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    Man Utd ‘considering Harry Kane swap transfer by offering Jesse Lingard to Tottenham’ but striker ‘wants to join City’

    MANCHESTER UNITED are considering offering Jesse Lingard to Tottenham as part of a deal for striker Harry Kane, according to reports.It was revealed by SunSport on Tuesday that the Red Devils and local rival Manchester City are preparing to hand the Spurs forward a five-year contract with a £300,000-a-week basic salary.
    Kane has reiterated his desire to leave Tottenham at the end of the seasonCredit: AP
    Lingard may be included in a deal that sees him join Spurs in the summerCredit: Getty
    And now The Times are reporting that Lingard is being considered as a potential sweetener for Tottenham in a deal involving Kane.
    However, Man Utd are also said to be cautious about attempting to negotiate with Lilywhites’ chairman Daniel Levy.
    Man City is still thought to be Kane’s preferred destination if he is to depart North London this summer.
    But the Premier League champions’ manager Pep Guardiola remained tight-lipped on any link to Kane when asked about the potential mega deal following his side’s defeat at Brighton.
    He replied: “Next question, he is a Tottenham Hotspur player, please.”
    Meanwhile, Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered a little more when he was asked whether they will be signing a striker.
    The Norwegian said: “I can’t say we’re not signing a striker.
    “We’re building towards a better squad. Hopefully we end up with a stronger squad when we start next season and be more  consistent to challenge the one in front of us.”
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    Kane has been linked with Man Utd, Man City and ChelseaCredit: Getty
    But when questioned specifically about Kane, Solskjaer shut the reporter down by adding: “I can’t talk about players that are in other teams.
    “I think you know me well enough. I don’t think that’s very respectful of any team, any players.
    “There are loads of good players out there. I could say Messi is interesting, and Ronaldo, but I can’t talk about them.”
    Kane confirmed for a second time earlier this week his intent to leave Tottenham at the end of the 2020-21 campaign after the club’s poor season.
    Spurs have missed out on Champions League qualification for the second season running and are also set to go another year without a trophy having lost the Carabao Cup final to Man City.
    Yet despite his team’s disappointing campaign, Kane has had one of his best seasons in a white shirt.
    The England captain has scored 32 goals and provided 16 assists for Tottenham.
    His remarkable level of consistency – illustrated by the fact that he has scored 24 goals or more in each of the last seven seasons – has led to both Manchester clubs and Chelsea being interested in bringing him in.
    Meanwhile, Lingard has rejuvenated his career with a wonderful loan spell at West Ham.
    The England international, who was cutting a frustrated figure at Man Utd, joined the Hammers in January and has netted nine times in 14 games.
    But if the Red Devils use him as part of a deal for Kane, he may not be able to secure a permanent transfer to West Ham in the summer.
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    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says: “I can’t say we’re not signing a striker” when quizzed on Harry Kane transfer More

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    Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez eat lunch in Madrid with Wags as Barcelona believe star will snub Man City transfer to stay

    LIONEL MESSI enjoyed a reunion with Luis Suarez as the Barcelona star travelled to Madrid to meet up with his close friend.The Argentine forward took advantage of a two-day break given by boss Ronald Koeman to visit the Atletico Madrid striker in the Spanish capital.
    Barcelona star Lionel Messi travelled to Madrid to meet up with close friend Luis SuarezCredit: Antonela Roccuzzo / Instagram
    Messi and Suarez joined by their wives enjoyed a day in Madrid’s ‘Golden Mile’
    The pair were joined by their partners as they dined out at Italian restaurant Numa Pompilio in Madrid’s ‘Golden Mile’.
    Messi’s wife Antonella Roccuzzo took to Instagram to share a photo of the happy couple alongside Suarez and his spouse Sofia Balbi.
    Captioning the picture, she simply stated: “Adding moments together.”
    Suarez enjoyed six seasons in Catalonia with Messi, where they won the LaLiga title and Copa del Rey four times, as well as the Champions League in 2015.
    Their remarkable partnership saw then score 475 goals between them, while also providing 241 assists.
    Messi was left fuming with Barca in allowing Suarez to join rivals Atletico, and his anger is justified with Diego Simeone’s side poised to win the Spanish top-flight.
    But Sport have stated that the 33-year-old still felt the need to travel to Madrid to wish Suarez well ahead of Atletico’s vital clash at Valladolid on Saturday.
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    Messi is set to become a free agent at the end of the season when his contract expires at the Nou Camp.
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    Messi is set to become a free agent with his contract at the Nou Camp to expire at the end of the seasonCredit: Rex

