Transfer Deadline Day

CHELSEA are reportedly interested in a move for Wolves defender Max Kilman, following his impressive performances this season. Kilman is a boyhood Blues fan and could be open to the move if he hears the club are in for him.
Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe is said to have been offered whopping £1m-a-week wages to stay with PSG.
The Frenchman has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, who he scored a winner in the Champions League against last week.
Having missed out on Kane, Barcelona wonderkid Nico Gonzalez is next on Guardiola’s shopping list.
Follow ALL the latest transfer gossip and news with our live blog below…
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DE STAYA
David de Gea returns home this week claiming he feels more like a Manc than a Madrileno.
Not surprising after over a decade at Old Trafford as he prepares to return to his birthplace and the club where it all began – Atletico Madrid.
De Gea says: “I like the fact I was born in Madrid, but at the end of the day, it’s just a city.

“Now I feel as if I’m from Manchester; I just feel like anyone else from Manchester.
“Where you are loved and welcomed is your home.
“I’ve been here for many years and, obviously, anything can happen in life, in the world of football, but honestly I don’t see myself away from Manchester United.”
De Gea’s declaration of love for Manchester will be a huge blow for his Spanish girlfriend Edurne Garcia who once slated the city for its appearance.
Pop star Edurne expressed her distaste for Manchester in an interview in 2015 where she agreed with a Spanish TV hosts’ assessment that the region is, “uglier than the back of a fridge.”
Sancho now showing his potential
Manchester United star Jadon Sancho is starting to figure things out at Old Trafford.
The England winger endured a difficult start to the season, failing to score a single goal under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

But he has shown promising signs in recent matches, having seemed to gain confidence under Ralf Rangnick.
And the stats back this theory up, with his numbers improved across the board.
Sancho’s goals per game stat is up from 0.14 across his first 23 matches to 0.4 over his last five. His assists per game are also up across the same period, from registering none at all to now averaging 0.4 in each match.
The 21-year-old is now creating two chances per game, compared to 1.8 previously.
His shooting volume is also up, from 1.15 a game to 2.2 in each contest, while his attempts on target have risen from an average of 0.36 to 1.
A sign of his renewed confidence is the fact that he appears to be taking on his man more. Before he was attempting 3.53 dribbles per match, compared to 5.4 now. He is completing 2.4 in each game, up from 1.58 before.
Kilman: My bruv’s even better
Max Kilman is being tipped for another England call-up — and mum Maria reckons his little brother has even more potential.
But Chelsea Under-10s star Michael has plenty to do before he follows his older sibling into the Premier League.

Wolves centre-half Kilman has already made 25 appearances for England’s futsal team and has been linked with a call-up for Gareth Southgate’s World Cup-bound Three Lions.
The 6ft 5in defender has been an ever-present in a Wolves defence that has the second best defensive record in the Prem this season behind leaders and reigning champions Manchester City.
His latest reputation-boosting display came in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Leicester, which has left Wanderers seventh in the table.
But the 24-year-old says his little borther is the one to really keep an eye on.
He said: “My mum says he’s like the upgraded version of me as a kid – he’s always been bigger, faster, stronger and more confident.
“It’s good. I want him to be better than me. I’ll be happy if he is.”
Arteta still keen on Alvaro
Mikel Arteta hasn’t given up hope of bringing Alvaro Morata despite last month’s failing to materialise, according to reports in Italy.
The Spanish striker was one name being considered by the Gunners as they looked to bolster their forward line in the wake of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure.
However, Morata instead decided to remain with Juventus, who had already beaten Arsenal to the signature of Dusan Vlahovic.
The north London club may face competition from Barcelona come the summer with the suggestion that it may take a £29million offer to get the deal done.
Tuchel to Luk after striker
Romelu Lukaku found himself the focus of football’s ridicule this weekend after he set a record low for registered touches in a Premier League match.
The Belgian striker touched the ball just seven times in Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace – despite playing the whole 90 minutes.
But Thomas Tuchel has vowed to protect his forward, insisting that now is ‘not the time to laugh about’ him.
The Chelsea boss said: “He is our player and we will protect him. What can I do? I don’t know. Well, we have to deal with it. The data is out there and speaks the language that he wasn’t in our game. With strikers, it can be like this when they lack confidence or depending on the game.”

Bernardo bound for the Bernabeu?
Bernardo Silva has been one of the pivotal factors behind Manchester City’s stunning form this season, but could he be set for a move away from the Etihad?
The Portuguese midfielder appeared on the way out of City last year, but won back his place in Pep Guardiola’s first team and has repaid his manager’s faith this term with ten goals in all competitions.
But now reports in Italy suggest that Bernardo has his heart set on a dream move to Real Madrid and could depart as early as this summer.
The player still has three years to run on his contract with the Premier League champions.
Leeds condemn fans throwing objects
Leeds United have vowed to ban any fan who threw objects on to the pitch during their 4-2 defeat to Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.
A number of crowd incidents marred an enthralling contest, most notably during the celebrations that followed the visitors’ third goal.
As Manchester United huddled by the touchline, 19-year-old forward Anthony Elanga appeared to be struck on the head by a coin thrown from a section of home supporters.
A strong statement from the club reads: “Leeds United are reviewing CCTV footage and we will do everything possible to find those supporters who are throwing objects on to the field of play.
“Any supporters caught throwing objects on to the pitch will be issued a lifetime ban from attending our fixtures.”
Koch to miss Anfield trip
Robin Koch will be unavailable for Leeds United’s trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Wednesday following the head injury he sustained in yesterday’s defeat to Manchester United.
The German defender played on for 15 minutes on Sunday after clashing heads with Scott McTominay before he was eventually substituted.
Leeds claim that they followed all the protocols in assessing Koch’s wellbeing, but have come in for criticism this morning with the PFA stating that the current measures in place for head injuries ‘are not working.’
Koch himself took to Twitter to praise the Leeds doctors, saying: “Thank you for your many messages. I wanted to support the team for longer yesterday, but unfortunately I couldn’t do it. Thanks to our medical staff for the good care. I feel much better today and will be back soon.”

Boss Brendan has board’s backing
Brendan Rodgers’ job is not under threat despite Leicester City’s alarming run of form, according to reports in The Telegraph.
The Foxes have not won in five Premier League games, and have lost five of the last eight.
The slump has left the FA Cup holders in the bottom half of the table, but there are no plans to replace Rodgers as manager.
Leicester have been plagued by injuries this term with Wesley Forfana and Justin James long-term casualties. Rodgers has also been without key players such as Jonny Evans, Timothy Castagne and Jamie Vardy in recent weeks.
The sheer quantity of players that Leicester have lost to the treatment room is said to be one of the major factors in the board wishing to persist with Rodgers.

Two Premier League games rearranged
The Premier League have announced new dates for two fixtures, subject to the progress of clubs in the FA Cup.
The top-flight have several matches to confirm dates for following a multitude of postponements due to Covid-19 throughout December and January.
Watford’s home game with Everton and Crystal Palace’s trip to Newcastle have both been put back 23 hours, and will now kick-off at 2pm on Sunday, March 20.
However, both Everton and Crystal Palace remain in the FA Cup, and if they make it through the fifth round, then these games will move again to allow for the quarter-final ties.
Rod hits out at Rafa
James Rodriguez has blamed Rafa Benitez for bringing his Everton career to an abrupt end.
The Colombian playmaker departed Goodison Park for Qatar in the summer, disappointing fans who had taken the 30-year-old to their hearts.
Now Rodriguez has explained his reasons for leaving Merseyside in an astonishing revelation on Twitch.
He said: “I would have liked to have been at Everton for much longer. It’s a spectacular club, and the fans are incredible, but unfortunately I ran into a coach who didn’t want to count on me. I wanted to be there.”
Rodriguez contributed six goals and nine assists in 26 apps during his one season with the Toffees.
Conte considering De Vrij reunion
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has enquired about bringing his former centre-back Stefan De Vrij to north London.
The Dutchman was a key part of Conte’s title-winning Inter Milan last season, but could be set for a big-money move away from the San Siro with just a year to run on his deal.
A number of clubs including Barcelona are also interested in the defender, but De Vrij is thought to favour a link up with his old boss.
Spurs are said to be in the market for another central defender given Conte’s preference for a back-three. The Italian has been forced into using left-back Ben Davies in the role on multiple occasions this season.

New contract for Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior is set to be offered a new long-term contract that will keep him at Real Madrid until 2027.
The 21-year-old Brazilian still has three years to run on his current deal at the Bernabeu, but Los Blancos are keen to tie him down amid bubbling Premier League speculation.
Real’s jewel in the crown has been linked with a move to England with Chelsea most notably interested.
However, Fabrizio Romano reports that officials at Madrid, including president Florentino Perez, are big admirers of the forward, and want him at the club for the long haul.
Chelsea in for the Kil
European champions Chelsea are preparing to make a move for Wolves defender Max Kilman – a boyhood fan of the Blues.
Kilman was born and grew up in south-west London, and was part of Fulham’s youth academy before dropping into non-league.
However, according to talkSPORT sources, the 24-year-old is now on the verge of joining one of Europe’s elite clubs after impressing at Molineux since making the leap to the Premier League.
Kilman has played in all 24 league games for the Old Gold this season, scoring once in November’s 2-1 win over West Ham.
PFA hit out at head protocol
The Professional Footballers Association have released a statement criticising the current rules in place regarding head injuries to players in English football.
The response comes after yesterday’s match at Elland Road where Robin Koch played on for 15 minutes following a forceful clash of heads with Scott McTominay.
The Twitter thread reads: “The injury to Leeds United’s Robin Koch demonstrates again that the current concussion protocols within football are failing to prioritise player safety.
“The ‘if in doubt, sit them out’ protocol is not being applied consistently within the pressurised environment of elite competitive football.
“We see frequent incidents of players returning to play with a potential brain injury, only to be removed shortly afterwards once symptoms visibly worsen.
“As the representative voice of players in England, we have been clear toIFAB that we want to see the introduction of temporary concussion substitutes.”
Eagles planning double swoop
Crystal Palace are preparing an audacious double deal that will bring Edson Alvarez and Brennan Johnson to Selhurst Park.
Patrick Vieira is first hoping that the south London club can steal Ajax’s Alvarez from under the noses of West Ham as he searches for a midfield enforcer in his mould.
The Eagles are ready to part with £20million to land the Mexican international, and will then return to the transfer market to land Nottingham Forest star Johnson.
The forward has caught the eye for Forest this season with some electric performances in both the Championship and FA Cup, having turned down the prospect of a January move to Brentford.
Frank ready to raid Blues
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is planning to return to Stamford Bridge this summer – in order to pick up one of their prized youngsters.
The Everton boss has today been linked with moves for Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour.
According to Givemesport, Lampard is likely to utilise the loan market to bring in at least one of his former players.
The former England international has built a reputation for bringing through youngsters during his fledgling managerial career, and handed both Gilmour and Broja their Premier League debuts when in charge of the Blues.
Barca’s De Jong staying put
Frenkie de Jong has committed his long-term future to Barcelona despite speculation that he was set for a big-money move away from Spain.
The Dutch international was poised to be the focus of a heated transfer battle this summer with the suggestion that Barca may be forced to sell their star as they continue to get their finances in order.
The speculation had Premier League pair Manchester United and Chelsea on red alert over a potential £50million move, as well as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
However, the midfield playmaker – who can also operate in defence – has quashed the rumours by insisting that he intends to stay at the Nou Camp for ‘many more years.’
De Jong celebrated his commitment to the Spanish club by scoring in Sunday’s 4-1 La Liga win at Valencia.

