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    Neymar lifts lid on PSG ‘fights’ with Kylian Mbappe ‘jealous’ of Lionel Messi and why it was ‘impossible’ to succeed

    NEYMAR has opened up about his relationship with Kylian Mbappe, which he reckons went downhill after Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain.The trio were made up the French champion’s electrifying strike force from the summer of 2021 to 2023.PSG had a star-studded front three of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar from 2021 to 2023Credit: GettyBut it was claimed Neymar and Mbappe developed a feud during that periodCredit: APBut all their talent couldn’t deliver the club’s ultimatum goal – the Champions League trophy.And Neymar believes Messi’s arrival to the Parc des Princes as a free agent in the summer of 2021 proved detrimental to his partnership with Mbappe – with whom he allegedly developed a feud.During an appearance on a podcast hosted by Brazil icon Romario, he said: “No, he (Mbappe) is not annoying].”I have my things with him, we had a little fight, but he was fundamental for us when he arrived.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”I used to call him golden boy. I always played with him, said he was going to be one of the best.”I always helped, talked to him, he came to my place, we had dinner together.”We had some good years of partnership, but after Messi came he was a little jealous.”He didn’t want to split me with anyone. And then there were some fights, a change in behaviour.”Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSNeymar believes his relationship with Kylian Mbappe went south after Lionel Messi’s arrivalCredit: AFPNeymar was no stranger to playing in a star-studded team prior to Messi’s arrival at PSG having played in a front three with the Argentine and Luis Suarez during his time at Barcelona.Both experiences, however, have left him adamant that having too many “big egos” in a team is a recipe for disaster.Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn square up as Neymar ‘acts like guest referee’ in baffling scenesThe 32-year-old added: “It is good to have egos. But you have to know that you don’t play alone.”There needs to be another guy by your side.”[Big] egos were almost everywhere, it can’t work. “If nobody runs and nobody helps, it is impossible to win anything.”Neymar departed PSG in August 2023, moving to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Hilal.Injuries – including a torn cruciate ligament – have restricted him to a mere 11 appearances for the club.Mbappe, meanwhile, now plies his trade with Real Madrid – while Messi is in the MLS with Inter Miami. More

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    Erling Haaland signs TEN-YEAR Man City contract worth £260million with release clause removed

