More stories

  • in

    West Ham prepare £12million transfer bid for Sheffield United defender Egan with David Moyes desperate for defender

    WEST HAM will make a £12million move to sign Sheffield United defender John Egan in January.Republic of Ireland centre-back Egan was a top target for Hammers boss David Moyes before the last window shut but the Championship club refused to deal.
    West Ham will bid £12million for John Egan in JanuaryCredit: Getty
    Moyes tried and failed to sign other centre-backs at the 11th hour and eventually missed out.
    He still has that need, however, and will revisit the deal in January.
    Blades are sure to hold out for a big fee for Egan — who will be 30 next month —  but the Bramall Lane money men may consider selling despite being on course for a return to the Premier League.
    Egan may also fancy guaranteed promotion to the top flight with West Ham rather than earn it on the pitch.
    READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
    If the Irons land Egan, it would open the door for Craig Dawson to leave after his hopes of a move collapsed last month.
    The 32-year-old centre-half was a target for Aston Villa — as SunSport revealed — but Steven Gerrard found a cheaper alternative.
    Wolves will also take another look at Dawson after missing out.
    West Ham wanted £5m plus £2m extras for Dawson — but that will drop now as he is in the final year of his contract.
    Most read in Football
    Dawson made his first appearance of the season on Thursday against FCSB.
    The Hammers won their opening group stage game of the Europa Conference League 3-1.
    Moyes’ men came from a goal behind with three second half strikes. More

  • in

    Billy Gilmour in limbo as Chelsea starlet agreed to Brighton loan due to boss Potter’s tactics… before he left for Blues

    BILLY GILMOUR will be baffled by his switch to Brighton from Chelsea — just days before Graham Potter went the other way.The 21-year-old midfielder was cleared to go after talks with Thomas Tuchel.
    Billy Gilmour is in limbo at Brighton… as he only left Chelsea to play for Graham PotterCredit: Alamy
    Potter has made the switch from Brighton to Chelsea, leaving Gilmour strandedCredit: Getty
    And he was persuaded to make the move to Brighton by Potter.
    Gilmour did not want to quit the Blues on deadline day after returning from a dismal loan at Norwich.
    And he told pals he only chose the Seagulls because of the way Potter plays.
    Gilmour will now wait to see who Brighton bring in as their new boss.
    READ MORE ON CHELSEA
    The Seagulls have a four-man shortlist to continue Potter’s great work.
    And one of the names on it is Nottingham Forest’s Steve Cooper.
    Whether they rate Gilmour like Potter did is unclear for now.
    After signing the Scot, he declared: “Billy arrives with a fantastic pedigree, having played in the Premier League and Champions League as well as for Scotland at last year’s Euros.
    Most read in Football
    “He will complement our existing midfield options.
    “That experience at quite a young age shows the strength of character he has and we’re really excited by his potential.
    “Now it’s about allowing him the time to get used to a new environment and settling in to our club.
    “We can’t wait to work with him.”
    Saying goodbye to Chelsea after his transfer was confirmed, Gilmour tweeted: “Thank you for everything @ChelseaFC.
    “I’ve developed so much here and met people who will be friends for life. 
    Read More on The Sun
    “I’ve grown from a young boy to a man but I feel now is the time to make the next step in my career. 
    “Good luck and all the best! Once a blue, always a blue!” More

  • in

    Chelsea transfer boost as Rafael Leao’s AC Milan future ‘hangs in the balance’ amid £118k-a-week wage demands

    CHELSEA have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Rafael Leao.That’s because AC Milan are refusing to meet his wage demands for a new contract.
    AC Milan are not willing to meet the wage demands of Chelsea target Rafael LeaoCredit: Rex
    The versatile striker, 23, was a deadline day target for the Blues.
    But ex-boss Thomas Tuchel was unable to complete a deal when Milan pointed to Leao’s £127million release clause.
    The Italians have since opened talks with their star man over a new long-term deal.
    And Chelsea’s chances of returning for Leao in January appeared to be slim.
    READ MORE ON CHELSEA
    However, the Portugal international’s demands are now making Milan think twice about an offer.
    Corriere dello Sport claims Leao wants over £6m-a-year to remain at the San Siro.
    That works out to around £118,000 each week.
    And Leao also wants Milan to contribute towards the £14m he was ordered to pay former club Sporting Lisbon by the Portuguese Super Court for breaching his contract four years ago.
    Most read in Football
    Leao’s incredible demands, and Milan’s reluctance to meet them, has now given fresh hope to Chelsea.
    The Blues are entering a new era after Todd Boehly sacked Tuchel and replaced him with Brighton’s Graham Potter.
    The tactician is known for his fluid attacking football.
    And Leao could be a perfect fit up front despite the presence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Armando Broja.
    The ex-Lille ace already has three goals in five Serie A games this term
    And his desire for silverware has grown even stronger after firing Milan to the Italian title last season. More

  • in

    Premier League managers’ salaries revealed as Chelsea make Graham Potter fourth best-paid boss with Adam Lallana 12th

    GRAHAM POTTER will earn £10million-a-year at Chelsea after signing a lucrative five-year deal at Stamford Bridge.And that makes the 47-year-old the joint FOURTH highest earner in the Premier League after he received a bumper pay rise after leaving Brighton.

