REAL MADRID will turn to Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland if their resolve for Kylian Mbappe falls through, according to reports.
Representatives of the World Cup winner in France have strongly denied allegations that he has agreed to relax terms with Madrid.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are on the verge of signing Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig, with the ex-Chelsea star’s move imminent.
Elsewhere at Spurs, star Eric Dier has agreed an unexpected move to Bayern Munich, according to reports.
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Rio Ferdinand doesn’t think Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai deserves all the praise he’s received since arriving at Anfield.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Vibe with Five, he said: “I know everyone praises him, but I don’t think Dominik Szoboszlai did it [as other people say].
“He’s a smart player, but other people say, ‘Oh, he’s the next [Steven] Gerrard!’And I haven’t realized that yet.
“I see bare of their [fans’] comments. But one of my mates in my group always says it [that he is the next Gerrard].
“But it’s great to see. “
It’s been an exciting start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, with battles at both ends of the table starting to heat up.
And as we move into the second half of the season, enthusiasts are wondering why only one part of the most sensible flight is played this weekend – SunSport is right.
Many stars of England’s Golden Generation have joined the team as coaches; none of them have yet won a national trophy in this country.
However, that could all change this season if Michael Carrick leads Middlesbrough to Wembley glory.
The 42-year-old Manchester United legend, who has made 34 international appearances for the Three Lions, and his Boro face Chelsea in the first leg of tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final at River.
Guiding the Championship side to the final would be another impressive accolade on the relatively still new to management Carrick.
He took charge of Boro just over a year ago, when the club was 21st in the second division and at risk of relegation.
His only experience in the dugout was a three-game interim spell in 2021 at Manchester United, which led them to two wins over Villarreal and Arsenal and a draw with Chelsea.
Ivan Toney has moved away from Brentford.
He told Sky Sports: “Everyone knows Brentford are a family club, they’ve been amazing for me. I can’t thank you enough, especially the fans. They were me too from the first minute. So it’s kind of like I have a lot to give back.
“With Brentford, they’re struggling at the moment but I’m sure when I’m back I will play a big part to get them out of the losing form they’ve been in. I can’t wait to get back and be helping my team-mates.
“Everyone at Brentford knows that I will do everything I can to get the club out of the difficult era we are in.
“But there’s no pressure and even if there was, I wouldn’t feel it and that’s what drives me forward. Brentford, we’ve been here before and we know how to get out of it.”
Erling Haaland “would join Real Madrid tomorrow” if the Spanish giants were to trigger his release clause, according to reports.
The 23-year-old Manchester City striker joined Premier League champions Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for £51m.
And he has been a phenomenon for Pep Guardiola’s men, scoring 71 goals in 75 games and helping Man City secure the Treble last season.
His stature as one of the most productive players in the world means the Premier League club would have to pay a release clause of around £171m to keep him away from the Etihad.
However, according to AS, the clause for a non-English team is HALF of that sum.
That means Real Madrid could lure him to Spain for just £86m.
The report also states that Haaland, who has a contract until 2027, owns a space in Marbella and likes to travel to Spain when he has free time.
AS goes on to claim that Haaland would “sign for Real Madrid tomorrow” if the fourteen-time European champions came to call him.
Brighton are set to sign Argentine prodigy Valentin Barco, according to reports.
The 19-year-old has been on the radar of several top clubs since the summer.
Brighton tried to sign him before the start of this season but failed to reach an agreement.
They have now resumed talks with Boca Juniors and hope to sign Barco for £8m, according to the Mail.
Brighton appear to be in pole position due to their reputation of improving young talents from South America.
They brought Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister to Europe and then sold them to bigger clubs for huge sums.
Conor Gallagher is the highest-rated all-round midfielder in Europe.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino likes to put home players at the centre of his teams.
So how did the Blues get to the point where Gallagher’s long career at Stamford Bridge is uncertain?
The answer, as with Chelsea, is complicated.
But it’s hard to think of many other top clubs – or any – that would find themselves in this position over such a key player.
According to Opta, only two midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues have registered 20 or more examples across a range of key performance statistics.
Ian Maatsen has agreed to join Borussia Dortmund on loan, according to reports.
However, the left-back is unable to sign for his new club with Chelsea currently banned from offloading him.
Dortmund have reached a £2m deal to sign Maatsen on loan until the end of the season.
The player is reportedly set to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge to put Chelsea in a strong negotiating position amid a statement of a permanent move this summer.
But this month Maatsen is suspended due to a little-known rule.
