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BARCELONA are in talks with Sergio Aguero as they look to reunite the Man City star with long-term pal Lionel Messi.Arsenal have received a mega boost as 19-year-old Folarin Balogun has signed a new contract with the club.

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TAKING THE CRIS
Paris Saint-Germain are preparing an audacious player-swap move in a bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports.
AS claims PSG will offer both Moise Kean and Mauro Icardi to Juventus in a part-exchange deal for the recently-linked Man Utd target and Old Trafford legend.
Ronaldo was thought to be angling for a move to Real Madrid but that appears increasingly unlikely with the Spanish side eager to land Kylian Mbappe.
Both Mbappe and Neymar could leave Paris this summer with just a year left on their contracts.
And getting their salary off the wage book will mean PSG have the cash to offer Ronaldo a lucrative deal.
PSG are ready to offer Moise Kean and Mauro Icardi for Cristiano Ronaldo
TIM TO GO
Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart has urged Thomas Tuchel to drop Timo Werner as he branded the Chelsea striker a ‘blind horse’.
Van de Vaart told Ziggo Sport: “If I was Thomas Tuchel I would always pick Hakim Ziyech, simply because he is the best option by far.
“He can cut inside and create chances, as can Mason Mount. That is what Olivier Giroud needs.
“Timo Werner is super fast, and maybe that is something good to have in an away game when Chelsea are under pressure.
“But all he does is put his head down and run himself to death.
“Mount is a terrific footballer, and I think he can get even better, but Werner is truly a blind horse.
“He already showed that’s what he is like when he played in Germany – and he’s doing it again now.”
Timo Werner has come under fire from Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart
OLE BE DAMNED
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed he was blasted by Sir Alex Ferguson for a cynical red card against Newcastle during his Manchester United playing days.
He said: “I think every manager has certain values.
“When I got sent off against Newcastle, I thought I did the right thing for the team and Sir Alex lambasted me after the game saying ‘we don’t win that way at Man United’.
“I’ve lived by that ever since. We want to win in the right manner, it doesn’t matter who we play against.
“We want to win playing by the book. I’m not saying someone else doesn’t, I’m just saying I think every manager wants to win in a fair way.”
Sir Alex Ferguson blasted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for his red card against Newcastle in 1998
EURO STARS
Simone Magill shared a touching post on Twitter hailing the heroic efforts of Northern Ireland who will compete in the 2022 Women’s Euros.
The Everton striker is among the players who have been sharing emotional posts about their Northern Ireland side becoming the first to reach a major women’s football tournament.
The Toffees ace, 26, included a green heart emoji in her post to more than 6,000 of her Twitter followers.
Magill, who has made 56 international appearances, wrote: “There are some moments in your life you know you’ll remember forever.
“Last night was one of them. What a special, special group.”
There are some moments in your life you know you’ll remember forever. Last night was one of them. What a special special group.💚🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/8TblbiRMZQ— Simone Magill (@SimoneMagill) April 14, 2021

NEXT UP NUNO
Nuno Espirito Santo is the surprise favourite to replace Jose Mourinho as Tottenham’s next permanent manager.
That’s according to bookmakers Betfair, who’ve installed Espirito Santo as the 3/1 market leader to take the reins in North London IF Jose’s given his marching orders.
Nuno Espirito Santo – 3/1Julian Nagelsmann – 4/1Rafa Benitez – 8/1Erik ten Hag -10/1Ralph Hasenhuttl – 14/1Brendan Rodgers – 16/1Maurizio Sarri -20/1Diego Simeone – 20/1Eddie Howe – 20/1Frank Lampard – 25/1Marcelo Bielsa – 33/1Gareth Southgate – 33/1

UEFA RAP
Uefa have banned Rangers striker Kemar Roofe for four games after his horror tackle on the Slavia Prague goalkeeper.
Steven Gerrard’s side were also hit with a massive fine by the European football chiefs.
Roofe, 28, clattered into Slavia stopper Ondrej Kolar with an out-of-control high boot in their Europa League clash on March 18.
The keeper needed a stretcher to take him off the field. And it was revealed the 26-year-old had in fact fractured his skull in the process.
Pictures after the match showed the gruesome cuts to the face sustained in the challenge. The Gers striker was found guilty of ‘assault’, being cited under Article 15(1).
The decision made by the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body said: “To suspend Rangers FC player, Mr. Kemar Roofe, for four (4) Uefa club competition matches for which he would otherwise be eligible, for dangerously assaulting another player.”

PUSH AND PUL
Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic equalled Lionel Messi’s Champions League foul record against Porto on Tuesday after he was brought down 11 times.
The 22-year-old put in a man of the match display against the Portuguese outfit as he helped the Blues advance into the last four of the European Cup.
Despite losing the second leg 1-0, the West Londoners secured their passage into the semi-finals for the first time since 2014 after winning 2-1 on aggregate.
And Pulisic stole the show at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium as he completed 100 per cent of his take-ons, won 16 duels and recovered the ball on seven occasions.
The American forward also drew more fouls than any other player in the Champions League since Lionel Messi in 2011. Messi received brutal treatment from the Real Madrid squad during the semi-final second leg clash at the Nou Camp.
But just like Porto’s rough tactics on Pulisic, Real couldn’t stop Messi as the Blaugrana advanced into the final where they beat Manchester United at Wembley.

AXE TO GRIND
Manchester United are set to ring the changes for the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Granada with a TRIO of starters suspended.
Captain Harry Maguire, left-back Luke Shaw and influential midfielder Scott McTominay are all out of Thursday’s game at Old Trafford after picking up yellow cards in the 2-0 win in last week’s first leg.
And Axel Tuanzebe could be the beneficiary with the 23-year-old in line for a rare start. Youngster Will Fish, 18, has also been promoted to the senior squad for the game with Eric Bailly still unavailable after testing positive for Covid-19.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Tuanzebe can slot into the back four seamlessly despite having seen just 554 minutes of action in all competitions this season.
The Norwegian said: “Axel has always been a very positive boy and hardworking. Victor and Harry have played, they’ve formed a very good partnership.
“Eric’s come in and played really well when he’s played so his [Axel’s] chances have been limited, but he’s been training well and he’s ready for this opportunity.”

