CHELSEA are reportedly eyeing up moves for Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham – but not both this summer.
The Blues have reportedly agreed personal terms with the Dortmund star – and believe striking a deal with BVB will allow them to swoop for England midfielder Bellingham further down the line.
We’ve also the latest on Jack Grealish’s future, as well as updates from Man City and Tottenham.
And shock reports suggest that Rafa Benitez is close to becoming boss at Everton, while Sergio Ramos has left Real Madrid after 16 years with the club.
Follow ALL of the latest news and updates below…
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Follow ALL of the latest news and updates below…
GIVE THEM MOUR
Jose Mourinho has offered Steve Clarke some tactical advice to help Scotland down England at Wembley.
The two Auld Enemies clash in their second Group D clash tonight.
Mourinho told talkSPORT: “Steve [Clarke] deserves all the respect and the last thing I want to do here is be the smart one, it’s just my opinion like anybody else who listens to this show.
“The fact McTominay can play in defence, he’s faster than Grant Hanley and I think Scotland need speed against Sterling and Rashford – they’re going to attack the space in the behind.
“Do you lose a very strong midfield player? Yes.
“But [Stuart] Armstrong and [John] McGinn are good players who are intense and recover balls and the kid, [Billy] Gilmour, he will give them a focal point because he wants the ball all the time.”
SHAKING HIS ED
Jose Mourinho has revealed that Eden Hazard is ‘awful’ in training and ‘doesn’t work much’.
The pair worked together at Chelsea between 2013 and 2015.
The SunSport columnist told talkSPORT: “The truth about Eden Hazard?
“The truth is what you see from him, he is an amazing player with awful training.
“You can only imagine what he could be with a super professional attitude in training.
“In the end, he is an amazing kid, he is an incredible family man, he looks like he doesn’t belong to this generation of players, he’s very quiet and is totally focused on family, on kids, on parents, on a very quiet life.
“But he gets onto the pitch every morning and… he doesn’t work much.
“When he gets onto the pitch you don’t see the reflection of a week of work, you just see a reflection of his talent.”
LOU ARE YA
Louis van Gaal is set to return to management five years after departing Manchester United.
The 69-year-old, who was sacked by the Red Devils in 2016 after winning the FA Cup, will step back into the dugout next season with SC Telstar.
Thougn Van Gaal will only be in charge of his former employers for one game as part of a fundraising drive.
Supporters can buy lottery tickets for the chance to serve as his assistant during the match.
Looking ahead to his return to football, SunSport takes a look at seven of the most mental Van Gaal moments during his coaching career.
Click here to read more
ABOUT FACE
Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that nerve damage has left him with no feeling in the left side of his face.
The star, 29, suffered his facial injuries during Manchester City’s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea last month.
De Bruyne said: “I don’t feel anything on the left side, like after a visit to the dentist.
“My nerve is very badly affected, which could take six months. It’s not a comfortable feeling, but the most important thing is that I can play.
“The last two months have been up and down for me with minor injuries. After that fracture in the nose and eye socket, it was a bit of a wait.
“But luckily I came back in the fastest way. There was very good intensity for half an hour, [against Denmark] then I felt it. But I’m glad I was able to play.”
HOW ABOUT GAT?
Ex-Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan will be delighted that Gennaro Gattuso will not be taking charge of the club.
The AC Milan legend, 43, held talks with Spurs over the vacant managerial position after negotiations to bring Paulo Fonseca to North London broke down.
But the ex-Napoli gaffer is now out of the running after a fiery fan backlash with #NoToGattuso trending on Twitter in the UK on Thursday night.
Many fans were understood to be upset by alleged past comments by Gattuso on women in football, same-sex marriage and racism.
News of the U-turn will likely amuse Jordan, who was involved in a heated exchange with the Italian in 2011 during his time at Tottenham.
The 69-year-old was throttled by Gattuso at the San Siro during a fiery Champions League tie where Spurs won 1-0 thanks to Peter Crouch’s goal.
Gennaro Gattuso has explosive clash with Joe Jordan after Tottenham linked with controversial move for AC Milan iconSPANISH INQUISITION
Gini Wijnaldum joked that Memphis Depay speaks to him in Spanish, ahead of the forward’s impending move to Barcelona.
Depay, 27, crashed Wijnaldum’s post-match interview, with the pair both on Netherlands duty.
The former Manchester United star whispered something to Wijnaldum, prompting a Dutch reporter to ask the new PSG star what Depay had said.
With a smile, Wijnaldum joked: “I do not know, I have not understood.
“He must have spoken in Spanish.”
Wijnaldum, who himself was in advanced negotiations with Barca before choosing PSG, was referring to Depay’s likely transfer to Catalonia.
