Chelsea owner Abramovich will ask Real Madrid to name their Bale price

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ready to ask Real Madrid to name their price forGareth Bale.

With Antonio Conte complaining his Chelseasquad is short of numbers, Abramovich has instructed his directors to intensify their transfer plans in the final weeks of the market.

Don Balon says on their shopping list remains Bale, whose future is still in doubt after a low-key performance in Real's Supercopa victory at Barcelona on Sunday. Indeed, it's suggested the Welshman's display made up Real president Florentino Perez's mind that he needs to make another attacking signing this month.

Abramovich is a fan of Bale and also likes the idea of trumping Jose Mourinho's Manchester United to a long-term target.

It's been suggested Florentino would be willing to sell for less than €100m to make room for his next striker signing.,

Chelsea could cash in on major windfall, £36m bid incoming for bit-part ace

Lille are reportedly set to make a £36m bid for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, with the Belgian offered a chance to move on just a year after joining the Blues.

Despite only scoring five Premier League goals last season, the 23-year-old ended up scoring the one that secured the title and remains a popular figure amongst supporters.

However, Chelsea now face a difficult decision as to whether to keep hold of him, or sell and use those funds to bring in another alternative.

With Antonio Conte bringing in Alvaro Morata this summer, Batshuayi’s chances of being a regular starter in the line-up are slim, and that may well force him to consider his options too with the World Cup coming up next summer.

A move to Lille would offer him the chance to work with former boss Marcelo Bielsa, while for Chelsea it would mean a profit despite his struggles in England, as detailed by the Mirror, following his £33m move to Stamford Bridge last year.

Selling the former Marseille man would leave Chelsea light of options up front though, and so if they were to allow him to leave, then Conte will surely be pressing for the club to have a replacement ready.

Having bemoaned the lack of depth in his squad already this summer, it doesn’t seem to make too much sense to sell more squad players, but there still seem to be question marks hanging over Batshuayi as he looks set to play second fiddle again this season.

Reports in Brazil say Barcelona will sign midfielder Lucas Lima

According to journalist Benjamin Back on Fox Sports Radio, Lucas Lima will be a Barcelona player for the next four seasons. The midfielder is out of contract with his current club, Santos, at the end of the year and will join in January, when the winter transfer window opens.

Even though he won't come until then, Lima can legally sign a deal with Barça on July 1. The player is the former boyfriend of Neymar's sister Raffaele and his agent is the Barça star's father, who has reportedly recommended his Camp Nou arrival.

Lima is a 26-year-old midfielder (he turns 27 in July) and is 1.76m tall. A Brazil international (he played against Argentina recently), he currently plays for Santos after aspells with Inter de Limeira, Internacional and Sport Recife.

He has previously been linked with a move to Real Madrid and has also been the subject of interest from the Chinese Super League. In 2016 there was also links to Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich

Jovetic heading back to Inter as Sevilla can't match his wage demands

Stevan Jovetic is heading back to Inter, as Sevilla warned “we are seeking an alternative, as we cannot match Inter’s fee and his wage demands.”

The 27-year-old Montenegro international spent this season in Spain on loan, contributing seven goals and five assists in 29 competitive appearances.

This deal included a €14m option to buy, but it seems to be beyond Sevilla’s capabilities.

“It’s a bit of everything and not just one reason,” director of sport Oscar Arias told ABCSevilla.es.

“We could handle a higher wage than what we’re offering now, but only if we didn’t have to pay a transfer fee. Or, the other way round, we could pay the fee if the player’s wage demands weren’t so high.

“In our business model, we must keep costs contained. We don’t have the wage budget of a Manchester City, Barcelona, Chelsea or Real Madrid.

“We can make an effort, as we did with Jovetic, but always within the parameters. We must be realistic and admit that at times some things simply cannot be.

“It’s a complicated situation, as the player earns very high wages and Inter are asking for an equally high transfer fee. We are not ready to, nor capable of, taking on such a burden. We’ve already reached our limit.

“If it cannot be, then it cannot be… we wish Stevan good luck for his future career and now seek an alternative.”

Barcelona target Verratti reportedly tells PSG he won't return to Paris

"I won't return to Paris, I want to go to Barcelona." Marco Verratti has reportedly sent this clear message to the PSG hierarchy, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport as he looks to force a move to Camp Nou. An operation which the French club will not make easy.

