Saturday’s news and transfer rumour gossip.
Liverpool are preparing a £40m January bid for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, 26 – (Daily Star)
Chelsea attempted an audacious move for Lionel Messi during the transfer window. The Blues were willing to pay £118m for the 27-year-old Barcelona forward – (Daily Express)
Arsenal are keen on a January move for Malaga’s Portuguese left back Vitorino Antunes, who has a buy-out clause of only £2.5m – (Daily Mirror)
Everton manger Roberto Martinez has dismissed reports linking Manchester City with a move for 20-year-old playmaker Ross Barkley – (Times)
Forward Andre Schurrle, 23, insists he is fully committed to Chelsea despite reported Atletico Madrid interest – (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is reportedly being tracked by Bayern Munich ahead of a prospective transfer to Germany in January – (Metro)
Nathaniel Clyne hopes Southampton’s stunning start to the season will propel him into the England squad – (Daily Star)
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley claims comments he made saying manager Alan Pardew will be sacked if he loses their Premier League game at Stoke City on Monday were a joke and “tongue in cheek” – (Independent)
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana, 26, says the Reds reduced him to tears when he was a boy – because he supported Everton – (Daily Mirror)
Defenders Tom Thorpe, 21, and Paddy McNair, 19, have been included in Manchester United’s squad to face West Ham United on Saturday as Louis van Gaal searches for a solution to his shortage of defenders – (Guardian)
Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho has dismissed suggestions that he tried to force through a summer move to the Premier League – (Daily Mirror)
Manager Alan Irvine says he has no intention of making Joleon Lescott West Bromwich Albion captain despite the defender’s encouraging start to his career at The Hawthorns – (Birmingham Mail)
Midfielder Stewart Downing, 30, says he is “loving life” at West Ham United and believes he would be good enough to get into the team at his former club Liverpool – (Daily Telegraph)
Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle, 24, says he now has no excuses after admitting he was affected by his £4.5m transfer fee last summer – (London Evening Standard)
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has reignited his feud with Manchester City counterpart Manuel Pellegrini by claiming he “killed” referee Mark Clattenburg – (Daily Mail)
Juventus full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner has played down talk of a swap deal involving PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot – (Sky Sports)
Meanwhile, City midfielder Samir Nasri, 27, needs surgery on a groin injury and is expected to be out for a month – (Daily Telegraph)
Louis van Gaal says he intends to solve Manchester United’s injury problems by applying the same methods that helped Dutch winger Arjen Robben, 30, overcome his fitness concerns – (Guardian)
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, 36, says the Reds have been “so poor” this season and need to sort themselves out – (Daily Mail)
Arsene Wenger says Tottenham have no chance of matching Arsenal’s success unless “someone comes in and buys the club” and injects significant funds – (Daily Express)
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben, 30, wants to open a private museum in his own home to showcase his trophies and medals when he hangs up his boots – (NDTVSports)
Arsene Wenger believes he may well be able to find the defensive midfielder fans have been calling for in the shape of About Diaby – (Inside Futbol)
AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani insists there is no rush to offer midfielder Nigel de Jong a new contract – (Sky Sports)
Fraser Forster is hoping his move to Southampton will strengthen his England chances – (Daily Mirror)
Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has rubbished suggestions that he is seeking a move away from the Serie A club – (Sky Sports)