The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday’s newspapers…
THE SUN
Manchester United are tracking Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri as a possible January signing after learning Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy would prefer a move to Tottenham.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s plans for a luxury £27m hotel in Manchester have been left in ruins after his planning permission was allowed to expire, leaving the Grade II listed building derelict.
Eric Bailly could be handed an escape route from his Besiktas nightmare as he is being linked with a return to Villarreal.
EVENING STANDARD
Chelsea have contacted Sporting Lisbon about signing defender Ousmane Diomande and striker Viktor Gyokeres but have been told a double deal will cost them £156m.
DAILY MIRROR
Napoli are close to agreeing a 12-month contract extension with striker Victor Osimhen which will include a £112m buyout clause to try and fend off Premier League interest.
Injured Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has revealed he will be back in training early in the New Year after a hamstring issue curtailed a promising first season in the Premier League.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Lasse Lempainen, the surgeon who operated on Chelsea defender Reece James’ hamstring, is convinced he will be in top shape by the time Euro 2024 gets under way in Germany this summer.
Saudi Arabia is set to rule out a LIV Golf-style financial backing for any European Super League despite monitoring the project closely when it was first mooted in 2021.
Justin Kluivert has admitted he had flashbacks to what happened to close friend Abdelhak Nouri, who was left in a coma for a year and emerged with limited cognitive ability after waking up, when Luton skipper Tom Lockyer collapsed during their game with Bournemouth last weekend.
England are set to bring in West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard as a consultant coach for the Twenty20 World Cup, which is being co-hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
Clubs in rugby union’s Championship have firmly rejected RFU plans for a “Premiership 2” competition saying they are not interested in a league which “follows a franchise or selection-based model”.
DAILY MAIL
Games in the FA Cup third round being played at Premier League grounds will have a third VAR official – a Support VAR – joining the officiating team rather than the usual two.
Crystal Palace’s head of sports medicine Zafar Iqbal is leaving the club at the end of the season to join Premier League rivals Arsenal.
TALKSPORT
Bournemouth are remaining strong in their stance striker Dominic Solanke will stay at the club in the long-term.
THE ATHLETIC
Scouts working for then Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer valued winger Antony at only £25m months before his arrival at the club for £85m.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United are willing to pay Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo more than seven times what he is earning in Spain to secure his signature in January.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic are reported to have an interest in Ipswich Town’s former St Mirren goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky but his agent says their focus is firmly on helping his club into the Premier League.
Lee McCulloch has urged Rangers to go all out in January for Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland to boost their Scottish Premiership title bid.
