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      Former Arsenal transfer chief says why club made infamous £40m+£1 bid for Suarez, when there was NO release clause

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      ARSENAL’S former transfer chief Dick Law revealed why the club made their infamous £40million and £1 bid for Luis Suarez.The Uruguay international looked set to move to the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2013 after Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League.
      Luis Suarez was heavily linked with a switch from Liverpool to Arsenal in summer 2013Credit: PA:Press Association
      The now 36-year-old had a clause in his contract with the Reds that they had to inform him of any transfer bid if it was more than £40m.
      And Law insisted that Arsenal were always aware the figure was not a buy-out clause and they simply added the extra pound to kick-start negotiations.
      But Liverpool owner John W. Henry took offence to the offer and, after it was publicised, he tweeted: “What do you think they’re smoking over there?”
      Suarez ended up remaining at Anfield for another season where he was named PFA Player of the Year before sealing a £75m move to Barcelona.
      Several years later and the striker was available for a nominal fee, leaving Barcelona for Atletico Madrid in 2020, where he won the LaLiga title.
      The Gunners’ then-transfer guru Law would later explain that the North London side had never wanted to antagonise their Premier League rivals.
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      Speaking to Goal, he said: “That spring, news got round to us that Suarez wanted out of Liverpool.
      “We knew that we had to exceed a certain threshold and so we decided to throw another pound on it.
      “We could have thrown £50 or £500,000, but it wasn’t going to make any difference to the final negotiation.
      “The offer was just a trigger. Liverpool wanted to make a big deal out of it and that’s fine. When they received our offer they immediately publicised it.
      “I think John Henry wanted to know what we were smoking, which I thought was a bit disrespectful.
      “It was him having a bit of a go because he was getting ready to lose his star player. It was a good way to deflect attention.
      “I always thought that the move to publicise it was counter-productive.
      “One of the things we were always very proud of at Arsenal was working quietly behind the scenes. Ivan [Gazidis], Arsene [Wenger] and I always worked very hard on being discreet in all transfers.
      “And I thought Liverpool shot themselves in the foot by basically saying they were now forced to entertain offers because of this clause, by publicising it they just made everyone aware and eventually they lost the player.”
      Liverpool wanted to make a big deal out of it. I think John Henry wanted to know what we were smoking, which I thought was a bit disrespectful.Dick Law
      Arsenal’s transfer fixer at the time Dick Law has lifted the lid on the Gunners pursuitCredit: Rex Features
      Liverpool owner John W Henry infamously asked ‘what do you think they’re smoking at the Emirates’Credit: PA:Press Association More

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      England’s Under-17 European Championship winning team from 2010 and where they are now, including an ex-Man Utd star