    After failing to secure his services last year, SunSport have exclusively revealed that Manchester City can sign him – but only if they pay him £500,000-a-week after tax.
    Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, Mundo Deportivo have claimed that the Blaugrana expect Messi to pen a new deal.
    They state that the Barca board would be left shocked if he departed in the summer as they are fully confident he will extend his stay.
    Barca are ready to offer the six-time Ballon d’Or winner a two-year contract while also promising to strengthen the team in the upcoming transfer window.
    Luis Suarez shows his talent as he joins Atletico Madrid in training More

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    Man City have four-man transfer list to replace Sergio Aguero in summer including Erling Haaland and Harry Kane

    ERLING HAALAND and Harry Kane are just two names on Manchester City’s four-man shortlist to replace Sergio Aguero in the summer.The Citizens legend will depart the Etihad after ten trophy-laden years when his contract expires at the end of the season.
    Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is believed to be a summer target for Manchester CityCredit: Getty
    Tottenham’s Harry Kane is another potential option to replace Sergio Aguero at the EtihadCredit: AFP
    SunSport understands the 32-year-old is close to agreeing a deal to join Barcelona, though he may be forced into taking a £100,000-a-week cut from the £250k-a-week wages he currently earns.
    Pep Guardiola has been tasked with finding the perfect replacement for the Argentine marksman to compete with Gabriel Jesus up top.
    And according to The Times, the Spaniard will be backed in his pursuit of a new centre-forward, with four players being indentified.
    Borussia Dortmund ace Erling Haaland is claimed to be on City’s shortlist following another superb season in Germany.
    The 20-year-old banged in a double against RB Leipzig on Thursday to help BVB win the German Cup to bring up an astonishing 39 goals for the campaign.
    Haaland boasts a release clause of £65million that can be triggered next year, with Dortmund seeking £130m to sell him this summer.
    Tottenham’s Harry Kane is another option, though the England skipper is likely to cost in the region of £150m.
    It is believed that City will only make a move for the 27-year-old should Guardiola demand the ex-Leyton Orient loanee’s signing.
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    The other two players on City’s radar are said to be Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Andre Silva.
    Martinez has been instrumental in helping Inter win their first Serie A title since 2010 having fired in 16 goals in 36 Italian top-flight matches.
    And Silva has also enjoyed a fruitful campaign for the Bundesliga outfit, having found the back of the net 25 times in 30 league outings.
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    Both Martinez and Silva would prove to be cheaper alternatives to Haaland and Kane.
    City are also in advanced talks to sign Sporting Lisbon left-back Nuno Mendes as Guardiola looks to bolster his backline.
    Harry Kane will be stuck at Tottenham unless Pep Guardiola demands him over Erling Haaland in £150m Man City transfer More

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    Man City defender Eric Garcia ‘completes Barcelona free transfer’ as he signs pre-contract to 2026 amid Arsenal interest

    MANCHESTER CITY starlet Eric Garcia has reportedly signed a pre-contract with Barcelona until 2026.The 20-year-old centre-back will return to the Blaugrana just four years after departing the Nou Camp to join the Citizens’ academy.
    Eric Garcia will leave Manchester City in the summer to join Barcelona on a free transferCredit: Getty
    A move back to Spain has been on the cards since last year after Ronald Koeman failed to secure his services.
    It has been claimed that Garcia has even agreed to take a pay-cut in order to link up with the LaLiga giants.
    Despite being heavily linked with Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea were rumoured to be interested in the youngster.
    Gunners boss Mikel Arteta knows the player well having worked alongside Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, but Garcia has only ever had eyes on returning to Catalonia.
    And according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, no other clubs besides Barca have been in talks with the Spain international.
    He tweeted: “Eric Garcia has signed his pre-contract until June 2026 with Barcelona since December.
    “No other club has been in talks – Eric only wanted to join Barca.
    “[Barcelona president Joan] Laporta also approved the deal and it’s going to be announced at the end of the season.”
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    Spain international Garcia has appeared in just four Premier League matches this termCredit: AP
    Garcia has been limited to just ten appearances in all competitions for City this term after falling down the pecking order.
    Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte are the preferred options, while Nathan Ake has also seen more game time.
    Speaking of Garcia after City’s Carabao Cup final victory over Tottenham, Guardiola said: “There are players even who don’t play any matches.
    “I think, for example, of Eric Garcia who is one of my favourite players.
    “I would love to have 15 Eric Garcia’s for the way he conducts his behaviour. He is always thinking of the team.

