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    Newcastle in huge transfer boost with Rafael Leao ‘ready to quit AC Milan’ as Toon ‘battle PSG for Portugal ace’

    NEWCASTLE have been handed a boost in their hopes of signing Rafael Leao, according to reports.Eddie Howe’s side have been tipped to battle Paris Saint-Germain for the winger’s signature in the summer.
    Rafael Leao feels he has reached ‘the end of a cycle’ at AC MilanCredit: Splash News
    The Magpies were previously linked with a late January move for Leao.
    However, their hopes of signing the 24-year-old later this year have now received a boost.
    Foot Mercato report that Leao feels he has reached “the end of a cycle” with AC Milan.
    Despite PSG’s interest, the player prefers a move to the Premier League or La Liga, the report adds.
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    Leao has a £150million release clause in his contract, which he only extended in June, valid between July 5 and 15.
    PSG are understood to not be a priority for Leao, despite the French giants keen to sign him as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, according to reports in France.
    Newcastle would instead offer the player the chance to play in the Premier League, where he is in favour of heading to next.
    Leao joined Milan in 2019 and penned a new five-year deal last summer.
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    The Portugal international has scored six goals and provided eight assists in 27 appearances this season.
    His performances in Italy across recent seasons have caught the eye of clubs across Europe.
    Bruno Guimaraes part of ‘best deal of transfer window’ as fans notice what Newcastle star swapped his shirt for
    Chelsea are amongst the Premier League sides to have been linked with signing Leao in the past. More

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    Chelsea still backing Pochettino despite Jose Mourinho waiting in wings but chiefs demand club qualify for Europe

    CHELSEA are refusing to press the panic button on boss Mauricio Pochettino’s future — despite a woeful season.SunSport understands Poch’s job is safe, for now, as he prepares for an FA Cup fourth-round replay at Aston Villa tomorrow.
    Chelsea are ready to stick with Mauricio Pochettino for nowCredit: PA
    Todd Boehly has got through managers at the Bridge, with Bruno even having four games as caretaker
    The Argentine, 51, who admitted no one is safe following Sunday’s 4-2 hammering by Wolves, is under pressure to turn the club’s fortunes around with fans’ favourite Jose Mourinho available.
    Mourinho’s name was sung by Chelsea fans during the Stamford Bridge loss.
    And the once ‘Special One’, who won three Prem titles across two spells, is out of work after being sacked by Serie A side Roma.
    Club insiders insist Chelsea’s hierarchy are very calm but they do have the determination that their expensive squad should qualify for Europe this season.
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    The Blues have lost their last two matches in spectacular fashion — conceding EIGHT goals.
    Poch’s flops have slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League.
    Now they need a positive result against high-flying Villa to stop the rot.
    But Chelsea CAN make the Europa Conference League next term, if they win the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on February 25 at Wembley.
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    Chelsea fans booed the team off at half and full- time and even joined in with taunts about Pochettino’s future from the Wolves supporters as they turned on their manager.
    Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are concerned by recent form.
    ‘All bets are off’ at ‘madhouse’ Chelsea says Sun Sport’s Andy Dillon following defeat against Wolves
    But they are not enough to sack the third chief of their two year reign, at least for now.
    Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were axed previously for failing to get the best out of the squad which the owners have spent more than £1billion assembling. More

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    Nottingham Forest captain Joe Worrall completes shock loan transfer to Euro giants as he joins ex-Arsenal star

    NOTTINGHAM FOREST captain Joe Worrall has joined Besiktas on loan until the end of the season.The Turkish transfer window is open until February 9 which gave Besiktas time to complete the deal.
    Joe Worrall has joined Besiktas on loanCredit: Getty
    Worrall, 27, has found his game time limited this season and was even banned from training in December along with Scott McKenna.
    The centre-back did return to the first-team squad and played a minute against Newcastle.
    McKenna departed on loan to Copenhagen while Worrall was linked with a move to Championship side Middlesbrough.
    A proposed Deadline Day move to Sheffield United also collapsed despite Worrall reaching an agreement with the Blades.
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    But the defender has had his wish to leave fulfilled after Besiktas had a loan bid accepted.
    The Turkish side has the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.
    Worrall made 226 appearances for Forest and has been captain since 2021, so played a pivotal role in their promotion from the Championship in 2022.
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    He will join compatriot and former Arsenal and Liverpool player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Besiktas.
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    The Turkish giants also possess several former Premier League stars including Cenk Tosun, Arthur Masuaku and Gedon Fernandes.
    The Biggest January Flop Signings In Premier League History More

