The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday’s newspapers…
DAILY MIRROR
Erling Haaland is increasingly confident he will be fit to lead Manchester City’s line when they return to Premier League action against Liverpool on Saturday.
Manchester United will sell defender Raphael Varane to the highest bidder next summer in order to get him off their wage bill.
Sir Alex Ferguson has put his £3.5m home in Wilmslow up for sale.
THE SUN
Manchester United face being barred from European competition next season if both they and Nice, owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, finish in the Champions League places and the French side finish in a higher position.
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Tony Woodcock says England will have a more rested Harry Kane at Euro 2024 next summer thanks to his move to Bayern Munich.
A PFA report into the controversial drug snus is expected to be made public before the New Year and could potentially lead to a blanket ban.
Reports in the Netherlands have suggested injured Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber will not be back in action in time to force his way into their Euro 2024 squad.
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The Telegraph’s Jason Burt and The Mirror’s John Cross debate whether the FA were right to stop lighting the Wembley arch for political issues
Manchester United were mocked by a massive Checkatrade billboard outside Old Trafford saying they would be able to find someone to fix the leaky roof inside the stadium but couldn’t fix their leaky defence.
DAILY MAIL
Graham Potter has turned down the chance to become Sweden’s new national team head coach according to reports in the Scandinavian country.
Everton are unhappy that the £300m compensation claim from Burnley, Leeds and Leicester will be heard by the same disciplinary panel that docked them 10 points.
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Sky Sports’ Pete Smith and Sam Blitz take a forensic look at why Chelsea seem to perform better against the Premier League’s top sides
Premier League bosses have been warned they are at risk of touchline bans, while clubs are risking bigger fines as the FA promises to get tough on criticism of referees.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has been accused of telling goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to feign injury during their 2-0 defeat by neighbours Austria on Tuesday, whose media have also labelled him “weak” and “pathetic”.
Mikel Arteta has been granted an extension until Friday morning to respond to his FA charge for comments made after Arsenal’s defeat by Newcastle earlier this month.
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Former Ireland international Stephen Kelly admits he wasn’t surprised to hear that the Football Association of Ireland won’t be renewing Stephen Kenny’s contract
The judge leading an investigation into former Spanish FA head Luis Rubiales for alleged sexual assault and coercion has summoned Jenni Hermoso to testify on November 28.
Lewis Hamilton held talks with Red Bull and Ferrari before signing his new deal with Mercedes and was reportedly open to joining forces with chief rival Max Verstappen.
LIV Golf stars are growing increasingly confident that Jon Rahm will join the Saudi-backed tour despite a series of dismissals of that happening since the split.
Football Leaks hacker Rui Pinto has been given a six-month suspended sentence after admitting to illegally accessing confidential information on Paris Saint-Germain.
Jermain Defoe moved from Tottenham to Portsmouth in January 2008
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Referees chief Howard Webb has told Premier League officials they must clamp down on players waving imaginary cards and enforce directives penalising dissent.
DAILY STAR
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has earmarked Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo as one of two possible replacements for Raphael Varane if the Frenchman leaves Old Trafford in the summer.
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Following Harry Maguire’s recent upturn in form, a Ghanaian MP has apologised for previously using the Manchester United defender to mock a political rival last year
THE TIMES
The FA is looking into allegations of potentially serious breaches of agent rules in a 2008 transfer which took Jermain Defoe from Tottenham to Portsmouth and is reported to have used an unlicensed broker.
EVENING STANDARD
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Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol says Sir Jim Ratcliffe is edging closer to securing a significant stake in Manchester United, but news is not expected until next week.
Rugby union’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals could be held in Amsterdam or Lisbon in 2025 with a decision expected in the first three months of next year.
DAILY RECORD
Livingston have no plans to follow Kilmarnock’s lead and rip up their artificial surface and are more likely to renew it “when the time comes” according to chief executive Dave Black.
Celtic are reported to have scouted young Irish talent Sam Curtis amid significant interest in the St Patrick’s Athletic teenager from the Premier League.
Reports in Turkey have suggested Sheffield United are leading the race to sign former Rangers winger Ryan Kent from Fenerbahce in January.