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      ENGLAND fans might remember 2010 as the year the Three Lions crashed out of the World Cup in the last-16 to Germany on the back of a highly contentious no-goal decision.But that same summer, the Young Lions were victorious at the Under-17 European Championships in Liechtenstein.
      Jack Butland recently signed for Rangers from Crystal PalaceCredit: PA:Press Association
      England’s youth team fought back from a goal down to beat a Spain team featuring the likes of Paco Alcacer and Gerard Deulofeu 2-1 in the final.
      Many of the players in the squad from that day were tipped for big things in the future.
      However, despite their early promise, the starting XI have mostly flopped at senior level. We take a look back at the starters from that May day in 2010 and where they are now.JACK BUTLAND
      Heralded as a potential goalie legend, Butland started off his career at Birmingham before moving to Stoke City in a £3.5million deal.
      He made his full debut for England in a 2012 defeat to Italy – and is still to this day the youngest goalie to ever play for the Three Lions.
      In 2015, he was handed the No1 jersey by Mark Hughes when Asmir Begovic left for Chelsea.
      However, a series of injuries to a bothersome ankle hampered his progress.
      Still only 30, Butland has move to Rangers in Scotland after a spell at Crystal Palace.
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      BRUNO PILATOS
      Originally a promising Middlesbrough full-back, Pilatos signed for Swedish side Ytterhogdal in 2016 after failing to secure first-team football.
      He was released again in 2017, and in 2018 spent two months in Scotland with Livingston FC, according to his LinkedIn page.
      Pilatos was last known to be plying his trade for non-league Bishop Auckland.
      LUKE GARBUTT
      Predicted to be the heir to Leighton Baines, Garbutt was an attacking left-back in a similar mould to the Everton legend.
      But he failed to establish himself with the Toffees, and was sold to Blackpool in 2020.
      He also had several loans with Ipswich Town – and has enjoyed loan spells at Fulham, Wigan and Oxford United in the past.
      Garbutt now plays his football for Salford City.
      Luke Garbutt failed to make the grade at EvertonCredit: Dave Pinegar – The Sun
      NATHANIEL CHALOBAH
      When Chalobah was starring at centre half for England’s U17 team he was a promising Chelsea starlet, alongside brother Trevoh.
      In 2012 he enjoyed a loan at Watford, impressed at Middlesbrough and Reading, which led to a move to Napoli.
      Five years later, upon his return to the Blues, he was sold to Watford.
      Chalobah was signed by Fulham in 2021, before moving to West Brom in the January transfer window.
      Nathaniel Chalobah struggled with injuries at WatfordCredit: PA:Press Association
      ANDRE WISDOM
      The central defender managed to make 22 appearances with Liverpool, often at right-back.
      But it was always going to be a big ask to break into a Reds side brimming with talent.
      He was playing in the Championship with Derby from 2017 after impressing on loan there during the 2013-14 season, but quit the club in 2021 and has been a free agent since.
      Andre Wisdom has been playing in the Championship with Derby since 2017Credit: JOHN CLIFTON
      CONOR COADY
      Coady failed to make the grade at Liverpool.
      However, at Wolves he became a steady Premier League player and captained the side.
      In August 2020 he was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England senior side and went on to be part of the Euros squad.
      Last season, he was loaned out to Everton where he helped the side avoid relegation on the final day of the campaign.
      Leicester recently splashed £7.5million on the centre back, as they look to bounce back from relegation.
      Conor Coady is now captain at WolvesCredit: PA:Press Association
      WILL KEANE
      The Manchester United starlet played three times at Old Trafford, but was never good enough to make the grade.
      Most of his career has been spent plying his trade in the Championship with QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Preston North End, before he signed for Hull and Ipswich.
      He now plays for Wigan. He has also made himself available for the Republic of Ireland.
      Former Man Utd starlet Will Keane reps Ireland nowCredit: Rex Features
      ROSS BARKLEY
      The cream of the crop after breaking into the Everton side as a teen, Barkley showed flashes of brilliance that saw him compared to Paul Gascoigne.
      Sadly, he never managed to sustain his form with the Toffees, and a move to Stamford Bridge in 2018 for £15million was seen as a chance for him to start afresh.
      He didn’t live up to expectation at Chelsea, and was shipped off to Aston Villa on loan.
      With Dean Smith’s side, the 29-year-old did show glimpses of the old magic, but that failed to earn him a permanent move.
      Nice bought him last year, but he was released by the French club at the end of June.
      Ross Barkley moved to Chelsea in 2018 for £15millionCredit: Alamy Live News
      JOSH McEACHRAN
      Chelsea product McEachran was dubbed a class outfit at youth level for the Blues because of his brilliance on the ball.
      The tidy midfielder managed to play 11 times for the West Londoners, before he was sold to Brentford in 2017 for £750,000. In 2019, he moved to Birmingham for a free transfer.
      He was released at the end of the January transfer window in 2021 and had a spell at Milton Keynes Dons.
      This month, McEachran signed for Oxford United.
      Josh McEachran played 11 times for the BluesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      BENIK AFOBE
      The former Arsenal starlet was once targeted by Barcelona before committing a deal as a youngster with the Gunners.
      Following a series of loans, most successfully at Wolves when they were in the Championship, Premier League Bournemouth paid £10million for Afobe’s services.
      He failed to live up to standards of the top division, and was loaned out to Turkish club Trabzonspor.
      He has since gone on to play for DR Congo, but a spell at Millwall couldn’t reignite his career.
      Afobe has since set up home in Dubai, where he plays for Hatta Club.
      Ex-Arsenal starlet Afobe has found goals hard to come by at the top levelCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      CONNOR WICKHAM
      After showing promise with Ipswich in the Championship, the powerful centre forward signed for Premier League Sunderland in a deal worth £12million in 2011.
      In his four years with the Black Cats he struggled for goals – scoring just 15 times in 91 games.
      In 2015, Crystal Palace signed Wickham for £9million – but a serious knee injury put pay to his progress in South London.
      His fall from grace has now seen him play for Milton Keynes Dons, then Forest Green Rovers and recently Cardiff City until the end of the last campaign.
      Connor Wickham celebrates scoring for Crystal PalaceCredit: PA:Empics Sport More

