Manchester United will have to battle Manchester City for a Jamaican starlet, while the Red Devils are also looking to snap up a talented West Ham youngster, according to Monday’s papers.
United ready to pounce on Oxford
Manchester United are reportedly weighing up a move for West Ham starlet Reece Oxford, with the teenager stalling on a new deal with the Londoners.
The Daily Mail reports that the Hammers’ chances of keeping Oxford are looking ‘increasingly bleak’ amid talks of interest from Old Trafford.
They go on to state that the 17-year-old has signed a new deal with Nike that ‘will net him a significant rise from his previous contract’, cementing his profile as one of football’s top young stars.
United have been credited with interest since December, while Manchester City and Arsenal have also been touted with interest.
The Mail also stated in July that West Ham had slapped an £18million price tag on Oxford, who became the club’s youngest ever player on debut, aged 16 years and 198 days.
Sky Sports reported in June that Oxford had been offered a £20,000-a-week contract by Bundesliga club Red Bull Leipzig, who completed the signing of another highly-rated young talent this summer in Nottingham Forest’s Oliver Burke.
Trio battle for wonderkid
United have also been linked with another wonderkid in Monday’s papers, as they are apparently in a race with City and Chelsea to sign Jamaican wonderkid Leon Bailey.
The 19-year-old plies his trade at Genk, and was named the best young player in Belgium last season.
Bailey bagged twice for Genk in their 3-2 Europa League defeat at Rapid Vienna this week, and has also been linked with a move to Italy.
Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois also came through the system at Genk to become stars in the Premier League.
Bailey has starred for his country for the Under-23s, however he is yet to appear for Jamaica at full international level.
United Want Moura
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is understood to be chasing Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas Moura, according to the player's agent. Meanwhile, Barcelona are ready to make a January bid for PSG defender Marquinhos.
The Red Devils were fiercely linked with Moura when he left Sao Paulo for Europe in 2012, and the player's representative, Wagner Ribeiro, said Mourinho is hoping to revive those links, per Daniel Sandford of MailOnline.
He said: "Who called Lucas Moura (from Real Madrid), who wanted Lucas Moura wasn't Florentino Perez, it was Mourinho. Mourinho was, and is, passionate for Lucas Moura. So much so that now at Manchester he wants Lucas as well."
United were associated with a host of wide talents over the summer and ended up signing Borussia Dortmund playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but Match of the Day host Gary Lineker recently suggested more pace is needed:
Moura opted for Paris over Manchester four years ago and has gradually evolved to take his place as one of PSG's key components in recent seasons, particularly after Edinson Cavani's switch to a central role at the club.
Others
Man City are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach trio Mahmoud Dahoud, Thorgan Hazard and Andreas Christensen, according to reports in Bild (MEN)
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that South Korean winger Son Heung-min wanted to leave White Hart Lane in the summer (Daily Mail)
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe will not take over from Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger as it does not make any financial sense, according to Brian Deane (Evening Standard)
New Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip says he will remain on Merseyside rather than play for Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations in January (Liverpool Echo)
Man Utd have suffered a blow after Neymar confirmed he would find it hard to ever leave Barcelona (MEN)
Neymar: Linked with summer switch to Man Utd
Man City boss Pep Guardiola is plotting a sensational January move for Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez (The Sun)
Alan Pardew has tipped Andros Townsend for an England recall after his sensational debut Crystal Palace goal on Sunday against Stoke (Daily Mirror)
Joey Barton will have to beg for his Rangers future in a crisis meeting with Mark Warburton on Monday – and it still may not be enough to save him from the axe (Daily Record)
Mario Balotelli was left out of Nice’s squad to face Montpellier on Sunday, with reports citing the striker’s fragile physical condition for his omission (Daily Mail)
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