While the player has decided to be discrete with his comments in public while on holiday in Ibiza, Verratti is aware that PSG don't usually sell their best players so decided to sent the message to the club. The answer was as expected: 'We don't sell."

In fact, president Nasser Al Khelaifi is apparently keen to improve his contract at the club in a bid to ward off Barça's interest.

But the reality, according to Gazzetta, is that Verratti will be strong. Barcelona want the midfielder and the midfielder wants to play at the Catalan club to continue growing as a player.

"Let me go to Barça, I won't come back to Paris," is more or less the message which was transmitted, as explained by the Italian paper.

Verratti has taken, therefore, an important step and has told PSG that "the time has come to fulfill my dream and play and win things alongside [Lionel] Messi." Gazzetta add

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Spain U21s 5-0 Macedonia U21s: Asensio fires stunning hat-trick

Real Madrid star bags a treble as Spaniards fire out a warning to every other nation with thumping start to Euros

SPAIN fired a warning to every other nation as they thumped Macedonia 5-0 in their opening match of the European Under-21s Championship.

A hat-trick from Marco Asensio and strikes from Saul Niguez and Gerard Deulofeu fired Albert Celades’ side to victory.

Despite the dominant scoreline, La Roja had to withstand several scares of their own as the Macedonians attempted to take the game to their opponents.

Keep up to date with all the latest news, gossip, rumours and done deals in live transfer blog HERE

In fact, up until the opener on ten minutes, it was they who were in control.

Boban Nikolov fired one wide of the post before Saul’s stunner broke the deadlock.

The Atletico Madrid midfielder acrobatically met Jose Gaya’s cross with a superb overhead kick and powered the ball past the goalkeeper.

If Ronaldo does decide to leave, who could possibly replace him?

An 'outraged' Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly decided to leave Real Madrid after he was accused of defrauding Spanish tax authorities out of 14 million Euros. If he does decide to leave, who could possibly replace him? 

Kylian Mbappe

The world's most wanted player. Real Madrid were heavily linked with the young Monaco striker before Ronaldo signalled his intention to leave. His departure could firm up Real Madrid's interest and also fund a world record transfer. 

Likelihood: 9/10

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Perpetually linked with a move away from Borussia Dortmund, the striker was reportedly close to a move to PSG until the deal fell through earlier this week. Would cost marginally less than Mbappe and is a proven goalscorer at European and domestic level.

Likelihood: 8/10

Robert Lewandowski

The Pole put to pen to paper on a new-five year contract with Bayern Munich only last year, but that's unlikely to deter a club of Real Madrid's buying power. Was heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu before opting to join Bayern from Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund side.

Likelihood: 6/10

Alexandre Lacazette

Lacazette was on the verge of completing a big-money move to Atletico Madrid before their transfer ban was controversially upheld in court. The Frenchman looks destined to leave Lyon, but his destination remains up in the air with Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona all reportedly interested.

Likelihood: 5/10

Paulo Dybala

Juventus' Argentinian playmaker was hugely impressive in their route to the Champions League final. Despite his goalscoring record the 23-year-old would not represent a like-for-like replacement for Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane may prioritise acquiring an out-and-out number nine rather than a tricky, play-making number ten like Dybala.

Likelihood: 5/10

Sergio Aguero

Another potential target who has strong links to Atletico Madrid. Aguero's Man City future looked up in the air at one point following the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, but the club's chairman recently insisted the striker was crucial to the club's future plans.

Likelihood: 4/10

Diego Costa

Big, strong and prolific in front of goal, Diego Costa represents a fitting replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. Costa's self-professed love for Real Madrid's city rivals, Atletico, means a move to the Bernabeu would be highly unlikely. 

Likelihood: 4/10

Barcelona 4-1 Villarreal, MSN all on the scoresheet at the Nou Camp

Lionel Messi, Luis Surez and Neymar surpassed 100 goals in all competitions for the season as Barcelona beat Villarreal 4-1 in La Liga. Barcelona have now scored 158 goals this season, 100 of which have been by either Lionel Messi (50), Luis Suarez (34) or Neymar (16)


21: The first chance for Barcelona!


Alvaro Gonzalez handles right on the edge of the box, and earns himself a booking. More importantly, it gives Barca a great chance to open the scoring. Messi lines it up, clips it over the wall, and into arms of Andrés Fernández.

