Football transfer rumours: Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Everton or Milan?

Everton fans face the prospect of a Duncan Ferguson-Zlatan Ibrahimovic buddy movie if word reaching the Rumour Mill from Italy is proved correct. Big Zlat is back in Europe having come, seen and conquered MLS by getting knocked out in the play-offs each season and is still desperate for on-field action. Milan, one of his myriad former clubs and another institution seeking a redemptive hero, may though end up being his eventual short-term destination. At 38, daring to Zlatan is only likely to be a quick fix.

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Even if Zlat does arrive on Merseyside, it won’t be Big Dunc calling the shots as the former “Birdman of Barlinnie” does not want the Everton job full-time. That opens the door for Carlo Ancelotti, whose main memory of Goodison Park until recently was probably being given his cards by Chelsea in the tunnel on the final day of the 2010-11 season. Mikel Arteta remains in the mix but Arsenal is the most likely destination for he of the immovable hair, a position Don Carlo is also interested in. West Ham may be a possible destination for either of them should Manuel Pellegrini get the push this weekend in the event of defeat by Southampton on Saturday.

Another boss in demand is Mauricio Pochettino, who is a stalking horse for Lucien Favre at Borussia Dortmund, who is on a knife-edge despite his team reaching the Champions League knockout stage this week.

As for actual transfers, it seems Leicester want to put golden handcuffs on James Maddison to make sure Manchester United have to pay a fee north of the £80m it cost to buy Harry Maguire. Should United think the playmaker is too expensive, then they may enter the race for Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen, who is wanted by just about every major club in Europe. Also on the United wishlist are Atlético Madrid midfielder Saúl Ñíguez, Red Bull Salzburg’s Rumour Mill staple Erling Braut Haaland and Ajax star Donny van de Beek, none of whom will come anything like cheap.

Another midfielder in demand is Genk’s Sander Berge, who Liverpool have had their eye on for a while, only for Napoli to step into the picture. “They expressed an appreciation for Berge, but we didn’t go beyond that,” said Genk suit Peter Croonen after the two teams met in the Champions League this week.

With Tammy Abraham now Chelsea’s leading man, the time for Olivier Giroud to bid au revoir may be coming in January. Internazionale and Atlético Madrid may fancy his flick-ons and less-than-prolific scoring rate. With Chelsea able to sign players in January, Giroud may be clearing some space on the wage bill for an emotional return for Nathan Aké from Bournemouth, should a £40m buy-back clause be triggered.

Chelsea also have their eyes on the Lyon striker Moussa Dembélé, 23, and RB Leipzig’s Germany forward Timo Werner to bolster their forward line.

And to round things off, another legend of MLS, Carlos Vela, last season’s MVP for his performances for Los Angeles FC, is a target for Barcelona on a four-month loan deal that would ease the burden on Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé and Ansu Fati before heading back across the Atlantic.