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      How Nottingham Forest took the ‘Chelsea approach’ to reach top four and exposed fine line between stupid and clever

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      AS two wise men once said, it’s such a fine line between stupid and, uh, clever.This philosophical gem comes from the mockumentary — if you will, rockumentary — Spinal Tap, in which the David St Hubbins character is marginally brighter than bandmate Nigel Tufnel.Nottingham Forest have come a long way from being cast as ‘idiots’ for all their spendingCredit: ReutersUnder owner Evangelos Marinakis, Forest have a Premier League net spend of £215mCredit: GettyBut under Todd Boehly, Chelsea’s net spend is a staggering £800mCredit: AlamyBack in the summer of 2022, it was Nottingham Forest cast as the idiots after bringing in 31 players to help their bid for a successful return to the English top flight.Meanwhile, Chelsea’s £250million spree on eight stars was generally regarded as a positive sign that the new owners would do their best to keep the Blues in the style to which they had become accustomed under Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.The two clubs have moved back and forth on the stupid/clever scale in the intervening two-and-a-half years. But if Forest end the season in the top four, and Chelsea don’t, it will be pretty clear where they stand.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat feels like a real possibility after recent results.When Chelsea sat second for most of December, boss Enzo Maresca played it cool and insisted his side were not title contenders.After five Premier League games without a win, Maresca’s stance now looks less like a mind game to take the pressure off his players, which hasn’t worked, and more like a frank assessment of their level.Forest chief Nuno Espirito Santo has also preached caution, but he and his players have maintained their strong start to the season.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThe battling draw against leaders Liverpool on Tuesday was the latest evidence they can mix it with the big boys and have a good chance of staying the distance.It has been tempting to tar these clubs with the same brush, with Forest as the poor man’s Chelsea — despite owner Evangelos Marinakis being a billionaire.Why Nuno Espirito Santo was such a flop for Tottenham before leading Nottingham Forest on Leicester-like title chargeWhen the Blues splashed out an unprecedented £300m-plus in January 2023, they firmly joined Forest in farcical, rather than fantasy, football.Graham Potter and then Mauricio Pochettino were sacked for not making enough sense of it all. While at Forest, Steve Cooper paid the same price in December 2023 as the club dug in for another relegation battle.That was before Forest were docked four points for breaking profit and sustainability rules due to their 2022-23 spending. Such a miscalculation would have looked even more stupid if they had gone down.Chelsea’s owners dodged any penalty by selling a couple of hotels to themselves for £76.5m just before the deadline for the 2022-23 period. It showed they were clever at accounting, at least.Last June, Forest demonstrated they were wising up about how to play the system. Keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos made a shock journey to Newcastle, with Elliot Anderson travelling in the other direction.Some claim Chelsea got up to similar PSR-dodging shenanigans with Aston Villa and also sold their women’s team to the owners.As a result, it seems both clubs have avoided Premier League charges for breaking rules in the three seasons to 2023-24.But during this campaign, Forest have not only caught up but for now overtaken the Blues where it really counts — on the pitch.Forest are the Premier League club with the eighth highest net spend — more than £215m — in the past five seasons, despite only having been in the top flight for three of them.But that is way behind market leaders Chelsea, with a net outlay of getting on for £800m. And Marinakis is getting much more bang for his buck than Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly.Take goalkeepers, for instance. Really, please, take some goalkeepers, as Chelsea might have said when they had EIGHT on their books back in August.Yet none of them — not first-choice Robert Sanchez (initial fee £25m), back-up Filip Jorgensen (£20.5m), incoming Mike Penders (£17m), nor any of out-on-loan duo Djordje Petrovic (£12.5m) and Kepa (£71.6m back in 2018, still a world record for a goalkeeper) — is as good as Forest’s stopper Matz Sels.The Belgium international, who arrived at the City Ground for just £5m in February, made crucial saves against Liverpool and leads the race for the Golden Glove with nine clean sheets.Sels would doubtless give credit to the defence in front of him.Not least to Murillo, a £15m snip signed in 2023, and centre-back partner Nikola Milenkovic, who cost only £12m last summer.Right-back Ola Aina came on a free, making left-back Neco Williams — a £17m capture in that first summer of madness — the most expensive member of Tuesday’s back four.Chelsea have spent more than £250m on defenders alone under the current owners but have only kept two clean sheets since the start of December.So Forest have been transformed from a Championship club into top-four contenders.And for far less than Chelsea’s owners have spent turning the Blues from third-place finishers in May 2022, a year after they won the Champions League, to a side that faces a fight just to qualify for next season’s European showpiece.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn Spinal Tap, Tufnel patiently explains why his amplifier settings go to 11. After Forest and Chelsea went one louder with their transfer policy, will either or both have the last laugh on their critics in May? More

