West Ham came ‘very close’ to signing Harry Maguire from Manchester United over the summer, Irons coach Kevin Nolan has revealed.

Maguire seemed destined to leave United having fallen out of favour with Erik ten Hag and getting stripped of the captaincy.

Though the centre-back’s form has badly dipped for his club, he is still a trusted England international and there was a good amount of interest in him during the last transfer window.

West Ham were the clear frontrunners for his signature and after weeks of negotiations they agreed a £30million fee with the Red Devils, in a move that seemed to suit all parties involved.

However, the transfer collapsed with reports suggesting that personal terms could not be agreed and that Maguire wasn’t interested in the move and didn’t even speak to manager David Moyes.

Maguire has ended up staying at Old Trafford – much to the annoyance of fans – though an injury crisis in defence means he will still be of use to Ten Hag.

The Irons are unlikely to revive their interest in the player in January, having since signed former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart instead.

Now, Nolan has detailed as much as he can about why the move failed to materialise, telling talkSPORT: ‘I think it was very close, I was a bit upset that we didn’t make it [happen].

‘I think it was just in the end, the money didn’t get sorted from what I can gather which is obviously upsetting from our behalf because we wanted to [sign him].

‘Probably upsetting from Harry’s behalf and probably United’s behalf as well.

‘I think the gaffer [Moyes] was in contact with Harry, his agent and everything else but yeah, obviously we then had to move onto our next target.’

That last bit of information would suggest that Maguire did in fact speak to the West Ham manager about the move, though it’s not clear whether the ‘money’ refers to the player’s wages or the transfer fee.

After a difficult start to the season, United will be hoping for better when they host Brighton on Saturday, while West Ham will be aiming to keep their unbeaten start going when they host Manchester City on the same day.

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Graham Potter is holding out for a Champions League club after rejecting an approach from Rangers, according to reports.

Rangers are considering replacements for Michael Beale after the club’s shaky start to the new season in which they have already lost two of their opening four Scottish Premiership games and have failed to reach the Champions League group stage.

Potter, meanwhile, has been out of work since he was sacked by Chelsea in April and has turned down a move to Lyon earlier this month.

According to The Sun, Rangers made an approach to Potter’s representatives but the former Chelsea and Brighton manager has rejected a switch to Ibrox.

The report claims that Potter is holding out for a club who play Champions League football, or a team that has ‘clear potential’ to qualify consistently for the competition.

Speaking after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Celtic earlier this month, Beale insisted that he sympathised with unhappy Rangers supporters.

‘I understand it when the results have been the last two. I understand the frustration with the fans,’ Beale said.

‘It is with the shirt. It is not just at Rangers, it is anywhere. It is a derby, a game where there is a lot of emotion involved and the fans expect their team to get a result and we didn’t.

‘That is par for the course. In terms of pressure, you are always under pressure in this job. You are only ever a couple of results not going your way to feel that.

‘The most pressure is the one we put on ourselves and we have fallen short of that today because I expected and wanted us to get a result.

‘Over the course of the 90 minutes, I think the result is harsh on us but in terms of these games, they are only about the result.’

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Manchester United ‘admire’ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, amid doubts about the futures of Antony and Jadon Sancho at Old Trafford.

Antony has been given a leave of absence following allegations of domestic abuse in his native Brazil.

While the Brazilian denies the accusations and he has not been suspended, it throws his future at the club into doubt.

Sancho cast major doubt on his own future when he essentially called Erik ten Hag a liar following his exclusion from United’s squad to face Arsenal before the international break.

The Dutchman claimed his decision was based on Sancho’s performances in training, but Sancho said he was being used as a ‘scapegoat’ by Ten Hag.

Though Sancho has since deleted the tweet, United were happy to sell him to a Saudi Arabian club before the transfer deadline.

Nevertheless, unless there’s a dramatic turnaround in the pair’s relationship, Sancho’s long-term future looks bleak at the club.

United are therefore assessing their options in the market and the Daily Mail say Napoli ace Kvaratskhelia has admirers at Old Trafford.

The Georgian was sensational last term as the Italians ended their 30-year wait for a Serie A title.

The Italians showed their resolve in keeping Victor Osimhen this summer, despite interest from United and a host of top European clubs.

They are similarly keen to keep Kvaratskheila, and value him at significantly more than £100m.

It would therefore take a club record bid for United to sign the Georgian, but Napoli will listen to interest from the Premier League.

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Juventus are looking at possible replacements for Paul Pogba after he failed a drugs test and Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is on their radar.

Pogba is provisionally suspended after a test, carried out after Juve’s 3-0 win over Udinese on 20 August, found he had elevated levels of testosterone in his system.

Juventus said in a statement on Monday: ‘Juventus Football Club announces that today, 11 September, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on 20 August, 2023.

‘The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.’

