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Cody Gakpo has addressed rumours about his Liverpool future while away on international duty with the Netherlands.

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• Gakpo quizzed on Bayern
• Liverpool star's focus elsewhere
• Reacts to Frimpong signing

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gakpo said at a press conference on Friday night, when asked directly about Bayern Munich, that he isn't paying much attention to the rumours that have emerged in recent weeks. He said his agent will handle everything, if there is even anything to handle.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gakpo managed 18 goals in all competitions as Liverpool's primary option on the left flank in 2024-25. But he still only started 23 of a possible 38 Premier League games and Bayern are in the market for additional attacking firepower after showing interest in Florian Wirtz and letting Thomas Muller leave. Gakpo, who kept himself busy between the club season ending and international duty with trips to Paris for the French Open and London for the F1 movie premiere, is versatile enough that he can operate either wide or centrally.

• WHAT GAKPO SAID ABOUT BAYERN MUNICH

  Gakpo said: "I haven't heard anything about it myself. I'm closing myself off from it. Maybe my agent has heard something, but I'm focusing on myself."

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  WHAT GAKPO SAID ABOUT JEREMIE FRIMPONG

  Unless something changes, Gakpo will remain a Liverpool player next season and will be playing alongside compatriot Jeremie Frimpong. This was his first opportunity to speak about the club's new signing.

  "For us, Jeremie is a very good addition," he said. "With his speed and quality. But also because of his position, because Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is no longer with us."

Something shocking happened on Sunday afternoon: Cole Palmer missed a penalty for Chelsea.

The attacking midfielder had previously converted all 17 of his spot-kicks as a professional, but Mads Hermansen’s stunning save as the Blues beat Leicester City 1-0 typified his woes at the moment.

Palmer’s indomitable aura has been knocked somewhat, the 22-year-old enduring the first sticky spell since taking the Premier League by storm when signing for Chelsea from Manchester City in August 2023 for a £42.5m fee, having now gone nine matches in all competitions without a single goal involvement.

Enzo Maresca has long been wary of his side’s overreliance on the Three Lions star, urging his players to step up and alleviate Palmer’s attacking load.

His words haven’t fallen on deaf ears, with Pedro Neto really coming into his own over the past few weeks.

Pedro Neto's recent performances

Though Neto started life at Stamford Bridge rather slowly, he’s made real headway over the past several weeks, notching four of his seven Premier League goal involvements this term across his past five outings.

Chelsea signed Wolves’ star player for a £54m fee last summer. He arrived with a weight of expectation but was only permitted two starting berths across seven opening league fixtures.

Though Palmer is foundering with Nicolas Jackson injured, the Portuguese star has made a real impression in a new centralised attacking role, with Journalist Tom Overend even noting: “Pedro Neto being moved to the central forward position might just have launched his career at Chelsea.”

However, the 24-year-old’s fresh role in the middle has reduced Chelsea’s wide options, especially with Christopher Nkunku and Jadon Sancho both flattering to deceive.

It’s a real shame Chelsea offloaded the perfect solution back in 2023. He’s proving himself worthy of a place in Maresca’s plans to be sure.

Chelsea must regret selling £3m winger

Though an injury crisis makes it easy to rue former sales, Chelsea have been guilty of some questionable transfer business under Todd Boehly. Albeit, the strategy is beginning to streamline.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

However, the decision to sell Callum Hudson-Odoi in 2023 to Nottingham Forest does raise concerns. While he’s endured his share of hardship over the past several years, the winger, 24, is one of the most talented Englishmen in the business and was allowed to depart for just £3m.

The magnitude of this deal was underscored by the past knowledge that Bayern Munich’s loan bid with an option for a permanent purchase worth £70m was rejected in 2020, before the injuries that ruined his Chelsea career.

In fairness, his Blues future did look dead in the water, but Hudson-Odoi’s success in Forest’s high-flying outfit highlights the fact that he could have been kept a while longer, perhaps loaned out in England to reorient himself.

A deadly winger with the quality to play across both flanks, Hudson-Odoi ranks among the top 15% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for both pass completion and progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, emphasising his gift on the ball and indeed in driving it forward.

Such skills have even seen him drawn as Neto’s most statistically similar player, something that adds to the argument concerning Hudson-Odoi’s chances of succeeding in Mareca’s unit.

