Thursday morning sports paper talk

• AC Milan have been in contact with Diego Costa’s agent regarding a summer deal with Chelsea.
• Monaco’s Thomas Lemar is reportedly set to become Arsenal’s third summer signing with the Gunners on the brink of agreeing a £45m deal.

• Manchester United are preparing a £44.6m offer for RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg.
• Real Madrid are refusing to rule out signing Chelsea star Eden Hazard.
• Tottenham have been put on red alert after Ronald Koeman confirmed Ross Barkley has no future at Everton.
• Fulham are set to bring back defender Tomas Kalas on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
• Birmingham are set to sign Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing and are chasing £3m-rated Bristol City defender Aden Flint.
• Crystal Palace are hoping to tie up a £3.5m deal for West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.

• Kylian Mbappe is ready to swap Monaco for Real Madrid after becoming disillusioned by the exodus of top players from the French champions.
• Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign one of the latest prospects coming out of Brazil, Fluminense forward Richarlison, who is being tracked by Ajax, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Manchester United.
• Leicester will tie up their £25m deal for Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho this week.
• Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic is in talks with Fiorentina over a summer switch – with Watford also eyeing a move.
• Benfica’s £6m-rated winger Andre Carillo is being tracked by Stoke, Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Huddersfield.
• Tottenham hope to end their 57-year title drought with the help of Benfica midfielder Ljubomir Fejsa.
• Everton boss Ronald Koeman is eyeing a shock swoop for veteran West Ham defender James Collins.
• Nuremberg’s attacking midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri has caught the eye of Huddersfield manager David Wagner.
• Newcastle are close to landing Mikel Merino from Borussia Dortmund.
• Huddersfield striker Nahki Wells is a £10m target for Reading.

• Antonio Conte has revealed he would love to buy Harry Kane, calling him the ‘complete striker’.
• Liverpool target Naby Keita has been criticised by RB Leipzig, who claim he has had his head turned by ‘a whole village in Guinea’.
• Harry Redknapp is set to sign Stewart Downing for Birmingham. The 33-year-old former England winger has been told he can leave relegated Middlesbrough by new boss Garry Monk.
• Riyad Mahrez fired Leicester’s winner at Luton on Wednesday night as Roma step up their pursuit of the wantaway Algerian winger.
• Leeds have slapped a new £20m price tag on Chris Wood to ward off Premier League suitors.
• Former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos, last seen at Glasgow Rangers, has joined Major league Soccer’s Houston Dynamo on trial.
• Championship Reading are lining up a swoop for Huddersfield striker Nahki Wells.
• Nottingham Forest aim to sign Gary Gardner for a third time – but permanently this time.
• QPR and Charlton are vying for Barnet’s coveted left-winger Simeon Akinola.
• Watford defender Tommie Hoban is in line to join QPR next week on loan.

• RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick has hit out at Naby Keita’s advisors, blaming them for the midfielder wanting to join Liverpool.
• Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti tells Inter Milan to ‘forget’ about signing midfielder Arturo Vidal.
• Middlesbrough have made a £6.5m bid to sign West Ham striker Ashley Fletcher.
• Crystal Palace are in talks with West Ham over a £3m deal for goalkeeper Adrian.
• Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic is discussing a £16m move to Fiorentina.
• Leicester have held talks with PSG teenager Alassane Meite as the Foxes look to sign the forward on a three-year deal.

• Jose Mourinho has given the clearest yet that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will re-sign for Manchester United.
• Tottenham are set to receive £5m if Gylfi Sigurdsson completes a £50m move to Everton from Swansea.
• Middlesbrough have made an approach to sign West Ham striker Ashley Fletcher.

• RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Ralf Rangnick, has criticised Naby Keita’s entourage and claimed the midfielder has had his head turned by a whole village in Guinea.

• Manchester United will go back in for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, and believe they can yet persuade the Premier League champions to sell, but are aware it will likely be for a price of beyond £40m.
• Real Madrid’s move for Kylian Mbappe could see Manchester United make a move for Gareth Bale. United sources say the club feel they have a ‘real chance’ of bringing him to Old Trafford.
• Manchester City have never bid for Kylian Mbappe and have no interest in challenging Real Madrid for the coveted France striker.
• Birmingham City are interested in Bristol City defender Aden Flint.

• Jose Mourinho appears to be banking on Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning to play for Manchester United during the second half of next season.

• Jose Mourinho has suffered a blow after reports in France stated Manchester United summer target Renato Sanches has agreed a move to AC Milan.
• Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko is wanted by Turkish giants Besiktas as they target a loan deal for the Dane.

Source:skysports