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    Bayern Munich eye transfer swoop for Morocco’s World Cup sensation Bono after keeper Manuel Neuer broke leg skiing

    BAYERN MUNICH are reportedly interested in Sevilla and Morocco keeper Bono following his sensational World Cup displays.The Atlas Lions made history on Saturday when they beat Portugal to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
    Bono has been one of the standout performers at the World CupCredit: Getty
    One of Morocco’s standout performers throughout the tournament has been shot-stopper Bono.
    The 31-year-old, real name Yassine Bounou, kept clean sheets in games with Croatia, Spain and Portugal, conceding just one goal against Canada on their way to the last four.
    The only match he has missed in Qatar came in the 2-0 win over Belgium as he was suffering with an illness.
    Bono was the hero in the last-16 against Luis Enrique’s men as he saved penalties from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets in the shootout.
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    According to AS, his incredible form on the biggest stage has attracted interest from Bayern CEO and legendary keeper Oliver Kahn.
    Bono has been playing for LaLiga side Sevilla since 2019 and has a contract until 2025.

    But Kahn is thought to be very keen on the Canadian-born keeper as they look to temporarily replace long-time No1 Manuel Neuer.
    Neuer, 36, is out for the rest of the season after breaking his leg while skiing earlier this month.
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    Aston Villa are also interested in the Moroccan and could be a suitor for Bono should they choose to pursue a deal.
    And if they were to beat Bayern to him, the German champions are also keen on Croatian hero Dominik Livakovic.
    Livakovic, 27, who plays his club football for Dinamo Zagreb, helped his country to the semi-finals of the World Cup by saving spot kicks in TWO penalty shootout victories. More

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    Al Nassr boss hints at Cristiano Ronaldo transfer after Man Utd axe as he says he’d be ‘delighted’ to coach Portugal ace

    AL NASSR manager Rudi Garcia has revealed he would be “delighted” to coach Cristiano Ronaldo.The Portuguese star, 37, saw his Manchester United contract terminated last month following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
    Cristiano Ronaldo is currently a free agent after his Man Utd contract was ripped upCredit: Splash
    Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has confirmed he would love to work with RonaldoCredit: EPA
    He headed to his fifth and final World Cup as a free agent but failed in his quest to lift the trophy.
    Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals, with Ronaldo scoring just one goal.
    And he ended up being dropped for their second round victory over Switzerland and last-eight defeat to Morocco.
    Now he is training with Real Madrid in a bid to keep his fitness up ahead of a January move.
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    Two clubs rumoured to have tabled bids for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner are Saudi sides Al Nassr and Al-Hilal.
    Al Nassr have reportedly offered Ronaldo a £173-million-a-year deal to join them in the Middle East.
    And Al Nassr head coach Rudi Garcia, 58, who was linked with the Man Utd job when Ralf Rangnick eventually took interim charge, has added further speculation to the possibility of Ronaldo joining them.
    Speaking to AS, he said: “I think that any coach would be delighted to train a great star like Cristiano and already in November 2021 I was very close to going to United.
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    “They chose Ralf Rangnick, but I met twice with John Murtough and Darren Fletcher [United’s director of football and technical director]. 
    “I came very close to coaching this club and was very motivated to go, who wouldn’t be motivated to coach United? Any coach.
    “United’s simple interest has allowed me to be sure of my ambitions in the future.
    “I have always thought that the great players are the easiest to manage because they are very intelligent. I verified this with Francesco Totti at Roma.”
    Manager Garcia has taken charge of some high-profile European clubs including Lille, Roma, Marseille and Lyon.

    He only joined Al Nassr in June, leading the side to six wins from their opening eight league matches.
    They currently sit second in the table, three points behind Al-Shabab but two ahead of fellow Ronaldo rivals Al-Hilal. More

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    Man Utd transfer boost with France’s Benjamin Pavard ‘to snub new Bayern Munich deal’ following Red Devils enquiry