Good morning football fans
Manchester United defeated 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, just before half-time.
But the Red Devils surrendered their lead within 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 victory two minutes before full-time.
Wolves defeated Leicester 2-1 at Molineux as they 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.
Meanwhile, United will NOT stand in Cristiano Ronaldo’s way if he decides to leave in the summer.
The Red Devils face a major battle to even reach the Champions League during another disappointing campaign.
Ronaldo has made his frustrations clear over the Manchester giants’ inability to challenge for the Premier League title.
According to the Mirror, the United 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 have one-year left on his contract, but the hierarchy would still let him go.
And Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa will walk away the moment he decides it is for the good of the club.
There are fears Bielsa has already decided to end his four-year Elland Road reign in just three months’ time.
The Argentine tactician 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 deal and on Friday he again dodged questions about his plans, saying: “It is not a subject we should talk about at this moment.”
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.
Finally, ex- Arsenal star Jack Wilshere has signed with Danish club Aarhus Gymnastikforening.
Wilshere has been without a team ever since being released by Bournemouth last year.
The midfielder had been training with the Gunners as his search for a return to football dragged on.
But finally, the former England international has found his move with AGF confirming the deal
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
GETTY IMAGES
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
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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
GETTY IMAGES
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
GETTY IMAGES
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
GETTY IMAGES
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.
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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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CHELSEA have reportedly made Jules Kounde their top summer transfer target.The Blues are also said to have offered Antonio Rudiger a bumper deal worth almost £200,000-a-week to prevent him leaving on a free transfer.
Meanwhile, reports from Spain claim Real Madrid have leapfrogged Man Utd and Man City in the race for Erling Haaland following a constructive meeting.
And Arsenal and Man Utd are both reported to be battling to sign Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.
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PSG prepare huge Mbappe offer
Kylian Mbappe could be about to bring an end to months of transfer speculation by staying put at Paris Saint-Germain.
The France boy wonder has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid when his PSG contract expires this summer.
The Independent reports PSG are prepared to make the striker 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 him a basic wage of close to £1million A WEEK in any new deal.
Aguero leaps to Messi defence
Sergio Aguero has slammed French media over their treatment of friend Lionel Messi at PSG.
L’Equipe gave Messi a 3/10 rating for his performance against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Aguero said on Twitch: “Leo played well. He broke it, and not because he’s my friend.
“He was very good, he was very active, too bad about the penalty, but then he broke it. The magazines and newspapers in France killed him, they are as.
“Now I’m going to Paris, I had an interview with a magazine from France but I phoned and told them: ‘No… Leo Messi.'”
Bacary Sagna praises Arsenal’s character
Bacary Sagna believes Arsenal have a good chance of finishing in the top four and praised the mentality and character shown since the poor start to the season.
“I think they have shown some character, they’ve shown some great team spirit. They have the right mentality and they have the right commitment.
“They totally deserve to be where they are today, and honestly, if they keep going that way, playing without any fear in them, keeping the strong basics they have at the minute, I think they have a chance.
“When they played Manchester City, I thought they deserved to win. They played quite well and outplayed City until the red card at least.
“It shows the quality they have. It shows the quality and mentality now compared to the beginning of the season.”
Conte not scared of challenge
Antonio Conte has admitted that managing Tottenham is ‘different’ because the club lacks ‘confidence’.
While praising January arrivals Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur as ‘ideal’ signings for Tottenham, Conte also insisted that there will be no quick fix to his ‘weakened’ side’s problems.
Asked about how his start to life at Spurs compares to when he joined Inter in 2019, he said: “It is always difficult to make comparisons, but surely when you take the job in a team that hasn’t won for a long time it is inevitable that you will lack confidence.
“The confidence is down and many times, at the first obstacle, you throw yourself down and many times the negativity increases even more. Sometimes you grant goals that you struggle to accept.
“This has been happening to us in the last period. This is part of a process of a team that has to grow a lot to try to be competitive.
“Right now we are one of the many teams that are in the middle. They need to work a lot and this does not scare me at all.”
Hasenhuttl not interested in United
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has rubbished suggestions that he’s in line for a move to Manchester United.
The Austrian has been linked with the United hot seat by various voices in the media after his side’s impressive showing at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 54-year-old also previously worked with Ralf Rangnick at RB Leipzig, leading many to suggest that he’d be the ideal choice to help replicate their success together at the Theatre of Dreams.
However, the Saints boss gave the idea short shrift in his press conference ahead of the weekend’s match with Everton.
“This is not on my mind and is not something that is interesting me. I don’t want to speak about my future.“
Last week, Hasenhuttl responded to an interview he’d given with German media, laughing off suggestions that he’d retire from the game when his Southampton contract comes to an end in 2024.

Frank sings Borja’s praises
Everton manager Frank Lampard has spoken highly of Southampton’s Armando Broja in his press conference ahead of their meeting at St Mary’s on Saturday.
Lampard was Broja’s manager at Chelsea, and handed the striker his senior debut as a substitute in a 4-0 home win against, ironically enough, Everton.
The Albanian has caught the eye on loan at St Mary’s this season, and his performances have come as no surprise to the new Toffees boss.
“I gave him his debut at Chelsea. He’s a very talented young boy.
“He came into us at the start of Covid and started training with us and showed the attributes you’re seeing now at Southampton. He’s fast, he’s strong, he’s got a real eye for goal. I’m very aware of his talents.”
Blues preparing for Mount negotiations
Chelsea are preparing to open discussions with midfielder Mason Mount over a bumper new contract, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The England international still has 18 months to run on his current deal, but the Blues don’t want to waste any time in tying Mount down long-term.
Officials at Stamford Bridge hope to begin negotiations with the 23-year-old in the coming months in order to avoid any issues, although the player is considered happy and keen to extend his stay beyond 2024.
Toon to do the Botman
Another hour, another story of Newcastle being willing to spend big in order to see off the opposition in the transfer market.
This time the player in question is Sven Botman with Tottenham and AC Milan the clubs unlikely to be able to compete if the Toon decide to splash the cash.
The Dutchman, who plays on the left side of central defence, was a Ligue 1 champion with Lille last season, and has continued to impress this term despite his club’s faltering defence of their title.
Newcastle did enquire about the 22-year-old during the January transfer window as Eddie Howe sought defensive reinforcements, but are now expected to go back in for the player in the summer.

Molineux to host Three Lions
England will play two matches at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium in June when Gareth Southgate’s men take on Italy and then Hungary in the Nations League.
The match against the Azzurri will be played behind closed doors as punishment for fan behaviour at the final of Euro 2020.
The games will be first England men’s international to be played at Wolves’ famous old stadium since a World Cup qualifier against Denmark in December 1956.
Mark McGhee back in the game
But not necessarily in the dugout.
Scottish Premiership side Dundee have this morning announced Mark McGhee as their new manager, replacing James McPake, who was sacked on Wednesday.
Second from bottom in the table, Dee have 13 league games left to save their season, but McGhee won’t be able to appear pitchside for the first six as he still has a touchline ban to serve from his time at Motherwell in 2017.
If you want to see how well the fans at Dens Park are taking the news, head on over to Twitter.
Arsenal battle Spurs for Sosa
Arsenal are ready to slog it out with Tottenham once again, but this time in the boardroom as the two north London clubs prepare to battle for Croatian left-back Borna Sosa.
That’s the understanding of Bild’s Christian Falk, who has taken time out from his Twitter beef with Marcus Rashford to reveal the transfer story.
The Stuttgart defender has attracted plenty of attention this season, and was the subject of an enquiry from Chelsea in January as they sought replacements for the stricken Ben Chilwell.
An asking price of £25million put the Blues off in the first instance, but is unlikely to deter their rivals in the capital with both the Gunners and Spurs in need of reinforcements.
Mbappe considering Liverpool u-turn
Kylian Mbappe may yet line up in the red of Liverpool next season, according to reports coming out of Spain.
The French sensation had been poised to sign a deal with Real Madrid following the conclusion of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain in June.
However, the 23-year-old is supposedly now having second thoughts after being disillusioned by the standard of Madrid’s performance when they visited PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Los Blancos produced an incredibly defensive display at the Parc des Princes, eventually going down 1-0 to Mbappe’s stoppage time goal.
The lack of quality in Real’s ranks is now forcing the forward to reconsider long-time suitors Liverpool as an option.

Royals scandal as fans protest
Furious Reading supporters surrounded the team bus last night as it attempted to leave Peterborough’s London Road following last night’s drab 0-0 draw, and demanded the club take action.
Fans have grown increasingly disgruntled with the direction of the Championship outfit, and refused to move until manager Veljko Paunovic had been sacked.
The Serbian coach has overseen Reading’s 12-game winless run, although did end an eight-game losing streak with a point against Posh.
The result ensured the Royals remained above Peterborough, and two points clear of the relegation zone.
The angry mob were eventually dispersed, and the bus was able to leave the stadium.
Leeds ace Raphinha rejects deal
Leeds United’s Brazilian star Raphinha has stalled on the prospect of negotiating a new contract at Elland Road.
The 25-year-old still has two years to run on his current deal, but the Yorkshire club are keen to tie the attacking midfielder down with some of Europe’s biggest clubs taking interest.
Liverpool are reportedly interested in taking the player to Anfield, and the news of the player’s unwillingness to commit his future to Leeds could tempt the Reds into a summer bid.
Reportedly wanting to compete regularly for silverware, Raphinha joined Leeds from Rennes for £17million in 2020, and has since scored 14 goals in 51 Premier League games.
Sources close to Leeds state the club are not worried, and maintain that talks are ongoing with the player’s representatives.
Saka stay dependent on success
Bukayo Saka will only commit his long-term future to Arsenal providing the club can prove they are ready to compete for silverware.
That’s the view of of former Premier League goalkeeper (and one-time striker) David James, who believes the north London club are stocked with exciting young talent.
James told GGRecon that “[Saka] is in an Arsenal team full of potential, but if that potential isn’t to be fulfilled in the next year or so, then I’m sure someone of his talent will desire success.
“If [Mikel] Arteta begins to show that Arsenal can be successful then Saka will have no reason to leave.”
The 20-year-old’s current deal at the Emirates runs out in 2024, and he has recently been linked with a move to Liverpool.
Pogba open to Premier stay
Paul Pogba’s departure from Old Trafford this summer looks all but certain with the Red Devils set to see the Frenchman leave on a free transfer for the second time in ten years.
The midfielder does not appear interested in signing a new contract with United, and had been readily expected to move to one of European football’s giants given his wage demands..
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and former club Juventus have all been linked, but now it has been suggested in the Telegraph that the player would not be against remaining in the Premier League.
Few English clubs would have the finances to table a deal for the 28-year-old with Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea appearing the most likely to be able to make a move should the player want to stay in the country.
Eze money? Newcastle eye Ebe
Mega-rich Newcastle United are continuing their pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, and are now preparing a £45million summer swoop for the exciting forward.
As we reported yesterday, the Toon Army have been tracking the 23-year-old since his return from a long-term achilles injury, and made enquiries about taking the player on loan in the January transfer window.
The Eagles are not keen to do business, but United’s new owners are confident that they can tempt the south London club into doing business with a whopping bid of around £45million.
The former QPR man hit four goals in 34 appearances during his debut Premier League season following a £17million move to Selhurst Park, before succumbing to the foot problem that kept him sidelined for six months.

