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    Marcel Sabitzer’s chances of Man Utd stay rest with Bayern Munich slashing hefty transfer asking price after loan

    MARCEL SABITZER’S chances of a long-term stay at Old Trafford depend on Bayern Munich dropping their £25million asking price.Sabitzer has impressed since arriving on loan in January.
    Marcel Sabitzer’s Man Utd future depends on Bayern Munich dropping their asking priceCredit: Rex
    Sabitzer has impressed on his loan spell and scored twice midweek against SevillaCredit: Rex
    He scored both Manchester United’s goals in the Europa League draw with Sevilla.
    The Austrian midfielder unsurprisingly would like his move to Manchester to become permanent.
    And United boss Erik ten Hag is also keen to keep him.
    Bayern have made it clear they will not stand in his way.
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    But they are refusing to let him go on the cheap.
    Although Sabitzer, 29, was on the bench more than the starting line-up before he came to Manchester, he still has two years left on his contract.
    And Bayern have made it clear they want at least £20 million – plus a potential further £5m in add-ons – if United sign him this summer.
    Although at least one new striker is the priority for Ten Hag, he is also keen to add midfield strength to his squad.
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    Sabitzer has proved a popular member of the squad since arriving.
    And his attitude is impressing the coaching team. More

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    Fulham in search for new goalkeeper with fears Marek Rodak is seeking transfer exit after falling behind Bernd Leno

    FULHAM are looking for a new keeper as they fear Marek Rodak will move on in the summer.The Slovakia international, 26, has hardly figured this season and with just a year left on his deal Marco Silva  is seeking cover.
    Marek Rodak is looking to move from FulhamCredit: Rex
    The 6ft4in shotstopper has been with the Cottagers since 2013, when he joined the club aged just 16 from MFK Kosice.
    He rose through the ranks at youth level – appearing in the Under-18 side, who reached the FA Youth Cup final in 2014.
    In 2017, after loan spells at Farnborough, Welling United, and Accrington Stanley, Rodak made his debut for the west London side in the League Cup tie against Wycombe Wanderers.
    Rodak would then join Rotherham United on loan for two seasons, where he made 84 appearances across League One and the Championship.
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    But he returned to Fulham in the 2019-20 season as the club’s No1, appearing 38 times as they earned promotion through the play-offs.
    However, his Premier League debut was one to forget – a 3-0 loss to Arsenal on the opening weekend of 2020-21 season saw him play back-up to Alphonse Areola.
    Last summer, Fulham splashed £8million on signing German goalie Bernd Leno from Arsenal.
    Rodak was once again relegated to the bench, although he has appeared six times this campaign.
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    Before the campaign, manager Silva revealed he had an “easy conversation” telling the 16-cap international he would be Leno’s stand in.
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    “Conversations are always so easy in football,” he said.
    “I’m here to take decisions and the players know, from the first day, I’m always with them. In front of them when something goes wrong, and behind them if I have to push them. But I’m here to take decisions that are best for Fulham.
    “I’m here to decide what is the best eleven for each game, what is the best players for each game as well. And that’s it.
    “My conversation with Marek was really simple, like all the other players.” More

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    Liverpool tracking Bradley Barcola over summer transfer with 20-year-old tipped to be top star at Lyon

    LIVERPOOL are reportedly tracking Lyon star Bradley Barcola.And they could launch a move for the exciting winger this summer.
    Liverpool are keeping an eye on Lyon’s Bradley Barcola ahead of a potential summer swoopCredit: AP
    Barcola, 20, burst onto the scene with 13 first-team appearances last term.
    But he has upped this game this season, scoring seven goals and assisting a further four in 25 matches.
    Barcola has already been summoned to the France U21 squad.
    And many in his homeland are tipping the ace to eventually win a senior call-up from Didier Deschamps.
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    According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcola is now attracting interest from lots of top European sides.
    But it’s Liverpool who are leading the race for the wide forward.
    The Reds have reportedly sent scouts to watch Barcola on several occasions.
    And he could find himself on his way to Anfield when the transfer window opens this summer.
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    Jurgen Klopp has made no secret of his desire for a mega rebuild.
    He had been hoping to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund.
    But it’s reckoned Liverpool have dropped out of the race after being put off by his £130million price tag.
    The Reds are thought to also be tracking Chelsea star Mason Mount and midfield teammate Conor Gallagher.
    And there could also be reinforcements in defence following Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decline in form. More

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    Chelsea to make final push to convince Mason Mount to sign new long-term contract amid Liverpool transfer interest

