Chelsea eye BOTH Haaland and Bellingham, Grealish transfer LATEST, Prem fixtures – Man City, Tottenham latest news

UNMASKED

Paulo Fonseca is expected to be announced as the new manager at Spurs, and fans can expect a swashbuckling ride next season.

The former Roma boss, 48, is reportedly close to being confirmed as the new Tottenham manager.

As a kid, the Portuguese coach admittedly grew up in poverty in Mozambique, Africa.

His hero was the masked movie hero Zorro, who a young Fonseca would dress up as as a kid.

In 2017, he once appeared in the character’s costume at a press conference while in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk.

A year later, he married the love of his life – Katerina Ostroushko – who is 18 years his junior.

Click here to read more

EURO 2020: FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA

Russia picked up an important victory against Finland at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.

The Finnish national team thought they got the lead in the opening minutes when Jukka Raitala dispossessed Igor Diveev at the right flank and delivered a stunning cross to Joel Pohjanpalo.

Pohjanpalo headed the ball past Matvei Safonov but was caught just an inch offside by VAR.

Russia got unlucky soon after as they lost Mario Fernandes to what appeared to be a back injury.

But Stanislav Cherchesov’s men created plenty of chances and finally broke the deadlock in the second minute of stoppage time.

Aleksey Miranchuk danced around Finland’s defence and passed to Artem Dzyuba who then set his team-mate up in the area for a stunning curling shot that beat Lukas Hradecky.

Russia had chances to seal the win in the second half with Aleksandr Golovin and Rifat Zhemaletdinov but they both just missed the target.

JUVE DONE IT BEFORE!

Cristiano Ronaldo shunned fizzy drinks giant Coca-Cola by moving bottles off-screen and telling fans to drink water – but the footballer has made millions from advertising ‘unhealthy products’ in the past.

The Portuguese star’s stunt at a press conference, ahead of his team’s 3-0 Euros victory against Hungary, cost the brand $4billion (£2.8bn).

The share price for Coca-Cola, which is one of the competition’s sponsors, dropped from $56.10 to $55.22 – lowering their market value from $242bn to $238bn.

While the 36-year-old footballer is known to be a health fanatic, in the past he’s lent his name, image and support to junk food and fizzy drink companies in the past.

Sponsorship deals have helped to top up the £28million-a-year Juventus salary by hundreds of millions.

Ronaldo’s recent Coca-Cola swipe comes in spite of him promoting countless products, which according to Forbes made him football’s first billionaire.

Click here to read more

BRIGHT IDEA

Brighton have reportedly rejected a £40million bid from Arsenal for defender Ben White.

Sky Sports claims the Gunners launched their ambitious offer on Wednesday for Graham Potter’s England star.

But Brighton rejected the offer after reportedly slapping White with a £50m price-tag following his Euros call-up.

However, it’s added that Arsenal remain undeterred and are expected to return with an improved offer.

MORE ON SMITH ROWE

Arsenal have rejected a £25million offer from Aston Villa for Emile Smith Rowe.

The 20-year-old has burst onto the scene this season with the North London side but is currently discussing a new contract with the club.

His current deal runs in June 2023 – and Villa were hoping to pounce on the uncertainty over his future.

They submitted their bid to Arsenal earlier, however, Mikel Arteta’s side instantly rejected it.

Negotiations over an extension began in April with Arteta keen to secure his long-term future as swiftly as possible.

Smith Rowe is a product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy and joined them aged 10.

ROWE YOUR BOAT

Arsenal have batted away Aston Villa’s efforts to land Emile Smith Rowe on the cheap with the Gunners still trying to secure the youngster’s future.

AMPED UP

Exclusive by Chisanga Malata: Ethan Ampadu had a winner’s mentality long before he hit the big time with Chelsea and Euro 2020 contenders Wales.

Former Stoke Hill coach David Evans told SunSport: “He used to play for us in the summer tournaments.