Rafaela Pimenta, Pogba’s agent, confirmed that his team are waiting on a second sample, adding: ‘What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule.’

However, if found guilty the Frenchman faces a ban of up to four years, likely ending the 30-year-old’s career at the top level.

Juventus are already looking at solutions and La Repubblica report that Partey is one of the candidates they would look at if Pogba does receive a ban.

The Turin giants were interested in Partey over the summer and reportedly made contact with Arsenal over the possibility of a move but the Ghanaian has stayed in north London and remains a key figure under Mikel Arteta.

The 30-year-old started the first three Premier League games of the season, missing out on the win over Manchester United last time out due to a groin problem.

The Gunners would certainly not be keen to let him go in January unless they could find a suitable replacement.

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Arsenal’s plan to sign Ousmane Diomande next summer could be hijacked with ‘three or four clubs’ reportedly now looking at the Sporting Lisbon star.

The Gunners have told Sporting they will return with an offer to sign the defender next year after the Gunners had a €35m (£30m) bid rejected this summer.

Young centre-half Diomande joined Sporting from Danish side Midtjylland in January in a deal worth €7.5m, having impressed in Portugal during a loan spell at Mafra in the first-half of the season.

Mikel Arteta has been an admirer since he made that switch with Arsenal approaching his club during the summer transfer window.

It is believed that the Gunners offered Sporting the chance to make a swift and sizeable profit on the Ivory Coast international with a €35m offer which was quickly rejected.

While Arsenal ended their interest for the time being, it is thought they fully intend to return with another offer next summer.

However, new reports indicate that Arsenal are now not alone in their desire to sign Diomande – despite tracking the player for a long time – with up to four clubs monitoring the 19-year-old, who has an €80m release clause in his contract.

Arsenal have already reinforced their defensive options this summer with the signing of Jurrien Timber, who arrived from Ajax in a £40m deal.

But the Netherlands international suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut against Nottingham Forest and could possibly be ruled out for the rest of the season.

The north Londoners are unbeaten in their opening four games of the new Premier League campaign and return to action on Sunday with a trip to Everton.

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Manchester United promised Jadon Sancho the coveted no.7 shirt before reneging on their proposal before the winger joined the club.

The England winger was a target for the Red Devils for over two years before he finally completed a £72million move to Old Trafford in 2021.

Sancho took the no.25 shirt when he arrived at the club but he faces an uncertain future at the Theatre of Dreams after essentially labelling Erik ten Hag a liar following his remarks after United’s defeat to Arsenal earlier this month.

That outburst could see Sancho’s United career come to an end, which would be a premature finish to what looked to be a dream move for the winger.

But his move to the club had complications from the start, with United failing to come good on their promises to Sancho.

According to the Athletic, Sancho was promised the no7 shirt in a bid to convince him to join the club.

However, after failing to get his move in 2020, the shirt was gone by the time Sancho signed.

That’s because it was given to Edinson Cavani by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Uruguayan was then set to leave the club before Sancho signed, but he was convinced to stay by the Norwegian.

But while Sancho had to deal with the fact that the shirt had been given away, he watched on as United took the no.7 shirt off Cavani and gave it to Cristiano Ronaldo later that summer.

It compounded the bad feeling Sancho had about his move from the start, and soured feelings between the playmaker and the board.

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Martin Odegaard says he hopes to play for Arsenal for a ‘long time’ amid reports he is in talks over a contract extension.

The Arsenal captain’s current deal expires in 2025 and it is said that the club are planning to negotiate a new and improved contract over the next few weeks and months.

Given how important Odegaard is to Mikel Arteta, this news has delighted Gunners fans, with the attacking midfielder set to be the latest player to commit his future to the Emirates.

Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, are among those to have penned new deals in the last few months.

The north London side don’t fear losing the former Real Madrid starlet, who first joined the club in January 2021, though there was interest from PSG over the summer.

However, Odegaard was coy on the contract talks when asked about them while on international duty with Norway.

‘I don’t have much to say, apart from the fact that I am very happy at Arsenal and I hope I can be there for a long time,’ the 24-year-old told Norwegian outlet Nettavisen.

‘Beyond that, I have no comment right now. Now, it is the national team that is in focus.’

It’s been a successful international break for Norway, with Odegaard skippering them to a 6-0 victory in a friendly against Jordan, before he scored in a 2-1 win over Georgia on Tuesday night.

That result has kept their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 alive, though they are still some way behind Scotland and Spain in their group.

Had they have drawn with Georgia it would have meant that Scotland, who lost 3-1 to rivals England in a friendly on Tuesday, would have sealed their place at the finals in Germany.

Now, Odegaard’s attention turns to maintaining Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season, with the Gunners travelling to Everton on Sunday.

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Manchester United are keeping tabs on Leeds United wonderkid Finley Gorman but must fight Manchester City to sign him, according to reports.