RACISM BAN – BREAKING
Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela has been handed a ten game ban by Uefa for racist behaviour towards Rangers star Glen Kamara.
And Kamara has also been suspended for three games for ‘assaulting a player’ during the incident in the Europa League.
Kudela’s ban includes the one-match provisional suspension served against Arsenal last week.

O-LOL GUNNAR SOLSKJAER
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims he wants his team to ‘win the right way’ despite the Red Devils’ historic reputation of intimidating officials and getting favourable decisions.
The Norwegian said ‘the game is gone’ after the farcical decision to disallow Edinson Cavani’s goal after Scott McTominay’s ‘foul’ on Heung-min Son against Tottenham on Sunday.
And asked to elaborate ahead of United’s Europa League quarter-final second-leg against Granada, Solskjaer recalled something Sir Alex Ferguson told him when he was a player.
He said: “I think every manager has certain values and when I got sent off against Newcastle a few years ago, many moons ago, I thought I ‘d done the right thing for the team.
“But Sir Alex lambasted me after the game and said ‘We don’t win that way at Man Utd’ and I’ve lived by that ever since.
“We want to win in the right manner it doesn’t matter who we play against we want to win playing by the book. I’m not saying someone else doesn’t, I’m just saying I think every manager wants to win in a fair way.”

RULE OF EIGHT
Football fans in Sweden have finally been allowed back into stadiums – but only eight at a time.
The 2021 Allsvenskan season kicked off last weekend, although the Swedish government has refused to give an exemption to the current rule of eight to sporting events.
That meant a mere eight fans took in each of the nation’s top-flight fixtures up and down the country.
The Swedish government’s decision to permit a handful of fans into stadiums came after Allsvenkan chiefs presented a plan for how fans could safely attend matches.
Sweden currently has one of the highest coronavirus per capita rates in the world, with their latest seven-day figures revealing an average of 625 new infections per million people
Despite the country’s high infection rate, shopping centres and animal parks are permitted to host more than eight people at a time.

WHAT A LOAD OF SHIRT
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has blamed Manchester United’s red shirts on their poor home form.
United have won just eight of their 15 home games in the Premier League this season and the players reckon the colour clash between their team-mates kits and the Old Trafford seats are causing a problem.
Asked about his team’s poor home form, the Norwegian said: “Some of the players have mentioned that split second decision, red shirts on red seats… we have tried to change that.”

BYE BAY
Neymar roared in the face of Joshua Kimmich but denied it was deliberate and burned the confident Bayern Munich star with a stinging dating analogy instead.
The Brazilian’s Paris Saint-Germain side defeated the Champions League holders in the quarter-finals on away goals after a 1-0 win for Bayern in France saw the tie finish 3-3 on aggregate.
At the final whistle of the game – which was a rematch of last season’s final – Neymar erupted with joy with team-mate Leandro Paredes.
The exuberant celebrations took place right in front of a stony-faced Kimmich, who had confidently predicted Bayern’s progression, but the former Barcelona star insisted it was not a retaliation.
Neymar told TNT Sports Brasil: “It’s funny because I didn’t even celebrate to mess with him, it was more with Leo and I ended up celebrating with him. It was fate that put me close to [Kimmich].”
“He said that their team was better, that they would win. He was sure that they would go to the semi-finals. You can have possession as much as you like. You can sing for a woman all night long, but if a guy comes and takes her from you in five minutes, she’s gone.”

TUCHY SUBJECT
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed he is keen to avoid facing Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals.
The Blues secured their passage into the last four of the competition on Tuesday after beating Porto 2-1 on aggregate.
They will now face either Liverpool or Real Madrid, with the two clubs to battle at Anfield on Wednesday with Los Blancos taking a 3-1 lead into the second leg.
Speaking to BT Sport, the 47-year-old German said: “I don’t wish for nothing, but in general I like it in Champions League not to play teams from your own league.
“Because it gets a bit more the feeling of the European competition but that’s the only thing. Whoever deserves it – I think the game is far from over – but I will watch it for sure.
“It’s a pleasure to watch it as semi-finalists, a great achievement. We will watch these games and there is nothing decided yet. Everything is possible. Liverpool is very strong at home, the Premier League is strong. We take what we get, it’s a good situation for us.”

MISSING LIN
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants Jesse Lingard to return to Manchester United.
The playmaker has hit sparkling form for West Ham since his January loan switch and is said to want to make the move permanent in the summer.
With his Old Trafford deal expiring next summer, he will be worth around £25million at the end of this campaign.
But Solskjaer does not want to sell and said: “Jesse has been brilliant since he left.
“We could have kept him because he had a part to play. Never once caused me a problem.
“Deserved a chance to play more football. Of course we want him back. I hope he goes to the Euros.”

NOT THE WERN FOR ME
Rafael van der Vaart has launched a stinging attack on Timo Werner – claiming the Chelsea striker merely runs round like a ‘blind horse’.
And former Tottenham star VdV urged Blues boss Thomas Tuchel to leave the £47million German out in favour of Hakim Ziyech. Werner, 25,
The 38-year-old told Dutch TV station Ziggo Sport: “If I was Thomas Tuchel I would always pick Hakim Ziyech, simply because he is the best option by far.
“He can cut inside and create chances, as can Mason Mount. That is what Olivier Giroud needs. Timo Werner is super fast, and maybe that is something good to have in an away game when Chelsea are under pressure.
“But all he does is put his head down and run himself to death. Mount is a terrific footballer, and I think he can get even better.
“But Werner is truly a blind horse. He already showed that’s what he is like when he played in Germany – and he’s doing it again now.”

