MX23RW : Wednesday, July 3 16:33:45| >> :600:115979848:115979848:

Friday's papers: Kylian Mbappe, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola could be returning to Barcelona, according to today's football gossip.

What the papers say

Liverpool are still keen on signing Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, according to Calciomercato. The Reds made enquiries into the 29-year-old over the summer but Koulibaly stayed in Naples. However, Virgil van Dijk's long-term injury has increased Jurgen Klopp's desire to sign a centre-back, and a concerted bid could be on the cards come January.

Pep Guardiola could be on his way back to Barcelona if Victor Font becomes the club's president. Font is the front runner to replace Josep Bartomeu after his resignation, and told Sky Sports he wants to return the Catalan giants to their glory days, including bringing back Guardiola from Manchester City, and keeping Lionel Messi. Guardiola is into the final year of his contract with City.

Tottenham Hotspur v Maccabi Haifa – UEFA Europa League – Play-Off – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur's Toby Alderweireld looks likely to leave the club in 2023 (Clive Rose/PA)

Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld is likely to leave after his current contract expires in 2023, Teamtalk reports. The 31-year-old Belgian's father Viv says the chance of his son moving closer to home "is real", and mentioned Ajax or "an Antwerp club" as likely destinations.

Exciting young Icelandic forward Isak Bergmann Johannesson has dealt a potential blow to Liverpool by saying Manchester United is his "favourite team". The 17-year-old, son of former Premier League star Joey Gudjonsson, has become the topic of intense transfer speculation after a superb start to the season with his Norwegian club Norrkoping, with Liverpool and United said to be keenly interested. The England-born Johannesson told Sportbladet that while Liverpool are playing "good football now", United remained his favourite side.

Chelsea v Southampton – Premier League – Stamford Bridge
Theo Walcott is keen to make his loan spell at Southampton permanent (Ben Stansall/PA)

Theo Walcott may be looking to make his loan spell at Southampton permanent. The attacker returned to his boyhood club on loan on Deadline Day, having fallen down the pecking order at Everton. The 31-year-old has told the Saints' website he is eager to work with Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl on a more long-term basis. Walcott's contract with Everton expires at the end of the season.

Social media round-up

Players to watch

Mauricio Pochettino: The former Tottenham and Southampton boss could have his heart set on a return to management, this time with Manchester United, according to ex-Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen, the Daily Star reports.

Turkey Soccer Champions League
PSG's Kylian Mbappe centre, could be a target for Liverpool (Ozan Kose/Pool/AP)

Kylian Mbappe: Liverpool are said to be working on a strategy to lure the World Cup winner from Paris St Germain to Anfield, Teamtalk reports.

Timothy Weah: The 20-year-old USA forward could move from Lille to Saint-Etienne on loan, L'Equippe reports.

ID:420334: cacheID:420334:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:9252:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi pictured in October 2020
Read Next:
Tuesday's papers: Antonio Rudiger, Shkodran Mustafi, Danny Rose
>
rhs 2.0
Euro 2024 fixtures header
Friday, July 5
 
5pm
Quarter-Finals
Spain
vs.
Germany
 
8pm
Quarter-Finals
Portugal
vs.
France
Saturday, July 6
 
5pm
Tuesday, July 9
Wednesday, July 10
Sunday, July 14
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!