TRANSFER news and gossip is intensifying ahead of a massive summer window.
Erling Haaland is the man on most clubs’ lips but Arsenal are reportedly set to reignite their interest in Wilfried Zaha and Sergio Aguero is attracting admiring glances from Tottenham and Chelsea.
Meanwhile Kylian Mbappe has reportedly told PSG he will turn down a new contract and wants to join Real Madrid.
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Stay up to date with all the latest football news in our rolling blog…
MARK OF RESPECT
British sport will stand in silence for the Duke of Edinburgh tomorrow but all fixtures and events will go on as planned.
Prem clubs joined the League and FA in paying their condolences after Prince Philip’s death was announced at the age of 99. The League said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by the news.
All Prem players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute’s silence before kick-off of all 10 fixtures this weekend, starting with Fulham’s clash with Wolves last night “as a mark of respect”.
The EFL swiftly followed suit by implementing the same policy across the 72 clubs. And while the Prince Philip’s grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, is FA President, Wembley chiefs said that, after ‘seeking guidance from the Royal Household and the Government’, it was approving matches.
The FA, which is ‘recommending’ 60-second silences and black armbands, said: “We can confirm all football fixtures this weekend can continue at the discretion of the competition organisers.
“As a mark of respect, all flags at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park will fly at half-mast and the Wembley arch will also be lit.”
SOV THE PROBLEM
The linesman who asked Erling Haaland to sign yellow and red cards at Manchester City has been banned from officiating in Romania’s top tier.
Uefa blasted Octavian Sovre’s “unacceptable” action in getting the Dortmund striker’s autograph after City’s 2-1 Champions League win.
Cameras spotted Tuesday’s controversial tunnel exchange, which ended with City transfer target Haaland putting his arm around Romanian Sovre.
It has since been reported that Sovre has collected star players’ autographs over the past five years for an autism charity to auction off.
But that cause has not helped the assistant referee from a tough sanction in his home country and an indirect blasting from Europe’s football chiefs. Sport.ro say the Romanian Referee’s Committee have temporarily suspended him from officiating in top-flight matches.
Sovre will now miss this weekend’s final round of matches in Liga 1. It follows UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti response of telling refereeing teams not to ask players for autographs.
TOUCH N’GO
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will need to reshuffle the pack against Crystal Palace following Thiago Silva’s suspension.
The Blues chief will be without the veteran Brazilian for the trip to Selhurst Park after he was red carded in the 5-2 defeat to West Brom.
The Baggies loss was the first under Tuchel whose side returned to winning ways in the Champions League first-leg win over Porto.
Other than that, Chelsea have a fully-fit squad to choose from but Olivier Giroud is expected to start ahead of Timo Werner. N’Golo Kante was fit enough to come off the bench in midweek and could replace Jorginho in midfield.
Meanwhile, Ben Chilwell is set to be rotated out once again in favour of Marcos Alonso with Callum Hudson-Odoi an option on the flank.
Tammy Abraham is also available but Tuchel claimed the England striker faces a tough ask to break back into his side.
‘SHE’S OVER THE MOON’
Jesse Lingard has revealed his mum is loving his stunning performances for West Ham.
The Man Utd loanee has been in scintillating form since his January switch to the East Londoners and he is widely believed to want to make the move permanent in the summer.
And the England star has also revealed his outstanding form has been wonderful for his mum to see.
Lingard has spoken in the past of her struggles with depression and is delighted his mum is now getting the help she needs.
GAARD DOWN
Arsenal have been dealt a blow with Martin Odegaard set to miss the trip to Sheffield United on Sunday.
The Norwegian missed Thursday’s draw with Slavia Prague in the Europa League after picking up an ankle problem on international duty.
The issue is now set to keep Odegaard out of this weekend’s clash against the Blades while he may also miss the return leg in the Czech Republic.
When asked about the Real Madrid loanee’s availability, Arteta said: “We don’t know.
“He wasn’t able to play today and he will be out, I think, for the next game or two. But we don’t know yet.”
How Arsenal could line up against Sheffield United NO BAN FOR BOWEN
West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen has escaped with a warning for a teenage N-word tweet.
Bowen was just 15 at the time and on the books of Hereford Town when he posted the comment in 2012.
FA disciplinary beaks were alerted to the social media posting last month and contacted Bowen.
