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      Erik ten Hag ‘blocking Man Utd player from leaving’ who has only made five Premier League appearances all season

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      ERIK TEN HAG has reportedly blocked Hannibal Mejbri from leaving Manchester United this month.The Red Devils have been badly hit by injuries this season with Ten Hag often having to pick from a depleted squad.
      Hannibal Mejbri has made nine appearances in all competitions this seasonCredit: Getty
      Mejbri, 20, has made five Premier League appearances and Ten Hag is said to be a fan of his tenacity and work rate.
      And although he is keen for the youngster to get more game time, he is not prepared to let him leave just yet, according to the Daily Mail.
      That’s because Casemiro and Mason Mount are still unavailable due to injury.
      Sofyan Amrabat has also missed the last two matches and Ten Hag is only willing to loan out Mejbri once the midfield injury issues are resolved.
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      The United boss has had his hands tied in recent weeks despite the return from injury of Christian Eriksen.
      Youngster Kobbie Mainoo was drafted into the first team against Everton in November and has since featured in all but two Premier League games.
      United are exploring ways to improve the squad now Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a say in the running of football matters.
      Crystal Palace star Michael Olise has impressed since returning from injury and the Red Devils are plotting a move, though might have to wait until the summer.
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      United are willing to offload some players this month with Jadon Sancho expected to exit on loan amid interest from Borussia Dortmund.
      Anthony Martial is coming to the end of his contract, while Brazilian Antony has received huge criticism following a nightmare 18 months at Old Trafford. More

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      Amad Diallo says Sky Sports report about him is ‘not true’ after Man Utd fans left worried by latest update

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      MANCHESTER UNITED star Amad Diallo has confirmed he is not going to the Africa Cup of Nations.The tournament begins with host nation and the winger’s homeland Ivory Coast kicking things off against Guinea-Bassau on January 13.
      Amad Diallo was not called up to the Ivory Coast squad for AFCONCredit: Getty
      Diallo made his comeback from a serious knee injury in United’s 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, playing 36 minutes.
      It was his first appearance of the season and it fuelled speculation that the fit again ace may head off to AFCON.
      However, manager Jean-Louis Gasset has already chosen his squad and Diallo did not make the cut.
      Sky Sports incorrectly reported that the 21-year-old had been called up to Ivory Coast’s team.
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      But before the social media post was deleted, fans were worried they were going to lose Diallo for several matches.
      However, the former Rangers and Sunderland star calmed fears, tweeting: “Not true.”
      Diallo will instead stay at Man Utd and fight for his place in the starting XI.
      Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag will be without Cameroon’s Andre Onana and Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat as both will feature at AFCON.
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      The final of the tournament is on February 11.
      Therefore, the duo could miss up to six games depending on when they join up with their national teams for training, how far they go in the tournament and if Man Utd progress in the FA Cup.
      Diallo could miss out on silverware with Ivory Coast one of the favourites to win the AFCON.
      Forest trio Willy Boly, Serge Aurier, Ibrahim Sangare and Brighton’s Simon Adingra are in their squad.
      Ex-Premier League stars Sebastien Haller and Nicolas Pepe are also involved but Wilfried Zaha misses out. More

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      Ben Brereton Diaz finally set to seal Premier League transfer… just six months after leaving Blackburn for Villarreal

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      CHILEAN sensation Ben Brereton Diaz is set to finally move to the Premier League in January.The striker was regularly linked with a move to the Premier League due to his goal scoring exploits at former club Blackburn.
      Ben Brereton Diaz has struggled to settle at VillarrealCredit: EPA
      The Chile international hit 47 goals in 177 games for Rovers during his stay in Lancashire – including 22 Championship goals in the 2021-22 season.
      He moved in the summer to Villarreal on a four year deal after his contract at Blackburn expired but has struggled to settle.
      The forward has started just two LaLiga games so far this season and made 12 appearances from the bench.
      He is yet to score or assist for the club, however.
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      And now Chris Wilder is set to offer the 24-year-old a lifeline by bringing him to Sheffield United.
      The club are set to offer Brereton-Diaz the chance to experience England’s top flight with a six month loan deal.
      The Blades are desperate for goals in their bid for survival.
      Oli McBurnie and Cameron Archer are the side’s joint top scorers with just three goals each.
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      The forward hasn’t even managed an assists in LaLigaCredit: The Sun
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      That’s left them rooted to the bottom of the table having taken just nine points from 20 games played.
      The Blades are also interested in bringing in some Premier League experience into their goalkeeping department – with Kasper Schmeichel of interest.
      The keeper is currently no1 at Belgian side Anderlecht but could be tempted by a move back to the Premier League after leaving Leicester in 2022. More

