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    Newcastle to blow Arsenal out the water in Milinkovic-Savic chase with £53m transfer offer and huge £10M signing bonus

    NEWCASTLE look set to steal Sergej Milinkovic-Savic right from the hands of Arsenal.The Gunners have been chasing the Lazio midfielder over the last week and had looked to strike up a deal with the Italian side.
    Milinkovic-Savic has been an integral part of the Lazio team since 2015Credit: Getty
    It seemed as though Mikel Arteta’s side would sign the Serbian on loan until the end of the season before paying out £44million for a permanent deal.
    However it has been reported through Il Messaggero that Newcastle will make a last minute move to lure Milinkovic-Savic up to the North East.
    The Magpies will offer Lazio £53million as well as a staggering £10million signing bonus for the midfield maestro.
    The investment for Newcastle comes as they look to push on for the potential of Champions League football next season as well as their first major domestic trophy for 68 years as they remain in the final four of the Carabao Cup.
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    The 27-year-old could give Newcastle the final boost they need with Milinkovic-Savic becoming one of the most reliable players in Serie A since joining Lazio in 2015.
    The season alone has seen him net five times as well as assist seven more in just 22 games.
    Adding this on to his tally as a whole at Lazio, the midfielder has been involved in 121 goals during his 316 appearances for the club.
    If Eddie Howe’s side are able to acquire the services of Milinkovic-Savic, he will be added to the growing list of big names signed by Newcastle since being taken over by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
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    With the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak joining over the last year, Newcastle have transformed themselves from a relegation fighting side to one of the strongest teams in the Prem.
    As well as Milinkovic-Savic, the Magpies have also expressed interest in Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko as well as South Korean star Kang-In Lee. More

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    Arsenal make new Mykhailo Mudryk transfer bid worth club-record £84MILLION as Gunners hope Shakhtar finally play ball

    ARSENAL are set to break the bank as they offer a club record £84million for Mykhailo Mudryk.Mudryk has been linked to Arsenal throughout the transfer window and has made his intentions clear on wanting the move to North London.

    Arsenal new bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk has €70m guaranteed fee, as revealed yesterday — understand bonuses are close to €20/25m. 🚨⚪️🔴🇺🇦 #AFC
    Waiting for Shakthar, Arsenal are now discussing on add-ons structure and how/when to activate them.
    🎥 More: https://t.co/4eHUUf1rnF pic.twitter.com/6lpwVl6i6S
    — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 13, 2023

    Mudryk could become Arsenal’s record signingCredit: Getty
    The Gunners have now made their third official bid for the Ukrainian winger with the club willing to break their transfer record to bring their man in.
    First reported by Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have offered Shakhtar Donetsk €70million (£62m) as well as sizeable add ons worth up to €25million (£22m) for the 22-year-old.
    The tweet from Romano read “Arsenal new bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk has €70m guaranteed fee, as revealed yesterday — understand bonuses are close to €20/25m.
    “Waiting for Shakthar, Arsenal are now discussing on add-ons structure and how/when to activate them.”
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    If accepted, Mudryk will become Arsenal’s most expensive player overtaking Nicholas Pepe who cost Mikel Arteta’s side £72million in 2019.
    However Arsenal fans will be hoping to see a more successful tenure at the club for Mudryk, with Pepe being loaned out to Nice just three years after his record-breaking signing.

    The Ukrainian has been making waves in his home league, amassing 13 goal contributions in 12 games as well as five goal contributions in Shakhtar’s Champions League campaign.
    It’s because of these numbers that Mudryk has attracted the attention of multiple Premier League clubs, with Chelsea looking to steal the deal from their London rivals.
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    Yet the young winger seems to have opted for the team who sit five points clear at the top of the table.
    If the deal goes through, it will take Arsenal’s spending for the season over the £200million pound mark. More

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    Everton ‘firm up loan transfer offer’ for Man Utd winger Anthony Elanga but will have to ship out players first

    EVERTON look to ramp up their offer for Anthony Elanga as they remain eager to bring in the Manchester United winger.Frank Lampard’s side have see a continuation of their poor form from last season, leaving them 18th in the table and in much need of quality reinforcements.
    Elanga has only started five times under Erik Ten Haag this seasonCredit: PA
    Elanga has been sought after by the Merseyside outfit since the beginning of last season, and it finally looks like they could get their man.
    According to the Daily Mail, Everton have ‘firmed up’ their offer for the Manchester United player looking to bring in him on an initial loan deal.
    In order to complete the deal however, the Toffee’s will need to let go of some of their current roster with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate just some of the names who look to be on their way out.
    Elanga made his competitive debut for the Red Devils in May 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and has since registered 47 appearances for the side.
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    Yet it was under Ralf Rangnick where the 20-year-old had his most impressive spell, becoming a regular in the team
    Since the arrival of Erik Ten Haag however, the Swede has fallen back down the pecking order.
    With the emergence of teammate Alejandro Garnacho, Elanga has only managed to find his way into the starting 11 just five times this season.
    Despite the interest from Everton, it is understood that there are some other Premier League teams who are keen to pursue the young winger.
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    Although if Lampard can complete the deal for Elanga, it will see their third forward signing since the start of the season, joining Neil Maupay and Dwight McNeil.
    Even with their new look forward line-up, Everton have only managed to find the net 14 times in the league this season, the third lowest of all 20 teams.
    The Goodison Park faithful will be hoping the potential introduction of Elanga will bring some much needed quality and goals for the side. More