TRANSFER SERGE
Sergio Aguero is reportedly in talks with Barcelona.
The Argentine is set to leave Man City at the end of the season and has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp.
And the Catalans are in discussions with his agent, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Barcelona are in talks with Sergio Agüero agent, he’s considered “one of the options”.Oscar Mingueza and Riqui Puig clauses will be triggered to extend both contracts until June 2023.Sergi Roberto could extend his contract for 2 years, but there’s no agreement yet. 🔴🔵 #FCB— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 14, 2021

ALL HANDS OFF DEC
West Ham have issued another hands off warning to potential Declan Rice suitors.
Speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United increased after he reportedly spoke to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw about life at Old Trafford on England duty.
Chelsea’s interest has cooled with Thomas Tuchel said to be uninterested in the midfielder.
But with the East Londoners fourth and in with a shout of a historic first ever Champions League qualification, the club will not entertain any offers for the 22-year-old this summer, according to Football London.

SLAV SOME OF THAT
Arsenal travel to Slavia Prague with injury doubts going forward ahead of their must-win Europa League quarter-final.
The Gunners drew 1-1 Czech side at the Emirates, as Nicolas Pepe’s opener was cancelled out by a late Tomas Holes equaliser.
Ahead of the return tie, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Martin Odegaard are both facing fitness tests, and missed the 3-0 Sheffield United win on the weekend.
At the back, Kieran Tierney and David Luiz are both ruled out but Bukayo Saka is in contention, after he returned against the Blades.
German Bernd Leno is expected to keep his place in goal, but his backline has chopped and changed as of late. Cedric Soares and Hector Bellerin started against Slavia Prague last week and are in line to keep their place at full-back in Europe.
But Callum Chambers on the right, and Granit Xhaka on the left are also in contention, having featured from the off at Sheffield United. At centre-back, Gabriel and Pablo Mari will likely contest to partner Rob Holding.

SHAW SELECTS
Luke Shaw picked his dream 5-a-side team from team-mates… but there was no room for Robin van Persie.
The Manchester United defender, 25, is enjoying a stellar season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and forced his way back into the England set-up ahead of the Euros.
Shaw explained his choices to the United club website – and had difficulty deciding on his No1. He said: “It’s hard this. For my keeper… this is tough because I’ve played with some very good keepers.
“I’ve played with Deano [Henderson] a little bit but not too much so I can’t put him in, but he’s a brilliant keeper. I think Joe Hart deserves a mention because he was an unbelievable keeper.
“When I was away with England and played with him I was really impressed with the way he was and the keeper he was, I thought he was absolutely top-notch.
“I’m going to stick with David in goal.”

LOADED GUN
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal are close to announcing Folarin Balogun’s new deal after the striker reportedly turned down 15 clubs.
It was reported on Friday that the 19-year-old was to extend his stay at the Emirates after months of uncertainty surrounding his future.
Balogun – who has chipped in with two goals and one assist in four Europa League games this term – was poised to depart North London at the end of the season on a free transfer.
But the England youth international is believed to have been convinced to stay following talks with Arteta where he reassured him he will be more given first-team chances.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s crucial quarter-final second leg tie against Slavia Prague, Arteta said: “We are going to make it official when it’s official and everything is done.
“But as I said before, I have always been very positive that he wanted to stay at the club. We are very close.”

KEEP YOUR ED DOWN
Edinson Cavani should snub a Boca Juniors transfer and stay at the top level in Europe, according to his Uruguay manager.
The Manchester United striker, 34, continues to be linked with a return to South America at the end of the season when his initial Old Trafford contract expires.
His dad Luis confirmed the veteran forward is ‘unhappy’ in the north-west as Argentine giants Boca closed in on a deal.
But the Uruguay national team boss reckons Cavani is better off plying his trade among Europe’s elite.
As reported by Depo in Argentina, Oscar Tabarez wants his 118-cap striker to stay with United for another season and test himself against the best defences ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Remarkably, those views come in stark contrast to Tabarez’s assistant Mario Rebello who believes Cavani should quit Old Trafford and play where he is ‘comfortable’.

IRON WIL
William Saliba will reportedly be considered for the Arsenal first-team next season after impressing during his loan spell at Nice.
The Gunners shipped out the 20-year-old centre-back to the French side in January after failing to convince Mikel Arteta he was ready for action.
Saliba is still waiting to make his Arsenal debut after joining from Saint-Etienne in 2019, but it appears he still has a career at the Emirates after two loan spells.
According to Football.London, the defender has been handed a boost regarding his future in North London. They state Arteta will take a closer look at the defender when the first-team squad report for pre-season training.
And it has been suggested that David Luiz is poised to depart on a free at the end of the campaign with Saliba set to return to London Colney. Saliba has earned rave reviews at Nice, where he won the club’s January Player of the Month award.
In total, the France youth international has appeared in 14 Ligue 1 matches, and he most recently starred during the 0-0 draw against Reims on Sunday where he was named as the man of the match.

ASH COMEBACK – EXCLUSIVE
Ashley Young is mulling over his future as he prepares to add a Serie A winner’s medal to his collection with Inter Milan.
The ex-Manchester United captain, who turns 36 in July, has helped Antonio Conte’s team move 11 points clear at the top in Italy. Young already has a string of offers at home and abroad, including a one-year extension with Inter.
But the right-back would love to end his career at the place he started it — Watford. And it looks as though they will be in the Premier League next season, so that is a possibility.
Equally, he will also have the lure of Champions League football if he stays at Inter. Incredibly, the club have not won the league for 11 years and their Chinese owners are looking to sell so they will not be making any big signings.
Young, named with Kieran Trippier in the Fifa team of the 2018 World Cup, is set to rewrite the history books. The last Englishman to win the Serie A title was striker Gerry Hitchens.
He did so with Inter in the 1962-63 season although he only played five games at the start of that season before joining Torino.

NO SOFT TUCH – ICYMI
Thomas Tuchel was accused of insulting the Porto coach as he led Chelsea into the Champions League last-four.
Sergio Conceicao pointed the finger at the Blues boss after their clubs’ quarter-final second leg in Seville, claiming: “I was insulted by this gentleman who was next door.
“My English is not perfect, it’s no use talking about it. There was no exchange of words because I was focused on the game, I don’t know why he reacted. I didn’t quite understand.
“I heard some insults. It was not pretty and my irritation at the end had something to do with it. I didn’t even say the word to him.”
The pair clashed during the game after Porto had a penalty claim turned down. But Conceicao insisted afterwards: “It wasn’t like that, but it’s over.”
It might not be the end of the matter, though, as the Portugues admitted: “I told the referee that the fourth referee heard the insults.”

