FOOTBALL

Liverpool failed in their attempts to sign Southampton captain Virgil van Dijk this summer but also looked into signing Davinson Sanchez and Kalidou Koulibaly.

PSG were interested in signing Alexandre Lacazette this summer, but the striker chose to join Arsenal in the Premier League.

United have won all and drawn only once thus far in the league this season.

Bale, 28, has been ruled out for a month after picking up a calf injury in Real's Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren will miss Croatia's crucial World Cup qualifier against Finland on Friday due to separate back and achillies injuries.

Romelu Lukaku has already scored 10 goals this season.

Barcelona have not given up on signing Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool with the Brazil international being still keen on a move to the Nou Camp.

Everton and West Ham are keeping tabs on Theo Walcott who has played only 46 minutes of Premier League football this season.

Batshuayi, 24, has only made one start in the Premier League for the Blues this season and is yet to score.

Real Madrid are plotting a £177m move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane as president Florentino Perez looks to overhaul the club's frontline.

Stuart Pearce claims Liverpool will sign Virgil van Dijk in January or next summer. The Southampton defender was heavily linked with Jurgen Klopp's side in the last transfer window.

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata will undergo further tests this week to determine the severity of the hamstring he suffered during the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Aguero has scored eight goals in seven games across all competitions for City and looks likely to miss at least seven matches.

Pogba is expected to be sidelined until later in the year, but Fellaini has proved an able deputy in the Frenchman's absence.

The Reds are undefeated against the last season's top six and Gerrard remains confident that Liverpool can bounce back.

Gerrard believes clinical Spurs frontman is the in-form player in world football right now and a "perfect role model and ambassador for the game".

New calf injury setback could see Bale miss both Champions League Group H ties against former club Spurs, in addition to Wales' last two World Cup qualifiers.

Ariedo Braida travelled to Germany to watch over Leon Goretzka last week but has since suggested the Germany international is not ready for a move to the Nou Camp.

Simon Francis is backing Callum Wilson is return to his best when the Bournemouth striker returns from a serious knee injury for the second time in as many seasons.

Lacazette arrived at Arsenal from Lyon this summer and admits the presence of Alexis Sanchez played a role in his decision to join the north London club.

Barcelona international adviser Ariedo Braida travelled to Germany to watch the Bundesliga encounter between Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen on Friday night (29 September).

England will qualify for the World Cup if they can secure a point against either Slovenia or Lithuania.

Crystal Palace manager Hodgson says the responsibility of captaining the England side and leading the attack could weight heavy on Kane's shoulders.

Prolific Spaniard appears hopeful of being ready for next top-flight fixture despite fears he could miss up to two months with a grade two myofascial injury.

Gerard Pique is facing the prospect of retirement from international duty with Spain after making clear his feelings over Catalan independence.

Virgil va Dijk has broken silence and hinted that he could reassess his options in the New Year amid sustained interest from Jurgen Klopp.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane will find it hard to turn down a move to Manchester United next summer according to ex-Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan.

Injury-plagued 26-year-old could play against Moldova and Wales despite having yet to feature at club level in 2017-18 as he recovers from a knee issue.

Former Real Madrid star Alvaro Morata only needed three weeks to recover from a similar two grade hamstring injury last season.