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      Man Utd and Chelsea in Gregor Kobel transfer fight with Borussia Dortmund keeper seen as David De Gea replacement

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      MANCHESTER UNITED and Chelsea are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, according to reports.The keeper has impressed this season and likely caught the eye of Blues chiefs in their recent Champions League meeting with the German side.
      Manchester United and Chelsea want to sign Gregor KobelCredit: Getty
      Kobel has impressed for Borussia Dortmund this season
      United are also keeping an eye out for a new goalie with David de Gea in the final 18 months of his contract.
      And according to Sport1 they could make a summer move for Kobel.
      However the report adds Chelsea have held a meeting with the player’s representatives over a potential switch.
      Kobel, 26, still has three years remaining on his contract so Dortmund could demand a huge fee to let him leave.
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      The Swiss has impressed since joining from Koln in 2021 and has kept eight clean sheets in 18 games this season.
      Kobel has also committed his future to the club after speculation linked him with a move to Bayern Munich in December.
      He said: “I did not hear those stories and that’s not of interest to me either.
      “I play for Borussia Dortmund and we have big plans with BVB. That’s all I care about.”
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      United have also been linked with Leeds shot-stopper Illan Meslier, who could be available for a bargain price if the Whites are relegated.
      Sevilla star Bono is also believed to be of interest but he could cost £45million. More

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      Brighton vs Crystal Palace LIVE SCORE: Premier League latest as the Eagles take on high-flying Seagulls

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      CRYSTAL PALACE travel to Brighton in need of three Premier League points – but they’ll be licking their wounds a little.Michael Olise’s lapse in concentration allowed Manchester City to snatch a gruelling victory in their last encounter.
      And they now come up against a Seagulls side who will be desperate to get back to winning ways after being recently held to a 2-2 draw by Leeds.

      Kick-off time: Wednesday, March 15 – 7:30pm GMT
      TV channel: Not televised in the UK.

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      Arsenal set to extend Granit Xhaka’s deal by another year by popping clause in contract after stunning season

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      ARSENAL are ready to trigger a 12-month extension clause in Granit Xhaka’s contract to keep him at the Emirates until 2025.The 30-year-old Swiss international has emerged as one of the most influential players in Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing squad this season.
      Granit Xhaka has become a prolific figure at Arsenal under Mikel ArtetaCredit: Getty
      Now Arteta wants to reward that contribution by effectively tying the player to Arsenal for the rest of his career.
      And that decision will not be affected by the club‘s ambitious plans to launch an £80million bid for West Ham skipper Declan Rice in the summer.
      Xhaka’s current deal is set to expire next year but there is an option already in place to extend to 2025 with the agreement of both parties.
      And now that he is settled at the Emirates after all his previous problems, club officials are confident that there will be no problems convincing him to prolong his stay.
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      No-one appreciates Xhaka’s contribution more than Arteta, who has handed him a more attacking role in his team this season and picked him to start all but one of their Premier League games so far.
      One of his first jobs on being appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019 was to persuade Xhaka to drop his plans to quit the club after being stripped of the captain’s armband by former boss Unai Emery.
      Xhaka has endured a stormy relationship with the Emirates fans ever since they booed him off when he was subbed by Emery during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October 2019.
      But Arteta immediately recognised the player’s value on the pitch and in the dressing-room and handed him a lucrative new contract in  2020.
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      And now even the Emirates regulars have taken Xhaka to their hearts and sing his name on a regular basis.
      Signed by Arsene Wenger in a £35m deal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, Xhaka is now one of the club’s longest-serving players.
      And his experience and professionalism have been an important example for Arsenal’s young stars to follow.
      Yet Arteta is still planning to bring in at least one more central midfield player this summer despite bringing in £13m Jorginho from Chelsea in January.
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      Arsenal are set to offer Granit Xhaka a new contract at the EmiratesCredit: Rex
      The club only turned to Jorginho in the last days of the transfer window after a club record £75m bid for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo was rejected.
      But now their primary target is England international Rice, who is also admired by Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.
      West Ham boss David Moyes has claimed it would take a British record fee in excess of £100m to convince the club to sell their 24-year-old captain.
      But Rice is ready to test himself in the Champions League and knows that Arsenal are willing to make him a cornerstone of their plans. More

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      Chelsea star Reece James names the toughest players he has ever faced.. and not a single Premier League player features

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      CHELSEA star Reece James has revealed the two toughest players he has ever faced.And none of them have ever competed against James in the Premier League.

