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JAMIE CARRAGHER labelled Harry Kane’s performance in Spurs’ dramatic 3-2 win over City as his best of the season.The England forward was instrumental up-top for the North London club scoring two at the Etihad including a thrilling last minute winner.
Pep suggested that his failed summer transfer target is the reason why Spurs secured all three points.
Guardiola said: “Tottenham have a lot of quality, they give the ball to Harry Kane. They are really good up front.”
Having missed out on Kane, Barcelona wonderkid Nico Gonzalez is next on Guardiola’s shopping list.
The 20-year-old broke into the first team this season which has attracted the attention of the City boss, but his £500 million release clause could be a stumbling block in Pep’s pursuit.
Elsewhere, Marcelo Bielsa has decided he will walk away the moment he feels it is for the good of the club.
The Leeds boss is yet to be offered a new contract for the Yorkshire club leaving fears that his four-year-tenure at Leeds will soon come to an end.
And Reece James looks to give Chelsea a huge boost on Carabao Cup final week as he closes in on his return to action.
Follow ALL the latest transfer gossip and news with our live blog below…
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Art of the deal
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed the reason why no additions were made in the January transfer window.
Arteta said: “Edu and his team did a fantastic job and they continue to do that.
“We only want the best players and the best people in this club.
“When we are in a rush and the reasons are not right for getting a player into the club, we decide not to do it”
This is Gunner sting
Arsenal have been left ‘angry’ after it was revealed that Juventus star signing Dusan Vlahovic’s representatives sabotaged a potential move to the Emirates from Fiorentina.
The Gunners were also keen on using Lucas Torreira in the deal, swapping his loan move for a permanent transfer to the Serie A side.
According to Torreira’s agent, Pablo Bentancur, the north Londoners are furious about the situation.
When speaking to Sport890, Bentancur said: “Now, Arsenal are a bit angry because they wanted Vlahovic.
“Fiorentina wanted to sell him, but the agents said he had to go to Juventus – you always do what the player wants”
Kyl-er Mbappe blow
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe could be about to bring an end to months of transfer speculation by staying put in France.
Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid when his PSG contract expires this summer.
Reports also suggested the star striker is open to a possible Liverpool switch in June.
According to The Independent, however, PSG are prepared to make the France international the highest-paid player in the world in order to convince him to stay.
The report claims the Ligue 1 leaders are ready to pay Mbappe a basic wage of close to £1million A WEEK in any new deal – that would far outstrip anything Real could bid
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Roy not Keane
Manchester United hero Roy Keane snubbed a return to management with old club Sunderland because of the length of the contract.
SunSport understand that the Black Cats would only guarantee Keane a position for the season.
The legendary United skipper would have needed to shelve his lucrative TV deal to risk it all on gaining League One promotion.
The Irishman was not concerned about the drop in salary but there was no chance for him to plan ahead with the initial suggestion of a short-term stint
Wilshere reacts to move
Jack Wilshere has opened up on his move to Aarhus Gymnastikforening after spending almost a year as a free agent.
Wilshere said: “Since I started training with Arsenal, I have never hidden the fact that it was to be ready for 2022 and for a new club.
“Now the right club is here, and it will be an exciting new challenge for me. I am in a place in my career where I need to get started again after a difficult period and AGF have offered me that opportunity.
“For that I am very grateful, and I will do everything I can to live up to the expectations. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the team”
The Real deal
Real Madrid are planning to release seven players including Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard.
Real are pushing to sign Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, whose contract expires in the summer, but the star striker would carry a heavy wage bill.
According to Marca, Bale could leave with Marcelo, Isco, Jesus Vallejo, Mariano Diaz and Dani Ceballos.
It is added that Los Blancos may also try to cash in on Hazard, who in the winter was linked with a return to Chelsea
Alv some of that
Arsenal are interested in landing Juventus loanee Alvaro Morata in a sensational summer swoop.
Morata has been put up for sale by parent club Atletico Madrid and is free to leave from July onwards.
According to Tuttomercarto, the Gunners have made the centre-forward one of their targets going into the summer.
