What the papers say

Chelsea are set to make Victor Osimhen their prime target in the January transfer window. The 24-year-old Nigerian striker is keen to make the move from Napoli to Stamford Bridge, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq are chasing goalkeeper David De Gea, reports The Sun. The 33-year-old is a free agent since leaving Manchester United at the end of last season.

Saudi Arabia is also a potential destination for West Ham winger Said Benrahma. The Sun reports various clubs in the Saudi Pro League are eager to snap up the 28-year-old Algerian.

Boca Juniors full-back Valentin Barco is a target for Manchester City. The Sun reports the Premier League champions would loan the 19-year-old to Leicester.

Social media round-u…

Manchester City bounced backed from the misery of their derby defeat to Manchester United with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arsenal on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola s two-time defending champions have the opportunity to reduce the gap between themselves and Premier League leaders Liverpool, who are away at the Club World Cup in Qatar.

However, standing in Manchester City s way are Leicester – four points above them in the table in second place and playing with the kind of freedom that won them the title in 2015-16.

With Manchester City in such inconsistent form, can Leicester enhance their own title ambitions and register their first win at the Etihad Stadium since February 2016?

RODGERS FOXES HOT TO TROT 

Brendan Rodgers Leicester team ha…

Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema is one of the most underrated players in history according to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.

Benzema has produced several incredible displays to fire Real Madrid to their 17th European Cup/Champions League final, scoring hat-tricks in last-16 and quarter-final ties with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, before netting three goals across a 6-5 aggregate win over Manchester City in the semi-finals.

The 34-year-old has been touted for the Ballon d Or after scoring 43 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions for Los Blancos this term, with Carlo Ancelotti s team also wrapping up the LaLiga title last week.

The France international has scored 10 goals in the Champions League knockout stages, the joint-most recorded by a …

Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that he would never take the Barcelona job, claiming that it would be like quitting Tottenham to take charge at Arsenal.

The 45-year-old has been touted as a possible successor to Luis Enrique, who is to step down when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Speculation that Pochettino could be made an offer grew when it was reported that he had met Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu in Catalonia during the international break, but the Spurs manager says his Espanyol roots would make any move to Camp Nou impossible.

I m an Espanyol supporter I think then I don t need to speak too much, Pochettino, who won two Copas del Rey as a player before becoming head coach of the club in 2009, told a news conference.

It is…

According to a recent report from Gazzetta dello Sport, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to make a decision over his future in football during the month of December. The frontrunners at this time are believed to be Italian side Bologna, although there is also interest from AC Milan – and a series of other clubs who may not have made a formal approach up to this point. 

The LA Galaxy star is set to leave the MLS club following their playoff elimination at the hands of local rivals LAFC just a few weeks ago. The Swede made it clear that he would be moving on to pastures new and that’s exactly what he’s doing, with a return to Europe seemingly being imminent at this stage. 

Bologna would certainly mark a change of direction for Zlatan who has always seemed to join bi…

Verdict: Tottenham to score 2+ goals

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Tottenham head to Germany on Tuesday night for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund looking to protect a commanding 3-0 lead secured in London last month.

Borussia Dortmund

Starting with the hosts, while Borrusia Dortmund might have enjoyed a stellar start to the season and had their sights set on recapturing the Bundesliga title for the first time in seven years, Lucien Favre s side are drastically short on both form and confidence. Shipping three against Spurs at Wembley in the first leg and needing a miracle on Tuesday night, BVB once again failed to impress over the weekend. Heavily criticized for their shock 2-1 loss away at leading relegatio…

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, Real Madrid are set to test the patience and sturdiness of Italian giants Napoli with a big bid to try and complete the signing of defender Kalidou Koulibaly. He’s reportedly viewed as someone who can take over as the main man at the back from Sergio Ramos who, as we know, has had his own issues with inconsistency in the first team – and with his own behavioural problems. 

The former Manchester United target is viewed as an open target by many, with the expectation being that Napoli will cave once the right sort of offer comes in. When you consider just how much money Real have behind them, it’s not completely ridiculous to assume that the bid they put in for Koulibaly is going to be extreme to say the least. 

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Former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland defender John O Shea is set to retire at the end of the season, his club Reading have confirmed.

O Shea, who won five Premier League titles during his time at Old Trafford, announced his decision on his 38th birthday on Tuesday.

The versatile defender also won the FA Cup and two EFL Cups and was part of the United squad that won the Champions League under Alex Ferguson in the 2007-08 season.

O Shea left United in 2011 to join Steve Bruce s Sunderland, spending seven years at the club before signing for Reading last year.

But opportunities have been limited for the veteran this term and he has started only seven Championship games for the Royals, while he was on the bench for their FA Cup defeat to United at…

Sheriff s win over Real Madrid was a dream come true but captain Frank Castaneda warned the Champions League debutants will not dwell on the upset as they target the last 16 amid their giant-slaying run.

In one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history, Sheriff claimed a late 2-1 victory at Spanish giants Madrid on Tuesday.

Jasurbek Yakhshiboev s first-half header was cancelled out by Karim Benzema s spot-kick after the interval in the Spanish capital, given following a VAR check after Vinicius Junior went down in the box.

However, Sheriff had the final say to maintain their 100 per cent record in Group D, Sebastien Thill s thunderous strike in the 89th minute earning the Moldovan visitors a remarkable triumph.

Champions League debutants Sheriff…

Crystal Palace central defender Scott Dann is on the radar of other clubs in the Premier League, according to . Dann is out of contract at the Eagles at the end of the season and is reportedly in demand.

The report in the British tabloid has not named the clubs who are interested in Dann, but it has been claimed that offers will be made to Palace for the 33-year-old in the January transfer window. It remains to be seen if the Eagles would accept those potential offers and sell the former Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers centre-back in the middle of the season or simply let him leave on a free next summer.

Dann has been on the books of Palace since 2014 and has been an important figure in the team over the years. According to , the 33-year-old has played thrice in th…