    ERLING HAALAND has signed an eye-watering TEN-YEAR contract with Manchester City, according to reports.The striker was contracted to the club until 2027 but his new deal will see him tied down until he is 34 years old.Erling Haaland has penned a ten-year contractCredit: GettyThat will keep him at the club until he is 34-years-oldHaaland announced the news with a video showing off his trademark celebrationHe has been tied down to the club until 2034The lengthy contract is one of the most lucrative in sport history and will run until 2034.Any release clause from his previous deal have been removed, so it would take an astronomical bid to lure him away from the Etihad.Haaland, 24, is set for a bumper increase on his £375,000-a-week salary.Man City have announced his new contract will run for ten years, and it is understood his earnings will be backdated to the beginning of the season which means Haaland will collect £3.25m in wages he is owed since then.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSunSport revealed his new contract would be worth £500,000-a-week, which means his total earnings across the deal will be £260million, or £26m a year.City have been keen to tie down their star man amid speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid.Haaland is believed to be very happy at City and was persuaded to extend his deal after Pep Guardiola renewed terms for further two years in November.He is settled in Manchester and has just become a dad for the first time, and earlier this month bought a six-bed mansion with his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, 21, after the couple decided to “put down some roots”.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHaaland will pick up £500k-a-week after helping Man City win five trophies in two yearsCredit: GettyHaaland is settled in Manchester and recently became a dad for the first timeCredit: EPAHaaland also enjoys an excellent relationship with manager Pep Guardiola and chairman Khadoon Al Mubarak, as well as his team-mates.The 24-year-old said after putting pen to paper: “I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great Club.Fans ask ‘how can you not love him?’ after Haaland’s blunt eight-word response to reporter’s fantasy football question“Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.“Now I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”The Norwegian will become the highest paid player in the Premier League, overtaking team-mate Kevin De Bruyne who earns £400k-per-week.He has won the Golden Boot twice in two seasons since moving to the Prem and scored an incredible 111 goals in 126 games for the Cityzens.Haaland has won five trophies in two-and-a-half years at City and has 16 Prem goals this campaign.Pep Guardiola said of the new deal: “It’s the trust for the club to Erling. Because you never know what can happen in the next year. “But the club knows perfectly how professional he is. His commitment in every single game and every single day to show his talent.”And of course for him, because in 10 years, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s a long, long time. And always in the short careers, you have to say, OK, stay we’ll see what happens. “And he proved what he wanted. And the trust, as I said before, was the trust with the club.”READ MORE SUN STORIESAsked why Haaland wants to stay for so long, Guardiola said: “he settled perfectly. I think what happens is that he loves the club, the people he’s around. He loves the Premier League. “He loves to be here with him and his wife. Now he’s a father, so… I think he visualises there is no better place that I could be right now in the next 10 years, I would say. And that’s why he and his family decided to do this step.”By Martin LiptonIT was a January present even the most fervent Manchester City fan had not really anticipated.And no wonder that the news of Erling Haaland’s astonishing new Etihad deal brought a swathe of swift conclusions about what it means for the Norwegian and the club.For the past few weeks, it has been all about the players City were looking to sign in the January window, with a triple swoop for Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov and Palmeiras teenager Vitor Reis in the pipeline.Yet getting Haaland to effectively commit the rest of his career to City was more than just a coup – it was a huge morale boost for everybody connected to the club.Rightly so. Haaland’s record of 112 goals in just 126 games for the club is beyond incredible.In the Prem, it is 79 in 87 appearances, at a rate of 0.91 goals per game.To put that into even greater context, Alan Shearer scored his record 260 Prem goals in 441 games for Blackburn and Newcastle.If Haaland continued to score at his current rate, he would break the record after 237 games – before the end of 2029 if he stays fit.And that would not even be HALF-WAY through the ten year, £260m deal.No wonder many City fans are already pointing to Haaland’s signature, following on from Pep Guardiola’s renewal, and drawing an obvious conclusion.They wouldn’t be doing this unless City were absolutely certain the Premier League case into the “115” allegations of financial impropriety (the actual number of charges is now 130) was about to collapse into tiny pieces.It is not a ridiculous assumption to make, either. At least, not from the outside.City have, remember, always vehemently denied they did anything wrong.And unleashed the legal forces of Hell – well, £10,000 an hour Lord Pannick KC and his team – to defend their reputation.But nobody, except the lawyers involved and the panel of three empowered to hear the evidence given on both sides over the best part of three months before Christmas, REALLY knows what was said in the central London International Dispute Resolution Centre.What we do know is that if the Prem legal beaks fail to prove their case “on the balance of probabilities”, City will have won a huge and seismic victory.The authority of the League will have been fractured into tiny pieces.Yet at this stage, the commission appears to still be considering its verdict.And before Christmas, there were mutterings that City might be ready to argue that, in the event of a verdict they did not accept, the club would contest the ENTIRE fabric of the Prem financial rules.But even if the verdict goes AGAINST City, the new deal is a major defensive move for their most potent attacking force.It is hard, if not inconceivable, to imagine Haaland staying at City if they are actually relegated to the Championship – which would be a MINIMUM demand of rival clubs if the bulk of the charges are proven. Let alone if it was a Rangers-style three division relegation.Of course, if it was just one season in the Championship – and there is nothing to suggest that is in consideration until the verdict is known – the easiest way out would be to loan Haaland to another club in the City Football Group for a campaign. Girona, possibly, or an MLS year in the Big Apple.But if Haaland did kick off, City have guaranteed themselves a huge financial buffer.Tying Haaland to such a long deal – one that would not be permissible under Fifa regulations in some countries, where employment law states contracts cannot last longer than five years – is a statement, unquestionably.If another club wants to tempt him away – and Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two most obvious potential suitors, probably followed by PSG or the PIF-owned clubs of the Saudi Pro League – they will have to buy out the contract AND pay a massive fee.That would see a potential £500m transfer demand, a sum few could possibly meet.At the same time, it is also ringfencing City against the possible outcome of the European Court of Justice ruling over former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra.The international players’ union FifPro is among those arguing the end-game will be stars having “free agency” to move clubs, with no transfer fees and only the remaining contract terms needing to be bought out as a compensation move.Of course, none of that will even be an issue if City’s long-held stance is vindicated.And the thought of almost another decade of Haaland marauding up and down the Prem will chill the blood of an entire generation of defenders. 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    Ruben Amorim blasts four Man Utd stars including captain Bruno Fernandes as manager bemoans ‘lack of speed’