Overnight round-up
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe again lead the transfer talk.
Real Madrid reportedly believe they have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund to beat Manchester United and City to goal machine Haaland.
And it’s claimed PSG’s French World Cup winner Mbappe is ‘open’ to joining Liverpool.
So far Real have been favourites to land Mbappe, even if they also swoop for Haaland.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are all said to be chasing Stuttgart defender Borna Sosa.
It’s been suggested Blues’ boss Thomas Tuchel failed with a January bid for the Croatia left-back.
The Gunners and Spurs are also being linked with RB Leipzig’s attacking midfielder Christopher Nkunku.
But some reports say Old Trafford chief Ralf Rangnick might meet resistance from the Old Trafford board if he pursues the exciting Frenchman.
Newcastle are lining up an improved £45million offer for Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze in the summer.
Finally, Liverpool struck twice late on to clinch a flattering 2-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg win at Inter Milan.
Roberto Firmino’s header and Mo Salah’s deflected shot seemingly left the Reds in command for the Anfield return on March 8.   
This is the moment City’s jet is rocked by winds
This is the worrying moment Manchester City’s private jet is ROCKED mid-air by turbulence as it struggles to land.
The terrifying footage was shot as City’s plane attempted to touch down in Manchester following Tuesday’s 5-0 win against Sporting Lisbon.
Worrying moment Man City’s jet is ROCKED mid-air by turbulence from Storm Dudley as it struggles to land in Manchester
Video shows shows the jet struggling to battle the strong winds caused by Storm Dudley.
City’s plane had to circle THREE times before it was deemed too dangerous to land.
And it was forced to change course mid-air to land in Liverpool instead.
High winds meant the plane could not touch down at Manchester Airport, leading to the late change 31 miles away.
The club released a short statement on Twitter that reads: “We can confirm the plane transporting the first team home from Lisbon has landed safely in Liverpool, after high winds forced a diversion from Manchester.”
Storm Dudley has brought severe weather conditions to Manchester with the Met Office issuing a ‘danger to life’ warning across the area.

Conte: We weakened Spurs squad
Antonio Conte has revealed he ‘now realises Tottenham’s vision’ in a frank assessment of their January transfer window.
Spurs brought in Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur but also missed out on a number of targets.
These included Adam Traore, who ended up re-joining Barcelona, and Luis Diaz who was pinched by Liverpool.

And Conte has now spoken out about how challenging the window was for the club.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, he said: “It’s always difficult to make comparisons, but if I had to find something similar, it would be the lack of confidence that is inevitable when you start work at a club that hasn’t won in a long time.
“I saw some situations from the outside that could be developed, but when you get into it, you realise that something… What happened in January was not easy. We lost four players in January. Four important players for Tottenham, and we brought in only two.
“So even just in terms of numbers, rather than reinforce the squad, we on paper weakened it.
“Bentancur and Kulusevski are ideal prospects for Tottenham, because Tottenham are seeking young players they can develop and grow, not players who are ready. That is the issue.”
No Chelsea bonus for world glory
Chelsea players will not receive any bonuses despite the club receiving £7million for their Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup triumphs, according to reports.
Members of the Blues’ squad are entitled to bonuses if they win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup or League Cup.

But according to the Daily Mail, no negotiations were made before the season started about bonuses being dished out for claiming the Super Cup or Club World Cup.
Chelsea agree a bonus schedule with their players prior to the start of each campaign.
And the West London outfit have one of the most stringent bonus structures as they generally only pay out when trophies have been won – although they are also expected to receive one if they reach the Champions League final.
When they are received, some players often pass them on to lower-paid team-mates or young prospects.
But Chelsea’s squad are not set to receive any for their two European wins this season, despite the club earning as much as £7m for the triumphs – £3.7m for the Super Cup and £3.6m for the Club World Cup.
They secured the Super Cup back in August with a penalty shootout victory over Villarreal.
Kop in Mbappe hunt
Kylian Mbappe is reportedly ‘open to a Liverpool transfer offer’ after his winner for Paris Saint-Germain over Real Madrid ‘radically’ changed his plans.
The French superstar scored a stunning late winner against the LaLiga giants on Tuesday night to secure a 1-0 victory in the Champions League round of 16 first leg clash.
The build-up to the match had been dominated by Mbappe’s future, amid talk that he will agree a contract with Madrid when his deal at Parc des Princes expires in June.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.500.0_en.html#goog_73045457Play Video
However, Sport are now claiming that Tuesday’s result has ‘radically changed the scenario’.
And the report offers Liverpool plenty of encouragement in their pursuit of the 23-year-old World Cup winner. It adds that Mbappe’s camp have offered assurances that no contract has been agreed with Madrid.
They also state that they have ‘opened the door’ to him staying at PSG. And they are willing to listen to any offer made by Liverpool – ‘a club that attracts Mbappe a lot’.
Speaking to Movistar after the win over Madrid, he said: “I’ve not decided my future. I play for Paris Saint-Germain, one of the best clubs in the world.
“This game to influence my future? No – I’ve not decided. I give my best and then we will see what happens next season.
“I said I would give it my all. I had to show it with actions. I did it the first time, we’ll have to show it a second time at the Bernabeu.”
Newcastle in for Palace ace
Newcastle are lining up a fresh £45million summer swoop for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze.
The newly-rich Toon offered the Eagles £5m in the January window to take their playmaker on loan for the rest of the season with a view to a £35m permanent switch at the end of the season.
That was flatly rejected by Palace because they did not want to sell one of their players mid-campaign, especially to a top flight rival.
But Newcastle, with cash to splash on new signings following their megabucks Saudi takeover, are confident they can get a deal done for one of the Premier League’s hottest properties once this season is over.
And Palace could be tempted to more than double their money on a player they signed from QPR 18 months ago for £17m.
Greenwich-born Eze, 23, scored four goals in 34 Premier League appearances last season before suffering an Achilles injury in May.
That has restricted him to just one Premier League start so far this term.
Eze was an unused substitute in Palace’s 0-0 draw with Prem newcomers Brentford.
Hasenthuttl tipped to boss top club
Jan Bednarek has tipped Ralph Hasenhuttl to manage one of football’s big beasts one day, writes TOM BARCLAY.
Hasenhuttl, 54, has had an outstanding campaign at Southampton, guiding them to tenth in the Premier League and the fifth round of the FA Cup.
He has masterminded an excellent run of just one defeat in Saints last ten games in all competitions, including draws against both Manchester clubs and a win at Tottenham.
The Austrian is contracted until 2024, after which he has hinted he could even quit life as a manager. 
Yet defender Bednarek is hoping Hasenhuttl’s talents will one day land him a top role.
The Pole said: “You can see with our performances against the biggest teams, he has got the idea and the philosophy of playing football that could suit a big team.
“If we keep going like this and keep performing like this, the big teams will look at him, and analyse the way he plays, the way he is managing the team. 
“If they like him – I don’t see many things against that. Hopefully, I keep my fingers crossed, one day he will  become the manager of some bigger team.”
Big Sam hails Arteta over Auba exit
Sam Allardyce reckons Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta handled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s ban and resulting sale to Barcelona ‘magnificently’.
Arteta dumped club record-earner Aubameyang as skipper and out of the first-team for disciplinary reasons before the striker departed on transfer deadline for free.
And ex-Newcastle, West Ham and Everton manager Allardyce praised the Spaniard’s treatment of the Gabon superstar, 32.
He said: “He dealt with that magnificently well, because it shows the rest of the team that there’s a certain level of expectation when it comes to discipline, and if you’re not going to adhere to that, you’re gone.”

