SERGIO AGUERO reportedly wants a move to Barcelona this summer – but boss Ronald Koeman is keen to bag former Man Utd man Memphis Depay.
Meanwhile Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus future appears uncertain after they lost 3-0 to Serie A rivals AC Milan.
And Harry Kane has been told by Alan Shearer that he should QUIT Tottenham in order to win trophies.
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TEAM NEWS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has sprung a shock with a heavily rotated side for tonight’s clash against Leicester.
PJAN OF ACTION
Barcelona are reportedly keen to sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho in the summer and are willing to offer Miralem Pjanic in exchange.
The Bosnian moved to the Nou Camp in a high-profile switch from Juventus last year, but he has failed to live up to expectations in Spain.
According to Sport, Barca are keen to offload the player at the end of the season, and have identified in-form Jorginho as a possible replacement.
The Catalan side are even exploring the viability of a swap deal involving the pair.
However it remains to be seen if the West Londoners would be persuaded into a deal considering Jorginho’s recent stunning displays.
TOUGHEN UP
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as ‘tough as old boots’.
The Scot told the Guardian: “At United, all the best players were mentally tough.
“Ronaldo is tough, honestly, as old boots. He was always going to be a great player because he had it up there [Ferguson taps his head].
“We played a part in that because Eric Harrison, the [youth] coach, made it tougher for the youngsters.
“He said, ‘If you don’t have mental toughness, you’ll never make United’s first team.'”
TUCHEL ON FA CUP
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel insists his players are fully concentrated on Arsenal and not Saturday’s FA Cup final against Leicester.
Tuchel said: “We just have an eye on the players’ workload and on the statistics that we have, who is maybe overloaded on high speed and from that we will decide who is at risk of injury. Everyone who is not at risk of injury will be available for the game.
“It’s not the time to manage the game on Saturday now. Now is the time to manage the game on Wednesday.
“We’re in the middle of a race for the top four and cannot judge games”
GETTY IMAGES TUCHEL ON KOVACIC
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed that Mateo Kovacic will be unavailable for Wednesday’s clash with Arsenal but is very pleased with the way Billy Gilmour has filled in.
Tuchel said: “He [Kovacic] is not ready for tomorrow, we have to postpone it to Wembley. His personal race is on to make it to the squad for Wembley.
“Billy Gilmour had to step up now because we miss Kova so much and we play normally always with a double-six, so we were rotating constantly between N’Golo [Kante], Jorgi[Jorginho] and Kova. Once we miss Kova now for so many games, so many weeks, it was on Billy to step up and I was very happy that he could deliver when it was needed.
‘So full credit for that, but Kova is a big loss with his ability to drive with the ball, his speed on the ball, without the ball. Kova is such a positive character and unique player, a real fighter on who you can always rely in games and training.
‘We really miss him, he is a good match with Jorgi and N’Golo in all combinations. So it’s a big miss and I can’t wait until he’s back in full team training. He’s taken some steps in the right direction and I hope he can rejoin team training after our game with Arsenal.”
FIRST SIGNING
Manchester United’s new director of football John Murtough is close to completing his first signing.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Red Devils are closing in on Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
However, Heaton’s imminent arrival doesn’t mean either David de Gea or Dean Henderson, who’ve been battling for the No1 position, are on their way out of United.
Instead, the United academy graduate is joining up as a third-choice goalkeeper
ARTETA ON CRITICISM
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta addressed all the criticism the team has received from former players, fans and the media amid a poor season.
Arteta said: “I think everybody is entitled to give their opinions and when they have the chance to do that, they have to say what they feel.
“Again, it’s nothing for me to say. I cannot control that. If you ask me what I would like to have around the team and around everything that is related to the football club, is that we have the unity and stability to work. But if it’s not the case, it’s nothing that I can do.
“They are entitled to their opinions. The only way I can prove that is by having a team that performs on the pitch and makes them proud. That’s the only thing that I can do. The only thing I can be judged on is do I create the necessary environment for a top, elite team to compete at the higher level and get everybody in the condition to do their best?
“And after that, do I get the best out of the players that I have? The maximum, whatever the level is, do I get the best out of that? This is how I judge myself and at the end, in the outside world, how I am going to be judged is just with results, nothing else.
“What we’ve done good before, in the past, in the process… it’s irrelevant. It’s only what you get from that result when you are on that pitch”
ARTETA ON TRANSFERS
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta addressed the possibility of certain players leaving the club in the summer.
Arteta said: “I think that having a pre-season is going to be really helpful because we haven’t had any time to work together yet, since we arrived.
