Paper Talk: Gunners track midfield duo, Hammers’ £16m bid

Arsenal have been given fresh hope of signing William Carvalho and again had Jorginho watched, West Ham have bid £16m for Seydou Doumbia, while Martin Demichelis is set to leave Manchester City.

GUNNERS GIVEN CARVALHO HOPE AND HAVE JORGINHO WATCHED

Arsenal have been given fresh hope of signing long-term transfer target William Carvalho after his contract talks with Sporting stalled.

The 23-year-old, who was born in Angola but has 13 caps for Portugal having moved there as a child, has been linked multiple times with the Gunners as they seek a defensively-minded central midfielder.

Arsenal’s hopes of signing the player were also given a boost when, earlier this year, the player described the Gunners as his ‘dream club‘.

The move, however, had looked dead in the water as Carvalho enter talks to seal a four-year deal with the Portuguese club, where he has been since joining at the age of 13 in 2005.

But according to Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola, contract negotiations, which have already been drawn out over salary and contract length, have hit yet another stumbling block – given fresh hope that the player could be tempted by a move to Arsenal.

The Gunners are clearly intent on strengthening their midfield – be it in January, or next summer – with Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky all expected to leave the Emirates.

Another reported Arsenal, meanwhile, is Napoli midfielder Jorginho and the Daily Express claims the Gunners have once again sent scouts to watch the Brazilian in action for Napoli.

The player has been linked with a move to the Gunners since the summer, but his agent was coy recently when the subject of a possible move to Arsenal came up.

HAMMERS LODGE £16M DOUMBIA BID

West Ham have reportedly lodged a bid of £16million for Roma striker Seydou Doumbia, who has also attracted interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.

The Ivory Coast international was one of Europe’s most in-demand strikers in the summer but opted to move on loan to CSKA Moscow.

That was despite reported interest in him from the Premier League.

And Football Italia claim West Ham will now beat them all by cutting his loan spell short and landing him in the January transfer window.

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is understood to be keen on adding a new forward to his squad when the transfer window opens.

With Andy Carroll’s future at Upton Park uncertain, they might need new faces and Doumbia appears to fit the bill.

Since moving fro Russia, the 27-year-old has hit five goals this term.

English football fans caught a glimpse of the man who could arrive on these shores in Moscow’s Champions League clashes with Manchester United.

He scored in the 1-1 draw in Russia and was impressive again in the return game at Old Trafford, which United won 1-0.

DEMICHELIS SET FOR JANUARY CITY EXIT

Martin Demichelis is set to leave Manchester City during the January transfer window and return to Argentina to join Buenos Aires outfit Rosario Central.

Demichelis, 34, has fallen down the City pecking order following the arrival at the Etihad Stadium of fellow Argentine Nicolas Otamendi from Valencia in the summer.

Demichelis is currently fourth-choice centre-back in Manuel Pellegrini’s plans, with Vincent Kompany, Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala all ahead of him in the battle for a spot in the City starting XI.

The experienced defender is entering the final six months of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and, according to The Sun, could decide to return to his homeland after 12 years in Europe with Bayern Munich, Malaga and City, who signed him just two months after he had joined Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

Rosario are in the market for a new defender with Alejandro Donatti expected to leave the club for a move to Europe in January.

Rosario coach Eduardo Coudet is a big admirer of Demichelis, having played alongside him while they were both together at River Plate, and hopes to persuade his former team-mate to join the club in January ahead of the Copa Libertadores starting in February.

He has made just one start in the Premier League this season, with his three other starts coming in the Capital One Cup and the Champions League.

AND THE REST

– Zinedine Zidane has stepped up Real Madrid’s bid to crowbar yet another player out of the Premier League by revealing his admiration for Chelsea forward Eden Hazard (Daily Mirror)

– Marseille have put a £35m price-tag on the head of star striker Michy Batshuayi, who has been linked with a move to January window move to Arsenal and Chelsea (Daily Star)

– Wolves want to sign Yoan Gouffran on loan from Newcastle United. The Frenchman is currently out of favour at St James’ Park (The Sun)

– Arsenal are considering a move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka (Daily Star)

– Adnan Januzaj’s frustration at Borussia Dortmund is set to continue after the club’s sporting director claimed the season-long loan from Manchester United will not end early (Daily Mail)

– Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of eventually slowing down in America because he wants to retain his ‘dignity’. The Real Madrid forward, 30, claims he has another ‘six or seven years’ at the top (Daily Mail)

– Manchester United have sounded out Valencia wide man Sofiane Feghouli over a possible move (Metro)

– Real Madrid and Barcelona had detailed scouts to check on Jamie Vardy until injury ruled him out of England’s friendly against Spain in Alicante (Daily Mail)

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