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    Aston Villa plan stunning £200m transfer spree as incoming director of football identifies £52m star as top target

    ASTON VILLA are planning for an extremely active summer transfer window.And they could have as much as £200million to spend.
    Aston Villa have made Manuel Ugarte their top targetCredit: Getty
    Unai Emery could have £200million to spend this summerCredit: Rex
    Meanwhile, incoming director of football Mateu Alemany has already eyed up one of his first-choice marquee signings.
    And he is targeting Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who is also wanted by Newcastle.
    Under Unai Emery, whose October appointment has brought an impressive upturn in form, Villa are in with a shout of finishing in a European spot for the first time since 2010.
    As a result, the Midlands club are ready to put their trust in the Spanish coach when it comes to building a squad good enough to maintain them as a top seven club next season.
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    Alemany, 60, is leaving Barcelona after a two-year stint on June 30 with Villa finalising a deal to bring him in ahead of the opening of the transfer window.
    He was originally selected by Newcastle’s Saudi-backed consortium to lead their project before Emery was linked with the head coach position, only to choose Barca instead.
    Emery has a relationship with Alemany – the Villa manager’s personal assistant Damia Vidagany working with him previously at Valencia.
    And SunSport understands Alemany is keen to hit the ground running for Emery with the club already in talks to snap up highly-rated Ugarte, who was linked with Spurs earlier this season.
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    The 22-year-old Uruguayan has a £52m release clause in his current contract, which expires in June 2026, having only joined in 2021 for £5m.
    He has been likened to Portuguese international Joao Palhinha, who left Sporting for Fulham last summer and has taken the Premier League by storm in his debut campaign.
    Liverpool are also very interested in acquiring his services, but Villa are hoping to steal a march and convince the player to be a part of Emery’s rebuild. More

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    Jude Bellingham ‘has ACCEPTED Real Madrid’s contract offer’ in huge transfer blow to Man Utd and City

    JUDE BELLINGHAM has reportedly accepted all of the details in his contract to join Real Madrid.The England international is said to be “excited” by the project at the LaLiga giants.
    Jude Bellingham has reportedly accepted a contract at Real MadridCredit: Getty
    According to Fabrizio Romano, Bellingham’s deal now hinges on Real Madrid’s meeting with Borussia Dortmund in May.
    The two clubs will discuss the final fee for the player.
    Romano tweeted: “Jude Bellingham has accepted all the details of Real Madrid contract proposal already 10 days ago.
    “He’s excited by Madrid project.
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    “Real Madrid want to meet with Borussia Dortmund in May in order to agree on the final package/fee.”
    It comes as a major blow to Manchester City and Manchester United who had been interested in signing.
    Liverpool were also a touted destination, but they dropped out of the race last month after discovering that a transfer would be too expensive.
    It was reported at the start of the month that Bellingham would be offered a contract worth £12million-a-year.
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    The length of the deal is believed to be until 2029.
    The fee Madrid will have to pay for Bellingham was thought to be £124million, however, the club are hoping to negotiate it lower.
    Should the transfer go through it would be a major coup for Madrid.
    Bellingham will be hoped to ease the loss of veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who are both approaching the end of their careers.
    He is seen as the long-term successor for the latter.
    And it’s reckoned Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni have both spoken to Bellingham about joining them in Spain. More

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    Arsenal fear being priced out of Declan Rice transfer despite £80m bid and £300k-a-week contract.. just like with Mudryk

    ARSENAL fear being priced out of a deal for £100million-rated Declan Rice.Signing the West Ham captain is their top priority this summer and the Gunners are convinced the player has his heart set on a move to the Emirates.
    Arsenal fear that they may be priced out of a move for Declan RiceCredit: Getty
    Chelsea gazumped the Gunners for Mykhaylo Mudryk in JanuaryCredit: Getty
    Arsenal were hoping to pay around £80m for 24-year-old Rice and offer him a five-year contract worth up to £300,000 a week.
    But after being gazumped by Chelsea for winger Mykhailo Mudryk in January, there are concerns at the club that history could be about to repeat itself.
    And it is not just the big-spending Blues they are worried about this time because Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are also very keen on the England international.
    West Ham have made it clear it will take more than the £106m British transfer record which Chelsea paid for midfielder Enzo Fernandez to convince them to sell their skipper.
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    Boss David Moyes said at the weekend: “Declan is the best English midfielder around and that is why he is going to be extremely expensive.”
    And the Hammers are more than happy to oversee a bidding war which could push the price up to as much as £130m.
    Chelsea have major FFP concerns after spending £600m on new signings in the past year but they could offer as many as four players in exchange.
    City wanted to sign Jude Bellingham, 19, from Dortmund this summer but look set to miss out to Real Madrid.
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    Rice, who still has one year remaining on his Hammers contract with the option of a further 12 months, has made it clear that he is ready to move on and wants to play in the Champions League.
    That gives Arsenal an advantage over Chelsea, who actually released the player from their academy when he was 14.
    Rice is also known to be impressed by Mikel Arteta’s philosophy of building his team around hungry young players.
    But none of that will count for anything unless Arsenal are prepared to match all the bids from their Premier League rivals.
    Mudryk was desperate to move to the Emirates in January but was powerless when Shakhtar accepted Chelsea’s £88m offer. More

