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      Aston Villa find new kit maker after Castore wet shirt fiasco that left players ‘looking they’re coming out of a bath’

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      ASTON VILLA have agreed a lucrative new kit deal with Adidas and will sever their ties with Castore at the end of this season.Egyptian Nassef Sawiris – one of Villa’s two billionaire owners – owns around seven per cent of the German sportswear giants.
      Aston Villa have cancelled their contract with Castore over the wet look shirt controversyCredit: Rex
      Castore brought out new kits for the men and women’s teams in DecemberCredit: Rex
      Now he has decided, along with co-owner Wes Edens and the club’s president of business operations, Chris Heck, to terminate the controversial Castore deal and enter into a new partnership with Adidas.
      It will be the first time Villa have been supplied by Adidas – Europe’s biggest sporting giants – who already supply kit for Manchester United, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Fulham.
      Villa’s decision to ditch Castore follows the farcical events of earlier this season when players complained that they retained sweat, which made them cling to their skin and gave them a ‘wet-look’ appearance.
      The problem was even more embarrassing for Villa’s women’s team and left the club and its suppliers open to ridicule on social media.
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      Castore responded to the controversy in September by stating they intended to “address this issue as quickly as possible to meet the standards we expect”.
      Weeks later, at the beginning of December, Villa finally received new shirts from Castore.
      Castore feel the problem was sparked by an imbalance related to the BK8 sponsorship logo emblazoned across the shirts, but still accepted full responsibility.
      Villa’s move mirrors Newcastle United’s recent decision to ditch British based company Castore in favour of Adidas next season too.
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      Castore produce kits for one other Premier League club – Wolves.
      While the kit manufacturer is set to begin a new deal with Everton from next summer. More

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      Man Utd outcast Facundo Pellistri ‘offered Old Trafford escape route’ with Erik ten Hag willing to sanction transfer

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      PSV EINDHOVEN have reportedly formalised their interest in Manchester United outcast Facundo Pellistri.The Uruguayan star has struggled to impress Erik ten Hag who is prepared to let the winger go in the January transfer window.
      PSV Eindhoven has reignited their interest to sign Facundo Pellistri on loanCredit: Rex
      Pellistri, 22, has never come close to a regular run for the Red Devils since arriving from his home country for around £9million in 2020.
      And he has failed to make an impact at Old Trafford this season despite seeing the likes of Antony and Marcus Rashford struggle in his position.
      The winger featured in United’s 2-0 victory against Wigan on Monday for the first time since September.
      But that could be his last game for a while as he is set to be the next star to leave the club this month, according to the Daily Mail.
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      The report claims Ten Hag has signalled he is willing to let Pellistri go, sparking PSV into confirming their interest in the Uruguayan international.
      The Eredivise side are set to begin talks with United about a potential loan move.
      However, they will not be alone as MLS giants LA Galaxy are also interested in the winger.
      And LaLiga’s Villarreal also hope they can get the Uruguay international on a permanent deal this month.
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      The Spanish side initially showed interest in the winger during the summer.
      The move could suit Pellistri who already has experience in top-flight Spanish football after completing two loan spells at Alaves.
      And the club are open to an initial loan until the end of the season with United keen to recoup at least what they paid for the 18-cap star.
      But a move to the Netherlands should not be ruled out for the Pellistri as PSV are on track for Eredivisie glory this term. More

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      Everton handed huge boost in Premier League relegation battle as Calvert-Lewin’s ‘disgraceful’ red card is overturned

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      EVERTON have been handed a major boost in their Premier League survival bid with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s “disgraceful” red card being overturned.The Toffees striker, 26, was controversially sent off in Thursday’s drab 0-0 FA Cup third-round tie away at Crystal Palace.
      Dominic Calvert-Lewin has seen his red card rescindedCredit: Getty
      The Toffees striker was sent off in the FA Cup clash at Crystal PalaceCredit: PA

