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      Arsenal beg Shakhtar to be realistic over £85m Mudryk transfer valuation after seeing Liverpool get Gakpo for half

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      ARSENAL want Shakhtar Donetsk to set a more realistic asking price for transfer target Mykhailo Mudryk.And they are pointing to Cody Gakpo’s move to Liverpool — for £37million rising to £45m — as a guideline.
      Shakhtar Donetsk are playing hardball over Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Getty
      Liverpool have completed a £45m deal for Cody GakpoCredit: Getty
      Shakhtar have already rejected the Gunners’ offer of £35m, plus a further £17.5m in easily achievable add-ons.
      The Ukrainian club have shown little sign of budging from their hefty £85m valuation of Mudryk.
      But Arsenal believe that is an unreasonable price for a 21-year-old winger with little more than 18 months of Ukrainian league football under his belt.
      They have noted that Liverpool are only paying PSV Eindhoven an initial £37m for Dutch star Gakpo, who arrived on Merseyside on Wednesday.
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      Arsenal have already bid more for Mudryk.
      And it is not lost on the Prem leaders that Gakpo is two years older than Mudryk, has 100 more games, 50 more goals — plus was also a star at the World Cup.
      Yet Shakhtar sporting director Darijo Srna continues to claim Mudryk is in the same bracket as Brazil forward Antony, who cost Manchester United £85.5m from Ajax in the summer.
      And he even mentioned the £100m British-record fee which Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish.
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      But Arsenal suspect that Srna is trying to start a bidding war for a player Shakhtar are resigned to selling in January.
      Everton, Roma and Brentford all tried to sign Mudryk last summer but will NOT go beyond £30m.
      And there have been no other offers to even rival the Gunners’ opening bid.
      Mudryk has repeatedly spoken of his admiration for Arsenal in interviews.
      But with the Ukrainian league shut down for a three-month winter break, Mudryk has been ordered to return for the start of training on January 9.
      Arsenal are now hoping to reach a compromise agreement with Shakhtar and break the deadlock by offering a guaranteed £45m — plus as much as £15m in add-ons.
      Boss Mikel Arteta is keen to get the player on board quickly, to allow him to rest Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
      And owner Stan Kroenke is backing him with the financial resources. More

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      Chelsea agree £105m fee with Benfica for Enzo Fernandez as they pip Man Utd and Liverpool to club-record transfer

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      CHELSEA are willing to pay the £105MILLION release clause of World Cup star Enzo Fernandez in the January window.Benfica midfielder Fernandez, 21, shone for Argentina in Qatar, winning Young Player of the Tournament as they defeated France in the final on penalties earlier this month.
      Enzo Fernandez has a release clause worth £105millionCredit: Getty
      Enzo Fernandez was named as the best young player at the World Cup
      Liverpool and Manchester United are also showing an interest.
      However, Blues officials have stolen a march and informed Portuguese giants Benfica of their desire to get the deal done.
      Fernandez has a contract until 2027, with Benfica playing hardball to keep him.
      But in a meeting with club president Rui Costa and super-agent Jorge Mendes, they were told the mammoth release clause would be no issue.
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      It would be the biggest transfer fee paid in the club’s history, beating the £97.5m they paid for flop striker Romelu Lukaku in 2021.
      And now the west Londoners are tasked with reaching a personal agreement with Fernandez and his representatives.
      Chelsea are desperate to secure his services with Premier League rivals United and Liverpool preferring to wait until the summer to submit their bids.
      Fernandez scored his first and only goal for Argentina in their 2-0 group stage win over Mexico, becoming the second youngest scorer for his nation at a World Cup behind Lionel Messi.
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      Midfield is a position boss Graham Potter is keen to bolster, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante’s deals expiring at the end of the season.
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      Chelsea remain interested in summer targets Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, but are determined to improve that area over the next few weeks.
      It has been an aggressive start to the winter window for the west Londoners, with 20-year-old Molde striker David Datro Fofana arriving on January 1 for £8m.
      The wonderkid will come in to replace the injured Armando Broja, who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, and provide competition for Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
      Ivory Coast international Fofana scored 15 times in 24 matches for the Norwegian side to help them to their recent league title, with the club acknowledging he now wanted to “follow in the footsteps of legend Didier Drogba.”
      Chelsea have also agreed a £50m deal to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku next summer. More

