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      Seven strikers better than Erling Haaland, according to the Borussia Dortmund ace, including Harry Kane and Timo Werner

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      ERLING HAALAND named the seven strikers he thinks are better than him – but would back himself in a crunch tie.The Borussia Dortmund star, 20, has burst on to the scene with a series of stunning displays over recent years.
      Erling Haaland could only think of seven strikers in world football better than him right now
      Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo was a predictable entry on the list as he continues to dominate at the age of 36Credit: MatchDay Images Limited
      Haaland included his rival for Bundesliga top dog Robert Lewandowski in the listCredit: Getty
      Scoring goals for fun, Haaland made his transfer to the German giants in the winter transfer window of 2020.
      And in an interview with VG, the Norwegian sensation could only think of seven centre-forwards in world football currently better than him – and it is some list.
      The seven is made up of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski from rivals Bayern Munich.
      All of the remaining five strikers all ply their trade in the Premier League including Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well as Tottenham hero Harry Kane.
      Barcelona’s Sergio Aguero, Roberto Firmino of Liverpool and Chelsea new boy Timo Werner – who arrived from RB Leipzig in the summer – complete the elite group.
      But despite the hundreds of goals between the seven, Haaland emphasised he had the self-confidence to choose himself to lead the line in a huge match.
      There are, however, a few of the biggest No9 names left out.
      Haaland omitted the likes of Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema and Romelu Lukaku.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was one of five Premier League strikers to make the cutCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Haaland rates Harry Kane among the very best No9s in world footballCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      There was no space for Kylian Mbappe despite the Frenchman’s heroics for club and country alreadyCredit: AFP or licensors

      But the biggest surprise sees no Kylian Mbappe, arguably the most valuable player in the world, on the Norwegian’s list.
      The pair, both transfer targets for Real Madrid, may not see eye to eye after Mbappe, Neymar and their Paris Saint-Germain team-mates mocked the Dortmund star’s celebration following their comeback win in the Champions League last season.
      Haaland was also a target for compatriot Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before his Dortmund switch – but revealed the “good vibes” he got from the Bundesliga side convinced him to join Die Schwarzgelben.
      He said: “There were of course a couple of clubs involved, but at the same time I did not know too much about this.
      “But it was I who first mentioned Dortmund to my father (Alf Inge Haaland).
      “We were sitting at home in Salzburg and watching a game Dortmund played, and I said to him, ‘Oi, look at that wall behind the goal. There had been something to play there.’
      “I think he was half asleep on the sofa, but suddenly it became a reality. When I talked to them, I got a good vibe. I felt a little sold after that.
      “What I liked so much about them was how direct they were. They said exactly how it was right for me. I liked that.”
      Roberto Firmino completes the super seven for the Norwegian star
      Timo Werner may not have been a huge hit at Chelsea so far but Haaland loves himCredit: Getty
      Barca star Sergio Aguero joins the elite club after his record-breaking spell at Man CityCredit: AFP
      Mauro Icardi’s model wife Wanda looks amazing as she takes part in some seriously sexy shoots More

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      Arsenal star Granit Xhaka interested in free transfer return to Borussia Monchengladbach when contract expires in 2024

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      GRANIT XHAKA has admitted his ‘door is open’ to a move back to Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach when his Arsenal contract expires. The midfielder signed a new deal in the summer which runs until the end of the 2023/24 season.
      Xhaka is currently working his way back to fitness after being out since September with a knee injuryCredit: Getty
      But that could be his last season in an Arsenal shirt after the 32-year-old revealed he is keen on a return to the club he joined the Gunners from in 2016.
      He told the Mit Geredet podcast: “I never made the move from Borussia to Arsenal for the money. It was a dream for me to play in England.
      “I have just extended my contract, which still has two and a half years to run.
      “Then I’ll be 32, and if Max Eberl [Monchengladbach’s director of sport] is willing to bring me back when I’m 32, my door will be open.” 
      Xhaka signed from German outfit Monchengladbach for £34million and has since played 225 times for the Gunners.
      He was widely expected to leave the club in the summer amid strong interest from Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

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      But a move failed to materialise and Xhaka ended up signing a one-year contract extension in August, keeping him at the club until 2024.
      Roma though have not given up hope of signing the Swiss international and could return with a January swoop.
      Mourinho has not been afraid to criticise his Roma players following five Serie A defeats in 13 games and could turn to Xhaka to add some steel to his midfield.
      Xhaka has been out of action since September with a knee injury that he picked up in the North London Derby victory against Tottenham.
      A three-month timeline was initially given for the injury which would mean he could make his return in the final week of 2021.
      It would be a welcome boost for the Gunners in the midst of the hectic festive period.
      Xhaka played four times in the Premier League at the start of the season before suffering damage to his medial knee ligament.
      That included being sent off in the 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City that saw sent the Gunners BOTTOM of the league.
      An upturn of results since then saw the Gunners go ten games unbeaten, before Mikel Arteta was brought crashing back down to earth after the 4-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend.
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from The Emirates
      Arsenal star Granit Xhaka shows off leg brace as he plays with daughter More

