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    Chelsea and Arsenal receive huge boost in Victor Osimhen transfer hunt but Prem rival have already made first move

    PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have received a major boost in their pursuit of Napoli star Victor Osimhen, according to reports.The striker is on the radar of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
    Victor Osimhen is struggling to agree a new contract at NapoliCredit: Reuters
    Osimhen’s contract at Napoli runs until 2025 and talks over an improved deal are said to have stalled.
    Calcio Mercato report that his relationship with club chief Aurelio De Laurentiis is becoming frosty.
    The two disagree over the player’s wages and a release clause.
    Osimhen wants his salary doubled from £3.9m to £7.8m per year.
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    While De Laurentiis is insisting on a £174m release clause, with the striker keen for it to be lower.
    This comes after Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli soured after they mocked him on social media.
    Meanwhile, he continues to perform on the pitch, having netted six goals in ten games this season.
    The 24-year-old scored 26 times in 39 matches in all competitions last term as he helped fire Napoli to the Serie A title.
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    Manager Luciano Spalletti has since left to take over the Italian national team and new boss Rudi Garcia is reportedly unpopular with some at the club.
    SunSport exclusively revealed that Liverpool have already made the first move to sign Osimhen after sending scouts to watch him earlier this month.
    Several of Europe’s biggest teams are keeping track of the Nigeria international. More

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    Jose Mourinho ‘to quit Roma in 2024 with ex-Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham following him for Premier League return’

    BOTH Jose Mourinho and Tammy Abraham are reportedly set to leave Roma at the end of the season.The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss arrived in the Italian capital in 2021 and led them to Europa Conference League success in his first season.
    Tammy Abraham and Jose Mourinho are allegedly set to leave Roma in the summerCredit: Getty
    He then guided them to the Europa League final last term but Roma have made an indifferent start to the current campaign.
    Mourinho, 60, is only under contract at the Stadio Olimpico until June 2024 and now it looks unlikely that he will be staying after that.
    TeamTalk claims that the Portuguese coach is “set to leave once his contract expires” and that his departure “will usher in a new era” in Rome.
    And they also claim that “several players will follow him out the door” – and one of those is 26-year-old England international striker Abraham.
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    The Chelsea academy graduate was one of Mourinho’s first signings in charge and he has scored 25 times in 75 Serie A matches for the club.
    This fresh update states that he is “keen on a return to the Premier League” and that he “loves playing under Mourinho”, with sources allegedly informing the publication that he “would be happy to call time on Italy next summer and return to England” should the manager depart.
    Roma are believed to be keen on turning Romelu Lukaku’s loan spell from Chelsea into a permanent arrangement.
    And Abraham is said to be “open to being involved in a potential swap” and returning to his boyhood team.
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    Chelsea have tracked his progress ever since selling him to Roma.
    However, they may face some stiff competition to sign him.
    A number of other Premier League sides are keen on the ex-Swansea City and Aston Villa loanee and are believed to have him on their summer transfer wishlists. More

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    Jose Mourinho’s sneaky tactics see Roma slapped with fine after controversial win over Monza

    ROMA have been fined for go-slow tactics after Jose Mourinho’s latest controversial use of ball-boys.The former Manchester United boss also landed a one-game bench ban after he was sent off in the same 1-0 win over Monza on Sunday.
    Jose Mourinho will be banned from the bench against old club InterCredit: Rex
    Mourinho has continued to deploy contentious tacticsCredit: 2023 UEFA
    Italy’s Sporting Judge officially blamed Roma for their ball-boys taking too much time to get the ball back after Stephan El Shaarawy hit a late winner.
    Mourinho was shown the red card for mocking Raffaele Palladino and his Monza players with a crying gesture in stoppage time.
    The ex-Chelsea and Tottenham chief has now now been suspended for next Sunday’s trip to his old club Inter Milan.
    Roma were penalised 10,000 euros – about £8,700 – for having “objective responsibility” for the actions of their ball-boys.
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    And it’s just the latest example of Mourinho’s contentious antics with those unsung helpers.
    He famously praised a ball-boy for swiftly hurling the ball for Serge Aurier to take a quick throw and spark an equaliser in a 4-2 Spurs win over Olympiakos in 2019.
    But two years before that he notoriously ‘axed’ the kids at Old Trafford for being too slow at returning the ball.
    At one stage Mourinho even blamed such poor service from the sidelines for United’s indifferent home form.
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    And back in 2014 he exchanged words with a Crystal Palace ball-boy, who he felt was not giving the ball back quickly enough to Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta.
    Mourinho has previously summed up his outlook on the matter by stressing the touchline helpers must know how important their role is – and be up to the job.
    He said: “You want a quick throw-in, the ball boy needs to know that you want a quick throw-in.
    “The ball needs to arrive fast. The goal kicks, the tempo of the game, the ball boys can also play a part in a good structure.” More

