Two of English football's biggest spenders have woken up pointed at the same name. Teamtalk report that Liverpool and Manchester United are among several Premier League clubs keeping an eye on Felix Nmecha, the Borussia Dortmund and Germany midfielder, who carries an £84m valuation.
Nmecha or Scott? Liverpool are weighing two very different answers
The detail that gives the Liverpool end of this story some texture is who Nmecha is being measured against. According to the same report, Anfield view the 26-year-old as an alternative to Alex Scott, the 23-year-old England international at Bournemouth. One is already operating in a Champions League midfield week to week. The other is three years younger and still climbing. Clubs do not usually shortlist two players that far apart unless the job description is still being argued over somewhere inside the building.
Manchester United's interest in the same player is listed with no fee and no timeline attached, which is generally how these things begin.
Buendia nears a new Villa deal, Alexander-Arnold grows restless
Elsewhere, the Mail say Emiliano Buendia is close to agreeing a new contract at Aston Villa after what the paper describes as positive progress in talks. The Argentina midfielder is 29.
The line most likely to travel, though, concerns Trent Alexander-Arnold. Teamtalk report that the England right-back, now 28, is thinking hard about his Real Madrid future because he is not playing enough, and that a host of clubs are monitoring the situation. Liverpool, the club he left, are named among them. Whether that is a genuine route back or simply the list of names that gets attached to any unsettled full-back, nobody involved is saying.
A 16-year-old, a Brazilian full-back and the Conte question
Spanish outlet Sport claim JJ Gabriel's exit from Manchester United is imminent, with Real Madrid having made a significant offer for the 16-year-old English forward. Barcelona and Bayern Munich are said to be interested as well. United, for their part, are reported by Football Insider to be watching Wesley, Roma's 23-year-old Brazil full-back, with a January move in mind.
Rio Ngumoha has pushed back on talk of a switch to Arsenal, telling Metro that contract talks at Liverpool are going well. The England winger is 18.
Two managerial items close the column out. Talksport suggest United would have to outbid Juventus for Antonio Conte, 57, should they decide to move on from Michael Carrick. And Football Insider say Brighton are relaxed about Fabian Hurzeler's long-term future after an impressive start to the season, with the 33-year-old German having been linked to Old Trafford in recent weeks. Relaxed is not quite the same word as staying.
Gossip context: Items collected from Teamtalk, the Mail, Sport, Football Insider, Metro and Talksport via BBC Sport's daily football gossip column. Felix Nmecha, 26, is contracted to Borussia Dortmund and is rated at £84m. None of the moves listed above has been confirmed by the clubs involved.
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