CHELSEA are reportedly interested in a move for Wolves defender Max Kilman, following his impressive performances this season.
Kilman is a boyhood Blues fan and could be open to the move if he hears the club are in for him.
Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe is said to have been offered whopping £1m-a-week wages to stay with PSG.
The Frenchman has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, who he scored a winner in the Champions League against last week.
Having missed out on Kane, Barcelona wonderkid Nico Gonzalez is next on Guardiola’s shopping list.
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Lille team news
Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec had to withdraw Angel Gomes after just 27 minutes against Metz due to a calf problem on Friday
Therefore, Hatem Ben Arfa or Timothy Weah could take Gomes’ place against Chelsea.
Edon Zhegrova is not expected to start but his red card last week will play no role at Stamford Bridge.
However, Jose Fonte and Burak Yilmaz will be out of the second leg if they get booked tonight
Chelsea vs Lille preview
Chelsea take on Lille at Stamford Bridge tonight in their Champions League Last 16 first leg.
The Blues’ captain Cesar Azpilicueta should be available after missing Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace due to injury.
Mason Mount is likely to be sidelined as he is pushing for a return to the Carabao Cup Final from an ankle injury.
The west Londoners may also play without Callum Hudson-Odoi after he missed the Palace game.
An of course, Reece James and Ben Chilwell are still sidelined
Going for the Kil
Chelsea are considering a bid for in-form Wolves ace Max Kilman ahead of the summer transfer window.
Kilman was born in Chelsea and grew up supporting the Blues ever since he was little.
The centre-back has been playing in a back three along with Conor Coady and Romain Saiss, and as a trio they have conceded just 18 Premier League goals with the in-form Jose Sa in goal – only Manchester City have let in fewer.
According to talkSPORT, the English defender is being scouted by the west Londoners
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Lampard plotting Chelsea midfielder raid
Frank Lampard has reportedly already spoken to Chelsea over the potential transfer of Conor Gallagher.
TEAMtalk reports that Frank Lampard has approached Chelsea to make sure Everton are top of the list of potential clubs if Gallagher is sent out on loan again next season. Rumours are that Thomas Tuchel is interested in promoting him to the first team but if Lampard’s Everton can offer more guaranteed first team football, it could make sense for all parties.
Gallagher is currently on loan at Crystal Palace and has been extremely impressive, leading to an England call up last November.
The young Englishman has added goals to his game, something we didn’t see a lot of previous to his transfer to Selhurst Park. He’s managed seven goals in the league from midfield as well as three assists.
Double injury blow for Liverpool
Liverpool forwards Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino remain considerable doubts for the Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea this weekend.
Portuguese international Jota hurt his ankle in the Champions League last-16 first-leg win over Inter Milan last week, being substituted at half-time at the San Siro and later spotted on crutches and wearing a medical boot.
Likewise Firmino, with the Brazilian also suffering a muscle injury against Inter and being absent against Norwich.
Neither player will be considered to face Leeds in a rearranged Premier League fixture on Wednesday evening, while Klopp appeared pessimistic over their chances of being fit to play a part against Chelsea.
Kane recalls ‘crazy’ Defoe story
Harry Kane has recalled how Jermain Defoe once unexpectedly pulled up for a street kickabout with him and his school pals as he outlined his ambition to become the Premier League’s all-time top scorer.
The Tottenham star and England captain took part in the latest episode of BT Sport’s What I Wore series and enjoyed a trip down memory lane.
Kane said: “Defoe is one of my favourite strikers and I was fortunate enough to play with him as well.
“The story was that I was in the street where I lived in Chingford just playing football with about 15 of my mates and a black Range Rover pulled up and Jermain Defoe got out.
“It was crazy. I was in the academy at the time but only about 11-years-old and he just got out and started playing with us for about 20 minutes.
“He signed a load of stuff, we were taking our trainers off and things like that and getting them signed, but it was amazing.”
Barca bid to keep Araujo
Barcelona are ready to make a fresh contract offer to Ronald Araujo with Man Utd very interested in the defender, according to reports.
