THE summer transfer window is drawing ever closer and we’ve got all the latest twists and turns here on SunSport.
We’ve got the very latest on Sergio Aguero and Erling Haaland’s futures as the transfer speculation intensifies for what will be a thrilling summer.
Arsenal’s quest in making Martin Odegaard’s transfer permanent has taken a blow, with reports in Spain naming him as one of Real Madrid’s four ‘untouchables’.
Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
PAUL TO PLAY FOR
Paul Pogba’s praise of Bruno Fernandes comes after United legend Paul Scholes urged Solskjaer to ditch one of his two holding players and play the pair together.
He told BT Sport: “Solskjaer likes the two sitting players, I don’t think there’s a need for both of them.
They need to get Pogba in a linking role with Bruno. If they do, it frees up another position for a forward player.
‘The awareness and cleverness they both have allows each other to link up.
“United’s two cleverest players are Fernandes and Pogba so if you can get them close together, they’ll score a lot and provide goals for others too.
“If they have a more dominant centre back, they could have a more attacking midfield.
“A lot of the time, United that attacking, flowing play, I think Pogba could bring that with Fernandes.
“If you get him in there, it frees up the left for Rashford, there’s no way you’d want to play against that.
“Discipline-wise Pogba isn’t always there at times but going forward he brings something different.”
WANDERED IN
A Wycombe fan managed to enter the Liberty Stadium before being dragged away by stewards during Saturday’s Championship match.
The man, dressed in a Chairboys shirt and black bobble hat but without a face mask, appeared to have rushed out of the concourse and towards the pitch.
ON GARD
Jesse Lingard hobbled off for West Ham against Newcastle but after the match, David Moyes allayed concerns the injury was serious.
He told reporters: “I think it was just cramp, I don’t think it was anything serious.
“I think the one thing about Jesse, Jesse is a really fit boy. He wants to play. I think I push all my players hard, Jesse is no different.
“He won’t get any favoured treatment – certainly not for a Scotsman going into the Euros!
“We’re really pleased with him.”
STORM BRUING
Paul Pogba reckons his Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes can do anything and everything on the pitch – except defend.
Fernandes, 26, has been a revelation for the Red Devils since his January 2020 move to Old Trafford, scoring 36 goals and providing 22 assists in 71 appearances.
He told MUTV: “I enjoy playing with Bruno. He’s someone who understands the game and understands the movement that can give you a beautiful pass, he can finish too.
“He’s all over the place, he can do everything really… except defending!
“But really, it’s always a joy to play him, to understand him. He understands me as well, he can take my position, I can take his position as well.
“I think he suits the team, he’s a very dominant influence in our team.”
PHIL YOUR BOOTS
Man City are ready to treble Phil Foden’s wages to £100,000-a-week after a stunning season, reports say.
The playmaker has enjoyed a breakthrough season with 13 goals and 41 appearances, playing in a variety of positions.
And according to The Mirror, City are preparing to reward Foden by upping his initial £30,000-a-week salary three-fold.
The proposed new package is likely to be a two-year extension on his current deal, which runs to 2024, keeping the 20-year-old at the Etihad until 2026.
Foden has helped fill the void left by David Silva, who left at the end of last season, and has kept Raheem Sterling out of the side.
He scored the winner in both Champions League legs against Borussia Dortmund, to put City into the semi-final.
City are ready to treble Phil Foden’s wages to £100,000-a-week, reports say ABRA CADABRA
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham could be set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer after being iced out by boss Thomas Tuchel.
The Blues striker has not been included in the Chelsea squad for their FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City this evening.
And we have looked at five places the England man could end up if he decides to leave at the end of the season.
Click HERE to see who he could end up joining.
SARR IN THE MAKING
EXCLUSIVE – Man Utd are on the trail of Metz teen sensation Pape Sarr.
The Senegalese 18-year-old won his first cap for his country in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo last month.
That came only four months after his league debut for the French club in November.
He has been watched regularly by European clubs including United.
Reports in France this month suggested Nice sporting director Julien Fournier was pulling out all the stops to land Sarr.
However it is believed Sarr – a box-to-box midfielder – has set his sights on joining a bigger club.
Teenage ace Sarr is being tracked by a number of clubs in Europe CANARIES SINGING
Norwich have been promoted back to the Premier League at the first time asking!
The Canaries have secured at least a top two spot after Brentford drew with Millwall and Swansea with Wycombe.
Daniel Farke’s side are eight points clear of second-placed Watford with five Championship games to play.
FULL-TIME
It’s over at St James’ Park and Newcastle have edged out a five-goal thriller!
West Ham clawed the game back to 2-2- after Issa Diop headed home before Jesse Lingard equalised from the penalty spot.
But Joe Willock put the Magpies back into the lead with a thumping header just minutes after coming on.
The win lifts the Magpies up to 15th, while West Ham remain fourth.
What a game!