Forest have been incredible this season, third in the standings and with a tangible shot at qualifying for the Champions League, and Hudson-Odoi has been a “monster” of a cog in the machine, as described by one analyst.

His recent match-winning goal against Manchester City may yet prove decisive in the race – a race that Chelsea are very much a part of.

He’s blooming late, but Hudson-Odoi is proving under Nuno Espirito Santo’s wing that he’s more than capable of thriving in the Premier League. Coach Harry Brooks even noted after the win against Man City that he’s “as good as anyone in Europe” right now.

You know what, he might even be proving himself good enough to start invariably in the capital, galvanising the crowd as Chelsea’s latest homegrown hero.

Chelsea must rue offloading sensation who's outperforming James in 2024/25

Chelsea may have made a mistake in allowing the talent to depart Stamford Bridge.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 7, 2025

Shay Given admits it would be "amazing" to see Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola face Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi at the FIFA Club World Cup.

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• Premier League giants heading to U.S.
• Opportunity to make more history
• Argentine icon will also be on show

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There is a chance of that happening, with some of the finest teams in world football preparing for a global gathering in the United States. City will be there courtesy of their Champions League triumph in 2023 – which formed part of a historic treble.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  MLS outfit Inter Miami, who rewrote the record books when savouring Supporters’ Shield glory last season, have accepted a special invitation to an expanded tournament taking place on American soil.

  Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream now

• WHAT SHAY GIVEN SAID

  Guardiola could cross paths with former Barcelona charge Messi in the knockout stages, if both clubs can progress that far, with ex-City goalkeeper Given – speaking in association with DAZN – telling GOAL when asked about a fun reunion: “It would be amazing. Messi, for me, one of the best players to ever grace the planet.

  “From a City point of view, with the profile of the club, it just feels like if they can get their hands on it… It’s a big ask with so many big clubs – Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final were phenomenal, the likes of them and Real Madrid will have the same ambition to get their hands on this trophy. As an ex-City player I would love to see them win it, but it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be tough.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Given the prize money on offer, and the opportunity to make history by becoming the first winners of the 32-team Club World Cup, Given added when asked if City and demanding coach Guardiola will be taking the event seriously: “Very much so. I think as well with the prize money at stake and the season that they’ve had, with no trophies, they would maybe class this as part of the season and winning a trophy.

  “It’s a big tournament. Some of the biggest clubs in the world will be there. I think Guardiola will see this as an opportunity to make a bit of history as a club – the first one, get that gold badge on their chest for the next four years. They will be world champions, and that’s a big statement.

  “Anything that Pep Guardiola is involved with, he wants to win. He’ll be hurting on the back of not winning anything. They would have thought the FA Cup final would soften that blow a little bit, but Crystal Palace had other ideas. They look like they are strengthening in the window, a couple of players may be coming in before the Club World Cup, so I’m sure that he wants to get his hands on this trophy.”

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is facing the prospect of a key squad member being tempted away from N17 this summer, with the Spurs star now believed to be seriously keen on an exit before next season.

Players who are likely to leave Tottenham this summer

A host of players are up for the axe at Spurs, with some decisions reportedly already made behind-the-scenes.

Spurs doing groundwork to sign "exceptional" £55m winger; he's a key target

Tottenham are looking to make a splash in the summer transfer window.

By
Dominic Lund

Mar 25, 2025

After a lacklustre temporary spell in north London, RB Leipzig loanee Timo Werner is set to return to his parent club at the end of the season, with the Lilywhites and chairman Daniel Levy electing not to trigger the £8.5 million buy option in his contract.

Meanwhile, out-of-contract trio Sergio Reguilon, Alfie Whiteman and Fraser Forster are all set to leave Hotspur Way on free deals this summer, as their contracts tick down towards expiry on June 30.

Richarlison could also be sold by Tottenham, according to reports, following a season blighted by injuries for the Brazilian. Everton are believed to be expressing an interest in re-signing their former star striker, as per GiveMeSport, and Levy could take a £20 million loss on Richarlison by letting him go for around £40 million.

The likes of Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil, who have both enjoyed productive stints away from Spurs, on loan at Leeds United and Girona respectively, are also reportedly unlikely to be donning Lilywhites colours for the 2025/2026 season.

There is also the prospect of elite sides attempting to prise Postecoglou’s star players away, following what has been a disappointing second campaign in charge for the Tottenham boss.