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    Notoriously trigger-happy Pozzo family ‘SACK yet another manager’ with club languishing near foot of table

    UDINESE are set to sack manager Andrea Sottil, according to reports.The Italian side currently sit 18th in the Serie A table, just inside the relegation zone.
    Andrea Sottil has been sacked as Udinese managerCredit: EPA
    Giampaolo Pozzo made the decision to change managersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    And having failed to win a game so far this season, owner Giampaolo Pozzo has decided to change managers.
    Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that Gabriele Cioffi is set to take over.
    Sottil was appointed as Udinese boss in June 2022 and was in charge for 50 games, losing 18 and winning just 13.
    The 49-year-old has struggled to get his team up and running this season, which is why club chiefs are now set to turn to Cioffi.
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    The Pozzo family are renowned for chopping and changing managers on a regular basis.
    Gino Pozzo, Giampaolo’s son, is the owner and managing director of Championship side Watford.
    The family took over at Vicarage Road in 2012 before Gino claimed sole ownership two years later.
    Over the course of 11 years, Watford have appointed 20 different managers.
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    The likes of Chris Wilder, Roy Hodgson, Claudio Ranieri, Xisco Munoz, Javi Gracia and Marco Silva have all had stints with the Hertfordshire-based club since the Pozzo family became owners.
    Current Hornets manager Valerien Ismael has been in charge since May.
    Gino Pozzo (L) is the owner of WatfordCredit: Getty More

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    Chelsea and Man City ‘consider £60m transfer bid for in-demand Italy star to bolster defensive ranks’

    CHELSEA and Manchester City are considering a move for Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni, according to reports.The centre-back is one of the most in demand players in the world having previously turned down opportunities to move.
    Chelsea and Manchester City are interested in signing Alessandro BastoniCredit: Getty
    He rejected Tottenham when former manager Antonio Conte made an approach over a year ago.
    Now Chelsea and City have turned their eye to Bastoni too, report Calciomercato.
    But Inter will hold out for a hefty transfer fee with the Italy defender priced at £60million.
    The Serie A giants are not under pressure to sell as Bastoni penned a five-year deal in the summer.
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    Manchester United have been linked to Bastoni in the past.
    While Pep Guardiola could decide to focus transfer funds elsewhere after signing Josko Gvardiol in the summer.

    Chelse have spent over £1billion since Todd Boehly took over.
    But the Blues are still exploring ways to improve their squad after a shaky start to the season.
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    Brentford star Ivan Toney is believed to be of interest, with Arsenal also keeping tabs on the striker.
    Toney could be available for as little as £65m too as he has not played for several months due to his ban for betting breaches. More

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    Legendary football competition ‘in danger of dying’ after crucial talks go horribly wrong

    NAPOLI’S owner has declared that Serie A “will die” after a controversial new TV deal was agreed.The Italian top-flight has announced that after months of negotiations they have agreed a package with DAZN and Sky to continue broadcasting their matches.
    Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has slammed Serie A’s new TV dealCredit: Getty
    The £779m-per-season agreement means that Serie A will remain on the two channels for the next five years.
    A majority 17 out of the 20 top division teams voted for it after opting against creating their own Serie A channel.
    That revolutionary idea would have meant cutting out broadcasters entirely and that the league could produce all of their own content.
    But with the current TV deal expiring at the end of the campaign, it was felt that there was not enough time to get the infrastructure needed.
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    And that meant that they had to go with the low-ball joint-offer from DAZN and Sky that is worth £23m less than the current package.
    Italy previously had the Melandri law that only allowed TV right contracts to be for three years at a time.
    However, that has now been relaxed, which has enabled the five-year package.
    The purpose of that was to try and ensure a higher value of domestic TV rights – but many feel that will see Premier League clubs have even more of a financial advantage over their Italian counterparts as their broadcast rights will rocket again when they come to be renegotiated in 2025.
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    Additionally to the £779m per season offered by DAZN and Sky, the former have also got a revenue sharing part to the deal.
    That will see Serie A and DAZN split revenue 50/50 on sustaining and growing the subscriber base should specified targets be met.
    This move now looks very unlikely to help Italy’s big guns bridge the gap with their Prem, Spanish LaLiga and German Bundesliga rivals in revenue.
    And it led to a furious outburst from Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis upon its announcement today.
    He interrupted Serie A president Luigi De Siervo’s press conference by claiming: “Italian football will die.”
    He then told the media in attendance: “It’s a defeat for Italian football, with this deal our football will die.
    “Sky and DAZN are not competent, they aren’t good for Italian football.” More