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    Only Jose Mourinho can sort Chelsea out, Pochettino has failed and will get hammered in the Carabao Cup final

    IT IS CLEAR Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea is not working and that the club is in a malaise.Only one man can change that: Jose Mourinho.
    Jose Mourinho is the only man that can change ChelseaCredit: Getty

    For most of the past two decades Chelsea have had a win-at-all-costs mentality.
    The players have been strong – physically and mentally – and the football has been effective and efficient.
    Players like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa were beloved at Stamford Bridge – and hated everywhere else.
    However, post-Roman Abramovich’s era, Chelsea feel like a club without an identity on or off the pitch.
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    Chelsea doesn’t feel like Chelsea anymore. Reappointing Mourinho would immediately give us that identity back.
    Despite managing great clubs like Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester United, when you think of Mourinho, you think of Chelsea.
    It was Mourinho who established this identity in his first spell as manager, three years in which he won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup.
    Much is made of the third season of his second spell where things went spectacularly wrong, but in the second season he won a third Premier League title and another League Cup.
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    In the first he took Chelsea to the semi finals of the Champions League, achievements that look a million miles away from the current position at Stamford Bridge.
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    He is a serial winner and has proved this throughout his career.
    Mourinho is also a charismatic leader, and while there are some talented young footballers at Stamford Bridge, there is a dearth of talismanic figures at the club for fans to hang our hopes on.
    Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino APOLOGISES to fuming fans after watching his side thumped by Wolves
    Critics of Mourinho will say his style of football is from a bygone era, that the game has evolved through the tactics of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
    But anyone watching Chelsea under Pochettino and Graham Potter would struggle to find any kind of style of football at all.
    Everyone knows how Mourinho is going to set up. Ask people to describe how Chelsea play under Pochettino… they will struggle.
    The League Cup final is looming large at the end of the month, and as well as being an important trophy in its own right, it is the only realistic chance of European football next season.
    Under Pochettino there is no chance we will win it.
    With serial winner and talismanic leader Mourinho in charge we might. Bring him home.

    Why Chelsea must STICK with PochTODD BOEHLY would be a fool to sack Mauricio Pochettino before this month’s Carabao Cup Final, SunSport’s Chelsea correspondent Andy Dillon writes.
    Todd Boehly would be a fool to sack Mauricio Pochettino before this month’s Carabao Cup Final.
    But then all common sense went out of the window along with the personal effects of three other managers since the American chairman took over Chelsea less than two years ago.
    Boehly and his pal Behdad Eghbali bought Chelsea for £2.5bn in May 2022 and promised to invest a further £1.75bn in revolutionising the entire squad.
    They have certainly done that. Pochettino is famed for his ability to develop young players but is getting nowhere fast with the costly collection of individuals dumped on him by Chelsea’s transfer department
    Getting them to the Carabao Cup final on February 25 is a miracle. That they look destined to get ripped apart by Liverpool at Wembley is another matter.
    Pochettino admits his job is not safe. But one thing is for sure, he will not quit. As much as some of those Chelsea fans calling for his head in Sunday’s humiliating 4-2 home defeat by Wolves would like.
    They were also singing for former owner Roman Abramovich – so Boehly is not safe either. 
    The deposed Russian, now in exile, is always the person of first resort that a bunch of supporters used to winning big things every year reach for when times are tough. It won’t happen so the fans need to get used to that idea. More

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    Frank Lampard tipped to become new Chelsea women’s manager just eight months after leaving Stamford Bridge