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    Lewis Hamilton still no closer to Mercedes contract extension with just 12 months left as F1 star hints at retirement

    LEWIS HAMILTON turns 38 on Saturday but there will be no birthday cards sent from Red Bull.The Mercedes man still has 12 months to run on his existing contract and there has been no progress on a contract extension over the winter.
    The seven time World Drivers Championship winner hasn’t decided on his future of the sport just yetCredit: Getty
    Hamilton has spent time in the US and London with his family as he unplugs from his F1 commitments.
    But as the sport countdown to the season opener on March 5th in Bahrain, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko still sees Hamilton and teammate George Russell as their biggest threat – not Ferrari.
    He said: “I would say that we should fear Mercedes more.
    “Mainly because they have an advantage over Ferrari in terms of strategy and reliability.
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    “Our situation is certainly not like that of Mercedes at the beginning of the hybrid era.
    “We don’t have an immense lead with the engine right now. So that is very different.
    “Mercedes had at least 50 bhp margin over all the others back then.
    “And we shouldn’t forget, 2022 has been the first year under this new set of regulations.
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    “Other teams have obviously seen what we have done with this year’s car.
    “So I think it will definitely be much closer next season.”
    Meanwhile, McLaren will launch their challenger for 2023 on February 13th – the same day as Aston Martin unveil their car.
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    McLaren’s launch will be the first official event for 2021 Formula 2 champion, Oscar Piastri, who joins Lando Norris at the team. More

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    Chelsea ‘are still keen on Josko Gvardiol transfer but face competition from Tottenham for £88m-rated defender’

    JOSKO GVARDIOL isn’t short of options when it comes to choosing his next club as Chelsea and Tottenham battle for his signature.The RB Leipzig defender has been long sought after by Premier League clubs after his breakthrough year last season.
    Josko Gvardiol was an important part of Croatia’s bronze medal winning side at the World Cup.Credit: Getty
    Now after playing a crucial part in Croatia’s third place finish at the World Cup, the 20-year-old’s already hefty price tag has since increased further.
    Chelsea seemed favourites to finalise a move for the highly rated centre back yet it seems as though London rivals Tottenham could swoop in and steal the deal.
    According to Bild, the competition from Spurs hasn’t deterred the Blues with Graham Potter’s side still keen on Gvardiol.
    The London sides will need to empty their pockets if they want their man however, with Gvardiol signing his allegiance to RB Leipzig until 2027 last September.
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    The contract states that a release clause of £112million will become active in 2024, meaning Leipzig will be asking for even more before the clause can be activated next year.
    This will see Gvardiol become the most expensive defender in history, beating the record set by Harry Maguire when he made his £87million move from Leicester to Manchester United in 2019.
    If the Croat does make the move to Stamford Bridge, he will be the fourth big named defender to have been recruited by Chelsea since July.
    With Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana joining the two-time Champions League winners in summer followed by the recent signing of Benoit Badiashile, Chelsea’s defence has seen a complete overhaul.
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    Despite this, the Blues defence has seen a decline from last season, conceding 19 goals in 17 league games so far, seven more than this time last season.
    The addition of Gvardiol could see him fill the void of the ageing Thiago Silva, with the Croat’s playing style similar to that of the 38-years-old.
    However neither Chelsea or Tottenham have approached Leipzig as far over a move for Gvardiol. More

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    ‘Can’t believe a Chelsea midfielder did that’ – Fans rave about Zakaria as he beats 3 City stars with outrageous skill

