The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday’s newspapers…
THE SUN
Angel Gomes remains a major target for Manchester United under new boss Ruben Amorim as he is a long-time admirer of the midfielder.
England are set to be among the top seeds for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after securing their return to Nations League A.
John Terry has revealed the moment that “broke” him three days after his infamous slip in the 2008 Champions League final.
Manchester City are set to offer Erling Haaland a huge £100m package to persuade him to stay after Pep Guardiola’s new deal.
Ruben Amorim was stunned by the size of the job on his hands after the first training sessions with Manchester United this week.
Regis Le Bris revealed Arsene Wenger’s early work inspired him to become a boss.
Real Madrid are reportedly being sued for more than £13m over the flagship VIP hospitality suite at the Bernabeu.
Arsenal are plotting a January swoop for Real Madrid star Arda Guler, according to reports in Spain.
THE GUARDIAN
Pep Guardiola’s new one-year contract with Manchester City does not contain a break clause should the club be relegated from the Premier League if found guilty of financial wrongdoing by an independent commission.
Julen Lopetegui is facing two make-or-break games at West Ham, who have used the international break to explore potential replacements.
Juan Mata has followed David Beckham in becoming the owner of an MLS team after he announced he was joining the investment group of San Diego FC.
Kosovo are preparing an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after UEFA handed them a 3-0 defeat for walking off the field during Friday’s Nations League tie against Romania in Bucharest, which was eventually abandoned when they elected not to return.
LeBron James says he is taking a break from social media.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Wolves are looking to prioritise the signing of a new centre-back in the January transfer window to fix their leaky defence.
Thomas Tuchel has been given a boost before officially starting as England manager after Henrique Hilario handed in his resignation at Chelsea to become his goalkeeping coach.
The severity of Rodrigo Bentancur’s ban and the process behind the decision has shocked Tottenham’s rivals who feel the north Londoners have been made an example of.
Nassef Sawiris, the Aston Villa owner, says he is joining Manchester City in voting against associated-party transaction proposals because the “embattled” Premier League needs a “fresh start”.
The Rugby Football Union is set to make a record loss which could approach £40m when its end-of-year accounts are published in the next month.
Warren Gatland has dismissed speculation of a break clause in his contract as Welsh rugby faces a bill in excess of £1m in the event he is sacked.
DAILY MAIL
Liverpool are reportedly set to enter a summer transfer battle with Newcastle United over one of the Premier League’s current top scorers, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.
Manchester City have launched an ambitious project to move into children’s television programmes.
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are set to spend big once again in January, according to a club director.
Barcelona have confirmed the club will continue to play matches away from the Camp Nou until the new year, citing a UEFA rule as a key reason.
Xabi Alonso will decide on his Bayer Leverkusen future in March, according to a report.
Jack Draper will spend a week of his pre-season training camp with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
THE TIMES
The vote on sponsorship rules that are central to the legal dispute between Manchester City and the Premier League is thought to be on a knife edge, with senior figures frantically lobbying before a meeting on Friday.
Jofra Archer is now expected to play in the Indian Premier League next year despite the ECB’s attempts to prevent him from taking part in this weekend’s player auction, renewing concerns over his workload and how prepared he will be for the next Ashes series.
England are working to improve Tom Curry’s tackle technique to lower his risk of concussion.
DAILY MIRROR
Viktor Gyokeres has been advised to snub Manchester United for Arsenal.
Manchester United have the highest net spend of any club in the world over the past 10 years – but have just five major trophies to show for it.
Liverpool have included Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk in their official calendar for 2025 – but all three appear only in the opening four months of the year as doubts grow around their futures at Anfield.
Steve Holland is poised to step out of Gareth Southgate’s orbit and take the job as manager of Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos.
THE ATHLETIC
Newcastle United are “seriously” considering building a new stadium “that wouldn’t be far away”, alongside further exploring a potential renovation of St James’ Park, according to the club’s chief operating officer.
Italian club Piacenza sacked two head coaches on Tuesday, with Simone Bentivoglio hired and fired on the same day.
THE INDEPENDENT
Professional football is failing to apply required safety standards and so is violating legal frameworks at both European and global level, a report says.
DAILY RECORD
Hearts have officially struck a deal with the analytics firm behind English Premier League outfit Brighton’s success.
Rangers legend Ian Durrant reckons John Souttar would be the perfect pick to take over as Ibrox skipper once James Tavernier hangs up his armband.
Crisis-hit Dumbarton have turned to an online fundraiser in a bid to ensure players and staff get paid this month.
SCOTTISH SUN
Former Rangers winger Ryan Kent has been tipped to make a stunning move to Ajax.
Celtic made a request to the Honduran FA to limit the minutes of Luis Palma because of concerns over their pitch in their international break, according to local reports.
Celtic and Rangers reps were joined by scouts from Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa to watch Motherwell’s Lennon Miller in Scotland’s U19s match against France this week.