“But after that, let’s see where we finish next season and the amount of games that we have to play.
“But obviously, in terms of game preparation and time to coach them, it’s much better to be in that position rather than not having any time to prepare between games.
“There are so many things to do because we already have a lot of players on loan and a lot of players with contracts still that we need to sort.
“It will depend what happens with a lot of those players and what we are able to recruit to improve the team, that is going to determine where we are”
ARTETA ON CHELSEA TEAM NEWS
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta discussed Wednesday’s clash at Chelsea and shared some team news.
Arteta said: “Well probably they’ve been the best team in the league in the last few months, what Thomas [Tuchel] has been able to do since he arrived has been exceptional. He put the team in two finals, the way the team is looking, how solid they are defensively as well, how composed and regular they have been in their performance has been excellent.
“We have to see today, there were some issues over the weekend again. We are playing every three days and there is no time to train yet, today is the first day so we will have to wait and see. Yes [there were] some injuries, yes.
“Well the situation with David [Luiz] is that he is not yet recovered, we will see how he does in the next few weeks. The rest are still in contention but we will have to see today how they come”
POLICE PRESENCE
The police has made its presence felt outside Old Trafford ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Leicester tonight.
This comes after last Sunday’s protests that saw a chunk of fans breaking in United’s ground and staging a demonstration outside The Lowry Hotel where the team was staying.
More protests have been scheduled for the remaining home games, including tonight’s clash with the Foxes.
Red Devils fans demonstrated against the Glazer family, who own the club, following the European Super League fiasco
Paul Cousans/Zenpix Ltd. BELLERIN REPLACEMENTS
Arsenal star Hector Bellerin seems likely to exit the club at the end of the season.
The Gunners are already lining up potential replacements as Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan appear keen to sign Bellerin in the summer.
The north Londoners are keeping tabs on Norwich ace Max Aarons as well as Real Betis player Emerson.
Manager Mikel Arteta has been promised funds in the summer by majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, who is looking to rebuild his relationship with the fans after the European Super League fiasco
GETTY IMAGES ARSENAL EXIT
Arsenal are facing a massive exodus of players from the Emirates ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to Football London, Dani Ceballos seems set to end his loan stint with the Gunners and return to Real Madrid after a series of errors in midfield.
Bernd Leno, Hector Bellerin, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac are also available for transfer at the end of the season.
Stuttgart want to extend their loan deal for defender Dinos Mavropanos but also want to add a buying clause
CAM AND GET HIM
Arsenal have made Rennes star Eduardo Camavinga their top transfer target ahead of the summer.
That is according to Le10Sport, who claim the Gunners are doing everything they can to lure Camavinga to the Emirates as manager Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen his midfield.
The 18-year-old ace is considered as one of the hottest prospects in the market and has earned attention from Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is very impressed with the France international, who will cost an excess of £50million
CLOCK TICKING
Manchester United want to complete Jadon Sancho’s transfer before this summer’s delayed Euro 2020 competition.
That is according to Bild, who claim United don’t want a fresh bid for Sancho to turn into another saga.
The Red Devils are lining up an £80million swoop for the star forward, which is lower than last year’s £91m offer.
The Euros are set to kick off on June 11 when Turkey face Italy
HAALAND BOOST
Manchester United’s decision to hand Edinson Cavani a one-year extension works as a major boost for other clubs keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland.
United have been linked with Haaland in the last two years but Cavani’s new deal means the Red Devils may not be keen on going after another striker.
That gives the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona more hope of landing Haaland in the summer.
However, Dortmund have proven to be fierce negotiators, as shown by United’s failed bid to buy Jadon Sancho last year, and will demand at least £30million for the Norway international
SAN STORM
Manchester United are lining up an £80million summer swoop for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho.
That is according to the Daily Star, who claim United will make an offer that’s lower than their £91m bid that was turned down in the summer.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been rating Sancho as a top target for a while now.
And this time Dortmund appear keen to sell their star winger
GETTY IMAGES HAA-RDLY LIKELY
Manchester United are going to focus on Jadon Sancho and ditch plans to sign Erling Haaland as well as Harry Kane in the summer.
That is according to United great Gary Neville, who doesn’t expect the Red Devills to go after another striker with Edinson Cavani signing a new one-year deal.
Neville told Sky Sports: “I don’t think they will sign another striker.
“I haven’t got the contacts on the inside that I used to have so it’s my assumption.
“They’ve been desperate for Sancho. You look at Manchester United’s recruitment last summer and they didn’t get Sancho and they were criticised for that. I criticised them for that.
