NEWCASTLE are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
And Chelsea are considering selling Andreas Christensen with Atletico Madrid, according to reports.
The Blues are said to be ready to go back in for top target Jules Kounde in January and other reports suggest they have been offered Matthijs de Ligt by Juventus.
That would make Antonio Rudiger, who has not been regularly in the team this season, surplus to requirements.
Tottenham are ready to sell Dele Alli with the former England midfielder struggling to find his form of old.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are said to be keen on hiring former Dortmund boss Lucien Favre and pairing him with Marc Overmars as director of football.
Title rivals Man City are Liverpool are both reportedly keen on snapping up the German.
Stay up to date with all the latest from around the clubs with our live blog…
RODGERS REACTS
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers insists he remains focused on the Foxes despite reports linking him with Manchester United’s dugout.
Rodgers appears to be the United hierarchy’s top pick to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Rodgers said: “My focus is always here with Leicester and developing the football club and challenging for honours.
“The directors, staff and players all have the same vision”
OLE IN
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reached out to struggling Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has come under fire.
Arteta said: “It’s always about the results, and we all know that and the rest it doesn’t really matter.
“So when you are having difficulties getting results, then you’re going to be in that position. There’s nothing new for anybody.
“But yes, obviously you feel [for them] because you know what you have to go through.
“So you feel that obviously, it’s not a nice moment for those that are going through that”
GETTY IMAGES SMOOTH SAL-ING
Liverpool legend John Barnes doesn’t expect Mohamed Salah to get “carried away” by his current form.
Barnes told BonusCodeBets: “For Salah to break Vardy’s goalscoring record, he won’t see it as ‘Brighton and West Ham to come’, it’s just Brighton.
“He won’t be thinking about the West Ham game to break the record when there’s the Brighton game up first.
“If you back Liverpool to score in a game, then you back Salah to score as well, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to because that’s football.
“At this moment in time, he’s playing as well as he ever has but we’re not even halfway through the season yet.
“We have to take each game as it comes and over the last 10 or 11 games, he’s probably been the best player in the world.
“However, it’s a long season and if Liverpool don’t win a trophy, and his scoring form dries up, the fact he scored in 11 consecutive games will mean nothing and he knows that.
“He is the best player in the world right now, but Liverpool need him to do that for the whole of the season and I’m sure he will. He won’t get carried away, he’ll stay hungry and focused”
OH MAN
Liverpool and Newcastle look set to go head to head for Barcelona ace Ousmane Dembele.
That is according to Sport, who report that the Reds are still in the running to sign Dembele when his contract expires in the summer.
However, both Premier League giants will also have to fend off against Juventus.
It seems like the striker will leave at the end of the season as talks over an extension are not really moving
OUT OF LAC
Arsenal ace Alexandre Lacazette will snub a new contract offer and leave the club at the end of the season.
That is according to Fichajes, who claims Lacazette will depart from the Emirates this summer.
The striker has less than 12 months remaining on his deal with the north Londoners.
The France international looks determined to leave even though he has recently been a key player under Mikel Arteta
CON HEIR
Manchester United are leaning towards hiring Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers and NOT Antonio Conte.
According to ESPN, United’s hierarchy prefer Rodgers because of Conte’s “abrasive” personality.
SunSport exclusively revealed the Red Devils had drawn-up a four-man shortlist to succeed under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Those are Conte, Rodgers, Zinedine Zidane and Erik ten Hag, all of whom pose as early front-runners
GETTY IMAGES TOTTENHAM TEAM NEWS
Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo will make a late assessment on Bryan Gil ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United.
Gil limped off during the midweek Carabao Cup win at Burnley with a hamstring injury.
The winger now faces an uphill battle to be fit for tomorrow’s game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ryan Sessegnon, on the other hand, will definitely be sidelined due to a hamstring issue of his own
TOTTENHAM VS MAN UTD PREVIEW
Manchester United visit Tottenham on Saturday for a big Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Under-fire United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has received a major injury boost as Raphael Varane is included in the squad.
Varane is fit again after missing the last two fixtures due to a thigh injury he picked up during the Nations League finals with France.
But fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba is suspended following his red card in the loss against Liverpool
LEICESTER TEAM NEWS
Leicester star Jamie Vardy will be back in Brendan Rodgers’ squad for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.
Vardy sat out the Carabao Cup victory against Brighton due to a knee problem after he was taken off as a precaution at Brentford.
