What the papers say
The future of Marcus Rashford at Manchester United continues to attract plenty of speculation. The Daily Star says Paris St-Germain are preparing an £80million bid for the England forward, 26, on a weekly salary of £500,000 a week.
United are prioritising a centre-back on their summer shopping list, according to i Sport. As well as Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, Juventus’ Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer, 26, is among their top targets.
Manchester City and Liverpool are interested in Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala, 21, reports the Daily Mail. Chelsea would collect a sell-on fee if Bayern Munich opt to sell for around £80million.
Arsenal are looking across the Atlantic for a potential replacement for England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. The Daily Telegraph says they are keen on 23-year-old Columbus Crew and United States goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
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Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea are willing to sell the 30-year-old striker, who is on loan at Roma, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, currently on loan at Real Madrid, to Saudi Pro League clubs, reports Talksport.
Matias Soule: Southampton will target the Argentinian striker, 20, from Juventus if they return to the Premier League, according to Italian outfit Calciomercato, with Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Aston Villa also interested.
What the papers say
England forward Chloe Kelly is wanted by Paris St-Germain. The Daily Mail reports the 26-year-old would become the highest-paid women’s player in Europe if she makes the move from Manchester City.
Christian Eriksen, 31, could make a return to Brentford in the summer, according to the Metro. Galatasaray have also been linked with a move for Manchester United’s Denmark midfielder.
Brighton are leading the race for Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Osman. The Evening Standard says the Seagulls close to beating West Ham to the 19-year-old’s signature from Nordsjaelland in a £17million deal, while the Daily Mail says the move has already been agreed.
Jon Dahl Tomasson is close to being the next managerial casualty. The Daily Mail reports he is set to leave Blackburn Rovers after eight games without a win in the Championship.
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Antonee Robinson: Liverpool are looking at a summer mover for the Fulham and the United States left-back, according to Football Insider,
Ivan Toney: Manchester United are ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign the England striker from Brentford, according to Teamtalk.
What the papers say
Paris St-Germain are watching developments with Marcus Rashford at Manchester United. According to the i, the French club could rekindle their interest in the England forward, 26.
Armando Broja, 22, is being lined up by Fulham for a move ahead of the transfer deadline. But they are yet to approach Chelsea’s £50million valuation for the Albania striker, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals could be the next player to leave West Ham, reports the Daily Mail. The 27-year-old is close to sealing a move to Real Betis.
West Ham are looking at Portuguese winger Jota, 24, from Al-Ittihad to replace the outgoing Said Benrahma, according to the Daily Mirror. The Hammers are fending off interest from Wolves and Crystal Palace for England striker Danny Ings, 31.
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Bryan Gil: Brighton are in talks with Tottenham over a loan move for the out-of-favour Spain midfielder, 22, according to the Daily Mail.
Amad Diallo: The Ivory Coast winger, 19, is keen on a return to Sunderland on loan from Manchester United, reports Football Insider.
Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson produced an excellent display to help Clermont Foot get a 2-1 win over Nantes in Ligue 1 action at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.
Nicholson first opened the scoring by capitalizing on a mistake from Nantes keeper Alban Lafont to slot home from just inside the box in the 29th minute for his second goal in as many games.
Just after the second half resumption, Florent Mollet got the equalizer for Nantes before, in the 89th minute, Nicholson provided the assist for the match-winning goal by Jim Allevinah.
Clermont are currently 17th in the 18-team Ligue 1 table with 14 points from 18 games while Nantes are 13th with 18 points from as many games.
Kylian Mbappe inspired 10-man Paris St Germain to a 2-0 victory over Le Havre to send them four points clear of Nice at the top of Ligue 1.
PSG found themselves down to 10 men after just 10 minutes when goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was sent off for a high challenge on Josue Casimir.
The visitors went in front in the 23rd minute through Mbappe and while the hosts did their best to find an equaliser, Vitinha scored against the run of play in the 89th minute to seal three points.
Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved two penalties as Lille claimed a 2-0 win at home to Metz.
The 22-year-old denied Simon Elisor before two goals in first-half stoppage time from Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan David put Lille in front.
More heroics from Chevalier 10 minutes into the second half to keep out Lamine Camara’s penalty helped preserve victory for the home side.
