The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday’s newspapers…
THE GUARDIAN
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United’s ambition is to win the Premier League, claiming they have only been second best to rivals Manchester City since his arrival in 2022.
Mauricio Pochettino looks set to take over as the new manager of the US men’s team.
Howard Webb has said much of the criticism of VAR is because people don’t like the outcome of a decision, as the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) tries to rebuild trust in refereeing in the Premier League.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester United icon Jaap Stam insists Erik ten Hag needs to leave the club before delivering a damning verdict of the Dutchman’s style of football as Red Devils boss.
Liverpool have been brutally mocked by the Spanish press after Martin Zubimendi became the latest player to snub the Premier League side.
THE SUN
Erik ten Hag says his team is not ready for the start of the new campaign after a busy pre-season.
Manchester City are expected to pull off a surprise move for club-less England U20 striker Divin Mubama, who recently left West Ham.
THE TIMES
Referees and VARs will be prohibited from officiating in matches involving clubs they support, have a personal connection with or are in the same city in which they live, the policy of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) on conflicts of interest states.
THE INDEPENDENT
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says they “don’t want to normalise asterisks on the league table” as the competition faces up to a potentially critical season over its regulatory future.
Premier League ticket prices have risen by an average of 6.7 per cent, according to figures supplied to the Independent by the Football Supporters’ Association [FSA] and supplementary analysis, with Crystal Palace the only one of last season’s 17 surviving clubs to not raise their prices. Nottingham Forest have been responsible for the biggest increase.
DAILY MIRROR
Julen Lopetegui has vowed to ensure the West Ham captain’s armband does not weigh heavy upon Jarrod Bowen.
Joe Cole believes Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea frustrations were clear in the weeks before the manager left Stamford Bridge, despite overcoming a tough start to finish sixth in his one Premier League season.
DAILY STAR
Tony Pulis has praised Wrexham’s coaching staff and players for remaining focused on football amidst the ‘circus’ the Hollywood owners have created.
DAILY RECORD
Fears are growing that Rangers full-back Ridvan Yilmaz is set to be out of action for months after being carried off on a stretcher during a bruising Champions League defeat to Dynamo Kyiv.
SCOTTISH SUN
Rangers have sacked a new Celtic-supporting marketing guru after an offensive social media post was dug up by fans.