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      Chelsea confirm transfer of David Datro Fofana with Molde striker linking up with Graham Potter’s men in January

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      CHELSEA have confirmed the signing of David Datro Fofana from Molde in a £10.5million deal.The Blues have been eager to strengthen their forward line, particularly after the devastating, season-ending injury suffered by Armando Broja.
      David Datro Fofana will join Chelsea on January 1Credit: Getty
      Confirming their latest signing, an official club statement read: “Chelsea FC has reached a pre-agreement with Molde FK for the transfer of David Datro Fofana.
      “The 20-year-old striker will join the Blues on 1 January 2023. We look forward to welcoming David to the club!”
      Chelsea’s latest transfer takes their total spend since Todd Boehly’s arrival as owner well above the £250million mark.
      The 20-year-old follows the likes of namesake Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Carney Chukwuemeka in joining the Boehly revolution.
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      And he is Chelsea’s first signing since the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and appointment of Graham Potter.
      Fofana has been enjoying a prolific season in Norway, scoring 17 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions.
      He joined Molde from Ivorian academy AFAD in February 2021, quickly becoming a star man for his new club.
      Fofana scored 24 goals and assisted a further 10 in 65 total outings for the Norwegian top flight outfit.
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      Molde have a rich pedigree of producing world class strikers, having previously boasted both Erling Haaland and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer among their ranks.
      Fofana primarily plays up front, but has filled in on the right wing on occasion.
      Despite his youth, he has already earned two senior caps for Ivory Coast.
      Chelsea have a rich pedigree of Ivorian stars, with Didier Drogba arguably their greatest ever forward.
      They also had Salomon Kalou on their books for six years, with both he and Drogba helping the Blues to their first ever Champions League success.
      Fofana already has some continental experience himself, having played regularly in the Europa Conference League for Molde.
      The young forward has already been prolific for MoldeCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd ‘identify Alvaro Morata as Cristiano Ronaldo transfer replacement and could launch January bid for Atletico ace’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly identified Alvaro Morata as a short-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.The Red Devils are on the lookout for a new attacker after missing out on Cody Gakpo.
      Manchester United could make a loan swoop for Alvaro MorataCredit: Getty
      Boss Erik ten Hag was left frustrated as bitter rivals Liverpool swooped in to steal the Dutchman away from Old Trafford.
      But he remains hopeful a Ronaldo replacement can be found in January, according to ESPN.
      However, summer spending means United’s budget in January is restricted.
      As a result the club are eyeing short-term loan deals until the end of the campaign.
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      And former Chelsea ace Morata, 30, is one potential option.
      Morata’s Atletico Madrid team-mate Joao Felix is also available.
      However, the Spaniards are said to be demanding a hefty loan fee and all of his wages to be paid, which would cost United £19million in total.
      Felix has also been linked with a switch to Chelsea.
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      That could see United swoop for Morata, who has scored five goals in 14 La Liga games this season.
      He also netted three goals in four games for Spain at the World Cup.
      United boss Ten Hag said after the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday that the Red Devils remain on the lookout for a striker.
      He revealed: “I think we are always in the market but it has to match the sporting criteria and also the financial criteria.” More

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      Real Madrid ‘step up Jude Bellingham transfer chase’ amid competition from Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City

