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According to The Mirror, Manchester United are set to confirm the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a permanent basis, after the interim boss oversaw a remarkable upturn in results since taking the reigns at Old Trafford.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Norwegian has already confirmed that his contract with former club Molde has been torn up, leaving him all set to manage the Red Devils beyond the current campaign.

Solskjaer has navigated his troops to a phenomenal run of just one defeat in 17 games since taking over from Jose Mourinho towards the end of December, and the recent comeback victory against Paris Saint-Germain appears to have convinced United chiefs that he is the man to take them forward.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

The former Cardiff manager will reportedly see his wages rise to a whopping £7.5m-a-year, compared to the £400k-a-year he was taking home whilst with Molde – however, Solskjaer will be earning exactly half of the wage that Mourinho picked up whilst at Old Trafford.

A complete masterstroke 

Everything about this news is good for United. In terms of finances, morale, and results, the appointment of Solskjaer is fantastic news for everyone associated with the club.

As mentioned in the aforementioned article, the 46-year-old is happy to earn significantly less than Mourinho due to his love for the club and desire to take the reigns on a permanent basis, which will leave United officials beaming as they have saved a huge amount of cash and come out sunny side up in doing so.

Additionally, key players such as Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba will love the news, seeing as Solskjaer was manager of the Under-23 side during their time in the youth ranks and oversaw a crucial stage of their development – it was the Norwegian that gave Lingard his debut in the reserves.

While Lingard has been held back by injuries, Pogba has looked like arguably the best midfielder in Europe since Solskjaer looked the helm, bagging nine goals and eight assists in 19 appearances. Reports suggesting he will be working with the interim boss on a permanent basis will surely fill him with confidence of sustaining this current level of form.

Fulham currently find themselves in a spot of bother in the relegation zone, with Claudio Ranieri’s recent sacking only adding to the disappointment at Craven Cottage. 

Claudio Ranieri won only three of his 17 games as manager after taking over from Slavisa Jokanovic, and he’s now left them 10 points from safety with 10 games left.

The Cottagers have appointed Scott Parker as caretaker manager with former first-team coach Stuart Gray joining as his assistant. But, fans will be more focused on who Shahid Khan will decide to appoint at the end of the season, with relegation to the Championship looking a certainty at this moment in time.

Indeed, the manager who Khan simply has to go all out to secure is former Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner.

Of course, relegation hasn’t officially been confirmed, but Fulham will find themselves back in the Premier League by 2020 if Khan appoints David Wagner at the end of the season following potential relegation. He performed miracles last season to first take Huddersfield into the Premier League and then keep them there against all odds.

He also managed to create an extremely tight bond with the players in the Championship, despite bringing in 13 new faces prior to the start of the 2016-17 season. Indeed, the Cottagers have failed to get the best out of a number of their summer signings after spending big prior to the start of this season, so he could definitely sort out that mess.

Wagner promotes an attractive, attacking style that could definitely bring excitement back to Craven Cottage, and his experience from securing promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs during his time at Huddersfield could prove invaluable as the Championship is arguably one of the most competitive leagues in Europe.

Fulham fans – Thoughts?

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According to The Sun, Manchester United are reportedly set to hijack Arsenal and Chelsea’s moves for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who will be available for free in the summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Frenchman is refusing to sign a new deal with the Parisians with his current contract set to expire in the summer, and is said to have held talks with Barcelona, Tottenham, the Gunners and the Blues.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is preparing a list of targets to overhaul an ageing midfield containing the likes of Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata, both of whom are 30 years of age, whilst Ander Herrera is only a year younger.

Is the emergance of a ‘big 6’ good news for English clubs in Europe? Pl>ymaker FC’s Ed Tarlton certainly thinks to in the video below…

It is believed that Rabiot would demand a weekly wage of £200k-a-week if he were to move to Old Trafford, as well as a huge £10m signing-on fee, which the Red Devils are said to be willing to pay.

Huge mistake

Perhaps the most significant thing that Solskjaer has done since taking over from Jose Mourinho is instilling a huge amount of self belief and confidence into a United squad previously bereft of such.

In doing so, the Norwegian boss has created a fantastic morale amongst the squad, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku all in good spirits now the shackles of Mourinho’s football and harsh words in the media are gone.

So, by signing Rabiot, a man who is currently expelled from the club after being told to stay away following his actions after the Champions League defeat to United, would be extremely detrimental to morale.

The 23-year-old was sanctioned by PSG after going out partying in a nightclub following the embarrassing, last-gasp defeat, and has also come under scrutiny after liking an Instagram post from Patrice Evra celebrating United’s progression into the quarter-finals at the expense of Rabiot’s own side.