Monaco kept pace with PSG with a 2-0 win over 10-man Montpellier, who saw Boubakar Kouyate sent off in the second half, while Brest beat Clermont 3-0 and Toulouse played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient.
In LaLiga, Hector Bellerin was shown a red card in the 27th minute of Real Betis’ goalless draw at Almeria, while Mallorca and Alaves also drew a blank.
Rasmus Kristensen scored the winner for Roma as they came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1 in Serie A.
Matheus Henrique fired in a first-half opener for Sassuolo, but it all came undone after the break when Daniel Boloca was dismissed and Paulo Dybala scored from the spot, before Kristensen fired home a second.
A Lucas Beltran spot-kick and further goals from Riccardo Sottil and Giacomo Bonaventura earned Fiorentina a 3-0 victory over Salernitana, while Udinese and Verona drew 3-3.
Sixth-placed Bologna looked poised for victory at Lecce but had to settle for a point after Roberto Piccoli’s penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time cancelled out Charalampos Lykogiannis’ 68th-minute opener.
In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund were on course to leapfrog fourth-placed Leipzig with a vital victory at leaders Bayer Leverkusen after Julian Ryerson fired the visitors ahead after five minutes.
But Victor Boniface salvaged a point when he levelled late in the second half.
Goncalo Ramos scored twice as Paris St Germain shrugged off last week’s Ligue 1 loss to Nice by strolling to a 4-0 win over bitter rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes.
The 22-year-old Portugal striker replaced the injured Kylian Mbappe just past the half-hour mark and added his brace to earlier strikes from Achraf Hakimi and Kolo Muani as the reigning champions eased to victory in Le Classique.
The win will allay concerns over PSG’s sluggish start to the domestic season while it heaps more frustration on the visitors who have now gone three Ligue 1 games without a win.
PSG were on top from the opening moments, pinning Marseille back and taking just eight minutes to open their account when Hakimi curled a brilliant free-kick past Pau Lopez after Mbappe was fouled on the edge of the box.
Mbappe was almost played in by Warren Zaire-Emery before Marseille missed a rare chance to equalise when Vitinha headed a cross against the top of the bar.
Mbappe, struggling from the effects of an early challenge, was replaced by Ramos after 32 minutes, and five minutes later Muani made it two by prodding home the rebound after Hakimi’s initial low shot came back off the post.
Two minutes into the second half Ramos grabbed his first goal since his summer move from Benfica when he met a cross from Ousmane Dembele with a brilliant header past Lopez.
It was relentless stuff from PSG with Hakimi firing just over the bar then sending another free-kick just wide as Marseille barely got a look-in.
Chancel Mbemba summoned a pair of speculative efforts but it was clearly all in vain for the visitors, and their pain increased in the dying minutes as PSG scored a deserved fourth.
A Marseille free-kick was swiftly cleared and Muani roved into the visitors’ half where he found Ramos who delivered a well-judged shot over Lopez to complete a one-sided win.
Jeremie Boga’s stoppage-time goal earned Nice a 1-0 victory over Monaco in Ligue 1.
Boga fired home in the first minute of six added on in the battle of the two previously unbeaten sides, moving above their opponents at the top of the early standings before the rest of the weekend’s action.
Inaki Williams scored one and set up the other as Athletic Bilbao won 2-0 away to Alaves in LaLiga.
Williams opened the scoring in the 18th minute after being teed up by Mikel Vesga, and then turned provider for Oihan Sancet to make sure of the points 14 minutes from time.
Lecce continued their strong start to the Serie A season as they edged out the 10 men of Genoa 1-0 on Friday night.
Remi Oudin got the winning goal seven minutes from time with a left-footed strike from outside the area.
By then, Genoa had played more than half the match a man down, with Aaron Martin having collected two yellow cards inside the opening 36 minutes.
Salernitana and Frosinone shared the points from a 1-1 draw, with Simone Romagnoli scoring for Frosinone 13 minutes in before Jovane Cabral levelled for the hosts early in the second half.
Stuttgart came from behind to beat Darmstadt 3-1 as Serhou Guirassy scored a brace.
The visitors led when Dan-Axel Zagadou put through his own net 17 minutes in, but Enzo Millot levelled for the hosts five minutes later.
Guirassy then completed the turnaround before half-time, adding his second of the night in the final minute.
