ARSENAL are reportedly keen on signing Odsonne Edouard from Celtic for a bargain £15m.
Meanwhile PSG are said to be ready to move for Jadon Sancho if a new contract cannot be agreed for Kylian Mbappe.
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KAMMY’S DIAGNOSIS
Chris Kamara has revealed his relief after a brain scan showed NO signs of dementia.
On Tuesday’s edition of Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, Kammy revealed the scan showed no signs of dementia, saying: “They didn’t find anything.
“Watching that back [a clip from an earlier episode of Packed Lunch], it’s slow and I know that’s not me of old.
“I went to Pontefract to the radiology department. The results were no loss of brain mass and very few lesions, which means no clinical relevance. So yes!”
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Neymar and Lionel Messi are edging towards a reunion… but it could be in either Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain colours, according to reports.
The two world stars have found their futures uncertain as the season draws to a close.
According to L’Equipe via Mundo Deportivo, PSG could make a drastic attempt to tie Neymar down by landing Messi in a blockbuster deal.
The article adds how Messi is not convincing Neymar to join Barcelona because he has yet to decide his own future.
PATS THE WAY
Patson Daka has opened the door to a summer Premier League move – with the RB Salzburg goal machine declaring he is ready for a new challenge.
His agent Freddie Kanoute told Austrian TV: “I think it is time for a new challenge for Patson at the end of the season. That is no secret.
“We will sit down with the clubs interested in him, work out a good plan and them make the right decision.
“We don’t want him to change clubs just for the sake of it.
“He has really caught fire this season. He was good before, but now we are seeing a completely different Patson Daka.
“He gets better almost every day, and he’s now showing what he truly can do.
“We see a new, further improved Patson virtually every weekend.”
PAUL OVER NOW
But David De Gea, Paul Pogba and Gareth Bale all find themselves on the highest-paid XI – even if their performances have not justified their mammoth pay packets.
TOP OF THE WORLD
Erling Haaland and Alphonso Davies are among the most underpaid players in the world.
That is according to Spanish outlet Marca’s ‘world’s best XI’ team featuring the top footballers.
CRIS CROSS
Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri reportedly told club chairman Andrea Agnelli to sell Cristiano Ronaldo before he left in 2019.
The 53-year-old stood down as the Old Lady gaffer at the end of the 2018-19 season after guiding the Italian side to five consecutive Serie A titles.
He worked with Ronaldo, 36, for one year after he lured the Portuguese forward away from Real Madrid in 2018 in the hope he would guide them to Champions League glory.
Ronaldo arrived to Turin having won the European Cup four times in five years, and there was expectation he could fire Juve to their first triumph since 1996.
But Juve crashed out to Ajax in the quarter-finals in Allegri’s last year in charge, with the ex-AC Milan manager urging Agnelli to offload Ronaldo as he was stalling the growth of the club.
According to La Repubblica via Football Italia, in Allegri’s last meeting with Agnelli, he stated that Ronaldo should also be following him out of the door. Allegri is claimed to have said: “Get rid of Ronaldo, he’s blocking the growth of the team and the club.”
FOXES RETURN
Leicester’s trio of Covidiots James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury will return to training on Wednesday after being axed by boss Brendan Rodgers, according to reports.
The three – along with injured Harvey Barnes – partied at Perez’s house following the Foxes’ defeat to Manchester City on April 4 and were forced to train alone and dropped for Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to West Ham.
But they will join up with the group again this week, according to the Telegraph.
All three are said to be in the running to play against Southampton in the FA Cup semi at Wembley this weekend.
It remains unclear whether they will start or how their team-mates – some of whom were fuming with their behaviour – will react to their reintegration.
After the defeat at West Ham Rodgers said the matter was closed and the club want to draw a line under it and move on.
BRIL MOVE
Former Liverpool star Djibril Cisse has signed for American fourth-tier side Panathinaikos Chicago at the age of 39.
The French striker has been without a club since leaving Swiss Division Three outfit Yverdon Sports.
But PAO Chicago announced on Twitter their newest signing, writing: Once Green, Always Green.”
Cisse played for Greek giants Panathinaikos between 2009-11 after leaving Marseille.
He scored an impressive 47 goals in just 61 games during his time with the Greeks. Cisse joined Liverpool from Auxerre in 2004 for £14m, but struggled with injury which included a horror leg break.
Panathinaikos Chicago is the 13th club of the nomadic striker’s career.
SHAW AND ORDER
Manchester United star Luke Shaw has revealed that he’d have liked to have been a policeman had he not succeeded in football.
