Euro Paper Talk: Man Utd turn to Chelsea flop as striker cover with Ten Hag eyeing trio for blockbuster summer moves; Liverpool close on signing of £35.4m midfielder

Manchester United are readying a loan move for a Spanish striker in January ahead of a summer approach for three big names, Liverpool are upping the stakes for an African midfielder, while Thursday’s Euro Paper Talk claims Tottenham are nearing a deal for an experienced Dutch centre-half.

ALVARO MORATA LINED UP FOR SHORT-TERM MAN UTD MOVE

Erik ten Hag plans to sign Alvaro Morata for Manchester United as short-term cover in the centre forward department.

The nomadic striker is being made available by Atletico Madrid in the January window as the LaLiga side look to offset some of their losses from being dumped out of Europe.

They have already offloaded Matheus Cunha to Wolves, while Joao Felix is another who could leave on a temporary basis.

But Diego Simeone’s side are also considering offers for 30-year-old Morata, who counts Chelsea among his former clubs.

That move may prove ideal for Ten Hag with the United manager seeking cover and competition in the central attacking area. They allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to depart last month after tearing up his contract. And while the veteran Portuguese star is closing on his next move with a medical booked in, his exit leaves a sizeable hole in the United squad.

However, funds are a little tight at Old Trafford in the wake of a £216m summer spree.

And while the club do want to sign a big-name to replace Ronaldo, a temporary deal looks more appealing for now.

As such, ESPN claims an approach is in the works to Atletico over a deal for Morata.

Despite failing to settle at any club for any length of time, Morata has a decent record in front of goal with 186 goals from 516 appearances.

Man Utd eye three strikers after short-term Morata deal

With a deal for Morata only seen as a short-term solution, Ten Hag reportedly has three names in mind for a blockbuster summer signing.

By then, United may be able to offer Champions League football and, with it, boast an increased kitty.

And the United manager has three big names on his shortlist in terms of signing a new No 9 at United.

Per the Daily Mirror, their list of targets features Dusan Vlahovic, Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos.

Deals for all three players are likely to cost United a seriously hefty fee. But all three do know their way to goal, with Vlahovic and Ramos, especially, very much old-fashioed No 9s.

Of the trio, though, Leao looks the most obtainable. His deal with AC Milan is due to expire in summer 2024. And with just 18 months remaining, they will be vulnerable to a sizeable offer in the summer.

Vlahovic and Ramos, meanwhile, are on deals with Juventus and Benfica, respectively, until summer 2026. However, financial issues at both clubs means sizeable bids for both could be considered.

LIVERPOOL RAISE STAKES FOR SOFYAN AMRABAT

Liverpool are hot on the trail of Sofyan Amrabat and believe an offer of £35.4m (€40m) will tempt Fiorentina to sell in January. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Real Madrid have a first refusal to re-sign Martin Odegaard should Arsenal ever wish to sell their captain. (Ramon Alvarez de Mon)

Lille boss Paulo Fonseca admits he will struggle to keep Jonathan David if Man Utd come forward with a big bid for his services. (La Voix des Sports)

Barcelona will allow one of Ousmane Dembele or Raphinha leave next summer with Xavi to choose between the two stars. (AS)

Jude Bellingham is prioritising a move to Real Madrid, having informed Liverpool of his desire to move to Spain. (Goal)

Alexis Mac Allister is ready to sign for Juventus in 2023 with the Bianconeri seeing him as a replacement for Weston McKennie and Adrien Rabiot. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

WOLVES SET TO MISS OUT ON REAL MADRID STRIKER

Wolves are likely to miss out on the signing of Mariano Diaz in January with Real Madrid’s valuation beyond what they are willing to pay. (Marca)

Brazilian starlet Endrick Felipe has revealed the role Vinicius Jnr played in convincing him to sign for Real Madrid over Chelsea and PSG. (Marca)

Liverpool are yet to trigger the £105m (€120m) release clause for Enzo Fernandez – but do have a big admiration for the player. (Fabrizio Romano)

Tottenham are readying an opening offer of £13m (€15m) for unsettled Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie. (Onda Cero)

Napoli are reportedly looking at Benfica star David Neres or Sassuolo’s Armand Lauriente as replacements for Hirving Lozano next season. (Corriere dello Sport)

Arsenal are keen on a deal to sign Joao Felix, but are currently stalling on a move due to the massive costs involved. (David Ornstein)

LIVERPOOL KEEN ON ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER

Struggling LaLiga side Elche are planning to bring Bojan Krkic back to Spain from Japanese side Vissel Kobe. (Sport)

Liverpool are among four clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Benfica, who are keen on Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister. (La Repubblica)

Manchester City are willing to offer Jack Grealish to AC Milan in a straight swap deal for Rafael Leao. (Calciomercato)

Chelsea continue to monitor Denzel Dumfries and may reportedly launch a bid following Reece James’ injury setback. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Bournemouth are rivalling Leicester in the race to sign unsettled Atalanta winger Jeremie Boga. (Tuttosport)

Atletico Madrid attacker Marcos Paulo is departing the club once again, making a loan move back to Brazil with Sao Paulo. (various)

TOTTENHAM FAVOURITES TO SIGN STEFAN DE VRIJ

Tottenham are leading the race to sign Inter defender Stefan de Vrij on a cut-price deal in January. Fellow suitors Atletico Madrid will instead turn to Leicester’s Caglar Soyuncu after missing out. (various)

Torino are stepping up attempts to sign Roma’s Eldor Shomurodov following another injury for Pietro Pellegri. (Sky Italia)

Alejandro Balde insists his priority remains a new deal at Barcelona following links to Man Utd and PSG. (Que T’hi Jugues)

Leeds are continuing talks with RB Salzburg over a deal to sign Austrian left-back Maximilian Wober for an initial fee of £9.75m. (Fabrizio Romano)

Shakhtar Donestsk are standing by their £87m (€100m) asking price for Mykhaylo Mudryk amid ongoing Arsenal interest. (Calciomercato)

Jorginho is angling for a move back to a former club after Newcastle’s stance over a move for the Chelsea midfielder emerged. (La Repubblica)