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    Newcastle defenders dominating Dream Team this season led by imperious Kieran Trippier

    NEWCASTLE’S rise from a side threatened by relegation to one in contention for Champions League qualification has been remarkably swift.Masterminded by the knowledgeable Eddie Howe, the Magpies have benefited from the considerable wealth of their Saudi ownership but as of yet their signings have been smart acquisitions rather than extravagances, with the possible exception of Alexander Isak (£3.6m) who has played just 244 minutes of football in black and white stripes.
    The likes of Nick Pope (£4.3m), Matt Targett (£3.9m), Dan Burn (£3.8m), Joe Willock (£2.3m), and Chris Wood (£2.2m) are all fine players but it’s fair to say they were not previously seen as a crop capable of propelling a bottom-half club into the top three in rapid time – credit to Howe for maximising the squad’s potential.
    Bruno Guimaraes (£3.7m) and Sven Botman (£4m) could be considered higher-calibre arrivals with appropriately plump fees but perhaps the most decisive transfer of the Saudi era so far is that of Kieran Trippier (£5.7m).
    Dream Team’s top defender
    Acquired for just £12million a few months after he helped Atletico Madrid win La Liga, the England international was instantly installed as a leader among the squad.
    Now vice-captain, he wears the armband more often than not as club captain Jamaal Lascelles (£3.2m) is rarely a starter.
    As with most notable full-backs in the modern era, Trippier contributes as much (or more) in attack as he does in defence.
    In fact, this season, only Kevin De Bruyne (£8m) has accumulated more expected assists (xA) in the Premier League than Newcastle’s No2, who can count himself a fraction unlucky not to have more than five assists (all competitons) to his name this term.
    There are a few attack-minded full-backs who are vulnerable at the back but Trippier could not be included in such a group as he is a key component of the Premier League’s best defence currently.
    The Toon have conceded just 11 goals in 2022/23, three fewer than Arsenal and five fewer than Manchester City.
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    Howe has done a fantastic job at St James’ ParkCredit: getty
    And it’s this dual success that has made Trippier one of the standout assets in Dream Team.
    Having collected 7+ ratings and Star Man awards for fun on top of his clean sheets and attacking contributions, he’s amassed 135 points to date.
    Joao Cancelo (£6.5m) is the next-best defender and he’s now a full 43 points adrift.
    While the Three Lions’ right-back is the undisputed leader, it’s the prosperous nature of Newcastle’s defence as a collective that is most notable.
    Newcastle defenders are thriving in Dream Team
    Fabian Schar (£3.7m) is now the third-best asset in his position (87 points) after two consecutive clean sheets following the mid-season break.
    Botman is ninth among defenders with 74 points and Burn is one place outside the top ten with 65 points.
    Dream Team bosses should seriously consider pairing Trippier with another of his team-mates (or two) as those that have done in recent months have been handsomely rewarded.
    The resolve of Howe’s men will be tested this evening when they take on league-leaders Arsenal at the Emirates but all signs suggest there will be plentiful clean sheets for St James’ Park residents this term. More

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    How Lionel Messi can erase Cristiano Ronaldo from the Champions League history books following Saudi move

