash with Leeds United.

Erik ten Hag also handed Jadon Sancho his first start since a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on October 22 after the England international made substitute appearances in two of United's previous three games following a lengthy spell out of action.

De Gea started his career at Atletico Madrid before signing for United ahead of the 2011-12 season.

He helped United win the Premier League title in the following campaign, yet has only got his hands on two more trophies since then – the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

His landmark appearance at Elland Road also makes him the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to make 400 appearances for the same club.

The 32-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, though United have an option to trigger a one-year extension, and there have been talks regarding an agreement for a longer renewal.

Ten Hag shuffled his pack in defence, with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw starting in the middle of the back four instead of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.

Sancho, meanwhile, has been drafted back in following his excellent cameo against Leeds on Wednesday, as United fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with their manageress rivals.

No replacement for Jesse Marsch has yet been instilled at Leeds, with caretaker Michael Skubala taking charge of his second match.