But while previous historic messages have led to fines and bans for players, it was anticipated the fact that he was so young at the time would save him from a suspension.
Disciplinary beaks investigated the incident but agreed that the necessary action was to warn Bowen about his future conduct and order him to complete an FA education course.
SERGE OF LOVE
Leeds are shock contenders for Chelsea and Arsenal target Sergio Aguero, reports say.
Elland Road boss Marcelo Bielsa hopes his fellow Argentine is swayed by the passion of Leeds’ fans when he exits Manchester City this summer – rather than join a more glamorous suitor like Barcelona.
That’s the claim from 90min.com after City and Aguero himself both confirmed that the Etihad record scorer is leaving on a free transfer.
West Ham have also been linked with hitman Aguero, 32. But the suggestion is Leeds could offer more first-team action than European giants, plus the famous fervour of their supporters.
Leeds’ Spain striker Rodrigo, 32, has netted just three times in 18 Premier League games since his £27million arrival from Valencia last summer.
And Bielsa wants a proven top-flight goal-getter for next term, despite his side being the seventh-highest Prem scorers with 47 strikes in 30 matches. A move to Leeds would also mean former Atletico Madrid star Aguero would not have to relocate from the north west.
RASH DECISION
Manchester United have been handed a boost with Marcus Rashford set to be fit to start this weekend’s clash against Tottenham.
The England star was on target in the 2-0 Europa League win over Granada but was withdrawn during the game due to a lingering ankle issue. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted pre-match that Rashford was not 100 per cent fit after he was also forced off in the win over Brighton.
But the Norwegian played down any fears that the 23-year-old’s injury problems had worsened meaning he is likely to start on Sunday.
He said: “I don’t think you need to be concerned about his fitness, no, of course barring any injury. His fitness is really good, he’s an athletic boy, he’s a fit boy, a strong boy. You see tonight when he goes into headers and challenges, he can look after himself.
“At one point of course you hope to get to a postion where he doesn’t have to play every game, every minute and at the moment we have to take him off because his foot’s a little bit sore.
“Hopefully that’ll improve as the season goes on because I think he was better tonight than he was on Sunday.”
NUDE AWAKENING
When Olmo Garcia revealed himself to the world during Manchester United’s Europa League game on Thursday, the people of Granada could be forgiven for having seen it all before.
A famous night for the LaLiga club had only reached the sixth minute when the game was interrupted by a streaker. The man raced across the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes pitch before taking a tumble and being arrested by police.
But it would not have taken long for the authorities to identify the perpetrator, who has reportedly been arrested 15 TIMES in the last few months alone.
Garcia, 37, is something of a local celebrity in Granada and is often seen baring all on his walks around the city. In the summer of 2016, he was inspired to live life in the buff during a trip across the Americas.
And this way of life culminated in Thursday’s demonstration that took some time to prepare.
According to Granada newspaper Ideal, he snuck into the ground at 9am on the day of the game and hid under a tarpaulin for 14 HOURS before emerging once the game had kicked off.
MOURINHO ON SPURS V MAN UTD
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has reflected upon his side’s 6-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier this season, insisting it has no bearing on the reverse fixture this weekend.
He said: “I believe that 6-1 doesn’t reflect the reality. It can happen. Of course it can happen, between two great, the results they can happen in an isolated way.
“I go much more in the direction of the other two previous matches between us and United.
“We lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, with the penalty, and we draw 1-1 at home last season, also with a penalty. I think this is more the reality. We are not far from each other so I think it is going to be a difficult match for both.
“If Solksjaer is going to use that result I don’t know. If it was the opposite. If it was my team losing 6-1 to them I would just say to my guys that it happened once and it’s not going to happen twice. This doesn’t reflect the reality.
“The game is going to be tight and we can win, but I don’t know, maybe Solksjaer has different things.”
Credit: Reuters BALLBOY ANTICS
Meanwhile in Ajax v Roma last night, this happened…
BLUE BARRAGE
Here is who we believe are the top five strikers most likely to go to Chelsea’s this summer:
- Erling Haaland
- Sergio Aguero
- Romelu Lukaku
- Andre Silva
- Andrea Belotti
Credit: Getty WORLD CLAS
El Clasico is a favourite fixture of Lionel Messi’s to showcase his iconic abilities – but it hasn’t been quite the same since Cristiano Ronaldo left.