    “He’s always a good face in the good or bad moments. He helps the manager and the backroom staff all the time.”
    Before adding: “He will go in an incredible team and when the people say they are unsatisfied if I don’t play, I think of Eric.
    “Most of the time he’s not on the bench because he’s going to move to Barcelona, I hope so. It’s tough, but it is what it is.”
    Pep Guardiola reacts to Sergio Aguero’s failed Panenka against Chelsea More

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    Sergio Aguero ‘crazy’ about Barcelona free transfer but ‘Ronald Koeman wants Memphis Depay instead’ of Man City icon

    BARCELONA boss Ronald Koeman wants to sign Memphis Depay instead of Sergio Aguero despite the Argentinian being ‘crazy’ about joining the Spanish giants, according to reports.Aguero, 32, will leave Manchester City this summer when his contract comes to an end after a decade at the club.
    Aguero reportedly wants to join Barcelona at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
    Koeman hopes to bring in Depay instead of AgueroCredit: AFP
    And Barcelona have been leading the race to sign the South American as he prepares to team up with countryman Lionel Messi.
    But according to Mundo Deportivo Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman wants to bring in his own compatriot Memphis Depay instead.
    Depay, 27, has scored 19 goals and assisted another ten in 35 games for Lyon this season.
    Only Kylian Mbappe has netted more times in Ligue 1 in what has been another impressive campaign for the Frenchman.
    Since arriving in Lyon at the beginning of 2017, Depay has scored a sensational 75 goals and laid on 53 assists in 176 games.
    Meanwhile, Aguero has struggled to find any sort of form for Man City this season.
    The Argentine has played just 18 times for Pep Guardiola’s side in the 2020-21 campaign, scoring four goals.
    And last weekend he issued an apology to the Man City fans after a failed attempt at a Panenka penalty in his team’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
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    Meanwhile, Barcelona are also keen to secure Messi’s future as his contract expires in the summer.
    And it was reported earlier this month that they are preparing to offer him a new ten-year deal to keep him at the club until the end of his career.
    The Catalan side have also been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, although they will face stiff competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Man City and Chelsea if they wish to acquire him.
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    Pep Guardiola reacts to Sergio Aguero’s failed Panenka against Chelsea More

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    Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City transfer target Yves Bissouma requests Brighton exit

    YVES BISSOUMA has reportedly requested to leave Brighton at the end of the season – amid intense interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.Bissouma joined the Seagulls from Lille in 2018 for a fee that could rise to £15.7million with add-ons.
    Brighton star Yves Bissouma has been linked with a move to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester CityCredit: PA
    The 24-year-old has shone bright this season proving he is one of the Premier League’s most talented box-to-box midfielders.
    The Mali international’s impressive performances at the Amex Stadium have caught the eye of Arsenal, Liverpool and City.
    According to the Sunday Times, Bissouma has asked to be allowed to leave Brighton, who rate him at £40m.
    That development paves the way for an intense bidding war between three of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
    Liverpool are reportedly most interested in the midfielder as manager Jurgen Klopp has been ‘personally researching’ his character as well as off-field behaviour to make sure he is the right fit for the Reds.
    In fact, Klopp sees him as a potential successor to Georginio Wijnaldum, who looks set to exit Anfield on a free transfer once his contract expires in June.
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    Liverpool legend John Barnes has been singing Bissouma’s praises for a while and is confident he would be a big hit in Merseyside.
    Barnes recently told BonusCodeBets: “Yves Bissouma has the ability to play at a team like Liverpool. He could fill what Jurgen Klopp wants from the three midfield players.
    “He is strong defensively, he works hard, he plays the ball quickly and every now and then when he needs to dribble, as much as we don’t speak about Brighton, you know he can do it, because he has.
    “Of all the players playing in England, that could fit the template of Liverpool’s midfield three, he is one of them.
    “He [plays] like Georginio Wijnaldum, although he doesn’t attack as much as Gini, because Brighton play a different style of football, when Bissouma wants to he can. He is 24 and young, he would be a great fit.”
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    Man City leading transfer race to sign Espanyol hotshot Mateo Fernandez with 17-year-old eligible for Spain and England