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    Jose Mourinho takes brutal ‘cough syrup’ dig at Papu Gomez over drug ban after banned star’s Europa League swipe

    ROMA boss Jose Mourinho hit out at Papu Gomez after he received a doping ban.The Monza midfielder tested positive for an prohibited substance and will not be able to play for two years.
    Jose Mourinho hit out at Monza and Papu GomezCredit: Getty
    Papu Gomez got a two-year ban for testing positive for a prohibited substanceCredit: Alamy
    Gomez claims the banned drugs found in his system are there “accidentally” after he had some of his son’s cough syrup when he felt sick.
    The 35-year-old World Cup winner with Argentina was on the bench for Sevilla last season as they beat Roma in the Europa League final.
    Gomez said: “Mourinho? I only have one memory of him and that is winning the Europa League against him.”
    It led to the Portuguese boss firing shots back, saying: “Gomez? He didn’t play in the Europa League final, I think he played against Juventus with a positive test.
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    “But I don’t want to take that syrup otherwise I’ll be in trouble too.
    “What happened to him isn’t my problem, dealing with the subject would put me in difficulty.”
    Roma beat Monza 1-0 yesterday thanks to a last-gasp winner by Stephan El Shaarawy.
    And Mourinho’s goal celebration saw him sent off with the red card described as “vintage Jose”.
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    The ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss fell to his knees and punched the air before losing his cool.
    Mourinho turned to his opponent’s bench, mocking them by pretending to cry as he was pulled away by his own staff.
    And the 60-year-old continued to fire shots at Monza in his post-match press conference as he claimed their coaches were “putting on a show” and “trying to pressure the referee.”
    Mourinho’s red card means he will not be at Roma’s trip to his former club Inter Milan next Sunday.
    It will be the second time in a row he will be suspended for the fixture at the San Siro.
    Last year, he watched the match on the TV from the team bus and hilariously vlogged his unusual matchday experience on his Instagram page.
    Jose Mourinho was sent off for making a gesture to the Monza benchCredit: sky sports
    He could watch the next game on the team bus like last seasonCredit: Instagram More

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    Mourinho sent off as he goes ‘vintage Jose’ after last-minute winner and fans think they’ve worked out ‘conspiracy’

    JOSE MOURINHO was sent off in “vintage” style after Roma scored a last-gasp winner to beat Monza. Stephan El Shaarawy netted in the 90th minute to seal a 1-0 win as they found a way through their ten-man opponents.
    Jose Mourinho was sent off for taunting the Monza benchCredit: Sky Sports
    He mimicked them after Roma netted a late winnerCredit: twitter
    Mourinho was sent off by referee Giovani AyroldiCredit: Getty
    The goal sparked jubilant scenes at the Stadio Olimpico and Mourinho fell to his knee while punching the air in the technical area.
    His emotions then boiled over in typical fashion as he took exception to something said earlier by Monza’s bench.
    The ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss looked at his opposite number and mimicked them talking.
    He then mocked Raffaele Palladino’s side by pretending he was crying by rubbing his eyes.
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    Mourinho’s own coaches chose to pull him away as he sat back down in the dugout.
    However, as he took his seat, he was greeted with a red card before calmly walking down the tunnel.
    Fans found the 60-year-old’s antics hilarious, one said: “Vintage Mourinho red card.”
    Another added: “The Special One for a reason. My GOAT.”
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    A third reacted: “The current version of Mourinho is more subdued but every once in a while he throws in some OG Mourinho like we’re in 2008 again.”
    The Portuguese gaffer’s red card means he will not be on the San Siro touchline next week as Roma face his former club Inter Milan.
    The same happened last year after storming onto the pitch in the previous game versus Atalanta as he fumed over a refereeing decision.
    He therefore decided to watch last year’s match against Inter on the team bus.
    One fan joked: “My conspiracy theory is that Mourinho is very emotional about Inter and comes up with something to make sure that he never manages first-hand against them.”
    The gaffer documented his unusual matchday experience on his Instagram page as he wound-up staff and laughed he was “going to die” on the bus.
    He later sneaked into his side’s dressing room to celebrate the 1-0 win they secured without him present.
    Mourinho could reportedly be set to leave Roma at the end of the season.
    Jose Mourinho watched the game against Inter last year on the team busCredit: Instagram
    He vlogged his day via social media as he watched on teleCredit: Instagram More