Paper Talk: City hold Messi talks; Chelsea eye Vardy & Dembele

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Manchester City are in talks over a move for Lionel Messi, Manchester United could reignite interest in Mats Hummels, while Chelsea will move for Jamie Vardy and Mousa Dembele.

MESSI IN TALKS OVER MEGA-BUCKS CITY SWITCH

Lionel Messi is in talks over a £800k-a-week move to Manchester City while the club also aims to reunite the Barcelona star with former boss Pep Guardiola.

According to The Sun, Messi’s representatives have already held initial discussions about moving to the Premier League, in a deal which could land the Argentine ace an amazing £40million annual salary.

City are said to have been encouraged that Messi, 28, is willing to leave Barcelona next summer.

At that point, he will have just two years left on his £500,000-a-week deal at Camp Nou, with the player reportedly upset that Los Cules have prioritised the renewal of Neymar’s contract over his own.

The pair are good friends on and off the pitch, but Messi’s desire to be the main man is something City are said to believe can help them bring the player to England.

And with a new TV deal set to kick in next season – worth £150million per season to the Premier League winners – City chiefs can fund the mega-money deal.

Should they agree a deal for Messi, the paper also claims that they’ll then try and reunite him with Guardiola, with his new contract offer at Bayern Munich remaining unsigned.

HUMMELS TO UNITED BACK ON?

Manchester United’s move for Mats Hummels could be back on, with the news that the Borussia Dortmund defender is set to hand in a transfer request.

The 26-year-old was linked with a move to Old Trafford over the summer but he committed his future to the Bundesliga giants.

But reports in German publication Bild suggest that Hummels is set to hand in a transfer request at the end of the season – and the Daily Telegraph claims that has given United the incentive they need to step up their interest once again.

It is thought that Louis van Gaal is once again looking for a regular partner for Chris Smalling and Hummels ticks all the boxes.

CHELSEA WANT VARDY AND DEMEBELE (PLUS KANE NEXT SUMMER)

Chelsea are eyeing a £40million transfer raid for Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele in the winter transfer window.

Jose Mourinho’s champions have had a shambolic start to their title defence.

And the Daily Mirror reports they have lined up the Spurs midfielder and Leicester’s red-hot striker as targets for the looming winter transfer window.

The Stamford Bridge boss believes £20m-rated Dembele would give his ailing champions a desperately-needed mid-season boost and believes the club should make an offer.

Dembele has been in outstanding form for Mauricio Pochettino’s team in recent weeks but Spurs had been willing to sell the player last summer and his long-term future remains uncertain.

And Mourinho will get another close look at him on Sunday when the two teams meet at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are opening talks over a new deal to replace Dembele’s current contract which expires in 18 months.

But he is likely to keep his powder dry with Chelsea and Stoke City both holding a keen interest in him.

Vardy, the division’s top marksman this season, will try to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record of scoring in 10 games in a row when Leicester take on Manchester United on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the Independent claims Chelsea are eyeing Antoine Griezmann and Gonzalo Higuain, while the Daily Mail claims they will launch a bid for Harry Kane next summer.

AND THE REST

– Chelsea could make a January move for former Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic (Daily Express)

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is targeting Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender ahead of Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho (The Independent)

– Bournemouth are plotting the £6m transfer of Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle in January (Daily Mirror)

– Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool should have signed Spurs midfielder Dele Alli as his replacement (Daily Express)

– Sam Allardyce expects Sunderland to be involved in “minimal” transfer activity during January but has refused to rule out selling Jermain Defoe (The Guardian)

– Steve McClaren has warned Newcastle’s board he cannot guarantee Premier League survival unless there is a major shift in the club’s transfer policy (Daily Express)

– Sir Alex Ferguson could play an important part in convincing Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Manchester United, according to reports in Spain (Daily Telegraph)