    MANCHESTER CITY lead the race for powerful young Espanyol striker Mateo Fernandez.Fernandez, 17, was born in Spain but his family are English and he may be moving back to the UK for his next move.
    Espanyol youngster Mateo Fernandez has been linked with Manchester CityCredit: RCD Espanyol
    The teenager qualifies for both countries.
    He is seen by City as a player they can bring through because he is physically strong and technically good.
    Pep Guardiola is believed to be looking for striker reinforcements with the club’s all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero set to leave this summer.
    That comes after the legend apologised yesterday for blowing the chance to be a title hero for the second time with a crazy Panenka miss.
    His woeful spot-kick spurned the chance to fire Manchester City two-up and on the way to being crowned Premier League champions against Chelsea.
    And the striker said: “I would like to apologise to my team-mates, staff and supporters for missing the penalty. 

    “It was a bad decision and I take full responsibility.”
    Aguero could have put City two up before half-time and on course for the victory they needed to win the Premier League crown.
    But unlike back in 2012 with his last-gasp winner against Queens Park Rangers, the striker fluffed his lines completely with a shocker of a spot-kick.
    Boss Pep Guardiola said: “He is selfish because he missed it. If he scored a goal you would say how much of a genius he is. That’s the reality.
    “So always I say to the players in the penalties take one decision: Panenka, right, left, short, whatever you want. But commit. He was committed – if he missed it, he missed it.
    “Everyone is disappointed but the first disappointment is him.”
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    The calamitous effort, which keeper Edouard Mendy caught with one hand, spared Chelsea.
    The Blues then hit back with two second-half goals to snatch victory – and leave City still short of winning Guardiola’s third title in four years.
    Aguero said: “I cannot help but apologise to my team-mates, the coaching staff and the fans for today’s penalty.
    “It was a bad decision and I take responsibility.”
    However, City could win the title today if neighbours Manchester United lose at Aston Villa.
    Pep Guardiola reacts to Sergio Aguero’s failed Panenka against Chelsea More

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    Real Madrid plot transfer swoop for Raheem Sterling after England star loses Man City place to Phil Foden

    REAL MADRID are said to be interested in a move for Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling this summer, according to reports.The 26-year-old has been out of favour with Pep Guardiola in recent weeks as the Spanish manager has opted instead to go with fellow Englishman Phil Foden.
    Sterling has been left on the bench in some of Man City’s biggest games recentlyCredit: AP
    Sterling did not start the first or second leg of Man City’s Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund as he was given just the final few minutes off the bench in Germany on Wednesday night.
    And The Star now believe that decision from Guardiola has reignited an interest in the forward from Real Madrid.
    However, Man City remain in a strong position to ask for a substantial transfer fee as Sterling still has two years left on his current contract.
    The England international signed for the Sky Blues from Liverpool in 2015 for £44million.
    As a result, it is thought City will not let him go at the end of the season for anything less than £80m.
    But despite talk of a move away, Sterling is still happy at the Etihad irrespective of his recent spell out of the side.
    He is expected to continue discussions over a new deal after Euro 2020 this summer.
    Sterling has netted 13 times in 42 appearances so far this season.
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    But the emergence of Foden has presented a problem for Sterling as he has found himself playing second fiddle to his 20-year-old teammate.
    Both Foden and Sterling are often used by Guardiola on the left of a front three which means one of the two is usually on the bench.
    So while Sterling missed out on a starting place against Dortmund, he played ahead of Foden in Man City’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

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    Thomas Tuchel calls Pep Guardiola’s Man City the best team in the world after Chelsea beat them to head into the FA Cup final More