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    Man City ‘want World Cup winner Mac Allister’ but face huge transfer fight that could see asking price rocket

    MANCHESTER CITY are reportedly considering a swoop for Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.City boss Pep Guardiola is currently on the hunt for a new midfielder with Bernardo Silva expected to leave the Etihad this summer.
    Man City are interested in signing Mac AllisterCredit: Getty
    And according to The Daily Star, he believes Mac Allister could be the perfect addition to the squad.
    Brighton have valued the Argentina international at around £70million, but they could receive much more should a bidding war take place.
    Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are also understood to be keen on the prospect of signing Mac Allister this summer following his impressive World Cup campaign.
    The 24-year-old played a pivotal role in Argentina’s World Cup winning squad last year.
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    And he has continued to shine for Brighton in the Premier League this season with five goals in 19 appearances.
    Mac Allister is one of three players that could leave the Amex Stadium in the summer.
    Moises Caicedo and Evan Ferguson have also been linked with a move away.
    Arsenal pushed to sign Caicedo throughout the January transfer window, but the Seagulls refused to sell the midfielder despite his plea to leave.
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    The Gunners are expected to make another swoop when the summer transfer window opens, with West Ham’s Declan Rice also considered a priority target.
    Meanwhile, Chelsea and Tottenham are set to battle it out for 18-year-old Ferguson.
    Spurs regard the striker as someone who could develop into a potential long-term replacement for Harry Kane.
    But Chelsea boss Graham Potter is eager to reunite with the former academy star. More

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    West Ham and Leicester in £25m transfer tussle for Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou after Hammers’ failed deadline day bid

    WEST HAM and Leicester are ready to fight it out for Bayer  Leverkusen’s powerful centre-half Odilon Kossounou.The Ivory Coast international wants to leave the Bundesliga club.
    West Ham and Leicester will battle for Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon KossounouCredit: Getty
    And both Premier League teams are on his trail for next season.
    Kossounou, 22, was one of the most wanted defenders around when he went to Germany from Bruges two years ago.
    But he has fallen out of favour this campaign and now the commanding player has his sights on England.
    The Hammers are set to renew their interest after boss David Moyes failed in a loan bid for him at the end of the January window.
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    The Foxes are keen as manager Brendan Rodgers wants another centre-half, despite landing Harry Souttar from Stoke.
    Nottingham Forest are also keeping an eye on developments.
    They initially inquired about Kossounou’s team-mate Jonathan Tah in January and were turned down.
    Leverkusen will look for £25million.
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    But both West Ham and Leicester will want to get that fee down and even try a loan-to-buy arrangement.
    There would be no work permit problems for Kossounou and his wages are not huge.
    The player is keen on a fresh start and his priority will be to play regularly for his next club. More

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    Olivier Giroud wants ANOTHER London move as ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star eyes shock transfer

    OLIVIER GIROUD is open to a move back to the Premier League — at a London club.The French veteran striker has one eye on a move away from AC Milan, where his contract runs out in the summer.
    Olivier Giroud managed to become a popular figure at both Arsenal and Chelsea during his nine-year stay in EnglandCredit: Getty
    World Cup finalist Giroud was a star for Arsenal and Chelsea but could be a real coup for one of the lesser clubs if they can fund his wages.
    He was a late target for Everton in the last window but did not want to be that far away from the capital.
    If he does leave the San Siro, the 36-year-old will not be short of admirers after a long career at the top level.
    West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Brentford could all be potential destinations for Giroud, with the Hammers and Eagles particularly short of goals this season.
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    The forward needs only to look at former Chelsea team-mate Willian and his career turnaround at Craven Cottage to be tempted to moving back to the capital.
    Giroud has led the line for AC Milan this season and delivered seven goals and four assists.
    It follows on from his nine-year stay in England where he first spent six years at the Emirates before making the switch to west London.
    He would win the FA Cup a combined four times and pick up a Champions League medal with Chelsea in 2021.
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    Giroud’s best goal-scoring season would come in the 2015-16 campaign when he notched up 24 goals for Arsenal in all competitions.
    Perhaps his most well-remembered goal was his jaw-dropping scorpion-kick effort against Crystal Palace in 2017. More

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    Newcastle to take on Tottenham for ‘Guernsey Grealish’ but young midfielder has £25m transfer price-tag

