Liverpool like the look of Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and are trying to hijack the winger’s proposed move to Paris St-Germain, with their offer potentially helped by the Italian club’s apparent interest in Anfield benchwarmer Federico Chiesa, though the Georgian “also features on the list of potential targets for teams like Chelsea”, claim the Athletic, who also add, less promisingly, that “Liverpool are not specifically chasing a player of Kvaratskhelia’s profile”.

On his way to Napoli, meanwhile, is Bournemouth’s Philip Billing, initially on loan but with a view to the deal becoming permanent for £9m come the summer. Conversely, on his way to Bournemouth is the 29-year-old Paraguay striker Alex Arce, who is apparently wanted on loan, again with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, from the Ecuadorian champions, Liga Deportiva Universitaria.

Manchester City are ready to bid £25m for the 18-year-old (until Sunday) Palmeiras centre-back and Guardian Next Generation 2023 pick Vitor Reis, say the Times, and “are convinced that he is ready for first-team football straight away”. But the Brazilian side want £33m, and to keep him until June’s Club World Cup. “The 6ft 1in Reis is strong in the air, a good passer of the ball, and has impressive leadership skills despite his age,” the Times add. In what looks set to be a busy month for the nation’s most creative accountancy team City are also negotiating for the £25m-rated Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov and trying to lower the £65m asking price for Eintracht Frankfurt’s striker Omar Marmoush.

Related: Men’s transfer window January 2025: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues

Bryan Mbeumo was linked with Arsenal in this very column only on Thursday, but on Friday Manchester United want him, the Mirror saying Ruben Amorim is “a huge admirer of the forward and believes he would fit into his long-term plans”. A £40m bid is being readied. Meanwhile a strange report on the Mirror’s website exclaims in the headline that Marcus Rashford is “one step away from exit as forward flies out to complete deal”, before at no point suggesting that the forward has gone anywhere outside Lancashire (though as previously reported his agent has). Anyway, Milan are sending Noah Okafor to Leipzig on loan and are thereby creating a Rashford-shaped hole in their squad, and the front page of today’s Corriere dello Sport suggest “Rashford has chosen” the Rossoneri. If he changes his mind the Mail are reporting that West Ham would also like him, but that “the costs associated with bringing him to the London Stadium would likely be a hurdle”.

The Italian newspaper TuttoSport trail on their front page the intriguing news that the Inter manager, Simone Inzaghi, “is dreaming of Arsenal”, but further details require access to pages 14, 15, 16 and 17. They also reveal that Randal Kolo Muani, the PSG forward linked with Manchester United in this very column a couple of days ago, has agreed to join Juventus instead. Meanwhile Arsenal are “extremely unlikely” to buy Alexander Isak off Newcastle this summer, according to the Mail, even if they sell Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Also not leaving Newcastle is Martin Dubravka, whose proposed move to Saudi Arabia was set to be rubber-stamped by the club’s beancounters until Eddie Howe put his foot down. And finally, Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell is a target for “rival Premier League clubs” as well as “foreign sides”, according to the Mirror, while the Sun name Arsenal, Tottenham, Milan and Atlético Madrid as potential suitors.