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      Ansu Fati’s dad holds showdown talks with Barcelona amid Man Utd transfer interest with star unhappy

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      CRUNCH talks have reportedly been held over the future of Barcelona’s Ansu Fati as rumours of interest from Manchester United persist. The 20-year-old was once among Europe’s most highly-rated young stars before a series of injuries held him back.
      Ansu Fati’s future is up in the air at the Nou CampCredit: Rex
      There is now serious speculation over his future this summer amid reports that agent Jorge Mendes has offered Fati to “half of Europe”.
      The winger’s father, Bori Fati, is reported to have had a meeting with Barcelona representatives where they discussed the ace’s future.
      The meeting reportedly lasted an hour with director of football Mateu Alemany and sporting advisor Jordi Cruyff believed to be present.
      Sport report that Fati is unsettled and is considering his future.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      This is despite the attacker appearing in all but two of Barcelona’s league games this season.
      He has three goals and three assists from his 24 matches this season as he enjoys his first campaign without serious injury concerns in years.
      Fati’s contract runs until 2027 which would ease any immediate pressure on Barca to sell up.
      But there is interest in the star with reports linking Man United with a summer swoop.
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      The Spanish international could further strengthen the Red Devils’ options on the flanks for next season and could compete with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho for a starting berth.
      But other Premier League clubs are believed to be interested as well with reports claiming Arsenal and Liverpool are keeping an eye on Fati.
      The situation is further complicated by Barcelona’s financial issues which could leave the Catalan club needing to sell some big names in the next transfer window. More

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      Tottenham in no rush to appoint Antonio Conte replacement with THREE free agent bosses on shortlist as replacement

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      TOTTENHAM will not rush into finding Antonio Conte’s permanent successor – despite three candidates being currently out of work.Antonio Conte finally left the club late on Sunday night with his assistant Cristian Stellini put in caretaker charge until the end of the season.
      Daniel Levy has a managerial headache on his handsCredit: AFP
      It comes after Tottenham parted ways with Antonio ConteCredit: AFP
      Mauricio Pochettino is among the front runnersCredit: Reuters
      Luis Enrique is one big name coach linked with the Spurs gigCredit: Reuters
      Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will assess possible candidates between now and the summer but it has effectively parked their search for the man they want long-term until then.
      Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann – who are all under consideration for the vacancy – are currently free agents.
      Though the anticipated managerial merry-go-round in Europe is set to play a big part in the process too.
      A number of big jobs are expected to become available in the close-season.
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      Carlo Ancelotti has been widely tipped to leave Real Madrid, while the likes of Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and the two Milan clubs could all be looking for new bosses.
      Pochettino, Enrique and Nagelsmann would all be in the frame for some if not all those roles.
      It means Spurs may have to wait to battle it out with those clubs in the summer for any of the trio, should they choose to go for them.
      Bayern Munich already took Thomas Tuchel off the table, having sacked Nagelsmann and appointed the ex-Chelsea boss in his place last week.
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      While the possible contenders Marco Silva, Ange Postecoglou, Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi are all currently in jobs elsewhere.
      Conte, 53, will no doubt be one of the leading names in the hat should any roles emerge in Italy.
      His reputation in England may have been diminished somewhat from his time at Spurs but he is still highly-regarded in his homeland, where he won Serie A with Inter in 2021.
      Many were expecting Conte’s backroom staff to leave with him, but only his brother Gianluca Conte, his trusted technical and analytics coach followed him out the exit door.
      It means the likes of goalkeeping coach Marco Savorani, set-piece specialist Gianni Vio and fitness coaches Stefano Bruno and Costantino Coratti have all stayed to help caretaker Stellini for the final ten games of the season.
      Their contracts are up in the summer.
      First-team coach Ryan Mason will assist Stellini and both are popular among the squad, who had grown tired of Conte’s repetitive training sessions and the way he put the blame largely on them in public, rather than taking responsibility himself.
      That was never more the case than his final, explosive press conference at Southampton last Saturday, where he accused his players of being “selfish” after they had surrendered a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3.
      A statement from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust thanked Conte for his hard work but called on Levy to pick a successor whose style of play reflects the club’s tradition of exciting football.
      The THST statement read: “At the end of the 2020-21 season in May, chairman Daniel Levy told supporters the club would focus on the recruitment of a head coach saying they were ‘acutely aware of the need to select someone whose values reflect those of our great club and a return to playing football with the style for which we are known’.
      “Many supporters will feel the appointments of Nuno Espirito Santo and then Antonio Conte following Jose Mourinho’s spell do not reflect the promises made above.
      “In the same statement, Mr Levy said: ‘I feel we lost sight of some key priorities and what’s truly in our DNA.’
      “As another season without silverware comes to an end, we would urge the club board to reassess those priorities before appointing a manager the entire fanbase will get behind, and building a team that can truly challenge for domestic and European honours, respecting the traditions of our football club.”