    NEWCASTLE are considering a move for Bristol City youngster Alex Scott.The midfielder, 19, has attracted interest from a host of top Premier League clubs after an impressive season under Nigel Pearson.
    Alex Scott has been in sensational form for Bristol CityCredit: Rex
    Scott was a target for Wolves in the January window, though the Championship club were thought to have slapped a whopping £25million price tag on the England Under-20 international.
    Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace are all tracking Scott’s progress, while Newcastle scouts have kept a keen eye on his performances this term.
    Scott has five assists for Pearson’s City side so far this season and is emerging as one of the brightest young talents in the second tier.
    The Robins, who sold striker Antoine Semenyo to Bournemouth in the summer, are braced for further interest in Scott this summer.
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    Scott joined the club as a 16-year-old in 2020 from FC Guernsey and is viewed as the ideal profile for the Toon as they continue to develop under Eddie Howe.
    The Magpies have shied away from huge money star signings since their Saudi-backed takeover, with Howe keen to develop young players at St. James’ Park.
    Scott has drawn comparisons with Man City ace Jack Grealish due to the way he runs with the ball, and has an eye for a pass, and has been dubbed the ‘Guernsey Grealish’.
    But last week, he said he would be happy to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham by moving abroad to further his career.
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    Bellingham swapped Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund, where he has blossomed into one of the best midfielders in the world in 2020.
    “Jude has almost set the bar for any young lad in England to go abroad,” Scott told Bristol Live.
    “I think another lad who was in our Euros squad, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, is at Borussia Dortmund too. He moved over there as a young lad at 16. 
    “Seeing what they’re doing, I think it motivates a lot of young lads who maybe are on a similar path.
    “I think it’s becoming a lot more normal for lads from England to go abroad and get their chance because, obviously, it’s hard to get your chance in the Premier League at a young age over here.” More

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    Man Utd and Arsenal set to battle it out for Celta Vigo star dazzling LaLiga alongside Liverpool flop

    ARSENAL have reportedly joined Manchester United in the race to sign Celta Vigo youngster Gabri Veiga.Both Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag will be looking to improve the depth of their respective squads when the summer transfer window opens later this year.
    Arsenal and Man Utd are interested in signing VeigaCredit: Alamy
    And a new midfielder is understood to be the priority.
    According to Spanish outlet AS, both clubs are keen on signing Veiga from Celta Vigo.
    The 20-year-old is currently enjoying a breakthrough season in La Liga with six goals and two assists in 21 games.
    He has been highly regarded as Celta Vigo’s best player alongside former Liverpool star Iago Aspas.
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    Veiga became a permanent member of the first team in January after spending the first half of the season without a squad number.
    And many fans are already calling him ‘a revelation’.
    Celta Vigo are said to be reluctant to let Veiga go, however, club chiefs are confident that they will be able to sell him for a record fee should he decide to leave.
    While Arsenal and Man Utd remain interested, they will have to compete with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid for his signature.
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    The two La Liga giants are also keen on signing the young star.
    Veiga is expected to be handed his first senior cap for Spain within the next few months, so more clubs could begin to express an interest before the summer should he impress.
    The midfielder made his debut for Spain U-21’s in November, but he is yet to score an international goal at that level. More

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    Lionel Messi’s next club ‘revealed’ after Sergio Aguero let slip private chat he had with PSG superstar

