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      Southampton ‘closing in’ on naming ex-Norwich and Rangers star as new boss with Selles set to leave after relegation

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      SOUTHAMPTON are closing in on the appointment of Russell Martin, according to reports.The Saints are preparing for life in the Championship after their relegation was confirmed with defeat to Fulham last weekend.
      Southampton are close to appointing Russell MartinCredit: Getty
      Ruben Selles remains in interim charge and the Spaniard is reportedly still yet to be officially informed that he will depart at the end of the season.
      But Southampton have lined up his replacement – Swansea manager Martin, according to talkSPORT.
      Martin reportedly missed a scheduled meeting with Swansea’s owners this week to discuss plans for next season.
      Norwich legend Martin, 37, has carved out a solid reputation since becoming a manager.
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      He took the job at MK Dons in 2019 and quickly earned praise for his possession football.
      After two years, Swansea came calling and he got a crack at the Championship.
      Although he couldn’t guide the Swans towards the promotion or play-off places, his style of football has continued to earn plaudits.
      And it appears Southampton believe he is the right man to get them back into the Prem at the first time of asking.
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      Meanwhile Darren Mowbray is expected to be named as the club’s new head of recruitment.
      Martin will be Southampton’s fourth permanent manager within the space of 12 months following Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones and Telles. More

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      Wigan hit with 8-POINT deduction after failing to pay players for a fifth time as they prepare for life in League One

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      WIGAN have been handed a four-point deduction for next season after failing to pay players for a FIFTH time.The Latics will also trigger a further suspended four-point deduction should they fail to pay players again.
      Shaun Maloney’s side will begin next season with a points deductionCredit: Getty
      Shaun Maloney’s side were relegated from the Championship this term amid a backdrop of financial difficulties.
      Owner Abdulrahman Al Jasmi has consistently failed to pay players and staff in recent months.
      According to the Mail, Al Jasmi must deposit a total amounting to 125 per cent of Wigan’s wage bill each month next season to avoid the Latics being docked a further four points on top of the four they will already lose at the start of the campaign.
      He has also been fined £10,000 for breaking league rules, while Wigan have also been deducted a further three points from their final 2022-23 tally.
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      An EFL statement read: “In addition, the Club has also had a further three points deducted from its 2022/23 Championship total for the late payment of players’ wages in March 2023 resulting in their final total being 39 points.
      “Mr Al Jasmi was also charged with Misconduct and fined £10,000 for failing to comply with the terms of the Agreed Decision.
      “Both Mr Al Jasmi and the Club have accepted the sanctions, which have been ratified by an independent Disciplinary Commission, and have agreed to pay all associated costs.
      “In January, the Club was charged with Misconduct after it paid its players late on three occasions in June, July and October 2022.
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      “Accordingly, it was sanctioned with a suspended three-point deduction and entered an Agreed Decision with the League.
      “The suspended sanction was activated in March when the Club failed to meet its contractual obligations with its players and breached the terms of the Agreed Decision when Mr Al Jasmi failed to deposit 125 per cent of the Club’s forecast of its monthly wage bill into a designated account.”
      Wigan are likely to have to offload numerous players this summer, with the club facing an uncertain start to life back in League One.
      Without their points deductions during the 2022-23 campaign, Wigan would have finished on 45 points – more than Blackpool and Reading.
      The Royals were also handed a six-point deduction for their own rule breaches.
      Wigan were relegated from the Championship this seasonCredit: Rex More

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      Wales to hold EFL training camp next week ahead of crunch Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey in June