Manager Mikel Arteta is desperate to bring in new striker after losing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona in January.
Arteta is also expected to be without Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah next season, with both out of contract come June.
The Spain international is understood to be open to a move to the Emirates, despite his Premier League struggles while at Chelsea
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Gunning for Ru
Arsenal have enquired about Napoli star Fabian Ruiz in the summer.
Ruiz is under contract with the Partenopei until the end of next term.
But he has refused to sign a new contract with the club, so the Serie A side know this summer is the last realistic chance they have to recoup some money for him.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have both been linked with a move for the talented midfielder.
According to The Mirror, however, the Gunners may have joined the race for the Spain international after meeting with his reps in an attempt to understand his demands
Wolves 2-1 Leicester
Wolves defeated Leicester 2-1 in their Premier League encounter at Molineux.
The hosts opened the scoring after just nine minutes with Ruben Neves.
But the Foxes equalised four minutes before half-time thanks to Ademola Lookman.
However, Bruno Lage’s men regained the lead on 66 minutes with Daniel Podence
Ron the go
Manchester United will NOT stand in Cristiano Ronaldo’s way if he decides to leave in the summer.
United face a major battle to even reach the Champions League during another disappointing campaign.
Ronaldo has made his frustrations clear over the Red Devils’ inability to challenge for the Premier League title.
According to the Mirror, the Manchester giants will not stand in the five time Ballon d’Or winner’s way if he opts to leave Old Trafford this summer.
The 37-year-old would still have one-year left on his deal, but United would still let him go
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Wilshere finds new club
Former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere has signed for Danish club Aarhus Gymnastikforening.
Wilshere has been without a team ever since leaving Bournemouth last year.
The midfielder had been training with the Gunners and boss Mikel Arteta as his search for a return to football dragged on.
But finally, the ex-England international has found his move with AGF confirming the deal
De Jong blow
Manchester United and Chelsea’s pursuit of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has been handed a blow as the midfielder revealed his intentions to stay at the Nou Camp for ‘many more years’ to come.
De Jong told The Guardian: “I’m very happy I’m at Barcelona: from a young age I’ve wanted to be here, so in that way it has been a dream come true.
“But I would have liked to win more trophies than we did in my first two years. I expected more in that sense, let’s put it that way.
“But other than that, I’m very happy here and hopefully [will be here] for many more years”
Bielsa’s future in doubt
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa will walk away the moment he decides it is for the good of the club.
And there are fears Bielsa has already decided to end his four-year Elland Road reign in just three months’ time.
The Argentine insists he will know when to go while club insiders acknowledge a noticeable change recently.
The 66-year-old has yet to be offered another one-year contract and on Friday he again dodged questions about his plans, saying: “It is not a subject we should talk about at this moment.”
Yet, while Bielsa remains as committed as ever to securing Leeds’ place in the Premier League, sources close to him hint this will be his final campaign in charge
HT: Wolves 1-1 Leicester
Wolves and Leicester are tied 1-1 during their Premier League clash at the Molineux.
Ruben Neves opened the scoring after just nine minutes.
But Ademola Lookman put the Foxes back in the game with an equaliser on 41 minutes.
The game has reached half-time
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Gon the move
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is eyeing Barcelona wonderkid Nico Gonzalez, whose dad used to be a youth coach at City.
Gonzalez, who broke into the Barca first team this season, has a huge £500million release clause but only earns around £10,000-a-week.
The Blaugrana are not out of the woods financially and have delayed a number of contract renewals — including the 20-year-old’s.
The midfielder’s father Fran is pals with Guardiola from their LaLiga playing days while the clubs are on good terms after Ferran Torres’ move from the Citizens to Catalonia in December.
The SPaniard has 20 months left on his deal and City are poised if Barcelona elect to cash in this summer
Leeds 2-4 Man Utd
Manchester United beat Leeds 4-2 in a Premier League encounter at Elland Road.
Under-fire United skipper Harry Maguire opened the scoring on 34 minutes and Bruno Fernandes doubled the visitors’ lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time before half-time.