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CHELSEA have reportedly made Jules Kounde their top summer transfer target.The Blues are also said to have offered Antonio Rudiger a bumper deal worth almost £200,000-a-week to prevent him leaving on a free transfer.
Meanwhile, reports from Spain claim Real Madrid have leapfrogged Man Utd and Man City in the race for Erling Haaland following a constructive meeting.
And Arsenal and Man Utd are both reported to be battling to sign Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.
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Spurs target Lingard fancies overseas move
Jesse Lingard is reportedly set to snub a move to Tottenham because he wants to head abroad this summer.
The United midfielder is soon to be out of contract at Old Trafford and appears certain to head for the exit.
He has notched 226 appearances for the Red Devils but this season has found game time hard to come by.
Spurs were mooted as a potential escape route in January but the indications coming out of the Lingard camp now suggest he wants to play overseas next term.
Zaha in the making
Could Arsenal be about to make a surprise move for Wilfried Zaha.
The Gunners have previously been linked with the Ivory Coast international but have never had much of a look in with the player happy at Crystal Palace.
Wilfried Zaha could be on his way out at Crystal PalaceCredit: Getty
That appears to have changed as Palace struggle to tie him down to a new contract.
And boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly considering a swoop for the forward in the summer.
Given his lack of attacking options, any attacking talent would be a welcome addition to Arteta’s squad.
But with the player pushing 30 there are concerns he may not fit into Arsenal’s youthful squad, which currently has the youngest average age in the Premier League.
‘Credit where it’s due’
Paul Merson has some advice for West Ham if they hope to qualify for the Champions League next season – be more like Newcastle.
The Arsenal legend has been impressed by the Toon’s recent run of form which has seen them win three on the bounce.
West Ham are going backwards in terms of a top four finish and now find themselves in fifth after being leapfrogged by Man United.
And Merson said: “Credit where credit is due, winning three games on the trot is some going when you’re virtually bottom of the league.
“If Arsenal did that, it’s a result. If West Ham were to do that now, they’ve got every chance of playing Champions League football next year. 
“The Premier League is hard, so to win three straight games is impressive.”
Man in the middle
Arsenal have reportedly entered the race for Leeds star Kalvin Phillips.
The England international is already the subject of interest from the likes of Man United and Liverpool.
But now reports suggest the Gunners could be in for the 26-year-old this summer.
Boss Mikel Arteta is looking for a midfielder he can rely on after seeing Granit Xhaka pick up too many cards this season.
Any transfer battle would likely push the asking price above the £36million Leeds reportedly value him at.
Dumb luck
Luke Shaw has admitted people will think he is ‘stupid’ for his bold Champions League prediction.
The Man United left-back has insisted the Red Devils still have a chance of winning the European title this season.
Winning the Champions League may be United’s best hope of qualifying for next season’s edition of the tournament – although yesterday’s victory over Brighton sees them move up to fourth for the time being.
And Shaw said: “This is the crunch time of the season and it is very important in the league to get some momentum. As a team we believe we can win the Champions League.
“Not many people on the outside will think it and some will think I’m stupid for saying that but we have that belief and confidence that we can win it.
“I’m sure everyone in this dressing room – the players, the staff and the management – all have that belief that we can. Now we need to pick some momentum up, get results and keep playing well.”
Max power
Wolves defender Max Kilman has called on his Molineux team-mates to use their victory over Tottenham on Sunday as a springboard for a run of results.
The Black Country side are currently seventh and have an outside chance of a top-four spot and qualification for next season’s Champions League.
They stunned Spurs 2-0 away from home on Sunday and now sit one place above the north London club in the Prem table.
And Kilman said: “It’s a good result but we must keep our form going and keep the consistency.
“If we want to be pushing to higher places in the league we need to start winning two or three games in a row and keeping up with the performances instead of winning and losing.
“If we keep winning and then losing it will be very difficult for us to get to higher places in the table at the end of the season.
Future planning
Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell reckons his former club have a real chance of landing talented youngster Armando Broja from Chelsea this summer.
The 20-year-old has been turning heads with his goal-scoring efforts while out on loan at Southampton this season.
And Campbell says the lure of regular first-team football in Arsenal’s youthful line-up could be enough to convince the youngster his future lies at the Emirates.
Campbell told Football Insider: “The thing is with Chelsea, they have so many players.
“They might well say they don’t want to sell him to a rival. But if the young man wants a career, then he won’t want to be going out on loan all the time or stuck in the reserves – he’ll want to move.
“I don’t know how strong the interest is, but he’s certainly performing brilliantly at Southampton. He looks a right handful and he’s a young striker, which ties into the model at Arsenal right now.
“I don’t know what their stance is on selling to a top-four rival, but Chelsea won’t be able to keep everybody happy this summer – that’s for sure.”
Left out in the cold
United legend Andy Cole isn’t impressed with the treatment of one Red Devil under Ralf Rangnick.
The former striker has given his backing to centre-back Victor Lindelof, who is currently rooted to the bench with skipper Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane ahead of him.
Victor Lindelof featured against Brighton last nightCredit: AFP
The Sweden international found himself out-of-favour when previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought in Varane last summer.
Now Cole has said: “For me personally, I would like to see him given a run in the team.
“I think when he plays well and he has got confidence, he is as good as any of them.
“I don’t think he has been given the run that he deserves.
“When Ole was the manager and he brought in Varane, he left Victor out straightaway.
“You just can’t just make your mind up like I bought Maguire for £80million, so regardless of how he plays he is going to play.
“And then Varane, I bought him for £40m, you can’t do that.
“Sometimes, you have got to look at it and say right, if these are the best combination I am going to go with it.”
‘Pain in the a**’
Pep Guardiola has identified the team he reckons has the best chance of halting his Manchester City juggernaut in this season’s Champions League.
The Sky Blues smashed last-16 opponents Sporting Lisbon 5-0 last night – and that was just the first leg.
But the City boss has refused to get complacent as he cited LIVERPOOL as his side’s biggest threat in their quest for a Champions League title this term.
When asked who he feared most, Pep said: “Liverpool. They are six points behind us. 
“They’ve been our biggest rivals in the past few seasons and are always there – a pain in the a**, all the time! They are a fantastic team in Europe.”
Domestic rivalry
Man United face a transfer shock this summer in the shape of out-of-contract star Paul Pogba.
The France international will become a free agent in July and is yet to sign a new deal to stay at Old Trafford.
Until now a move abroad had seemed the most likely outcome to Pogba’s contract situation, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain all vying for his signature.
But now reports are emerging the 28-year-old could sensationally consider offers from rival Premier League clubs.
The Express suggests unnamed English heavyweights are eyeing the midfielder’s services this summer.
That would come as quite a blow to the Red Devils faithful, who have had a fractious relationship with their academy graduate over the years.
Person of interest
Martin Odegaard has spoken of his excitement at the current crop of Arsenal players under boss Mikel Arteta.
The Norway international is part of the youngest squad in the Premier League after joining permanently from Real Madrid last summer.
Odegaard had been on loan from the Bernabeu before making the switch full-time and now can’t wait to see what his team-mates are capable of.
He said: “We’re a very, very interesting group: a lot of young players, and a lot of hungry players.
“I feel like we’re building something special here with all the players and the staff. 
“It’s really interesting what we’re trying to do and I’m happy with the situation, very happy to be part of the team and hopefully we can keep improving and get better each game. Then we’ll see where it takes us.”
Homecoming king
Son Heung-min says he cannot wait to return to South Korea with Tottenham this summer, writes Paul Jiggins.
Spurs have announced they will be playing two fixtures in the striker’s homeland in July as part of their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign.
Son and Spurs are eyeing their first pre-season tour in two yearsCredit: Getty
It will be the North Londoners’ first overseas tour for three years following the Covid pandemic.
Son said: “I am extremely excited to be returning home to South Korea this summer alongside my Spurs team-mates – for most of whom this will be their first visit.
“I can’t wait to see their reaction to the passionate Korean fans and the incredible atmosphere in what we are sure will be packed out stadiums for our matches.”
Tottenham claim they are the most supported English club in South Korea as they boast the captains of the country’s men and women’s national teams in Son and Cho So-hyun.
Spurs visited South Korea when they played in the 2005 Peace Cup.
They were planning to return in July 2020 before Covid struck.
It will be the club’s first tour since they played in Singapore and China under Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.
Antonio Conte’s side will play two exhibition matches as part of the Coupang Play Series, with dates, opposition and venues to be announced nearer the time.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “We are delighted to be heading back out on tour after what has been such a challenging time for us all.
“Being able to take our team overseas during pre-season is always a key part of the preparation for any forthcoming season – I speak on behalf of all players and staff in saying we have missed being able to do so in recent years.
“A trip to Korea, in particular, is long overdue – we are well aware of the incredible support we have there, with many fans travelling to London to watch our matches in recent years.”
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Man United boss Ralf Rangnick has revealed the secret that transformed his side at half-time in their crucial 2-0 win over Brighton last night.
The Red Devils again looked lacklustre at Old Trafford and went into the break with the score at 0-0.
But during the break the German tactician called on wingers Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga to change their approach.
He said: “We told our two wingers to attack the centre-backs so our full-backs could jump to their full-backs.
“That paid off with Elanga and the red card. We should have killed off the game much earlier. We were not lethal enough.
“First half was Mr Hyde, second half Dr Jekyll and for a change it (the result) was different. In the end it was important to get the three points against an in-form team.”
Race for fourth
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has had his say on the Gunners’ top-four prospects this season.
Boss Mikel Arteta is desperate to finish inside the Champions League qualifying spots this term.
And his quest was given a huge boost with the narrow 1-0 win away at Wolves last week while rivals around them dropped points.
And Henry said: “West Ham didn’t take advantage of it. Tottenham has never taken advantage of it.
“But Arsenal had to go and win at Wolves. That was a massive win, so there are still a lot of games to go.
“For me, if they don’t do it, as I said at the start of the season, then it will be a failure.”
Italian job
Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be on his way to Roma in the next transfer window, according to reports.
Italian paper Corriere della Sera says the 26-year-old could find himself on the market after failing to impress new boss Antonio Conte.
Former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho reportedly rates the Dane highly.
He was the Special One’s first signing in north London, joining from Southampton for a fee of around £15million in the summer of 2020.
Hojbjerg could be looking at a guaranteed place in the starting line-up at Roma, with Mourinho on the hunt for a new midfielder.
The 59-year-old has reportedly given up on his pursuit for Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and is now looking elsewhere.
Out of control
Man United aren’t going to win anything until they sort out their midfield.
That’s the view of ex-England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright.
Fred started in the Man United midfield last nightCredit: AFP
The pundit reckons United need an upgrade on the likes of Paul Pogba, Fred and Scott McTominay, who all featured to some extent against Brighton last night.
He said: “I will always say until Man United get the midfield sorted where they can control the game when it’s going against them they are going to have problems.
“Brighton even with ten men, they were still causing Man United problems.
“That should not be happening, not at Old Trafford against eleven men.
“How many transfer windows everybody knows they need for that particular midfield for them to control games.
“If Man United can control games, they will take chances, they will make even more chances and they will win more comfortably.”
Change of schedule
United have reportedly axed plans to play a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong this summer due to Covid-19 restrictions still in place.
The Red Devils had been considering a stop in the city as part of their first ‘proper’ pre-season tour in two years.
But Hong Kong’s strict pandemic protocols don’t look like being relaxed any time soon and United aren’t prepared to gamble with booking in a stay this year.
Howling mad
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has slapped down Ruben Neves for comments the Wolves midfielder made in the aftermath of the Gunners’ narrow 1-0 victory over his side last week.
Neves poured scorn on the north London club for celebrating ‘as if they’d won the league’ when they held on for a vital three points despite going down to 10 men.
Now Wright has hit back, asking Neves what he was thinking when making those comments.
He said: “I was vexed with Neves, coming out and saying ‘look at how Arsenal are celebrating’. What’s wrong with you?
“That’s an unbelievable result for Arsenal the way that you lot have been playing. 
“1-0 nil down with 10 men away from home and we get the goal (to win it). That is cause for celebration!”
‘No one can get near them’
Owen Hargreaves has heaped praise on Pep Guardiola and his team after they smashed Sporting Lisbon 5-0 last night.
Man City have all but guaranteed their place in the Champions League quarters with the thumping first-leg win.
And pundit Hargreaves said: “There is no such thing as perfection, but they’re as close to a perfect team if there is one right now.
“When they’re that clinical and efficient as they were in the first half, I don’t think anyone can get near them.
“In the second half, if anything, they took their foot off the gas because they only had one shot on target.
“I don’t know how you beat them, I’ll be honest.”
Brotherly love
Bruno Fernandes has signalled his approval of Paul Pogba’s return to the Man United line-up.
The France superstar is back in action for the Red Devils having recovered from a long-term hamstring problem.
And he lined up alongside Fernandes in the United midfield for last night’s much-needed 2-0 victory over Brighton.
Now Fernandes has taken to Twitter to hail a duo he has labelled ‘Brogba’…

Fab news for Gunners fans
Arsenal are reportedly set for a busy summer when the transfer window reopens in June.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has told Gooners not to panic as he reckons boss Mikel Arteta is eyeing a new midfielder and top striker ahead of the new season.
He told the Que Golazo YouTube channel: “I want to tell Arsenal fans don’t worry, that the summer will be busy for Arsenal.
“They will go for a new midfielder, a new top striker, so don’t worry. They will do something important.”
Hu-goes there?
Newcastle could be blown out of the water by a Premier League rival in their bid to land Reims wonderkid Hugo Ekitike.
The Magpies reportedly made an offer of £25million for the striker last month but were rebuffed by the Ligue 1 club.
Borussia Dortmund are also thought to be tracking the starlet as a possible replacement for Erling Haaland, should the Norwary talisman depart this summer.
And now world champions Chelsea are said to be considering a move for the 19-year-old when the transfer window reopens.
The Blues are apparently ready to cough up the £33m needed to land his signature and could offer the lure of Champions League next season – something beyond the relegation-threatened Toon.
Hungry for more
He’s had his doubters in recent weeks but last night Cristiano Ronaldo responded in the only way he knows how – by hitting the back of the net.
The veteran striker hit the opener as Man United claimed a vital three points over a determined Brighton side at Old Trafford.
And one ex-United striker watching on couldn’t believe what he was seeing from the current Red Devil goal-getter.
Andy Cole said: “It’s incredible – to be playing at the highest level at 37 now and still scoring goals. The goals that he’s got. He’s done almost everything in his career.
“But to still have that hunger and desire – that tells you everything.”
Gunner sign him
Arsenal are reportedly ‘favourites’ to sign transfer target Rafael Leao this summer.
The Gunners are eager to bring in attacking reinforcements having waved goodbye to ex-skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.
Goal-shy Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both out of contract at the end of the season and boss Mikel Arteta is plotting striker moves when the window re-opens.
And AC Milan talent Leao is one of the names on his list.
Now reports in Italy suggest Arteta’s side are in pole position to land the 22-year-old’s signature, with the player said to be intrigued by the prospect of a move to England.
Ek of a player
Mega-rich Newcastle are reportedly interested in signing Reims wonderkid Hugo Ekitike.
But they face a potential transfer battle with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund if they’re to land his signature.
Hugo Ekitike is wanted by both Newcastle and DortmundCredit: Getty
Dortmund are thought to be eyeing the 19-year-old as a possible replacement for goal machine Erling Haaland if the Norway striker leaves this summer.
The Magpies reportedly made a £25million bid for Ekitike last month but were rebuffed by the Ligue 1 club.
Reports in Germany now suggest the France U20 starlet is about to be the subject of a bidding war – with Newcastle’s deep-pocketed new owners eager to prove their credentials in the transfer market.
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CHELSEA have reportedly made Jules Kounde their top summer transfer target.The Blues are also said to have offered Antonio Rudiger a bumper deal worth almost £200,000-a-week to prevent him leaving on a free transfer.
Meanwhile, reports from Spain claim Real Madrid have leapfrogged Man Utd and Man City in the race for Erling Haaland following a constructive meeting.
And Arsenal and Man Utd are both reported to be battling to sign Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.
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Bale tipped for summer exit
Gareth Bale is expected to depart Real Madrid this summer.
The Wales winger, 32, has been linked with a free transfer return to Tottenham.
Roman fortune drops £650m
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s fortune has dropped by about £650million in just one day due to mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
The multi-billionaire Russian tycoon, 55, has seen the value of his 28.6 per cent stake in steel group Evraz, fall sharply.