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      I’m an ex-footballer who was once sold for 15kg of sausages, which forced me to retire because of embarrassment

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      FORMER footballer Marius Cioara revealed that he had to retire from embarrassment due to a transfer he made.He once made a move from Romanian fourth division side UT Arad to second division outfit Regal Hornia, but it was the transfer ‘fee’ that stood out.
      Marius Cioara moved from UT Arad to Regal Hornia
      His transfer fee was 15kgs of sausagesCredit: Dan Charity – The Sun
      The defender was bought by Hornia for 15kgs of pork sausages in 2006, which is very strange in a world that has seen stars be sold for hundreds of millions.
      However, he did not stay for long as he retired from football the very next day.
      A local media outlet quoted Cioara saying: “The sausage taunts all got too much.
      “They were joking, but I would have got more from the Germans and making sausage jokes was a huge insult.
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      “I have decided to go to Spain where I have got a job on a farm.”
      As a result, Hornia then asked to be refunded the sausages from UT Arad.
      But interestingly enough, Cioara is not the only player to have had a transfer fee paid for with food.
      During the 2000/01 season in Norway, Kenneth Kristiansen moved between third-tier teams Vindbjart and Flekkeroy.
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      His fee was calculated by his weight – 75kg- and the currency was shrimp.
      On the transfer, Flekkeroy chairman Rolf Guttormsen said: “I had no idea if it was a joke or deadly serious.
      “The Vindbjart chairman said that it was a bit of both, but they wanted the shrimp.
      “No problem, we have enough shrimp.” More

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      Ex-Arsenal forward Robin van Persie names the six best players he has played with, including four Man Utd legends

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      ROBIN VAN PERSIE named the six best players he played with in his career – and four of them were Manchester United legends.The former Arsenal captain, who spent his last three seasons in England at Old Trafford, retired from football at the age of 35.
      Robin van Persie has named four Man Utd legends among six best players he ever played withCredit: AFP
      Van Persie, now 39, controversially moved to United in 2012 having rejected a contract extension offer from Arsenal.
      He went on to win the Premier League title in his first season at Old Trafford.
      And the Dutch hotshot seemingly has fond memories from his time in the red half of Manchester, naming four Red Devils stars amongst the best players he shared the pitch with.
      When asked to pick his most talented team-mate, he told BBC Sport: “So difficult to name one.
      “I would go for Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy.”
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      Van Nistelrooy left Old Trafford in 2006 – long before Van Persie joined United.
      But the two strikers played together for Holland, earning 172 caps and bagging 85 goals between them.
      The former Arsenal skipper also labelled former Red Devils duo Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand as the best two defenders he ever faced.
      Following a three-year spell at Fenerbahce, Van Persie moved back to his homeland to end his career at boyhood club Feyenoord, where he is now assistant coach under Arne Slot.
      He claims he could have stayed at Old Trafford for one more season back in 2015 as he still had one year left on his contract.
      But the striker decided to ‘move on’ when then-United coach Louis van Gaal made it crystal clear he was not in his plans.
      The Dutch forward fired Manchester United to the title in his first year at the clubCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Van Persie said: “Because I had one more year on my deal, maybe I should have stayed.
      “But then Van Gaal was the coach and he made it quite clear what his intentions were.
      “Then you have to make a decision: Do you stay and fight for your place?
      “Would it be an honest competition or not? Based on all that info, we decided to move on.
      “But three years is not three days, it’s still a long period, it’s still a big part of my football career, and in total 11 years of football in England… as a kid I would never have dreamed of that.” More

