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    Arsenal ‘pushing’ to sign France ace Adrien Rabiot from Juventus after move to Man Utd fell through

    ARSENAL are allegedly “pushing” to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus next month.The midfielder, 27, has shone over recent weeks as he helped France to reach a second-consecutive World Cup Final.
    Arsenal are readying a move for Adrien Rabiot next monthCredit: Getty
    Unfortunately for him and his compatriots there was heartbreak in store as they were defeated 4-2 by Argentina in the showpiece on Sunday.
    However, big things could still be on the horizon for Rabiot as he appears to be finally closing in on a move to the Premier League after his failed switch to Manchester United last summer.
    Repubblica are claiming Arsenal are now pushing to sign Rabiot in the January transfer window.
    The playmaker’s contract expires in June and he is allowed to discuss terms with teams outside of Italy from January 1.
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    But rather than lose him for nothing, Juventus are more likely willing to offload him for a cut-price fee mid-season.
    And it appears the opportunistic Gunners are ready to pounce to try and bolster their midfield.
    Mikel Arteta’s team were left decimated by injury towards the end of last season which led to them missing out on Champions League football.
    Now, with his squad sitting top of the Premier League, he is determined not to let the same happen again and he eyes reinforcements to continue their title charge.
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    Rabiot ended his nine-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, which included a loan spell at Toulouse, to join Juventus.
    After winning Serie A in his first season, he has only managed to add the SuperCoppa and Coppa italia to his trophy cabinet since.
    Meanwhile, five-point leaders Arsenal return to domestic action with a home clash against West Ham on Boxing Day. More

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    Man Utd and Liverpool in battle for Preston wonderkid Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile after he bagged FIVE goals in a game

    LIVERPOOL and Manchester United are in a transfer battle for Preston wonderkid Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile, according to reports.Rodriguez-Gentile, 16, caught the eye during Preston’s thumping 6-1 win over Rotherham United in the FA Youth Cup.
    Rodriguez-Gentile is attracting interest from a host of top Premier League clubsCredit: PNE
    The highly-rated striker, who only joined Preston last October, scored five of the Lilywhites’ goals.
    And according to the Mirror, the Argentinian forward, who has dual nationality after being born in Brazil and also holds a Spanish passport, is attracting interest from England’s elite.
    Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City are all keen on Rodriguez-Gentile.
    Tottenham and newly mega-rich Newcastle have also been impressed by the forward.
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    Rodriguez-Gentile has already agreed to a two-year scholarship at Deepdale which will begin in the summer.
    He has notched 18 goals in his last 10 games – including four separate hat-tricks.
    And Preston are in a strong position for keeping hold of the ace.
    Preston have given four academy prospects their professional debuts this term.
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    Boss Ryan Lowe has also hinted that the club already have plans to integrate Rodriguez-Gentile into the first-team in the future.
    Speaking after Rodriguez-Gentile’s five-goal haul against Rotherham, Lowe told Lancs Live: “He is a good little player, isn’t he?
    “He’s got some good attributes, but again, he is 16 and we’ve got to be careful.
    “People probably want to get him in the squad; he will come up and train with us in some capacity very soon – when he’s off school! It’s mad, isn’t it?
    “But he is a fantastic talent and one we have to keep tabs on, which we are, of course.
    “We get reports on all of the kids when they’re performing.
    “Again, we can’t get too carried away with him and we’ve got to play him down a bit, but he looks like an exciting prospect for us.” More

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    Transfer blow for Man Utd and Liverpool as Jude Bellingham ‘wants Real Madrid move and has no plan to return to England’

    A FRESH report on Jude Bellingham’s future has delivered a huge transfer blow to Manchester United and Liverpool.The England World Cup star has his pick of Europe’s big guns after his stunning displays for Borussia Dortmund.
    Jude Bellingham ‘is not planning on returning to England’ and ‘wants to join Madrid’Credit: Getty
    Liverpool, Manchester City, Man United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all keen on the 19-year-old.
    But as Sun Sport exclusively revealed this week, it is Madrid that believe they have won the race to sign Bellingham in a £100m-plus-deal.
    Now Spanish publication AS have backed up our report and issued a further transfer blow to the likes of United and Liverpool.
    They claim that Bellingham himself “prefers Madrid” rather than the rest.
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    And they also add that he has no current “plans to return to England” from the Bundesliga.
    Madrid hope to continue their good relationship with Dortmund by agreeing a fee and make him their big 2023 signing.
    Bernabeu chiefs want to link him up with veteran Luka Modric next term to help his “adaptation” into LaLiga with the Croatian expected to retire 12 months later.
    Bellingham left boyhood club Birmingham City, who he recently returned to after the World Cup, for Dortmund in 2020 for £30m.
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    He has since scored 19 goals and 21 assists in 112 games.
    He was also handed the club captaincy earlier this season, before thriving with England in Qatar.
    Bellingham still has another four weeks until he returns to action with Dortmund’s next match against Augsburg due on January 22 following the league’s winter break. More