The 14-year-old has hugely impressed playing in Leeds’ U16 and U18 teams and has now attracted interest from a number of teams, the Daily Mail have reported.

Two of those clubs include Pep Guardiola’s treble winners as well as the Red Devils – with the Manchester rivals set to battle it out for the winger’s signature.

Rising Ballers, a Twitter account dedicated to spotting young talent, posted a compilation video of Gorman in action for Leeds last week, which went viral and knocked up over 5.8 million views.

They posted the following caption with their clip: ’14 year-old Leeds United and England youth international Finlay Gorman is a name to remember.

‘Playing up with the U16 and U18s… He’s bagged 20 G+A (goals and assists) in just nine games so far this season.’

The Daily Mail also report that United are in a one-on-one battle with RB Leipzig to sign Dino Klapija.

The 16-year-old Croatian striker had been linked to both sides as well as Chelsea, Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus.

But United and Leipzig were always seen as the frontrunners and it appears that the other clubs are now out of the race.

It is thought that Klapija would cost around £5m but the player and his family want to be sure he can settle and continue his education wherever he ends up.

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Romelu Lukaku prevented Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku from joining Chelsea, according to Anderlecht’s academy director Jean Kindermans.

Doku joined City in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, arriving from Ligue 1 side Rennes in a £55.5 million deal.

The 21-year-old attracted widespread interest even during his time as an academy player at Anderlecht.

And Kindermans has revealed that he enlisted the help of Lukaku, who now plays alongside Doku for Belgium’s national team, to stop Chelsea’s advances.

‘I remember taking Romelu into my office about the problem of getting young players to commit to us, Doku in particular,’ Kindermans told the Sunday Mirror.

‘Romelu replied, ‘Come on, pass your phone to me, I’m going to call him’.

‘But I didn’t want to do that because a phone call gets quickly forgotten. So, instead, I got Romelu to convince Jeremy to stay.

‘I still have the video on my phone. On it, you can hear Romelu giving advice to the Doku family, saying, ‘Hey, guys, stay with Anderlecht for a while, you’re good’, and so on.’

Doku his first-team debut for Anderlecht at the age of 16 in 2018 and just two years later he joined Rennes for €26m (£23.4m).

Lukaku, meanwhile, completed his loan move to Roma from Chelsea on the penultimate day of the summer window.

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Gary Lineker has been left baffled as to why Scott McTominay is not getting more game time under Erik ten Hag given his stellar Scotland performances.

McTominay, 26, has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United and has only featured for seven minutes so far this season, with the midfielder coming off the bench in wins over Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

His lack of opportunities at Old Trafford is a stark contrast to his international form after his goal for Scotland in Friday’s 3-0 win over Cyprus, which saw him become the joint-top scorer in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Bayern Munich were linked with McTominay this summer and even approached United over a possible swap deal but a move never materialised and he remained a Red Devil.

‘I notice Scott McTominay playing and getting in the box a lot,’ Lineker told The Rest Is Football podcast when speaking about the player’s Scotland performances.

‘He scored again in this game, he scored a couple. He’s top scorer in qualifying.

‘It’s nuts, yet he’s not really getting a look in at Manchester United. Someone will go for him [in the January transfer window or next summer] surely?’

McTominay has spent his entire career at United having progressed through the club’s youth academy.

He has made a total of 211 appearances for United to date, registering 19 goals and five assists.

McTominay is looking to inspire Scotland to victory over England when the two nations meet in a special anniversary match later tonight.

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Dwight Yorke has slammed Manchester United’s summer transfer business and fears Erik ten Hag will rue missing a ‘golden opportunity’ to sign Kieran Tierney.

United spent heavily during the close season – bringing in the likes of Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat.

Despite the investment, Ten Hag’s side have endured a mixed start to the season and have already suffered defeats against top four rivals Arsenal and Tottenham on the road.

United have taken maximum points from two games at Old Trafford against Wolves and Nottingham Forest, but were fortuitous to escape unscathed on both occasions.

A raft of injuries has hardly helped Ten Hag’s cause with the Dutchman currently minus the services of a recognised left-back, given the setback suffered by Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

Diogo Dalot deputised against Arsenal, while Lisandro Martinez, who has experience of playing in that role, is needed in centre-half with Raphael Varane injured and Harry Maguire not trusted by his manager.

Yorke believes Tierney – sent out on loan to Real Sociedad during the final week of the summer window – would have been the perfect solution.

He told Genting Casino: ‘I’m not really happy with Man United’s transfer window business.

‘When you look at where Man United are as a team, we’ve signed names that won’t get people too excited.

‘I think we missed the boat with Kieran Tierney as I like his energy, despite his injury issues.

‘We’ve finally signed a traditional striker, but I think the manager trusts the players he has and he has to make the most of it. I assume he’s happy with the squad, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens.’

