Haaland LATEST, Odegaard 'interested in Liverpool', Arsenal could sell £100m Saka, Neymar 'wants Messi reunion at Barca'
TRANSFER speculation is intensifying ahead of a huge summer window.
Erling Haaland is the man on most clubs' lips but there's also interesting news from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
Stay up to date with all the latest football news in our rolling blog…
- Etienne Fermie
LIN BUSINESS
West Ham boss David Moyes raved about Jesse Lingard's performance, after the Man United loanee scored his latest goal against Wolves on Monday night.
Following the Hammers' 3-2 win, which takes them back up to fourth, the Scot said: "I was telling him how well he has played.
"I'm probably a manager who doesn't say that very often, but he deserved that after his performance."
Lingard, 28, earned the praise of his manager David MoyesCredit: PA - Etienne Fermie
ZLAT'S THAT
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to sign a new contract that will take him into his 40s.
The Swede, 39, has defied his age with his heroics for AC Milan this season.
Ibrahimovic turns 40 on October 3 but shows of slowing down just yet.
He has 15 goals in 16 league appearances, firing the Rossoneri to second in the Serie A table, behind rivals Inter.
And according to Sky in Italy, a one-year extension is on the table which he is expected to sign and stay beyond this summer.
The report adds Ibrahimovic should pen the deal within the next seven to ten days.
Zlatan currently earns around £5.94million per season – or £114,000 per week.
And those wages are on course to remain the same into the 2020-21 season.
Ibrahimovic will play professionally into his fifth decadeCredit: Getty - Joshua Jones
MORNING FOOTY FANS
West Ham won 3-2 at Wolves last night to go fourth with just eight games to go.
The Hammers had to do it without star man Declan Rice who picked up a knee injury on England duty but David Moyes’ men did not miss him and raced into a 3-0 lead inside 38 minutes.
Echoes of their last performance against Arsenal when they threw away a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Arsenal threatened to de-rail their charge for Europe.
Leander Dendoncker headed home to give the home side hope on the stroke of half-time before Fabio Silva set up a nervy finish.
But the East Londoners held on and their Champions League charge rumbles on.
Earlier in the day, Crystal Palace nicked a point at Everton when Michy Batshuayi’s strike cancelled out James Rodriguez’s effort earlier in the half.
The Toffees were left to rue Richarlison’s missed chances as they stayed eighth and Palace remained 12th.
Elsewhere, Ousmane Dembele’s 90th-minute winner saw Barcelona beat Valladolid 1-0 to leapfrog Real Madrid into second in LaLiga.
And back in England, Kieran Tierney is set for a scan on his knee with Arsenal fearing the left-back has suffered a ‘serious’ injury, according to reports.
The Scotland defender, 23, limped out of the 3-0 loss to Liverpool following an awkward clash with James Milner.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admits they face an anxious wait to find out how serious Tierney’s injury is.
And the Daily Mail report Arsenal are concerned Tierney will now be ruled out for several weeks.
The Gunners also reportedly want to bring Inter Milan star Achraf Hakimi to the Emirates should they sell Hector Bellerin at the end of the season.
The 22-year-old was linked with a move to North London last summer, but he opted to join the Serie A side from Real Madrid following his hugely-successful loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.
At Old Trafford, David De Gea’s future is in doubt due to growing tensions with Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to reports.
Solskjaer decided to start Dean Henderson ahead of the Spaniard against Brighton.
De Gea would have expected a start after returning from paternity leave, and according to Manchester Evening News the pair's relationship is becoming a problem.
The report suggests Solskjaer twice attempted to drop De Gea in favour of Henderson, firstly against West Brom in November and then against Chelsea in February.
On both occasions De Gea expressed his unhappiness with the decision and Solskjaer changed his mind.
A big section of the Man Utd squad reportedly believes the England international should have replaced De Gea in December.
And finally Premier League Covid testers returned just one positive result over the past seven days – for the second week running.
The sole positive result came in the initial round of sampling between Monday and Thursday, from a total of 1,515 tests across the 20 clubs.
And fears of a potential spike when players returned from the international break appear to have abated after the second round of 1,149 tests between Friday and Sunday all came back clear.
- William Pugh
TIDY THE MES
Jamie Carragher thinks Arsenal could have 'another Ozil' on their hands in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gunners skipper, 31, has scored just once in his last six matches and was ineffectual in Saturday's 3-0 thrashing by Liverpool.
Arsenal have only just got Mesut Ozil's £350,000-a-week wages off the books after years of him being benched or frozen out of the first team.
And, speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher warned that Aubameyang could go the same way.