    RUBEN AMORIM blasted four stars as he bemoaned Manchester United’s “lack of speed” in their dramatic comeback win against Southampton.The Red Devils were second best for most of the match as bottom-place Saints turned on the style at Old Trafford.Ruben Amorim criticised Bruno Fernandes and three other Man Utd stars for a ‘lack of speed’ vs SouthamptonCredit: AlamyLeny Yoro was run ragged by Kamaldeen Sulemana in United’s 3-1 winCredit: APIvan Juric’s men missed several chances before taking the lead through a Manuel Ugarte own goal.But an incredible hat-trick by Amad Diallo from the 82nd minute onwards saw United turn the game on its head at the last moment, sealing a 3-1 win for the hosts.Despite the positive result, manager Amorim was less than pleased at how easily United were ripped apart on the break.The likes of Tyler Dibling and Kamaldeen Sulemana had a field day on the flanks, with the latter making mincemeat of £60million summer signing Leny Yoro on multiple occasions.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd speaking after the final whistle, Amorim targeted the French centre-back alongside midfield trio Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes for failing to pull their weight in defensive transitions.The Portuguese tactician said: “We have difficulties to press high. This team is not used to doing that.“It seems like a lack of enthusiasm, Ugarte is late, Mainoo is late, Bruno going outside and the ball is inside, one transition and Leny Yoro cannot catch the guy. “These small things push the team behind and we get nervous without the ball.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS“But then when you have one goal or one opportunity, you feel like the team can better control the game.“I want to be fair with my players. Today was not a lack of enthusiasm, it was a lack of speed and sometimes lack of control of the game.Fuming Man Utd icon Roy Keane calls Rod Stewart a ‘rubbish’ singer in rant Kobbie Mainoo struggled in midfield for the Red DevilsCredit: PAManuel Ugarte’s misery was compounded by scoring an own goalCredit: Alamy“The players are not used to playing like that. You have to cover a lot of space, you have to change which player is jumping in the press.“With the ball today, we saw we had some patterns when the ball is in the sides of the pitch but then we lose the duels.“It’s hard to explain it now. We don’t have the training. It’s a different system and it’s so completely different from what they are used to doing.“I don’t know how long it will take but you can understand the profile sometimes are not the right ones but we have to improve players and we know the situation of the club.” More

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    Joshua Zirkzee appears to perform X-rated celebration that saw Jude Bellingham investigated after Man Utd comeback

    JOSHUA ZIRKZEE appeared to perform the same X-rated celebration that saw Jude Bellingham investigated against Southampton.The Dutch striker was on the pitch as Manchester United completed a shock comeback against the Saints.Joshua Zirkzee appeared to do an X-rated gesture during Man United’s win over SouthamptonCredit: RexJude Bellingham performed a similar gesture at Euro 2024Credit: PAManuel Ugarte’s own-goal had looked likely to to hand the Premier League’s bottom side an unlikely win at Old Trafford.However, Amad Diallo’s stunning late hat-trick turned the game on its head to hand Ruben Amorim’s side victory.The winger’s heroics sparked jubilant scenes from his team-mates including Zirkzee.The forward could be seen grabbing his crouch with his right hand while the team celebrated by the corner flag.READ MORE MAN UTD NEWSJude Bellingham landed himself in hot water when he performed a similar gesture after England beat Slovakia at Euro 2024.The midfielder was handed a suspended one-match ban and fined £25,000.Former Man United star Cristiano Ronaldo was handed a one-game ban for making the gesture while at Al-Nassr.He was also slapped with a £16,850 fine for the incident.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSZirkzee was a second-half substitute for the Red Devils against the Saints.He made a decent impact on the game as he replaced Rasmus Hojlund.Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney is transformed into Mrs Doubtfire then says ‘hello, my dear’ His impact has seen fans call for him to start ahead of the Danish striker against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.Despite this, it was Amad who gained most of the plaudits for his 12-minute hat-trick.The Ivorian netted the equaliser in the 82nd minute before adding two more in the 90th and 94th minutes.He was saved his blushes by fans after he booted his hat-trick ball into the crowd as it was thrown back to him. More