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One player in the Chelsea squad is set to be ‘frozen out’ after a £50m transfer to Bayern Munich failed.

The Blues were the biggest spenders this summer and splashed out £434.5m – the most spent by any club during a transfer window in Premier League history.

Chelsea smashed the British transfer record to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and also brought in Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer.

Other new recruits included Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic as well as Brazilian duo Deivid Washington and Angelo.

The west Londoners also sold several players – including Kai Havertz and Mason Mount – but there were some squad members they could not get rid of.

One such player they wanted to offload was defender Trevoh Chalobah, who was linked to Bayern, but the German champions would not meet Chelsea’s £50m asking price and instead wanted to sign the 24-year-old on loan.

Chalobah then snubbed a move to Nottingham Forest and according to the Evening Standard, the Chelsea academy graduate may now be ‘frozen out’ after being deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ at Stamford Bridge.

They also claim that Marc Cucurella could be exiled after a potential loan move to Manchester United fell through.

Cucurella was due to join Erik ten Hag’s side before the Red Devils made a U-turn and decided to bring in Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham instead.

Conor Gallagher and Ian Maatsen are fighting for their Chelsea futures too after the club tried to offload both men on deadline day in order to sign Antonio Nusa.

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Manchester United are keeping tabs on Brighton star Evan Ferguson as Anthony Martial could be released next summer.

The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season, though the club have option of extending his deal by a further 12 months.

However, after an injury-hit 18 months, Martial is no longer the striker that set pulses racing when he joined the club in 2015.

In fact, Martial’s scored just 17 goals for United in the last three seasons – though he did spend part of that time on loan at Sevilla.

Though United spent £72m on Rasmus Hojlund this summer, Ten Hag remains keen on beefing up his attack.

And there’s few strikers on the market that are attracting as much attention as Ferguson.

The 18-year-old Irishman already has four goals in four Premier League appearances this season.

His displays since breaking into Brighton’s first team last season have been nothing short of sensational, and he’s been compared to Harry Kane for his playing style and finishing.

Brighton have shown their willingness to sell, provided teams meet their asking price.

Ferguson signed a new deal on the south coast last season but the Seagulls will listen to offers for him next summer, according to the Manchester Evening News.

It’s likely any deal for the Ireland forward would be a British transfer record, as Brighton value him at around £130m.

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Manchester United are not interested in signing Anwar El Ghazi and will not pursue the winger.

Reports on Monday night claimed United were looking at an emergency move for the former Aston Villa winger.

He left PSV Eindhoven at the end of last season, and is now a free agent.

The Dutch winger was present at the Emirates for United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal before the international break.

Jadon Sancho was left out of the squad to face the Gunners and he sensationally hit out at Erik ten Hag after the match by essentially accusing the Dutchman of lying about his reasons for leaving him out.

Added to that, Antony is on a leave of absence after allegations against the winger in his native Brazil.

But United have rejected the chance to sign El Ghazi on an emergency short-term deal, as Ten Hag is happy with his options.

While there’s doubts over Sancho’s future, United have Fecundo Pellestri and Alejandro Garnacho in the wings.

Both Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes can play on the flank, while Amad Diallo is a specialist right-winger and can slot in when he returns from injury.

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Manchester United are considering making a shock move for a free agent and former Aston Villa forward, according to reports.

It comes amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho, who don’t appear to available for at least the short-term future.

Antony has been granted a leave of absence by United in the wake of accusations of assault made by three women, accusations that the Brazil star firmly denies.

Sancho meanwhile is at odds with Erik ten Hag after the pair publicly criticised each other following the Red Devils’ 3-1 defeat at Arsenal last week.

The player and manager met from crunch talks on Monday, but reports suggest they did not go well and that the England international is now looking to leave Old Trafford.

If both are out of the squad, it would leave Ten Hag perilously short in attack, with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellestri the only senior stars who naturally play in the wide areas.

As a result, the Daily Mail has reported that United are weighing up offering Anwar El Ghazi a contract, with the Dutch winger currently a free agent having left PSV by mutual consent last week.

El Ghazi is best known to English fans for his time at Villa Park, where he scored 26 goals and made 16 assists in 119 games, and has also had spells with Everton, Ajax and Lille.

The 28-year-old also has offers from the Saudi Pro League however, so United will have to move quickly if they want to secure his services.

While not a poor player by any means, it does underline how seriously the club are concerned about losing Antony and Sancho that they have been forced to turn to a free agent like El Ghazi.

Curiously, the two-time Dutch international was actually at the Emirates to watch the Gunners comeback win over the Red Devils.

United have won two and lost two of their opening four games this season and will be hoping for much better things when they return to action on Saturday against Brighton.

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Jadon Sancho will reportedly look to leave Manchester United in January with his relationship with Erik ten Hag at breaking point.

