Paper Talk: Lacazette, Mahrez, Bony, Bolasie

Thursdays Paper Talk — Özil return to Real Madrid? Lacazette speculation over? Mahrez to stay at Leicester? Koné’s Sunderland ultimatum?

Arsenal

• Arsene Wenger has described his team’s defensive problems as “very frustrating”, but will not add reinforcements before Sunday’s game with Liverpool, despite being without a fit senior central defender. (talkSPORT »)
• However, the 66-year-old Frenchman could be about to spend £30m on Manchester City’s 27-year-old Ivory Coast international striker Wilfried Bony. (Daily Star »)
• Wenger will only consider signing a superstar striker, with Bayern Munich and Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, 27, and Atlético Madrid and France’s Antoine Griezmann, 25, his top targets. (The Sun »)
• Arsenal’s Germany playmaker Mesut Özil, 27, would relish a return to his previous club, Real Madrid. (Irish Independant »)
• Arsenal’s hopes of signing Alexandre Lacazette could finally end today with Lyon expected to tell them that the transfer fee for the striker has risen to £60m. (Telegraph »)

Chelsea

• Eintracht Frankfurt have held discussions with Chelsea over the possible loan of defender Matt Miazga. (Daily Mail »)

Crystal Palace

• Yannick Bolasie will complete his £25m switch from Crystal Palace to Everton in the next 24 hours. The 27-year-old Congolese winger will earn around £90k a week at Goodison Park. (The Mirror »)

Hull City

• Hull City could soon be under Chinese ownership after it emerged owners the Allam family are in advanced talks to sell the Premier League club. (Guardian »)

Leicester

• Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez, 25, has accepted that he will not be leaving Premier League champion Leicester City this season. (Guardian »)
• Atlético Madrid have made a €20m (£17.2m) offer for Santos and Brazil striker Gabriel Barbosa, 19, who is reported to be a target for Leicester. (Spanish — Mundo Deportivo »)
• Leicester City have made an offer of 27m euros (£23.1m) offer for Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Barbosa, according to reports. (Leicester Mercury »)

Liverpool

• Lucas Leiva’s proposed transfer from Liverpool to Galatasaray is off, according to the Turkish club’s sporting director. (Liverpool Echo »)

Manchester City

• Kevin De Bruyne claims Leroy Sané and İlkay Gündoğan can fire Manchester City to the title. (The Mirror »)

Manchester United

• Manchester United will allow Adnan Januzaj, 21, to join Sunderland on loan, but will not consider selling the Belgium forward. (Goal »)
• However, Januzaj, who has played 66 times for United’s first team, would prefer a move abroad. (Independent »)

Sunderland

• Everton target Lamine Koné has told new Sunderland manager David Moyes: ‘Back me or sell me’. (Daily Star »)
• Lamine Koné will train with the Black Cats on Wednesday morning and is available for Saturday’s trip to Manchester City, says his agent. (Newcastle Chronicle »)

Tottenham Hotspur

• Tottenham’s move for Marseille and France winger Georges-Kévin N’Koudou, 21, could be on the brink of collapse, because of disagreements over the structure of the £11m payment. (Guardian »)

West Ham

• West Ham are in a battle with Everton for Lyon winger Rachid Ghezzal. (London Evening Standard »)