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    Five reasons Arsenal were Myles better than Tottenham as Mikel Arteta’s side dominate Postecoglou’s flops

    ARSENAL proved themselves to be Myles better than underperforming Tottenham in the North London derby earlier this week.Spurs took an early lead at the Emirates through Son Heung-Min but were undone by a Dominic Solanke own goal and Leandro Trossard arrow late in the first half.Myles Lewis-Skelly put in a performance of the highest quality against TottenhamCredit: GettyThe teen shushing the Spurs fans after being subbed off was reminiscent of Jack Wilshere and Aaron RasmeyCredit: GettyMikel Arteta found five ways around Ange PostecoglouCredit: RexAnge Postecoglou’s side then had no answers to reverse the score in the second half as Mikel Arteta’s side put in a mature, if unremarkable, performance.Yet it was Hale End graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly who proved to be the star of the show as he put in an assured display well beyond his years.There was also a noteworthy showing from Declan Rice and a new-look pressing system deployed.There were also the usual suspects of set-piece tweaks, and below our tactics guru Dean Scoggins looked at how Arsenal punctured Ange-ball.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMyles clearLewis-Skelly has stepped into Arsenal’s backline masterfully despite being just 18 years of age and naturally a midfielder.And when he came off the pitch after giving it large to the Spurs fans it was reminiscent of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey doing similar in years past.Lewis-Skelly carried the ball an incredible amount during the gameThe 18-year-old was superb both going forward and defensivelyArteta made the decision to select him ahead of a more natural option like Oleksandr Zinchenko, and it proved dividends.Lewis-Skelly was excellent up against Spurs’ dangerman Dejan Kulusevski.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSBut tactically, the star did not fully invert.Instead, Lewis-Skelly went halfway with the role, leaving Kulusevski with a conundrum on whether to mark him or not, whereas a fully inverted role would have allowed another player to pick him up.The teen did not completely invert, meaning Dejan Kulusevski was forced to pick him upLewis-Skelly was then able to pick up the ball and stride forwardsFans can’t get enough of Arsenal star Lewis-Skelly’s ‘wholesome’ interview about his grandma after win over Tottenham The teenager’s ball-carrying exploits were particularly impressive during the game, going on to carry the ball more than Rice throughout the game.A number of times he would pick up the ball from Gabriel Magalhaes or the goalkeeper before moving forward into acres of space.This was helped by a particularly poor display by Yves Bissouma and a Pape Matar Sarr yellow card.Lewis-Skelly also worked well in tandem with Rice in neutralising any Spurs threat down that side.It will do his England chances a world of good given how Thomas Tuchel was in the stands.And it may also see Rico Lewis – who plays a similar role – lose his spot, with the Arsenal star being streets ahead of the Manchester City star.He partnered up well with Declan RiceAnd the pair ensured they cut off any supply to the forward ranksIt ensured Spurs’ wheels of chaos were flattenedRice masterclassAgainst Tottenham, Rice proved why he is one of the best midfielders in the world.The former West Ham seemed to cover every nook and cranny of the Emirates to snuff out Tottenham threat. He was in his own area making challenges and clearances and helping Lewis-Skelly. The midfielder then surprised everyone by popping up in the Spurs penalty area in a lung-busting display.Rice had his own masterful display in midfield as he proved to be a disruptive presence to SpursHis breathless display saw him popping up all over the pitchSuch was his full-gusto performance that it was like Arsenal played with an extra man – not the referee to be clear.Early on Spurs did a good job of defending the edge of their area, particularly in the first 15 to 20 minutes.But it was the presence of Rice which disrupted the flow of the defence, pushing back the Spurs midfield by making runs from deep.And it also proved effective in throwing the balance out of Spurs’ attack.Arteta punctures Ange-ballOne thing Spurs can take away from the game is that Postecoglou does not have just one way to play.They would have been disappointed to not go into half-time level, given the corner incident and a goalkeeping error from youngster Antonin Kinsky, since their tactics seemed to work for the most part up to then.The issue, however, that because it is such a rigid structure teams can plan to play against it – not that it means it can always be stopped.Arsenal executed one such plan for it to brilliant effect, with the “Wheels of Chaos” we mentioned in our last show rearing their head after the break.Arsenal were able to counteract Ange-ballMartin Odegaard and Declan Rice had important games tracking their runnersWhile the likes of Trossard would drop in to cover for the inverting Pedro PorroBut this meant the wheel of chaos was left disjointedYet it was the aforementioned Rice and Martin Odegaard who did brilliant jobs in midfield keeping tabs on the inside