The former Liverpool defender said: "I think there will be a big worry at Arsenal and for Mikel Arteta that they may have another Mesut Ozil situation where they give someone a big contract at £300,000 or £350,000-a-week.
"Next season and in these coming months that will be going through the manager's mind. Have we got another situation like that? Because what he is producing right now is nowhere near good enough considering how good a player he is and also what Arsenal have invested in him."
- William Pugh
TIER FEARS
Kieran Tierney is set for a scan on his knee with Arsenal fearing the left back has suffered a 'serious' injury, according to reports.
The Scotland defender, 23, limped out of the 3-0 loss to Liverpool following an awkward clash with James Milner.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admits they face an anxious wait to find out how serious Kieran Tierney’s injury is.
And the Daily Mail report Arsenal are concerned Tierney will now be ruled out for several weeks.
The top class full back is set for a scan with the club believed to be fearing the defender has suffered a 'serious' knee injury.
On Saturday Mikel Arteta said: "Kieran felt something in his knee. He was in pain so it looks like he will be injured but we don't know how long for.”
- William Pugh
FULL TIME!
Wolves 2 – 3 West Ham
West Ham complete their first ever top flight double over Wolves but they made hard work of it after racing into a 3-0 lead after 38 minutes.
Man of the match Jesse Lingard opened the scoring before Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen made it three.
Dendoncker's header made it 3-1 at half-time before Fabio Silva set up a nervy finish for the East Londoners.
But David Moyes' men held on to go fourth while Wolves stay 14th.
- William Pugh
RAF AND READY
Arsenal reportedly want to bring Inter Milan star Achraf Hakimi to the Emirates should they sell Hector Bellerin at the end of the season.
The 22-year-old was linked with a move to North London last summer, but he opted to join the Serie A side from Real Madrid following his hugely-successful loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.
But Mikel Arteta's side have retained their interest in the Morocco international, with club scouts still recommending they bring him to England.
Especially with Arsenal now understood to be on the lookout for a right-back with Hector Bellerin said to be wanted by both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
And, according to AS, Hakimi – who can also play as a right winger – is the FA Cup holders' preferred replacement should they be able to flog him. Hakimi is understood to be available for around £42.5million with Inter looking to raise funds, and desperate not to sell star man Romelu Lukaku.
Real Madrid have first refusal on Hakimi, having inserted a buyback clause in his contract when they sold the player last year. But it remains unlikely that Los Blancos will bring him back to the Bernabeu as they look to make a move for Erling Haaland.
- William Pugh
COULD LEAVE LIN
West Ham have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid outcast Vitolo as a possible alternative to Man Utd loanee Jesse Lingard.
The Hammers were linked with a move to sign the 31-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, but opted instead to bring in Lingard on loan from Manchester United.
But with Lingard shining at the London Stadium, it remains to be seen whether his temporary stay will be turned into a permanent deal.
SunSport understands that due to Lingard's surprising resurgence in form, United have doubled his asking price to £40million.
And should the Hammers be priced out of a move for the England international, they could reignite their interest in Vitolo, according to Fichajes. The news outlet states that Atletico have offered David Moyes' side the chance to sign the Spanish star in the summer.
It has been claimed that the player could be available for just £8.5m having fallen dramatically down the pecking order under Diego Simeone. And they add that a deal could potentially be reached before the end of the campaign should West Ham look to bring him to England.
- William Pugh
ARS KICKING
Gary Neville blasted several Arsenal stars for their lack of effort against Liverpool on Saturday.
The former Man Utd right-back, in typical fashion, was not afraid of expressing his feelings in condemning the Gunners' culprits, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Martin Odegaard.
Neville said on Monday Night Football: "I was alarmed. We know where Arsenal are – in a transition under Mikel Arteta. But at half time on Saturday I was really uncomfortable with what I'd seen.
"But I have to say, coming out of Saturday – and we don't know what goes on behind the scenes – there was a few of those players in the front part of the pitch – it looked like a little mafia.
“It looked like a little group of players who weren’t comfortable – like there was a disconnect between them and the manager. The manager looked like he’s had enough of them – he had that glazed eye look."
And circling Lacazette, Auba, Odegaard, Nicolas Pepe, Dani Ceballos and Thomas Partey on his interactive screen, Neville added: “What was really different was the effort – or lack of it – of the front six.
“Odegaard a few times did try and put a bit of a press on but he was on his own. But the rest of them… I’d go as far to say they were a joke. I think Arteta will have come away from that game on Saturday thinking ‘It’s me or them’.”
- William Pugh
GOOOOAAALLL – SILVA!
Wolves 2 – 3 West Ham
Surely it's not going to happen again?
