Pochettino Spurs return EXCLUSIVE, Chelsea in for Sancho, Mbappe urgent PSG talks, Aguero LATEST – live transfer news

S-MART DECISIONS

Tottenham are reportedly in talks with Belgium boss Roberto Martinez to become their new manager.

Sky Sports claims Daniel Levy has identified the former Everton gaffer as the perfect man to replace Jose Mourinho.

Spurs have now reached out to Martinez as he prepares for Belgium’s adventure at the Euros.

And Sky add the Spanish tactician has already told friends he expects a return to club football later this summer.

AS LUK WOULD HAVE IT

Luka Modric has signed a one-year contract extension at Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until 2022.

The Croatian’s previous deal had been set to expire at the end of June.

Some speculation had arisen that he could depart Santiago Bernabeu to try something new before the end of his career.

But the former Spurs midfielder, 35, is loving life at Real Madrid as much as ever.

Modric celebrated his extension by posing in front of a collection of Madrid’s European Cups, while holding aloft a shirt with ‘Modric 2022’ on the back.

Alongside the image, Modric wrote on Instagram: “Happy and proud to continue wearing the jersey of the best team in the world. ✍️❤️🙏 #HalaMadrid”

IN THE BAGG

Frank Lampard is set to have talks with West Brom over the vacant Hawthorns manager’s job.

Sam Allardyce quit the role after failing to stop the Baggies from being relegated.

It was the first time Big Sam had ever experienced dropping out of the top-flight in more than 500 games as manager.

West Brom chiefs are now on the hunt for a new boss to lead their Championship charge as they aim to break back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Ex-Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was an early frontrunner to take over.

But Lampard is also on the club’s shortlist and is likely to be interviewed for the role.

The former England midfielder has experienced life in the Championship before having managed Derby before taking over at Chelsea.

WILF HUNTER

Tottenham are reportedly competing with Everton in the race to prise Wilfried Zaha away from Crystal Palace.

The 28-year-old winger is once again facing an uncertain future as he looks to depart Selhurst Park in his quest to win silverware.

And with just two years left to run on his contract in South London, the Ivory Coast international is unlikely to pen a new deal.

According to Goal, both Spurs and the Toffees are chasing Zaha, while long-term admirers Arsenal are claimed to be eyeing up Norwich’s Emiliano Buendia instead.

Tottenham could press ahead with a move for Zaha if star striker Harry Kane is sold.

Meanwhile Everton have retained their interest in the player after having two bids rejected for him in 2019.

It has been stated that despite the Eagles looking to keep Zaha, he could be available for £40million.

ARSEN-ALL OVER

Willian is keen to quit Arsenal and re-join Chelsea just 12 months after leaving on a free, according to reports.

The Brazilian forward, 32, walked away from Stamford Bridge last year after the Blues refused to offer him a three-year contract extension.

Chelsea famously refuse to offer more than one-year extensions to players over the age of 30, but were willing to compromise and hand Willian a two-year deal.

But Willian instead opted to sign a three-year deal at Arsenal.

Things haven’t gone smoothly for the winger though, after a tricky debut season in North London.

It’s now believed Willian and is keen to quit the Emirates – with a number of clubs monitoring his situation.

Willian believed to have offers from across Europe, with David Beckham’s Inter Miami also keen.

But Sky Sports now say the forward is keen to head back to Chelsea, where he played over 300 times in seven years – helping the club win two Premier League crowns.

ENGLAND’S EUROS SQUAD BY CLUB

BEST ENGLAND XI WHO MISSED OUT ON 33-MAN PROVISIONAL SQUAD

‘BACKED OFF’

Jamie Vardy “backed off” from a move to Arsenal from Leicester after a meeting with Arsene Wenger in 2016.

The Gunners matched the £20million release fee clause inserted in the striker’s contract at the time and soon opened talks with the hotshot.

Vardy, who had just returned from Euro 2016 with England, scored 24 goals to fire Leicester to their magical Premier League title win the season previous.