Clubs are allowed to loan out up to seven players to foreign sides at one time. Chelsea have already hit the maximum amount and they now must rip up a current deal to see Maatsen leave.
Romelu Lukaku, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Angelo Gabriel, Hakim Ziyech, David Datro Fofana, Gabriel Slonina and Diego Moriera are on loan abroad.
There have been rumours that Ziyech could see his time with Galatasaray end after suffering injuries and fitness.
Meanwhile, Moriera has struggled to get minutes in Lyon and is a recovery option.
Speculation also suggests that Fofana could see his time at Union Berlin come to an end, but would then be sent back on loan to Sevilla.
The January transfer window is in full swing, with many Premier League clubs looking to strengthen ahead of the business end of the season.
But some clubs may want to be more cautious than others due to FFP restrictions, and SunSport has all the details.
Rasmus Hojlund’s terrible stats have been laid bare: Wout Weghorst has a worse record after 24 games.
Hojlund squandered chances when United beat Wigan 2-0 in the third round of the FA Cup last night.
It’s his 24th appearance in a United shirt.
And in that time, he has only scored six goals in all competitions and provided the odd assist.
But for Hojlund, of all the strikers who have played for United since 2013/14, this is the second-worst record ever recorded.
Romelu Lukaku leads with 17 assists ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (16) and Marcus Rashford (14).
Even the likes of Anthony Martial (10), Edinson Cavani (9) and Alexis Sanchez (9) had more goal involvements after 24 games than Hojlund.
And that’s not to mention the records of Mason Greenwood (8), Memphis Depay (8) and Radamel Falcao (8).
But it is the failure Weghorst who has even worse numbers than Hojlund, scoring just five goals in his first 24 games for United.
It’s just the moves and assists that are proving tricky for the new United striker.
Hojlund also has the lowest win of all the Red Devils forwards mentioned above.
Just 10 of his 24 games have resulted in victory, putting him alongside Greenwood and Martial with a win percentage of 42.
And as Hojlund owns the most minutes on the pitch among United’s front 11, his lack of contribution in the final third becomes painfully clearer with the aerial game.
Despite Pual Scholes’ ridicule, Jesse Lingard is said to have performed in Barcelona.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Lingard contributed two goals and two assists in 20 games for Forest.
And he did not manage a single goal contribution in the Premier League for Steve Cooper’s men.
He scored 35 goals and provided 21 assists in 232 matches for boyhood club Man Utd.
And he played 32 caps for England and scored six goals.
But Gareth Southgate has not selected Lingard since 2021.
Paul Scholes hit out at Jesse Lingard with an X-rated post on social media as the ex-Manchester United man continues to search for a club.
Lingard, 31, has been a free agent since being released via Nottingham Forest at the end of last season.
Towards the end of 2023, he trained with West Ham and Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, but did not land a contract with either of them.
Everton are linked with a resolution via the former England player in the January transfer window.
But for now it remains a club as it looks for a way to get back into the game.
On Monday, Lingard shared a host of photos showcasing his work in the gym.
But Manchester United icon Scholes, 49, who won 11 Premier League titles at Old Trafford, was not impressed with the social media post.
He responded to the photos by saying, “Are you going to fuck in the gym or are you going to play football?
Jude Bellingham hilariously trolled Jamie Carragher and Kate Abdo over their Team of the Year picks.
Bellingham was stopped through Richards and Scott after being controlled by Carragher.
The Liverpool legend joked when choosing his midfielder: “It’s the easiest selection I have to make. I’m going to choose a young superstar from England, who lit up the Champions League, it has to be one man. . . “Declan Rice”.
Bellingham kicked off and Richards sank into hysteria.
Selections with Carragher and Abdo for the first 3 formed by Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi.
Rivals Richards and Scott opted for Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland and Mo Salah.
With Bellingham in the squad and promised a “free role” in midfield through his fellow coaches, the Real Madrid star said the best of this team.
The 20-year-old then got his own back on Carragher by laughing that his front three lacked pace.
Bellingham quipped: “I don’t think there is enough energy in there… a lot of walking.”
Carragher replied: “I’m telling you Jude, do a race with Mbappe and see what happens. “
Former Arsenal star Jermaine Pennant, Emile Smith Rowe on Kai Havertz
He told OLBG: “I don’t see any evidence that Havertz can turn things around. “I didn’t feel at all inspired by his time at Chelsea.
“I know they had problems last season, but I don’t know how much time you have to give a player to impress you.
“Havertz is a smart player, that’s for sure, but I don’t see him as a better option than what Arsenal already have.
