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      Chelsea agree £20m transfer fee with Leeds for Tyler Adams.. but still have another TWO midfielders on shortlist

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      CHELSEA have agreed a deal to sign Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams.The Blues have met the £20million release clause in the American’s contract, with the 24-year-old set to have a medical in London on Thursday.
      Tyler Adams made 24 appearances for Leeds last seasonCredit: Getty

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      Adams is expected to sign a five-year deal with the club.
      Mauricio Pochettino wants midfield recruits this summer having cleared out a number of players.
      N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus Cheek and Mateo Kovacic have all left Stamford Bridge during this window, while Conor Gallagher could still move.
      Gallagher would prefer to stay at Chelsea but is a target for both West Ham and Tottenham.
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      The Blues are also pursuing deals for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo – but face competition from Liverpool on both.
      Adams only joined Leeds from RB Leipzig in a £20million deal last summer.
      The USA international made 24 appearances as Leeds were relegated to the Championship – but missed a large section of the campaign through injury.
      Adams was not involved in Leeds’ Championship opener against Cardiff last weekend.
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      Romeo Lavia has attracted plenty of interestCredit: Getty
      Moises Caicedo remains on Chelsea’s wishlistCredit: Getty
      But he was in attendance at Elland Road and was spotted chatting to Leeds youngster Archie Gray at half-time.
      Chelsea have so far made six first-team signings this summer.
      French stars Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi and Lesley Ogochukwu have arrived from RB Leipzig, AS Monaco and Rennes respectively.
      While striker Nicolas Jackson, winger Angelo and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez have also been brought in.
      Adams was spotted chatting to Archie Gray as Leeds took on CardiffCredit: Rex More

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      Premier League clubs will pray Erling Haaland suffers from second season syndrome… rival strikers aren’t at his level