Now, Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid are becoming seriously linked with a move for £165,000-per-week defender Cristian Romero.

Sky Sports reported this week that Atletico hold an interest in signing Romero this summer, with the Argentine believed to be a credible target for the La Liga side ahead of next campaign.

Some outlets have previously claimed that Levy could demand as much as £150 million to sell Romero, which may well be out of Atletico’s price range, but perhaps the centre-back himself could force through a move.

Cristian Romero determined to quit Tottenham after talks with his camp

As per reports from Spain, Romero “will do everything he can” to leave Tottenham this summer, and Atlético have already held talks with the South American’s camp as they ponder a move.

The 26-year-old is apparently ready to do his part in an attempt to seal a move away from north London, but it will also require a “significant investment” from Atlético, which Tottenham will demand if they even entertain the possibility of selling their crucial defender.

Simeone’s side appear determined, though, as they “dream” of striking a deal for Romero and luring him to the Wanda Metropolitano.

The former Atalanta star has been unable to exert his influence on the Spurs backline akin to last season, having spent the vast majority of this campaign sidelined through injury alongside partner Micky van de Ven. However, when fit and available, there is no denying he would be a sore miss and very difficult to replace.

Chelsea have reportedly slapped a €20 million price tag on a fading star amid rising interest from Bundesliga teams.

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• Chelsea exits expected this summer
• Slap €20m price tag on player's head
• Bundesliga teams interested

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea have received several enquiries from Bundesliga teams over striker Armando Broja. He states RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg are closely monitoring the 23-year-old, who is valued at €20m (£17m).

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  Broja has gone from being a highly-rated Chelsea academy product, who was valued at around £50m ($67.5m) just 18 months ago, to one who is seemingly surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. The Albania international has had two unfruitful loans at Fulham and Everton, and now it seems a Blues departure is likely. Incidentally, team-mate Axel Disasi could also be heading for the exit.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite impressing on loan at Vitesse and Southampton, where he scored 20 goals in two seasons, Broja has found the net just 23 times in 132 matches in his career at club level. He also failed to score in 19 combined appearances at Fulham and Everton and has just three goals in 38 Chelsea games.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if anyone will bid that much for Broja, who still has three years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, or if Chelsea will have to lower their asking price to get him off their books.

The new Premier League champions have pulled off a major coup by landing the Germany international, who can take them to an even higher level

"He’s probably the best player in Europe at the moment," former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann said on the after confirmation of Florian Wirtz's British-record £116 million ($159m) move to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen was widely reported. "He played in a team that were 16th or 17th when [Xabi] Alonso took over, they end up winning the league the season after, this year they finished second. The biggest reason is Florian Wirtz. He is exceptional."

Hamann added on whether Wirtz can hit the ground running in the Premier League: "The reason why I think he will be a success is that he can look after himself. He is like a street kid. He won't shirk a challenge." In other words, Wirtz is a game-changer with an edge. Liverpool have broken the bank to sign the 22-year-old ahead of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City, but it's a shrewd investment that could pay off handsomely.

Almost three-and-a-half years ago, Wirtz tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a Bundesliga clash against Koln, and underwent a gruelling 10-month rehabilitation programme. It was feared that the injury would derail the playmaker's career before it had properly taken off, but under the guidance of Alonso, he defied all the odds to come back and spearhead the most successful period in Leverkusen's entire history.

The technical quality and mental fortitude Wirtz has shown at such a young age are nothing short of remarkable. Hamann's confidence in the Germany international is a reflection of that, and will be shared not only by all the decision-makers at Liverpool, but also neutral fans across the Premier League. This feels like the rarest type of transfer in the modern era: a sure thing.

Because of Wirtz's elite status and the money involved, it's also a deal that will have far-reaching implications. As such, GOAL has come up with eight winners and losers from the biggest transfer of the summer so far…

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  WINNER: Arne Slot

  There were a lot of question marks around Arne Slot when he was chosen to succeed the beloved Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat last summer. He delivered the Eredivisie title at Feyenoord in 2022-23, but his side subsequently finished seven points behind champions PSV in the following season, and the Dutchman had no coaching experience outside of his homeland to speak of.