    FRANK LAMPARD has been tipped to become the next Chelsea women’s manager.Legendary boss Emma Hayes will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season to take over as USA women’s head coach.
    Frank Lampard has been tipped to return to ChelseaCredit: Getty
    Lampard has been tipped to replace Chelsea women’s boss Emma HayesCredit: Rex
    Chelsea are rigorously looking for a new women’s managerCredit: Rex
    Izzy Christiansen is adamant Lampard would be the perfect candidateCredit: Getty
    That will cap off a glittering 12-year stint for Hayes who won a staggering six Women’s Super League titles, five Women’s FA Cups, two Continental Cups, the Spring Series and the Community Shield.
    The Blues are now rigorously searching for the 47-year-old’s replacement, who will surely have some massive boots to fill.
    However, former England international Izzy Christiansen is adamant Lampard would be the perfect candidate.
    That is because the men’s team’s record goalscorer knows the club inside out and his character would lead to a smooth transition to a new and prosperous era.
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    Christiansen told Live Score: “I do have a name in mind but I’ve never heard anyone throw it out there… Frank Lampard.
    “He’s somebody who knows the club inside out. From my experiences at Everton, listening to him speak, he’s the right type of character.
    “His level of communication and knowledge of the game could be really effective and I think you’ve got someone well accustomed with what it means to be Chelsea.
    “I don’t have any knowledge on whether he’d want it or not but it makes sense to me.
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    “To be honest, I sit in a party where it doesn’t have to be a female, doesn’t have to be a male — it just needs to be the right person for the job.
    “There’s no gain in Chelsea going, ‘Right, let’s pigeonhole this, it has to be a female’.
    Frank Lampard reveals who is blocking Mason Mount from thriving at Man Utd and slams club for lack of plan
    “If they want to continue or attempt to continue the dominance they’ve had domestically, it has to be the correct appointment.”
    That would mark Lampard’s third return to Stamford Bridge after his stunning 13-year playing career came to an end in 2014.
    The legendary midfielder first came back as manager in 2019 and enjoyed a successful debut season as the Blues finished fourth despite a transfer embargo.
    However, the 45-year-old tactician’s second season was marred by poor results and he was swiftly replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who went on to win the Champions League.
    Lampard returned as caretaker boss in April for an abysmal second stint that saw him losing eight out of 11 matches, of which he won only one before his departure in June. More

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    Thomas Partey ‘set to leave Arsenal at the end of the season’ as £45million signing fails to shake injury woes

    ARSENAL are allegedly set to offload Thomas Partey this summer.The 30-year-old midfielder moved to the Gunners in 2020 in a £45m deal from Atletico Madrid.
    Arsenal will reportedly offload Thomas Partey this summerCredit: Getty
    He became big a fan favourite at the Emirates but the Ghana international has hardly featured this term due to injury.
    Partey was deployed at right back for the opening three games of the campaign, but he has featured just one more time since.
    The star has been out since October following thigh surgery.
    That was after he also missed the entirety of September with a groin problem.
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    Partey recently jetted out to Dubai with the rest of Arsenal’s squad for a warm-weather training camp as he was finally given the green light to make his return.
    However, he suffered another injury blow last week as boss Mikel Arteta revealed before their 3-1 victory over Liverpool that his ace is set to be out of action again.
    He said: “With Thomas unfortunately we had a little setback a few days ago.
    “I’m not a doctor, but he felt something in a very similar area and he wasn’t able to train the last few days.”
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    Now the Daily Mirror has claimed that his days in North London appear to be over.
    They report that “Partey is expected to leave Arsenal at the end of the season after failing to shake off persistent injury problems”.
    The Biggest January Flop Signings In Premier League History
    Arteta was open to selling Partey following the arrival of Declan Rice back in July.
    But they failed to receive a suitable bid.
    Juventus are now understood to be interested in signing him but opted against making any move last month due to his recent absence through injury. More

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    Sacking Pochettino for Mourinho would be utterly ridiculous, but Chelsea might just be crazy enough to do it