    The ex-Swansea gaffer was believed to have been pocketing £2m-per-year with the Seagulls where he was one of the top-flight’s lowest earners.
    But SunSport understands he will take home £50m from the long-term contract he penned in West London.
    That is more than sacked predecessor Thomas Tuchel – who was paid around £7m-a-year by the Blues.
    But what do Potter’s colleagues earn? SunSport takes a look below.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Potter earns almost HALF of what Manchester City gaffer Pep Guardiola rakes in, with the Spaniard boasting a hefty £19m-a-year salary.
    But the Citizens manager is fully deserving of his yearly wages having won four Premier League crowns in the last five years.
    Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp ranks second earning £16m every year having penned a new contract in April.
    Antonio Conte is third with Tottenham giving the Italian a £15m contract when he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in November 2021.

    Most read in football
    Potter and Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers complete the top five with both men earning £10m-a-year.
    Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag then follows with the Dutchman being paid £9m-per-year after succeeding interim gaffer Ralf Rangnick.
    Mikel Arteta is next up with the Arsenal boss rewarded with an £8.3m yearly deal in May.
    Southampton’s Ralph Hasenhuttl earns £6m-a-year, with Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and David Moyes all on £5m annually.
    Interim Brighton manager Adam Lallana incredibly ranks 12th, with the midfielder-turned-coach taking home £4.7m-a-year.
    According to Football Boast, Fulham’s Marco Silva is on a £4.5m yearly salary, with Nottingham Forest’s Steve Cooper the league’s lowest joint earner along with Brentford’s Thomas Frank at £1.5m.
    READ MORE FOOTBALL STORIES
    Earning more than Cooper and Frank are Patrick Vieira and Eddie Howe [both on £4m], Jesse Marsch [£3.5m] and Bruno Lage [£2.5m].
    And it remains unknown how much Bournemouth interim Gary O’Neil is earning after he took over from Scott Parker. More

  • in

    Watch Erling Haaland tell Man Utd fans ‘they love me here’ after being heckled while casually walking down street

    MANCHESTER CITY striker Erling Haaland brilliantly shut down a United fan who told him he’d made a mistake moving to the Etihad Stadium.The 22-year-old has been in stunning form since swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Etihad in a £51million deal.

    Erling Haaland was heckled by a Man Utd fan as he walked down Chapel StreetCredit: Twitter
    Haaland has been in inspired form for ManCity since joining from Borussia DortmundCredit: Twitter
    He has scored 12 goals in eight games across all competitions, with ten of his strikes – which includes two hat-tricks – coming in the Premier League.
    So it should come as no surprise that Red Devils supporters are wishing he joined them instead after he snubbed a summer move to Old Trafford.
    Haaland came close to signing for United when his Norwegian compatriot Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge, but he opted to link up with BVB from Red Bull Salzburg instead in December 2019.
    But that hasn’t stopped one United fan from trying to persuade him to quit City in a video shared by @danfitton_ which has gone viral on social media.
    READ MORE ON MAN UTD
    Haaland could be seen walking down Chapel Street in Greater Manchester where the United supporter shouted out from a car.
    He jokingly yelled: “You’ve come to the wrong side of Manchester.”
    To which a laughing Haaland swiftly replied: “They love me here.”
    Refusing to give up, the fan then said: “Come to us next season United, you know it come on, see you in a bit Haaland.”

    latest man utd news
    Social media was loving the interaction, with YouTuber KSI tweeting: “Why does he walk like a GTA V character?”
    Another user commented: “That smile. He’s our warrior.”
    A third added: “Future legend in football history.”
    This supporter then joked: “KDB is probably somewhere watching Haaland’s movement.”
    A third added: “This guy is so funny man.”
    Haaland created Champions League history earlier in the week as he became the first player EVER to score 25 goals in his first 20 appearances. More

  • in

    Wolves to put Diego Costa through mini pre-season after shock free transfer but ex-Chelsea star could face Man City