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      My dad was an alcoholic, my mum a manic depressive and I’m schizophrenic… I lost grip on reality after Fulham transfer

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      FORMER Fulham star Kay Voser has lifted the lid on his battles with cocaine addiction and schizophrenia.The Swiss defender joined the Cottagers in 2014 after winning three league titles with FC Basel.
      Kay Voser battled with depression and schizophrenia during his spell at FulhamCredit: Getty
      However he made just ten league appearances in 18 months before being released.
      Voser, who won 15 youth-level caps for Switzerland, went on to play for Sion, FC Zurich and US side Charlotte Independence.
      The 36-year-old has now revealed how his time in London turned into a “horror trip.”
      He said: “For too long I’ve had to conceal things that are part of me – my fears and psychoses. My life is just a drama.
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      “My upbringing was very tough. My father was an alcoholic, my mother a manic depressive – and I am schizophrenic.
      “In my parallel universe, which I always dived into, I had a friend who looked just like me.
      “While at Basel I often had difficult spells, and I drank too much at times.
      “But Fulham turned into a horror trip for me. It began even before I joined them.
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      “On holiday in Ibiza with other Basel players, I lost my grip on reality. We were on a yacht.
      “I cheated on my then girlfriend, she dumped me on the spot and I plunged into severe depression.
      “I could not establish myself on the pitch at Fulham, and I made a big mistake in joining them.
      “My state of mind became alarming. I let myself be talked into taking cocaine, and this came to light.
      “The amounts that were revealed in tests were so small that it could not be proved for certain that I had actually taken cocaine.
      “I had to fight the case, but my legal bills came to almost £100,000.”
      Voser told Swiss paper Blick that he lied to Fulham chiefs, pretending to be injured while spending time with his mum.
      The former left-back said: “When my mother came to visit me in London for a few weeks I took time out for her.
      “I told Fulham I was injured – a lie. There was resentment from the club towards me.
      Read more on The Sun
      “But my mother was more important to me than football.
      “Soon afterwards she died from cancer – and a part of me died with her.” More

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      Arsene Wenger phoned me soon after hardest day of my Arsenal career – neither of us had anything to say

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      FORMER Arsenal star Gilles Grimandi has lifted the lid on his time at the club.The versatile Frenchman made 169 appearances for the Gunners from 1997 to 2002.
      Gilles Grimandi worked as a scout after ending his playing careerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Arsene Wenger used to phone Grimandi after matchesCredit: PA
      He won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups under Arsene Wenger before he retired.
      After hanging up his boots, Grimandi worked as an Arsenal scout for 13 years until he quit soon after the legendary boss stepped down.
      The 53-year-old revealed he regularly spoke to Wenger about his team’s performance and about players during his time as talent spotter.
      Grimandi claims that bad results would heavily impact the manager and he would often use his former player as a shoulder to cry on.
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      He exclusively told Ladbrokes’ Fanzone: “I had direct access to the manager and it certainly wasn’t an easy job for me.
      “I would speak a lot with Arsene, especially after games. That, in itself, was difficult at times because when we had a bad result on a Saturday or Sunday, I knew that he’d be calling me on the Monday morning to talk about it.
      “That was a nightmare because I knew everything was going to be negative.  
      “Bad results used to affect Arsene a lot – I don’t think people can even imagine how hard it was for him to deal with it sometimes.
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      “He wouldn’t sleep if the team performed badly and so my job was to try and find the right thing to say to him to make him feel better.”
      Grimandi says his worst days at the club was when he was a transfer chief rather than a player.
      And he remembers one tough meeting with a heartbroken Wenger, saying: “The hardest day came after the Newcastle game in 2011. Arsenal were 4-0 up but that finished 4-4.
      “The manager gives you a call the next day and neither of you have anything to say. It’s a nightmare.
      “Before you pick up the phone in those moments, you’re just panicking. What can you say?
      “In that game against Newcastle, for example, I knew that whatever I was saying to him on the phone, he was not listening.
      “But he just wanted to talk with someone who was a little further out of the club and wasn’t too involved with the team.  
       ”I spent so many years playing for and working with Arsene and I was always so impressed with his knowledge of everything to do with the club.
      “Seeing him struggle to deal with bad performances was one thing, but on the other side, watching him at work, he would be able to tell you exactly what is going on.
      “Who is performing well outside of the club, who to keep an eye on, who played in this game, who scored that goal… it’s unbelievable how deep Arsenal is inside Arsene.
      “I knew the manager so well and so when it came to my role as a scout, I knew that when I presented Arsene with a name, he was going to like the player, because I knew what he was looking for. ”
      Read more on The Sun
      As a player finder, Grimandi says he is most proud of alerting the club to Bacary Sagna, who would go on to make 284 appearances.
      His biggest regret is failing to do enough to convince a 14-year-old Kylian Mbappe to join Arsenal. More