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      Dortmund looking to steal Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe, 16, from Birmingham in transfer to convince midfielder to stay

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      BORUSSIA DORTMUND are reportedly eyeing up a swoop to sign Birmingham starlet Jobe Bellingham in a bid to convince his older brother Jude to stay in Germany.The BVB midfielder has been linked with an exit away from the Bundesliga in 2022 with Manchester United, City and Liverpool all keen on the 18-year-old.
      Birmingham’s teenage starlet Jobe Bellingham is reportedly wanted by Borussia DortmundCredit: PA
      Jobe’s brother Jude joined the Bundesliga outfit from the Championship club in 2020Credit: EPA
      Bellingham has established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters after swapping St Andrew’s for Signal Iduna Park in a £25million deal last year.
      And according to Bild, he could be set for an emotional reunion with his brother at Dortmund.
      Such is their desire to keep hold of the England international, they are said to be ready to test Birmingham’s resolve of starlet Jobe.
      The 16-year-old winger is yet to make his first-team debut, but has been in fine form for the club’s Under-18 team.
      He has banged in three goals in five U18 Premier League games, while he has also featured for the U23s in one Premier League 2 fixture.
      Jobe nearly broke his brother’s Blues record of becoming their youngest-ever player earlier this season.

      The forward was named on the bench for the EFL Cup ties against Colchester and Fulham in August, but failed to come on.
      Bild also state that should Jobe make the move to Germany, he would not only be reunited with his brother, but also with his mother.
      It has been claimed that his mum Denise often drives Jude to Dortmund’s HQ Brackel for training.
      And the news outlet has declared that she would be delighted if Jobe follows in the footsteps of his sibling.
      Liverpool are said to be circling Dortmund with Jurgen Klopp a huge admirer of Jude and would be willing to bring him to Anfield.
      However Dortmund are desperate to retain his services and will only entertain offers in the region of £100million.
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      Erling Haaland tells Jude Bellingham to ‘get back to training’ in Yorkshire accent More

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      Borussia Dortmund ace Erling Haaland out with ANOTHER muscle injury just days after returning from sidelines

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      ERLING HAALAND is out with ANOTHER muscle injury – just days after returning from the sidelines. The striker was ruled out of three matches but recently returned against Mainz in the league, scoring twice, before playing in Dortmund’s 4-0 loss to Ajax.
      Erling Haaland is out with another muscle injuryCredit: Reuters
      But disaster has again struck for Haaland and Dortmund, after it was confirmed he suffered another injury.
      Manager Marco Rose said: “Erling will be out, we’ll be without him for a couple of weeks even.
      “He has a hip flexor injury which simply doesn’t make it possible for him to play. It’s the same thigh, but another location.
      “Erling was really down yesterday because he was happy to be back again.
      “That he’s out again is not good for us, it’s not great for the lad, but Erling will get all the support he needs from the club, from the team.”
      Taking to Instagram, Haaland, 21, posted: “Time to focus on my recovery. I’ll be back stronger!”

      Haaland, who already has 13 goals in ten matches this season, was subject to transfer interest from Chelsea in the summer.
      But the Blues instead signed Belgian Romelu Lukaku, 28, for a club-record £97.5million fee.
      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel recently admitted his interest in signing Haaland, and did not rule out a future partnership with Lukaku.
      He said: “We have talked about Haaland a couple of times also in the transfer window. It looked unrealistic and not possible to do.
      “Of course we talk regularly about him because he is a fantastic player and a profile at Dortmund, which is a big rival for us in the Champions League.
      “Sign Haaland with Lukaku? I’ve no problem to talk about that. Let us see what will happen next weeks”
      Erling Haaland wows social media with crazy three-ball penalty trick… but did the Man Utd transfer target fake it More

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      Ex-Schalke star Hiannick Kamba faces ten years in jail after ‘faking his own DEATH to land £1m insurance payout’

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      EX-SCHALKE star Hiannick Kamba has gone on trial – accused of faking his own DEATH to land a £1million insurance payout.And the former defender, 35, could receive a ten-year prison sentence if found guilty of fraud.
      Hiannick Kamba is on trial in Germany this week accused of faking his own deathCredit: Getty
      Kamba and his wife Christina, 41, are appearing before a German court in Essen this week.
      The footballer came through Schalke’s academy, playing alongside future stars such as Manuel Neuer and Benedikt Howedes.
      He went on to join lower-league sides SV Zweckel and VfB Huls.
      Kamba was reported to have been killed in a car crash in his native Congo in 2016.
      However, he resurfaced in Germany last year, working as a chemical technician for a company that previously employed him in 2013.
      Essen court spokesman Thomas Kliegel told Bild newspaper that the Kambas had taken out a life insurance policy for Hiannick.

