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    Man Utd ‘have the funds’ for £150m Haaland, ‘everything but price’ agreed for Jadon Sancho transfer

    BORUSSIA DORTMUND have admitted that they are willing to sell Jadon Sancho for the right price this summer.And it has also been reported that Man Utd have the funds to sign Erling Haaland from the German side, if they are willing to deal with agent Mino Raiola.

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    Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
    THE PRICE IS WRONG
    Manchester United are closing in on Jadon Sancho, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
    However, the Red Devils have yet to agree a free with Borussia Dortmund.
    Romano told the Here We Go podcast: “Manchester United have everything set to sign Jadon Sancho this summer – they are just waiting for the final price.”

    FATHER TALK
    Charlie Savage hopes to go one better than his old man — and make the grade at Manchester United.
    But the 17-year-old midfielder says Scott McTominay, not his dad Robbie, is the main inspiration behind his goal to reach the Old Trafford first team.
    He told SunSport: “The main inspiration for me is Scott — he’s the best with us. He comes over to talk to us. He had it difficult in the youth team.
    “He didn’t play many matches but he just kept going and he proved it’s not always the standout players who make the first team.
    “Sometimes it’s the players who might have had a back seat but they keep pushing and pushing.
    “Scott, Marcus Rashford and also Brandon Williams all inspire us to improve and move forward.”
    HAAL OF FAME
    Manchester United are one of the clubs that can afford to sign Erling Haaland, according to reports.
    Dortmund are said to be looking for an offer of around £150m to part company with the Norwegian this summer – and The Athletic claim that fee would be in the Red Devils’ price range.
    However, whether the deal can be pushed over the line or not depends on how willing United are to go back into business with Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola.
    Raiola has exasperated senior figures at Old Trafford by claiming Paul Pogba wants to leave on numerous occasions.

    WILL I NEVER
    Southampton would like to revisit a loan move for Manchester United whizkid Brandon Williams.
    Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl wants more depth in the full-back areas and likes Williams’ ability to play both on the left and right.
    Hasenhuttl tried to borrow Williams, 20, from United in January but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to let him go.
    Southampton are hopeful Solskjaer will reconsider his stance for next season though, with Williams starting just three games this term.

    DAVID DE GOER
    David de Gea is reportedly set for a summer axe – and has been offered to Europe’s elite.
    The Manchester United goalkeeper, 30, continues to battle for his place in the team with Dean Henderson.
    Henderson started his seventh game in a row against Brighton on Sunday.
    And it is thought De Gea has had enough with the Spaniard ready to look elsewhere for a new club.
    According to the Daily Mail, the goalkeeper’s representatives are in touch with some of the top clubs on the continent to sound out potential suitors.
    CAPTAIN MARVEL
    Harry Maguire made it a century of games in a United shirt against Brighton.

    STICKER SOCCER GLORY
    A footie-mad dad has finally got his huge sticker album collection up to date — with a 1998 World Cup England badge.
    Simon Livermore, 45, paid £11.41 in an online bidding war for the elusive crest.
    He has now completed every World Cup and Euros album produced by Panini since 1974.
    And he is already busy filling in his Euro 2020 sticker album.
    Brighton and Hove Albion fan Simon said: “Half the fun is the hunt. I’ve needed two for France 98 for absolutely forever but the badges, the foils, are particularly hard to come across.
    “I was always led to believe there was equal numbers printed, But I swear it’s not the case.”

    GARD AGAINST
    West Ham will reportedly do whatever it takes to try and sign Jesse Lingard from Manchester United permanently this summer.
    The England star has rediscovered his top form on loan at the Hammers as he scored six goals in eight league games.
    A senior West Ham source told Sky Sports: “We will do whatever it takes to sign him.
    “He’s been outstanding for us.”
    DOR OPEN
    An update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on Manchester United target Jadon Sancho.
    Borussia Dortmund CEO Watzke to Dazn: “We will talk to Haaland. We want him to be happy to stay at BVB next year. There is no alternative plan.We’ll have to speak to Sancho too. If there’s an exceptional offer, we will discuss it with the player & agent as always”. 🟡 @BVBBuzz— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 5, 2021

    GARNER INTEREST
    Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton is refusing to speculate on the long-term future of Manchester United loanee James Garner.
    He told NottinghamshireLive: “At this moment, my thoughts are very much on what he’s giving us and how he’s helping us in the best way he can.
    “It’s also about us helping his development and us having the best relationship with Manchester United we can.
    “And then we’ll see what happens.
    “He’s not our player, so it’s very difficult to talk about him in any terms.
    “All I can say is the relationship with United has been very good and we’re delighted with what James is giving us.”

    BYE-BAI
    Manchester United are reportedly interested in defensive reinforcements this summer if Eric Bailly leaves the club.
    Eurosport claim Inter Milan are keeping tabs on the Ivorian’s contract situation, who has just over a year remaining on his deal.
    The report adds that Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Villarreal’s Pau Torres are United’s main targets should Bailly leave.
    DOR OPEN
    Manchester United will be hoping their good deed will be rewarded after letting Borussia Dortmund use their facilities ahead of a crunch Champions League encounter.
    Erling Haaland and Co have trained on United’s old The Cliff complex ahead of their tie with neighbours Man City this evening.
    Located in Salford, the United first-team haven’t trained at The Cliff since moving to Carrington in 2000.
    But the facilities are still used for some academy games while the women’s team also train there.

    LIN-CREDIBLE
    Jesse Lingard is leading the Premier League charts since arriving at West Ham on loan.
    After failing to find a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United, the 28-year-old has rediscovered his best form with the Hammers under David Moyes this season.

    DEVIL MAY CARE
    Former Manchester United star Terry Gibson has warned the Reds of the dangers of taking Granada lightly.
    He told the club’s website: “United can’t afford to take them lightly.
    “They’re going to play like an away team at home. They’ll look to play on the counter-attack, which they’re good at.
    “They’re a fluent team who change tactics a lot but they won’t be as naive as Real Sociedad were; they won’t open up and allow themselves to be hit on the counter-attack.
    “They’ll look to keep it nice and tight and hope to be in the tie for the second leg.
    “It’s a dream tie for Granada, it’s clearly the biggest game in the history of the club.
    “This is their second season back in La Liga. They were kind of like a Sheffield United last season in that they were a massive surprise.”
    ANT MAN
    Anthony Elanga has been added to Manchester United’s squad for the Europa League first-leg against Granada.

    BELE FLOP
    Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed that he would like Ousmane Dembele to STAY at the club, amid links with Man United.
    Following the Frenchman’s late winner against Real Valladolid last night, Koeman said: “I would like Dembele to stay, he is an important player for us.
    “He showed his quality with his game and the goal against Valladolid. The key is that he has physically improved and has been able to play a lot of games in a row.”
    DUBLIN AND OUT
    England looks set to be handed at least four more Euro 2020 games – with Uefa braced for Dublin to effectively pull out of hosting on Wednesday.
    And that would hand Gareth Southgate and his Three Lions the prospect of an extra match on home soil this summer, although NOT at Wembley.
    Uefa’s deadline for the 12 scheduled venues to confirm they are able to stage games with crowds is close of business on Wednesday.
    The Irish capital is believed by senior Uefa figures to be the most likely city to be unable to give Euro chiefs the guarantees they have sought, leaving the Aviva set to be stripped of its games.
    And if so, it is now expected that the four games due to be played in Ireland will be switched to England, as the FA is already in advanced planning for seven games at Wembley.
    THE TEMP-BEST
    Jesse Lingard is proving to be one of the signings of the season.
    His loan switch to West Ham was a masterstroke from David Moyes, who is getting the very best out of the Manchester United midfielder.
    The red-hot form got the 28-year-old a return to the England squad and could see him go to the Euros.
    SunSport looks at some of the best loan signings in the Premier League era – an elite list Lingard is on course to join, particularly if he can fire West Ham into the Champions League HERE.

    JESS WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
    By SunSport’s Jordan Davies
    Jesse Lingard is leading the Premier League charts since arriving at West Ham on loan.
    Since his West Ham debut on February 3 after a January window switch, only Tottenham’s Harry Kane has been involved in the same number of goal involvements.
    Lingard’s six goals and three assists in eight appearances sees him with nine goal involvements.
    That’s THREE more than United star Bruno Fernandes, as well as bettering Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
    Only Harry Kane has scored more with seven, but has one less assist than Lingard in that time.
    In terms of assists, Lingard’s three assists is the same as City’s Phil Foden and Tottenham’s Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son.
    Lingard is also proving to be efficient in front of goal, needing just 23 shots to reach nine goal involvements.
    That is SEVENTEEN less than Kane, two less than Leeds’ Patrick Bamford and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and one less than Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
    Jesse Lingard has been outstanding for West HamCredit: PA
    GRASS IS GREENER
    Mason Greenwood bagged a crucial goal for Man United on Sunday, to net the three points against Brighton at Old Trafford.
    And the teenager has already been impressing for years, despite still being relatively new to the first-team set up.
    Check this out, United fans!

