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      Man Utd handed double transfer boost over Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati as Barcelona ‘must slash wage bill by £177m’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati as Barcelona need to make big wage cuts, according to reports.The Catalan giants remain in a bad financial state and pressure is mounting on them to resolve these issues.
      Frenkie de Jong is wanted by Man UtdCredit: Getty
      Barcelona could have to cash in on Ansu FatiCredit: AFP
      LaLiga chief Javier Tebas has told the club they must reduce the amount they pay on salaries per year by £177million, claim Mundo Deportivo.
      Barca could be forced to sell a number of top stars that are on hefty wages, handing United encouragement that they could snap up some of their players.
      The likes of Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto both see their contracts at the Nou Camp expire at the end of this season, which would free up some cash, but more may be needed.
      Jordi Alba, Franck Kessie, Ousmane Dembele and Ferran Torres may also depart.
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      Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has chased the signing of De Jong ever since he got the job, keen to rekindle his relationship with the player he coached at Ajax.
      However, the 25-year-old himself and Barcelona have both blocked any transfer to the Premier League.
      De Jong was left angry when he was owed a reported £400,000 in deferred wages by the club but it appears the disagreement has now been settled.
      Man Utd are keen to add another central midfielder to the squad and the Red Devils may go back in for him this summer.
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      They are also keen on winger Ansu Fati, who has made only nine starts this season and could therefore be available.
      Barca want to keep the 20-year-old although they could reportedly consider bids of around £90million.
      Fati has scored 25 goals in 89 games with the wonderkid’s progress halted by persistent injury problems. More

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      Atletico Madrid reveal outrageous price Chelsea must pay for Joao Felix if they want to keep him beyond loan spell

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      ATLETICO MADRID’S asking price to make Joao Felix’s loan to Chelsea permanent has reportedly been set. Felix swapped the Wanda Metropolitano for Stamford Bridge during the January window, with the cost of the loan fee alone a cool £10million.
      Joao Felix could make a permanent switch to Chelsea in the summerCredit: Getty
      But it would mean Todd Boehly would need to break the British transfer record once againCredit: Getty
      With Atletico Madrid facing the ignominy of failing to qualify for the Champions League, their finances are set to be take a huge blow which will likely see them forced into flogging a number of their highest-earning stars.
      This is where Felix comes in. The Portuguese ace’s future at the club was far from certain when he left on loan given his poor relationship with current under-fire boss Diego Simeone.
      Indeed, there is a clause in the loan deal which will allow Chelsea to sign him properly, however no fee was agreed.
      If he performs well during his loan spell, he could seal a full move to Graham Potter’s side in the summer.
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      According to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico are more than happy to let Felix go if their price tag is met.
      But meeting their demands will mean Chelsea forking out a British transfer record of £124.5m.
      That figure would see Atletico turn a profit on the attacker after splashing £115m to get him from Benfica in 2019.
      If any club is willing to meet those demands it is Chelsea, who set a new bar for both a single player transfer fee and for money spent in a single window last month.
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      The £107m spent on Enzo Fernandez fuelled a splurge of £326m on transfer fees in January alone, seeing Todd Boehly’s total outlay on transfers since taking over eclipse the £600m mark.
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      And their lavish spending has seen them top the list for worst net spend since 2018/19.
      Felix has already cost the Blues £3m in unused wages after he was sent off for a reckless challenge on his debut against Fulham.
      The 23-year-old is set to return following his suspension when Chelsea visit West Ham on Saturday.
      Selling Felix would give Atletico the flexibility to move for a number of targets, namely Leicester star Caglar Soyuncu or Marcus Thuram. More

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      Man Utd legend Gary Neville says he has SYMPATHY for big rivals City after they were charged with FFP rule breaches