Investors fear sanctions will be imposed on Russian companies.
Shares in Evraz, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, were down 129½p, or 29 per cent, at 315¼p.
Danni Hewson, a financial analyst at investment platform AJ Bell, said: “The new trading week has begun on a bad note across Europe and Asia.
“Investors fear the alarm clock is about to sound on a physical battle between Russia and Ukraine.”
Foxes sign Kolo’s son
Leicester are keeping it in the family after signing first team coach Kolo Toure’s son Yassine, writes GRAEME BRYCE.
The teen has joined on a two-year scholarship.
But unlike his defender father, Yassine is a right-winger who wears the number seven shirt.

He also qualifies to play for England and the Ivory Coast.
The youngster was born while Kolo was playing for Arsenal.
And he joined Leicester from Celtic as an under-14 after his dad arrived as part of Brendan Rodgers’ coaching staff.
In December, he was offered a two-year scholarship with the club.
That means he will play for City’s under-18s until the end of the 2023-24 season.
EXCLUSIVE: Pickford caught up in brawl
England goalie Jordan Pickford is at the ­centre of a police probe into a pub ruck after revellers mocked that he had short “T-Rex arms,” writes ROBIN PIERRE.
His pals were furious and a mass brawl broke out in East Boldon, South Tyneside.
One lad was left with a broken nose and another with a smashed phone.Police rushed to the scene but Pickford, 27, and his friends had already left. Officers are investigating and seeking witnesses.

There is no suggestion that £30million ace Pickford assaulted anyone.The ruck happened at around 9pm on Sunday at the Beggar’s Bridge pub, in East Boldon, South Tyneside.
A witness said: “He was getting goaded, like they do. All I heard was ‘little arms’ and then that’s it. It kicked off. It happened as soon as they walked in. They hadn’t even had time to get a drink. One lad suffered a broken nose.
“Pickford wasn’t hurt at all. He was out of the door as soon as it kicked off. Pickford’s group left by minibus before the police came.”
The witness added that a lad who was filming the incident had his phone smashed by one of the star’s group.
Crock Trippier sweats on return
Kieran Trippier faces a race to be fit for Newcastle’s survival fight after breaking his foot.
The England defender fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot after being stamped on in the second half of Sunday’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

Trippier, who scored with a free-kick, faces six weeks out.
He said: “It’s really frustrating to have picked up the injury. We’ve built some momentum and long may that continue.
“I will remain positive and work as hard as I can on my rehab to be back fit as quickly as possible.”
The 31-year-old went straight for an X-ray before returning to St James’ Park on crutches with his left foot in a protective boot, and now faces surgery.
Trippier, a £12million signing from Atletico Madrid in January, has been at the forefront of Toon’s revival under boss Eddie Howe.
He has scored the winning goal in the last two games and even captained the side against Villa in Jamaal Lascelles’ absence.
Rangnick: We’re scared to press
Ralf Rangnick admits Manchester United’s struggling players are crippled by anxiety trying to play the pressing game.
Club legend Paul Scholes let rip at the Red Devils’ work-rate after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Southampton, blasting: “They don’t want to put a shift in.”
Interim boss Rangnick, whose side host Brighton on Tuesday night, said: “It’s important we pick the right moments to be proactive to press.
“Even if it’s not possible, stay compact and don’t be too easy to be out-played. Too easily, some of them in transitional moments were almost over anxious.
“We were not ready at the right moment and then were saying ‘oh I should have pressed’, and then coming back one or two steps too late, giving the other team space on the counter attack.
“This is not only tactical discipline but also to be clever and smart enough to realise now it’s not possible so just stay in position.
“Keep your shape, keep your formation and make it difficult for the other team to play through our lines.”
Gooners want grand Stan gesture
Arsenal supporters who stayed up to watch the Super Bowl have flocked to social media to urge Stan Kroenke to show similar investment in the Premier League club.
Kroenke is also the owner of the LA Rams, who beat Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win their first Super Bowl championship in the early hours of Monday morning.
The American tycoon is said to have invested around £5billion in the NFL franchise over the past decade.
Now Gunners fans want the 74-year-old businessman to show a similar commitment to his football club in order to end their 18 year spell without a league title.
One supporters wrote on Twitter: “If Stan Kroenke had invested half of the money he’s invested in LA Rams for them to reach the Super Bowl in Arsenal, Arsenal would’ve won the Champions League.”
Ralf: We’re not robo-flops
Ralf Rangnick admitted that Manchester United’s habit of throwing away leads has “affected the minds of the players”.
The German interim boss conceded that they now have no chance of catching Chelsea in third.
The Red Devils only came out with draws against Burnley and Southampton having bagged the opening goal.

And Rangnick, who brought in psychologist Sascha Lense in December, conceded they will only salvage something from their season if they improve their mental strength.
He said: ““They say we should have been 3-0 or 4-0 up and all of a sudden it’s 1-1 – it affects the mindset, it is obvious. They are human beings, not robots.
“The situation is clear, in 11 out of the 13 games we scored the first goal but only won half.
“We have to be more effective to score a second and a third goal and just kill the game off.
“But if that doesn’t happen stick to the game plan, stay solid and stay tactically disciplined. We’ve given away goals too easily and it was our own mistakes we made that allowed them to score.”
How Morgan responded
Piers Morgan doubled down on his criticism of David Beckham as his Twitter exchange wit Gary Lineker continued.
Morgan responded to Lineker:: “You might want to suck up to him, for whatever reason, but Beckham was the most overrated player in history. Wouldn’t have got onto the Arsenal Invincibles bench.”
But Lineker hit back by outlining Beckham’s long list of achievements: “Six Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, one Champions League, one La Liga, one Ligue Un. Balón d’Or runner up. 115 caps for England, 59 as captain.
“One of the best crossers of the ball the game has ever seen. Yeah, overrated.”
Morgan hit back again, saying: “Take away the crossing & free-kicks, he was a fame-hungry snail with dumb haircuts who only won that much because of the truly great players around him.”
Utd made Ron decision over Erling
Paul Ince has questioned why Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo instead of going all out Erling Haaland.
Red Devils icon Ronaldo, 37, returned to Old Trafford to much fanfare in a £12.85m move from Juventus in August.
But the Portuguese superstar’s comeback has failed to inspire improvement as Ralf Rangnick’s side continue to stutter.

Dortmund sensation Haaland has been a long-term target and United could have landed him last summer if they had broken the bank under now axed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
And Ince said: “When Ole first took the helm the project was about going young but all of a sudden they were bringing in 37-year-olds.
“You think, ‘why didn’t you just go and get Haaland?’ You didn’t need Ronaldo, but it’s just the fact that everyone thought he was going to Man City.
“Everyone thought it was great when he first came and if it wasn’t for Ronaldo, they wouldn’t still be in the Champions League.
“But the example he is setting, by throwing his toys out of the pram, is a bad one. Why would you listen to someone prepared to act the way he is? As we’ve seen on numerous occasions – running down the tunnel, not clapping fans, sulking – it’s not a good example.”
Lineker slams Morgan for slating Becks
Arsenal fan Piers Morgan launched a scathing attack on Manchester United legend David Beckham after watching Superbowl LVI.
The SunSport columnist enjoyed the event and marvelled at the performance of Odell Beckham Jr. as he helped the LA Rams to their win.
In typically provocative manner Morgan praised the wide receiver while putting down former England and Manchester United star David Beckham.

Morgan tweeted: “Great to watch a Beckham who can actually play football…#Superbowl.”
That led to a big backlash with many leaping to Beckham’s defence – suggesting Morgan had a bad memory.
Gary Lineker, who often clashes with Morgan on Twitter, said: “You might dislike him, for whatever reason, but David Beckham was a great footballer. One of our finest.”
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s transfer deadline day?
Tough-talking Neil Warnock showed off his romantic softer side as he read a love poem he wrote to his wife for Valentine’s Day.
The former Cardiff and Middlesbrough boss is known for no-nonsense management but caught talkSPORT presenter Laura Woods by surprise by revealing he often writes adoring rhymes for his wife.

Warnock advised listeners to do likewise before reading out his poem, which he insisted was written spontaneously.
The poem included the lines: “That smile said it all that’s why you’re my girl.”The look with those eyes sends my head in a whirl.
“I’m so in love with you at times I could cry, I find myself looking at you and boy do I sigh.”
Neil Warnock has Laura Woods close to tears as iconic boss reads Valentine’s Day poem he wrote for wife on live radio
Amorim is ‘next Mourinho’
Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is the hottest coaching talent from Portugal since Jose Mourinho.
Amorim has the opportunity to prove he too is a “special one” tonight when he leads his side against Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League.

As SunSport first revealed, Amorim’s achievements have put him on the radar of Manchester United.
And when Guardiola calls it a day at City, Amorim could even be in the frame to take charge at the Etihad.
Filipe Dias, a senior editor at Lisbon-based sports newspaper Record, said: “Since Mourinho there hasn’t been a manager as captivating here in Portugal as Ruben Amorim.
“We’re a small country but we have had good managers, like Mourinho and now Bruno Lage, in the Premier League.
“I think Amorim is something special as well.”
Gunners ‘might not replace Auba & Laca’
Arsenal might not replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette in the summer, according to reports.
The Gunners shifted Aubameyang off the books in January, sending him to Spain to play for Barcelona.
But they could also lose Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, with both of their contracts up in the summer.

But according to football.london, youngster Gabriel Martinelli has been training as a No9, suggesting the Gunners may not necessarily splash out on a big money forward.
Martinelli’s blistering pace, technical and finishing ability could see him grow into a top class striker. The Brazilian has four goals to his name this term having found himself in good goal scoring positions as a result of his movement.Former Arsenal player Jack Wilshere – who is currently back at the club training to regain fitness – has been left impressed by Martinelli.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official club website, Wilshere said: “The one who I really like and think he’s going to be top, is Martinelli.
“I think what the manager has done with him has been genius as well.
“When I first went there he was training, coming on, not playing much, but training really well and I was thinking, ‘He’s going to get a chance here’ and he eventually got his chance and he’s been brilliant.”
Roo picks Tevez over Ron, Ruud and RVP
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney rates Carlos Tevez his favourite Old Trafford strike partner.
Ex-England skipper Rooney also developed frightening relationships with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistlerooy and Robin van Persie.
But he reckons his line-up with Tevez was awesome all-round as they won SIX trophies from 2007-9.
That included back-to-back Premier League titles and Champions League glory.

And Rooney revealed the pair of them were ‘like bulls’ when trying to win the ball back from opponents, and ‘complimented’ each other perfectly.
He told Sport Bible: “I just loved our connection. The two of us up front, we complimented each other really well.
“Normally if I played with Louis Saha, Ruud van Nistelrooy or Robin van Persie – these strikers were always the No9 and I’d play as a No10.
“With Tevez we could rotate, I’d be the No9, he’d take the No9 spot and I’d be No10. When we lost the ball we’d be like two bulls trying to get it back.
“As a strike partner, he was the one I enjoyed playing with the most.”
‘Utd should feel embarrassed’
Gary Neville has slammed Manchester United players yet again following the draw with Southampton, writes KEALAN HUGHES.
After the match Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed an area of weakness in the United team he was able to exploit.
Hasenhuttl was critical of the Red Devils’ pressing game and exposed United’s players for their defensive work rate.