READY TO RAM-BLE
Jose Mourinho has backed Sergio Ramos to be a huge success in the Premier League – but believes only a ‘top club’ can afford him.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I can imagine we will see him [Ramos] playing in a very good club.
“Only a top club will be in a condition to fulfil his financial demands.
“Look to Thiago Silva – he is in a similar situation.
“He came to Chelsea, didn’t play every match, had a couple of little muscular issues.
“But in big matches he gave great stability and you can imagine how much he helped the team to develop, the young players, the leadership.
“Ramos is in a similar situation. He is even more physical than Thiago to compete with the Premier League demands.
“I have no doubt he can play with intensity and the demands of the Premier League. No doubts.”
CHRISTIAN VALUES
Christian Eriksen sent his Denmark team-mates a WhatsApp message praising their ‘fantastic’ performance against Belgium.
The midfielder sent the text from his hospital bed after his side’s unfortunate 2-1 defeat, revealed Martin Braithwaite.
Striker Braithwaite, who hit the bar late on, revealed: “Eriksen wrote in the Whatsapp group after the game, he said we had been fantastic, I read the text on my way to the dressing room.
“We had a great start, we proved to be mentally strong. We played for Christian and the whole country.
“We felt the whole stadium around us, it was amazing.”
LION’S PRIDE
Jesse Lingard admits watching England in Euros action with the fans has given him a new understanding of how much playing for the country really means.
The Manchester United star said: “It’s crazy, you don’t realise until like you’re actually in it how much it means to everyone.
“Everyone’s watching the game and everyone’s in a beer garden, and the sun was out, the drinks are flying everywhere.
“You don’t realise how important it is to the whole nation, to be to be putting on that shirt and playing for your country.
“It gives you a different, different perspective. It’s crazy how many people really love football and want to be part of football.”
EXCLUSIVE – AOU ABOUT THAT?
Arsenal are ready to launch another attempt to sign Lyon’s Houssem Aouar.
The Gunners were priced out of a move for the 22-year-old Frenchman last summer – with Lyon demanding up to £55m.
However, the Ligue 1 club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League means Aouar will cost as little as £20m – a figure well within the North London club’s price range.
And SunSport understands that Arsenal are readying a contract worth £100k-a-week to lure the midfielder to the Emirates at the second time of asking.
Aouar chipped in with eight goals and four assists last season for Lyon, and has been on the radar of several Premier League sides, including Liverpool.
However, Arsenal are currently leading the race as they look to bolster their creative attacking options ahead of the new season.
EXCLUSIVE – ‘PROPER NUISANCE’
Jeff Stelling has revealed a fan threatened to throw him down some stairs at Stockport last weekend because he was too gobby.
Sky Sports’ brilliant but highly-excitable Soccer Saturday presenter is not only Hartlepool’s honorary president but is the club’s most famous loudmouth supporter.
And last night Stelling said he couldn’t promise to behave himself on Sunday either when Pools meet Torquay in the National League Play-off Final at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate ground.
Stelling, 66, is often seen shrieking on camera alongside the likes of Paul Merson when the Hartlepool score flashes across his screen.
And the presenter couldn’t contain his highly-charged emotions in the Stockport directors’ box last Sunday when Rhys Oates crashed home a late 20-yard semi-final winner.
Stelling confessed: “I’m a hooligan in the nicest possible way.”
Click here to read SunSport’s interview with Jeff Stelling
YOUR IN DEMAND
Leicester are hoping Youri Tielemans will sign a new contract amid transfer interest from Manchester United and Liverpool.
The midfielder, 24, enjoyed a stunning season for the Foxes.
As reported by the Leicester Mercury, the Foxes are doing their best to tie Tielemans down in the East Midlands.
He has two years left to run on his current contract and the club want to improve his deal to fend off potential interest.
CHEL-SKI
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is enjoying some downtime in Dubai – by riding around on a jet ski.
The Senegal star, 29, shared a photo on social media on Thursday posing on the white Yamaha in front of a stunning yacht with the Dubai skyline in the background.
He captioned the Instagram post: “Time off.”
Then on his story, Mendy added more photos from his holiday in the Middle East.
He has spent time at the NAS Sports Complex and showed his 1million followers some content from behind the scenes.
BELLI RUB
Jude Bellingham says it was an ‘easy’ decision to reject Manchester United – despite Sir Alex Ferguson giving him a guided tour of the club.
The 17-year-old midfielder left Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund last summer and has gone on to shine in the German top-flight.
He said: “To be fair, it was a decision that was quite easy in the end.
“I think if you look at Dortmund’s track record with young players and the way they develop them, it was the obvious answer.
“Obviously at the time it’s hard to see it like that because you’ve got so many other options.
“But my strength of character, I’d probably say it comes from my parents and stuff.”
