Chelsea targeting Jules Kounde, Blues battle Newcastle for £33m Ekitike, Real Madrid ‘confident of Haaland transfer’

Spurs target Lingard fancies overseas move

Jesse Lingard is reportedly set to snub a move to Tottenham because he wants to head abroad this summer.

The United midfielder is soon to be out of contract at Old Trafford and appears certain to head for the exit.

He has notched 226 appearances for the Red Devils but this season has found game time hard to come by.

Spurs were mooted as a potential escape route in January but the indications coming out of the Lingard camp now suggest he wants to play overseas next term.

Zaha in the making

Could Arsenal be about to make a surprise move for Wilfried Zaha.

The Gunners have previously been linked with the Ivory Coast international but have never had much of a look in with the player happy at Crystal Palace.

That appears to have changed as Palace struggle to tie him down to a new contract.

And boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly considering a swoop for the forward in the summer.

Given his lack of attacking options, any attacking talent would be a welcome addition to Arteta’s squad.

But with the player pushing 30 there are concerns he may not fit into Arsenal’s youthful squad, which currently has the youngest average age in the Premier League.

‘Credit where it’s due’

Paul Merson has some advice for West Ham if they hope to qualify for the Champions League next season – be more like Newcastle.

The Arsenal legend has been impressed by the Toon’s recent run of form which has seen them win three on the bounce.

West Ham are going backwards in terms of a top four finish and now find themselves in fifth after being leapfrogged by Man United.

And Merson said: “Credit where credit is due, winning three games on the trot is some going when you’re virtually bottom of the league.

“If Arsenal did that, it’s a result. If West Ham were to do that now, they’ve got every chance of playing Champions League football next year. 

“The Premier League is hard, so to win three straight games is impressive.”

Man in the middle

Arsenal have reportedly entered the race for Leeds star Kalvin Phillips.

The England international is already the subject of interest from the likes of Man United and Liverpool.

But now reports suggest the Gunners could be in for the 26-year-old this summer.

Boss Mikel Arteta is looking for a midfielder he can rely on after seeing Granit Xhaka pick up too many cards this season.

Any transfer battle would likely push the asking price above the £36million Leeds reportedly value him at.

Dumb luck

Luke Shaw has admitted people will think he is ‘stupid’ for his bold Champions League prediction.

The Man United left-back has insisted the Red Devils still have a chance of winning the European title this season.

Winning the Champions League may be United’s best hope of qualifying for next season’s edition of the tournament – although yesterday’s victory over Brighton sees them move up to fourth for the time being.

And Shaw said: “This is the crunch time of the season and it is very important in the league to get some momentum. As a team we believe we can win the Champions League.

“Not many people on the outside will think it and some will think I’m stupid for saying that but we have that belief and confidence that we can win it.

“I’m sure everyone in this dressing room – the players, the staff and the management – all have that belief that we can. Now we need to pick some momentum up, get results and keep playing well.”

Max power

Wolves defender Max Kilman has called on his Molineux team-mates to use their victory over Tottenham on Sunday as a springboard for a run of results.

The Black Country side are currently seventh and have an outside chance of a top-four spot and qualification for next season’s Champions League.

They stunned Spurs 2-0 away from home on Sunday and now sit one place above the north London club in the Prem table.

And Kilman said: “It’s a good result but we must keep our form going and keep the consistency.

“If we want to be pushing to higher places in the league we need to start winning two or three games in a row and keeping up with the performances instead of winning and losing.

“If we keep winning and then losing it will be very difficult for us to get to higher places in the table at the end of the season.

Future planning

Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell reckons his former club have a real chance of landing talented youngster Armando Broja from Chelsea this summer.

The 20-year-old has been turning heads with his goal-scoring efforts while out on loan at Southampton this season.

And Campbell says the lure of regular first-team football in Arsenal’s youthful line-up could be enough to convince the youngster his future lies at the Emirates.

