JUDE BELLINGHAM, 17, is the latest football star to receive vile racist abuse on social media in yet another low for the Silicon Valley apps.
Meanwhile Mikel Arteta has hailed Martin Odegaard for taking Arsenal to “another level”.
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WHAT A COU
Manchester United have been beaten to highly-rated teenage defender Soumaila Coulibaly by Borussia Dortmund.
The Bundesliga side will acquire the 17-year-old in the summer when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.
Speaking to The Mail about his move, Coulibaly was thrilled to be joining the German side.
“It was nice to have so much interest from so many clubs, but I cannot wait to get started with Dortmund,” he said.
“They are a great club with a proven track record of developing some of the best young talents in the world and I aim to do my best for the club and fans.
“I am thankful to my agents [Epic Sports] for helping me in making this move to Dortmund and also to Paris Saint-Germain where I have learnt so much already in my career.”
DEJA BLUE
Manchester United’s new away kit for the 2021-22 has seemingly been leaked online.
Renowned kit-leak website Footy Headlines have shared what they believe to be United’s away strip for next season.
The top will see new sponsor TeamViewer across the front for the first time from January 2022.
NEV-ER SAY NEVER
Jamie Carragher quickly trolled Gary Neville after his club Salford sacked Richie Wellens.
ICE BERGE
Sheffield United star Sander Berge has reportedly emerged as a target for Liverpool to replace Georginio Wijnaldum.
The Reds will be in the market for a new midfielder in the summer with the Holland international set to depart on a free transfer.
Liverpool may have already lined up his replacement, with Eurosport declaring that Berge is being eyed up by the Premier League champions.
They state that the 23-year-old is likely to depart Bramall Lane should the Blades be relegated, as he would prefer to compete in the top-flight.
VAR FETCHED
Prem club chiefs will help agree how to improve VAR next term when they meet virtually on Thursday.
The latest meeting of the 20 ‘shareholder’ clubs is due to discuss the feedback from the survey commissioned by League bosses.
Clubs have been given an extra 48 hours, until Wednesday to return their thoughts on a series of incidents that have taken place this season.
Fans and players alike have voiced their frustrations over some crunch calls especially over defensive handballs and penalty decisions.
It is hoped that the responses of players and managers will enable refs’ chief Mike Riley and his officials to agree on a consistent approach for the new campaign from August.
League bosses and clubs accept that subjective refereeing calls mean there can never be 100 per cent consistency.
But the aim is to give all officials clearer starting points for their decisions, either on the pitch or in the VAR booth at Stockley Park.
LACA CLAIM
Alexandre Lacazette astonishingly claimed he and Arsenal’s players did not ‘respect’ Mikel Arteta’s tactics and game plan against West Ham.
He told Sky Sports: “My feeling is mixed between being proud of my team for coming back in the second-half and being disappointed with the first-half.
“We didn’t respect the game-plan from the coach and we conceded three goals.
“This is not what we wanted.”
KANE-DEPENDANCE
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho might want to consider wrapping Harry Kane in cotton wool.
After all, without the England striker, Spurs would be in real trouble this season.
PAUL THE OTHER ONE
Paul Merson has branded Arsenal’s start away at West Ham as ‘unacceptable’ after they fell 3-0 behind inside 32 minutes.
He told Sky Sports: “That was Arsenal’s season in 90 minutes. One minute they’re poor, one minute they’re good.
“They’re so inconsistent. It’s like a rollercoaster, [Mikel] Arteta’s got to sort that out if they want to be successful next season.
“It’s unacceptable if you’re playing for Arsenal to start like that, or if you’re playing in the Premier League.
“Fair play to them, they showed a lot of spirit to come back, but it’s the consistency – if they want to finish in the Champions League places they can’t play 45-minute football.”
TAKING THE MICHAEL
Chelsea icon Michael Essien has revealed what made Jose Mourinho such a key figure in his career.
Now a coach himself with FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, Essien, 38, explained: “I have played under so many coaches and every one is different. I would take Mourinho as an example – I was very much connected with him.
“He’s a winner, he gives you tactical details and makes sure it’s very clear so when you’re on the pitch you know what to do.
“It’s one of the things I am going to carry with me and hopefully I can transmit to the boys if one day I become a manager.”
He then added: “I didn’t think I would make the transition. When I was playing I always said ‘no I don’t want to be a coach’ but when you love the game so much you always try to be in the game.
“So two or three years ago I said I am coming toward the end of my career and I want to learn about the coaching side of the game and it will give me the opportunity to be on the pitch and to be around the players.
“Actually when I started doing it, it was something I wanted to do. The whole project here is very good for my transition into the coaching side of the game.”
SHEFFIELD KARL-ING
Oxford manager Karl Robinson is one of the managers being considered to replace Chris Wilder at Sheffield United.
The Blades are taking their time trying to settle on the right man to lead the club’s attempts to make an instant return to the top-flight once their almost certain relegation is confirmed.
Former Fulham and Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic is their leading target, as revealed by SunSport last week, but there are others also being considered.
And it is understood one of those is 40-year-old Robinson, who has gained an impressive reputation operating on a shoestring budget at Oxford and still producing a competitive side playing good football.
Jokanovic’s CV is strong having twice achieved promotion to the Premier League during his time in charge at Fulham and Watford.
WELL DONE
Salford have sacked Richie Wellens after showdown talks with co-owner Gary Neville.
The League Two side fell to another defeat at the weekend that leaves them six points off the play-off places.
SunSport exclusively revealed that co-owner Gary Neville had held a huge inquest into Salford’s shaky promotion campaign.
PIRL-WOE
Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo has ONE game to save his job, according to reports in Italy.