  Some critics felt Slot would just be another Erik ten Hag – the former Ajax manager who failed so spectacularly at Manchester United – while others felt he lacked the charisma that made Klopp such a revered figure on Merseyside. But within the space of just a few months, all those doubts were extinguished, as Liverpool stormed to the top of both the Premier League and the Champions League league phase table.

  The Reds ended up being ousted from Europe by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, but clinched their second Premier League crown with four games to spare, and finished the season with the best attacking record in the division. Slot didn't just carry on the Klopp blueprint; he improved on it, despite only making one summer signing in the form of £10m winger Federico Chiesa.

  Now, Slot is recognised as one of the best coaches on the planet, and that's one of the main reasons why Wirtz has chosen Anfield. Last season wasn't just a one-off for Liverpool; Slot is dynasty-planning after proving he deserves to be backed in the transfer market. Wirtz's arrival will pave the way for plenty more marquee signings as Liverpool strive to dominate on both domestic and European fronts for years to come.

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  LOSER: Harry Kane & Bayern Munich

  Bayern Munich are used to having everything their way in Germany. They're expected to sweep the top domestic prizes every year, and on the rare occasions they fall short, the green light is given to raid their closest rivals.

  Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah is the latest man to succumb to the lure of guaranteed success at Bayern, following in the footsteps of Bundesliga legends like Michael Ballack, Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski. But for once, Bayern did not land the big fish.

  Despite reportedly offering Wirtz a higher salary package, he opted for Liverpool over Bayern. The Germany international is said to have been more convinced by the sporting project at Anfield, which is a humiliating blow for Bayern and their current head coach, Vincent Kompany.

  It's easy to imagine Wirtz linking up with Harry Kane to devastating effect, but Bayern's disappointing 2024-25 Champions League campaign showed they still have a long way to go as a collective to reach the very top again. The Bundesliga champions' pulling power has dwindled and Wirtz is unlikely to be the only ambitious young star to turn down their advances this summer.

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  WINNER: Mohamed Salah

  Mohamed Salah was the best player in the Premier League last season. A staggering 47 goal involvements in 38 games represented his best return yet for the Reds, and for the first half of the campaign especially, the Egyptian was almost unplayable.

  Unfortunately, it almost certainly will not be enough to win the Ballon d'Or over PSG's Champions League hero Ousmane Dembele or Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. Salah's output dropped down the finishing stretch, and given the current voting set up, he will almost certainly be penalised for exiting Europe's elite competition at the round of 16 stage.

  But even after turning 33 this month, Salah's Golden Ball ambitions are not totally dead in the water. The 2025 prize may be out of his reach, but linking up with Wirtz might just give him the edge next year.

  Salah won't have to shoulder so much of the creative burden now that Wirtz is backing him up. His assists total may drop, but Liverpool's talismanic forward could potentially score even goals with the Leverkusen maestro on hand to provide world-class service, and he's thus less likely to run out of steam in the final portion of the season.

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  LOSER: Cody Gakpo

  Cody Gakpo's first two seasons at Liverpool were somewhat underwhelming, but Slot managed to bring the best out of the former PSV star in 2024-25. Under Klopp, Gakpo was deployed mostly as a striker and found himself in and out of the starting line up as a result, but one of Slot's first orders of business was to make the Netherlands international Liverpool's first-choice left winger, and it paid off.

  The 26-year-old registered a combined 25 goals and assists across all competitions in his first campaign under Slot, becoming a key source of defence-splitting passes while also wreaking havoc with his late runs into the penalty area. But the signing of Wirtz might just put Gakpo back to square one.

  Wirtz regularly played as an inverted winger off the left at Leverkusen, and could be a better partner than Gakpo for rumoured Liverpool target Milo Kerkez, who has mastered the art of quick overlaps at Bournemouth. Interestingly, Gakpo is now being strongly linked with Bayern, which may be an indication that the Dutch forward is already questioning whether he and Wirtz can both fit into Slot's XI.

The big debate at Leeds United currently concerns the number one position at Elland Road amid questions over Illan Meslier’s suitability for the team this season.

Daniel Farke has already confirmed that Karl Darlow will be between the sticks when the Whites face off against Luton Town in the Championship this weekend, which will be a huge chance for the former Newcastle United man to nail down a place in the side.

The West Yorkshire outfit are currently competing for promotion to the Premier League – sat in second place as it stands – and the Wales international now has an opportunity to play a key role in an ascension to the top-flight.