GOAL! BARCELONA 1-0 VILLARREAL (Neymar, 21)




Deadlock broken, and the visitors are not happy. Messi brings the ball down in the box, fires across for Neymar, who takes a touch before firing into the bottom corner to break Villarreal's resistance. Arms are raised for offside, but the flag stays down. Replays show it was very, very tight.

A very strange goal. Even some of the stadium thought it would be disallowed. Neymar is flagged offside after another ball into the middle, cue ironic applause from the Villarreal defenders.

25: Villarreal taking the attack to Barca now. They still look a little angry. They need to find some composure on the ball.

27: Confusion between Gerard Pique and Marc-Andre ter Stegen sees the defender loop a cross over his own crossbar. Not very convincing goalkeeping.

29: Messi got another Chance!


Ivan Rakitic threads the ball through for Messi, who struggles to get the ball out of his feet, before dragging his strike well wide.

GOAL! BARCELONA 1-1 VILLARREAL (Bakambu, 31)




Great finish from the Villiarreal hitman to level proceedings. Barca play a very high line, Bakambu races onto a throughpass from Roberto Soldado, the flag again stays down, he has too much pace for Pique to make up the ground, keeps his composure and slots past Ter Stegen.

38: CLOSE!


Messi whips a delightful cross to the back post, but Pique is always stretching, and can only glance a header wide.

42: CHANCE! Huge chance for Soldado!


The Villarreal striker is found in the penalty area by a brilliant cross from Soriano, but a header from the Spaniard is guided wide of the target. Opportunities don't get much clearer than that at Camp Nou. He had to at least test Ter Stegen. Barcelona head up the other end, with Suarez releasing Neymar into the box, but the Brazilian drags a shot shy of the far upright.

42: CLOSE! Another chance!


Suarez shows great strength to beat two men, threads the ball through for Neymar. The Brazilian runs wide, before dragging an effort across the face of goal.

GOAL! BARCELONA 2-1 VILLARREAL (Messi, 45)



Out of nowhere, Barca are back in front. There didn't seem to be much danger on, but when Messi is around anything can happen. The Barca talisman made space for the shot, before slotting the ball into the bottom corner from just outside the box. The slight deflection on the effort wrong-footed Villarreal stopper Fernandez.

47: Fernandez Save!


Neymar does it all himself, dancing his way into the box. He is forced wide, but still manages to get the shot away, only to be denied by Fernandez.

51: CHANCE!


Super pass from Iniesta plays Digne in, but the young defender panics and lashes the ball across the face of goal and out for a goal-kick.

57: Great Save!



Neymar pokes the ball into the path of Messi, who lashes for goal first time, but Fernandez is equal to it, tipping over the bar.

GOAL! BARCELONA 3-1 VILLARREAL (Suarez, 69)



Quick break from Barcelona. Suarez gets one on one with Alvaro, drops the shoulder, makes space for the shot, before firing into the bottom corner. Fernandez got a hand to it, but couldn't keep it out.

77: CHANCES! Neymar is clear, through on goal, but inexplicably elects to chip over Fernandez, who stands his ground and easily saves.

GOAL! BARCELONA 4-1 VILLARREAL (Messi pen, 81)



PENALTY TO BARCELONA. Costa adjudged to have handled. Cheeky from Messi as he chips the ball down the middle. Strange decision really to award the penalty. There were no appeals from the Barca players as Suarez fired into the body of Costa.

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo undervalued in Portugal - Santos

Portugal coach Fernando Santos believes Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is underappreciated in his homeland.

Ronaldo, 32, is Portugal's most-capped player as well as their all-time leading goal scorer, having netted 71 times in 138 appearances, while he captained the nation to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 last summer.

The forward has also won the Ballon d'Or four times as well as three Champions Leagues among a host of other trophies, yet Santos still feels he is not given the credit he deserves back home in Portugal.

"Sometimes I don't understand how we Portuguese sometimes value Cristiano so little," Santos told reporters.

"In qualifying for the [2016] European Championship and after the first games of the finals it was said he did not score goals, that he would not open the floodgates. Then, when he started scoring goals, we saw the other side.

"But Cristiano Ronaldo always scores. I've known him since he was 18 and he's always been the same, he's always scored and will continue to do so."

Gareth Bale open to Premier League move this summer- United and Chelsea are on standby

There’s plenty of supporters here in the Transfer Tavern that would love to see former Tottenham man Gareth Bale playing back in England and they could soon have their wish…

The former Spurs winger has endured an injury-plagued season in La Liga in what has been his most disappointing campaign in Spain since making the move.

