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      Jordan Henderson holds key to convincing Bellingham to join Liverpool as he admits whoever gets him will be ‘very lucky’

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      JORDAN HENDERSON is sure that whoever manages to prise Jude Bellingham away from Borussia Dortmund will feel like they have won the lottery.And he hopes Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has bought plenty of tickets.
      Jude Bellingham and Jordan Henderson have built up a friendship with EnglandCredit: Getty
      Reds captain Henderson has spent the last three years as a midfield mentor to Bellingham every time they have met up with England.
      Now he is praying their close connection will be enough to convince the teenage marvel to move to Anfield in the face of ferocious competition from every top club in Europe.
      Aged just 19, Bellingham has the football world at his feet, with Real Madrid, Chelsea, both Manchester giants and Liverpool all slugging it out for his signature this summer.
      With two years still to run on his Dortmund contract, he is not going to come cheap.
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      It is anticipated bids in excess of £100million will be needed to convince the Bundesliga leaders to cash in.
      Henderson said: “Whichever club gets him will be very lucky to have him.
      “If it ends up being Liverpool, that would be amazing.
      “But every club you can think of is going to want him. It’s got to be the right move for him because I just want him to become the best player he can be. So he has to think about himself and make sure he makes the right decision for his career.
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      “He’s doing so well at Dortmund, which is a really good club playing Champions League football every season, which has really helped him.
      “I’m sure he’ll sit down with his family and decide what route he wants to take, because his potential is through the roof.”
      Veteran Hendo, 32, is wary of adding to the hype which is already building around Bellingham.
      The teen became the third youngest player in Three Lions history when he made his senior debut in November 2020 at the age of 17 shortly after his £20m summer move from Birmingham to Dortmund.
      But Henderson has no doubts about the youngster’s ability to handle the pressure and joked about checking his birth certificate to make sure he really is still only 19.
      The Liverpool skipper added: “Jude is a really special player and I honestly can’t believe how mature he is at his age. He can be as good as he wants to be because he has got the right mentality, which is the most important thing.
      “The way he applies himself in training and in games is something I’ve never seen before.
      “The way he plays, the way he behaves off the pitch, in the gym, he is just so dedicated to football.
      “Mentality-wise, we’re similar in terms of dedicating our lives to trying to improve every day.
      “But he’s a much better player than I was at his age, that’s for sure.
      “And I’m pretty confident he will be a special player for many years to come.
      “But we still need to be careful not to apply too much pressure on him and just let him play football.
      “You can see what he does for Dortmund and for England — he gets better every time he puts on an England shirt.
      “Of course there are things he can improve but he’s only 19 and the platform he has got means he can go as high as he wants.”
      That was a theme picked up by Bellingham himself when he was interviewed by his Anfield idol Steven Gerrard following the 2-0 win against Ukraine on Sunday.
      Gerro, like Henderson, believes the youngster is a generational talent and said: “He’s a lot further forward than I was at his age. I never had that power and strength until I was 23 and he’s more confident in possession than I was in terms of what he’ll try to do on the ball.”
      Yet Bellingham insisted: “There’s so much more I have to learn about the way I want to be a midfielder who can win games at both ends of the pitch and dominate in the middle.
      “The best chance I have of doing that is to be in the changing room at Dortmund and with England, because I’m like a sponge taking everything in that can help me.”
      It is that willingness to learn which has particularly impressed England boss Gareth Southgate.
      He said: “I’m loath to put pressure on young players because they already have a lot to deal with and it’s not for me to add to that.
      “The good thing about Jude and Declan Rice is they have already captained their clubs and that’s great leadership experience because it puts them in situations slightly out of their comfort zone.
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      “I remember one of Wayne Rooney’s first games for England against Turkey and the intelligence he showed on the pitch.
      “In terms of personality and how he carries himself, only Jude is in that same bracket at that age.” More

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      Tottenham stars back decision to axe Conte and bring in Stellini as Spurs hold talks with Nagelsmann over vacant job

