Manchester United Targets Arsenal’s Walcott, Mail Says: Roundup

The following is a roundup of soccer stories from U.K. newspapers, with clickable Internet links.

Walcott Future

Manchester United plans to see off competition from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City to sign Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, the Daily Mail said.

The England winger has turned down an offer of 75,000 pounds ($121,000) a week from Arsenal and the two sides haven’t met since Aug. 28, the newspaper said.

United is the preferred choice for Walcott, who wants about 100,000 a week, the newspaper said.

No Joe

Liverpool plans to sell winger Joe Cole and spend 18 million pounds to hire Blackpool’s Tom Ince and Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge, the Daily Mirror said.

Ince was a Liverpool trainee and Sturridge wants more playing time, the newspaper said. Cole, 31, scored his first Premier League goal in 20 months last weekend and wants to stay at Anfield, the newspaper said.

Ba Replacement

Newcastle coach Alan Pardew is preparing to replace Demba Ba with Ukraine striker Artem Milevskiy, the Sun said.

Ba has refused to sign a long-term deal and a 7 million pound bid would allow him to leave, the newspaper said. Dynamo Kiev is willing to sell the 27-year-old, the Sun added.

Moscow Mission

Reading may buy former Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow as it seeks to stay in the Premier League, the Mirror said.

Royals owner Anton Zingarevich flew to Moscow last week to watch the 31-year-old forward who left Spurs last January, the newspaper said.

‘Homer’ Win

West Ham is the first soccer team to feature in The Simpsons TV series after the London team’s crest was displayed above the bed of Bart Simpson’s neighbor, the Sun reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net