Solskjaer has got something good going at Old Trafford right now, and would be stupid to plague that with the signing of a seemingly bad egg in Rabiot.

أعرب بن تشيلويل، الظهير الأيسر لنادي تشيلسي الإنجليزي، عن سعادته بالفوز على كريستال بالاس والأداء الذي قدمه في أول مباراة له مع الفريق في الدوري.

وسجل تشيلويل هدفًا وصنع آخر، في فوز تشيلسي برباعية على نظيره كريستال بالاس، ضمن الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.”تقرير وأهداف المباراة”

وقال تشيلويل في تصريحات لشبكة “BTSports” البريطانية: “كان الشوط الأول محبطا، لكننا تحدثنا عن أننا يجب أن نكون أكثر إبداعًا، وفي الشوط الثاني، سجلنا أربعة أهداف جيدة جدًا”.

وأضاف: “لم تكن بداية الموسم جيدة، نفس الشيء بالنسبة لجميع الفرق، الأمر يستغرق بضعة أسابيع حتى ينسجم الفريق، وفي الشوط الثاني اليوم كان الأمر أفضل”.

وأردف: “تحدثت مع لامبارد قبل مجيئي إلى تشيلسي، ورأيت أن هناك مواهب يمكنها أن تجلب البطولات للفريق”.

وشدد: “أكبر ميزة اليوم أن نسجل 4 أهداف، أمر رائع ولكن الخروج بشباك نظيفة أكثر مثالية بالنسبة لنا، قبل فترة التوقف الدولي”.

وأشاد بـ تياجو سيلفا، قائلًا: “منذ أن جاء إلينا، كان له حضور قوي في غرفة الملابس، يجعل الجميع يرغبون في العمل معه”.

واختتم: “تياجو قائد عظيم، يطالب الجميع بالجودة والتحسن، ونرى بأنه أخ أكبر بالنسبة لنا”.

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Birmingham City manager Garry Monk confirmed on Thursday that right-back Maxime Colin will miss the second city derby against Aston Villa at St Andrew’s on Sunday with a hamstring injury, and it gives Wes Harding a chance to avenge his Villa Park pain.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Monk announced via the official club website that the Frenchman will be missing for the visit of the Blues’ arch-rivals at the weekend, and it will be a big loss seeing as the boss said he considers the 27-year-old to be “one of the best full-backs in the league”.

Given Brum don’t have a huge squad or plethora of options to choose from it seems highly likely that Harding will step in at right-back, as he has done countless times over the past couple of months.

The 40-year-old City chief is confident that the 22-year-old can step up to the plate against Dean Smith’s men, telling bcfc.co.uk: “I have got no fears about any of the players, they have all shown they can contribute and they are all ready to go.”

That said, the 5ft 11in man will surely be looking to avenge the Villa Park nightmare he encountered during his side’s 4-2 defeat back in November.

Reaction time

While Harding has shown no signs of being affected by it, there is no doubt that his display in the reverse fixture wasn’t great.

Firstly he was asked to play in an unfamiliar left-back role, and he was torn apart by Albert Adomah time and time again – weirdly enough despite featuring on the opposite flank this weekend, he will likely come up against the same opponent.

His below-par display culminated in a late yellow card for a poor challenge on the Ghana international, and he will surely want to make up for it against their local neighbours at St Andrew’s on Sunday.

Everton fans will have truly been disappointed with how some of their defensive players have turned out this season, despite reinforcing the department with a number of big names.

The Toffees continue to ship goals and find it difficult to keep them out the back of the net, even with the likes of Yerry Mina, Kurt Zouma and Michael Keane all involved.

However, it appears Marco Silva will try and address the situation in the summer as it appears he has identified a possible target.

What’s the News?

According to a report by Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Everton have shown some interest in Real Sociedad’s Diego Llorente this season.

The Spain international has been solid for the La Liga outfit over the last couple of campaigns and continues to impress, despite a difficult time at Real Madrid prior to his move to the Basque outfit.

However, it is claimed that Everton could have to battle fierce rivals Liverpool for his signature, with the Anfield outfit allegedly keen on the 25-year-old as well.

The Verdict:

Everton fans must be wondering what could have been if all the defenders they currently have at the club were playing to their full potential and to the standard many would have expected.

With Zouma set to return to Chelsea in the summer following the conclusion of his loan deal, the need for a new centre-back at Goodison Park will have only been further highlighted.

And, Llorente could be an excellent addition to the Toffees in the summer if they are able to prise him away from Real Sociedad.

With the player having a release clause of €50million (£42.8m), Silva may have to splash out big to land him, although going based off his performances this season, he would be an immediate upgrade to some of the options the club currently has.

The 25-year-old would also be able to feature in a defensive midfield role, which could be handy for Everton, whilst he also appears to have a knack for finding the net, although he is yet to do so this season following the seven he got in the last campaign across all competitions.