The ex-Fleetwood marksman looked set to leave the King Power to join Arsenal only to change his mind late on, and he still remains at the Foxes.

He previously told Sun Sport: “I’ve always said the brotherhood at Leicester is unbelievable.

“It wasn’t that big a decision, it was quite easy, this is where I wanted to be.”

Now Dick Law, who was Arsenal’s transfer negotiator at the time, has now revealed how the deal broke down.

He told The Athletic: “The deal with Leicester was done, the deal with the player was done.

“He came down to visit with his wife Rebekah, he sat on the couch in front of Arsene…and then he backed off.

“On his way back to Leicester I get a call from the player saying he wants to think about it overnight. At that point, you know it’s bad news.”

XAVI SAYS NO TO BRAZIL

IF the Brazil FA had it their way, then Barcelona legend Xavi would be next manager of the national team.

Reports claimed that the Brazil FA made an offer to the former midfield maestro, who is the manager of Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd.

He was to join the national team coaching staff now, with a view to taking over as head coach after the next World Cup. However, he turned down the offer.

It is understandable if he thought that it was far too soon in his coaching career to be thinking of such a high pressure job in a country that he barely knows.

LIGT’S OUT

Matthijs de Ligt is angling for a move to Barcelona after growing discontent with life at Juventus, according to reports.

The Dutch central defender, 21, had endured two difficult seasons in Turin following his high-profile move from Ajax in 2019.

Juventus forked out a whopping £67.5million on the youngster, beating competition from Barca for his signature.

During the same summer, De Ligt’s former Ajax team-mate and close friend Frenkie De Jong made the switch to the Nou Camp.

According to Catalunya Radio, the pair have been in close contact with De Ligt pushing for a reunion at Barca.

The report adds how Barcelona would be interested in concluding a deal, but know financial restrictions will make it tough.

De Ligt still has three years left on his deal at Juventus so they are in no rush to cash in.

ENGLAND’S PROVISIONAL 33-MAN SQUAD FOR EURO 2020

GOALKEEPERS: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield Utd).

DEFENDERS: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Godfrey (Everton), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), John Stones (Man City), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Man City), Ben White (Brighton).

MIDFIELDERS: Jude Bellingham (Dortmund), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (West Ham/Man Utd), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).

FORWARDS: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Mason Greenwood (Man Utd), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Jadon Sancho (Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

IBRA-CADABRA

Liverpool are reportedly on the verge of completing the signing of RB Leipzig star Ibrahima Konate.

The Reds have been linked with the centre-back for months as Jurgen Klopp looks to solve his defensive woes.

Now the Daily Mail claims the transfer should become a done deal this summer after Liverpool agreed to meet his £40million release clause.

Konate is celebrating his 22nd birthday today back in his French homeland.

He is currently preparing for Les Bleus’ European U21 Championship quarter-final against Holland next week.

But today’s report states ‘German sources understand he will resolve his move to Anfield imminently’.

BRIGHT SPARK

SunSport exclusively revealed that Brighton defender Ben White is in contention for a shock England call-up for Euro 2020.

Harry Maguire’s ankle injury plus form concerns about Eric Dier have led to the Three Lions boss suddenly looking at other options.

And White, 23, is the player who has caught his eye the most.

Southgate even made a trip down to the south coast to watch him in action earlier this month.

SunSport understands the ball-playing defender has been told to not to fly off on holiday this week after completing his Premier League season at Arsenal.

Watch this space.

ENGLAND SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT

When is the England Euro 2020 squad announced?

• Gareth Southgate will name his PROVISIONAL England squad at 1pm today.
• Southgate will be talking from The Three Lions’ St George’s Park HQ to make his announcement.
• Southgate will be able to name his final squad on June 1, especially if any of the players involved in the Europa and Champions League finals get injured.

‘ARD TIMES

Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and Jody Morris are reportedly set to part ways ahead of their returns to football.