      Meanwhile, the preliminary hearing in the Court of Turin regarding whether there should be a criminal trial into allegations of malpractice at Juventus was supposed to begin today but was postponed until May 10.
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      Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici, banned in January for two-and-a-half years by the Italian Football Federation for his part in Juve’s alleged financial irregularities and accounting scandal, is one of the defendants.
      Paratici is still waiting to discover if his 30-month suspension will be extended to a global ban and if so, his role at Spurs will surely become untenable.
      Julian Nagelsmann has popped onto Tottenham’s radar after his sacking by Bayern MunichCredit: PA
      Cristian Stellini was put in charge until the end of the seasonCredit: AP More

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      ‘I can’t believe that…’ – Chelsea star Ben Chilwell in awe of Arsenal ace after sensational week with England

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      CHELSEA ace Ben Chilwell “can’t believe” England team-mate and Arsenal star Bukayo Saka started out as a left-back.Saka led the Three Lions to a routine 2-0 victory over Ukraine in their Euro 2024 qualifier at Wembley on Sunday as he set up record goalscorer Harry Kane’s opener and then netted a wondergoal.
      Chelsea star Ben Chilwell praised England team-mate and Arsenal star Bukayo SakaCredit: Rex
      Saka started out as a full-back and turned into a lethal goalscorerCredit: PA
      The winger was named Man of the Match amid a stunning season that has also seen him register a total of 13 goals and 10 assists in 38 matches across all competitions for Arsenal.
      Chilwell has been left in awe of the 21-year-old’s incredible development as he went from a full-back to one of the Premier League’s most lethal goalscorers.
      The 26-year-old Chelsea ace, who also plays as a left-back, sang Saka’s praises as he revealed how important he is to the team both on and off the pitch.
      Chilwell said: “I can’t believe he played at left-back when he can do that.
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      “Bukayo is such a great talent. I think everyone can see what he gives on the pitch but he’s one of the best people I have met in football as well.
      “We see him on a daily basis around the camp and he just brings happiness to everyone.
      “He is always smiling and a good guy to be around, and then he comes out on the pitch and delivers like that for us.
      “An assist and a goal and it ultimately wins us the game. I am delighted for him.”
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      Saka has played a key role in England’s qualifying campaign getting off on the right foot as Gareth Southgate’s side have won both of their first two matches.
      The Three Lions also got a little payback for their loss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
      Southgate’s men defeated the reigning European champions 2-1 in Naples.
      Fellow Group C outfits North Macedonia and Malta are next for in-form England. More

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      Man Utd legend Paul Scholes slams Antonio Conte in now-deleted X-rated Instagram rant about Tottenham sacking

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Paul Scholes has hit out at former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte in a now-deleted Instagram post.Conte, 53, left Spurs “by mutual consent” on Sunday – one week after he lambasted his players and the club in an extraordinary post-match press conference.
      Scholes criticised Conte on InstagramCredit: Instagram
      Conte left Tottenham on SundayCredit: AFP
      Scholes slammed the ex-Tottenham bossCredit: Getty
      Many fans praised the Italian for his brutal honesty after the 3-3 draw with Southampton, but Scholes, 48, was left far from impressed.
      In a now-deleted Instagram post, he wrote: “Here we go TalkSPORT.
      “A manager gets sacked so everyone blames recruitment, and a top class manager blames lack of ambition.
      “Why don’t any managers say when they’re smiling and shaking hands with a player at their press conference, ‘I don’t like this player, I think [he] will eventually get me the sack.’
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      “Saves the same old b******* once they are sacked or leave.”
      In the announcement confirming Conte’s departure, it was also revealed that the Italian’s assistant, Cristian Stellini, will take over as manager until the end of the season.
      The 48-year-old stood in for Conte for several weeks earlier this year while the ex-Chelsea boss recovered from gallbladder surgery.
      Ryan Mason, who has been a member of the Tottenham coaching staff since 2018, has become assistant manager.
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      Following Conte’s departure, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place.
      “We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our Club and amazing, loyal supporters.” More