right and left players respectively. As we mentioned, not tracking the runner from the wheel would be fatal from a defensive point of view.But with Odegaard and Rice tracking their men along with Raheem Sterling and Trossard also doing superb defensive work, it meant Spurs often had to rush their attacks.And the consequence of this was an effective counter-attack propped up by strong performances by Odegaard and Jurrien Timber on one side and Rice and Lewis-Skelly on the other.New look pressAfter coming under scrutiny for failing to beat ten-man Manchester United in the FA Cup, Arteta came up with a superb plan to beat Tottenham and claw themselves back into the title race.Out of possession Arsenal have been known to operate in a 4-4-2 pressing structure.But for this game, Arteta switched that system to a 4-3-3 press instead, with Trossard tracking Porro into an inverted position.Sterling, Odegaard and Havertz were then able to go and press as a three-man unit which stopped Spurs playing first-time balls out from the back and nullifying one of their most effective weapons.Arsenal switched to a 4-3-3 press against SpursThis prevented the visitors from playing out from the backSet piece tweaksArsenal are known as the king of set pieces for a reason – not that it stopped Gary Neville from slamming Arsenal set piece coach Nicolas Jover again.They are top of the table for goals scored from set pieces and corners, and whether you want to level criticism for it or not, there is absolutely no denying its impact on getting the Gunners points.And Jover cooked up something special against Spurs, not that the visitors didn’t have some set-piece tricks up their own sleeve.Spurs knew Arsenal packed both boxes at corners so sent two players out to be the corner takers to help drag some defenders out, while two more stars lurked on the edge of the area.This was exactly where Son scored from with no one picking him up after Sterling, who had picked him up the corner before, was dragged away by another dummy run.But at the other end, Gabriel came in like the unstoppable force he is to force a goal over the line.Spurs left two players upfield in the hopes that Arsenal would commit fewer players forward, but the home side bravely left their players one-on-one, rather than have a spare man as extra cover.READ MORE SUN STORIESUnfortunately for Spurs, there was also very little chance the goalkeeper would manage to catch any of the crosses due to the crowding around his six-yard area.Therefore, Jover did not allow Spurs to derail Arsenal’s dominance at corners by showing bravery in attacking set pieces.Arsenal player ratings vs TottenhamBy Dan KingARSENAL came from behind to defeat Tottenham 2-1 in the North London derby. Son Heung-Min had given the visitors the lead in the 25th minute against the run of play.But as they have done so often, the Gunners scored from a corner as Gabriel Magalhaes’ header was bundled in as an own goal by Dominic Solanke.Leandro Trossard then put the home side ahead on the stroke of half-time with an fine finish.Here’s how the players rated…David Raya – 6Spectator until kept out Kulusevski shot midway through first half, then beaten by deflection for Son goal. Didn’t make a save in second half.Jurrien Timber – 6Solid enough defensively to keep Son Heung-Min mostly quiet but less sure of himself going forward, wasting good chances to cross.William Saliba – 6Untroubled until Son’s shot went in off him. Started second half hesitantly but kept his concentration to minimise Tottenham openings.Gabriel Magalhaes – 8Brilliant interception to deny Solanke then decisive at other end to force equaliser. Excellent against Solanke twice more in calm and steadfast second half.Myles Lewis-Skelly – 8Fine pass to play in Sterling set tone for excellent, mature, all-round display from second youngest Arsenal player to start a North London derby.Thomas Partey – 7Strong presence who won the ball back well, not least ahead of Arsenal’s second goal. But sometimes looked vulnerable to Spurs’ pace on break.Declan Rice – 7Covered lots of ground and finally found a good set-piece delivery to create equaliser. Still not quite at his best, but much closer.Raheem Sterling – 5Saw plenty of ball, but with little end product, including golden chances at start of both halves. Curiously reluctant to take on his man. Deservedly hooked.Martin Odegaard – 6Prompted and probed without finding killer pass but released Trossard for second goal. Missed chance to make it 3-1, fewer signs of return to form than Rice.Leandro Trossard – 6Frustrated home fans with lack of killer instinct and poor decisions until he fired Arsenal in front. Did little after break to merit staying on for so long.Kai Havertz – 4Barely involved first half apart from nicking ball off Spurs keeper Kinsky. Headed wide from close range early in second. Nothing coming off for him.SUBSGabriel Martinelli (for Sterling, 61) – 5Slow to get up to speed and contributed little apart from one penetrating run into the box and a blocked shot.Kieran Tierney (for Trossard, 77) – 6Brought on to shore things up and did it well enough.Oleksandr Zinchenko (for Lewis-Skelly, 87) – 6Useful legs for dying minutes, almost created chance.Mikel Merino (for Rice, 87) – 6Good booking to stop Solanke getting away in stoppage time. More

