Barcelona reveal transfer stance on £58million Arsenal and Chelsea target

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco will oversee his club’s transfer business this summer (Picture: Getty)

Barcelona sporting director Deco has confirmed his club’s stance on Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Viktor Gyokeres.

The Sweden international is in high-demand this summer following another prolific season for Sporting Lisbon, during which he scored 57 goals in 49 games for club and country.

Sporting have indicated they are willing to accept an offer in the region of £58million for the 26-year-old for the former Coventry centre forward.

Arsenal were reported to have begun talks with the Portuguese club earlier this week but now appear to have turned their attentions to the younger Benjamins Sesko.

Chelsea, too, were credited with an interest but the Blues have pressed ahead with a £30m deal for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

Manchester United are also an option for Gyokeres who could relish the prospect of linking up again with his former manager Ruben Amorim.

Interest in Gyokeres, however, is far from limited to the Premier League with Juventus now said to be in the mix.

Chelsea are competing with Arsenal to sign Viktor Gyokeres (NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

Barcelona, however, will not compete for Gyokeres’ signature with Deco happy to rely on the goalscoring prowess of Robert Lewandowski for another season, despite the veteran forward turning 37 in August.

‘Gyokeres is a great striker who did excellent things at Sporting but we’re currently not looking for that position.

‘We have Lewandowski at number nine.’

Barcelona are, however, set to beat Arsenal to the signing of Espanyol’s in-demand goalkeepr Joan Garcia.

The 24-year-old came close to joining the Gunners last season and Mikel Arteta had been keen to sign the Spaniard to provide David Raya with genuine competition.

Newcastle and Aston Villa were monitoring Garcia’s situation but it appears he will remain in Spain, with several reports suggesting that Garcia has agreed terms with Barcelona ahead of a proposed move.

The Catalan giants are expected to trigger Garcia’s €25 million (£21m) release clause in the coming days to complete a day as quick as possible.

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Why Inter are wearing yellow in Champions League final vs Paris Saint-Germain

Inter are wearing their third yellow kit for the Champions League final (NurPhoto via Getty)

Inter have opted to wear their striking yellow third kit for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday night.

The Serie A club are famous for their black and blue striped home shirt they’ve worn for decades.

But with PSG named as the home team for Saturday’s final in Munich, Inter are unable to wear their home strip due to a kit clash with the French champions.

Inter have a white away shirt which they have worn on three occasions in the Champions League this season.

The first ended in a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in December and for their next away game in Europe, Inter switched to their third yellow kit and went on to secure a 1-0 win against Sparta Prague.

Inter continued this for the knockout stage as they wore the yellow strip for their 2-0 win away to Feyenoord in the last-16 stage.

The Italian club wore their home shirt away to Bayern Munich in the quarter final but for the away leg of their semi-final against Barcelona which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, Inter opted to revert back to their white away kit.

Inter have opted not to wear their white away kit for the Champions League final (Getty)

Why Inter are wearing their third yellow kit for the Champions League final?

Inter were given the choice of wearing their white away shirt or their yellow third strip for the Champions League final by UEFA.

The Serie A runners-up did not give an official reason for their decision but they have won both of their games in their yellow third kit in the Champions League this season.

When asked about the decision to wear the third kit for the final, Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella dismissed suggestions that there was any superstition involved.

‘We had a chat, there were a number of options on the table and we went for the yellow shirt,’ Barella said.

‘Nothing more than that, it’s a shirt that we like and so we hope that this jersey can help us as well in this final.’

Inter have won twice in their yellow third kit in the Champions League this season (UEFA via Getty)

Inter also released a statement on their choice of kit for the final which read: ‘Ahead of the big game, UEFA has declared the kits that the two teams will wear: PSG, who are officially the home side, as established in the tournament brackets months ago, will play in their traditional Home Kit which is blue, red and white, the same colours that represent Paris.

‘More specifically, Luis Enrique’s side will wear the blue shirt with a red line running through the centre, with blue shorts and socks, and white details all through the kits. The goalkeeper will be dressed in all-green.

