- OOJ - Luke Shaw of Southampton
Manchester United are to spend £20 million on a Premier League star; Arsenal and Chelsea are to battle over a Spain striker; and Liverpool are targeting a Barcelona winger – plus the other top stories from the morning papers.
'United to spend £20m to land Prem star’ - Manchester Unitedmanager David Moyes is reportedly plotting a £20m move for Luke Shaw in the January transfer window according to the Daily Telegraph, even though Southampton have indicated they will resist all offers for the 18-year-old left-back. Moyes is understood to be keen to snap up the talented full-back now with other Premier League clubs poised to move for the Saints star in the summer.
Paper Round’s view: While Moyes remains an admirer of Evertondefender Leighton Baines, he appears ready to abandon his interest in the England full-back following two unsuccessful bids during the summer and to look to the future with a bid for the 18-year-old Shaw. The Saints star signed a five-year deal at St Mary’s in July, but Moyes will have to act quickly if he is to prevent Jose Mourinho lining up his long-term successor for Ashley Cole. There seems little doubt that Shaw will move, but perhaps the summer is the more likely time for him to switch to a bigger club.
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‘Arsenal, Chelsea and Dortmund to battle for Costa’ - Arsenaland Chelsea are reportedly facing fresh competition in the race to sign Atletico Madrid's Diego Costareports the Daily Express. Chelsea are desperate for a potent striker as Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torresand Demba Ba continue to misfire and Arsene Wenger has made it clear he was not in the market for a midfielder, freeing up funds to try and get the Brazilian to the Emirates. But with Dortmund also lurking the Prem duo will have to act quickly to land their man.
Paper Round’s view: There certainly aren't many top quality strikers available for the £34m release clause listed in the Brazilian's contract and Chelsea and Arsenal are both very aware of Costa’s class. The striker was also at the centre of a national team tug-of-war between Brazil and Spain before he declared for the latter. A big summer move surely awaits for the Atetico striker given his stunning performances so far this season, but there is very little chance of him abandoning the Spanish club ahead of the World Cup, especially with Atletico still in the Liga title hunt. Chelsea look the likely destination in the summer.
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‘Barcelona star considering Liverpool switch’ – Cristian Tello is on the verge of sealing a switch to Liverpool on-loan for the rest of the current campaign reports the Daily Star. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers failed in his attempts to bring Tello to Anfield in the summer, but according to reports in Spain a revived six month loan bid is close to being agreed. The Spanish winger, 22, has seen first-team opportunities limited this season at Barcelona making only two starts under new manager Gerardo Martino.
Paper Round’s view: Tello, who rejected the advances of Liverpool last summer to sign a new four-year deal at Barca, has grown increasingly frustrated and recently expressed his desire to leave if opportunities did not improve. It seems Barca have come to a compromise with Tello and will allow him to leave in order to gain more playing time with Liverpool but there is little prospect of the move becoming more permanent thereafter with big things planned for the youngster at the Camp Nou.
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‘Palace to raid Stoke for key duo’ - Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis plans to raid former club Stoke to sign striker Peter Crouch and winger Matthew Etherington - both 32 - when the transfer window opens, says the Daily Mail. Pulis has earmarked Crouch and Etherington as two transfer targets ahead of the January transfer window that opens on Wednesday as he is desperate to strengthen his squad next month as he attempts to fight off the threat of instant relegation back into the Championship.
Paper Round’s view: Pulis knows all about the duo having signed both players for the Potters for a combined fee of £12m but one appears much more likely to be on the market than the other. Crouch is playing regularly under Mark Hughes at Stoke and would be very unlikely to take a pay cut to move to Palace, even if it is to be reunited with his former boss. Etherington, however, could well be a realistic target for Pulis as he looks to bolster his attacking ranks.
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‘Wenger to continue pursuit of Morata’ - Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata remains Arsenal's top January target, reports the Daily Telegraph, as they look to increase their striking options. Despite Real Madrid insisting that there will be no mid-season departures either on loan or permanently, Arsene Wenger refuses to be deterred and is keen to land either Morata or Karim Benzema from Madrid.
Paper Round’s view: Both Morata and Karim Benzema have figured on manager Arsène Wenger’s list of striker targets, but Carlo Ancelotti, the Real manager, does not want to lose either player in January. Morata, a Spain Under-21 international, had been seen as the more attainable target because of his lack of regular first-team football, but Real are saying that no players will leave. Frankly, there appears little prospect of Arsenal landing either player, although a loan deal next season could be a possibility.
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