Great ball over the top from Neto plays Silva in down the right hand channel.
He controls it and smashes it back across Fabianski into the bottom left corner to give his side hope.
- William Pugh
UNITED STAND
Several WSL stars have thrown their support behind Birmingham Women over their dispute with the club's board over work conditions.
First-team Blues players signed a letter sent to clubs' chiefs voicing concerns over inadequate facilities, wages and medical support, according to The Telegraph.
And now WSL aces including Chelsea star Fran Kirby are making a stand in solidarity with Blues players.
Kirby, 27, whose brace helped Chelsea thrash Birmingham 6-0 on Sunday, was one of the first to stand up for her league rivals.
In a post shared with more than 100,000 of her Twitter followers, Kirby said: "It’s a shame in 2021 we still have women’s teams competing in the top league in England having to ask for help like this.
"We should all be given the chance to perform at the highest level we can, Birmingham Women we all stand with you."
- William Pugh
KICK-OFF!
Wolves 1 – 3 West Ham
The second half is off and underway at Molineux after a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' first period.
David Moyes will be hoping his side can avoid a repeat of their last game when they were 3-1 up at half-time against Arsenal and drew 3-3.
- William Pugh
S-MART MOVE
Martin Odegaard would be tempted by a Liverpool move this summer, according to reports.
The 22-year-old Norwegian playmaker is on loan at Arsenal from Real Madrid until the summer.
The Gunners are still trying to sign him from the LaLiga giants on a permanent deal after his loan ends.
But reports in Spain say he could be tempted by Jurgen Klopp if an Arsenal move doesn't materialise.
AS claim the Norwegian is comfortable in England and would consider a move to Merseyside. He has two more years on his Real Madrid contract.
Fans joked that Klopp was trying to 'tap up' Odegaard after Liverpool's win at the Emirates. The Reds smashed Arsenal 3-0 on Saturday and Klopp and Odegaard had a warm embrace on the pitch afterwards.
- William Pugh
HALF-TIME!
Wolves 1 – 3 West Ham
What a breathtaking half.
The Hammers raced into a three goal lead inside 38 minutes thanks to Jesse Lingard, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen.
The latter had replaced an injured Michail Antonio and the East Londoners also had both their centre-backs booked.
And Dendoncker completed the rollercoaster half with a header to give Wolves hope on the stroke of half time.
All to play for and to think Gary Neville said this could be 'unwatchable' before the game.
- William Pugh
GOOOOOAAAAALLL – DENDONCKER!
Wolves 1 – 3 West Ham
44. What a game this is.
Traore ties Coufal in knots down the left hand side, whips a beautiful cross in from the byline and unmarked Dendoncker rises above everyone to head into the bottom left corner.
Surely not a second consecutive crumble from three goals up for the Hammers?
- William Pugh
GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL – BOWEN!
38. Wolves 0 – 3 West Ham
Just moments after replacing the injured Antonio, Jarrod Bowen smashes the Hammers into a 3-0 lead.
Jesse Lingard heavily involved again as he runs away from three Wolves players on half way.
He plays Bowen down the left channel and he blasts the ball low and hard in off the near post.
This is dreamland for the Hammers although they went three up against Arsenal last time out and drew so it's not over yet…
- William Pugh
PAY GAP
David Luiz will have to take an Arsenal pay cut if he is going to stay at the Emirates beyond this summer.
The Brazilian defender is currently sidelined for a month after undergoing a minor knee operation on Sunday.
But his contract runs out at the end of the season and the club are reluctant to extend his deal on his current terms of £120,000-a-week.
Luiz, an £8million signing from Chelsea two years ago, has been Mikel Arteta’s most reliable central defender this season but turns 34 later this month.
No definite decision will be made on his future until the end of the season when the club knows if they will be playing in Europe next season.
But having already handed lucrative long-term deals to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian last summer, Arsenal do not want to tie themselves to another veteran on huge wages.
- William Pugh
GAEL FORCE
Gael Clichy believes his former Manchester City team-mate Sergio Aguero would be a 'good fit' at Arsenal when he departs the Etihad in the summer.
The 32-year-old striker is set to become a free agent at the end of the season when his contract expires, bringing an end to ten trophy-laden years with City.
He told Stadium Astro: "I could see him staying in the Premier League, because he will want to climb to third or second [in the all-time top goalscorers charts].
"He can get there, for sure.Does he want that? Ten years with Manchester City is enough, I think he will move where he can enjoy it a bit more.
"Can he see himself at another English club? That’s the question. He loves the sun. I would like to see him stay [in England] to get to second or third in goals, but I think he will move away from the Premier League.