    WELL I NEV-ER
    Gary Neville admitted he would have played for arch-rivals Arsenal if Manchester United decided to sell him.
    He told Sky Sports’ Off the Script: “If you’d said to me, in a perfect world, in my years of playing, which clubs in the Premier League have the tradition, a proper club? Arsenal would be No 1.
    “The tradition of Highbury, I felt they did things the right way. Also in the Premier League, I like Aston Villa and Newcastle.
    “In Europe I admired Juventus and Bayern Munich. I respected them as football clubs. Bayern were meticulous in their preparation, so internationally, it would be them.”
    Gary Neville would have been open to the idea of joining Arsenal if he was let go by Manchester United earlier in his career
    LIGT-BULB MOMENT
    Matthijs de Ligt will be available for £130million next summer, according to reports.
    The Juventus defender, 21, is thought to have a release clause in his contract.
    But according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, it does not kick in until July 2022.
    And that could have the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona on red alert to make a major swoop at the end of next season.
    Matthijs de Ligt could be bought for £130million next summer when his release clause kicks in
    HOME DISCOMFORTS
    Bruno Fernandes has issued a rallying cry to his Manchester United team-mates to ‘stop dropping as many points as we do at home’.
    The Portuguese playmaker has been instrumental in helping United into second spot in the Premier League.
    Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, the 26-year-old said: “It’s tough in England, because the games are so tight.
    “Every team genuinely has a chance to win the match. It’s 50/50 before every game, and we see it with the results. But we’re doing better.
    “We can’t drop as many points as we do at home, but we’ve been in second, and at the start of the season there weren’t many people who were saying United would be second.
    “After a few games and a bad start, nobody was saying United could reach the top of the table, but we ignored what people were saying on the outside.
    “We knew what we had said on the inside, we had confidence that things would improve, and they did.
    “We still have to be the best United we can, but we have improved.”
    Bruno Fernandes gave an honest interview with FourFourTwo magazine
    POSITIVE MATA
    Manchester United star Juan Mata opened up on his relationship with ‘positive’ manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
    The Spaniard told the UTD Podcast: “Of course, I heard much about him as a player. About that goal, about the many goals. So we had a meeting between us, the team, and they said: ‘Listen, it’s probable that Ole’s going to come. He’s going to take care of the team until the end of the season. He’s coming from Molde in Norway.’
    “As soon as he came in, you could see the positivity. You could see the Manchester United DNA. He knew everyone, he felt like a proper United fan, and he was happy and smiley and full of energy. Until today. So we stay with him, and I think that’s a good sign of things going okay.
    “I feel young, honestly, in my body and in my mind, but obviously I’ve been playing in the club, and in English football and professionally for 12-13 years now, and so that gives me experience to – especially in difficult situations – behave in a certain way or give advice to the youngsters or something like that, and I think he values that also.
    “Me, as a player, what I can give on the pitch, but also that I will try my best off the pitch for the new players that come.”
    Mata opened up on his boss SolskjaerCredit: EPA
    MATA ON LVG
    Juan Mata has revealed that former boss Louis van Gaal was ‘scary’.
    He told the UTD Podcast: “He was scary! He was scary, I tell you! He was a very nice man, very genuine. Very sensible. You wouldn’t expect that, but he was very sensible. He could even get emotional and cry sometimes when he was speaking about important matters that he found with the right values, or the right football… he got emotional.
    “But I remember the first meeting we all had with him. It was in LA. We were doing a pre-season tour. So the manager said: ‘I want to meet you one by one in this room after dinner’. I was like ‘okay’.
    “Everyone went, whatever. My turn. So I arrive to the room and it was him, Ryan Giggs, a bottle of Rioja, red wine, and three glasses.
    “He said: ‘Do you want to have the drink?’ And I said, ‘No, no, it’s fine’. He said, ‘Okay, I’ll have it’. So he had the drink, and he said, ‘Tell me who you are?’
    “I mean, ‘My name is Juan, I’m 26, I play football’. ‘No, no, no. Tell me who you are as a man. Do you have family? What do you find important in life?’
    “I remember he had like paper, where he had set up the tactics for the team and that year, and he was like ‘Where do you think you will fit best here?’ I was like ‘here’ and he said ‘No’. ‘Here?’ ‘No.’
    “So we had trained that pre-season with five in the back, two [in midfield], one No10, and he put me in that No10 and he said ‘You’re going to play here’ and I was like ‘Great’. I didn’t want to put it myself!
    “And from that moment, you realised: he can look scary in the face-to-face, because also he goes too close to you. But after that, he’s a very warm and genuine man. Ryan Giggs was there trying to hold his laugh!”
    Mata enjoyed his time working under the eccentric figure of Louis van Gaal, who was keen to revolve the team around the Spanish playmaker
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    Jadon Sancho summer transfer LATEST, Solskjaer tried to drop De Gea in November, Haaland blow – Man Utd transfer news

    BORUSSIA DORTMUND have admitted that they are willing to sell star Jadon Sancho for the right price this summer.However, the German club also stated that they had no intention of selling fellow Man Utd target Erling Haaland.
    Meanwhile it has emerged that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to drop David De Gea in November, but the Spaniard was so infuriated that the Red Devils boss changed his mind.

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    Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
    ANT MAN
    Anthony Elanga has been added to Manchester United’s squad for the Europa League first-leg against Granada.

    BELE FLOP
    Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed that he would like Ousmane Dembele to STAY at the club, amid links with Man United.
    Following the Frenchman’s late winner against Real Valladolid last night, Koeman said: “I would like Dembele to stay, he is an important player for us.
    “He showed his quality with his game and the goal against Valladolid. The key is that he has physically improved and has been able to play a lot of games in a row.”
    DUBLIN AND OUT
    England looks set to be handed at least four more Euro 2020 games – with Uefa braced for Dublin to effectively pull out of hosting on Wednesday.
    And that would hand Gareth Southgate and his Three Lions the prospect of an extra match on home soil this summer, although NOT at Wembley.
    Uefa’s deadline for the 12 scheduled venues to confirm they are able to stage games with crowds is close of business on Wednesday.
    The Irish capital is believed by senior Uefa figures to be the most likely city to be unable to give Euro chiefs the guarantees they have sought, leaving the Aviva set to be stripped of its games.
    And if so, it is now expected that the four games due to be played in Ireland will be switched to England, as the FA is already in advanced planning for seven games at Wembley.
    THE TEMP-BEST
    Jesse Lingard is proving to be one of the signings of the season.
    His loan switch to West Ham was a masterstroke from David Moyes, who is getting the very best out of the Manchester United midfielder.
    The red-hot form got the 28-year-old a return to the England squad and could see him go to the Euros.
    SunSport looks at some of the best loan signings in the Premier League era – an elite list Lingard is on course to join, particularly if he can fire West Ham into the Champions League HERE.

    JESS WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
    By SunSport’s Jordan Davies
    Jesse Lingard is leading the Premier League charts since arriving at West Ham on loan.
    Since his West Ham debut on February 3 after a January window switch, only Tottenham’s Harry Kane has been involved in the same number of goal involvements.
    Lingard’s six goals and three assists in eight appearances sees him with nine goal involvements.
    That’s THREE more than United star Bruno Fernandes, as well as bettering Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
    Only Harry Kane has scored more with seven, but has one less assist than Lingard in that time.
    In terms of assists, Lingard’s three assists is the same as City’s Phil Foden and Tottenham’s Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son.
    Lingard is also proving to be efficient in front of goal, needing just 23 shots to reach nine goal involvements.
    That is SEVENTEEN less than Kane, two less than Leeds’ Patrick Bamford and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and one less than Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
    Jesse Lingard has been outstanding for West HamCredit: PA
    GRASS IS GREENER
    Mason Greenwood bagged a crucial goal for Man United on Sunday, to net the three points against Brighton at Old Trafford.
    And the teenager has already been impressing for years, despite still being relatively new to the first-team set up.
    Check this out, United fans!

    WELL I NEV-ER
    Gary Neville admitted he would have played for arch-rivals Arsenal if Manchester United decided to sell him.
    He told Sky Sports’ Off the Script: “If you’d said to me, in a perfect world, in my years of playing, which clubs in the Premier League have the tradition, a proper club? Arsenal would be No 1.
    “The tradition of Highbury, I felt they did things the right way. Also in the Premier League, I like Aston Villa and Newcastle.
    “In Europe I admired Juventus and Bayern Munich. I respected them as football clubs. Bayern were meticulous in their preparation, so internationally, it would be them.”
    Gary Neville would have been open to the idea of joining Arsenal if he was let go by Manchester United earlier in his career
    LIGT-BULB MOMENT
    Matthijs de Ligt will be available for £130million next summer, according to reports.
    The Juventus defender, 21, is thought to have a release clause in his contract.
    But according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, it does not kick in until July 2022.
    And that could have the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona on red alert to make a major swoop at the end of next season.
    Matthijs de Ligt could be bought for £130million next summer when his release clause kicks in
    HOME DISCOMFORTS
    Bruno Fernandes has issued a rallying cry to his Manchester United team-mates to ‘stop dropping as many points as we do at home’.
    The Portuguese playmaker has been instrumental in helping United into second spot in the Premier League.
    Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, the 26-year-old said: “It’s tough in England, because the games are so tight.
    “Every team genuinely has a chance to win the match. It’s 50/50 before every game, and we see it with the results. But we’re doing better.
    “We can’t drop as many points as we do at home, but we’ve been in second, and at the start of the season there weren’t many people who were saying United would be second.
    “After a few games and a bad start, nobody was saying United could reach the top of the table, but we ignored what people were saying on the outside.
    “We knew what we had said on the inside, we had confidence that things would improve, and they did.
    “We still have to be the best United we can, but we have improved.”
    Bruno Fernandes gave an honest interview with FourFourTwo magazine
    POSITIVE MATA
    Manchester United star Juan Mata opened up on his relationship with ‘positive’ manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
    The Spaniard told the UTD Podcast: “Of course, I heard much about him as a player. About that goal, about the many goals. So we had a meeting between us, the team, and they said: ‘Listen, it’s probable that Ole’s going to come. He’s going to take care of the team until the end of the season. He’s coming from Molde in Norway.’
    “As soon as he came in, you could see the positivity. You could see the Manchester United DNA. He knew everyone, he felt like a proper United fan, and he was happy and smiley and full of energy. Until today. So we stay with him, and I think that’s a good sign of things going okay.
    “I feel young, honestly, in my body and in my mind, but obviously I’ve been playing in the club, and in English football and professionally for 12-13 years now, and so that gives me experience to – especially in difficult situations – behave in a certain way or give advice to the youngsters or something like that, and I think he values that also.
    “Me, as a player, what I can give on the pitch, but also that I will try my best off the pitch for the new players that come.”
    Mata opened up on his boss SolskjaerCredit: EPA
    MATA ON LVG
    Juan Mata has revealed that former boss Louis van Gaal was ‘scary’.
    He told the UTD Podcast: “He was scary! He was scary, I tell you! He was a very nice man, very genuine. Very sensible. You wouldn’t expect that, but he was very sensible. He could even get emotional and cry sometimes when he was speaking about important matters that he found with the right values, or the right football… he got emotional.
    “But I remember the first meeting we all had with him. It was in LA. We were doing a pre-season tour. So the manager said: ‘I want to meet you one by one in this room after dinner’. I was like ‘okay’.
    “Everyone went, whatever. My turn. So I arrive to the room and it was him, Ryan Giggs, a bottle of Rioja, red wine, and three glasses.
    “He said: ‘Do you want to have the drink?’ And I said, ‘No, no, it’s fine’. He said, ‘Okay, I’ll have it’. So he had the drink, and he said, ‘Tell me who you are?’
    “I mean, ‘My name is Juan, I’m 26, I play football’. ‘No, no, no. Tell me who you are as a man. Do you have family? What do you find important in life?’
    “I remember he had like paper, where he had set up the tactics for the team and that year, and he was like ‘Where do you think you will fit best here?’ I was like ‘here’ and he said ‘No’. ‘Here?’ ‘No.’
    “So we had trained that pre-season with five in the back, two [in midfield], one No10, and he put me in that No10 and he said ‘You’re going to play here’ and I was like ‘Great’. I didn’t want to put it myself!
    “And from that moment, you realised: he can look scary in the face-to-face, because also he goes too close to you. But after that, he’s a very warm and genuine man. Ryan Giggs was there trying to hold his laugh!”
    Mata enjoyed his time working under the eccentric figure of Louis van Gaal, who was keen to revolve the team around the Spanish playmaker
    COUT OUT
    Former Manchester United target Philippe Coutinho’s Barcelona nightmare lives on after being ruled out for the rest of the season.
    The Brazilian, 28, who was heavily linked with the Red Devils last summer, has gone a second operation after having a ‘meniscal cyst’ in his left knee.
    Coutinho hasn’t featured since late December after picking up an injury to his knee following a 1-1 draw with Eibar.
    He went into surgery in the New Year and was set to be sidelined for at least three months.
    Boss Ronald Koeman was hoping to have the playmaker back for the crucial run-in but he has been hit with a serious setback.
    Barcelona revealed how he has had to go back under the knife having failed to recover from the initial procedure.
    Philippe Coutinho has undergone a second surgery on his knee
    MATA OF FACTS
    Juan Mata has opened up on David Moyes’ Manchester United departure in 2014.
    He told the UTD Podcast: “I always feel bad when a manager has to go, because it means that you are not doing right, or you are not getting results. So it’s not a nice feeling. So unfortunately he had to go. But of course, I’m very thankful to him.
    “What I remember the most about that season was in the last game. Ryan Giggs was our caretaker manager at that time, and we always do the ‘lap of honour’. You say ‘thank you’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘see you next season’.”
    David Moyes deserved to be sacked after a poor set of results in charge at Manchester United, Juan Mata said
    RON THE WAY OUT?
    Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed that he would like Ousmane Dembele to STAY at the club, amid links with Man United.
    Following the Frenchman’s late winner against Real Valladolid last night, Koeman said: “I would like Dembele to stay, he is an important player for us.
    “He showed his quality with his game and the goal against Valladolid. The key is that he has physically improved and has been able to play a lot of games in a row.”
    Dembele bagged a crucial late winner last nightCredit: Reuters
    LUK AT THAT
    Jesse Lingard wowed fans yet again with another stunning performance for West Ham last night.
    The England international got on the scoresheet as the Hammers beat Wolves 3-2 to climb back into the top four.
    And former team-mate Romelu Lukaku was among those impressed!
    Damn jesse…— R.Lukaku Bolingoli9 (@RomeluLukaku9) April 5, 2021

