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      Ziyech’s PSG transfer officially OFF as football chiefs reject appeal for Chelsea star’s loan after paperwork shambles

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      HAKIM ZIYECH has seen his loan move to PSG officially collapse following a shambolic paperwork gaffe. The two clubs agreed a deal but Chelsea sent over the wrong documentation for Ziyech’s move, infuriating PSG.
      Hakim Ziyech has seen his loan move to PSG officially called offCredit: Getty
      In a desperate attempt to revive the transfer, the French champions submitted an appeal in order to get the move completed.
      But it has now been confirmed that the French FA decided the deal cannot go through, one day after the winter window shut.
      It was always going to be difficult for France’s governing body to grant PSG’s request.
      Although the LFP also had an issue on deadline day with some of their computer systems experiencing a breakdown.
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      It gave PSG some hope but the deal has since fallen through.
      Ziyech, 29, joined Chelsea in 2020 from Ajax and lifted the Champions League a year later.
      But under all three of his managers, Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and now Graham Potter, he has struggled to hold down a regular place.
      And his future in West London faced further doubt as billionaire Blues owner Todd Boehly splashed the cash in his first two transfer windows.
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      Just this month, he welcomed the attacking arrivals of Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, and David Datro Fofana.
      It leaves the likes of Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling sweating over their game time.
      And Chelsea also agreed a Premier League record signing of 2022 World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez for £107m from Benfica.
      World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez has signed for ChelseaCredit: PA More

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      Hakim Ziyech still hoping PSG loan transfer can be sealed after ‘circus’ Chelsea paperwork shambles as appeal is lodged

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      HAKIM ZIYECH is reportedly still hoping his Paris Saint-Germain loan transfer can still be completed with an appeal being lodged following paperwork shambles with Chelsea.The Moroccan, 29, looked set to seal a loan transfer away from Chelsea on deadline day with the Parisians closing in on his signature.
      PSG have submitted an appeal after Chelsea sent the wrong paperwork three times for Hakim Ziyech’s transferCredit: Getty
      However, Chelsea sent over the wrong documentation for Ziyech’s move three times, infuriating PSG, who described the situation as a “class A circus” to The Athletic.
      But according to L’Equipe, in a desperate attempt to steer the deal away from collapse, PSG have submitted an appeal in order to get the deal over the line.
      The expectation is that it will be difficult for France’s governing body, LFP, to grant PSG’s request.
      However, the LFP also had an issue on deadline day with some of their computer systems experiencing a breakdown – which could work in PSG’s favour.
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      Ziyech hasn’t hit the heights of his £35.3million 2020 transfer.
      The Morocco World Cup 2022 star has scored 14 and assisted 11 in 98 appearances for the Blues.
      Despite his personal struggles, he has won the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup during his two-and-a-half year stay at Stamford Bridge.
      Chelsea have also signed a number of players who can feature on the flanks.
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      Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana and Joao Felix can all play out wide.
      If Ziyech does manage to seal a transfer to the Parc des Princes, he will link up with Morocco team-mate Achraf Hakimi.
      Hakimi was just as important in Morocco’s run to the World Cup semi-finals last November-December.
      The right-back played in every game at the winter tournament, even scoring an audacious Panenka to win the penalty shootout against Spain.
      Hakim Ziyech’s Premier League stats More

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      Arsenal loanee Balogun reveals he copied Thierry Henry’s celebration after chatting to icon before Reim’s draw with PSG

