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      Chelsea ‘take huge step closer to £2BILLION renovation of Stamford Bridge… and will learn their fate THIS WEEK’

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      CHELSEA have taken a huge step closer to renovating Stamford Bridge.The Blues have plans for £2billion worth of work on their stadium and could learn their fate this week.
      Chelsea’s bid to buy a site next to Stamford Bridge could be approved this weekCredit: Getty
      Following nine weeks of talks with local residents, a presentation is scheduled for Wednesday to show the results.
      The talks were held as part of the club’s bid to acquire a £50million site next to the ground.
      Chelsea reached an agreement in principle with the veterans’ charity Stoll in July to buy most of the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions.
      The two-acre site backs onto Stamford Bridge and the deal would pave the way for a potential full-scale rebuild of the ground.
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      Plans for the stadium’s renovation include increasing the capacity from 42,000 to at least 55,000.
      However, Chelsea still need approval from residents and a local GP surgery before the deal can be finalised.
      The news comes after owner Todd Boehly submitted plans to the council to erect two giant lion sculptures outside Stamford Bridge.
      His proposal would cost around £2million, with the lions replicating those displayed on the club badge.
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      It is understood that Chelsea would prefer to renovate Stamford Bridge, rather than relocating to a new site.
      A move is expected to be met with unrest from fans, who were previously against plans to move to Battersea Power Station.
      Construction of a new stadium on the same site as Stamford Bridge is expected to take five years once planning permission is granted.
      As a result, Chelsea would be forced to play elsewhere for at least some of that time.
      Twickenham, Wembley Stadium and Fulham’s Craven Cottage have all been discussed as potential temporary homes. More

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      Mo Salah ‘ready to QUIT Liverpool for Saudi transfer in summer’ claims rival.. as pair face awkward encounter THIS WEEK

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      MO SALAH was ready to quit Liverpool for Saudi Arabia, claims West Ham star Michail Antonio.Al-Ittihad offered the Reds a staggering world record £215million for the Egyptian.
      Mo Salah wanted to leave Liverpool, claims West Ham’s Michail AntonioCredit: Alamy
      Antonio could be set for an awkward encounter with Salah this weekendCredit: Getty
      But Liverpool turned down the bid, which came after the English transfer window had closed.
      But Antonio believes Salah was keen on the move and would not have hesitated to leave if Liverpool had accepted the bid.
      The striker told The Footballers’ Football podcast: “He didn’t turn that down, no way. He was locked up and the Reds had put that red arrow across: ‘You are not going anywhere’.
      “He did not stop that at all. To be fair to him, he didn’t kick up a fuss and let them do what they were doing.
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      “But I know for a fact that he was ready to go.”
      Antonio made the confident claim about Salah’s wishes just days before the pair are set to meet in the Premier League.
      That means there could be an awkward encounter at Anfield on Sunday.
      However before that clash both teams are in Europa League action with Liverpool facing a trip to Austria to play LASK.
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      West Ham won the Europa Conference League last season and will be aiming to continue their recent success in Europe against TSC Bačka Topola. More

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      ‘Crazy’ former Tottenham star ‘repeatedly punched Van der Vaart and threatened to KILL him for taking a free-kick’