Blues icon Lampard, 42, took his close friend with him to Derby in 2018 where he appointed him as his assistant manager.

And Chelsea’s all-time top scorer then brought the 42-year-old with him when he returned to Stamford Bridge a year later to take charge of his beloved side.

Both men – who played together at Chelsea during the early 2000s – are out of a job having had their contracts in West London terminated in January.

According to the Daily Mail, the pair are ready to take up separate coaching roles.

They state that Morris could be eyeing up his first managerial job having caught the interest of a number of clubs.

HURTY HARRY

This is how we expect Manchester United to line up against Villarreal in the Europa League final tomorrow evening, with captain Harry Maguire set to miss out due to injury.

NO PAIN NO GAIN

Marcus Rashford claims England will benefit from their World Cup pain in their bid to reach the Euros final.

The Manchester United striker, 23, said: “We’ve got a good chance. The talent and ability in the team is as high as I have seen it.

“A lot of it is down to self-belief. I was speaking to some of the players and I think the only thing that stopped us last time was entering that element of the unknown.

“We hadn’t been that far as a team before and we didn’t know what to expect…I feel like we’ve learnt from those experiences, plus we’ve got a few new talented faces in the squad.

“We’re looking at a really good balance and you need balance to win trophies.”

NEXT TOTTENHAM MANAGER ODDS

BACK FOR MAUR

Tottenham are preparing for a monster summer with the future of star striker Harry Kane and hiring a new manager top of the agenda.

Kane, 27, has stated his desire to quit Spurs in a desperate bid to finally get his hands on some silverware.

Manchester City, United and Chelsea are all keen on the £150million-rated striker in what looks set to become the biggest transfer saga of 2021.

On the manager front, Ryan Mason took over from Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in April with a full-time replacement to be hired this summer.

But Spurs could look to their past to solve both problems – with SunSport revealing Mauricio Pochettino is set for a shock return to North London in a move that could see Kane sensationally STAY.

POCH SHOCK

Mauricio Pochettino could make a stunning return to Tottenham.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is considering trying to persuade their ex-boss to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

And SunSport can reveal that Pochettino is seriously considering a switch back to the club as he is unhappy in Paris and would love a second chance at White Hart Lane.

It could be Spurs’ ace card to keep Harry Kane, who yesterday modelled their new home kit.

Pochettino was sacked by Spurs in November 2019 after five years at the club before taking over at PSG in January this term.

RON WAY STREET

Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a lengthy cryptic message which has fans believing he is quitting Juventus.

It read: “The life and career of any top player are made of ups and downs. Year after year, we face fantastic teams, with extraordinary players and ambitious goals, so we always have to give our best to keep ourselves at excellence levels.

“This year we couldn’t win Serie A, congratulations to Inter for the well deserved title. However, I have to value everything that we achieved this season at Juventus, both in collective and individual terms.

“The Italian Super Cup, the Italian Cup and the Serie A Top Scorer trophy fill me with happiness, mainly due to the difficulty they carry with them, in a country where nothing is easy to win.

“With these achievements, I reached a goal that I had set myself since the first day I arrived in Italy: to win the Championship, the Cup and the Super Cup, and also to be Best Player and Top Scorer in this great football country filled with tremendous players, giant clubs and a very own football culture.

“I’ve already said that I don’t chase records, records chase me. For those who don’t understand what I mean by this, it’s very simple: football is a collective game, but it is through individual overcoming that we help our teams achieve their goals.

“It is always looking for more and more on the field, working more and more off the field, that records eventually emerge and collective titles become inevitable, some being the natural consequence of the other.

“So, I’m very proud with this fact that has been widely replicated in recent days: Champion in England, Spain and Italy; Cup winner in England, Spain and Italy; Super Cup winner in England, Spain and Italy; Best Player in England, Spain and Italy; Best Scorer in England, Spain and Italy; Over 100 goals for a club in England, Spain and Italy.