Load more entries… More

ARSENAL are reportedly keen on signing Odsonne Edouard from Celtic for a bargain £15m.Meanwhile PSG are said to be ready to move for Jadon Sancho if a new contract cannot be agreed for Kylian Mbappe.

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GET AWAY
SunSport’s Martin Lipton has revealed that UEFA are set to partially scrap the away goals rule from next season.
Under the new regulations poised to be agreed on Friday, away goals will only count extra up to the end of 90 minutes in the second leg.
Any then scored in extra-time would have no advantage.
The proposal, understood to be backed by Europe’s top clubs, will be on the table at the meeting of Uefa’s competitions committee, which includes Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Manchester City chief exec Ferran Soriano.
A plan to scrap the away goals rules altogether has been rejected.
Uefa are ready to green light the change next term after a season of Covid-hit competitions increased scrutiny of the rule, which was introduced for the 1965-66 campaign.
WIN OR BUST
Pep Guardiola knows he will be called a failure if Manchester City flop in the Champions League again.
City lead Dortmund 2-1 ahead of Wednesday night’s crucial quarter-final second leg.
Ahead of the game, Guardiola said: “If I retire now, or in five or ten years, what happened in my career, it was completely unexpected when I started.
“I’m most grateful to the clubs, for the players I’ve had, the way we played and the way we’ve done it.
“These are words and theories that make me so grateful and happy but this is a business.
“And the business is to win. If we don’t win, I’ll be a failure. And if we win, it’ll be ‘How good is Pep!’ ”
CHELSEA 0 PORTO 1 (AGG 2-1)
Thomas Tuchel is not shy about talking up his desire to win trophies this season.
And it might just be the grandest pot of all – Old Big Ears, the European Cup itself – if Chelsea keep on like this.
A first Champions League semi-final in seven years awaits them now after this highly effective protection racket ensured a two-goal first-leg advantage was never seriously threatened in the neutral venue of Seville.
Mehdi Taremi netted a spectacular goal for Porto but it was not until the 93rd minute so there was never any serious sweat.

PSG 0 BAYERN MUNICH 1 (3-3)
Bayern Munich surrendered their Champions League crown on Tuesday night after an away goals defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The French side’s 3-2 win at Allianz Arena a week ago was protected thanks to staunch defending and some poor finishing in Paris.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting led the Bayern line in Robert Lewandowski’s absence and scored the only goal of a 1-0 second leg victory.
But it wasn’t enough as PSG reached the final four of a competition they have never won.

MORE FROM SOUTHGATE
The England manager told Sky Sports News: “One day I’ll be doing something that nobody is bothered about and it will be quite boring!
“So if you want to be in a role where you have got a chance of achieving something special, and we have never been to a European Championship final, so there is always a chance to make history.
“That is the challenge for us as a group of staff but especially for the players. They shouldn’t be burdened by that.
“We know it has been a long time since England have had that sort of success, we have made progress over the last few years and we have got to keep that progress going.
“We have got to be looking to be a country that is constantly at those latter stages of the tournaments which is what the really big football nations do.
“I know we always put ourselves in that bracket but our history doesn’t necessarily align with that. Those big nations that have constantly succeeded have always been in those latter stages and we have got to be doing that.”
RAF DEAL
AC Milan have reportedly slapped a £50million price tag on Everton and Wolves target Rafael Leao.
Calciomercato claims the Portuguese striker, 21, is a major target for Carlo Ancelotti and Nuno Espirito Santo this summer.
Former Sporting Lisbon and Lille forward Leao has netted seven times in 32 games for Milan this term.
And he could now be set for a stunning move to the Premier League.

FOOTBALL’S COMING HOME
Gareth Southgate has challenged England to win the European Championships this summer.
He told Sky Sports News: “Of course as a group, we want to win. What is the point of us going if we are not going there to try and win.
“We have got a group of players not just now but for the next few years as well that is going to mean England are competitive for years to come.
“When we were setting the blueprint for what St George’s Park would be about and the progress of the national teams, that was the discussion we had.
“We want to win, if you win you want to win again. It is a never-ending cycle. We haven’t won yet; we’ve had a lot of praise. We have got to take those next steps.”
ALL TO PLAY FOR
Neymar hit the crossbar and the post before Stoke City flop Eric Chupo-Moting grabbed a priceless away goal for the visitors.

MBUY OH BOY
Xavier Mbuyamba completed his long road to recovery by finally making his Chelsea Under-23s debut – and even got on the scoresheet.
It was a moment years in the making as a failed switch to Stamford Bridge and long injury layoff prevented the defender from making his mark.
On Monday, the Blues’ reserves faced Southampton in Premier League 2 and claimed a 3-1 win.
Coming off the bench for the final 25 minutes, 19-year-old Mbuyamba came out on top in a goalmouth scramble to cap his debut with a goal.

MORE FROM SHAW
The Manchester United defender named Chelsea legend Ashley Cole as his main influence growing up.
He said: “I think, looking back at when I was growing up and my sort of era, and watching him a lot and basing my game a lot on him and what I wanted to be like as a player, then I would have to say Ashley Cole.
“I’ve always been a massive fan of him and thought, when I was growing up, he was one of the best left-backs at that time.
“For me, as an all-round full-back he was one of the best I’ve ever seen with attacking and defending, so I’d say Ashley Cole.”
LUK AT THAT
Luke Shaw has laughed off comparisons with Roberto Carlos.
He told United’s website: “I’ll be honest I’ve seen some things on it on social media and sometimes in my group chats my mates send me some stuff and I just laugh about it.
“I can’t be compared to him, he was unbelievable. I’m aware of it and it’s nice to be even mentioned alongside his name but I just laugh about it.”
AGUER-OH
Sergio Aguero’s proposed move to Barcelona has reportedly heated up.
The Manchester City legend is leaving the Etihad at the end of the season with his contract expiring.
According to journalist Jose Alvarez, the player’s agent has touched down in Barcelona to hold talks over a potential move.
A deal now remains ‘a real possibility’ as he targets a reunion with national compatriot Lionel Messi.
UNITED WE STAND
Will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keep faith with Dean Henderson or turn back to top earner David de Gea?

