Ferdinand urges Man Utd to sack Solskjaer, Nigeria's Emenalo to join Newcastle as director

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects he will still be in charge of Manchester United for their next match after the international break, at Watford. (Guardian)

Rio Ferdinand, six times a Premier League winner with Manchester United, has urged his old club to sack Solskjaer after a poor run of form. (YouTube, via Mirror)

Watford and Newcastle are keen on taking Manchester United and England defender Phil Jones on loan, with a host of Championship clubs also interested in the 29-year-old. (Sun)

Dean Smith, sacked as Aston Villa boss at the weekend, could be handed an immediate return to football with Norwich City interested in him becoming their next manager. (Telegraph, subscription required)

Dean Smith was sacked after three years in charge at Aston Villa

Solskjaer’s misery compounded as Man City beat Man Utd

Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is also in the frame for the Norwich job, along with Southampton’s Ralph Hasenhuttl. (Sky Sports)

Tottenham will have to pay Fiorentina £60m to beat north London rivals Arsenal to the signing of Serbia forward Dusan Vlahovic, 21. (La Nazione, via Express)

Spain midfielder Saul Niguez, 26, is prepared to stay with Chelsea for the full duration of his season-long loan from Atletico Madrid, despite only playing for two minutes in the Premier League since the deal began in August. (Telegraph, subscription required)

Arsenal and England midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 24, says he is now happy to stay at the club after trying to leave during the summer transfer window. (PA Media, via Mail)

Newcastle United want to sign Lazio and Albania goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, 26, when the winter window opens. (Sun)

Former Chelsea technical director and ex-Nigeria international Michael Emenalo has emerged as the leading contender to become Newcastle United’s new director of football. (Telegraph, subscription required)

Michael Emenalo has departed Chelsea after 10 years at the club and 10 managers

Southampton, Brighton and Brentford are all interested in Chelsea’s English midfielder Ben Elliott, 19. (Sun)

Craig Shakespeare could join Claudio Ranieri’s coaching team at Watford following his exit from Aston Villa. Shakespeare was Ranieri’s assistant at Leicester when they won the Premier League in 2016. (Football Insider)