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      Chelsea slap huge transfer valuation on Trevoh Chalobah after recall from Crystal Palace

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      CHELSEA want a stunning £40million for centre-half Trevoh Chalobah after his recall from Crystal Palace.The Stamford Bridge money men expect the huge fee for the defender.Trevoh Chalobah has been recalled from his loan spell at Crystal Palace by ChelseaCredit: PABut the defender could be sold if a club meets the Blues £50m price tagCredit: GettyHe is now available to play for Blues boss Enzo Maresca following the termination of his loan in South London.Chalobah, who made 14 appearances for Palace, could yet play regularly for Chelsea this season.But if anyone hits the cash target then he is likely to go.Palace are unwilling to meet the figure and pay the 25-year-old’s wages, which are close to £7m a year.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLChalobah came through the club’s Cobham academy before establishing himself as a firm favourite of Thomas Tuchel.He continued to be an important squad player under Graham Potter and interim Frank Lampard.However, he played just 17 times under Mauricio Pochettino before he was sent out on loan last summer after he was told he had no future with the Blues.But following injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, Chalobah was recalled to his parent club.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSSpeaking about his loan termination, Palace boss Oliver Glasner said: “I’m not sure disappointing is the right word. Trevoh had a great time with us.“When you make a loan deal it is usually win-win for everyone, but now Chelsea are the biggest winners because they get a player back who scored three goals and is in much better shape than when he arrived.Erling Haaland’s salary is only ninth biggest in football with Chelsea flop Koulibaly earning more than Man City star“I want to say thanks to Trevoh for his professionalism and for what he invested. “He is a very good player and an even better human. We had a great time together and I wish him all the best at Chelsea.”Chelsea’s next game sees them take on Wolves on Monday evening.Chelsea player ratings vs BournemouthCHELSEA failed to win for their fourth Prem outing in a row as they drew 2-2 with Bournemouth.Having taken the lead through Cole Palmer, things went very wrong in the second half.Justin Kluivert scored from the spot after a poor challenge from Moise Caicedo led to the penalty. Antoine Semenyo then put the Cherries in front.But up stepped Reece James to fire in a brilliant 95th minute penalty and salvage a point.Here’s how the players rated…Robert Sanchez – 5His (or Enzo Maresca’s) insistence on playing the “riskiest pass in football” almost cost his side in the first half, but he wasn’t caught out on this occasion. Couldn’t do an awful lot about either of the goals, a pretty average performance.Moises Caicedo – 3Was solid in the first half if not a little fortunate not to be booked for a few “tactical” fouls. However, he got caught out in the second 45 and gave away a penalty through a poorly timed tackle on Semenyo. Not the kind of performance we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him as his passes too often went astray.Josh Acheampong – 5Made a few good blocks and tackles in the first half, but was easily beaten by Semenyo before he smashed home the goal that put Bournemouth in the lead. Looked a little inexperienced out there, but you can tell he has quality – was taken off for Tosin in the second half shortly after the goal, who you would imagine will take the starting spot going forward.Levi Colwill – 6Imperious in the air and across the ground in the first half. Didn’t do a lot wrong truth be told, but no clean sheet cost him a higher score.Marc Cucurella – 6Stepped into his tackles well and was solid throughout the game, keeping David Brooks quiet on the right for Bournemouth. Wasn’t as influential in an attacking sense as we have seen him be this season, but still did a decent job.Romeo Lavia – 5Dominant in midfield in the first half, and was brilliant in transition, looking like a master of his craft. Unfortunately, a second-half mistake saw him caught out which led to the Bournemouth penalty before he was then booked for a late tackle. Was taken off shortly after he was booked and replaced by Reece James.Enzo Fernández (c) – 6Worked well as he had done previously when given the license to roam forward, knowing he had Lavia and Caicedo behind him. Bournemouth’s midfield had no answer to him with the ball at his feet, but as for many of the Blues, he was much quieter in the second half.Noni Madueke – 6Arguably deserved a first-half assist after he left a defender on the floor with a mazy run from the right-hand side, but Nicolas Jackson fluffed his lines in front of goal. Continued his good work on the ball in the second half and generally created some good chances that weren’t finished.Cole Palmer – 8Looked like he was out to impress from the start, with a cheeky nutmeg followed by a Lampard vs Hull-esque dink early on which didn’t come off. This was all before the 12th minute where he sat interim goalkeeper Mark Travers on his backside with a fake shot before slotting home for the opening goal. He created good chances too for Jackson, but faded pretty heavily after his goal.Jadon Sancho – 4Two nutmegs in quick succession was the highlight of his first half, but he was pretty quiet throughout the 90 minutes.Nicolas Jackson – 6His first half performance would have had fans raving about how he is the second coming of Didier Drogba. But his second half reminded us of why he’s not, with two huge bites at the Cherries missed that ultimately cost his side.SUBSReece James (Romeo Lavia, 56) – 8Made the perfect comeback from his injury woes, with a rocket of a free-kick guided into the bottom right corner. Looked strong and composed on the ball after his introduction.Tosin Adarabioyo (Josh Acheampong, 71) – 7Brought a bit more presence and leadership to a Chelsea team that looked as though it was lacking exactly that tonight. Had a good header saved by Travers at the death, you’d imagine he will be starting against Wolves.Joao Felix (Moises Caicedo, 80) – 6Did really well with limited minutes on the pitch after being bought on. A tame effort on goal was saved by the Bournemouth keeper, but it was his mazy dribbling that won the free-kick that James fired home to equalise.Pedro Neto (Noni Madueke, 80) – 5Didn’t get long enough to properly warm into the game and Chelsea didn’t find him enough, could probably count his touches on your fingers. More

