Lionel Messi struggling to settle at PSG, Newcastle vs Leeds build-up, Jack Wilshere Arsenal transfer LATEST

POG-BACK?

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is open to making a stunning return to Juventus, his agent Mino Raiola has revealed.

The France international’s contract with the Red Devils is set to expire in the summer.

Italian champions Juve have held an interest in bringing Pogba back to Turin for the last two years.

And according to Raiola, the World Cup winner is open to the idea of returning to the Allianz Stadium.

He said: “Paul Pogba is out of contract in June, so we’ll talk with Man Utd and we’ll see what happens. Juventus? Paul still loves Turin.

“There’s a chance that Pogba will return to Juventus, yes – but it also depends on Juventus’ plans.”

TUCH AND GO

Sunday’s clash between Tottenham and Chelsea has led to inevitable comparisons between strikers Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.

Here’s what Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has had to say on the matter.

BARC-ING MAD

Andy Carroll’s kids reckon he’ll join Manchester City or Barcelona having left Newcastle.

The striker was unceremoniously dumped by his boyhood club at the end of last season and is yet to find a new team.

Carroll told The Athletic: “The kids still think I’m going to sign for Man City or Barcelona, which we all know is not going to happen.

“But they’re still pushing me on to get a club and it’s what I want to do. I want to play in front of my family and win games.

“My drive and my passion hasn’t faded away in the slightest. I’m very lucky to get paid for a hobby, really.

“If I wasn’t doing it for a living, I’d be playing with my friends. It’s all I know.”

WIZARD OF OZ

Jack Wilshere has been lined up for a move to Newcastle… in AUSTRALIA.

The former Arsenal star has been a free agent since leaving Bournemouth at the end of last season.

Ex-England midfielder Wilshere has been offered the chance to train with the Gunners by boss Mikel Arteta, but he’s yet to have made a decision on whether to do so or not.

But multiple reports Down Under claim A-League club Newcastle Jets have made approaches to sign the 29-year-old.

The New South Wales outfit are understood to have held discussions with Wilshere’s advisor Neil Fewings.

Jets officials are said to be prepared to spend big money to fund a title challenge under their new coach Arthur Papas.

SILVA LINING

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has offered his support to team-mate Saul Niguez after the midfielder’s poor debut against Aston Villa.

The Brazilian ace, 36, also struggled on his Blues bow against West Brom last September and has told Saul, 26, not to worry about first impressions.

Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, Saul revealed: “After my poor performance in my first match, Thiago Silva in particular supported me a lot.”

The Spain international was hooked off at half-time against Villa by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel after a disappointing 45 minutes.

He lost eight of his nine duels, failed to win a single tackle and was dispossessed three times before being replaced by Jorginho.

But after the game, Silva told Saul: “My first game with Chelsea was much worse, believe me and don’t worry.”

TOXIC TOON

Steve Bruce is also said to have criticised Isaac Hayden for his marking of Cristiano Ronaldo which ‘did not go down well’.

Mail sources close to the squad have reportedly suggested the players remain united but are not happy with Bruce and his methods.

The latest in a long stream of disagreements is said to have come when Bruce dug out Hayden for failing to track Ronaldo’s run before he scored during the Toon’s 4-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

The source reportedly said: “Isaac was like, ‘He’s the fastest player in the country’. He also made the point he’s not a defender.

“The lads thought the manager’s comments were unfair.”

There is also said to be ill-feeling surrounding a ‘lack of training structure’.

GUARD UP

Pep Guardiola says if ever he has a problem with Manchester City fans he will walk away.

There was uproar amongst some this week when he called on more fans to come to the Etihad on Saturday for their game against Southampton.

They were 17,000 short of capacity against RB Leipzig and his comment brought a swift retort from one fans group.

But City boss Guardiola said: “If I have a problem with the fans I’ll make a step aside. It’s not a problem for me. I am one of them. Since day one.

“I try to do my best. I like to play in the Etihad with my fans. It was tough against Leipzig. In some moments we were incredible.

“We were exhausted, I saw it in the dressing room. In that moment I was thinking of Southampton in three days.

“Come on guys, join us together, to try to beat Ralph’s team. This was my message but if guys want to misunderstand then that is a problem.

“I am here to defend what I said. If I make mistakes I am here to say I’m sorry but in that case I will not apologise for what I said because I know my intentions.”

COMAN BLOW

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has undergone minor heart surgery, his manager Julian Nagelsmann announced on Friday.

The France international, 25, is expected to be out of action for two weeks after receiving medical attention on a heart arrhythmia.

Bayern boss Nagelsmann told the press: “Kingsley Coman underwent surgery yesterday.

“His heartbeat rhythm had a slight disturbance with a minor added beat. At times he had a slight shortage of breath.

“That’s why we opted for long-term ECG monitoring and went ahead with this procedure.

“He will be doing cardio training again on Tuesday and won’t be out of action for any more than one and a half to two weeks.”

An arrhythmia is when the hearts beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm. This could be too fast, too slow or just irregularly.

TUCHEL TALKS

Thomas Tuchel also spoke on his side having an extra two days preparation for Sunday’s clash against Tottenham.