He said after the match: “It is not a big secret that when they lose the ball that the reverse gears are not the best from everybody.
“Then you have the chance to create something and we did.
“The pressing for them was good in the beginning, but they aren’t used to doing it for more than 30 or 40 minutes, we came into the game after that.”
Neville felt the United squad should be embarrassed by what the Austrian had to say, believing it reflected very badly on the players.
He wrote on Twitter: “Imagine being a Manchester United player and having a respected opposition manager say that about you.”
Hasenthutl criticism of Utd ‘worst type you can get’
Gary Neville has defended Southampton boss Ralph Hasenthutl for handing Manchester United the ‘ biggest criticism’ professional footballers can face.
Hasenthutl questioned United’s workrate as his Saints’ side fought back for a 1-1 draw.
Hasenthult said: “It is not a big secret that when they lose the ball that the reverse gears are not always the best from everybody.”
Old Trafford legend Neville responded by saying no sportsperson or an athlete’ can face a worse accusation ‘that you don’t work hard enough’.
The ex-England defender told Sky Sports: “He said essentially that not everyone mucks in when the reverse gears are put on.
“If I was a Manchester United player and had that said about me by a respected opposition manager, that would bite deep.
“The reason I don’t think it’s disrespectful is because it’s coming from someone with authority and it’s the feeling in the league.”
Flachi, 46, plays again after 12-year ban
An ex-Serie A star has made his return to football in the Italian fifth tier aged 46 after a 12-YEAR ban for cocaine use.
Francesco Flachi played for Fiorentina and Sampdoria in his pomp and was capped by Italy at youth level.
But a huge suspension in 2010 after traces of cocaine were found in his urine effectively ended his playing career.

Now, though, amateur outfit Signa 1914 have handed the 46-year-old the chance to play again.
He made his comeback for the side based near Florence in a 2-2 draw against Prato 2000 at the weekend.
Upon his return to football, Flachi told Italian outlet Gazzetta della Sport: “This day cancels 12 years of disqualification. It is my rebirth.
“This is the proof that I have also rebuilt. What have I felt? At first I felt dizzy, I haven’t slept for a week due to tension.
“Now I’m so happy, I want to thank everyone who made me feel like I was before: a football player.”
Uefa give 30,000 free tickets to finals
Uefa will hand out 30,000 free tickets for its European club competitions to ‘reward’ fans.
President Aleksander Ceferin revealed plans for the governing body to subsidise thousands of seats for the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and Women’s Champions League finals.
The tickets will be split between the two competing sides.
Uefa say it is a gift to the most loyal fans for their support during the coronavirus pandemic.

And clubs must not give the tickets away for corporate purposes.
Uefa also confirmed ticket prices for the next three years of finals would be frozen.
That means category four tickets will still cost £60 for 2022, 2023 and 2024, with category three tickets staying at £150.
Uefa chief Ceferin said: “Fans are the lifeblood of the game. And we thought it would be a nice way to recognise the difficulties they have experienced over the last two years.
“We must ensure that loyal travelling supporters can attend historical moments for their cherished teams at affordable prices.”
Trippier ‘frustrated’ by injury lay-off
In-form Kieran Trippier will miss Newcastle games due to the fractured foot he suffered after sinking Aston Villa on Sunday.
Trippier’s superb free-kick was his second goal in two matches as he underlined his value since arriving from Atletico Madrid in the transfer window.
Newcastle said: “Trippier underwent an X-ray immediately after the game and scans have shown a fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot.”
And the England wing-back posted a message to bemoan his ‘really frustrating’ injury.
He added: “We’ve built some momentum and long may that continue.
“I will remain positive and work as hard as I can on my rehab to be back fit as quickly as possible.
“Thank you all for your very kind messages of support!”
It’s really frustrating to have picked up the injury yesterday. We’ve built some momentum and long may that continue. I will remain positive and work as hard as I can on my rehab to be back fit as quickly as possible. Thank you all for your very kind messages of support! 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/FJ2LYyIynK— Kieran Trippier (@trippier2) February 14, 2022

Gunners ‘might not replace Auba & Laca’
Arsenal might not replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette in the summer, according to reports.
The Gunners shifted Aubameyang off the books in January, sending him to Spain to play for Barcelona.
But they could also lose Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, with both of their contracts up in the summer.

But according to football.london, youngster Gabriel Martinelli has been training as a No9, suggesting the Gunners may not necessarily splash out on a big money forward.
Martinelli’s blistering pace, technical and finishing ability could see him grow into a top class striker. The Brazilian has four goals to his name this term having found himself in good goal scoring positions as a result of his movement.Former Arsenal player Jack Wilshere – who is currently back at the club training to regain fitness – has been left impressed by Martinelli.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official club website, Wilshere said: “The one who I really like and think he’s going to be top, is Martinelli.
“I think what the manager has done with him has been genius as well.
“When I first went there he was training, coming on, not playing much, but training really well and I was thinking, ‘He’s going to get a chance here’ and he eventually got his chance and he’s been brilliant.”
Rudiger insists he’s happy at Chelsea
Antonio Rudiger has revealed he is happy to stay at Chelsea with his contract set to expire in the summer.
The centre-back, 28, is wanted by several high profile clubs across Europe.
But Chelsea are determined to keep him and have already offered Rudiger an extension – but he admits signing a new deal does not solely depend on him.

Rudiger told The Athletic: “I feel great here, I have always said it. I think the way I play you can see that I’m happy here.
“But there are also other people who have to make decisions.”
Rudiger reportedly wants £225,000 a week to stay at Stamford Bridge – a massive increase on his current weekly wage of £100,000.
He also wants a signing on fee having reportedly rejected an offer of £140,000 per week from the Blues as well as a £173,000-a-week deal from Real Madrid.
The Blues are believed to be preparing a contract extension worth £200,000 a week in a bid to keep him at the club.
Warnock: Cesar ‘lucky’ to win it all
Neil Warnock says Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is ‘lucky’ to have had the trophy-laden career he has enjoyed so far.
The 32-year-old has claimed every trophy available to him both domestically and on the European stage.
In his near decade-long spell with the Blues, Azpilicueta has won the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Europa League, Champions League and the Club World Cup.

But former Prem manager Warnock insists the Spaniard has been ‘lucky’ to win the prestigious competitions as he doesn’t think he is ‘a great defender.’
Speaking on talkSPORT, the 73-year-old said: “I think it goes two ways to be honest.
“I think Azpilicueta has been a very fortunate lad to be a at a club like Chelsea. I don’t think he is a great defender. 
“Sometimes in football you need a bit of luck and I think he’s had a bit of luck at the right time and in the right place. 
“That’s what you need in football, you need a bit of luck to be successful.”
Eriksen returns to action in friendly
Christian Eriksen made an emotional return to the pitch today – eight months on from his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
The playmaker, who turned 30 years old on Valentine’s Day, celebrated his birthday by featuring in Brentford’s behind-closed-doors friendly against a Southend United XI.
Eriksen played for an hour in his first taste of action since last summer’s shocking incident.

And the Dane showed he’s still got it by laying on an assist in Brentford’s 3-2 win, with fellow midfielder Josh Dasilva continuing his own injury comeback with a hat-trick.
Eriksen completed a stunning free move to the Bees on deadline day after leaving Inter Milan.
He was unveiled to home fans before Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace.
And Eriksen has been training hard at Brentford’s Hounslow base to build up his fitness.
New manager Thomas Frank is sure to be delighted with the midfielder’s contribution in today’s friendly.
Rangnick: Utd players aren’t robots
Ralf Rangnick admitted that Manchester United’s habit of throwing away leads has “affected the minds of the players”.
The German interim boss conceded that they now have no chance of catching Chelsea in third.
The Red Devils only came out with draws against Burnley and Southampton having bagged the opening goal.

And Rangnick, who brought in psychologist Sascha Lense in December, conceded they will only salvage something from their season if they improve their mental strength.
He said: ““They say we should have been 3-0 or 4-0 up and all of a sudden it’s 1-1 – it affects the mindset, it is obvious. They are human beings, not robots.
“The situation is clear, in 11 out of the 13 games we scored the first goal but only won half.
“We have to be more effective to score a second and a third goal and just kill the game off.
“But if that doesn’t happen stick to the game plan, stay solid and stay tactically disciplined. We’ve given away goals too easily and it was our own mistakes we made that allowed them to score.”
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CHELSEA have reportedly made Jules Kounde their top summer transfer target.The Blues are also said to have offered Antonio Rudiger a bumper deal worth almost £200,000-a-week to prevent him leaving on a free transfer.
Meanwhile Tottenham could be about to get gazzumped by Liverpool for Franck Kessie, as they were with Luiz Diaz
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Better own up
For a split-second it was the ‘best own goal in history’.
Romanian top-flight keeper Iustin Popescu blasted a goal-kick sideways at team-mate Adrian Scarlatache, who saw it cannon in off his heel.
Social media had a Pop at the CS Mioveni flops – but referee Ovidiu Hategan ruled the goal out.
He decided the ball was still moving when Popescu dropped it to take the goal-kick.
FC Arges were outraged at Mioveni’s let-off.
But they can’t complain too much as Mioveni had already gifted them a 1-0 win with a genuine own goal that was almost as crazy!
Read more HERE.
Breaking: The best own goal in the history of football was just scored in the Romanian top flight.The ref canceled it because the ball was still bumping when the keeper hit it. Scenes! pic.twitter.com/wkN2E2ASDD— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) February 13, 2022

