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      Real Madrid target Mbappe, Camavinga & Alaba transfers as well as new contracts for THREE first-team stars in huge 2021

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      REAL MADRID are targeting transfers for Kylian Mbappe, Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba, according to reports.
      And the Spanish giants also want to tie three first-team stars down to new contracts in what would be a bumper 2021.

      Real Madrid want to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain this summerCredit: Reuters

      David Alaba is expected to join for free after failing to agree a new deal with Bayern MunichCredit: EPA

      According to AS, Los Blancos hope to make a move for the Paris Saint-Germain forward in the summer – although they may face competition from Liverpool.
      Real were desperate for Mbappe, 22, to refrain from signing a new contract at the Ligue 1 champions – and so far he has not put pen to paper.
      That means by the end of this season, he will have just 12 months remaining on his deal.
      His price tag remains unclear and new boss Mauricio Pochettino will be determined to keep one of the world’s best players in his squad.

      But the LaLiga title holders have made their desire no secret and want to line Mbappe, Eden Hazard and Erling Haaland – a 2022 target to coincide with Karim Benzema’s contract expiry – up front together.
      Zinedine Zidane is also keen on Camavinga, the highly-rated 18-year-old Rennes midfielder who already has three senior French caps.
      Like Mbappe, he is out of contract in 18 months – but has recently switched agents to sign with Jonathan Barnett, who looks after Gareth Bale.
      The only problem could be cash, with the Mbappe fee potentially ruling out any further purchases.

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      That will not be a problem when landing Alaba, though, with the Bayern Munich defender, 28, set to leave the German outfit when his deal runs out this summer.
      Plenty of top clubs are chasing his signature but it is understood the Bernabeu side are in pole position.
      Real Madrid are set for a loss of £81million and were keen to cut player salaries by ten per cent – a proposal rejected by the squad on the grounds that if there is money for new signings, there is money for their wages to be paid in full.
      But as well as new signings planned for the summer, the board are trying to secure three key players’ futures to the club.
      Sergio Ramos, 34, and Luka Modric, 35, have more than 1,000 appearances between them for Madrid.
      Both are into the final six months of their contracts and Real do not want to lose two such key individuals from the changing room.
      Lucas Vazquez, 29, was expected to be let go when his deal expires at the end of June.
      But he has started the last 16 matches under Zidane and is suddenly an integral member of the team again – and one the Frenchman would prefer to stay.

      Eduardo Camavinga is set to leave Rennes after appointing Jonathan Barnett as his new agentCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez are all out of contract at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Ramos is one of Real Madrid’s top earners but is demanding more to stay on for a further two years, claim reports

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      Lionel Messi could be convinced to snub Man City transfer and stay at Barcelona thanks to ‘Andres Iniesta clone’ Pedri

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      LIONEL MESSI may be convinced to stay at Barcelona by ‘Andres Iniesta clone’ Pedri, according to reports.
      The Argentine outlined his desire to leave Catalonia last summer.

      Pedri and Lionel Messi have hit the ground running as team-matesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      But when it became apparent that he would have to take his boyhood club to court in order to force an immediate transfer, he opted to stay put for another year.
      Messi, 33, is still widely expected to leave upon the expiry of his contract in June – with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain sniffing around.
      But according to the Mail, the progress of summer recruit Pedri could convince him to stay.
      While Barcelona’s transfer policy has taken a battering in recent years, following a string of high-profile flops, they appear to have struck gold with Pedri.

      Arriving from Las Palmas for just £4.5million, the attacking midfielder wasn’t exactly a big-name star signing.
      But more so than the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho in recent years, the 18-year-old has hit the ground running.
      And his amazing football IQ appears to be in sync with Messi – as was in evidence on Wednesday night against Athletic Bilbao.
      Having already opened the scoring with a header, Pedri then set up Messi with an amazing back-heeled pass.

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      Messi bagged a brace against BilbaoCredit: Reuters

      After the 3-2 win, the youngster said of his assist: “It all happened really quickly.
      “He played the ball to me from behind and then he said something to me, if he doesn’t say anything then I don’t see his run. I saw that the keeper had come out so I played him in and he scored.”
      And Albert Benaiges, the coach that discovered Barcelona legend Iniesta, believes that the pair have similarities.
      He said: “He is intelligent. Technically he is very good and although he is not aggressive he works hard.
      “In that sense he is a lot like Andres. And they are alike in the way they are as people. The way they get along with team-mates inside the dressing room.”