    CHELSEA are tipped to make a final push to persuade Mason Mount to sign a new long-term deal – as Liverpool, Manchester United and City hover.The midfielder, 24, is under contract until June 2024 but reportedly wants to roughly triple his £80,000 weekly wages.
    Chelsea still hope to keep England ace Mason Mount, who came off the bench late on in Saturday’s home Premier League clash with BrightonCredit: Reuters
    ESPN say the Blues will renew their bid to extend Mount’s stay – or sell him this summer if they fail.
    The Stamford Bridge academy product is thought to regard fellow England star Reece James’ pay of £250k a week as a benchmark figure.
    And it’s understood Liverpool plus the two Manchester giants have asked to be kept informed of the situation.
    Newcastle too are said to be keen as Mount and Chelsea have made no obvious progress in talks over the past two months.
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    The Blues hope to keep Mount but he’s no longer an automatic choice following ex-boss Graham Potter’s blitz of January signings.
    And the playmaker only came on for the final 16 minutes of Saturday’s home Premier League clash with Brighton.
    Another obstacle for Chelsea is the need to cut their playing budget and stick to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
    That’s because nearly £600million on signings has been splashed since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over the club last May.
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    Juventus and Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich could also have one eye on Mount.
    Meanwhile, the Blues are busy interviewing possible permanent successors to Potter as Frank Lampard continues his interim reign.  More

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    Chelsea star Levi Colwill wanted by Man City and Liverpool in shock transfer after impressive Brighton loan

    CHELSEA youngster Levi Colwill is reportedly receiving interest from Manchester City and Liverpool.The 20-year-old centre-back has enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Brighton.
    Levi Colwill has produced some good displays while on loan at BrightonCredit: Alamy
    He has made 15 appearances for the Seagulls this season, keeping six clean sheets.
    With two years left on his Chelsea contract, he is set to return to West London at the end of the season.
    But the Evening Standard are now reporting Man City and Liverpool are sensing an opportunity to poach him away from Stamford Bridge.
    Chelsea have spent £600million across the last two transfer windows.
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    And they are expected to offload players in the summer to recoup some of those funds.
    The likes of Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher have been linked with moves away.
    And Colwill is understood to be another attracting interest from elsewhere.
    Man City could show Aymeric Laporte the exit door and bring Colwill in as another option at the heart of their back line.
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    Jurgen Klopp is also looking to bolster his defence and Liverpool have identified the England U21 international as a potential acquisition.
    Brighton are another team monitoring Colwill’s situation as they mull over the possibility of trying to make his loan a permanent move.
    As well as his loan spell with Brighton, the centre-half also turned heads with his displays on loan at Huddersfield during their 2021/22 Championship campaign.
    He made 32 appearances for The Terriers, helping them reach the play-off final before they were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest.
    Colwill wore the No26 shirt while at Huddersfield, leading many Chelsea fans to label him the “new John Terry”. More

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    Leicester defender James Justin ‘wanted by Roma after impressing boss Jose Mourinho’

    ROMA are eyeing Leicester ace James Justin ahead of the summer transfer window, reports suggest.The Giallorossi manager Jose Mourinho is looking for defensive reinforcement for next season and rates Justin highly.
    Roma are keeping tabs on Leicester ace James Justin ahead of the summer transfer windowCredit: Getty
    Roma boss Jose Mourinho was impressed by Justin last seasonCredit: Getty
    According to CalcioMercato, the Serie A giants have met with CAA Stellar, which is the agency that represents the right-back.
    The company has a clientele that also includes other Roma transfer targets, such as Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat and Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
    During that meeting between the two parties, Justin’s name arose as a potential prospect.
    And Mourinho was very impressed with the England international last season when Leicester and Roma met in the Europa Conference League.
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    The Portuguese tactician watched the 25-year-old in action during the semi-finals, which saw the Special One’s players knock the Premier League outfit out.
    And Roma are keen to make a move, despite the defender’s recent injury woes.
    The Romans are hoping they can agree a cut-price deal with Leicester due to Justin’s fitness struggles and club’s potential relegation.
    That is why Roma are planning a €20million (£17.8m) bid for the ex-Luton star.
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    Mourinho will need to sign a full-back regardless of where Justin ends up next season.
    The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager had a public falling out with Rick Karsdorp, who is on his way out of the Italian capital.
    Summer signing Zeki Celik has also failed to impress during his brief spell in Rome. More

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    Liverpool pulling out of Bellingham transfer race came out of the blue.. Real Madrid will be rubbing hands with glee