And according to Don Balon, it’s thrown his future at the Bernabeu into the dark and the Welsh international has told his agent that he’d be open to a transfer back to England this summer.

It’s thought to have put Manchester United and Chelsea on alert, both of whom would be able to afford his predictably high wage demands.

As the news has filtered through to the pub, it’s put Red Devils and Chelsea supporters into a state of disarray and if this does happen over the summer, there’s going to be a real tug-of-war between the two!

Key journalist confirms Chelsea star is in talks over staggering transfer to China

It’s been a superb season down at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea and their supporters here in the pub can smell the Premier League title!

You have to admit that crown is moving closer and closer to the Bridge after Tottenham’s loss to West Ham United last night and there will be few Blues fans that think Spurs will catch them now.

But with the title nearly in the bag and the season going down as a real success, attention will now turn to the summer and who needs to be sold at the club.

And one man that has been seriously linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks is Spanish striker Diego Costa.

Now, French journalist Johnny Severin has confirmed that a staggering 100million Euro deal is in the offing between the Blues and Chinese outfit Tianjin Quanjian.

The reporter, who works for SFR Sport in France tweeted details of the eye-watering deal, which would certainly make Costa one of the biggest players to have ever made the jump to Chinese football.

Former team-mates Oscar and Ramires are already playing their football in the up-and-coming nation.

Coutinho Talks is Just Pure Press Speculation

Earlier this week reports were appearing in the media intimating that Barcelona were interested in acquiring the talented Liverpool midfielder, Philippe Coutinho.

The 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder has been impressive in the Premier League since arriving at Anfield.

In fact, his form has impressed those at Liverpool so much that he recently put pen-to-paper on a new contract back in January.

However, it seems that the speculation is misplaced with the Spanish journalist, Guillem Balague, in an interview with Sky Sports revealing and as reported by the local media in Liverpool, the Liverpool Echo

'There are more stories coming out that Barcelona want Coutinho and he is willing to go.

'I have no doubt he is willing to go, but Barcelona are not after him.

'It`s just moves the agents are making to try to convince Barcelona to move for him. But they do not want him.'

So, it really is just press speculation.

Messi Rejects Barcelona Contract Offer

We`re at that stage again whereby Barcelona and Lionel Messi are playing a game of poker when it comes to contracts being renewed.

According to the news vehicle Daily Star, the 29-year-old Argentine superstar has rejected Barcelona`s first offer.

The offer, so our source suggests, was said to be in the region of €30-€40 million net per season, a huge amount.

Messi`s current contract expires in June 2018 and although the first offer has been rejected, it shouldn`t really be of concern to the Barca support.

Apparently talks between the club and Messi`s father, Jorge, have been taking place for several months with our source revealing that Messi has given the club reassurances he is looking to remain at the Nou Camp.

It appears that Messi is playing some kind of waiting game and is aware of the deals the club recently agreed with both Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Like we suggested in our opening gambit, Messi is just involved in a game of poker waiting to see the hand he is dealt with next by Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola: Jose Mourinho is never going to drop even one game

Pep Guardiola is paying no attention to Jose Mourinho's suggestion that Manchester United have given up on the top four.



Only a point separates the city rivals and Guardiola is not buying the assertion that old foe Mourinho is about to throw in the towel.

'I am pretty sure that United are going to [Arsenal] to win the game,' the Manchester City boss said on Friday.

'What I know from the times I've faced my colleague Jose Mourinho is that he is never going to drop even one game.

'It doesn't matter about the team he's going to play. His decision is he is going to London to win the game.'

Guardiola has tinkered with his team more than any other Premier League manager and claims rotation has not impacted on results.

'With a lot of games you have to rotate. We didn't win or lose because of that. When you win the rotation is very good - when you lose it is very bad.'


City start the most important 10 days of their season against Crystal Palace without Sergio Aguero, who is still feeling the effects of a groin injury picked up last weekend.

David Silva remains a doubt, while John Stones is still struggling with a muscle problem ahead of two other home games with Leicester and West Brom in a period which will determine whether or not they qualify for next season's Champions League.

Guardiola blamed a lack of cutting edge for winning only half of his league matches at the Etihad Stadium, with the return of Gabriel Jesus a welcome boost.

Asked if attacking instincts in the box are an issue, Guardiola replied: 'And quality. The most difficult in football by far is putting the ball in the net, scoring goals.