FOX-IC
A number of Leicester stars were left ‘seething’ by the news that a quartet of players had attended a Covid-flouting house party.
Ayoze Perez hosted the gathering of 20-plus guests, including James Maddison, Hamza Choudhury and Harvey Barnes, on April 4.
According to the Telegraph, members of the Leicester squad were furious at the timing of their escapades.
Consecutive defeats have reduced their advantage in the race to qualify for the Champions League, with the team still third but holding only a two-point buffer.

MORE FROM IGHALO
The Nigerian, who now plays for Saudi club Al Shabab, believes Lingard’s future at Manchester United is now over.
He added: “I don’t think he’d want to return to Manchester United to sit on the bench because he is playing regularly at West Ham United – week in, week out.
“But if he comes back with the confidence he has now, then it can only be a good thing for Manchester United.
“Personally, I don’t see him coming back – I can see his loan being extended or West Ham buying him.”
SOLD TRAFFORD
Odion Ighalo believes Jesse Lingard is thriving because the pressure of playing for Manchester United has been lifted.
He told Sky Sports: “He works so hard in training and when he was given the opportunity to play for Manchester United, he did so well.
“But when you play for a team like Manchester United, there’s a pressure to win every game.
“Manchester United is all about winning, winning, winning, and sometimes that pressure kicks in.
“West Ham is not as big as Manchester United and he’s there on loan so he’s more free to express himself.
“There’s not as much pressure or weight on him to do well and he is doing what we know he can do and we are seeing the best of him.”
ON ME EDSON
Pele hates his own nickname – and instead wanted to be known by his real name Edson as he admired Thomas Edison.
Speaking to Tuttosport, the three-time World Cup winner said: “I had a happy childhood. My name is Edson, then they started calling me Pele.
“I didn’t like it, I started arguing with everyone. I was a Thomas Edison fan.
“What is Pele? Thomas Edison is important!”
NEAR AND VAR
Manchester United are reportedly ready to take advantage of Real Madrid’s squad rebuild and bid for Raphael Varane.
A new centre-back is thought to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s priority for the coming transfer window.
According to the Mail, World Cup winner Varane is the first player United will attempt to sign.
Real may be ready to agree a fee of around £60million to call time on his decade at the club, before his contract expires in 2022.
The Frenchman, 27, is said to be ready for a fresh challenge with boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain also a potential option.

FLICK OFF?
Bayern Munich chiefs are set to hold crisis talks with boss Hansi Flick amid an epic power struggle.
Members of the Bayern Munich board are now set to sit down with Flick, 56, to hash everything out.
Tensions between boss and club brass have been simmering since last summer.
Flick was frustrated at the departure of Thiago Alcantara to Liverpool after he played a huge role in their famous 2019-20 Treble.
And the boss has been left angered after club chiefs refused to dig deep enough into their pockets to convince David Alaba and Jerome Boateng to sign new contracts.
Now Salihamidzic, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Oliver Kahn – set to replace the current chief executive officer in January 2022 – will hold talks with Flick to discuss where they go from here, say BILD.
SPURRED ON
Exclusive by Paul Jiggins: Jose Mourinho’s row with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has killed off any lingering chances of Harry Kane moving to Manchester United this summer.
The England captain will therefore not get the chance to follow in these former Spurs stars who made the switch to Old Trafford.

VIN-DICATION
Real Madrid signed Rodrygo because they ‘don’t trust Vinicius Jr’, claimed a former Barcelona scout.
Andre Curry told SPORT: “They did not trust Vinicius and feared that they had signed the wrong player and we the right one.
“That is why they have two players of the same age, in the same position and from outside the EU.
“I had known Rodrygo for a long time and had a profile to play for Barca. I started negotiating with his agent, Nick Arcuri.
“The club met twice here in Brazil with the president of Santos: Oscar Grau, Pep Segura and me were there.
“I told them we had to go out with the business closed. We did not. And Madrid arrived.”
MITCH HITCHED
Crystal Palace were beaming with pride after whizkid Tyrick Mitchell signed a new contract until 2025.
Chairman Steve Parish said: “This shows once again how our academy can attract the very best young talent and develop them into first-team players.
“Tyrick’s progress is an immense source of pride for our club and academy.”
Londoner Mitchell added: “It’s a great place to be and an exciting time so I’m delighted to sign a contract.”

RON MOVE
The assistant who failed to give Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘goal’ for Portugal against Serbia has been DROPPED from Holland’s Euro 2020 officiating team – by the man who was refereeing the same game.
Mario Diks’ blunder made him the centre of attention in last month’s controversial World Cup qualifier that ended 2-2.
The incident happened when Ronaldo, 36, appeared to put the ball over the line with just seconds on the clock to make it 3-2 to Portugal.
KANE NOT ABLE
Exclusive by Paul Jiggins: Jose Mourinho’s row with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has killed off any lingering chances of Harry Kane moving to Manchester United this summer.
The bitter row has put paid to Kane moving to Old Trafford this summer – after it increased the tensions between the two clubs.
United have never liked dealing with tough negotiator Levy, and vice-versa.
And while they still rate Kane as a striker, they would not be happy to pay Tottenham, of all clubs, top dollar for his services.
This means if Kane is to leave this summer he is likely going to have to move abroad.