    VAN THE MAN
    What a lethal finisher Robin van Persie was.
    Sit back and enjoy, Man United fans.

    DAVE DEPARTS?
    David de Gea is reportedly set for a summer axe – and has been offered to Europe’s elite.
    The Manchester United goalkeeper, 30, continues to battle for his place in the team with Dean Henderson.
    Henderson started his seventh game in a row against Brighton on Sunday.
    And it is thought De Gea has had enough with the Spaniard ready to look elsewhere for a new club.
    According to the Daily Mail, the goalkeeper’s representatives are in touch with some of the top clubs on the continent to sound out potential suitors.
    David de Gea could be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer
    ARE YOU MAG?
    An injury to Manchester United star Harry Maguire would be a bigger blow to England than losing captain Harry Kane – according to Gary Neville.
    He said on Sky Sports MNF: “”If you lose Harry Maguire that’s a big problem for Gareth Southgate. I think it’s his biggest problem.
    “If you’re then left with John Stones as your other centre-back and you think you’ve got Stones and (Tyrone) Mings, Stones and (Conor) Coady, Stones and (Eric) Dier – I’m not having it.”
    Asked by Carragher if a Maguire injury would be more devastating than one for Kane with his 34 international goals, Neville reckoned so.
    He added: “Harry Kane’s the best player in the squad but in this particular squad if Gareth wants a back four in the squad and go for a 4-3-3 formation, the only chance of that is keeping Harry Maguire fit.
    “You always have to think if one player gets injured where do I then go to. If Harry Kane gets injured you could go with Marcus Rashford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Raheem Sterling as a false forward or Phil Foden.
    “There are options England can still win games. But with Maguire the ability to go to a back four is lost and that’s why he’s got a three in the back of his mind.”
    Maguire is set to be a key man for Gareth Southgate in the summerCredit: Reuters
    LIN BUSINESS
    West Ham boss David Moyes raved about Jesse Lingard’s performance, after the Man United loanee scored his latest goal against Wolves on Monday night.
    Following the Hammers’ 3-2 win, which takes them back up to fourth, the Scot said: “I was telling him how well he has played.
    “I’m probably a manager who doesn’t say that very often, but he deserved that after his performance.”
    Lingard, 28, earned the praise of his manager David MoyesCredit: PA
    ZLAT’S THAT
    Ex-Man United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to sign a new contract that will take him into his 40s.
    The Swede, 39, has defied his age with his heroics for AC Milan this season.
    Ibrahimovic turns 40 on October 3 but shows of slowing down just yet.
    He has 15 goals in 16 league appearances, firing the Rossoneri to second in the Serie A table, behind rivals Inter.
    And according to Sky in Italy, a one-year extension is on the table which he is expected to sign and stay beyond this summer.
    The report adds Ibrahimovic should pen the deal within the next seven to ten days.
    Zlatan currently earns around £5.94million per season – or £114,000 per week.
    And those wages are on course to remain the same into the 2020-21 season.
    Zlatan delighted fans during his stint at Old TraffordCredit: PA
    MORNING MAN UTD FANS
    David De Gea’s future is in doubt due to growing tensions with Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to reports.
    The Norwegian decided to start Dean Henderson ahead of the Spaniard against Brighton.
    De Gea would have expected a start after returning from paternity leave, and according to Manchester Evening News the pair’s relationship is becoming a problem.
    The report suggests Solskjaer twice attempted to drop De Gea in favour of Henderson, firstly against West Brom in November and then against Chelsea in February.
    On both occasions De Gea expressed his unhappiness with the decision and Solskjaer changed his mind.
    A large number of Man Utd’s squad are said to think the England international should have replaced De Gea in December.
    In transfers, Borussia Dortmund are determined to keep United target Erling Haaland this summer.
    Club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Goal: “We will discuss this with Erling, his father and his agent Mino Raiola.
    “We also want him to be happy to stay with us, to score goals for BVB next year with conviction. There is no alternative plan.”
    Elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes hailed Mason Greenwood for his winner against Brighton but warned the forward he cannot just care about goals.
    The Portugal international also explained Greenwood may find things more difficult as his reputation increases. Despite that, Fernandes is confident Greenwood will improve his goalscoring form but emphasised that he must get his temperament right.
    Fernandes told MUTV: “Everyone has to know that Mason is a young player and now everyone is starting to know how Mason is, it will become more and more difficult for him.
    “It is normal. It is part of the development for him and he will learn from here so it doesn’t matter how many goals he scores; the most important thing for us is that he still helps the team and he is doing his best.
    “It is important for us as a team, it doesn’t matter who scores. If Mason scores for us or not, it is important if he can do other jobs, recover balls, pressing, defend when we need it, make assists, create danger.
    “So it is not important for him to score. He has to understand, he is such a young lad. Of course, every striker wants to score but, anyway, he will score more and more goals as the seasons pass.”
    And finally Premier League Covid testers returned just one positive result over the past seven days – for the second week running.
    The sole positive result came in the initial round of sampling between Monday and Thursday, from a total of 1,515 tests across the 20 clubs.
    And fears of a potential spike when players returned from the international break appear to have abated after the second round of 1,149 tests between Friday and Sunday all came back clear.
    COULD LEAVE LIN
    West Ham have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid outcast Vitolo as a possible alternative to Man Utd loanee Jesse Lingard.
    The Hammers were linked with a move to sign the 31-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, but opted instead to bring in Lingard on loan from Manchester United.
    But with Lingard shining at the London Stadium, it remains to be seen whether his temporary stay will be turned into a permanent deal.
    SunSport understands that due to Lingard’s surprising resurgence in form, United have doubled his asking price to £40million.
    And should the Hammers be priced out of a move for the England international, they could reignite their interest in Vitolo, according to Fichajes. The news outlet states that Atletico have offered David Moyes’ side the chance to sign the Spanish star in the summer.
    It has been claimed that the player could be available for just £8.5m having fallen dramatically down the pecking order under Diego Simeone. And they add that a deal could potentially be reached before the end of the campaign should West Ham look to bring him to England.

    ROOM WITH A VIEW
    Manchester United shared alternative views of their comeback goals against Brighton.
    Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood struck to deny relegation threatened Brighton a famous win after ex-Red Devil Danny Welbeck had given the Seagulls hope.

    LIONEL JESSE
    Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard scored ANOTHER goal for West Ham as the Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead at Wolves.
    The England star picked up the ball near the half way line, ran the length of the half and fired it past Rui Patricio from just inside the penalty box.
    Goal of the season?