The Blues beat Zenit 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Spurs did not play until Thursday’s 2-2 draw against Rennes in the Europa Conference League.

On the extra rest, Tuchel said: “It’s good. I like it. We had a recovery day yesterday and now have two training sessions.

“It is good for us, it is an advantage.”

TONY NEEDS TIME

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is hopeful that Antonio Rudiger will sign a new deal at the club.

The 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and is free to enter negotiations with clubs from January 1.

But Tuchel has said: “I hope that they find a solution but it’s not only between coaches and players.

“It’s between the club and the player’s agent.

“He plays excellent for a long time – very consistent [and] at a very high level. I feel him very calm, very focused and it’s obviously not a distraction for him.

“So give things time – sometimes it needs a bit longer, sometimes things get very fast. There’s no news from my side.”

CARRA’S ASSESSMENT

Jamie Carragher doesn’t believe Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Old Trafford makes the club title contenders.

Instead he thinks the move could actually be better for the Premier League in terms of attracting fans, rather than United.

Writing for the Telegraph, Carragher said: “Ronaldo could prove to be a better signing for the Premier League than for Manchester United.

He went on to say: “But the broader question for United is whether Ronaldo’s arrival gets them any nearer to being a team that can win the title and Champions League again.

“On the evidence of the first few games, albeit they have won three of their first five matches, I would say no.

“Ronaldo’s matchwining ability will inevitably make United stronger. What his arrival alone cannot do is turn United into a title-winning unit or impose the distinctive way of playing they still lack.”

PATRICK PREPARES

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has revealed there is a ‘weakness’ to Liverpool that the Eagles must exploit.

The South Londoners travel to Anfield on Saturday to take on Jurgen Klopp’s unbeaten Reds.

And in his pre-match press conference, Vieira revealed: “We know their strength, what their front players are capable of doing.

“We know them well, we can’t be surprised by the way they’re performing week in, week out.

“We just have to be prepared, go to the field with personality and try and give them problems.

“There is a weakness on their side we can try to exploit. To exploit that we have to be brave and to try and get something from the game.

“If we go there and think about defending for 90 minutes they will score goals.”

COMAN SURGERY

Bayern Munich man Kingsley Coman has undergone heart surgery and will be unavailable for the clash against Vfl Bochum this weekend.

The 25-year-old had a ‘minor heart irregularity’ which needed to be operated on.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann said: “He had a slightly irregular heartbeat, a minor heart irregularity. We did a long-term ECG and carried out this operation.

“He’s doing very well and he has little wound pain. Once the wound is healed then he will be able to start with rehab training and it won’t be more than ten days to two weeks before he’s back in full training.”

YOUNG BOYS LOSS

Former Manchester United man doesn’t think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under pressure at Old Trafford… yet.

He told Betfair: “Is Solskjaer’s job at risk after the defeat in Switzerland? Come on, you can’t be serious.

“United have played four games in the Premier League and won three of them. One defeat in the Champions League does not put Ole’s job in jeopardy.

“I don’t see any point in discussing Solskjaer’s future so early in the season.

“United have a strong squad, have made excellent signings who are bedding in, and we should judge them at the end of the group stage, not after one match.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

A DOZEN fans have been arrested after Leicester’s Europa League clash with Napoli erupted in violence at full-time.

Around 100 police and stewards raced to the far corner of the King Power Stadium, where 250 Napoli fans were housed after bottles were thrown shortly after the full-time whistle.

And there were ugly scenes as baton-wielding cops waded in to separate rival fans as skirmishes broke out and stewards struggled to restore order.

An appeal over the speaker system called on supporters to “respect your club” by “moving away from the segregation line.”

However the trouble flared for a few minutes before police restored some level of order.

GOLDEN BOY NOMINEES

Here’s the full list of Golden Boy nominees.

Nominees must be under 21-years-old and play in one of the top divisions in Europe, including England, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France.

• Karim Adeyemi – RB Salzburg
• Jude Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund
• Rayan Ait-Nouri – Wolves
• Ander Barrenetxea – Real Sociedad
• Myron Boadu – Monaco
• Brian Brobbey – RB Leipzig
• Eduardo Camavinga – Real Madrid
• Rayan Cherki – Lyon
• Mohamed-Ali Cho – Angers
• Francisco Conceicao – Porto
• Charles De Ketelaere – Club Brugge
• Ersin Destanoglu – Besiktas
• Jeremy Doku – Rennes
• Eric Garcia – Barcelona
• Bryan Gil – Tottenham Hotspur
• Goncalo Ramos – Benfica
• Ryan Gravenberch – Ajax
• Mason Greenwood – Manchester United
• Josko Gvardiol – RB Leipzig
• Pedri – Barcelona
• Ilaix Moriba – RB Leipzig
• Odilon Kossounou – Bayer Leverkusen
• Noni Madueke – PSV
• Felix Mambimbi – Young Boys
• Gabriel Martinelli – Arsenal
• Mykhaylo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk
• Mohamed Ihattaren – Sampdoria
• Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain
• Roberto Piccoli – Atalanta
• Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
• Yeremi Pino – Villarreal
• Gio Reyna – Borussia Dortmund
• William Saliba – Marseille
• Martin Satriano – Inter Milan
• Luke Thomas – Leicester City
• Khephren Thuram- OGC Nice

BISSOUMA THE BEST

Yves Bissouma believes he is ‘the best’ midfielder in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has helped Brighton to three wins from their opening four games, and was linked with a move to Liverpool and Arsenal during the summer.

