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      Barcelona ‘eye Wilfried Zaha free transfer as club seek cut price replacement for flops Ferran Torres and Raphinha’

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      BARCELONA are reportedly interested in signing Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer.Zaha, 30, has been on top form so far this season, with six goals and two assists in 15 Premier League games for Crystal Palace.
      Barcelona are interested in signing ZahaCredit: PA
      However, his future at Selhurst Park is in serious doubt.
      The winger has just six months remaining on his current contract and he is yet to agree terms for a new deal.
      On New Year’s Day, he became free to negotiate a pre-contract with overseas clubs.
      And according to Fichajes, La Liga giants Barcelona are considering a swoop.
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      The cash-strapped Catalan giants are currently seeking a replacement for out-of-favour attacker Ferran Torres.
      Torres joined the club in a £55million transfer from Manchester City 12 months ago, but he has failed to impress Barca boss Xavi.

      The Spaniard has scored 12 goals in 45 appearances since joining Barcelona last winter, but he quickly fell down the pecking order at the club when Robert Lewandowski signed in the summer transfer window.
      Xavi is now hopeful that Torres will be sold for a reasonable fee this month.
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      Barcelona are seeking a replacement for TorresCredit: Getty
      Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing the striker as a back-up for Harry Kane.
      Fichajes claim that Spurs are willing to offer £31m for Torres.
      Arsenal and AC Milan are also known to be considering a move. More

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      Desperate Nottingham Forest aim to sell Emmanuel Dennis back to Watford with no other English club able to sign £15m dud

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      DESPERATE Nottingham Forest are aiming to selling Emmanuel Dennis BACK to Watford.That’s because no other English club can sign the £15million flop this month.
      Nottingham Forest are ready to sell Emmanuel Dennis… with a Watford return possibleCredit: Getty
      Dennis, 25, joined newly-promoted Forest last summer after netting 10 Premier League goals with relegated Watford.
      However, the Nigeria international has managed just one goal in 10 games for his new side.
      And the Telegraph claims Steve Cooper is ready to axe Dennis as he seeks fresh arrivals.
      The Forest boss and other coaching staff were reportedly left “infuriated” after Dennis’ shoddy performance in last week’s defeat to Manchester United.
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      But there is one sticking point for Forest, as Dennis is unable to sign for another English side until the summer.
      Before his move to the City Ground, Dennis made two appearances for Watford in the Championship.

      Players in England cannot feature for more than two clubs in a season.
      And the only club available to Dennis in this country is Watford, who are yet to indicate whether they will bid for their former player.
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      It means Forest could look abroad for an exit, even though they may struggle to recoup Dennis’ £15m fee.
      However, his exit will help Cooper land a couple of targets, including a centre-back, a holding midfielder and a forward.
      Other players on the transfer list include Harry Arter, Cafu, Lyle Taylor and Loic Mbe Soh.
      Meanwhile, Josh Bowler is expected to return from his Olympiacos loan before rejoining Blackpool until the summer.
      Reflecting on potential January business after the 1-1 draw with Chelsea, Cooper said: “If there’s things to help the club then we will do that. 
      “The summer was the summer. We have to look at where we’re at now. 
      “We’ve picked up some long-term injuries to some key players so if we can add players in the right positions then we will want to do that.
      “I’ll work day by day with the players coming through the training ground and trusting the club to get to work.
      “If we can add the right players in the right positions we want to do that.” More

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      Leeds sign Max Wober in £14m transfer for Salzburg defender as Marsch looks for reinforcements to avoid drop

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      LEEDS have confirmed the signing of Max Wober from Red Bull Salzburg.The deal is subject to a work permit but the centre-back has become Leeds’ first January signing.
      Leeds have confirmed the signing of Max WoberCredit: Getty
      As a result he is unlikely to be registered in time for the visit of West Ham tomorrow but could be available for the FA Cup tie against Cardiff on Sunday.
      The centre-back, 24, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League strugglers.
      And it is believed Leeds paid £14million to seal his capture.
      Wober has worked with Jesse Marsch previously and was signed by the American when he was Salzburg manager.

      He made 125 appearances for the Austrian outfit and won the league three times in a row between 2019-2022.
      The defender, who can also play as a left-back, has had spells with Ajax and Sevilla.

