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    Roberto Firmino ‘offered Saudi Arabia transfer after Cristiano Ronaldo but Liverpool star leaning towards new contract’

    ROBERTO FIRMINO could follow in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps with a move to Saudi Arabia.But the Brazilian would reportedly prefer to pen a new contract with Liverpool instead.
    Roberto Firmino is wanted by Saudi Arabian sides but would prefer a new Liverpool dealCredit: Getty
    Firmino could join Cristiano Ronaldo in the desert – but not at Al-NassrCredit: AFP
    Ronaldo, 37, stunned footy fans by accepting a £173million-a-year deal to join Middle Eastern giants Al-Nassr following his Manchester United exit.
    The Portugal legend is unlikely to ever be seen again in Europe’s top flight.
    But Ronaldo is not the first big name to move to Saudi Arabia, with aces including Champions League winner Luiz Gustavo and ex-Man Utd striker Odion Ighalo plying their trade there.
    And now Liverpool ace Firmino is being lined up for a dance in the desert despite links with Atletico Madrid and several Serie A sides.
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    Sky Germany claim the 31-year-old has received approaches from several Saudi sides after entering the final six months of his Reds deal.
    Firmino can strike a pre-contract agreement right now, with foreign clubs able to secure a free transfer abroad this summer.
    But Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are understood to not be in the running.
    And those who are may be left disappointed, as Firmino’s priority is to continue at Anfield.
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    It’s believed talks with Liverpool over a renewal are well underway, and both parties are taking a relaxed approach in negotiations.
    Firmino can certainly go down in the history books on Merseyside following his £29million move from Hoffenheim in 2015.
    The 55-time Brazil international has scored 107 goals in 348 games for Liverpool, winning a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the process. More

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    Crystal Palace star Michael Olise ’emerges as shock PSG transfer target as they consider linking him up with Messi’

    PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN are interested in a shock move for Crystal Palace star Michael Olise, according to reports.The 21-year-old has impressed with the Eagles this season and the French side are keen on the young winger as they plan for the future.
    Michael Olise is being tracked by PSGCredit: Reuters
    Michael Olise could get the chance to be in the team with the likes of Lionel MessiCredit: Reuters
    A potential transfer could see Olise play alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
    PSG are supposedly monitoring his performances, claim the Daily Mail.
    If PSG do make the reported shock move, they would be able to offer Olise the chance to play Champions League football.
    It is unclear how much the Ligue 1 champions would be willing to spend on him but the player has a reported £50million release clause and a contract that runs until 2026.
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    Olise moved to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021, signing for a reported fee of £8.37million from Reading, where he won the EFL Young Player of the Season award.
    Last campaign he caught the eye with appearances coming mainly off the substitutes bench to net four goals and get assist eight in all competitions.
    However, in this season, he has started to make Patrick Vieira’s starting line-up more regularly, featuring from the beginning in 13 of 19 matches.
    He has scored once and assisted a further four with his displays leading to him being called-up to the France Under-21 side.
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    It could be a busy window for Crystal Palace with Jack Butland nearing a switch to Manchester United.
    And former Selhurst Park ace Aaron Wan-Bissaka could move back the other way, returning to his old club.
    Meanwhile, the future of Wilfried Zaha is in doubt as clubs like Barcelona are reportedly keen. More

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    Fulham ‘consider Abdoulaye Doucoure transfer bid with Everton willing to let midfielder leave in January’

    FULHAM are reportedly lining up a bid to bring Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure to Craven Cottage in the January transfer window.The 30-year-old Mali international has started just two Premier League matches for the the Toffees so far this season.
    Abdoulaye Doucoure, left, is being linked with a move away from EvertonCredit: Getty
    That is despite Frank Lampard’s side struggling at the bottom of the table.
    According to The Athletic, Everton are now willing to let him depart on a permanent transfer.
    Doucoure has just six months left on his existing deal, so a loan is not believed to be on the cards.
    But they will listen to offers, with Fulham reportedly keen to secure him ahead of interest from Turkey and the Middle East.
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    The Cottagers are said to have held discussions about a deal.
    Doucoure who could see his contract extended by a further 12 months if Everton wish to trigger the clause, arrived from Watford for £22million in 2020.
    Prior to the move, he did spend some time playing for the Hornets under current Fulham boss Marco Silva.
    Since coming to Goodison Park, he has contributed five goals and seven assists in 79 appearances.
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    He came on in the 58th minute of the 4-1 defeat to Brighton on Tuesday evening.
    Lampard opted to line up with a midfield trio of Tom Davies, Idrissa Gueye and Alex Iwobi.
    Everton currently sit 18th in the Premier League table and have not won in seven games in all competitions.
    Contrastingly, Fulham are flying high in seventh, winning their last three matches. More

