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      Marco van Ginkel confirms Chelsea exit and posts heartfelt message online after eight-year Stamford Bridge stay ends

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      DUTCH midfielder Marco van Ginkel has thanked Chelsea for his eight-year spell at the club after being released by the Blues this summer.It was revealed earlier this month that Thomas Tuchel was cutting Van Ginkel from his Champions League winning squad and yesterday the midfielder confirmed the news.
      Van Ginkel has barely featured for Chelsea during his time at Stamford Bridge
      He took to Instagram to express his thanks to the Champions League winners and shared a picture alongside him and former Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
      His post said: “I want to thank @chelseafc for the last 8 years. A big thank you to the club for the unconditional support, especially during my periods of rehabilitation.
      “Thanks to the staff, my former teammates and the fans as well. I felt at home from the very first moment in London.”

      The Dutch midfielder, 28, was tipped for big things when he joined Chelsea eight years ago from Vitesse in an £8million deal.
      Since then though he made just FOUR appearances at Stamford Bridge and was plagued by various injury problems.
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      He spent a total of six seasons out on loan at AC Milan, Stoke and PSV and last month made his first start in THREE YEARS after suffering from persistent knee problems.
      There was some success for Van Ginkel at PSV though, winning the Eredivisie in 2016 and again in 2018 as captain.
      Van Ginkel lifting the Dutch Eredivisie trophy in 2018 after scoring 14 goals in 28 league games
      He also has eight Netherlands caps to his name, making his debut in November 2012 against Germany.
      It’s a disappointing end to Van Ginkel’s Stamford Bridge career, with former boss Jose Mourinho previously likening the Dutch midfielder to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as well as Steven Gerrard, but his injury woes prevented him from reaching his full potential.
      Van Ginkel tore his anterior cruciate ligament during a Capital One Cup match between Swindon Town and Chelsea in 2013

      Van Ginkel had previously said in early May: “Chelsea have to let me know officially next week whether they will take up their option.
      “I will calmly wait to find out, and then we will see what happens.
      “The chances that I will go on to play for them are not great.
      “But if I can play matches I have some value, and [with a new contract] they could still get a few millions for me.
      “I don’t yet know what they plan.  It could happen, or maybe they will let me go.”
      He is one of seven Chelsea players axed from Stamford Bridge this summer, alongside the likes of Willy Caballero and Izzy Brown who’s contracts have also not been renewed and will be moving on to pastures new.

      Jamie OHara says that Eden Hazard’s ‘awful’ training at Chelsea is catching up with him More

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      Sergio Ramos shows off personalised workout bench as Man Utd and Chelsea transfer target hits gym after Real Madrid exit

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      SERGIO RAMOS has been keeping fit since leaving Real Madrid earlier this month.And the veteran defender showed off a stylish personalised workout bench in an Instagram story on Saturday.
      Free agent Sergio Ramos takes great pride in his physique
      Ramos, 35, began the video displaying a mirror bearing a logo of his initials before showing off artwork hanging on the wall.
      He then paid special attention to his crocodile skin workout bench, which also bore his initials as well as his name.
      The art in his private gym depicts a large snake but Ramos paid more attention to his tattoos, of which there are many.
      And the Instagram story was captioned with “never stop working out”.
      The Spaniard may be without a club but he is using the time he would have spent at Euro 2020 to keep fit.
      He struggled with injury issues last season and was restricted to just 15 La Liga appearances.
      That was one of the reasons why he was left out of the Spain squad, but it has not prevented clubs from showing interest.
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      Several big European clubs are said to be interested in signing Ramos

      Ramos is seemingly preparing for his next move by keeping active in the gym, with PSG mooted as a potential destination.
      But Chelsea and Manchester United could rival the French side for his signature.
      Former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o thinks he should move to the Nou Camp, but Ramos has ruled out a switch to his former rivals or to Sevilla.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Emotional Sergio Ramos in tears as he bids farewell to Real Madrid More

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      Man Utd line up transfer swoop for Nicolas De La Cruz with River Plate demanding £17m for Uruguay midfielder

