MANCHESTER CITY are weighing up a move for Lionel Messi, but have denied making an official approach for the Barcelona forward.
Meanwhile Chelsea missed the chance to close the gap on Leicester and Manchester United with a draw at Southampton and the Merseyside clubs are gearing up for this evening’s derby.
BETS OF THE DAY: DON’T MISS TODAY’S BEST ODDS BOOSTS
Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…
HEND IN SIGHT FOR DE GEA?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has declared Dean Henderson ‘is in with a shout’ to start ahead of David De Gea for the clash against Newcastle on Sunday.
The 23-year-old – who has featured in just three Premier League games for the Red Devils – kept a clean sheet in Thursday’s 4-0 Europa League victory against Real Sociedad.
Dean Henderson is piling the pressure on David De Gea for the Man Utd No1 jersey
And United boss Solskjaer has hinted he could be rewarded with his first top-flight outing since the 3-2 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on December 17.
This is despite De Gea earning United a draw away at West Brom last week after making a crucial double save to deny Mbaye Diagne from scoring the winner.
Speaking ahead of the encounter against the Magpies at Old Trafford, the Norwegian gaffer said: “Of course Dean is in with a shout.
“We pick a team on Saturday and Dean was very solid, good kicking and he could or should have had an assist for Marcus, which is another thing we worked on.
“He was clean in his handling, clean in his short passes and it was a good performance. He is maturing all the time but I have a very, very good goalkeeper in David. He saved us against West Brom so I can’t say to you now.”
GOLD VINGA
Eduardo Camavinga’s agent reckons the midfield prodigy will cost more than £43million.
The Frenchman has emerged as one of the hottest properties in Europe since his debut for Rennes in 2018 aged just 16.
His contract runs out in the summer of 2022 and only ‘four or five clubs’ could convince him to leave Julien Stephan’s side.
But his agent Jonathan Barnett warned it would come at a price.
Asked by Goal if he vaulues the 18-year-old at more than €50m (£43m), Barnett said: “I would think so.”
Camavinga has made 26 appearances this season with just the one goal but made his debut for France last year.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have both been linked with the starlet.
And a move to one of Spanish giants appears to be the preferred destinations if Camavinga was to be prized away from Rennes.
WE CAN FEEL HIS TUCH
Chelsea’s point-saver Mason Mount says boss Thomas Tuchel’s “presence” is changing the Blues.
Mount’s penalty cancelled out Takumi Minamino ‘s breakaway opener in the 1-1 draw at Southampton.
And the England midfielder told BBC Sport: “We can definitely feel [his presence], especially from the sideline.
He’s come in and told us what we need to do as individuals and a team.
“He’s changed things and hopefully that’s rubbing off.”
CHELSEA SUB RATINGS
Callum Hudson-Odoi (on for Abraham, 45) – 4
Didn’t really do anything to make a difference and was quite wasteful on the ball.
Subbed off after coming on at the break in a bizarre move with him appearing not to be injured.
Jorginho (on for Kovacic, 76) – N/A
Hakim Ziyech (on for Hudson-Odoi, 76) – N/A
CHELSEA RATINGS – CONTINUED
Mason Mount – 7
Good energy, and always direct, but again his final ball (like many others) let him down at times.
Did very well to win and score Chelsea’s penalty for the equaliser.
Tammy Abraham – 4
He was a bit of a passenger in the first-half and didn’t really get involved at all.
Came off at half-time and was seen with an ice pack on his leg but failed to make his mark.
Timo Werner – 5
Always a threat with his pace and direct style of play, but his first touch let him down and struggled to find a final ball to unpick the Saints defence.
MORE CHELSEA RATINGS
Reece James – 6
Solid on the ball and great in the tackle.
But he really doesn’t suit the right-wing-back position and didn’t bring enough to it today.
Marcos Alonso – 4
Wasted opportunities and gave the ball away far too much. One of his poorer performances.
N’Golo Kante – 6
He was everywhere again and looked very up for the game.
Made a few bad decisions when attacking – picking the wrong pass in the final third.
Mateo Kovacic – 5
Very press-resistant and was good in the first-half, but second-half he was caught on the ball and gave it away too often before being hooked.
CHELSEA RATINGS VS SOUTHAMPTON
Edouard Mendy – 6/10
Decent on the ball when he stepped into a sweeper position for Chelsea to play out the high press. Was well beaten for Southampton’s goal.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 5
Bit of a rocky performance from him as he looked unsteady on the ball at times.
Did the basics in the second half but never did anything extra to impose himself.
Kurt Zouma – 4
At fault for Southampton’s goal – he was ball watching and lost his positional awareness.
Far too often playing at walking pace and should have been quicker and showed more urgency.
Antonio Rudiger – 6
Similarly to Azpilicueta, he looked nervous and uncomfortable too often.