    CAV SOME OF THAT!
    Mason Greenwood’s goal against Brighton reminded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Edinson Cavani’s against Southampton earlier in the season.
    The youngster scored a header in the Red Devils’ 2-1 win and his manager said: “The world nowadays is so into stats, goals, assists and this and that, but the boy has played fantastic in the last two or three months.
    “He’s really matured and come on. Today as well, taking the ball well, taking people on, he hits the post and one is just over the bar.
    “If he keeps learning and improving he’ll score loads of goals. We know that. He’s a lethal finisher, but if he scores these type of goals that’ll add another dimension to his game.
    “I’m very pleased for him to get the winner in the way he did, learning from Edinson, for example.
    “He [Cavani] is one of those strikers and it reminded me of one of his goals he scored against Southampton.”

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    Jadon Sancho is available – Dortmund admit, Solskjaer tried to drop De Gea in November – Man Utd transfer news

    BORUSSIA DORTMUND have admitted that they are willing to sell Jadon Sancho for the right price this summer.However, the German club also stated that they had no intention of selling fellow Man Utd target Erling Haaland.
    Meanwhile it has emerged that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to drop David De Gea in November, but the Spaniard was so infuriated that the Red Devils boss changed his mind.

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    Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
    COULD LEAVE LIN
    West Ham have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid outcast Vitolo as a possible alternative to Man Utd loanee Jesse Lingard.
    The Hammers were linked with a move to sign the 31-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, but opted instead to bring in Lingard on loan from Manchester United.
    But with Lingard shining at the London Stadium, it remains to be seen whether his temporary stay will be turned into a permanent deal.
    SunSport understands that due to Lingard’s surprising resurgence in form, United have doubled his asking price to £40million.
    And should the Hammers be priced out of a move for the England international, they could reignite their interest in Vitolo, according to Fichajes. The news outlet states that Atletico have offered David Moyes’ side the chance to sign the Spanish star in the summer.
    It has been claimed that the player could be available for just £8.5m having fallen dramatically down the pecking order under Diego Simeone. And they add that a deal could potentially be reached before the end of the campaign should West Ham look to bring him to England.

    ROOM WITH A VIEW
    Manchester United shared alternative views of their comeback goals against Brighton.
    Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood struck to deny relegation threatened Brighton a famous win after ex-Red Devil Danny Welbeck had given the Seagulls hope.

    LIONEL JESSE
    Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard scored ANOTHER goal for West Ham as the Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead at Wolves.
    The England star picked up the ball near the half way line, ran the length of the half and fired it past Rui Patricio from just inside the penalty box.
    Goal of the season?

    CAV SOME OF THAT!
    Mason Greenwood’s goal against Brighton reminded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Edinson Cavani’s against Southampton earlier in the season.
    The youngster scored a header in the Red Devils’ 2-1 win and his manager said: “The world nowadays is so into stats, goals, assists and this and that, but the boy has played fantastic in the last two or three months.
    “He’s really matured and come on. Today as well, taking the ball well, taking people on, he hits the post and one is just over the bar.
    “If he keeps learning and improving he’ll score loads of goals. We know that. He’s a lethal finisher, but if he scores these type of goals that’ll add another dimension to his game.
    “I’m very pleased for him to get the winner in the way he did, learning from Edinson, for example.
    “He [Cavani] is one of those strikers and it reminded me of one of his goals he scored against Southampton.”

    AC Milan
    AC Milan could offer De Gea a new home – especially if they lose keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the summer.
    The Italian has been linked with a free transfer as he enters the last few months of his contract with agent Mino Raiola demanding a bumper £9m-a-season new deal.
    Chelsea are said to be interested in the shot-stopper and received a boost with Milan’s negotiations reportedly hitting difficulties last week.
    De Gea would also team up with old pal Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the former United striker signed a one-year extension at the San Siro.
    Atletico Madrid
    De Gea starred for Atletico Madrid from 2003 until joining United in 2011 and could make a sensational return to the club.
    But if he is to play under Diego Simeone at the Wanda Metropolitano then highly rated No1 Jan Oblak is likely to have to make a huge move elsewhere.
    De Gea would welcome a move to his old side for family reasons with wife and new mum Edurne working as a TV reporter in Madrid.
    Barcelona
    Barcelona are another side mentioned with De Gea’s name and could come to the fore if he sets his sights on a move back to Spain.
    However, the Catalan giants are feeling the pinch amid the pandemic and may not have the funds required to pick up the keeper’s large wage bill.
    Blaugrana No1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen also penned a lengthy new deal until 2025 in October.
    PSG
    SunSport revealed last month that Mauricio Pochettino is keen on bringing De Gea to Paris Saint-Germain.
    PSG are one of the few clubs around who could pick up De Gea’s £375,000-a-week wages AND offer a fee to interest United.
    Former Spurs boss Pochettino is looking for a new No 1 to replace former Real Madrid stopper Keylor Navas.
    Poch has been linked with his old Spurs and France international keeper Hugo Lloris for some time but De Gea has been on PSG’s radar just as long.
    He has just been unavailable – until now.
    Real Madrid
    De Gea has regularly been linked with a move to Real Madrid over the years.
    If it wasn’t for a faulty fax machine a deal would have got over the line in 2015.
    Zinedine Zidane has made no secret of the fact he is not fully trusting of former Chelsea man Thibaut Courtois in the Madrid goal.
    And De Gea is likely to be keen on a return to his native Spain and the city where he was born.
    SAVE THE DAVE
    David De Gea is set to quit Manchester United after being benched in favour of Dean Henderson.
    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept faith with the former Sheffield United loanee for the 2-1 comeback victory over Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday night.
    De Gea was back and available for selection after being given time off for the birth of his first child and spending the international break on duty with Spain.
    But the man who has been named United player of the year more times than anyone else looks to be in a dog-fight for the No1 jersey and could bring the curtain down on a decade at the Red Devils.
    SunSport takes a look at some of the clubs linked with a swoop for the 30-year-old keeper…

    ENERGETIC ERIC
    Eric Bailly has sent a message to Man Utd fans after he caught coronavirus on international duty with Ivory Coast.
    The defender is isolating but addressed United supporters in an upbeat message posted on the club’s Twitter.
    He said: “Hi guys. Thanks for all of your messages.
    “Just to say, I am good, I am fine, everything is good. It is just time to rest and come back stronger.”

    POSITIVE RESULTS
    Premier League Covid testers returned just one positive result over the past seven days – for the second week running.
    The sole positive result came in the initial round of sampling between Monday and Thursday, from a total of 1,515 tests across the 20 clubs.
    And fears of a potential spike when players returned from the international break appear to have abated after the second round of 1,149 tests between Friday and Sunday all came back clear.
    Prem chiefs have not been able to report a totally clear testing run since the final week of last season but with less than 20 positive tests in the past two months it is clear the enhanced protocols have worked successfully.
    The news comes after the FA announced fans will be allowed to attend both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals. The EFL have confirmed the 8,000 capacity for the League Cup final, played between Tottenham and Manchester City on April 25.
    The allocation will be made up of fans from both teams as well as local residents and NHS staff, who will be offered tickets as a way of saying thank you for their work during the pandemic.

    TRAFFORD TROUBLE
    David De Gea’s future is in doubt due to growing tensions with Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to reports.
    The Norwegian decided to start Dean Henderson ahead of the Spaniard against Brighton.
    De Gea would have expected a start after returning from paternity leave, and according to Manchester Evening News the pair’s relationship is becoming a problem.
    The report suggests Solskjaer twice attempted to drop De Gea in favour of Henderson, firstly against West Brom in November and then against Chelsea in February.
    On both occasions De Gea expressed his unhappiness with the decision and Solskjaer changed his mind.
    A large number of Man Utd’s squad are said to think the England international should have replaced De Gea in December.

    PEP ON HAALAND
    After Man Utd target Erling Haaland arrived in Manchester with his Borussia Dortmund team-mates, Pep Guardiola said: “A player who can score this amount of goals at this age has not been easy to find in the past, honestly.
    “He’s 20, the numbers speak for themselves. When that happens it’s because he can score right, left, counter-attacks, penalty box, headers.
    “He’s a fantastic striker, everyone knows it. A blind guy can realise he’s a great striker, you don’t have to be a manager to realise it.
    “The only thing I can say is that he is an exceptional striker. With his age, he is an exceptional striker.”
    The Dortmund bus rolled into town as the Bundesliga boys checked in at The Lowry Hotel
    EYE FOR GOAL
    Pep Guardiola says even a blind man would be able to see the quality of Manchester United target Erling Haaland.
    The Manchester City boss distanced himself from reports linking the club with the Norwegian last week.
    But he will get a close-up look at the 20-year-old hotshot – who arrived in Manchester wearing a Sky Blue backpack – when the two teams go head-to-head at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
    Haaland has already scored ten goals in the competition this season and is rated in the £150million bracket by his German club.
    Guardiola insists City will not be paying that kind of money for anyone this summer – but knows all about his ability.
    And he knows his team will have to be at their best to keep him out during the two legs of the Champions League quarter-final…

    CAL ON ME
    Juventus are in pole position to sign AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu, according to reports.
    The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and negotiations with his current club are believed to have stalled.
    According to Sky Sport in Italy, Calhanoglu may remain at Milan beyond this summer as the two parties are still discussing a new deal.
    Journalist Manuele Baiocchini is suggesting the player is wanting €1million, or £850,000, more a year than the Rossoneri are currently offering.
    Should talks end without a signature, Juventus are believed to be in pole position to sign Calhanoglu.
    The Turkey international has previously been a target for Manchester United, with reports suggesting he was close to signing a pre-contract agreement in November.

    GET IN MA-SON!
    Bruno Fernandes hailed Mason Greenwood for his winner against Brighton but warned the forward he cannot just care about goals.
    The Portugal international also explained Greenwood may find things more difficult as his reputation increases. Despite that, Fernandes is confident Greenwood will improve his goalscoring form but emphasised that he must get his temperament right.
    Fernandes told MUTV: “Everyone has to know that Mason is a young player and now everyone is starting to know how Mason is, it will become more and more difficult for him.
    “It is normal. It is part of the development for him and he will learn from here so it doesn’t matter how many goals he scores; the most important thing for us is that he still helps the team and he is doing his best.
    “It is important for us as a team, it doesn’t matter who scores. If Mason scores for us or not, it is important if he can do other jobs, recover balls, pressing, defend when we need it, make assists, create danger.
    “So it is not important for him to score. He has to understand, he is such a young lad. Of course, every striker wants to score but, anyway, he will score more and more goals as the seasons pass.”