Campbell told Football Insider: “The thing is with Chelsea, they have so many players.

“They might well say they don’t want to sell him to a rival. But if the young man wants a career, then he won’t want to be going out on loan all the time or stuck in the reserves – he’ll want to move.

“I don’t know how strong the interest is, but he’s certainly performing brilliantly at Southampton. He looks a right handful and he’s a young striker, which ties into the model at Arsenal right now.

“I don’t know what their stance is on selling to a top-four rival, but Chelsea won’t be able to keep everybody happy this summer – that’s for sure.”

Left out in the cold

United legend Andy Cole isn’t impressed with the treatment of one Red Devil under Ralf Rangnick.

The former striker has given his backing to centre-back Victor Lindelof, who is currently rooted to the bench with skipper Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane ahead of him.

The Sweden international found himself out-of-favour when previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought in Varane last summer.

Now Cole has said: “For me personally, I would like to see him given a run in the team.

“I think when he plays well and he has got confidence, he is as good as any of them.

“I don’t think he has been given the run that he deserves.

“When Ole was the manager and he brought in Varane, he left Victor out straightaway.

“You just can’t just make your mind up like I bought Maguire for £80million, so regardless of how he plays he is going to play.

“And then Varane, I bought him for £40m, you can’t do that.

“Sometimes, you have got to look at it and say right, if these are the best combination I am going to go with it.”

‘Pain in the a**’

Pep Guardiola has identified the team he reckons has the best chance of halting his Manchester City juggernaut in this season’s Champions League.

The Sky Blues smashed last-16 opponents Sporting Lisbon 5-0 last night – and that was just the first leg.

But the City boss has refused to get complacent as he cited LIVERPOOL as his side’s biggest threat in their quest for a Champions League title this term.

When asked who he feared most, Pep said: “Liverpool. They are six points behind us. 

“They’ve been our biggest rivals in the past few seasons and are always there – a pain in the a**, all the time! They are a fantastic team in Europe.”

Domestic rivalry

Man United face a transfer shock this summer in the shape of out-of-contract star Paul Pogba.

The France international will become a free agent in July and is yet to sign a new deal to stay at Old Trafford.

Until now a move abroad had seemed the most likely outcome to Pogba’s contract situation, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain all vying for his signature.

But now reports are emerging the 28-year-old could sensationally consider offers from rival Premier League clubs.

The Express suggests unnamed English heavyweights are eyeing the midfielder’s services this summer.

That would come as quite a blow to the Red Devils faithful, who have had a fractious relationship with their academy graduate over the years.

Person of interest

Martin Odegaard has spoken of his excitement at the current crop of Arsenal players under boss Mikel Arteta.

The Norway international is part of the youngest squad in the Premier League after joining permanently from Real Madrid last summer.

Odegaard had been on loan from the Bernabeu before making the switch full-time and now can’t wait to see what his team-mates are capable of.

He said: “We’re a very, very interesting group: a lot of young players, and a lot of hungry players.

“I feel like we’re building something special here with all the players and the staff. 

“It’s really interesting what we’re trying to do and I’m happy with the situation, very happy to be part of the team and hopefully we can keep improving and get better each game. Then we’ll see where it takes us.”

Homecoming king

Son Heung-min says he cannot wait to return to South Korea with Tottenham this summer, writes Paul Jiggins.

Spurs have announced they will be playing two fixtures in the striker’s homeland in July as part of their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign.

It will be the North Londoners’ first overseas tour for three years following the Covid pandemic.

Son said: “I am extremely excited to be returning home to South Korea this summer alongside my Spurs team-mates – for most of whom this will be their first visit.

“I can’t wait to see their reaction to the passionate Korean fans and the incredible atmosphere in what we are sure will be packed out stadiums for our matches.”

Tottenham claim they are the most supported English club in South Korea as they boast the captains of the country’s men and women’s national teams in Son and Cho So-hyun.