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      WALES are holding a four-day training camp next week ahead of their Euro 2024 double-header in June.Boss Robert Page will assemble 13 EFL players including the likes of Huddersfield’s Sorba Thomas and Oli Cooper of Swansea for the Cardiff get-together which starts next Monday.
      Robert Page will begin preparations for June’s Euro 2024 qualifying double-header in Cardiff next weekCredit: AFP
      Sorba Thomas, who has been on loan at Blackburn from Huddersfield, is linking up with the Wales squad on MondayCredit: PA
      The Dragons face Armenia in a crunch Group D qualifier in the Welsh capital on June 16 followed by an away trip to Turkey three days later.
      Page wants to keep his squad plying their trade in the Football League ticking over now the domestic season has finished so they are ready to hit the ground running next month.
      Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is still in club action with Nice until June 3.
      Page’s Premier League stars such as Brennan Johnson of Nottingham Forest and Tottenham’s Ben Davies are also on league duty until Sunday, May 28.
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      That means they will not travel to the Dragons’ Vale HQ on the outskirts of Cardiff for the camp.
      Luton hero Tom Lockyer will also be unavailable due to his involvement in the Championship play-off final against Coventry on May 27 at Wembley.
      Wales opened their bid to reach the Germany finals with a 1-1 draw in Croatia and a 1-0 home win over Latvia back in March.
      And there will be another friendly face around the camp too.
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      Former Dragons defender Chris Gunter will work alongside boss Robert Page as a national team development coach.
      Gunter linked up with the Welsh coaching staff in a short-term role for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Croatia and Latvia in March.
      But the 109-cap full-back will return in an official part-time capacity to support the next generation, starting with the June fixtures. More

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      Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe ‘agrees £3m transfer to new club with medical to take place in next few days’

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      SUNDERLAND are closing in on the signing of Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe.Like his elder sibling, Jobe Bellingham has caught the eye for Birmingham after rising through the club’s youth system.
      Jobe Bellingham is closing in on a move to SunderlandCredit: Rex
      He has enjoyed a breakthrough season at St. Andrew’s, making 23 appearances in all competitions.
      Now Bellingham, 17, looks set to move to the north-east with the Black Cats close to a deal.
      According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano Sunderland have had a £3million bid accepted by Birmingham.
      Bellingham has reportedly agreed to join and he is set to undergo a medical at his new club in the coming days.
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      The midfielder visited the Stadium of Light last weekend to watch Sunderland beat Luton in the play-off semi-final first leg – a tie they lost this week.
      Bellingham’s Blues team-mate Troy Deeney is convinced he can be as good as Jude after hitting the gym this season.
      He told Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast: “He’s put on 10 kilos this year, he’s going to be an absolute monster just like his brother is.
      “He is going to be unbelievably talented, you can’t deny that, but it is just going to take him a year or two longer than his brother.
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      “He’s in that shadow isn’t he? Wonderful kid, wonderful family.” More

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      Brentford ready to step up £25m transfer chase for Coventry ace Viktor Gyokeres as Bees seek Ivan Toney replacement

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      BRENTFORD are reportedly prepared to “step up” their pursuit of Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres as they seek a replacement for banned talisman Ivan Toney.Toney, 27, was handed an eight-month ban by the FA on Wednesday after breaching gambling regulations.
      Viktor Gyokeres has been sensational for Coventry in the Championship this seasonCredit: PA
      Ivan Toney has been banned from football until January 2024Credit: Reuters
      It means he will miss their final two games of this season and the first four months of the 2023/24 campaign.
      As a result, Brentford are expected to be on the lookout for a striker this summer.
      And according to talkSPORT, Gyokeres is a leading target for Thomas Frank.
      The Swedish forward, 24, has bagged 43 goals in 115 appearances for the Championship side.
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      And this season he has been in sensational form, netting 21 times in the second tier.
      Gyokeres has inspired his side to the play-off final where they will take on Luton on May 27.
      Coventry will be in a stronger negotiating position to keep him if they can secure promotion.
      But either way, they are expected to demand at least £25million.
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      As well as Brentford, Wolves are also understood to be interested in the ex-Brighton man.
      And the Seagulls would welcome the sale of Gyokeres as they inserted a sell-on clause into his transfer when he joined Coventry for £1m in 2021.
      Meanwhile, Brentford sit ninth in the Premier League table with two games remaining.
      Wins over Tottenham and Manchester City would given them an outside chance of securing European football next season. More