      Messi and Iniesta dominated Europe as team-matesCredit: AFP – Getty

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      Cristiano Ronaldo boasts most social media followers by 200MILLION as just three Premier League stars break into top 10

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO boasts the most social media followers of all the footballers in the world.
      And he has a staggering 200million more across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram than anyone else.

      With a total of 465,000,000 Cristiano Ronaldo boasts 200m more social media followers than any other footballerCredit: Reuters

      The Juventus forward, 35, pops up on 124m Facebook feeds, 90m users’ Twitter timelines and his photos appear to a whopping 251m people on Instagram.
      Other than Instagram’s own Instagram account with 382m followers, Ronaldo’s page is the most followed of anyone in the world – beating the likes of Ariana Grande and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to top spot.
      It means Ronaldo has a total of 465m social media followers.
      His great rival Lionel Messi is way back on 265m thanks to his 90m Facebook followers and 175m on Instagram, placing him eighth on the worldwide list despite ‘vanishing’ last year.

      However, the gap would be a lot tighter than 200m if Messi had Twitter, with the ratios suggesting the Argentine would have around 65m followers.
      Messi pips former team-mate Neymar in second, with the Paris Saint-Germain star boasting a total of 254m, 144m of which are on Insta.
      Then it is a long way back to fourth place with Everton and Colombia hero James Rodriguez.
      His 31m Facebook, 19m Twitter and 45m Instagram followers make up 96m.

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      Rodriguez’s ex-Real Madrid pals Gareth Bale (88m) and Sergio Ramos (83m) come in fifth and sixth respectively.
      Serie A’s other representative, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is next with 79m followers.
      The Sweden hero edges Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil who has 78m – 31m on Facebook, 25m enjoying his timely tweets about the Gunners and 22m on Instagram.
      Completing the top ten are Los Blancos left-back Marcelo with 77m and Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez on 73m.
      Interestingly, all of the group have played for Barcelona or Real Madrid, demonstrating the global following of the LaLiga giants.
      Kylian Mbappe may have 46m Instagram followers – more than four on the list – but just 8m across the other two.
      Incredibly, retired David Beckham would go straight into fourth with his 65m Instagram followers and on 51m Facebook, totalling 116m despite not having Twitter.

      Mesut Ozil loves a timely tweet when Arsenal are playing to his 25m followers

      Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar are all in the top tenCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Gareth Bale may be back on loan at Tottenham but, like the rest of the list, has played for Real Madrid or BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Longest running transfer sagas that still drag on from Perisic to the Prem, Ronaldo back at Man Utd to Dost to Newcastle

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      IT’S January and that can only mean one thing – the football transfer rumour mill has kicked back into overdrive.
      For the most part, market gossip is a fun distraction from match action and a glimpse into a club’s spending plans.

      Will Cristiano Ronaldo ever return to Old Trafford?Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      However, some rumours come up time and time again, refusing to go away.
      Granted, occasionally these sagas do actually come off. Gareth Bale did actually return to Tottenham. Antoine Griezmann did actually sign for Barcelona.
      But for all of these proper endings are dozens of non-starters that become jokes in their own right, just ask Leandro Damiao and Tottenham.
      Here, SunSport details the long-running rumours that continue to this day – and show little sign of going away.

      Cristiano Ronaldo to Man Utd
      As Real Madrid have found since Ronaldo left for Juventus two years ago, replacing the Portuguese forward is really hard.
      Manchester United have enjoyed Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie’s best efforts but, in recent years, an all-conquering world-class forward has been missing at Old Trafford.
      So why not bring back Ronaldo?
      It is no surprise that the 35-year-old has been endlessly linked with his old team, with Patrice Evra once claiming a 2013 return was on the agenda and talk of a possible return in virtually every window since.