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    Real Madrid ‘targeting sensational double transfer swoop for Jude Bellingham AND Kylian Mbappe to form new Galacticos’

    REAL MADRID reportedly want to sign Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham to lead a new group of “Galacticos”.Bellingham, 19, is said to be on the verge of a summer move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
    Jude Bellingham looks set to join Real Madrid this summerCredit: Rex
    Los Blancos are also targeting a sensational swoop for Kylian MbappeCredit: Getty
    This comes after Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City both reportedly pulled out of the running due to the cost of a potential deal.
    It was claimed that Bellingham has been offered a deal worth £12million-a-year by Madrid with Dortmund wanting a fee of up to £130m.
    Now The Telegraph have claimed that “after opening talks over a deal for England midfielder Bellingham” that Los Blancos “are also ready to revive their long-term interest in Mbappe”.
    The LaLiga giants looked to have secured the French superstar last summer from Paris Saint-Germain.
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    But they were left fuming when he penned a mega new contract with the French side.
    However, PSG are expecting big changes over the coming months and Madrid “will look to exploit the uncertainty”.
    Former Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is being strongly tipped for the PSG job with Christophe Galtier expected to be dismissed after a poor showing in the Champions League.
    There are also claims of a massive squad fracture, with Lionel Messi set to depart along with world-record signing Neymar, who SunSport understands is another target for United.
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    Mbappe has also publicly criticised the club for using his image too prominently on their promotional material, saying: “I disagree with this posted video. It is certainly not Kylian Saint-Germain.”
    The 24-year-old World Cup winner was believed to have committed his future to the club until 2025 but now it is reported that the final year is only an option, which could see him put pressure on them to sell him now.
    But Real will look to revive their interest in Mbappe as they have discussed both him and Bellingham arriving as “part of a new ‘Galacticos’ team that could dominate Europe over the next decade”. More

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    Tottenham star ‘offered shock Saudi Arabia transfer on TREBLE his current wages’ potentially joining Ronaldo & Messi

    HUGO LLORIS has been offered a megabucks deal to leave Tottenham for Saudi Arabia at the end of the season, according to reports.The Spurs skipper has been ruled out of the remainder of the campaign with a hip injury suffered in the 6-1 defeat at Newcastle last month.
    Hugo Lloris has been offered a lucrative move away from SpursCredit: PA
    Lloris, 36, will still has a year remaining on his Tottenham deal come the end of the season.
    But he could be offered a lucrative exit after 11 years at White Hart Lane.
    According to The Times, Lloris has been offered a deal to move to the Saudi Pro League that would treble his Spurs salary, believed to be around £100,000 a week.
    Only David de Gea, with four, has made as many errors leading to goals among Premier League keepers this term.
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    Lloris joined Tottenham from Lyon in 2012, and was appointed club captain by Mauricio Pochettino in 2015.
    He helped Spurs reach the Champions League final in 2019, a year after skippering France to World Cup glory.
    In total, Lloris has made 447 appearances for Tottenham.
    This puts him eighth in the club’s all-time appearance list.
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    Fraser Forster has deputised for Lloris at times this season.
    Spurs are huge admirers of Brentford’s Spain international stopper David Raya.
    While they also like Jordan Pickford and Robert Sanchez.
    Lloris could follow Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League.
    While Lionel Messi has also been linked with an eyewatering free transfer to the Kingdom.
    Lloris could join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi ArabiaCredit: AFP More

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    How Granit Xhaka’s wife could help Arsenal land Bayer Leverkusen star Moussa Diaby in summer transfer

    BAYER LEVERKUSEN’S chances of signing Granit Xhaka have reportedly received a huge boost.We reported yesterday how the Arsenal midfielder has been offered the chance to return to Germany’s Bundesliga.
    Bayer Leverkusen star Moussa Diaby’s hopes of joining have received an unexpected boostCredit: Reuters
    Granit Xhaka’s wife Leonita allegedly wants to return to GermanyCredit: Getty – Contributor
    And Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will not stand in his way if he wants to leave.
    The midfielder, 30, has been a huge figure in the Gunners’ title bid and he is now adored by fans after his previous Emirates fallout.
    But Arteta wants to sign £100million-rated West Ham skipper Declan Rice and another central midfielder this summer, leaving Swiss ace Xhaka facing the prospect of seeing out the final year of his deal on the subs’ bench.
    Now Blick is reporting that the ex-Gladbach ace’s wife, Leonita Xhaka, wants to move back to Germany.
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    And that she could help her convince her husband to make the move at the end of the campaign.
    And that could help set up a deal for Arsenal with Leverkusen for winger Moussa Diaby.
    The Gunners are battling with Newcastle, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain for the £50m-rated 23-year-old France international.
    Now Diaby’s chances of a switch to the Premier League appear to have increased with this fresh update in the German media.
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    Xhaka, who cost £38.25m when he joined from Monchengladbach in 2016, was ready to quit the Gunners after being stripped of the captaincy by former boss Unai Emery in 2019 when he swore at fans while being substituted.
    But he is currently enjoying his best spell since his arrival in North London.
    Arsenal have budgeted £100m for England star Rice.
    And they are also looking at Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Chelsea’s Mason Mount as they plan for a return to the Champions League. More