The Italian chief, 41, has endured a tricky debut season in charge, with the Old Lady ten points adrift of Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
Juve have won the last NINE league titles in a row.
And in a bid to keep their streak alive, the club could sack Pirlo if he doesn’t win next weekend’s derby game with Torino, say Tuttosport.
Their front page reads: “Pirlo and Torino, a derby to save himself.”
THE PAT RACE
Manchester United and Arsenal are locked in a transfer battle for RB Leipzig striker Patson Daka.
The 22-year-old Zambian international has scored 20 goals in just 18 Austrian Bundesliga games so far this season.
And, according to Salzburger Nachrichten, his performances have caught the eye of numerous Premier League clubs including Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
ZIN BUSINESS
Zinedine Zidane will stay at Real Madrid next season, according to reports.
The Frenchman has been linked away from the Spanish capital, with rumours persisting around the France national team job.
Zizou’s contract at Real Madrid also expires in July 2022, and having endured a turbulent campaign, it has been suggested that he could leave the club.
But Telefoot believe that he is set for talks with president Florentino Perez in the coming months regarding an extension.
KANE YOU BELIEVE IT
Gary Neville caused uproar online after describing Harry Kane’s method of winning a penalty at Aston Villa ‘cute’.
Fans were quick to point to occasions where the Manchester United legend had criticised Mo Salah for similar incidents and suggest he was being a hypocrite.
TAKING THE MIK
Arsenal sacked Unai Emery after just 18 months for underperforming – but his replacement Mikel Arteta is struggling even more.
SHEAR MISERY
Manchester United were labelled ‘flat’ and ‘poor’ by England legend Alan Shearer after their dismal 3-1 defeat to Leicester on Sunday.
The 50-year-old told the BBC: “They looked very, very tired.
“They couldn’t cope with the pace that Leicester showed this evening, even with the changes that came on didn’t make them any better.
“It was a really flat, poor performance from them.”
LICENSE TO KILL
Kylian Mbappe showed off his scintillating speed with a devastating counter-attacking goal against Lyon on Sunday evening.
The 22-year-old sprung clear from inside his own half before sweeping the ball home to score PSG’s fourth goal of the game.
BRUCIE BONUS
Steve Bruce has escaped the Toon axe for now – despite club legends turning on the team.
Calls for Bruce’s sacking reached fever pitch after Newcastle’s 3-0 loss at relegation rivals Brighton on Saturday.
Yet owner Mike Ashley is convinced keeping Bruce is still their best hope of staying up.
Newcastle have won just twice in 20 games and sit 17th – two points clear of Fulham and the bottom three.
But it is understood the Sports Direct billionaire is in no mood to make a change.
MOUR ANGER
Jose Mourinho has laid into modern football stars, blaming ‘selfishness’ and ‘agents’ for some of Tottenham’s recent poor performances.
He said: “Football nowadays is not easy. Selfishness is around, the individualism is around, the connection between agents and the press is around.
“You need time to develop team empathy because the psychological profile of young people now is not an easy one.
“I want to be proud of my players, doesn’t matter the result. During my career I was proud of my players many times after defeats.
“I was not proud last Thursday [against Zagreb] and I was not proud at the Emirates [against Arsenal last Sunday].”
SUPER SUAREZ
Luis Suarez scored his 500th career goal as Atletico Madrid beat Alaves 1-0 on Sunday.
The iconic Uruguayan has now notched five centuries for club and country throughout his glittering career.
Suarez, 34, got on the end of a Kieran Trippier cross and headed the only goal of the game after 54 minutes.
BACK FOR MOR
Manchester United are reportedly interested in a move for Barcelona’s highly-rated 18-year-old Ilaix Moriba.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claim that the Red Devils could pounce if the teenager decides to leave the Nou Camp this summer.
Moriba’s contract expires in the summer of 2022, with the midfielder thought to be in talks with Barca over a new long-term deal.
AL BE READY TO GO
Xabi Alonso is set to be appointed the new manager of Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the season.
The ex-Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder has impressed since taking over at Real Sociedad B in 2019.
And now according to Bild he is expected to make the biggest move of his coaching career so far when he becomes the boss of Bundesliga side Monchengladbach.
GUNNBELIEVABLE
Jamie Redknapp tore into Arsenal for their horror defensive show in the first-half against West Ham on Sunday.
The Gunners slipped 3-0 down within the opening 32 minutes at the London Stadium on Sunday.
After the game, Redknapp told Sky Sports: “When you’re a kid, one of the first things you learn is when the ball goes dead don’t turn your back.
“Look at the Arsenal players there, you can see [Kieran] Tierney, [Thomas] Partey, [Granit] Xhaka, you can see [Pablo] Mari.
“Look at the goalkeeper [Bernd Leno] – he never gets himself in the right position.
“That is abject. That is what you expect from schoolboys when you talk about football.
“It was a poor piece of goalkeeping as well.
“But it just summed them up. It’s not how you play football.
“You’ve got to be bright. You need leaders. Take responsibility.
“That’s why they got caught out.”
WELL I NEV-ER
Gary Neville has revealed Manchester United’s FA Cup exit has left him ‘demoralised’ as he hit out at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for rotating the team.
Speaking on his podcast with Sky Sports, he said: “It had been a good week. Not surprising that they go to Milan and did what they did, they are good away from home, then beating West Ham last week.
“I’m surprised the team was weakened against Leicester, I’m surprised he rotated as much, I know he has been doing that, but this was a real chance.
“If you think the semi-final draw that occurred at half-time of that game which meant the winner of the Leicester vs Manchester United tie would play Southampton.
“It is not a gimme against Southampton by any stretch of the imagination, but what an opportunity and I genuinely believe that that group of players need to win a trophy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