The Uruguay international joined Barcelona in 2018. He signed a long-term deal when he joined the club and made his senior debut in 2019.
Araujo broke into the Barcelona first team last season and has established himself as a key part of their defence this term.
There have been reports that Barcelona boss Xavi is now prioritising a new deal for Araujo after 22-year-old entered the final 18 months of his contract.
He has been linked with Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea in recent months with Araujo looking for a pay rise to commit to the Catalan side.
Ferdinand piles praise on Rangnick
Rio Ferdinand has defended Ralf Rangnick by pointing out that only Manchester City have accumulated more points than Manchester United in the Premier League since the German’s arrival.
Speaking on his Vibe With Five podcast, Ferdinand said: “There’s a real Debbie Downer on Rangnick and Man United at the moment.
“Yes, I think the fixture list while he’s been there has been quite favourable to Man United, but only Man City have picked up more points since he’s come in.
“So he can’t be doing as badly as the way it’s spoken about in the media. In terms of points, you have to say he’s a pass at the moment.
“Everyone’s saying Liverpool are flying and oh my god it’s championship winning form, they haven’t had as many points in the bag as Rangnick in his term since he’s been here.”
Diego Costa being investigated
Police investigating former Chelsea striker Diego Costa over an alleged betting scandal have secured a court order to scrutinise his bank accounts.
His lawyer insisted once he was identified that the football star was innocent of any wrongdoing and would be contacting police himself to give a statement voluntarily.
A court in Sergipe has now approved a police request for the footballer’s confidential banking information, including details of his Spanish accounts, according to reports in Brazil.
Media giant Globo’s sports portal Ge said federal court officials agreed to the petition after the Spain international, who has been linked to clubs around the world including Arsenal and Benfica since he became a free agent last month, was ‘unable to explain’ his financial relationship with online betting site Esportenet.
Spain is said to have already been made aware of the Brazilian court decision, paving the way for the bank-client confidentiality that normally protects customers’ financial activities to be waived as part of the high-level probe.
Neymar plots future MLS move
Neymar says he would love to play in America’s Major League Soccer towards the end of his career – if only to get a longer off-season break.
The 30-year-old superstar spoke about his hopes for the future on the Fenomenos Podcast with retired Brazil legendary striker Ronaldo and Twitch star Gaules.
When asked by Ronaldo, 45, if he plans on retiring in Brazil, Neymar replied: “I don’t know, I have my doubts about that.
“I don’t know if I’ll play in Brazil again, but I’d love to play in the US actually.
“I’d love to play there for at least a season but I don’t know about Brazil – sometimes I want to, sometimes I don’t.”
Bielsa defence of Koch handling
Marcelo Bielsa has made an impassioned defence of how Leeds’ staff responded to Robin Koch’s head injury during Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United.
The Professional Footballer’s Association also raised concerns, saying that player safety is not prioritised.
Bielsa said: “If there’s something that the medical staff at Leeds have done, and I as an extension of their decisions, it’s to abide strictly by the rules whether by Covid or any knocks to the head or any other case.
“If any club has acted impeccably with the rules regards to health, it’s Leeds.
“We did nothing different to the protocol. We did everything according to the protocol. I was convinced it was just the bleeding from the cut. That was the first conclusion after the evaluation the player had.
“When he manifested different symptoms, he was substituted. The control the player receives when they get this type of knock, the protocol that is applied is what generates whether he should be substituted or not.”
‘Romelu Lukaku should feel embarrassed’
Chris Sutton has slammed Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku for ‘hiding’ in his seven-touch cameo against Crystal Palace.
The Belgian failed to score for the fourth Premier League game in a row and has been slammed for his poor performances for the European champions this season.
Sutton told the Daily Mail: “I had ever finished a game having had only seven touches of the ball, I’d feel embarrassed walking back into that training ground.
“For a striker to come out of 90 minutes with that sorry statistic screams ‘I’m hiding’ and there’s no escaping that for Romelu Lukaku.