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      WHAT chance is there of Erling Haaland being struck down by a case of ‘second-season syndrome’?On the eve of the Premier League’s big kick-off, that is the wishful thinking of Manchester City’s potential title rivals as Pep Guardiola’s men bid to become the first team to be crowned champions of England for four consecutive seasons.
      Premier League fans will be hoping for Haaland to suffer from second season syndrome… But that does not look likelyCredit: Getty
      Because if Haaland keeps on doing Haaland things — and in his maiden campaign at the Etihad, he netted 35 league goals in 32 appearances — there is surely no hope for the chasing pack.
      City already boasted the strongest squad and the most inventive manager in the top flight before last summer but after they added the finest young finisher in world football, the Treble was theirs.
      Tomorrow night, Haaland heads to Burnley — no longer the ‘trip to the dentist’ Guardiola regarded it during Sean Dyche’s reign — having flopped in Sunday’s Community Shield, just as he did in the corresponding fixture last year.
      Yet he scored both of City’s goals on his Premier League debut at West Ham the following weekend and, by the end of August, he had already netted back-to-back hat-tricks.
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      Haaland ended City’s all-conquering campaign with his longest barren run in club football since he was a teenager at Molde in 2018 — yet he collected three major trophies during that five-match drought.
      The mighty Norseman is well liked by his City team-mates but on the training ground and especially during matches, his attitude is described by one team-mate as “chilling”.
      It is not usually difficult to ascertain the form of a striker by his mood in training — when they are banging in the goals they are all smiles but, if they are going through a drought, they tend to be irritable or downright angry.
      But 23-year-old Haaland is different.
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      His colleagues will tell you that whether he’s netted a hat-trick or fired a rare blank in his previous match, the Norwegian never shows it.
      While there have been suggestions that Guardiola’s team might lack prime motivation levels having secured the Treble, nobody at City believes 6ft 5in Haaland will ease up.
      He has so many obvious physical attributes — pace, strength, ball-striking — but it is the evenness of his temperament which team-mates believe sets him apart.
      And none of City’s major rivals go into the new campaign with a settled first-choice centre-forward able to rival him.
      Arsenal — for all their impressive summer business and the confidence from their Community Shield victory — do not possess an elite goalscorer.
      Gabriel Jesus was rarely employed as a No 9 by Guardiola at City, even when the Etihad boss did not have an authentic centre-forward.
      The Brazilian, 26, will miss the start of Arsenal’s campaign with a knee injury and Kai Havertz, who led the line at Wembley on Sunday, squandered a couple of excellent chances.
      Havertz is an intelligent player with a satin touch but he is no goal machine — netting 19 times in 91 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
      The 24-year-old German was Chelsea’s top scorer with just seven last term and no Blues player has scored more than 16 in a league season since Diego Costa six years ago.
      Of this summer’s new recruits, Christopher Nkunku, 25, is already facing a lengthy lay-off after knee surgery, leaving 22-year-old Nicolas Jackson — with 12 goals for Villarreal last season — as Mauricio Pochettino’s attacking spearhead.
      Manchester United have spent £72million on 20-year-old Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund, who scored just nine Serie A goals for Atalanta last season.
      That may be an upgrade on Wout Weghorst but Erik ten Hag’s men — having refused to make a move for Harry Kane — will be over-reliant on the goals of Marcus Rashford cutting in from the left.
      Newcastle have two decent centre- forward options in Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak.
      But Eddie Howe has been unsure which man to deploy down the middle, with Swede Isak, 23, often used out wide.
      Kane is the only world class forward outside of Haaland in the Premier League… But may leave for BayernCredit: Getty
      With a goal every 105 minutes, 31-year-old Wilson came closer than any other top-flight player to Haaland’s strike rate of one every 77 minutes but Isak is expected to take over as Howe’s first-choice centre-forward. Liverpool’s problems are largely in defence and midfield, with Jurgen Klopp boasting a potent clutch of forwards.
      Mo Salah is a three-time Golden Boot winner but the 31-year-old Egyptian went through the least impressive of his six seasons at Anfield last term.
      Klopp needs a big season from Darwin Nunez, 24, the Uruguayan who netted nine times in his maiden Premier League campaign.
      Kane, 30, is the only other genuine world-class centre-forward in the Premier League but he may leave Tottenham for Bayern Munich.
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      Even when he bagged 30 goals last season, Spurs finished a distant eighth in the title race.
      So perhaps the best hope for City’s rivals is that Haaland might suffer a lengthy layoff — at which point Guardiola will call for 23-year-old Julian Alvarez, the first-choice centre-forward for world champions Argentina… More

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      Chelsea draw Wimbledon as Spurs take on Fulham in Carabao Cup second round.. and Wrexham will have eye on third round

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      CHELSEA and Spurs have learned their opponents for the next round of the Carabao Cup.With both clubs not playing in Europe next season, they will enter the competition in the second round.
      Mauricio Pochettino’s faces a home tie in his first cup match as Chelsea bossCredit: Getty
      Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs will travel to West LondonCredit: PA
      Chelsea will host AFC Wimbledon in a London derby at Stamford Bridge as Mauricio Pochettino looks to lay down a marker for winning silverware.
      Meanwhile, Spurs will face the short trip west as they take on Fulham in the second round.
      The Carabao Cup may provide the Aussie with the opportunity to give minutes to some members on the outskirts of his 39-man first-team squad.
      The draw was split into two halves between north and south to avoid excessive mid-week travel for fans.
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      Wrexham drew Bradford at home in a tie rather less glamorous than the Red Dragons’ Hollywood owners.
      And there’ll be an all Premier League tie as Nottingham Forest host Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.
      Following Leicester’s televised 2-0 victory over Burton, The Foxes will take on Tranmere in the next round.
      Fellow relegated side Leeds face a trip to Gary Neville and the Class of 92 owned Salford City.
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      Sean Dyche’s Everton will visit Doncaster Rovers.
      Premier League new-boys Sheffield United play on Lincoln City at home.
      And Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth will visit Swansea for the Basque’s first Carabao Cup tie.
      Luton Town will host Gillingham as they enter the Carabao Cup at the second round for the first time in 31 years following their shock promotion to the top flight.
      Round Two of the Carabao Cup will kick off in the week commencing August 28.
      The draw in full is as follows:
      NORTH SECTION