“I would say Smith-Rowe, when he’s fit, he’s a better player who contributes more. Are you a smart team player? Yes.
“However, I wouldn’t say Havertz isn’t a go-to number 10 or number 9.”
Here’s a look at Chelsea move target Victor Osimhen.
Here is a look at the defender as Tottenham look to beat United to his signature.
Spurs have reportedly agreed a shock swap transfer for Radu Dragusin from Genoa.
The deal to sign the Romanian centre-back will cost north London £21. 5m.
Dragusin, 21, has also had interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Napoli and Manchester United.
However, Spurs have won the race to sign the Serie A star, according to reports.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed that part of the deal will include Djed Spence travelling on loan to Genoa.
Fans have told Altay Bayindir to leave the club after being turned down to face Wigan.
United won the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes.
The Turk was expected to get his chance against Latics, especially with Onana heading to AFCON on January 15.
Bayindir has endeared himself to United fans, while Ten Hag is further overdue for his debut.
Some fans have even advised him to leave the club to continue his career.
One fan posted: “Why did Erik ten Hag sign Altay Bayindir?If he can’t even start playing it in the FA Cup against League One Wigan Athletic.
“Zero minutes so far this season. Bayindir should be on the phone with his agent telling him to secure him a move away now.”
At one point he remarked, “Honestly, if I had gone to Altay Bayindir, I would have left here. . . How smart would he be if we literally hadn’t given him a single minute on the field?”
You can follow the FA Cup fourth round draw HERE.
Juventus have reportedly ended their interest in Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli recently hinted that the club is on the verge of losing interest in the Premier League duo and that the Italian giants would not possibly be looking for a new midfielder in January.
Giuntoli said: “At this stage, there are no opportunities from an economic and technical point of view, so we will remain as we are.
“I say we have a numerical need (to buy a new midfielder) because those who are missing have been out for a few months.
“We have a lot of capable guys who haven’t discovered much space and have already shown their quality, such as Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, Samuel Iling-Junior and Fabio Miretti. The team is worthy and the coach is happy.
“[Massimiliano Allegri is] doing normal things with the boys and his staff. We’ll keep our heads down. “
Man City are a move for Joshua Kimmich, according to reports.
Kimmich, 28, is reportedly open to an exit from Bayern Munich.
Pep Guardiola is said to be a big fan of the German, which, according to the Daily Star, has opened the door to a potential move.
The Manchester City manager signed Kimmich for his time with the Bavarian side.
After signing Kimmich from RB Leipzig in 2015, they share the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.
And since then, good luck hasn’t stopped flowing for him. He won 19 trophies at the Allianz Arena, including the Champions League.
Arsenal have agreed to pay Jeremie Frimpong’s £34 million release clause, according to reports.
The Dutch foreigner has had both the Gunners and Manchester United in his sights in recent weeks.
He has been a key man for Bayer Leverkusen so far this season as Xabi Alonso’s side push for a first-ever Bundesliga title.
However, it is possible that Frimpong will be on the move by the end of the season.
Bild reports that Arsenal are willing to honour his £34 million release clause once it comes into force this summer.
Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly fit to attack former club Everton for Jarrad Branthwaite.
The 21-year-old centre-back is enjoying a season with Sean Dyche.
Manchester United and Tottenham have both registered an interest.
And that led to Everton imposing a colossal £100m tag on Branthwaite’s head.
But the Mail claims Spanish giants Real Madrid have now joined the party.
Jordan Hfinisherson has reportedly turned up at one of Europe’s top clubs as he looks to end his angst in Saudi Arabia.
The 33-year-old midfielder wants to return to the Premier League just six months after his move to the Middle East – despite the prospect of being slapped with a £3m tax bill.
TalkSPORT has now revealed the identity of this mysterious Bundesliga team, and it is none other than reigning champions Bayern Munich.
They claim Henderson has been introduced to Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen as he looks to seal an exit from Saudi Arabia.
But they claim Al-Ettifaq insists he is for sale, while any loan deal “would be difficult for most clubs due to his high salaries. “
Man Utd and Arsenal have missed out on signing Croatian wonderkid Dino Klapija.
Instead, the teenage striker agreed to sign for RB Leipzig from NK Kustosija for £4. 8m.
Both Premier League clubs had been connected to the American-born in recent weeks.
However, the Daily Mail is now reporting that Klapija has reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side.
His family would have chosen Leipzig because they presented the most productive orientation for the first team.
The measure also includes a 10-pound resale clause for Kustosija.
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