FIGHTING TALK
Mauricio Pochettino has vowed to do everything in his power to keep Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain.
The France international’s current contract with the Ligue 1 champions expires next summer and talks over a new deal have yet to bear fruit.
The Argentine said: “The objective is to keep the best players.
“The club wants to win the Champions League and the objective of this club is to keep Neymar and Kylian for many years.
“For three months we have had a very good relationship. Both players are very committed to the club. Every team wants to have them in their ranks. I am optimistic that they will stay.
“After sharing a changing room with Kylian for three months, I will fight with all my might to keep him with us.”
SMALL PROBLEM
Roma defender Chris Smalling is in a race to be fit to face his former club Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals.
The 31-year-old missed his side’s quarter-final tie against Ajax due to knee problems.
But according to Gazetta dello Sport there is a belief one of Smalling or fellow centre-back Leonardo Spinazzola will be fit for the first leg against Man Utd on April 29.
Roma will already be without defenders Marash Kumbulla and Gianluca Mancini through injury and suspension.
Earlier this week, Smalling was robbed at gunpoint in front of his wife and toddler son when three hooded men broke into his home.
The ex-England defender was sleeping when the armed thugs broke into his home and forced him to open his safe.
AUB-OUT THAT
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is already ‘ready to come back’ despite spending ‘a few days in hospital this week’ with malaria.
The striker confirmed his illness on social media and revealed he contracted malaria while away with his national team last month.
Manager Mikel Arteta said: “As we all know, he had malaria – he picked it up when he travelled in the international break and he didn’t have any symptoms and then got some symptoms a few days later.
“We didn’t know what it was but the doctor did a great job by making some further investigation and we found out he had picked it up.
“He had some rough days, he was in hospital for two days but now he is at home, he is safe and he is in good condition and ready to come back.”
Arteta could not give a time frame on when his skipper will be back in contention to play but confirmed Aubameyang wants a swift return.
HALF-TIME
It’s half-time at St James’ Park and what a disastrous opening 45 minutes it has been for West Ham.
They go into the break 2-0 down after Issa Diop scored an own goal, before Joelinton capitalised on a howler from Lukasz Fabianski.
And to add insult to injury, they are down to ten men after Craig Dawson was sent off for a second yellow card.
A win would take David Moyes’ men third, but a loss could see them drop out of the top four should Liverpool beat Leeds on Monday.
As things stand, Newcastle are nine points clear of the bottom three.
RACE FOR RAPHA
Chelsea have joined Manchester United in the race for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, according to reports.
The 27-year-old French centre-back has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford at the end of the season as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract with the Spanish giants.
And Real will be keen to cash in on the World Cup winner rather than watch him leave for a free next summer.
BILD journalist Christian Falk understands Chelsea are keen to acquire Varane’s signature as they look to bolster their defensive options.
The Red Devils looked into signing theFrench centre-back three years ago but were told it would cost more than £100million.
Madrid value him in the £60m bracket, but that figure is still likely to be viewed as high, particularly with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the transfer market.
Raphael Varane could be set for a move to the Premier League this summer GUNNED DOWN
Arsenal target Achraf Hakimi has shut down speculation regarding his future bu insisting he is happy at Inter Milan.
The right-back is claimed to be on the Gunners’ radar to replace Hector Bellerin should the Spaniard depart the Emirates in the summer.
But Hakimi has declared he wants to remain at the San Siro, as he told La Repubblica: “The team that attracted me the most was Inter and I saw it as a growth project.
“I am honoured to be one of the testimonials for the new club logo. I like it, as it looks to the future, a future we can build together.
“I hope to stay at this club for a long time and I’m very happy.”
KONA STAY
Liverpool transfer target Ibrahima Konate has declared his intention to stay at RB Leipzig beyond the end of the season.
The 21-year-old youngster has been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside this summer after impressing in the Bundesliga.
But in a recent interview the centre-back appeared to quash any speculation he could be on his way out of Leipzig in the near future.
Speaking to BILD, he said: “There are often rumours in football and many believe them immediately.
“I or my agents did not get a call from Liverpool. I also have big goals with RB Leipzig.
“These are currently the best possible result in the Bundesliga, reaching the cup final and the Under-21 European Championship with France.
“I have a contract until 2023 and contracts are there to fulfil them.”
Konate looks set to stay put in Germany this summer RULES DON’T MATTER
David Beckham’s Inter Miami violated MLS budget rules to sign World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi, an investigation has confirmed.
The 34-year-old Frenchman signed for the American outfit back in August but was not confirmed to be one of the three allocated high-priced players that the league permits each club and was instead classified as a ‘target allocation money’ player (TAM).
Matias Pellegrini, Rodolfo Pizarro and Gonzalo Higuain were the three ‘designated’ high-priced players in the 2020 Inter Miami squad, meaning Beckham’s side needed to think creatively in order to get Matuidi on board.
They did so by buying Pellegrini out of his contract in order to get back in compliance with the rules.