Last week, the player and manager publicly criticised each other following United’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Ten Hag claimed that Sancho was not included in the matchday squad due to his performances in training.

But the England international hit back, accusing his boss of lying on social media and claiming he had been made a ‘scapegoat’.

The pair were due to hold crunch talks on Monday to settle their differences and decide on how best to move forward, with Sancho claiming in his statement that he would ‘continue to fight for this badge no matter what!’

However, according to the Daily Star, the talks haven’t resolved the matter, with a lack of trust between the two men leaving their relationship just as fractured as before.

Sancho’s chances of getting game time are said to be minimal even though there is less competition on the wings due to Antony’s absence as the Brazilian deals with allegations of domestic abuse.

Ten Hag seems set to sideline the 23-year-old in a similar fashion to Cristiano Ronaldo prior to his high profile departure last season.

And to that end, it is reported that Sancho plans to leave Old Trafford when the transfer window re-opens in January and will seek an initial loan move ahead of a permanent exit next summer.

Former club Borussia Dortmund have been tentatively linked with re-signing the winger, who has been included in the Red Devils’ Champions League squad.

There was much hype around Sancho when he signed for United for £73million in 2021, having established himself as one of the world’s best young forwards during his time in Germany.

However, over two years on he has recorded just 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances, with neither Ten Hag, Ralf Rangnick nor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer able to get the best out of him.

United – with or without Sancho – are next in action on Saturday when they host Brighton.

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Liverpool could reportedly make a move for West Ham hero Jarrod Bowen should Mohamed Salah leave for the Saudi Pro League.

Salah was heavily linked with switching Anfield for Saudi Arabia as the summer transfer window came to a close, with Liverpool rejecting a £150million bid from Al-Ittihad.

It was thought that they were ready to significantly increase their offer for the Egyptian winger to an eye-watering £215m but he ended up staying with the Reds.

It is believed that they will try again, with Saudi clubs determined to acquire the biggest and best footballers in the world, having already signed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and several of Salah’s former Liverpool teammates.

When next summer rolls around, Salah will be 32 and will have just one year left on his contract, which could tempt Jurgen Klopp and co. into cashing-in if they receive another eye-watering bid.

In case that happens, Liverpool are assessing their options for the future as while they have great depth in the forward area – through Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota – Salah is a very tough act to follow.

In 309 appearances so far, he has scored 188 goals and made 81 assists and is the club’s record goalscorer in both the Premier League and Champions League.

But according to The Athletic, there is one Premier League proven player that the Reds ‘admire and have been watching for a number of seasons’.

Bowen has consistently done well for West Ham since signing from Hull in January 2020, scoring 43 goals and making 32 assists in 162 games so far.

The 26-year-old has been in scintillating form recently, scoring the last minute winner in last season’s Europa Conference League final and starting this campaign with three goals and an assist in four matches.

The England international has just two years left on his contract though it seemsdoubtful that the Irons would be willing to let him go, while Liverpool likely have several other names on their shortlist.

Salah and Liverpool will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Wolves, while West Ham face a tricky home test against Manchester City.

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West Ham United’s Nayef Aguerd has caught the attention of Liverpool and Manchester City, with the defender on the radar of both clubs ahead of a possible move next year.

The transfer window is now closed but thoughts are already turning to targets for the January window and next summer and Aguerd is reportedly well thought of at Anfield and the Etihad.

The Sun reports that Liverpool are the likelier of the two to make a move for the Morocco international, with a defensive revamp on the cards soon for the Reds.

Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are both now into their thirties, while Joe Gomez has not really established himself as a regular in the first team.

The 27-year-old centre-back from West Ham could be the answer for the Reds, having impressed for the Hammers since joining from Ligue 1 side Rennes last year.

He has been limited by injury somewhat, only making 33 appearances in all competitions since arriving at the start of last season, but has been impressive when he has been on the field.

There was interest in the Moroccan from the Saudi Pro League in the recent transfer window, but West Ham were keen to keep hold of him.*

The defender signed a five-year contract when he signed from Rennes last year, so West Ham would expect to make a significant profit on the £30m they spent on him, given his deal runs until 2027.

West Ham will not be worrying about losing any of their players at this point after making an impressive start to the season under David Moyes.

Three wins and a draw from their opening four games will have them full of confidence, although a tough return from the international break awaits them as they host Man City and go to Liverpool in their next two Premier League outings.

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Arsenal have told Sporting Lisbon they will return with an offer to sign defender Ousmane Diomande next year after seeing a €35million (£30m) rejected this summer.

The 19-year-old centre-half joined Sporting from Danish side Midtjylland in January in a deal worth €7.5million, having impressed in Portugal during a loan spell at Mafra in the first-half of the season.

Mikel Arteta has been an admirer since he made that switch with Arsenal approaching his club during the summer transfer window.