    SERGIO AGUERO has “revealed” his close pal Lionel’s Messi’s next club as he let slip a private conversation he had with the legend.The World Cup winner has been in sensational form for the Ligue 1 leaders this season with 16 goals and 14 assists in his 27 appearances, but his deal in the French capital runs out this summer.
    Sergio Aguero has let slip Lionel Messi’s next destinationCredit: Getty
    The Argentina legend will become a free agent in JuneCredit: Getty
    Although PSG are desperate to get him to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.
    And with no signs of Messi slowing down despite turning 36 at the end of the campaign, PSG want him to sign an extension.
    Talks over a new deal were reportedly set to take place this month.
    However, Messi’s former club Barcelona and David Beckham’s MLS side Inter Miami are also keen to sign him.
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    But now another team appears to have entered the race – and it is the South American’s boyhood team Newell’s Old Boys.
    That is according to Messi’s close friend and Manchester City’s record goalscorer Aguero.
    In an interview with UOL, Aguero said: “He is seriously considering the possibility of playing for Newell’s.”
    Messi spent five years in Newell’s academy and was even a ball boy for them prior to joining Barcelona as a schoolboy in 2000.
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    But former Liverpool ace Maxi Rodriguez was quick to shoot down those claims, saying: “Kun is Kun. He can’t keep quiet. We will see. 
    “It is hard to talk about this because then a giant ball of rumours is made. Let’s wait and see what happens. We will not get ahead of the facts.”
    Messi is apparently set to feature in a testimonial for Rodriguez with Newell’s later this year which reports in his homeland claim “could be seen as a trial” as they attempt to get him to come home.
    The friendship between Aguero and Messi started nearly 20 years ago and the pair regularly roomed together while on international duty with Argentina. More

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    Liverpool ‘want Bayern star Ryan Gravenberch to join Jude Bellingham in double transfer swoop in summer’

    LIVERPOOL have reportedly identified Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch as the man they want to partner Jude Bellingham in their new-look midfield.England World Cup star Bellingham, 19, is one of the most in-demand players in world football.
    Liverpool want Bayern’s Ryan Gravenberch to partner Jude BellinghamCredit: Getty
    Liverpool and Real Madrid are believed to be leading the chase for the Dortmund midfielder, who is under contract until 2025, with Manchester United and Chelsea also keen.
    Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is desperate to rebuild his ageing engine room in the summer transfer window.
    Thiago Alcantara, who arrived in 2020, has been the only midfield addition to the squad since 2018.
    He will be 32 at the start of next season while skipper Jordan Henderson will be 33, while the future of 37-year-old James Milner remains up in the air.
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    Both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will become free agents in June and on-loan loan Arthur Melo seems certain to return to Juventus.
    Stefan Bajcetic, 18, has burst into the first-team squad over recent months but Klopp knows he must bring in reinforcements following LIverpool’s dismal campaign.
    Bellingham is his No.1 target – now Sport 1 claims that they are “monitoring Gravenberch’s situation at Bayern Munich” too.
    The 20-year-old Netherlands international joined the Bundesliga giants from Ajax at the start of the campaign but has struggled to replicate the form that earned him a big money move.
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    In fact, Gravenberch has only started one game in the top-flight this term.
    But an escape route could soon be on cards as Liverpool officials “have been privately discussing the possibility of making a move”.
    Despite there being “no concrete interest”, this fresh report states that the Premier League club have “reached out to the midfielder’s representatives” already.
    Whether Bayern are ready to do business or not remains to be seen as this update states that they currently have no desire to sell. More

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    Real Madrid ‘want to replace Eden Hazard with another injured Chelsea star’ in summer transfer

    REAL MADRID are reportedly eyeing up a move for Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic this summer.The Spanish champions are preparing to offload former Blues star Eden Hazard as he prepares to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the Bernabeu.
    Eden Hazard has suffered a host of injuries during his time at Real MadridCredit: Getty
    Christian Pulisic has struggled to build any momentum at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
    And they could be set to return to Stamford Bridge for a replacement in the form of American Pulisic.
    According to Defensa Central, Chelsea need to sell players at the end of the season to recoup some of the £600million spent over the past two windows.
    Much is being made of how Todd Boehly’s bullish transfer strategy could raise issues around Uefa’s financial fair play regulations.
    And Pulisic is being looked at as someone they could offload to try and remain within the rules.
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    The USA international, 24, has been sidelined with a knee problem since January.
    He has started just six Premier League games for Chelsea this season.
    And inconsistency has left him frustrated ever since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2019.
    Over 136 appearances for the Blues, he has bagged 26 goals and 21 assists.
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    But Real remain interested and could capitalise on Pulisic saying in the past that he would like to play for Los Blancos one day.
    If he did arrive at the Bernabeu, the former Dortmund man would hope to avoid the injury issues Hazard has suffered.
    The Belgian, 32, has scored just seven goals since joining Real in the summer of 2019.
    And last month his latest injury was confirmed as he suffered an 18TH SETBACK in the Spanish capital.
    Hazard has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with Chelsea and Newcastle reportedly interested. More