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    Jack Butland to have Man Utd medical TODAY ahead of shock loan transfer from Crystal Palace

    JACK BUTLAND will undergo a medical on Thursday ahead of a loan move to Manchester United, according to reports.The Crystal Palace keeper, 29, is expected to join Erik ten Hag’s squad until the end of the season.
    Jack Butland is set to join Man Utd as back-up to David de GeaCredit: Getty
    He only has six months left on his existing deal with the Eagles, although the club do have the option to extend his contract by a further year.
    Man Utd are keen to bring in a back-up to David de Gea after Newcastle recalled Martin Dubravka – with Tom Heaton and Nathan Bishop their only other options.
    They did consider recalling their own loanee Dean Henderson, 25, but ended up determining the best move was to let him stay at Nottingham Forest.
    And according to The Athletic, Butland, who has a house in Manchester from his time at Stoke, is preparing for his Man Utd medical on Thursday.
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    He has not played any Premier League football so far this season and only featured 10 times in the league for Palace since joining in 2020.
    The club’s No1 Vicente Guaita has largely kept him out of the first team since he arrived for £1million.
    However, Butland has been unavailable for selection for much of the current campaign due to a fractured finger.
    He spent two seasons as Stoke’s first-choice keeper in the Premier League between 2015 and 2018.
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    And he has also been capped nine times by England – the last of which came four and a half years ago.
    He became the youngest ever keeper to represent the Three Lions in 2012 at 19 years 158 days.
    He has also gone to two major tournaments – Euro 2012 and the 2018 World Cup.
    Butland, if signed in time, could make his debut in United’s FA Cup game against Everton on Friday or their Carabao Cup clash with Charlton on Tuesday.
    Man Utd have been linked with a number of top keepers such as Porto’s Diogo Costa and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Yann Sommer.
    But these are seen as potential replacements for De Gea in the summer as his contract is set to expire. More

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    Chelsea ‘fail in Enzo Fernandez transfer bid after offering Benfica £79m, Hakim Ziyech and two players on loan’

    CHELSEA have reportedly seen an offer for Enzo Fernandez of £79million, Hakim Ziyech AND two players on loan rejected by Benfica.The 21-year-old Argentine is being heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the January window.
    Enzo Fernandez’s stock has risen considerably since the World CupCredit: Getty
    Record are reporting Chelsea have offered cash and players for FernandezCredit: Record
    But his current club Benfica will not let him go for a cut price, particularly considering his release clause stands at £106m.
    Chelsea were attempting to navigate the sizable fee by putting players forward as part of the deal.
    According to Record, they submitted a cash amount of £75m.
    That was then propped up by the addition of Ziyech, 29, who shone with Morocco at the World Cup but has been out of favour in west London for some time.
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    And then the Blues were also willing to hand Benfica two players on loan.
    One of those was 20-year-old midfielder David Datro Fofana – who only joined Chelsea in the January window.
    And the other was Brazilian Audrey Santos, 18, who is yet to complete a move from Vasco da Gama.
    However, Benfica president Rui Costa is believed to have shown “a lot of displeasure” at the offer as they understood Chelsea were willing to hand over £112m across three payments.
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    Fernandez only joined Benfica in the summer and has a contract with the Portuguese giants until 2027.
    He was brilliant for Argentina in Qatar, starting their final group game and all subsequent knockout stage matches on their way to World Cup glory.
    As a result of his superb performances, the talented South American was named the Young Player of the Tournament.
    Meanwhile, Chelsea are keen to arrest their slump as they currently sit 10th in the Premier League table.
    New owner Todd Boehly spent more than £250m in the summer but it does not seem to have paid off.
    And now they are looking at a host of deals in the January window including Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile.
    Datro David Fofana has joined Chelsea from FK Molde but could be loaned outCredit: Getty
    Hakim Ziyech looks to be on his way out of ChelseaCredit: Getty More

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    Man Utd up Joao Felix transfer bid to £3.5m as they look to take star on loan… but Atletico Madrid want £10.5m

    MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly increased their offer to try and sign Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, but remain £6.5million short of the asking price. Felix, 23, has been targeted by United after they lost Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr and missed out on Cody Gakpo.
    Joao Felix’s move to Man Utd is under threat unless Utd nearly treble their bidCredit: Rex
    But it appears United have some way to go if they want to land the Portugal ace, who scored for Madrid against Elche in La Liga.
    In fact, they will need to almost triple their current offer, according to Relevo.
    United have submitted a £3.5m straight loan fee to the Spaniards with a full wage commitment.
    However, Diego Simeone’s outfit want £10.5m in order to allow him to leave on loan this January.
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    These demands could cause an issue with both Felix and United.
    Felix’s relationship with Simeone is far from ideal at the moment, evidenced by his current desire to leave the club for a fresh taste of football elsewhere.
    It will also cause an issue for United, who do not have the financial means to justify such a large sum for a spell which will last just six months.
    Erik ten Hag has previously said the club will not “burn” through money, and considering the club overspent in the summer it is not something they can afford to do from a sporting or financial standpoint.
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    Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal ace Olivier Giroud has been earmarked as a target in January, though the Frenchman expects to be offered a new deal by AC Milan before his current deal expires.
    United have just scored seven goals in three matches in the Premier League without conceding a single goal.
    But the side’s struggles for manpower have grown more apparent after Donny van de Beek’s horror injury and the already well-documented fitness issues of Anthony Martial.
    Marcus Rashford has been able to shoulder much of the goalscoring burden this year, but should he hit a dry patch it is difficult to see who may be another reliable source of goals.
    Ten Hag has ruled out recalling Amad Diallo from his loan at Sunderland, while a recently returned Jadon Sancho remains some way short of match consideration. More

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    Arsenal ‘cool Tielemans interest despite Leicester ace being available for cut price transfer’ as Arteta eyes attackers

    ARSENAL have reportedly “cooled” their interest in signing Leicester City star Youri Tielemans.The Gunners have been keen on the 25-year-old Belgian international for months.
    Arsenal have ‘cooled’ their interest in signing Youri Tielemans this monthCredit: Getty
    They were keen on bringing him in last summer and have been heavily linked with swoop in the January window.
    Tielemans has less than six months remaining on his deal with Leicester and is free to negotiate a pre-contract with overseas clubs.
    That means he could be available for a cut-price fee this month with a number of team keen.
    Chelsea have allegedly now shown interest in the former Anderlecht and Monaco man, while he also has options in Spain.
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    However, Football London are now reporting that the Gunners “are not thought to be keen”.
    With striker Gabriel Jesus ruled out through injury, Mikel Arteta is desperate to bring in reinforcements during the January transfer window for table-topping Arsenal.
    Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk has emerged as his No1 target.
    However, we reported earlier how the Ukrainian club are set to reject Arsenal’s improved £62million bid for 21-year-old amid Chelsea’s late interest.
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    Arteta was quizzed about his squad’s depth following yesterday’s stalemate with Newcastle and whether if it would have helped having a new signing in his ranks.
    He replied: “I don’t know. That’s something more for Edu and the board to respond. We are really trying to improve the squad in every window.
    “We’re trying to do our best because we cannot waste any windows still with the squad and the numbers that we have. We will try.” More

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    Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez transfer bid ‘REJECTED as Benfica demand £106m release clause up front’

    BENFICA have reportedly REJECTED Chelsea’s first transfer offer to buy Enzo Fernandez. Fernandez, 21, is wanted by the Blues to help provide a long-term solution to their midfield issues.
    Enzo Fernandez in action for BenficaCredit: EPA
    However, he has a massive £106million release clause at Benfica.
    And the Portuguese are demanding that fee up front in order to sanction a January sale.
    And now Ben Jacobs has reported that Benfica have outright rejected Chelsea’s first bid.
    This offer in question, believed to be £112m in structured instalments, was set to smash the Premier League transfer record and was over the value of the release clause.
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    But Benfica are understandably reluctant to sell following his World Cup winning exploits with Argentina.
    In order to make a deal happen, they want Fernandez’s release clause paid in full with as much money up front as possible.
    Fernandez appears to be gearing up for the move as well.
    He flew home against the advice of boss Roger Schmidt for New Year, landing himself in hot water for doing so.
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    And he has reportedly agreed personal terms with Chelsea ahead of the move.
    Should a deal for him be completed alongside Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk, it could mean Todd Boehly would have spent £520m on new players in just seven months. More