And the Mali international has revealed: “I don’t want to be arrogant, the Premier League has too many good midfielders, but for me I am the best.

“Because that gives me confidence and the energy to work hard to show people I am here.”

GOLDEN BOY NOMINEES

The English nominees for European Golden Boy are as follows.

The award is given every year to the hottest prospect under 21-years-old, with multiple homegrown talents up for the prize this year.

• Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
• Mason Greenwood (Manchester United)
• Noni Madueke (PSV)
• Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
• Luke Thomas (Leicester City)

EARLY KICK OFF

Newly promoted Brentford travel to Wolves tomorrow in the Premier League lunchtime kick off.

The Molineux side have won three of their last four league games against Brentford (D1), winning 3-0 at home in their last meeting in January 2018.

The Bees meanwhile have won just one of their five away league games against Wolves in the 21st century (D1 L3), winning 2-0 in a Championship clash in October 2015.

Both sides have one victory to their name so far this campaign, with Bruno Lage’s Wolves beating Watford last week after three consecutive defeats to start the season.

SALAH SITUATION

Jurgen Klopp has told the media he is ‘not involved’ in contract negotiations between Liverpool and Mohammed Salah.

The Reds have tied a number of their stars down to new contracts in recent weeks, but Salah is not one of those.

And the Egyptian star has entered the final two years of his Anfield contract.

But Klopp stressed he wasn’t the man to ask about contract talks, saying: “There’s nothing really to say, especially from me as I am not involved.

“The only thing I’m really interested in is how Mo looks, how sharp and committed he is at the moment, and that’s absolutely spot on.

“He looks really good. There is nothing else to say.”

LUK OUT

Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku is dominating the head-to-head battle with Harry Kane ahead of Sunday’s London derby with Tottenham.

The Belgian trumps Kane on goals, shots on target, dribbles, touches and duels which does not bode well for the North Londoners.

Both have played three times this season with Lukaku averaging a goal-per-game.

Kane is yet to find the net with many blaming his failed Manchester City transfer.

Lukaku’s five shots on target beat Kane’s two with the Belgian also leading the way on total touches – 102 to 91.

And he has won 16 duels to Kane’s 10, and trumps him 5-4 on total dribbles and key passes.

MANCHESTER DERBY

And Pep Guardiola has rejected suggestions that Manchester City need to grow their fanbase with sustained success in similar fashions to Manchester City and Liverpool.

He said: “This is a big mistake. We are who we are. We are proud of who we are. I know our history.

“I have learned that they were in the lower divisions and fans travelled to watch them. I don’t want to be like [Manchester] United, Liverpool, Bayern, Barcelona, Madrid.

“We are who we are. People put words in my mouth. I don’t have a problem with fans, if I did I would stand aside.”

“It was an incredibly tough game against Leipzig, I saw how difficult it was for my team in the dressing room and I know Southampton will be tough, so I asked the people to come to help them.

“But these guys don’t understand my comments. I am here to defend what I said. When I make mistakes I will apologise but I will not apologise for what I said. I know who we are. I like the fans that we have.”

PEP IN TROUBLE

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been the subject of criticism after he asked for more fans to attend the Etihad for Saturday’s clash against Southampton.

But Guardiola has hit back, saying: “Did I say after the game that I was disappointed that the stadium was not full?

“An interpretation is an interpretation. I am not going to apologise for what I said. It’s not the first time I said in my career – I said it at Barcelona and Bayern.

“When we played a tough game like Leipzig and play three games later ( [against Southampton] I know how difficult it is, to ask for us all to do it again on Saturday again.

“What I said was we need the support, it doesn’t matter how many people come but I invite them to come and enjoy the game because we need the support.”

‘ON THE RIGHT TRACK’

Ed Woodward however has insisted that the Red Devils are ‘on the right track’ for the future.

He said: “We significantly strengthened the squad over the summer, with the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton.

“These signings have demonstrated our continued ability to attract some of the world’s best footballers to Old Trafford, and our firm commitment to helping Ole deliver success on the pitch.

“We have been clear in our strategy to build a squad with a blend of top-class recruits and homegrown talent, comprising a balance of youth and experience, with the aim of winning trophies and playing attacking football the Manchester United way.

“As part of this, we have continued to strengthen our recruitment and scouting processes, and we have also increased our investment in the Academy, to ensure that this success is sustainable.

“While squad-building is a constant process, we are more confident than ever that we are on the right track.”

MESSY FIGURES

The Red Devils have suffered a near £100MILLION loss in the last year.

In the twelve month period ending June 30, United have posted a net loss of £92.2million.

That’s according to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who announced the figures.

The number is almost £30million more than the net loss in the previous year.

In the year ending on June 30, 2020, the Red Devils posted a net loss of £23.2million.