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    Harry Maguire ‘could quit Man Utd in January with Premier League side encouraged to reignite transfer interest’

    HARRY MAGUIRE could quit Manchester United for another Premier League club in January.West Ham are reportedly being encouraged to reignite their interest in the England defender.
    Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United in JanuaryCredit: Getty
    The Hammers were strongly linked with a move for Maguire in the summer.
    Despite reports claiming they had agreed a fee with United, a transfer never materialised.
    However, ESPN now report that West Ham are eyeing a fresh approach for Maguire in January.
    David Moyes’ side are said to believe that the deal can be revived, with the Red Devils willing to allow the centre-back to leave.
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    West Ham’s interest comes amid Saudi interest in Kurt Zouma, with the club keen to agree a new deal with the Frenchman.
    Earlier this week, Maguire claimed he did not turn down a move to the London Stadium in the summer.
    Speaking to the media whilst on international duty, the 30-year-old explained: “The actual opportunity to go to West Ham, it wasn’t agreed really between both clubs and myself.
    “It wasn’t just my chance to say, ‘Yes, I’m going.’ It wasn’t agreed between both clubs so the actual opportunity wasn’t there because we didn’t get far enough down the line with it.”
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    Maguire, who is out of contract in 2025, has struggled for opportunities at Old Trafford this season.
    He has made just four appearances under Erik ten Hag, with his only Premier League start coming against Brentford last weekend. More

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    Forgotten Champions League and World Cup winner linked with transfer to West Ham’s Europa League rivals

    JEROME BOATENG has been offered to West Ham’s Europa League opponents Olympiacos.Boateng has been a free agent ever since leaving Lyon in June and is currently training with Bayern Munich’s Under-23 side.
    Bayern Munich legend Jerome Boateng has been offered to OlympiacosCredit: Getty
    Champions League and World Cup winner Boateng was also offered to RomaCredit: Getty
    Bayern refused to offer the centre-back a new contract and Boateng is still without a club.
    According to Sport24, the ex-Germany international’s agent has contacted Olympiacos looking to see if a deal could take place.
    The Greek giants, who are owned by Nottingham Forest supremo Evangelos Marinakis, are expected to look for a new centre-back in the January transfer window.
    However, the Piraeus outfit are not actively searching right now as they are focused on the Greek Superleague and the Europa League, where they will face West Ham.
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    The Hammers will take on Marinakis’ club on October 26 in Greece before their return fixture on November 9 at the London Stadium.
    Olympiacos sporting director Antonio Cordon and manager Diego Martinez might opt for a different solution as they want a defender that can immediately hit the ground running.
    Boateng only played eight times for Lyon last term and hasn’t competed in a single competitive match this season.
    According to Calciomercato, the 35-year-old has also been offered to Roma but manager Jose Mourinho is not keen.
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    Mourinho is not eager to sign the Champions League and World Cup winner due to his advanced age, lack of fitness and contract demands.
    Boateng enjoyed tremendous success with Bayern where he registered a total of 10 goals and 25 assists in 363 appearances.
    The German also won nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies with the Bavarians as well as the 2014 World Cup with Germany. More

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    Unemployed former Arsenal ace linked with major transfer to Manchester United’s Champions League rivals

    A FORMER Arsenal ace could be on the verge of a spectacular return to football with Bayern Munich.Sokratis Papastathopoulos has been without a club since his contract with Olympiacos ran out in June.
    Bayern Munich are considering ex-Arsenal ace Sokratis PapastathopoulosCredit: Reuters
    According to Bild, however, Bayern are considering Sokratis to re-inforce their defence amid an ongoing injury crisis.
    The German champions’ starting centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano have both been sidelined.
    De Ligt is dealing with a knee problem while Upamecano suffered a hamstring injury against Freiburg on Sunday.
    And manager Thomas Tuchel could turn to Sokratis with whom he has a very good relationship.
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    Tuchel and the centre-back worked together at Borussia Dortmund, where the player made 198 appearances during his five-year stint at the club before his move to Arsenal in 2018.
    However, Bayern might wait until the end of the international break to fully assess De Ligt and Upamecano’s fitness.
    The Bavarians will then decide whether to go after another central defender in the January transfer window.
    But the ex-Chelsea boss will want both players available on December 12 when Bayern visit Old Trafford for their return fixture against Manchester United in the Champions League.
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    This comes after Tuchel’s side decided against reinstating Jerome Boateng to the squad.
    Boateng has been training with the reserves ever since his departure from Lyon in June.
    Sokratis, though, has had other offers as he was also approached by Real Betis.
    The Spaniards wanted the 35-year-old to move to the Benito Villamarin and replace the injured Marc Bartra.
    According to transfer insider Matteo Moretto, however, negotiations between the two parties fell through.
    Sokratis spent three years at Arsenal where he registered six goals and two assists in 69 appearances.
    The ex-Greece international also won the FA Cup in 2020 before his move to Olympiacos a year later.
    Former Arsenal ace Sokratis is a free agent and was linked with Real BetisCredit: The Sun More