Record report the Gunners offered Sporting the chance to make a swift and sizeable profit on the Ivory Coast international with a €35m offer which was quickly rejected.

While Arsenal ended their interest for the time being, the report adds they fully intend to return with another offer next summer.

Diomande, who has an €80m release clause, quickly became a regular in the Sporting defence following his arrival at the start of the year, making his European debut against the Gunners in the Europa League.

He made his senior debut for Ivory Coast on Saturday in the 1-0 victory over Lesotho.

Arsenal reinforced their defensive options this summer with the signing of Jurrien Timber, who arrived from Ajax in a £40m deal.

The Netherlands international suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut against Nottingham Forest however and could possibly be ruled out for the rest of the season.

‘It’s a big blow because we recruited him with clear intentions and what he was bringing to the team was evident, and he’s not going to be in this season for us,’ Arteta said.

‘We have to adapt, these things happen unfortunately, and we have to move on.

‘Jurrien been very good, to be honest, he’s a special character, he knows, and I think he’s started to realise the extent of the injury and the amount of time that he’s going to be out, but he’s in a good place.

‘We are all willing to him help and we are all very close to him, but it’s going to be a long journey.’

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Monaco star Vanderson admits it’s ‘great to hear’ that a club like Manchester United are interested in him.

The Brazil star joined Monaco from Gremio in 2021, and he was purchased with a view to playing right-back.

But the defender has been utilised in a right-flank position during his time on the south coast of France.

His performances for Monaco last season earned him a call-up to the Brazil squad and attracted attention from Europe’s elite.

Barcelona have watched Vanderson a number of times, while Manchester United had scouts at Monaco’s games throughout last season.

Erik ten Hag had been keen to sign a new right-back but the need to strengthen other areas has seen him stick with Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

But Vanderson is aware of United’s interested, and says it’s ‘fantastic’ to be linked with such a big club.

‘It’s great to hear Barcelona and United ‘love’ you,’ Vanderson explained.

‘It’s fantastic to know your name is being mentioned by the big clubs. But, now I’m focused only on Monaco.’

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Tottenham have beaten the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool in the race for highly-rated 16-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic, according to reports.

However, Vuskovic is not expected to move to north London until the summer of 2025.

The 6ft 4in tall centre-back has been catching the eye of several of Europe’s biggest clubs since making his first-team debut for Hajduk Split back in February.

This was just two days after his 16th birthday, and since then he has gone on to make 11 appearances for his boyhood club, helping them win last season’s Croatian Football Cup.

He has also played the same number of games for Croatia at various youth levels.

Widely tipped to be a future superstar, interest in Vuskovic was high, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and PSG all trying to land his signature.

But in the end Spurs have secured his services, with the Evening Standard reporting that they have agreed a £12million fee with Hajduk, with personal terms all wrapped up.

But the defender is set to stay in Split for the next two years to continue his development and will only link up with the Lilywhites after his 18th birthday.

Centre-back was a position Ange Postecoglou was looking to improve over the summer, bringing in Micky van de Ven who has made an excellent impact at his new club.

But it is also an area they are a little short in, with Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and 18-year-old Ashley Phillips the only players who naturally play there, though left-back Ben Davies can also fill-in, while Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga are out on loan.

Tottenham are unbeaten in the Premier League under their new manager after four games and are second in the table ahead of their next game against Sheffield United on Saturday.

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Arsenal are aiming to hand captain Martin Odegaard a new contract in the near-future, according to reports.

Odegaard’s current deal expires in 2025 and Mikel Arteta is keen to secure his skipper’s services for the long-term as he has done with other key Arsenal players.

Over the past few months, the Gunners have rewarded the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli with new contracts, with the forwards set to stay at the Emirates until at least 2027.

Now, it seems Odegaard is next in line, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the club are ‘planning to continue talks over a new long term deal’.

Negotiations are ongoing and are set to carry on over the next few weeks or even months.

The 24-year-old first joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid in January 2021, completing a permanent move to north London the following summer for a fee of around £30million.

The attacking midfielder has grown into one of the club’s most important stars both on and off the pitch and was handed the armband by Arteta ahead of last season following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

He very nearly captained his side to the Premier League title last season but managed to win his first piece of silverware with the Gunners in August after beating Manchester City on penalties in the Community Shield.

To date, Odegaard has scored 26 goals and made 15 assists in 110 games for Arsenal and should next be in action for them next Sunday when they travel to Everton.

Before then, he’ll be skippering his nation on Tuesday when Norway host Georgia in a crucial Euro 2024 qualifier.

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Jadon Sancho has been offered a new Manchester United escape route with Borussia Dortmund reportedly plotting a loan move in the January window.

Sancho has had a massive fall-out with Erik ten Hag, claiming that the United manager has made him a ‘scapegoat’ after being axed from the squad which lost at Arsenal last week.

His comments came after Ten Hag revealed publicly that Sancho had been omitted on account of his poor application in training.