Used the ball better in the second-half when he needed to.
OD WAY TO BE TREATED
CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI endured a frustrating afternoon at Southampton after he was subbed on and then off again.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed Hudson-Odoi was taken off for tactical reasons, after eyebrows were raised over the decision.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel insists Callum Hudson Odoi’s brief role as sub in the 1-1 draw at Southampton won’t count against him
Tuchel told BT Sports: “We brought on Hudson but I was not happy with the attitude, energy and counter-pressing so we took him off because I demand a lot.
“He was not in a position to help us. It’s tough, but tomorrow it’s forgotten and he has possibilities to start against Atletico.”
LATEST: BURNLEY 0 WEST BROM 0
Today’s only 3pm Premier League games begins quietly – with the second-bottom Baggies particularly desperate to win.
CHERRIES STOP TAKING THE KNEE
Bournemouth have joined Brentford in opting against taking the knee before matches.
The Cherries’ promotion rivals decided to scrap the anti-racism gesture last week after explaining they felt it was ‘no longer having an impact.’
A statement from club captain Steve Cook said: “Following discussions between the squad and with senior staff members, we have decided to no longer take the knee before games, starting this weekend against Queens Park Rangers.
“At all levels, this club prides itself on its work around equality, diversity and inclusion and as a group of players we fully embrace this.
“We all strive to ensure that AFC Bournemouth is a club which welcomes anyone, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality or religion.”
NO £130m FAT MAN
Manchester United had a £130million bid rejected for Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati, according to reports.
The Premier League side are rumoured to have tabled the huge bid last summer.
Ansu Fati, 18, is one of the hottest talents in European football
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, United’s offer for the 18-year-old was rejected.
Fati has been a revelation since making his LaLiga debut as a 16-year-old in August 2019.
He has scored 11 goals in 31 league games, winning the LaLiga Player of the Month award in September 2020.
The promising talent has also made his Spain debut, picking up four caps to date.
He scored his first international goal against Ukraine last September, becoming Spain’s youngest ever scorer – a record that had stood for 95 years.
But he has not played since injuring his knee last November.
BLAME ME NOT ZI
Thomas Tuchel claims it ‘is his fault’ Hakim Ziyech has hardly played under him.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s my fault, actually. It’s not his fault.
“It’s my decisions. It’s the same for some other players – there were some hard decisions to make. This is a good thing – it means we have quality.
“There are some decisions for other players that means Hakim suffers a little bit. I can absolutely understand and agree with that, so it’s my responsibility and my fault that he cannot show more of his potential.
“But when I look at the schedule we can be sure that we need all of our players. No matter how hard times are for you personally, I cannot say one bad thing for Hakim.
“He’s working hard and he needs to show that he’s ready because when the moment comes – I cannot tell you when the moment comes – but we expect the best Hakim Ziyech.”
FULL-TIME
Chelsea have earned a point at St Mary’s thanks to Mason Mount’s second half penalty.
The Blues are yet to lose under Thomas Tuchel, and they are now three points behind second-placed Manchester United.
Southampton have ended a run of six defeats, with the Saints remaining in 13th spot.
BLUE THE KEYHOLE
John Terry revealed he’s building a swimming pool and tennis court at his home by showing off the drastic transformation to his garden.
The Chelsea legend, 40, proudly took to Instagram to show the exterior of his £4.35million mansion turned into a muddy building site.
Terry posted a series of videos to his Insta story, captioning them with tennis ball and swimming emojis.
In the impressive overhaul, the Aston Villa assistant manager panned the camera across his sprawling grounds to reveal where the tennis court and swimming pool would sit.
Throwing himself well into the site visit, Terry even threw on a high-vis jacket with the No26 on the back – the shirt he wore throughout his illustrious career.
undefined
JUST AN ED’S UP
Eduardo Camavinga’s agent reckons the midfield prodigy will cost more than £43million.
His contract runs out in the summer of 2022 and only ‘four or five clubs’ could convince him to leave Julien Stephan’s side.
But his agent Jonathan Barnett warned it would come at a price.
Asked by Goal if he values the 18-year-old at more than €50m (£43m), Barnett said: “I would think so.”
He added: “At the moment, he’s a Rennes player. He likes Rennes and, at the moment, we haven’t really taken to other clubs. It isn’t our position.
“Let’s see what happens later on, but he’s doing well in Rennes and that’s fine.”
Rennes ace Eduardo Camavinga is regarded as one the world’s most promising talents
BEST OF ENEMIES
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has admitted he ‘hated’ Gary Neville when they were professional footballers.
The Sky Sports colleagues were fierce rivals during the 2000s but have since become good friends.
Speaking on the Super 6 Podcast, Carragher said: “I hated him a little bit. Can you hate someone a little bit? You just hate them, I suppose!