    CRISTIANO RONALDO’S move to Saudi Arabia means Lionel Messi has the chance to establish himself as the best player in Champions League history once and for all.Ronaldo left Europe for the first time in his career to sign for Al-Nassr for £173million a year.
    Lionel Messi is hunting down several of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League recordsCredit: Getty
    Ronaldo is the best goalscorer in Champions League historyCredit: Alamy
    Meanwhile, Messi could win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain this season.
    That would edge him closer to one record Ronaldo holds – most Champions League wins.
    The pair have gone toe-to-toe in the competition for the past 16 years and Ronaldo has come out on top in several departments.
    But now CR7 is unlikely to play another Champions League game, Messi has the chance to wrestle some records off his rival.
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    Here are the records Ronaldo holds and what Messi must do to erase the Portuguese from the history books.
    Most Champions League appearances: 183
    Messi is some way behind Ronaldo with 161 Champions league appearances.
    But he has time on his side and could end the current campaign with seven more games under his belt if PSG reach the final.
    Most Champions League goals: 140
    Messi has also scored fewer goals than his rival, which is not surprising given the difference in appearances.
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    But the Argentine will fancy his chances of claiming this record as he sits on 129 goals, with four in five games this season.
    Most goals in a Champions League season: 17 (2013-14)
    This record is a trickier proposition for Messi, who has never scored more than 14 goals in a single Champions League campaign – managing that feat in 2011-12.
    The forward was at the peak of his powers then too so is perhaps unlikely to take Ronaldo’s throne in this category.
    Most goals in Champions League knockout stages: 67
    The pair are in a league of their own when it comes to knock-out stage goals and it will take a lot for Messi to pip Ronaldo.
    He has 49 in total so it would take an extraordinary effort for the 35-year-old to overtake Ronaldo.
    UEFA Champions League top scorer: 7 times
    Messi is just one behind having won the golden boot on six occasions, but last managed the feat in 2018-19.
    He has four goals this term and has some catching up to do with PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe and Liverpool’s Mo Salah leading the way with seven goals each.
    Most UEFA Champions League wins: 5
    Barcelona dominated the Champions League for years and Messi has four winners’ medals to show for it.
    But PSG are yet to win the competition so it would be some achievement for Messi to add two more titles to his collection to overtake Ronaldo.
    Only player to score in three UEFA Champions League finals
    Messi is just one behind the former Real Madrid star in this category having twice scored against Manchester United in 2009 and 2011.
    Could he add a third final goal this season?
    One of only two players to score in all six games in a UEFA Champions League group
    Sebastien Haller is the only player who can compete with Ronaldo in this category.
    Messi got four goals in three different group games this year, failing to score in either game against Juventus – so he has work to do.
    Only player to score in 11 straight UEFA Champions League games
    Ronaldo’s astonishing record will likely remain intact for years to come.
    The most Messi has managed is scoring in five consecutive Champions League games, which he managed in 2014 and in 2016.
    Most UEFA Club Footballer/Best Player/Men’s Player awards: 4
    Messi could equal Ronaldo’s record if he wins the Champions League player of the season award this term.
    It is certainly within his grasp as Messi has produced four assists on top of his four goals.
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    Most appearances in UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year: 15
    Messi missed out on the team of the year last season but has made the cut on 12 occasions.
    That is set to rise to 13 if he continues the terrific form he showed in the group stages. More

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    Spurs fans slam Levy but he’s built world-class stadium, hired elite boss and led club to first Champions League final