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    Kalvin Phillips offered shock escape route from Man City hell with European giants to reunite him with England star

    KALVIN PHILLIPS could be offered a shock escape route from Manchester City by Bayern Munich.The England ace has seen his hopes of earning regular football under Pep Guardiola take a significant knock in recent weeks.
    Bayern Munich are interested in signing Kalvin PhillipsCredit: Getty
    He was barely used by the Etihad boss despite a suspension to midfield lynchpin Rodri — and a move away in January looks likely.
    Bayern are understood to be closely monitoring his situation with a view to making a move either in the January window or in the summer.
    He is one of the names on the list of chief Thomas Tuchel — as he looks to strengthen his midfield.
    The German giants raided City last winter and took Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo on loan.
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    And a similar arrangement for Phillips, 27, could well appeal to all parties.
    City told the £42million ex-Leeds man in the summer they would be willing to let him out on loan but he chose to fight for his place with the Treble winners.
    Three Lions skipper Harry Kane is already at the Allianz Arena and would welcome the arrival of another Englishman.
    Kane joined Bayern in a £104m transfer from Tottenham in August.
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    He has already scored nine goals and provided five assists in 10 games for the German giants.
    Kane reunited with Phillips earlier this week when the two stars arrived for England’s training camp at St George’s Park on Monday. More

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    Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle in transfer battle for England wonderkid dubbed ‘the next Jadon Sancho’

    ARSENAL, Chelsea and Newcastle are all in the hunt for Borussia Dortmund’s English star Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, according to reports.The winger, 19, broke through into the German side’s first team towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign having left Manchester City in 2020.
    Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is beginning to make a name for himself at Borussia DortmundCredit: EPA
    Since then, he has racked up 29 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
    He recently extended his contract with Dortmund until 2028, so a move seems unlikely in the near-future.
    But according to Bild, several Premier League clubs are interested in the young sensation.
    Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is understood to be a “big fan” of the forward, with the Gunners seeing “huge potential” in him.
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    However, Chelsea and Newcastle are also monitoring his situation.
    Dortmund are said to have TRIPLED Bynoe-Gittens’ salary when agreeing his new deal.

    He was previously believed to be on around £860,000 per year, but that has now increased to roughly £2.6million.
    He has been likened to Manchester United man Jadon Sancho – who also made his name at Dortmund.
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    Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho both excelled at DortmundCredit: Getty
    The English winger, 23, contributed 50 goals and 54 assists in 137 games for the club.
    He then moved to Old Trafford in 2021 – a switch that is yet to work out.
    Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham also rose to superstardom at Dortmund, before securing a move to the Bernabeu and establishing himself as one of the best players in world football. More

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    Unemployed ex-Man Utd star scores FOUR minutes into friendly game for new club where he has been training

    JESSE LINGARD has got himself off to the perfect in-game start to life in Saudi Arabia.The former Manchester United star has been training with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq since last month.
    Jesse Lingard scored four minutes into an Al-Ettifaq friendly gameCredit: Instagram @ettifaq
    Lingard had linked up with David Moyes’ West Ham before jetting off to go on trial in the Middle East.
    While the Hammers withdrew their interest after Lingard’s snub, his chances of getting a contract with Al-Ettifaq appear to have gone up.
    It comes after the 30-year-old scored a goal for Steven Gerrard’s outfit just FOUR minutes into a friendly game against Al-Khaldiya.
    The match, played out on Wednesday, went on to end 2-2.
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    Despite featuring in the match for the Pro League side, Lingard has only signed a training contract.
    This means he is still officially a free agent after leaving Nottingham Forest over the summer.