And the league said Pellegrini is being loaned to Fort Lauderdale – the affiliate of Miami in the third tier United Soccer League’s League One.
“Matuidi’s compensation was above the compensation limit for a TAM player and he should have been classified as a designated player,” the MLS said in a statement.
“As a result, Inter Miami violated the designated player limit as the team had three designated players in addition to Matuidi during 2020.”
CHRIS CROSS
Chris Smalling’s wife has slammed the “rats” who held her at gunpoint during a terrifying £100,000 raid as she spoke out for the first time.
The former Manchester United defender, 31, and ex-Page Three girl Sam Cooke, 35, were woken in the early hours by three hooded men who burst into their bedroom.
The former model said on Instagram: “I’d just like to suggest that those living their lives like these thieves who came into our bedroom at 4am pointing guns at our heads, rethink their choices in life and live in a more respectable and conscious way like real men, not rats (disrespectful to rats I know).
“I suspect your life hasn’t been easy but there’s always another way. A way that will lead to blessings and not karma biting you on the ass, which I’ve no doubt it will!
“And for the record, anyone thinking of coming near me and my family again, we have no jewellery or watches left and don’t intend to buy any more!
“If you see us wearing anything it’s likely fake. So don’t bother”.
Three hooded men broke in while the couple and their two-year-old son slept TEAM NEWS
This is how Newcastle and West Ham line-up at St James’ Park ahead of their 12.30pm kick-off.
PEPE TALK
Nicolas Pepe has been warned he will be out of the team if he lets his standards slip again.
Arteta said: “We all know Nico has the incredible ability to succeed and we can give him all the help he wants to achieve that.
“But now it all depends on him because he needs to have the right mindset to consistently do what he can.
“What he has produced in the last few games is the level of performance that I am going to ask from him all the time.And if it is something below that level then he is not going to be playing.
“The biggest thing for Nico is understanding what he needed to do when he was not in the team and then producing that when he did play.
“He needed a period of adaptation after coming from the French league but that is over. We can’t talk about adaptation any more. Now it is all about performance.
“Nico has the players to support him, a manager that trusts him, all the staff that are willing to help him and team-mates who really like him. So now there are no excuses.”
YOUR TAM’S UP
Tammy Abraham has been left out of Chelsea’s squad for their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.
Despite being fully fit and the competition’s top scorer with four goals in three matches – there is no place for him in Thomas Tuchel’s picks.
The striker has not featured for Chelsea since February 20 where he was subbed at half-time in a 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Abraham, 23, has only just returned to the squad having missed seven games with an ankle injury.
But he was an unused substitute against Crystal Palace and in both Champions League quarter-final legs against Porto.
Abraham is understood to be upset at his lack of game time under Tuchel and could be ready to move on.
SOD THE QUAD
Pep Guardiola insists he could not care less about the quadruple as he heads for Wembley on Saturday.
In the next six weeks they will also have the chance to win the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
Guardiola said: “This is what I say every day, people talk about the past, they talk about the quadruple. I couldn’t care less.
“I care about the next training session and about how you behave, your understanding and your body language, mood.
“And then Saturday against Chelsea in the semi final. That’s where they have to talk. There is the place.
“That’s all I’m concerned about. The rest I don’t care about, I couldn’t care less about it.”
DINNER WINNER
Thomas Tuchel will never forget the day his dinner date with Pep Guardiola turned Messi.
But today he plans to turn the tables on his managerial mentor.
In December 2014, Tuchel was invited to a Munich restaurant by the man who was the king of German football at the time.
Tuchel was between jobs after walking out of Mainz and jumped at the opportunity to pick the brains of then Bayern boss Guardiola.
As the duo prepare for a Wembley reunion this afternoon, Tuchel asked: “When you are out for dinner with Pep, why not talk about football? What else was there for me to talk about?
“For me, he was a huge influence. I didn’t know him when he was at Barcelona — but I watched almost every game and was very impressed by the way he made success happen.”
Read more HERE.
CAV SOME OF THAT
Bruno Fernandes has lavished praise on ‘proper striker’ Edinson Cavani.
The midfielder said after Man Utd’s win over Granada: “Everyone knows Cavani, everything he does, he is a proper striker, we know the qualities of our players.
“It was a good game, Europa League is always difficult, they can create danger but we controlled the game, had the ball a lot.
“I don’t think it was bad tempered, we keep moving, do the right things, 2-0 again is really good for us.
“Now is the time to take the next step and win a semi final but we must focus on the next game which is the league.”
HAA LA LAND
Man Utd have received a boost in their boost of signing Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland in the summer.
According to Goal, Real Madrid and Barcelona have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of the Norway international.
They claim that the LaLiga clubs are unable to meet his £30million-a-year salary demands.
The player – who is available for £65m in 2022 – will be allowed to leave BVB of the German side receive a £130m fee at the end of the season.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
