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Talk of Jadon Sancho possibly signing for Manchester United has died down since the sporting director at Borussia Dortmund said the winger was not leaving the Bundesliga side this summer.

With these reports, the club will possibly be looking out for an alternative option to the Englishman, and this has seen them linked with Juventus winger Douglas Costa.

Gianluca Di Marzio, who was speaking on @footballdaily on Twitter, via @ManUnitedZone_ said: “Juventus want to part ways with the player. His agents have spoken to #mufc to see if they might be interested. The problem is that he is often injured. His agents have offered him to Man United”

Sky Sports later identified that this could be a possible Sancho alternative and a lot of the United fan base have been reacting to the  player being linked to the club.

The reactions have been mixed and it is understandable to see why. Di Marzio pointed out his injury history and this is a problem if he were to sign for United as Costa has missed 533 days of football due to injury since he started playing, per 29 he may not be able to get rid of his injury struggles.

However there is no doubting the quality he possesses as he has managed to win 20 senior trophies in his career at FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, and Bayern Munich, whilst also scoring 64 goals and picking up 94 assists in 410 games.

Here is what fans said following the news, with one suggesting that he is “better than Lingard” – indeed the Englishman only managed one Premier League goal in 19/20.

Man United fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has rejected an approach from Birmingham City to become their new boss, according to Football Insider.

Gerrard has been at Ibrox for two years now, and has been mentioned as a potential successor to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. However, it is another English club, Birmingham, who have made an approach, offering him the hot-seat after the imminent departure of Pep Clotet.

Despite the chance to move back to England, though, Gerrard has decided to knock back the offer, instead choosing to continue in his job in Scotland. The quest to win a first trophy as manager is believed to be one of the main reasons why he does not want to switch clubs at this point.

This, of course, was an ambitious move from the Blues, and would have been a huge capture for them. Whilst Gerrard has been unable to get his hands on any silverware so far, his ability to make the Gers competitive in Europe gives the indication that he may not be too far away from that first trophy.

For the Gers, this a huge boost for their future. It shows that Gerrard is still committed to his job in Glasgow, and is unwilling to give up too easily. Both he and the club will be hoping they can topple Celtic this coming campaign in one of the three trophies on offer to them.

Let us know what you think below!

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘most likely’ to sign Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona this summer, according to reports. 

The Daily Mail claimed, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, that Spurs are probably leading the race to sign the 61-cap Brazil international at the moment.

The Lilywhites have been linked with the former Liverpool forward for several months as recent reports revealed that Barcelona are prepared to pay a portion of his wages if he leaves the Nou Camp in the summer transfer window.

Coutinho has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has made it clear that the German champions do not want to sign him on a permanent basis. The Barcelona exile knows that he has no way back at his parent club, who are looking to cut their losses.

Given the gravity of the situation, Barcelona will want to recoup as much of the £145m they spent on the playmaker as they possibly can, with a summer return to England currently on the cards. His agent Kia Joorabchian has admitted that there is “genuine interest” from Premier League clubs amid links with Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City.

Jose Mourinho has bemoaned the lack of creativity in the midfield this season and Coutinho could provide the quality that Tottenham need to challenge for silverware next season.

While the 28-year-old has largely failed to hit the same heights that he enjoyed with Liverpool, he has still managed to win La Liga twice, although he lost his place to Antoine Griezmann after Quique Setien took charge at Barcelona.

The Brazilian played 23 games in the Bundesliga this season, scoring eight goals, supplying six assists, taking 2.5 shots per game, averaging 1.3 key passes and successfully completing 1.4 dribbles on average (via WhoScored).

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has earned a reputation for being notoriously tight-fisted in the transfer window and he may be unwilling to splash the cash on a player who has struggled for form in recent years.

Regardless, the prospect of working with Mourinho must carry some weight, as his CV more than speaks for itself. Coutinho will not come cheap, in all likelihood, but he is still a world-class player with bags of experience at the top levels of the game who could act as a mentor to some of the younger members of the squad, which would surely be an added bonus.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Coutinho this summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Everton forward Richarlison has been a little cheeky on social media this week after he fired a transfer message to former Toffees striker Romelu Lukaku.The 27-year-old celebrated his birthday on Wednesday and the club’s official Twitter account sent him their wishes on social media to which the Brazilian replied asking the Inter Milan star to “come back” to Goodison Park.

Lukaku enjoyed a very fruitful three seasons in Merseyside, recording 87 goals and 29 assists in 166 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

He goalscoring prowess saw him quickly become a Toffees fan-favourite before he moved to Premier League rivals Manchester United for a whopping £75m back in the summer of 2017.

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However, the Belgian now finds himself plying his trade in Serie A for Inter Milan, where he has hit the ground running with 23 goals in 35 matches.

Transfermarkt value him at £61.2m and it is rather unlikely that Antonio Conte sells the attacking powerhouse anytime soon.