‘Inter, the official away side, will play in this season’s Third Kit. Simone Inzaghi’s boys will therefore wear the yellow kit with a design based on symbols referring to the city of Milan, all in black. This will be the kit for the ten outfield players: the Inter goalkeeper, however, will wear an all-orange kit.

‘The tones that have represented the colour of the Clubs’ third kit for many years are very much back for the 2024/25 season. During this year’s Champions League, the Nerazzurri have worn this kit in their away game against Sparta Prague on Matchday 7 of the Legaue Phase (0-1, Lautaro) and in our win against Feyenoord in Rotterdam in the first leg of the Round of 16 (0-2, Thuram, Lautaro).

‘Inter will wear yellow shorts and socks to match the shirt. The small new detail that will be added will be the special writing above the club’s logo, referring to the extraordinary occasion that the kit is being used for: FINAL MUNICH 2025 – Munich Football Arena 31 May – Paris Saint-Germain VS FC Internazionale Milano.’

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Gasperini departs Atalanta after nine years

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Erik ten Hag targets two Manchester United stars as first Bayer Leverkusen signing

Erik ten Hag joined Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal (Picture: Getty)

Erik ten Hag has expressed interest in signing two of his former Manchester United players after being appointed as head coach of Bayer Leverkusen.

Ten Hag was announced as the new Leverkusen manager earlier this week and takes over from Xabi Alonso, who left the German club for Real Madrid.

It is Ten Hag’s first managerial role since he was sacked by Manchester United at the end of October.

Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title last year and finished second behind Bayern Munich this season.

But Ten Hag has a big job on his hands with Leverkusen’s squad set to be picked apart by major clubs this summer.

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Liverpool are working on a big-money deal for Florian Wirtz while the Premier League champions are also expected to sign Jeremie Frimpong.

In another blow to Ten Hag, Leverkusen vice-captain Jonathan Tah’s move to Bayern Munich was confirmed on Thursday.

Florian Wirtz is set to leave Bayer Leverkusen (Picture: Getty)

Wirtz’s imminent departure will force Bayer Leverkusen to bolster Ten Hag’s attacking options and two Manchester United players have been ‘discussed internally’ as options.

German outlet Kicker claim Ten Hag is interested in signing Antony and Alejandro Garnacho from his former club.

Antony enjoyed a much-needed revival during his loan spell at Real Betis but it remains to be seen whether his form in Spain has earned him another chance at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian was one of Betis’ most influential players in the second-half of the season but struggled in their Conference League final defeat to Chelsea.

Erik ten Hag brought Antony to Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

It was Ten Hag who sanctioned Manchester United’s £82m move for Antony back in 2022 before the 25-year-old flopped in the Premier League.

Garnacho, meanwhile, has been told by Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim that he can leave the club this summer.

Chelsea and Napoli have registered interest in the Argentina international, who is valued at around £50m.

While ex-Ajax boss Ten Hag admires both Antony and Garnacho, Kicker claim a Bayer Leverkusen deal for either appears unlikely at this stage given the numbers involved.

Ten Hag during his Bayer Leverkusen unveiling (Picture: Getty)

Leverkusen also admire departing Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki but also face an uphill battle in that transfer race given the interest from Manchester City.

Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his time in charge of Manchester United but was sacked with the team just 14th in the Premier League.

The Red Devils were expected to improve under Portuguese title winner Amorim but in fact went backwards, finishing 15th in the English top-flight.

Ten Hag described Bayer Leverkusen as ‘one of the best clubs in Germany and also among the top clubs in Europe’ after his appointment on a two-year deal.

‘I’ve come to Leverkusen to continue with the ambition shown in recent years,’ he said. ‘It’s an attractive challenge to set up something together in this period of change and develop an ambitious team.’

Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes added: ‘With Erik ten Hag, we have brought in an experienced coach with impressive success on the pitch.

‘With three league titles and two domestic cup wins, he and Ajax dominated Dutch football from 2018 to 2022.