Ricardo Pereira and Ayoze Perez, on the other hand, are set for a late assessment.
That is because Pereira has been experiencing some tightness and Perez has been ill
LEICESTER VS ARSENAL PREVIEW
Arsenal visit Leicester on Saturday for a major Premier League game at King Power Stadium.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has been dealt with a blow as the squad is facing a sickness bug.
So far, Pablo Mari and Ben White appear to have been struck by the illness as the former was ruled out from the Carabao Cup win over Leeds and the latter was taken off.
Granit Xhaka is still sidelined with a knee injury whereas Kieran Tierney faces a late fitness test for his ankle problem
GETTY IMAGES GOING RON AND ON
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo wants to make history by playing in a record SIXTH World Cup, reports SunSport’s Daniel Cutts.
Ronaldo has already had a stellar international career with Portugal as he has won Euro 2016.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is also the all-time top international goalscorer with a whopping 115 goals in 182 appearances for his country.
SunSport understand the forward is keen to play up in the 2026 tournament, being hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The 36-year-old is totally fit and keeps in top shape while having an outstanding injury-free record
DEL ON EARTH
Tottenham are ‘open’ to allowing Dele Alli to leave in the upcoming January transfer window.
Alli has fallen out of favour under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo after a series of underwhelming performances in recent years, which also cost him a place in the England squad.
According to The Athletic, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is now more open on letting the midfielder go after snubbing a bid from Paris Saint-Germain last January.
PSG are no longer keeping tabs on the 25-year-old but Newcastle are said to be keen
BLUE DEAL
Chelsea risk losing Andreas Christensen, whose contract expires in June 2022, if they fail to act soon.
Talks over a new contract for Christensen are understood to have stalled, leaving the centre-back free to speak to rivals as early as January.
According to Goal, there has been no contact between the Blues and the Denmark international in two months.
Manager Thomas Tuchel is desperate to keep the 25-year-old, who is understood to be keen to stay in west London, and Chelsea have offered a new four-year deal with an option to extend for a fifth.
But the proposal currently on the table would keep the Dane among the lowest earners in the squad
KOUL MAN
Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly is open to joining either Manchester City, Real Madrid or Barcelona.
However, Koulibaly has turned down the prospect of moving to Juventus out of loyalty to the Partenopei.
Italian journalist Valter De Maggio quoted the defender via Arena Napoli, saying: “Koulibaly answered me like this: ‘Me at Juventus? Are you crazy?! I would never go and play for another Italian club.
“‘If I decided to leave Napoli, I would only do it for two, maximum three clubs in the world.
“‘I’m talking about [Pep] Guardiola’s Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona at the most.
“‘But believe me: I would never go to Juventus: I could not betray the Napoli fans’.
“From these words, you can understand the value of the man Koulibaly”
GETTY IMAGES NEWCASTLE LING
Newcastle are interested in signing Manchester United star Jesse Lingard ahead of the January transfer window.
Lingard has been struggling to make Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting line-up and appears to be looking for more minutes.
The winger has been linked with a number of teams, including the Magpies who have just turned into the world’s most expensive club after a £300million takeover.
West Ham are also said to be keeping tabs on the England international after his impressive loan stint last season
TCHOU AND GO
Aurelien Tchouameni is reportedly at the centre of a tug-of-war between Premier League rivals Chelsea and Liverpool.
The 21-year-old, who will cost £38million from Monaco, has seen his stock rise rapidly following his Nations League win with France earlier this month.
Tchouameni has already become a regular in the Ligue 1 side’s first-team this season, featuring in 17 games in all competitions and chipping in with two goals.
And his career ascent has impressed both the Reds and Blues who are both keen on bringing him to the Prem, according to Tuttosport.
Tchouameni plays alongside former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Monaco.
And the three-time Premier League winner is not keen to see one of his side’s top assets leave, issuing a hands-off warning when Chelsea’s interest was mentioned in the summer.
KOE BLOW
Ronald Koeman is officially Barcelona’s worst manager since 2003 – and has the stats to prove it.
The Dutchman was shown the door a few days ago by Barca after a dismal start to the season which saw the Catalan giants languishing in ninth place in LaLiga.
His exit had been looming over the past few months but things finally came to a head following Barca’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night.
Not only did Koeman leave the Nou Camp with his tail between his legs, he also left with the worst points-per-game tally at the club in 17 YEARS, according to Reddit.
The 58-year-old could only muster a paltry 1.96 points per game out of the 67 matches he was in charge of since taking over last August.