AND in other news,ÂEverton fans react as reported TARGET wants EXIT…

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Arsenal will not buy a replacement for Petr Cech this summer according to fellow goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, per Football.London.

Cech is set to retire at the end of the season, but the Gunners are not set to dip into the transfer market to replace him.

What’s the word?

Cech will bring down the curtain on a trophy-laden career at the end of the season.

He has won four Premier League trophies, along with four FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League.

But the Czech Republic international has fallen out of favour under Unai Emery and has made just seven league appearances this season, per Transfermarkt.

He has been usurped in the pecking order by Bernd Leno, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

And Martinez has now revealed that the Gunners intend for him to become Leno’s deputy once his current loan spell with Reading ends.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

“I have three years left on my contract at Arsenal,” he said. “Now Cech is retiring I was told when I came to Reading that next year they want me to be the backup. But I’m not thinking about next season yet.

“I am not thinking about what may happen in the summer, we will look at it then. All I know is Reading is my team now.”

Lack of funds?

Emery was restricted to just one January signing, a loan deal for Denis Suarez of Barcelona.

And while that deal is said to include a purchase option, per BBC, Martinez’s words may set alarm bells ringing for Gunners supporters.

The 26-year-old has made just 14 appearances for the Gunners in total, per Transfermarkt, but may now be relied upon to be Leno’s No.2.

If the German picks up an injury, few at Arsenal even know if Martinez will be able to replace him.

This certainly appears to be a worst-case scenario option for the Gunners, who may eventually have to sell before they can buy.

Whatever happens, there does not appear to be a lot of money available to Emery at the Emirates Stadium.

Former Schalke striker Raul has rejected an offer to take over as the German side's coach, it has been reported.

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Schalke sacked coach last weekOffered post to former strikerSpain icon wants Madrid stayWHAT HAPPENED?

Thomas Reis was sacked from his post as head coach last week with the Gelsenkirchen side sitting as low as 16th in the 2. Bundesliga.

Schalke turned to ex-star forward Raul to offer him the job, according to , but the Spain legend has turned down the opportunity.

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Raul signed for Schalke on a free transfer from Real Madrid in 2010 and went on to make 97 appearances for the club, scoring 40 goals.

He helped fire them to the Champions League semi-finals in his first season with the Bundesliga side, and the quarter-finals of the Europa League the following year.

Raul is currently at the helm of Real Madrid Castilla and, according to the report, would prefer to stay there than take over at the German side.

DID YOU KNOW?

Raul, who won six La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns as a player at Madrid, took charge of the Castilla side in 2020. He has overseen 138 competitive matches and won 59.

Raul, 46, also guided the Madrid Under 19s to UEFA Youth League success in 2020.

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Schalke will look to other options to take over as head coach and lead their bid to escape the relegation zone in the second tier of German football.

Sergino Dest may have escaped his nightmare at Barcelona, with PSV reportedly ready to push through a permanent transfer for the USMNT star.

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Moved to Camp Nou in 2020Endured a difficult time in CatalunyaThriving back in the EredivisieWHAT HAPPENED?

The highly-rated defender completed a dream move to Camp Nou back in 2020. Having starred in the Netherlands for Ajax, the United States international was considered to be a long-term solution at right-back for La Liga giants Barca.

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Dest has taken in 72 appearances for the Catalan heavyweights, but never truly convinced and took in a forgettable loan spell at AC Milan last season. He was offloaded by Barca again over the summer, as PSV took him back to the Eredivisie.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 23-year-old has impressed in familiar surroundings, while being used as a left-back, and claims that PSV have already made the decision to activate a €10 million (£9m/$11m) purchase option. That deal could be pushed through in the January window.

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Barca are eager to do a deal that would appear to suit all parties – with much-needed funds being brought in for a player that is under contract until 2025, while Dest will be given the chance to play his way back into form heading towards Copa America and World Cup tournaments due to be staged on American soil in 2024 and 2026 respectively.

Christian Pulisic believes leaving Chelsea for AC Milan was the “perfect step for my career” after enjoying a dream debut for the Serie A giants.

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American forward bid farewell to ChelseaEmbracing a new challenge in ItalyAlready up and running for the Rossoneri

WHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international spent four years in England at Stamford Bridge, but is now taking on a new challenge in Italy after completing a €22 million (£19m/$24m) transfer to San Siro. He has made the perfect start to life in Italy, with a flurry of pre-season assists followed by a stunning goal on his league bow for the Rossoneri against Bologna.

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Pulisic has told of opening his account in style for new employers: “It was a fantastic start, for sure. I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The two early goals really helped us, because it was a difficult game after that. For me just a great start personally, nice to get a goal, while a clean sheet and a win are always nice.” He added on linking up with ex-Chelsea team-mates Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in Milan: “It was just speaking with those guys like Olivier, we had some good experiences together. I played with Fikayo, I played with Ruben and the connection is there, as you saw tonight. It was great to get the assist from Oli again. It just felt like the perfect step for my career, I feel really welcome and excited to be part of this club.”

