Football rumours from the media

What the papers say

Ex-Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane looks to be in high demand, with his former club, Chelsea and Juventus all hoping to land the Frenchman, The Sun says. Chelsea are hoping the 46-year-old will replace Maurizio Sarri at the end of the season, the paper says, but Real need a reversal of fortunes after crashing out the Champions League – with Zidane having already proved his credentials there, lifting the trophy three times with the Spanish side.

Meanwhile, after Roma’s Champions League defeat, Claudio Ranieri is being lined up to take over at the Italian club, the Mirror reports. Eusebio Di Francesco was sacked after the loss to Porto on Wednesday and 67-year-old Ranieri is now said to be leading the race to take the helm at the club in his home country.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemingly strengthening his hand to get the Manchester United job on a permanent basis, the Mirror is reporting that the Norwegian will have to settle for a lower wage than that handed to his predecessor, Jose Mourinho. According to the paper, the caretaker manager will be offered £7.5million a year, compared with Mourinho’s £15million annual salary.

Ismaila Sarr remains on Arsenal’s radar, according to the Mirror, after scoring against the Gunners on Thursday night. The Senegal international contributed to Rennes’ 3-1 win in the Europa League and if he impresses again in the second leg, Arsenal may be persuaded to make a bid at the end of the season, the paper says.

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Ones to watch

Massimiliano Allegri: The Juventus boss’s future with the Serie A club has been put on ice, the Mail reports, with contract talks now set to take place at the end of the season.

Diego Llorente: Both Liverpool and Everton are keeping tabs on the Real Sociedad defender, the Liverpool Echo says. The Spanish 25-year-old could spark a summer battle as both Jurgen Klopp and Marco Silva reportedly look to bolster their defensive options for next season.