Thursday Paper Talk

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Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, would like to "come back" to Manchester United one day because the club remains in his heart. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United are looking to put together a £60m bid to bring Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, 21, back to Old Trafford next summer. (Daily Express)
Manchester United failed in a deadline-day bid to land Barcelona forward Adama Traore, 18. (Talksport)
Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger is interested in Germany midfielders Marco Reus, 25, and Sami Khedira, 27, who play for Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively. (Caught Offside)

Could Paul Pogba be on his way back to Manchester United next year?
Liverpool striker Fabio Borini, 23, is already being targeted by Inter Milan for a move during the January transfer window. (Daily Express)
Joel Campbell's agent has criticised Arsene Wenger after the Ars*nal manager rejected an offer for the 22-year-old forward to join Benfica on deadline day. (Daily Star)
Colorado Rapids are closing in on the signing of former England defender Zat Knight, 34, who is a free agent after leaving Bolton Wanderers. (MLS)
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley bought the rights to rename Glasgow Rangers' Ibrox Stadium for £1 two years ago. (Daily Record)
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo also says he would "love" for his four-year-old son Cristiano Jnr to become a footballer when he grows up. (Daily Telegraph)
Liverpool right-back Jon Flanagan, 21, will sign a new four-year contract to remain at Anfield. (Sun - subscription required)
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, 29, has welcomed the arrival of fellow forward Radamel Falcao, 28, at Old Trafford. (Daily Star)
Manchester City right-back Bacary Sagna, 31, says he "boosted" his career by leaving Ars*nal in the summer. (Sun - subscription required)
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has backed new captain Wayne Rooney, 28, to maintain the club's soul, despite the departure of players who came through the youth system. (Manchester Evening News)
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque says he does not have enough alternative players for a "revolution" of the team that went out in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. (Independent)
West Brom striker Saido Berahino, 21, has been backed to rediscover his form by England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate. (Daily Star) 
Liverpool centre-back Kolo Toure, 33, is happy to wait for his chance at Anfield, despite not being selected so far this season. (Liverpool Echo)
Monaco fans want refunds on their season tickets after strikers Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez left the club in the summer transfer window. (Guardian)
England could host two European Championship Finals in the space of just eight years after reaching an outline deal with Germany. (Daily Mirror)
Benoit Assou-Ekotto's future is in doubt after the defender, 30, was left out of Tottenham's Premier League squad. (Daily Mail)
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood believes his old club are a striker short of challenging for the top four this season. (Talksport)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 22, is set to sign a new contract at Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)
Kenny Jackett says a return to hometown club Watford was never on the cards and he is fully focused on remaining as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager. (Birmingham Mail)
On-loan Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo, 29, got off to a difficult start at new club Valencia - after he was booed by fans at his own official welcome, after refusing to kiss the team's badge. (Independent)
At an awards ceremony in Amsterdam, new Real Sociedad striker Alfred Finnbogason received the prize for finishing as the top goalscorer in the Dutch Eredivisie last season - and promptly fainted on stage. (Marca)

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Chelsea have set aside £60m to sign Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, next summer. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Loic Remy, 27, says he cannot understand Liverpool's decision to pull the plug on his move to Anfield this summer. (Daily Star)
Hull City's record signing, striker Abel Hernandez, 24, says he rejected Benfica in favour of a "dream" Premier League move on deadline day. (Sky Sports)

Thursday's Daily Mirror back page
Former Tottenham, Fulham and Wales midfielder Simon Davies, 34, has signed for Pembrokeshire-based amateur team Solva AFC. (Wales Online)
Nicolas Anelka's agent has denied speculation that the striker, 35, could have joined Fiorentina prior to agreeing a deal with Indian side Mumbai FC until Christmas. (Sky Sports)
Chelsea have expressed an interest in Barcelona's 11-year-old prodigy Xavier Simons. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile Barca have secured first rights to 18-year-old Santos striker Gabriel. (Daily Mail)
Birmingham City manager Lee Clark, 41, hopes to complete the loan signing of a Premier League player on Thursday. (Birmingham Mail)
Championship leaders Nottingham Forest are poised to allow defender Greg Halford, 29, to join Bolton Wanderers on loan with the deal expected to go through on Thursday. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United legend Gary Neville, 39, has questioned the club's logic in selling forward Danny Welbeck, 23, to rivals Ars*nal for just £16m. (Talksport)
European governing body Uefa has "rewritten rules" to allow Manchester City to sidestep Financial Fair Play sanctions. (Independent)
Tottenham's owner, 77-year-old businessman Joe Lewis, wants to sell the club for £1bn. (Daily Mirror)
BBC pundit Phil Neville, 37, has backed former Manchester United and England team-mate David Beckham, 39, to take on a senior role at the Football Association - or even make a move into politics. (Daily Mail)