    CHELSEA fans have sung Denis Zakaria’s praises after an impressive performance against Manchester City.The Blues lost 1-0 to City on Thursday at Stamford Bridge after Riyad Mahrez’s winner in the 63rd minute.
    Denis Zakaria has impressed during his time at Chelsea as far.Credit: Alamy
    But Zakaria impressed once more – and there was one specific moment that went down well with the West London fans..
    That took place after 88 minutes when the midfielder beat three of the Citizens’ players single handedly.
    The Switzerland international played a crisp one-two with Mateo Kovacic after beating Kevin De Bruyne to the ball.
    The 26-year-old then had Ilkay Gundogan and De Bruyne bearing down on him along with another City midfielder.
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    Zakaria then improvised his way out of trouble, producing an audacious step-over and then a drag-back to get away from all three of them.
    The Swiss star then produced an inch-perfect pass over to the left wing.
    That left fans in awe as they took to Twitter to praise the Juventus loanee.
    One fan tweeted: “Zakaria is a baller tho.”
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    Another posted: “Zakaria. A Chelsea midfielder did that. Can’t believe my eyes.”
    A third wrote: “Must sign him permanently, £25m is a steal for a player like this and we’re screaming out for a DM of his quality.”
    This supporter said: “I don’t wanna see Jorginho in Chelsea midfield again.”
    And that one tweeted: “With losing Kante and Jorginho, no brainier we should do the buy option if he continues like that.”
    Zakaria made his debut in November scoring against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.Credit: Reuters
    Despite signing for the Blues in September Zakaria didn’t make his debut until November when he netted against Dinamo Zagreb, and he has continued to start and impress ever since.
    One fan touched on this saying “The question we must ask ourselves is that why did it take Potter this long to play him”
    Another weighed in “This guy can become more important to the squad going forward, he needs more minutes to get his confidence, would be crazy to watch him with a fully fit Kante”
    Zakaria will be hoping to start in his fourth consecutive game for Chelsea when they come up against Manchester City again this Sunday in the third round of the FA Cup. More

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    Fans stunned as Birmingham City announce signing of Burnley’s Kevin Long with hilarious Home Alone video

    BIRMINGHAM City announced the signing of defender Kevin Long from Burnley in a hilarious way.The Championship side took to Twitter to share the famous ‘Give it to Kevin’ clip from Home Alone in homage to their new signing.

    “Give this to…” 👕 pic.twitter.com/Y1KMY8t5Fk
    — Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) January 5, 2023

    Kevin Long spent ten years at Burnley before making the move to Birmingham.Credit: Getty
    The clip shows people passing a bag down from one to the next, with teach one saying: “Give this to Kevin.”
    The footage ends with Ireland star lifting up his new Birmingham shirt
    Fans were left stunned by the reveal with one Burnley commenting: “This is Class! We’ll miss Kev, please look after him”
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    Another fan said: “Incredible work 👏 😂”
    A third added: “Great video! Good luck Long! Great servant to the club.”
    Long made the move to Birmingham after 13 seasons with Burnley, joining from Cork City in 2010.
    The Republic of Ireland international finished his career at the Clarets with 91 appearances as well as a number of loan moves.
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    The deal to Birmingham will see Long, 32, play until the end of the season with the Midlands outfit scrambling for defensive options.
    Long said: “I am really looking forward to it, to be honest.
    “It has been a tough season for me personally at Burnley. Being at Burnley has been a big part of my career since I moved to England at 19 and it has just felt like the right time to move on.
    “Birmingham is a massive club and I am really excited to be here.”
    The Blues have found themselves in the bottom half of the Championship after an injury-stricken season which has seen integral defensive players such as Dion Sanderson and Harlee Dean having periods on the sideline.
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    Despite sitting in 17th, fans will be hoping for late play-off push with The Blues only seven points away from Millwall who occupy the last spot in the top six.
    Birmingham’s next fixture see’s them travel to Forest Green in the third round of the FA Cup, a game Long will be hoping to make his debut in. More

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    Southampton interested in Michael Keane transfer with Everton defender targeted to help fight in survival bid

    SOUTHAMPTON have identified Everton defender Michael Keane as a potential target to bolster their squad.Nathan Jones’ side are currently sat rock bottom in the Premier League and are looking for options to help remain in the top division for a twelfth consecutive season.
    Michael Keane has been linked with a move to SouthamptonCredit: Getty
    With only three wins and three draws in 18 games, Southampton only have 12 points to show as we approach the halfway point of the season.
    The Saint’s are looking to strengthen up their back line after only keeping one clean sheet this season, the least of any of the 20 teams in the league.
    Michael Keane has emerged as a favourite for the seaside club with the England defender struggling for game time at Everton, playing only 22 minutes in the league this season.
    The leadership qualities as well as the experience of Keane has made Southampton eager to complete the move.
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    The 29-year-old is contracted to Everton until 2025, however the club are happy to accept a permanent offer for Keane after rejecting a loan deal beforehand.
    Keane made the move from Burnley to Merseyside in 2017 for £25million.
    He has amassed 189 appearances for Everton as far as well as earning 12 caps for England during his tenure at The Toffees.
    Since 2017 Keane as been a regular in the Everton defence, yet the additions of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski last summer has seen the former Manchester United player jousted out the side.
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    However with Frank Lampard’s side struggling in 18th, a move for Keane will see Everton improving their relegation rivals with only three points separating the teams.
    The two sides will come face to face on January 14th, after Everton edged out the first fixture 2-1 in October.
    It is unclear what colours Keane will be sporting when they meet again in just over a week yet the Saints will be battling to make sure it’s red and white. More