Sancho’s future appears to be up in the air and the Red Devils were in talks with Al-Ettifaq over a possible loan this week, but the Saudi Pro League side could not strike a deal with United.

Sancho has a fresh option when the January transfer window opens up, though, with The Sun reporting that his former club Dortmund would be interested in a loan if the 23-year-old’s relationship with Ten Hag cannot be repaired.

The Englishman joined United for £73m in 2021 from Dortmund, where he massively impressed with 50 goals and 64 assists across 137 games.

It has not worked out quite as well at United with Sancho scoring 12 times and providing six assists in 82 matches during his stint at Old Trafford so far.

Stan Collymore, though, thinks Sancho will never play for United again after his bust-up with Ten Hag.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Sancho is not a popular figure with his United team-mates amid the playmaker’s falling out with the Dutch boss.

It is thought that some United staff members also find Sancho to be ‘rude’ and ‘withdrawn’.

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Arsenal have officially announced that they have terminated Nicolas Pepe’s contract with immediate effect.

Pepe flopped at Arsenal after moving to north London in 2019 in a huge £72m deal from Lille and the Gunners were desperate to sell him this summer.

The Ivory Coast international, who can operate as a right winger or forward, will now depart on a free transfer to join Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Arsenal released a statement confirming the news of Pepe’s departure which read: ‘We have agreed with Nicolas to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

‘Ivory Coast international Nicolas, who joined us from French side Lille in summer 2019, won the FA Cup with us in 2020, assisting our winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea.

‘During his time at the club, the forward has made 111 appearances for us in all competitions.

‘The 28-year-old, who had one year left on his contract, spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Nice, where he made 28 appearances, scoring eight goals during the campaign.

‘Everyone at Arsenal thanks Nicolas for his contribution during his time with us and wish him well for the future.’

Pepe will look to get his career back in Turkey after impressing in France prior to joining Arsenal.

He was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year and was crowned Lille’s Player of the Season in the 2018-19 campaign.

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Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad tried to sign a Premier League flop after missing out on Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, according to reports.

Al-Ittihad were desperate to land Salah and had a £150m bid rejected by Liverpool before the Saudi Arabian transfer window closed on Thursday.

It was thought that they were ready to significantly increase their offer for the 31-year-old to an eye-watering £215m but Salah ended up staying with the Reds.

It has now been revealed by The Telegraph that Al-Ittihad attempted to bring in Richarlison from Tottenham after failing to sign the Egypt international.

Spurs striker Richarlison has hugely struggled since moving to north London last summer, with the forward registering just eight goal involvements in 40 games.

Richarlison’s poor form has now spilled onto the international stage too with the 26-year-old spotted in tears on Brazil’s bench after he failed to score during their World Cup qualifier against Bolivia on Friday evening.

That did not stop Al-Ittihad from trying to sign him – with the Saudi club holding a round of talks through intermediaries – but they could not get a deal over the line for the former Everton star before their transfer window closed.

It is believed that Al-Ittihad will not give up on Salah and will make another attempt when the Saudi transfer window reopens.

Liverpool, though, are adamant that Salah will not be sold for any price and want to keep one of the best players in world football at Anfield.

Jamie Carragher expects Salah to leave Liverpool but suggests that next summer is the best time for all parties to make the move.

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Chelsea legend John Terry claims there is an ‘untold story’ over Mason Mount’s move to Manchester United and has urged Blues fans to not be ‘too harsh’ on the Englishman when he makes a return to Stamford Bridge.

Mount ended his 18-year stay in west London this summer following a lengthy contract dispute, eventually joining Erik ten Hag’s team in a deal worth £60m.

The 24-year-old had just one year left on his contract and rather than letting him leave on a free transfer, Chelsea decided to cash in on their academy graduate.

Mount wanted to increase his weekly wage from £80,000 to £240,000 to reflect his status as a first-team star – but amid Chelsea’s huge spending spree under Todd Boehly – they were unwilling to meet his demands due to concerns over FFP.

One way around FFP, which Chelsea have been doing with some of their new recruits, is to hand players lengthy deals as a way to amortise the cost over a longer period, so they are paying less per year of the contract.

Chelsea wanted to hand Mount a seven-year deal that would keep him at the club until 2030 but the terms were nowhere close to what he was demanding.

That saw Mount eventually join United and Chelsea legend Terry has now claimed there is more to the story than meets the eye.

‘Mase is proper Chels through and through,’ Terry told Knockout Events on Friday.

‘There’s always two sides to a story and I know the other side to it.

‘I’m not going to air that tonight but there’s another side to the story. Let’s not be too harsh on him when he comes back.’

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Lens forward Elye Wahi admits he had reservations over a move to Chelsea this summer.

Wahi was one of Montpellier’s standout performers last season, scoring 19 goals in Ligue 1.

