Paper Talk: Arsenal eye £20m full-back; Martial interest mounts

Ricardo Pereira: Tipped as an Arsenal target

Could Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger spend £20million on a full-back? One tabloid believes so, while the future of Manchester United star Anthony Martial is again the subject of speculation, all in today’s papers.

 

ARSENAL LINKED WITH £20M DEFENDER

Arsenal are considering making a £20million bid for Porto full-back Ricardo Pereira, according to an exclusive on Thursday.

The Daily Star report that Arsene Wenger is keen on the 23-year-old as he looks for cover for Hector Bellerin.

Pereira is on loan at Ligue 1 club Nice and has appeared 20 times, earning rave reviews, scoring once and collecting three assists.

Nice, who are top of the table, were so impressed with the player on loan last term that they signed him up again until the summer and they are believed to have an option to buy in June when his contract with Porto expires.

Wenger is apparently keen on strengthening his full-back positions and Pereira can play at left-back and right-back and with Mathieu Debuchy and Carl Jenkinson both likely to leave this month Pereira might just fit the bill.

Whether or not Wenger would be prepared to spend £20million on a full-back, who is out of contract in the summer is highly debatable though.

 

 

BARCA RIVAL HAMMERS FOR UNITED MAN

According to reports from French outlet Sport, Barcelona and West Ham are both interested in signing Anthony Martial.

Martial was rumoured to be at the centre of a tug of war between Real Madrid and Barcelona last month and last week the player’s agent claimed that his client was looking at a potential move to Spain with Sevilla.

“We are studying the Sevilla option in detail,” Lamboley told ABCdeSevilla.

Now though Barca are believed to be back in the running along with West Ham, who were linked with a move for the 22-year-old forward before Christmas.

On December 20 The Telegraph reported that Slaven Bilic had made “an ambitious enquiry to take either Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial on loan from Manchester United”.

There is little substance to the latest report though, but the France forward has previously revealed his frustration at his his lack of action under Jose Mourinho.

Last month he told broadcaster SFR Sport: “It’s annoying to be on the bench, it’s truly annoying, but it’s a test you have to overcome and that’s how you progress.”

Martial has made only eight Premier League starts this season.

AND THE REST

Arsenal players fear forward Alexis Sanchez, 28, is ready to quit the club after his public meltdown at Bournemouth. (Daily Mail)

Sanchez’s latest tantrum that continued in the Arsenal dressing room after the 3-3 draw with Bournemouth has left a number of his team-mates fearing the forward will leave. (Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea are ready to cut short Patrick Bamford’s dismal loan spell at Burnley after an underwhelming four months in which he has made only six appearances as a substitute. (Daily Telegraph)

Former England U21 and Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison has been invited to train with Wigan after being released by Lazio. (Daily Telegraph)

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, 34, would “probably rather be back in London”, says his former team-mate Jermaine Jenas after a £6m bid from West Ham is turned down. (BBC Radio 5 live)

West Ham are willing to bid up to £15m for Defoe but Sunderland will continue to reject any offers. (Sunderland Echo)

Chelsea are considering a bid for Monaco’s defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, 20, but are reluctant to pay the French club’s £30m asking price. (Daily Mail)

Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Lassana Diarra, 31, might be a used as a bargaining chip for Marseille to acquire West Ham’s French midfielder Dimitri Payet. (L’Equipe)

Leonardo Ulloa: Striker could leave Leicester

Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa will not be allowed to leave the club in January. West Brom and Hull are keen on the 30-year-old. (The Sun)

Celtic have been told they are getting the next Victor Wanyama after Kouassi Eboue arrived in Glasgow for contract talks and a medical. (Express)

Akhlsar striker, Hugo Rodallega, 31, who is out of contract in the summer, has emerged as a target for QPR. (Daily Mail)

AC Milan have asked to take Everton’s Gerard Deulofeu on loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer. (Daily Mail)

Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Patrice Evra wants to make a shock return to Manchester United after two-and-a-half years at Juventus. (Various)

Former AC Milan, Real Madrid and England manager Fabio Capello says Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will probably return to Barcelona as club president. (Marca)

Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez, 25, has put an end to speculation of a January transfer by insisting he is staying at the Spanish club. The Colombian has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. (Daily Express)

RB Leipzig have submitted a £6m offer for the 19-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder Matty Cash. (Guardian)

Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov has not been offered a new deal by boss Pep Guardiola and is set to leave. (The Sun)

Galatasaray are plotting a surprise £8.5m move for out-of-favour Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala. (The Sun)

Brighton boss Chris Hughton is poised to land a huge coup by beating a host of Premier League clubs to the signing of Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek. (Daily Mirror, London Evening Standard)

Manchester United winger Memphis Depay will only be allowed to join Everton this month on a permanent deal. (The Sun)

Stoke are ready to offer 35-year-old striker Peter Crouch a new contract. (Daily Telegraph)

Southampton are looking to bid £17m for 25-year-old Napoli frontman Manolo Gabbiadini. (Daily Mirror)

Juventus striker Simone Zaza, 25, never wanted to join West Ham on loan, says his agent. (Daily Star)

Brentford have rejected a £10m offer from West Ham for 24-year-old striker Scott Hogan. (Daily Mirror)

And Celtic will turn down any bid for striker Moussa Dembele, 20, from the Hammers. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa have offered a trial to Luxembourg international Enes Mahmutovic, 19, according to the player’s club Fola Esch. (Birmingham Mail)

Hearts striker Juanma Delgado, 27, is due in Japan for a medical this weekend ahead of a proposed transfer to V-Varen Nagasaki. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Sevilla are close to completing the signing of current Inter Milan and former Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic, 27. (AS)