      Tranmere vs Leicester
      Salford vs Leeds
      Harrogate vs Blackburn
      Stoke vs Rotherham
      Wrexham vs Bradford
      Doncaster vs Everton
      Bolton vs Middlesbrough
      Port Vale vs Crewe
      Nottingham Forest vs Burnley
      Sheffield Wednesday vs Mansfield
      Wolves vs Blackpool
      Sheffield United vs Lincoln

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      SOUTH SECTION

      Bristol City v QPR or Norwich
      Plymouth Argyle v Crystal Palace
      Reading v Ipswich Town
      Portsmouth v Peterborough United
      Luton Town v Gillingham
      Swansea City v Bournemouth
      Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur
      Exeter City v Stevenage
      Wycombe Wanderers v Sutton United
      Birmingham City v Cardiff City
      Newport County v Brentford
      Chelsea v AFC Wimbledon

      Clubs in all four tiers are chasing the trophy won by Man Utd last seasonCredit: PA More

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      I married childhood sweetheart in Ukraine and bought pals guns to fight the war… now I’m gearing up for Premier League

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      BOURNEMOUTH defender Illia Zabarnyi is back for the Premier League season after a summer spent at home in Ukraine.As well as marrying his childhood sweetheart Angelina, the Cherries defender, 20, made sure his soldier friends were protected by buying them guns to take back to the front line.
      Illia Zabarnyi has had a wold summerCredit: Getty
      Zabarnyi got married this summerCredit: Instagram @illiazabarnyi
      He got married to childhood sweetheartCredit: Instagram / @angelinarr_

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      And on the field Zabarnyi scored his first international goal in June during Ukraine’s 3-2 Euro qualifying victory in North Macedonia.
      Zabarnyi’s face is full of pride for the fellow countrymen he has left behind to fight Vladimir Putin’s invading Russian troops — but his eyes reflect the sadness in his heart.
      The £24million signing from Dynamo Kyiv told SunSport: “I have lots of friends and they are soldiers who are defending Ukraine.
      “They are 20 years old like me and they take a gun and go and defend Ukraine. And I give them what they need — I pay for weapons and this is all I can do.
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      “I give all what they need — it’s so important that every Ukrainian now supports them one hundred per cent.
      “I got married over there and got to see my family and close friends.
      “I went to Ukraine for a week and I didn’t sleep every night because every day they attack.
      “It’s still really bad over there and we need to let people know what’s going on in Ukraine.
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      Bournemouth star Zabarnyi for £24millionCredit: Getty
      Angelina has 12.5k followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram / @angelinarr_
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      “Our country is very tired, the people have stayed together and continue our defence and we continue to fight.
      “It’s an emotional moment because we’ve had lots of games and I want to help the team so we can give the country a little smile.
      “For the national team we won two important games and I scored my first goal, which made me very happy.”
      The Cherries signed Zabarnyi in the January window but injuries restricted him to just five appearances.
      But when he played he became an instant hit with the home supporters, who took the young Ukrainian to their hearts.
      Now Saturday’s home clash with West Ham cannot come quickly enough.
      Zabarnyi added: “It’s difficult when I come back to Bournemouth because of what is happening in my country.
      “I’m at the right place at the right time and I love it!
      “Now I want to play and give 100 per cent to Bournemouth. This is a great club and I am happy to be here.
      “I cannot wait for the season to start against West Ham but I want to show how all this is affecting Ukraine.
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      “I am here playing in the Premier League, which is very important to me because people come to watch Ukrainian players.
      “My country is at war and maybe being here people talk about this and maybe that helps, which is important.”
      Zabarnyi paid for his countrymen’s weapons in the Ukraine warCredit: Getty More