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    ‘Bid now’ – Chelsea should target transfer for World Cup winner Martinez after Mendy snubs contract offer, says Cole

    CHELSEA legend Joe Cole has urged his former club to make a move for World Cup-winning keeper Emiliano Martinez after Edouard Mendy snubbed a new contract. SunSport exclusively revealed that Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup winner Mendy turned down fresh terms because Chelsea are not showing him enough “respect” over wages.
    Mendy rejected a Chelsea contract offerCredit: The Times
    Chelsea legend Cole says his former club should sign MartinezCredit: Rex
    The Villa ace is coming off the back of a World Cup winCredit: Getty
    The Senegalese keeper, 30, earns around £100,000-a-week and wants parity with his Blues rival Kepa Arrizabalaga who picks up almost twice that.
    Sources claim Chelsea bosses have even withdrawn their initial offer of a long-term deal as they play hardball with the negotiations — and now there is a stand-off.
    And so Chelsea legend Cole has recommended Aston Villa goalkeeper, Martinez, who has just come off the back of a World Cup win with Argentina, should Mendy leave.
    Martinez, 30, played a pivotal role in Argentina’s third-ever world title win, saving penalties in shootouts against Holland and finalists France.
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    He also picked up the Golden Glove.
    The former England international told the All to Play For podcast: “Martinez for me.
    “I watched him, he didn’t have that many shots to face because they were so good in front of him, but you know what he is good at?
    “Crossing, commanding, and you know he’s connected to his back four.
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    “In the big moments, he delivered.
    “If I’m Chelsea I am tabling a bid for him now. I think he was outstanding.”
    Blues star Mendy still has two and a half years left on his contract but Italian champions AC Milan are closely monitoring the situation — as are French sides Nice and Monaco.
    Martinez, meanwhile, is tied down at Villa Park until the summer of 2027. More

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    PSG eye shock transfer for £30m-rated Fred despite Man Utd triggering 12-month contract extension this week

    FRED is a shock name on Paris Saint-Germain’s hitlist – despite Manchester United triggering a 12-month extension on his contract.The Brazilian’s current deal was set to run out next summer and the club acted earlier this week to stop him from leaving on a free.
    Fred is a surprise transfer target for PSGCredit: Getty
    But that has not deterred the French giants, who are long-term admirers and want him to bolster their engine room.
    United wouldn’t consider business for anything less than £30million, yet that fee certainly won’t put off mega-rich PSG.
    And the chance of joining international colleagues Neymar and Marquinhos in the French capital is sure to appeal to a man who has struggled to nail down a regular slot at Old Trafford.
    United boss Erik ten Hag remains a big fan of Fred and has been impressed by his attitude, despite limited starts.
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    Yet the midfielder has fought a constant battle to hold down a place under various Old Trafford managers since his £54m signing from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018.
    Fred had hoped the £70m arrival of Brazilian team-mate Casemiro from Real Madrid in the summer would see them anchoring the midfield as they do regularly for their country.
    But Ten Hag has been partnering Casemiro with Christian Eriksen, and Fred has made just four Premier League starts this season.
    He turns 30 in March and knows he will have a better chance of regular starts with PSG, who have previous when it comes to signing United midfielders.
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    Three years ago they took a similar path to land Spaniard Ander Herrera on a free transfer when his contract expired.
    United moved quickly to ensure they could at least command a fee should Fred decide he wants out – but the asking price certainly won’t put off the French champions.
    They have also just triggered similar 12-month extensions for Marcus Rashford, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, who have yet to commit to new deals.
    PSG have a long-held interest in Rashford, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi openly admitting he would love to sign him.
    But while United would be open to business over Fred at the right price, they have no intention of losing a striker who Ten Hag sees as the key man to his rebuilding plans. More

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    Newcastle and Leicester hit with transfer blow as Napoli and Inter join race for Morocco World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi