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      REAL MADRID are set to accelerate their move for Jude Bellingham, according to reports in Spain.The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is wanted by elite clubs all over Europe, having impressed for England at the World Cup.
      Jude Bellingham impressed for England at the World CupCredit: PA
      Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are all jostling for the teenage sensation.
      But Madrid want to muscle their way to the front of the queue.
      According to this morning’s edition of Marca, the LaLiga champions are set to move quickly to sign the former Birmingham City prodigy.
      They ran with the front page headline: “Acceleration for Bellingham”.
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      A previous report from the Madrid-based paper claimed that Real asked the 19-year-old not to extend his Dortmund contract in a bid to make a move easier.
      Bellingham’s current deal with the Bundesliga club runs until 2025.
      And it reportedly contains a previously unknown £60million release clause – which could be particularly bad news for Chelsea.
      The Blues are willing to splash whatever it takes to sign Bellingham, even if the fee is north of £100m.
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      Marca claim Real Madrid are about ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of Bellingham
      But a £60m fee brings other suitors with less deep pockets back into the race.
      Bellingham is claimed in some quarters to favour a move to Liverpool – having already built up strong relationships with England team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.
      The midfielder is the Reds’ No1 target, after they sealed a £37m deal to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV earlier this week.
      Since England’s elimination from the World Cup, Bellingham has been enjoying some downtime back in Blighty.
      He made an emotional return to St Andrew’s to watch his beloved Birmingham City and say a proper goodbye to their fans.
      While he also visited Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
      Bellingham, 19, was most recently spotted at Turf Moor watching his brother Jobe in action for Birmingham against Burnley last night.
      Jude Bellingham has three league goals for Dortmund this season
      Bellingham, 19, recently returned to St Andrew’sCredit: PA More

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      Arsenal and Man Utd fans in hilarious transfer tug-of-war over Rafael Leao as they keep changing star’s Wikipedia

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      RAFAEL LEAO is at the centre of a hilarious transfer tug-of-war between Manchester United, Arsenal, Coventry City and non-league FC Clacton… according to Wikipedia.The AC Milan winger, 23, has attracted plenty of transfer attention from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and the Red Devils.
      Rafael Leao could be on his way to the Premier League very soonCredit: Getty
      The AC Milan ace had his name and club edited on WikipediaCredit: Wikipedia
      The hacker suggest Leao now plays for Coventry CityCredit: Wikipedia
      And according to one cheeky fan, a secret transfer was sealed to take Leao to Old Trafford this morning.
      The prankster managed to edit the Portugal star’s Wikipedia page to say he had joined United in 2022 but is yet to make an appearance for his new club.
      However, they made a slight error by suggesting he made the switch in 2022 – because the transfer window does not open until January 1, 2023.
      The page was quickly corrected back to restoring Leao as an AC Milan, much to the delight of the San Siro faithful.
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      But that was by no means the end of the drama as his page was still edited to add Leao’s nickname as Betinho.
      That came after his compatriot and third-tier player was somehow named on the Premier League website in the United squad as their new No11.
      The blunder caused much hilarity of social media – and even Betinho saw the funny side as he joined in with the fun.
      And in a further twist, the hacker managed to change Leao’s employers to crisis-club Coventry with a superb return of nine goals in just six Championship matches.
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      Leao also had very brief stints with Arsenal, Nepali side Manang Marsyangdi Club, Exeter City and even Essex Senior League side FC Clacton as the brilliant battle raged on for the £86million-rated star.
      Leao, though, remains at AC Milan for now.
      Reports suggest City may be willing to offer Jack Grealish in a swap transfer to land the former Lille ace.
      However, the 27-year-old’s £300,000-per-week Etihad wages may well put Milan off.
      Leao is focused on his return to action with Milan on January 4 – but admitted he may well be open to a switch and has been enjoying watching Arsenal a lot this term.
      Asked about a possible transfer to a new league, the ex-Lille ace said: “Yes, in the future.
      “But now, I’m 100 per cent focused on Milan.
      “I’m at a top club and I’m under contract. I also like the city.
      “I’ve seen a lot of games this year, I like Arsenal, I think they play very well.”
      AC Milan chief executive Paulo Maldini is confident his club do not have to sell from a financial perspective – but admitted every player has a price tag.
      The former defender said on Leao: “He is a player of the highest level.
      “But not only him, also others have received offers.
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      “If they show up anyway we have to see how to do it even if we don’t need to sell, our financial accounts are okay.
      “But the players that cannot be sold now no longer exist.”
      The winger made the shock move from Serie A to the Essex Senior League
      Manang Marsyangdi and Exeter are among Leao’s list of clubs More