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    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘in advanced talks with Euro giants as ex-Man Utd boss, 51, prepares for return to management’

    OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER is close to being appointed manager of Euro giants Besiktas. The Turkish club have been without a manager since sacking Giovanni van Bronckhorst last month. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in advanced talks to return to managementCredit: GettyThe Norweigan has not been in post since being sacked by Man Utd four years agoCredit: GettySolskjaer, 51, has not held a managerial role since leaving Manchester United in 2021. The former Red Devils striker helped guide United to a second-place finish in the Premier League and reached a Europa League final.According to Fabrizio Romano, negotiations between Solksjaer and Besiktas are in the “final stages.”Solksjaer is set to sign a “one-and-a-half-year contract” with the Turkish club. READ MORE ON MAN UTDHe is due to watch Besiktas’ game against Samsunspor this weekend from the stands in Istanbul. The 51-year-old has been linked to the vacant Leicester City and West Ham jobs over the past year.Ole was also touted for a shock return to Old Trafford before Ruben Amorim took the helm. Solksjaer spent nine seasons with United as a player, winning six Premier League titles and scoring over 100 goals.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe former super sub took on the manager’s role at the Theatre of Dreams in 2018 after a successful spell in interim charge.But he was sacked less than three years later.BBC look back on Sir Alex Ferguson’s career in two part documentary Besiktas would be the fourth club of Solksjaer’s managerial career.He has also taken charge of Cardiff City and Molde, twice winning the Tippeligaen with the Norwegian side.Besiktas are currently sixth in the Turkish Super Lig with 30 points from 18 games.Leaders Galatasaray are in charge of the title race, with former United boss Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbache giving chase.The Special One has railed against the Super Lig and its officials in recent weeks, branding the league “toxic”. More

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    Man Utd player ratings: Amad single-handedly saves underwhelming Red Devils as Antony hits new low