KAMMY’S DIAGNOSIS
Chris Kamara has revealed his relief after a brain scan showed NO signs of dementia.
On Tuesday’s edition of Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, Kammy revealed the scan showed no signs of dementia, saying: “They didn’t find anything.
“Watching that back [a clip from an earlier episode of Packed Lunch], it’s slow and I know that’s not me of old.
“I went to Pontefract to the radiology department. The results were no loss of brain mass and very few lesions, which means no clinical relevance. So yes!”
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ARSENAL are reportedly keen on signing Odsonne Edouard from Celtic for a bargain £15m.Meanwhile PSG are said to be ready to move for Jadon Sancho if a new contract cannot be agreed for Kylian Mbappe.

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KAMMY’S DIAGNOSIS
Chris Kamara has revealed his relief after a brain scan showed NO signs of dementia.
On Tuesday’s edition of Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, Kammy revealed the scan showed no signs of dementia, saying: “They didn’t find anything.
“Watching that back [a clip from an earlier episode of Packed Lunch], it’s slow and I know that’s not me of old.
“I went to Pontefract to the radiology department. The results were no loss of brain mass and very few lesions, which means no clinical relevance. So yes!”
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Neymar and Lionel Messi are edging towards a reunion… but it could be in either Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain colours, according to reports.
The two world stars have found their futures uncertain as the season draws to a close.
According to L’Equipe via Mundo Deportivo, PSG could make a drastic attempt to tie Neymar down by landing Messi in a blockbuster deal.
The article adds how Messi is not convincing Neymar to join Barcelona because he has yet to decide his own future.

PATS THE WAY
Patson Daka has opened the door to a summer Premier League move – with the RB Salzburg goal machine declaring he is ready for a new challenge.
His agent Freddie Kanoute told Austrian TV: “I think it is time for a new challenge for Patson at the end of the season. That is no secret.
“We will sit down with the clubs interested in him, work out a good plan and them make the right decision.
“We don’t want him to change clubs just for the sake of it.
“He has really caught fire this season. He was good before, but now we are seeing a completely different Patson Daka.
“He gets better almost every day, and he’s now showing what he truly can do.
“We see a new, further improved Patson virtually every weekend.”
PAUL OVER NOW
But David De Gea, Paul Pogba and Gareth Bale all find themselves on the highest-paid XI – even if their performances have not justified their mammoth pay packets.

TOP OF THE WORLD
Erling Haaland and Alphonso Davies are among the most underpaid players in the world.
That is according to Spanish outlet Marca’s ‘world’s best XI’ team featuring the top footballers.

CRIS CROSS
Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri reportedly told club chairman Andrea Agnelli to sell Cristiano Ronaldo before he left in 2019.
The 53-year-old stood down as the Old Lady gaffer at the end of the 2018-19 season after guiding the Italian side to five consecutive Serie A titles.
He worked with Ronaldo, 36, for one year after he lured the Portuguese forward away from Real Madrid in 2018 in the hope he would guide them to Champions League glory.
Ronaldo arrived to Turin having won the European Cup four times in five years, and there was expectation he could fire Juve to their first triumph since 1996.
But Juve crashed out to Ajax in the quarter-finals in Allegri’s last year in charge, with the ex-AC Milan manager urging Agnelli to offload Ronaldo as he was stalling the growth of the club.
According to La Repubblica via Football Italia, in Allegri’s last meeting with Agnelli, he stated that Ronaldo should also be following him out of the door. Allegri is claimed to have said: “Get rid of Ronaldo, he’s blocking the growth of the team and the club.”

FOXES RETURN
Leicester’s trio of Covidiots James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury will return to training on Wednesday after being axed by boss Brendan Rodgers, according to reports.
The three – along with injured Harvey Barnes – partied at Perez’s house following the Foxes’ defeat to Manchester City on April 4 and were forced to train alone and dropped for Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to West Ham.
But they will join up with the group again this week, according to the Telegraph.
All three are said to be in the running to play against Southampton in the FA Cup semi at Wembley this weekend.
It remains unclear whether they will start or how their team-mates – some of whom were fuming with their behaviour – will react to their reintegration.
After the defeat at West Ham Rodgers said the matter was closed and the club want to draw a line under it and move on.
BRIL MOVE
Former Liverpool star Djibril Cisse has signed for American fourth-tier side Panathinaikos Chicago at the age of 39.
The French striker has been without a club since leaving Swiss Division Three outfit Yverdon Sports.
But PAO Chicago announced on Twitter their newest signing, writing: Once Green, Always Green.”
Cisse played for Greek giants Panathinaikos between 2009-11 after leaving Marseille.
He scored an impressive 47 goals in just 61 games during his time with the Greeks. Cisse joined Liverpool from Auxerre in 2004 for £14m, but struggled with injury which included a horror leg break.
Panathinaikos Chicago is the 13th club of the nomadic striker’s career.

SHAW AND ORDER
Manchester United star Luke Shaw has revealed that he’d have liked to have been a policeman had he not succeeded in football.
The England star has been in sensational form for the Red Devils this season, keeping opposition wingers under lock and key.
But had he lacked the football skills, he may have been keeping real-life villains out of harm’s way.
Asked what he’d like to have done outside of football during a recent Man United Q&A, he replied: “If I wasn’t playing soccer I think I’d probably like to be a police officer.
“It’s a random one but I watch a lot of series and stuff to do with the police and CIA and MI6 and I’m quite into stuff like that.
“And I think if I wasn’t a footballer I think I’d want to do something based around what they do. So I’d say a police officer.”

CROWN JULES
Chelsea are reportedly willing to offer Hakim Ziyech to Sevilla in a player-plus-cash deal to bring Jules Kounde to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are understood to be in the market for a centre-back in the summer, with AS stating that Thomas Tuchel has identified the 22-year-old as an option.
SunSport exclusively revealed last month that Manchester United were eyeing up a move for Kounde to pair him alongside Harry Maguire. But Spanish media have claimed that the West Londoners are in pole position to secure the Frenchman’s services.
They have declared that Chelsea are unwilling to activate his £69million release clause, and will instead try to drive the price down by offering one of five players as well as cash.
Moroccan playmaker Ziyech – who only joined the Premier League side from Ajax last year – is said to be one squad member Chelsea would be open to letting go.
The 28-year-old has failed to live up to expectations since moving to England. He has chipped in with just one goal and three assists in 17 top-flight games, with his last strike coming in the 3-0 win away at Burnley in October.