    TODD BOEHLY would be a fool to sack Mauricio Pochettino before this month’s Carabao Cup Final.But then all common sense went out of the window along with the personal effects of three other managers since the American chairman took over Chelsea less than two years ago.
    Chelsea shouldn’t bring Jose Mourinho back to replace Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Rex
    Chelsea manager Pochettino has come under fire amid a turbulent campaignCredit: Getty
    Anyway, who would be daft enough to bin their boss in the run up to a Wembley final?
    Tottenham did it to Jose Mourinho in 2021 and it proved a disaster. Chelsea’s specialist subject at the moment.
    Mourinho is now out of work once more and already making sure his mug is getting pictured at football grounds around Europe.
    Take a straw poll of Chelsea fans today and bet the majority would take back the man who won them three Premier League titles and wave goodbye to Pochettino.
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    It would be utterly ridiculous for him to come back for a third time but if there is one man mad enough and one club crazy enough to go for it, it is The Special One and Chelsea.
    But even he might baulk at the challenge of trying to turn this club around.
    Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard all tried and failed to get a tune out of the most expensive squad in football history.
    A £1 billion orchestra hitting duff notes whoever is leading them. Makes you wonder whether it’s the players, the conductor or the people who own the concert hall who are to blame.
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    German Tommy Tuchel lasted exactly 100 days before getting Das Boot. Potter survived seven months and Lampard’s 11 games as caretaker boss are best consigned to memory.
    Chelsea’s greatest ever goalscorer and serial-winner left scratching his head at the way his club’s once-formidable character had been deconstructed in the space of 12 months.
    Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino APOLOGISES to fuming fans after watching his side thumped by Wolves
    Boehly and his pal Behdad Eghbali bought Chelsea for £2.5bn in May 2022 and promised to invest a further £1.75bn in revolutionising the entire squad.
    They have certainly done that. Pochettino is famed for his ability to develop young players but is getting nowhere fast with the costly collection of individuals dumped on him by Chelsea’s transfer department.
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    Mourinho enjoyed immense success as Chelsea manager
    Getting them to the Carabao Cup final on February 25 is a miracle. That they look destined to get ripped apart by Liverpool at Wembley is another matter.
    Pochettino admits his job is not safe. But one thing is for sure, he will not quit. As much as some of those Chelsea fans calling for his head in Sunday’s humiliating 4-2 home defeat by Wolves would like.
    They were also singing for former owner Roman Abramovich – so Boehly is not safe either. 
    The deposed Russian, now in exile, is always the person of first resort that a bunch of supporters used to winning big things every year reach for when times are tough.
    Pochettino has struggled during his debut campaign as Chelsea boss
    It won’t happen so the fans need to get used to that idea. 
    The Return (again) Of The Special One equally has the ring of a bad movie about it. Think Fast And The Furious XII or wherever we are at now.
    But when it comes to plugging dud films, that’s already right up Boehly’s street.
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    Reviews of recently released Boehly-backed Argylle – a cheesy spy thriller that has been universally panned – point to that.
    Incidentally, Argylle is meant to be part of a trilogy, if it makes it past the first episode. Jose III sounds equally doomed to fail but at least it would be entertaining.
    A bid for Mourinho by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly can’t be ruled outCredit: Rex More

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    Neil Warnock takes first job outside England as he makes stunning return to management at 75

    NEIL WARNOCK has been named the new manager of Aberdeen.The 75-year-old has been out of work since leaving Huddersfield earlier this season.
    Neil Warnock has been appointed Aberdeen’s new managerCredit: Aberdeen FC
    Warnock has managed nearly 2000 games during his storied career
    But now he has moved north of the border to join the Scottish Premiership side.
    Speaking about the appointment, Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack said: “From the moment we first spoke with Neil his enthusiasm for managing Aberdeen was infectious.
    “He has had an incredible career in management, not only in terms of volume of games and winning promotions, but also of coming into clubs at short notice and making an immediate impact.
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    “We look forward to Neil, Ronnie and the team pushing hard in the remaining four months of the campaign as we still have a huge amount to play for both in the SPFL Premiership and the Scottish Cup.”
    Warnock’s first game is set to come on Tuesday night when Aberdeen travel to Rangers.
    The Scottish outfit sit just one point adrift of the top six ahead of their trip to Ibrox.
    They are also into the last 16 of the Scottish Cup where they will play Bonnyrigg Rose on Saturday.
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    Warnock’s last job came at Huddersfield where he helped them survive relegation, before he departed in September.
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    Best Neil Warnock quotesHere are some of the most memorable Neil Warnock quotes:
    “I don’t think we’ve got a discipline problem. It’s the players who are thick who are causing the problems.”
    “Matches don’t come any bigger than FA Cup quarter-finals.”
    “When I pass away, I don’t want clapping or a minutes silence. I want a minute’s booing at Bristol City.”
    “The money players are on these days is immoral, but you can’t knock it.”
    “My wife will be glad about Mourinho coming to Bramall Lane because he’s a good looking swine, isn’t he?”
    “I remember the day when they sold Brian Deane and Jan Aage Fjortoft. It was like when President Kennedy got shot.”
    “Forget the boring Premiership; this was a cracking advertisement for the Championship.”
    “For many years I have thought he (El Hadji Diouf) was the gutter type – I was going to call him a sewer rat, but that might be insulting to sewer rats.”

    A number of names had been linked with the Aberdeen job, including ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon.
    Former Sunderland and Stokes manager Alex Neil was another named mooted.
    What next for Jose Mourinho? Dave Kidd takes a look at The Special One’s options
    But perhaps the most left-field candidate in the frame was ex-Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere.
    The 32-year-old, who took over as Arsenal U18s head coach in July 2022, is understood to have applied for the position.
    But Aberdeen wanted someone with more experience – and there are few more seasoned than Warnock as he approaches 2000 games in management. More