A record of 26 goals and 14 assists against Real Madrid, in 44 encounters, means the Barcelona talisman has eight more derby goals than his rival.
A brace in the stunning 6-2 victory of 2009, a hat-trick in the seven-goal LaLiga thriller five years later, and that last-ditch winner in 2017 are just some of his famous Bernabeu moments.
But Messi, 33, goes into Saturday’s clash in the capital goalless in his last six Clasico matches.
The dry spell has coincided with Ronaldo leaving Real Madrid for Juventus in the summer of 2018 – something Marca have dubbed a ‘curse’.
Will the Argentine end that run tomorrow evening?
MAN UTD BACK CORONAVIRUS PASSPORT
Manchester United have officially declared their support for the Premier League’s decision to write to Boris Johnson in a bid to back vaccine passports to pack out stadiums this summer.
The footy body and other major sports groups including the England and Wales Cricket Board, Wimbledon and the RFU told the PM and other party leaders ‘Covid certificates’ are needed to ditch social distancing in stadiums.
And the Red Devils have now released their own statement on the matter.
Collette Roche, Manchester United Chief Operating Officer, said: “Manchester United fully endorses the open letter signed by a range of sports governing bodies, including the Premier League.
“We support the ongoing work of the Premier League and DCMS to deliver a timetable and a framework for the safe return of our fans.
“We have worked closely with the Premier League as they negotiate the challenges, consult with medical experts and review the different options open to them.”
Credit: Getty – Contributor SAN STORM
Barcelona could be interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez, according to reports.
New club president Joan Laporta is hoping to re-mould Ronald Koeman’s squad this summer.
Top of the agenda is keeping Lionel Messi, while strikers Erling Haaland and Sergio Aguero have been heavily linked.
But Laporta, 58, is also chasing a new defender.
Eric Garcia is believed to have signed a pre-contract agreement from Manchester City, although there has been no official announcement. While fellow upcoming free agent David Alaba has also been heavily linked.
According to El Desmarque, however, Barca should be keeping an eye on alternatives.
Sanchez arrived at Spurs in 2017 as the club’s record signing for around £42million.
SMOKING GUN
Arsenal fans finally have something to cheer about with teenage striker Folarin Balogun reportedly set to sign a new deal.
SunSport reported in February that Arsenal were not giving up hope of trying to tie the England youth international down to a new deal.
It had been claimed that Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart and Rennes were just three clubs that were monitoring the forward’s situation in North London.
But according to the Daily Mail, Balogun – who has scored twice for the first-team in the Europa League this term – is close to committing his future to the FA Cup holders.
They state that he is closing in on signing a long-term deal after being convinced to stay at the club by Mikel Arteta.
‘I DO WORRY FOR SPURS ABOUT KANE’S FUTURE’
Paul Merson has given his verdict on whether Harry Kane will leave Tottenham at the end of the season.
He told Sky Sports: “I do worry for the club. Will Kane stay at the club next season? I don’t know, what do you want in football? What do you want out of it?
“Do you want to get to Wembley, play in a cup final against Man City and sit with 10 men behind the ball for 90-odd minutes? Let’s be honest, that’s what is going to happen. It’s the most predictable thing we are going to see in a cup final.
“Sometimes you look at a cup final and think a team may have a go and take the game to the opposition, but we know full well that this game will see Spurs sit back, Man City will have 70 per cent possession, at least, of the ball and it will just be what time.
“Do you want to play your career like that? You are going to be playing in a big cup final and you will just be working on scraps.
“It will be interesting to see what he wants to do. Does he want to win trophies or does he just want to win golden boots? Golden boots are an individual thing, not a team thing.”
Credit: Getty ITALIAN JOB
Inter Milan could have changed the course of football’s history if they had landed Lionel Messi in 2006 for a staggering £225million.
The Serie A giants were unsuccessful with an audacious bid to wrestle the Argentine maestro away from Barcelona aged just 19.
The Italian side offered nearly FIVE times more than the world record transfer fee at the time to try and add Messi to their star-studded line-up.
The £46.6m Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane was still leading the way 15 years ago.
Messi could have slotted into an Inter side coached by former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.