'In golf, it's putting. Not the drive, the seven iron. In basketball the most difficult thing is putting in the basket.

'We are the team in the Premier League with the most clear-cut chances, but are are seventh in the statistics of the teams scoring the most goals.

'We can accept the opponent scoring one goal, but we haven't scored enough goals. We didn't score two, three, four goals enough times.'

David Luiz says he has matured as a footballer since his first spell at Chelsea, and insists he reads the game better now.

David Luiz says he has matured as a footballer since his first spell at Chelsea, and insists he reads the game better now.



Luiz's Chelsea are on course to win the Premier League title in his first season back at the club following a move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, having left the club in 2014 under Jose Mourinho.

The Brazilian, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year this season, says he has returned to England with a better understanding of the game, but insists he is continuing to learn under Antonio Conte.

Asked if he had matured, Luis said: "You have to, and also as a person. I think the experience gives you many things, and yes, as a person and a footballer, you have to if you want to learn. If you are open every day.

"I read more of the game now, I can understand more of the game, it is a different pressure now with the big games. Many, many things. I think if you want to improve, you need to think you are a better player than you were.

"I've worked with six, seven, eight coaches, they have improved my game, different leagues and different countries."


Asked if the Premier League had changed since he'd been away, Luiz added: "I think the intensity is the same, I think the level is the same, because it is always six, or seven teams fighting for the title. I don't see a lot of difference.

"It continues with the high credibility, it is one of the best leagues in the world, if not the best, and it is difficult to win."

Chelsea moved to a back-three system earlier this season, something that has seen them rise to the top of the Premier League under Conte in his first season.

Luiz revealed he played in that formation when he was younger, and says working with the Italian has been beneficial to his game.

"I started in this system when I was young, a long time ago, and now I come back to play in the back three. In this system you work a lot in a tactical way, Conte gives me a lot of good advice in ways to read the game," he said.

"In my position I need to be the cover for everybody, the cover for the midfielders and the defence and the wingers. It's a tactical place, and I love to work with Conte, he loves to work on the details. He's helped me a lot and he's great to work with."


Luiz and Chelsea would be forgiven for feeling the pressure going into the final weeks of the campaign, but the 30-year-old says the pressure comes with playing for a big side and aiming for success.

"I think you have to enjoy it. We have to know our life is great, and it is a pleasure to wake up every day, you never know if you wake up tomorrow, so we need to enjoy it in the best way," he added.

"Of course with the compromise, with the focus, everything, and the responsibility to understand your job, but of course with the pleasure of enjoying the job too.

"It's nice to have the pressure, this means we are fighting for something big."

Tottenham beaten by West Ham: Does that mean the title race is now over?

Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday Night Football to remain four points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea.


Does that mean the title race is now over? What does the result say about this Tottenham team? And what of Kyle Walker's performance?

Here we pick out five questions for Spurs following the defeat…

Title tilt now over?



It was fun while it lasted with the form team in the Premier League recording win after win in recent months but Tottenham's hopes of a first English league title since 1961 are surely over after this defeat with Manuel Lanzini's second-half goal enough to separate the sides.

The result leaves them four points behind Chelsea with the gap likely to increase given that lowly Middlesbrough are the visitors to Stamford Bridge on Monday Night Football. The Blues could even wrap up the title before Spurs are back in action if they win on Monday and again next Friday against West Brom. For the second season in succession, Tottenham are set to come up just short, but there's no shame in that...

Was it a bottle job?



Tottenham were on a sequence of nine consecutive Premier League wins going into this match. A remarkable run given that no other side in the competition has won their last three. Far from bottling it, Spurs should be applauded for giving everyone a title race.

Their rivals may mock but Tottenham are the ones who have been the most consistently excellent team in English football over the past two years. They are the team that have overachieved throughout that period. The wait for the title goes on but Chelsea have been top since November. Spurs were always an outside bet.

What went wrong?



A London derby played in a sparky atmosphere brought back memories of Tottenham's own trip to Stamford Bridge last season where their hopes of hauling in Leicester came to an end. Credit to West Ham. Their work rate was impressive throughout and, unusually, they actually outran Mauricio Pochettino's men.

Indeed, West Ham are the first team to cover more ground than Tottenham since Liverpool beat them 2-0 in February. Spurs won the nine games in between. Perhaps that offers opponents a clue as to what's needed to stop them - the only option is to outwork a Pochettino team and that's not easy.

Issues with Walker?



