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      Two Barcelona stars ‘REJECT salary cuts as club aim to slash wage bill by £180m so they can bring back Messi’

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      BARCELONA have been handed a blow in their attempts to cut the wage bill in order to re-sign Lionel Messi.The LaLiga giants are hopeful of bringing the former favourite back to the Nou Camp once his contract expires at PSG this summer.
      Andreas Christensen has rejected a pay cut at BarcelonaCredit: Alamy
      Franck Kessie has also turned down the LaLiga giantsCredit: Alamy
      Barcelona are trying to reduce the wage bill in order to sign Lionel MessiCredit: Getty
      However, to be able to afford the mercurial Argentinian forward, Barcelona must reduce the wage bill by a reported £180million.
      This reduction would allow the club to make some more significant moves this summer after a financially tricky period.
      Over the last couple of years, members of the squad have taken pay cuts in order to help the club.
      But according to Sport, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen are two that have recently rejected decreases to their salaries.
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      The duo have only been at the club since last summer after joining on free transfers from AC Milan and Chelsea.
      And the report suggests that the proposed pay cut have not gone down well with the players arguing that they rejected larger contracts to join the club in the first place.
      It goes on to say that Kessie and Christensen think that the contract change is unwarranted considering their short time at the club.
      This means that Barcelona would have to consider different options to trim their expenses.
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      Messi recently reignited hope of a spectacular return to the club after he was spotted with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
      Barcelona boss Xavi also revealed that the club are in “permanent contact” with his former team-mate, hinting a return could be on the cards.
      He said: “Messi knows that Barcelona is his home and the doors are open, I said this many times.
      “He’s my friend — we are in permanent contact, a potential return will only depend on him. Leo is the best player in history, he’d always fit in.” More

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      Victor Osimhen set for Premier League transfer as Napoli move for Tammy Abraham but they face unlikely English rival

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      VICTOR OSIMHEN is set for a move to the Premier League this summer.And Napoli have reportedly lined up a replacement in ex-Chelsea star Tammy Abraham.
      Victor Osimhen is set to leave Napoli and prefers a Premier League moveCredit: Rex
      Napoli want Roma’s Tammy Abraham as a replacement but face competition from an English sideCredit: Rex
      But they face interest from an unlikely English rival for the striker.
      Osimhen, 24, has netted 26 goals in a sensational season for Napoli.
      The Nigerian has fired them to the brink of the Serie A title.
      And Tuttomercatoweb claims Osimhen is destined to swap Italy for England in a big-money move this summer.
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      Chelsea are known to be interested as they hunt for a new striker under incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino.
      Manchester United would also like to bring Osimhen to the Premier League.
      The ace has other suitors in Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
      But Osimhen would prefer a move to England’s top flight.
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      And it’s reckoned that Napoli have already started making preparations for his departure by putting Roma forward Abraham on their shortlist.
      The 11-time England international has scored 35 goals since leaving London for the Italian capital two years ago.
      But with Jose Mourinho’s future unclear, Abraham could end up moving on this summer.
      He would likely jump at the chance to join Napoli in the defence of their soon-to-be title.
      However, Abraham has an unfancied suitor back home in England.
      It’s believed Aston Villa have thrown their hat in the ring after their impressive rise under Unai Emery.
      The ex-Arsenal boss wants to pair Ollie Watkins with a powerful partner.
      And Abraham, who spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Villa, ticks all the boxes.
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      Emery’s men are currently fifth in the Premier League table.
      And a European finish could boost their chances of convincing Abraham to re-join them. More

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      Arsenal boost as target Ivan Fresneda drops huge transfer hint ahead of summer window

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      IVAN FRESNEDA has given Arsenal a boost by dropping a huge transfer hint ahead of the summer window. Fresneda, 18, is currently plying his trade for Real Valladolid in La Liga but is widely expected to be on the move at the end of the season.
      Fresneda came close to joining Arsenal in January but the deal fell throughCredit: Rex
      The right back has been on Arsenal’s radar for a while and came close to joining in the January window but a deadline day move collapsed at the last minute, despite a fee of £13million being agreed.
      The Spaniard has also attracted interest from German giants Borussia Dortmund and has been learning English and German.
      It it likely that Mikel Arteta will renew his interest in the summer given that Ben White has predominantly had to fill in at right back this season.
      The teenager is under contract until 2025 but that is unlikely to be an obstacle should he seek a move to the Premier League.
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      But in an interview with The Athletic, Fresneda dropped a huge hint as to where his future may lie.
      He said: “I like Arteta a lot because I think he’s a great coach; I follow the European leagues and I think the work he’s doing with his club is fantastic.
      “But now with [Real Valladolid manager] Pezzolano and before with [previous manager] Pacheta we do that style of play, and that style is the one I like the most.”
      There is expected to be plenty of change in the full back positions at The Emirates this summer with Kieran Tierney linked with a £30m move to Newcastle.
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      Arsenal will look to get their Premier League title challenge back on track when they take on Manchester City tonight in a huge top of the table clash at The Etihad. More