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      Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives Kyle Walker transfer update with AC Milan set to choose Man City star over Marcus Rashford

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      ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has confirmed Kyle Walker’s switch to AC Milan is moving closer.The Italian giants are first in the queue for the wantaway Manchester City defender.AC Milan senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed Kyle Walker’s switch is moving closerCredit: GettyWalker has expressed his desire to leave Man City during the January transfer windowCredit: ReutersMilan have reportedly ended their pursuit of Manchester United star Marcus RashfordCredit: GettyIbrahimovic, a senior adviser at Milan, said: “When someone like Walker is on the market, there is going to be a lot of interest. “Everyone knows he’s a great player, he’s done big things at Manchester City and England.”City boss Pep Guardiola revealed a week ago that Walker, 34, wanted to quit for a new challenge abroad.And Ibra confirmed age was no stumbling block, adding: “Walker doesn’t go against our strategies.Read More on Football“He is strong, he is a leader, he dominates the dressing room.“We are checking what is possible.”Andrea Cambiaso has been lined up as Walker’s replacement.And Cambiaso’s club Juventus have been linked with Milan’s England centre-back Fikayo Tomori.Most read in FootballBest new sign-up offersSunSport exclusivesBut Ibrahimovic insisted: “He is our player, he is happy at Milan.”This comes after reports suggesting Milan have abandoned their pursuit of Manchester United wantaway star Marcus Rashford.Pep Guardiola reveals Kyle Walker has asked to LEAVE Man City with England defender set or £400K-A-WEEK Saudi transferSerie A rules only allow clubs to register one non-EU player per year and the Rossoneri prefer Walker.The Man City star has won a staggering six Premier League titles, two FA Cup trophies, four League Cups and the Champions League ever since his move to the Etihad from Tottenham in 2017.The full-back has amassed a total of six goals and 23 assists in 319 appearances.However, the England international has struggled for minutes this season with only 18 appearances under his belt. More

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      Man Utd ‘hopeful’ of completing Viktor Gyokeres transfer in bitter blow to Premier League rivals Arsenal

