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Thursday's papers: Philippe Coutinho, Jack Grealish, Antonio Rudiger

Thursday's papers: Philippe Coutinho, Jack Grealish, Antonio Rudiger
© Reuters
Philippe Coutinho to Chelsea? Jack Grealish to United? It's all in today's football gossip.

What the papers say

Philippe Coutinho could be on his way back to England after all, Spanish website Sport reports. Barcelona are keen to offload the 27-year-old midfielder, currently on loan at Bayern Munich, but the Brazilian was quick to rule out a return to Liverpool. However, Chelsea have stepped in and are said to be keen to take him on loan. Manchester United, Tottenham, Everton and Leicester are also reportedly interested.

Manchester United are still eager to sign Jack Grealish, according to the Evening Standard. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful of acquiring the Aston Villa captain for around £60million, making him an attractive option when compared to another potential target in Leicester's James Maddison, who is valued at £80million. Grealish is believed to be United's No.2 target after Borussia Dortmund's £120million man, Jadon Sancho.

Soccer – 2014 UEFA Super Cup – Sevilla v Real Madrid – Cardiff City Stadium
James Rodriguez could be on his way to Manchester United (Joe Giddens/PA)

United are also in the running for James Rodriguez, Spanish website AS reports. Real Madrid have been keen to sell the Colombian forward, who is also on loan at Bayern. The 28-year-old's contract expires at the end of this season. Napoli would provide the stiffest competition for his signature, while Everton and Juventus have also been mentioned in discussions.

West Ham could be about to lose Felipe Anderson to Napoli, according to Corriere dello Sport. The 26-year-old Brazilian winger is seen as an ideal fit for Napoli, although his potential pricetag could be too high.

Chelsea v Liverpool – FA Cup – Fifth Round – Stamford Bridge
Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger is attracting attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe (Mike Egerton/PA)

Chelsea are keen to tie down Antonio Rudiger to a new contract, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund contemplating bids for the centre-back, Sky Sport reports. The 27-year-old's current contract expires in 2022, and the Blues reportedly want to secure him for at least an extra year on upgraded terms following his impressive form since returning from a groin injury in December.

Social media round-up

Players to watch

Joe Hart: Besiktas are considering signing the 32-year-old Burnley keeper, Turkish website Fanatik.

Cameron Peupion: The 17-year-old Australian midfielder is a target for Brighton, the Sydney Morning Herald says.

Diego Carlos: The 27-year-old Brazilian is set to ignore interest from Liverpool as he would prefer to stay at Sevilla, according to Spain's Estadio Deportivo website.

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Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho celebrates scoring their third goal in January 2020
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


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