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      Newcastle ‘set to meet Inter Milan’s £31m fee for Marcelo Brozovic transfer but Toon face competition from Barcelona’

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      NEWCASTLE are reportedly preparing to pay £31million for Inter Milan and Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.Eddie Howe is keen to add reinforcements to his squad in the summer as they prepare for European football.
      Marcelo Brozovic is being linked with a move away from Inter Milan this summerCredit: Getty
      A stunning 6-1 victory over Tottenham on Sunday moved the Magpies up to third place in the Premier League table.
      And failing a late collapse, they will be in the Champions League next season.
      According to Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti, Newcastle are eyeing up Brozovic as a potential transfer at the end of the season.
      It is understood his arrival would free up Bruno Guimaraes to move into a more attacking role.
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      Barcelona are also interested in the Croatian international – who has 85 caps for his country.
      And Liverpool are known to be monitoring his situation.
      But Saudi-backed Newcastle have the financial power to facilitate a deal for Brozovic – who has started just 13 league games this season.
      And they are expected to offer him a substantial salary package to sweeten the deal.
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      Brozovic, who joined Inter Milan from Dinamo Zagreb in 2015, has a contract until 2026.
      He has played more than 300 games for the Serie A giants, contributing 30 goals and 38 assists.
      He has claimed a Serie A title and Coppa Italia during his eight-year spell at the club.
      The midfield engine also reached the World Cup final with Croatia in 2018 and the semi-finals last year. More

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      Chelsea to hold talks with Romelu Lukaku with Mauricio Pochettino likely to offer striker club lifeline

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO is set to offer Romelu Lukaku a Chelsea lifeline, according to reports.The Argentine, 51, looks on course to be Graham Potter’s permanent replacement at Stamford Bridge and could even be appointed this week.
      Romelu Lukaku could make a return to Chelsea next seasonCredit: Getty
      Mauricio Pochettino looks set to take over as their new managerCredit: Reuters
      The ex-Tottenham and PSG boss has held talks with the West Londoners with negotiations progressing well.
      And one of the key issues will be what to do with Lukaku.
      The Belgian striker, 29, rejoined Chelsea for £97million in 2021 but fell out with former boss Thomas Tuchel, prompting him to be shipped out to Inter Milan for this season.
      However, a combination of injury and poor form means the Italians are unsure whether they will explore another loan or even buying Lukaku back.
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      And now The Telegraph state Chelsea are planning talks with the forward.
      It is understood they will sit down to discuss the player’s options and a return to the Blues first team has not been ruled out yet.
      That is despite Lukaku allegedly preferring to stay at the San Siro after a difficult first season back at Stamford Bridge, in which he scored eight Premier League goals.
      Chelsea know they need to trim down the bloated squad when the transfer market reopens after spending more than £600m on new recruits this season.
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      Ironically, though, a No9 is still needed – but Pochettino may relish the chance to work with Lukaku.
      Armando Broja should also be back in contention for the new season as he recovers from ACL knee surgery.
      Poch helped transform Harry Kane from a fringe man into a record-breaking goal machine – and Chelsea will no doubt be hoping he can work similar wonders with their current attackers.
      As revealed by SunSport, the free agent manager is confident he can transform the fortunes of the struggling side languishing 11th in the Premier League table despite dozens of international players.
      He will try and bring long-serving assistants Jesus Perez, Toni Jiminez plus sports scientist son Sebastiano with him to Stamford Bridge if he becomes the fifth manager in the chaotic Todd Boehly regime – although Frank Lampard is expected to stay on as interim boss for the time being.
      Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann – all currently without a job – have been interviewed for the job, but ex-Bayern Munich chief Nagelsmann is understood to have ruled himself out. More

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      Liverpool ‘make Kalvin Phillips No1 transfer target’ as they line up £35m transfer raid on Man City

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      LIVERPOOL are keeping tabs on Manchester City ace Kalvin Phillips ahead of the summer transfer window, reports suggest.That is according to the Daily Star, who report that the Reds are preparing a £35million bid for Phillips, who has failed to establish himself at City.
      Liverpool are keeping tabs on Manchester City ace Kalvin PhillipsCredit: Rex
      The Merseysiders have turned their attention on the midfielder after dropping out of the transfer bid for Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham.
      Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is prioritising a signing to boost his midfield amid a turbulent campaign.
      And the England international is keen on moving to Anfield to reboot his Premier League career after a rough stint at the Etihad.
      The 27-year-old joined City last summer following a £50m deal with Leeds.
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      However, Phillips underwent a shoulder operation in September which ruled him out until mid-season, when the 2022 World Cup kicked off.
      The talented No6 still earned an international call-up by Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate and played twice in Qatar.
      But Phillips still ended up being frozen out from City following a break in New York with friends.
      Manager Pep Guardiola wasn’t satisfied with the player’s fitness levels upon his return.
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      Guardiola even criticised him publicly claiming he returned overweight from the World Cup.
      The Spanish tactician then decided to banish him from training because he was out of shape.
      Phillips has only managed to start in two games across all competitions but has never featured in Guardiola’s starting line-up in the Premier League this season.
      The ex-Leeds star has only registered a mere 16 appearances with City so far this term. More

