Ashley Cole linked with Aston Villa and Derby County

Wherever next for Ashley Cole? After turning his nose up at a paltry – by his standards – £5,000-a-week contract extension at LA Galaxy, the former Arsenal and Chelsea defender is studiously weighing up his next move like Magnus Carlsen.

Providing the 37-year-old can pull himself away from Hollywood, all sundry of Championship clubs are keen on his signature. Cole has tickled the fancy of Aston Villa, as well as Derby, managed by his friend and former England team-mate Frank Lampard.

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As for Paris Saint-Germain, this is the moment they have been waiting for. By taking on Liverpool in the Champions League, they have the perfect opportunity to whisper in the ear of Fabinho, with Thomas Tuchel keen on opening talks with the Brazil international who arrived on Merseyside from Monaco last summer. Staying in Europe, José Mourinho may finally have the new centre-back he so badly craves, with Porto defender Éder Militão being tracked by Manchester United bigwigs.

Across the city, Pep Guardiola is preparing to rubber-stamp a move for the USA No 1 Zack Steffen, whose summer switch from Columbus Crew to Bristol City fell through owing to work permit issues. Manchester City will have no such problems, ready to snap up the goalkeeper for a cool £7.8m and then immediately loan him to feeder club Girona.

And word that Arsène Wenger’s agent was perched in one of the posh seats at the Allianz Arena on Saturday has added fuel to the the ‘Wenger In’ fire. Bayern Munich are ready to plump for the Frenchman, though Niko Kovac gave himself some breathing space with a thumping 5-1 win over Benfica in Bavaria. Wenger could yet return in a role upstairs, an executive position as opposed to a kicking-and-screaming one.

Elsewhere, the Bradford City joint-chairman Edin Rahic is set to walk out on the League One club, ending a tumultuous two-year reign alongside Stefan Rupp, while Football League clubs are queuing up round the block for Dominic Iorfa and Ethan Ebanks-Landell, both of whom have been told they can leave Wolves.