Football rumours: Wenger turned down Fulham with Bayern in waiting?

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling could swap life at one mid-table Premier League club for another if speculation linking with with a move to Everton turns out to carry any weight. Tabloid tittle-tattle says the Goodison Park outfit want to take him on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer, but could make a bid for him in January instead. Smalling is currently negotiating a new contract with United, in a state of affairs that cynics might suggest is in some way related to the coincidental appearance of stories linking with him a move elsewhere.

The defender’s team-mate, Ashley Young, is also reported to be the subject of interest from elsewhere, with the Sun saying Roma may move for him in the next transfer window. The 33-year-old’s contract also expires at the end of the season, but United are ready to offer him a one-year extension.

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Fulham’s appointment of Claudio Ranierias their new manager caught everyone by surprise, but it seems the Italian wasn’t Shahid Khan’s first choice to replace Slavisa Jokanovic. The Telegraph claims Arsène Wenger was approached to take over at Craven Cottage, but turned down the job because he’s holding out for the soon-to-be-vacant gig at Bayern Munich. Former Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim and former Chelsea and Tottenham boss André Villas-Boas are also reported to have “politely declined the opportunity to speak to Fulham” before the club hierarchy gave the job to Ranieri on an unspecified “multi-year” contract.

A Uefa investigation into Financial Fair Play could lead to Paris Saint-Germain having to sell Kylian Mbappé or Neymar. Real Madrid are ready to pounce on either, with the Brazilian considered most likely to leave the French champions if they are forced to part company with one of their stars.

And finally, pictorial evidence of Avram Glazer gadding about in Saudi Arabia has prompted further speculation that the number of Premier League clubs in Manchester owned by repressive Middle Eastern regimes may be about to increase by one. Pictures have emerged of the Manchester United co-owner meeting with an associate of Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who was rumoured to have offered £4bn for the club last month. At the time the Guardian reported there was little, if any, appetite within the Old Trafford hierarchy for a change of ownership. Newspaper reports suggest Glazer is in the Gulf state this week to speak at the Misk global forum, a two-day event that “brings young leaders, creators and thinkers together with established global innovators” and sounds like a whole lot of fun.