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      Houssem Aouar axed from Lyon squad with midfielder ‘set to travel to England to complete Nottingham Forest transfer’

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      NOTTINGHAM FOREST target Houssem Aouar has been left out of the Lyon squad for tonight’s Ligue 1 clash.The newly promoted Midlands side have agreed personal terms with the 24-year-old midfielder.
      Aouar has been axed from the Lyon squad for this weekend’s clash with TroyesCredit: AP
      Get French Football News report that a move to the Premier League outfit could be imminent.
      Although L’Equipe claim that Lyon dropping the Frenchman is a sporting decision, the timing of it seems to be more than a coincidence.
      Aouar claimed to have been “seduced” during talks with Forest’s management team.
      He would be the SIXTEENTH addition for Steve Cooper’s team in this transfer window.
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      Aouar has been with Lyon for his whole career having risen through the youth ranks with the Ligue 1 outfit.
      The playmaker has played 216 times for his current club, scoring 40 goals.
      He has also made one appearance for his native France, taking part in a friendly against Ukraine in 2020.
      Forest have been one of the Prem’s biggest spenders this summer.
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      The Midlands club are also said to have agreed a deal with Wolves to sign Morgan Gibbs-White for £44.5m.
      The 22-year-old has started both Premier League games for Wolves this season and will undergo a medical at the City ground.
      According to reports, Forest had a £35m bid rejected earlier this month before submitting a new offer worth £44.5m including add-ons.
      If the transfers for Gibbs-White and Aouar are finalised, their total spending will go above an eye-watering £150m. More

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      Jaap Stam warns Man Utd will KEEP shipping goals if Erik ten Hag does not find fix with pint-sized Lisandro Martinez

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      YOU needed a map to get round Jaap — but there is no art to getting above Mart.Manchester United have a major weak link in new buy Lisandro Martinez.
      Lisandro Martinez has suffered a baptism of fire since arriving in the Premier LeagueCredit: Alamy
      Jaap Stam feels Erik ten Hag has a serious issue when it comes to MartinezCredit: Rex
      That is the view of club legend and former centre-back, Jaap Stam, who has seen Martinez struggle in his old position during his first two games for the Red Devils.
      Treble-winner Stam, at 6ft 3in, was a towering presence at the back — something 5ft 9in Argentinian Martinez is not.
      The £48.3million summer signing from Ajax — where he played under new United boss Erik ten Hag — has been targeted and exposed in both defeats to Brighton and Brentford.
      And Stam fears this is going to continue, with bitter rivals Liverpool next up at Old Trafford on Monday.
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      Speaking to Safe Betting Sites UK, the 50-year-old insisted: “I always said it from the start, when he went to United, I said, ‘They’re probably going to be talking about his height’.
      “It’s a common thing in the Premier League that teams are looking for centre-backs that are strong and big because of the physical part of the game.
      “Bringing him in, it’s a challenge for him. It’s going to be interesting how he is adapting.
      “Already people are criticising him — and the coach a little as well about bringing him in — because of his height.
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      “He’s struggling in the aerial battles. You don’t need to be very tall to be a good centre-back, even in the Premier League, if you’re clever enough, then you can handle a lot of situations.
      “But you can see with set-pieces, which are becoming a very big thing in football, especially in the Premier League, you need to be able to fight in the air and to win your aerial battles.
      “You see in the games against Brentford and Brighton, if the opposition is playing long balls, they’re going to play them on him, because the majority of times he’s going to lose it.
      “If Ten Hag is keeping Martinez on the pitch, they need to find a solution to handle that.
      “Otherwise, it’s going to happen over and over again.”
      It certainly happened for Brentford on the half-hour on Saturday, when Ben Mee won the far-post aerial battle to head in the Bees’ third goal on the way to a 4-0 half-time lead.
      At the break, the 24-year-old Martinez — nicknamed The Butcher — was hooked by Ten Hag and replaced with Raphael Varane.
      It will be interesting to see who starts against Liverpool in three days’ time, with United sitting rock bottom of the Prem.
      Captain Harry Maguire’s place is not certain, either.
      Stam, who won a hat-trick of Premier League titles, the FA Cup and Champions League in his three seasons at Old Trafford between 1998 and 2001, can see Maguire is struggling.
      They need to find a solution… otherwise it’s going to happen over and over again.Jaap Stam on Lisandro Martinez
      But he believes the England defender needs more assistance from the players around him, who are just too static.
      Stam added: “Harry can do better than what he’s been showing.
      “To be fair to him, it’s also important what the players around him are doing.
      “This manager is asking things of him that maybe he’s not always used to.
      “That takes a certain time to get the confidence in doing and having that self-belief to perform better.
      “It’s important the players alongside him but also in front of him, the midfield players, are helping him out and giving him the right options.
      “For instance, the moments against Brentford they got caught out at times.
      “He played it into Christian Eriksen, who lost it and needed to track back and make a foul at the edge of the box.
      “These are situations players can help Maguire out a lot more, so he can just easily play the ball to his side and then they’re out. These are not difficult things.
      “Diogo Dalot on the right side, he needs to help Maguire out as well by taking up the right positions. A lot of times, that’s not helping him.
      “Now United are playing with one holder instead of two, that makes it more difficult as well and easier for the opposition to press. These are things that can help Maguire out.
      “Defensively, sometimes he’s making decisions that are not the correct ones — but that’s also true for a lot of players around him.
      “United need to make it clear in how they need to defend and putting more energy into it if someone goes wrong.
      “If they’re losing the ball, they need to all spring back — sometimes they’re just waiting, even in possession, for the man with the ball to take a decision.
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      “If somebody’s got the ball at his feet, then the other ones need to make movements to give options.
      “These are things that probably the manager is working on but are not always being shown on the pitch.” More