      Chelsea star Reece James revealed the two toughest opponents he has facedCredit: TikTok / @zeinababdalla11
      Reece James named Vinicius Junior and Rafael Leao as his toughest opponentsCredit: TikTok / @zeinababdalla11
      The right-back singled out Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and AC Milan ace Rafael Leao.
      James told CFCBluesCom when asked to name the most difficult opponents he ever faced: “Vinni. Vinni is one. Vinicius.
      “Say Vinni and Leao.”
      Vinicius has risen to superstardom at Real by spearheading Carlo Ancelotti’s attack.
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      The striker is the obvious candidate to succeed the mantle from Karim Benzema at the frontline.
      Leao, on the other had, has stood out at Milan ever since his arrival from Lille in 2019.
      The winger has even attracted interest from various Premier League clubs.
      That includes Chelsea, who have faced a bidding war with Real Madrid and Liverpool.
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      James has also become a prolific figure at Stamford Bridge ever since his first-team breakthrough in 2019.
      The right-back has since amassed a total of 11 goals and 20 assists in 140 appearances with the Blues.
      And the England international will be crucial for Graham Potter’s side in the Champions League quarter-finals. More

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      Man Utd takeover steps up this week with Qatari and Sir Jim Ratcliffe talks along with visits to Old Trafford planned

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      QATARI Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has enlisted US financial giant Bank of America to help decide his final valuation for buying Manchester United.The battle for control of the Red Devils is taking a significant step forward with both main bidders at Old Trafford this week.
      Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have agents at Old Trafford this weekCredit: PA
      Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is sending representatives to Manchester
      But Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim’s decision to include Bank of America representatives in his party when it meets the Glazer family’s chosen selling agent, the Raine Group, appears a significant step.
      That meeting is expected to take place over the next 48 hours, before Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos deploys agents to Old Trafford for their first proper scrutiny of the club’s financial books on Friday.
      The meetings were set in motion when the two bidders were approved by Raine ten days ago as having passed the initial threshold.
      Both Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim, Britain’s richest man, are believed to have put in initial bids at no more than £4.5billion for the club.
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      Those bids are way short of the £6bn valuation held by the Glazers, and who may yet decide not to sell at all.
      Last week, financiers Elliott Management, who are ready to fund any bidder but could forward cash to the Glazers themselves, made the trip to Manchester.
      Three other hedge funds, Ares Management, Oaktree – which helped Chinese conglomerate Suning take over Inter Milan – and MSD Partners are also interested in becoming involved with financing a deal.
      SunSport revealed last week that one option being considered by the Glazers was taking the club OFF the market and instead using outside capital to create a new company to hive off the club’s merchandising and digital commercial operation into a separate concern.
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      This would allow them to rake in money from potential opportunities from digital sales, video gaming and merchandise licensing that would be separate from what happens to the pitch.
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      Sheikh Jassim, a member of the Qatari Royal family, is seeking a full buy-out of the club.
      Ineos, by contrast, wants to purchase only the Glazers’ 69 per cent controlling stake.
      Both the public bidders – it remains unclear if additional potential owners do exist although the invitation to Elliott suggests they might do – are concerned about the increasingly tight timetable for any deal to go through.
      Experts say the due diligence phase, including evaluating the true value of United, the land surrounding Old Trafford which could site its overdue replacement, the club’s training ground and the estimated £500million extra owed to the Glazers could take as long as two months.

      Getting Bank of America financial experts on board at this early stage could provide a shortcut to the process for Sheikh Jassim and his team.
      But with a deal completion deadline of May 31, ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window, the longer the process goes on the tougher it will be for any new owner to get things finished in time.
      The Glazers are still considering selling Manchester UnitedCredit: AFP
      The Americans want £6bn for the clubCredit: Reuters More

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      Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez shows his softer side with incredible gesture to raise £37,000 for charity

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      ASTON VILLA and Argentina keeper Emi Martinez has raised £37,000 by auctioning off his World Cup final gloves.The 30-year-old, nicknamed Dibu, was instrumental in helping his side win the final and lift the trophy for the first time since 1986.
      Emi Martinez produced a sensational performance in the World Cup finalCredit: Getty
      He saved a penalty and saw one drift wide in the shoot-out as Argentina triumphedCredit: Getty
      With the astonishing clash level at 3-3, Martinez made a sensational stop to deny France’s Randal Kolo Muani at the end of extra-time.
      And he then went on to save a penalty in the shoot-out before Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide as Argentina triumphed in dramatic fashion.
      Many keepers would have understandably kept the match-winning gloves for themselves.
      But it has now been revealed that Martinez, who won the Golden Glove award for best keeper at the World Cup, opted to auction them off.
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      And he has donated the proceeds – which amount to £37,000 – to the oncology ward at the Garrahan Hospital in Buenos Aires.
      Speaking on Instagram, the Argentine Paediatric Foundation said: “$45,000 for the Dibu gloves to help the Garrahan boys.”
      And Martinez added: “The World Cup finals are not played every day, [the gloves] are special.
      “But it helps a child much more than me having them hanging in a frame in my house.”
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      Reacting to Martinez’s kind gesture, one Villa fan said: “The man he is. So happy he is at our club.”
      While another added: “Beautiful deed from him.”
      Martinez’s generous act comes after he was criticised for his behaviour during and after the World Cup final.
      His gamesmanship during the pivotal shoot-out raised eyebrows among some football fans.
      And he then appeared to mock Kylian Mbappe during the open-top bus parade in Argentina by holding a baby doll with the French striker’s face on.
      Mbappe, 24, scored a hat-trick in the final but still ended up on the losing side.
      Martinez divided opinion with his actions during and after the World Cup finalCredit: Getty More