      Wober adds international experience to the Leeds squad too and has 13 Austria caps under his belt.
      And he reportedly decided to join Leeds following a telephone conversation with Marsch just before Christmas.
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      Leeds could now turn their attention to other targets after reportedly enquiring about Everton’s Mason Holgate.
      They are also set to offer Mateo Joseph a new contract. More

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      Arsenal could enter Declan Rice transfer battle with West Ham ‘to accept fee close to £70m and star wanting London move’

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      ARSENAL could enter the race to sign Declan Rice from West Ham, according to reports.The midfielder has been on the wishlist of a number of top clubs for some time but the Hammers have refused to let him go.
      Arsenal could try to sign Declan RiceCredit: Reuters
      But with 18 months remaining on his contract and having turned down a new deal, Rice could be heading off.
      Chelsea have been heavily linked with his signature but according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, the Gunners could also make a move.
      Manchester United are also considering a bid for Rice, who could be sold for closer to £70million.
      West Ham previously demanded £100m to let the England star leave.
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      Liverpool are another club in the race to sign Rice, with the Irons said to be resigned to losing him in the summer.
      Jacobs claims Rice would prefer a London move having been born and raised in the capital – he also played for Chelsea at youth level.

      But Hammers boss David Moyes is desperate to keep Rice and is hopeful the midfielder will decide to stay at the London Stadium.
      He said: “He wants to win and he wants to play for a really good side, which is going to give him that opportunity to do so.
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      “We hope that we can reach the Champions League — it is looking difficult at this moment in time but we are not just going to roll over and let Dec walk out of the building, that is for sure. It is going to be a big fight.”
      Rice won’t be sold in the upcoming January transfer window, but West Ham could cash in on him in the summer.
      Chelsea are believed to be leading the race to sign Rice but are in the process of completing a deal for another midfielder, Enzo Fernandez. More

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      Chelsea set to sign Enzo Fernandez for £112m Premier League record transfer fee as Blues pay MORE than release clause

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      CHELSEA are reportedly set to sign Benfica star Enzo Fernandez for a Premier League record fee.The midfielder impressed at the World Cup, picking up the Young Player of the Tournament award after his Argentina side beat France in the final.
      Chelsea have agreed a fee with Benfica to sign Enzo FernandezCredit: EPA
      And now Chelsea are set to finalise his transfer for a fee of £112million, according to The Mirror’s Colin Millar.
      That is £6m more than Fernandez’s release clause of £106m.
      But the Blues are happy to pay a little extra as it allows them to pay for the 21-year-old in installments.
      It means Benfica will rake in a massive profit on Fernandez, having signed him for just £8m from River Plate last summer.
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      Despite that, the Portuguese side attempted to persuade Fernandez to stay until the end of the season, pointing out the fact Chelsea may not qualify for the Champions League.
      But the midfielder is believed to have rejected their pleas and then infuriated manager Roger Schmidt by flying back to Argentina for a New Year’s Eve party.
      Now Fernandez needs to agree personal terms and complete a medical before being finalised as a Chelsea player.
      He could become Chelsea’s fourth January signing following the capture of David Dafro Fofana and the imminent arrivals of Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile.
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      And the club looks set to continue their spending with other midfielder targets in mind.
      Argentina team-mate Alexis Mac Allister is on Chelsea’s wishlist along with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who they targeted in the summer window.

      Those potential arrivals could lead to this being Jorginho’s final season at Stamford Bridge.
      The Italy international is out of contract in 2023 and wants to return to Serie A. More

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      Spurs fans slam Levy but he’s built world-class stadium, hired elite boss and led club to first Champions League final

