Liverpool are on the trail of a highly-rated young striker who is available on a free transfer this summer, while Manchester United are hoping to land a Juventus star, all in the papers.
KLOPP CHASES YOUNG STRIKER
Liverpool are chasing young Le Havre striker Andy Elyswe Logbo, who will be out of contract in the summer.
That is according to Foot Mercato, who claim the Jurgen Klopp and the Reds are “closely following” the 17-year-old’s development.
Logbo is in Le Havre’s youth set up and has been playing for the U-19s. He is available on a free transfer, but due to his age any interested clubs would have to pay a compensation fee.
His eight goals and four assists in 13 games since the start of this season ‘speaks volumes’ about his talent. And the French report, via Sport Witness, claims he has already been labelled the ‘next Romelu Lukaku’ thanks to his duelling nature and physique.
With his contract up in June the Parisian already has a number of admirers. But the French report claims Liverpool are one of the teams who have made enquiries with the player’s representatives.
Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is doubled handed in the transfer market – trying to build a team for now and the future. And Logbo looks like one for the latter.
“We are Liverpool so we cannot only work with talents and say: ‘Let’s have a look in two or three years and they will be ready’. There must always be a mix-up,” said Klopp on Friday.
“We have a lot of incredible talent already, in the first-team squad and around the first-team squad and we are 100 per sure they will definitely be Liverpool players, but not now.
“That’s what we do: building a team for now and tomorrow. We are happy. This is the way the club is doing it, pretty much before I even arrived and I am absolutely used to it but that’s the way it is.”
MAN UTD MOVE FOR JUVE STAR
United are ready to rival Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the race to sign 22-year-old Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus. (Calciomercato)
Man Utd are planning to overhaul their midfield in the summer with West Ham’s Declan Rice, 23, his 26-year-old England team-mate Kalvin Phillips from Leeds and RB Leipzig’s Mali international Amadou Haidara, 24, all on the club’s extensive list of targets. (ESPN)
Leeds still want to sign USA attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, 21, despite having two bids of up to £20m rejected by Red Bull Salzburg in January. (Athletic)
MAN CITY IN RACE FOR ARAUJO
Manchester City want Uruguay centre back Ronald Araujo, 22, who has halted contract renewal talks with Barcelona. (Sport)
Manchester United are leading the race to sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo (Marca)
Atletico Madrid hold serious interest in signing Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash for next season (Fabrizio Romano)
Antonio Rudiger has rejected the latest contract offer from Chelsea in talks over a new deal (Daily Mail)
Juventus are hoping to land Sassuolo striker Giacomo Raspadori at the end of the season, with Alvaro Morata set to return to parent club Atletico Madrid. (Calciomercato)
Rangers do not have a clause in the loan deal to sign Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey permanently at the end of the season (Fabrizio Romano)
WATFORD FAILED TO LAND JONES
Watford failed with an approach to sign Manchester United’s English defender Phil Jones, 29, before the January transfer window shut. (Football Insider)
Chicago Fire are close to signing Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, 30, from Lyon. (MLS Soccer)
Palmeiras’ 15-year-old striker Endrick, having already been linked with both Barca and Real Madrid, says all young Brazilian players want to play for Barcelona. (Sport)
Manchester City have joined West Ham and Brentford in showing an interest in Sheffield Wednesday’s 16-year-old English forward Bailey Cadamarteri. (Sheffield Star)
Everton, Brentford and Watford are keeping close tabs on 18-year-old left-back Steve Ngunga, who is impressing with non-league side Rising Ballers. (Football Insider)
Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici is under pressure to deliver after an underwhelming start at the club. (Daily Mail)
CONTE WARNING
Antonio Conte has warned Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy that the club cannot afford to make any more big transfer blunders. (Daily Telegraph)
Christian Eriksen will urge his new Brentford team-mates not to go easy on him in training. (Daily Telegraph)
Thomas Tuchel has ruled Reece James out of Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign after flu added to his ‘big injury’. (The Sun)
Everton manager Frank Lampard fined a player for stopping to tie his laces on his first day of training. (The Sun)
Sabri Lamouchi has emerged as a candidate for the vacant Sunderland manager’s position as the club’s search for a replacement for Lee Johnson goes on. (The Times)
Mason Greenwood has been removed from Manchester United’s matchday programme. (The Sun)
EKIITIKE ‘NOT CONVINCED’ BY NEWCASTLE
Hugo Ekitike says he turned Newcastle down because he was not ‘convinced’ by the Saudi project. (The Sun)
Flamengo chiefs have flown in to England to try and complete the permanent signing of Andreas Pereira from Man Utd. (The Sun)
West Ham striker Andriy Yarmolenko has reportedly been charged with alleged misconduct in relation to a betting commercial. (The Sun)
Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico has admitted he is unhappy with his club for denying him a January move to Barcelona. (AS)
Barcelona are in talks over a summer move for Chelsea full-back Cesar Azpilicueta (Mundo Deportivo)
Roy Keane has admitted he could take over as Sunderland head coach, saying “let’s see what takes shape”. (ITV)
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