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      Premier League table without VAR revealed with Aston Villa top and Chelsea SIX points worse off

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      ASTON VILLA’S unlikely title charge would have been even MORE serious without VAR.A SunSport study of the 54 decisions altered after VAR interventions so far this season shows how Unai Emery’s men, currently second in the Prem table, would be TOP of the table if the Stockley Park video booth did not exist.
      Aston Villa’s title charge would be even stronger without VARCredit: Getty
      Our “No VAR” table shows how the standings would have looked if every changed decision had remained as it was called on the field by the referee and his assistants.
      Given that 15 of the 16 penalties awarded by VAR have been converted, we have also assumed that the five spots kicks initially awarded but then wiped after video intervention would also have been scored.
      While Villa have had three changed decisions in their favour and four against, two of those decisions cost them points.
      Drawing the lines saw Lucas Digne deemed offside before Diego Carlos “scored” in the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, while Leon Bailey’s strike was controversially overturned for a foul on Sheffield United keeper Wes Foderingham in last month’s surprise 1-1 draw.
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      With both those goals counting, Villa would be on 46 points, up four on their current tally, and heading Liverpool by a point.
      The “No VAR” table has Arsenal and Spurs both on 41 points – with Mikel Arteta’s side one point better off and Ange Postecoglou’s outfit up two although Manchester City would leapfrog the pair if they win their game in hand.

      But the biggest winners if the technology had not been in place would have been Brighton – while Chelsea’s dismal season would have looked even worse.
      Roberto di Zerbi’s Seagulls would be on 36 points – five points and one place higher in the table.
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      Chelsea would be even more worse off without VAR
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      Chelsea, though, would be SIX points worse off and stand in 12th place, just six points away from the drop zone and 24 points adrift of the pace-setters.
      So far 24 goals have been disallowed and only two awarded after video review, while eight players have been dismissed after VAR intervention.
      Unsurprisingly, Chelsea have had the most VAR changes so far, with seven in their favour and five against. Luton have seen just two VAR overturns, one for and one against.
      Nottingham Forest have been the biggest beneficiaries in terms of decisions, with five changes in their favour and just one against, although the match situation and final outcomes mean they would only be one point worse off without VAR.
      Manchester City and Fulham are plus-three in VAR changes, with Brentford joining Chelsea with a plus-two tally.
      Liverpool, who have been involved in a number of controversial incidents including the wrongly-disallowed Luis Diaz goal at Spurs and Diogo Jota’s penalty-winning tumble against Newcastle on Monday, stand alone on minus-three VAR changes, with three in their favour and six against.
      Those interventions, though, would have made no net change to their points tally, although they would have scored two goals more and conceded the same number over the season to date.
      At the other end of the table, the relegation places would be the same but Luton would only be behind Everton – deducted 10 points for financial fair play breaches – on goal difference and Burnley would be two points better off.
      Nottingham Forest would have the biggest goal swing without VAR More

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      Meet Ten Hag agent Kees Vos who has growing power at Man Utd after brokering Hojlund, Amrabat and Van Persie transfers