Spurs visited South Korea when they played in the 2005 Peace Cup.

They were planning to return in July 2020 before Covid struck.

It will be the club’s first tour since they played in Singapore and China under Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.

Antonio Conte’s side will play two exhibition matches as part of the Coupang Play Series, with dates, opposition and venues to be announced nearer the time.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “We are delighted to be heading back out on tour after what has been such a challenging time for us all.

“Being able to take our team overseas during pre-season is always a key part of the preparation for any forthcoming season – I speak on behalf of all players and staff in saying we have missed being able to do so in recent years.

“A trip to Korea, in particular, is long overdue – we are well aware of the incredible support we have there, with many fans travelling to London to watch our matches in recent years.”

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Man United boss Ralf Rangnick has revealed the secret that transformed his side at half-time in their crucial 2-0 win over Brighton last night.

The Red Devils again looked lacklustre at Old Trafford and went into the break with the score at 0-0.

But during the break the German tactician called on wingers Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga to change their approach.

He said: “We told our two wingers to attack the centre-backs so our full-backs could jump to their full-backs.

“That paid off with Elanga and the red card. We should have killed off the game much earlier. We were not lethal enough.

“First half was Mr Hyde, second half Dr Jekyll and for a change it (the result) was different. In the end it was important to get the three points against an in-form team.”

Race for fourth

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has had his say on the Gunners’ top-four prospects this season.

Boss Mikel Arteta is desperate to finish inside the Champions League qualifying spots this term.

And his quest was given a huge boost with the narrow 1-0 win away at Wolves last week while rivals around them dropped points.

And Henry said: “West Ham didn’t take advantage of it. Tottenham has never taken advantage of it.

“But Arsenal had to go and win at Wolves. That was a massive win, so there are still a lot of games to go.

“For me, if they don’t do it, as I said at the start of the season, then it will be a failure.”

Italian job

Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be on his way to Roma in the next transfer window, according to reports.

Italian paper Corriere della Sera says the 26-year-old could find himself on the market after failing to impress new boss Antonio Conte.

Former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho reportedly rates the Dane highly.

He was the Special One’s first signing in north London, joining from Southampton for a fee of around £15million in the summer of 2020.

Hojbjerg could be looking at a guaranteed place in the starting line-up at Roma, with Mourinho on the hunt for a new midfielder.

The 59-year-old has reportedly given up on his pursuit for Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and is now looking elsewhere.

Out of control

Man United aren’t going to win anything until they sort out their midfield.

That’s the view of ex-England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright.

The pundit reckons United need an upgrade on the likes of Paul Pogba, Fred and Scott McTominay, who all featured to some extent against Brighton last night.

He said: “I will always say until Man United get the midfield sorted where they can control the game when it’s going against them they are going to have problems.

“Brighton even with ten men, they were still causing Man United problems.

“That should not be happening, not at Old Trafford against eleven men.

“How many transfer windows everybody knows they need for that particular midfield for them to control games.

“If Man United can control games, they will take chances, they will make even more chances and they will win more comfortably.”

Change of schedule

United have reportedly axed plans to play a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong this summer due to Covid-19 restrictions still in place.

The Red Devils had been considering a stop in the city as part of their first ‘proper’ pre-season tour in two years.

But Hong Kong’s strict pandemic protocols don’t look like being relaxed any time soon and United aren’t prepared to gamble with booking in a stay this year.

Howling mad

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has slapped down Ruben Neves for comments the Wolves midfielder made in the aftermath of the Gunners’ narrow 1-0 victory over his side last week.

Neves poured scorn on the north London club for celebrating ‘as if they’d won the league’ when they held on for a vital three points despite going down to 10 men.

Now Wright has hit back, asking Neves what he was thinking when making those comments.

He said: “I was vexed with Neves, coming out and saying ‘look at how Arsenal are celebrating’. What’s wrong with you?