Darlow has yet to make a Championship appearance for Leeds this season, but has kept two clean sheets in three Nations League matches for Wales, and it remains to be seen if he can be an upgrade on the French stopper.

Meslier’s form for the Whites throughout the 2024/25 campaign has been a concern, though, and it seems like the right call for Farke to take him out of the firing line this weekend.

Why Leeds are right to drop Illan Meslier

The former Lorient goalkeeper was in the spotlight once again when Leeds were held to a 2-2 draw by Swansea last weekend after he fumbled a cross to allow Harry Darling to score and let a shot from Zan Vipotnik squirm under him at the near post – undoing the good work he did to save a penalty.

He has started all 39 of the club’s matches in the Championship so far this term and that clash with the Swans was far from the first time that he has let the side down.

The left-footed dud has conceded 2.73 more goals than expected, based on the xG of the shots against his goal, which suggests that the Frenchman has been well below average as a shot-stopper.

Meslier has also made three errors that have directly led to goals for the opposition this season, the most famous of which may well be the one against Sunderland in the last minute at the Stadium of Light.

All of this suggests that Farke is right to finally take the 25-year-old liability out of the starting line-up because he has underperformed as a shot-stopper and made too many errors to gift goals to the opposition.

Meslier’s poor form this season has also caused some supporters to look back at former goalkeepers who have been let go during the French flop’s time at Elland Road, including Italian stopper Elia Caprile.

Leeds United's error with Elia Caprile

The young goalkeeper spent two-and-a-half years with the club’s academy, keeping five clean sheets in 19 U21 matches, and was sent out on loan to the third tier of Italian football in the 2021/22 campaign.

Caprile kept 12 clean sheets in 36 Serie C matches in that season, whilst Meslier had started all 38 of the club’s Premier League games under Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch combined.

At that point, it did not seem realistic that the Italian would overtake the Frenchman because he had just played third tier football, whilst the Leeds number one was playing week-in-week-out in the top-flight.

That led to Victor Orta and Marsch sanctioning a deal to send Caprile to Serie B side Bari on a permanent deal, which turned out to be an error on the club’s part as he went on to join Napoli one year later.

As you can see in the table above, he has spent the last two seasons on loan at Empoli and Cagliari in the Serie A and caught the eye with his impressive shot-stopping skills.

This suggests that Leeds messed up with Caprile, because he is currently outperforming Meslier whilst playing in a major league, but it was difficult for the club to predict that rise after he had played in the third tier in Italy.

A bigger blunder by Leeds was their decision to allow Joel Robles to leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, as he could have been a dream replacement for the French dud.

Why Joel Robles was the perfect Illan Meslier replacement

The experienced Spaniard played four times in the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign under Sam Allardyce, who dropped Meslier, before the club released him that summer.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

That has turned out to be an even bigger mistake than the decision to move Caprile on because the former Wigan Athletic man was a veteran presence between the sticks with top-flight experience, whilst the Italian was an inexperienced and young prospect who had yet to prove himself when the Whites let him leave.

Meslier had just conceded a staggering 12.4 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG against him in the Premier League, which meant that he was heading into the Championship in poor form.

The 25-year-old dud has now gone on to concede 7.22 more goals than expected and made four errors that have directly led to goals in the second tier since the start of last term, which shows that he has continued to be a liability between the sticks.

Robles, who was hailed as an “incredible” teacher by Marc Roca, should have been kept as an experienced pair of hands to step in for Meslier once it was clear that his poor form had followed him to the Championship, as he has gone on to prove his quality in Portugal with Estoril.

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish titan currently plays for Estoril and has significantly outperformed Meslier whilst playing in a top division.

Robles has consistently bailed his team out, almost preventing seven goals, and these statistics suggest that Leeds would have conceded far fewer goals if they had a goalkeeper of his shot-stopping ability between the sticks instead of their current number one.

Therefore, Leeds already let a perfect upgrade on Meslier leave for £0 when they released the former Wigan and Everton man on a free transfer back in the summer of 2023.

The 34-year-old colossus is proving that age is just a number as he continues to shine in a top European league for Estoril, whilst his former teammate continues to struggle in the Championship.