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      TOTTENHAM cult legend midfielder Sandro has claimed former left-back and fellow cult legend Benoit Assou-Ekotto threatened to “KILL” Rafael Van der Vaart after he wouldn’t let him take a free-kick.Sandro was part of the Harry Redknapp Tottenham team that reached the Champions League quarter finals in 2011 and is fondly remembered by fans for his tough tackling and eccentric ways.
      Sandro has lifted the lid on his time at TottenhamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He claimed that Benoit Assou-Ekotto fought with Rafael Van Der Vaart after he did not let him take a free-kickCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      In an exclusive interview with Ladbrokes Fanzone, Sandro lifted the lid on that team, which wasn’t short of a few characters.
      The midfielder looked back particularly fondly at playing with left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who he claims didn’t like football.
      The Brazilian midfielder said: “Benoit [Assou-Ekotto] is a crazy guy, he really is. We liked him a lot. We knew he was a particular kind of guy, but we liked him because of it. He never used to know who we were playing on a weekend… he just didn’t like football.
      “There’s a really funny moment that springs to my mind when I think about Assou-Ekotto. He used to like to take free-kicks for us. But one time we were playing in a game, we got a free-kick in a good position and Rafael van der Vaart picked up the ball and decided to shoot. 
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      “Assou took this very personally; he was very upset because, to him, that was his ball; he was going to shoot. As a group of guys playing with him, generally whenever Assou wanted to do something, we just left him to it… let him do it, you know? 
      “In this moment, he was mad. At half-time, we get into the dressing room and he’s punching Rafael! I tried to grab hold of him, he was so strong as well, so I’m grabbing holding of him and dragging him back because he’s trying to attack Rafa. 
      “‘Why did you take the shot? Why did you do this? It’s my ball, my friend… you don’t take it! Next time, I kill you!’
      “He was so angry. The next day, we turn up to training and Van der Vaart comes over to me and says ‘Sandro, you saved my life… thank you very much!'”
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      Assou-Ekotto was a cult legend on the Spurs terracesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      It’s not the first time Assou-Ekotto’s eccentric ways have made headlines.
      Peter Crouch also looked back fondly on his time with Assou Ekotto during an interview with The Mail, saying: “He [Assou-Ekotto] would tell us straight out that he had no interest in football whatsoever. He genuinely didn’t like it.
      “At 1.30pm on a Saturday he’d have no idea which team you were playing. ‘But Benoit, we’ve been talking about them in training all week.'”
      Crouch also recounted how Assou Ekotto would eat the same weird lunch every match day, saying: “Benoit would turn up with a Tesco’s bag containing the same four items every time: a croissant, a hot chocolate, a full-fat Coke and a packet of crisps.
      “The croissant I understood. He is French-Cameroonian. The hot chocolate: same cultural backstory. He used to dip the first into the second.
      “But the crisps, and the Coke — it was like two discrete lunches, one belonging to a middle-aged Parisian and the other a 12-year-old on the Seven Sisters Road. And it worked. He was always in great shape and rarely injured.
      “We accepted it, along with all the other weirdness: the random cars he would turn up to training in, sometimes a Smart car, then a Lamborghini; the way he would refuse to take ice baths for recovery, on the rather basic premise that they were ‘too cold’.
      “Benoit was a really weird guy but we loved him a lot.”
      Assou-Ekotto for his part claimed that it wasn’t that he did not like football, but he was honest about his intentions in seeing it as just a job.
      He said in an interview in The Athletic last year: “All people, everyone, when they go to a job, it’s for the money. So I don’t understand why, when I said I play for the money, people were shocked. [Saying] Oh, he’s a mercenary. Every player is like that. It’s a good, good job and I don’t say that I hate football but it’s not my passion.
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      “Did the other players agree with me? I’m sure, I’m sure, 200 per cent.”
      He went on to say he is now enjoying football again, playing for his local amateur club SC Saint-Nicolas-lez-Arras in Northern France for free. More

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      I was tasked with replacing Roy Keane at Man Utd but we had a great relationship – we used to drink pots of tea together

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      FORMER Manchester United star Alan Smith has opened up about his arrival at Old Trafford from Leeds and trying to replace legend Roy Keane.The pair formed a great relationship as a result and Smith revealed how they used to enjoy drinking pots of tea together.
      Alan Smith has opened up about his time at Old TraffordCredit: Getty
      Smith spoke about his close relationship with Roy KeaneCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Sir Alex Ferguson brought Smith to Old Trafford in the summer of 2004 after his former team and rivals Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.
      The former forward struggled to find regular game time amidst the wealth of attacking options the club possessed.
      As a result, Smith began to play as a deep-lying midfielder – a role in which he would often fill in for Roy Keane as the legendary Irishman neared the end of his career.
      Smith spoke to Manchester Evening News about his time at United and his experience with Keane.
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      He said: “Roy Keane was impossible to replace because of his personality and the manager knew he was struggling injury-wise and couldn’t play three games in a week.
      “I was just someone who was willing to play that role, to try to do it to the best of my ability.
      “I was never overawed by it because I thought it was a compliment, thinking that I’d never be as good as him but that I could fill in.”
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      Keane didn’t drink alcohol by the time Smith arrived and the pair gravitated toward each other on team nights out.
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      He added: “Me and Roy had such a great relationship, to be honest.
      “I’ve been a football geek my whole life and we’d talk about that, but people don’t see that side of me because they think I’ve got a reputation, but I’m the opposite.
      “I loved football from when I first started playing and for me and Roy, it was interesting because we’d go out and we would drink pots of tea and just chat about football.
      “He’d tell me about all of his experiences previously.”
      Despite arriving from one of the club’s fiercest competitors, Smith quickly found himself a place on the team and tried to fill the void opened by Keane’s departure in November 2005.
      Smith went on to make 93 appearances for United and scored 12 goals, but a horror double-leg break against Liverpool curtailed his career with them and he joined Newcastle in 2007. More