AND WHAT'S MORE

Pulisic often struggled to nail down a regular starting role at Chelsea, amid fierce competition for places and regular fitness struggles, but he is setting lofty targets in Italy. He said of his goals for 2023-24: “We want to fight to win this championship of course, to compete for all the titles we can. Personally it is to continue creating and scoring goals the way I did tonight and to help this team win titles.”

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After getting off the mark on the road for Milan, Pulisic will be hoping to make his home debut on Saturday when the Rossoneri play host to Torino.

Chelsea have reportedly ruled out making a move for Kylian Mbappe, despite being linked with the Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

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French forward won't sign new contractHeavily linked with Real MadridBlues out of the running among Premier League clubsWHAT HAPPENED?

The France international forward has made it clear to the reigning Ligue 1 champions that he will not be extending a contract that is due to expire in the summer of 2024. PSG are, therefore, having to consider parting with the World Cup winner in the current transfer window.

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Mbappe is said to have snubbed a record-breaking approach from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal that would have included a €300 million (£258m/$328m) fee and €700m (£603m/$766m) contract. He is also said to have already agreed terms with Real Madrid regarding a potential move to Spain as a free agent in 12 months' time.

AND WHAT'S MORE

There have been suggestions that PSG are inviting offers from Premier League sides, so that a deal can be done this summer, with Chelsea considered to be a possible suitor. is, however, reporting that the Blues will not be making a move as they believe PSG are trying to drag English sides into a political battle between the French giants and La Liga heavyweights Real.

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Chelsea’s focus is currently locked elsewhere, with more big-money deals being done at Stamford Bridge, and it remains to be seen whether Mbappe will be on the move in 2023 or whether he will be forced to spend a year rotting in the reserves at PSG before hitting free agency.

The Ballon d’Or winner is back in training, but he is unlikely to form part of Les Bleus’ bid for glory at Qatar 2022.

Karim Benzema has made impressive progress in his recovery from a thigh injury that initially saw him ruled out of France’s bid for more World Cup glory.

The Real Madrid striker was laid low on the eve of the tournament, forcing Les Bleus to accept that the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner would play no part in their quest to claim back-to-back global crowns.

Benzema has, however, returned to light training with Los Blancos, leading to suggestions that he could be welcomed back into Didier Deschamps’ plans as France have – after wins over Australia and Denmark – already booked their place in the last16 of Qatar 2022.

The 34-year-old would certainly add more firepower to their already star-studded ranks, but here are five reasons why he is unlikely to make a stunning return…

Getty1. Deschamps will not risk disrupting the dynamic

Deschamps has said when asked about a possible return for the fearsome No.9: “It’s not something I’m thinking about now. I spoke to Benzema after he left the training camp. I leave it to you if you want to have a debate about it.”

The France boss is understandably keen to avoid any distractions after seeing his side make serene progress through two games at the 2022 World Cup so far – justifying their standing among the pre-tournament favourites.

French squads have not always been the most harmonious at previous events, but the class of 2022 is said to be a happy camp and Deschamps is reluctant to make any big decisions that may disrupt that dynamic.

AdvertisementGetty2. The attack is already up to full speed

While Benzema’s qualities remain unquestionable, France have no need to welcome him back at present.

An attacking unit that compromises of Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele – with Antoine Griezmann occupying a deeper role – has been catching the eye.

Veteran frontman Giroud netted twice in a 4-1 victory over Australia – taking him level with Thierry Henry as his country’s all-time leading goalscorer – while Paris Saint-Saint Germain superstar Mbappe bagged a match-winning brace against Denmark.

Adding Benzema to that pot could confuse matters and leave Deschamps facing a selection headache that he is eager to avoid.

3. Les Bleus succeeded without Benzema in 2018

France can point to the fact that they have already savoured World Cup glory without relying on Benzema to lead their line.

The Real Madrid striker found himself in the international wilderness back in 2018, and Les Bleus coped just fine as they blazed a trail to ultimate glory in Russia.

France’s coaching team will take that success into account when mulling over their options in the present, with others having shown that they are capable of stepping up and filling the void created by absent colleagues.

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(C)Getty Images4. Benzema is not 100% fit

While Benzema has been cleared to make a return to training, he is still a long way short of full match sharpness.

His last outing for Madrid came on November 2 against Celtic in the Champions League, while he has not started a game since lining up against Elche in La Liga on October 19.

He has taken in just 12 appearances in total across the 2022-23 campaign, with a number of fitness issues holding him back, and it is clear that he is not ready to play a prominent role in matches on a stage as big as the World Cup finals.