FRANK LAMPARD has rejected the chance to take over Norwich at the 11th hour.
As a result of the former Chelsea boss’ decision, the Canaries are set to offer recently dismissed Aston Villa chief Dean Smith the manager’s job.
Norwich sacked Daniel Farke last week, despite him earning a crucial first win of the season at Brentford away.
But one manager who will be going nowhere is England’s Gareth Southgate.
The FA are set to tie Southgate down to a new deal which will take him through to Euro 2024 and make him one of the highest paid Three Lions bosses ever.
We’ve also got all the latest on a potential transfer for Declan Rice as well as updates from Chelsea, who are eyeing a swoop for Attila Szalai in January.
Get all the latest football news, updates and transfer gossip below…
NEW BEGINNING
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich has advised keeper Dean Henderson to join Newcastle.
Bosnich told talkSPORT: “Newcastle are a club who are on the go and on the move – but they are also in a perilous position right now.
“New manager. It’s important to get your spin right and the goalkeeper is an integral part of that.
“He should go and should go as soon as he possibly can”
DOUBLE OR QUITS
England manager Gareth Southgate is being offered a double-your-money £6million-a-year salary to extend his contract, SunSport understand.
But the FA fear Southgate will not agree a deal beyond that because he could be looking at a return to the Premier League.
Full talks are set to start following the final two World Cup qualifiers against Albania and San Marino.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham announced during Euro 2020 he wanted the 51-year-old manager to extend.
But the Three Lions head coach has been adamant that he will not discuss the offer until the national team has qualified
GETTY IMAGES ALV THAT
Barcelona legend Dani Alves has reportedly agreed a sensational deal to return to the Nou Camp.
According to Sport, Barca are currently finalising a move for Alves, who is currently a free agent.
The cash-strapped Blaugrana are also set for a financial boost as the right-back has sensationally agreed to play for ONE EURO-A-WEEK.
The club’s bigwigs have one more meeting scheduled with the Brazilian and his team before an official announcement can be made.
But there are not thought to be any stumbling blocks between the two parties and the move will soon be made official
‘MAIN CONCERN’
Arsenal great Nigel Winterburn has urged the club’s board to back manager Mikel Arteta in the transfer market.
Winterburn told SunSport‘s William Pugh: “I think that the fans will always have a voice, particularly if they’re not happy with how things are being run behind the scenes.
“Arsenal are starting to invest a bit more money in the transfer market, they’ve certainly invested heavily this season.
“We have the owners there, we just need to make sure that we are starting to travel back in the right direction.
“We’ve fallen away from that top four, but now we need to go back in that direction.
“As long as Arteta has finances to keep improving the squad, then that would be my main concern”
EMILE SMITH WHOA
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has compared Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe to Robert Pires and Alexander Hleb after his England call-up.
Ferdinand said on his FIVE YouTube channel: “There’s a team, there’s a united team.
“There’s a togetherness that I haven’t seen at Arsenal for a long time. There’s nobody doing more right now than Emile Smith Rowe.
“He reminds me, with more end product it seems right now and I think he’ll go onto levels, his style is a little bit Hleb.
“He plays low, socks similar, the way he moves and manipulates the ball, can keep people off balance all game.
“He’s got a bit of Hleb about him. He’s got a Robert Pires vibe a little bit”
STERLING BOOST
Arsenal appear to have received a transfer boost amid their interest in Manchester City ace Raheem Sterling.
Sterling has been largely sidelined by City boss Pep Guardiola and is thought to be open to a move away from the Etihad with the Gunners and Barcelona linked.
According to AS, however, new Barca head coach Xavi has asked the club to ditch their previous plans for the January transfer window as he performs a full assessment of the squad.
The club legend is also said to be particularly focused on La Masia’s most promising young talents
GETTY IMAGES ROM-ING CHARGE
Chelsea superstar Romelu Lukaku suggested he could return for the Premier League clash against Leicester after the international break.
Lukaku has been out with an ankle injury and it was reported he and fellow forward Timo Werner will be back later this month.
Lukaku tweeted: “Being on the sideline these last weeks… I realise how much fun it is to just train and compete against other teams!”
“Soon though”
GOING FOR THE KIM
Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund ahead of the January transfer window.
According to Bild, Ziyech ‘definitely wants to leave’ the Blues and Dortmund could consider taking him on loan.