Sturridge picked up an injury on England duty
Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge, 25, faces a race against time to be fit for the Merseyside derby later this month. (Liverpool Echo)
Tottenham could make a shock move to Milton Keynes while their new stadium is built. (Sun - subscription required)
Mike Ashley is willing to listen to offers to sell Newcastle United as he looks to bring an end to a troubled seven-year reign at St James' Park. (Daily Telegraph)
Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, 53, has two games to save his job. (Daily Express)
New signing Danny Welbeck, 23, has pleaded with Arsene Wenger to be given an extended run at centre forward in the Ars*nal team. (Times - subscription required)
The president of Sporting Lisbon has launched an outspoken attack on the investor funds which have bought "economic rights" in scores of footballers in Portugal and elsewhere. (Guardian)
Midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 26, has vowed to "fight for my place" in Manchester United's strongest XI. (Guardian)
The future of Blackpool manager Jose Riga, 57, looks doubtful after his behaviour was condemned by chairman Karl Oyston. (Times - subscription required)

Back page of the Daily Mail
Ars*nal defender Laurent Koscielny, 29, believes team-mate Olivier Giroud, 27, will come back even stronger when he returns from injury. (Sun - subscription required)
Defender Tyler Blackett, 20, is hoping to keep his place in Manchester United's first-team squad, despite the arrivals of Marcos Rojo, 24, and Daley Blind, 24. (Manchester Evening News)
Massimo Cellino's ownership of Leeds United could come under renewed scrutiny, Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey has warned. (Yorkshire Post)
Tottenham executive director Darren Eales has been confirmed as the club president of Major League Soccer's new Atlanta-based franchise. (Evening Standard)
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish took a leaf out of Yaya Toure's book on the day he turned 19 - by asking his club on Twitter  if they had remembered to get him a birthday cake.
New Villa loan signing Tom Cleverley, 25, took part in a Twitter Q&A hosted by the Premier League on Tuesday - with predictably mixed results. (Birmingham Mail)
Liverpool sold £50,000 worth of Mario Balotelli replica shirts on the day that the 24-year-old striker signed from AC Milan. (Telegraph)

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Missed this weeks :/

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Ars*nal, Chelsea and Manchester United are locked in a battle to sign Anderlecht's Mile Svilar, the 15-year-old Belgian goalkeeper tipped to be the next Thibaut Courtois. (Daily Mail)

Marco Reus has been linked with a move to the Premier League
Midfielder Marco Reus, 25, is refusing to enter into contract negotiations with Borussia Dortmund as Manchester United, Liverpool and Ars*nal prepare to make bids at the end of the season. (Daily Express)
Wolves boss Kenny Jackett has played down the possibility of making a loan move for Sunderland's 27-year-old ex-Wolves striker Steven Fletcher. (Sunderland Echo)
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has identified Valencia's former Chelsea and Manchester City target Nicolas Otamendi, 26, as the man he wants to reinforce the Red Devils' defence in January. (Daily Express)
Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 26, insists Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has never said he has to leave the club. (Sportwereled - in Dutch)
Former West Brom head coach Steve Clarke would be open to an approach from managerless Fulham, while claiming he was "quite close" to getting the Crystal Palace job in the summer. (Talksport)
Midfielder Kevin Nolan, 32, admits he faces a fight to win back his place in the West Ham team as he nears a return to full fitness. (Evening Standard)
Manchester City midfielder James Milner, 28, hints that he could leave next summer if he does not get enough playing time this season. (Daily Star)

Luis Suarez has been banned from playing football since he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup
Hibernian midfielder Liam Craig is convinced his team can still mount a Scottish Championship title challenge - but knows they cannot afford many more slip-ups. (The Herald - subscription required)
Ars*nal manager Arsene Wenger plans a holding midfield role for 28-year-old Abou Diaby, who has recently returned from injury. (The Times - subscription required)
Falkirk boss Peter Houston insists his team was denied a stonewall penalty as they were knocked out of the League Cup by Rangers. (Daily Record)
Luis Suarez scored twice for Barcelona B against Indonesia Under-19s in a behind-closed-doors friendly as the banned 27-year old edges towards his return to first-team football on 27 October. (The Independent)
Midfielder Michael Essien, 31, is enjoying having former Chelsea team-mate Fernando Torres, 30, at AC Milan. (The Sun - subscription required)
Former Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn says he would "put my house" on Russell Slade being a success at Cardiff City if the O's boss - who has been targeted by Cardiff and tendered his resignation to Orient on Wednesday - takes over at the Championship club. (Wales Online)
Some Manchester United fans have chartered a £3,000 plane carrying a banner to fly over Real Madrid's game with Villarreal on Saturday to help persuade former forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, to return 'home'. (Metro)

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Ars*nal lead the race to sign 27-year-old Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, who is unhappy at Paris St-Germain. (Daily Star)
The Gunners could also move for Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote, 28, who says he wants to leave St James' Park. (Independent)
Manchester United have been handed a significant boost in their efforts to sign Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman, 24, after the Italian club's manager Rudi Garcia admitted he could not stop the Dutchman leaving. (Daily Express)
Ars*nal are set to compete with Chelsea for the signature of West Ham defender Reece Oxford, 15. (Daily Express)
Manchester United winger Nani, 27, says he may make his loan switch to Sporting Lisbon permanent at the end of the season. (Independent)