“And then all of sudden, there’d be a penalty shootout in the semi-final and if you win it, you’re in the final and if you lose it, you’re going home.

“And I remember seeing him in tears after we lost a penalty shootout.

“Playing in local football was Ethan’s first introduction to winning and losing and being competitive.”

LET’S NIC HIM

Brighton are eyeing a move for Argentine hotshot Nicolas Gonzalez.

Signing a new striker is Albion’s priority this summer and they hold a long-standing interest in the £25million-rated Stuttgart forward.

But Graham Potter’s side face competition from Italian outfit Fiorentina.

Brighton may have to break their club-record for a transfer fee – which is currently the £20m they shelled out for Adam Webster to land the 23-year-old.

Versatile Gonzalez can play across the forward line and was used largely on the left-hand side of the attack for Stuttgart last season.

He managed six goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances, but has been sidelined since February with a muscular tear.

BELLI RUB

Deals for Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland could intertwine in a busy summer for Chelsea, according to reports.

The Blues are long-term admirers of the Borussia Dortmund pair and tried to sign Bellingham, 17, before he moved to Germany.

That interest has not gone away following his quick adaptation to playing for one of the Bundesliga’s top clubs.

But the Blues will have to tread carefully in dealing with Dortmund, in the knowledge that they also hold the key to the future of Haaland.

As reported by Goal, Chelsea hope a good relationship can be struck up with the German team.

If they can find a mutually-beneficial route to signing Haaland, there is said to be optimism that Borussia will be more open to doing a deal for Bellingham further down the road.

ARN-OUT-OVIC

Marko Arnautovichas been slapped with a one-match BAN for ‘insulting’ celebration during the Euro 2020 win over North Macedonia.

The former West Ham star, 32, scored his side’s third goal in the 89th minute to kill off the game – won 3-1 by Austria.

Arnautovic was held back by David Alaba as he celebrated wildly.

After the game, furious North Macedonia players claimed Arnautovic had racially abused them, insisting the player had directed ‘insults’ at Ezgjan Alioski and Egzon Bejtulai – two players with Albanian roots.

Arnautovic is an ethnic Serb, a country that does not recognise the former Yugoslav state as an independent nation.

North Macedonia released a scathing statement ‘demanding the harshest punishment’, while Arnautovic denied any racism.

After an investigation, Uefa have decided to ban Arnautovic for one game – Thursday night’s clash with Holland.

TAM SANDWICHED

Chelsea have launched a bid of £60million AND Tammy Abraham for Erling Haaland, according to reports.

The Blues are one of a number of teams chasing the Borussia Dortmund striker this summer.

They are seeking to move ahead of the pack, by making their move early.

According to Italian reporter Ekrem Konur, Chelsea have opened the bidding at £60m and Abraham in a player-plus-cash deal.

Dortmund have so far been determined to hold out for a bumper £150m fee this summer.

But the prospect of signing a replacement in Abraham, while receiving a similar fee to what they’d make when his £68m release clause becomes active next season, may be an attractive proposition.

MAD FOR HIM

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a shock move for Leicester playmaker James Maddison as a replacement for Martin Odegaard.

Mikel Arteta had been keen to permanently sign the Norway international, but it is understood he will be remaining at Real Madrid.

And the Gunners then lost out to Aston Villa in the race to prise Emiliano Buedia away from Norwich.

But according to reputable news source The AFC Bell, the North London giants have England midfielder Maddison in their sights.

They state that the 24-year-old has emerged as a key target and a move to the Emirates cannot be ruled out this transfer window.

And Football.London journalist Chris Wheatley has confirmed that the ex-Canaries ace is indeed being monitored by Arsenal.

He even suggested that Chelsea could join the race to sign him should Hakim Ziyech depart Stamford Bridge after just one year.

EUR THE BEST

England stars Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho both make the most valuable Euro 2020 XI.

Sancho – a summer transfer target for Manchester United – is currently worth a sensational £86m.