The Bundesliga giants’ manager Marco Rose and consultant Matthias Sammer will hold talks to discuss January targets after the match against Hertha Berlin on December 18th.
Therefore, the club’s concrete plans are expected to become clearer next month
STILL ON
Arsenal legendary boss Arsene Wenger is refusing to back down on his plan for a World Cup every two years.
Wenger said at a special fundraising event for the Twinning Project at the London Palladium, said: “The calendar is fixed until 2024 and nobody knows what will happen after that.
“It needs to change because we need a more modern relationship between national team football and club football.
“Covid has added to the problems. Today the whole world plays in Europe and that means that in the international break the players have to travel from there back all over the world for qualifiers”
MANE BLOW
Liverpool may have suffered an injury blow ahead of their match with Arsenal after the international break.
Sadio Mane went off injured during Senegal’s 1-1 World Cup qualifier with Tongo on Thursday.
The winger landed awkwardly after colliding with an opponent during an aerial challenge and appeared to have suffered a knock to his hip or ribs.
The Reds take on the Gunners at Anfield on November 20 and the extent of the 29-year-old’s injury is not yet known
GETTY IMAGES UTD WE STAND
Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford says lack of education is to blame for the racist abuse he and other players receive on social media.
Rashford was targeted along with United team-mate Jadon Sancho and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka after their missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final shoot-out against Italy.
The England international said: “I think educating ourselves on, and championing other cultures, can only benefit our understanding. Discrimination usually stems from a lack of education. It’s a defence mechanism.
“Instead of stigmatising differences, we should be celebrating them. How boring would the world be if we were all the same?
“Books are a great source for us to highlight different characters and better understand background and journey”
GRAVE NEWS
Ajax star Ryan Gravenberch has delivered a blow to Manchester United and Liverpool as he expressed his desire to sign a new deal with the Dutch champions.
Gravenberch told Voetbal International: “I am very happy at Ajax, and I don’t yet want to leave.
“I am in talks with the club about a new contract. Things are progressing, and hopefully they will turn out well.
“I don’t feel like this is my last season with Ajax. I feel that I can still learn a lot here, and I still want to win a lot of trophies with the club.
“I’ll never forget the magical atmosphere at our Champions League games in the 2018-19 season, which I watched from the stand.
“And now I’m playing in these games myself. The fans’ support truly drives us on”
ARD TRUTH
New Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has vowed to take the club to Europe after replacing Dean Smith.
Gerrard called time on his successful three-and-a-half year stint at Rangers to fulfil his ambition of managing in the Premier League.
Gerrard said: “Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new head coach.
“In my conversations with Nassef, Wes and the rest of the board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims”
ALBANIA TEAM NEWS
Albania manager Edoardo Reja is boosted by the return of Endri Cekici from suspension ahead of tonight’s clash with England.
And Southampton’s Armando Broja, who’s on-loan from Chelsea, has returned to full fitness for the encounter at Wembley.
However, Atalanta ace Berat Djimsiti suffered a forearm fracture on international duty last month and is not available.
Albania are third in Group I, five points behind leaders England and two away from second-placed Poland
GETTY IMAGES FEELING FRANK
Frank Lampard is set to be appointed as new Norwich manager.
The Canaries sacked Daniel Farke on Saturday, just hours after he guided them to their first win of the season.
Lampard held conversations with the Carrow Road board on Monday and, according to talkSPORT’s Jim White, has now agreed to take over the Premier League’s bottom club.
However, SunSport understands that the former Chelsea manager has NOT yet been offered the job
THREE’S A CROWD
Newcastle want to sign three-out-of-favour Manchester United aces in the January transfer window.
Donny van de Beek, Jesse Lingard and Dean Henderson have all seen limited game time under United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
And according to the Daily Mail, Henderson wants to leave Old Trafford to play first-team football if he can’t reclaim the No1 spot from David de Gea.
Van de Beek has spent a full season at the Red Devils, but has failed to stamp down a first-team spot.
And Lingard is looking to fight his way back into England contention for next year’s World Cup in Qatar and his chances of doing that in Manchester look unlikely
JUVE GOT NEWS
Manchester United ace Paul Pogba is prepared to lower his wages to rejoin Juventus next summer.
But that is if Juve successfully qualify for next season’s Champions League tournament.