The England star has been in sensational form for the Red Devils this season, keeping opposition wingers under lock and key.
But had he lacked the football skills, he may have been keeping real-life villains out of harm’s way.
Asked what he’d like to have done outside of football during a recent Man United Q&A, he replied: “If I wasn’t playing soccer I think I’d probably like to be a police officer.
“It’s a random one but I watch a lot of series and stuff to do with the police and CIA and MI6 and I’m quite into stuff like that.
“And I think if I wasn’t a footballer I think I’d want to do something based around what they do. So I’d say a police officer.”
CROWN JULES
Chelsea are reportedly willing to offer Hakim Ziyech to Sevilla in a player-plus-cash deal to bring Jules Kounde to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are understood to be in the market for a centre-back in the summer, with AS stating that Thomas Tuchel has identified the 22-year-old as an option.
SunSport exclusively revealed last month that Manchester United were eyeing up a move for Kounde to pair him alongside Harry Maguire. But Spanish media have claimed that the West Londoners are in pole position to secure the Frenchman’s services.
They have declared that Chelsea are unwilling to activate his £69million release clause, and will instead try to drive the price down by offering one of five players as well as cash.
Moroccan playmaker Ziyech – who only joined the Premier League side from Ajax last year – is said to be one squad member Chelsea would be open to letting go.
The 28-year-old has failed to live up to expectations since moving to England. He has chipped in with just one goal and three assists in 17 top-flight games, with his last strike coming in the 3-0 win away at Burnley in October.
IT’S OFFICIALS
Former Premier League referee Howard Webb has married his long-term girlfriend Bibiana Steinhaus.
The 49-year-old split with his ex-wife Kay back in 2016, but found love again in German ref Bibiana.
After years of dating, Webb and Steinhaus tied the knot in secret during last month’s international break.
For now, however, the couple maintain a long-distance relationship – with Webb living in New York, while Steinhaus still works as a VAR official in Germany.
Having wed Webb, Steinhaus recently told Bild: “Yes, it’s true. We got married during the last international break and are very happy.
“Unfortunately, due to the Corona regulation, Howard and I could only take this important step as a pair. Not even witnesses were allowed. Of course there was no honeymoon either.”
FRENCH TWIST
Paris Saint-Germain are lining up a bid for Harry Kane if they lose Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The French giants fear that Mbappe could be leaving Paris with a new contract still not signed.
Mbappe, 22, is wanted by the likes of Real Madrid and only currently has one more season on his PSG deal.
And the Independent report that PSG will look towards Spurs striker Kane in a potential reunion with Mauricio Pochettino.
SunSport revealed that Tottenham have no intention of selling their star striker.
Daniel Levy’s club will demand £175million if a foreign club want his services but a sale to a Prem rival like Man Utd or Man City is off the table.
LO BLOW
Odion Ighalo believes he was ‘unfairly’ benched during his time at Manchester United. The Nigerian striker, 31, joined the Red Devils on loan in January 2020 in a ‘dream’ transfer after snubbing Tottenham.
But he felt he should have got more game time than his 757 minutes across 23 appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before joining Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia in February.
He told Sky Sports News: “After my initial loan was extended, I did not play much which was perhaps a bit unfair but I am always grateful for the opportunity.
“When I joined, I always knew I wouldn’t be playing every game because I was signing as a back-up striker so I knew playing time was going to be limited. There were certain games where I thought I would play but that’s the decision of the coach and I am not holding anything against anyone.
“I’m so happy that my path crossed with Manchester United – it’s the club I love with all my heart and for all my life so playing for them was a big privilege that I do not take for granted.
“Just waking up every morning and going into training at Carrington was a thing of joy. Meeting the lads, laughing, talking, going inside the dressing room for training and games… every moment is one I am going to cherish.”
TAKE ZLAT
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been slapped with a one-match ban and £4,000 fine for ‘disrespecting’ a referee in AC Milan’s win over Parma.
The striker was sent off on the hour mark with Milan 2-0 up. Ibrahimovic, 39, saw red after he traded words with the match official.
Milan coach Stefano Pioli told Sky Sport Italia: “Zlatan told me that he argued with the referee and it lasted some time.
“He assured me that he did not disrespect him and above all he did not offend.”
Despite protesting his innocence, the Swede will miss Milan’s next game and be forced to pay the fine.
The club went on to win the game 3-1, but still trail rivals and league leaders Inter Milan by eight points.
CHO AGAIN
Manchester United are still hopeful of signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, according to reports.
