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      Solskjaer reveals Man Utd ARE in contract discussions with Edinson Cavani despite talk of Boca Juniors transfer

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      OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has revealed that Manchester United are talking to Edinson Cavani about a new deal.And that the Uruguayan star is listening.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that the club are talking to Edinson Cavani about a new dealCredit: AFP
      As Sun Sport revealed Cavani has grown unhappy over the sound of silence from within Old Trafford regarding a new deal.
      He had been preparing to quit at the end of the season when his year’s contract runs out to realise a boyhood dream of playing for Boca Juniors.
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      The 34-year-old striker’s father declared he would be leaving while there are reports that he already has a verbal agreement with the Argentine club.
      But Solskjaer and United hope the seven–goal frontman, expected to lead the line in today’s FA Cup clash with Leicester City, will still be around next season.
      The Old Trafford boss insists: “We want a competitive squad and we need someone up there to score the goals for us.
      “So we’re looking at it. We’re speaking to Eddy.
      “Edinson is a top striker and whatever he decides to do, let’s see.
      “But we’re in good dialogue with him.”
      We want a competitive squad and we need someone up there to score the goals for us. So we’re looking at it. We’re speaking to Eddy.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
      Cavani is certainly acting like he has not finally decided to head back to South America.
      He rallied Solskjaer’s troops as they go for a first trophy since the Europa League triumph of 2017.
      United can reach the FA Cup semis today while a Europa League draw against eight-placed La Liga side Granada offers an optimistic route into a last four Europa clash with Roma or Ajax.
      Cavani stresses: “If we’re all convinced that we can achieve what we want to, with the right amount of concentration and the determination that we need to have, we can do it
      “That’s why I say it depends on us, it depends on how much we want to succeed.”

      He also told Inside United: “Your winning mentality always comes from the work you put in on a day-to-day basis.
      “Wanting to surpass yourself every day, wanting to prepare yourself to face up to difficult situations and when things get tough.
      “I think that these are things that you can work on.”
      Man Utd boss Solskjaer says Rashford and Cavani have injury doubts ahead of Leicester match More

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      Police making SURPRISE visits to Prem stars’ homes to check they are sticking to coronavirus protocol after Euro trips

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      COPS are carrying out Covid spot-checks on the Premier League’s Euro stars to ensure they self-isolate.Surprise visits have been paid to the homes of some top-flight players who have travelled away in the Champions and Europa leagues to see if they are obeying the restrictions on their return.
      Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso, Erik Lamela and Sergio Reguilon, as well as West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini, were caught mixing households over Christmas
      All players and staff who have flown to the continent with their clubs must self-isolate for five days when they get back.
      They are only permitted to travel to and from training and matches and are not allowed to leave their homes or go out for any other reason during that time — not even to shop or exercise.
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      Competing clubs, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, have been warned they must stick to the rules.
      The random police checks are to ensure stars are staying home — and so far it is understood they have uncovered no Covidiots breaking the rules.
      An insider at one club told SunSport: “The authorities obviously have all  the details of those who have travelled on file.
      “We thought one of the lads was joking when he said the police had visited his home to make sure he was in. But he wasn’t joking.
      “We then heard people from other clubs had received a visit as well.
      “We’d been told we would be in big trouble if we were caught breaking the self-isolating rules and it is clear they are deadly serious about it.”
      A string of Premier League stars have come under fire for breaking Covid-19 rules.
      Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso, Erik Lamela and Sergio Reguilon, as well as West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini, were caught mixing households at a party over the Christmas period.

      The Spurs players were fined by their club for joining a large group.
      City’s Benjamin Mendy hosted a New Year’s Eve party, just after five team-mates were hit by the coronavirus.
      Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and Crystal Palace’s Luka Milivojevic were also caught breaching rules at a New Year gathering as Covid cases continued to rise.
      Footie aces Aleksandar Mitrovic and Luka Milivojevic ‘breach coronavirus laws as they celebrate together on New Year’s Eve’ More

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      Sheffield United want Championship promotion expert Slavisa Jokanovic to get them back to Prem at first attempt

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      SHEFFIELD UNITED want to tempt Slavisa Jokanovic back to England to lead them back to the Premier League at the first try.The Blades, who look doomed, have started their hunt for a long-term boss and the Serb is their first choice if they can come up with the money.
      Slavisa Jokanovic is being lined up by Sheffield United as they prepare for life in the Championship next seasonCredit: PA:Press Association
      The former Watford and Fulham chief has two promotions on his CV and United want him to make it a lucky third.
      The 52-year-old is in Qatar with Al-Gharafa on a lucrative deal, so it would be an expensive recruit.
      He would need to be the best paid manager in the Championship in the £2million-a-year range.
      Jokanovic is very choosy about where to go, so the Bramall Lane outfit would have to sell it to him.
      He has been in the Middle East since June 2019, but has strong links with England and could move if the terms are right.
      The Blades have even asked former boss Chris Wilder who they should go for and he has suggested highly-rated Steve Cooper at Swansea.
      Cooper could be available if the Welsh club fail to go up this season, but does have other admirers.
      He will not come cheap, but United are willing to get their cheque book out for the right man.
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      Chris Wilder left Sheffield United with relegation all-but guaranteedCredit: PA