Dortmund are looking to recoup that to the final penny, with United’s first bid of the year £11m short, at £75m.

But his £86m tag is enough for Sancho to make it into the Euro 2020 most valuable team worth €1.04BILLION (£890m) at right midfield.

On the opposite wing, France star Kylian Mbappe is the priciest star, valued at £137m.

The rest of the midfield is made up of Belgium star Kevin de Bruyne (£86m), Germany ace Joshua Kimmich and Holland’s Frenkie de Jong (both £77m).

MORE FROM LINEKER

The BBC presenter moved to explain why the Beeb aired distressing images of Christian Eriksen’s collapse rather than cutting to the studio.

He told the Times: “The Uefa broadcast feed cut into a couple of images that we never would have.

“While it’s happening, it’s easy to be critical. In an ideal world we wouldn’t have had a couple of those images for sure, which is why I came back with some apologetic words. But it was a very difficult half-hour.”

LINEKER ON ERIKSEN

The former England star was lead anchor for BBC when Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s 1-0 defeat to Finland.

He told the Times: “Our reaction was the same as anyone at home. Shock, and it felt quite traumatic.”

“I honestly suspected at one point we had lost him because they were suddenly putting screens up. ‘Oh my goodness.’

“I was working the day that Fabrice Muamba had his collapse [playing for Bolton Wanderers away to Tottenham Hotspur in 2012] and the Leicester helicopter incident [in which five people died, including the club’s owner, in 2018], but they weren’t during the show.

“These were unbelievably difficult circumstances.”

LIFE’S ROSEY

Watford have bolstered their ranks ahead of the return to the Premier League with the signing of Danny Rose.

The left-back, 30, joins the Hornets on a free transfer after penning a two-year deal.

RAM RAID

Exclusive by Charlie Wyett: Aaron Ramsdale is a shock target for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

The Sheffield United keeper, 23, was yesterday called up into the England 2020 squad as a replacement for injured Dean Henderson.

And Ramsdale is a surprise name on Arsenal’s summer wanted list.

However, the recently-relegated Blades want around £20million for their star stopper.

Emirates boss Arteta has a major goalkeeper issue with the future of Bernd Leno unclear as he could be returning to Germany.

Brighton’s Mat Ryan spent the second half of last season on loan in North London but looks unlikely to return to Arsenal.

GIFT OF THE GAB

Gabby Logan has opened up about the tragic death of her younger brother Daniel.

The popular TV presenter was reminded of Daniel’s passing, aged just 15, by Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on Saturday while playing for Denmark.

After the harrowing events in Copenhagen, Logan, 48, said: “Saturday night stirred up a lot of memories about Daniel, what happened to Christian, and I realised my own personal journey, my career, evolved in many ways out of a need to have some sort of a connection with his life.”

She then added: “He was just a few months shy of his 16th birthday and he was about to start his full-time professional contract when he died of a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a hidden heart condition.

“We had absolutely no idea that he had this ticking time bomb inside him.

“He was playing football in the garden with my dad, and my other brother, who was six at the time.

“And he went over to the long grass to pick up a ball, fell over, and died.”

BEER WE GO

Paul Pogba mirrored Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola snub by removing a Heineken beer bottle during his press conference.

The devout Muslim moved the beverage from the table in front of him following France’s 1-0 win against Germany on Tuesday night.

Pogba, who made a religious pilgrimage to Mecca along with Kurt Zouma in 2018, refused to endorse one of Euro 2020’s official sponsors as alcohol is forbidden for Muslims.

The 28-year-old has become the latest star to take a stance against the Euro’s sponsors after Ronaldo removed two bottles of Coca-Cola placed in front of him.

BEER WE GO

Paul Pogba mirrored Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola snub by removing a Heineken beer bottle during his press conference.

The devout Muslim moved the beverage from the table in front of him following France’s 1-0 win against Germany on Tuesday night.