Nani began his career at Sporting Lisbon
Stoke chairman Peter Coates is in no rush to make Chelsea winger Victor Moses's loan move permanent, despite the 23-year-old's impressive start. (Stoke Sentinel)
Barcelona are confident Argentina forward Lionel Messi will stay, despite reports linking the 27-year-old with Chelsea and PSG. (Sky Sports)
Liverpool are prepared to offer £22m plus midfielder Lucas Leiva, 27, as they bid to sign Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, 26. (Caught Offside)
Everton winger Kevin Mirallas, 26, is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of a hamstring injury. (Daily Telegraph)
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino admits he has no idea when England full-back Kyle Walker, 24, will return from an abdominal problem. (Daily Mirror)

Walker has not played since Spurs' Europa League defeat to Benfica in March
Ars*nal full-back Kieran Gibbs, 25, could return to the England set-up after a four-year absence. (Times - subscription required) 
Midfielder James Milner, 28, says Manchester City must beat CSKA Moscow later this month if they are to stand any chance of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages. (Sun - subscription required) 
Milner's team-mate and fellow midfielder Fernandinho, 29, concedes progressing from the group stage will be "difficult" for Manuel Pellegrini's side. (Manchester Evening News)
The chairman of anti-racism organisation Kick It Out has described 35-year-old QPR defender Rio Ferdinand's autobiography as a "book of trivia". (Guardian)

Thursday's Daily Mirror back page
Ferdinand says he is happy to talk to David Moyes, despite describing the former Manchester United manager as "embarrassing" in his book. (Daily Star)
Former West Ham and Watford boss Gianfranco Zola, 48, has emerged as a leading contender for the vacant manager's role at Fulham. (Sky Sports)
Former Ars*nal midfielder Ray Parlour, 41, doubts the Gunners will ever win the Champions League under Arsene Wenger. (Talksport)
Midfielder Stephen Quinn, 28, is set to stay at Hull City, but 26-year-old striker Yannick Sagbo has been challenged to prove his worth following his loan move to Wolves. (Hull Daily Mail)
Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins says reports linking the club with a foreign takeover are wide of the mark. (Wales Online)
Manchester United are set to raid Southampton again - this time for club physio Matt Radcliffe. (Daily Mail)
Roma continued their light-hearted Twitter exchange with Manchester City with a post mocking their poor record in Italy  ahead of the two sides' meeting in Rome.
Stoke City midfielder Steve Sidwell, 31, paid a visit to former club Fulham, tweeting his delight  as the Cottagers beat Bolton 4-0.
Hannover players have been told they cannot attend the Oktoberfest beer festival - even if they beat Bayern Munich on Saturday. (Sun - subscription required)
West Bromwich Albion defender Craig Dawson, 24, was persuaded not to give up professional football by comedian Bernard Manning's son. (Express and Star)

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Ars*nal are working on a £55m deal to bring Paris St-Germain striker Edinson Cavani, 27, to the Emirates. (Metro)
But the Gunners are likely to miss out on another target, with 27-year-old full-back Ignazio Abate set to commit his future to AC Milan. (Talksport)
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe, 32, could return to English football in January, according to the boss of the Toronto MLS franchise. (Daily Mirror)

Paris St-Germain striker Edinson Cavani could be the subject of a £55m bid from Ars*nal
Liverpool have no plans to loan out Fabio Borini, 23, despite interest in the striker from Inter Milan, Sunderland and QPR in the summer. (Daily Star)
Tottenham defender Younes Kaboul, 28, has denied reports linking him with a move to either Lazio or Fiorentina in Italy's Serie A. (Talksport)
Former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, 28, says he is unhappy with his bit-part role at Paris St-Germain and misses England. (London Evening Standard)
Harry Redknapp says he nearly signed former Ars*nal midfielder Patrick Vieira and current Barcelona striker Luis Suarez for Tottenham when he was in charge of Spurs. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, 28, has denied suggestions his red card against West Ham shows his temperament is going backwards. (Daily Star)
San Marino manager Pierangelo Manzaroli says Thursday's match against England will be an exercise in "damage limitation". (London Evening Standard)
Liverpool's summer signing Lazar Markovic, 20, has asked fans to give him more time after struggling to impress since joining from Benfica. (Daily Express)
Barcelona striker Suarez, 27, could make his international return in Uruguay's friendly with Saudi Arabia on Friday, having not played for his national team since since his World Cup bite on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. (Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has travelled to New York to discuss matters such as the January transfer window with the club's chairman Randy Lerner. (Birmingham Mail)
Sir Alex Ferguson backs Louis van Gaal's determination to "clear the decks" at Manchester United after speaking publicly about the Dutchman's appointment for the first time. (Daily Telegraph)
Ars*nal players have been tweeting messages of support to Mesut Ozil, with the Ars*nal midfielder out for up to 12 weeks with a knee injury. Lukas Podolski tweets:  "Get well bro! Hope you're back on the pitch soon!!!", while Santi Cazorla writes:  "Get well soon Mesut Ozil, Ars*nal needs you!"