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      Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville NEVER received a single transfer enquiry from another club but wouldn’t have left Man Utd

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Gary Neville once revealed that no club EVER enquired about signing him – and said he would never have left Old Trafford anyway.The Red Devils icon, 48, said his head was never once turned during his time in the red half of Manchester.
      Gary Neville says no club ever came in for him – and that he wouldn’t have quit anyway
      A 2020 trip to Miami made Neville realise what he may have missed out on during his careerCredit: Instagram @gneville2
      While Neville claimed he never wanted to quit Old Trafford, travelling to the US for Inter Miami’s first-ever home game – with ex-team-mate David Beckham the team owner – opened his eyes to what he missed out on as a player.
      Nev made the incredible revelations during a chat with Geoff Shreeves on Sky Sports’ Off Script podcast in April 2020.
      When asked by Shreeves if any other club came knocking for him during his playing days, Neville replied: “None that I’ve ever been made aware and none that I’ve known of.
      “I imagine that Sir Alex in his post-Manchester United career or in his interviews when I left the club would have said that someone would have come in for me or something like that.
      “It would have come out. So no, I’m unaware of any interest that’s ever been shown in me.”
      I imagine that Sir Alex in his post-Manchester United career or in his interviews when I left the club would have said that someone would have come in for me or something like thatGary Neville
      Neville went on to say that, even if another team had made a move for him, he wouldn’t have accepted.
      The ex-England defender said: “Never for one second did I ever take the blinkers off.
      “I could never understand, for instance just before David Beckham left I knew a months before that there was probably something brewing.
      “I couldn’t get my head around it at the time – with me being so Manchester United – how any player that was at the club would ever think to want to leave.
      “I just couldn’t compute it at all. For myself it never once entered my head.
      “My contract negotiations, the longest was probably three meetings, when Peter Kenyon was the CEO.
      “They were normally done inside one or two meetings. They were always long contracts.”
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      But that’s not to say Neville thinks he was necessarily right to be a one-club man.
      His trip to the US in 2020 to watch Beckham’s MLS side, Inter Miami, play their first home game made Neville realise what he may have missed out on.
      Nev continued: “I remember thinking that what I thought in my mid-20s, when David left, I couldn’t understand it.
      “But then when I saw the furore around his first game in Miami.
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      “He’s played at Real Madrid, he’s played at AC Milan, he’s played at Paris Saint-Germain, he’s played in LA, he’s now got a club in Miami…
      “The experiences that he’s had in his life are just out of this world, and obviously if he’d stayed at Manchester United he would never have experienced them.
      “So is he richer in his experience for the bold decision that he made? He definitely is.”
      Gary Neville gives impassioned rant about greedy Big 6 and The European Super League More

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      Roy Keane claims Cristiano Ronaldo WASN’T one of the five world-class players at Man Utd he played with at

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      ROY KEANE played alongside some of the biggest names in Manchester United’s long and illustrious history  – but only FIVE players were worthy of being called world-class.And club legend Cristiano Ronaldo was NOT one of them.
      Roy Keane says Denis Irwin was world class but left Cristiano Ronaldo off his list
      The former Red Devils captain, who acrimoniously left the club in 2005 – made the stunning revelation after his old side was held to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in September 2019.
      Keane stunned United fans across the globe by telling left Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher: “We never gave ourselves an opportunity to talk about players being world-class.
      “But if I look back now, you’d have to class Giggsy [Ryan Giggs].
      “I always class the world class players as lads who were doing it for nine, ten, 11 years – obviously Giggsy’s done it for a lot longer, but to me, that’s the key to being a really good player – you’ve got to be consistent.