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      Man Utd have £67.5m transfer bid for striker Antony REJECTED by Ajax and will move for PSV’s Cody Gakpo instead

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have had a £67.5million bid for Ajax forward Antony rejected, according to reports.The Red Devils have been linked with the 22-year-old Brazilian all summer.
      Ajax have rejected a bid from Manchester United for AntonyCredit: AFP
      Gakpo has been identified as a transfer target by Man UtdCredit: Getty
      And now they have officially had a formal offer for the young attacker turned down by the Eredivisie champions.
      That is according to The Athletic, who report that the offer was made by United on Wednesday.
      Antony has scored 18 goals in 57 appearances for Ajax since arriving from Sao Paulo two years ago.
      But United chiefs are not optimistic about landing him before the September 1 deadline.
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      And the report suggest they will now turn their attention towards PSV forward Cody Gakpo instead.
      The 23-year-old winger did sign a contract extension with the Dutch side earlier this year to keep him at the club until 2026.
      However, it is understood that PSV are still willing to listen to offers this summer if a suitable approach is made.
      Gakpo has scored 45 times in 141 appearances for the Eredivisie outfit, while also contributing 37 assists.
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      Erik ten Hag is keen to bolster his attacking options amid uncertainty surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
      And United have been linked with a host of forward players as they scramble for reinforcements before the end of the window.
      Mauro Icardi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jamie Vardy and Christian Pulisic are all said to be possible targets.
      Ten Hag has brought in just three signings so far this summer – Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.
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      United are also closing in on a deal for Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.
      But Juventus star Adrien Rabiot will not be arriving at Old Trafford after the club failed to agree a wage packet with the Frenchman. More

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      Man Utd will DOUBLE Casemiro’s Real Madrid salary to staggering £350k a week to seal £60million transfer for Brazil star

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      CASEMIRO will become one of Manchester United’s all-time top earners in a £60million switch from Real Madrid.The 30-year-old defensive midfielder will double his salary by signing a four-year deal worth a staggering £350,000 a week.
      Casemiro is on course to double his wages when he completes his £60m transferCredit: AFP
      The midfielder will be behind just Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea for wages at Man UtdCredit: AFP
      Only Cristiano Ronaldo on £480,000 a week and goalkeeper David de Gea on £375,000 a week will earn more at Old Trafford.
      United’s football director John Murtough has made progress in the last couple of days in completing the deal for the Brazilian international and former Real team-mate of Ronaldo.
      The club hope to confirm a deal before Monday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.
      It will be a much-needed boost for the ailing Red Devils who sit bottom of the Premier League after two opening defeats.
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      Their summer recruitment has been criticised with just three players arriving in left-back Tyrell Malacia, centre-back Lisandro Martinez and midfielder Christian Eriksen.
      United have failed to get a deal for their No1 target Frenkie de Jong over the line.
      Chelsea are now in pole position for him but the player is still refusing to leave Barcelona until they have settled his backdated wages believed to be around £20m.
      United turned their attentions to Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot with Murtough flying to Turin to meet his agent and mother Veronique.
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      That deal collapsed over wage demands.
      Now it looks like United are about to get this one done.
      Casemiro has been at Real Madrid almost a decade after moving there from Sao Paulo in 2013.
      A regular since then he has won five Champions Leagues, three LaLigas and three Club World Cups.
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      He will join up again with old pal Raphael Varane who made the switch from the Bernabeu to Old Trafford a year ago.
      Casemiro, who has 63 caps for Brazil, will also link up with international team-mate Fred. More