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      Blundering ref who stepped down after huge VAR error re-hired by bosses… to TRAIN referees

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      PREMIER LEAGUE blunder referee Lee Mason has been re-hired by PGMOL to train referees. Mason stepped down from his position as a Video Assistant Referee after a spectacular error during Arsenal’s clash with Brentford in February.
      Lee Mason has been re-hired by PGMOLCredit: Getty
      It comes after a huge VAR error during Arsenal’s clash with BrentfordCredit: AFP

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      The 51-year-old came under fire after failing to spot an offside in the build-up to Brentford’s equaliser against the then title-chasing Gunners.
      Mason supposedly forgot to draw the lines to see whether Christian Norgaard was offside as Ivan Toney bagged a 74th-minute equaliser.
      He was not picked for VAR duty the following weekend before it was confirmed he had “departed the organisation by mutual consent”.
      However, PGMOL have now turned to Mason to train other referees.
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      The Daily Mail report Mason will work with officials in the Prem, EFL and Women’s Super League, with a particular focus on League One and League Two.
      They add Mason will not work on VAR.
      Former Prem ref Keith Hackett was critical of the move, saying: “The guy who did not set the world alight in the middle but was a survivor and an abject failure in the VAR role will be advising and passing on his skill sets to others.”
      Suffice to say, the move has not gone down very well with fans either.
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      Taking to Twitter, one fan wrote: “You cannot make it up. This is a man who forgot to draw offside lines during the #Arsenal vs Brentford game. Shambles.”
      A second said: “What nonsense!”
      “Lmao this is psychotic, Lee Mason was actively bad at his job and now he’s training the next batch of refs 😂,” remarked a third.
      A fourth typed: “God help us all.”
      While a fifth added: “Shameless.”
      Mason retired from his on-field ref duties at the end of the 2020/21 season after 15 years on the job. More

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      Leeds fans joke ‘now it’s starting to look MUCH better’ as Emma Louise Jones models ‘Fruit Salad’ third kit

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      LEEDS fans have said that their third kit is looking “much better” after the new shirt was modelled by Emma Louise Jones on Twitter.The Championship club released their third kit for the 2023/24 season on Tuesday.
      Emma Louise Jones modelled Leeds’ new third shirtCredit: Instagram @eljonesuk
      The kit has been panned by fans on social mediaCredit: Instagram @Leedsunited
      The BBC presenter is a massive Leeds fanCredit: Instagram / @eljonesuk
      The presenter hosts the BBC’s MOTDX programCredit: Instagram @eljonesuk
      Featuring a bright pink and yellow design with black trim, the shirt is said to be a nod to the club’s association with the peacock.
      It is understood that the link, which is represented by a colourful peacock print, stems from The Old Peacock pub close to Elland Road.
      The Adidas strip was modelled by players including Liam Cooper, Ethan Ampadu and Luke Ayling for the launch.
      Leeds fans were left generally unimpressed by the kit, with fans comparing it to Mr Blobby and fruit salad sweets.
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      But Leeds supporter and BBC presenter Emma Louise Jones was prepared to go against the grain and tweeted her admiration for the new shirt.
      She posted a selfie in the pink and yellow number and wrote: “I like it! (Also good for covering food and drink spillages) @LUFC”
      One fan replied: “Now the kit is starting to look much better!”
      While another wrote: “Looks quite good actually but then you’d look a million dollars in a bin liner, so tricky one to judge, I’ll have a look tonight.”
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      A third wrote: “Suits you, I’m still not a fan though, should be yellow can’t get my round anything else it’s just not Leeds.”
      A fourth was still unconvinced, saying: “I genuinely believe that is the most hideous Leeds shirt I’ve ever seen. Just goes to show that Emma looks good in anything.”
      Leeds could debut the new third kit away to Birmingham on Saturday.
      Daniel Farke’s side began their Championship campaign on Sunday following relegation from the Premier League.
      A stoppage time equaliser at home to Cardiff rescued a point after Leeds had been two goals down. More