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    How PSG could line up under Jose Mourinho with Harry Maguire alongside former Man Utd and Chelsea flops

    PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN could have a whole new look to them next year if Jose Mourinho takes the helm.And instead of superstar names such as Neymar and Lionel Messi, they may have a few instead that struggled in the Premier League.
    Jose Mourinho looks set to take charge of PSG this summerCredit: Getty
    Harry Maguire is one of the players linked with a switch to Parc des PrincesCredit: Getty
    We reported how Mourinho has reportedly identified his first signing at Paris Saint-Germain.
    Former Red Devils, Chelsea and Tottenham boss Mourinho is being strongly tipped for the PSG job this summer.
    Christophe Galtier is expected to be dismissed after a poor showing in the Champions League.
    There are also claims of a massive squad fracture, with Messi set to depart along with world-record signing Neymar, who SunSport understands is another target for United.
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    And Roma gaffer Mourinho could be the man hired to solve the situation with it widely-believed that the Special One has already held a meeting with PSG chiefs expressing his desire to join.
    It has been claimed Morocco’s World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat is Mourinho’s first target should he get the PSG job.
    The talented holding midfielder has been starring for Fiorentina over the past three years.
    And Mourinho is so eager for Amrabat to anchor his PSG side that he’s already spoken to the player’s agent.
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    However, he is not the only man that the Portuguese coach could bring in.
    We revealed that Harry Maguire is a shock £50m summer target for misfiring French giants PSG.
    SunSport can reveal that a deal ‘was on the table’ for Manchester United’s skipper in the January transfer window but time ran out before it could be finalised.
    But that has only mothballed a move that will offer the England centre-half an escape route from his frustrating four year spell at Old Trafford.
    PSG will have to match Maguire’s £200,000-a-week wages but with the club backed by billions of Qatari petro-dollars that is not seen as a problem.
    Meanwhile, should Neymar and Messi depart, then Mourinho will need to bring in some attacking reinforcements.
    The Daily Express claims that one of those potentially on PSG’s radar is Chelsea flop Hakim Ziyech.
    The Moroccan forward was not at Stamford Bridge during Mourinho’s second spell there but he was set to join PSG in January before the move collapsed.
    And with the same directors still at the Parc des Princes, it is allegedly a deal that PSG may look to revive over the summer. 
    The same publication also links him with a potential swoop for his current Roma striker Tammy Abraham.
    He has managed the Englishman both at the Blues and Roma and could look to reunite with the powerhouse forward in France.
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    And another name linked is Manchester United’s Scott McTominay.
    The 26-year-old, who Mourinho promoted to the first-team at Old Trafford, is believed to be one of the players that United chief Erik ten Hag wants to offload to fund new signings. More

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    Forgotten Man Utd keeper signed by Sir Alex Ferguson ‘set for Premier League return in controversial Liverpool transfer’

    FORMER Manchester United keeper Ron-Robert Zieler could be set for a return to the Premier League amid interest from Liverpool.The German shot-stopper, 34, left Old Trafford 13 years ago in search of first-team football.
    Ron-Robert Zieler has played more than 300 games for HannoverCredit: Getty – Contributor
    He featured for Manchester United’s youth team but never played a first-team gameCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Signing for Man Utd in 2005, Zieler was included in Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad for their League Cup clash against Middlesbrough during the 2008/09 campaign.
    But he never made an appearance for the Red Devils and left to join Hannover in 2010.
    A short spell back in England with Leicester in 2016 saw him play nine Premier League games.
    He then returned to the Bundesliga for a stint with Stuttgart and is now enjoying a second spell at Hannover.
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    But according to Bild, he could be set for a shock move to Anfield.
    That is because Hannover’s ex-sporting director, Jorg Schmadtke, is expected to make the switch to Liverpool.
    And Zieler is being heavily linked as his first signing on Merseyside given Schmadtke brought him to Hannover more than a decade ago.
    Liverpool are in the market for a back-up keeper to Alisson as their No2 Caoimhin Kelleher is attracting interest from Tottenham, Brentford and Brighton.
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    The Irishman, 24, has played just 20 matches during his five years under Jurgen Klopp and is now understood to be seeking more game time.
    His departure could leave a vacant space for Zieler – who was Joachim Lowe’s third-choice keeper in Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad.
    Zieler has one year left on his contract with Hannover after the club triggered an extension in March.
    And the club’s sporting director, Marcus Mann, recently said: “Ron has a contract with us, we’re making plans with him.”
    But Liverpool will remain confident they can prise him away from the German outfit, particularly if they snatch Champions League qualification.
    Klopp’s men sit one point adrift of fourth-place Manchester United in the Premier League table having played one game more.
    But they have just three matches to close the gap on the Red Devils – which come against Leicester, Aston Villa and Southampton. More