“Nothing compares to the feeling of knowing that I’ve left my mark in the countries where I’ve played, and that I gave joy to the fans of the clubs I represented. This is what I work for, this is what moves me and this is what I’ll always keep chasing for until the last day.

“Thanks to everyone who took part in this journey! We stand together!”

ALL IN

Max Allegri is ready to reject Tottenham and jobs in Italy to hold out for the Real Madrid job, according to reports.

Los Blancos could be set for a summer of change after a trophy-less campaign under boss Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane still has a year left on his deal but hinted he is ready to depart this summer.

And it appears Real Madrid are already planning for his eventual departure having held talks with former Juventus boss Allegri.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on Twitter: “Massimiliano Allegri’s priority is always Real Madrid.

“He has still not accepted any bid from Italy as of today – he wants to wait for Real.

“Allegri is the favourite only if Zidane decides to leave the club. Real are also planning for some new entry in the board.”

SAN STORM

Manchester United’s pursuit of Jadon Sancho could finally be over this summer with Borussia Dortmund reportedly telling the star he can leave.

The Red Devils were desperate to land the England winger last summer only to be priced out of a move.

The Bundesliga side wanted £117million for the 21-year-old – now they will allegedly accept £75m.

German newspaper BILD claim that this summer will be Dortmund’s ‘final goodbye’ to Sancho.

They are determined to hang on to fellow starlet Erling Haaland as a host of big guns across Europe plot swoops.

But selling Sancho to United instead of cashing in on the Norwegian is allegedly viewed as ‘acceptable’ by Dortmund chiefs.

GOOD MORNING FOOTBALL FANS,

Kylian Mbappe is in urgent transfer talks with Paris Saint-Germain over his future following Sunday’s Ligue 1 title flop.

He told Canal Plus: “Everyone knows how profoundly attached I am to the club.

“I have always been very thankful towards the president and my different coaches.

“What I want is to win, to feel like I am somewhere where I can win, where there is a solid project around me.

“The footballing project is essential. I want to feel like I am part of a team that is going to do something.

“Then, it’s up to us to show what we can do. We are talking with the club, we will see what happens.”

Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel is hopeful Edouard Mendy will be fit for the Champions League final after a ‘huge improvement’ in his rib injury.

The goalkeeper, 29, was taken off at half-time after crashing against the post attempting to save Bertrand Traore’s opener in the 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

He said: “For Edu, the update is that we still have hope that he joins training on Wednesday and he joins the group.

“We had a huge improvement in the management of the pain.

“We need a further update on Wednesday, but we hope to have him back in training on Wednesday.

“Edu will play if he is fit and if he is not fit on Wednesday we will try on Thursday.

“And we will try on Friday and take the responsibility for this decision.”

And finally, Gareth Southgate has shelved plans to name his final Euros squad today.

The England boss will instead reveal a provisional group at lunchtime before finalising his 26-man tournament picks next Tuesday.

Southgate delayed his final choices because of the number of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United players involved in the two European club finals.

It will also give Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson extra time to work on his fitness after his long lay-off following groin surgery.

But his Reds team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold is still sweating over his place.

The 22-year-old was not selected for the three World Cup qualifiers in March due to his loss of form.

Despite an improved end to the season, he has struggled to convince Southgate despite his offensive strengths.

Now the Three Lions boss must make big decisions on his right-backs with Chelsea’s Reece James also at risk.

West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone is set to replace injured Burnley star Nick Pope.

The Dortmund duo of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho are likely to be included.

LUKE-ING UP

To miss one final is unlucky. Two is heartbreaking. Three, you might start wondering if you are in the right trade.

But four… no make that FIVE if you want to chuck in a Super Cup… well.

Well that is Luke Shaw’s back catalogue at Manchester United as he finally looks forward to breaking his duck in the Europa League final against Villarreal in Gdansk.

He said: “There was disappointment with all of them, really.

“In big games at big times are big opportunities to show yourself and I feel like I missed out on them.”