FRANK LAMPARD is in talks over becoming the new Norwich manager, according to reports.
The Canaries dismissed Daniel Farke last weekend, despite their first Premier League win of the season.
Meanwhile, Eddie Howe has been named as Newcastle manager after travelling North East to finalise his contract.
Former Bournemouth and Burnley manager Howe, 43, will replace Steve Bruce at the helm after spending most of his career as a player and boss on the South Coast.
And we’ve also the very latest from Chelsea who are eyeing a swoop for Attila Szalai in January.
Get all the latest football news, updates and transfer gossip below…
VLAH FIGHT
Arsenal and Tottenham are just two clubs looking to prise Dusan Vlahovic away from Fioretnina.
He is refusing to sign a new contract and will become a free agent in the summer of 2023 but Fiorentina want to keep the star until at least June.
Juventus want him – but they are more interested in getting him in January.
However, AS claim that renowned journalist Alfredo Pedulla believes his departure is much more likely to occur at the end of the campaign.
And they also state that the 21-year-old prefers a move away from Italy for a new adventure abroad.
Both Arsenal and Tottenham are keen and will fight it out to secure his services, along with Liverpool.
And Atletico Madrid hope to bring the forward to LaLiga in Spain.
WANT NOU BACK
Lionel Messi could sensationally return to Barcelona in 2023, according to reports in Spain.
The Argentine superstar, 34, was forced to leave the Nou Camp in the summer with the club no longer able to afford his wages.
Marca claim Xavi – who replaced Ronald Koeman as manager – could play a huge role in securing Messi’s return.
The pair played together until for over a decade until 2015 when Xavi, 41, joined Al-Sadd, first as a player then as boss.
And now Vincent Font – who finished second behind Joan Laporta in the 2021 presidential race – has demanded the club make bringing Messi home a priority.
Font told RAC-1: “His departure deserved to be through the front door.
“From that moment on, the club should be thinking about how Messi could return to Barcelona in 2023.”
NO BANTER
Ex-Tottenham star Jamie O’Hara has eaten humble pie and praised Arsenal for their remarkable turn-around this season.
The Gunners started the campaign dismally and O’Hara slammed Mikel Arteta’s side, labelling them ‘Banter FC’.
But since then, Arsenal have gone on an incredible 10-game unbeaten run
And O’Hara said to talkSPORT: “I was critical of Arsenal at the start of the season by calling them ‘Banter FC’.
“Now, all of a sudden, the tide has turned.
“They are playing with confidence and playing with belief and they’re getting results.”
HOWE-AY THE LADS
Eddier Howe wasted no time in getting to work at Newcastle United as he arrived at their training ground before sunrise.
The former Bournemouth boss, 43, has returned to the dugout for the first time in 15 months after replacing the axed Steve Bruce.
After his arrival at St James’ Park was officially confirmed yesterday, Howe revealed his eagerness to meet his new squad as soon as possible.
And it appears he meant every word of it after Sky Sports News captured him and his backroom staff arriving at Toon’s Benton HQ at 6:45am this morning for his first day in the job.
Howe’s debut as manager will come a week on Saturday when Brentford visit the North East.
TO BE FRENK
Man City are reportedly set to pursue Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong as they look to bolster their midfield.
Pep Guardiola likes to slowly evolve his squads over time and with Fernandinho coming towards the end of his career and Kevin De Bruyne reaching 30 years of age, the Spanish coach may feel he needs some fresh legs in the middle.
And De Jong has been identified as someone they are keen to go after, particularly given Barcelona’s financial problems.
But if a cash sum does not get the wheels turning, Man City may look to offer Raheem Sterling as part of a transfer swap.
Here is how City could line-up with De Jong.
EMILE SMITH WHOA
Rio Ferdinand has likened red-hot Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe to Robert Pires and Alexander Hleb amid his incredible run of form.
Speaking about Arsenal on his FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “There’s a team, there’s a united team.
“There’s a togetherness that I haven’t seen at Arsenal for a long time. There’s nobody doing more right now than Emile Smith Rowe.
“He reminds me, with more end product it seems right now and I think he’ll go onto levels, his style is a little bit [Alexander] Hleb.
“He plays low, socks similar, the way he moves and manipulates the ball, can keep people off balance all game.
“He’s got a bit of Hleb about him. He’s got a Robert Pires vibe a little bit.”
