Paper Talk: Liverpool want Barca CB; Man Utd eye Monaco star

Jeremy Mathieu: Linked with Liverpool switch

Liverpool hope to plug their central defensive issues by moving for an out-of-favour Barcelona star, while Manchester United hope to solve their long-term right-back issues by moving for a Monaco favourite, according to Sunday’s newspapers.

 

LIVERPOOL PLOT MOVE FOR BARCELONA DEFENDER MATHIEU

Liverpool have kicked off their search for a new centre-back by making contact with versatile Barcelona veteran Jeremy Mathieu, according to reports in France.

The Reds are in the market for a new centre-back following Martin Skrtel’s departure to Fenerbahce and Joe Gomez’s latest injury setback.

And with Mamadou Sakho struggling with an Achilles injury, the Reds have only been left with new signing Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren as their only central defensive options.

French newspaper Le Parisien claims Jurgen Klopp is targeting 32-year-old Mathieu as a short-term option and may look to sign him on a one-year deal with the option of a second year if he impresses

Journalist Florian Fieschi believes Liverpool are in talks with the France international, who also has an offer on the table from Besiktas.

However, Mathieu apparently favours a Premier League switch and could provide Liverpool with cover at centre-back and left-back in the upcoming campaign.

There’s been no mention of a fee for Mathieu, but the former Valencia star is a long way down Barca’s pecking order following the signing of Samuel Umtiti and it’s thought they could let him go for a small fee.

 

MANCHESTER UNITED WANT £22M FABINHO

Fabinho: Linked with Man Utd transfer

New Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho wants to sign Monaco and Brazil right-back Fabinho, 22, in a deal which could be worth £22million.

And the Sun on Sunday claim the move is made all the more possible by the fact that Mourinho and Fabinho share the same agent in Jorge Mendes.

Fabinho, 22, has been a star in France but is ready to move to the Premier League where the Old Trafford side are looking for a long-term solution to their right-back struggles.

The Red Devils will even be happy to pay a hefty fee and wages because bigger prices help in any work permit application, the paper adds.

Fabinho, who had a loan spell at Real Madrid,  has won four caps for Brazil but is still second choice to 33-year-old Dani Alves.

 

AND THE REST

Marcelo Brozovic: Linked with move to Tottenham

Juventus are ready to raid Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic if Paul Pogba completes his world-record move to Manchester United (Daily Star Sunday)

Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic, according to reports in Italy (Sunday Express)

Five Manchester United players are set for crunch talks with Jose Mourinho – one of them is Juan Mata (Daily Star Sunday)

Juan Mata is being chased by Espanyol (Sunday People)

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho, 26, has refused to travel with the team to their Austria training camp as the Senegal player looks to push through a move away (Mail on Sunday)

Pep Guardiola will pick up a £3m bonus if Manchester City win the Champions League (Daily Star Sunday)

Liverpool transfer target Piotr Zielinski has decided what his next club will be, according to his agent (Daily Star Sunday)

Swansea have entered the race to sign West Ham forward Enner Valencia (Daily Star Sunday)

Liverpool are looking to keep full-back Jon Flanagan, 23, despite the player being linked with a loan move to Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic (Liverpool Echo)

Real Madrid ace James Rodriguez is targeting a £67m Premier League switch with Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham all keen (The Sun on Sunday)

Hull are favourites to sign Wales striker Hal Robson-Kanu, 27, on a free transfer after offering the former Reading player a four-year deal (Daily Star Sunday)

Inter Milan are set to snatch Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel from under the noses of Everton and Leicester (The Sun on Sunday)

Championship sides Norwich and Newcastle are competing to sign Blackburn and Scotland centre-back Grant Hanley, 24, with the Ewood Park club wanting £6m for the Scotland international (Newcastle Chronicle)

West Brom owner Jeremy Peace is close to selling the club to Chinese investors in a £150m deal which could be completed in the next two weeks (Sunday People)

Arsenal and Chelsea have been told they must pay almost £38m for Roma defender Kostas Manolas (various)

Chelsea are plotting a second raid on Leicester for Riyad Mahrez following their £32m scoop for N’Golo Kante (Sunday Express)

Leicester City could also lose head of recruitment and assistant manager Steve Walsh as Everton want to bring him in as sporting director (Sunday Telegraph)

Bayern Munich are keen on Arsenal central defender Laurent Koscielny who only has one year left on his contract (Sunday Express)

Ronald Koeman has met with Manchester City representatives to discuss a John Stones deal – plus the Everton boss wants striker Wilfried Bony (Sunday Mirror)

Bayern Munich have confirmed talks with Borussia Dortmund as Mario Gotze closes in on a return to his former club (Sunday Mirror)

Antonio Conte has told Eden Hazard he can turn him into Chelsea’s Lionel Messi (Sunday Mirror)

Manchester United defender Phil Jones has come in for some stick even before the season has properly kicked off, after sporting a new white hair-do in the friendly at Wigan on Saturday (Sunday Telegraph)

Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has been given the green light for a new long-term Old Trafford deal (Sunday Mirror)

Boca Juniors striker Carlos Tevez has turned down a £150,000-a-week contract offer from West Ham (Sunday Mirror)

Crystal Palace are still keen on Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko but are baulking at Toon’s supposed £35m asking price (Sunday Mirror)

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is wanted on loan by Spanish side Villarreal (Mail on Sunday)

Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic is wanted by Schalke as they brace themselves for the sale of Leroy Sane to Manchester City (Mail on Sunday)

A big charity match in Turkey organised by legendary former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o was forced to be cancelled in the wake of the attempted coup in the country (Mail on Sunday)

Louis van Gaal could be in the running to replace Marc Wilmots as manager of Belgium (Sunday Times)

Brazil legend Pele has released a song celebrating the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Sunday Times)

Lyon were forced to abandon a scheduled pre-season friendly against Fenerbahce in Istanbul because of Friday’s attempted coup in Turkey (Sunday Times)

The Football League is investigating the Nottingham Forest takeover bid by Evangelos Marinakis because of his conduct – he denies any wrongdoing (The Observer)