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      SO what has Daniel Levy ever done for Tottenham?Apart from building a world-class stadium and training ground, appointing a world-class manager, reaching a first European Cup final in the club’s history and constructing a squad which boasts a World Cup-winning skipper, a World Cup-winning centre-half, the captain of England, the centre-forward of Brazil..?
      Daniel Levy has been criticised by certain sections of the fanbaseCredit: Dan Weir / MatchDay Images Limited
      As Spurs’ faithful demand Levy and bankroller Joe Lewis ‘get out of their club’ and as Antonio Conte stages one of his ‘woe-is-me’ rants to increase the heat on his chairman, it is worth stating those recent achievements.
      Because it is grossly unfair to depict Tottenham’s ENIC owners as some ruinous Mike Ashley-style regime.
      Conte is a demanding workaholic and a multiple title-winning boss, he is also a professional agitator and an arch blame- deflector — a turbulent manager for any chairman to endure.
      Levy knew that when he appointed him. Spurs were the sixth richest club in the Premier League when Conte took over and now they are the seventh.
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      Seven English clubs expect Champions League qualification and only four will succeed. Managing Spurs is not an easy gig but Conte also knew that when he accepted the job.
      Meltdowns like that which the Italian staged after Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, will happen.
      Conte performed a similar rant after defeat at Burnley last February and it had a galvanising effect on Tottenham’s season.
      But for Conte to claim it was a “miracle” for him to guide Spurs into the Champions League and that he will need another miracle to do it again, is nonsense.
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      Guiding Arsenal to a seven-point lead at the top is bordering on miraculous, getting Spurs to fourth is a good effort, no more than that.
      Conte — a man who claimed Roman Abramovich didn’t spend enough money at Chelsea — has been backed to the hilt by Tottenham’s standards.
      Last summer represented Tottenham’s best transfer window in years as Levy ripped up his own playbook to spend £147.5million on proven class and experience.
      Spurs recruited early and decisively on Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet — this after last January’s excellent signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.
      It is not fashionable to defend Levy — a remote man who cherishes his image as a ball-busting Bond villain.
      But his reign has been a qualified success. Yes, only one League Cup in two decades. But also a club which consistently punches above their weight and have an elite infrastructure to safeguard their future.
      During the early part of Levy’s reign, English football had a roped-off top four of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
      Manchester City wrecked that status quo with vast nation-state financing and Newcastle are now doing the same.
      Yet Levy’s Spurs have achieved regular Champions League football without anything like such spending.
      Conte was content at the start of the season and so, remarkably, was Harry Kane — just a year after demanding a move.
      Antonio Conte gave a passionate speech to the fans after the Villa defeatCredit: Getty
      He was impressed by Conte’s appointment and heartened by a return to the Champions League, where Spurs will face AC Milan next.
      Now, Kane is about to break the club’s all-time scoring record but must be wondering if he will ever win a major trophy.
      Kane looked lost against Villa, dropping into midfield — where he lost possession in the build-up to the second goal.
      Will he want out again next summer?
      He has 18 months left on his contract and Conte has just six months on his.
      Sure, Spurs could do with even more investment — Hugo Lloris is past his best, they are light at full-back and need more creativity in midfield.
      But injuries to players as good as Richarlison, Kulusevski and Bentancur would hinder most teams.
      This squad has not been starved of investment in the last two years — despite the cost of a magnificent new stadium, swiftly followed by the pandemic.
      Sure, any football fan without regard for human rights wants an Arab nation state to own their club.
      But until a Sheikh or an Emir turn up, Levy and Lewis are no bad alternative.
      POTT’S ON HIS TODD
      CHELSEA are reigning Club World Champions but are currently not even the leading team in the postcode of SW6, with Fulham above them in the Premier League table.
      Graham Potter’s side were lucky to draw 1-1 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and have one win in their last seven league matches.
      There is a belief that, having made the call to poach Potter from Brighton, owner Todd Boehly will back his manager for the long haul.
      We don’t know for sure. It’s just that we haven’t heard of many billionaire American venture capitalists who believe that patience is a virtue.
      PREM DE LA CREME
      ARSENAL have finished the past two seasons in eighth and fifth, Newcastle in 12th and 11th. Yet as they prepare for a face-off tonight, Arsenal might well be champions this season and Newcastle next.
      There should no longer be any debate that the Premier League is the most competitive and unpredictable of all major leagues.
      SAU ABOUT THAT?
      NOW Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for the Saudis, with Lionel Messi already an ambassador for that vile regime, it seems nailed on that celebrity- obsessed Fifa will hand them the 2030 World Cup.
      MATURE UNITED
      WHEN striker Marcus Rashford combined his job as a Manchester United star with the role of social-justice campaigner and unofficial Leader of the Opposition, we wondered how he ever managed to catch up on sleep.
      Now we know.
      When Erik ten Hag dropped his in-form forward but Rashford came off the bench to score the winner at Wolves and admitted his ‘crime’ of missing an alarm call and a team meeting, it felt as if Manchester United were a serious and mature football club.
      And we haven’t said that in years.
      TOO ERLI TO JUDGE
      MANCHESTER CITY have added the greatest goal machine the Premier League have ever seen to a squad which won four of the past five titles, yet have somehow weakened.
      Perhaps striker Erling Haaland, with 27 goals this term, has upset the overall ecosystem of a well-balanced team.
      Or perhaps City allowed too many good players to leave in Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fernandinho.
      Not many teams win the title after making a transfer-market profit the previous summer. City might still do so but it would be no mean feat from here.
      MOYES POSER
      SHOULD West Ham sack David Moyes?
      Not unless they have an excellent manager with a proven Premier League track record — such as Mauricio Pochettino — willing to replace him.
      But would Pochettino, or any elite boss, fancy a relegation scrap at a club whose best player, Declan Rice, wants out, with a horrible stadium and a chippy fanbase?
      West Ham finished sixth then seventh and reached a Europa League semi-final with a very ‘Moyes-ish’ squad full of honest grafters, which was better than the sum of its parts.
      They have added ‘star quality’ in Brazilian playmaker Lucas Paqueta and Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca, yet they have also lost something of what made them so good for the past two seasons.
      Keep Moyes, get a couple of centre-halves fit and West Ham will be safe. Sack him and it becomes a lottery.
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      LUIZ 2.0
      THE frizzy hair and the excellent defensive qualities, combined with an ability to do the utterly ridiculous at any moment.
      After his extraordinary double own goal at Anfield, Leicester’s Wout Faes is ensuring the spirit of David Luiz lives on in the Premier League, Lord love him. More