Having seen Kieran Trippier selected ahead of him in big games against Chelsea and Arsenal recently, Kyle Walker found himself under the spotlight on his return to the starting line-up amid reports of a possible summer move to Manchester City. It was a curious performance.

Walker struggled defensively as West Ham exploited the spaces he left and while there was one wonderful no-look pass to carve out a chance for Christian Eriksen it was not a huge shock when Trippier replaced him late on. This display will only add to the speculation.

What happens next?



The disappointment was palpable among supporters and staff with midfielder Eric Dier clearly crestfallen in his post-match interview. "I don't know what else I can say," he told Sky Sports in the wake of the disappointment. So where do Spurs go from here?

The challenge for Pochettino is to convince his young team that all the effort has not been for nothing. The Wembley move will be a challenge but it's one they must embrace. The game is about glory or so the saying goes. Spurs now know they need to get better again if they are to taste it.

Lewis Hamilton tops UK sport rich list on £131m... but Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic isn't far behind

Lewis Hamilton is still the richest sportsman in the UK but Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a close second after he gatecrashed the top 10 of the new Sunday Times Rich List.

Mercedes Formula One driver Hamilton, who is bidding to win his fourth world championship this year, has a £131million fortune and has seen his wealth increase by £25million in the last 12 months.

Ibrahimovic, United's 35-year-old Swedish striker, leapfrogged team-mate Wayne Rooney to become the richest footballer on the list after he joined the English side in July last year.

The imposing forward has a wealth of £110million after more than a decade playing for Europe's elite clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Barcelona, Juventus and Inter Milan and a lucrative long-term endorsement deal with Nike.

Formula One's Jenson Button and golfer Rory McIlroy make up the top five with wealth of £86million and £82million respectively.

McIlroy's fortune rose by £26million in the last 12 months, the biggest rise on the list, while Button's personal fortune grew by £9million even though he handed over his McLaren seat at the end of last season.

Football is the best-represented sport in the top 10, with five of the wealthiest sports people either players or managers.

Rooney (£93million, up £11million) is third, while Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is in seventh place (£61million) and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola equal ninth (£50million).

Wales and Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale has seen his wealth rise by £20million in the last year to a total of £54million, to place him eighth in the top 10.

Sir Andy Murray is now worth £77million, making him the sixth-richest sportsman. The world No 1 in men's tennis earned nearly £13million on court and plenty more off it to carry him to the total, the same number as that borne by his management company after he won his first Wimbledon 77 years after the last Briton to do so, Fred Perry.

Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Luol Deng completes the top 10 in joint ninth place with Guardiola (£50million).

Deng is Sudanese-British and came to London aged eight after fleeing civil war in his home country. He moved to the United States as a teenager and has played for the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat before switching to the Lakers.

None of the top 10 richest sports stars saw their wealth decline this year, with the cumulative rise standing at £129million. 

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand declares he was world's best centre back for four years and compared himself to rival stoppers

Rio Ferdinand believes he was the world's best centre back for four years during his time at Manchester United. 

The former England captain was asked by BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey if he ever thought he was the best in the world. 

And Ferdinand declared he thought he was as good as the likes of John Terry and Sol Campbell during his heyday.

David Beckham praises 'special' PFA Player of the Year N'Golo Kante while lauding 'arrogant' Dele Alli after Spurs ace scoops young player award

David Beckham revealed his admiration for 'special' duo N'Golo Kante and Dele Alli after they were respectively named the Professional Footballers' Association player and young player of the year.

Both midfielders have excelled to the same extent they did during the 2015-16 season, in which Alli was also named the young player of the year and Kante was hugely influential in Leicester unexpectedly winning the Premier League title.

France's Kante has since joined Chelsea, who are favourites to finish first this season but remain under pressure from Tottenham, where Alli is perhaps the most important player, and Beckham spoke of how impressed he is by both.

The former England captain, 41, received the PFA's merit award for his achievements for club and country, and discussing the impression Kante had made on him he said: 'He's a special talent.

'What I like about him - actually what I love about him - (is) he plays the game in such a humble way.

'He works hard, he can pass the ball, he can tackle, he can score goals.

Bayern 2-2 Mainz: Leaders held to give Leipzig hope in title chase

RB Leipzig can cut Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga to six points after they were held to a 2-2 home draw by Mainz.


Bayern Munich capped a bad week by opening the door further for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga title race as the champions were held to a 2-2 home draw by Mainz.