Keown praises Arsenal target Broja
Arsenal legend Martin Keown waxed lyrical over Armando Broja for his starring display in Southampton’s 1-1 draw away at Manchester United on Saturday.
The youngster proved to be a handful for Red Devils skipper Harry Maguire all afternoon.
And Keown drooled over Broja’s pace and power while speaking on commentary for BT Sport.
He remarked: “You have to applaud him, the pace he has. He’s really impressed for Southampton.
“He’s a physical specimen as well, the ball has been going into him, and Maguire hasn’t been able to win them.
“He’s got everything to his game. His pace there, look at how he wins it – he bullies Maguire there.
“So quick, direct. Players around him. This man is so difficult to play against.”
T-has enough
Jermaine Jenas has blasted Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl for his comments after the Saints’ 1-1 draw with Man United.
Speaking on Match of the Day: “I don’t like it, if I’m totally honest with you. I’m not a fan of it.
“He’s had such a great week so he should focus on that and what his team are doing.
“I get that he’s got that relationship with Ralf Rangnick but it didn’t sit right with me, talking about another team, especially when they’re going through a tough period.”
Broja transfer pursuit
Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a shock summer swoop to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja.
But according to Football.London, the south coast side face competition from the Gunners in the race to secure his services.
They state that Mikel Arteta’s side are monitoring his progress at St Mary’s ahead of a possible transfer.
The news outlet adds that Arsenal have put the English-born Albanian international high on their wishlist after missing out on January target Dusan Vlahovic.
Chelsea will back Tuchel
Chelsea have vowed to back Thomas Tuchel this summer with an influx of cash, according to reports.
Stamford Bridge bosses want the Premier League title back in West London.
The Telegraph has reported that Abramovich will support Tuchel financially this offseason.
The club were said to be impressed that their German manager did not push for unnecessary transfers in the January window.
Chelsea have suffered with injuries but remain third in the table.
Shearer rips into Man United
Alan Shearer has torn into Manchester United as a ‘leaky, noisy, messy club’ living on excuses.
He wrote in the Athletic: “When I look at Manchester United, I see chaos, a team lacking any kind of discernible identity and an institution bereft of strategy, whose last three managers, if you include Michael Carrick, have been temporary appointments.
“They have become an interim football club — a club of caretakers, where authority has become diluted and players inhabit a world of excuses — who have spent an absolute fortune to become truly unexceptional.
“On the pitch, they are frayed and ragged, edgy and bad-tempered, casting around for someone else to blame, unsure of who and what they are.
“What a leaky, noisy, messy club they have become.”
Real Rob-bery
Robert Pires has revealed Arsene Wenger sent a private plane to snatch him for Arsenal ahead of Real Madrid and Juventus.
Wenger swooped for the legendary French winger 22 years ago, turning him into a star member of the Gunners’ 2003-4 Invincibles.
But Pires admits he was a Real fan as a kid and even posed in a Madrid top shortly before Arsenal leapt in to sign him from Marseille.
The 1998 World Cup winner, 48, told L’Equipe: “In 2000, I was lucky to have Real, Juve, Arsenal…A very hard choice.
“Everyone told me that I was crazy not to have gone to Real. 
“It was very heated though. I even took the photo with the Real jersey during the Euros in Belgium! For the newspaper AS, I believe. 
“And everything happened very quickly.
“Arsene (Wenger) called me and upset my plans… he sends me a plane, I pass the medical visit and I sign.”
Zouma cat storms
West Ham fans have been blasted for a ‘vile’ Kurt Zouma chant in the wake of the defender’s cat-kicking shame.
His name was loudly booed by home and away fans alike when he was included in the Hammers’ starting line-up for the Watford clash earlier this week.
But now certain Irons fans seem to have made light of the situation with a chant joking about the incident.
Outraged supporters have since taken to social media to condemn the offensive lyrics
TV funnyman Adil Ray tweeted a clip of fans singing the chant and captioned it: “Rewarded with a chant. Vile.”
Not a long Sess
Antonio Conte has been slammed by Spurs fans after hauling off Ryan Sessegnon after just 28 minutes.
A pair of Hugo Lloris blunders saw the team suffer a third straight Premier League defeat.
Spurs were two goals down by the time Sessegnon got yanked from the game.
One Twitter user said: “Conte making a public substitution of Sessegnon. This will completely ruin the player’s confidence. Toxic.”
Another said: “Manager-in-his-prime, Antonio Conte publicly substituting young Ryan Sessegnon before half time.
“I hope Gary Lineker and the rest of the English media have a word with him about it.”
Derby’s fightback plan revealed
Derby County are ready to turn the tables on the EFL — and make a compensation claim if they finish below Reading.
The Rams administrators and their advisers have studied a legal report the League are using to justify Middlesbrough and Wycombe asking millions from them.
The EFL have classed the pair as having ‘football related debts’, which means Derby have to deal with the problem and possibly look for money at the end of the season.
Derby were docked nine points for Financial Fair Play offences — on top of 12 for going into administration.
But Reading were only penalised six points for their offences under the EFL rules.
If the gap between the pair is three points or less after 46 games it could lead to another club versus club legal claim.
Derby’s argument will be that they were hit with more points than Reading — the same kind of technicality that has caused them such grief with Boro and Wycombe.
Should Rooney’s men go down and Reading escape then the Rams intend to quote the EFL legal ruling by top lawyers  Stephenson Harwood that is currently being used against them
Prem player attack scandal
A Premier League star was arrested over an attack on his girlfriend after she called the police.
The player, tipped for international honours, was nicked when cops swooped on his home.
He is also said to have sent her abusive late-night messages.
The player hired lawyers before agreeing a payout to her — thought to be a five-figure sum — in an out-of-court settlement.
Don’t Tripp
Kieiran Trippier scored the winner for Newcastle against Aston Villa – then left the stadium on CRUTCHES.
The England international struck a sweet freekick on 35 minutes to seal three crucial points for the Magpies.
But he was subbed off just three minutes into the second-half with a knock to his foot.
And the 31-year-old was later spotted leaving St James’ Park on crutches with a protective boot.
Toon boss Eddie Howe later confirmed the right-back had been taken to hospital for an x-ray.
Con job
Antonio Conte has admitted that his Spurs team aren’t even good enough for the Europa League after their loss to Wolves.
Speaking after the game he said: “There are a lot of jobs to do but it is not simple because the environment is used to play for Champions League, Europa League, but everyone maybe has to realise something has changed and you have to try to work to build again and we have to know this.
“I am trying with my players to do everything to improve the situaiton but the enviornment has to understand which is our position in this moment.”
Chelsea intensify Kounde chase
Chelsea are reportedly set to revive their interest in Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde with Thomas Tuchel desperate to sign the Frenchman.
The 23-year-old saw a switch to Stamford Bridge fall through in the summer after the Spanish side priced him out of a move.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tuchel has made signing Kounde his No1 priority.
He tweeted: “Chelsea have Jules Kounde as top target in their summer list, as reported days ago.”
Chelsea target Brighton defender Webster
Chelsea are considering a summer splash for Brighton’s Adam Webster, according to reports.
The Mirror reports that Webster, 27, is being considered by the new world champions.
The Englishman has been in fine form for the south coast club.
So much so that he has been tipped for a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Zouma storm rages on
Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher clashed over Kurt Zouma ahead of West Ham’s trip to Leicester.
Zouma was selected in the starting line-up for the second consecutive match despite the abuse of his cat being made public, but illness ruled him out of starting.
Carragher defended Zouma in terms of the pressure he has been under and the backlash he faced, but Souness had little sympathy.
Carragher said: “You don’t know what he’s been through in terms of scrutiny.”
But Souness dryly hit back quickly: “Not as much as the cat has been through.
“I’ve not no sympathy for him. The fact that they put it on social media, means they think there is nothing wrong with it.
“For me, I wouldn’t have played him again this year and if I was still a player, I wouldn’t want to play in a team with him.
“They’ve mismanaged it from day one, for me, I wouldn’t have played him again this year.”
Zouma support
Some West Ham fans have reportedly come out in support of Kurt Zouma amid his cat abuse controversy.
Hours before the Hammers’ game against Leicester, a portion of Hammers fans were allegedly captured singing a chant in favour of Zouma and kicking an inflatable cat, Football.London reported.

Newcastle vs Aston Villa delayed
Newcastle clash against Aston Villa was temporarily halted following a medical emergency in the stands.
Play was stopped late in the second half after referee Craig Pawson was alerted to the situation.
Magpies gaffer Eddie Howe and Villans manager Steven Gerrard were seen pointing towards the fan in an attempt to stop the match.
Commenting on the incident, Newcastle tweeted: “Play has been halted due to an incident in the Gallowgate Stand.”
Pawson suspended play in the 74th minute to allow the supporter to receive attention.
He then resumed the match two minutes later.

Wayne of the game
Wayne Rooney posed for a selfie with a young pitch invader after the plucky fan dodged stewards to sprint halfway up the pitch.
The Derby manager, 36, took charge of his side away at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
And with his side 3-1 down in the 84th minute, Wazza was suddenly joined in the dugout by the kid wearing a Manchester United home shirt.
The lad then leaned up against his hero Rooney with his phone in hand to grab the priceless photo.
The United and England record goalscorer put his arm around the youngster, almost shielding him from security personnel.
And once he had got the snap, Rooney twizzled him around away from the approaching fourth official.
The cheeky supporter then darted back down the touchline at the Riverside, cutting across the corner of the pitch then hopping the advertising boardings to get back to his seat.
Tuch of class
Thomas Tuchel has dedicated the Club World Cup win to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Abramovich, 55, was in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the Blues becoming world champions.
And Tuchel, who has had instant success since joining the West London club, took the time to congratulate Abramovich.
The German boss admitted: “I said, ‘It is for you and it is your club. Your input and passion that made it possible.’
“The trophy is for him.”
Ll-ou gotta be kidding
Hugo Lloris made two blunders inside the opening 18 minutes to gift Wolves a 2-0 lead at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
First the Tottenham captain failed to deal two Wolves shots, parring the ball out to Raul Jimenez who volleyed in from 12 yards out.
And the goalkeeper did not respond well, giving away possession too easily to Daniel Podence, whose shot was turned in by Leonardo Dendoncker on the rebound.
His performance was so bad Wolves fans sarcastically cheered when he managed to catch a cross.
Spurs fans defy owners
Tottenham fans ignored their club’s orders by chanting the Y-word in the first minute of their match against Wolves.
Spurs were playing for the first time since a statement posted on Thursday.
And a large section of the supporters inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium refused to follow the advice.
There were loud chants of: “Thing I love most is being Y**.”
This was followed by: “We’ll sing what we want.”
And another rendition of ‘Y** Army’ was belted out by the home faithful.
Chelsea join elite group
Chelsea’s victory over Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final means they have now won EVERY major trophy.
And in becoming world champions Chelsea have become part of an elite club – only four other European teams have won every major trophy.
It is a difficult feat to achieve with Real Madrid missing out because they never won the Cup Winners Cup.
That means they will never be part of the group which boasts Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Ajax as members.
Jot gonna make it
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has explained why Diogo Jota won’t be in the Reds’ starting line-up against Burnley today.
Jota picked up a dead leg when Liverpool beat Leicester mid-week, and now Sadio Mane will replace the ex-Wolves star.
Klopp said: “Jota was due to start, with Sadio coming from the bench today but Jota had a dead leg and couldn’t train yesterday.
“Now he looks fine but we were not sure.”
Luk to me
Didier Drogba has backed Romelu Lukaku to finally become a Chelsea hit.
Lukaku has been a disappointment since his £97.5million return to the club from Inter Milan but scored the first goal – his tenth of the season – in Saturday’s 2-1 Club World Cup final success over Palmeiras.
Chelsea ambassador Drogba, who was in the UAE, said: “Is it a turning point? Yes, I hope. We all hope for that because it is important for the club.
“He put himself under a certain amount of pressure by coming back to the club where he started.
“It is difficult and you come back because you want to prove a point, but he’s winning and I think he’s going to make it.”

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KURT ZOUMA has been condemned by club West Ham after a shocking video of him attacking his cat was revealed by The Sun.And Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller has also been accused of animal cruelty after his racehorse was injured while “rehearsing” for the breeding season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will have to sell N’Golo Kante to sign Declan Rice, according to reports.
The Blues are also said to have offered Antonio Rudiger a bumper deal worth almost £200,000-a-week to prevent him leaving on a free transfer.
Follow ALL the latest transfer gossip and news with our live blog below…
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Newcastle vs Aston Villa delayed
Newcastle clash against Aston Villa was temporarily halted following a medical emergency in the stands.
Play was stopped late in the second half after referee Craig Pawson was alerted to the situation.
Magpies gaffer Eddie Howe and Villans manager Steven Gerrard were seen pointing towards the fan in an attempt to stop the match.
Commenting on the incident, Newcastle tweeted: “Play has been halted due to an incident in the Gallowgate Stand.”
Pawson suspended play in the 74th minute to allow the supporter to receive attention.
He then resumed the match two minutes later.