But the Red Devils surrendered their lead in just 60 seconds when Rodrigo hit the back of the net on 53 minutes and Raphinha equalised.
But United regained the lead with Fred in the 70th minute before Anthony Elanga sealed the win two minutes before full-time
Hurri-Kane Harry
Tottenham superstar Harry Kane led his team to a 3-2 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad.
Kane scored for the first time against City during Pep Guardiola’s reign at the helm – in fact, he found the back of the net twice.
Never before, in nine previous meetings during Guardiola’s time in charge, has the star striker found the net.
It also proved why the Spanish head coach was so keen to sign the England international last summer
Starting Au new
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored his first goal for Barcelona since joining from Arsenal.
The 32-year-old Gabon international scampered onto a long ball over the top in the 23rd minute of a LaLiga game against Valencia on Sunday.
He raced clear and fired an unstoppable strike into the top corner as he hit the back of the net for the first time in Spain.
The ex-Gunner then celebrated with his trademark front flip as he kick-started his career with Barca.

Elanga gets struck by object
Man United youngster Anthony Elanga was hit by an object after celebrating Fred’s second half strike against Leeds.
Elanga as well as Fred were brought on for Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard in order to change United’s fortunes. And they did.
Fred finished off a sweeping counter attack to restore United’s lead and strengthen their grip on fourth place.
And as United’s players celebrated the thumping finish, Elanga was hit by an object coming from the stands.
United’s medical team attended to the teenager and after a quick check over he was cleared to play the rest of the game.
Fred restores United’s lead
Leeds are hosting Manchester United in an absolute thriller at Elland Road.
Super-sub Fred has given United a 3-2 lead after Rodrigo and Rafinha scored in just 59 seconds to level it for Leeds.
With 15 minutes or so remaining Leeds really need to pick themselves up to have another go at the visitors.
No Kidd-ing
Kidderminster Harriers’ FA Cup hero Matt Preston is being treated in hospital after suffering a ‘serious injury’ during a game against Alfreton Town.
The 26-year-old, who was named man of the match in Kidderminster’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth round defeat to West Ham two weeks ago, was injured following a challenge in the 25th minute of their National League North match on Saturday.
Medics worked on him for 25 minutes on the pitch before the game was abandoned.
Preston was then taken to hospital by ambulance as he received more treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
X-rays later showed he has potentially suffered a double leg break.
On Sunday afternoon Preston posted a picture of him giving a thumbs up from his hospital bed.

Ooh ahh Cantona
Man United legend Roy Keane hilariously revealed Eric Cantona was ‘really good on a night out’ while live on air.
Cantona played for both Manchester United and Leeds, with the two teams facing off in a grudge Premier League clash on Sunday.
And during the build up to kick off Sky Sports showed a package of Cantona, in which the Frenchman was enjoying a cold pint.
Keane though was surprised by his choice of drink, as he cracked a smile while sharing stories of their good times guzzling endless bottles of bubbly.
He said: “As I said [he was] a brilliant personality in the dressing room, when you’re travelling with him. A good guy, classy guy.
“And as I said, really, really good on a night out as well.
“I’m surprised we saw him drinking a pint, when we used to go out there was always champagne, he’s obviously made a few bob in his time at United.”

James snubs Shaw’s handshake
Leeds winger Dan James refused to shake hands with his old Manchester United pal Luke Shaw after the left-back checked up on him.
With James down on the deck following a tackle during Leeds vs Manchester United, Shaw came over to offer his hand.
But the Leeds man SNUBBED Shaw’s outstretched peace offering, much to the bemusement of the England star.
James looked at his hand and chose not to take it, with Shaw left red-faced after being completely blanked by the Welsh winger.
The 24-year-old, who spent two unsuccessful years at Old Trafford, simply turned away in spite after taking a blow to the face.
City slam Foden’s mum attack
Man City have slammed the “appalling abuse” suffered by Phil Foden and his family after a horrifying video showing his mum hurt in a brawl emerged overnight.
Claire Foden, 41, was punched in the face during a furious fire extinguisher brawl after Amir Khan’s boxing match.