Veteran Italy midfielder Marco Verratti has signed for Qatari side Al-Arabi, ending his 11-year stay at Paris St Germain.
Verratti, who turns 31 in November, signed for PSG from Serie B outfit Pescara during the summer of 2012.
The midfielder went on to win the Ligue 1 title nine times while also helping the French club reach the final of the interrupted 2019–20 Champions League, where they were beaten by Bayern Munich.
Verratti, part of Italy’s successful Euro 2020 side, had also been linked with a potential move to Saudi Arabia, with his transfer fee to Al-Arabi reported to be in the region of 45million euro (£38.6m).
“I’ve been very proud to play for Paris Saint-Germain for over a decade, to rub shoulders with so many great players and to win 30 trophies,” said Verratti, who made 416 appearances for PSG, the second-highest total in the club’s history.
“Paris, the club and its fans will always hold a very special place in my heart. I’ll forever be a Parisian.”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi added: “Marco will be forever linked to Paris Saint-Germain, playing such a big part in our great history.
“He will always be part of the club. We wish him all the very best with his new adventure.”
Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson has joined Ligue 1 outfit Clermont Foot on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Russian giants Spartak Moscow.
The 26-year-old scored eight goals in 30 appearances for Spartak after joining them from Belgian side Charleroi in December 2021.
His best result with Spartak came in his first season when they won the Russian Cup 2-1 over rivals Dynamo Moscow.
Nicholson has scored 10 goals in 33 appearances for the Reggae Boyz and was in the squad for their quarterfinal run at the Concacaf Gold Cup in the USA this year.
Paris St Germain are ready to integrate Kylian Mbappe back into the first-team squad, according to reports.
The France captain’s future in the capital city has seemed uncertain following links with a move to Real Madrid and reports earlier this week that he was frozen out of senior training.
Mbappe was told to stay away after he refused to activate an option to extend his current contract to 2025, meaning the superstar would be free to negotiate a free transfer to foreign clubs in January.
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He was not involved as PSG began their Ligue 1 campaign in underwhelming fashion with a goalless draw against Lorient, with Neymar also not included in the matchday squad.
But before the game Mbappe and the club are reported to have held positive talks that will see the 24-year-old return to Luis Enrique’s squad.
A club statement on Sunday, reported by French newspaper L’Equipe, read: “After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris St Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in the first training team this morning.”
Boss Enrique had said before the game that he was confident of a positive outcome.
“It is something that has already happened in the past and there was a positive solution before I was here,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
“I hope and wish that, just like in the past, the same thing will happen again and that the club and the player will reach an agreement.”
Kylian Mbappe will be barred from training with Paris St Germain’s main first-team group as his contract dispute with the club continues, the PA news agency understands.
PSG return to their training base on Monday following their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, but Mbappe will be part of the so-called ‘loft’ training group rather than the first team as his stand-off with the club drags on.
PSG sources remain convinced the player, who is out of contract next summer, has already agreed a free transfer deal with Real Madrid.
Mbappe’s management are understood to have refused to engage with an offer from the club to sign a new contract containing a guaranteed sale clause, which would allow him to join another club for a fee next summer.
From PSG’s perspective, there is no reason why he would turn down the offer, because it gives him the opportunity to leave when he wants and join the club he wants.
PSG had given Al Hilal permission to speak to the player after they tabled a world record bid of £259million last month, but Mbappe reportedly refused to even meet with delegates from the Saudi club who had flown to Paris.
Chelsea and Barcelona are understood to be two of the clubs trying to work out a player-plus-cash deal for Mbappe, who was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018 and also one of the stars of the last tournament in Qatar.
PSG kick off their 2023/24 Ligue 1 campaign at home to Lorient on Saturday.
What the papers say
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could move to French giants Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer, the Sun reports. The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 27 games for Crystal Palace in all competitions last season and is reportedly attracting interest from the Ligue 1 champions.
After securing the signature of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are looking to add more strength to their midfield with the club linked with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, the Mirror said. The 28-year-old is in high-demand across the Premier League after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.
Chelsea are weighing up a deal with Champions League runners up Inter Milan, according to the Sun. The Blues are reportedly offering the Italian club Romelu Lukaku, who is currently there on loan, and Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly as they look to sign Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana.