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      Chelsea SECOND BOTTOM of 2023 Premier League table with less than one point per game despite £1bn spending under Boehly

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      CHELSEA sit second bottom in the Premier League when only taking into account results from 2023.The Blues have had a difficult year with Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino all having spells as manager.
      Chelsea have won just five league games in 2023Credit: Alamy
      Todd Boehly’s team are 17th in the 2023 tableCredit: Alamy
      Owner Todd Boehly has reached the £1billion mark with his transfer spending but has failed to turn the team’s form around.
      Looking at matches in 2023 alone, Chelsea are second bottom in the table.
      The Blues have played 28 matches, winning just five of them and there has been ten draws and 13 losses.
      It means they have picked up 25 points, which on average is less than one point per game.
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      Chelsea have found the back of the net just 24 times and conceded 35 goals.
      Only Everton and Bournemouth have scored fewer, both with one less goal than the West Londoners.
      And it’s only the Toffees that have had a worse 2023 than Chelsea.
      Sean Dyche’s men have picked up 22 points compared to the Blues’ 25.
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      2023 Prem table so far
      However, they have played two less games than Chelsea.
      Manchester City have had the best 2023 so far after recording 22 wins from 27 matches.
      Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa complete the top four.
      Towards the bottom, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Nottingham Forest have also struggled. More

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      Man Utd stars knuckle down in training ahead of Bayern Munich clash after sensational dressing room bust-up

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      MANCHESTER UNITED stars have been working hard in training ahead of their trip to Bayern Munich.There were no signs of a dressing room split following a bust-up after the 3-1 defeat to Brighton.
      Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Alejandro Garnacho shared a joke in trainingCredit: Reuters
      Lisandro Martinez, right, was involved in a dressing room bust-up on SaturdayCredit: Reuters
      Victor Lindelof seemed in better spirits after his altercation with MartinezCredit: Reuters
      Erik ten Hag has been trying to restore order in his squadCredit: Reuters
      Captian Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay confronted each other after the defeat, while Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof also shared angry words.
      But several players were all smiles at Carrington as the squad prepared for their first Champions League match of the season.

      Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Alejandro Garnacho joked with one another as the team were put through their paces.
      Varane has missed United’s last two games – both of which have ended in defeat.

      He is back in training along with Mason Mount and Erik ten Hag will be hoping Varane passes a fitness test as the defender could be key to keeping Harry Kane quiet tomorrow night.
      Martinez may also be crossing his fingers for the Frenchman’s return after falling out with his defensive partner Lindelof on Saturday.
      Ten Hag has tried to restore order in his squad, which has faced several off-field issues in recent weeks.
      Jadon Sancho has been banished from first-team training after hitting out at Ten Hag because the United boss suggested he had not been training to a high enough standard.
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      Mason Mount is back in trainingCredit: PA