Not just Bamford: 49ers must sell Leeds dud who's rinsed them of £20m

Leeds United need to brutally offload Patrick Bamford and one other star this summer.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 26, 2025

Leeds could have more points on the board right now if they had a reliable shot-stopper who could consistently prevent goals, like Robles, as they may not have dropped points against Sunderland or Swansea away – for example – without Meslier’s errors.

Tottenham could be set to beat Juventus to the signing of Lyon striker Georges Mikautadze after the French club's shock relegation from Ligue 1.

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• Lyon drop into Ligue 2
• Spurs eye Mikautadze
• Enjoyed incredible Euro 2024

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per Tutto Juve, Spurs are interested in Mikautadze, as are Juventus, but the Europa League winners appear to have stolen a march on their rivals. The north London club, who recently appointed Thomas Frank as manager, are said to be ready to bid for the Georgia international, after Lyon dropped into Ligue 2 due to their immense debt.

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  Mikautadze announced himself to the world at Euro 2024, when he scored in all of Georgia's group games, against Türkiye, Czechia, and Portugal. Last season, he scored 17 goals in all competitions and also provided 11 assists, and it is unlikely that he will want to play in the French second-tier; to that end, Lyon have appealed the decision to relegate them.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Spurs have already added Mathys Tel to their frontline this summer, signing the France U21 international permanently from Bayern Munich, and appear to be eyeing further reinforcements ahead of a return to the Champions League next season. They have also been linked with Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, although he appears to be set to move to Manchester United.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if Spurs will formalise their interest in the Georgia international. They may be minded to move quickly after Lyon's relegation.

Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Ceballos have been fined following their actions after the Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.

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• UEFA fines three Real Madrid stars after Madrid derby
• Mbappe fined €30k, Rudiger €40k, Ceballos €20k
• Vinicius avoids ban despite controversial gestures

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , UEFA has issued financial penalties and suspended one-match bans to Mbappe (€30,000), Rudiger (€40,000), and Ceballos (€20,000) for their actions following Madrid’s round of 16 Champions League win over Atletico. The punishments stem from celebrations and gestures made by the trio after Madrid's dramatic penalty shootout victory.

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  The incident unfolded after Rudiger’s winning penalty, which sealed Los Blancos' spot in the quarter-finals. Madrid players ran toward their fans to celebrate, prompting objects to be thrown from Atletico supporters. Los Rojiblancos accused the players of provoking the crowd, while Madrid defended their stars, claiming they were reacting to hostility and missiles from the stands.

  Interestingly, Vinicius Jr., who also made gestures referencing Madrid’s 15 Champions League titles and Atletico’s zero, was not punished. UEFA ruled his actions weren’t severe enough to warrant a ban.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rudiger, Mbappe, and Ceballos received suspended one-match UEFA bans, which will only be enforced if they commit a similar offense again. Additionally, UEFA fined Los Blancos €15,000 and issued a warning over a fan’s Nazi salute. If such behavior is repeated, the club could face a ban on selling away tickets in UEFA competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

  Unless any of the three players repeat the behaviour, they won’t serve their bans. However, the club have been warned, and future incidents will trigger automatic suspensions and possibly tighter sanctions. Madrid must now ensure player conduct remains in check especially in high-pressure knockout ties to avoid further run-ins with UEFA’s disciplinary committee.

Marcus Rashford has sent out a strong message after losing the No. 10 shirt to new Manchester United signing Matheus Cunha.

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• Rashford not in Man Utd plans
• Cunha takes his No. 10 shirt
• England man sends message

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Soon after Cunha swapped Wolves for United, the £62.5 million ($85m) signing was given the No. 10 jersey at Old Trafford – a number Rashford had held. Less than a day after this development, the 27-year-old has posted a photo of himself training hard in the gym as he heads to a new chapter in his career.

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• WHAT RASHFORD SAID

  The former Aston Villa loanee uploaded a photo on X of him holding a weight in a gym, with the caption: "#NewProfilePic."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford has seemingly made it clear that his United days are over as he looks for a summer move. His dream switch would be to Barcelona but that move has not been forthcoming, yet, so the England international is facing an uncertain future. But for the time being, he is making it clear he is fit and raring to go ahead of the new season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United academy product Rashford, who will not head back to Villa after they passed up the chance to sign him for £40m ($54.6m), will hope to find a new team soon as he will no doubt be eyeing a spot in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for next year's World Cup.