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      Chris Smalling ‘given contract ultimatum by Roma’ as ex-Man Utd star linked with transfer bids from Juventus and Inter

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      CHRIS SMALLING has been offered a two-year contract extension by Roma, according to reports.The former Manchester United defender joined the Italian outfit, initially on loan, from the Red Devils in 2019.
      Chris Smalling has been offered a new contract by RomaCredit: Getty
      He has excelled in Serie A, becoming a key man at the back for the Italian side.
      Smalling, 33, is set to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign.
      Roma want to keep the experienced centre-back at the club – but without giving him a pay rise.
      According to Corriere dello Sport, Smalling has been offered a two-year contract on the same terms that he’s on now.
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      He is claimed to have been offered around £3million-a-year for two seasons – with the former England international wanting a rise to £3.5m.
      An extra year on his current terms appears likely to be triggered, with a clause stipulating that his deal will be automatically extended if he plays in 50 per cent of Roma’s matches this season.
      He has featured in every match thus far both in Serie A and the Europa League.
      Despite Roma’s reluctance to raise his salary, Smalling isn’t short of interest from elsewhere.
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      Reports earlier this month claimed that Inter Milan and Juventus were both keen on a move for Smalling.
      While Tottenham have also been linked with a move for the veteran defender.
      Roma have underwhelmed in Italy so far this season and sit in seventh place in the league table.
      They have more Europa League football to look forward to in the second half of the campaign, having drawn RB Salzburg in the next round.
      The Serie A side won the inaugural Europa Conference League last term.
      Smalling, 33, has performed well in ItalyCredit: AP More

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      Man City ‘prepared to offer Jack Grealish in sensational transfer swap deal for AC Milan star Rafael Leao’

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      MANCHESTER CITY are considering offering Jack Grealish in a sensational swap deal with Rafael Leao, according to shock reports. The Etihad club would be keen to bring in the AC Milan and Portugal winger as they battle Chelsea and Arsenal for his signature.
      Rafael Leao could be on his way to the Premier LeagueCredit: Reuters
      Jack Grealish has struggled to make his mark at Manchester CityCredit: Getty
      But according to Calciomercatoweb, they may offer their record signing to help seal the deal.
      However, it is unclear if Milan would be open to an exchange as they have concerns over Grealish’s age and his whopping £300,000-a-week wages.
      The 27-year-old – who did a shift as an Amazon driver for a Christmas promo – has struggled to find his Prime form since his £100million transfer from Aston Villa in 2021.
      He has delivered just seven goals and four assists in 56 games so far under Pep Guardiola – including just one goal and zero assists this term.
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      And it is thought the City manager may be willing to let the England star go to bring in Leao, who has just 18 months left on his San Siro contract.
      Leao, 23, is attracting plenty of interest with his strong performances on the left wing over the last three years.
      This term, the wide man has seven goals and nine assists in 20 appearances.
      And he starred in his cameos at the World Cup with goals in the wins over Ghana and Switzerland as Portugal reached the quarter-finals.
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      Leao is focused on his return to action with Milan on January 4 – but admitted he may well be open to a switch and has been enjoying watching Arsenal a lot this term.
      Asked about a possible transfer to a new league, the ex-Lille ace said: “Yes, in the future.
      “But now, I’m 100 per cent focused on Milan.
      “I’m at a top club and I’m under contract. I also like the city.
      “I’ve seen a lot of games this year, I like Arsenal, I think they play very well.”
      AC Milan chief executive Paulo Maldini is confident his club do not have to sell from a financial perspective – but admitted every player has a price tag.
      The former defender said on Leao: “He is a player of the highest level.
      “But not only him, also others have received offers.
      “If they show up anyway we have to see how to do it even if we don’t need to sell, our financial accounts are okay.
      “But the players that cannot be sold now no longer exist.”
      City are also very hopeful of signing Jude Bellingham next year.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Borussia Dortmund ace, 19, is a top transfer priority for City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
      But as revealed by SunSport, the reigning Premier League champions are confident the midfielder will snub a move to Anfield or the Bernabeu to play under Guardiola. More