The 21-year-old English star has been on the Old Trafford radar for a number of seasons.
Last year United failed to agree a deal to bring Sancho in from Dortmund.
But Manchester Evening News report that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are considering a fresh transfer attempt.
And it comes as Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted the club will listen to ‘exceptional offers’ – which put United and Chelsea on alert.
MEXICAN WAVE
Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has teamed up with stunning model Kate Upton and Hollywood A-lister Eva Longoria to buy a stake in Mexican club Necaxa.
The former Arsenal midfielder joined Turkish side Fenerbahce in January after eight years with the Gunners.
Ozil, 32, has now joined a consortium bidding to buy 50 per cent of three-times Liga MX – Mexico’s equivalent of the Premier League – champions Necaxa.
Other members are Hollywood star Longoria, who has Mexican origins, plus model Upton and her baseball star husband Justin Verlander. Necaxa are currently bottom of their league. They are based at Aguascalientes, 300 miles north of capital Mexico City.
The club said in a statement: “We want to clarify that we are not for sale. But after a year of hard work and meetings, we are very close to sealing a historic investment for our club and Mexican football.
“This will be a turning point for us.” Necaxa insisted existing club chiefs would remain in charge.
Mesut Ozil has invested some money on Mexican side Necaxa American actress Eva Longoria has Mexican roots Kate Upton is also joining the consortium CALLING DYBS
Manchester United and Chelsea are both interested in signing Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala but Paris Saint-Germain are in pole position to bag the Argentine, according to reports.
Dybala, 27, will have a just year left on his £125,000-a-week deal come the end of the season. And while he is interested in staying in Turin, a renewal isn’t easy for Juve.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus can only afford to keep one of Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Old Lady have struggled financially since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with Ronaldo’s enormous salary in particular weighing down the club’s coffers.
Tuttosport report that Paris Saint-Germain are well placed to recruit Juve’s No10, with boss Mauricio Pochettino a long-time admirer of his compatriot’s talent. Pochettino, 49, tried to recruit Dybala while manager of Spurs in the summer of 2019, only for the deal to fall through at the last moment.
But, with PSG’s considerable financial clout behind him this time, he may finally get his man – although fans of Man Utd and Chelsea may hope that their team can pip PSG to the post.
BRIDGE THE GAP
Wayne Bridge has urged Chelsea to sign Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero in a double transfer swoop.
And he believes a new No9 at Stamford Bridge will make the Blues title contenders again as Thomas Tuchel reaps the rewards from the groundwork put down by predecessor Frank Lampard.
Bridge told bettingexpert.com: “I’d love to see Kane go there, I think he’s brilliant. Sometimes money talks. If you look at how Tottenham are doing at the moment, I think there’s a great chance he could end up leaving if he wants to go and win something.
“I’m not sure if he would go, but I’d love to see him come in and start banging in goals for Chelsea. Chelsea have to be careful with who they buy but I’ll be very surprised if they didn’t bring another striker in.
“There could be a few of these players moving – Haaland and [Kylian] Mbappe – and I’d love to see Chelsea snap one of them up, even Aguero.
“He’s leaving City and I don’t think he’s past it, he’s always going to get you goals. When I played with him at City he was just unbelievable and I think he’s still got it.”
Wayne Bridge wants Chelsea to make a move for Sergio Aguero when he becomes a free agent Harry Kane’s future remains in doubt amid speculation he could leave Tottenham SHAWBERTO CARLOS
Luke Shaw has repsonded to viral memes comparing him to Roberto Carlos.
The Man Utd left-back has been in sparkling form this season but laughs off comparisons to the legendary Brazilian.
He told United’s website: “I’ll be honest I’ve seen some things on it on social media and sometimes in my group chats my mates send me some stuff and I just laugh about it.
“I can’t be compared to him, he was unbelievable!
“I’m aware of it and it’s nice to be even mentioned alongside his name, but I just laugh about it!”
HE MUST BE MADD
Leicester’s Covidiot James Maddison ‘can’t be trusted’ and has played himself out of England’s Euros squad, according to Jamie O’Hara.
The Foxes midfielder was dropped for the 3-2 defeat at West Ham on Sunday for breaking Covid rules by partying with team-mates Harvey Barnes, Hamza Choudhury and Ayoze Perez.
And after Gareth Southgate warned him about his conduct when he was pictured in a casino after withdrawing from a 2019 England squad with ‘illness’, TalkSPORT pundit O’Hara says he’s pushed his luck too far this time.