IT’S OFFICIALS
Former Premier League referee Howard Webb has married his long-term girlfriend Bibiana Steinhaus.
The 49-year-old split with his ex-wife Kay back in 2016, but found love again in German ref Bibiana.
After years of dating, Webb and Steinhaus tied the knot in secret during last month’s international break.
For now, however, the couple maintain a long-distance relationship – with Webb living in New York, while Steinhaus still works as a VAR official in Germany.
Having wed Webb, Steinhaus recently told Bild: “Yes, it’s true. We got married during the last international break and are very happy.
“Unfortunately, due to the Corona regulation, Howard and I could only take this important step as a pair. Not even witnesses were allowed. Of course there was no honeymoon either.”

FRENCH TWIST
Paris Saint-Germain are lining up a bid for Harry Kane if they lose Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The French giants fear that Mbappe could be leaving Paris with a new contract still not signed.
Mbappe, 22, is wanted by the likes of Real Madrid and only currently has one more season on his PSG deal.
And the Independent report that PSG will look towards Spurs striker Kane in a potential reunion with Mauricio Pochettino.
SunSport revealed that Tottenham have no intention of selling their star striker.
Daniel Levy’s club will demand £175million if a foreign club want his services but a sale to a Prem rival like Man Utd or Man City is off the table.

LO BLOW
Odion Ighalo believes he was ‘unfairly’ benched during his time at Manchester United. The Nigerian striker, 31, joined the Red Devils on loan in January 2020 in a ‘dream’ transfer after snubbing Tottenham.
But he felt he should have got more game time than his 757 minutes across 23 appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before joining Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia in February.
He told Sky Sports News: “After my initial loan was extended, I did not play much which was perhaps a bit unfair but I am always grateful for the opportunity.
“When I joined, I always knew I wouldn’t be playing every game because I was signing as a back-up striker so I knew playing time was going to be limited. There were certain games where I thought I would play but that’s the decision of the coach and I am not holding anything against anyone.
“I’m so happy that my path crossed with Manchester United – it’s the club I love with all my heart and for all my life so playing for them was a big privilege that I do not take for granted.
“Just waking up every morning and going into training at Carrington was a thing of joy. Meeting the lads, laughing, talking, going inside the dressing room for training and games… every moment is one I am going to cherish.”

TAKE ZLAT
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been slapped with a one-match ban and £4,000 fine for ‘disrespecting’ a referee in AC Milan’s win over Parma.
The striker was sent off on the hour mark with Milan 2-0 up. Ibrahimovic, 39, saw red after he traded words with the match official.
Milan coach Stefano Pioli told Sky Sport Italia: “Zlatan told me that he argued with the referee and it lasted some time.
“He assured me that he did not disrespect him and above all he did not offend.”
Despite protesting his innocence, the Swede will miss Milan’s next game and be forced to pay the fine.
The club went on to win the game 3-1, but still trail rivals and league leaders Inter Milan by eight points.

CHO AGAIN
Manchester United are still hopeful of signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, according to reports.
The 21-year-old English star has been on the Old Trafford radar for a number of seasons.
Last year United failed to agree a deal to bring Sancho in from Dortmund.
But Manchester Evening News report that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are considering a fresh transfer attempt.
And it comes as Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted the club will listen to ‘exceptional offers’ – which put United and Chelsea on alert.

MEXICAN WAVE
Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has teamed up with stunning model Kate Upton and Hollywood A-lister Eva Longoria to buy a stake in Mexican club Necaxa.
The former Arsenal midfielder joined Turkish side Fenerbahce in January after eight years with the Gunners.
Ozil, 32, has now joined a consortium bidding to buy 50 per cent of three-times Liga MX – Mexico’s equivalent of the Premier League – champions Necaxa.
Other members are Hollywood star Longoria, who has Mexican origins, plus model Upton and her baseball star husband Justin Verlander. Necaxa are currently bottom of their league. They are based at Aguascalientes, 300 miles north of capital Mexico City.
The club said in a statement: “We want to clarify that we are not for sale. But after a year of hard work and meetings, we are very close to sealing a historic investment for our club and Mexican football.
“This will be a turning point for us.” Necaxa insisted existing club chiefs would remain in charge.
Mesut Ozil has invested some money on Mexican side Necaxa
American actress Eva Longoria has Mexican roots
Kate Upton is also joining the consortium
CALLING DYBS
Manchester United and Chelsea are both interested in signing Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala but Paris Saint-Germain are in pole position to bag the Argentine, according to reports.
Dybala, 27, will have a just year left on his £125,000-a-week deal come the end of the season. And while he is interested in staying in Turin, a renewal isn’t easy for Juve.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus can only afford to keep one of Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Old Lady have struggled financially since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with Ronaldo’s enormous salary in particular weighing down the club’s coffers.
Tuttosport report that Paris Saint-Germain are well placed to recruit Juve’s No10, with boss Mauricio Pochettino a long-time admirer of his compatriot’s talent. Pochettino, 49, tried to recruit Dybala while manager of Spurs in the summer of 2019, only for the deal to fall through at the last moment.
But, with PSG’s considerable financial clout behind him this time, he may finally get his man – although fans of Man Utd and Chelsea may hope that their team can pip PSG to the post.