"I think Arsenal is a good fit, in terms of style of play. They play nice football and they create opportunities, but I really doubt he would go there. I think he'll go to Spain."
- William Pugh
GOOOOOAAAALLLL – FORNALS!
Wolves 0 – 2 West Ham
14. Another fantastic goal from the rampant Hammers.
Jesse Lingard kept the ball from going out for a goal kick by the left corner flag, Arthur Masuaku was first to the loose ball and swept a first time left foot cross across the box to Pablo Fornals.
And the Spaniard swivelled and diverted the ball into the bottom right corner with the inside of his right foot from 15 yards.
- William Pugh
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL – LINGARD!!!!
Wolves 0 – 1 West Ham
6. WHAT A GOAL!
The England star picks up the ball near the half way line as the Hammers break with speed.
Antonio's run draws the defenders away as Lingard zips from right to left, breaks into the penalty box and fires it back across the goal with his left into the far right corner.
What a start from the East Londoners. Who needs Declan Rice!
- William Pugh
KICK-OFF!
Wolves 0 – 0 West Ham
And the teams are off and underway at Molineux.
The Hammers will go fourth with a win while the hosts will jump a place to 13th.
- William Pugh
CAL ON ME
Juventus are in pole position to sign AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu, according to reports.
The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and negotiations with his current club are believed to have stalled.
According to Sky Sport in Italy, Calhanoglu may remain at Milan beyond this summer as the two parties are still discussing a new deal.
Journalist Manuele Baiocchini is suggesting the player is wanting €1million, or £850,000, more a year than the Rossoneri are currently offering.
Should talks end without a signature, Juventus are believed to be in pole position to sign Calhanoglu.
The Turkey international has previously been a target for Manchester United, with reports suggesting he was close to signing a pre-contract agreement in November.
- William Pugh
MAD FOR REDS
Real Madrid face Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League tie and SunSport picked out a combined XI ahead of the clash.
The Reds appear to have the edge with six of their players selected in the team.
- William Pugh
KOP FOR KOOP
Liverpool are interested in signing AZ Alkmaar midfielder Teun Koopmeiners in the summer, per reports.
The 23-year-old is being weighed up as a potential replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who seems set to join Barcelona when his contract expires in June.
And, according Calcio Mercato, the Reds reckon compatriot Koopmeiners could be a like-for-like replacement.
Although reports in Italy suggest Roma will fight them for the goalscoring midfielder.
Koopmeiners acknowledged the Serie A side’s interest after AZ Alkmaar beat Willem II on Saturday.
He told NOS Sport, “There is interest from AS Roma and we will see what happens. I will not go into any further interest. It’s only logical that interest will arise since we’ve had such a good season. We’ll see what happens. Though, it’s not on the agenda yet.”
- William Pugh
WELCOME!
You've come to the right place for all the latest football and transfer news.
Crystal Palace nicked a late equaliser at Goodison Park tonight – Michy Batshuayi's strike cancelling out James Rodriguez's effort earlier in the second-half.
West Ham travel to Wolves in the final game of the weekend with the Hammers looking to go fourth with a win.
But they'll have to do it without star man Declan Rice who picked up a knee injury on England duty.
Elsewhere, history making referee Rebecca Welch took charge of an EFL match today.
The highest ranked female official in England was in the middle for Monday’s game between Harrogate Town and Port Vale in League Two.
Premier League Covid testers returned just one positive result over the past seven days – for the second week running.
The sole positive result came in the initial round of sampling between Monday and Thursday, from a total of 1,515 tests across the 20 clubs.
And fears of a potential spike when players returned from the international break appear to have abated after the second round of 1,149 tests between Friday and Sunday all came back clear.
Pep Guardiola says even a blind man would be able to see the quality of Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City boss distanced himself from reports linking the club with the Norwegian last week.
But he will get a close-up look at the 20-year-old hotshot – who arrived in Manchester wearing a Sky Blue backpack – when the two teams go head-to-head at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
Haaland has already scored ten goals in the competition this season and is rated in the £150million bracket by his German club.
Guardiola insists City will not be paying that kind of money for anyone this summer – but knows all about his ability.
And he knows his team will have to be at their best to keep him out during the two legs of the Champions League quarter-final.
Finally, City are ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in the transfer race to land Lionel Messi, according to reports.
But the Argentine great could end up staying put at Barcelona after all.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the competitiveness of the Premier League is thought to be an appealing factor for Messi as he considers his next step.
Manchester City are on course to win their third title in four years but the strength of the league makes playing in it an exciting prospect.
PSG, meanwhile, may be struggling to win the Ligue 1 title this year but have won seven of the last eight campaigns.
Source: Read Full Article