    MANCHESTER UNITED were once again saved by hat-trick hero Amad Diallo.Southampton, who are bottom of the Premier League, caused the Red Devils severe problems and were leading with ten minutes of the match remaining.Amad Diallo once again rescued Man UtdCredit: PABut three moments of late brilliance from Amad earned United a stunning 3-1 win as the Ivorian winger took home the match ball.Here is how SunSport’s Ken Lawrence rated the performances.ANDRE ONANA: 8Series of great first half saves –  unlucky not to stop Ugarte’s own goal.LENY YORO: 5Still not seeing much of why at £57million he’s rated one of best young defenders in Europe and had a torrid time up against Kamaldeen Sulemana.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLYorro struggled to deal with Kamaldeen SulemanaCredit: RexMATTHIJS DE LIGT: 6One central defender who properly looked like he knew what he was about showing some leadership. LISANDRO MARTINEZ: 5 Struggled to exert any influence – not so much as a defender but a leader.AMAD DIALLO: 9 Kept his cool when so many others are around him lost the plot to make himself a hero again with a hat-trick in ten minutes.JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSMANUEL UGARTE: 4Own goal summed up a serious first half no-show as part of a pitiful midfield.Most read in FootballKOBBIE MAINOO: 4Replaced at the break – the only surprise being that if was Antony who took over.NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI: 7The best buy of ex-boss Erik ten Hag’s last big summer spend at just £12.7million with the wing-back suiting Ruben Amorim’s style of play.Noussair Mazraoui has proven a good signingCredit: AFPALEJANDRO GARNACHO: 5 Terrible 20th minute miss but one of the few to show any real spark as his future remains up in the air. BRUNO FERNANDES: 5Shouldn’t be captain. Undoubted flair, but just not dependable enough.RASMUS HOJLUND: 4Brilliant pass for Garnacho to mess up but otherwise? No threat at all. Hit out after his team-mates poor miss. Rasmus Hojlund showed signs of frustrationCredit: AFPSUBS: ANTONY (for Mainoo 46): 3 Awful 58th minute miss from one yard out.ZIRKZEE ( Hoijlund 54): 4Embarrassed himself with one miss-kick.COLLYER (Ugarte 54): 5Got stuck in at least.ERIKSEN (Mazraoui 83): 5Added a little craft and his assist for Amad’s second was sublime.READ MORE SUN STORIESMAGUIRE (Yoro 83): 5Need him a lot earlier. More

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    Neymar could be rescued from Saudi hell with shock transfer that would see him earn same salary as Lionel Messi

    NEYMAR could be offered a way out of Saudi Arabia by MLS side Chicago Fire, according to reports.The 32-year-old is enduring a nightmare spell at Al-Hilal and his contract expires this summer.Neymar is wanted by Chicago FireCredit: RexNeymar could be handed a contract similar to Lionel Messi’s at Inter MiamiCredit: APNeymar has played just seven times for the club since his £77.6million move from PSG last year after injury issues, including an 11-month spell on the sidelines due to a cruciate ligament tear.Neymar penned a whopping £138m-a-year deal that sees him earn £2.5m-a-week in Riyadh.He would have to accept a huge pay-cut to end his Saudi disaster, but Chicago Fire are willing to give him £16m without bonuses per year, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.Neymar’s former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi earns that amount at David Beckham-owned Inter Miami.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDespite the Brazilian’s deal expiring at the end of the season, Al-Hilal supposedly want to keep hold of him.The club have the option to trigger a one-year extension in his contract.And there are plans for Neymar to be an ambassador for the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup.But things are not going well for him on the pitch and he is currently not able to play in the Saudi Pro League because he was not registered in the squad amid injury problems.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSManager Jorge Jesus confirmed he can only play in the Asian equivalent of the Champions League and claimed his not at the “level” expected.The boss said: “Neymar will not be included in the squad for the championship.Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn square up as Neymar ‘acts like guest referee’ in baffling scenes”He can participate in the AFC Champions League, but the Saudi League is one of the best leagues in the world – all Al-Hilal players can play for any club in Europe.”Neymar can no longer play at the level we are used to, things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”He is still under contract with Al-Hilal and he can decide his future.”But it depends on the management. I don’t know anything about Neymar’s future.”Should Neymar leave, Al-Hilal are seemingly keen on Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. More