‘And Erik demonstrated his quality as a coach with the ensuing success at Manchester United under difficult circumstances at times.’

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Arsenal in talks to sign £92.5m star as Mikel Arteta approves deal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has approved the deal (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have held ‘concrete talks’ with RB Leipzig and Benjamin Sesko over a summer transfer move to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta is desperate to sign an elite striker this summer and has approved Arsenal’s move for Sesko, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Sesko scored 21 goals for Leipzig last season, far less than fellow Arsenal targets Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen.

But Sesko, five years younger than the Sporting Lisbon and Napoli strikers, has more time on his side and Arsenal believe he can develop into a top Premier League star.

That does not mean Arsenal have pulled out of the race for Gyokeres, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

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But it is claimed Arsenal’s focus right now is on Sesko, with the Gunners in talks with RB Leipzig and the player himself over a move to north London.

Arsenal expressed interest in Sesko last summer and again during the January transfer window at the start of the year.

Benjamin Sesko in action for RB Leipzig (Picture: Getty)

But the Gunners ended up without a striker signing in both of those windows, a decision that backfired as the season went on.

Sesko is believed to have an agreement with Leipzig that he will be sold this summer, but the Bundesliga club are reportedly holding out for a huge fee of £92.5m.

Arsenal will of course try to lower that number during transfer negotiations and are expected to push for a fee of between £60-70m.

But the Gunners will also not want to miss out on a deal, with Arteta, his backroom staff and those higher up at the club keen to see Sesko join the club.

Viktor Gyokeres has also been linked with the Gunners (Picture: Getty)

Sesko has enjoyed two productive seasons at RB Leipzig following a £20m move from Red Bull Salzburg in 2023. He has 16 goals in 41 caps for Slovenia and has been backed to become the country’s greatest ever player.

Gyokeres and Osimhen were far more prolific last season, with the former bagging 54 goals for Portuguese champions Sporting and the latter netting 36 goals for Turkish champions Galatasaray.

Sweden’s Gyokeres has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea as well as the Gunners, while Osimhen is expected to move to Saudi Arabia from parent club Napoli.

Any interest Chelsea had in Gyokeres, Osimhen and Sesko is set to vanish as they have agreed a deal to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.

Sesko discussed the speculation surrounding his future at RB Leipzig last week, telling reporters: ‘The club has given me a lot and continues to give me a lot every day. It’s a great club to develop at.’

He added that in the future he wants to ‘play for a club that suits me’ and ‘brings out the best in me’.

‘I’m currently a player for RB Leipzig, so I’m taking it day by day,’ he said. ‘If a transfer happens, and if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t.’

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Joe Cole sends message to Chelsea over Jadon Sancho transfer from Man Utd

Jadon Sancho scored in Chelsea’s Conference League final win (Picture: Shutterstock)

Joe Cole wants Chelsea to sign Jadon Sancho on a permanent transfer from Manchester United and insists he has ‘done well’ during his loan spell at Stamford Bridge.

Sancho’s 83rd-minute curler all but put the Conference League final to bed as Chelsea came from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 in Poland.

Betis deservedly led at half-time through Abde Ezzalzouli’s early opener but Chelsea turned things around during an impressive second-half display.

Enzo Fernandez equalised on 65 minutes from Cole Palmer’s cross and Nicolas Jackson put Chelsea ahead five minutes later from another Palmer delivery.

Sancho added Chelsea’s third and Moises Caicedo capped off the win with an injury-time fourth as Enzo Maresca’s side, as expected, proved too strong in the inferior Conference League.

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Having started on the bench, Sancho made a key contribution following his second-half substitution, potentially boosting his chances of earning a permanent move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea agreed to sign Sancho permanently for around £25m when they signed him on loan from Manchester United last summer.

Chelsea celebrate their fourth goal against Real Betis (Picture: Getty)

However, they are able to cancel the agreement by paying their Premier League rivals £5m in compensation and reports suggest that remains a possibility following Sancho’s mixed spell in west London.

But Cole wants to see Sancho at Chelsea next season, insisting he ‘really likes’ the former Borussia Dortmund star.