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly interested in signing River Plate star Nicolas De La Cruz.The attacking midfielder has 18 months left on his contract and his form has caught the eye of potential suitors.
      Nicolas De La Cruz has played alongside Edinson Cavani with Uruguay at the Copa America this summer
      A move for De La Cruz may have to wait until the deal for Jadon Sancho is finalised
      River Plate are believed to want between €16million-€20m (£13.75m-£17m) for De La Cruz, according to TNT Sports Argentina.
      De La Cruz, 24, has scored once and assisted three goals in 11 league games for River Plate in 2021.
      But a return of 19 goals and 28 assists in 128 games for River Plate has earned him international recognition, and he has won eight caps for Uruguay.
      He could join his compatriot Edinson Cavani at United, which may help the striker feel more at home after reports claimed he felt homesick earlier in the year.
      United signed another Uruguayan in Facundo Pellistri last summer, who arrived on deadline day for a fee of £9m.
      But the 19-year-old winger struggled for game time before being loaned to Alaves in January, where he made 12 appearances in La Liga.
      A deal for De La Cruz may have to wait until Jadon Sancho’s transfer is finalised.

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      Personal terms have been agreed with the England star and the Red Devils are believed to be close to agreeing a fee.
      And Sancho has reportedly told his England team-mates that he is moving to Old Trafford.
      But Borussia Dortmund want United to increase their offer by £8.5m, taking the total to £80m.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney to host former team-mates and Class of 92 legends as Derby draw Salford in Carabao Cup More

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      Arsenal told to cough up more than £50m by Brighton if they want Ben White transfer with clubs in talks

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      BRIGHTON are playing hardball with Arsenal over Ben White and demanding £50million PLUS add-ons.Arsenal’s second bid of £42m — in an overall deal which could have been worth £45m — has now been turned down.
      Brighton are playing hardball with Arsenal over the fee for defender Ben White
      The clubs are locked in talks with Albion owner Tony Bloom refusing to back down.
      Arsenal, whose first bid was £40m, are discussing a potential offer of £45m plus £5m in add-ons.
      But Brighton still insist they want even more.
      A string of other clubs had been interested in the England centre-back, 23, including PSG, Tottenham, Liverpool and Dortmund.
      Meanwhile, Kieran Tierney has committed his future to Arsenal by signing a new five-year contract worth £120,000 per week.
      The Scotland star, 24, confirmed the deal after returning from the Euros.
      He said: “The club have been brilliant with me so I am more than happy to sign this contract.
      “It was amazing to hear when the manager told me ‘we want to extend your deal because we’re so happy with how you’ve come along’.
      “Working with the manager and all the players is an absolute joy and the vision and the expectations of the club are why I signed.
      “We’re not where we want to be right now but we’re going in the right direction.”
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      Kieran Tierney has put pen to paper on a new five-year contract

      Arsenal paid £25million to sign Tierney from Celtic two years ago and manager Mikel Arteta said: “It gives us so much extra strength to know he’ll be with us for the long term.
      “It’s a pleasure to work with KT. He is already one of the most exciting players in the Premier League and a hugely important part of our team.
      “His quality, energy, commitment and professionalism are always at such a high level.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Kieran Tierney signs bumper new five-year Arsenal contract More

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      Crystal Palace make move for Swansea boss Steve Cooper after former Borussia Dortmund chief Lucien Favre turns them down

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      CRYSTAL PALACE are reviving interest in Steve Cooper after their hunt for a manager took another twist.The Eagles missed out on former Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre having got a deal virtually over the line on Thursday.
      Steve Parish has returned to Swansea boss Steve Cooper after Lucien Favre pulled out of the race
      And it means Palace chairman Steve Parish is now ready to turn back to Swansea boss Cooper to replace Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.
      Palace have already been linked with Cooper, who has a £3million release fee at Swansea.
      Relegated Fulham have also been interested in securing him to replace outgoing boss Scott Parker in a summer managerial merry-go-round.
      The Championship club baulked at the compensation package but it isn’t believed to be stopping Premier League Palace.
      Favre turned down the chance to manage them even though Palace had gone as far as applying for a work permit for the 63-year-old Swiss, who says he wants a longer break from football having been sacked by Dortmund in 2020.
      Cooper is in high demand after guiding Swansea to the Championship play-off final last season where they lost to Brentford.