    LUK AND LEARN
    Romelu Lukaku surpassed Ronaldo’s Inter Milan goal record – with 13 games to spare.
    The former Manchester United striker, 27, swapped Old Trafford for the San Siro in 2019 for £73million. And since then he has been in red-hot form.
    In 86 appearances for Inter, Lukaku has a staggering 60 goals.
    He managed 34 in 51 last term and his winning goal at Bologna on Saturday took his tally this season to 26 in 35. And that means the Belgian hitman is more prolific than the Brazilian icon.
    The ‘original’ Ronaldo – nicknamed the Phenomenon – moved to Inter in 1997 after one staggering season with Barcelona where he scored 47 goals.
    R9 managed 59 goals for the Serie A giants – but did so in 99 matches across five injury-hit years. Lukaku also has more assists than Ronaldo for Inter, with 13 to 12.

    DOR CLOSED
    Borussia Dortmund are determined to keep Manchester United target Erling Haaland this summer.
    Club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Goal: “We will discuss this with Erling, his father and his agent Mino Raiola.
    “We also want him to be happy to stay with us, to score goals for BVB next year with conviction. There is no alternative plan.”
    Dortmund insist they want to keep Haaland, 20
    A TELL-TALE
    Manchester United are ready to offer Alex Telles to Sporting Lisbon on loan in a player-plus-cash deal for Nuno Mendes, reports say.
    Telles was signed from Sporting’s rivals Porto this summer for £15.3million to provide competition for Luke Shaw.
    But Shaw’s form has been so impressive, Telles has only played seven times in the league, with his other 14 appearances coming in cup competition.
    It leaves his Old Trafford future up in the air, and according to Portuguese newspaper Record, United are willing to see the left-back leave.
    They are understood to be plotting a deal for Telles, 28, to be used as ‘a bargaining chip’ to sign fellow full-back Mendes.
    The offer could include a £33.9million fee for Sporting and a season-long loan of Telles.
    United would still need to cover at least part of the Portugal international’s wages.
    Man Utd are ready to offer Alex Telles on loan in a player-plus-cash deal for Nuno Mendes, reports say
    TEENAGE KICKS
    Mason Greenwood scored his 12th Premier League goal as a teen for Man United yesterday.
    And he’s not in bad company!
    The 19-year-old still has until his birthday in October to add to his already impressive tally.

    LUC WHO IT IS
    Manchester United and Chelsea are set to do battle for Lucas Vazquez, according to reports.
    The Spaniard is set to be out of contract in the summer, when his Real Madrid deal expires.
    ACB claim that the right-sided player turned down Madrid’s latest offer, putting Premier League sides on red alert.
    The 29-year-old has been playing as a wing-back of late, but made his name at Santiago Bernabeu as a winger.
    Lucas Vazquez started Real Madrid’s win over Eibar at the weekendCredit: AFP
    MASE RATES
    Mason Greenwood has been working on his heading… and it showed yesterday against Brighton!
    Here’s what he had to say to MUTV after bagging the crucial winner.

    WATZ THAT ALL ABOUT?
    Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has defiantly claimed that it will take an ‘exceptional offer’ for Man United target Jadon Sancho to leave the club this summer.
    He told DAZN: “I’m not getting involved in probabilities, it’s no good. Jadon Sancho has been with us much longer than Erling Haaland.
    “We’ll have to speak to Jadon too. If there is an exceptional offer, we will discuss it with the player and the agent, as always. Nonetheless, I am very sure that the transfer market will only run to a very limited extent this summer.
    “Especially at the very big clubs, you can see what kind of wounds coronavirus has inflicted – and they are not small ones that heal within two weeks.”
    Jadon Sancho is a long-term Man United targetCredit: AFP
    COMEBACK KINGS
    Last night’s come-from-behind victory over Brighton made it 25 POINTS taken from losing positions this season for Manchester United.
    You can never count Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men out.

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    Rashford could miss Man Utd’s Granada clash, Eric Bailly tests positive for Covid-19, Haaland LATEST – transfer news

    MANCHESTER UNITED striker Marcus Rashford could miss United’s clash with Granda after picking up an injury against Brighton.Meanwhile, Eric Bailly has tested positive for coronavirus and will be out for ‘a little while’, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

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    Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
    PEP ON HAALAND
    After Man Utd target Erling Haaland arrived in Manchester with his Borussia Dortmund team-mates, Pep Guardiola said: “A player who can score this amount of goals at this age has not been easy to find in the past, honestly.
    “He’s 20, the numbers speak for themselves. When that happens it’s because he can score right, left, counter-attacks, penalty box, headers.
    “He’s a fantastic striker, everyone knows it. A blind guy can realise he’s a great striker, you don’t have to be a manager to realise it.
    “The only thing I can say is that he is an exceptional striker. With his age, he is an exceptional striker.”
    The Dortmund bus rolled into town as the Bundesliga boys checked in at The Lowry Hotel
    EYE FOR GOAL
    Pep Guardiola says even a blind man would be able to see the quality of Manchester United target Erling Haaland.
    The Manchester City boss distanced himself from reports linking the club with the Norwegian last week.
    But he will get a close-up look at the 20-year-old hotshot – who arrived in Manchester wearing a Sky Blue backpack – when the two teams go head-to-head at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
    Haaland has already scored ten goals in the competition this season and is rated in the £150million bracket by his German club.
    Guardiola insists City will not be paying that kind of money for anyone this summer – but knows all about his ability.
    And he knows his team will have to be at their best to keep him out during the two legs of the Champions League quarter-final…

    CAL ON ME
    Juventus are in pole position to sign AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu, according to reports.
    The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and negotiations with his current club are believed to have stalled.
    According to Sky Sport in Italy, Calhanoglu may remain at Milan beyond this summer as the two parties are still discussing a new deal.
    Journalist Manuele Baiocchini is suggesting the player is wanting €1million, or £850,000, more a year than the Rossoneri are currently offering.
    Should talks end without a signature, Juventus are believed to be in pole position to sign Calhanoglu.
    The Turkey international has previously been a target for Manchester United, with reports suggesting he was close to signing a pre-contract agreement in November.

    GET IN MA-SON!
    Bruno Fernandes hailed Mason Greenwood for his winner against Brighton but warned the forward he cannot just care about goals.
    The Portugal international also explained Greenwood may find things more difficult as his reputation increases. Despite that, Fernandes is confident Greenwood will improve his goalscoring form but emphasised that he must get his temperament right.
    Fernandes told MUTV: “Everyone has to know that Mason is a young player and now everyone is starting to know how Mason is, it will become more and more difficult for him.
    “It is normal. It is part of the development for him and he will learn from here so it doesn’t matter how many goals he scores; the most important thing for us is that he still helps the team and he is doing his best.
    “It is important for us as a team, it doesn’t matter who scores. If Mason scores for us or not, it is important if he can do other jobs, recover balls, pressing, defend when we need it, make assists, create danger.
    “So it is not important for him to score. He has to understand, he is such a young lad. Of course, every striker wants to score but, anyway, he will score more and more goals as the seasons pass.”

    LUK AND LEARN
    Romelu Lukaku surpassed Ronaldo’s Inter Milan goal record – with 13 games to spare.
    The former Manchester United striker, 27, swapped Old Trafford for the San Siro in 2019 for £73million. And since then he has been in red-hot form.
    In 86 appearances for Inter, Lukaku has a staggering 60 goals.
    He managed 34 in 51 last term and his winning goal at Bologna on Saturday took his tally this season to 26 in 35. And that means the Belgian hitman is more prolific than the Brazilian icon.
    The ‘original’ Ronaldo – nicknamed the Phenomenon – moved to Inter in 1997 after one staggering season with Barcelona where he scored 47 goals.
    R9 managed 59 goals for the Serie A giants – but did so in 99 matches across five injury-hit years. Lukaku also has more assists than Ronaldo for Inter, with 13 to 12.

    DOR CLOSED
    Borussia Dortmund are determined to keep Manchester United target Erling Haaland this summer.
    Club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Goal: “We will discuss this with Erling, his father and his agent Mino Raiola.
    “We also want him to be happy to stay with us, to score goals for BVB next year with conviction. There is no alternative plan.”
    Dortmund insist they want to keep Haaland, 20
    A TELL-TALE
    Manchester United are ready to offer Alex Telles to Sporting Lisbon on loan in a player-plus-cash deal for Nuno Mendes, reports say.
    Telles was signed from Sporting’s rivals Porto this summer for £15.3million to provide competition for Luke Shaw.
    But Shaw’s form has been so impressive, Telles has only played seven times in the league, with his other 14 appearances coming in cup competition.
    It leaves his Old Trafford future up in the air, and according to Portuguese newspaper Record, United are willing to see the left-back leave.
    They are understood to be plotting a deal for Telles, 28, to be used as ‘a bargaining chip’ to sign fellow full-back Mendes.
    The offer could include a £33.9million fee for Sporting and a season-long loan of Telles.
    United would still need to cover at least part of the Portugal international’s wages.
    Man Utd are ready to offer Alex Telles on loan in a player-plus-cash deal for Nuno Mendes, reports say
    TEENAGE KICKS
    Mason Greenwood scored his 12th Premier League goal as a teen for Man United yesterday.
    And he’s not in bad company!
    The 19-year-old still has until his birthday in October to add to his already impressive tally.

    LUC WHO IT IS
    Manchester United and Chelsea are set to do battle for Lucas Vazquez, according to reports.
    The Spaniard is set to be out of contract in the summer, when his Real Madrid deal expires.
    ACB claim that the right-sided player turned down Madrid’s latest offer, putting Premier League sides on red alert.
    The 29-year-old has been playing as a wing-back of late, but made his name at Santiago Bernabeu as a winger.
    Lucas Vazquez started Real Madrid’s win over Eibar at the weekendCredit: AFP
    MASE RATES
    Mason Greenwood has been working on his heading… and it showed yesterday against Brighton!
    Here’s what he had to say to MUTV after bagging the crucial winner.

