Football gossip, paper talk and transfer rumours: Arsenal lining up bid for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde

The latest transfer news and speculation from today's newspapers with Jamie Vardy tipped for a sensational move to Wrexham; Ruben Amorim is expecting Marcus Rashford back at Man Utd at the end of the season

Saturday 26 April 2025 09:14, UK

The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday's newspapers...

THE SUN

Arsenal are lining up a £55m bid for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.

Jamie Vardy has been tipped to move to Wrexham when he leaves Leicester at the end of the season.

Manchester City's Premier League rivals each face a £5m bill - if the dethroned champions win their crunch legal battle with League bosses.

Bournemouth are buying back their stadium as plans to more than double the capacity gather pace.

Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is reportedly set to leave the club this summer, with both Chelsea and Newcastle United interested.

THE TIMES

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot could miss the rest of the season with a calf injury.

Endemic fan violence in Argentina has prompted River Plate to introduce facial recognition technology to replace tickets for Sunday's Superclásico against Boca Juniors.

Donald Trump has taken back personal control of the company that runs the Turnberry golf course in Scotland, documents have revealed.

Rory McIlroy looks certain to receive a new honour to mark his triumph at the Masters, which completed a career grand slam, but the 35-year-old may have to wait until later in his career to get a knighthood.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

White men have been blocked from applying for jobs at Premier League football clubs. A potential legal error by the world's richest league has led to a number of teams - including Manchester United and Liverpool - recruiting for coaching roles open "only" to ethnic minorities and women.

A minute's silence will be observed in memory of Pope Francis during Celtic's Scottish Premiership match at Dundee United.

Chelsea are unlikely to make a move to re-sign Kevin De Bruyne, despite head coach Enzo Maresca hinting that he wants to add more experience to his squad this summer.

DAILY MAIL

Eni Aluko has issued a passionate apology to Ian Wright after facing backlash for claiming he was blocking opportunities for female pundits by 'dominating' women's football coverage.

Ruben Amorim is expecting Marcus Rashford back at the end of the season after his loan spell at Aston Villa, and will make a decision over the England star's future at Manchester United this summer.

DAILY MIRROR

Arne Slot insists he's never been told not to play someone at Liverpool down to financial reasons. The Reds boss has no idea if reports from Portugal are true surrounding Darwin Nunez after it was claimed if he plays another game for the club then it will trigger a further payment to Benfica of around £4.2m.

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has issued a warning about the dangers of smoking, admitting he has "lost the fight" with his "very negative" habit.

Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to sign two forwards in the summer transfer window in a bid to get the Gunners over the line in the title race after missing out on Premier League glory for a third successive year.

THE GUARDIAN

Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, the referee for Saturday's Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, was brought to tears on Friday, responding to a critical video published by Real's in-house TV channel (RMTV).

Enzo Maresca has said Chelsea's transfer plans depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League.

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Speaking on the Transfer Talk Podcast, Sam Tighe questions whether Chelsea have paid the price for focusing on signing some of the world's most talented youngsters over the past few transfer windows instead of signing first-team players.

THE ATHLETIC

Tickets for Liverpool's likely coronation as Premier League champions when they face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday are being listed by touts online for more than £3,000 each.

Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior has extended his contract at the club until June 2028.

Carl Rushworth wants to leave Brighton & Hove Albion unless his chances of game time improve.

Enzo Maresca believes Cole Palmer's struggle for form is because of a drop in self-belief rather than due to Chelsea's tactics.

American consortium GSG LOFC Limited, led by New York businessman David Gandler, has completed a takeover of English League One club Leyton Orient.

SCOTTISH SUN

Hibs boss David Gray has been rewarded for his exploits this season with a bumper contract extension at the club.

Aberdeen have snapped up prolific Aussie winger Nicolas Milanovic, according to reports coming from Down Under.

Barry Ferguson is poised to hold talks with Rangers' new sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

Willie Collum has hit back at Hearts boss Neil Critchley over his Scottish Cup blast at John Beaton.

Premier League giants Newcastle United and French cracks Lyon are among five teams chasing former Celtic striker Eseosa Sule, it's being claimed.

Former Celtic flop Alexandro Bernabei has become a shock target for Spanish club Sevilla after reviving his career back in South America.

DAILY RECORD

Neil Critchley is unwilling to wait and wonder when it comes to the future of his out-of-contract Hearts stars, saying he wants answers by the end of the season.

Jimmy Thelin has no concerns about playing Jamie McGrath against Hibs and insisted he will continue to be an important player for Aberdeen for the rest of the season.