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      TOTTENHAM stars are backing the gamble to put popular coach Cristian Stellini in charge of their Champions League hunt.Some of the squad were glad to see the back of manager Antonio Conte, who left the club on Sunday night.
      Julian Nagelsmann is linked with the Spurs jobCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Antonio Conte has left Spurs after blasting the players and ambitionsCredit: Rex
      The fiery Italian yesterday appeared to aim a dig at his former chiefs via a goodbye statement.
      He thanked “everyone at Spurs who appreciated and shared my passion and my intense way of living football as a coach”.
      It came after ripping into his players for being ‘selfish’ in an explosive final press conference at Southampton, on the back of his team surrendering a 3-1 lead to draw.
      Despite the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and former boss Mauricio Pochettino being free agents, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is sticking with Conte’s former No 2 Stellini until the end of the season.
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      The 48-year-old is well-liked among the squad and was seen as a calm head when stepping in during Conte’s absence earlier this season.
      His task now is to keep their place in the top four, with fifth-placed Newcastle just two points behind them — and with two games in hand.
      Stellini oversaw the vital 2-1 Champions League win in Marseille in September when Conte was serving a touchline ban.
      He also helped secure wins against Manchester City, Chelsea and West Ham while his boss was recovering from surgery.
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      Spurs have already spoken to sacked Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann — and Levy will now assess other options.
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      Some players grew tired of Conte’s training and the way he put the blame on them in public.
      Spurs’ internationals will start arriving back at Hotspur Way tomorrow and begin preparations for their next Prem match at Everton on Monday.
      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 yesterday — but has been postponed until May 10.
      Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici is one of the defendants and is waiting to discover if his 30-month suspension will become a global ban.
      Cristian Stellini is taking charge of SpursCredit: PA More

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      ‘Mind games’ – Watch ‘nervous’ Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds chat with Sir Alex in hilarious clip to reveal Man Utd news

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      WREXHAM owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney got a taste of Sir Alex Ferguson’s mind games when announcing a friendly with Manchester United. The non-league side will face the English giants in San Diego on July 26 as part of United’s pre-season tour of America.
      Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
      Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson appeared on a laptop
      And to reveal the match, Hollywood pair Reynolds and McElhenney filmed a hilarious clip with United icon Ferguson.
      The pair nervously start the chat but get nothing back from the no-nonsense Scot.
      Reynolds says: “What did I tell you? Mind games.”
      After repeated silence from Ferguson’s end, McElhenney asks: “What’s he doing?”
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      And Reynolds replies: “Living in our heads rent free.”
      The Deadpool star then panics and ends the call by claiming McElhenney has to leave to make a hair appointment in Beverly Hills.
      It then cuts to Ferguson, who is probed on how the video call went.
      To which he says: “They were on mute, never heard a thing!”
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      Wrexham – taken over by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2021 for £2million – currently lead the National League by three points.
      Second-place Notts County trail having played a game more, with only the league champions guaranteed promotion to League Two.
      Wrexham hope to be in the English Football League for the first time since 2008 by the time they play United.
      And they could do so with an ex-Red Devil in the form of goalkeeper Ben Foster, who has come out of retirement to sign for the Welsh side.
      Ben Foster has signed for WrexhamCredit: Getty More

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      Tottenham’s crisis move seems like club have given up on top four – and it could convince Kane his future lies elsewhere

