Papers: Barcelona battle Arsenal for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe

All the top stories and transfer rumours from the back pages of Friday's national newspapers...

THE SUN

Barcelona have stepped up their interest in Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, potentially scuppering any hopes Arsenal had of tempting him to the Premier League.

Chelsea and Real Madrid have reached out to Inter Milan about Mauro Icardi after he was stripped of the club captaincy.

Laurent Blanc will be among the candidates to take over if Maurizio Sarri leaves Chelsea before the end of the season.

Willie McKay has re-iterated his challenge to Cardiff to have a public meeting over the Emiliano Sala transfer deal.

Claude Puel says Kasper Schmeichel has told him he is happy at Leicester after clear-the-air talks.

British golfer Charlotte Austwick almost drowned after being caught in a rip tide during a night swim in South Africa - she and two friends were saved by locals who rescued them just in time.

DAILY MIRROR

Diogo Dalot donated his first Manchester United pay packet to the Fintas Football School in Braga where he spent his formative football years.

DAILY MAIL

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been warned he faces much more severe punishment, including a lengthy touchline or stadium ban, if there is any repeat of comments about refereeing that cost him a £45,000 fine.

Lord Ouseley twice helped Millwall escape punishment for alleged racist chanting after being called as a witness for the club he supports in 2004 and 2009.

THE TIMES

Football's lawmakers will bring in a new wording on handball next week in a move to end confusion over "deliberate" contact of the hand with the ball.

All four FA Cup quarter-finals could see video assistant referees (VAR) used.

Phil Neville is in line to be coach of a British women's football team at next year's Tokyo Olympics.

Manu Tuilagi is set to reject a call from Eddie Jones to commit his future to England and sign a lucrative three-year deal with Racing 92 worth more than £2.5m.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Stoke City are weighing up a decision over sacking Saido Berahino after the striker was charged with drink driving earlier this week.

Liverpool's run to last season's Champions League final helped contribute £575m to the UK economy, according to a Deloitte report.

THE GUARDIAN

The ECB and Surrey are at loggerheads over The Hundred competition, meaning The Kia Oval could be stripped of hosting rights as a result.

DAILY RECORD

SFA chief Ian Maxwell has slammed the sectarian yobs dragging the Scottish game into the gutter.