Wayne of the game
Wayne Rooney posed for a selfie with a young pitch invader after the plucky fan dodged stewards to sprint halfway up the pitch.
The Derby manager, 36, took charge of his side away at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
And with his side 3-1 down in the 84th minute, Wazza was suddenly joined in the dugout by the kid wearing a Manchester United home shirt.
The lad then leaned up against his hero Rooney with his phone in hand to grab the priceless photo.
The United and England record goalscorer put his arm around the youngster, almost shielding him from security personnel.
And once he had got the snap, Rooney twizzled him around away from the approaching fourth official.
The cheeky supporter then darted back down the touchline at the Riverside, cutting across the corner of the pitch then hopping the advertising boardings to get back to his seat.
Tuch of class
Thomas Tuchel has dedicated the Club World Cup win to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Abramovich, 55, was in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the Blues becoming world champions.
And Tuchel, who has had instant success since joining the West London club, took the time to congratulate Abramovich.
The German boss admitted: “I said, ‘It is for you and it is your club. Your input and passion that made it possible.’
“The trophy is for him.”
Ll-ou gotta be kidding
Hugo Lloris made two blunders inside the opening 18 minutes to gift Wolves a 2-0 lead at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
First the Tottenham captain failed to deal two Wolves shots, parring the ball out to Raul Jimenez who volleyed in from 12 yards out.
And the goalkeeper did not respond well, giving away possession too easily to Daniel Podence, whose shot was turned in by Leonardo Dendoncker on the rebound.
His performance was so bad Wolves fans sarcastically cheered when he managed to catch a cross.
Spurs fans defy owners
Tottenham fans ignored their club’s orders by chanting the Y-word in the first minute of their match against Wolves.
Spurs were playing for the first time since a statement posted on Thursday.
And a large section of the supporters inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium refused to follow the advice.
There were loud chants of: “Thing I love most is being Y**.”
This was followed by: “We’ll sing what we want.”
And another rendition of ‘Y** Army’ was belted out by the home faithful.
Chelsea join elite group
Chelsea’s victory over Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final means they have now won EVERY major trophy.
And in becoming world champions Chelsea have become part of an elite club – only four other European teams have won every major trophy.
It is a difficult feat to achieve with Real Madrid missing out because they never won the Cup Winners Cup.
That means they will never be part of the group which boasts Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Ajax as members.
Jot gonna make it
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has explained why Diogo Jota won’t be in the Reds’ starting line-up against Burnley today.
Jota picked up a dead leg when Liverpool beat Leicester mid-week, and now Sadio Mane will replace the ex-Wolves star.
Klopp said: “Jota was due to start, with Sadio coming from the bench today but Jota had a dead leg and couldn’t train yesterday.
“Now he looks fine but we were not sure.”
Luk to me
Didier Drogba has backed Romelu Lukaku to finally become a Chelsea hit.
Lukaku has been a disappointment since his £97.5million return to the club from Inter Milan but scored the first goal – his tenth of the season – in Saturday’s 2-1 Club World Cup final success over Palmeiras.
Chelsea ambassador Drogba, who was in the UAE, said: “Is it a turning point? Yes, I hope. We all hope for that because it is important for the club.
“He put himself under a certain amount of pressure by coming back to the club where he started.
“It is difficult and you come back because you want to prove a point, but he’s winning and I think he’s going to make it.”

Tierney ‘good enough’ for Real
Rangers icon Barry Ferguson reckons Kieran Tierney is capable of making a step up to represent football giants Real Madrid.
The Scot was linked with a move to the Bernabeu this week by Spanish outlet El Espanyol.
Ferguson told Go Radio: “I could 100% see him playing at Real Madrid. Arsenal are a big club but they are struggling to force their way into England’s top four.
“When Kieran Tierney went down to England and produced good performances, there was no doubt in my mind that he could go to the best about.”
Liverpool battle Tottenham for Zaniolo
Liverpool are reportedly considering a move to sign Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, according to Calciomercato.
The news will alert Spurs, who are thought to also be tracking the 22-year-old.
Zaniolo’s future with Roma is uncertain, with the Serie A club reportedly open to selling the midfielder.
And they have an asking price of £33.5million which could lead both clubs to challenge for his siganture.
‘Go and sign for Bournemouth’
Richard Keys has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo as being “part of the problem” at Manchester United.
And he thinks Ronaldo should leave now, claimign his attitude is having a negative effect on his team-mates.
Keys said on BeIN Sports: “Jorge Mendes was talking to senior Manchester United executives about (Ronaldo) leaving at the end of the season.
“My own view of that is that he should he leave now.
“I’ve been of the opinion all season long that I think he’s as much a part of the problem – not the whole problem – as anything and anybody else.
“The other night, when he went running down the tunnel at Turf Moor, having recently lectured everyone about being the leader he believes himself to be and that youngsters don’t do the sorts of things he does…how does that encourage team spirit in the dressing room?
“Go and sign for Bournemouth and you’ll play every week.”
Christensen linked to Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are interested in Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, according to German outlet Abendzeitung.
Christensen is out of contract in the summer and has attracted the interest of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
But after Bayern centre-back Niklas Sule agreed a pre-contract deal with Dortmund the German champions could make a move for Christensen.
Chelsea have been keen to keep the Dane but so far he has not shown any signs of penning a new deal.
Milner to extend Liverpool stay
Liverpool are gearing up for another round of contract talks after Jurgen Klopp ruled out retirement for Reds general James Milner.
Liverpool have plans afoot to offer Milner a new contract which would see the midfielder enter his 20th season as a professional, and rule out the possibility of retirement.
In Klopp’s words, there is “no chance” the veteran hangs up his boots just yet.
He said: “Talks will happen with Milly. We will see.
“There is no chance he will retire next year. He is desperate to play on. I understand that. Life after football is much longer than your career so it makes sense to extend playing as long as you can, it is better than other things.
“Milly will be fine after his career as well but he obviously loves what he is doing and he will play football next year, definitely.”
Man City favourites for Haaland
Manchester City are increasingly confident about signing Erling Haaland this summer.
The Premier League champions believe they are in pole position to beat off competition from fellow European giants Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
City are ready to pay the £63million release clause in Haaland’s Borussia Dortmund contract, plus a further £35m in commissions to agent Mino Raiola and others.
That combined initial cost of nearly £100m, plus the Norway striker’s demands for a net annual salary of £30m, puts the deal out of reach for all but the richest clubs.
Real Madrid’s No1 summer target is PSG frontman Kylian Mbappe. If the Spanish side managed to strike that deal then PSG would be very much in the market for a high-profile replacement in the shape of Haaland.
Liverpool to hijack Spurs again?
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur have made an offer to Franck Kessie, who is also wanted by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, according to Sport.
The 25-year-old central midfielder is out of contact at Milan at the end of the season.
Barcelona are also keen on Kessie, according to Sport, who have added that Tottenham managing director of football Fabio Paratici wanted to sign him for Juventus and is now prioritising bringing him to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, Liverpool are reportedly a big threat from the Premier League to Tottenham for Kessie.
Marca reported this week that Liverpool are keen on signing the Ivory Coast international central midfielder on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
Chelsea rival Newcastle for Webster
Newcastle United face a battle with Chelsea for the signature of Brighton defender Adam Webster, according to a report from the Sunday Mirror.
The Magpies signed Dan Burn from Brighton last month, having failed in a bid for Webster.
Newcastle continue to monitor Webster but Chelsea are also now said to be interested in signing the defender.
The Blues could lose Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen for nothing in the summer, so the club is targeting potential replacements.
West Ham chase Youri Tielemans
West Ham United are eyeing an audacious move for Leicester City star Youri Tielemans amid question marks over his future with the Foxes.
That’s according to 90Min, who claim that West Ham are keen on luring Tielemans to East London at the end of the season.
It’s stated that Tielemans isn’t interested in renewing his contract with Leicester and his representatives are making that stance clear.
Cavani to leave in summer
Edinson Cavani is eyeing a free transfer to LaLiga in the summer as he looks set to leave Manchester United.
The Uruguayan striker’s contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, he is not expected to sign a renewal to stay on in the North-West.
Instead, the report adds Cavani would prefer a switch to Spain.
Good morning all football fans
Chelsea have been crowned as Club World Cup champions after a 2-1 win against Brazilian side Palmeiras.
Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock with a fine header, before Raphael Veiga equalised from the penalty spot.
And with the game heading for penalties after no goals in extra-time, the Blues were awarded a spot-kick in the 177th minute after Juan handled Cesar Azpilicueta’s shot.
Up stepped Kai Havertz – match-winner from the Champions League final over Manchester City – to tuck home into the bottom left corner.
The victory means that Chelsea have now won every major trophy there is to win at club level.
In other news, Tottenham have reportedly hijacked Barcelona’s move for Franck Kessie by tabling a ‘powerful offer’ for the AC Milan midfielder.
Kessie is out of contract at the end of the season and was thought to have agreed terms with Barcelona over a free transfer.
But now Spurs have put a spanner in the works with an offer of their own, according to Sport.
Meanwhile, Birmingham fans lobbed TENNIS BALLS onto the pitch in protest against the club’s owners.
The Blues welcomed Luton Town to St Andrew’s for the Championship clash on Saturday.
And players and stewards were left with a first-half clean-up job as supporters threw tennis balls from the stands.
And finally, Reading fans stormed onto the Madejski pitch following their 3-2 loss against Coventry to leave them two points above the relegation zone.
It was the Royals’ seventh Championship defeat in a row and supporters made their feelings known towards boss Veljko Paunovic.
A section of supporters raced onto the pitch as the club’s 150th anniversary game turned into a nightmare.
Inside Chelsea’s Club World Cup celebrations
Chelsea celebrated their Club World Cup triumph with injured team-mates – and some dodgy dancing.
The Blues dispatched cup rivals Palmeiras with a Kai Havertz penalty in extra-time.
Victory at Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium saw Chelsea clinch the one trophy that had evaded them in the Roman Abramovich era.
And it sparked jubilant scenes among their stars on the field and those who were still in the treatment room.
England’s flying full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell have been long-term absentees for boss Thomas Tuchel.
But they were able to join the squad in the Middle East to cheer on their mates.
And the pair were among the chief cheerleaders in the changing room once the trophy was secured.
Read more HERE.

Maguire’s pace worries Owen
Former Man Utd striker Michael Owen has spoke of his fear that Harry Maguire’s lack of pace is a real problem for the club.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw against Southampton, Owen told Premier League Productions: “I did fear for him and that was quite embarrassing.
“He’s got no pace at the best of times but he was outwitted there (by Armando Broja). Then you’re thinking don’t try to redeem your mistake, he just got away with it and I don’t think it was a penalty.
“But you are fearful when he’s running towards him man you think are you going to try to do something stupid but he just gets away with it.
“His lack of pace is a real problem. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. The goal, he could have been squeezing up but he’s petrified of that space in behind.”
Merson blasts Arsenal’s contract policy
Paul Merson has urged Arsenal to focus on securing the futures of their young stars like Buyako Saka instead of on older players like Alexandre Lacazette.
Merson said to the Daily Star: “Arsenal have young players who have come through the ranks and are getting paid next to nothing compared to him.
“They are the ones the club needs to be sorting out.
“It’s an absolute joke. Arsenal have got to tie these kids down. Give THEM the money.
“It’s players like Saka who need new contracts. Not players like Lacazette.”
Have it your way
Kai Havertz once again proved to be the hero as his 117th-minute penalty crowned Chelsea champions of the world.
The 22-year-old German held his nerve at the death in the 2-1 Club World Cup win over Palmeiras.
The game then looked to be heading for penalties, only for Cesar Azpilicueta’s effort to be handled by defender Luan.
With Jorginho on the bench and Lukaku already substituted, Havertz stepped up to take the crucial kick.
And he said: “I was the third penalty taker but I was the only one left on the pitch.
“My team-mates gave me trust. I dreamed always as a kid of this. This is an amazing feeling for me.”
De light of the show
Man United star Donny van de Beek was the star of the show on his debut for loan side Everton in their win over Leeds.
According to planetfootball, The Dutch ace passed with precision and achieved an accuracy rate of 89.5%.
He also won three aerial duels against The Whites, which was highest out of anyone on the pitch.
De Beek’s defensive talents were also on show and he recorded the most tackles during the Premier League clash with four successful challenges.
The 24-year-old rounded off his robust display by winning the most possession in the middle of the pitch on six occassions.
Grealish’s injury scare
Jack Grealish could be out of action for at least a MONTH after sustaining an injury during training this week.
The 26-year-old star was not in the squad for Man City’s fixture against Norwich on Saturday.
In his pre-match interview prior to City’s 4-0 win, Pep Guardiola confirmed that Grealish was unavailable due to the injury.
He said: “Jack Grealish is injured.
“He has the same problem that he had last season with Villa.
“He trained after the game against Brentford, we did a test but he was not ready today, but hopefully [he will be ready] next Tuesday.”

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