Football rumours: Leicester too ‘cash-strapped’ to sack boss Brendan Rodgers

What the papers say

“Cash-strapped” Leicester are calculating the cost of sacking Brendan Rodgers after the club suffered its sixth consecutive defeat, plummeting them to the bottom of the Premier League, according to The Sun. The 49-year-old is one of the highest paid managers in the UK and it would cost Leicester over £10million in severance pay to get rid of him.

Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard was tempted to leave the German club during the summer transfer window, with Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Atletico Madrid and Juventus all reportedly keen on the 26-year-old right back. While the France player did not confirm which clubs were jostling for him, the Evening Standard writes, via Telefoot, that Erik ten Hag was eager to bring him in at Old Trafford.

The same paper says that RB Salzburg have insisted Christoph Freund will not leave them amid reports that Chelsea are close to appointing him as their new sporting director. The west London club’s co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have held talks with the 45-year-old and it is claimed a verbal agreement has been reached.

And the Daily Mirror claims Bayern Munich have a “secret” sack clause for their young embattled manager Julian Nagelsmann after the club went four games without a win. As pressure mounts over the 35-year-old’s future, the availability of Thomas Tuchel has reportedly “stirred the pot further”.

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Players to watch

Harry Kane: Italian outlet Calciomercato reports Chelsea manager Graham Potter wants to make a move for the 29-year-old Tottenham and England striker and will offer Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at Inter Milan, in exchange.
Mykhaylo Mudryk: The same outlet says Liverpool are interested in the 21-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk winger who has been compared to Neymar.