“Maybe he will blame a lack of service, but that’s only part of the problem. If Lukaku wanted to touch the ball more than seven times against Crystal Palace, he could have done.
“He could have made better movements. He could have made it impossible for his team-mates to ignore him.”
Arsenal eye Atletico Madrid forward
Arsenal are keen on a deal for Atlético Madrid striker Joao Felix, with Mikel Arteta specifically asking for his signature.
That’s according to journalist Eduardo Inda, who says Atlético manager Diego Simeone is happy to let the Portuguese go if he can replace him with Valencia’s Goncalo Guedes.
Felix’s current deal with the Spanish side runs until 2026, but there are doubts about his future at the Wanda Metropolitano moving forwards.
Aguero to re-connect with City
Sergio Aguero has confirmed he is in talks for future roles with Manchester City and the Argentina national team following his retirement from football last year.
Now pursuing a career with his eSports company, Aguero has spoken about his future to Argentine media, where he has confirmed he intends to take ambassadorial roles with City and Argentina, as well as joining the Argentine coaching staff for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in some capacity.
Aguero: “With Manchester City we are looking to go to three or four annual events.
“I’m looking for something similar with the Argentine national team.”
Declan Rice asking price increased
West Ham have bumped up Declan Rice’s valuation to more than £120million amid interest from Manchester United, according to The Times.
It’s also claimed 23-year-old Rice has put talks over his future at West Ham on hold until the summer.
The England star is said to be keen to assess his options come the end of the campaign.
A potential move at that figure would comfortably make him the most expensive Premier League signing of all time – ahead of Three Lions colleague Jack Grealish.
Rice’s current deal runs out in the summer of 2024, but the Londoners have the option to extend for a further year.
Ajax payout for Abdelhak Nouri
Ajax have reached a settlement worth £6.5million with Abdelhak Nouri’s family after he suffered serious brain damage due to inadequate medical care.
The midfielder’s career was cut short after he suffered a cardiac arrest in a 2017 pre-season game against Werder Bremen.
And despite being revived on the pitch and rushed to a hospital, Nouri suffered permanent brain damage.
Ajax have admitted that the medical care on the field was not adequate and have acknowledged liability.
General manager Edwin van der Sar said in a statement: “We all realise that the suffering for Abdelhak and his loved ones is not over. It remains a very sad situation, that’s how we feel here at Ajax too.
“We greatly appreciate the way the family takes care of Abdelhak day and night with a lot of love and attention.”
Conte hits back at Guardiola
Antonio Conte has hit back at Pep Guardiola’s claim Tottenham only enjoyed success on the counter-attack against Manchester City with a brilliant Instagram post.
Guardiola implied Tottenham’s only positive moments in the game came on the break.
Refusing to ignore the comments, Conte responded to Guardiola’s words in an Instagram post on Monday.
The Italian shared a video of Spurs’ first goal which saw them build up from a Hugo Lloris goal kick, before Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Kane and Son Heung-min all played their parts in a sweeping move which Dejan Kulusevski tucked home.
It was the very antithesis of a counter-attacking goal, something Conte was quick to point out with his caption.
He simply said: “Counterattacks?!? Maybe not… 😂😂😂.”
Big clubs battle for Olise
Crystal Palace are facing a fight to keep Michael Olise this summer.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Lille and Bayern Munich are among those keeping tabs on the exciting 20-year-old Eagle.
Palace pulled off a coup by pipping a number of bigger Prem and European clubs to sign him from Reading in an £8million deal in July.
But the south Londoners are already staring at the prospect of losing him in the next window following his increasingly impressive displays for them this season.
Pele struggling to eat, sleep
Pele has remained in hospital due to a urinary tract infection as he continues to receive chemotherapy treatment for a tumour on his colon.
The 81-year-old Brazil legend was admitted for a session on his tumour on February 13 and has been kept in due to the urinary infection.
While his condition remains stable, he is also said to be “struggling to eat or sleep”. He has been left weakened after receiving an endoscopy last Wednesday – a procedure used in medicine to look inside the body.