      Ivan Perisic to the Premier League
      The phrase ‘Spurs linked with Perisic’ could could have been a headline at any point in the last decade.
      But, reports on the continent believe it could FINALLY be happening with the winger currently plying his trade at Inter Milan.
      As a decent attacker for various European clubs, yet one who is oddly plausible and seemingly affordable, Perisic has refused to budge out of gossip columns.
      Arsenal, Chelsea and, in particular, Manchester United have all been touted for a move that stubbornly continues to not happen.

      Ivan Perisic has long been talked up for a move to EnglandCredit: EPA
      Bas Dost to Newcastle
      Good news for Newcastle fans came last month when Dutch marksman Dost completed a move to Club Brugge.
      It meant this month would not feature a refresh of the rumours linking the Toon with the striker.
      Dost has made a career out of scoring a mountain of goals for well-known clubs that nonetheless miss out on entering the elite, making him a natural target for Newcastle.
      If the 31-year-old starts hitting the net in Belgium, you can guess what will happen next.

      Bas Dost was once a very familiar name to Newcastle fansCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Kalidou Koulibaly to Man City
      The following fees have been reported on in Manchester City’s pursuit of Napoli star Koulibaly: £54million, £59m, £67.5m, £72m, £81m, £90m and £110m.
      The actual amount of money City have handed the Italian club: £0.
      Staunch Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis is as a tough negotiator who will not give ground in negotiations.
      And yet he admitted in September that he regrets turning down one mega offer: “I was incorrect not to sell Koulibaly for £110m.”
      It means the talk of a deal continues to this day.

      Kalidou Koulibaly has made himself into one of the world’s top defenders at NapoliCredit: Sportphoto24/Giuseppe Maffia
      Neymar to Barcelona
      Neymar was unveiled as Paris Saint-Germain’s world record signing from Barcelona three years, five months and two days ago.
      The first report of him heading back to the Camp Nou landed roughly three years, five months and one day ago.
      Football fans, pundits and journalists worldwide have long struggled with the Brazilian’s plan of leaving one incredibly massive club to sign for one slightly-less incredibly massive club.
      Indeed, Neymar himself appeared to want a return in 2019 before a complex deal collapsed, with there still talk of a deal today.

      Barcelona were caught out by PSG’s shock £198m move for Neymar in 2017Credit: AFP or licensors
      Paul Pogba to Juventus
      Manchester United’s relationship with Pogba has always been complicated.
      As a world record capture four-and-a-half years ago, the midfielder has struggled to consistently hit the form he showed at Juventus.
      The Old Lady, along with Real Madrid, have constantly been touted for an ambitious swoop to return the player to his natural home ever since.
      Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has only fuelled the rumour mill.

      Paul Pogba’s Man Utd future continues to be cast in doubtCredit: EPA
      Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid
      We’ve all seen the picture of a young Kylian Mbappe, sat in his bedroom, his walls plastered with posters of Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Madrid.
      It is inevitable therefore, that the PSG forward would cut ties with the club who has helped turn him into a world superstar and sign for Los Blancos.
      Many in Spain see it as the natural order of things, especially with French icon Zinedine Zidane in charge at the Bernabeu.
      Alas, Mbappe has still not signed a new PSG contract and the only acts that can end this rumour are him signing for Real or retiring.

      Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival in Paris may help tempt Kylian Mbappe into stayingCredit: Reuters

      Lionel Messi to Man City
      Manchester City’s interest in Messi did not start when they tried to take advantage of last summer’s contract saga.
      Nor did it begin with Pep Guardiola’s arrival as coach.
      No, it’s been claimed that City owner Sheikh Mansour vowed to sign Messi after taking over the club in 2008.
      12 years on, at the very least, this epic tale will find its conclusion when the out-of-contract Argentine either commits to Barcelona or heads for pastures new in the summer.

      PSG and MLS have also been linked with Lionel MessiCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Zinedine Zidane could MISS next two Real Madrid games because of coronavirus risk

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      ZINEDINE ZIDANE could miss Real Madrid’s next two matches after a close contact contracted coronavirus, according to reports.
      The Spanish champions face crunch clashes away at Osasuna on Saturday and then at home to Athletic Bilbao next Thursday.