    Should Lingard impress club chiefs enough, he may be rewarded with a full deal.
    This would see him link up with England team-mate and ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
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    A number of other familiar former Premier League stars are also in the squad, including Georginio Wijnaldum, Demarai Gray and Moussa Dembele.
    Al-Ettifaq are currently 7th in the Pro League, having not won either of their last two league games. More

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    Inter Miami star Lionel Messi makes winter transfer decision amid Barcelona return and Saudi Arabia loan rumours

    LIONEL MESSI has made his decision over a winter transfer, according to reports.The Inter Miami star has been linked with a loan move to Barcelona or a Saudi Arabian club.
    Lionel Messi will reportedly not go out on loan this winterCredit: Reuters
    The MLS season is drawing to a close and the David Beckham-owned side are set to miss out on the play-offs with just two matches against Charlotte to go this term.
    There was speculation Messi could keep busy until the 2024 season begins in February by going on loan.
    But transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims he is not considering joining another team.
    He is reportedly fully focused on Inter Miami and Argentina.
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    His national side face Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and bitter rivals Brazil in 2026 World Cup qualifiers over the next two months.
    Inter Miami’s pre-season will begin in January, but Messi could play in friendlies with the club set to take place in Asia in November.
    He is afterwards expected to take a holiday for one month.
    Barcelona have supposedly been open to bringing back the 36-year-old legend despite financial troubles.
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    Meanwhile, Messi rejected a £350million-a-year deal from Al-Hilal over the summer.
    They instead signed his old Barca team-mate Neymar. More

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    Romelu Lukaku reveals he felt like he might ‘explode’ during nightmare summer amid Chelsea transfer saga

    ROMELU LUKAKU feared he would “explode” in the summer during his bitter departure from Chelsea.The striker spent weeks in limbo after his loan at Inter Milan came to an end and he had no future at Stamford Bridge under new boss Mauricio Pochettino.
    Romelu Lukaku has opened up about his departure from ChelseaCredit: Getty
    Lukaku is now with Roma and in sparkling form with seven goals in eight games and there are plans for a permanent deal at the end of the season.
    But speaking ahead of Belgium’s clash with Austria, he said: “Most people in this room know me. You know that I don’t like to beat around the bush.
    “I will speak when the time is right, but if I told you how things really went last summer, everyone would be shocked.
    “There were moments when I felt like I could explode and five years ago I probably would’ve done.
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    “Now I am concentrating only on what I can do best, which is playing football. I worked hard all summer.
    “I was a bit uncomfortable after the Champions League final but my mind was troubled because of what happened in the days leading up to it. I will talk about that later.”
    Lukaku cost Chelsea a then club-record £97.5million two years ago but will likely be offloaded for around £40m next summer.
    He was never settled back in London and upset then Blues boss Thomas Tuchel by giving an unauthorised interview about his frustrations with tactics.
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    He is reunited with former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho in the Italian capital.
    Lukaku said: “As I have said in the past, the coach and I have a special relationship.
    “He knows my family, he knows my children. He is someone I trust, as he has in me. He is also tough, as other coaches have been in the past, but it’s the only way I can grow as a player.’
    Lukaku, 30, revealed he was one of a number of leading stars targeted by the Saudi Pro League in the summer.
    Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and a list of vastly experienced players are enjoying massive paydays in the Arabian desert.
    Lukaku said: “I was honoured by their interest, but after the conversations we had, I was not completely convinced.
    “The league will become one of the biggest in the world, but I didn’t want to leave Europe yet.
    “I knew full well what was going to happen this summer and there were a few clubs I certainly would not go to.
    “Ultimately, you have to consider what happened in recent years on a football and personal level, which is why I made my choice.
    “I don’t like to talk too much off the field, but sometimes it’s good to tell people what really happened and what didn’t.
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    “I will one day but not now because I want to keep the focus on my football.
    “When I say things, they are taken out of context and I don’t want that right now.” More