      “We see players now, they have a good month and [they’re] patting themselves on the back.
      “You have to be good for years and years, and Giggsy would have been a prime example.”

      Keane’s world-class list also included fellow United legends, Paul Scholes, Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes the latter of whom he dubbed a “brilliant striker.”
      But it was his old friend and former room-mate Denis Irwin who received the most glowing review.
      The former Republic of Ireland international said of his countryman: “My God, imagine if Denis Irwin was playing now.
      “He could play left-back, right-back, get you a goal, knew how to defend, never injured, a brilliant guy in the dressing room.
      “Denis would be world class to me – and he’s a Corkman!”
      Keane’s omission of Ronaldo left United fans gobsmacked as the Portuguese superstar was the first Red Devil to win the Ballon d’Or since George Best in 1968.
      But the notoriously hard-to-please Irishman’s snub of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner was likely down to the fact they only played together for two seasons, when Ronaldo was still developing.
      Keane captained United during a historically successful period for the club and won the Premier League seven times with the club.
      He walked out on the club in 2005 after an explosive in-house interview criticising his team-mates’ display after a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough. More

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      Where Lionel Messi’s 15 wonderkids he thought would be future superstars are now, from Mason Mount to Joao Felix

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      IN 2020, Lionel Messi picked out 15 young stars to watch – but where are they now?The Argentina World Cup winner, 35, named his favourite wonderkids for a Topps ‘Lionel Messi Designed Set’ card pack.
      We look at how the 15 youngsters Messi picked out as ones to watch have fared in the year that followedCredit: Reuters
      Messi selected a hatful of young English talent among his crop – with no fewer than FOUR Three Lions stars making the grade.
      But the 15 youngsters have endured very different years since Messi’s announcement.
      Take a look at where they are now.
      TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
      Alexander-Arnold has struggled a bit for consistency since his epic riseCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      MESSI got a first-hand view of the Liverpool right-back’s talent in the 2018-19 Champions League.
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      Alexander-Arnold, 24, was in blistering form as the Reds thumped Barcelona 4-0 in the second-leg of their semi-final clash – and even took the corner leading to Divock Origi’s winning goal to send them to the final.
      Still Liverpool’s No1 right-back, Alexander-Arnold has faced criticism over his defensive ability in the last few seasons.
      However, he reinvented himself in midfield for England in the recent win over North Macedonia.
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      HOUSSEM AOUAR
      Houssem Aouar excelled for Lyon in his first full seasonCredit: AFP or licensors
      LINKED with a move to Arsenal, Aouar captained Lyon and has already won caps for France.
      Technically superb, the versatile midfielder, 24, was expected to complete a big-money move to another of Europe’s giants in 2021.
      However, a loss of form and questions about his temperament emerged and he failed to make the World Cup squad.
      He recently signed for Roma on a free transfer, where he will play next season.
      FRENKIE DE JONG
      Frenkie De Jong is still waiting to find his top form at BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      A former team-mate of Messi, the Argentine knows all about De Jong.
      The Dutchman, 26, moved from Ajax following their run to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-final.
      While De Jong is yet to replicate his top form at the Nou Camp – time is certainly on his side.
      Man Utd thought so, anyway, and were desperate to sign him last summer. However, he snubbed their offer – preferring to stay at Camp Nou.
      MOUSSA DEMBELE
      Moussa Dembele moved to Atletico Madrid on loan in 2021Credit: Alamy Live News
      THE French striker, 26, joined Atletico Madrid on loan from Lyon with a view to a permanent move back in 2021.
      But, he failed to impress Diego Simeone – and was soon back to France.
      The ex-Fulham and Celtic forward was rated one of Europe’s most-sought-after stars after a sensational three-year spell in France.
      Dembele has scored 70 times in 172 matches in all competitions for Lyon.
      JOAO FELIX
      Joao Felix is slowly starting to find his feet at Atletico MadridCredit: Reuters
      ANOTHER Atleti forward, Diego Simeone added Felix to his squad for a record £113million in 2019.
      But the 23-year-old has failed to live up to the hype expected of him.
      A poor return of 34 goals in 131 games and has meant Simeone is ready to cut his losses.
      Man Utd are one of the clubs that have been linked with the fallen wonderkid.
      A loan move last season to Chelsea in January, where he scored just four goals in 20 games, won’t have helped his cause for a future move.
      PHIL FODEN
      Phil Foden has been in exceptional form for Man CityCredit: AFP