    SO what has Daniel Levy ever done for Tottenham?Apart from building a world-class stadium and training ground, appointing a world-class manager, reaching a first European Cup final in the club’s history and constructing a squad which boasts a World Cup-winning skipper, a World Cup-winning centre-half, the captain of England, the centre-forward of Brazil..?
    Daniel Levy has been criticised by certain sections of the fanbaseCredit: Dan Weir / MatchDay Images Limited
    As Spurs’ faithful demand Levy and bankroller Joe Lewis ‘get out of their club’ and as Antonio Conte stages one of his ‘woe-is-me’ rants to increase the heat on his chairman, it is worth stating those recent achievements.
    Because it is grossly unfair to depict Tottenham’s ENIC owners as some ruinous Mike Ashley-style regime.
    Conte is a demanding workaholic and a multiple title-winning boss, he is also a professional agitator and an arch blame- deflector — a turbulent manager for any chairman to endure.
    Levy knew that when he appointed him. Spurs were the sixth richest club in the Premier League when Conte took over and now they are the seventh.
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    Seven English clubs expect Champions League qualification and only four will succeed. Managing Spurs is not an easy gig but Conte also knew that when he accepted the job.
    Meltdowns like that which the Italian staged after Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, will happen.
    Conte performed a similar rant after defeat at Burnley last February and it had a galvanising effect on Tottenham’s season.
    But for Conte to claim it was a “miracle” for him to guide Spurs into the Champions League and that he will need another miracle to do it again, is nonsense.
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    Guiding Arsenal to a seven-point lead at the top is bordering on miraculous, getting Spurs to fourth is a good effort, no more than that.
    Conte — a man who claimed Roman Abramovich didn’t spend enough money at Chelsea — has been backed to the hilt by Tottenham’s standards.
    Last summer represented Tottenham’s best transfer window in years as Levy ripped up his own playbook to spend £147.5million on proven class and experience.
    Spurs recruited early and decisively on Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet — this after last January’s excellent signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.
    It is not fashionable to defend Levy — a remote man who cherishes his image as a ball-busting Bond villain.
    But his reign has been a qualified success. Yes, only one League Cup in two decades. But also a club which consistently punches above their weight and have an elite infrastructure to safeguard their future.
    During the early part of Levy’s reign, English football had a roped-off top four of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
    Manchester City wrecked that status quo with vast nation-state financing and Newcastle are now doing the same.
    Yet Levy’s Spurs have achieved regular Champions League football without anything like such spending.
    Conte was content at the start of the season and so, remarkably, was Harry Kane — just a year after demanding a move.
    Antonio Conte gave a passionate speech to the fans after the Villa defeatCredit: Getty
    He was impressed by Conte’s appointment and heartened by a return to the Champions League, where Spurs will face AC Milan next.
    Now, Kane is about to break the club’s all-time scoring record but must be wondering if he will ever win a major trophy.
    Kane looked lost against Villa, dropping into midfield — where he lost possession in the build-up to the second goal.
    Will he want out again next summer?
    He has 18 months left on his contract and Conte has just six months on his.
    Sure, Spurs could do with even more investment — Hugo Lloris is past his best, they are light at full-back and need more creativity in midfield.
    But injuries to players as good as Richarlison, Kulusevski and Bentancur would hinder most teams.
    This squad has not been starved of investment in the last two years — despite the cost of a magnificent new stadium, swiftly followed by the pandemic.
    Sure, any football fan without regard for human rights wants an Arab nation state to own their club.
    But until a Sheikh or an Emir turn up, Levy and Lewis are no bad alternative.
    POTT’S ON HIS TODD
    CHELSEA are reigning Club World Champions but are currently not even the leading team in the postcode of SW6, with Fulham above them in the Premier League table.
    Graham Potter’s side were lucky to draw 1-1 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and have one win in their last seven league matches.
    There is a belief that, having made the call to poach Potter from Brighton, owner Todd Boehly will back his manager for the long haul.
    We don’t know for sure. It’s just that we haven’t heard of many billionaire American venture capitalists who believe that patience is a virtue.
    PREM DE LA CREME
    ARSENAL have finished the past two seasons in eighth and fifth, Newcastle in 12th and 11th. Yet as they prepare for a face-off tonight, Arsenal might well be champions this season and Newcastle next.
    There should no longer be any debate that the Premier League is the most competitive and unpredictable of all major leagues.
    SAU ABOUT THAT?
    NOW Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for the Saudis, with Lionel Messi already an ambassador for that vile regime, it seems nailed on that celebrity- obsessed Fifa will hand them the 2030 World Cup.
    MATURE UNITED
    WHEN striker Marcus Rashford combined his job as a Manchester United star with the role of social-justice campaigner and unofficial Leader of the Opposition, we wondered how he ever managed to catch up on sleep.
    Now we know.
    When Erik ten Hag dropped his in-form forward but Rashford came off the bench to score the winner at Wolves and admitted his ‘crime’ of missing an alarm call and a team meeting, it felt as if Manchester United were a serious and mature football club.
    And we haven’t said that in years.
    TOO ERLI TO JUDGE
    MANCHESTER CITY have added the greatest goal machine the Premier League have ever seen to a squad which won four of the past five titles, yet have somehow weakened.
    Perhaps striker Erling Haaland, with 27 goals this term, has upset the overall ecosystem of a well-balanced team.
    Or perhaps City allowed too many good players to leave in Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fernandinho.
    Not many teams win the title after making a transfer-market profit the previous summer. City might still do so but it would be no mean feat from here.
    MOYES POSER
    SHOULD West Ham sack David Moyes?
    Not unless they have an excellent manager with a proven Premier League track record — such as Mauricio Pochettino — willing to replace him.
    But would Pochettino, or any elite boss, fancy a relegation scrap at a club whose best player, Declan Rice, wants out, with a horrible stadium and a chippy fanbase?
    West Ham finished sixth then seventh and reached a Europa League semi-final with a very ‘Moyes-ish’ squad full of honest grafters, which was better than the sum of its parts.
    They have added ‘star quality’ in Brazilian playmaker Lucas Paqueta and Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca, yet they have also lost something of what made them so good for the past two seasons.
    Keep Moyes, get a couple of centre-halves fit and West Ham will be safe. Sack him and it becomes a lottery.
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    LUIZ 2.0
    THE frizzy hair and the excellent defensive qualities, combined with an ability to do the utterly ridiculous at any moment.
    After his extraordinary double own goal at Anfield, Leicester’s Wout Faes is ensuring the spirit of David Luiz lives on in the Premier League, Lord love him. More