      Palace are looking for a new man to usher in a whole new era at Palace next season with a major rebuilding job to replace the 22 players who were released at the end of the last campaign.
      Hodgson ended his four-year reign at the club at the end of last season.
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      Favre feels it is too early to return to management after his sacking by Borussia Dortmund this year

      He took over in troubled circumstances in 2017 when previous manager Frank De Boer was sacked after failing to win any of his opening four league matches.
      Parish will hope to find a successor who can continue Hodgson’s work, and seemingly holds Cooper in high regard.
      The former England under-17 boss has guided Swansea to the Championship play-offs in each of his two years in charge.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Stuart Pearce says he hopes England vs Germany does go to penalty kicks More

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      Dortmund set to reinvest £77m Jadon Sancho fee into Arsenal reject Donyell Malen as Man Utd close in on transfer

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      BORUSSIA DORTMUND are reportedly interested in signing PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen.And the German club could use some of the money from Jadon Sancho’s imminent sale to Manchester United to fund the move.
      Borussia Dortmund are planning to sign Donyell Malen as Jadon Sancho’s replacement
      Manchester United are closing in on a move for Jadon Sancho
      Personal terms between Sancho and United have been agreed, with the Red Devils now needing to stump up an additional £8.5million to complete the deal.
      Dortmund are plotting a £25m move for Malen, according to German outlet Bild.
      And talks between Dortmund and Malen’s agent Mino Raiola have already begun.
      The fee for the Netherlands international could rise but the Bundesliga club view the 22-year-old as Sancho’s replacement.
      Dortmund will reportedly need to move quickly to complete the deal due to interest from elsewhere, with Liverpool one of the clubs said to be tracking him.
      The Reds are believed to have opened transfer talks with PSV after he scored 19 goals in 32 Eredivisie games last season.
      And Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has warned he will pull out of talks if PSV seek to drive up a bidding war due to the interest in Malen.
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      But if a deal is completed it would be some turnaround for Malen, after he was sold for less than £1m by Arsenal in 2018.
      Malen has mostly operated as a central striker for PSV but he can also play on the wing, making him an ideal replacement for Sancho.
      The England star has been courted by United since last summer but it appears the Red Devils are finally closing in on an £80m move for the winger.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Axel Tuanzebe talks about the long road to join Man Utd More

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      Why Nuno Espirito Santo is right man to rebuild Tottenham, even after 67 days and TEN other candidates