      Calvert-Lewin slid in and claimed the ball before catching Nathaniel Clyne with minimal contact on the shin.
      And after play was initially waved on with no foul given, referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR Craig Pawson and subsequently brandished the red – to the shock of the Everton players, manager Sean Dyche and virtually everyone watching.
      The sending off warranted a three-match ban, another big blow for 17th-placed Toffees who have already been docked ten points this season for breaching FFP rules and are now one point above the drop zone having played a game more than Luton.
      However, Everton launched an appeal to the FA to get the first red card of Calvert-Lewin’s career wiped.
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      They were particularly keen to know how Kavanagh’s original decision was deemed a ‘clear and obvious error’.
      But now the FA have confirmed common sense prevailed as the red card was rescinded.
      And that means Calvert-Lewin will be available for selection for Everton’s Premier League games against Aston Villa at home on Sunday and away at Fulham on January 30, as well as the Palace replay next Wednesday.
      The FA said: “Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be available for Everton’s next three games following a successful claim of wrongful dismissal.
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      “The striker was sent off for serious foul play in the Emirates FA Cup game against Crystal Palace on Thursday, January 4 2024.”
      Calvert-Lewin looked genuinely bemused to be given his marching orders after Kavanagh was shown slow-mo replays on the screen.
      And even opposition defender Joachim Andersen appeared to tell him “it’s not a red” as he shook hands with the England international.
      Dyche – whose ten men held on for the goalless stalemate to force a replay – insisted he remained a “fan” of VAR but it was “beginning to test my patience”.
      Toffees hero Peter Reid tweeted: “I’ve lost the will to live, game’s gone.”
      And fans watching the drama unfold from home also raged at the decision.
      ‘ABSOLUTE JOKE’
      One said: “No physical contact at all. Goodness, what is going on.”
      A second wrote: “Disgraceful decision by a terrible ref.”
      And a third added: “An absolute joke. The beautiful game is finished RIP FOOTBALL.”
      And ex-Premier League ref Mark Halsey told SunSport: “None of the players on either side reacted to the challenge.
      “I do not understand why VAR Craig Pawson recommended a pitchside review and I’m surprised Kavanagh did not stick with his original decision.
      “You can argue it was ‘reckless’ and worthy of a caution but it did not meet the criteria for ‘serious foul play’.
      “It did not ‘endanger the safety of an opponent with excessive force or brutality’.
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      “Those challenges happen all the time and the slo-mo replays always make them appear worse than they are.”
      The winners of the replay at Goodison Park next week will play Luton or Bolton at home in the FA Cup fourth round on the last weekend of January.
      Ref Chris Kavanagh waved play on but was sent to the pitchside monitorCredit: Getty
      The red card would have seen the forward miss three matchesCredit: PA More

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      Man Utd ‘to cover £100,000 a WEEK of Jadon Sancho’s wages during Borussia Dortmund loan after £73m flop frozen out’

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      BORUSSIA DORTMUND are demanding Manchester United pay a third of Jadon Sancho’s wages, according to reports.Talks between the clubs are progressing over a potential loan move this January.
      Jadon Sancho could seal a return to Borussia Dortmund this monthCredit: Getty
      Sancho, 23, is open to ending his Old Trafford nightmare and rejoining his former club.
      But Dortmund are not willing to pay his entire £290,000-a-week salary as it is out of their budget, claim the Mail.
      Therefore, the German giants are demanding Man Utd pay £100,000 of his wages every week.
      It means the Red Devils will hand Sancho around £2.5m to play elsewhere until the end of this season should they agree to the proposal.
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      However, United would save £5m from getting a portion of his wages off the books, which will help the club meet FFP regulations.
      Reports suggest that there will be no obligation to buy Sancho included in the deal.
      But Dortmund may have to pay more for the loan if clauses based on appearances made and Champions League qualification are met.
      Sancho has not played for Man Utd since a public fall out with Erik ten Hag in September.
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      The exiled £73m star claimed the manager made him a “scapegoat”.
      Sancho refused to apologise and has since been banned from training and all first-team facilities.
      Meanwhile, Dortmund are closing in on the loan signing of Chelsea star Ian Maatsen. More

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      I held transfer talks with Tottenham… but joined Arsenal after Spurs paid for a taxi to take me there