    WATZ THAT ALL ABOUT?
    Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has defiantly claimed that it will take an ‘exceptional offer’ for Man United target Jadon Sancho to leave the club this summer.
    He told DAZN: “I’m not getting involved in probabilities, it’s no good. Jadon Sancho has been with us much longer than Erling Haaland.
    “We’ll have to speak to Jadon too. If there is an exceptional offer, we will discuss it with the player and the agent, as always. Nonetheless, I am very sure that the transfer market will only run to a very limited extent this summer.
    “Especially at the very big clubs, you can see what kind of wounds coronavirus has inflicted – and they are not small ones that heal within two weeks.”
    Jadon Sancho is a long-term Man United targetCredit: AFP
    COMEBACK KINGS
    Last night’s come-from-behind victory over Brighton made it 25 POINTS taken from losing positions this season for Manchester United.
    You can never count Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men out.

    FERN TACKLE
    Bruno Fernandes says he missed Marcus Rashford’s equaliser against Brighton last night, despite being credited with the assist.
    The Manchester United star was hacked down by Joel Veltman after playing the ball, but the defender didn’t receive a yellow card for the challenge.
    Speaking to MUTV after the match, Fernandes said: “I didn’t see it because someone almost broke my ankle!
    “But I’m happy for the team, I am happy for Marcus. It was a good effort because as everyone knows he has come back from injury and he’s helped us.
    “This effort comes from everyone. The press for the first goal was good it made them do the wrong ball and I recovered the ball and passed to Marcus and he scores.
    “Everyone is happy when we win and it doesn’t matter who scores.”
    The 26-year-old claims he missed the goal after being fouled
    FEEL THE BRUN
    What a touch this was!

    NOT GUNNAR HAPPEN
    Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ruled out a move for Sergio Aguero.
    He said: “When I played for Man Utd, if a rival club tried to sign me, and I had gone, well where’s the loyalty?
    “Loyalty is one of the values I really, really put highly. I wouldn’t expect any player who has played for a club for 10 years to want to go to their local rivals.
    “It’s not for me. I know we’re professionals, but when you play for Man Utd you don’t go to Man City. We’ve had examples of that and I didn’t really agree with it.
    “I won’t name names but you all know who I mean. Enough said.”
    Sergio Aguero won’t be joining Man UnitedCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
    RAF TRADE
    Former Spurs star Rafael van der Vaart has urged Harry Kane against moving to Real Madrid – instead favouring a transfer to Old Trafford.
    The Dutchman told Ziggo Sport: “He is now the best striker after [Robert] Lewandowski, and he is the man at Tottenham.
    “It may sound crazy, but you would almost say go to Manchester United or something, stay in England.
    “Usually, it’s not such a success when an English player goes to Madrid.”
    Van der Vaart has urged Kane to ignore interest from Madrid
    DEM ONES
    Manchester United are in ‘regular contact’ with Ousmane Dembele’s agent, according to reports.
    But they may face stiff competition for the 23-year-old should they attempt to sign him, with Liverpool also rumoured to be interested.
    According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, United have been monitoring the player for some time and tried to sign him on loan last summer.
    Dembele is out of contract at the end of next season but could yet sign a new deal at Barcelona.
    The Red Devils are believed to be in regular contact with the player’s agent, with Edinson Cavani likely to leave Old Trafford at the end of this season.
    But they may have to beat Juventus to his signature, should they decide to pursue him.
    Several top European clubs are believed to be interested in signing Dembele, 23
    JUAN MORE YEAR
    Manchester United star Juan Mata is set to be given a new one-year deal at the club, according to reports.
    The 32-year-old hasn’t featured much under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season but is believed to be still in his plans.
    According to the Daily Star, United will activate a one-year extension in Mata’s contract.
    Rumours of a new deal are a surprise as he’s made just seven Premier League appearances this season.
    But the former Spain international may still leave the club even if his contract is extended.
    The Red Devils may add a further year to his deal just to command a transfer fee this summer.
    They are reported to want around £5million for the player.
    It is believed Mata, 32, will be given a new contract at Old Trafford
    TUCHY SUBJECT
    Chelseaa boss Thomas Tuchel refused to rule out a swoop for Man United target Erling Haaland as transfer talks continue for the Borussia Dortmund striker.
    The Blues are desperate to land a new No9 this summer to bolster their attack – with the Norwegian, 20, their primary target.
    Haaland’s dad Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola – who could bag up to £25million from any deal – have held discussions with Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain before heading to England to meet with Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.
    But Tuchel did not give anything away when quizzed on any potential meeting between Haaland’s representatives and the Blues.
    The German said: “I will not answer that, out of respect for the player and for Borussia Dortmund.
    “He’s a Borussia Dortmund player, and of course there’s big news around him and his agent. And it seems like they are creating a race for the player.
    “But still everybody needs to accept, and I will fully accept, that he is a Borussia Dortmund player, a very promising player of course.
    “But with respect to the situation, he’s not in our squad, he’s not in our club so there’s no comment on anything else regarding him.”
    Erling Haaland is top of Chelsea’s transfer wish list for the upcoming summer transfer window
    SAME OLE STORY
    After last night’s 2-1 win over Brighton, let’s take a look at what boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to say.
    “Sometimes after international breaks it takes time, and then maybe the fireworks have to be lit at halftime…””He played really well tonight [Greenwood], and when he can add those goals we know he’ll really be a gooden.”Solskjær was happy with a win after a slow start 🤝 pic.twitter.com/7aBgLJXDwV— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 4, 2021

    GRASS IS GREENER
    Morning, Red Devils!
    Let’s take another look at Mason Greenwood’s crucial late winner last night.
    Greenwood with the header! 🙌Less than ten minutes to go, the United youngster stays on his toes to put United in front 💪A late winner from a young talent, seen that before 🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/4ogIoTAXeS— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 4, 2021

    MORNING UNITED FANS
    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims United belatedly “lit the fireworks” to clinch last night’s 2-1 comeback win over Brighton.
    But a new injury doubt over Marcus Rasfhord and a positive Covid-19 test for Eric Bailly dampened Solskjaer’s mood.
    Mason Greenwood and Rashford fired home on 62 and 83 minutes after United old boy Danny Welbeck hit an early opener.
    And Solskjaer admitted: “I thought we started well but when they scored, after that we couldn’t find our rhythm again.
    “Second half we played some good stuff. More runs in behind, more movement, better movement.
    “Sometimes after international breaks it takes time – and then maybe the fireworks have to be lit at half-time.”
    Of Rashford’s late substitution, the Norwegian said: “You just hope he can recover from it. He had to come off, but he’s a tough one.”
    Solskjaer also confirmed centre-back Bailly will be out “a little while” after contracting coronavirus.
    Meanwhile, Juventus have reportedly told Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola they can’t afford to re-sign the United midfielder.  
    THERE’S NAY BETTER FEELING
    Blissful Manchester United keeper David de Gea posted a selfie with “my little princess” – his month-old daughter Yanay.
    The Spaniard was back on the bench for United’s 2-1 win over Brighton tonight following paternity leave.
    But judging by this delightful photo, the last thing on his mind is the struggle to displace Dean Henderson between the sticks.
    Yanay is the first child for De Gea and his pop star partner Edurne.

    BAILLY OUT WITH COVID-19
    Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tonight revealed Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly will be out “a little while” after testing positive for Covid-19.
    The Ivory Coast star, 26, is said to be still out of the country due to contracting the coronavirus.
    Bailly was already struggling to break up Harry Maguire’s defensive partnership with Victor Lindelof, having been troubled with injuries this season.
    Eric Bailly has suffered another blow in his troubled season, contracting coronavirusCredit: Getty
    POTTER: I THOUGHT IT WAS A PENALTY
    Brighton boss Graham Potter admits he thought Danny Welbeck HAD won a penalty in the latest VAR controversy – before United battled back for victory.
    Brighton’s United old boy scorer Welbeck seemed goalbound when he faltered under the challenge of Harry Maguire but the Seagulls’ fierce appeals were rejected, including after replays.
    Potter told the BBC: “When it was live I thought it was a penalty then I suppose it’s the clear and obvious debate. If Mike Dean had given it I don’t think VAR would have over-ruled it.”
    He added: “We contributed well in the game. We took the lead and were probably the team which carried the most threat in the first half.
    “We just missed that final pass. Man Utd responded in the second half without creating too many chances.”
    Load more entries… More

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    Jesse Lingard and Tricks of the Light