Asked about Sancho’s future at Chelsea before the Europa Conference League final, Cole said: ‘I think Jadon is a really great player and I think he’s done well.

‘He’s been rotated in and out a bit but I want to see Jadon playing. You want a player like that in your squad. It will come down to a financial decision I imagine but I really like him.’

Sancho came off the bench to help Chelsea thump Betis (Picture: Getty)

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Enzo Maresca said discussions would be held around Sancho’s future in the days following the final.

Asked if the Real Betis game could be Sancho’s last for Chelsea, Maresca said: ‘I don’t know.

‘I said that when in the last weeks you asked me about different players, I always said the same. And the reason why is because it’s the truth.

‘It’s not the moment we have tomorrow, final. Then in 24 hours, 48 hours, we’re going to start to talk about the future.

‘But at this moment, there is not any thought or any decision made on Jadon or any different players.’

More to follow…

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Arsenal make transfer U-turn and plan to sign £54m star after Martin Zubimendi

Arsenal are already making progress in the transfer market (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have made a transfer U-turn and are planning to work on a deal for Leroy Sane after making Martin Zubimendi their first summer signing.

Zubimendi was set to have a medical at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday ahead of his £51m move from Real Sociedad.

Mikel Arteta is a known admirer of Zubimendi, 26, and Arsenal are poised to secure his signature despite interest from Sociedad’s La Liga rivals Real Madrid.

Liverpool, who beat Arsenal to the Premier League title, were close to signing Zubimendi last summer but the Spanish star decided to stay at Real Sociedad.

The Euro 2024 winner will head to the English top-flight this summer, however, to bolster Arteta’s midfield options following the departure of Jorginho and potential exit of Thomas Partey.

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Jorginho confirmed he was leaving Arsenal in an emotional social media post on Monday and Partey will follow the Italian out unless Arsenal made a breakthrough in contract talks.

Once the signing of Zubimendi has been completed, Arteta will turn his attentions to other additions, hoping to see a new winger arrive in north London.

Leroy Sane could leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal’s dream target in that position is believed to be Zubimendi’s Spain teammate Nico Williams, who has a release clause of £42m.

But the player’s steep wage demands have forced Arsenal to look elsewhere and they are showing ‘strong interest’ in former Manchester City winger Sane, according to The Times.

Arsenal have been linked with the Germany international on and off over the past 12 months, with Arteta an admirer of a player he worked with while he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium.

Last week it was reported that Arsenal had withdrawn from the race to sign Sane, who is set to become a free agent, but it is claimed the Gunners have made a U-turn and are now lining up a move.

Martin Zubimendi is set to join the Gunners (Picture: Getty)

Sane has scored 61 goals in 220 appearances for Bayern Munich since a £54m move from Manchester City in 2020.

While at City, Sane lifted two Premier League trophies, three EFL Cups and the FA Cup.

Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Sane, who is said to be open to a Premier League return.

Sane’s agent is due to hold further talks with Bayern later this week but the two parties appear to be some way apart in terms of reaching a deal over a contract extension.

Another option for Arsenal is the Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who incidentally has been linked with a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

As well as signing a new midfielder and winger, Arteta is desperate for a top striker to arrive through the doors at the Emirates.

Viktor Gyokeres appears to be the club’s first-choice target for that position but they also hold interest in Benjamin Sesko, who could cost almost £100m, and Liam Delap, who has a release clause of £30m.

Arsenal are ready to back Arteta in the transfer market after going a fifth successive season without a trophy.

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Ruben Amorim brutally kicks player out of Manchester United in front of teammates

Ruben Amorim addressing the Manchester United fans at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)

Ruben Amorim brutally ended Alejandro Garnacho’s Manchester United career in front of his Old Trafford teammates, according to reports.

It emerged prior to United’s final Premier League game of the season on Sunday that Amorim had told Garnacho to leave the club this summer.

The Argentina winger was heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford in January, with Chelsea and Napoli among the clubs interested in a deal.