Man City chiefs have now released a statement telling of their “shock” – and say they will support the star and his loved ones.
“The club is aware of a video which has circulated on social media showing Phil Foden and his family being harassed and abused,” officials said.
“We are shocked and appalled about the nature of the abuse and ensuing assault on one of Phil’s family members.
“We will continue to give Phil and his family all the support and assistance they need.”
Rob’s left a bloody mess
Robin Koch was left in a bloody mess after nastily clashing heads with Scott McTominay in Leeds’ clash with Manchester United.
In the 13th minute of the game the 25-year-old German defender had played the ball before being met head on by the Scottish midfielder.
He went down and it was immediately clear that a nasty gash had formed on his forehead.
The Leeds medics raced on to treat him and Koch was able to carry on after having his head bandaged up.
But not before he changed both his shirt AND shorts as blood had dripped onto them.
The Leeds staff were forced to block the cameras view of Koch while he stripped down and changed his shorts on the sidelines.

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CHELSEA have reportedly made Jules Kounde their top summer transfer target.The news comes amid reports that Antonio Rudiger is planning to leave on a free transfer in the summer, with no contract talks having been held.
Meanwhile, reports from Spain claim Real Madrid have leapfrogged Man Utd and Man City in the race for Erling Haaland following a constructive meeting.
Follow ALL the latest transfer gossip and news with our live blog below…
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Chelsea’s Barkley faces driving ban
Premier League football ace Ross Barkley faces a driving ban after being caught on his phone behind the wheel.
The Chelsea midfielder, who has previous road convictions, is understood to have hired a driver for the next 12 months.
Barkley, 28, was spotted using his mobile phone at the wheel of his £150,000 Mercedes-AMG in Wandsworth, South West London, last July.
The Scouser, who has played for England 33 times, scoring six goals, pleaded guilty to a charge of using a handheld mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
The £84,000-a-week star will appear at Bromley magistrates’ court in South East London next month after totting up enough points to face a ban.
Deeney on Kane vs Man City
When players have a point to prove and feel they have been slighted, they always seem to get that extra spring in their step, writes Troy Deeney for SunSport.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane will be no different when he faces Manchester City — the club he almost joined last summer.
You may think that Harry will be going to the Etihad with feelings of what-ifs and envy, but it will be the opposite.
He will be thinking, ‘Hold on, you passed up on me — let me show you exactly what you passed up on’.
You see it all the time, with players meeting their old clubs, famously when Emmanuel Adebayor played for City against Arsenal, scoring THAT goal and doing THAT celebration.
Will there be a part of Harry thinking he would love to play in this team as he would get loads of chances and score loads of goals? Of course.
Ronaldo linked with PSG move
PSG are considering a move for Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the season, according to reports.
The Portuguese is unhappy with Manchester United’s form this season and SunSport revealed earlier this week that he could look to leave if they fail to finish in the top four.
Roma and Bayern Munich hold an interest in the 37-year-old forward.
But given their wealth, PSG may be the most likely destination.
According to the Mirror, the French giants are considering offering a 12-month contract to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
This would see him link up with seven-time winner Lionel Messi, 34, at the Parc des Princes.
Lampard a tactical genius – Gordon
Frank Lampard is a ‘tactical genius’, claims Everton starlet Anthony Gordon.
He said: “I feel the trust he has got in me. He tells me daily. He is an unbelievable manager and he has surprised me, really, with how good he is tactically.
“There is a thing that tactics come from foreign managers and them being geniuses but we need to start giving recognition to the young English managers, such as the gaffer.
“He is a tactical genius and I am thriving off that. I’m learning from him every day, stuff I hadn’t heard before.
“It was those little details, for us to be faster and more aggressive. He wanted to push us higher up the pitch and while it might not seem a lot, those little details go a really long way in a game like this.
“It’s knowing how to get the little details right and what they are doing for the team. It showed in the performance with the result.”