“But they could look incredibly smart this year if they get him nearer half the price and they’ve waited 12 months”
KANE GO ON
Harry Kane has been urged to leave Tottenham in the summer in order to boost his chances of winning silverware.
Premier League Hall of Famer Alan Shearer believes it is now time for Kane to seek greener pastures as time will soon start to run out on his career.
Shearer told Match of the Day: “I left Blackburn a season after we won the title and we were nowhere near winning the title so that kind of make my mind up because I wanted to do then go on and do things.
“If Harry wants an excuse then Tottenham and that team are giving him one because they didn’t show up for the cup final and they didn’t show up again today [against Leeds].
“If I was in his position then I’d be looking elsewhere to go and try to win some trophies”
PAY DAY
Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero wants to join Barcelona in the summer like “crazy” and is even willing to charge less.
But Barca manager Ronald Koeman prefers Lyon star Memphis Depay and will prioritise him if he remains in charge of the Blaugrana next season.
That is according to Mundo Deportivo, who hint that talks with Memphis are advanced as the winger is looking for a house in the Catalan capital.
However, the same report suggests that a deal with Aguero will become a lot more possible if Lionel Messi stays at the club
RONALDO SITUATION
Cristiano Ronaldo looks likely to miss out on Champions League football for the first time in 19 years.
Juventus are fifth in the Serie A table, which means they need to win all of their remaining three fixtures and hope either Napoli, AC Milan or Atalanta drop points.
Reports have suggested Ronaldo is keen to leave Turin in the summer but nothing is set in stone yet.
But Juventus managing director Fabio Paratici insisted earlier this year that the club would be “holding on to him,” despite his recent struggles on the pitch
GETTY IMAGES GOOD MORNING FOOTBALL FANS
Fulham were relegated from the Premier League on Monday night after a 2-0 defeat to Burnley.
Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood struck in a convincing first-half display for the Clarets at Craven Cottage to seal their safety.
It means all three relegation places are confirmed with three games to go.
Elsewhere, Edinson Cavani has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with Manchester United.
The striker has been in blistering form in recent weeks and ended speculation of a move to Boca Juniors with the confirmation on Monday.
He said: “I have been touched with how much the supporters have wanted me to stay, and I will give everything to bring them happiness and joy with my performances on the field.”
On a sour note for the club, SunSport expect Harry Maguire to miss the rest of the Premier League season.
The race is on for the United captain to reach the Europa League final while the Red Devils await the results of an ankle scan.
And Premier League games will welcome up to 10,000 supporters inside stadiums for the final two rounds of fixtures.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the news as lockdown restrictions continue to ease from May 17.
The penultimate set of Prem fixtures includes a potential top-four decider between Leicester and Chelsea while Man City fans will likely see their future champions at home to Everton on the final day.
ED SCREWED ON
Edinson Cavani has signed a new one-year Manchester United deal – ending the club’s plans for a new striker, writes Martin Blackburn.
United moved quickly to seal another 12 months as mega-money moves for Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland look increasingly difficult.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s hunt for a new forward looks to have been put on hold for the next 12 months.
Spurs are understood to be unwilling to let England captain Kane move to a Premier League rival — even if the star made it clear he wanted to move.
And a move for Dortmund forward Haaland comes at a huge price, agents fees and demands that United are currently not willing to meet.
BLADE RUNNER
Slavisa Jokanovic has been sounded out about taking over from Chris Wilder as Sheffield United manager, writes Michael Morgan.
The relegated Blades have invited the former Watford and Fulham boss for talks after plans to appoint Oostende’s Alexander Blessin and Bramall Lane caretaker chief Paul Heckingbottom backfired.
A move for German Blessin, 47, hit the buffers because he doesn’t fulfil the requirements to be granted a work permit.
And Heckingbottom, 43, has now become an outsider in the race to replace Wilder because Blades bigwigs have concerns over his ability after winning only one of his eight games in temporary charge so far.
Jokanovic, 52, wants to work in England again following a successful stint in Qatar, where he led Al-Gharafa into the qualifying rounds of the AFC Champions League.
FULL REPORT
Catch all the action from Burnley’s win that relegates Fulham with Tom Barclay’s match report.
Read the full rundown here.
RECORD
It’s a Premier League first to have the three relegation spots confirmed with three games to go.
Aside from a short burst from Fulham, it’s been a real formality for much of the season – a real shame (unless you’re a Southampton, Brighton, Newcastle, Burnley or Arsenal fan…).
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
