Harry Kane EXCLUSIVE, ‘Cristiano Ronaldo-Pogba swap’, ‘Saul Niguez up for sale’, Haaland decision imminent

ASH COMEBACK

Exclusive by Charlie Wyett: Ashley Young is mulling over his future as he prepares to add a Serie A winner’s medal to his collection with Inter Milan.

The ex-Manchester United captain, who turns 36 in July, has helped Antonio Conte’s team move 11 points clear at the top in Italy.

Young already has a string of offers at home and abroad, including a one-year extension with Inter.

But the right-back would love to end his career at the place he started it — Watford.

And it looks as though they will be in the Premier League next season, so that is a possibility.

GET AWAY

Exclusive by Martin Lipton: UEFA are set to partially scrap the away goals rule from next season.

Under the new regulations poised to be agreed on Friday, away goals will only count extra up to the end of 90 minutes in the second leg.

Any then scored in extra-time would have no advantage.

The proposal, understood to be backed by Europe’s top clubs, will be on the table at the meeting of Uefa’s competitions committee, which includes Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Manchester City chief exec Ferran Soriano.

A plan to scrap the away goals rules altogether has been rejected.

Uefa are ready to green light the change next term after a season of Covid-hit competitions increased scrutiny of the rule, which was introduced for the 1965-66 campaign.

FOOTBALL’S COMING HOME

Gareth Southgate has challenged England to win the European Championships this summer.

He told Sky Sports News: “Of course as a group, we want to win. What is the point of us going if we are not going there to try and win.

“We have got a group of players not just now but for the next few years as well that is going to mean England are competitive for years to come.

“When we were setting the blueprint for what St George’s Park would be about and the progress of the national teams, that was the discussion we had.

“We want to win, if you win you want to win again. It is a never-ending cycle. We haven’t won yet; we’ve had a lot of praise. We have got to take those next steps.”

HA LA LAND

Manchester United may have to occupy all of the top four spots on this list to attract Erling Haaland this summer.

MORE FROM SHAW

The Manchester United defender named Chelsea legend Ashley Cole as his main influence growing up.

He said: “I think, looking back at when I was growing up and my sort of era, and watching him a lot and basing my game a lot on him and what I wanted to be like as a player, then I would have to say Ashley Cole.

“I’ve always been a massive fan of him and thought, when I was growing up, he was one of the best left-backs at that time.

“For me, as an all-round full-back he was one of the best I’ve ever seen with attacking and defending, so I’d say Ashley Cole.”

LUK AT THAT

Luke Shaw has laughed off comparisons with Roberto Carlos.

He told United’s website: “I’ll be honest I’ve seen some things on it on social media and sometimes in my group chats my mates send me some stuff and I just laugh about it.

“I can’t be compared to him, he was unbelievable. I’m aware of it and it’s nice to be even mentioned alongside his name but I just laugh about it.”

UNITED WE STAND

Will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keep faith with Dean Henderson or turn back to top earner David de Gea?

MORE FROM IGHALO

The Nigerian, who now plays for Saudi club Al Shabab, believes Lingard’s future at Manchester United is now over.

He added: “I don’t think he’d want to return to Manchester United to sit on the bench because he is playing regularly at West Ham United – week in, week out.

“But if he comes back with the confidence he has now, then it can only be a good thing for Manchester United.

“Personally, I don’t see him coming back – I can see his loan being extended or West Ham buying him.”

SOLD TRAFFORD

Odion Ighalo believes Jesse Lingard is thriving because the pressure of playing for Manchester United has been lifted.

He told Sky Sports: “He works so hard in training and when he was given the opportunity to play for Manchester United, he did so well.

“But when you play for a team like Manchester United, there’s a pressure to win every game.

“Manchester United is all about winning, winning, winning, and sometimes that pressure kicks in.

“West Ham is not as big as Manchester United and he’s there on loan so he’s more free to express himself.

“There’s not as much pressure or weight on him to do well and he is doing what we know he can do and we are seeing the best of him.”

NEAR AND VAR

Manchester United are reportedly ready to take advantage of Real Madrid’s squad rebuild and bid for Raphael Varane.

A new centre-back is thought to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s priority for the coming transfer window.

According to the Mail, World Cup winner Varane is the first player United will attempt to sign.

Real may be ready to agree a fee of around £60million to call time on his decade at the club, before his contract expires in 2022.

The Frenchman, 27, is said to be ready for a fresh challenge with boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain also a potential option.

SPURRED ON

Exclusive by Paul Jiggins: Jose Mourinho’s row with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has killed off any lingering chances of Harry Kane moving to Manchester United this summer.

The England captain will therefore not get the chance to follow in these former Spurs stars who made the switch to Old Trafford.