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      ON-LOAN Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun copied Thierry Henry’s celebration following his latest strike for Reims – after a chat with the legend.The 21-year-old pounced in the sixth minute of additional time to earn the Ligue 1 club a draw at the home of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
      Folarin Balogun produced this celebration after his equaliser at PSGCredit: Twitter
      He spoke with French legend Thierry Henry before the game and decided to honour himCredit: Getty
      He then raced towards the corner flag and recreated one of Henry’s iconic celebrations from his time playing for France.
      Balogun took to social media after the game to share a twin-up of both his and Henry’s pose.
      And he captioned it with: “Spoke to Titi before the game! Only right I show my respect.”
      Balogun, who has scored seven in 13 caps for England U21s but is also eligible for both the USA and Nigeria at international level, joined Arsenal’s academy way back in 2008.
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      He has struggled to make the breakthrough at the Emirates at senior level, playing just twice in the Premier League.
      The forward spent the second half of last season in the Championship on loan at Middlesbrough and found the net three times.
      But after agreeing to spend the current campaign in France with Reims, he has discovered his goalscoring touch with 11 in 19 Ligue 1 appearances.
      After the game, Balogun’s manager William Still said of the ace: “He is a super complete striker, he is able to play with his back to goal, in depth. It is technically very clean. He scores, he is decisive.”
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      Premier League leaders Arsenal could certainly do with Balogun in their ranks at the moment.
      Despite being five points clear of Manchester City, they are without first-choice forward Gabriel Jesus through injury.
      That has left fellow youngster Eddie Nketiah, 23, to lead the line but he has been in fine form himself with seven goals in his last eight matches. More

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      Watch Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun score 96th-MINUTE equaliser against PSG… sparking wild touchline celebrations

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      FOLARIN BALOGUN continued his strong form in Ligue 1 by snatching a last-gasp equaliser against Paris Saint-Germain. The on-loan Arsenal ace has been in great form throughout the season for Reims, with his composed finish against Lionel Messi and Co showcasing his talent.
      Folarin Balogun snatched a point with a last-gasp equaliser against PSGCredit: Getty
      The goal sparked wild celebrations from Reims’ playersCredit: Getty
      The team’s managerial staff also got involved in the on-pitch partyCredit: Reuters
      After Neymar had fired the hosts into the lead early in the second half, Reims boss Will Still rolled the dice in an effort to take some of the spoils away from the Parc des Princes.
      And it was a stroke of genius as substitute Kamory Doumbia, 19, played a delightful pass beyond the PSG defence directly into the path of Balogun in the 96th minute.
      The 21-year-old then rounded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and smashed the ball into the back of the net to spark wild Reims celebrations.
      With his goal, Balogun has now scored 11 times in Ligue 1 this season.
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      He now sits only two goals behind superstar top-scorer Kylian Mbappe, and remarkably three goals AHEAD of World Cup winner Messi.
      Arsenal did consider recalling the Englishman from his loan owing to their fears over a lack of striker cover.
      But ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, they have thus far held off – partly thanks to the great form of Eddie Nketiah in the place of Gabriel Jesus.
      His manager will be desperate to keep him at the club to help them push into the top half of the table.
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      Still himself has a remarkable Football Manager-related story before getting the job at Reims, and owing to him being put in the position without a Uefa Pro Licence he is costing his club £22,000 per game.
      However, the cost of elevating the 30-year-old Englishman from assistant manager to manager in October has proven to be worth it, with the French outfit unbeaten in 12 games.
      Balogun’s performance against PSG More

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      Erik ten Hag tells Marcus Rashford to snub PSG transfer and help make Man Utd the best team in the WORLD again

