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    Watch Robert Lewandowski get mid-game guard of honour for 40TH Bundesliga strike of season… before missing OPEN GOAL

    ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI matched Gerd Muller’s incredible record of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga season on Saturday.And there is still one more week to go as the Bayern Munich star chases the all-time German top-flight record.
    Robert Lewandowski was given a mid-game guard of honour on SaturdayCredit: AFP

    The Pole won the Fifa Men’s Player of the Year gong for 2020 having smashed 34 goals in 31 league appearances as Bayern won the Treble.
    Somehow, he has managed to top that tally this time around with 40 strikes in just 28 games.
    In Saturday’s clash with Freiburg, the Bundesliga champions were ahead early on thanks to Lewandowski.
    A 26th-minute penalty was tucked away by the 32-year-old to match Munich legend Muller’s feat.
    The Bayern team and coaching staff immediately formed a guard of honour for Lewandowski, who appeared genuinely touched by the tribute.
    The player himself revealed a ‘4EVER GERD’ T-shirt tribute to five-time Bundesliga champion Muller, 75.
    Amazingly, his finishing talents let him down as the opportunity for the outright record evaded him.
    Leroy Sane’s goal either side of a Manuel Gulde strike and a late Christian Gunter equaliser made it 2-2 going into the final minutes.
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    Lewandowski was handed an open goal to seal the win and the recordCredit: AFP
    The Pole somehow scuffed his effort into the hands of the Freiburg goalkeeperCredit: Getty
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    Kingsley Coman then put it on a plate for Lewandowski to bury the triumphant winner – but he mishit his effort with the goal gaping and the ball landed gently in the goalkeeper’s gloves.
    Bayern had already wrapped up the title and the striker should get one more opportunity to claim the record.
    Munich host Augsburg next Saturday to round off another successful Bundesliga season.
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    Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski delighted with FIFA award after outstanding year More

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    Man City have four-man transfer list to replace Sergio Aguero in summer including Erling Haaland and Harry Kane

    ERLING HAALAND and Harry Kane are just two names on Manchester City’s four-man shortlist to replace Sergio Aguero in the summer.The Citizens legend will depart the Etihad after ten trophy-laden years when his contract expires at the end of the season.
    Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is believed to be a summer target for Manchester CityCredit: Getty
    Tottenham’s Harry Kane is another potential option to replace Sergio Aguero at the EtihadCredit: AFP
    SunSport understands the 32-year-old is close to agreeing a deal to join Barcelona, though he may be forced into taking a £100,000-a-week cut from the £250k-a-week wages he currently earns.
    Pep Guardiola has been tasked with finding the perfect replacement for the Argentine marksman to compete with Gabriel Jesus up top.
    And according to The Times, the Spaniard will be backed in his pursuit of a new centre-forward, with four players being indentified.
    Borussia Dortmund ace Erling Haaland is claimed to be on City’s shortlist following another superb season in Germany.
    The 20-year-old banged in a double against RB Leipzig on Thursday to help BVB win the German Cup to bring up an astonishing 39 goals for the campaign.
    Haaland boasts a release clause of £65million that can be triggered next year, with Dortmund seeking £130m to sell him this summer.
    Tottenham’s Harry Kane is another option, though the England skipper is likely to cost in the region of £150m.
    It is believed that City will only make a move for the 27-year-old should Guardiola demand the ex-Leyton Orient loanee’s signing.
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    The other two players on City’s radar are said to be Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Andre Silva.
    Martinez has been instrumental in helping Inter win their first Serie A title since 2010 having fired in 16 goals in 36 Italian top-flight matches.
    And Silva has also enjoyed a fruitful campaign for the Bundesliga outfit, having found the back of the net 25 times in 30 league outings.
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    Both Martinez and Silva would prove to be cheaper alternatives to Haaland and Kane.
    City are also in advanced talks to sign Sporting Lisbon left-back Nuno Mendes as Guardiola looks to bolster his backline.
    Harry Kane will be stuck at Tottenham unless Pep Guardiola demands him over Erling Haaland in £150m Man City transfer More

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    Dortmund confident Erling Haaland will NOT leave this summer in transfer blow to Chelsea as release clause nears

    BORUSSIA DORTMUND are reportedly confident Erling Haaland is going nowhere this summer in a huge blow to Chelsea.The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the superstar Norwegian but they could be forced to wait until next summer when his £65millon release clause becomes active.
    Borussia Dortmund remain confident Erling Haaland will not leave this summerCredit: AP
    Chelsea have a £150m warchest to spend this summer as they continue their bid to get back to the top of the Prem.
    A proven goalscorer is seen as a huge priority, with Olivier Giroud, 34, and 23-year-old Tammy Abraham likely to be surplus to requirements.
    The Stamford Bridge outfit have been monitoring Haaland’s situation at Dortmund and are also keeping a close eye on their former striker Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan.
    But their hopes of landing Haaland, 20, this summer have been dashed, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
    He quotes Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke as telling Bild: “I have the clear expectation that Erling Haaland will play for us next year.
    “And I am not worried about anything else. I am totally relaxed.”
    Haaland helped fire Dortmund to a German Cup final win against RB Leipzig on Thuursday night.
    Jadon Sancho and Haaland both scored twice in the 4-1 win in the DFB-Pokal final.
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    Borussia Dortmund CEO Watzke to Bild: “I have the clear expectation that Erling Haaland will play for us next year. And I am not worried about anything else. I am totally relaxed”. 🚫🟡⚫️ #BVB— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 12, 2021