That is according Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that the midfielder is keen on a return to Turin.
The France international’s deal at Old Trafford expires in June
GET YOUR FIX
The Premier League have revealed their schedule for next season and confirmed how the winter’s World Cup in Qatar will fit.
The Prem will kick off on the weekend of August 6, 2022.
It will then be played up to November 12-13, before players join up with their international teams from November 14.
The Premier League will resume on Boxing Day after the World Cup Final, which takes place 8 days before on Sunday 18 December.
The final round of games will be on May 28, 2023, when all matches will be played simultaneously
GETTY IMAGES ENGLAND TEAM NEWS
England are set to face Albania tonight at Wembley Stadium as they are pushing for World Cup qualification.
Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate has lost West Ham’s Declan Rice (illness), Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford (leg injury) and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse (illness)
Southgate will also be without Chelsea’s Mason Mount and United’s Luke Shaw due to a dental issue and concussion respectively.
That has allowed Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe to gain an international call-up, which could lead to a debut tonight
TRANSFER BLOW
Arsenal have been joined by Juventus in the bidding war for Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.
That is according to Tuttosport, who report that Vlahovic is at the top of their list .
The Serbia international has netted 10 goals in 12 games this season, eight of which have come in Serie A.
And after failing to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer transfer window, the Bianconeri are in need of a new centre-forward.
Although the Gunners could be willing to meet the Viola’s £68million asking price, Vlahovic may not be keen on moving to north London
FIVE GUYS
New Barcelona boss Xavi has drawn up a five-man shortlist as he prepares to bolster his squad after his arrival.
That is according to Sport, who report that the club legend is keeping tabs on Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette as solutions to lead the line in Sergio Aguero’s absence.
If neither of those sign then Barca may look to acquire RB Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi.
Another area Xavi will be looking to improve is on the wings with Manchester City star Raheem Sterling linked.
Meanwhile, if Sterling is unwilling to consider Barcelona then the Spaniard may opt instead to try and sign Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman
SHIR THING
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo showed his human side after Portugal’s goalless draw with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.
A young girl went past security and made her way to the pitch to meet her idol.
Ronaldo then gave her a hug before delivering his shirt and yet another hug.
Portugal now need to avoid defeat against Serbia to punch their ticket to the World Cup in Qatar
NO CHARGE
Paris St-Germain women’s midfielder Aminata Diallo has been released without charge by French police investigating an attack on her team-mate Kheira Hamraoui.
Diallo was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the attack, but was subsequently let go after being questioned.
It’s not clear what will happen next in the investigation as a 34-year-old man was also released after his arrest for the alleged crime.
And the French authorities are also keeping tight-lipped on the proceedings.
SILKY SHANE
Republic of Ireland defender Shane Duffy left Cristiano Ronaldo blushing with a superb Cruyff turn during his side’s draw with Portugal.
Stephen Kenny’s side earned an impressive goalless draw with the Euro 2016 winners at the Aviva Stadium as their form continues to improve.
And Brighton defender Duffy provided one of the highlights of the evening with a silky piece of skill which left Ronaldo bamboozled.
The Cruyff turn displayed by the Seagulls centre-back was a demonstration of the confidence the Ireland players are beginning to feel under Kenny.
GOOD MORNING FOOTBALL FANS
Steven Gerrard was officially named Aston Villa’s new manager – with the former Rangers chief to be backed in the January transfer window.
The Liverpool legend, 41, has enjoyed success north of the border with Rangers since taking over in June 2018.
In his first managerial role, Gerrard led the Glasgow side to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade in 2020-21.
And with his stock continuing to rise, the 114-cap former England midfielder has replaced Dean Smith as manager after his sacking following a FIFTH consecutive Prem defeat at Southampton.
The Kop icon has signed a two-and-a-half year deal at Villa Park and will be in charge for the first time next Saturday at home to Brighton.
Meanwhile, Gerrard’s ex-England team-mate Frank Lampard is set to be appointed Norwich City’s new manager, according to reports.
The Canaries sacked Daniel Farke on Saturday – just hours after he guided them to their first win of the season.
Lamps held conversations with the Carrow Road board on Monday and, according to talkSPORT’s Jim White, has now agreed to take over the Premier League’s bottom club.
However, SunSport understands that Lampard has NOT yet been offered the job.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