Garnacho was once viewed as one of the hottest prospects at Manchester United but he has become increasingly less influential and Amorim is believed to be unhappy at comments he and his brother made following the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.

‘Obviously it’s hard for everyone,’ said Garnacho after United’s 1-0 defeat in Bilbao. ‘Our season was s***.

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‘We didn’t beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things. When you don’t score goals, you always need more.

‘Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today – I don’t know.

Alejandro Garnacho is set to leave Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)

‘I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.’

Garnacho’s brother, meanwhile, took to social media to accuse Amorim of ‘throwing him under the bus’.

The comments angered Amorim who then, according to the Daily Mail, told Garnacho to ‘pray’ he finds a new club this summer in a team meeting.

Garnacho addressing United fans at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)

The Manchester United squad gathered at Carrington on Saturday ahead of their Premier League finale but Amorim used the meeting to dig out Garnacho.

‘You better pray that you can find a club to sign you,’ Amorim reportedly said as he made it clear Garnacho would not be welcome back to Manchester United for pre-season training.

The club was approached for comment on the alleged exchange but said they would not comment on private dressing-room conversations.

Up Next

Garnacho, who was left out of Manchester United’s final Premier League game against Aston Villa, initially hoped to stay at Old Trafford but now has no choice but to leave.

United want around £60m for the 20-year-old but potential suitors – including Premier League rivals Chelsea – know the Manchester club are in a weak negotiating position.

Ex-Chelsea striker Carlton Cole has warned his former club against signing Garnacho this summer.

‘He’s going to have to learn from his mistakes because what he’s saying is too much and just too much information,’ Cole said on The Dressing Room Podcast.

‘I look at that situation and I just think it’s his advisers. If he was getting the right advice, you would just keep your mouth shtum.

‘Don’t come out with a statement. Now, if I’m trying to buy you and I’m looking how vocal you are in the press, I’m not going to be able to trust you so there’s repercussions of what you’re doing.’

Garnacho looks set to end his Manchester United career having made 144 appearances for the club, scoring 26 goals. He lifted the FA Cup and EFL Cup during his spell at Old Trafford.

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Gary Neville banned from Premier League ground for final game of the season

Gary Neville has been banned from attending The City Ground for the final weekend of the Premier League season (AMA/Getty)

Gary Neville has been banned from Nottingham Forest’s stadium for their final Premier League game of the season against Chelsea this Sunday.

The former Manchester United and England defender was due to be part of Sky Sports’ coverage at The City Ground this weekend.

However, MailOnline report that Forest have submitted a formal complaint to Sky about Neville and have requested for the commentary team to be changed ahead of the game.

Sky Sports have described Forest’s decision as ‘unprecedented and unwelcome’ and will no longer be presenting from the stadium on Sunday.

Forest are unhappy with Neville after he heavily criticised the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis for appearing to confront the team’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, in the aftermath of the 2-2 draw with Leicester City earlier this month.

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It later emerged that Marinakis was venting his frustration towards Forest’s medical department for allowing Taiwo Awoniyi to play after the striker had sustained a serious abdominal injury which subsequently required surgery.

Nottingham Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis confronted Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch (AFP via Getty)

Awoniyi suffered a ruptured intestine after colliding with the goalpost and was in an induced coma in hospital.

Neville, meanwhile, hit out at Marinakis during Sky Sports’ broadcast shortly after his confrontation with Nuno.

‘I feel compelled to mention that what the Nottingham Forest owner has just done on the pitch over at the City Ground is absolutely scandalous,’ Neville said during his commentary.

Taiwo Awoniyi required surgery after colliding with the goalpost (IPS/Shutterstock)

‘If I were Nuno, I would be going and having a really strong word. That is an absolute scandal, he’s just qualified them for European competition.

‘Where that club’s been, to be remonstrated with on the pitch in front of their own fans is an absolute joke.

‘Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him. The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.’

Forest hit back at Neville in a statement which read: ‘We urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context – least of all the injured player.

‘Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one — least of all the injured player.’