    Chelsea face competition for Haaland from the world’s biggest clubs with Barcelona said to have made an opening bid of £90million.
    Manchester City, Real Madrid and Manchester United are also said to be keen.
    A £65m release clause was included in the £18m deal that bought Haaland to Dortmund from RB Salzburg in 2019.
    But it only applies from NEXT summer’s transfer window.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Man Utd transfer target Douglas Costa set to join Brazilian side Gremio after ‘agreeing two-and-a-half-year contract’

    MANCHESTER UNITED target Douglas Costa has reportedly signed a two-year deal with Brazilian side Gremio in a huge blow to the Red Devils.The midfielder is on loan at Bayern Munich from Juventus but he will not return to the Serie A side at the end of the season.
    Man Utd target Douglas Costa has agreed a ‘two-year deal’ at GremioCredit: Rex
    Costa, 30, returned to the Bundesliga giants from Juventus in October.
    United tried to take advantage of a Fifa loophole to sign him in January but it never came to fruition.
    And the Red Devils look set to miss out this summer too with Costa accepting a significant pay cut to make the move to his homeland happen, acccording to Gremio’s vice president Marcos Hermann.
    Costa pockets £100,000-a-week in Europe with a year left to run on his Juve deal.
    But Hermann revealed his team have come to a two-year agreement.
    He told Goal: “He is ready to make big financial concessions, considering his salary in Europe. We also met him and now we are no longer far apart.”
    Costa is trying to convince Juve to ratify the deal but Hermann added: “I am convinced that it will work.”
    The Brazilian has played just 22 times this season – chipping in with just one goal and one assist.

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    He is currently out injured with a broken metatarsal.
    Bayern originally signed the 31-cap international for £27million from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2015.
    He made a season-long loan switch to Juve two years later before the Italians made the deal permanent for £36m in July 2018.
    And he moved back to Bayern again on loan last October.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Top 10 most valuable footballers revealed as Erling Haaland overtakes Harry Kane but Kylian Mbappe is No1 at £162m

    KYLIAN MBAPPE is by far the most valuable footballer in the world today, according to a new study.The Football Benchmark investigation by accounting firm KPMG estimates the Paris Saint-Germain star’s value to be £162million.

    The 22-year-old stands head and shoulders above the chasing pack, which is now led by Erling Haaland.
    At £112m, the Borussia Dortmund star is the biggest mover in the year-on-year study and jumps ahead of Harry Kane on the podium.
    Despite a small increase on his 2020 value, the Tottenham and England forward sits third on £109m.
    The valuations set the scene for a potentially mega summer in the transfer market.
    Real Madrid are said to be chasing World Cup winner Mbappe having publicly courted his services.
    But they could turn to Haaland, 20, if they fail to land the Frenchman.
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    Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane complete the top fourCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
    Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling also feature on the listCredit: Getty
    Agent Mino Raiola has opened the door to a move which could cost a total £300m.
    Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona are all reportedly keeping tabs on the Norwegian, as well as Manchester United.
    SunSport recently revealed Kane’s plans to consider his future at the end of the season with the Red Devils pondering a £90m offer.
    United’s own Marcus Rashford comes in at No4 in the KPMG list (£104m) ahead of England team-mate Raheem Sterling (£102m).
    Neymar (£100m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£97m) are next before the £94m trio of Jadon Sancho, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
    No LaLiga or Serie A players make the cut, meaning both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo miss out.

    The study reckons Barcelona icon Messi, 33, has lost over half his market value ahead of his contract expiring in June.
    The Premier League comfortably topped the ranking of overall player value with each footballer in the English top-flight worth an average £17.2m before the Bundesliga on £10m.
    Manchester City boasted the most expensive squad at £962m ahead of Liverpool (£867.5m), Manchester United (£779m) and Chelsea (£765.5m).
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    Inside PSG’s dressing-room celebrations after Bayern win as Mbappe dances on table while team-mates soak him with water More

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    Man Utd ‘lining up £80m Jadon Sancho transfer bid’ – cheaper than offer Borussia Dortmund rejected last summer

    MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly eyeing up an £80million summer swoop for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has once again made the England international his No1 target having failed to secure his services last year.
    Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho has been linked with a summer switch to Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    The Red Devils were claimed to have had a £91m offer rejected by BVB for Sancho as the German outfit held out for £108m.
    And United have retained their interest in the winger, who has chipped in with 14 goals and 18 assists in 35 games in all competitions this term.
    According to the Daily Star, the Europa League finalists will make a fresh move for the player with BVB open to selling the ex-Manchester City youth star.
    They state that United will test Dortmund’s resolve with an £80m opening offer.
    It has also been reported that Sancho’s team-mate Erling Haaland is also a key target, though he is likely to prove too costly at £150m.
    Sancho opened up on his future following the 3-2 win against RB Leipzig on Saturday where he scored two second half goals.
    He told ESPN: “Will I leave the club? I don’t know about my future.
    “I am very happy here in Dortmund at the moment. I love the club, the fans and the team.
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    “They gave me my first professional start. The fans motivate and push me to the limit.”
    Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc revealed earlier this month that there is a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to allow Sancho to leave at the end of the campaign.
    He said: “We already had a gentlemen’s agreement with Jadon last year that he can move under certain conditions.
    “However, this agreement doesn’t exist with Erling.”
    Jadon Sancho scores some narrow goals in training with Borussia Dortmund More