Maguire to remain United captain
Speaking of Harry Maguire…
Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that Harry Maguire will remain as Manchester United captain despite rumours in the press that the armband was set to be handed to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Several United players have spoken out against stories of a split in the dressing room, and the interim boss echoed their views by labelling the reports as ‘absolute nonsense.’
Speaking at his press conference this afternoon, Rangnick said: “I have never spoken with any player about a change of captaincy. This has never been an issue. It is me who decides who is the captain.
“Harry is our captain and he will stay captain.”
Maguire meets inspirational footy fan
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire enjoyed a kickabout with ‘legend’ River Rhodes this week.
The inspirational young footy fan is battling cancer. And he is currently in Manchester to receive radiotherapy treatment.
River comes from a Midlands family of Wolves supporters.
But being in Manchester has seen him link up with some of the city’s top footballers.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jack Grealish are just two who have met River and sent him heart-warming messages.
And it was Man Utd skipper Maguire this week who met up with the brave lad for a kickabout and talk over the latest football news.

Rangnick on hostile Leeds atmosphere
Man Utd travel to Leeds this weekend.
When asked about how hostile Elland Road will be, Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick said: “Well, to be honest, I didn’t know that until a week ago, but most of my colleagues have already indicated that this is probably one of the biggest rivalries in the Premier League.
“Of course, I also had quite a few of those, we call them local derbies in Germany, with Schalke v Borussia Dortmund just to give you one example, and quite a few others.
“I think our team and our players have so much experience playing against teams like that in this atmosphere that it can also and will, hopefully, rise our performance and our level of performance to play in this environment.
“Last season, I think they played Leeds behind closed doors because of COVID restrictions and as far as I know, it’s the first game in a full stadium since they last played in the Premier League.
“I don’t know, this is probably 15-20 years ago. But, yes, it’s great. I think everybody prefers to play in a sold-out stadium rather than in an empty stadium and, therefore, yeah, it’s good. We are very much looking forward to that game.”
Guardiola praise pilot after stormy flight
Shaken Pep Guardiola says Manchester City’s storm-hit flight home was even ‘scarier’ when he watched it on video.
The Etihad chief praised the ‘incredible’ pilot who diverted mid-air to get City back from Sporting Lisbon.
Guardiola’s squad arrived at Liverpool instead of Manchester airport due to Storm Dudley’s high winds after Tuesday’s 5-0 Champions League win.
The Spaniard said: “When I saw the video, it was scarier than we felt (on the plane).
“It was bumpy. We were going down and then immediately the engine started to roll on and we went up. We had an incredible pilot who talked to us, who was so calm.
“The pilot was magnificent. We felt a bit anxious. But thanks to him everyone was calm.”
Storm Eunice causing mayhem
Storm Eunice is wreaking havoc in the Premier League.
It has forced Newcastle to travel to London for tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off against West Ham by coach after their flight was cancelled.
The Magpies were hoping to travel by plane today but Howe said this morning that contingency plans were in place.
And after their flight was aborted, the Magpies set off this afternoon on the 280-mile trek to east London by bus. 
In far from ideal preparation, Newcastle’s players face around seven hours on the roads before their 12:30pm start at the London stadium tomorrow. 
Speaking earlier, Howe said: “The only disruption we’ve had this week is our training ground has been disrupted by heavy winds.
“Our training ground is exposed to heavy winds anyway so it has been slightly difficult this week. But nothing else has affected us so we are all good.”
Chelsea may choose Gallagher over Rice
Chelsea could reportedly opt against a move for West Ham’s Declan Rice and instead promote Conor Gallagher to their senior squad.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is set to be heavily backed during the summer as owner Roman Abramovich looks to get the club challenging Manchester City for the title.
Chelsea have been linked with England star Rice for several months.
However, the Evening Standard claims that Gallagher’s form on loan at Crystal Palace has potentially convinced Tuchel to change his plans.
Newcastle take coach to London
Storm Eunice has forced Newcastle to travel to London for tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off against West Ham by coach after their flight was cancelled, writes SunSport reporter Oscar Paul.
The Magpies were hoping to travel by plane today but Howe said this morning that contingency plans were in place. 
