Paper Talk: Spurs lead Liverpool, Arsenal & Man City for LB

Mark Holmes

Tottenham have jumped ahead of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City in the queue to sign Walsall’s Rico Henry, while Southampton could spend in January.

TOTTENHAM LEAD RACE FOR WALSALL STARLET

Tottenham lead Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City in the race to sign Walsall left-back Rico Henry, according to the Daily Express.

It was reported last month that the four Premier League clubs had had Henry watched, but the Express claims Spurs are the first to make a firm enquiry, asking Walsall to ‘virtually name their price’ for the 18-year-old.

A ‘Spurs insider’ is said to have told the newspaper: “Henry is perfect for the Spurs side that Mauricio Pochettino wants to build – and the lad can play left midfield as well so has real versatility.

“It’s going to be a question of the right price because everyone is watching the situation carefully.”

Last month, Walsall boss Dean Smith compared Henry to a young Ashley Cole but warned it would take “a hell of a lot of money” to prise the England Under-19 international away from the Banks’s Stadium.

AND THE REST

Gent are preparing to sell reported Tottenham target Laurent Depoitre next summer for around £10million (The Sun)

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman is planning to swoop for Bordeaux pair Henri Saivet and Wahbi Khazri in January (The Sun)

West Brom have put Tottenham and Chelsea on red alert after Saido Berahino played 90 minutes for the Under 21 side (Daily Star)

Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are on red alert with Paris Saint- Germain wonderkid Adrien Rabiot, 20, looking increasingly unsettled (The Sun)

Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina is close to agreeing a deal with Besiktas (Fanatik)

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew is lining up a club-record £15million bid for Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi (The Sun)

Demarai Gray could quit Birmingham in January if their current slide continues, with Bournemouth and Leicester City keeping tabs on his progress (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool right-back Connor Randall is on the brink of penning a new long-term contract (Liverpool Echo)

West Ham will refuse to go on a January spending spree even after their injury crisis hit a new low, with Manuel Lanzini ruled out for six weeks with a thigh problem (Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka will next month make a bid for Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford, currently on loan at Crystal Palace (Daily Mirror)