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      Man Utd should let Cristiano Ronaldo leave NOW or his presence will drag team-mates down, warns Jaap Stam

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      JAAP STAM says Manchester United have to get rid of Cristiano Ronaldo “for the greater good”.At the start of the summer, the Red Devils were adamant they wanted to keep their 37-year-old Portuguese superstar.
      Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear his desire to leave Old Trafford this summerCredit: Getty
      Jaap Stam feels Man Utd need to force Ronaldo out of the doorCredit: Getty
      But with new boss Erik ten Hag now tired of the saga and Ronaldo an unhappy, brooding presence at Carrington, Stam believes it is time to act.
      The Old Trafford legend said: “Everybody knows Ronaldo and what he’s been doing for United last season and in the past, so everybody is looking up to him.
      “But if a player’s not happy and wants to leave, then you need to make a decision for the greater good and say, ‘OK, maybe it’s better we part ways’ and look for somebody else.
      “So if he’s in the dressing room and he really wants to leave and he’s not himself, or he’s sitting there by himself or he’s not in a good mood, then it has an impact on the players, for sure.”
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      Stam believes the issue should have been sorted out at the end of last season.
      SunSport revealed in January that Ronaldo’s advisors had made it known to the club’s hierarchy that if United did not qualify for the Champions League, their client would want out.
      United finished sixth in the Premier League and qualified for Uefa’s second-tier competition, the Europa League.
      Speaking to Safe Betting Sites UK, Stam added: “He already knew last season he wasn’t going to be playing Champions League with United, so I assume Ten Hag had a conversation with him before he started.
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      “I don’t know if Ronaldo addressed it at this point, otherwise I’m thinking they could’ve made a decision earlier, before the season.
      “I can understand that a manager wants to keep a player like this, because he’s of great value for the club and the team.
      “If he’s not happy, if he’s not performing, then sometimes it’s maybe better to make a different decision — not only for yourself but the team.” More

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      Man Utd transfer window ‘carnage’ and Chelsea owner Boehly like a ‘kid playing Football Manager’, says recruitment guru

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      WITH 13 days to go in a transfer window like no other, top clubs and players are still scrambling to solve their futures.As families around the country tighten their belts and explore every avenue to reduce bills, familiar faces and new forces alike are spending huge sums in the Premier League.
      Erik ten Hag is scrambling around for new players as the end of the window nearsCredit: Reuters
      Todd Boehly has conducted transfer business himself since taking over as ownerCredit: Getty
      The summer sales do not end until September 1 — but Prem clubs are set to smash the 2017 record spend for a single window of £1.43billion.
      A total of £1.4bn has been splashed and there is still so much to decide — with managers and sporting directors expecting the market to only get busier before the deadline.
      Chelsea are the biggest Prem spenders so far.
      Now under the ownership of Todd Boehly — who is heading up recruitment personally — the Blues are sticking to a tried-and-tested formula.
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      Agents describe the American billionaire as a pleasure to work with on deals — though some have likened his approach to that of a teenager playing Football Manager.
      Raheem Sterling was an eye-catching and smart capture from Manchester City.
      But the west Londoners have been lodging bids left, right and centre for weeks and still have plenty more to do having been pipped to a number of signings by Barcelona.
      Manchester United, attempting to wipe the slate clean following the appointment of Erik ten Hag, have been described as “carnage” behind the scenes as they scramble from target to target in an attempt to turn things around.
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      David Webb, a recruitment expert who has worked at Tottenham, Bournemouth, Southampton and Huddersfield, told SunSport: “At Tottenham with Mauricio Pochettino we had a very clear structure which helped create a very good force on the pitch.
      “With Man United, it seems that they have appointed a new manager and are waiting for him to lead rather than the other way around.”
      But it is not just the Big Six waving the chequebooks about.
      New-boys Nottingham Forest have already flown past the £100m mark in terms of their spending and are going about it in an equally baffling way to many in the business — even before yesterday’s eye-watering £42.5m package was agreed to sign Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
      Forest are said to have lodged bids with a number of targets in each position before plumping for the one they actually want, driving up prices and frustration levels for other suitors.
      It is not all bad business. Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham have impressed with their dealings and Newcastle have been restrained and smart in spite of their new riches.
      Even though there have already been seven weeks of the summer window, most clubs still have a fair bit of work to do.
      The mad, late scramble is inevitable but hardly desirable.
      Webb insisted: “It is one you want to avoid. It is great for fans and the media but working inside it is something that you try to avoid.
      “Chelsea look like they’re going to add more, City look like they’re going to add one more. Sometimes they trigger each other. Tottenham being Tottenham, Daniel Levy could have something up his sleeve for the last days.
      “It is going to be an interesting and exciting last two weeks.”
      It is not just the clubs with question marks hanging over them. An array of the biggest names in the Premier League and abroad still do not know their fate.
      Sterling, Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus may have already sealed their moves but what does the future hold for Frenkie de Jong, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
      Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer saga will run until the end of the windowCredit: Reuters
      That is not to mention the stroppy elephant in the room — Cristiano Ronaldo.
      The Portuguese’s predicament — being stuck at Old Trafford and outside of the Champions League for the first time in 20 years — hangs over Manchester United like a bad smell.
      Until his future is solved, Ten Hag and his new squad cannot move forward.
      They are not the only  super-club navigating a sticky situation.
      Such are Barcelona’s financial problems that Aubameyang could be on his way back to the Prem just months after leaving Arsenal, with Chelsea interested.
      It could also see De Jong leave the Nou Camp despite wanting to stay, with the Blues also chasing the Dutchman after United wasted weeks pursuing the midfielder.
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      It has been a summer like no other so far  — and seems to only  be heading in one direction.
      Strap yourselves in! More