    NEWCASTLE and Leicester have been joined by Napoli and Inter Milan in the race to sign Moroccan World Cup hero Azzedine Ounahi.Alongside Sofyan Amrabat, Ounahi, 22, played a crucial role in the Atlas Lions’ sensational World Cup campaign in Qatar.
    Azzedine Ounahi shone for Morocco during their brilliant World Cup runCredit: Getty
    He helped Morocco all the way to the semi-finals, beating Spain and Portugal along the way.
    They were eventually knocked out by France in the last four, before Croatia beat them to third place.
    Following his international success, Ounahi is now eager to leave Ligue 1 side Angers in search of a new challenge – although his contract is not up until June 2026.
    The French club officials are willing to accept any suitable offer for the midfielder in January, but they want him to remain in France on loan until the end of the 2022-23 season.
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    Leicester are reportedly prepared to offer up to £39.5million.
    The Foxes are at risk of losing star man Youri Tielemans on a free transfer in June, so signing a new midfielder during the upcoming window will be crucial.
    Ounahi’s impressive performances have also attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs including Newcastle, Leeds and West Ham.
    However, according to Foot Mercato, Napoli and Inter Milan have now joined the race to sign him.
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    Ounahi is believed to be “leaning towards” a move to one of the Serie A giants.
    Both Napoli and Inter are still in the Champions League and will expect to seal a place in next year’s competition.
    Napoli currently sit top of the table, eight points clear of second-place AC Milan.
    They are believed to be eyeing up Ounahi as a replacement for German midfielder Diego Demme.
    Meanwhile, Inter sit fifth in Serie A after a difficult start to the campaign.
    But they did qualify out of a Champions League group including Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
    Simone Inzaghi’s men were then drawn against Porto in the last-16, while Napoli will face Eintracht Frankfurt. More

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    Chelsea reach ‘full verbal agreement’ for Andrey Santos with £17.5m Vasco star set to be Blues second January transfer

    CHELSEA have agreed to sign Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos in a £17.5million transfer from Vasco da Gama, according to reports.Santos, 18, has been scouted by the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle and Barcelona this year, making him one of the most sought-after teenagers in world football.
    Chelsea are on the verge of signing SantosCredit: Alamy
    He is widely regarded as one of Brazil’s most promising young stars with eight goals in 37 club appearances already to his name.
    And according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, he is now destined for Stamford Bridge.
    Romano claims that Chelsea and Vasco have come to a verbal agreement, with Santos set to swap Rio de Janeiro for west London in a £17.5m transfer next month.
    Personal terms have also been agreed.
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    Santos is set to become Chelsea’s second winter signing, with a deal for David Datro Fofana already in place.
    The 20-year-old forward has reportedly agreed to join the Blues in a £10.5m transfer from Norwegian side Molde.
    Santos and Fofana will become the latest young stars to don the Blue shirt when they link up with the Chelsea squad next month.
    The Blues have signed a host of young stars including Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, Gabriel Slonina and Omari Hutchinson since Todd Boehly took the helm in May.
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    Manager Graham Potter is also eager to reunite with Brighton star Moises Caicedo.
    However, the Seagulls have “no intention” of selling the midfielder and don’t feel any pressure to cash in. More

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    Brentford eyeing up January transfer for striker as replacement if Ivan Toney hit with ban after FA betting charges

    BRENTFORD are lining up a striker swoop in the January transfer window, reports claim.The Bees are thought to be exploring their options in case Ivan Toney is handed a lengthy ban.
    Brentford are reportedly exploring the possibility of signing a striker in JanuaryCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
    Toney, 27, was originally charged by the FA with 232 alleged breaches of betting rules in November, followed by a further 30 alleged breaches earlier this week.
    Brentford are scouring the market for strikers in January in case Toney is banned, according to Sky Sports.
    However, options midway through the season for an immediate replacement are thought to be limited.
    The Bees are reportedly targeting a player with proven Premier League experience to come and score goals straight away.
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    Sky say a loan move could also be an option.
    Director of football Phil Giles and technical director Lee Dykes are said to be working on potential targets ahead of the window opening.
    Other than Toney, boss Thomas Frank also has Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter as attacking options, although none of them are out and out strikers.
    Toney has scored 10 goals in 14 Prem games this season.
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    He is cooperating with the FA’s investigation and is required to respond to the latest charges by January 4th.
    Brentford return to Prem action against Tottenham on Boxing Day.
    The Bees then travel to West Ham four days later, before kicking off 2023 with a home tie with Liverpool.
    Frank’s side are currently 10th in the table after Toney scored twice in a stunning 2-1 win at Manchester City in the final game before the World Cup. More