DOWN AND C-OUT
Barcelona’s squad have reportedly ‘turned on Philippe Coutinho over his attitude problem’ following the controversy against Celta Vigo.
The Brazilian was summoned from the bench and looked set to replace the injured Ansu Fati with his team three up in what turned out to be a 3-3 draw in LaLiga.
However, he was believed to have been snubbed by stand-in boss Sergi Barjuan due to his ‘poor attitude’ while warming-up.
Fati went down injured just before half-time and Barjuan signalled to the former Liverpool man to get ready.
But the cameras caught the 29-year-old’s somewhat lackadaisical approach to the warm-up which angered his temporary boss, according to Sport.
The Spanish outlet described Coutinho’s approach as ‘excessive laziness’ as he slumped down the line.
Now Mundo Deportivo is claiming that the rest of Barcelona’s locker room is fed up with the club-record signing’s attitude.
MOVING A LILLE CLOSER
Wolves are leading the race to sign Lille midfielder Renato Sanches in the January transfer window, according to reports.
The 24-year-old was instrumental in helping the French side beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title last season with an inspired campaign in the middle of the park.
He has turned the heads of several clubs following that sensational season, with Liverpool said to be among those interested in signing him.
But according to The Telegraph, Bruno Lage’s Wolves are now the frontrunners to acquire Sanches in the January window.
Wanderers were keen to bring the Portuguese international in before striker Hwang Hee-chan took over as the club’s main priority in the summer.
The Premier League side were also put off by the fact that Sanches sustained a knee injury while they were closely monitoring him.
GETTING SHIRTY
Premier League chiefs have refused to allow top flight clubs to wear their “away” shirts at home on Boxing Day as a charity scheme.
Shelter wanted all the home teams to wear their second strips for the December 26 games as a sign of support for action on homelessness.
Brighton and Wolves are understood to be the keenest to take part, although other clubs signalled their willingness to support the initiative.
Shelter have pushed for the move, asking clubs to back their attempt to transform the Boxing day short swap into an annual event.
The charity, which says homelessness has rocketed since the start of the pandemic, also hoped that the unworn home shorts could be signed and auctioned off to raise funds.
But League chiefs blocked the initiative, pointing to the Prem rulebook which explicitly states clubs must wear home shirts for home games.
Rule M 22.1 states: In selecting the choice of Strip the following order of precedence shall apply unless authorised by the Board: 1st priority: the outfield players of the Home Club who shall wear their home Strip.”
WHAT A MESS
Barcelona reportedly missed out on a £50MILLION-a-year sponsorship deal after Lionel Messi left for Paris Saint Germain.
The cash-strapped Catalans received two bumper bids in excess of £50m to replace Rakuten as their shirt sponsor but the legendary Argentine’s departure signalled the end of their preferred option.
A cryptocurrency exchange company offered £60m plus a 20 per cent performance related bonus, according to Spanish outlet AS.
And an Indian firm dedicated to ‘online education’ are said to have bid £50m plus a 15 per cent bonus.
Barca chiefs rejected the crypto offer given the ‘controversial’ nature of the industry, but club president Joan Laporta was eager to proceed with the Indian bid.
The deal was set to include collaborations with Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy teams as well as the club’s Innovation Hub.
Barca big-wigs had successfully negotiated the fee from around £40m up to £50m but some execs wanted another £10m before they would agree the deal.
HAMMER BLOW
West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna is facing MONTHS on the sidelines after suffering a serious ACL injury in his side’s win over Liverpool.
The 33-year-old was replaced by Craig Dawson in the 22nd minute of their 3-2 victory at the London Stadium on Sunday.
And it has now been confirmed by the club that a scan on Monday showed he has suffered damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, a horrible injury which has ruled other players out for extended periods of time.
A statement from West Ham’s Head of Medical Richard Collinge said: “After being substituted following a separate incident that led to him suffering a cut above his eye, Angelo felt some discomfort in his right knee so we scanned him to ascertain the extent of the injury.
“That scan has shown up some damage to the anterior cruciate ligament and we have begun his rehabilitation immediately. Angelo will see another specialist this week and we will then have a clearer picture around his timeline of recovery.”
STEF SURGE
Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell is convinced that Stefan de Vrij will ‘soon join’ Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.
The struggling Spurs squad have reportedly been delighted with the Italian’s methods ever since he took charge of the North London club last week.
He told Football Insider: “Do they need another centre-half? They have got numbers back there.