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      Man Utd transfer blow as defender Jurrien Timber signs contract extension with Erik ten Hag’s old club Ajax

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have suffered yet another blow in their pursuit of a summer transfer target.Manager Erik ten Hag has been chasing central defender Jurrien Timber – who he coached during his time at Ajax.
      Jurrien Timber has signed a one-year contract extension with Ajax
      But that move now seems to be completely off the table after the 21-year-old Dutchman signed a contract extension with the Eredivisie champions.
      Timber’s original deal with Ajax ran until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

      Now he has penned a one-year extension which will keep him at the club until 2025.
      Timber has already made 76 appearances for the Dutch outfit, winning the Eredivisie title in each of the last two seasons.
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      Meanwhile, Ten Hag is keen to find alternative options in the transfer market after failing to acquire Timber.
      He has been linked with a move for Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile, but it is further up the pitch where United appear to be enquiring about a host of players.
      Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro is closing in on a move to Old Trafford, while Juventus’ Weston McKennie is also being discussed.
      Then in the forward areas, Mauro Icardi, Jamie Vardy, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Joao Felix and Christian Pulisic have all been muted as possible targets.
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      It comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
      The Portuguese superstar, 37, has made it clear his desire to leave this summer in search of Champions League football.
      But he is yet to find a club who will take him – with a return to Sporting Lisbon thought to be one of the only options on the table.
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      It has been a catastrophic start for Ten Hag at United as defeats to Brighton and Brentford have left his side bottom of the Premier League table.
      However, some positive news for Red Devils supporters did come out on Wednesday when billionaire Jim Ratcliffe declared an interest in buying the club.
      United fans are keen to oust the Glazer family following a decline in the team’s performances since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. More

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      ‘It’s a big gamble’ – Graeme Souness questions Chelsea’s £50m transfer pursuit of Everton star Anthony Gordon

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      GRAEME SOUNESS labelled Chelsea’s pursuit of Anthony Gordon as a “gamble”.The Blues saw bids of £40million and £45m rejected by Everton.
      Anthony Gordon could be on his way to Chelsea this summerCredit: Getty
      But they look set to go back in for a third time and hope a £50m offer will tempt the Toffees to sell the 21-year-old.
      However, former Liverpool hero Souness is far from convinced about the England Under-21 winger.
      He told talkSPORT: “It is a hell of a lot of money for a 21-year-old who’s played 50+ games.
      “I think the young man is promising.
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      “But to spend £40m on someone who might not be a player is a big gamble.
      “I think Chelsea’s needs are in another area.
      “Chelsea need a goalscorer through the middle to put them away for fun.”
      Gordon joined the academy aged 11 following his release by Liverpool.
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      He made his first-team debut way back in December 2017 and has now racked up 60 appearances for the Goodison club.
      All four of his senior goals came in last season’s Premier League campaign – including the winner in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United.
      He has started the new campaign playing up front under Frank Lampard due to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury.
      Similarly, Raheem Sterling – traditionally a winger – has led the line for Chelsea, supported by Kai Havertz and Mason Mount.

      The Blues also have Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Armando Broja and Michy Batshuayi on the books at Stamford Bridge.
      Romelu Lukaku, though, was loaned to Inter Milan while Timo Werner returned to RB Leipzig.
      Their three goals this season have been scored by a Jorginho penalty and defenders Kalidou Koulibaly and Reece James.
      Graeme Souness reckons Chelsea should target a striker as their primary focusCredit: Getty More