A medical report obtained by ESPN reads: “Edson Arantes do Nascimento [Pele] was admitted to Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein on the 13th to continue the treatment of the colon tumor, identified in September 2021.
“During his stay, routine exams were performed, which indicated the presence of a urinary infection, a fact which extended the patient’s stay in the hospital.
“His clinical conditions are stable, and hospital discharge should take place in the next few days.”
Newcastle to renew pair’s contracts
Jonjo Shelvey and Fabian Schar are reportedly in line for new contracts at Newcastle.
Boss Eddie Howe has been impressed by the pair since taking up the reigns on Tyneside and is eager to tie them down to fresh deals.
The Telegraph report Schar’s return to form after being instilled at the back alongside £13million man Dan Burn has earned him an extension.
The 30-year-old is out of contract this summer, while Shelvey’s current deal expires 12 months later.
He too is likely to be rewarded with fresh terms by Newcastle after enjoying a resurgence in midfield as of late.
It’s claimed Howe is looking to ‘evolve rather than overhaul’ his squad after the £300m Saudi-backed takeover in October.
Arsenal given Martinez transfer boost
Arsenal have been put on red alert with Inter Milan reportedly prepared to sell star striker Lautaro Martinez in the summer.
The Gunners were linked with a move to bring the 24-year-old to the Emirates last year with the club prepared to offer him a £275,000-a-week deal.
It was reported last week how the North London outfit have reignited their interest in the 2021 Copa America champion.
And now Calciomercato have claimed that the player is facing an uncertain future in Italy.
They state that a number of Premier League teams are interested in Martinez, with Arsenal believed to be one of those clubs.
It is understood that the Serie A giants would be willing to part ways with Martinez should they receive a fee in the region of £67million.
Liverpool and City dealt Mbappe blow
Liverpool and Manchester City are out of the running to sign Paris Saint-Germain main man Kylian Mbappe, reports say.
The World Cup-winning Frenchman can leave PSG for FREE this summer when his contract expires.
But according to Sport, Mbappe’s options are narrowing with Liverpool and Man City out of the race to sign him.
A move to Barcelona won’t materialise either with all three interested clubs receiving a negative response ‘every time they opened the door’ to a move.
The only option left for Mbappe is a dream move to Real Madrid.
Possible Champions League final switch
The Champions League final could reportedly be moved to Wembley after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The showpiece is scheduled to take place at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg.
According to the Daily Star, Uefa bosses ‘would be left with no choice but to switch venues’ if Putin continues with his military aggression.
The chances of Wembley getting the nod, believed to be worth around £60m, would be heightened should two English teams reach the final.
Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are still left in the competition.
The Star adds that ‘Uefa are monitoring the Ukrainian crisis closely, with a view to drawing up a contingency plan if needed’.
Brendan Rodgers not going anywhere
Leicester City’s winless start to the Premier League in 2022 is not going to cost Brendan Rodgers his job, according to The Telegraph.
The Foxes have failed to pick up three points in all five league games since the turn of the year, with Rodgers favourite to be the next Prem manager sacked.
It’s claimed club bosses do not have any plans to relieve the former Liverpool manager of his duties.
Rodgers is said to have held talks with chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha before and after the 4-1 Europa Conference League win over Randers.
And plans are already being put in place for a destination for pre-season training in the summer, as well as a winter camp during the Qatar World Cup.
Recruitment has also been discussed ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
Eddie Howe wants Liverpool star
Newcastle United and Aston Villa are likely to be near the front of the queue to sign Joe Gomez should Liverpool decide to sell the defender this summer, according to a report from The Athletic.
Gomez has endured a hugely frustrating season. He had barely played any minutes in the Premier League before getting through the 90 at the weekend as the Reds beat Norwich City.
The Athletic makes it clear that there has, so far, been no suggestion that Gomez is looking to leave Anfield. However, his contract will have two years left to run in the summer.
And should Liverpool decide to cash in on Gomez, Aston Villa and Newcastle may well make a move. The Magpies’ ability to enter the race, of course, will largely depend on whether they manage to stay up.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