Jose Enrique shows off his facial hair
Liverpool defender Jose Enrique woke up on Wednesday morning and decided he wanted to look like Charlie Chaplin. The Spaniard tweeted:  "Surprised my girlfriend with a new style of beard this morning, She didn't like it very much.. hahahahaha."
Ars*nal forward Alexis Sanchez says he used to perform somersaults for £2.30 and wash cars to make money for his family. (Metro)

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Ars*nal have moved ahead of Manchester United in the race for Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, 25, as they prepare a £32m bid. (Daily Express)
Arsene Wenger will have a transfer budget of about £20m in the January's transfer window even after a record summer spending spree at Ars*nal which saw Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Danny Welbeck join the Gunners. (Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea are ready to offer 27-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, who is in the last year of his contract at the Bernabeu, a pre-contract in January. (Evening Standard)
Frank Lampard insists he is still preparing to leave Manchester City when his loan deal ends in January, despite speculation the 36-year-old former England midfielder would extend his stay with the Premier League champions. (Manchester Evening News)
Midfielder Tom Cleverley, 25, could yet return to Manchester United when his season-long loan at Aston Villa ends, United's academy director Brian McClair has said. (Manchester Evening News)
QPR are thought to be considering replacing manager Harry Redknapp with another former Tottenham boss, Tim Sherwood. (Evening Standard)
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will ask Lille to terminate Divock Origi's loan so the 19-year-old striker can return to Anfield in January. (Daily Express)
Goalkeeper Steve Harper, 39, has put aside thoughts of retirement as he aims to make the most of a Premier League swansong with Hull. (Hull Daily Mail)

The Express have an interview with Sam Allardyce in which he says he still hopes to be England manager
Brentford have offered a new deal to experienced defender Tony Craig, 29. (GetWestLondon)
Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard, 23, claims public criticism from Jose ­Mourinho is making him a better player but insists they "get on really well". (Daily Mirror)
Forward Theo Walcott, 25, is in line to play his first match in more than nine months for the Ars*nal Under-21s against Blackburn Rovers on Friday. (Guardian)
Burnley boss Sean Dyche is doing a "fantastic" job at Turf Moor, according to former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. (Lancashire Evening Telegraph)
Centre-back Sylvain Distin, 36, has reached make-or-break time in his hopes of extending his Everton career beyond this season, believes former Blues defender Derek Mountfield. (Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, 34, posted a youthful-looking picture of himself ad on Instagram:  He wrote: "11 years ago today I became the captain of my boyhood team one of the proudest days of my career. It's a huge honour to captain this great club #YNWA."
France's Layvin Kurzawa will regret taunting Sweden with an army-style salute after scoring to put his team ahead on away goals in a European Under-21 Championship qualifier. Oscar Lewicki popped up to score his second goal of the night and give Sweden a 4-1 victory and they went through 4-3 on aggregate, which led to several army style salute pictures from the Swedes on Twitter and Instagram. (Daily Mail)
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who once rugby tackled ex-Germany international Maurizio Gaudino during a football match at Wembley, was caught on camera chopping down a nine-year-old boy during a kick-about photo opportunity on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)

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Lukas Podolski has hinted he may leave Ars*nal. The 29-year-old German forward is frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities. (Daily Mirror)
Stuttgart defender Antonio Rudiger, 21, has dealt a blow to Chelsea's hopes of signing him by revealing he is an Ars*nal fan. (Metro)

Jan Vertonghen joined Tottenham from Ajax in 2012
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has no intention of selling defender Jan Vertonghen, 27. (Talksport)
Spurs will rival neighbours Ars*nal in the chase for Birmingham winger Demarai Gray, 18. (The Sun, subscription only)
Newcastle United's board members say there is "no guarantee" that they will sign a striker in the January transfer window. (Newcastle Chronicle)
The mystery over Diego Costa's condition has deepened after it emerged that the Chelsea striker was forced to spend time in hospital after returning from international duty with Spain. (Daily Telegraph)
Blues manager Jose Mourinho has identified Cesc Fabregas as the player to succeed John Terry as the club's next captain. (Daily Express)
The cost of renovating the Olympic Stadium ahead of West Ham's 2016 move will rise by £35.9m but the extra funding will not be paid for by either the Hammers or the taxpayer. (Daily Mail)

The Sun back page
Manchester City will ask Uefa to reimburse their fans who lost money when they were not allowed to attend Tuesday's match with CSKA Moscow. (The Guardian)
Norwich striker Cameron Jerome had to be stopped from storming into the Leeds dressing room after accusing Giuseppe Bellusci of racially abusing him on Tuesday night. (Daily Star)
Pablo Zabaleta says his Manchester City side do not deserve to go through to the Champions League knockout stage after they were held to a draw by CSKA Moscow. (Daily Mirror)
European football will give England midfielder Ross Barkley, 20, a vital lesson in tactics, according to Everton boss Roberto Martinez. (Liverpool Echo)
Marina Granovskaia establish herself as the most powerful woman in football by taking control of Chelsea's football operations after the departure of chief executive Ron Gourlay. (Times, subscription only)
Former Liverpool favourite Michael Owen tweeted  that the Reds should stick with striker Mario Balotelli despite the Italian's poor performance against Real Madrid.