DO THE HOKEY COKE-Y
Euros stars have been told to STOP moving sponsors’ drinks in press conferences – or risk their team getting fined.
Cristiano Ronaldo started the trend when he put a pair of Coca-Cola bottles out of the way on Monday.
But Euro 2020 tournament director Martin Kallen revealed Uefa has ‘communicated with the teams regarding this matter’ and disciplinary action may be taken.
He said: “It is important because the revenues of the sponsors are important for the tournament and for European football.
“We are never fining players directly from the Uefa side, we will do this always through the participating national association and then they could look if they will go further to the player, but we are not going directly for the moment to the player.”
Credit: Getty
COMMENT
Even by Spurs standards, this is a shambles.
A two month hunt for the replacement for Jose Mourinho and still no decision.
Instead, a series of candidates identified then dumped, for a variety of reasons.
And now, with Rino Gattuso’s potential employment rejected in the wake of a social media fan backlash, there will be many asking if Daniel Levy has any idea what he will do next.
Read Martin Lipton’s full rundown of the saga here.
Credit: PA MORE ON RAMOS
Meanwhile Sergio Ramos has immediately ruled out moving to Sevilla or Barcelona, following his Real Madrid exit.
The defender will leave the Bernabeu for good at the end of this month after 16 years of service.
As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, he said: “I’m not joining Sevilla, this is not even an option.
“Barcelona? Impossible. You’ll never see me at Barca. I don’t know which club I’m joining yet.
“When I’ll know, I’ll be the first to announce it. It’s not time to talk about my future.”
Credit: PA CAPTAIN KARIM
Sergio Ramos’ departure means Real Madrid have been left with a decision to make regarding their captaincy.
According to Marca, Karim Benzema and Dani Carvajal are the frontrunners for the job.
Experienced alternatives Casemiro and Luka Modric could also be considered by Carlo Ancelotti for the role.
ED CHECKED
Jose Mourinho has revealed that Eden Hazard is ‘awful’ in training and ‘doesn’t work much’.
The pair worked together at Chelsea between 2013 and 2015 and the SunSport columnist told talkSPORT: “The truth is what you see from him, he is an amazing player with awful training.
“You can only imagine what he could be with a super professional attitude in training.
“In the end, he is an amazing kid, he is an incredible family man, he looks like he doesn’t belong to this generation of players, he’s very quiet and is totally focused on family, on kids, on parents, on a very quiet life.
“But he gets onto the pitch every morning and… he doesn’t work much.
“When he gets onto the pitch you don’t see the reflection of a week of work, you just see a reflection of his talent.”
Credit: Reuters HELLO JOEL
Norwich and Celtic are reportedly fighting for Exeter winger Joel Randall.
A six-figure bid for the 21-year-old from Peterborough is said to have been turned down as clubs circle for the talented player.
And Football Insider claim the pair are getting involved with Randall out of contract in a year’s time.
VA-RANE DANCE
Reports in Spain suggest Real Madrid are increasingly resigned to selling Raphael Varane.
After letting Sergio Ramos go, Carlo Ancelotti is set to have David Alaba and Jesus Vallejo introduced to his defence next season.
And Cadena SER claim Varane has already informed them that he does not want to sign a new contract.
With his deal up in 2022, the Frenchman rejected a renewal offer earlier this year.
Credit: Getty
PURPLE RAGE
Fiorentina parted company with Gennaro Gattuso following a row over transfers.
Corriere Fiorentino report on disagreements between the coach and club on how many reinforcements were needed this summer, with deals for the likes of Sergio Oliveira and Jesus Corona deemed too expensive by the Italian club.
And Gattuso now looks to have missed out on a move to Tottenham as well, after the Premier League side pulled out of talks.
YOUR IN DEMAND
Leicester are hoping Youri Tielemans will sign a new contract amid transfer interest from Manchester United and Liverpool.
The midfielder, 24, enjoyed a stunning season for the Foxes.
As reported by the Leicester Mercury, the Foxes are doing their best to tie Tielemans down in the East Midlands.
He has two years left to run on his current contract and the club want to improve his deal to fend off potential interest.
Credit: EPA ALL IN
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is interested in bringing midfield general Allan to the Bernabeu, according to reports in Spain.
The Everton star was signed by the Italian last summer having also played under him at Napoli.
And Defensa Central claim a bid could be launched for the Brazilian.
DAKA RALLY
Patson Daka is nearing a £25million to Leicester.
Talks for the RB Salzburg striker accelerated after the Foxes grew frustrated with their pursuit of Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, according to the Mail.
The Zambia star hit 34 goals last season and is said to cost less in terms of wages than Edouard, who Celtic valued at £25m despite having only a year left on his contract.
Credit: Getty
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