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has been told to stick with Manchester United and help make them the best team in the world again.The striker has 18 months left on his contract with the club trying to tie him to a new long-term deal.
      Marcus Rashford has been sensational since the arrival of Erik ten HagCredit: AFP
      Paris Saint-Germain have already made known their interest in the in-form 25-year-old.
      But Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag insists the local lad can achieve all he wants in football if he sticks with the club where he grew up.
      Ten Hag said: “I hope that all our players can have interest from clubs because that means you are doing a good job, that the team is outperforming so that is what we are aiming for.
      “Then, I would say this is the best place to be because we want to construct the best team, first in England, then in Europe, then in the world.”
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      And Ten Hag says the way he is constructing that team is perfect for Rashford and the club.
      He said: “He understands Man Utd is his club, that’s first, but also, in this environment, in this team, he is playing his best football.
      “He is improving and that is about him because he’s working on the good things.
      “He is giving 100 per cent energy in it and he has a good plan and also in this team he can bring his qualities.
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      “So this team can help him be in the right position and to score goals, which he is good at. This team is constructed so that his qualities come to the fore and he knows that.
      “But, definitely yes, he is important for us and if we want to get the success we want, we need him.”
      They certainly would like one or two of his goals on Wednesday night at the City Ground in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest as he looks to add to his 17 for the season.
      Of those, nine have come in the last ten games since returning from the World Cup where he scored three for England.
      The Red Devils could do with Antony being on song as well after he came in for criticism during United’s 3-2 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.
      Ten Hag said: “He can do better.
      “I see space for improvement and we want him to be more direct, but the team is performing better if he is on the pitch and that is a good thing, a good base to build further on.”
      United take on Forest as they target a Wembley final against either Newcastle or Southampton and ending a trophy drought that stretches back to the Europa League triumph under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
      That barren run equals an unwanted 40-year record for the club after going without silverware between their FA Cup successes of 1977 and 1983.
      They have lost two finals since that 2017 triumph, in the FA Cup and Europa League, and fallen at the semi-final stage a further four times.
      Ten Hag said: “It is too long that this club didn’t win a trophy and it belongs to this club to win trophies so we have to get back on track.
      “It’s the best feeling you can have, winning a trophy, and I have the luck in my career to win some trophies and it’s magnificent, especially for the fans, it’s so great.
      “The fans here have some experience of this, especially the older ones.
      “But in this period Manchester United haven’t won trophies, it is too long ago. We are aware of that fact and we have to do it again.”
      Ten Hag says his Manchester United players will be motivated by a red hot atmosphere at The City Ground in their first game there for 24 years.
      Their last visit in 1999 saw the Red Devils run out 8-1 winners with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coming on as a substitute to score four.
      Ten Hag will be expecting a tighter game on Wednesday evening before a packed crowd on the banks of The Trent.
      He said: “It’s a long time ago United played there and when there is a fanatical audience it is nice to play in front of.
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      “It will be a good atmosphere and I think it will motivate the players and we have to get ready for that.”
      Man Utd (likely XI): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford. More

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      Mbappe scores FIVE in 7-0 win over non-league side whose captain is PSG Ultra who questioned whether to tackle Frenchman

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE scored FIVE goals in a 7-0 win against sixth tier French minnows Pays de Cassel, whose captain is a Paris Saint-Germain ultra who feared injuring the France star.Pays de Cassel, an amateur side from a village in French Flanders, near the Belgian border, won three ties against regional sides to earn the right to take on the Ligue 1 juggernauts.
      Kylian Mbappe scored five goals in PSG’s 7-0 win over Pays de CasselCredit: EPA
      Captain Alexis Zmijak is a PSG ultra and got Mbappe’s shirt at half-timeCredit: Twitter
      Club captain Alexis Zmijak was the man who secured his team a date with the dominant French champions, scoring the winner in the last round.
      But incredibly, Zmijak is a PSG ultra and leads the cheers for Christophe Galtier’s side at the Parc des Princes.
      He even admitted prior to the game that he was petrified to tackle PSG star man Mbappe, in case he injured the 23-year-old ahead of the club’s Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich next month.
      He told Le Parisien: “If Mbappe goes through on goal, do I tackle him or not?
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      “Do I say to myself: ‘Wait, he has to play Bayern Munich in the Champions League soon’. I have no stress before this game.
      “We have nothing to lose, it’s the meeting of a lifetime for us. And for me, personally, it’s great to find myself in this situation.
      “I joined the CUP (Collectif Ultras Parisiens) two years ago. I wanted to be among the ultras, because for me, football is lived with passion.
      “I want to go all out, not just watch the game. When I go to the Parc, it’s not to go to the presidential gallery.”
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      And Mbappe’s health was never at risk… as centre-back Zmijak got nowhere near him for 90 minutes.
      Well, except for the half-time interval, when Zmijak’s hero handed him his shirt.
      Mbappe, who captained PSG for the first time, made it look easy as he netted a first-half hat-trick.
      Neymar got in on the act next, sending the Parisians in at the break 4-0 up.
      PSG added three more goals in the second half to run out 7-0 winners.
      Mbappe grabbed another two – a goal shy of a double hat-trick – and Carlos Soler got the other. More