“That’s an unbelievable result for Arsenal the way that you lot have been playing. 

“1-0 nil down with 10 men away from home and we get the goal (to win it). That is cause for celebration!”

‘No one can get near them’

Owen Hargreaves has heaped praise on Pep Guardiola and his team after they smashed Sporting Lisbon 5-0 last night.

Man City have all but guaranteed their place in the Champions League quarters with the thumping first-leg win.

And pundit Hargreaves said: “There is no such thing as perfection, but they’re as close to a perfect team if there is one right now.

“When they’re that clinical and efficient as they were in the first half, I don’t think anyone can get near them.

“In the second half, if anything, they took their foot off the gas because they only had one shot on target.

“I don’t know how you beat them, I’ll be honest.”

Brotherly love

Bruno Fernandes has signalled his approval of Paul Pogba’s return to the Man United line-up.

The France superstar is back in action for the Red Devils having recovered from a long-term hamstring problem.

And he lined up alongside Fernandes in the United midfield for last night’s much-needed 2-0 victory over Brighton.

Now Fernandes has taken to Twitter to hail a duo he has labelled ‘Brogba’…

Fab news for Gunners fans

Arsenal are reportedly set for a busy summer when the transfer window reopens in June.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has told Gooners not to panic as he reckons boss Mikel Arteta is eyeing a new midfielder and top striker ahead of the new season.

He told the Que Golazo YouTube channel: “I want to tell Arsenal fans don’t worry, that the summer will be busy for Arsenal.

“They will go for a new midfielder, a new top striker, so don’t worry. They will do something important.”

Hu-goes there?

Newcastle could be blown out of the water by a Premier League rival in their bid to land Reims wonderkid Hugo Ekitike.

The Magpies reportedly made an offer of £25million for the striker last month but were rebuffed by the Ligue 1 club.

Borussia Dortmund are also thought to be tracking the starlet as a possible replacement for Erling Haaland, should the Norwary talisman depart this summer.

And now world champions Chelsea are said to be considering a move for the 19-year-old when the transfer window reopens.

The Blues are apparently ready to cough up the £33m needed to land his signature and could offer the lure of Champions League next season – something beyond the relegation-threatened Toon.

Hungry for more

He’s had his doubters in recent weeks but last night Cristiano Ronaldo responded in the only way he knows how – by hitting the back of the net.

The veteran striker hit the opener as Man United claimed a vital three points over a determined Brighton side at Old Trafford.

And one ex-United striker watching on couldn’t believe what he was seeing from the current Red Devil goal-getter.

Andy Cole said: “It’s incredible – to be playing at the highest level at 37 now and still scoring goals. The goals that he’s got. He’s done almost everything in his career.

“But to still have that hunger and desire – that tells you everything.”

Gunner sign him

Arsenal are reportedly ‘favourites’ to sign transfer target Rafael Leao this summer.

The Gunners are eager to bring in attacking reinforcements having waved goodbye to ex-skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.

Goal-shy Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both out of contract at the end of the season and boss Mikel Arteta is plotting striker moves when the window re-opens.

And AC Milan talent Leao is one of the names on his list.

Now reports in Italy suggest Arteta’s side are in pole position to land the 22-year-old’s signature, with the player said to be intrigued by the prospect of a move to England.

Ek of a player

Mega-rich Newcastle are reportedly interested in signing Reims wonderkid Hugo Ekitike.

But they face a potential transfer battle with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund if they’re to land his signature.

Dortmund are thought to be eyeing the 19-year-old as a possible replacement for goal machine Erling Haaland if the Norway striker leaves this summer.

The Magpies reportedly made a £25million bid for Ekitike last month but were rebuffed by the Ligue 1 club.

Reports in Germany now suggest the France U20 starlet is about to be the subject of a bidding war – with Newcastle’s deep-pocketed new owners eager to prove their credentials in the transfer market.