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      I’m a Luton star who helped the club gain promotion from the Conference and now I’m on the brink of the Premier League

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      LUTON’S rise through the football pyramid has been nothing short of staggering.From playing in the National League in 2013 to being on the doorstep of the Premier League a decade later, the Hatters’ rise is a football fairytale.
      Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu has been a mainstay at Luton over the last decadeCredit: Getty
      He joined back in 2013 and has gone on to make over 360 appearancesCredit: Getty
      And one Luton star has been with the club every step of the way, that being midfield general Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.
      Mpanzu, 29, has been a keystone figure at the club and is now preparing for a dream day at Wembley as his side face off with Coventry in the most valuable game in football.
      He initially joined the club on loan from West Ham in 2013 as a centre-half before sealing a permanent transfer at the end of the season having helped the club win the Conference with 101 points.
      In the decade that has followed Mpanzu has moved into midfield and made 366 appearances for the club which has him on the verge of joining the ranks of Luton’s top 10 highest-ever appearance makers.
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      Following their semi-final victory over Sunderland, Mpanzu said in a video to fans: “We’ve got one more – see you at Wembley.”
      Mpanzu’s rise even saw him called up to earn two International caps for Democratic Republic of the Congo, and his love for the club still clearly remains.
      Upon sealing a contract extension in 2021, Mpanzu said: “I love it at Luton, everyone knows that.
      “The Kenny has become my second home and we’ve achieved so much in my time here.”
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      Following promotion to the EFL, Luton stayed in League Two for four years, finally earning promotion to the third tier after coming second in the 2017/18 season.
      However, Luton did not stay in League One for long, winning the league in their first season – losing just six games.
      Their arrival in the Championship was understandably a huge challenge, with the Hatters only narrowly avoiding relegation in their first season.
      Since then they have gone from strength to strength, steadily improving before earning a spot in the play-offs last season, though Huddersfield thwarted their dream last time out.
      The Hatters have never played in the Prem having been relegated from the top flight in 1991/92, the year before the Premier League was introduced. More

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      Ex-Liverpool star who partnered Carragher in defence left unemployed at 32 after release by Championship club

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      FORMER Liverpool ace Daniel Ayala will be left unemployed after his contract expires with Blackburn.The Spanish defender is set to be released by the Championship club following three years at Ewood Park.
      Daniel Ayala will be released by BlackburnCredit: Getty
      He made five Premier League appearances for LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      Ayala joined the Lancashire club in 2020 after seven years with Middlesbrough.
      But before joining Boro, he had spells at Nottingham Forest, Norwich, Derby, Hull and Liverpool.
      He played five times in the Premier League for the Reds, making his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in 2009.
      He played a full 90 minutes for the club on two occasions, with both games ending in 4-0 wins.
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      During this time he played alongside club legends such as Jamie Carragher, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, and Steven Gerrard.
      Ayala had joined the Anfield side as a youth prospect from the Sevilla academy but failed to hit his potential at the club, leading to his exit.
      Now 32 years old, the defender will be looking for a new club following his release from Blackburn.
      Speaking of his time at the Rovers, he told club media: “It’s a bitter-sweet moment really.
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      “I’ve been really happy here for the last three years and part of me wanted to stay, because it’s a great club, with great fans and great staff, but I know that it’s part of football and I have to move on.
      “I’ve had some really happy times here, but also some down moments as well, especially with a few injuries, which prevented me from playing as many games as I wanted and perhaps showing a bit more what I can do.
      “Missing out on the play-offs in the last two seasons has been really frustrating, because I can see that the team has got enough to get there.
      “For one reason or another we just fell short, but the club is in a great position to challenge again, with a great manager, a great group of players and real togetherness, and I firmly believe that they can get there.”
      Blackburn missed out on a spot in the playoffs this season despite a thrilling 4-3 win over Millwall at The Den on the final day of the season. More

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      Middlesbrough 0 Coventry 1 (0-1): Sky Blues edge closer to Premier League return as Hamer’s strike downs Carrick’s side