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      Chelsea could share West Ham’s London Stadium for next four years while new ground is built

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      WEST HAM’S London Stadium is reportedly one of two new grounds Chelsea have held talks about sharing while Stamford Bridge is redeveloped.American billionaire Todd Boehly and his co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali want the Blues to have one of the greatest stadiums on the planet by 2030.
      Todd Boehly is searching for a temporary home for Chelsea while Stamford Bridge is redevelopedCredit: AP
      West Ham’s London Stadium has now emerged as a shock contenderCredit: Getty
      It has been widely-reported that the Blues currently have three options regarding their home ground.
      One is to start work and build on a completely new site while another is knocking down their current home and rebuilding a new ground from scratch and the other is just to redevelop Stamford Bridge.
      We revealed how demolishing their West London ground and building a brand new one in its place on the existing site is emerging as the most likely option.
      The whole project could cost a mega £2BILLION in total and may see them playing their home games away from Stamford Bridge for FOUR YEARS.
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      It then emerged that Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Wembley Stadium and Twickenham had already been discussed as potential groundshares.
      Now the Daily Mail has claimed that “West Ham’s ground is another potential option being considered” by Chelsea.
      The London Stadium, which has a capacity of 62,500, has already been used to jost other sports such as baseball and rugby and it would enable the Blues to continue playing “home” games at a Premier League stadium.
      However, this update also adds that “the prospect of a ground share may not be especially appealing for West Ham and Chelsea supporters given the rivalry between the two clubs”.
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      But another, albeit much smaller, stadium has also been added to the list of potential temporary host venues.
      Championship side Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium, better known as the Madejski Stadium, only has a 24,000 capacity and is located 39 miles away from Chelsea’s current home.
      Another issue is that it is a considerable distance from Stamford Bridge, and many Chelsea supporters wouldn’t be happy at the prospect of the club playing home games outside of London.
      Rugby union games have been held there previously, but playing games outside of the capital could prove to be a step too far for supporters. More

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      Emerson Royal set to miss most of season after surgery on knee injury in huge blow to Tottenham

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      EMERSON ROYAL is set to have surgery after damaging his knee playing for Brazil.The Tottenham full-back, 24, limped off during the Samba Boys’ 2-1 friendly defeat against Morocco on Saturday.
      Tottenham defender Emerson Royal is set to miss the remainder of the seasonCredit: GETTY
      Royal will undergo surgery on his knee after damaging it on international duty with BrazilCredit: EPA
      He will now go under the knife in London with his recovery time expected to take up to six weeks.
      That time frame should mean he will be back for the final few games of the season but he will miss a significant chunk of their remaining ten fixtures.
      Royal had only just earned a recall to his national side after a barnstorming February for his club, in which he was nominated for the Premier League’s player of the month.
      He scored the opener in the 2-0 win over West Ham that month and was a key player in the 1-0 win over Manchester City.
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      Yet he had been left out of the starting line-up in favour of January signing Pedro Porro.
      Tottenham are currently managerless following Antonio Conte’s departure on Sunday night.
      The Italian was relieved of his duties after weeks of brutally criticising the Spurs brass and players in the press.
      Royal had a good relationship with his former manager, despite admitting he could be very “explosive.”
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      Tottenham parted company with Antonio Conte on Sunday nightCredit: AFP
      He told Globo Esporte: “As for Conte, I have a good relationship with him, he’s not that coach that we have a very close relationship with, of talking a lot, it’s his way,
      “He’s a coach who wants to help everyone, instructs, he shows the role he wants in each one’s game.
      “I don’t see any problem, I have a good relationship with him.
      “Conte is a coach who has this explosive side of him, a personality he created, but he is a coach who tries to help us as much as possible.”
      Tottenham will be back in action next Monday, travelling to Goodison Park to take on Premier League strugglers Everton. More

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      I starred for Man Utd but playing in little-known Brazilian league is harder – here are four reasons why