He said: “The biggest problem, and person who will have the most regret out of this, is James Maddison.
“I think he’s just put himself out the England side. The Euros are done for him now as he can’t be trusted. There was a casino incident they had before and Southgate wasn’t happy about it, now this.
“He will have huge regrets and I know this from being a player myself and not reaching the potential you probably should reach. He will look at this situation in a few years and go ‘I wish I didn’t do that and took that responsibility more’.”
REAL PLAN
Florentino Perez has a grand plan to revolutionise Real Madrid and make them Europe’s kings once again.
The club president will keep his seat until 2025 and has ambitious things planned including signing Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Reports in Spain say that snapping up the two hottest properties in Europe is Perez’s main objective after the election. Mbappe is locked in contract talks with current side PSG but Real are confident of landing him in the summer.
But Dortmund striker Haaland might have to wait until 2022 with the German club wanting £150m for his services. Bayern Munich defender David Alaba, meanwhile, has verbally agreed to join Los Blancos in the summer on a free.
Zinedine Zidane will stay on as manager after leading Real to two La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues.
One man set to leave the Bernabeu, however, is captain Sergio Ramos.
NOT GUNNER HAPPEN
Jesse Lingard has been warned off making a move to Arsenal by former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.
Arsenal are set for a summer rebuild after a miserable 2020/21 campaign – but Ferdinand doesn’t anticipate that will involving adding Lingard to the squad. And Ferdinand doesn’t believe the 28-year-old would ‘go anywhere near’ anyway.
Asked about the Gunners’ reported interest in Lingard, Ferdinand told FIVE YouTube channel: “Yeah but you know what they [Arsenal fans] wouldn’t have him there.
“The way he moonwalked off that pitch once, they wouldn’t have it. The fans would rip the place apart. He disrespected the Emirates in a way that hadn’t been seen.
“Listen West Ham will have a fight to get him by the way because I think other teams are going to be like: ‘Listen, we want him!’
“He’s not going to go to Arsenal over West Ham, obviously but there will be other teams. He ain’t going nowhere near Arsenal.”
FRANK THE FAV
Frank Lampard is the leading contender to be appointed Crystal Palace’s next permanent manager.
That’s according to bookmakers Betfair, who’ve installed the former England midfielder as the 6/4 favourite to take charge at Selhurst Park.
Next Crystal Palace Manager odds – Betfair
- Frank Lampard – 6/4
- Eddie Howe – 3/1
- John Terry – 4/1
- Rafa Benitez – 8/1
- Lee Johnson – 14/1
- Alan Pardew – 18/1
- Michael Carrick – 18/1
SPENDING SERG
Barcelona are set to step up their interest in outgoing Manchester City star Sergio Aguero.
SunSport exclusively revealed the Catalan giants’ interest in the Argentine back in January.
And with Man City announcing their legendary striker’s upcoming departure last month, the path would seem to have been cleared for Ronald Koeman’s men. But Barca will still have to beat off interest from several other clubs.
According to Sport, the Catalan side will now accelerate their interest in Aguero, having had a period to plan. The 32-year-old is reportedly being chased by the likes of Juventus, Chelsea and Arsenal.
And the Italian giants are believed to have offered him a two-year contract on around £165,000-a-week. Barcelona cannot match that offer, but hope to lure Aguero with other factors.
His friendship with Lionel Messi is no secret, and his desire to play with his compatriot could play a major role in not only convincing him to sign – but also in making Barca’s No10 stay put.
It is also claimed that Aguero likes the idea of returning to Spain, where he played for five years with Atletico Madrid.
BETTER CALL SAUL
Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Saul Niguez with the Atletico Madrid ace reportedly up for sale.
The Red Devils are known to be admirers of the 26-year-old, and were rumoured to be eyeing up a £71million bid for him last summer. And it was claimed in December how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have reignited their interest in the midfielder ahead of a possible summer move.
It has been alleged that should Paul Pogba depart Old Trafford at the end of the season, then United would make a swoop to sign the Spain international.
And according to Cadena Ser, United’s chances of landing him have been boosted, with Atletico prepared to cash in on their academy graduate. They state that up to seven players could be heading for the exit door at the Wanda Metropolitano, including loanee Lucas Torreira, who will be heading back to Arsenal.
It has has also been suggested that Chelsea target Jose Gimenez could be sold. Winger Vitolo – who has been offered to West Ham for £8.5million – is another player that Atletico are said to be keen to offload.
Speaking last year, Saul put United on red alert when he admitted that he is ‘flattered’ to being linked with the club.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