      Both Jokanovic and Cooper would cost big but United insiders reveal they know how key this decision is in their future plans.
      After surprising everyone to finish ninth last year in their debut Premier League season, Wilder was left angry when they failed to land top targets Jesse Lingard, Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash in the summer.
      And there were disagreements with Prince Abdullah in recent weeks over the future direction of the club.
      Wilder was believed to have been unwilling to work with a director of football next season and left after having the control of recruitment taken out of his hands.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Sheffield United are all set to sack boss Chris Wilder More

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      Man Utd eye shock £50million Pedro Neto transfer as Solskjaer sees Wolves star, 21, as Jadon Sancho alternative

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are eyeing a £50million-plus summer move for Wolves star Pedro Neto.United have made signing a right winger one of their top priorities and Neto’s impressive season, despite Wolves’ struggles, has moved him up the shortlist of Old Trafford chiefs.
      Man Utd are eyeing a stunning £50million-plus move for Wolves star Pedro NetoCredit: PA
      Solskjaer sees Neto as a possible alternative to long-time top target Jadon SanchoCredit: Reuters
      Man Utd could have signed Neto, 21, for next to nothing back in 2016 when the he came to Carrington on trial from Portuguese side Braga – but he did not do enough to convince them to buy him then.
      But now United are understood to regard the Portugal international – Wolves’ £16m signing from Italian club Lazio – as a genuine alternative to long-term targets like Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish.
      Rivals Manchester City have also been linked with Neto, but sources insist they are now ahead of United in the queue for Villa captain Grealish instead.
      Sancho’s future at Borussia Dortmund is tied up with what the German club decide to do if mega-money bids come in for striker Erling Braut Haaland.
      Sancho’s Champions League and international experience, especially for a player who will not turn 21 until Thursday, mean he is still an attractive proposition – but only at the right price.
      Dortmund refused to budge on their £100m valuation last summer.
      If the German side fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, they will be under pressure to cash in on at least one of their biggest assets.
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      But there’s no guarantee that it will be Sancho.
      Neto is just a few days older than Sancho. He has caught the eye despite being part of a Wolves team that lost much of its attacking threat when centre forward Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull in November.
      United are also thought to be looking at Leeds winger Raphinha and Sporting Lisbon’s Pedro Goncalves, 22.
      Goncalves’ release clause is said to be £51.5m and it would probably take a similar offer to prise Neto away from Wolves.
      Man Utd boss Solskjaer says Rashford and Cavani have injury doubts ahead of Leicester match More

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      Jordan Pickford in race to play again this season as England sweat on Everton keeper’s fitness before Euros

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      JORDAN PICKFORD faces six weeks out in a Euros scare for England.The Everton keeper could be sidelined until May and may only make a couple of appearances before going off with the Three Lions.
      Jordan Pickford’s side strain is making Gareth Southgate sweat ahead of the EurosCredit: PA
      Pickford, 27, needs to rest a muscle injury in his side, having not taken enough of a break when he first did the damage earlier this season.
      Everton’s medical team have found out the problem was aggravated when Pickford made a save last weekend against Burnley.
      Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti is stunned by the setback, that could hurt his team as they chase a European place.
      The Italian is frustrated that Pickford has broken down a second time after Goodison staff thought he was clear of the problem.
      But the bigger concern will be for Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
      He is without his first-choice keeper for three World Cup qualifiers this month, starting with San Marino on Thursday.
      And he will hope Pickford is 100 per cent fit for the summer.
      Southgate called up West Brom shot-stopper Sam Johnstone for the first time in the absence of Pickford.
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      Burnley’s Nick Pope and Manchester United’s Dean Henderson are the other keepers in the mix to deputise for the England No1.
      Everton were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City on Saturday.
      The Toffees made the Citizens sweat but two late goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, past stand-in goalie Joao Virginia, kept Pep Guardiola’s quadruple hopes alive.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Jordan Pickford weds childhood sweetheart Megan Davison in ripped jeans and baseball cap More

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      Chris Wilder already looking at managerial vacancies but will have to return pay-off to Sheff Utd if he gets new job