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      GARY NEVILLE says he has SYMPATHY for Manchester City after they were charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.On Monday, a bombshell announcement by the Premier League saw the champions be charged with financial offences.
      Gary Neville says he has sympathy for Manchester CityCredit: PA
      City were charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rulesCredit: Getty
      The charges relate to financial information regarding revenue, details of manager and player remuneration, Uefa regulations, profitability and sustainability and co-operation with Premier League investigations.
      An independent commission have been referred the matter with a number of sanctions possible, ranging from a points deduction to even expulsion.
      But Manchester United icon Neville says he has sympathy for his old team’s city rivals.
      Neville has claimed he does not agree with Financial Fair Play regulations as he believes the system is flawed.
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      Speaking on The Overlap Live Fan Debate, Neville declared: “On the financial side, I do have some sympathy for Manchester City.
      “If you look at what Jack Walker did in 1992, 1993, 1994, that was financial doping but it was deemed to be something completely different because he was a local businessman who pumped money into his club.
      “I’m not a fan of the Financial Fair Play Regulations.
      “It means you’ll always have the same clubs at the very top, because their revenues are higher and you’ll always have the lower clubs lower down, because they can’t compete with the revenue.
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      “We do need sustainability and cost controls in football, and this is one of the biggest decisions in the next 12 to 18 months.”
      City have reportedly hired one of Boris Johnson’s “partygate” lawyers to help defend the club against charges from the Prem.
      The Lawyer report that City are now drafting in the biggest names from the legal professional to help defend their case.
      Respected lawyer Lord Pannick KC has been hired by the club as they look to clear their name.
      It is also likely to be costly for the club as Lord Pannick could reportedly be paid £80,000 a day, or £400,000 a week, should the case come to trial and he was to be working full-time.
      This wage would equal what star player Kevin De Bruyne is earning.
      City will walk into a room full of the Prem clubs who want them booted OUT of the League on Thursday.
      A two-day scheduled series of meetings of the 20 clubs and Prem board is due to begin at lunchtime in a central London hotel.
      And it means City representatives will sit down around the conference table with the clubs pushing for the ultimate punishment if the 115 alleged breaches of League rules are proved. More

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      I’m an ex-Premier League footballer, and I once had to resuscitate burglar after fearing I’d KILLED him

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      FOOTIE hard-man Duncan Ferguson has recalled the moment he was burgled – before having to resuscitate one of the men who had sneaked into his house.The 51-year-old took over League 1 strugglers Forest Green Rovers last month in his first permanent job in football manager.
      Ferguson had two spells at Goodison Park between 1994-98 and 2000-06Credit: PA:Press Association
      Big Dunc is now trying his hand at football managementCredit: Rex
      Now seven points away from safety, Ferguson has quite the job on his hands if he is to keep them up.
      But the former Everton striker rarely shies away from a challenge, as he proved the night he was burgled while in his Merseyside home in 2001.
      Speaking on the Tony Bellew Is Angry podcast, Big Dunc spoke about he “unloaded” upon one burglar to such a degree that he then had to revive them.
      Ferguson said: “I’m lying on the couch. I heard something. I put my trainers on. I had no top on, I was ripped back then, and I could see two shadows coming through the conservatory.
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      “I was quite calm. I am quite calm with these things, probably because I’ve had one or two of these situations in the past, you get used to it. I got a grip of one of them and that was when I got angry… I unloaded, I really did. I really followed in to the point where I thought I’d killed him, I really did.
      “I had to try and resuscitate him then. So you go from a point of unloading on the fella to helping him. It happened in a matter of seconds.”
      The two men later found responsible for the burglary, Michael Pratt and Barry Dawson, were eventually jailed.
      Dawson needed three days of hospital treatment after tangling with Ferguson while Pratt turned himself into police the following day.
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      Sentencing the pair, Judge Anthony Procter told Dawson and Pratt: “There is no way you can be called hardened criminals but we are dealing with a burglary at night when the house was occupied.
      “Mr Ferguson may give the impression of being a hard man, but it is clear he was shaken by this incident, primarily for the effects on his wife and young child.”
      Ferguson has lost his first two games in charge of Forest Green so far as he looks to help them avoid going straight back down to League 2.
      The opening loss came in heart-breaking circumstances as his side led 1-0 heading into stoppage time at Shrewsbury but lost 2-1 after the host conjured up two late goals. More

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      Man City set to come to blows with Premier League clubs that want them BOOTED OUT of league in series of tense meetings

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      MANCHESTER City will tomorrow walk into a room full of the Prem clubs who want them booted OUT of the League.A two-day scheduled series of meetings of the 20 clubs and Prem board is due to begin at lunchtime in a central London hotel.
      Manchester City are the reigning Premier League championsCredit: Getty
      And it means City representatives will sit down around the conference table with the clubs pushing for the ultimate punishment if the 115 alleged breaches of League rules are proved.
      Chief executive Ferran Soriano is City’s usual frontman at Prem meetings, although it is unclear if he will attend today’s session or the one tomorrow morning.
      But whoever is sent on behalf of City will be certain of a frosty reception with rival clubs determined to demand the harshest of sanctions including relegation from the top flight if the final outcome goes against the champions.
      The City case is not on the formal agenda in any form over either today’s “strategy” meeting or tomorrow’s “shareholder” gathering.
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      But it will be the main topic of conversation between the clubs with fingers being pointed and a growing calls for retribution. 
      Club bosses are already talking privately of potential compensation claims against City for loss of revenues caused by their alleged financial regulation breaches. 
      Prem chiefs might be reluctant to see retrospective points deductions with charges relating to a total period of 14 seasons including this term.
      The knock-on effect of any such sanctions could be a legal minefield as well.
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      But the three-man commission, to be appointed by Murray Rosen KC, head of the Prem’s Judicial Panel, does have the power to order reparations.
      Rosen can appoint himself as chairman but his Arsenal membership has already been raised as an issue.
      In any case, City have the right to argue against the appointment of any of the panel members if they can make a case for a lack of genuine independence.
      But League Rule W.51.5 gives the commission “the power to award compensation to any Person or Club” if a complaint is upheld – although clubs would have to provide “evidence of loss”.