      The official said Christina had cashed it in for £1m after producing documentary proof of her husband’s death.
      But Kliegel added: “The defendant turned up at the German Embassy in Kinshasa two years later, claiming he had been kidnapped.”
      Christina’s lawyer Michael Wolff insisted she had not organised a scam, insisting she was shocked both by reports of Hiannick’s death and by news he was in fact still alive.
      Wolff said: “We are convinced that by the end of the trial both the prosecutors and the court will be convinced of my client’s innocence.
      “The money is still available, and it has since been seized. It has been invested in a house and put into accounts.”
      Christina told Bild: “I have nothing to do with any deception. The news of Hiannick’s death shocked me as much as anyone else.”
      Footballer ‘killed in car crash’ discovered alive as ex-wife probed over fraud after six-figure insurance pay-out More

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      Bayern Munich star Lucas Hernandez to start six-month jail term on October 28 – after turning up to court a day EARLY

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      BAYERN MUNICH star Lucas Hernandez will start his six-month prison sentence on October 28 after turning up at court a day early to receive his official jail notification.The France international had been expected to attend court in Madrid on Tuesday to be told he must enter prison within ten days to begin his sentence for breaching a restraining order.
      Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez will start his prison sentence on October 28Credit: Reuters
      But the 25-year-old defender started the ball rolling on the ten-day deadline by showing up ‘voluntarily’ to receive a copy of the judge’s order on Monday.
      His early appearance means he now has until a week next Thursday to enter a Spanish prison of his choice.
      The development comes just less than a week after it emerged his request to have his prison sentence suspended, had been rejected.
      He was sentenced in December 2019 after breaching a restraining order preventing him from going near his then-partner Amelia Lorente, but allowed to remain a free man while he sought a suspension.
      Hernandez received 31 days community service and a restraining order, preventing him from going within 500 metres of pretty brunette Amelia for six months, in March 2017 after being convicted of a domestic abuse charge.
      His partner received the same punishment.

      Lucas was arrested on June 13 ,2017, at Madrid Barajas Airport as he got off a flight from Miami with Amelia following their honeymoon in the States.
      She reportedly escaped arrest at the time after she proved she had not been informed about the restraining order.
      The Marseille-born defender, capped 29 times by France at senior level, failed to get his prison sentence suspended because he is not a first-time offender in Spain.
      Confirming Hernandez was now in receipt of his official prison entry notification, a spokesman for the judge who made the order said in a statement naming the Frenchman only as Lucas Francoise B.H.
      He said: “He showed up voluntarily at court this morning at 11.30am.
      “It was one day before he was summonsed by Madrid Criminal Court Number 32 so he could be informed about his entry into prison for breaching his restraining order.
      “Given that he collected his notification on October 18, he now has 10 days to voluntarily present himself in prison. That expires at midnight on Thursday, October 28.”
      Hernandez’s fate now lies with the result of a final appeal to a higher provincial court called Madrid’s Audiencia Provincial.
      Former Atletico Madrid ace Hernandez recently won the Uefa Nations League with FranceCredit: AFP
      Hernandez and Amelia married in Las Vegas in the summer of 2017 despite being told they must stay away from each other following the domestic violence incident.
      They are thought to have tied the knot in secret on June 2 that year, where they went on to have a son called Martin.
      In March 2019 Amelia revealed on social media they were no longer together.
      She said at the time: “A mother always thinks twice, once for her and another time for her son. Only you and me my baby.”
      Hernandez is expected to wait until he knows the result of his final appeal before turning up at the prison of his choice in Spain to start his sentence.
      Lucas Hernandez jail sentence in Spain after honeymoon with wife despite restraining order More

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      Kevin de Bruyne claims Robert Lewandowski should win Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

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      KEVIN DE BRUYNE says he would pick Robert Lewandowski ahead of his Manchester City team-mates for the Ballon d’Or.The Premier League champions have five nominations for the prestigious world footballer of the year award – including the Belgian himself.
      De Bruyne is one of five Manchester City players short-listed for the 2021 Ballon D’OrCredit: Getty
      City’s Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias and Riyad Mahrez have also been named on the 30-man short-list for an award which will be presented in Paris on November 29.
      Six-time winner Lionel Messi and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo are both in the running again after their respective summer moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
      But De Bruyne says his vote would go to Poland striker Lewandowski – who scored 48 goals in 40 games last season to help Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga.
      Many felt he was the obvious choice for the 2020 Ballon d’Or – which was cancelled due to Covid-19 – after scoring a staggering 55 goals in 47 games for treble-winning Bayern.
      De Bruyne said: “If I had to choose myself personally, I’m going to look at a two-year period.
      “I’d choose Lewandowski for what he has done in the last two years – goal scoring wise, and also he’s won a lot with Bayern. He would be my pick.”

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      Sterling spoke out last week to reveal he would consider a move away from the Etihad to get more first team minutes.
      De Bruyne has some sympathy with the England ace as he believes he is a player who needs to be playing regularly to produce his best form.
      He said: “Rotation is important because playing four competitions and mostly going far in them, it’s a tough ask sometimes.
      “But I understand the frustration because you have some players who need more rhythm to get into it and maybe Raz is someone who needs more.”

      Pep Guardiola tells Sterling he’s not guaranteed games at Man City after star reveals he’s open to transfer More