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      Chelsea transfer target ‘Gavi has CONFIRMED his summer plans after chat with Barcelona chief’

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      CHELSEA transfer target Gavi has confirmed his future plans, according to reports.And it is bad news for the Blues in their pursuit of the Spanish sensation.
      Gavi is one of the best young players in world footballCredit: Getty
      Gavi, 18, is already a key member of the Barcelona squad set to win LaLiga this season.
      But an ongoing contract issue thanks to Barca’s salary cap limit meant his first-team registration was cancelled and forced him to revert to his old Juvenil A youth deal.
      That could have made him available when the transfer window reopened, possibly even on a free.
      Chelsea are even said to have made contact and met with the player and his family to discuss a move.
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      Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have also been monitoring the situation.
      But Sport report Gavi sat down with Xavi and told them the Barcelona boss wants to stay put at the Nou Camp.
      Xavi apparently reassured the youngster he “cannot imagine his midfield without Gavi” in their private conversation.
      And despite ongoing issues with the contract saga, the midfielder is said to be fully committed to the cause.
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      Barcelona’s director of football Mateu said earlier in April: “Gavi renewed at the time for four seasons and he has three more to go.
      “For sure he’s going to honour his contract. What’s more, we are convinced that not only will he fulfil his contract, he is going to finish his career at Barcelona.
      “That’s what he wants, what our fans want and what we want.
      “We have absolute peace of mind. The player renewed, we are going to register him for sure, and for our part there is no problem.”
      Gavi joined Barcelona aged 11 in 2015 after spells with La Liara and Real Betis.
      The midfielder made his first-team debut in 2021 and has racked up four goals in 89 appearances.
      He already has 19 senior Spain caps, with the third of his three goals coming in the 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rice in Qatar to become his nation’s youngest World Cup scorer.
      Gavi proved his incredible talent by being crowned Kopa Trophy winner and the Golden Boy in 2022 after his breakthrough season. More

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      Ex-Premier League manager explains why Pochettino should pick Chelsea over Tottenham ‘if he’s got any sense’

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO should choose Chelsea over former club Tottenham, according to Neil Warnock.Under interim boss Cristian Stellini, Spurs were thrashed 6-1 by Newcastle on Sunday – conceding five goals in the opening 21 minutes.
      Mauricio Pochettino looks set to join ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Neil Warnock has urged Pochettino to steer clear of returning to TottenhamCredit: Alamy
      Stellini was relieved of his duties on Monday as Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy axed the Italian, 48, after just three games in charge.
      Ryan Mason will now take over until the end of the season as Tottenham seek a new permanent head coach.
      And Pochettino has been linked with a return to North London, three and a half years after being dismissed by the club.
      But Chelsea are also on the hunt for a new manager and are reportedly closing in on making the Argentine, 51, the permanent successor to Graham Potter.
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      And while Spurs sit fifth in the Premier League table – 14 points ahead of Chelsea in 11th – Warnock still believes the Blues would be the better option for Pochettino.
      Speaking on talkSPORT about Spurs’ capitulation against Newcastle, he said: “I’m thinking, I’ve never seen anything like it. I couldn’t believe it. No disrespect, but you can’t put somebody like that [Stellini] in charge.
      “I remember when [Antonio] Conte left and I said, ‘You mark my words – you have a listen at what he said – that dressing room’s gotta be decimated. Gotta be gutted’.
      “I wouldn’t envy anybody coming in there now. If Pochettino’s got any sense he’d go to Chelsea [because] all they need is a centre-forward.”
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      Pochettino secured Spurs Champions League qualification four years in a row between 2015 and 2019.
      And Tottenham finished runners-up in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season – behind champions Chelsea.
      Poch also guided Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final where they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool.
      He was sacked by Levy in November 2019 after five years at the helm – with Tottenham sitting 14th in the Premier League table at the time of his departure.
      He went on to manage Paris Saint-Germain for 19 months, claiming the Ligue 1 title before being sacked at the end of last season.
      The ex-Espanyol and Southampton head coach has been out of work since then, with Manchester United opting to appoint Erik ten Hag ahead of him last summer. More