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      GUSTAVO HAMER produced a moment of Premier League quality that took Coventry within 90 minutes of ending their 22-year exile from the top flight.The Sky Blues had not even registered a single shot on target but they were ruthless when their first one finally arrived.
      Coventry will play against Luton in the Championship play-off finalCredit: PA
      Gustavo Hamer scored the only goal of the two-legged semi-final against MiddlesbroughCredit: Reuters

      Swedish ace Viktor Gyokeres broke free and lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper Zack Steffen.
      It broke to Hamer but three Boro players had managed to position themselves between him and the goal.
      But the Coventry midfielder smashed a brilliant shot into the top right corner.
      Just like on Tuesday night when Luton booked their place in the final after beating Sunderland just nine years after they were playing in non-league, the Sky Blues making next Saturday’s Championship showpiece is a great story.
      Just five years ago, Coventry were playing in League Two… and their rise under boss Mark Robins has been nothing short of remarkable.
      And they deserved it tonight. It is fair to say they did not set things alight in the first half — but then again neither did Boro.
      But they upped the gears after the break and should have won by a more comfortable margin — with Hamer also striking the crossbar.
      Alex Crooks thought he had levelled at the death but had his header rightly ruled out for offside.
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      Boro almost had a good early opportunity when Ryan Giles teed up Cameron Archer — but rather than shoot he tried to take the ball on to his left foot and the ball was cleared.
      But — although Boro had started on the front foot — Coventry were almost gifted an opener.
      Tommy Smith attempted to pass the ball back to Steffen — but Gyokeres was alert and nipped in and almost rolled the ball past the keeper, who just managed to block.
      Middlesbrough kept pushing forward and Riley McGree saw a driven effort deflect wide for a corner.
      A shooting chance opened up for Jamie Allen but just as he was about to fire goalwards Giles pick-pocketed him and cleared.
      Gyokeres dummied the ball to allow the ball to go beyond Paddy McNair but just as the Coventry ace was about to break clear he was hauled to the floor by his opponent. Ref David Coote duly booked the Boro man.
      And just before the break, Boro registered the first effort on target when Darragh Lenihan got on the end of a corner but his header was straight at Ben Wilson.
      Alex Crooks headed in but the goal was ruled out for offsideCredit: Rex
      Middlesbrough were unable to score in either legCredit: PA
      Coventry came out of the blocks quickly after the break.
      And after pressing the ball and winning possession, Ben Sheaf broke into the Boro box but failed to make decent contact as he shot across goal.
      Because the ball was so badly struck, it fell to Allen and he also mishit his effort. It was a huge chance missed.
      But the Sky Blues moved in front.
      Gyokeres broke through and lobbed the ball over the onrushing Steffen.
      Three Boro players managed to get back between the ball and the goal.
      Hamer picked it up and thrashed a superb shot into the top right corner.
      Allen almost doubled the advantage as he broke free down the right after being put through by Gyokeres.
      But he struck his effort awfully and Lenihan was just able to scramble the ball clear.

      Michael Carrick had seen enough and opted to make a treble change as he looked to roll the die.
      Alex Mowatt, Marcus Forss and Tommy Smith were all hooked, with Dan Barlaser, Isaiah Jones and Anfernee Dijksteel all coming on.
      But it was Coventry who were looking more fresh and lively — and they were denied a second by the paintwork.
      After Lenihan hacked down Gyokeres just outside the box, Hamer superbly struck the resulting free-kick over the wall but it crashed back off the crossbar.
      Mowatt thought he had sprung the offside trap when he headed home but the assistant ref rightly flagged as he was at least a yard off.
      To add more drama, the fourth official held up the board to indicate EIGHT MINUTES of stoppage time.
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      And Archer slammed the bar from just three yards after a Crooks flick on — although the assistant once again raised his flag.
      Coventry clung on — sparking jubilant scenes as the players celebrated with their fans.
      The season ended in disappointment for Michael CarrickCredit: Reuters
      Ben Wilson made a key save to keep the scores level at 0-0Credit: Reuters More