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      EIGHT days after Antonio Conte had torched Tottenham, they finally got round to  sacking the incendiary Italian.They did so under cover of darkness on Sunday night, with a brief, embarrassed statement, on the day their greatest ever goalscorer had been awarded a golden boot on the  Wembley pitch to commemorate becoming England’s all-time leading scorer.
      Tottenham star Harry Kane may leave if the club doesn’t show directionCredit: Getty
      And after Conte had detonated his stink bomb — claiming his players  were a bunch of “selfish” individuals with no heart — the Daniel Levy brains trust has decreed that the best man to fumigate the dressing-room is  . . . drum roll . . . the Italian’s best mate Cristian Stellini.
      It might have escaped your notice but Spurs are still locked in an almighty battle against Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton to secure Champions League football for next season.
      And that several elite managers, like Julian Nagelsmann, Maurico Pochettino and Luis Enrique, are out of work and could potentially have taken charge of Spurs straight away.
      And that Harry Kane has just a year left on his contract and is desperate to hear any evidence of a sense of direction from his beloved club.
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      Instead, he hears of Stellini’s appointment and stories of Spurs drawing up a “shortlist” of up to 10 for the role of Conte’s permanent successor — begging the question, “How long can a shortlist be before it becomes a longlist?”
      For several months, Spurs have known Conte would not be in charge next  season. So some sort of succession plan might have been useful.
      This is the second time in three seasons that Spurs appear to have written off their season prematurely.
      Jose Mourinho was axed less than a week before he was due to lead the team out for the 2021 League Cup final against Manchester City.
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      On that occasion, Ryan Mason was handed the caretaker duties and the former England midfielder would have been a more obvious candidate this time, given Stellini’s close friendship with the verbal arsonist who has just left the burnt-out building.
      The ex-Genoa defender, 48, is a lovely bloke, very popular with players and the media, but he has a murky past, including a conviction for alleged match-fixing at Italian club Bari which earned him a ban of two-and-a-half years.
      His only brief managerial experience came at third-flight club Alessandria in 2017, where he was sacked after three wins in 16 games.
      Yet now he must scrap it out with Jurgen Klopp, Geordie Arabia and a brilliant Brighton side for fourth in the Premier League. It’s certainly a leap of faith.
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      Tottenham sacked Antonio Conte and replaced him with his assistantCredit: AP
      Stellini deputised while 53-year-old Conte was recuperating from gallbladder surgery with mixed results, from an impressive win over champions City to a depressing FA Cup exit at Championship side Sheffield United.
      Yet Conte was still in remote control from his sickbed then, now his chum is in full charge for a run-in which includes April dates with all three of Tottenham’s direct rivals for fourth place.
      Stellini’s appointment for the remainder of this season is bad news for former boss Pochettino and the many Spurs fans who craved his return.
      The Argentinian — a runner-up in the Champions League and Premier League as Spurs chief — would have accepted the job immediately.
      So too would former Barcelona and Spain boss Enrique, a coach who favours expansive, attacking football and would fit into the To Dare Is To Do ethos, which Spurs sporadically claim to be important.
      Nagelsmann, sacked by Bayern Munich on Friday, was Levy’s No 1 target after Mourinho’s sacking but was soon appointed by Germany’s dominant club.
      Tottenham have targeted Julian Nagelsmann as Antonio Conte’s replacementCredit: PA
      Still only 35, this skateboarder dude who left his wife for a tabloid journalist, is a colourful, tactically-intelligent, self-confident and abrasive individual, who would surely soon end up feeling the same frustrations about life at Tottenham as Conte and Mourinho did.
      Now there is a (remote) possibility that Levy has a masterplan up his sleeve.
      That an agreement for the summer appointment of Nagelsmann or a manager currently in employment — such as the Seagulls’ Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank of Brentford, Fulham’s Marco Silva or Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou — is already in place.
      But given Tottenham’s track record this is unlikely.
      When Mourinho was sacked, they embarked on a desperate 72-day hunt for a new permanent boss — taking in Conte, Pochettino, Erik ten Hag, Julen Lopetegui, Hansi Flick, Paulo Fonseca, Gennaro  Gattuso, Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub — before they stumbled upon Nuno Espirito Santo.
      That was the summer when Kane was attempting to leave, as revealed in a TV interview with Gary Neville over a round of golf, when the England striker managed to stand over a birdie putt on the first green before spilling his guts about his frustrations with Tottenham.
      Cristian Stellini has replaced Antonio Conte as Tottenham boss until the end of the seasonCredit: AP
      Back then, Kane had three years left on his contract and Spurs were able to resist a £100million bid from City.
      This time Manchester United is his most likely destination and a hefty offer would be more difficult to resist.
      Kane studiously avoided journalists and dodged most of his usual media duties throughout last week’s international duty, knowing that Conte’s future, and his  explosive comments after the tossing away of a two-goal lead at Southampton, would be top of the agenda.
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      Now Kane, 29, will return to his club after an historic international break, and recognise the familiar stench left behind by another managerial firestorm.
      The England captain will surely be booking another tee time with Neville, studying the jailbreak scenes in The Shawshank Redemption, or penning a more traditional transfer request before long. More