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      Arsenal have advantage in Joao Felix transfer over Man Utd and Chelsea as Atletico star has been speaking to Gunners ace

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      ARSENAL have been handed an advantage to sign Joao Felix in January due to him being in contact with a member of the Gunners squad.Felix, 23, is set to move on loan during the window, with a number of clubs interested in his services for the remainder of the season.
      Joao Felix is set to move to the Premier League on loanCredit: Getty
      However, the £18.5million (€21m) price Atletico Madrid have set on him has clubs holding fire for now.
      Arsenal are one such interested club following the injury of Gabriel Jesus.
      Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea are also said to be interested.
      And The Athletic report that should the choice between the three clubs come down to a personal decision on Felix’s part, Arsenal hold an ace in the form of Thomas Partey.
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      The Ghanaian, who played alongside Felix in the 2019/20 season, remains in contact with him.
      He therefore represents a unique advantage for Mikel Arteta’s side if they need to convince the Portugal ace to join them.
      However, Felix revealed his favourite English club is NONE of the aforementioned sides, with him instead admitting he likes Leeds.
      Felix returned from the World Cup with a bang for Diego Simeone’s side as he scored in the 2-0 win over Elche.
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      Madrid have already lost Matheus Cunha to Wolves this window, but remain willing to let Felix leave on loan.
      Felix initially joined the club in 2020 for a whopping £113m, a deal which smashed the club’s transfer record.
      And while there have been glimpses of his potential, he has remained inconsistent since the move.
      He has 34 goals and 18 assists in 130 games for the club, and Atletico believe a spell away from the Wanda Metropolitano would be best for his development. More

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      How Benoit Badiashile compares to Chelsea defenders including Silva and Koulibaly ahead of £33m Monaco transfer

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      CHELSEA are closing in on the signing of Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile for £33million.The Blues are keen to bolster the centre of their defence in the January window and have been heavily linked with Croatia’s World Cup star Josko Gvardiol – who plays his club football at RB Leipzig.
      Benoit Badiashile broke into the Monaco team in 2018Credit: Getty
      Veteran Thiago Silva could be playing alongside Badiashile soon enoughCredit: Getty
      But that now appears less likely given his performances in Qatar have attracted interest from a host of Premier League heavyweights including Manchester City and Manchester United.
      However, Badiashile’s form for Monaco since the start of the 2021/22 campaign make him as exciting a proposition as Gvardiol.
      The Frenchman, 21, boasts some thoroughly impressive statistics compared with the Chelsea defenders he could be competing against for a place in Graham Potter’s starting XI.
      And SunSport has taken a look at just how he stacks up with the stars he may soon be calling his team-mates.
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      How Badiashile stacks up compared to Chelsea’s other centre-back options
      Chelsea have featured a host of players in a back three over the past 16 months.
      They include Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James.
      But in a number of areas Badiashile has actually outshone ALL of them.
      He averages 7.3 possessions won per 90 minutes – more than the seven players currently at Stamford Bridge.
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      And he also produces more clearances per game (3.6) than all the Chelsea stars.
      Badiashile’s duel success percentage (63.8 per cent) exceeds all of the Blues bar Silva (66.8 per cent), while he also averages 2.6 aerial duels won per game – with Fofana the only Chelsea man to manage more (2.7).
      His passing accuracy stands at 87.5 per cent – more than Koulibaly, Cucurella and Azpilicueta but less than the other Chelsea options.
      The Monaco man’s interceptions per 90 minutes stand at 1.5 – the joint-second best alongside Silva but considerably less than Fofana’s 2.4.
      He is dribbled past the least of any of the eight players in question with the exception of Silva.
      And Badiashile also poses a threat at the other end, scoring three goals since the summer of 2021 – with only James (6) and Koulibaly (4) hitting the back of the net more often.
      Kalidou Koulibaly has become a regular starter in the Chelsea XICredit: Getty More