Atletico Willing to Sell Alvarez to Arsenal — Paper Talk

Here are the main transfer headlines and football stories circulating in Saturday’s papers.

Premier League

• Atletico Madrid have reportedly softened their stance and are now open to selling Julian Álvarez to Arsenal, according to the Daily Express. Talks could accelerate if the clubs reach terms.
• Brighton have turned down a second bid from Liverpool for winger Yankuba Minteh, with the Seagulls understood to be holding out for around £70m (Daily Mirror).
• Chelsea are in the process of reducing their centre-back numbers ahead of the season, with manager Xabi Alonso said to want a smaller defensive group of up to five senior centre-backs (Daily Mail).
• Manchester United continue to push to complete signings before the Premier League season begins, as they work to finalise deals (Daily Star).
• Young prospect Max Dowman has collected his GCSE results and will leave school to begin his first full season as a professional footballer (Daily Mail).

World Football

• Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is reportedly exploring plans for a UK bid to host the men’s World Cup, alongside proposals for a Northern Olympics-style event (The Independent).
• Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah met an inspirational fan, Isaac Kearney, in Turkey in a widely shared and emotional reunion (Daily Mirror).

Scottish Football

• Rangers are being tipped to consider Lens striker Rayan Fofana as short-term cover for injured forward Youssef Chermiti (Scottish Sun).
• Celtic face a blow as Alistair Johnston is set for an extended spell out through injury, leaving manager Martin O’Neill to assess right-back options with two weeks left in the transfer window (Scottish Sun).
• Dundee boss Jim Goodwin confirmed Will Ferry will miss the derby but indicated the left-back is not leaving Tannadice despite intense summer speculation (Scottish Sun).

Tennis

• Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open while recovering from a right-knee injury (Daily Express).
• Jack Draper will also miss the US Open due to a persistent bone bruise that has disrupted his recent seasons (The Independent).

Paper Talk on Sky Sports News runs weekdays reviewing national sports headlines; catch the show live or listen via the Paper Talk podcast for a roundup of the latest transfer and news stories.