    Be patient, West Ham’s David Moyes said when he signed the out-of-favor forward from Manchester United in January. Both are already reaping the rewards.For possibly the first and only time this season, David Moyes was wrong. As the January transfer window drew to a close, his West Ham side had agreed on a deal to sign Jesse Lingard on loan from Manchester United, and Moyes was keen to stave off the Premier League’s proclivity for rushing to judgment.As far as Moyes was concerned, Lingard was a smart option. He was well aware that what his team needed more than anything was a striker: Sebastian Haller had left for Ajax, leaving the redoubtable Michail Antonio as the club’s only specialist forward. And even he, strictly speaking, was a late-in-life sort of a striker.The problem, as Moyes put it, was a scarcity of plug-and-play replacements on the market. Lingard, he said, might offer a way to think around the problem. He could play as a forward if necessary, but he could also play wide right, wide left, or in a deeper role through the middle. With West Ham chasing a place in Europe for next season, that versatility made him a great value.Not everyone saw it that way. The reaction to Lingard’s arrival at West Ham was mixed. In English soccer’s ever-voluble punditocracy, its content-industrial complex, some saw him as a “diamond.” Others questioned whether a player who had been an outcast at Manchester United would be “good enough” to earn a place at West Ham.As he fell out of favor at Manchester United, Lingard became the butt of jokes.Carl Recine/ReutersA former teammate, Rio Ferdinand — long before he produced what may be the most extraordinary take of the season, on any subject, in any sport — had always been a staunch supporter of Lingard, but even he could see the player was a polarizing figure. He had, he said, “argued with pundit after pundit, on air and off air,” over the 28-year-old Lingard’s merits.Moyes knew all of that, and so he asked for patience. “It will take him a little bit of time to settle, so let’s give him a chance,” he said a couple of days after Lingard arrived. And that is where he was wrong, because 24 hours later, Lingard was busy scoring twice on his West Ham debut, inspiring a rout of Aston Villa, and looking for all the world like the best player on the field.Since then, Lingard has hardly stopped. He did not, it turns out, need any time to settle at all. He has five goals in seven appearances for West Ham, the sort of form that has not only persuaded Moyes to attempt to sign him on a permanent deal but that has attracted the attentions of Leicester City and Aston Villa, too. This week, he returned to the England squad for the first time in two years.Lingard’s form drew the attention of the England coaching staff, which called him up for this week’s World Cup qualifiers.Pool photo by Carl RecineReputations rise and fall precipitously in soccer, but even by those standards, Lingard’s transformation, what he has described as his “new lease of life,” is eye-catching. He had not just become a bit-part player in Manchester United’s eyes; he had, to the wider world, become something close to a figure of fun.Every month, a meme borrowed from the influential, worryingly prescient British comedy series “The Day Today” made its way round Twitter, asking if Lingard had scored or assisted on a league goal over the last four weeks. It had been started innocently enough, but, as is the way of things on social media, had been co-opted by cruelty.The joke, of course, was that he never did. Lingard had enjoyed one golden month in December 2018, scoring four goals and creating two others, but had done nothing before or since. His reputation had been built on the exception, rather than the rule.That the impression stuck was, at least in part, because Lingard was seen as fair game for mockery. Partly, that was through no fault of his own. Pundits assailed him for his extracurricular business interests. The news media, meanwhile, bizarrely insisted on identifying him as a young prospect, long after he had outgrown that particular label. Fans, at least some, objected to his performed, public persona, particularly online.And partly, he did not help himself. It is deeply unfair and moderately pompous to judge a young man for expressing his personality, but at the same time it seems likely that the elaborate goal celebrations, the social media antics and the use of the nickname J-Lingz did not help others take him seriously. Lingard, to some extent, was complicit in his Peter Panning.By January this year, the combination of all those factors seemed to have brought Lingard’s career to a standstill. He had barely played for Manchester United, despite, in his view, the fact that he had returned from lockdown in good form and fine fettle. The only clubs interested in handing him a second chance were West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United — the transfer market’s last refuge of the damned — and, thanks to the fact that Moyes had worked with him at Old Trafford eight years ago, West Ham.The evidence of the last three months is that he chose correctly. Some credit for Lingard’s renaissance, of course, must go to Moyes, who has filled him with trust and confidence, and provided a space in which he can thrive. Much of it, too, must go to Lingard. He has a whiteboard on the wall at his home filled with a set of targets for him to achieve, including the number of shots he takes, the number of players he beats. In private, he is clearly very serious about his career.But there is a lesson in Lingard’s story, too. More than one, in fact. The first is an old one: that, in soccer, the stage matters as much as the ability of the actor. Players thrive and talent shines in a conducive environment; being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people is as important as an individual’s baseline of talent.Trust me, David Moyes told critics of his decision to acquire Lingard. He knew the player from his brief tenure at Manchester United.Pool photo by Justin SetterfieldThe second lesson is that perception can be skewed by circumstance, that it is too easily forgotten that the higher up soccer’s pyramid one goes, the thinner the air. It is easy to forget that only players of the very highest quality are good enough to be surplus to requirements at Manchester United and the rest of Europe’s rarefied elite.Too often, there is an assumption that those who fail to make the grade at Old Trafford or the Bernabéu or the Allianz Arena have been exposed as talentless hacks, a curling of the nose at the idea of signing another team’s rejects.The reality is not only different, it is the precise opposite: A player who has survived for as long as Lingard did at Manchester United will stand out, in fertile soil, almost anywhere else. Perhaps Lingard was not good enough, not any more, for the club where he started his career. That he was, at one time, should have been reason enough to take him more seriously than we did.Postponing ProblemsBurak Yilmaz and Turkey opened World Cup qualifying with a win over the Netherlands in Istanbul. South America’s players had the week off.Pool photo by Murad SezerThe managers of Europe’s elite clubs would hardly have been alone at breathing a sigh of relief, a couple of weeks ago, when South America’s soccer authorities confirmed the round of World Cup qualifiers scheduled to be held this week would be postponed.It is precisely the outcome Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp and several of their peers had wanted, of course, and it was the correct course of action from a public health perspective. But they were not the only beneficiaries.A two-week break in this most frantic of seasons will be of considerable benefit to those players who would, otherwise, have been traveling thousands of miles to play two matches inside five days. It is an unexpected blessing in a campaign that has pushed those whose job it is to play the game to their limits. Weary bodies will have had time to rest and repair. Tired minds will have had chance to reset.There is, though, a drawback. Obviously there is a drawback. And it is that those games now have to be slotted in somewhere else, and the calendar is no less forgiving once this season is finished.There is little space to play the postponed fixtures this summer. South America’s teams already have two delayed qualifiers to play in early June, squeezed in before yet another Copa América. (There is, as we have seen previously, always a Copa América. But don’t worry, they’ve changed this one, altering the format to make it worse.) And there is little room to breathe next season, with the schedule compressed anyway by the looming logistical problems of a mid-season World Cup at the end of 2022.We have learned this lesson before, of course, but it bears repeating: There is too little slack in soccer’s calendar. What is dressed up as compromise is, in reality, often nothing more than greed, every interested party happy to sign up to anything as long as they get what they want. And, at the end of it all, the people who suffer are the ones who have to fulfill these ludicrous schedules: the players.In Case You Missed It: U.S. 4, Jamaica 1Christian Pulisic newsletter klaxon: The United States, playing regulars like Pulisic and Sergino Dest, left, but also the newcomer Yunus Musah, right, thumped Jamaica, 4-1, in a friendly on Thursday in Vienna.Jakub Sukup/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe Reward and the RiskTo many in women’s soccer in England, Monday was a day of vindication. After months of negotiation, the Women’s Super League — regarded by many, now, as the finest domestic competition on the planet — confirmed that it had agreed to a three-year television deal with Sky and the BBC, one that will earn its clubs almost $11 million per season.The triumphalism is, in large part, warranted. Nobody will pay more to broadcast women’s soccer anywhere in the world. Sky has promised to give the W.S.L.’s games the same treatment — hope you like bombast and slow-motion montages, W.S.L. fans! — that it affords the Premier League. It is a level of exposure and, bluntly, revenue that those who have worked tirelessly to advance the women’s game deserve.The hope, of course, is that the new deal will kick-start a virtuous circle: more investment means better facilities; better facilities attract (and produce, the thinking goes, though whether that part is correct or not is debatable) better players; better players lead to better games; better games attract more viewers; and more viewers lead to more investment.There are, though, two notes of caution worth considering. The first is that the W.S.L. is, increasingly, dominated by two clubs: Manchester City and Chelsea, two teams that have packed their rosters with international players. Indeed, lack of competitive balance is as much an issue for the women’s game as it is the men’s.A new television deal will expose more fans to Women’s Super League stars like Chelsea’s Sam Kerr. But it’s important that the money trickles down, too.Mike Egerton/Press Association, via Associated PressWill this television deal give their rivals the resources to compete, or will it simply entrench their dominance? In the longer term, too, will the money not incentivize clubs simply to buy in talent, rather than develop homegrown players, a problem that men’s soccer has had to wrestle with for years?And second, and more pressing: Though the free-to-air BBC will be showing a handful of games (and matches will be streamed by the Football Association itself), the vast majority will be on cable, effectively paywalled off from consumers.Sports that have a far larger popular following than women’s soccer currently enjoys — including cricket and Formula 1 — have found that can be an obstacle to building, or even retaining, an audience. This W.S.L. deal is rich reward for all those involved in the undoubted success of women’s soccer in recent years. But lack of access is not, necessarily, a price worth paying.CorrespondenceRodrygo, right, and Vinicius Júnior were two significant investments in Real Madrid’s future.Juanjo Martin/EPA, via ShutterstockLast week’s column on the folly of signing Eden Hazard prompted an impassioned and, if we are all completely honest, quite accurate defense of Real Madrid’s transfer dealings from Sebastian Royo.“If you look at the players they have hired in the last few years — Vinicius, Rodrygo, Luka Jovic, Martin Odegaard, Ferland Mendy — they are all in their teens or early 20s,” Sebastian wrote. “If anything, Real can be accused of getting players who are too young and not ready to start, and not giving them enough opportunity to play and grow.”This is a valid rebuttal. Real Madrid has spent a lot of money on young talent; so, for that matter, has Barcelona. But perhaps the problem is that, at the same time, both teams have been unable to resist signing ready-made superstars, which has to some extent limited the young players’ chances.A great point, too, from David Hamlyn on the surprisingly enervating issue of quick free kicks’ being discouraged. “In this era of scripted play, the offensive side will still want to do their setup, thereby slowing play down,” he noted. This is right, I think: Teams work doggedly on set plays. I’m not sure they would automatically take them quickly, even if they could do so more easily.Lynton Smith was in touch on the evergreen subject of video assistant referees and offside, which I’ll be returning to again in the near future — put a note in your diaries for that one — but one (throwaway) comment caught my eye. “We want as many goals in the game as we can,” Lynton wrote, “and the new precision disallows goals which in the past would have stood.” I don’t know if I agree with that assertion. Do we want as many goals as we can? Would that not make them less special? Is the gratification not in the delay?And finally, Atticus Proctor asks a very good question. “Why is soccer so obsessed with always restructuring its tournaments and leagues? I’m only 25, but just in recent memory, Concacaf has restructured World Cup qualification, teams were added to the European Championships and the World Cup, the Nations League was created, and the Champions League has changed format four times since 1999.”The glib answers, obviously, would be a) to make more money and b) to reflect the ever-shifting currents of the sport’s politics. But the endless flux is, in itself, interesting, because I wonder to what extent a prior willingness to be flexible leads to an assumption that everything is permanently up for grabs. More

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    Thomas Partey omitted from Ghana squad after Arsenal block international call-up due to Covid quarantine rules

