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      Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘wants PSG’s Luis Campos as Man Utd sporting director if he is successful in takeover bid’

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      SIR JIM RATCLIFFE wants PSG’s Luis Campos as Manchester United’s sporting director if he buys the club, according to reports. The British billionaire revealed last month he would “definitely” be keen to purchase the Red Devils should they become available.
      Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already making plans if he successfully buys Manchester UnitedCredit: PA
      Luis Campos only joined PSG as football advisor in June 2022Credit: AFP
      And Mancunian Ratcliffe, who is a lifelong United supporter, is already making plans about recruitment behind the scenes.
      According to Le Parisien, the Ineos chief would try and lure Campos from the French giants to take on a similar role at Old Trafford.
      United have John Murtough as their first ever football director – with Andy O’Boyle his deputy and Darren Fletcher as technical director.
      However, the possibility of landing Campos would be a major coup.
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      The Portuguese worked as a scout and analyst under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid before three successful years as Monaco’s sporting director.
      He also had a short stint at Lille but took on the position as PSG’s football advisor this summer, where he focuses on “the performance, recruitment and organisational side” of the club.
      However, Ratcliffe and United would have to move fast to secure Campos because Chelsea are also interested.
      Todd Boehly is said to have offered the 58-year-old a whopping £7million per year – or £135,000 per week – to switch the Parc des Princes for Stamford Bridge and oversee the Blues’ transfer strategy with Graham Potter.
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      News of Ratcliffe’s interest in United came when the widely-unpopular Glazer family who own the club were said to be open to selling a minority stake.
      Pressure has been mounting for something to give following huge fan protests against the Americans in recent years.
      Ratcliffe, 69, grew up on a council estate in Failsworth, Manchester and made his money as CEO of Ineos, the multinational chemical company.
      His worth is now said to have dropped from a peak of £15billion to around £6bn and he was ranked 27th in the 2022 Sunday Times Rich List.
      The 69-year-old failed in a last-ditch bid to buy Chelsea earlier in May.
      But he has plenty of experience in sport and in particular football as the owner of FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland and French outfit Nice.
      And should Ratcliffe complete a dramatic takeover of United, he could get help from Formula One star Lewis Hamilton.
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      The seven-time world champion rivalled Boehly’s successful Chelsea bid but revealed he does “want to get more involved” in football and has an existing relationship with Ratcliffe, whose Ineos company sponsors the Mercedes F1 team.
      However, as things stand, the Glazers are said to be ignoring Sir Jim’s efforts to buy the 20-time English champions. More

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      Real Madrid set for Kylian Mbappe transfer return with leaked details showing PSG star’s deal runs for just two years

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      REAL MADRID’S pursuit of Kylian Mbappe is set to start AGAIN next summer after full details of his Paris Saint-Germain contract emerged.The French champions announced the 23-year-old France star had signed a new, three-year deal worth £650,000-per-week in May.
      PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe has been a long-term target for Real MadridCredit: Getty
      That appeared to tie Mbappe down until 2025 and he wore a PSG shirt with that year on the back when he publicly put pen to paper.
      But it has now emerged the contract initially runs for just TWO seasons, until 2024.
      Mbappe – rather than the club – then has the option to extend the deal into a third season if he chooses to do so.
      If he signals he will not extend, PSG will have to look to sell next summer or see their £150million-plus rated striker potentially walk away for NOTHING 12 months later.
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      There was speculation in France that when Mbappe signed the new deal it was to ensure he was still playing for the Qatar-owned club when he took part in this winter’s World Cup in the Gulf state.
      But once the tournament is over, the Qataris will be less reluctant to sanction a sale – even if it means PSG losing their star asset.
      A move for Mbappe might turn out to be a positive for PSG due to his difficult relationship with superstar team-mate Neymar.
      The exit would mean the 30-year-old Brazil icon would be assured of No1 status at the Parc des Princes.
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      Selling Mbappe for a huge fee would also end of any concerns over PSG’s ability to meet Uefa’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
      And it would enable the Ligue 1 champions to meet new financial sustainability regulations that will begin to be calculated from January. More

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      Arsenal hero Thierry Henry picks out starlet Folarin Balogun for praise for leaving in ‘refreshing’ Reims loan transfer

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      ARSENAL legend Thierry Henry has praised Folarin Balogun for his decision to join Reims during the summer transfer window.Balogun, 21, signed for the Ligue 1 side on a season-long loan last month.
      Balogun has scored five goals in seven games for ReimsCredit: AFP
      Henry has praised Balogun for making the switch to Ligue 1Credit: Getty
      The striker has already made an impression in France, scoring five goals and assisting two in just seven appearances.
      He earned his first award last week after being named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Month for August.
      And Arsenal icon Henry believes the young star will only improve during his time in France.
      Speaking to Amazon Prime Video, he said: “I’m really happy for him because in general English players don’t go abroad.
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      “Normally players are loaned either to another Premier League side or in the Championship.
      “He’s a very English-style player who likes to run down the channels but he was missing something, which was his finishing.
      “He’s now starting to score goals regularly and I’m happy for that – happy he has gone abroad.
      “It’s especially so considering he is a Londoner, in general Londoners struggle to leave London.
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      “When I heard he was coming to France, it made me think he has a refreshing mindset.”
      Balogun joined Arsenal at the age of eight and went on to graduate from the club’s world-renowned Hale End academy in 2019.
      He made his senior debut in a Europa League clash with Dundalk in October 2020 and scored his first goal the following month.
      The striker penned a long-term deal with the club shortly before joining Middlesbrough on a short-term loan in January.
      And in August he decided to move away from Arsenal once again in a bid to earn more game time following the arrival of Gabriel Jesus. More