His displays were enough to convince Chelsea, who submitted a £24 million bid to Montpellier for the 20-year-old in June.

However, their offer rejected by the French club and Wahi ended up joining Lens, who have qualified for this season’s Champions League group stage, in a club-record €35m (£30m) deal.

Wahi had also attracted interest from West Ham and Frankfurt, as they were looking to replace Randal Kolo Muani who joined Paris Saint-Germain on the final day of the transfer window.

When asked about a potential move to Chelsea, Wahi told L’Equipe: ‘I didn’t want to go there just for the sake of it.

‘Frankfurt was close, more so than Chelsea.

‘I spoke with the manager there. He speaks French and that was important for me.

‘They had to wait for Randal Kolo Muani’s departure and waiting for it was too complicated. I don’t have any regrets.’

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Kostas Tsimikas is set to sign a new contract with Liverpool which will keep him at the club until 2027.

The defender’s current deal runs until 2025 but The Athletic report that Jurgen Klopp is keen to retain the 27-year-old who is a valued member of the squad despite not being a first XI player.

The Greek international arrived at Anfield in 2020 from Olympiacos for a fee of just under £12million and has made 62 appearances for Liverpool so far, though only 35 of them have come in the Premier League.

Andy Robertson remains by far and away the first choice left-back, though Tsimikas has shown great form when given the chance to shine.

So far this season, he has played just four minutes as a late substitute in the 3-1 win over Bournemouth.

But despite his limited game time, Tsimikas is said to be settled in Merseyside and was very happy to agree a contract extension with talks swiftly progressing.

During his time with Liverpool, he has recorded 12 assists and was a part of the side that very nearly won the quadruple in 2021/22, only just missing out on the league title to Manchester City and losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid.

That season the Reds did win the FA Cup and League Cup double, with Tsimikas notably scoring the winning penalty in the shootout victory over Chelsea in the former.

On Thursday, he started for Greece as they lost 3-0 to the Netherlands in a Euro 2024 qualifier, but he’ll have the chance to get his country back to winning ways on Sunday when they host Gibraltar.

He could next be in action for Liverpool when they travel to Wolves on 16th September.

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Chelsea rejected a ‘secret approach’ from Manchester City to sign their defender Marc Cucurella before he almost joined Manchester United.

That’s according to new reports, which claim that Pep Guardiola’s side secretly tried to bring in left-back Cucurella during the January transfer window.

Cucurella ended up staying at Chelsea, though, and was then linked with a loan to United this summer as they looked to find cover for injured star Luke Shaw.

But that move eventually fell through for a number of reasons as United ended up signing Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham instead.

Cucurella joined Chelsea in a £62m deal from Brighton last summer but the Spaniard has endured a tough spell Stamford Bridge so far.

The 25-year-old has been an unused substitute in all four of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season.

His only appearance so far this term came in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win over AFC Wimbledon last week.

Cucurella made 24 Premier League appearances last season as the Blues finished 12th in the top-flight.

Mauricio Pochettino arrived as head coach in the summer and has been tasked with turning the club’s fortunes around.

Chelsea have won just one of their four Premier League matches so far, though, which came at home with a 3-0 victory over promoted side Luton Town.

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Louis Saha has hailed his former club Manchester United for signing Rasmus Hojlund this summer instead of alternative transfer target Evan Ferguson.

Ferguson, a boyhood United fan, was linked with a switch to Old Trafford in the summer before the Red Devils brought in Hojlund from Atalanta instead.

Irish striker Ferguson has attracted interest from several elite clubs following his sensational breakthrough at Brighton – with Manchester City now eyeing a move.

The 18-year-old netted ten goals in 25 appearances last season, which earned him a new long-term deal on the south coast.

But Ferguson’s hit four goals in four appearances already this campaign, including a hat-trick against Newcastle last time out.

Hojlund, meanwhile, made his first appearance for United in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday after overcoming an injury which delayed his debut.

Former United striker Saha is adamant that the Erik ten Hag’s side have made the right decision in signing Hojlund over Seagulls star Ferguson.

‘Rasmus Hojlund was the right target for Manchester United over Evan Ferguson,’ Saha told Paddy Power.

‘Both players are tremendous with exciting potential but whenever you make a decision, there needs to be no regrets.

‘Ferguson scored a hat trick on the weekend, and Hojlund played in his debut, it doesn’t make sense to make those comparisons because they have two different careers.

‘Ferguson is doing well and it’s great for Brighton but for now it’s about Manchester United and the players they have available.

‘Hojlund came on for 25 minutes and he did very well, his strength and power showed, and this will be good for United as other than him there are no real target men at the club.

‘He can occupy the two central defenders and maybe even free up space because of his speed and strength.

‘It will be very interesting to see how he can adapt physically after a few games, but I’m sure that is the right choice for Manchester United.’

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