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      ‘Ake’s been in the box 5 minutes and he’s better’ – Fans baffled as Weghorst STILL can’t score vs 10-man Gibraltar

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      WOUT WEGHORST has left fans baffled after failing to score against 10-man Gibraltar – with even defender Nathan Ake netting twice. Holland won 3-0 in Rotterdam and had an extraordinary 51 shots during the game.
      It was a frustrating night for Dutchman Wout WeghorstCredit: Getty

      Memphis Depay scored the opener before Ake’s second-half double.
      Despite the Dutch dominance, Weghorst took his dodgy scoring form from Manchester United into the international arena as he failed to find the net, despite playing all 90 minutes of the Euros qualifying game against the minnows.
      Gibraltar even had a man sent off after 51 minutes as Holland bounced back confidently from last week’s 4-0 defeat to France.
      Fans were left beside themselves after Weghorst failed to register.
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      One said on Twitter: “Ake scoring a brace in a team that has Weghorst as a striker Lmao.”
      Another added: “Nathan Aké has been in the box for 5 minutes and he’s already been a better striker than Wout Weghorst.”
      Poking fun at Weghorst’s ineffectiveness in front of goal, another fan said: “Weghorst has more clearances for Gibraltar than shots on target.”
      Reflecting on Holland’s rich legacy of talent, one fan brutally tweeted: “How do you go from [Johan] Cruyff, [Marco] van Basten and [Ruud] Van Nisterlooy to Weghorst I will never understand.”
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      A far more sympathetic fan said: “Poor Weghorst. This is getting ridiculous, Hail Mary blocks on the line, class keeper saves, unlucky bounces. He could’ve had two.”
      While another fan said: “Weghorst drawing a blank against Gibraltar, God love him.”
      The stats for the game were quite extraordinary, with the Dutch having 87 per cent of the ball, 19 corners and 62 crosses.
      Meanwhile Gibraltar failed to register a single cross or shot in the match.
      Weghorst only had a single shot on target and put two efforts wide.
      The Burnley forward has had a mixed reaction since joining United on loan in January and only has two goals to show for his 15 Red Devils appearances.
      Dutch defender Nathan Ake scored two more than WeghorstCredit: Reuters
      Despite having the backing of manager Erik ten Hag, Weghorst has failed to convince some United fansCredit: AFP More

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      Chelsea will be forced to sell best homegrown stars by July after £121m loss with Mount, Chilwell and Gallagher at risk

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      CHELSEA face a huge summer clearout after revealing a whopping £121MILLION loss for last season.Pressure is ramping up on chairman Todd Boehly to balance the books quickly or risk Financial Fair Play sanctions.
      Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell face uncertain Chelsea futuresCredit: Getty
      Mateo Kovacic is linked with a move awayCredit: Getty
      Christian Pulisic could be soldCredit: Getty
      Trevoh Chalobah faces competition in Chelsea’s defenceCredit: Getty
      The Blues have made total losses of £274m over the past two campaigns — with next season’s figures to include the astonishing £545m spending spree since the £4.25BILLION takeover of the club in May by Boehly.
      The Blues must now offload some of their best players by June 30 to keep their losses below the permitted £105m limit over three years.
      Most profitable will be homegrown stars like midfielder Mason Mount, Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi who cost the club nothing in transfer fees.
      Other senior men like Mateo Kovacic, keeper Edouard Mendy, plus wingers Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic will also be up for grabs.
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      Manchester City want left-back Ben Chilwell, who would command a fee in excess of £70m.
      Any sales must be signed off by June 30 — the final day of the 2022-23 season — to be included in next year’s figures.
      Chelsea blamed much of their latest loss on the Ukraine war which led to UK Government sanctions being imposed on former owner Roman Abramovich over his links to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
      A statement read: “The club was restricted in a number of areas including signing contracts with players and sponsorship partners, which collectively resulted in extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue.”
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      Their total losses for the latest three-year cycle amount to £242m but the Prem gave clubs some leeway because of the impact of Covid.
      Everton are facing a points deduction over FFP after getting hit by Prem charges on Friday.
      And Manchester City also have an incredible 101 charges levelled at them covering a nine-year period.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also a homegrown starCredit: Alamy
      Hakim Ziyech looks on as Chelsea warm up against FulhamCredit: Getty
      Callum Hudson-Odoi is on loan to Bayer LeverkusenCredit: Getty
      Pressure is ramping up on chairman Todd Boehly to balance the books quicklyCredit: Alamy More