Everton fans, do you think Llorente would be a good signing for your club to make and would be able to improve the defence immediately? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

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Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic has revealed that he wants to stay with Hertha Berlin for another one or two years to continue his development.

Grujic signed a new contract with Liverpool last summer before joining Hertha on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old has scored three times in 16 Bundesliga appearances this term and is seemingly very happy in Germany.

It is currently unclear what plans Liverpool have for the midfielder, who moved to Anfield from Red Star Belgrade in 2016.

Grujic has, thus far, been unable to secure a first-team spot on Merseyside, but the fact that he recently penned a new long-term deal with the Reds suggests that the English club rate him very highly indeed.

The Liverpool fans have been on social media offering their views on the eight-time Serbia international and it would be fair to say that there are a lot of mixed opinions.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Arsenal aren’t going to win the title by buying bang average player are they? But for some reason, that’s exactly what the club seem to be aiming for if the link to Solly March reported in Team Talk is true.

The Brighton winger has impressed following his move from Fulham two years ago. He’s played 26 games this season and scored the late equaliser in their FA Cup quarter-final against Millwall, but is this isn’t the calibre of player Arsenal should be looking at.

We know sometimes a few diamonds can be found in the rough, but Arsenal are surely looking to challenge for the title and the Champions League in the next few years, so they should be after players already at the highest level of European football. March is nowhere near that level.

Arsenal will once again have a limited budget in the summer, and perhaps that explains why they’d be interested in the £7m-rated wide man (as per Transfermarkt). That may be true, but it’s simply not good enough, particularly when the club’s promising to compete at the top of table again.

It’s laughable to think Manchester United can be linked with Paulo Dybala and then Arsenal can be linked with Brighton’s winger. That just shows the ambition gap between the two clubs, and without signing the best talent Arsenal can’t compete with the teams that are.

His one goal and five assists this season will hardly have the Gunners’ faithful licking their lips in anticipation of a great season. This sort of signing is Europa League quality and that’s exactly where Arsenal will stay if they don’t aim for the best players in Europe.

Arsenal fans, what do you think about the prospect of your club targeting Solly March. Join the discussion by commenting below.

It has been well over a year since Michael Emenalo left Chelsea, leaving the club without an official technical director.

Since then, Roman Abramovich’s right-hand woman Marina Granovskaia has been overseeing player recruitment with quite a few underwhelming deals sanctioned under her watch.

The Blues, though, could finally be about to step up their search for a permanent successor to Emenalo in a potentially huge development for the club.

The Breakdown

According to France Football (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have spoken to Luis Campos about taking up the role with other clubs also said to be interested in his services.

Campos, who currently holds a similar position to the one Chelsea are willing to offer, has not had the most successful of times at Lille.

However, his track record still remains a strong one having helped assemble the AS Monaco team that went on to win the 2017 Ligue 1 title with the likes of Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe starring.

Ultimately, it is that sort of eye for talent Chelsea need with some of the signings the club have made in recent transfer windows being absolutely atrocious.

The likes of Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater, for example, have failed to make the cut at Stamford Bridge, leaving question marks surrounding the west London club’s recruitment strategy — even during Emenalo’s tenure.

A transfer ban handed by FIFA complicates things in some aspects, but Chelsea would be foolish not to go all out for Campos and carry on with their same unconvincing regime.

Chelsea fans, do the Blues need a new technical director like Campos or are you happy with how things are under Granovskaia? Join the discussion by commenting below.

أعلن نادي إنتر ميلان المنافس في بطولة الدوري الإيطالي عن سادس لاعب مُصاب بين صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بفيروس كورونا المستجد، كوفيد 19.

وكان النادي قد أعلن خلال الأيام القليلة الماضية عن إصابة 5 لاعبين بالوباء وهم ميلان سكرينيار، أليساندرو باستوني، راجا ناينجولان، روبيرتو جاليارديني ويونوت رادو. (طالع التفاصيل)

ولكن إنتر ميلان من خلال بيان رسمي جديد صادر منذ قليل عبر الموقع الرسمي له على شبكة الإنترنت، أكد إصابة آشلي يونج بفيروس كورونا ليصبح الحالة السادسة.

يأتي ذلك في ظل انتشار الموجة الثانية من فيروس كورونا في إيطاليا خلال الأسابيع الماضية، هو ما ينذر بتخوفات من إيقاف بطولة الدوري من جديد.

الجدير بالذكر أن إنتر ميلان ليس الوحيد المتضرر من إصابات كورونا بل جاره ميلان قبل ديربي المدينة بعد انتهاء التوقف الدولي بالإضافة إلى نابولي وجنوى.