    ARSENAL midfielder Thomas Partey has been omitted from Ghana’s squad for their upcoming fixtures due to coronavirus quarantine rules.The £45million signing from Atletico Madrid has been left out of the squad as the Black Stars are set to play South Africa in their latest African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
    Arsenal have blocked Thomas Partey from linking up with the Ghana squadCredit: Rex
    The midfielder will miss the Black Stars’ upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifiersCredit: AFP
    South Africa is currently on the United Kingdom’s ‘red list’ of countries, meaning all arrivals from the Rainbow Nation must isolate for 10 days.
    Despite strong calls, the Government have opted not to give international footballers exemptions from the quarantine rules.
    With the prospect of Partey having to spend ten days in isolation before he’s allowed to return to training, Arsenal have opted to block the 27-year-old from linking up with his countrymen.
    That means he’ll miss Ghana’s AFCON qualifiers against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.
    Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Championship outfit Swansea City have also blocked brothers Jordan Ayew and Andre Ayew from linking up with their international team-mates.
    Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham have also prevented a number of their players from leaving for international duty.
    Earlier this month, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel said: “I am absolutely worried because my target is to play Premier League and if I have players in quarantine, I cannot build a group, the group that we want.
    “This is the risk. I’m absolutely worried about this situation.
    FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

    “But I’m also sure that the club knows how to handle it and if it is the consequence that players cannot go, then this is the consequence.
    “The situation is extraordinary, we have to adapt and we will do this as a club.
    “And we will take these decisions when we have to because we are very concerned about the situation.”
    The Government’s strict quarantine rules for those returning from ‘red list’ countries have wreaked havoc with the South American World Cup qualifiers.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

    Due to a slew of players being unable to travel to the continent without having to undergo a period of isolation upon their return, CONMEBOL – the South American Confederation – opted to cancel their latest round of qualifiers.
    The postponement of this month’s qualifiers saw the footy fans miss out on a number of tasty matches, including Brazil versus Argentina.
    Argentina’s clash with Uruguay also fell victim to the postponement, as well as Brazil’s trip to Colombia.

    Thomas Partey admits he has struggled to adapt to Arsenal tactics since transfer More

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    P.S.G. Robberies Cast Light on Soccer's Security Problem

    A string of robberies at the homes of soccer stars has cast a spotlight on the wealthy athlete’s newest luxury items: protection dogs, private guards and even panic rooms.Ángel Di María got the news as soon as he stepped off the field. Pulling him in the middle of a tie game appeared to make little sense, but Paris St.-Germain’s coach quickly provided an explanation: Di María’s wife had called the team’s security officer. He needed to get home immediately. His family’s house had just been robbed.His teammate Marquinhos received a similar message almost as soon as Sunday’s game ended: A property he had bought for his parents outside the city also had been targeted by intruders, and his father had been involved in a physical altercation with the robbers.A third P.S.G. player, striker Mauro Icardi, would have understood the emotions each player was feeling: Less than two months ago, Icardi’s home was ransacked while he was away at a game. That day, according to news media reports, the thieves left with designer clothing, jewelry and watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.The millionaire stars of P.S.G., though, are not the only soccer players being targeted by criminals for whom matches have increasingly become lucrative opportunities. In recent years, sophisticated operators have mined published match schedules and social media postings almost as a guidebook in their schemes to pilfer the trappings of fame and wealth belonging to some of soccer’s biggest names.For years, gangs in England have targeted the manicured neighborhoods and luxury high-rises that are home to the stars of clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool. Last May, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez told the police he had lost items worth hundreds of thousands of dollars when his apartment was raided. Only weeks earlier, the Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli revealed that he had been roughed up by robbers inside his London home.But as the latest P.S.G. cases showed, home invasions are not only a Premier League problem. In Spain, the police broke up a crime ring that they said had targeted the homes of players from clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona. In Italy, the American midfielder Weston McKennie told ESPN that he had designer clothes and other items stolen while he played for Juventus in a cup match.The Spanish police broke up a criminal gang that had targeted the homes of players in 2019.Nacho Izquierdo/EPA, via ShutterstockWith similar home invasions becoming more common — Everton goalkeeper Robin Olsen reportedly was robbed by masked intruders wielding machetes earlier this month — rich athletes are increasingly expanding their lists of must-have luxury items to include not only expensive jewelry and the latest electronics but also fearsome dogs, private guards and even panic rooms. “It’s a problem here for footballers because everyone knows where they will be,” said Paul Weldon, the managing director of The Panic Room Company, an English firm that now counts several Premier League stars among its high-net-worth clients.“It’s become normal,” Weldon said of the safe rooms his company manufactures and installs. “When a client is going to build or restore a property it’s on a tick list: sauna, swimming pool, four-car garage, bowling alley and a panic room.”Weldon said his company also can retrofit safe rooms into existing properties; typical locations include walk-in closets and utility spaces. Prices start from around $50,000 but can rise to as much as $1 million, depending on the requirements of his clients. The most expensive panic room Weldon’s company had been asked to supply, he said, included multiple generators, air conditioning units and protection from biological and chemical attacks. The room would be able to sustain life for more than a month, he said.Other players have taken a more warm-blooded approach. Months after Tottenham’s Alli was robbed of watches and other items by knife-wielding attackers, he was photographed walking a Doberman guard dog he had purchased after the robbery.Dogs like Alli’s are so commonplace among soccer stars that Richard Douglas, the co-founder of a company, Chaperone K9, that trains protection dogs, said his business now can count at least one client at every Premier League club.The company’s website is filled — perhaps not accidentally — by photos of current and former Premier League stars posing with their specially trained dogs. Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling and Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings acquired their Rottweilers through the company, and the West Ham captain Mark Noble posed for a photo on a bench between his two large shepherds. He loved the first one so much, Noble said, that he bought a second.Douglas said his family-run business has flourished since it made its first sale in 2011, to the former West Ham and Fulham striker Bobby Zamora. “Our market is tailored more to footballers because they come straight from friends who are also footballers,” Douglas said. “The trust in that little circle is benefit for us.”A typical guard dog takes as long as two years to train from the time it is a puppy, and the service is often extremely personal. Douglas said that he only deals directly with players and their families; emissaries like agents are told that they cannot buy dogs on behalf of their clients.“We need to know the level of understanding of dogs, their strength of character, what breed they can keep up with,” Douglas said. He tells clients, “I have to meet you to prepare the dog for you.”Prices for highly trained protection dogs often start at around $50,000 and increase depending on the dog’s pedigree and lineage. (Some players, ever competitive, now angle to have the best in class.) And while Douglas declined to provide specific details, he said there had been several examples when the dogs have proved their value.“It’s just done what it’s supposed to do,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of dogs bite and others warn people off.”“If an armed gang arrives with bats and machetes,” Douglas added, “you’re going to need a next level of dog that doesn’t fear that kind of aggression but runs toward it.”In Paris, police and club officials were still trying to piece together what happened last Sunday night. Contrary to initial news reports, Di María’s wife was not attacked by the thieves, and only noticed a theft from the family safe after they had gone, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation. Frightened, she immediately contacted a club official, who raised the alarm with P.S.G.’s head of security.That led to a call — caught on video — to the team’s sporting director, who shouted down from the stands to Coach Mauricio Pochettino. He quickly agreed to remove Di María from the game.Like all of the club’s players, Di María would have received a security briefing, including a site visit to his home and advice about security measures, when he joined P.S.G. But the club typically leaves decisions on additional security measures to the players and their families; its biggest stars, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, employ private personal security teams.Jonathan Barnett, a leading soccer agent whose client roster includes Dele Alli’s Tottenham teammate Gareth Bale, said some of the athletes he represents do the same after they have been victims of burglaries.“The top guys have their own security, especially when they’re away from their wives and families,” Barnett said.The Tottenham star Dele Alli was assaulted by robbers who broke into his London home last year.Alex Livesey/Pool, via ReutersStill, in the wake of the most recent robberies, P.S.G.’s management has decided, at least in the short term, to provide extra security around the properties of first-team players whenever the club plays. A club spokesman declined to answer questions about the measures or the robberies, saying the team does not comment on security matters.But its decision will be similar to those already made by several top Premier League teams, who are well aware that their player’s movements are increasingly documented in real time on social media platforms, including when they are staying in hotels, arriving at training session or traveling to games.As well as routine patrols around players homes, an official at a top English team said, most top clubs now invest significant sums of money in hiring in-house security experts to provide advice.“We have learned the corrosive impact these kind of things can have on players, particularly recent recruits,” said the Premier League team official, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly about team security. “It can really unsettle a player, and then they will have family members saying they don’t want to be here.” More

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    How David Beckham’s Inter Miami could line-up under Phil Neville with Ryan Shawcross and Kieran Gibbs transfers wanted

    PHIL NEVILLE is keen to make his mark in Miami with a number of new signings.The former England women’s boss has taken charge of David Beckham’s MLS team.
    Here’s one way Inter Miami could line-up next season
    Neville and Becks are on a mission to recreate Manchester United’s Class of 92 at Inter Miami.
    And the new manager knows exactly what he needs to get the club firing on all cylinders.
    Ryan Shawcross is keen to end his 14-year spell with Stoke to sign for the American side.
    The former Manchester United man remains under contract with the Potters until June – but could terminate his deal early.
    The 33-year-old wants game time as he has played just twice in the Championship this season.
    Ex-Arsenal star Kieran Gibbs has also emerged as a transfer target for the MLS side.
    The 31-year-old full-back’s contract with West Brom expires at the end of the season.
    Reports say that Gibbs has already ‘verbally agreed’ his move to the MLS.
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    Kieran Gibbs has reportedly agreed a deal verbally with Inter MiamiCredit: Rex Features
    Ryan Shawcross arrived at Stoke from Manchester United in 2007Credit: Alamy Live News
    He has made ten Premier League appearances for the Baggies during the 2020-21 campaign.
    The two Premier League stars could slot straight into Neville’s starting XI next term.
    With Blaise Matuidi in midfield and Gonzalo Higuain up top, Miami would be stronger than ever.

    England legend Beckham recently sunk another £11.2million to increase his stake in the side.
    The 45-year-old had a glittering career as a footballer and he is determined to replicate that success as a football club owner.
    His team finished tenth in the Eastern Conference last season with just seven wins from 23 matches.
    David Beckham’s Inter Miami face name change after losing first round of bitter legal battle with Inter Milan More