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    Cristiano Ronaldo ‘has shock transfer clause in Al-Nassr contract allowing him to join Newcastle if they make top four’

    CRISTIANO RONALDO has a clause in his Al-Nassr contract that means he could move to Newcastle if they qualify for the Champions League, according to incredible reports.The former Manchester United man, 37, joined the Saudi Arabian side last week after failing to secure a deal with a European club.
    Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr last weekCredit: Alamy
    Newcastle are owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment FundCredit: Reuters
    Ronaldo’s high wage demands were not met by any sides currently competing in the Champions League.
    As a result, he ended up taking a staggering £173-million-a-year deal with Al Nassr – penning a contract to play for them until 2025.
    However, his days at Europe’s top table may not be over just yet.
    According to Marca, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr contract has a clause in it which would allow him to join Eddie Howe’s Newcastle on loan if they qualify for the Champions League.
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    This is because of the Middle Eastern link – with the North East outfit owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
    Newcastle became the richest club in the world following their £300m takeover in 2021.
    And it means they are now able to afford a player with the star power of Ronaldo.
    But along with the financial incentive, Newcastle may also be able to offer Champions League football given their superb form domestically so far this season.
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    Howe’s side currently sit third in the Premier League table with 34 points from 17 matches.
    Meanwhile, Ronaldo is keen to maintain his status as the all-time top Champions League scorer.
    The Real Madrid legend has bagged 140 goals in Europe’s elite competition.
    He is currently 11 ahead of long-time rival Lionel Messi – who is still playing in the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.
    Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United came to an abrupt halt at the end of last year following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
    He initially quashed any talk of a move to Saudi Arabia, but changed his mind after the World Cup. More

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    Chelsea slammed as ‘soft’ and ‘powderpuff’ as under-fire Potter prepares for nightmare double-header against Man City

    STUTTERING Chelsea face a potentially decisive week with the Blues set to play Manchester City twice.The luck of the draw has left Graham Potter staring at a daunting seven days as he looks to drag the club back on track.
    Only five months into the job and Graham Potter is already coming under some pressureCredit: Getty
    Chelsea’s underperforming team did not impress at Nottingham Forest yesterdayCredit: Getty
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was one of several summer signingsCredit: Reuters
    But things could not be much more difficult – Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness led the criticism after Chelsea’s limp and unconvincing draw at Nottingham Forest.
    “Soft” and “powderpuff” was how they branded yesterday’s showing at the County Ground.
    Sky Sports’ Graeme Souness was dismissive of Potter’s struggling side, saying: “Chelsea couldn’t cope with Forest’s aggression. They were powderpuff.”
    During commentary Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher said: “Watching Chelsea, they haven’t done enough.