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James Maddison: Newcastle United are said to be narrowly in front of Tottenham in the battle to secure the 26-year-old Leicester midfielder, valued at £40million, Sky Sports report.
David Raya: Brentford’s Spanish goalkeeper is weighing up offers from Tottenham and Manchester United, with Spurs reportedly close to agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old, according to Goal.com.
Paris St Germain has condemned the actions of supporters who are understood to have gathered outside the home of Neymar and chanted for him to leave the club.
It has been a tumultuous week for the Ligue 1 outfit, who suspended Lionel Messi for two weeks following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia and saw their title hopes hit after a home defeat to Lorient on Sunday.
Fans were filmed on Wednesday chanting for the board to resign outside club headquarters before further clips showed a group of supporters visit the home of Neymar and called for him to move on.
Messi was also believed to be the target of frustration with fans chanting for the World Cup winner to leave, having recently jeered the Argentine in home matches.
“Paris Saint-Germain most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday,” a club statement read.
“Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions.
“The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behaviour.”
Reports suggest Messi will leave Parc des Princes at the end of the campaign following two seasons in Paris.
It has been reported that Manchester United will look to maintain the momentum gained from this season with three major signings.
Manager Erik ten Hag is said to have an illustrious shortlist of priority targets, including numerous forwards.
But the Red Devils will likely want to bolster their midfield ranks to support Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen and Fred.
TOP STORY – MAN UTD TO LAUNCH BUMPER CAMAVINGA BID
Fichajes reports Manchester United are planning a bumper £115million (€130m) offer for Real Madrid's French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.
The report claims United are major admirers of Camavinga, who has not fully convinced since his move to Santiago Bernabeu in August 2021.
United view the 20-year-old as a major world-class talent, although Los Blancos may be reluctant to let him go.
ROUND-UP
– ESPN claims Harry Maguire is on the chopping block at Old Trafford with Manchester United looking to sell several first-players including the England defender. Newcastle United are the favourites to sign him while West Ham are in contention, reports 90min.
– Paris Saint-Germain are circling for Newcastle United's Dutch defender Sven Botman, reports iNews. Botman previously spent time in France with Lille.
– Vinicius Junior could leave Real Madrid, with president Florentino Perez open to letting him go in order to sign PSG's Kylian Mbappe, claims El Desmarque. Vinicius Junior and Madrid are yet to agree on a new deal with the Brazilian's contract expiring in 2024.
– Eden Hazard will not exit Real Madrid anytime soon, with the Belgian midfielder intending to remain with Los Blancos until his contract expires in 2024, according to The Athletic.
– CBS Sports claims Arsenal's Reiss Nelson has drawn interest from French club Nice along with Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. Nelson netted a dramatic late winner in the Gunners' 3-2 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
– Bayern Munich are on the verge of tabling new contract offers to Lucas Hernandez and Jamal Musiala , per Fabrizio Romano. Agreement on the Hernandez deal is imminent, while new Musiala's long-term contract is a priority.
Lionel Messi moving to MLS to join Inter Miami would be "the biggest signing in history", according to the club's head coach Phil Neville.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been heavily linked with a move to the United States and is into the final six months of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
Ligue 1 giants PSG are keen to retain the services of the 35-year-old, who added a World Cup to his plethora of titles last year, but a fierce fight could take place for his signature.
A move to MLS would see Messi follow in the footsteps of the likes of Miami co-owner David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, and Steven Gerrard, though likely sparking even more of a frenzy.
Neville believes it would be a signing like no other, adamant Messi is the kind of player his club need to be in the market for.
"I think this would be probably the biggest signing in history," he told the Athletic.
"I can't think of another star of that magnitude to come from a major footballing country to this place. This is maybe similar [to Beckham's arrival], but maybe even bigger.
"I think you're talking about one of the greatest footballers of all time. When you talk about Miami, we have to be in for players like that, you know?"
Should Miami manage to lure Messi to MLS, however, Neville accepts the club would need to make significant logistical changes to accommodate such a recognised figure.
"Things will be different. The trees might have to be bigger [around the training ground]. The security might have to be tighter," he explained.
"The walk the players have today over to that stadium, that might have to be different. The travel might be different. The hotels we stay in might have to be different.
"But really that might be what we're aspiring to be like anyway. It's exciting, but I think it'd be a massive challenge."
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