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      CHRIS WILDER wants to get back quickly into management – but it will cut his Sheffield United pay-off when he does. Wilder is out of work for the first time in years and already looking around for potential vacancies.
      Chris Wilder is already looking at new managerial opportunities – but his Sheffield United pay-off will be cutCredit: Reuters
      However, as part of his settlement after departing the Blades a week ago, he will continue to be paid by Bramall Lane chiefs for six months.
      If Wilder takes another job in that time, it means United will pay him less although he would try hard to find a way around that.
      Wilder’s exit was bizarre. He was even close to taking charge at Leicester last Sunday as his settlement package was not finalised.
      Club bosses only let him leave late on the Saturday night after he agreed to a farewell statement they could release.
      Caretaker manager Paul Heckingbottom did not even travel with the squad until it was settled.
      And Sheffield United were a sorry state as they were thrashed 5-0 at Leicester in Heckingbottom’s first game in charge.
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      Wilder was axed by bottom side Sheffield United after a series of bust ups with owner Prince Abdullah.
      But he is not likely to be short of offers after taking the Blades from League One to the Premier League.
      Wilder is currently the favourite to be the next Celtic manager and the chance to challenge Steven Gerrard’s Rangers for supremacy in Scotland could be hard to turn down.
      Sheffield United next manager odds – Danny Cowley leads market to replace Wilder, Bilic, Howe & Lampard also in contention More

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      Fran Kirby can finally end Chelsea’s Champions League drought and should be a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or

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      IT IS Fran Kirby’s world and we’re just living in it.There was no better occasion than a League Cup final on Mother’s Day for Kirby to remind us just how far she has come.
      Fran Kirby helped Chelsea snap up the Conti Cup last weekCredit: Getty
      She scored and pointed to the sky as a poignant tribute to her mum Denise, while helping Chelsea cruise to a 6-0 victory over Bristol City at Wembley last Sunday.
      The strike sensation was also wearing the No 14 shirt to mark June 14 — her mum’s birthday.
      Denise tragically passed away in 2008 of a brain haemorrhage when Kirby was only 14-years-old.
      The striker has bravely spoken about how the grief hit her a few years later during an England training camp and eventually she quit football while battling depression.
      Gradually, she fell back in love with the game through her mate’s Sunday League team.
      Kirby celebrated every goal she scored in the local park the same way she does now in front of millions of people.
      But it’s the unseen side of her life that prepared her to be the superstar she is now and unlocked her potential, on the field and off.
      She has helped fire the Blues into the Champions League quarter-finals, with their first-leg clash against Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
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      In my eyes, there is no doubt she should win the next Ballon d’Or. I watched her against Everton and she was the bright spark.
      The former Reading ace is also on track to star for Team GB and England at next year’s home Euros.
      I remember her first England call-up under Mark Sampson and it was no surprise she was dubbed the “mini Messi” during her first World Cup, aged 21, in 2015.
      An in-form Kirby could be the difference in England finally ending years of hurt, having NEVER lifted a major trophy.
      In my eyes, there is no doubt she should win the next Ballon d’Or. I watched her against Everton on Wednesday and she was the bright spark.
      Kirby was the one who picked up the pieces when Melanie Leupolz missed a first-minute penalty.
      The pint-sized forward netted the opener when the team looked wounded and rattled.
      She only recently recovered from a rare condition called pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining around the heart.
      She learned of her diagnosis in November 2019 and was told she may never play football again.
      Kirby shot to fame with hometown club ReadingCredit: PA:Press Association
      The forward was on scintillating form in the recent win over EvertonCredit: Getty
      The condition also left her unable to do the most basic of tasks, like walking up the stairs.
      Just over a year later she became Chelsea’s all-time top scorer — passing 68-goal Eniola Aluko — and I couldn’t be prouder of my mate.
      She has been hitting the net with her eyes closed this term and is the second highest scorer with 12 goals and seven assists.
      Emma Hayes has a star-studded Blues attack, with some of the world’s best strikers.
      Pernille Harder arrived in the summer to slot in alongside Australian superstar Sam Kerr and Beth England.
      While Kirby was on the sidelines recovering from her heart condition, some thought there may not be a place for her in the starting XI among those heavyweights.

      But she has silenced the critics and the four of them are working in perfect harmony.
      Manager Hayes is desperate to end Chelsea’s Champions League trophy drought.
      And in my eyes, Kirby can be the one to finally make it happen this year.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      The amazing rise of Fran Kirby from being told she may never play again to Chelsea’s all-time top scorer More

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      Sir Geoff Hurst says he had no knowledge of footie paedos but feels ‘incredibly sorry’ for victims

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      WORLD Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst has spoken of his sorrow for football’s child sex abuse victims.The 79-year-old issued a statement in the wake of a damning report.
      Sir Geoff Hurst said he feels ‘incredible sorrow’ for football’s child sex abuse victimsCredit: Getty
      Clive Sheldon QC identified at least 692 victims.
      His report named eight paedos including Chelsea chief scout Eddie Heath.
      Sir Geoff sacked Heath six months after taking the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge in 1979.

      The 1966 England hero said: “It was purely a footballing decision.
      “I feel incredible sorrow for the victims of Heath and the other protagonists in this sad affair, but at no point did I have any knowledge whatsoever of any wrongdoing.
      “It came as a complete shock to me.”
      Sir Geoff insisted he no knowledge of any wrongdoingCredit: Rex
      Independent inquiry finds the FA were guilty of five years of failure to protect children in game from paedophiles
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