Gary Neville has called Nottingham Forest’s ban an ‘unprecedented action’ (Sky Sports)

Gary Neville responds to Forest’s ban…

In his response to Forest’s decision to ban him from The City Ground this weekend, Neville said: ‘I was contacted by Sky Sports earlier on in the week and told that I would be commentating at the City Ground on Sunday for the Nottingham Forest v Chelsea match.

‘I was informed yesterday by Sky Sports that Nottingham Forest would not give me an accreditation or access to the stadium as a co-commentator. I’ve had no choice but to withdraw from the coverage.

‘I’ve dished out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never come close to this unprecedented action.

‘Personally, I think it’s disappointing that a great club like Nottingham Forest have been reduced to making such a decision. Whilst they have every right to choose who they let into their own stadium, it’s symptomatic of things that have happened over the last 12 months with the club.

‘I wish the coaching staff, players and fans of the club all the best in their quest to achieve Champions League football.’

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Daniel Levy sends message to Ange Postecoglou in speech after Spurs’ Europa League win

Daniel Levy thanked Ange Postecoglou during Spurs’ Europa League victory party (Getty)

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy thanked Ange Postecoglou in a speech after the club’s Europa League victory and believes the trophy can put Spurs ‘on the road to the very top’.

Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal sealed a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final, marking an end to Spurs’ 17-year wait to win a trophy.

Despite the club’s success in the Europa League, which has secured a place in next season’s Champions League, Postecoglou’s future at Spurs remains in doubt due to the team’s woeful Premier League.

Ahead of the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday in which Tottenham host Brighton, Spurs sit 17th in the table with 38 points from 37 games.

But in a speech at Spurs’ Europa League party on Wednesday night, Levy suggested that the team’s success in Europe could now put them on the right path.

‘We’re champions!’ Levy exclaimed after taking the microphone.

Listen, this has been a very long time coming. 1984 was the last time we won a European cup, tonight we made history.

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Daniel Levy victory speech after UEFA cupbwin 2025 #daniellevy #thfc #final #tottenham #spurs #angepostecoglou #blowthisup #foryourpage #tottenhamhotspur #levy

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‘I want to thank Ange and all of the coaching staff, all of the players. You guys have gone down in history. Thank you very much.

‘This is a magnificent achievement for the club and hopefully is going to get us on the road where we absolutely deserve to be, which is at the very top. Thank you very much.’

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou admitted he had not held talks with Levy over his future as Tottenham manager.

‘No, no planned meetings. I haven’t had any discussions, no one has spoken to me about anything,’ Postecoglou said.

‘Maybe they felt like they don’t need to or they were waiting for this game.

‘What I do know is, I’ll go back to my hotel room, get my family and friends together, open up a nice bottle of scotch, have a couple of quiet ones, get ready for a massive parade on Friday, play Brighton on Sunday. And then Monday I’ll go on holiday with my beautiful family because I deserve it. And que sera sera.’

Ange Postecoglou’s future at Spurs remains in doubt after their Europa League success (PA Wire)

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale believes Postecoglou still has a future at Spurs despite the team’s poor Premier League form this season.

‘I think only the chairman can decide, to be honest,’ Bale told TNT Sports.

‘There’s been so much talk about whether he goes or whether he doesn’t.

‘I guess it’ll be interesting to see that because he’s won a trophy, the first Tottenham manager to do so in a long time. So I guess the board has some decisions to make.

‘I like the football that he plays. Obviously he lacks a bit of a plan B. But tonight showed there is a plan B. There’s a different side to how he’s played.

‘So I guess if he also matures as a manager and brings that defensive side to his teams, of course he can still have great success here.’

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Yes, yes, yes: Man Utd sure on Amorim, transfers and the future

A look at what's next for Manchester United after their Europa League final defeat - with focus on transfer plans, finances and the future of their head coach Ruben Amorim.

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Arsenal withdraw from transfer race with Chelsea to sign £54m attacker

Arsenal have pulled out of the running to sign Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich (DeFodi Images/Shutterstock)

Arsenal have withdrawn from the race with Chelsea to sign Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane, according to reports in Germany.

