Paper Talk: £90m Lemar is Liverpool top target; £30m Fred wanted by duo

Liverpool have ear-marked a top target to replace Philippe Coutinho and Manchester United and Arsenal are chasing a Shakhtar Donetsk striker, all in the papers.

 

KLOPP SETS SIGHTS ON LEMAR

Thomas Lemar has risen to the top of Liverpool wanted list, according to The Liverpool Echo.

Jurgen Klopp was keen on signing Monaco’s French international Lemar on deadline day last summer but couldn’t agree a deal with the Ligue 1 side.

Arsenal also came close to landing the 22-year-old after making a rival bid which was accepted, with Lemar rejected a move to north London.

Now Liverpool are in hot pursuit of the £90million-rated exciting forward, despite Monaco head coach Leonardo Jardim saying this week they would not sell any key players in January.

The Ligue 1 outfit have allowed defender Terence Kongolo to join Huddersfield, and midfielder Soualiho Meite has left for Bordeaux, with both players leaving on loan.

But any big-money deals will have to wait, Jardim stressed on Friday, as he underlined his intention to keep the bulk of his squad together.

“We are not in the habit of doing major sales of players (in the winter transfer window),” Jardim said.

Liverpool are aware that a huge bid this month may not be enough to land Lemar and have previously shown interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt, Paris Saint-Germain winger Julian Draxler and Schalke’s Leon Goretzka.

 

AND THE REST

Manchester United and Arsenal have joined the £30m battle for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazil star Fred. (Daily Star)

Leroy Sane is set to sign a new £100,000-a-week contract at Manchester City. (Daily Star)

Pep Guardiola will offer Phil Foden more first-team chances at Manchester City once he is back from injury, rather than loan him out to Celtic. (Daily Star)

Liverpool are set to sign Riyad Mahrez with the 26-year-old Leicester City and Algeria forward expected to have a medical on Sunday. (Bein Sports)

Manchester City are set to put in a £25m bid for Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, 29, but that move could put an end to their interest in Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez, 25. (Sunday Mirror)

Sunderland have lined up a package to take Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn on loan for the rest of the season but the deal has been delayed because of Coutinho (Mail on Sunday).

Man City are keen on a move for Leicester’s England defender Harry Maguire, 24, and could offer £50m to the Foxes for the former Hull City centre-back. (Sun on Sunday)

Manchester United are set to step up their attempt to bring Gareth Bale, 28, from Real Madrid to Old Trafford before the end of the transfer window. (Sunday Express)

Arsenal are close to agreeing a £25m deal for West Brom and Northern Ireland centre-back Jonny Evans, 30. (Sun on Sunday)

Manager Mauricio Pellegrino says Southampton hope to re-sign Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott, 28. (ESPN)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could cut short his latest contract and move into the boardroom in the summer – and the 68-year-old Frenchman wants Gunners coach Mikel Arteta as his replacement. (Sunday Mirror)

West Ham are ready to offer £25m for Swansea centre-half Alfie Mawson. (Sun)

Sam Allardyce needs another new striker – and has Diafra Sakho and Moussa Dembele on his wish-list. (Sun)

Watford will offer Abdoulaye Doucoure and Richarlison new big-money contracts to keep them at the club. (Sun)

Nottingham Forest are ready to pay Barnsley £250,000 to make Paul Heckingbottom their new manager. (Sun)

barnsley boss paul heckingbottom 3

Crystal Palace are weighing up a shock move for Watford’s Italian striker Stefano Okaka. (Sun)

Jose Mourinho will make a stunning move to grab Mesut Ozil from Arsenal this month. (Sunday Mirror)

Manchester United will have competition from the Chinese Super League if Real Madrid sell Gareth Bale. (Sunday Mirror)

Crystal Palace will renew their efforts to sign Everton striker Oumar Niasse this month. (Sunday Mirror)

Rangers hope to win the race for Fleetwood’s flying striker Devante Cole. (Sun)

Aston Villa target Nick Powell will sign a new deal at Wigan and stay on – if their long-running takeover goes through. (Sun)

nick powell wigan

Jack Colback is wanted on loan by Wolves, but Newcastle are yet to decide whether to let the first-team outcast leave in a temporary move. (Sunday Mirror)

Eden Hazard is set to snub a move to Real Madrid and sign a deal that will make him the highest paid player in the Premier League. (Sunday Express)

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is ready to revive his interest in Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes after missing out on Ross Barkley. (Sunday Express)

Newcastle hope to beat Sporting Lisbon and Real Betis to the loan signing of teenage Real Madrid striker Achraf Hakimi. (Sunday Express)

Chris Coleman hopes to seal loan deals for Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn and Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu. (Sunday Express)

Sheffield United are closing on a deal for Wolves’ Wales international midfielder Lee Evans. (Mail on Sunday)

Lee Evans: Has signed new Wolves deal

Newcastle are exploring a loan deal for PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. (Mail on Sunday)

New Torino boss Walter Mazzarri wants to bring Watford midfielder Etienne Capoue to Serie A. (Sunday Express)

Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis is mulling over a move for Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton. (Sunday Mirror)

Alan Hutton: Tracked by Jose Manuel Jurado

Burnley and Crystal Palace are battling for the signature of Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic. (Sunday Mirror)

Brighton are considering a £20m move for Spartak Moscow striker Ze Luis. (Sunday Mirror)

Everton hope Juventus will allow midfielder Stefano Sturaro leave on loan this month. (Sunday Mirror)

Derby manager Gary Rowett, 43, and Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill, 65, head Stoke’s list to replace Mark Hughes. (Stoke Sentinel)

Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes has ruled out selling 30-year-old midfielder Arturo Vidal to Chelsea in the January transfer window. (Mail on Sunday)

Jese Rodriguez, 24, is close to signing for his hometown club of Las Palmas. The Spanish forward is currently on loan at Stoke from Paris St-Germain. (AS)

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta says the Italian champions have no intention of parting company with 24-year-old Argentine forward Paulo Dybala. (Football Italia)

Manchester United will not face any competition from Chelsea for 26-year-old Alex Sandro should they make a move for the Juventus defender. (Calciomercato.com)

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe expects 29-year-old striker Lewis Grabban to depart during the transfer window. (Bournemouth Echo)

Bolton want £4m for 18-year-old keeper Jake Turner despite him not starting a first-team game. (Sun on Sunday)

Plymouth Argyle midfielder Toumani Diagouraga, 30, is set to sign for League One rivals Fleetwood Town. (Plymouth Herald)

Leeds United head coach Thomas Christiansen says the Whites have enough firepower in attack and he is “satisfied” with what he has during this transfer window. (Yorkshire Evening Post)

Fleetwood Town goalkeeper Chris Neal earned himself a year’s supply of pizza after keeping a clean sheet against Leicester in the FA Cup. (BBC Sport)

Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, 31, says he has held talks with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson about the prospect of playing for the Old Trafford club. (Sunday Express)

Former Germany, Arsenal and Bayern Munich star Lukas Podolski has unveiled his new project – a kebab restaurant in his home city of Cologne. (Mail on Sunday)