“There was a big rivalry between the clubs but he’s kissed his badge and said things about people from Liverpool.
“He was just basically playing up to the fanzines and trying to get in with the Manchester United fans.”
Carragher’s comments were delivered in jest, however, later joking: “Who cares about Gary Neville, even if you’re a Man Utd fan? He is a right-back, nobody is really interested in right-backs.”
HALF-TIME
Southampton go into the break 1-0 up thanks to Takumi Minamino’s fine strike.
The Japan international – on loan from Liverpool – coolly slotted the ball past Edouard Mendy after a sublime dummy.
Thomas Tuchel’s side need to be more clinical in the final third if they wish to avoid a first defeat under the German.
IN LEHMANN’S TERMS
Jens Lehmann has voiced concern at the structure of ex-club Arsenal and said Mikel Arteta is ‘a good coach but it seems to be a lot about him’.
He told All To Play For podcast, by bookmaker Coral and Joe Media: “I think Mikel Arteta is a good coach but it seems to be a lot about him. I am not sure there is the right blend at the club.
“When I was there, David Dein worked incredibly well with Arsene Wenger on the administration side of the club. Now, it is very different.
“You don’t even know who is in charge there and who is making the decisions.
“I was there as a coach in Arsene’s final year and he was criticised and told it was time to leave. Things were much better in that final year than they are now.
“As a former player, I want the club to do well so it is hard to see them struggling as they are doing.”
Jens Lehmann has raised his concern about the structure at former side Arsenal
BELLERIN CONTINUED
“It is somehow a taboo subject.
“We can have talks in the dressing room about all this stuff, but I’ve never heard of anyone [being gay].
“No one’s ever heard of anyone. I would say if there was someone who knew someone, they will keep it quiet anyway.
“For the sake of that person, like, trying to protect them.”
‘STILL TABOO’
Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin doesn’t believe football is ready for an openly gay player.
Bellerin works closely with Gay Gooners – Arsenal’s LGBTQ supporters group – as well as Rainbow Laces and Stonewall, both of which are consciousness-raising movements for acceptance.
During a lengthy interview with The Times, he said: “I don’t know if football is ready for that yet.
“I’m having conversations with Gay Gooners, and sometimes they go to an Arsenal pub and they’ll have issues with other Arsenal fans because they’re wearing a Gay Gooners scarf or something.
“Which, to me, is crazy. We’re all part of the same family.”
BLUE MOON
Chelsea’s clash with Southampton at St Mary’s is moment away from kicking off.
This is a reminder you can follow all the action with our SunSport LIVE blog.
Click HERE for regular updates.
SCOTT’S FEAR
Former Celtic star Scott Allan opened up on the rare heart condition which left him fearing he’d never play football again.
The Hibs ace was sidelined for a number of months earlier this season after suffering badly from health issues.
Aged 29, there were major worries that the former Celtic midfielder would have to retire from the game early.
Allan was diagnosed with a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy around September last year.
But the classy playmaker has made a comeback to the Easter Road first team and has featured off the bench in the Scottish Premiership over the last month for Jack Ross’ side.
ON THE PUL
Christian Pulisic is still wanted by Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea – despite his injury problems.
The USA international has managed just 40 Premier League appearances for the Blues since the start of last season.
Speaking ahead of today’s trip to Southampton, Tuchel said: “Chelsea bought Christian for a reason – for his quality, for his potential and it’s our job to bring out the best in him.
“He proved in many weeks that he has the level to be a Chelsea regular player, to have a big impact at this club and it’s a challenge now to maintain the level and to keep improving.”
Pulisic has suffered with muscular injuries throughout his time at Stamford Bridge and is yet to start in the Premier League under Tuchel
PEP TALK
Man City boss Pep Guardiola has singled out three Arsenal players who could make the difference in their clash at the Emirates on Sunday.
He said: “We will have an incredible performance [from Arsenal].
“They have an exceptional build-up, they move with many, many sense, all the movements they have for the build-up to the final third.
“The quality for incredible energy, for Smith [Rowe], Saka and Aubameyang, especially with his runs in behind, and all the players that they have in the middle.
“In the early future they will be real contenders to fight for the titles.”
DUA IBRA
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will SING at an Italian music festival, according to Bologna boss Sinisa Mihajlovic.
The 39-year-old will perform a duet with Mihajlovic in Sanremo next month, no doubt becoming a pop sensation.
Speaking to Sky Italia, his friend Mihajlovic said: “The two things I do least well are singing and dancing. Ibra is also a terrible singer.
“At least we’ll make people laugh.”
The Sanremo Music Festival has been held annually since 1951 and is one of the most popular music events in Italy.
This year’s festival will last for five nights between March 2-6 and will be televised.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