“Conte will have his own mind of what he wants to do and how he wants to play. The key is signing players who are going to make this team better. They don’t need bodies.
“If De Vrij is the one Conte’s wants, Spurs will go and get him.
“Conte is very ruthless like that. I’m sure we’ll see him in a Spurs shirt soon.”
WENG WILL IT END
Arsene Wenger is refusing to back down on his plan for a World Cup every two years.
The former Arsenal boss has been the lead voice on Fifa chief Gianni Infantino’s proposal.
Infantino was forced into a significant retreat last month when three of his key allies turned their backs on the idea.
It meant the planned D-day meeting, pencilled in for next month, was instead turned into a “summit” for further discussion.
But Wenger, speaking alongside David Dein at a special fundraising event for the Twinning Project at the London Palladium, said: “The calendar is fixed until 2024 and nobody knows what will happen after that.
“It needs to change because we need a more modern relationship between national team football and club football.
“Covid has added to the problems. Today the whole world plays in Europe and that means that in the international break the players have to travel from there back all over the world for qualifiers.”
GREAT SCOTT
Scottish brothers James and Sandy Easdale are pulling out of the race to buy Wayne Rooney’s Derby County.
The Greenock businessmen ended their interest amid frustration about the pace and progress being demanded by the administrators.
The pair, backed by Malaysian money, left American Chris Kirchner as the only bidder when they dramatically walked away and dropped their offer.
A statement from the Easdales said “We have withdrawn our note of interest in Derby County with immediate effect.
“We feel the timelines set out were unworkable for us to fairly value the club with so many issues to cover. Our lawyers have informed the administrators of our decision.
“We wish Derby County all the best in their search for a new owner and hopefully the fans get good news soon.”
Sandy Easdale said: “My brother James and I and our consortium continue to actively examine other opportunities in English football.”
EDEN TO TYNESIDE?
Eden Hazard ‘would love’ to play at Newcastle under new manager Eddie Howe, according to ex-England international Jack Wilshere.
The former Arsenal midfielder worked with Howe during his season-long loan spell at Bournemouth five years ago.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “He [Howe] was great with me, because it was tough for me there because I was coming from a big club [Arsenal].
“I stepped into a group that had been together since they were in League One, they were all friends.
“They were all great with me, but Eddie made sure they were. He was great with me.
“Eden Hazard is another level, but I think Eden would love playing for a manager like Eddie Howe [at Newcastle]. He’s the type of manager you want to play for.”
IT’S A MAG-NESS
Man Utd title winner Paul Parker says Harry Maguire should be stripped of the club captaincy.
Maguire got the armband in January 2020 just five months after joining from Leicester following Ashley Young’s departure to Inter Milan.
But outspoken Parker said: “Manchester United gave Harry Maguire the captain’s armband too early.
“It surprised a lot of people, it didn’t make any sense and it hasn’t been a good fit from day one.
“With captains, it isn’t about who has the biggest transfer fee or who’s the best player. There’s much more to it than that.
“He isn’t the right player to be a captain of Manchester United at this moment in time and he has a lot in his game that needs rectifying.”
KOP TRUMP
Kylian Mbappe wants to play for Jurgen Klopp ahead of Carlo Ancelotti, according to reports.
And that could give Liverpool a shock transfer boost ahead of next summer.
Mbappe’s contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of this season.
And he has already made it clear he wants to leave the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer.
It appeared a foregone conclusion that the French star would join Real Madrid, a dream move since he was a boy.
Real Madrid even submitted a series of official bids for Mbappe in the last transfer window, the last reportedly worth around £189million.
But according to El Nacional, he is ‘not convinced’ by Ancelotti as a manager.
GOOD MORNING FOOTY FANS
Eddie Howe has been announced as the new Newcastle manager and will be given funds in January to strengthen his squad.
The 43-year-old will return to the dugout in two weeks for the first time in 15 months, replacing Steve Bruce.
And he could be joined by ex-Chelsea chief Michael Emenalo, who is a frontrunner for the director of football job at Newcastle.
According to the Telegraph, Emenalo travelled to Saudi Arabia last week for talks with Newcastle’s new owners.
The former Chelsea supremo is now ‘first choice’ for the Magpies, but a number of ‘issues’ have to be ironed out before a deal is completed.
Negotiations are expected to ‘accelerate’ during the international break.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel is facing his first test of man-management at Chelsea with frustrated Saul Niguez.