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      EMMANUEL PETIT opened up about Arsenal’s mastermind plan to hijack Tottenham’s move for the Frenchman in 1997.And the former midfielder revealed Spurs even paid for his taxi ride to Arsene Wenger’s house.
      Petit held transfer talks with Tottenham before signing for Arsenal in 1997Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Petit revealed Spurs even paid for a taxi to Arsene Wenger’s houseCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Petit’s former Monaco boss Wenger joined the Gunners in 1996 and transformed the club.
      And a year later the star found himself in London with Spurs chairman Alan Sugar to talk about a transfer from Monaco to White Hart Lane.
      But as soon as Wenger heard about his former player in the capital he made sure Petit heard his pitch first before signing anything.
      So after his chat with Tottenham, the player asked them for some time to think about the offer at his hotel.
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      The North London club even paid for his taxi back but the car did a detour to Wenger’s house, where he then sealed a deal with the Gunners for £2.5million.
      He said on talkSPORT: “I had meetings on the same day with Tottenham and Arsenal.
      “I met Tottenham in the morning, but when I came to England I didn’t know about the rivalry between the two clubs.
      “When I left the Spurs stadium, they booked me a cab and the cab driver asked me for directions, so I gave him the Arsenal address and I didn’t realise that the cab was pre-paid by Spurs, so they knew where I was going!
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      “I told Spurs that I needed time to think about it but knew that I had to see Arsenal, as well as other clubs in Italy and Spain.
      “I told everyone that I’d make my mind up and when I knew the answer I would give it, but after a couple of days I signed for Arsenal and it went into newspapers and all of a sudden the story came.
      “I realised the pressure of the rivalry then.”
      Arsenal were challenging for Premier League glory while Spurs were battling it out in the relegation zone in the 1997-98 season.
      By the end of Petit’s first campaign, he was a Premier League and FA Cup winner.
      And that summer he and Arsenal midfield partner Patrick Vieira helped France to the World Cup.
      Spurs struggled through the season and ended up finishing in 14th.
      Petit left Arsenal in 2000 for Barcelona and returned to England and joined Chelsea in 2001, retiring at the club in 2004. More

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      I’m an ex-Arsenal star, Arteta should sign ‘more complete striker’ than Ivan Toney, I wouldn’t pay Brentford’s price tag

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      FORMER Arsenal star Mikael Silvestre revealed Mikel Arteta should sign striker Victor Osimhen instead of Ivan Toney.The Spaniard is desperate for a “more complete striker” after his side were knocked out of the FA Cup in their 2-0 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday.
      Mikael Silvestre revealed which striker Mikel Arteta should signCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Silvestre revealed Arsenal should not sign Ivan ToneyCredit: Alamy
      The former Arsenal star prefers Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as a No9 option for the GunnersCredit: Getty
      Toney prepares to return from his eight-month suspension for breaching FA betting rules.
      And the Brentford striker, 27, has been linked with a move to North London this month.
      But Silvestre believes the Bees’ £100million asking price for the one-cap England centre-forward is way too high.
      He told GGRecon: “I think £100m is extremely high. I know goalscorers are very rare, but that’s too much money for Ivan. I don’t believe that price is a true reflection of his quality.”
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      However, Osimhen, 25, who has a reported £112m release clause in his contract would be a better value for money for Arteta’s side.
      He continued: “In my eyes, Victor’s a more complete striker than Ivan Toney. I believe his style would be better suited to Arsenal too.
      “As soon as Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille, he needed six months to adapt and then after that, he became a real threat and scored a lot of goals.
      “He was key to Napoli winning the Serie A title last season and for the reasons I’ve provided, I would prefer Arsenal to sign Osimhen over Ivan Toney.”
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      The Napoli star bagged 26 goals last season, helping the Italian club win their first Serie A title in 33 years.
      This season he has continued his sensational form with seven goals and two assists in just 13 league games.
      And after Arsenal’s exit from the FA Cup it is clear they need a proper goalscorer.
      Arteta’s side have one win in their last seven in all competitions, but more worryingly, have had 48 shots in their last two home outings without hitting the back of the net.
      The Spaniard has tried three different strikers in their last three games – Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Kai Havertz – but they have scored just one goal, by Bukayo Saka at Fulham.
      Silvestre believes the Gunners should be prioritising bringing in a striker this month.
      He added: “Considering the lack of effectiveness from the front three or four, I believe a striker will be the priority for Arsenal in the January transfer window.” More

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      Sir Jim Ratcliffe told to REBUILD Old Trafford as INEOS chief warned of huge project after Man Utd investment