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      Eagle-eyed fans reckon Chelsea’s kit sponsor has been LEAKED in latest Twitter video featuring Olivia Buzaglo

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      EAGLE-EYED Chelsea fans have spotted a leaked version of their home shirt which bears the club’s new sponsor.Details emerged yesterday of Chelsea agreeing a deal with American tech company Infinite Athlete to become their front of shirt sponsor for £40million-a-year.
      Chelsea took the rare move of unveiling their kit without a sponsor this yearCredit: instagram – @chelseafc

      If the sponsorship gains Premier League approval, Chelsea will wear the new version of their kit during their season opener against Liverpool.
      The club’s previous deal with 3 ran out this summer, with both sides failing to come to an agreement on a renewal.
      Chelsea then came close to an agreement with gambling company Stake, but the deal fell through due to fan opposition.
      A subsequent deal with Paramount+ came close, but failed to earn Premier League approval due to the league having a due to the league selling broadcasting rights to NBC in America.
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      Which left the club with facing going into the new season without a sponsor on the front of their shirt.
      The club played their entire pre-season tour in the sponsorless version – and unveiled the kit in its plain current state.
      The rush to get a sponsor sorted before the start of the season meant fans are unable to buy the home shirt until August 16.
      But fans on Twitter have spotted a clue that a deal between Chelsea and Infinite Athlete is near.
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      Pictures shared by Sky Sports presenter Olivia Buzaglo on Twitter show the players posing in the sponsorless version.
      But eagle-eyed supporters spotted a shirt draped over Buzaglo’s arm that bore the print of Infinite Athlete.
      One fan said: “If you zoom in you will see something gold coloured.” which turned out to be the club’s new sponsor.
      The behind-the-scenes snaps have therefore given a massive clue that Chelsea will indeed have a shirt sponsor this season even if it is desperately late in the day. More

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      Chelsea confirm new club captain after Cesar Azpilicueta transfer exit as fans say ‘legend… one of our own’

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      CHELSEA have named Reece James as their new club captain.It comes after the departure of long-serving club legend Cesar Azpilcueta.
      Reece James has been named as Chelsea’s new captainCredit: Reuters
      James has been at Chelsea since the age of sixCredit: Chelsea FC

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      Azpilicueta penned his exit from the club in an emotional six-minute video in early July.
      The Spaniard was seen in a flood of tears as he called time on his 11-year stay at Stamford Bridge, before heading to Atletico Madrid.
      But Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has now selected James as the club’s next captain.
      The 23-year-old has been one of the Blues best players since breaking into the first-team in 2019, having been in the club’s Academy since the age of six.
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      On his promotion to captain, James said: “I’m so happy to take on the role and responsibility.
      “I know I’ve got big shoes to fill because we have had huge captains here in the past, but I am excited.
      “I have been at Chelsea pretty much my whole life. I started here when I was six and to come through the Academy is tough.
      “But to go on and become captain, it’s a great feeling for me and my family.”
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      Pochettino described the England international as someone who “leads by example”.
      Fans were also left delighted by the decision.
      One fan wrote: “So this is what it feels like to be happy for someone else.”
      A second said: “My captain 💙.”
      “Legend. One of our own,” declared a third.
      A fourth typed: “Fully deserved 💙.”
      Another remarked: “What an achievement.”
      Meanwhile, a sixth added: “In terms of academy achievement this is about as good as it gets. I am gassed.”
      James has played 147 times for Chelsea, scoring 11 goals.
      His exploits have seen him lift the Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup.
      Chelsea kick-off their Premier League campaign with a tough test against Liverpool on Sunday.
      It has been announced that Anthony Taylor – who officiated the same match last season – will whistle the game, though Taylor has his share of controversy when officiating Chelsea games.
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      Fans started a petition to ban him from Chelsea games following his performance after the Blues first clash with Tottenham last season.
      It has also been announced that the club are facing a fine and points deduction from a Prem investigation into their financial affairs under Roman Abramovich. More