And after their flight was aborted, the Magpies set off this afternoon on the 280-mile trek to east London by bus. 
In far from ideal preparation, Toon’s players face around seven hours on the roads before their 12:30pm start at the London stadium tomorrow. 
Speaking earlier, Howe said: “The only disruption we’ve had this week is our training ground has been disrupted by heavy winds.
“Our training ground is exposed to heavy winds anyway so it has been slightly difficult this week.
“But nothing else has affected us so we are all good.”
Don’t blame the refs
Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal stars not to blame referees over their shocking disciplinary record.
He said: “I don’t want to think like that [when asked whether they were the result of poor officiating].
“There have been various reasons, very different ones the way we picked up those red cards but somehow we have to stop it because it’s going to affect your performance and results for sure and that has to be our aim and our focus.
“Don’t try to blame the refs. We have to believe the refs are going to do what they have to do and we have to do what we have to do and that’s it.”
Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest postponed
Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest’s postponed match is expected to take place in a few weeks.
Tonight’s Championship game between the two teams at Dean Court has been postponed for safety reasons, according to the hosts.
The Cherries claim Storm Eunice has caused damage at the Vitality Stadium and inspection from structural engineers deemed this would cause significant risk to supporters.
SunSport understand the game will be rearranged in a few weeks, but no official date is yet known.
Mbappe next club odds
Real Madrid are the odds-on favourites to sign Kylian Mbappe in the summer.
Kylian Mbappe next club odds – Betfair

Real Madrid 1/6
Not to sign or agree a contract with any other club 10/3
Liverpool 12/1
Man City 20/1
Chelsea 33/1
Barcelona 50/1
Man Utd 50/1
Bayern Munich 50/1

Conte odds to leave Spurs slashed
Antonio Conte’s odds of leaving Tottenham are at a record low.
That’s according to bookmakers Ladbrokes, who make the Italian just 5/4 to leave North London before the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign — the lowest they’ve been since his arrival.
Conte only signed an 18 month contract when he agreed to replace Nuno Espirito Santo in November.
The 52-year-old oversaw a nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
But they’ve now dropped to eighth after three consecutive league defeats to Chelsea, Southampton and Wolves.
The results leave them seven points off the Champions League spots with trouble is brewing in the capital.
Arsenal vs Liverpool date set
Arsenal’s postponed clash with Liverpool will now take place in mid-March as the Premier League confirmed its revised fixture list.
The Gunners’ blockbuster encounter with the high-flying Reds had been due to take place on Saturday 26th February.
But the match has now been pushed back to Wednesday 16th March after Liverpool made it through to the final of the Carabao Cup.
They are now set to face Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday 27th February, with their trip to the Emirates pushed back 17 days.
That game will be shown live on Sky Sports with an unusual kick-off time of 8.15pm.
Possible Chelsea return for Abraham?
Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has given his opinion on the Blues exercising their buy back option for Tammy Abraham in the future.
The Englishman joined Roma last summer and has hit the ground running in Italy.
And Johnson said: “I wouldn’t be totally shocked if Tuchel or Chelsea eventually went on to re-sign Tammy Abraham.
“He’s doing well away at Roma and I know that Chelsea has a place in his heart.
“He’s of course English as well. But I think as long as he’s performing at the right level – and keeps on performing – and Chelsea have proven in the past they’re not too embarrassed to buy back a player that they’ve previously let go, I could see that happening.”
Arsenal clash too early for Eriksen
Thomas Frank says today’s trip to Arsenal is “one step too early” for Christian Eriksen as he edges closer to an epic comeback.
Frank said: “Christian looked good in the 60 minutes he played in the friendly last week, and in training.
“He’s been out for seven months. Normally you need a proper pre-season to get going. He came to us with a good foundation and so he doesn’t need those six weeks.
“But this game is just one step too early. We have another good opponent for a friendly on Monday, so that’ll be really beneficial for him.
“We are aiming for the Newcastle game, that’s the aim but everything from the Manchester City and Crystal Palace games have been open.”