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      ‘Gives best Mickey Mouse impression’ – Fans all saying the same thing after Lacazette’s unfortunate post-match interview

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      ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE has been mocked and compared to Mickey Mouse after a rather interesting post-match interview.The former Arsenal striker, 31, was speaking after his Lyon side lost 2-1 to Monaco.

      Alexandre Lacazette was compared to Mickey Mouse because of his high pitch voice
      But there was something different about the Frenchman – and fans took notice immediately.
      Unfortunately for Lacazette his voice turned a really high pitch, resulting in much derision on social media.
      One fan noted the similarity with Disney character Mickey Mouse, saying: “Lacazette giving us all his best Mickey Mouse impression.
      Another fan added: “Man exchanged his voice for hair.”
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      And a third said: “No way this is real sounds like the gingerbread man from Shrek.”
      Despite defeat, Lacazette has enjoyed a good start to the season with four goals in seven games.
      But he has been outperformed by his former Gunners team-mate Folarin Balogun, who is on loan at Stade Reims for the season.
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      Lacazette advised Balogun to move to Ligue Un as he thought the striker would do well in France – so far he has been proved correct.
      The youngster has five goals in just seven league games despite Reims winning just once.
      Balogun revealed how Lacazette would help him to improve and he joked the forward should be his agent following the success of his Reims move.
      He said: “When he was at Arsenal he would always help me progress and improve, teaching me techniques and giving me advice.
      “I remember speaking to Lacazette and he kept on telling me: ‘You need to go to Ligue 1, you will do well here’.
      “Maybe he should become my agent as well because he has a great knowledge of football.” More

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      Nice fans swoon over ‘elegant’ Ross Barkley after ex-Chelsea star makes debut in 1-0 win over Ajaccio

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      NICE fans have been swooning over “elegant” Ross Barkley after the ex-Chelsea man’s debut on Sunday.The 28-year-old midfielder came off the bench in his new side’s 1-0 win at Ajaccio.
      Nice fans hailed Ross Barkley after his impressive debut off the benchCredit: @ogcnice
      Barkley made a shock free transfer to Nice earlier this month after being released from his Chelsea contract.
      And some wondered what role he would take after new boss Lucien Favre admitted he did not know the position Barkley played.
      But that didn’t stop the attacking midfielder from climbing off the bench to record an impressive debut.
      Barkley came on for Nice’s goalscorer Andy Delort with 20 minutes left.
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      And he imposed himself quickly with some good touches and confident runs.
      After the game, Nice tweeted fans asking for their opinion on Barkley’s first game.
      And the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with one simply beaming: “Elegant.”
      Another said: “He brought a lot of movement and solutions. An English mentality will do us good.”
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      One tweeted: “This creative midfielder is the one we’ve been waiting for.”
      Another added: “Let’s hope he’s the midfielder we’re missing and regains his levels. I thought he made a very good entrance.”
      Before kick-off, Barkley broke his silence on his move after seeing Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel and Nicolas Pepe join Nice before him.
      Barkley said: “Nice is an ambitious club. President Rivere and Dave Brailsford explained to me the club’s project for growth over several years.
      “Jim Ratcliffe also convinced me to come here and help the team progress.
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      “What also convinced me to come was the coach. He is a great European coach, who plays attacking football.
      “I was able to see him in his teams in Switzerland or Germany, I saw the way his teams played and that is something that guided my choice a lot.” More

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      Chelsea ‘want highly-rated PSG chief Luis Campos as new director of football to spearhead huge January transfer spree’