A Spanish source told SunSport: “This is not quite what Saul was expecting.
“He is not stupid and doesn’t think he should play in every game, he knows it might take time to get used to English football.
“But when he hardly plays in the Premier League, how can he adapt? He has come from a big club and has played in big games before. He wants to show he can handle it.
“He is not angry, he is happy in London, as is his girlfriend. They are determined to see out the move.
“But he would like the chance to play a bit more. Being on the bench so much has come as quite a surprise.”
Finally, Marcus Rashford, James Ward-Prowse, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw have not reported for England duty in a blow to Gareth Southgate.
Rashford is staying with Manchester United to focus on regaining full fitness after his recent injury issues while Southampton skipper Ward-Prowse misses out through illness.
Mount’s arrival has been delayed due to recent dental surgery and he will continue to be monitored in the coming days.
While Shaw is currently following concussion protocol at United.
NUN THE WISER
Nuno Espirito Santo has spoken out on his ‘ruthless’ Tottenham sacking.
He said: “Wow, the last few weeks have been hectic to say the least.
“This is football the most ruthless sport in the game, only a couple of weeks back I was crowned Manager of the Month and fast forward to the present and it’s been some days since my dismissal at Spurs.
“This is life, I move on forward now looking for my next challenge and finally I want to thank the fans of Spurs, when I joined this great club I envisaged a vision to bring trophies but all didn’t go to plan.
“That’s all’s really we live and learn, look forward to keeping all of you posted and thank you once again for your constant support.”
EXCLUSIVE BY DUNCAN WRIGHT
West Ham want to build their future around Declan Rice as they target a tilt at regular Champions League football.
Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been tracking the England star but no bid has ever been submitted.
And even if one came in for as much as £100million, the Hammers board have no intention of doing business, believing they can satisfy the player’s ambitions themselves.
S-MART MOVE
Roberto Martinez is interested in replacing Dean Smith as Aston Villa’s new manager – and will be perfectly placed for talks when he arrives in the UK next week.
However the Spaniard, 48, is determined to secure Belgium’s place in next year’s World Cup finals in Qatar before deciding on his next move.
Steven Gerrard remains the 5/4 favourite for the vacant Villa job with Martinez second-favourite at 9/1.
But the Belgian boss’s odds will be slashed this weekend if the world’s No.1 ranked team beat Estonia in Brussels to book their place in Qatar as unassailable Group E winners.
Martinez then heads for Wales for Belgium’s final qualifier in Cardiff on Tuesday when he may decide to make a major call on his future.
That could be the ideal opportunity for Villa to approach the Belgian FA for permission to open talks with Martinez.
GRAND DERBY
Derby County are dropping their appeal against a fixed 12-point penalty for going into administration.
An independent disciplinary commission was due to start this week and could have reduced the penalty on the grounds of Derby’s claim that Covid cause their crisis.
However that plan was shelved following talks between the Rams administrators and the EFL as both sides look to sort out the points due for administration and FFP charges.
This latest move, coming from the administrators, is also designed to help them present the club to bidders with no further questions about what future penalties could be coming.
FRANK DISCUSSION
Frank Lampard is ‘in talks’ with Norwich to become their new manager, according to reports.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Lamps held conversations with the Carrow Road board today.
However, nothing has been sealed just yet as both parties consider their decisions.
Lampard is keen to return to management following his sacking as Chelsea boss in January.
EXCLUSIVE BY STEPHEN MOYES
Man Utd’s pampered stars have a team of technicians to tune in their TVs and fix their computers when they crash, The Sun can reveal.
The multilingual handymen also put up shelves and hang pictures for the millionaire footballers.
An ad for a new “player care property technician” placed by the club also asks for candidates to have a knowledge of “foreign languages, spoken and written”.
They are required “to assist the Player Care Property Technicians with day-to-day maintenance issues, emergency breakdown attendance of equipment, house moves and general building management of players and senior management residential properties.”
The ad does not reveal salary details but similar jobs attract £30,000-a-year pay.
TOUCH OF CLASS
New Barcelona boss Xavi has revealed he was sent a special message from his former team-mate Lionel Messi.
Xavi said at his unveiling: “With Messi I have friendship, he has written to me and wished me luck, he is the best player in the world and in the history of this club.
“Of course I would have liked to train him. Like Eto’o or Ronaldinho.
“We do not have him and we can no longer think about the players who are not there.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