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      NUNO had a dream, to build a football team.Now, having completed his Wolves project, Nuno Espirito Santo is searching out his tool bag again.
      Former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is close to joining Tottenham
      The 47-year-old is on the brink of becoming Tottenham’s new boss, where he is expected to fill the void left by his former manager and mentor Jose Mourinho, who was sacked in April.
      Spurs owner Daniel Levy and new director of football Fabio Paratici are ready to grant the Portuguese coach planning permission to rebuild the London giants.
      Unfortunately a section of Spurs fans are against this development – creating a social media campaign entitled #NoToNuno. 
      They are unhappy at the drawn-out process to find someone to replace Mourinho, who was sacked 67 days ago.
      Levy’s hunt for a new boss has seen TEN candidates linked with the job.
      Hansi Flick took the German job, and Julian Nagelsmann replaced him at Bayern Munich.
      Levy then failed to lure Mauricio Pochettino back to Spurs from PSG, and couldn’t convince Antonio Conte to come either.
      Brendan Rodgers and Erik ten Hag ruled themselves out of the running.
      Ex-Roma boss Paulo Fonseca came close but they couldn’t agree on money.
      Tottenham were keen on appointing Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers
      Paulo Fonseca also came close to joining Spurs before pulling out of talks
      Then fan protests ruled out Gennaro Gattuso, while Spanish duo Ernesto Valverde and Julen Lopetegui also showed no interest.
      And now they have Nuno, who left Wolves back in May.
      However this is no novice – or the dull, defensive coach he was harshly judged as in his final, injury-jinxed season at Wolves.
      Spurs will be getting a coach who is meticulous in his planning, doesn’t suffer fools lightly and who is adored by his players and backroom team.
      He is polite and courteous during TV interviews, but much more abrupt off screen and his press conferences could be tortuous at times.
      Think blood and stone.
      But he donated £250,000 of his own cash to fight food poverty in Wolverhampton.
      And many Wolves fans shed a tear when he left on the final day of last season.
      They regard him as their greatest boss since three-time league-winning manager Stan Cullis.
      Jose Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham in April
      He accepted a massive rebuilding project at Wolves, inheriting the rubble left by Walter Zenga and Paul Lambert’s ill-fated regimes.
      A staggering 17 players came and went in his first summer and once the dust and debris was cleared, Wolves fans had a team fit to honour the club’s glorious past.
      It was a massive job, but Nuno put in proper foundations and took the Molineux club to dizzying heights their fans hardly dared dream of.
      Spurs are in need of some renovation work – if Harry Kane remains – and Nuno will have the consolation of some funds for another major rebuild if the Tottenham legend goes.
      But he has been over this course before.
      His arrival at Molineux four years ago was also met with little fanfare by a weary Wolves support, suspicious of their board’s track record post-Zenga.
      Howeverm Wolves won the Championship at a canter in his debut season, earning promotion with four games remaining and racking up 99 points in the process – thanks in no small measure to a wonder-kid from Porto.
      Wolves, inspired by Ruben Neves, wrapped up the title with two games to go and were the league’s top scorers and meanest defenders, leaving Aston Villa (4th) and Leeds United (13th) in their slipstream.
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      Don’t be surprised if Neves follows his old boss to London.
      Two consecutive seventh placed finishes followed and Wolves fans worshipped Nuno for rekindling their European tradition by leading them to the quarter-finals of the Uefa Europa League.
      And though the cracks began to appear in his final season, Nuno was in many ways a victim of his own success.
      His micro squad suffered burn-out after having just 30 days to recover from a marathon 59-game season – which lasted more than a calendar year!
      They were sixth in November, four points off the lead, when a sickening skull fracture to star striker Raul Jimenez during a 2-1 win at Arsenal removed the biggest support beam from Nuno’s structure.
      Without their Mexican talisman, Wolves stumbled and the squad crumbled, with long-term injuries to key players such as Jonny Otto, Daniel Podence, Pedro Neto and Brazilian Marcal, leaving Nuno hamstrung.
      Famed for his 3-4-3 system, Nuno was forced to stray from his best-laid plans, introducing a 4-2-3-1 system which brought him one win in 11 games – including a derby defeat by West Brom.
      As the goals dried up without Jimenez, Nuno was unfairly dubbed a sterile coach. However he hauled Wolves to safety with six games to spare.

      At a time when his legion of Portuguese stars couldn’t travel home to visit loved ones, family-man Nuno suffered the pain of Covid separation more than most.
      However a new project at Spurs will revitalise him, after spending the summer back with his family.
      He may have been a second-string goalie for most of his professional career.
      But Nuno will prove more than a safe pair of hands for Spurs.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Andros Townsend backs Tottenham to bring in Nuno Espírito Santo as manager More

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      Man Utd ‘willing to consider transfer bids for Martial and Van de Beek’ as Solskjaer plans summer rebuild

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      MANCHESTER UNITED could offload Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek this summer, according to reports.Van de Beek has failed to establish himself in the first team and made just four league starts following his £39million move from Ajax last summer.
      Donny van de Beek could leave this summer after failing to make his mark on the first team
      Manchester United are also open to offers for Anthony Martial
      But according to ESPN the Netherlands midfielder is keen to fight for his place at Old Trafford.
      Martial is another who could leave this summer, with the report claiming United will consider realistic offers for the pair.
      The club has responded to inquiries for the players stating “every player has a realistic evaluation”.
      That means other fringe players like Diogo Dalot and Andreas Pereira could both leave, with the pair both spending last season on loan in Serie A.
      And United are yet to make a decision on the future of Jesse Lingard, after he enjoyed a successful loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season, scoring nine goals.
      The Hammers are still keen on Lingard but may have to wait until the Jadon Sancho transfer is finalised.
      Alex Tuanzebe is another who could leave on loan, with several Premier League clubs reportedly chasing the defender.
      Other young players such as Amad Diallo, James Garner, Shola Shoretire, Anthony Elanga and Hannibal Mejbri may also depart, but a decision will be made closer to the start of the season.
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      United’s clearout could pave the way for Sancho to arrive.
      Personal terms have been agreed and the Red Devils will complete the deal once they offer the extra £8.5m Borrusia Dortmund are looking for.
      Sancho’s arrival means Martial’s place could be under threat, which may be why the club is open to offers for the Frenchman.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney to host former team-mates and Class of 92 legends as Derby draw Salford in Carabao Cup More