Koemans’s shocking ratio includes 40 wins, 11 draws and a staggering 16 losses, which make him even worst than his Barca predecessor Quique Setien and place him way behind current Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola in the rankings.
FEELING BLUE
Chelsea will be hoping to keep their place at the top of the Premier League table this weekend, but they’ll have to get past Newcastle at St James’ Park first.
Thomas Tuchel’s Blues breezed past strugglers Norwich 7-0 in their last league outing WITHOUT club record signing Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner.
Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta could return to Tuchel’s starting line-up to face the Magpies, meaning academy product Trevoh Chalobah could lose his place.
The rest of the team that comfortably dispatched of Norwich have a good chance of keeping their place.
Here is how the West London outfit could start.
LUUK NO FURTHER
Barcelona want to get rid of Luuk de Jong after just two months with the club, according to reports.
The Catalans have just sacked Dutchman Ronald Koeman and want to terminate De Jong’s loan deal in January despite it running until the end of the season.
De Jong, 31, was a last minute summer signing from Sevilla that baffled the majority of football fans.
But Koeman backed his man and played him nine times.
However, the former Newcastle striker has scored just once in that time and, now Koeman has left, Nou Camp chiefs want to get rid, according to Sport.
Barca are said to be looking to bolster their attack in January and plan to get rid of the Dutchman by then as they see his Nou Camp career as over.
Club legend Xavi is tipped to take over from Koeman and the former midfielder is also not a fan of De Jong.
UP FOR THE CUP
The draw for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals will take place on Saturday – and SunSport’s simulated one in preparation threw up some bumper ties.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Sunderland all booked their spot in the last eight on Tuesday.
A day later they were joined by Brentford, Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool and Leicester City.
they will all have to wait until Soccer AM airs on Sky Sports for the 10.30am Carabao Cup draw to discover who they will play in the week commencing December 20.
There will be no seeding – meaning anyone can draw anyone – and that means that the prospect of some blockbuster clashes is very real.
In anticipation of it, SunSport used a knockout stage simulator to take a look at what the potential ties could be.
And the results were brilliant. Click HERE to see.
ART DEALER
Mikel Arteta has spoken on the pressure surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nuno Espirito Santo.
He said: “It’s always about the results.
“We all know that and the rest it doesn’t really matter.
“When you are having difficulty getting results it’s the same for everybody.
“It’s not a nice moment for those who are going through that.”
SET THE BAR
Xavi is expected to be named Ronald Koeman’s permanent successor at Barcelona in the coming weeks.
But the Nou Camp legend, 41, will inherit a very different squad to the one he last played in, having reportedly agreed to return to the club.
Xavi bid an emotional farewell to Barca in 2015 before joining Qatari side Al-Sadd – whom he now manages.
The midfield superstar last took to the Nou Camp pitch wearing the blue and red of Barcelona in the Copa del Rey win over Athletic Bilbao, before bringing down the curtain on his career in the Champions League final a week later.
But how did Barcelona line up those evenings?
Take a look below,
FERGIE TIME
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lifted the lid on why Sir Alex Ferguson was at Carrington this week.
He said: “Sir Alex came to do some commercial stuff and I met him afterwards and spoke to him for a brief moment.
“I’ve been through some very bad moments here as a player – and when I’ve been a coach and a manager as well – and I’ve had to deal with setbacks.
“There have been two or three crises at least since I became the manager here.
“One thing I can say is I’ll always give it a good shot and fight back.”
SPENDING SPREE
Newcastle are keen to make Erik ten Hag their next manager and the Magpies could look a lot different if the Dutchman arrived.
Paulo Fonseca and Lucien Favre have also been tipped to take over from Steve Bruce.
But Newcastle are reportedly willing to offer ten Hag £11million a year in an attempt to lure him away from Ajax.
Manchester United have also been linked to ten Hag with pressure mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
So if Newcastle are to land him, they may need to make certain promises with regard to signings – that could see a number of ten Hag’s former players join him in the north-east.
Here’s how the Toon could look.
SAL SEARCHING
Mikel Arteta has revealed the club have been keeping tabs on Willian Saliba during his loan spell at Marseille.
Asked whether the club saw him in action against PSG last week, he said: “As a club we are always in touch.
“Edu and Ben were there to watch him and keep a close eye on the progress he’s making.
“I think there is room. It will depend on what happens with other players and that’s not a conversation to have now.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