    “It feels a little bit soft, a bit weak. They haven’t been able to cope when the intensity of the game has gone up.”
    It’s an extraordinary turnaround from 11 months ago when the West London club were the Champions League holders and had just won the Club World Cup.
    But the year rapidly descended into chaos with turmoil at boardroom level and a managerial sacking amid poor results.
    Most alarmingly, Chelsea have fallen flat on the pitch.
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    Yesterday’s performance was the latest sign that the Blues have yet to find their footing under Potter.
    Goals remain the most pressing issue – Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz are the top scorers with four each so far this season.
    League leaders Arsenal have four players who have hit five or more, while Manchester City have seen lethal Erling Haaland net 21 in record quick time.
    Graham Potter faces arguably the most testing month of his managerial career
    Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the new Chelsea signings facing criticism
    That is one more goal than Chelsea have managed in the league all season.
    This season the Blues have conceded 11.3 shots on their goal on average compared to the 7.6 effort they make on opponents’ goal.
    And they have 11 points fewer points after 16 games than they did at the same stage last season, when Thomas Tuchel’s side topped the league.
    This time Chelsea are 8th, beneath newly-promoted West London rivals Fulham on goal difference, and seven points off the top 4.
    The Blues sat 5th after Tuchel’s final Premier League game against West Ham in September.
    And this is all after the new ownership, led by Todd Boehly, splurged well over £250m on new signings amid questionable business decisions.
    The stats suggest Chelsea are conceding far too many shots on their goal
    New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly sacked Thomas Tuchel in September and quickly recruited Brighton boss Graham PotterCredit: AFP
    Graham Potter is already coming under pressure from fans for the season unravelling.
    But the stats suggest the malaise can be traced back to the beginning of last year.
    The Blues only picked up 57 points across the Premier League in 2022, 22 points fewer than Man City and Liverpool, 15 fewer than Newcastle and 14 fewer than Tottenham.
    The Club World Cup win and a heroic if unsuccessful performance at Real Madrid aside, there was little for fans to shout about.
    Two home defeats to Arsenal across the calendar year plus embarrassing results against the likes of Brentford and Brighton left supporters red-faced.
    Goals have been a persistent issue for Chelsea
    And the off the field issues of Roman Abramovich’s sanctions, Romelu Lukaku’s explosive interview and Tuchel’s dramatic sacking have not helped the mood.
    Consistent injuries to wing-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell have also left Chelsea looking awkward in attack.
    It all means Potter is facing a huge opening week to the new year.
    Lose to Manchester City in the league on Thursday and in the FA Cup on Sunday and a trophyless, mid-table season looms.
    Only an unlikely assault on the Champions League could provide a glimmer of hope for fans.
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    After this week, games against Fulham, Palace and Liverpool will arrive.
    And if results do not start picking up soon, 2023 could prove to be a depressing one for Chelsea supporters.
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a huge disappointment since joining
    Kai Havertz played as a striker but spent most of the Forest game in midfield More

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    Fans all say the same thing about Arsenal as Scott Parker earns shock move to Champions League side Club Brugge