After goals from Kieran Gibbs and Lukas Podolski gave Ars*nal a last-gasp victory over Anderlecht, midfielder Aaron Ramsey tweeted:  "What a finish to the game! Good to get back to winning ways. Happy to get 90 under my belt. Buzzing for Gibbo and Poldi, great finishes!"
Bayern Munich celebrated their 7-1 Champions League victory over Roma on Tuesday by visiting the Pope. (Daily Mail)
A dad in Manchester is auctioning his baby son's future football allegiance on eBay - and the winning bidder gets to choose whether he supports City or United. (Manchester Evening News)

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Liverpool are in pole position to sign Germany midfielder Marco Reus, 25, after talks over a new contract at Borussia Dortmund collapsed. (Metro)

Injury forced Marco Reus to miss the World Cup with Germany
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is planning on signing Southampton's 25-year-old £20m-rated England attacker Jay Rodriguez. (Daily Mirror)
Ars*nal are keen to sign 30-year-old Juventus full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner. (Talksport)
Ars*nal are also looking to sign Spartak Moscow midfielder Romulo, 24, this January, with manager Arsene Wenger preparing to offer the Russian club £9.5m plus striker Yaya Sanogo on loan. (Daily Express)
Manchester City have joined Premier League rivals Ars*nal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the competition to sign Real Madrid's 27-year-old midfielder Sami Khedira. (Shoot)
Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are interested in 25-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender Omer Toprak. (Daily Star)
Some of Rio Ferdinand's Queens Park Rangers team-mates will welcome his three-match FA ban over an offensive Twitter post as they are understood to believe the Hoops' side is stronger without the former England captain. (Daily Mirror)

Sebastian Blanco joined West Brom from Metalist Kharkiv in the summer.
Daniel Sturridge has defended "misunderstood" fellow Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli. (Talksport)
England striker Sturridge, 25, fears his recent muscle injury problems could be a hereditary condition. (Daily Telegraph)
Goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel now regards Manchester City as a "bigger club" than their city rivals Manchester United based on recent form. (Manchester Evening News)
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says the club's superstitious Russian owner Maxim Demin rarely attends the club's matches because he feels he is a jinx. (Bournemouth Echo)
£86m signing Gareth Bale, 25, is set to return for Real Madrid against Liverpool in the Champions League next week after recovering from a muscle injury. (Daily Express)
Referee Mark Clattenburg is "hurt and upset" at the decision to drop him from the Premier League list this weekend. (Sun - subscription required)

The Times back page
Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside plays down talk of an imminent takeover after a Thai consortium claimed to be in discussions over a £40m deal. (Guardian)
Referee chiefs Mike Riley and Howard Webb will travel to the Netherlands next month to see if video replays could work in the Premier League. (Sun - subscription required)
Spain's national team doctor Juan Jose Garcia Cota claims Chelsea striker Diego Costa, 26, had no problems with his hamstring while on international duty. (London Evening Standard)
Old Trafford legend Bryan Robson says Manchester United have badly missed the steadying influence of Michael Carrick, 33, this season. (Daily Express)
West Brom's Argentina midfielder Sebastian Blanco, 26, admits he had doubts about moving to the Premier League but now feels he made the right decision. (Birmingham Mail)
Everton midfielder Darron Gibson, 30, could miss the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland at Celtic Park on 14 November after jarring his knee in training. (Irish Independent)
Ars*nal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has backed Sunderland's Vito Mannone, 26, to bounce back from his latest goalkeeping howler. (Northern Echo)
Atletico Madrid's Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, 28, says one of the reasons for his departure from Bayern Munich was his lack of respect for manager Pep Guardiola. (As.com - in Spanish)
Barcelona's new signing Luis Suarez, 27, says he was close to joining Juventus in the summer of 2012 but Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers convinced him to stay at Anfield. (Tuttosport - in Italian)
Manchester United are closely monitoring Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes, 26, and midfielder Julian Draxler, 21. (Bild - in German)
Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne:  Buzzing with the win tonight on to the next round.
The Saints defeated Stoke 3-2 to reach the League Cup quarter-finals.

Southampton players celebrate their League Cup win at Stoke
Ars*nal striker Lukas Podolski:   Wishing my bro and Ars*nal legend Robert Pires a happy birthday.
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon:  Gutted to come off with slight hammy issue but should be ok in no time, buzzing to lead the team out and go through to the next round.
Tottenham defeated Brighton to reach the League Cup last eight.
Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot:  What a result!! What a performance the best support ever!! But to top it all Ryan Taylor is back!
Midfielder Taylor made his first start in two years in the 2-0 League Cup win at Manchester City, having been out with injury.
A Belgian referee has been criticised after awarding Genk a goal in their league match - despite the ball clearly hitting the bar. (Metro)
Leicester striker Leonardo Ulloa watched former club Brighton take on Tottenham - from the away end at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mail)

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Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, 27, was left out of the starting line-up for the second successive game amid speculation Chelsea, Ars*nal and Manchester United have submitted offers for the Spain international. (Daily Mail)
Kevin Strootman, 24, is expected to make his long-awaited return to action for a Roma reserve team this weekend in a move that could boost Manchester United's prospects of signing the Netherlands midfielder in January. (Times - subscription required)
Despite being linked with a host of players, United manager Louis van Gaal is not planning to strengthen his squad in January unless a key target becomes available. (Guardian)
Forward Joel Campbell, 22, is ready to leave Ars*nal in January after becoming fed-up at a lack of first-team chances. (Daily Mirror)
Leicester City assistant manager Craig Shakespeare has denied talks have taken place with midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, 34, over extending his contract, which expires at the end of the season. (Leicester Mercury)