‘LUCKY BRUNO’
Paul Scholes feels Bruno Fernandes was ‘lucky’ to win a penalty for Manchester United in their 2-0 win over Granada last night.
He told BT Sport: “[Fernandes] makes a meal of it I think he’s lucky to get the penalty. Lucky to score it as well as the goalkeeper should do better.
“You know when it’s given and it goes to VAR [that] they’re going to give it because it’s not a clear and obvious error and he has touched him, so there’s no way they were going to overturn it.
“Fernandes does very well to get the penalty, they’ll be very disappointed.
“He was just feeling where his player is and the ball’s nowhere near him anyway.
“It was always [Edinson] Cavani going to get the header. Fernandes was very clever and he’s fooled the referee and he’s fell for it.”
RAPH JUSTICE
Manchester United legend Gary Neville said Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane should be the club’s No1 transfer target this summer.
Neville was asked: “If you could bring one player from a rival this summer to Manchester United, who would it be?”
And the 46-year-old replied: “Varane.”
Credit: Getty ANG-RI
Riyad Mahrez has revealed his frustration at being denied a move from Leicester City to ‘top team’ Arsenal in 2016.
He told France Football: “After the title, if I’d left for a top team, it wouldn’t have been the same story.
“For me, it’s clear that I lost two years at the highest level. I lost two years! Because instead of arriving at City at 27, I could have been there at 24, 25.
“Leicester blocked me. They told me: ‘You’re not leaving, you’re not leaving’.
“My agent had spoken to [Arsene] Wenger who really wanted me. It was nearly all done with Arsenal in 2016. I was really frustrated.
“It wasn’t easy to go from being the best player in the Premier League to being a part of a team fighting against relegation.
“It’s not the same job. Everyone is waiting for you around the corner.”
AND IN OTHER ARSENAL NEWS…
Ex-Gunners man Martin Keown says the players deserve a slap in the face following their 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague last night.
He told BT Sport: “For me it was about Arsenal tonight, and about the way they played and imposed themselves on the opposition.
“And by sitting off early in the encounter, I thought they had chosen the wrong tactics, and there was an opportunity to do that tonight.
“You’re the home team, so you take the initiative, and you ask them the question, can you play? Can you pass out from the back? We’ll see how good you are.
“But they were allowed to settle, to build, to be confident and then become more dominant.
“And in that first half it was quite tricky for Arsenal, and it became nervy and they weren’t the team that we’ve seen two or three weeks ago for instance, the West Ham performance, second half.
“It seems like Arsenal… they’re not proactive in games. They need somebody to slap them in the face almost, or punch them in the face, before they wake up and start to play.
“He did it today in the second half with the substitutions, he made that happen, but they couldn’t see it through.”
WIL-ING TO PAY UP
A story that has gathered a lot of pace since it was first reported yesterday is speculation around Wilfried Zaha going to Arsenal.
The Gunners were linked with a £40million transfer in 2019 before bringing in his Ivory Coast team-mate Nicolas Pepe instead.
But according to 90min.com, the North Londoners are plotting a fresh bid.
However, in order to finance a swoop, Arsenal would need to sell – and the report adds Alexandre Lacazette could be axed to raise funds.
CODE RED
Chelsea legend John Terry “never got on with” Rafa Benitez – and had to ban him from talking about Liverpool.
The former Newcastle boss didn’t see eye to eye with the Blues skipper during his six-month spell at Stamford Bridge in the 2012-13 season.
Terry said: “We just didn’t get on from day one personally, to be honest.
“Every meeting we had it was, ‘Oh we used to do this at Liverpool and we done this’.
“You laugh but that’s what he used to be like, ‘Just move a yard here’,
“I actually had to have a few conversations and say, ‘Gaffer, you have to forget Liverpool, you can’t keep saying ‘we’, you’re at Chelsea now, it’s not going down well with the lads’.”
VIN BUSINESS
Real Madrid could offer Vinicius Jr in part-exchange for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, according to reports.
Mbappe’s future ‘hangs in the balance’ in the French capital.
And should PSG show even a slight inclination to sell, Madrid are favourites to land his signature.
According to The Telegraph, there is a ’50-50 chance’ of Mbappe staying at PSG.
But with his contract set to expire in 15 months, and with both parties having made little progress in a year of negotiations, Mbappe could leave this summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
