The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday’s newspapers…
THE SUN
Manchester United’s dressing room was bugged before their match at Aston Villa in a shocking security breach.
Enzo Maresca has become the first Chelsea boss to be named manager of the month for three years.
Bruno Fernandes has suggested he prefers playing for Portugal over Manchester United.
Bukayo Saka is expected to miss England’s Nations League clash on Sunday with Finland through injury.
Jamie Vardy and his wife Becky secretly flew to Bahrain this week as Saudi football clubs continue to clamour to sign him.
Claude Makelele has been linked with the vacant managerial position at Cardiff City.
Christian Eriksen could be heading back to Ajax at the end of this season.
Lukas Podolski made an emotional farewell to football as he hung up his boots for the last time.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester City have agreed a deal for Sporting’s Hugo Viana to take over from Txiki Begiristain as a new era dawns at the Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League has warned clubs there will be no quick fix as it seeks to resolve the sponsorship row that has triggered civil war in the top flight.
Thomas Tuchel is reportedly in negotiations to become the next manager of England.
Joel Matip is reportedly considering retirement at the age of 33.
Kylian Mbappe was reportedly seen in a nightclub in Sweden on Thursday, the same evening his France team-mates beat Israel 4-1.
Barcelona are ‘set for a huge payout from FIFA’ after Gavi suffered a season-ending ACL injury while on international duty last year.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has admitted he must “take responsibility” for his side’s scoring woes.
Jurgen Klopp will earn an eye-watering annual salary once he begins his reign as the Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull.
Real Madrid have reportedly been ‘compiling reports’ on Tottenham defender Pedro Porro, who recently seemed to invite interest from the European giants.
DAILY STAR
Kevin Behrens has been punished by his club Wolfsburg after making an alleged homophobic remark while refusing to sign a shirt adorned with a rainbow badge.
Manchester United chiefs were thrown three key questions by Sir Jim Ratcliffe as they weighed up Erik ten Hag’s future.
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Paul Merson thinks Erik ten Hag will stay at Manchester United but questioned the recruitment at the club and says someone like Gary Neville should be brought in to help
DAILY MIRROR
Barcelona and Real Madrid are both interested in making a move for Alvaro Fernandez, the full-back who Manchester United let go for only £5m last summer.
Christian Eriksen admits he is not currently holding talks with Manchester United about extending his deal.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been warned he may need to drop “exhausted” Luis Diaz.
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley will captain Northern Ireland for the first time in Saturday’s Nations League match against Belarus.
Macclesfield boss Robbie Savage says being a manager in the Northern Premier League is “much harder” than anything else he has ever done in football.
Jurgen Klopp favourite Kevin Grosskreutz is set to confront his former boss after his decision to join Red Bull in 2025.
Former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa is set to take on a new role at Real Madrid.
THE ATHLETIC
Leeds United are weighing up a move to sign free agent Cheikhou Kouyate on a short-term deal for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
Real Madrid centre-back Joan Martinez has signed a new contract with the club through to 2027.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
The Football Association has not yet formally interviewed any of the leading candidates to become the next permanent England manager – more than two months after the closing date for applications.
Eddie Howe has no desire to leave Newcastle United to become England manager and remains extremely happy on Tyneside.
French authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for the former Australia captain Rocky Elsom.
THE GUARDIAN
Lee Carsley intends to return to a more familiar system against Finland in the Nations League on Sunday, as he looks for a reaction to England’s shapeless display in Thursday’s 2-1 Wembley defeat by Greece.
A group of leading legal figures say FIFA has ignored their report into human rights concerns over the 2034 World Cup, warning the governing body is “dealing with the devil” in planning to take the tournament to Saudi Arabia.
THE TIMES
The British Olympic Association will have a chairwoman instead of a chairman for the first time in its 119-year history after the election was whittled down to two female former Olympic rowers.
DAILY RECORD
Jimmy Thelin knows Pape Habib Gueye is determined to come back even stronger and aid Aberdeen’s push for success in the second half of the season.
Steve Clarke admits being in charge of Scotland’s recent run of international misery has been a “horrible” experience.
Aberdeen have confirmed full-back Nicky Devlin has put pen to paper on a new-two-and-a-half-year deal at Pittodrie.
Nils Koppen has confirmed plans to improve the Rangers squad in January are well under way – but also adds more departures at Ibrox are likely.
SCOTTISH SUN
Hearts’ ambitious move for ex-Norway boss Per-Mathias Hogmo has collapsed.
Hearts could now consider a bid to land Vasteras SK gaffer Kalle Karlsson.
Rangers were on the wrong end of a dreaded ‘double red’ against St Johnstone, says the SFA’s latest independent VAR review panel.