Could David Moyes be on the verge of a return to management?
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez, 27, says he does not know how former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard, 34, managed to play on after his costly slip against Chelsea last season. (Daily Mirror)
Roy Hodgson is ready to hand Theo Walcott an England recall, despite the 25-year-old Ars*nal forward having played just 10 minutes of football in more than nine months. (Daily Telegraph)

Thursday's Sun back page
Real Sociedad say they are talking to former Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes about the managerial vacancy at the Spanish club. (Guardian)
Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans reckons forward Raheem Sterling must go back to basics as the 19-year-old looks to regain his form. (Talksport)
Birmingham City director Panos Pavlakis says the club is in a "much safer" position financially than previously. (Birmingham Mail)
FCM Targu Mures midfielder Gabriel Muresan, 32, has been given a 16-match domestic ban for a violent tackle during a Romanian league match in October. (Guardian)
Damien Comolli says he was sacked as Liverpool's director of football because the owners did not approve of the £20m signing of midfielder Jordan Henderson, 24. (Setanta)
Midfielder Joe Cole has backed in-form forward Charles N'Zogbia, 28, to provide the goals Aston Villa need. ( Sun - subscription required)
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure took to Twitter  to apologise to the club's fans for his red card in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League loss at home to CSKA Moscow.
Former England striker Michael Owen tweeted his frustration  on a flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow after it was diverted to Manchester because of fog. Owen's ultimate destination was Manchester but the airline wouldn't allow him to leave the plane. Because of the delay before it flew to Heathrow, he missed his connecting flight back to Manchester.
All 20 Premier League clubs have banded together for the first time to support the Tickets for Troops  campaign which provides free matchday passes to members of the armed forces over Remembrance Weekend. (Daily Mail)

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Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar looks set to leave with Manchester United and Ars*nal on red alert after his agent revealed the Dutchman was considering an exit.
Chelsea's finances look healthy with news that they will reveal a annual profit of nearly £20m with a turnover of around £320m. The Blues are unlikely to move to a new stadium for at least seven years and may opt to expand Stamford Bridge instead - at an estimated cost of £20,000 for every added seat.
Inter Milan are closing on Ars*nal striker Joel Campbell in a possible loan move.
A group of Californian-based businessmen want to sit down with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy for discussions over a potential bid with the White Hart Lane club valued at £1billion.

Transfer Specials. Click here to bet.

Spurs are set to bid £35m bid for Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin and Saints striker Jay Rodriguez.

Liverpool are preparing a £30m move for 28-year-old Porto striker Jackson Martinez.
Chelsea are ready to go head-to-head with Manchester United for the services of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale next summer.
Chelsea and Manchester United will have to pay £19m for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane who has fallen out of favour at the Bernabeu.

Manchester United are keen on Atletico Madrid's Miranda and are set to table a £20m bid for the defender in January.
Ars*nal have started discussions with Roma concerning a January bid for striker Mattia Destro.
Manchester United midfielder Anderson has expressed his desire to rejoin former club Gremio on a free transfer in January.

Doubts have emerged over the health of Brazil legend Pele who is in hospital to undergo a 'medical evaluation' after cancelling an appearance at an event in his museum.
Chelsea players weren't happy under former boss Andre Villas-Boas and did not want to train under him, according to defender Ashley Cole who is now at Roma.

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Ars*nal have agreed a deal in principle to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, 32, who is currently playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Star)

The Daily Star focus on Wigan's clause to be able to sack Malky Mackay if he is charged by the FA
Lionel Messi's father Jorge says the prospect of his son leaving Barcelona is "not even on the table", after an interview the 27-year-old gave earlier this week prompted speculation about a move away. (Daily Mail)
Bayern Munich winger and Liverpool target Xherdan Shaqiri, 23, could be forced to stay with the German champions until the end of the season as he is cup tied in the Champions League. (Inside Futbol)
Jose Mourinho has ordered his scouts to keep tabs on Ipswich defender Tyrone Mings, 21, as a potential long-term replacement for John Terry at Chelsea. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United are preparing a move for AC Milan defender Adil Rami, 28. (Daily Star)
Manchester City are willing to activate 26-year-old Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado's £28m release clause to beat rivals Manchester United to his signing. (Daily Express)
Manchester United are planning to sell Angel Di Maria, 26, to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer to create funds for a sensational move for either Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, 25, or Cristiano Ronaldo, 29. (Daily Express)
Southampton will offer England international Nathaniel Clyne a new deal to fend off interest in the 23-year-old right-back from Liverpool. (Daily Telegraph)

Lionel Messi has only ever played for Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos, 26, is to return to action just two weeks after suffering a broken leg with the German side to face Ars*nal in the Champions League next Wednesday. (Daily Mirror)
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton has described Daniel Sturridge's latest injury setback as a "major blow" for the club - and has warned the Reds will struggle to improve their fortunes in the coming weeks. (Talksport)
QPR manager Harry Redknapp says Chelsea are certainties to win the Premier League title. (Talksport)
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure tweeted  a picture of himself after winning his 100th cap for the Ivory Coast in the 0-0 draw with Cameroon.
Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton was in prosaic mood on Wednesday and his effort was re-tweeted or favourited over 650 times: "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light," tweeted Barton.
Ivory Coast qualified for the African Cup of Nations with a 0-0 draw against Cameron but the match ended in chaos as police had to oversee a pitch invasion in which players such as AS Roma forward Gervinho were caught up. (Daily Mail)