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      Chelsea interested in Malo Gusto transfer but Lyon want to keep 19-year-old until end of season

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      CHELSEA are interested in signing Lyon wonderkid Malo Gusto, according to reports.The Blues have already spent nearly £200million on young talent this month, as Todd Boehly looks to back Graham Potter.
      Malo Gusto tussles with Arsenal’s Reiss NelsonCredit: Getty
      And their winter splurge doesn’t look like ending any time soon.
      According to French newspaper L’Equipe, Chelsea want to sign 19-year-old right-back Gusto this month.
      The teenager has already made over 50 appearances for Lyon and has been a regular this season.
      His performances have earned him seven France under-21 caps and a reputation for being one of the world’s best young full-backs.
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      He has 18 months remaining on his Lyon contract.
      But the Ligue 1 side want to keep him until the end of the season.
      Lyon have underachieved this season, sitting ninth in the French top flight and 12 points off the European spots.
      Should he get to move this month, Gusto could offer valuable cover for crocked star Reece James.
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      The England international has been sidelined by knee injuries this term.
      Chelsea have spent £186.5m in the last three weeks, on David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.
      They also paid a £10m loan fee to borrow Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.
      Despite their spending, the Blues sit 10th in the Prem table.
      They drew 0-0 at Liverpool earlier, and remain nine points off Newcastle in fourth, with the Toon possessing a game in hand.
      Chelsea have made five permanent signings so far this month More

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      Kylian Mbappe ‘rejected Liverpool transfer after PSG offered him out for astronomical fee’

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE reportedly rejected a move to Liverpool in the summer after being offered the chance to leave Paris Saint-Germain.The 24-year-old was heavily linked with a move away from PSG at the time.
      Kylian Mbappe reportedly rejected the chance to join Liverpool last summerCredit: AFP
      And at one stage last July, Mbappe was offered the chance to leave the French capital.
      However, despite speculation linking him with Real Madrid, any move would have been to Liverpool, according to The Athletic.
      It’s claimed PSG consultant Antero Henrique opened the door for Mbappe to depart.
      But Henrique and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi were demanding a staggering £352MILLION for his signature.
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      Although in the end the numbers turned out to be irrelevant, with Mbappe rejecting the option to join the Reds.
      The report adds Mbappe had his heart set on a move to Real Madrid in the future.
      That all came less than two months after he signed a new contract to stay at PSG until 2024, with an option for a further year.
      And the Frenchman continues to be the subject of rumours regarding his future.
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      Reports last month claimed Real Madrid could pay one BILLION euros to land Mbappe at the end of the season.
      Real Madrid legend Guti also recently insisted La Liga needs Mbappe – and he needs them too.
      Guti declared: “The best have to stay at Real Madrid. 
      “Seeing him play for PSG makes me angry, and not only for Real but also for La Liga. La Liga must always have the best in the world. 
      “Mbappe is a player made for Real, and then if he wants to do what Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have done, he has to play for Real Madrid because he won’t make it for PSG. 
      “Madrid must go and get him immediately, now. 
      “There are good players on the market, but none like him. Yes, [Erling] Haaland maybe, but a step below. Mbappe, he is unique. 
      “Only he can give what Messi gave to Barcelona or Ronaldo to Madrid. Nobody else.” More