      However, if no compensation award is made – and clubs would have the right to ask for an Appeal hearing on that issue alone if a guilty verdict is reached – the situation would be different.
      Rule W.28 states that, in such a situation, clubs “will not be able to bring any further claim of any kind (whether for compensation, in damages or otherwise) against the Respondent Club arising out of the breach of these Rules”. More

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      Harry Redknapp makes Premier League title prediction after Arsenal and Man City drop points and Man Utd chase leaders

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      MANCHESTER CITY are going to pip Premier League leaders Arsenal to the title.That is according to Harry Redknapp, who predicts City will knock the Gunners from the top because of Pep Guardiola’s “dangerous” squad depth.
      Harry Redknapp expects Manchester City to pip Arsenal to the titleCredit: Getty
      Harry Redknapp addressed Arsenal and Manchester City’s title chancesCredit: Splash
      The North Londoners are five points clear of second-placed City and eight points away from third-placed Manchester United, who moved closer after the other two lost at Everton and Tottenham respectively.
      Redknapp has been very impressed with Mikel Arteta’s “fantastic” job at the Emirates and praised his tactics in the wings and midfield.
      However, the ex-Spurs boss is confident the reigning Prem champions will retain their crown, even though Arsenal have a game in hand over both the Citizens and United.
      SunSport columnist Redknapp told the Mennie Talks podcast: “Arsenal are playing fantastic football. The football they’re playing and the team just looks so well balanced.
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      “Two great wingers in [Bukayo] Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli, they’re strong in midfield – [Martin] Odegaard looks a real player, I love the way he plays, he’s just class. And they look solid at the back, [Aaron] Ramsdale is good.
      “I don’t know though, I’ve still got a feeling Man City are going to win it, I think they’re going to come with a rally and pip Arsenal. But it will be tight.
      “Arsenal are going to take some catching, but the one team you don’t want chasing you down is Man City!
      “If it was anyone else chasing them I’d say, ‘Yeah fine’. But Man City are so dangerous. Just look at their bench.
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      “[Ruben] Dias and [Phil] Foden haven’t been getting a game and they would walk into any other team in the Premier League.
      “The changes Pep Guardiola can make all over the pitch is just ridiculous.
      “Whereas I think if Arsenal get a couple of injuries it will be a big problem for them.” More

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      Kevin De Bruyne and Joelinton feature in WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Season so far