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      MANCHESTER UNITED hero Lee Sharpe has warned new club chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he faces a “big project” after his recent investment.And that includes an Old Trafford rebuild.
      Manchester United hero Lee Sharpe warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe he is facing a ‘big project’Credit: PA
      Sharpe believes Ratcliffe needs to rebuild Man Utd’s iconic Old TraffordCredit: Reuters
      Sharpe claims Man Utd’s Carrington training ground also needs a ‘refurb and a reshuffle’Credit: Getty
      Ratcliffe has completed his long-awaited 25 per cent investment of United, pending final approval from the Premier League.
      Sir Jim will be in charge of all sporting matters regarding the men’s and women’s teams along with the academy.
      The Ineos chief is facing a massive task that includes improving Erik ten Hag’s struggling team and upgrading the club.
      And Sharpe advised the 71-year-old to start by rebuilding Old Trafford to compete with Arsenal’s Emirates and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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      United fans have repeatedly complained about the state of the Theatre of Dreams, which includes cracks on the ceiling that have led to water leaking through.
      Former winger Sharpe also believes the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground needs a “refurb and a reshuffle”.
      Ratcliffe is expected to invest £237million into the club’s infrastructure after his £1.3billion minority share takeover last month.
      And Sharpe is confident Britain’s richest man can change the club’s fortunes along with Sir Dave Brailsford after they held a “positive” meeting with players and staff at Carrington last week.
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      But the former England international has warned Ratcliffe not to sack Ten Hag despite the Manchester giants’ turbulent campaign, which sees them sitting eighth in the Premier League and out of Europe..
      Sharpe told SunSport on behalf of Fruityslots.com: “I think we’re looking for stability. I think stability, I think support. I think he’s already came in and gave everybody a bit of a pep talk and a bit of a motivational speech.
      “I think everybody’s pleased to have him now. I think they like to see his sort of ambitions and his aims for the club. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens and how much input he actually has, and how much the manager can still retain his input.
      “And how the manager keeps a strong say in transfers on who goes, who comes in and who goes out. So it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic works.
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      Sharpe is confident Ratcliffe will turn Man Utd’s fortunes aroundCredit: Getty
      Sharpe believes Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford will change Man Utd’s fortunesCredit: Getty
      “But I think Jim Ratcliffe has already got them on a positive foot. Spoken to the players, spoken to the staff, and already had a bigger response than the Glaziers have had in 15 or 20 years they’ve been in charge.
      “So you know, I don’t think it’s time to sack the manager just yet. Let’s hope that Sir Jim Ratcliffe can give the manager the support he needs and we can turn the results around.
      “I think there’s a lot of things [that need to be done] I think the ground probably needs a rebuild to be fair.
      “If It’s gonna keep up with the likes of the Emirates and the Tottenham Stadium and the things that are going on.
      “Manchester United, you know, classify themselves as the biggest if not one of the biggest clubs in the world and they need the best facilities, the best ground.
      “I think the training ground at Carrington probably needs a refurb and a reshuffle. They probably need a couple of players so it’s a big project. Brailsford has been in cycling, we’re not sure how that translates back to football.
      “But he certainly did a great job with Great Britain cycle team, let’s hope he can do the same with the club.
      “It’s all about relationships now and how they build those relationships and the manager has to have trust in in the people that are coming in above him.
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      “And then it’s about the manager laying down his foundations of how he sees the team playing, what sort of players he’s looking for.
      “And for the people above him to go and get the players that he’s asked for.” More

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      Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand slams ‘overhyped’ Premier League star dubbed ‘next Steven Gerrard’ by fans

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      RIO FERDINAND does not believe Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai deserves all the praise he has received since arriving at Anfield.The Hungarian star, 23, has made an impressive start to life in the Premier League as part of Jurgen Klopp’s rejuvenated side.
      Dominik Szoboszlai has made a superb start to life at AnfieldCredit: PA
      Rio Ferdinand believes Szoboszlai has been overhypedCredit: Getty
      Alongside the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo, Szoboszlai has led Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table at the turn of the year.
      He has scored four goals and provided three assists in 26 matches for the Reds.
      Some of his performances have seen him compared to iconic Liverpool talisman Steven Gerrard – who played 710 games for the club and is widely regarded to be one of their greatest players.
      Yet despite receiving heaps of praise, Manchester United legend Ferdinand, 45, is not completely sold on the ex-RB Leipzig man.
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      Speaking on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel, he said: “I know everyone is hyping him, but I don’t think Dominik Szoboszlai has done [as well as people make out].
      “He’s a good player but people are saying ‘oh, he’s the next [Steven] Gerrard!’ and I haven’t seen that yet.
      “I see bare of their [fans’] comments. But one of my mates in my group always says it [that he is the next Gerrard].
      “But he is easy on the eye.”
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      Szoboszlai has been compared by some fans to Liverpool icon Steven GerrardCredit: AFP
      Liverpool sit 14 points clear of Ferdinand’s former club Man Utd – who are languishing in eighth.
      Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are the only two of Erik ten Hag’s players to have registered more goal contributions than Szoboszlai in all competitions so far this season.
      But the Liverpool midfielder is not expected to be available for his side’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham on Wednesday after picking up a hamstring problem which kept him out of their 2-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup.
      Giving an update on Szoboszlai before their win at the Emirates, Klopp said: “We will have to see [if he can play against Fulham].
      “Dom is very positive, not a lot of pain but no chance for Sunday. Not for then Wednesday. Then we will see.
      “After that, hopefully, he might be back but we don’t know.” More