Rangnick on Maguire/Ronaldo rift rumours
Ralf Rangnick has responded to reports that there is friction between Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo.
 Speaking in his press conference, the Red Devils boss said: “I’m not frustrated at all because I know this is not the truth.
“I told you already about Harry being the captain.
“This is not an issue at all and it has never been an issue for us and for myself as the manager.
“All the other things, to be honest, I don’t listen to that noise because my job is to focus on preparing for the next game.”
Madrid submit final offer for Haaland
Real Madrid have submitted a ‘final offer’ for Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, reports say.
The Spanish giants are leading the chase for Haaland, 21, despite Premier League clubs also fighting for the Norwegian international’s signature.
And Spanish outlet Sport say the striker’s representatives have been in talks with Madrid after they tabled a formal offer.
The goalscoring machine is managed by super-agent Mino Raiola and it is said that a meeting in Monaco took place on Friday to discuss the bid.
And it could be the end of the road for Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City, with an agreement reportedly now in place that will ‘block other negotiations’.
Trippier remains key, says Howe
Eddie Howe expects crocked but ‘inspirational’ Kieran Trippier to still play a big role in Newcastle’s survival hopes.
The £12million January signing went under the knife on Thursday after breaking his foot during last Sunday’s 1-0 win against Aston Villa.
Howe hopes the right-back, 31, will play again this season. And while he admits they will miss his leadership, the Magpies boss said: “He’s got a big part to play.
“The players have found him an inspirational figure but that won’t change – he will be around them and supporting them from the training ground.
“It’s the first thing we discussed, and that’s the type of person he is. He wants to make a difference and wants to lead. I knew Kieran when he was younger (at Burnley), and he has changed and developed many facets of his game and personality.
“We hope to have him back before the end of the season but it is a significant injury. It’s a big blow but no one player makes the team. I’m confident we have enough quality to cover.”
Ronaldo tops fake Insta followers
Cristiano Ronaldo is estimated to earn a staggering £388,000 per sponsored post from fake Instagram followers.
The Portuguese superstar, through no fault of his own, is believed to have 92 million fake accounts among his record 400 million followers.
This is due to the rise of bot accounts on social media.
For every sponsored post that Ronaldo – the most popular person on the photo-sharing app – uploads to Instagram, data complied by livefootballtickets.com suggests that he earns a staggering £1.69million.
But if 92 million of his followers are fake, that would mean that £388,000-per-post is earned due to bot accounts.

Focused Gerrard demands Villa reaction
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is expecting a vast improvement from his players this weekend when they host Watford.
The Villa boss was furious with his side’s display in the defeat at Newcastle last week, 90 minutes that he described as being by far the worst since he arrived at the club.
Speaking this afternoon, Gerrard said: “The most important thing is that we need to see a change in the level of performance. The players are honest enough with themselves and we know we need to raise that.
“There’s been enough time to reflect but also to reset a few things individually and collectively, and I’m hoping to see that reaction tomorrow.
“We knew collectively that we had let our supporters down [at Newcastle] so tomorrow is all about a reaction.’
Pep: I am not the best
Pep Guardiola has laughed off the suggestion that he is the best coach in the world.
Responding to Antonio Conte’s claim that Guardiola is the top manager in the game, the Man City boss was quick to respond: “I am not. I am not. I appreciate it, but I am not.”
Guardiola’s City face Conte’s Tottenham tomorrow evening, and the Spaniard returned the compliment by expressing his admiration for the Spurs gaffer, insisting that the London club should back the Italian for the long term.
“He showed it at Juventus. Managers need time and investment to be here for a long time, especially in this country. If the club rely on him 100%, they will have success.”

Mount targeting cup final return
Thomas Tuchel hopes to have Mason Mount fit again for Chelsea’s League Cup final with Liverpool next weekend.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, the Blues boss admitted his midfielder was in a race against time, but promised that the club will do all they can to get the England international ready for the Wembley showpiece.
The German coach said: “[Mason Mount] has injured ligaments. The Champions League [game with Lille on Tuesday] seems very, very close, but we will try hard for the League Cup final.”
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