Carlo Ancelotti's men suffered an exit from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in midweek, losing 6-3 on aggregate to Real Madrid in controversial circumstances, Arturo Vidal harshly sent off in the second leg while two of Cristiano Ronaldo's goals appeared offside.

Though their European campaign ended in disappointment, Bayern have appeared on course for another procession to the Bundesliga title for some time, but Leipzig can now cut the gap at the top to six points by beating Schalke on Sunday, with the top two still to play each other in the penultimate game of the season.

The hosts appeared to have a Champions League hangover when Mainz took the lead in the third minute through Bojan Krkic, his first goal since joining on loan from Stoke City.


Franck Ribery set up Arjen Robben to restore parity, but Bayern shot themselves in the foot before the break, Daniel Brosinski converting from the penalty spot for Mainz following Joshua Kimmich's foul on Yoshinori Muto.

Thiago Alcantara denied Mainz a win that would have boosted their survival hopes, but Bayern could not complete the comeback and have the added worry of a David Alaba injury to deal with ahead of Wednesday's DFB-Pokal semi-final with Borussia Dortmund.Bayern shockingly fell behind as they were punished for sloppy defending, a miserable week for Vidal continuing as he conceded possession to Bojan, who evaded the challenge of Thiago before firing low underneath Sven Ulreich.

Muto then saw a cross deflected onto the top of the net as Mainz pressed to double their advantage, and a second would have arrived had Ulreich not produced a fine one-on-one save to deny Levin Oztunali after a quick counter.


And Mainz's inability to take that chance was punished as Ribery and Robben combined in trademark fashion, the Frenchman laying off for the Netherlands winger to fire across the face of goal and in.





But Bayern were dealt a blow immediately after the leveller as Alaba was withdrawn through injury, Kimmich replacing him at the back.

Robert Lewandowski had an opportunity to complete the turnaround, but was unable to get a touch on a centre from Thomas Muller.

Muller then had a chance to put Bayern ahead himself, only to flash a fierce drive past the post after a rapid break from Robben, before Bojan blasted high and wide from just inside the area.

However, Mainz retook the lead five minutes before half-time as Brosinski converted from 12 yards.

Muto was felled by Kimmich and Brosinski snuck his effort underneath Ulreich's right hand and into the bottom corner.





Ulreich could have done better in his efforts to save the spot-kick and he was at fault again as Alexander Hack saw a goal-bound effort blocked after the Bayern goalkeeper had failed to claim a ball into the box.

Ribery was replaced by Kingsley Coman at half-time and Bayern began the second half looking reinvigorated.

Thiago forced a fantastic save from Jannik Huth with a fierce volley before Robben curled narrowly over.

Coman stung the palms of Huth with a long-range drive, but Mainz continued to frustrate Bayern until the 73rd minute when Thiago levelled matters, firing a low effort in off the left-hand post.





Referee Frank Willenborg waved away penalty claims after a risky challenge on Lewandowski by Hack, but Mainz dealt with the late pressure from Bayern with little difficulty to give Leipzig a little more reason for hope in their title pursuit.

PSG defender agrees to join Man United

PSG & Man United

Big news has been revealed by L’Equipe on Wednesday claiming that Man United are on the verge of their first signing of the summer.

In the past few months, Man United have been linked with a host of defenders as it’s been clear that Jose Mourinho intends to strengthen his backline before the start of next season.

Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones, and Chris Smalling all seem to be in danger of losing their spots in the squad next term.

So who are United looking at?

L’Equipe’s update is that PSG right-back Serge Aurier is looking to join the gang at Old Trafford.

Not only is the Special One keen on Aurier, but the 24-year-old has reportedly told Mourinho that he’s ready to join the Red Devils.

Under contract in Paris until 2019, Aurier could cost Man United 20 million euros.

But is he really the man United should be after?

Many United fans will be surprised by the links to Aurier.

Antonio Valencia is arguably the best defender at the Theatre of Dreams, and many will wonder if Aurier could oust him from the team.

Moreover, the PSG defender comes with a long wrap sheet of dodgy behaviour.

In recent times Aurier has been sentenced to two months in prison for assaulting a police officer, he’s been investigated by FIFA for ‘throat slit’ gesture during an international match with the Ivory Coast, and he’s previously been banned from entering the UK.

Is this really the type of guy Man United should be signing?

Barca urge fans to help launch comeback

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique urged the club's fans to create a wild atmosphere in Camp Nou to help the team complete another improbable comeback in the Champions League, this time against Juventus.