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      CHELSEA have reportedly made contact with Luis Campos with owner Todd Boehly keen to hire him as their sporting director.The 58-year-old is currently employed by Paris Saint-Germain having made the move to Parc des Princes in June to become their football advisor.
      Chelsea are keen to bring in Luis Campos to become their sporting directorCredit: AFP
      Arsenal were linked with hiring the ex-Lille talent spotter in June 2021 following his huge success in Ligue 1.
      Meanwhile the ex-Portuguese gaffer held talks with Newcastle last year following their Saudi-backed £300million takeover.
      And according to The Times, it is now Chelsea’s turn to try and persuade Campos in swapping France for England.
      It has been said that Boehly has already spoken with Campos about him coming to Stamford Bridge to work with new boss Graham Potter.
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      Bohely is once again looking to splash the cash in January after Chelsea were Europe’s biggest spenders in the summer having forked out £255.3million.
      And the American businessman wants Campos to spearhead their spending spree in the winter transfer window.
      Campos, who worked alongside Jose Mourinho in 2012 as a scout and tactical analyst for Real Madrid, worked as Monaco’s sporting director from 2013-2016.
      In that time, he oversaw key transfer incomings such as Kylian Mbappe, Radamel Falcao, Anthony Martial, Fabinho, Joao Moutinho, James Rodriguez and Bernardo Silva.
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      His savvy signings saw Monaco win the French top-flight title in 2017 ahead of PSG, and he repeated the same feat when he worked as Lille’s sporting director from 2017-2020.
      While with Lille, he signed the likes of Victor Osimhen, Sven Botman, Jonathan David, Rafael Leao and Nicolas Pepe.
      His shrewd business there helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title in 2020 once again at the expense of Les Parisiens.
      Not only known for an eye in the market, Campos also generated huge profits for Monaco and Lille in player sales.
      He managed to offload Mbappe to PSG on an initial loan deal in 2017 with the obligation to sign him for £166m the following year.
      And he managed to bring in around £305m during his time with Lille where he flogged the likes of Pepe, Gabriel Magalhaes, Leao, Thiago Mendes and Osimhen. More

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      Watch Lionel Messi’s ‘unreal’ assist for Neymar in PSG’s clash against Brest as pair continue incredible start to season

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      LIONEL MESSI produced another highlight reel assist as his outrageous pass set up Neymar against Brest.The Paris Saint-Germain superstar found some space in the midfield and then chipped a ball over two lines of defensive block and into the path of Neymar who was making a run behind the defence.

      Lionel Messi has seven assists in nine games this seasonCredit: Reuters
      Neymar rifled in after Messi’s chipped pass to fire PSG’s winnerCredit: Reuters
      Neymar showed off his own quality by delightfully bringing the ball down and finishing into the bottom corner.
      But it was Messi who the fans were quick to heap praise on.
      One user said: “UNREAL ASSIST FROM MESSI.”
      Another added: “His execution always matches his vision when it comes to these type of passes, mental.”
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      A third highlighted the rekindled partnership between the assistee and the goalscorer: “Messi and Neymar together,” and followed it up with three tears of joy emojis.
      This season Messi appears to be enjoying his football again, and in his new role as a playmaker he has produced some breathtaking moments.
      The 35-year-old has now registered seven assists for Paris Saint-Germain this season, with another four goals to boot.
      While he has not hit the heights with his Barcelona goalscoring in Paris, his creative numbers are as good as ever.
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      Messi has 22 assists in 43 games for PSG, even more than the likes of the Premier League’s creative masters Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold since the start of last season.
      But he again failed to hit the back of the net on Saturday, with one effort rebounding off the post in PSG’s 1-0 win.
      Neymar has also been in electric form at the start of this campaign, and has 10 goals to his name in just nine appearances along with an extra seven assists.
      Despite this, the Brazilian’s season has been marred by a feud with team-mate Kylian Mbappe.
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      The pair have butted heads this season after Mbappe signed a new deal which has reportedly given him more say over decision-making at PSG.
      After Mbappe took a penalty away from Neymar earlier in the campaign and subsequently missed it, Neymar took to Twitter and liked some tweets criticising the Frenchman.
      The pair were reportedly hauled in to sort out the issue. More

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      ‘Sorry isn’t good enough’ – Watch Kylian Mbappe blast Achraf Hakimi in tunnel rant over PSG team-mate’s poor pass

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE gave Achraf Hakimi both barrels as he criticised him for a poor pass he played during a game. The pair were captured on video in the tunnel at half-time, with Mbappe critical of his team-mate.

      Kylian Mbappe was critical of his team-mate
      Mbappe and Hakimi are both big names in the PSG teamCredit: AFP
      Mbappe and Hakimi celebrate a goal with team-matesCredit: Rex
      The pictures originally from Prime Video show them in conversation with Hakimi apologising for the pass his team-mate has highlighted to him, though the pictures appear to be from a game last season.
      But Mbappe replied by saying: “It’s not enough to say sorry,” and demanded more quality from the defender.
      The Frenchman has leapt from controversy to controversy this season.
      The season for Paris Saint-Germain started without him, but upon his return when he took a penalty away from Neymar and missed, it has continuously seen the fractures grow larger.
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      In another game, Mbappe was seen sulking when the ball was played into Lionel Messi instead of his own path.
      While off the pitch, Neymar liked some tweets criticising his team-mate for his increased influence in the team to be the first-choice penalty taker.
      This has left Mbappe feeling “isolated” at the club, with the two personalities clashing.
      This is despite the on-field performances from the pair showing no sign of discord with Neymar providing an assist for Mbappe in their 2-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League.
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      Mbappe signed a new three-year contract with the Parisians which sees him earn a whopping £1.6million per week.
      His deal also sees him with an increased influence over the decisions made by the club, such as manager hires, transfers and sporting appointments. More