RON MOVE

The assistant who failed to give Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘goal’ for Portugal against Serbia has been DROPPED from Holland’s Euro 2020 officiating team – by the man who was refereeing the same game.

Mario Diks’ blunder made him the centre of attention in last month’s controversial World Cup qualifier that ended 2-2.

The incident happened when Ronaldo, 36, appeared to put the ball over the line with just seconds on the clock to make it 3-2 to Portugal.

KANE NOT ABLE

Exclusive by Paul Jiggins: Jose Mourinho’s row with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has killed off any lingering chances of Harry Kane moving to Manchester United this summer.

The bitter row has put paid to Kane moving to Old Trafford this summer – after it increased the tensions between the two clubs.

United have never liked dealing with tough negotiator Levy, and vice-versa.

And while they still rate Kane as a striker, they would not be happy to pay Tottenham, of all clubs, top dollar for his services.

This means if Kane is to leave this summer he is likely going to have to move abroad.

PATS THE WAY

Manchester United target Patson Daka has opened the door to a summer Premier League move from RB Salzburg.

His agent Freddie Kanoute told Austrian TV: “I think it is time for a new challenge for Patson at the end of the season. That is no secret.

“We will sit down with the clubs interested in him, work out a good plan and them make the right decision.

“We don’t want him to change clubs just for the sake of it.

“He has really caught fire this season. He was good before, but now we are seeing a completely different Patson Daka.

“He gets better almost every day, and he’s now showing what he truly can do.

“We see a new, further improved Patson virtually every weekend.”

PAUL OVER NOW

David De Gea and Paul Pogba find themselves on the highest-paid XI – even if their performances have not justified their mammoth pay packets.

That is according to Spanish outlet Marca’s ‘world’s best XI’ team featuring the top footballers.

CRIS CROSS

Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri reportedly told club chairman Andrea Agnelli to sell former Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo before he left in 2019.

The 53-year-old stood down as the Old Lady gaffer at the end of the 2018-19 season after guiding the Italian side to five consecutive Serie A titles.

He worked with Ronaldo, 36, for one year after he lured the Portuguese forward away from Real Madrid in 2018 in the hope he would guide them to Champions League glory.

Ronaldo – who has been linked with a return to United – arrived to Turin having won the European Cup four times in five years, and there was expectation he could fire Juve to their first triumph since 1996.

But Juve crashed out to Ajax in the quarter-finals in Allegri’s last year in charge, with the ex-AC Milan manager urging Agnelli to offload Ronaldo as he was stalling the growth of the club.

According to La Repubblica via Football Italia, in Allegri’s last meeting with Agnelli, he stated that Ronaldo should also be following him out of the door. Allegri is claimed to have said: “Get rid of Ronaldo, he’s blocking the growth of the team and the club.”

SHAW AND ORDER

Manchester United star Luke Shaw has revealed that he’d have liked to have been a policeman had he not succeeded in football.

The England star has been in sensational form for the Red Devils this season, keeping opposition wingers under lock and key.

But had he lacked the football skills, he may have been keeping real-life villains out of harm’s way.

Asked what he’d like to have done outside of football during a recent Man United Q&A, he replied: “If I wasn’t playing soccer I think I’d probably like to be a police officer.

“It’s a random one but I watch a lot of series and stuff to do with the police and CIA and MI6 and I’m quite into stuff like that.

“And I think if I wasn’t a footballer I think I’d want to do something based around what they do. So I’d say a police officer.”

FRENCH TWIST

Paris Saint-Germain are lining up a bid for Manchester United Harry Kane if they lose Kylian Mbappe this summer.

The French giants fear that Mbappe could be leaving Paris with a new contract still not signed.

Mbappe, 22, is wanted by the likes of Real Madrid and only currently has one more season on his PSG deal.

And the Independent report that PSG will look towards Spurs striker Kane in a potential reunion with Mauricio Pochettino.

SunSport revealed that Tottenham have no intention of selling their star striker.

Daniel Levy’s club will demand £175million if a foreign club want his services but a sale to a Prem rival like Man Utd or Man City is said to be off the table.

LO BLOW

Odion Ighalo believes he was ‘unfairly’ benched during his time at Manchester United. The Nigerian striker, 31, joined the Red Devils on loan in January 2020 in a ‘dream’ transfer after snubbing Tottenham.

But he felt he should have got more game time than his 757 minutes across 23 appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before joining Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia in February.

He told Sky Sports News: “After my initial loan was extended, I did not play much which was perhaps a bit unfair but I am always grateful for the opportunity.

“When I joined, I always knew I wouldn’t be playing every game because I was signing as a back-up striker so I knew playing time was going to be limited. There were certain games where I thought I would play but that’s the decision of the coach and I am not holding anything against anyone.

“I’m so happy that my path crossed with Manchester United – it’s the club I love with all my heart and for all my life so playing for them was a big privilege that I do not take for granted.