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Ars*nal want to sign Polish defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak from Spanish side Sevilla, although the 24-year-old could cost as much as £20m. (Daily Mirror)
Chelsea and Manchester United are ready to bid for Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder, 30, after the Netherlands international's agent suggested he was unhappy at not playing in recent matches for the Turkish side. (Daily Express)

The Sun back page
Bayern Munich and Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, 23, a former transfer target for Liverpool, will be allowed to leave the German champions in January. (Daily Mail)
Everton striker Arouna Kone, 31, could be sent out on loan in the January transfer window as he aims to regain full fitness after a year out of action with a knee injury. (Talksport)
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is considering a shock swoop for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, 21. (Daily Star)
Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in buying Netherlands Under-21 international Daley Sinkgraven. The 19-year-old, who can play as an attacking midfielder or winger, is currently with Dutch side Heerenveen. (Daily Star)
Celtic hope to sign Manchester City striker John Guidetti on a permanent deal in January. The 22-year-old is currently on a season-long loan at Celtic Park. (Talksport)
Ipswich Town are poised to sign Leeds United striker Noel Hunt, 31, on loan until January. (Yorkshire Evening Post)
Birmingham City have failed in their attempt to take Wolves midfielder Michael Jacobs, 23, on loan. (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has dismissed reports that he will replace Arsene Wenger as Ars*nal manager. (Daily Express)

Daily Star back page
Fifa denies reports that major sponsors Sony and Emirates dropped their contracts because of allegations of corruption. (Guardian)
Sam Allardyce gave West Ham United defender James Tomkins, 25, a rocket over his play-acting at Everton. (Sun - subscription required) 
Forward Didier Drogba, 36, claims the current Chelsea side are the most dangerous attacking team he has been a part of. (The Times, subscription required)
Striker Darren Bent, 30, says his decision to join Championship strugglers Brighton on loan from Aston Villa is not motivated by money. (Sunderland Echo)
Everton manager Roberto Martinez says midfielder Ross Barkley, 20, is not a diver and claims the incident in which he went to ground against West Ham "has been blown out of proportion". (Guardian)
Bayern Munich's French midfielder Franck Ribery, 31, says the Ballon d'Or award for the world footballer of the year is "no longer for the best player. It's all about politics". (Marca)
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, 27, praises manager Jose Mourinho for helping him improve as a footballer. (The Sun, subscription required).
Sporting Lisbon midfielder Nani, 28, says he has got his confidence back since joining on a season-long loan from Manchester United. (Manchester Evening News)
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero posts a picture on Twitter  of the signed matchball after his Champions League hat-trick against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure congratulates Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton by posting a picture on Twitter  of him wearing a Lewis Hamilton T-shirt, along with the message: "Another well deserved title for our champion. Congratulations!"
Chelsea full-back Filipe Luis, who is among the nominations to be in the Fifa FifPro Team of the Year, writes on Twitter:  "I'm very honoured to be named in the top 20 of world defenders."
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, 26, could have signed for Bayern Munich back in 2006 but the German club decided the player was too lazy. (Daily Mail)
Real Madrid have removed the cross from their club crest as part of a lucrative three-year deal with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. The Spanish club feared the old design would offend Muslims. (Daily Telegraph)
Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 33, picked himself up front after being asked to name his dream team. (Metro)

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Sevilla are monitoring Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata, 26, with a view to a January move. (Daily Mirror)

The Daily Mirror's back page
Liverpool's players have joined forces to plead with captain Steven Gerrard, 34, not to leave at the end of this season. (Guardian)
AC Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini, 30, is being offered to Premier League clubs - with Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland and Aston Villa all interested. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham are set to beat Liverpool to the signing of Porto's Colombian striker Jackson Martinez, 28, by offering Spanish forward Roberto Soldado, 29, in part-exchange. (Metro)
Liverpool are considering a move for Stromgodset's 15-year-old Norway international midfielder Martin Odegaard, who was shown round the club's training ground on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
AC Milan's French forward M'Baye Niang, 19, has revealed how a dream move to Ars*nal fell apart in 2012. (Sun - subscription required)
QPR winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, 33, could join his brother Bradley in Major League Soccer when his contract ends. (Talksport)
Real Madrid have rewarded their players for winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey last season - by giving them each a watch worth around £24,000. (Marca)

The Daily Express back page
Leicester City are investigating an altercation between manager Nigel Pearson and a section of fans after Tuesday's 3-1 defeat at home to Liverpool. (Leicester Mercury)
West Brom centre-back Joleon Lescott, 32, has vowed to help under-pressure head coach Alan Irvine keep his job. (Daily Express)
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, 29, expects to be fit for Monday's Premier League trip to Southampton after a scan on a knee injury gave him the all-clear. (Daily Telegraph)
Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse, 29, says he is still not fully over the dislocated kneecap he suffered last season, despite scoring in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Burnley . (Daily Mirror)
Liverpool say they will hold a meeting next week with fans disgruntled by the rising cost of tickets at Anfield. (Liverpool Echo)
Former Stoke winger Matthew Etherington has announced his retirement at the age of 33 because of a back injury. (Stoke Sentinel)
Former Manchester City midfielder Paul Lake had nothing but praise  for striker Sergio Aguero after Wednesday's 4-1 win at Sunderland: "Sergio Aguero is in that wonderful place where he *knows* he's going to score. From his perspective, the football's the size of a beach ball."