The former Manchester City winger appeared to be on course to sign a new contract with Bayern this month before he opted to switch his representation to Pini Zahavi’s agency.

Sane’s salary demands have now increased but Bayern have stood firm and have been unable to reach an agreement with the Germany international.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Newcastle United have all reportedly registered their interest in signing Sane ahead of the summer transfer window.

But according to Sky Germany, Arsenal have now pulled out of the running with their Premier League rivals.

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The report claims that Arsenal are targeting a younger profile than Sane, who turned 29 in January, with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens all higher on Mikel Arteta’s shortlist.

Arsenal favour a move for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo (NurPhoto via Getty)

In a separate report, Sky Germany claim that Arsenal are ‘seriously involved’ in an attempt to sign Rodrygo from Madrid.

The Spanish club are waiting for the arrival of Xabi Alonso to finalise Rodrygo’s future but the 24-year-old has been tipped as one of the key players under Carlo Ancelotti to be moved on at the end of the season.

Bayern, meanwhile, face the prospect of losing Sane on a free transfer when his contract expires next month.

Speaking last week, Bayern’s board member for sport, Max Eberl, confirmed that Sane, a £54.8 million signing from Manchester City in 2020, had rejected the club’s offer of a new deal.

‘He said today that he doesn’t want to accept our offer in this form,’ Eberl said.

‘There’s no bad blood. The offer is there. We’ve expressed our wish [to extend his contract]. You can feel, at least in my opinion, that Leroy wants to stay. Now we’ll see what happens in the next few days.’

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Ruben Amorim responds to Manchester United sack claim ahead of Europa League final

Ruben Amorim says he has been ‘so clear’ with Manchester United’s board (UEFA via Getty)

Ruben Amorim insists he is unfazed by the prospect of being sacked by Manchester United if they lose the Europa League final.

United head into Wednesday night’s Europa League final against Tottenham off the back of a woeful run in the Premier League where they have failed to win in their last eight matches for the first time in the club’s history.

Amorim’s side currently sit 16th in the Premier League ahead of the final day of the season and are already guaranteed to end up with their lowest-ever points tally, regardless of their result against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Tottenham have also endured a miserable domestic campaign and Ange Postecoglou’s side sit a point behind United in 17th place in the Premier League.

Reports have claimed that Postecoglou will be sacked by Spurs even if they beat United in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening.

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Meanwhile, it has also been reported that United will stick with Amorim, irrespective of the outcome of the final in Bilbao.

Ruben Amorim could end Manchester United’s miserable season with the Europa League trophy (Getty)

When Amorim was asked why he believes he is not the subject of the same speculation around his future as Postecoglou in his pre-match press conference, United captain Bruno Fernandes interjected: ‘He is, who told you he’s not? He is.’

Amorim laughed and replied: ‘He wants my job.

‘He’ll be a very, very good coach but he has to work on his mindset, he doesn’t know how to deal with people.’

Amorim then added: ‘I don’t know, I don’t know. I know in this kind of club, also in Tottenham, but especially Manchester United it’s strange because you have some coaches who lose some games and they are sacked.

‘It’s hard to explain. I think people see what we are trying to do. I think people see that sometimes I’m thinking more in the club than in myself.

‘People understand, especially the board understand, we have a lot of issues that in the context is really hard.

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‘I don’t know how to explain, I don’t know how to explain how the fans like me in this moment, so it’s hard to explain.

‘I will try to prove myself to the fans, to the board, but I don’t have an explanation for you.

‘But again, I think it’s a good thing for me, I am never worried about that. That is a part of being a coach.

‘And the most important thing is I know what I’m doing. I explain everything, again, before when we started I explained about the storm, I explained all the problems that we had to the board, so I was so clear, I explained I would not change my idea.

‘So they know they cannot say I said one thing to get the job then I changed my mind – it was the opposite. I think the board can understand that, the fans understand that but we will reach a moment where we have to win no matter what. But I don’t have an explanation for that.’

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