Top articles in Friday’s newspapers and transfer rumors…
premier league
Saudi football figures are increasingly confident Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool in the summer transfer window, the Daily Mirror reports.
Salah and Vinicius Junior will be the two main transfer targets for this summer’s Saudi Pro League, the Telegraph reports.
Virgil van Dijk said the way Arne Slott was talked about was “very disrespectful” to Liverpool’s head coach.
Tottenham appear to have no intention of selling Micky van de Ven, the Daily Mirror reports, amid speculation that Liverpool are big fans of the talented Dutch international and could make a move for him at the end of the season.
Chelsea great Marcel Desailly believes Cole Palmer could submit a transfer request if he believes the Blues are unable to achieve Premier League glory within the next two years, reports the Daily Mirror.
Chelsea are considering loaning Douglas Luiz to shore up their injury-hit midfield, The Times has reported.
Crystal Palace are keen to sign a striker in the January market, no matter what happens to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s uncertain future – The i Paper
Palace have held talks with Wolves over a possible transfer for 25-year-old Norwegian striker Jorgen Strand Larsen – TalkSPORT
Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund on Thursday sent scouts to Sweden to keep an eye on Red Star Belgrade’s 17-year-old midfield prospect Vasilije Kostov for their Europa League match against Malmo. The Daily Mirror reported.
The Premier League previously ended its long-standing partnership with Stonewall’s Rainbow Lace campaign, The Athletic, and will launch a new campaign in February to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion in football.
Former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has lavished praise on Arsenal after completing his first scouting assignment in his new role at UEFA, The Express.
world cup
The Times reported that soccer sponsors have been told to “focus on producing cheap tickets” following comments from FIFA president Gianni Infantino regarding the lack of arrests for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Scotland
Rangers are considering a move for Sheffield Wednesday star Yann Valery (Scottish Sun).
rugby
South Africa and New Zealand are set to play the fourth Test of their “Greatest Rivals” series in Baltimore after seeking assurances that the problems that marred the New Zealand-Ireland match last November would not be repeated, The Times reported.
tennis
A new model for world tennis has been proposed by the Professional Tennis Players Association, a maverick organization co-founded by Novak Djokovic five years ago, the Telegraph reports.
cricket
Marylebone Cricket Club has stepped in to provide some leadership to troubled tenant Middlesex while its chief executive is being investigated by cricket regulator The Telegraph.
The T20 World Cup is in jeopardy after Bangladesh redoubled its threat to refuse to host matches in India, The Telegraph reported.
golf
Jon Rahm will pugnaciously stick to his guns and refuse to pay a fine to DP World Tour, even at the cost of the Spaniard’s Ryder Cup future, the Telegraph reported.
