Paper Talk: Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea & Spurs links

Mark Holmes
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Borussia Dortmund striker linked with move

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the clubs linked with new players in the Sunday newspapers.

MAN UTD AND ARSENAL WANT JUVE DEFENDER

Manchester United and Arsenal could both make bids to sign Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, according to the Sunday Mirror.

Rugani shone last season on loan at Empoli, earning him a chance with Juve’s first-team squad, but the 21-year-old has struggled to break into the team and is said to be willing to leave Turin with two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs showing an interest.

A source close to Rugani, who is also wanted by Napoli, is quoted by the newspaper as saying: “Daniele has earned the right to play first-team football.

“If they won’t give it to him at Juventus, it is only natural he would be enticed by offers from big European clubs.”

MAN UTD LINKED WITH FOUR MOVE PLAYERS

Rugani is far from the only player linked with Manchester United in the Sunday newspapers, with Ricardo Rodriguez and Ashley Cole apparently joining Saido Berahino and Cristiano Ronaldo on the club’s list of possible targets.

Ronaldo, of course, has long been linked with a return to Old Trafford – and Louis van Gaal has done little to quell the speculation after admitting his obvious liking of the Real Madrid forward.

“We are looking at all players, not just Ronaldo,” the United boss said. “But these players are mostly ungettable.

“With Ronaldo, let’s wait and hope. There is no trainer in the world that doesn’t like him.”

Real are seemingly willing to let Ronaldo move on providing they can recoup close to the £80million they paid for him six years ago. According to The Sun on Sunday, United want deals done on their terms, ‘but £500,000-a-week wages for Ronaldo will be a small price for the marketing value he brings.’

A move for Ronaldo will likely have to wait until the summer, but the tabloid claims Van Gaal is planning a £25million January bid for West Brom’s Berahino to bolster his strike options in the meantime.

They say Van Gaal is also considering a move for Roma left-back Ashley Cole, 34, as cover for the injured Luke Shaw, while the Sunday Mirror claims Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodriguez is the latest player in that position scouted by the club.

Van Gaal said: “I was convinced Shaw would have a very good season. Because of that I didn’t buy a second player for left-back because I thought he would play more or less every game.

“Maybe now we have to buy a left-back.”

CHELSEA CHASE TWO STRIKERS AS OVERHAUL LOOMS

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho wants to sign two new strikers in January, according to the Sun on Sunday, with Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang one of them.

Chelsea’s scouts are said to be ‘raving’ about the Gabon international, with the struggling Premier League champions now planning a £20million bid.

Mourinho said on Friday he was not planning an overhaul of his squad once the transfer window re-opens, but the Daily Star Sunday claims the futures of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Nemanja Matic are all uncertain amid losses in form and interest from other clubs.

The tabloid lists Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani, Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi, Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann and West Brom’s Saido Berahino as January targets for the striker pool.

AND THE REST

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made it clear that he wants to work with Arsene Wenger – and the Arsenal boss is interested (Sunday People)

Tottenham will move for Corinthians forward Alexandre Pato if they lose out to Chelsea in the race to sign West Brom striker Saido Berahino (Daily Star Sunday)

Newcastle have joined Arsenal and Tottenham in tracking Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi, but the French club want £35million (Sunday People)

Louis van Gaal will not seek to bring Adnan Januzaj back to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund when the January transfer window opens despite his injury crisis and lack of attacking options (Independent on Sunday)

Brendan Rodgers is thrashing out the terms of a job in oil-rich Qatar which would net him £3.5million a year (Sunday People)

Ron Vlaar has received three offers from Premier League clubs, including Sunderland and Norwich, but Everton are not the third club (Sunday People)

Bournemouth are ready to offer Yoan Gouffran the chance to stay in the top-flight in the New Year (Sunday People)

Sam Allardyce has been told that he will have to sell before he buys in the New Year, with Jermain Defoe, Seb Larsson, Steven Fletcher and Liam Bridcutt in the firing line. Allardyce wants Sheffield Wednesday defender Tom Lees (Sunday Mirror)