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are optimistic about their prospects of signing Viktor Gyokeres this summer, according to reports.The Red Devils are eager to strengthen their front line ahead of next term.Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a move away from SportingCredit: RexGyokeres, 26, excelled under United boss Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP.And according to the Independent, Red Devils chiefs are “hopeful” that they can reunite the pair at the end of the season.To do so, United may well have to beat off strong competition from Arsenal.The Gunners are keen to sign a prolific striker and could even try to move for one this month following the ACL injury suffered last weekend by Gabriel Jesus.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLGyokeres is admired by figures within the London club, however Sporting would rather sell at the end of the season.The Swede is said to possess a release clause worth under £100million.It’s claimed that he would “love” to work with Amorim again as the Portuguese attempts to take United into a successful new era.In addition to Gyokeres, Arsenal are also said to hold interest in Benjamin Sesko and Evan Ferguson.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSSesko, 21, has scored eight Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig so far this season.While Ferguson, 20, has struggled for game time at Brighton, starting just two Premier League games under Fabian Hurzeler.Inside Viktor Gyokeres’ glamorous life, from dating fellow footballer and actress to luxury holidays around worldParis Saint-Germain star Randal Kolo Muani is expected to join Juventus in the coming days.This could see forward Dusan Vlahovic become available towards the end of the window.Arsenal previously held a strong interest in the Serbian striker.But that interest is said to have cooled in recent years.Evan Ferguson has not had much game time this seasonCredit: Getty More

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      Erling Haaland’s staggering new Man City contract laid bare with striker to earn nearly £3,000 PER HOUR

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      ERLING HAALAND’S new Manchester City contract is worth a staggering £260million.The striker has put pen to paper on a TEN YEAR contract at the Etihad.Erling Haaland has committed his future to Man City until 2034Credit: Man CityHaaland has seen his previous £375,000 a week salary upped to £500k.And City chiefs have agreed to backdate the deal to the start of this season, meaning he will collect an extra £3.25m that he is now owed since then.The 23-year-old’s contract is worth £26m per season.This works out at an incredible £2,166,666 a month.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHaaland will earn around £71k per day as part of the new deal, and nearly £3k an hour.Per second he will earn 82p for the duration of the deal.The prolific forward had been sporadically linked with Real Madrid.But having become a father, Haaland  bought a six-bed mansion with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, 21 after the couple decided to “put down some roots”.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSPep Guardiola’s decision to renew his deal by a further two seasons is said to have also helped Haaland make up his mind to extend his stay.Upon putting pen to paper, he said: “I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club.Erling Haaland’s salary is only ninth biggest in football with Chelsea flop Koulibaly earning more than Man City star“Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my team-mates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.“Now I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”Haaland has now leapfrogged £400k a week team-mate Kevin De Bruyne as the highest-paid player in the Premier League.He has twice won the Premier League Golden Boot, and has scored a staggering 111 goals in 126 City appearances since joining from Borussia Dortmund. More

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      Erling Haaland signs TEN-YEAR Man City contract worth £260million with release clause removed