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      MOST Dream Team gaffers will know that our match ratings are provided by WhoScored.Our data-loving pals use a sophisticated stats-based algorithm to determine which players earn bonus points from 7+ ratings and which individual claims the Star Man award in any given fixture.
      Naturally, it makes sense to check in with WhoScored every now and then to see which players are ranking highly.
      With that in mind, let’s take a look at their Premier League Team of the Season so far…
      GOALKEEPER: Kepa Arrizabalaga (£3.4m)
      He’s a keeperCredit: GETTY
      Nick Pope (£5.3m) has one finger in the Golden Glove having kept 12 clean sheets, three more than his nearest rival, and with 126 points to his name he’s by far and away Dream Team’s best goalkeeper.
      However, it’s Chelsea’s custodian who has the highest average rating (7.22).
      Arrizabalaga has impressed since replacing Edouard Mendy (£3.2m), who is as prone to errors as injuries this season, and a run of three consecutive clean sheets has propelled him up to third in the rankings among keepers.
      The Spaniard was signed for an enormous transfer fee in 2018 and has largely disappointed but he’s finally showing the kind of form that put him on the map at Athletic Bilbao.
      DEFENDERS: Kieran Trippier (£6.6m), Fabian Schar (£4.8m), Ben Mee (£3.4m), Joao Cancelo
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      Pope may have missed out on this XI but Newcastle make up half of the back four.
      Trippier’s average rating of 7.68 is the second-highest among all players and no asset has claimed more Star Man awards than the England international’s seven at the time of writing.
      Schar is second only to his vice-captain among defenders in terms of Dream Team points and so his presence won’t come as much of a surprise – although few if any would have predicted the extent of the Swiss centre-back’s success prior to Game Week 1.
      New year, new Mee!Credit: GETTY
      We wrote an entire article full of overdue appreciation for Mee’s efforts earlier this week.
      The 33-year-old’s appearance in WhoScored’s XI is yet further confirmation of how effectively the ex-Burnley captain has improved Brentford’s defence.
      With the Bees pushing for European qualification, Mee has chipped in with three useful goals on top of his reliable performances at the back.
      Well, well, well, look who it is at left-back, Manchester City’s recent exile.
      Cancelo’s form dropped off a cliff following his return from the World Cup but his average rating of 7.03 underlines how good he was during the first third of the campaign.
      The Portugal international earned 99 points before he was loaned to Bayern Munich.
      For those who feel Cancelo’s inclusion doesn’t wash, Fulham’s Kenny Tete (£2.7m) has the next-best average rating (7.01) among full-backs.
      MIDFIELDERS: Bukayo Saka (£4.2m), Kevin De Bruyne (£7m), Martin Odegaard (£3.4m), Joelinton (£3.7m)
      Team of the Year candidate?
      League leaders Arsenal provide 50% of the midfield.
      Saka and Odegaard have 27 goal involvements between them in the league this season and both have been key contributors to the Gunners’ title charge so far.
      The pair’s efforts have translated to Dream Team success without any friction as both are among the exclusive group of just five midfielders with 100+ points to their name at this stage.
      De Bruyne leads the way in that regard with a tally of 135 points and his average rating of 7.58 is only bettered by three players.
      The Belgian may have slacked off a tad in recent weeks but he’s still the leading assist provider by a comfortable margin – he has 11 in 20 league outings.
      Joelinton completes the midfield and while the St James’ Park faithful will say he’s fully deserving of his place for his wholehearted displays, it’s interesting that his consistent performances aren’t reflected in the Dream Team rankings.
      72 points represents a decent return for the Brazilian but he’s currently outside the top 15 assets in his position.
      It’s worth noting here that had WhoScored not been so strict on positioning, Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m) would have filled the final spot in midfield.
      FORWARDS: Erling Haaland (£9.1m), Gabriel Jesus (£5.3m)
      Injured but not forgotten
      Man City’s prolific poacher has the highest average rating (7.7) in the Premier League this season, a fair reflection of his mountainous goal tally.
      Haaland has scored 25 goals in 20 league appearances since his move from Borussia Dortmund and probably already has a place on his mantelpiece cleared for the Golden Boot.
      His tally of 256 Dream Team points is also ludicrous.
      Arsenal’s No9 has been injured for a few weeks now and some Dream Team bosses may have forgotten how influential he was during his side’s flying start.
      Jesus scored five goals and assisted five others in his first 14 games but it was the way he linked the attacking unit together that ensured a string of lofty ratings.
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      Trippier and Haaland are the only players with a higher average rating than the Brazilian’s 7.6.
      Harry Kane (£7.9m) and Ivan Toney (£5.5m) narrowly miss out. More

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      Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham REJECTS summer transfer to two European giants

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      BORUSSIA DORTMUND star Jude Bellingham has rejected approaches from two European giants ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.The 19-year-old is high on many top side’s wishlists with the player currently weighing up his options.
      Jude Bellingham has supposedly rejected moves from PSG and ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have both supposedly seen early moves knocked back by the midfielder himself.
      Bellingham appears to be against joining either of those two amid interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
      Outlet Sport1 claim that Dortmund will try to convince him to stay rather than accept he could go for a fee likely to be well above £100million.
      They want to make him their highest earner and hand him a staggering £13.3million yearly wage.
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      However, the grounded wonderkid will supposedly not be swayed by money and will make a decision on his future purely on where he wants to play.
      Liverpool were leading the race for him but their current woes could lead to them missing out on a deal.
      Meanwhile, The Athletic have reported that Real Madrid scout Juni Calafat has been “taking care of relations” with Bellingham’s father, Mark, who manages his son’s career.
      Yet Los Blancos could find it tough to compete with the financial strength of Premier League teams.
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      Bellingham is one of the most sought-after talents in football, having lit up the World Cup for England as well as the Bundesliga and Champions League.
      The teenager has been in incredible form for Dortmund this season, scoring ten goals and getting five assists in 25 games.
      He has also captained Edin Terzic’s side on a number of occasions, becoming the youngest skipper in Bundesliga history. More