“Just waking up every morning and going into training at Carrington was a thing of joy. Meeting the lads, laughing, talking, going inside the dressing room for training and games… every moment is one I am going to cherish.”

CHO AGAIN

Manchester United are still hopeful of signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, according to reports.

The 21-year-old English star has been on the Old Trafford radar for a number of seasons.

Last year United failed to agree a deal to bring Sancho in from Dortmund.

But Manchester Evening News report that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are considering a fresh transfer attempt.

And it comes as Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted the club will listen to ‘exceptional offers’ – which put United and Chelsea on alert.

CALLING DYBS

Manchester United and Chelsea are both interested in signing Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala but Paris Saint-Germain are in pole position to bag the Argentine, according to reports.

Dybala, 27, will have a just year left on his £125,000-a-week deal come the end of the season. And while he is interested in staying in Turin, a renewal isn’t easy for Juve.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus can only afford to keep one of Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Old Lady have struggled financially since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with Ronaldo’s enormous salary in particular weighing down the club’s coffers.

Tuttosport report that Paris Saint-Germain are well placed to recruit Juve’s No10, with boss Mauricio Pochettino a long-time admirer of his compatriot’s talent. Pochettino, 49, tried to recruit Dybala while manager of Spurs in the summer of 2019, only for the deal to fall through at the last moment.

But, with PSG’s considerable financial clout behind him this time, he may finally get his man – although fans of Man Utd and Chelsea may hope that their team can pip PSG to the post.

SHAWBERTO CARLOS

Luke Shaw has repsonded to viral memes comparing him to Roberto Carlos.

The Man Utd left-back has been in sparkling form this season but laughs off comparisons to the legendary Brazilian.

He told United’s website: “I’ll be honest I’ve seen some things on it on social media and sometimes in my group chats my mates send me some stuff and I just laugh about it.

“I can’t be compared to him, he was unbelievable!

“I’m aware of it and it’s nice to be even mentioned alongside his name, but I just laugh about it!”

NOT GUNNER HAPPEN

Jesse Lingard has been warned off making a move to Arsenal by former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.

Arsenal are set for a summer rebuild after a miserable 2020/21 campaign – but Ferdinand doesn’t anticipate that will involving adding Lingard to the squad. And Ferdinand doesn’t believe the 28-year-old would ‘go anywhere near’ anyway.

Asked about the Gunners’ reported interest in Lingard, Ferdinand told FIVE YouTube channel: “Yeah but you know what they [Arsenal fans] wouldn’t have him there.

“The way he moonwalked off that pitch once, they wouldn’t have it. The fans would rip the place apart. He disrespected the Emirates in a way that hadn’t been seen.

“Listen West Ham will have a fight to get him by the way because I think other teams are going to be like: ‘Listen, we want him!’

“He’s not going to go to Arsenal over West Ham, obviously but there will be other teams. He ain’t going nowhere near Arsenal.”

BETTER CALL SAUL

Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Saul Niguez with the Atletico Madrid ace reportedly up for sale.

The Red Devils are known to be admirers of the 26-year-old, and were rumoured to be eyeing up a £71million bid for him last summer. And it was claimed in December how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have reignited their interest in the midfielder ahead of a possible summer move.

It has been alleged that should Paul Pogba depart Old Trafford at the end of the season, then United would make a swoop to sign the Spain international.

And according to Cadena Ser, United’s chances of landing him have been boosted, with Atletico prepared to cash in on their academy graduate. They state that up to seven players could be heading for the exit door at the Wanda Metropolitano, including loanee Lucas Torreira, who will be heading back to Arsenal.

It has has also been suggested that Chelsea target Jose Gimenez could be sold. Winger Vitolo – who has been offered to West Ham for £8.5million – is another player that Atletico are said to be keen to offload.

Speaking last year, Saul put United on red alert when he admitted that he is ‘flattered’ to being linked with the club.

NEV-ER THOUGHT IT

Gary Neville has tipped ‘wobbling’ Leicester City to miss out on the top four again.

The Sun exclusively revealed that James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury were caught by Brendan Rodgers flouting Covid rules at a house party last week.

And Manchester United icon Neville, 46, thinks that the incident could drive a wedge between certain players in the dressing room, after the guilty parties were dropped for Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at top-four rivals West Ham.

Neville said on his podcast: “Where West Ham are is unthinkable. None of us thought they would be in with a shout of top four.

‘I worry about Leicester. I remember before Monday Night Football and thinking that Leicester would get into the top four. If you ask me now, five or six days later, I’m saying no (they won’t). I think they could really struggle in the next few weeks.”

The Foxes missed out on Champions League football last season after a dire run of two wins in their final nine games saw them pipped by Manchester United and Chelsea.