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      ERLING HAALAND has signed an eye-watering TEN-YEAR contract with Manchester City, according to reports.The striker was contracted to the club until 2027 but his new deal will see him tied down until he is 34 years old.Erling Haaland has penned a ten-year contractCredit: GettyThat will keep him at the club until he is 34-years-oldHaaland announced the news with a video showing off his trademark celebrationHe has been tied down to the club until 2034The lengthy contract is one of the most lucrative in sport history and will run until 2034.Any release clause from his previous deal have been removed, so it would take an astronomical bid to lure him away from the Etihad.Haaland, 24, is set for a bumper increase on his £375,000-a-week salary.Man City have announced his new contract will run for ten years, and it is understood his earnings will be backdated to the beginning of the season which means Haaland will collect £3.25m in wages he is owed since then.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSunSport revealed his new contract would be worth £500,000-a-week, which means his total earnings across the deal will be £260million, or £26m a year.City have been keen to tie down their star man amid speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid.Haaland is believed to be very happy at City and was persuaded to extend his deal after Pep Guardiola renewed terms for further two years in November.He is settled in Manchester and has just become a dad for the first time, and earlier this month bought a six-bed mansion with his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, 21, after the couple decided to “put down some roots”.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHaaland will pick up £500k-a-week after helping Man City win five trophies in two yearsCredit: GettyHaaland is settled in Manchester and recently became a dad for the first timeCredit: EPAHaaland also enjoys an excellent relationship with manager Pep Guardiola and chairman Khadoon Al Mubarak, as well as his team-mates.The 24-year-old said after putting pen to paper: “I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great Club.Fans ask ‘how can you not love him?’ after Haaland’s blunt eight-word response to reporter’s fantasy football question“Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.“Now I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”The Norwegian will become the highest paid player in the Premier League, overtaking team-mate Kevin De Bruyne who earns £400k-per-week.He has won the Golden Boot twice in two seasons since moving to the Prem and scored an incredible 111 goals in 126 games for the Cityzens.Haaland has won five trophies in two-and-a-half years at City and has 16 Prem goals this campaign.Pep Guardiola said of the new deal: “It’s the trust for the club to Erling. Because you never know what can happen in the next year. “But the club knows perfectly how professional he is. His commitment in every single game and every single day to show his talent.”And of course for him, because in 10 years, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s a long, long time. And always in the short careers, you have to say, OK, stay we’ll see what happens. “And he proved what he wanted. And the trust, as I said before, was the trust with the club.”READ MORE SUN STORIESAsked why Haaland wants to stay for so long, Guardiola said: “he settled perfectly. I think what happens is that he loves the club, the people he’s around. He loves the Premier League. “He loves to be here with him and his wife. Now he’s a father, so… I think he visualises there is no better place that I could be right now in the next 10 years, I would say. And that’s why he and his family decided to do this step.”By Martin LiptonIT was a January present even the most fervent Manchester City fan had not really anticipated.And no wonder that the news of Erling Haaland’s astonishing new Etihad deal brought a swathe of swift conclusions about what it means for the Norwegian and the club.For the past few weeks, it has been all about the players City were looking to sign in the January window, with a triple swoop for Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov and Palmeiras teenager Vitor Reis in the pipeline.Yet getting Haaland to effectively commit the rest of his career to City was more than just a coup – it was a huge morale boost for everybody connected to the club.Rightly so. Haaland’s record of 112 goals in just 126 games for the club is beyond incredible.In the Prem, it is 79 in 87 appearances, at a rate of 0.91 goals per game.To put that into even greater context, Alan Shearer scored his record 260 Prem goals in 441 games for Blackburn and Newcastle.If Haaland continued to score at his current rate, he would break the record after 237 games – before the end of 2029 if he stays fit.And that would not even be HALF-WAY through the ten year, £260m deal.No wonder many City fans are already pointing to Haaland’s signature, following on from Pep Guardiola’s renewal, and drawing an obvious conclusion.They wouldn’t be doing this unless City were absolutely certain the Premier League case into the “115” allegations of financial impropriety (the actual number of charges is now 130) was about to collapse into tiny pieces.It is not a ridiculous assumption to make, either. At least, not from the outside.City have, remember, always vehemently denied they did anything wrong.And unleashed the legal forces of Hell – well, £10,000 an hour Lord Pannick KC and his team – to defend their reputation.But nobody, except the lawyers involved and the panel of three empowered to hear the evidence given on both sides over the best part of three months before Christmas, REALLY knows what was said in the central London International Dispute Resolution Centre.What we do know is that if the Prem legal beaks fail to prove their case “on the balance of probabilities”, City will have won a huge and seismic victory.The authority of the League will have been fractured into tiny pieces.Yet at this stage, the commission appears to still be considering its verdict.And before Christmas, there were mutterings that City might be ready to argue that, in the event of a verdict they did not accept, the club would contest the ENTIRE fabric of the Prem financial rules.But even if the verdict goes AGAINST City, the new deal is a major defensive move for their most potent attacking force.It is hard, if not inconceivable, to imagine Haaland staying at City if they are actually relegated to the Championship – which would be a MINIMUM demand of rival clubs if the bulk of the charges are proven. Let alone if it was a Rangers-style three division relegation.Of course, if it was just one season in the Championship – and there is nothing to suggest that is in consideration until the verdict is known – the easiest way out would be to loan Haaland to another club in the City Football Group for a campaign. Girona, possibly, or an MLS year in the Big Apple.But if Haaland did kick off, City have guaranteed themselves a huge financial buffer.Tying Haaland to such a long deal – one that would not be permissible under Fifa regulations in some countries, where employment law states contracts cannot last longer than five years – is a statement, unquestionably.If another club wants to tempt him away – and Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two most obvious potential suitors, probably followed by PSG or the PIF-owned clubs of the Saudi Pro League – they will have to buy out the contract AND pay a massive fee.That would see a potential £500m transfer demand, a sum few could possibly meet.At the same time, it is also ringfencing City against the possible outcome of the European Court of Justice ruling over former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra.The international players’ union FifPro is among those arguing the end-game will be stars having “free agency” to move clubs, with no transfer fees and only the remaining contract terms needing to be bought out as a compensation move.Of course, none of that will even be an issue if City’s long-held stance is vindicated.And the thought of almost another decade of Haaland marauding up and down the Prem will chill the blood of an entire generation of defenders. 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      Neymar could be rescued from Saudi hell with shock transfer that would see him earn same salary as Lionel Messi