      THE Manchester City star, 23, is making a name for himself across Europe.
      As well as Messi, Foden has garnered praise from the likes of Arsene Wenger.
      Under Pep Guardiola, Foden has flourished and become a full international.
      The clamour for him to be England’s main man at the World Cup was too much for Gareth Southgate to resist – and he inspired the Three Lions to a 3-0 win over Wales.
      KAI HAVERTZ
      Kai Havertz has struggled mightily since his £70m move to Chelsea last summerCredit: Eddie Keogh Telegraph Media Group
      AFTER Messi’s comments, Havertz teased clubs across Europe by showing off his unquestionable talent at Bayer Leverkusen.
      After Chelsea opted to splash £70m on the midfielder/forward, Havertz, 24, was expected to take the next step.
      The German star blew hot and cold for the Blues, showing glimpses of his talent – but never on a consistent level.
      This summer, Arsenal have taken a punt on Havertz who will hope to rediscover his form at the Emirates.
      LUKA JOVIC
      Luka Jovic tried to rekindle his form back at Eintracht FrankfurtCredit: EPA
      SIGNED by Real Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019, Jovic’s career has really stalled.
      The Serbian, 25, scored just twice in 21 LaLiga games before being shipped back on loan to Frankfurt last year.
      Jovic scored twice off the bench in his first game back in the Bundesliga – but didn’t exactly pull up trees.
      Los Blancos cut their losses in the summer – flogging him to Fiorentina where he scored 13 goals in all competitions last season.
      JOSHUA KIMMICH
      Joshua Kimmich continues to prove he is one of the best players in the worldCredit: AFP
      HARDLY a wonderkid at the time of Messi’s revelation – Kimmich was already 25. He’s now 28.
      The German feels like he’s been around for a decade already and is easily one of the best players on the planet.
      The versatile star can play in midfield or at right-back and has already won 79 international caps, while helping Bayern Munich to a famous Treble last season.
      Kimmich was part of the Bayern team who trounced Messi’s Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-final, even getting on the scoresheet.
      KYLIAN MBAPPE
      Kylian Mbappe is arguably the best striker on the planet at presentCredit: AFP or licensors
      QUITE possibly the best striker on the planet right now, Mbappe has scored a sensational 212 goals in 260 league games for Paris Saint-Germain.
      The 2018 World Cup winner, 24, was set to move to Real Madrid last summer, but snubbed the LaLiga giants for a bumper £300million contract with the French club.
      However, he has now revealed he won’t be extending his contract beyond 2024 and has reportedly agreed a contract with Real Madrid.
      EDER MILITAO
      Eder Militao is yet to earn himself a regular spot in the Real Madrid XICredit: Getty Images – Getty
      HAVING moved to Real Madrid from Porto in the summer of 2019, huge things were expected of the Brazilian, who was handed a SIX-YEAR contract.
      Militao, 25, has shown flashes of talent after breaking into the first team.
      But Militao can’t dislodge Thiago Silva and Marquinhos in the Brazilian national team.
      MASON MOUNT
      Mason Mount has been in superb form for a struggling Chelsea this seasonCredit: Tom Jenkins/ The Guardian
      A FUTURE Chelsea – and possibly even England – captain, Mount has been superb for the Blues.
      Mount, 24, bizarrely seems to split fans – but has shown grit, determination and extraordinary talent in a struggling Chelsea team.
      The midfielder has gone from strength-to-strength since Messi comments.
      It’s expected Mount will go on to forge an incredible partnership with the likes of Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Phil Foden for England in what’s increasingly looking like another ‘Golden Generation’.
      Although, Chelsea seemingly see him as surplus to requirements – as they negotiate a move away from Cobham to Man Utd.
      BENJAMIN PAVARD
      Benjamin Pavard is a key member of Bayern Munich’s rampant squadCredit: EPA
      MESSI was never going to leave the Bayern Munich man out of his list.
      After all, Pavard, 27, scored the goal of the tournament as France knocked Argentina out of the 2018 World Cup at the last-16 stage with a sensational strike in a 4-3 win.
      The versatile defender is now a regular in the Bayern XI, playing 162 Bundesliga games since joining from Stuttgart in 2019.
      CHRISTIAN PULISIC
      Christian Pulisic needs to fully recover from his injuries to show his true talentCredit: PA
      DESPITE struggling with injuries, Pulisic has shown fans – and Messi – just what he can do.
      Chelsea always seem to look more dangerous with the American, 24, in the team.
      Pulisic also led the USA’s charge in Qatar admirably at the World Cup last year.
      JADON SANCHO
      Sancho starred at Borussia Dortmund, but has struggled since moving to Man UtdCredit: EPA
      OF all the players on Messi’s list, Sancho has arguably been the most disappointing
      The Man Utd star, 23, was the subject of the longest-running transfer saga ever, seemingly in 2021.
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      Sancho eventually joined in a deal worth a staggering £73million.
      Back in January, he admitted to having to overcome “physical and mental” issues. More