BRIDGE THE GAP
Wayne Bridge has urged Chelsea to sign Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero in a double transfer swoop.
And he believes a new No9 at Stamford Bridge will make the Blues title contenders again as Thomas Tuchel reaps the rewards from the groundwork put down by predecessor Frank Lampard.
Bridge told bettingexpert.com: “I’d love to see Kane go there, I think he’s brilliant. Sometimes money talks. If you look at how Tottenham are doing at the moment, I think there’s a great chance he could end up leaving if he wants to go and win something.
“I’m not sure if he would go, but I’d love to see him come in and start banging in goals for Chelsea. Chelsea have to be careful with who they buy but I’ll be very surprised if they didn’t bring another striker in.
“There could be a few of these players moving – Haaland and [Kylian] Mbappe – and I’d love to see Chelsea snap one of them up, even Aguero.
“He’s leaving City and I don’t think he’s past it, he’s always going to get you goals. When I played with him at City he was just unbelievable and I think he’s still got it.”
Wayne Bridge wants Chelsea to make a move for Sergio Aguero when he becomes a free agent
Harry Kane’s future remains in doubt amid speculation he could leave Tottenham
SHAWBERTO CARLOS
Luke Shaw has repsonded to viral memes comparing him to Roberto Carlos.
The Man Utd left-back has been in sparkling form this season but laughs off comparisons to the legendary Brazilian.
He told United’s website: “I’ll be honest I’ve seen some things on it on social media and sometimes in my group chats my mates send me some stuff and I just laugh about it.
“I can’t be compared to him, he was unbelievable!
“I’m aware of it and it’s nice to be even mentioned alongside his name, but I just laugh about it!”

HE MUST BE MADD
Leicester’s Covidiot James Maddison ‘can’t be trusted’ and has played himself out of England’s Euros squad, according to Jamie O’Hara.
The Foxes midfielder was dropped for the 3-2 defeat at West Ham on Sunday for breaking Covid rules by partying with team-mates Harvey Barnes, Hamza Choudhury and Ayoze Perez.
And after Gareth Southgate warned him about his conduct when he was pictured in a casino after withdrawing from a 2019 England squad with ‘illness’, TalkSPORT pundit O’Hara says he’s pushed his luck too far this time.
He said: “The biggest problem, and person who will have the most regret out of this, is James Maddison.
“I think he’s just put himself out the England side. The Euros are done for him now as he can’t be trusted. There was a casino incident they had before and Southgate wasn’t happy about it, now this.
“He will have huge regrets and I know this from being a player myself and not reaching the potential you probably should reach. He will look at this situation in a few years and go ‘I wish I didn’t do that and took that responsibility more’.”

REAL PLAN
Florentino Perez has a grand plan to revolutionise Real Madrid and make them Europe’s kings once again.
The club president will keep his seat until 2025 and has ambitious things planned including signing Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Reports in Spain say that snapping up the two hottest properties in Europe is Perez’s main objective after the election. Mbappe is locked in contract talks with current side PSG but Real are confident of landing him in the summer.
But Dortmund striker Haaland might have to wait until 2022 with the German club wanting £150m for his services. Bayern Munich defender David Alaba, meanwhile, has verbally agreed to join Los Blancos in the summer on a free.
Zinedine Zidane will stay on as manager after leading Real to two La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues.
One man set to leave the Bernabeu, however, is captain Sergio Ramos.

NOT GUNNER HAPPEN
Jesse Lingard has been warned off making a move to Arsenal by former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.
Arsenal are set for a summer rebuild after a miserable 2020/21 campaign – but Ferdinand doesn’t anticipate that will involving adding Lingard to the squad. And Ferdinand doesn’t believe the 28-year-old would ‘go anywhere near’ anyway.
Asked about the Gunners’ reported interest in Lingard, Ferdinand told FIVE YouTube channel: “Yeah but you know what they [Arsenal fans] wouldn’t have him there.
“The way he moonwalked off that pitch once, they wouldn’t have it. The fans would rip the place apart. He disrespected the Emirates in a way that hadn’t been seen.
“Listen West Ham will have a fight to get him by the way because I think other teams are going to be like: ‘Listen, we want him!’
“He’s not going to go to Arsenal over West Ham, obviously but there will be other teams. He ain’t going nowhere near Arsenal.”

FRANK THE FAV
Frank Lampard is the leading contender to be appointed Crystal Palace’s next permanent manager.
That’s according to bookmakers Betfair, who’ve installed the former England midfielder as the 6/4 favourite to take charge at Selhurst Park.
Next Crystal Palace Manager odds – Betfair

Frank Lampard – 6/4
Eddie Howe – 3/1
John Terry – 4/1
Rafa Benitez – 8/1
Lee Johnson – 14/1
Alan Pardew – 18/1
Michael Carrick – 18/1

SPENDING SERG
Barcelona are set to step up their interest in outgoing Manchester City star Sergio Aguero.
SunSport exclusively revealed the Catalan giants’ interest in the Argentine back in January.
And with Man City announcing their legendary striker’s upcoming departure last month, the path would seem to have been cleared for Ronald Koeman’s men. But Barca will still have to beat off interest from several other clubs.
According to Sport, the Catalan side will now accelerate their interest in Aguero, having had a period to plan. The 32-year-old is reportedly being chased by the likes of Juventus, Chelsea and Arsenal.
And the Italian giants are believed to have offered him a two-year contract on around £165,000-a-week. Barcelona cannot match that offer, but hope to lure Aguero with other factors.
His friendship with Lionel Messi is no secret, and his desire to play with his compatriot could play a major role in not only convincing him to sign – but also in making Barca’s No10 stay put.
It is also claimed that Aguero likes the idea of returning to Spain, where he played for five years with Atletico Madrid.

BETTER CALL SAUL
Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Saul Niguez with the Atletico Madrid ace reportedly up for sale.
The Red Devils are known to be admirers of the 26-year-old, and were rumoured to be eyeing up a £71million bid for him last summer. And it was claimed in December how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have reignited their interest in the midfielder ahead of a possible summer move.
It has been alleged that should Paul Pogba depart Old Trafford at the end of the season, then United would make a swoop to sign the Spain international.
And according to Cadena Ser, United’s chances of landing him have been boosted, with Atletico prepared to cash in on their academy graduate. They state that up to seven players could be heading for the exit door at the Wanda Metropolitano, including loanee Lucas Torreira, who will be heading back to Arsenal.
It has has also been suggested that Chelsea target Jose Gimenez could be sold. Winger Vitolo – who has been offered to West Ham for £8.5million – is another player that Atletico are said to be keen to offload.
Speaking last year, Saul put United on red alert when he admitted that he is ‘flattered’ to being linked with the club.

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