Morgan Schneiderlin's view at the Emirates Stadium
Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin's hip injury kept him out of Wednesday's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Ars*nal, and he tweeted:  "Want to play! Come on lads."
Piers Morgan wasn't impressed by Ars*nal's win. The journalist, TV personality and Gunners fan posted:  "Lucky win against a good Southampton team. Performance thoroughly mediocre though."
Tottenham's 3-0 defeat at Chelsea had Match of the Day host Gary Lineker going through the memory banks. He asked:  "Has anyone mentioned the fact that Spurs haven't won a league game at Chelsea since some big-eared goalhanger scored the winner in 1990?"

Action from the days when Tottenham could win at Stamford Bridge (ask your parents)
Guardian journalist Daniel Taylor was thinking  of a different historical event: "Amazing stat: the last time Tottenham won at Stamford Bridge was the day they announced Mandela was going to be released."
Derby midfielder Jeff Hendrick tweeted:  "Time to start getting in the Christmas spirit and start watching some movies. Starting off with Elf."
A cryptic posting  from Middlesbrough winger Mustapha Carayol: "One thing I've come to learn in this game is look after no1!!"
Iago Aspas beat Robbie Fowler's record for the fastest hat-trick by a Liverpool player - although he did it while on loan at Sevilla. (Liverpool Echo)
Tottenham's secret weapon could be their assistant manager Jesus Perez, who has a frightening 1,000-yard stare to match Roy Keane. (Daily Mirror)
Former Ars*nal striker Thierry Henry has risked the wrath of the club's fans by wearing a Spurs hat - but he was only showing support for his favourite basketball team, the San Antonio Spurs. (Metro)

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Roma's Champions League exit could also clear the way for United to snap up long-term target Kevin Strootman, the 24-year-old Netherlands midfielder. (Independent)
Sunderland and Leicester are interested in signing Hull City defender Curtis Davies, 29. (Daily Mail)
Chelsea winger Thorgan Hazard, 21 is open to a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge after impressing during his loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach. (Evening Standard)
Manchester United are set to compete with Real Madrid for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer, 23. (Talksport)
Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam, 29, is open to the possibility of a move abroad and could join up with David Moyes at Real Sociedad. (Stoke Sentinel)
Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has made a cheeky offer to take Colombia striker Radamel Falcao, 28, on loan. (Sunderland Echo) 
Chelsea are monitoring the progress of AFC Wimbledon's prolific 17-year-old striker Daniel Agyei. (Daily Mirror)
Forward Raheem Sterling, 20, is set to turn down a new Liverpool deal worth £70,000 a week. (Daily Telegraph)

The back page of Thursday's Sun
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says the club do not know when Emmanuel Adebayor will return after the 30-year-old striker was granted leave to fly to Togo on a personal matter. (London Evening Standard)
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers says the entire club is to blame for the Reds' Champions League exit. (The Times - subscription required)
Tottenham full-back Kyle Walker, 24, has set his sights on winning back his England place after finally overcoming an abdominal injury. (The Sun - subscription required)
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, 25, is set to be sidelined for two weeks with a groin injury. (Guardian)
Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons, 19, returned to training on Tuesday after a month out with a hamstring injury. (Daily Star)
Newcastle's Argentine winger Jonas Gutierrez, 31, was moved to tears by the fans' support during his battle with testicular cancer. (Daily Mirror)
Goalkeeper Joe Hart, 27, says Manchester City showed great character to defeat Roma and qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League. (Manchester Evening News)
Southampton midfielder Jake Hesketh, 18, wants more Premier League action after making his debut in Sunday's defeat by Manchester United. (Southern Daily Echo)
Besiktas manager Slaven Bilic, 46, is eyeing a move to a Premier League club. (Daily Express)
Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward, 25, is close to agreeing new contract terms with the Premier League club. (Croydon Advertiser)
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 23, says the Ars*nal squad back manager Arsene Wenger even if the club's supporters do not. (Daily Telegraph)
Injured Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, 26, said on Twitter  that watching City's crucial Champions League match against Roma from the sidelines was "nerve-wrecking".
Hull City striker Sone Aluko, 25, tweeted  that Chelsea midfielder and Nigeria team-mate John Obi Mikel, 27, is "massively underrated" following his goal against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, 27, sparked much mirth on social media after turning up to Barcelona's Champions League match wearing a bizarre hooded sweater. (Daily Mail)
Millwall have condemned a sixth-form college's plan to bring sociology students to a match to teach them about working-class habits, masculinity, homophobia and racism. (The Times - subscription required)