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      Liverpool legend Phil Thompson snubs Messi and Pele from his World XI but includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe

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      PHIL THOMPSON opted for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe in his attempt at picking a World XI without two players from the same club or country.Naturally, some big-name stars were left on the cutting room floor when the Liverpool hero went without Lionel Messi and Pele.

      Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were among the former players carefully picking their line-ups and Thompson drew upon his experience to enlist stars of his 1970s and 80s pomp.
      Pat Jennings, Billy Bremner and Gerrard added a British touch to his XI, which also features 1970 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto.
      The right-back spent his career in the Americas and arrived ahead of attacking icon Pele and Neymar, given that he rules out any fellow Brazil or Santos player from the team.
      Men typically associated with only one or two clubs are prevalent, from Liverpool’s Gerrard to AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini and former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.
      Joining them in defence is Mats Hummels, who has spent his entire career in Germany.
      Cristiano Ronaldo, snubbed by both Gerrard and Carragher, is picked by Thompson alongside Diego Maradona, Mbappe and Didier Drogba in the frontline.
      An Ivory Coast international who stuck with Chelsea throughout his peak, Drogba scored 303 goals during his career.
      Messi has not, meanwhile, because he would rule out any fellow Argentina or Barcelona players but ex-defender Thompson could have traded him in for Maradona when he made the call.
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      Likewise, bringing in Ronaldo condemns any other Real Madrid, Juventus, Portugal or Manchester United player.
      But given Thommo’s loyalties perhaps the latter was always unlikely to make an appearance.
      Featuring in Rangers boss Gerrard’s XI were the likes of Cafu, Roy Keane and Andrew Robertson, although he did agree on Kompany, Drogba and Mbappe being worthy of a place.
      He told The Football Show: “It took me more than a couple of hours, I was stewing on this for a couple of nights.
      “I felt like I had a team and I was happy with it, I had Zidane in it, I had [Roberto] Carlos, Baresi in it. Then you get a text of Carra saying, ‘No, no, no that’s wrong – they played together’.
      “It’s actually more challenging than what you think. But we got there in the end and I’m really pleased with the team I picked.” More