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      NEYMAR could be offered a way out of Saudi Arabia by MLS side Chicago Fire, according to reports.The 32-year-old is enduring a nightmare spell at Al-Hilal and his contract expires this summer.Neymar is wanted by Chicago FireCredit: RexNeymar could be handed a contract similar to Lionel Messi’s at Inter MiamiCredit: APNeymar has played just seven times for the club since his £77.6million move from PSG last year after injury issues, including an 11-month spell on the sidelines due to a cruciate ligament tear.Neymar penned a whopping £138m-a-year deal that sees him earn £2.5m-a-week in Riyadh.He would have to accept a huge pay-cut to end his Saudi disaster, but Chicago Fire are willing to give him £16m without bonuses per year, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.Neymar’s former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi earns that amount at David Beckham-owned Inter Miami.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDespite the Brazilian’s deal expiring at the end of the season, Al-Hilal supposedly want to keep hold of him.The club have the option to trigger a one-year extension in his contract.And there are plans for Neymar to be an ambassador for the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup.But things are not going well for him on the pitch and he is currently not able to play in the Saudi Pro League because he was not registered in the squad amid injury problems.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSManager Jorge Jesus confirmed he can only play in the Asian equivalent of the Champions League and claimed his not at the “level” expected.The boss said: “Neymar will not be included in the squad for the championship.Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn square up as Neymar ‘acts like guest referee’ in baffling scenes”He can participate in the AFC Champions League, but the Saudi League is one of the best leagues in the world – all Al-Hilal players can play for any club in Europe.”Neymar can no longer play at the level we are used to, things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”He is still under contract with Al-Hilal and he can decide his future.”But it depends on the management. I don’t know anything about Neymar’s future.”Should Neymar leave, Al-Hilal are seemingly keen on Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. More

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      Man Utd ‘open talks with Napoli over Alejandro Garnacho transfer with player keen to leave as club demand £60m’

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      NAPOLI are in talks to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United, reports say. The Italian side are in the market for a winger and have been tracking Garnacho’s situation this season. Napoli are in talks to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyAccording to The Mirror, United are in talks with Napoli but rejected a £40million offer for the Argentine. The Serie A leaders are on the verge of losing Khvicha Kvaratskelia to PSG in a £70m transfer. And Garnacho – believed to be ready to leave Old Trafford – is their No1 target to replace Kvaratskelia. But it is claimed United are holding out for £60m for their homegrown star. READ MORE ON MAN UTDGarnacho came through United’s ranks and has 23 goals in 116 appearances since making his debut in 2022. But this season he has been at loggerheads with manager Ruben Amorim – who dropped the forward for the Manchester derby in December. Garnacho has since returned to United’s squad but was challenged to raise his levels by boss Amorim. Amorim said: “He has talent and he needs to learn to play in a different position. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”He needs to play better inside. He improves a lot in the recovering position when he doesn’t have the ball. “But by doing that, sometimes he’s not in the right place to make transitions like he was in the past.Ruben Amorim warns Man Utd stars he’ll learn more about them vs Southampton than against Arsenal and Liverpool“I prefer to defend and then build up with all the team to reach the final third. He’s finding the best way to play in this system. “He’s improving during training and he started the last game against Arsenal. “Let’s see against Southampton and I think he’s changed the way he sees himself.”Garnacho joins Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo as academy products facing uncertain futures. Rashford is yet to play since revealing he is ready for a “new challenge” in December.And as the winter window draws closer to closing, still no developments have been made for a move. READ MORE SUN STORIESThat is despite his reps meeting with AC Milan in Italy and others like Borussia Dortmund remaining linked. Mainoo meanwhile attracted attention from Chelsea and Bayern Munich amid reports he has not extended his contract – set to expire in 2017 – as of yet. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford have both attracted transfer attentionCredit: Getty More