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      Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti warns star midfielder is ‘untouchable’ amid Man Utd and Arsenal transfer links

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      REAL MADRID boss Carlo Ancelotti has issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United and Arsenal regarding his “untouchable” midfielder.The LaLiga side are nine points behind rivals Barcelona in the title race but remain on course to successfully defend the Champions League.
      Man Utd and Arsenal have been linked with Eduardo CamavingaCredit: Alamy
      Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists that the midfielder is ‘untouchable’Credit: Reuters
      They welcome Liverpool to the Bernabeu on Wednesday holding a 5-2 advantage from the first-leg of their last-16 clash.
      However, this summer the club are preparing for major changes to their engine room with veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos both expected to depart and Jude Bellingham identified as their top transfer target.
      France international midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is another to have been linked with a move.
      Man United are reportedly willing to smash their club record to sign the 20-year-old, who joined Madrid in 2021 from Rennes for £26m.
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      Arsenal are another club believed to be keen on trying to bring the youngster to the Premier League this summer after initially wanting him on loan in January.
      But despite Camavinga not being a regular starter for Ancelotti, the Italian coach is adamant that his starlet is going nowhere.

      He said: “We will not let Camavinga leave, he’s untouchable — like Modric and Toni Kroos.
      “Camavinga is untouchable for us — also in the future I’m sure he will stay that way.
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      “He makes some mistakes but he plays such good games that everyone forgets about it.”
      Meanwhile, a fresh report is claiming that Madrid have submitted their first offer to Dortmund for Bellingham worth around £123m in an attempt to usurp their rivals.
      They claim that it is worth £88m up front with the rest of the package made up in incentives.
      It adds that Bellingham was initially set on a move to the Bernabeu but has since had his head turned by the potential packages available from the Premier League.
      But Madrid now believe that the “whole matter can be resolved in the next international break at the end of March” where the ace is set to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers with Italy and Ukraine. More

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      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes history to go down as one of greatest Gunners bosses EVER

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      ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta secured his 100TH win as Gunners manager over the weekend.The Premier League leaders beat Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Sunday to regain their five-point lead at the top of the table.
      Mikel Arteta won his 100th game as Arsenal manager on SundayCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      But it was more than just a victory for Arteta as he marked a century of victories since taking charge of the North London outfit in December 2019.
      According to Arsenal’s official website, he has achieved the feat in just 168 matches with a win percentage of 59.52.
      Remarkably, that means if he was to maintain this record until he departs he would go down as statistically the greatest manager Arsenal have ever had.
      That is if you consider win percentage to be the most important metric – with just one FA Cup in the way of trophies so far.
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      How Arteta fairs against Arsenal’s other greatest managers
      Arteta’s win percentage sits narrowly above Arsene Wenger’s 57.98.
      However, it is worth stating that Wenger’s record was over a mammoth 22-year stint consisting of 1235 matches.
      Then after the legendary Frenchman comes Unai Emery – who was criticised for much of his reign before being replaced by Arteta.
      Other names making the top nine include Thomas Mitchell, William Elcoat, Harry Bradshaw, Herbert Chapman, George Graham and Tom Whittaker.
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      But it is Arteta who tops the charts for now.
      And he will be hoping to build on that superb first three years at the Emirates by claiming the Premier League title in May.
      Speaking about reaching 100 wins as Arsenal boss, Arteta said: “It’s great, we have to continue like that, I’m delighted to do that.
      “Unfortunately, it’s not a title, so there’s still a lot to improve!

      “But it is incredible and that means that we have a lot of people doing the right things at the club.
      “In the team a lot of players contributing immensely and especially the support that we have, which in my opinion, has absolutely transformed this team with that energy, so I’m really happy.” More