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      ERIK TEN HAG’S agent Kees Vos is becoming increasingly influential at Manchester United.The Dutchman played a key role in getting deals over the line for Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat in the summer.
      Erik ten Hag’s agent has been vital in recent signingsCredit: AFP
      Kees Vos has close ties to Man UtdCredit: Instagram / keesvosseg
      Rasmus Hojlund is one of Vos’ clientsCredit: Instagram @keesvosseg
      But SunSport exclusively revealed that his growing presence at the club is ruffling feathers.
      Vos is the founder of agency Sports Entertainment Group (SEG), who boast over 600 clients.
      Many represented by the super agent have links to Dutch football with Ten Hag among those with a close relationship to him.
      The manager’s son Nigel is even employed by SEG in an analysis role.
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      Man Utd first worked with them when they signed Robin van Persie in 2012 and then again three years later to snap up Memphis Depay.
      But any business with the agency was rare in the seasons that followed – until Ten Hag showed up.
      SEG are now back on the scene and they represent £72million man Rasmus Hojlund.
      Vos is in photos as the striker signed his contract and is seen on the pitch talking to Ten Hag and director of football John Murtough.
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      The super agent works with Robin van PersieCredit: Instagram @keesvosseg
      He was again vital in the loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat, helping Man Utd in their negotiations with the player and Fiorentina.
      Vos was back in Manchester last week as Van Persie was in the stands to watch the 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa.
      After the game, he posted a snap with the 2013 Premier League champion alongside the caption: “We will always have your back Erik.”
      It came a few months after Vos’ last visit to Old Trafford when he uploaded a photo of himself stood in the tunnel, saying: “My wife and I have a different meaning of the word home these days.”
      Reports have described SEG as the Man Utd’s “go-to agency” when it comes to transfers.
      A club having close ties to an agent is normal – but Vos’ growing power is causing some alarm.
      SunSport understand that SEG have annoyed the agents in charge of some United academy players.
      They have been trying to get the wonderkids to ditch their current representatives and sign for them.
      Ex-United youngster Zidane Iqbal penned a deal with SEG and just two months later he left the club permanently to join Dutch outfit Utrecht.
      Kees Vos was key to the signing of Van Persie in 2012Credit: Instagram @keesvosseg More

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      Man Utd chiefs ‘discussing’ Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting transfer as fans say ‘Liverpool get Mbappe & we get Stoke reject?’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans are fuming after being linked with former Stoke City striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.The forward is currently at Bayern Munich, playing back up to Harry Kane and Mathys Tel.
      United are linked with a move for Eric Maxim Choupo MotingCredit: Getty
      Choupo Moting failed to make an impression when he was at StokeCredit: Reuters
      And as reported by Fabrizio Romano via Caught Offside, Choupo-Moting has “been discussed internally” by Manchester United bigwigs.
      Romano was keen to make clear that no negotiations have taken place between United and Bayern yet, but the Red Devils do admire the player.
      United want to bring in an experienced striker to provide competition for Rasmus Hojlund – who has struggled to settle at Old Trafford.
      The Dane has just one goal in his 15 Premier League games this season.
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      United fans have been left unimpressed by the rumour, largely thanks to Choupo Moting’s unimpressive stint at Stoke.
      The forward managed just five goals and five assists in his 32 appearances for the Potters between 2017 and 2018.
      His career took a surprising turn after that drab spell however, with Choupo-Moting earning a move to PSG in 2018.
      Despite not hugely impressing at the Parc Des Princes, he then earned a move to Bayern Munich in 2020 where he has plied his trade ever since.
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      Choupo Moting has largely featured from the bench this seasonCredit: The Sun
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      It caused former Stoke team-mate Peter Crouch to joke that the forward has a “fantastic agent” back in 2020.
      And that agent could be about to work his magic again if Romano’s report is to come true.
      One United fan wrote on X: “Liverpool being linked with Mbappe. Manchester United being linked with Choupo-Moting.”
      Another wrote: “Choupo Moting might tip them over the edge. I know United aren’t who they used to be but this is some decline.”
      While a third fan said: “I find it hard enough to listen to my brother complain about United if they sign Choupo-Moting I’ll have to move out.” More