    BENJAMIN PAVARD has handed Manchester United a transfer boost as he will reportedly snub a new contract at Bayern Munich.Pavard, 26, is contracted with the German champions until 2024.
    Benjamin Pavard will snub a new Bayern Munich deal in favour of a fresh challengeCredit: Getty
    However, Sport Bild report Pavard will reject a new contract following an enquiry from Man Utd in the summer.
    The Frenchman is understood to be after a fresh challenge after winning all he can with Bayern.
    In November, he told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I’ve won everything with Bayern. I’m ready to evaluate new and interesting projects.”
    Pavard’s market value currently stands at £30million as per transfermarkt.
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    Erik ten Hag is understood to have wanted to sign the former Stuttgart star, who can play right-back or centre-back.
    But no bid ever came in from the Red Devils, with Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro brought in to bolster the team’s spine instead.
    Should United make a move for him again, they are likely to face competition from both AC Milan and Barcelona.
    A particular interest already exists for Milan after Pavard admitted he would like to play with compatriot Olivier Giroud.
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    Pavard started the first game of France’s World Cup campaign, but has not featured since being displaced by Jules Kounde at right-back – with team-mates split over the decision.
    France are in action later today in the World Cup semi-final against Morocco. More

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    Leicester ‘break bank with £39m bid for Morocco World Cup hero Ounahi as they look to beat Barcelona to transfer’

    LEICESTER are ready to launch a huge bid for Morocco star Azzedine Ounahi, according to reports. The 22-year-old has put in a number of impressive performances at the World Cup, helping fire his nation to the semi-finals.
    Azzedine Ounahi has played a huge role in Morocco’s surprise World Cup runCredit: Getty
    And his displays have caught the attention of Leicester, who are supposedly willing to break the bank and bid £39million for him.
    Ounahi plays for Ligue 1 side Angers and is capable of playing as a box-to-box or attacking midfielder.
    He has played 14 games for the French club this season and started all five of Morocco’s matches at the World Cup.
    Ounahi is yet to score or assist this season but his energetic and technically brilliant displays in Qatar have led to clubs taking a closer look at him.
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    Barcelona are reportedly interested but would only make the move for a low price, claim Mundo Deportivo.
    The outlet goes on to say Leicester would happily pay more for him with £39m the fee L’Equipe claim Angers want.

    The Foxes are in danger of losing Youri Tielemans in January as his deal expires at the end of the season.
    With Arsenal one of a number of clubs interested, Brendan Rodgers’ team could swoop for Ounahi to replace him.
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    Just two seasons ago he was playing in the third tier of French football with Avranches and a big move would complete a remarkable rise up the ranks.
    He may not be the only hero from the Morocco team set for a big transfer as Sofyan Amrabat has been linked with Tottenham and Liverpool.
    As some look set to come to the Premier League, Chelsea ace Hakim Ziyech could secure a switch away for more regular minutes after impressing at the World Cup. More

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    Arsenal ‘to launch final Youri Tielemans transfer bid as club fear Leicester ace will sign January pre-contract abroad’

    ARSENAL are reportedly set to launch a final transfer bid to sign Youri Tielemans next month.The Belgian international, 25, has been chased by the North London club since last summer.
    Arsenal are set to make a last-ditch offer for Youri Tielemans next monthCredit: EPA
    Despite entering the final 12 months of his contract, Tielemans remained at the King Power and has been crucial in helping the club recover from their poor start.
    But he is free to speak to overseas clubs regarding a free transfer from January 1 with his deal expiring in June.
    Leicester had been determined to keep him but an extension still appears to be off the table.
    Now Arsenal are reportedly set to test the waters when the window re-opens to try and convince the Foxes to cash in while they still can.
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    The Daily Mirror states that “any decent offer will be very tempting for the Thai-owned Foxes whose financial fortunes have been hit this term with no European football”.
    Leicester forked out £40million for Tielemans to Monaco in 2019 and know they could potentially recoup around half that fee if they sell next month.
    And the Gunners hope that they can beat off any competition from abroad by snapping him up quickly.
    Tielemans, who was part of Belgium’s dismal World Cup campaign, has remained tight-lipped about his future all season.
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    He said back in September: “I’m not going to speak too much about my contract situation at the moment.
    “My family is very happy there [in Leicester] and that’s important. I didn’t leave in the summer as I always said the project had to be the right one.
    “Just because things are getting worse now at Leicester doesn’t mean I should regret [staying]. Whether you are in your last contract year or not, it’s also not the case that I talk to the club every day about my extension or not. That’s work for my agent.” More

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    Tottenham ‘join Inter Milan and Juventus in transfer race for ex-Man Utd and England star Chris Smalling from Roma’