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      Antony is also not allowed to train while police continue to investigate domestic violence allegations made by his ex Gabriela Cavallin.
      The chaos at the club led Gary Neville to claim unhappy players could be “BUGS” creating “discomfort and uncertainty” in the Red Devils camp.
      He said: “How popular is Sancho in the dressing room? How popular is Maguire?
      “Ten Hag has got some bugs in there that we don’t know from the outside what discomfort and uncertainty is being created on the inside.
      “You’ve got a player who’s probably changing in the first-team dressing room but is over with the academy. You’ve got Harry, who was captain of these players 12 months ago but has now almost been alienated to the third, fourth, fifth centre-half.
      “So Ten Hag has some situations in there and I don’t know the damage that is having.
      “There has been many a manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left, good managers who have found challenges at United.
      “I’m hoping it’s just a difficult start to the season and not a repeat of what we’ve seen previously — where it started to become challenging for Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes, Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.” More

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      Man Utd wonderkid, 17, signs first professional contract as fans predict he’ll become ‘next Gareth Bale’

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      GABRIELE BIANCHERI has signed his first professional contract with Manchester United.The Wales striker joined the Red Devils as a 16-year-old in a six-figure deal from Cardiff in February.
      Gabriele Biancheri has signed his first professional contract with Manchester United
      But wonderkid Biancheri turned 17 on Monday and revealed he had committed to his long-term Old Trafford future.
      Highly-rated Biancheri posted on Instagram: “Very proud for me & my family signing my first professional contract.”
      Biancheri has scored four goals in three United U18s appearances this season.
      That included a hat-trick for the forward against Reading on September 2.
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      He had been with Cardiff for nine years and was chased by a number of Premier League clubs before he picked United.
      Biancheri has also represented Wales in the Euro U17s tournament in Hungary last summer.
      He is eligible to play for the Dragons as well as England and Italy.
      Prior to signing for the Red Devils, Biancheri had been linked with Premier League rivals Chelsea.
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      United fans are excited by the news and have even compared the teenager to compatriot Gareth Bale.
      One fan tweeted: “A bright future ahead.”
      Another also commented: “Great news. Great talent.”
      A third supporter added: “Our Welsh starboy.”
      Meanwhile, one more wrote: “The next Gareth Bale.”
      Biancheri joined United from Cardiff back in FebruaryCredit: Getty
      A pacey striker, Biancheri is also able to play on either side of a front three.
      The youngster is expected to star for United in the UEFA Youth League this season, with their campaign getting underway against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. More

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      Why Man Utd flops bizarrely APPLAUDED Erik ten Hag after crushing 3-1 defeat to Brighton and dressing-room bust-up

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      ERIK TEN HAG was applauded by Manchester United stars in the dressing room after their bruising 3-1 defeat to Brighton, according to reports.SunSport revealed that four Red Devils stars were involved in a furious dressing room bust-up after the match.
      Erik ten Hag delivered a rallying cry after the matchCredit: Getty
      Captain Bruno Fernandes confronted midfielder Scott McTominay.
      Defenders Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof also lost it with each other after a dodgy defensive display.
      Ten Hag, 53, looked to restore order amid the dressing room turmoil.
      The Dutchman then issued a rallying cry.
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      Addressing his team, he defiantly vowed to turn United’s sinking ship around.
      According to talkSPORT, Ten Hag was applauded by his players following his rousing speech.
      The United boss faced boos from the crowd when he replaced Rasmus Hojlund with Anthony Martial in the second half.
      After the match, he bizarrely claimed the boos were a “positive”.
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      Bruno Fernandes confronted Scott McTominay after the matchCredit: Reuters
      He said: I think it was positive. You see from the fans in first moment at Old Trafford, the reception was great.
      “Hojlund performed very well, good that they gave this signal, this message will give Rasmus belief. He came in with small issue, he’s not ready for a whole game.
      “If Hojlund gets injured because he is not capable to play 90 minutes, then we are much further away from where we want to go.”
      He then continued: “The booing was because Rasmus came off. But I think Martial last year when he played, he had a positive effect on our games… when he is fit, he will contribute.
      “He is not top fit at this moment, but he is improving. When he is 100 per cent fit, he will contribute like last season.”
      Man United are languishing in 13th following their poor start to the season.
      Tomorrow they turn their attention towards the Champions League, when they face Harry Kane and Bayern Munich in Germany.
      The substitution of Rasmus Hojlund was booed by Old TraffordCredit: Getty More