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      Zinedine Zidane is at risk of missing two Real Madrid matches after a positive coronavirus case in his close circle at the clubCredit: Reuters
      But according to La Sexta, the manager could be forced to stay at home – especially for the first.
      The report states Zidane was made aware of a positive case when he arrived at the club’s Valdebebas training ground on Thursday morning.
      The Frenchman did not take training once he learned the news of the confirmed case.

      He has undertaken the mandatory Covid-19 test 48 hours prior to a match as well as another antigen test which came back negative.
      Should the initial PCR result be negative, it would be down to LaLiga to decide whether or not he can travel to Pamplona for Saturday’s league game.
      LaLiga protocols state Zidane should return a negative test and then another one three days later before being allowed to mix with others again – which would therefore be after the weekend game.
      Negative results should clear the Real boss to be at the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Bilbao in Malaga on Thursday.

      Spain has seen almost 2million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 51,000 deaths.

      Real Madrid are in strong form, winning seven of their last eight matches in all competitions.
      However, they are still two points adrift of LaLiga leaders and rivals Atletico, who have two games in hand on the reigning champions.

      Los Blancos have won seven of their last eight matches and are second in the LaLiga tableCredit: AFP or licensors

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      Lionel Messi now 97th most valuable footballer in world, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in 131st (but both trail Dan James)

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      LIONEL MESSI is now the world’s 97th most valuable footballer.
      Incredibly, Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself 131th with two of the greatest players of all time both trailing Manchester United bit-part player Daniel James.

      Daniel James is worth more than both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the latest CIES Football Observatory studyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      That is according to the latest CIES Football Observatory, whose algorithm uses such factors as performance, age and contract length, as well as club and country represented to determine an individual’s worth.
      Their findings placed Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford top of the pile at a whopping £150million, edging out Erling Haaland and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
      Bruno Fernandes, Kylian Mbappe and Jadon Sancho are also worth in excess of £130m.
      But it is the positioning of Messi and Ronaldo that raised plenty of eyebrows.

      Argentinian maestro Messi is way down at 97th on the list.
      No fewer than TEN Red Devils players are ahead of him – Rashford, Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Donny van de Beek, James, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Victor Lindelof.
      Welshman James is estimated to be valued at £55m, placing him 75th.
      In fact, United’s tally of ten players in the top 100 is more than any other club, with Barcelona second on nine.

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      But the reason for Messi’s lowly value of £48.8m is due to his contract at Barcelona expiring at the end of the season – meaning the 33-year-old’s value at the moment is almost entirely based on his quality alone.
      For Ronaldo, his £42.5m valuation is largely down to the fact he is 35 with little resale opportunity, despite the fact he continues to bang in the goals for fun.
      Ronaldo’s former side Real Madrid’s highest-ranked player is Federico Valverde 50th at £67m.
      Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Casemiro also edge into the top 100.
      But there is no place on that list for Neymar or Paul Pogba.
      Despite the pair’s latest transfers costing a world record £198m and British record £89m respectively, neither man gets in.

      Neymar should be in his prime aged 28 but is only worth between £27m and £36m – in part due to his injury record and contract expiring next year.
      For Pogba, 27, he is worth even less at £18m and £27m – presumably due to having 18 months left on his Old Trafford deal and the reality of underwhelming performances in recent years.
      Other surprises include Harry Kane (£97m) down in 19th, Virgil van Dijk (£75m) at 39th and 2020’s serial winner Robert Lewandowski (£65m) in 55th, two places ahead of Kevin De Bruyne (£64m).
      Nicolas Pepe (£53m) is 86th, some £52m short of Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka, while in-form Leicester winger Harvey Barnes completes the 100 at £48m.

      The list did not make pretty reading for Ronaldo (131st) or Messi (97th)Credit: Reuters

      Paul Pogba, left, did not make the list but Marcus Rashford topped the pile at a valuation of £150mCredit: Reuters

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      Barcelona ‘considering buying MLS franchise to help convince Lionel Messi to stay with new deal before heading to US’

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      BARCELONA would reportedly consider buying an MLS club to persuade Lionel Messi to stay with the club.
      Blaugrana presidential hopeful Xavi Vilajoana is behind the plan to fit in wtih the star striker’s dream of playing in the United States.