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      Andre Ayew suffers freak knee injury without even playing on international duty in blow for Nottingham Forest

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      NOTTINGHAM FOREST forward Andre Ayew has suffered a freak injury while on international duty with Ghana.The Black Stars captain hurt his knee when he slipped to the floor on his way to the home dressing room after Thursday’s 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Angola in Accra.
      Nottingham Forest have received an injury blow as Andre Ayew has been sidelinedCredit: Alamy
      Ayew suffered a freak knee injury while on international dutyCredit: Reuters
      Ayew – who had been left on the bench for Chris Hughton’s first match as Ghana boss – complained of pains in his knee in the early hours of Saturday.
      The 33-year-old skipped the group tie in Angola on medical advice and returned instead to the East Midlands for further treatment and scans.
      It is not known yet if he will miss any matches as 16th-placed Forest fight for their Premier League survival with 11 matches left.
      Ghana came from behind to scrap a 1-1 draw against Angola and remain unbeaten in Group E as they chase a spot at the 2024 finals in the Ivory Coast.
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      Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu also did not make the trip to Luanda after being left out by Hughton due to fitness concerns.
      Ayew joined Forest almost six months after their Premier League promotion last May.
      Forest returned to the Prem after a whopping 23-year absence from the top flight.
      That led to a transfer splurge by owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has signed a total of 30 players since the summer.
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      In fact, Ayew was Marinakis’ 30th signing as he arrived during the January transfer window.
      The 33-year-old joined as a free agent after working with manager Steve Cooper at Swansea.
      Forest are only two points away from the relegation zone amid a turbulent season. More

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      Bukayo Saka ready to sign new Arsenal deal that will make him club’s top earner on up to £15MILLION-a-year

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      BUKAYO SAKA will become Arsenal’s top earner when he signs a new five-year contract worth up to £300,000-a-week.The 21-year-old England international has been in talks with the club for more than a year and is now ready to put pen to paper.
      Saka has very quickly become a fan favourite among the Arsenal faithfulCredit: Getty
      And the agreement will more than quadruple his current £70,000-a-week salary to make him the club’s highest paid player.
      He will overtake Gabriel Jesus in the Emirates pecking order after the Brazilian striker agreed a £250,000-a-week deal when he signed from Manchester City for £45million last summer.
      Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu were both keen to reward Saka’s efforts with a deal which reflects his status as the team’s most valuable player.
      And though he won’t be getting quite as much as the £350,000-a-week deal which made Mesut Ozil the highest paid player in the club’s history, a breakthrough was still reached last month following negotiations to iron out the final details over various bonus payments.
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      Now the club are set to announce the lengthy new deal to 2028 which will end all the speculation surrounding Saka’s long-term future and delight Gunners supporters.
      And with Gabriel Martinelli having already signed a new deal to 2027 and talks with William Saliba progressing, Arteta is assured of keeping the core of his young squad together for Arsenal’s impending return to the Champions League next season.
      The club currently have an eight point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table but Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand.
      The two will meet in a crunch game at the Etihad next month that could have a big say in the outcome of the title.
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      Saka is enjoying a stunning individual season as well and continues to impress despite the high bar he has already set himself.
      The star has 12 goals and 10 assists in the league this season, already his best return in a single campaign.
      A star for club and country, Saka scored a beauty against Ukraine on the weekend for EnglandCredit: PA More