Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Ibrahimovic makes Manchester United sweat over new contract, Manchester City 'target £30m Gaya', Arsenal 'open Wilshere talks'

Zlatan Ibrahimovic dominates the back pages of this morning’s papers, and not just because he scored a 94th-minute equaliser against Everton last night. The tabloids are more interested in whether the Swede will still be scoring 94th-minute goals for Manchester United next season, or for someone else instead. And Zlatan, shameless transfer tease that he is, is of course keeping everyone guessing – not least the Red Devils.

In a candid interview with BT Sport, he provided so many entertaining soundbites that the papers are falling over themselves trying to work out which bit to put in their headline – and they all reach a different conclusion.

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The Mirror says Zlatan is being “begged to stay” by the Premier League but is “undecided” on his future, giving special prominence to the quote, “Everybody thought I was in a wheelchair. What happened? The lion is still alive and that’s the way it is.”

The Telegraph focuses on Zlatan’s threat that he is not at Old Trafford to “waste time” and the club must “match his ambition”. In reference to contract talks, he says, “Listen, if I had something to say I would already have said it. We are talking. Whether we were far from each other or close to each other, there is no news.”

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Meanwhile, the Sun leads with Zlatan’s claim that he is a “lion among pussycats” in the United squad, although he didn’t actually say anything about pussycats. Trust the Sun to have all that excellent source material and still feel the need to make stuff up.

Across Manchester, Pep Guardiola is trying to buy a defence. The Star says Man City want to sign Valencia’s 21-year-old left-back Jose Luis Gaya and are set to offer the Spanish side Eliaquim Mangala in part exchange. Gaya is rated at £30m, but by throwing Mangala into the deal City could probably drive the price down to about £29.8m.

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Guardiola is set to be disappointed, however, in his pursuit of Atletico Madrid’s left-sided defender Theo Hernandez. The Mail says the 19-year-old is poised to sign for Real Madrid instead after the La Liga leaders tabled a £20m bid for the teenager.

West Ham are allegedly planning a £16m swoop for Hull City’s on-loan Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic (Sun), which sounds less bonkers when we learn that Hammers wide man Michail Antonio has rejected the club’s opening offer of a new contract (Sky Sports).

Elsewhere, Arsenal are finally set to open contract talks with Jack Wilshere although it “remains to be seen” whether he will sign one (Mail), Tottenham are keen on Inter Milan duo Geoffrey Kondogbia and Jeison Murillo (Tutto Mercato) and Romelu Lukaku has “played down” talk of a summer exit from Everton by saying he wants to “make history” at the club (Mirror). By smashing the Toffees “transfer fee received” record, perhaps?