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      FORMER Manchester United ace Andreas Pereira has opened up on struggling to adapt to playing in Brazil.The 27-year-old is now starring for Fulham after joining the club from the Red Devils following a loan spell with Flamengo.
      Andreas Pereira is enjoying a stellar campaign with FulhamCredit: Getty
      He previously spent time on loan at Brazilian side Flamengo from Manchester UnitedCredit: AFP
      Pereira admitted that it was difficult to adapt to playing in a certain Brazilian competitionCredit: Getty
      Pereira’s time with Flamengo saw him play in Brazil’s Serie A and the Copa Libertadores, but also in the Campeonato Carioca, which is the Rio de Janeiro State Championship.
      That involved playing matches against smaller Rio-based sides such as Madureira, who play in a tiny 4,000 seater stadium.
      Flamengo themselves also often used a smaller stadium for home matches in the Campeonato Carioca matches, rather than the iconic Maracana where they play home matches in Serie A.
      And Pereira admitted that playing regional football in the Campeonato Carioca was tougher than playing in the Premier League.
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      Pereira revealed that poor quality pitches, the different style of football, not playing at the Maracana, and difficult crowds made it especially tricky.
      He told UOL on the Campeonato Carioca: “It was the most difficult adaptation I’ve had in my career. More difficult than playing in the Premier League.
      “The fields are very bad, it’s a totally different style of football… And we didn’t play at the Maracana, so it was more complicated.
      “Playing at 3pm in Madureira is difficult.
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      “And the crowd is still getting on their feet, which is normal.
      “It was the most difficult time.”
      Pereira scored eight goals and laid on three assists in 53 games for Flamengo, but none of those were in his eight appearances in the Campeonato Carioca.
      Following his loan spell from United, Pereira joined Fulham last summer in a £13million deal.
      He has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in West London, scoring twice and providing six assists in 27 Prem games this campaign.
      Speaking on his successful switch to Fulham, Pereira said: “I’m very happy here. I feel like I’m playing my best football. I’m more mature, more experienced.
      “I learned a lot from everything that happened at Flamengo, both the good and the difficult moments more.” More

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      Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Blues look to bounce back from Everton draw in mid-table Premier League match – stream, TV

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      CHELSEA will be determined not to lose their tough mid-table Premier League fixture against Aston Villa otherwise they could finish the weekend in the bottom half.The Blues failed to hang on against relegation-battling Everton before the international break despite taking the lead twice.
      Chelsea failed to get all three points against EvertonCredit: Reuters
      Aston Villa humiliated Bournemouth before the international breakCredit: Rex
      And it allowed Villa to go level on points with them as Unai Emery’s side demolished Bournemouth 3-0.
      However, prior to the Toffees draw, Chelsea had put together a three-match winning run which Graham Potter will believe his men can achieve once again starting Saturday.
      But the Villans are on a good run of form and hold the current bragging rights from when these two met earlier on in the season.
      When is Chelsea vs Aston Villa?

      Chelsea host Aston Villa on Saturday, April 1.
      It is scheduled to get underway at 5:30pm UK time.
      Stamford Bridge in West London is the allocated arena for this Premier League encounter and it has a capacity of 40,431.
      Aston Villa ran out 1-0 winners when the sides last me courtesy of John McGinn’s early strike.

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      What channel is it on and can it be live streamed?

      Chelsea vs Aston Villa will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.
      Coverage will commence from 5pm UK time on both channels – 30 minutes before kick-off.
      Fans can stream the entire action through NOW TV.
      Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the whole match.

      What is the team news?
      Chelsea’s injury woes look to set to continue as Havertz missed out on Germany’s 2-0 win over Peru through illness, while Reece James was unavailable for England due to an ongoing hamstring issue.
      Furthermore, Cesar Apzilicueta, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling and Wesley Fofana all remain doubtful.
      But in a huge boost for Graham Potter, Mason Mount and number one keeper Edouard are both back in training.
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      And N’Golo Kante featured in a under-21’s match as the World Cup winner closes in on his huge return to the first team match-day squad.
      N’Golo Kante featured for Chelsea in their U21 match against CharltonCredit: Getty
      Meanwhile, Unai Emery has injury issues of his own as the quintet of Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara, Jed Steer, Leander Dendoncker and Matty Cash are all likely to miss out.
      What are the odds?

      Chelsea to win 4/6
      Draw 11/4
      Aston Villa to win 17/4

      *Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes are correct at time of publication More