    WOLVES will put new signing Diego Costa through his own mini pre-season in a bid to fast-track his Premier League return.The ex-Chelsea striker has signed a one-year deal at Molineux and will be officially announced as a Wolves player in the next 48 hours.
    Diego Costa hasn’t played since being released by Atletico Mineiro in JanuaryCredit: Reuters
    Former Chelsea ace Costa has already been snapped in Wolves gear ahead of the transfer announcement
    Costa, 33, is yet to play competitive football this year after his contract with Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro was terminated in  January.
    Wolves have moved to bolster their attack after new £15.5million signing Sasa Kalajdzic suffered an ACL injury on his debut against Southampton last week.
    They now plan to put Costa through an intensive training schedule to help him get up to speed.
    It is hoped the former Spain star could feature for what would be a mouth-watering debut against champions Manchester City next Saturday.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Costa, himself a two-time Premier League winner with the Blues, will wear the No 29 shirt for Bruno Lage’s men after they won a work-permit appeal to land him.
    Goal-shy Wolves have found the net just three times in the league this term and it is hoped Costa can add some menace to their attack.
    While he earned a bad-boy reputation at Stamford Bridge, he also averaged nearly a goal every other game for the Blues between 2014 and 2017.
    Joao Moutinho admits sharpening up in front of goal is the aim for Wolves, whose wait for a top-flight win this season finally ended against Saints.
    Most read in football
    The midfielder said: “We feel we play good football, we create chances but we haven’t scored sometimes.
    “That’s one of the things we need to improve.
    “That’s what we’re training for every single day, trying to be better or to improve our finishing, to improve everything in our game — and try to put that on the match.
    “We know sometimes it’s difficult but we keep going and keep trying to do our best to get the victories for us and for our supporters.” More

  • in

    Graham Potter will NOT be sacked if Chelsea miss top four this season as Todd Boehly insists boss there for long term

    GRAHAM POTTER will NOT be sacked if he fails to make the top four.Chelsea’s new manager has been told that while Champions League qualification is a massive target this season, it will not be make or break for his job.
    Graham Potter was appointed as Thomas Tuchel’s successor just one day after the German was sackedCredit: EPA
    Chelsea lost their Champions League opener to Dinamo Zagreb on TuesdayCredit: Rex
    Todd Boehly is thought to be hiring Potter as part of a long term planCredit: AP
    This is a huge departure from tradition at Chelsea where it has been recognised as the bare minimum to remain in employment.
    But new chairman Todd Boehly and his fellow directors are insistent that they are in it for the long term with Potter and that he will be given time.
    The former Brighton chief signed a five-year contract worth over £10million a year and has been told he will get full support from Stamford Bridge bigwigs.
    Chelsea have finished outside the top four just twice in the last ten years — in 2016 and 2018.
    READ MORE ON CHELSEA
    Both times the manager was sacked.
    Jose Mourinho was axed in December 2015 when the team was spiralling down the table.
    Antonio Conte got the push after falling one place and five points short three years later when he was at loggerheads with the board.
    Boehly and his pals want to move away from Chelsea’s reputation for hiring and firing managers. Potter is the club’s sixth since Mourinho was axed just under seven years ago.
    Most read in Football
    But he has been taken on to revamp Chelsea’s style of football and to buy into the “long term” project being introduced from above.
    Chelsea are currently sixth in the Premier League after a shaky start in which they have lost two and drawn one of their six games.
    Potter’s predecessor Thomas Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday morning just hours after an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Croatian minnows Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
    Chelsea were due to face a tough away game at local rivals Fulham today before all football was cancelled due to the death of The Queen.
    Potter led his first training session yesterday.
    The Blues are currently understood to be preparing as normal for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against RB Salzburg at Stamford Bridge.
    Potter, 47, spent Thursday afternoon at Chelsea’s Cobham training base, meeting club staff.
    Co-controlling owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali addressed staff, along with Potter.
    Then the coach met his playing squad for the first time yesterday morning at Cobham, before getting down to work on the training field. More

  • in

    Barcelona have power to ‘unilaterally terminate’ Gerard Pique’s contract despite club legend taking HUGE pay cut to stay

    GERARD PIQUE could see his Barcelona contract terminated at the end of the season, according to reports.Last month, the 35-year-old Spaniard took a substantial pay cut in order to help the club sign SEVEN players who they were struggling to register.
    Gerard Pique could have his contract terminated at the end of the seasonCredit: AFP
    This was because of Barcelona’s crippling financial crisis.
    Back in July, it was reported that manager Xavi told his former team-mate Pique that it would be best for him to leave.
    Pique wanted to stay and help the team, so took a massive pay-cut instead.
    There were even rumours he was willing to play for free before LaLiga insisted that was not allowed.
    And now reports are claiming that he could be unceremoniously shown the exit door at the end of the campaign.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    According to Sport, if Pique does not play more than 35 per cent of Barcelona’s matches then they will be able to terminate his contract in the summer.
    The eight-time Spanish champion and three-time Champions League winner has a deal which runs until 2024 at the Nou Camp.
    But that will supposedly end 12 months earlier if his game time is kept to a minimum up until the end of the season.
    Pique has played more than 600 times for Barcelona, winning a remarkable 30 trophies during his time there.
    Most read in Football
    But he is now well down the pecking order of centre-backs in the Catalans squad.
    Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia are all ahead of him in Xavi’s side.
    Barca have started the campaign in fine form, winning four out of five matches and scoring 16 goals.
    But Pique has played a total of just 45 minutes – which came in the first half of their Champions League opener against Viktoria Plzen.
    He was replaced by Sergi Roberto at half-time. More