      Lionel Messi could see out his career in MLS after confirming his dream moveCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Messi’s contract runs out in June and, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain lurking, his future is up in the air.
      He recently said he was very keen to move to the States and play in the MLS before he retires.
      However this summer may be too early for the 33-year-old to head Stateside and AS report on a plan to keep the player in Spain until he is ready for the switch.
      Vilajoana is said to want an MLS franchise under the Barcelona umbrella, allowing a seamless transition across the Atlantic when Messi desires.

      The plan also involves re-signing Luis Suarez from Atletico Madrid to reunite the pair, who are best pals off the pitch and forged a hugely successful partnership on it.
      Buying an MLS team would be a hugely expensive process.

      When St Louis City and Sacramento Republic complete the 30-team league in 2023, no more franchises will be accepted – meaning Vilajoana would have to buy an existing team.
      Manchester City could already offer such a route for Messi given their ties with New York City FC.

      In fact, Barcelona attempted to land an MLS team under president Joan Laporta in 2009 but failed to agree a deal for a Miami-based club.
      Messi has reportedly already purchased a plush apartment in the city with David Beckham’s Inter Miami one club linked with the superstar.
      Speaking last month, the forward stated his desire to move to the USA.
      He told La Sexta: “I always wanted to live in the United States.
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      I can only imagine him in a Barcelona shirt and I’ll do everything possible to ensure he continues.
      Joan LaportaPresidential Candidate

      “It is a great country and I would like to play in Major League Soccer at some point, but not at this moment in my career.”
      Former president Laporta is back in the running to succeed Josep Maria Bartomeu in the elections on January 24.
      As the frontrunner for the post, the 58-year-old believes Messi will sign a new contract if he is part of a winning side.
      Laporta told The Guardian last month: “I can only imagine him in a Barcelona shirt and I’ll do everything possible to ensure he continues.
      “I know Leo and what he’s interested in is winning. The best players see immediately if the team is competitive.
      “It’s not about money, never has been; if it had, he would have taken very different decisions throughout his career.”

      Fellow candidate Agusti Benedito has admitted his ‘pessimism’ at keeping Messi past the summer.
      He told ESPN: “I would have liked him to say in his interview the other week that his desire is to stay at the club, but he didn’t and now we have to wait and see.
      “The truth is I am pessimistic. Remember that in August, he said he wanted to leave after 20 years and now he’s still not cleared up what he wants to do.
      “The most likely outcome I see is that he leaves us in the summer.”

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      Liverpool in contract ‘stalemate’ with Georginio Wijnaldum amid Barcelona free transfer interest and talks ongoing

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      LIVERPOOL midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is reportedly edging closer to an Anfield exit with contract talks said to have reached a stalemate.
      The 30-year-old is free to talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer at the end of the season having entered the last six months of his deal on Merseyside.

      Liverpool ace Georginio Wijnaldum continues to be linked with a move to BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Barcelona are known to be long-term admirers of the Holland international, with boss Ronald Koeman desperate to be reunited with him at the Nou Camp.
      It was claimed last month that the ex-Newcastle ace asked the Reds for more time before deciding on his future amid interest from the Blaugrana.
      And now Sky Sports have claimed that negotiations between the club and the player have reached a stalemate.
      They state that the Premier League and Champions League winner has been presented with a new offer, but he is yet to sign it.

      The report then adds that Wijnaldum is keen to remain at Liverpool, but wants his wages to reflect his importance in the team, and compare with the club’s top earners.
      Should no breakthrough be made, Liverpool could decide to cash in on the former PSV star who has appeared in all 17 top-flight games this term.
      Koeman signalled his intention to nab the player in November when he suggested that a future deal could be on the cards.
      Speaking to Sport, he said: “He’s very good.

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      “But he’s playing for Liverpool. He could be an option in the future. I can’t say more.”
      Inter Milan are also said to be keen on landing Wijnaldum as Antonio Conte looks to lure another player from England to Italy.
      And it has even been claimed that Liverpool are eyeing up a replacement for the midfielder having tracked the development of Brighton’s Yves Bissouma.
      ESPN have claimed that Jurgen Klopp is keeping tabs on the player who could cost in the region of £30million.

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