    TOTTENHAM have joined Inter Milan and Juventus in the race to sign Chris Smalling, according to reports. The 33-year-old’s Roma contract expires at the end of this season.
    Chris Smalling is reportedly wanted by SpursCredit: Reuters
    It remains unclear whether the Italian side are willing to offer him a new deal with the player supposedly wanting an improved two-year contract.
    Smalling reportedly would like to stay at Roma as he has become a key man in Jose Mourinho’s defence, helping them win the Conference League last season.
    Mourinho was shocked that he was not part of the Three Lions squad going to the World Cup.
    Smalling has been capped 31 times by England but has not been in a the national team set-up since 2017.
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    The former Manchester United star has rediscovered top form after leaving his homeland and this season he’s featured in all 21 matches for Roma, scoring three goals.
    His good performances have led to Spurs considering a move for him, claim Sky in Italy.
    The North London club would be able to offer Smalling a move back home as manager Antonio Conte looks to bolster his defence ahead of the second half of the campaign.
    Tottenham appear keen to bring in a new defender with Harry Maguire linked to the club.
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    However if Smalling leaves Roma and prefers to stay in Italy then he has options in Inter and Juve.
    The Bianconeri are in crisis after all their board resigned and therefore money for transfers may be restricted, meaning free signings could suit them.

    Meanwhile, Inter have reportedly been left underwhelmed by the performance of centre-back Francesco Acerbi.
    As a result they could swoop for Smalling to replace him. More

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    Pep Guardiola ‘talking with Croatia World Cup star Josko Gvardiol’ as Man City prepare world-record transfer fee

    MANCHESTER CITY are readying a world-record transfer bid for Croatia star Josko Gvardiol, according to reports.The centre-back, 20, has cemented his status as one of the hottest prospects in football with some impressive performances during the World Cup.
    Pep Guardiola is reportedly preparing a world-record bid for a new defenderCredit: Getty
    Man City want Josko Gvardiol after his impressive World Cup displays for CroatiaCredit: Getty
    Unfortunately his and Croatia’s dreams ended on Tuesday night when they were beaten 3-0 by Argentina in the semi-final.
    However, exciting things could still be on the horizon for the RB Leipzig ace as a host of clubs from across Europe chase his services.
    Chelsea have been linked with him for months as have Manchester United and Real Madrid have also entered the chase for his signature.
    Now a new report in France states that Pep Guardiola is preparing to “short-circuit” the competition with a bumper offer.
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    Foot Mercato claims their bid will amount to £86.1million.
    United and Chelsea’s offers are only thought to be up to £81.8m.
    They also claim the German giants have a meeting scheduled with the player’s representatives too.
    But they claim Man City want to blast their competition out of the water by investing heavily in Gvardiol.
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    Boss Guardiola has allegedly already spoken with the defender regarding the move and to sell his project to him.
    Gvardiol remains under contract until 2027 and his employers are under no pressure to sell.
    But City are ready to try to convince them with a transfer offer that will total £94.7m and also includes a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
    That would make Gvardiol the most expensive defender in world football – usurping the £85m Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire.
    And City are also prepared to try and sweeten the deal by buying him next month but allowing him to remain at Leipzig for the rest of the campaign on loan. More

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    Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘relationship with Jorge Mendes erodes as clubs begin bypassing agent to contact Portugal star’

    CRISTIANO RONALDO’S relationship with long-time agent Jorge Mendes is believed to be falling apart, according to reports.The Portuguese superstar, 37, succeeded in having his Manchester United contract ripped up last month following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
    Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Mendes have had a relationship for nearly 20 yearsCredit: Reuters
    Mendes’ relationship with Ronaldo is thought to be erodingCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Following his departure from Old Trafford, he then concentrated on trying to win the World Cup with Portugal.
    But their quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco means he flies back from Qatar a free agent in search of a new club.
    Ronaldo has been linked with big offers from Saudi Arabian sides Al Hilal and Al-Nassr.
    But it remains to be seen whether he will take up those offers – with European interest thought to be few and far between.
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    And according to AS, clubs are now bypassing Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, and speaking to the player himself.
    Mendes, 56, has represented Ronaldo ever since he left Sporting Lisbon to join Man Utd in 2003.
    But now he is thought to be less involved in the Real Madrid legend’s dealings.
    And Antero Henrique, head of the Qatar Stars League, is trying to convince Ronaldo to stay in Qatar after experiencing the culture at the World Cup.
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    However, Henrique has reportedly gone straight to the player in an attempt to lure him back to the Middle East – with Mendes thought to be working on an alternative proposal for his client.
    Ronaldo scored just one goal at the World Cup and was dropped after the group stage.
    But he did equal the men’s international appearance record in the defeat to Morocco, earning his 196th cap for Portugal – a career which includes 118 goals. More