    IT was a bit strange how Liverpool have let it be known that they won’t be signing Jude Bellingham this summer.Because there is only one club Bellingham has publicly stated he wants to play for in the future — and that is Birmingham City!
    Liverpool have pulled out of the bidding war for Borussia Dortmund star Jude BellinghamCredit: Rex
    Borussia Dortmund’s Brummie star has stated he’d like to go back and finish his career with the boyhood club he started out with as a 15-year-old.
    Of course, Jude will not be heading to St Andrews next season.
    Even as club captain and a lifelong Bluenose, I am happy to admit that Real Madrid or the Manchester clubs might be more tempting options for him.
    Many people assume that Jude, who has never played in the Premier League, will fancy a return to English football, but I’m not so sure.
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    Kids of his generation grew up in the Messi-Ronaldo era and most of them know more about Real and Barcelona than any English clubs.
    There is a real lure for them in playing for either of those Spanish giants.
    Just imagine being Jude, though. He is still only 19 and he seems to have all of the world’s biggest and most glamorous clubs desperate to sign him.
    If that was me, my head would explode. It would be the same for most teenage lads.
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    But Jude is still totally at his game, aiming for the Bundesliga title with Dortmund. His head doesn’t seem to have been turned at all.
    In the summer, if he does move, he will be looking around and asking, ‘What is the best project for me?’
    And that wasn’t going to be the Reds, given that they are extremely unlikely to be playing Champions League football and they need an entire midfield overhaul.
    For me, the Santiago Bernabeu is his most likely destination.
    I watched Real against Chelsea on Wednesday and it was no more than a six or seven out of 10 performance by the ridiculously high standards of the 14-time European champions.
    But even then, players like Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior made your jaw drop at times.
    Real are regenerating their midfield – the wonderful Modric is 37 now, Toni Kroos, at 33, has openly talked about retiring this summer, and Casemiro has already moved on to Manchester United.
    Troy Deeney believes Real Madrid will benefit from Liverpool ending Bellingham interestCredit: Getty
    They have some wonderful young players, the likes of 20-year-old Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, 24, Rodrygo and of course Vinicius — both 22.
    I’m sure Jude would love to be part of that. What an opportunity for him it would be.
    And having been at Dortmund since he was 16, he is used to living and playing abroad.
    Going to Madrid will not be as daunting for him as it would be for a young English player moving straight from a  Premier League club.
    Not that anything seems to faze Jude, anyway.
    I think going to Germany at such a young age has been the making of him.
    That formative experience is what will help turn him into a genuine world great.
    I know the family, Jude’s brother Jobe is a team-mate of mine, and I know the move had some challenges for them in the early days but it was the right decision to go to the Bundesliga and it has paid off handsomely.
    Bellingham has attracted immense interest from the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
    I am convinced he will captain England and whichever teams he plays for.
    He’s already skippered Dortmund and they are a massive club with a passionate fanbase.
    It seems that Manchester City will be Real’s main rivals for Jude’s signature.
    I look at how another Brummie, Jack Grealish, has developed so brilliantly under Pep Guardiola and know that Jude could add new dimensions to his already world-class all-round game.
    But then again Real’s gaffer Carlo Ancelotti, with his four European Cups, isn’t exactly a clown, is he?
    As for Liverpool, it seems as if they are keen to sign Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.
    Now, they are two decent players and a lot younger than their current midfield, which clearly needs some refreshing.
    But those two are not players who would go to Anfield and change the whole mood of the club.
    Bellingham still has a soft spot for childhood club BirminghamCredit: PA
    They are more like younger versions of what Liverpool already have.
    Jude would have been that game-changer but I’m not sure he would ever have chosen them above Real, for instance.
    And now that Jurgen Klopp’s team won’t be among the European elite next season, that is even clearer.
    It feels like Liverpool are deliberately lowering the expectations of their supporters ahead of the summer transfer market because so many of those fans seemed convinced that Jude would be the player to revitalise their team.
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    Presumably they thought Liverpool’s passionate fanbase and great history might be an irresistible lure for him.
    But as every Birmingham fan knows, there is only one club Jude gets truly emotional about! More

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    Man Utd bidder Thomas Zilliacus has NOT pulled out of race to buy club but refuses to lodge a third offer

    MANCHESTER UNITED bidder Thomas Zilliacus has confirmed he is still keen to buy the club from the Glazers.That is after Zilliacus lashed out on social media describing the ongoing takeover saga as a “farce” and accusing United’s unpopular owners of disrespecting the club.
    Thomas Zilliacus insists he is still interested in buying Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    Zilliacus is adamant he will not be dragged into a third-round bidding war for Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    However, the Finnish businessman set the record straight by insisting he still wants to win ownership of the Red Devils and his undisclosed second bid still stands.
    But the entrepreneur insists he will not be dragged into a third-round bidding war because he thinks that’s “highly unprofessional”.
    Zilliacus told the BBC: “My earlier offer still stands and I am willing to pay a premium above what I offered.
    “I’m not going to be participating in a third round because I find it highly unprofessional.
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    “I see no reason whatsoever why a third round is basically starting the whole thing from scratch.
    “It seems odd to me that, if there is a genuine will to sell and you have three serious bidders, why you don’t sit down with the bidders, discuss and negotiate and hopefully come to a number that everyone can agree.”
    Zilliacus criticised the Glazers once more as he questioned their will to reinforce the team next season.
    The 69-year-old also warned there is a high possibility the American owners’ handling of the situation will have a “negative impact” on the club.
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    Zilliacus added: “I can’t see the Glazers spending a lot of money on new players. If they have decided to sell the club, why would they do that?
    “The potential to have a negative impact on the club is big and is growing every day when there is no decision on this.”
    This comes after bidders were informed they have until the end of the month to submit revised offers.
    The Glazers are holding out for a staggering £6billion but so far the highest offers, from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim Bin Al Thani, have only reached £5bn. More