Paper Talk: New £20m Sigurdsson link; Niang no for Arsenal

Gylfi Sigurdsson: Linked with a move away from Swansea

Arsenal’s efforts to sign an AC Milan star have fallen on deaf ears, while West Ham have identified the player they want to replace Dimtri Payet, according to Saturday’s newspapers.


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MILAN TELL ARSENAL TO FORGET NIANG SWOOP

Arsenal are among the interested clubs being told to forget any chance of signing AC Milan striker M’Baye Niang this month.

The 22-year-old is emerging as one of Serie A’s top strikers and he’s been linked with a move to Arsenal, Leicester and West Ham this month.

However, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan have told any interested clubs that Niang is not for sale at any price.

The Serie A side reportedly view the forward as a key part of their plans going forward and they are in no mood to let him go during the middle of the season.

It was claimed that Milan – still waiting for a takeover from a Far East consortium to be rubberstamped – could look to sell Niang in order to bolster their coffers this month and rebuild their side.

But their insistence that they’re not prepared to sell means the trio will all have to look elsewhere, though it’s claimed all three clubs will continue to monitor the player and could come back in again over the summer.

As a result, Arsenal, Leicester City and West Ham will all have to try again in the summer if they wish to lure Niang away from Milan.

 

 

WEST HAM TARGET £20M SIGURDSSON AS PAYET REPLACEMENT

Gylfi Sigurdsson: Rues missed chance for Swansea

West Ham want to sign Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson to replace wantaway attacker Dimitri Payet – and they will also make a second bid to lure Belgian misfit Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea, according to reports on Saturday.

According to an exclusive in the Daily Express, West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is already looking to fill Payet’s void after the Frenchman told the club he no longer wished to play for them – and it is Swansea’s talismanic Iceland star Sigurdsson, whom he seems as his replacement.

Bilic has singled out Icelandic star Sigurdsson, who has scored five goals this season and is also a target for Everton, as the man he wants to step into the shoes of Payet, who he revealed on Thursday has gone on strike and refused to pay for the club.

West Ham are thought to have rejected a £20m offer from Marseille for Payet, but could be tempted to cash in on the unhappy player before the end of the month, amid reports Chelsea are also watching the situation.

The Hammers’ interest in Batshuayi, meanwhile, is nothing new. They were linked with the player over the summer before he opted to join Chelsea and they have already seen efforts to sign him on loan this month rejected by the Blues.

The situation with Payet has now heightening their need to bring in attacking reinforcements, though Chelsea’s own problem with Diego Costa means any loan deal appears unlikely.

 

AND THE REST

Jose Mourinho will activate an extension to David de Gea’s contract at Manchester United (The Sun)

Chelsea striker Diego Costa, 28, could be on his way to China in an £80m move after his agent Jorge Mendes was pictured with the president of Tianjin Quanjian (London Evening Standard)

Patrice Evra has agreed to join Crystal Palace from Juventus (The Sun)

Aston Villa have offered Barnsley midfielder Conor Hourihane a big contract (The Sun)

A Barcelona director has been sacked after claiming Lionel Messi was only good because of Andres Iniesta, Neymar, and Gerard Pique

Dimitri Payet has threatened to fake injury if West Ham order him to play (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is Lyon’s “number one priority” this month

Football agent Jorge Mendes has been pictured with Tianjin Quanjian president Shu Yuhiu, with Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez a target (Daily Mirror)

Arsene Wenger has told Mesut Ozil he must start scoring more goals if he wants to fulfil his talent (Daily Mirror)

Hull would consider selling Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass for £10m, despite the 29-year-old being their top goalscorer this season (Bleacher Report)

Manchester United and Arsenal have missed out on Dayot Upamecano, who has joined RB Leipzig (Daily Mirror)

Everton’s move for Algeria and Standard Liege forward Ishak Belfodil, 25, has been delayed (Liverpool Echo)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he does not know when injured midfielder Santi Cazorla will play again (Daily Mirror)

Tony Pulis reckons his West Brom side have taught Tottenham’s Dele Alli one of the hardest lessons of his life (Daily Star)

Stoke boss Mark Hughes has warned Middlesbrough they will not land Bojan on the cheap (Daily Star)

Aitor Karanka predicts 2017 could be a special year for Middlesbrough’s rising star Ben Gibson (Daily Star)

Tottenham are searching for a £400m naming rights deal as they battle Chelsea and West Ham for crucial stadium sponsors (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa have joined Sheffield Wednesday in tabling a £1m bid for Barnsley’s Conor Hourihane (Daily Mail)

Cardiff will tempt Aberdeen into a sale by bidding again for Jonny Hayes (Daily Mail)


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Mark Warburton says he won’t risk Rangers’ future by splashing cash they don’t have in pursuit of Celtic (Daily Record)

Ryan Giggs has described how he believes Zlatan Ibrahimovic has become Manchester United’s new Eric Cantona (Daily Telegraph)