Pogba, who made a religious pilgrimage to Mecca along with Kurt Zouma in 2018, refused to endorse one of Euro 2020’s official sponsors as alcohol is forbidden for Muslims.

The 28-year-old has become the latest star to take a stance against the Euro’s sponsors after Ronaldo removed two bottles of Coca-Cola placed in front of him.

GET YOUR FIX

The Premier League 2021/22 fixtures have been announced!

And United open up against Leeds…

NA YOU’RE TALKING

Arsenal target Andre Onana is receiving more interest from around Europe after his doping ban was reduced from 12 months to nine, according to reports.

The Cameroonian star has not played for Ajax since February, after testing positive for banned substance Furosemide.

He appears to have played his last game for the Dutch champions, as they look to sell him with just a year remaining on his contract.

Arsenal are a front-runner to sign the highly-rated 25-year-old.

But they are not alone.

According to Goal, Onana is receiving plenty of interest from France, as well as an approach from one of the Gunners’ fellow top eight Premier League clubs.

Interest has increased since Onana’s doping ban was reduced on appeal.

KING’S ORDERS

Manchester United have reportedly received a blow in their pursuit of Kingsley Coman with the Bayern Munich winger now expected to remain in Bavaria.

The French winger had been heavily linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena after claims he rejected a contract extension.

It has been stated that the 25-year-old believed the salary was too low, and he wanted to earning the same as £14.5million-a-year Leroy Sane.

This led the Red Devils to target the former Juventus ace as a cheaper alternative to Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho.

But according to Goal, it appears it is Sancho or nothing for United with Coman considered as a key player in new Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann’s plans.

With Coman under contract until 2023, the Bundesliga champions are in no rush to sell the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man.

They will only part ways with the player should a potential suitor stump up a fee in the region of £60million.

SACRE BLEU

Benjamin Pavard has revealed he was left unconscious by a nasty collision in Tuesday’s game with Germany – but played on regardless.

Die Mannschaft midfielder Robin Gosens piled into the France star as the pair competed for the ball in Pavard’s 18-yard box.

A foul was awarded to the Bayern Munich defender, who hit the ground with a total lack of control over his body.

French physios treated Pavard and allowed him to play on despite his later confession that he was out cold for over ten seconds.

He stated post-game: “I took a real shock.

“I was a little knocked out for ten, 15 seconds.”

GOOD MORNING

Chelsea are favourites to sign Jack Grealish in the summer.

The Blues face strong competition from the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City for Grealish.

According to Fichajes, however, the west Londoners are in pole position to wrap up a £100million move.

That would smash the current British transfer record of £89m paid by United for Paul Pogba back in 2016.

However, Chelsea supremo Roman Abramovich is willing to back manager Thomas Tuchel in the transfer market following his Champions League triumph.

Meanwhile, United could seal the transfer of Borussia Dortmund ace Jadon Sancho by the end of the week.

That is according to The Times, as ‘Dortmund believe that a deal could be finalised next week’.

And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that ‘United’s camp have been in contact with Sancho over the weekend’.

Talks with Dortmund over a potential €95m (£81m) price, bonus details and payment structure will continue in the next days.

But the Red Devils’ initial £60m won’t be enough to complete the transfer.

And former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca held further talks about the vacant Tottenham job with Fabio Paratici in Milan on Monday.

That is according to Football London, who claim Fonseca is expected to become the new manager at Spurs.

Those within the Portuguese coach’s camp have indicated that he met with the north Londoners’ new managing director Paratici.

The two men are believed to be discussing Fonseca’s incoming backroom staff.

Finally, Arsenal are keeping tabs on Leicester ace James Maddison ahead of next season.

According to Football London, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has been a long-term admirer of Maddison.

However, the midfielder’s asking price poses as a major issue for the north Londoners.

Plus, Arsenal may have to battle with Chelsea, who will move for the 24-year-old star if they lose Hakim Ziyech.