The Spanish coach insisted his team will try to score five goals on Wednesday night against the visiting Italians, who have a 3-0 lead from the quarterfinal first leg in Turin.

After Barcelona overturned a 4-0 deficit against PSG in the last 16 in the biggest comeback in Champions League history, Luis Enrique believes supporters can play their part as the team tries to obtain another shock result.

"If we score the first goal, the second will be scored by Camp Nou and the third will come by itself," he said in a news conference on Tuesday.

"Our objective is to score five goals. (We have to) attack, attack, attack. And when we relax a little bit, we have to start attacking again."

A handful of fans left with Barcelona 3-1 down against PSG on March 8, missing the stunning finale as Barca netted three goals in the last few minutes to knock their opponents out of the competition.

Luis Enrique said they should stay until the end this time, with the team planning to fight until the final whistle to turn the game around.

"I hope they don’t go in the 80th minute… We will try right until the end," he said.

"Those who experienced the night against PSG at Camp Nou will have another chance to enjoy an historic evening. Right until the 95th minute we have to be united."

The coach confirmed that Javier Mascherano would be back from injury for the game and said he was happy to have Sergio Busquets available after the defensive midfielder missed the first leg.

"Getting (Busquets) back is always great news," he said.

"He is one of the most tactically intelligent players there is and a key man for us. The more he can do, the better for us."

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta said the team needed to put in its best performance of the season.

"We have to play a perfect match. We have to create the maximum number of chances and score goals. We probably need to play our best match of the season," he said.

Time for video refs - Ancelotti

Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti said Uefa must swiftly introduce video technology after the Germans lost a controversial Champions League quarter­final second leg to Real Madrid in extra time.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat­-trick to become the first man to score 100 Champions League goals as holders Madrid completed a 4­-2 win on Tuesday, going through 6­-3 on aggregate.

However, the Portuguese's second and third goals were offside, whilst visitors Bayern had Arturo Vidal sent off five minutes from the end of normal time.

"I think we deserved more," fumed Ancelotti.

"There are decisions that have penalised us a lot.

"The (red) card for Arturo wasn't a card and then the two goals from Cristiano are offside so clearly we are not happy.

"In a quarter­final you have to put a better referee, or it is the moment to introduce video refereeing, which is what Uefa are trying, because there are too many errors."

Bayern have now been eliminated in four straight seasons by Spanish sides.

But they threatened to overturn a 2­-1 first­-leg deficit as Robert Lewandowski's penalty and Sergio Ramos's own goal either side of Ronaldo's first took the game to extra time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Bayern's numerical disadvantage told after Vidal saw his second yellow card and Ronaldo made the most of an assistant referee's leniency to complete his hat-trick.

The 21-­year­-old Marco Asensio rounded off the scoring with a sensational solo effort.

"If the referee didn't make mistakes we don't know what would have happened," added Ancelotti, who was returning to the Bernabeu for the first time since being sacked as Real boss in 2015.

"Many times in decisions there are doubts, here there is no doubt. You didn't need a replay to see Arturo touched the ball.

 Madrid boss and Ancelotti's former assistant Zinedine Zidane had a different version of events as both Bayern's goals also came about in controversial fashion.

Casemiro was harshly penalised when Arjen Robben tumbled inside the Madrid box, whilst Lewandowski was also offside in the build­up to Ramos's own goal.

"The referee has a very hard job," said Zidane.

"They have told me their second goal was also offside. It goes both ways, that is football."

'DON’T BOO ME'­

Madrid were once again grateful to Ronaldo's killer touch as the four-­time World Player of the Year was pivotal in both legs against Bayern.

And the Portuguese once again rounded on his critics after a restless Bernabeu crowd got on his back for an error-­strewn first-­half display.

"The only thing I ask is that they don't boo me because I give my best in every game," Ronaldo told Spanish TV station Antena 3.

"Although I don't always score, I always work hard and try to help Real Madrid."

Victory also secured history on a collective level for Madrid as they reached the semifinals for a record seventh straight year.

"To score six goals against a team like Bayern Munich isn't easy, so we deserved to go through," added Ronaldo.

"Maybe they will not whistle him any more," said Zidane in defence of his star man.

"In the end he shows what he can do on the pitch, what very few players can do

"In the key moments he is always there. He scored three goals.

"The fans will always appreciate Cristiano for all he has done here."