    SCOTT PARKER is set to make his first-ever Champions League appearance next month and fans are all saying the same thing.The former West Ham and Tottenham midfielder was appointed as the new manager of Club Brugge earlier this week.
    Parker will manage his first Champions League match next month with BruggeCredit: PA
    Arsenal boss Arteta is yet to manage in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
    He has replaced Carl Hoefkens, who was sacked on Wednesday after a poor start to the Belgian Pro League season.
    Parker has only ever played or managed club football in England, but he will get his first taste of action on the continent when Brugge take on Genk in the league next week.
    He will then lead the Blue-Blacks into the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 fixture against Benfica.
    The occasion will mark his competition debut as he never made a European appearance as a player.
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    Fans have been left in shock at the thought, with many highlighting that Parker will be managing in the Champions League before table-topping Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
    One person tweeted: “Scott Parker is gonna be managing in the Champions League before Mikel Arteta!”
    Another added: “Scott Parker is managing in the champions league before Arteta no way.”
    A third said: “If you need any sort of new year motivation then just remember Scott Parker will manage a game in the champions league this year. Anything is possible.”
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    While a fourth joked: “There’s landing on your feet, and there’s Scott Parker parachuting straight into the knockout stages of the Champions League.”
    Parker was sacked by Bournemouth in August, just four games into the 2022-23 Premier League season.
    His departure came three days after the Cherries lost 9-0 to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. More

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    Scott Parker lands Champions League gig as sacked Bournemouth boss named new manager of Belgian giants Club Brugge

    SCOTT PARKER has returned to management with Champions League side Club Brugge.The 42-year-old led Bournemouth to Premier League promotion last season.
    Scott Parker has been appointed as Club Brugge’s new managerCredit: PA
    He was sacked by Bournemouth just four games into the current seasonCredit: PA
    However, despite that success, he was sacked by the Cherries just four games into the top-flight campaign after a 9-0 hammering at Liverpool.
    Now he is heading to Belgium to take charge of Brugge.
    Former England midfielder Parker will replace Carl Hoefkens, who was sacked three days ago, in the hot-seat.
    He only took charge in the summer and has led the club to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in its modern format.
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    However, domestically they have struggled this term after they were dumped out of the Belgian Cup and lie fourth in the top-flight.
    Parker has impressed so far in his management career.
    His first job in management was at Fulham in 2019 and he led them to Premier League promotion in 2020 via the play-offs.
    He quit Craven Cottage a year later for Bournemouth, and he guided them to automatic promotion during his first season at the helm.
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    Parker represented Charlton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, Tottenham and Fulham during his playing days.
    Now he will be tasked with trying to improve Brugge’s fortunes both at home and in Europe for the remainder of this term.
    They face Portuguese giants Benfica in the first-leg of their last-16 Champions League clash on February 15 before the away leg on March 7. More

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    Ex-Man Utd star Daley Blind has Ajax contract ripped up six months early as World Cup ace targets next club

    DALEY BLIND has had his Ajax contract ripped up six months early after coming to an agreement with the club.The Dutchman, 32, has made 18 appearances for Ajax this season across the Eredivisie and the Champions League.
    Blind has agreed to leave AjaxCredit: Getty
    He was expected to remain in Amsterdam until June 2023, but he will now become a free agent on New Year’s Day.
    An official statement from Ajax read: “Ajax and Daley Blind have terminated their contract.
    “The defender’s contract was set to expire on June 30, 2023 but will now end on December 31, 2022.”
    Chief executive Edwin van der Sar said: “Over the course of the last few days, we reached an agreement with Daley to terminate his contract.
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    “I hope he can find another club to end his successful career with.
    “Together with Daley, we have decided on a match in the Arena where he can say a proper goodbye to the supporters.”
    Blind re-joined Ajax from Manchester United in July 2018 for a transfer fee of around £14million.
    He has since won three Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups and a Dutch Super Cup.
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    Royal Antwerp are reportedly interested in signing the defender, but Man Utd fans want to see him return to Old Trafford.
    One person tweeted: “Bring him back to United.”
    Another added: “@ManUtd don’t waste this golden opportunity.”
    While a third said: “The realistic signing EtH will make in the coming days.”
    Blind appeared in each of Holland’s five games during the Qatar World Cup. More