Lerena Meets Patrick Ferguson in a Non-title Fight

IBO cruiserweight champion Kevin Lerena heads a five-fight bill at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Saturday night when he meets Patrick Ferguson from Washington in a non-title fight scheduled for 10 rounds at a weight limit of 96kg.

There are four other championship bouts on this quality Golden Gloves Promotions bill, which will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

The 28-year-old Lerena (25-1; 12), who will be having his second fight this year, won the vacant IBO cruiserweight belt in September 2017 and has made successful defences against Dmytro Kucher, Roman Golovashchenko, Artur Mann, Vasil Ducar, Sefer Seferi and Firat Arslan.

The slightly taller Ferguson, 29, made his pro debut in April 2016 and has racked up a record of 17-2-1; 13.

His only two losses have come against Abram Tabul and Benjamin Kellehar, both on points and outside his home country.

This is a must-win for Lerena against the No 75 ranked IBO cruiserweight Ferguson, who could take him the distance if he wants a crack at one of the major organisation belts.

UNDERCARD

In the opening bout of the evening, Rofhiwa Nemushungwa (12-6-2; 3) meets the talented Ricardo Malajika (6-0; 5) in a clash for the vacant African Boxing Union and WBA Pan Africa titles.

The exciting prospect Jabulani Makhense (10-0; 5) defends his WBA Pan Africa welterweight title against Mardochee Kuvesa Katembo (13-3-1; 0) from the DRC.

In the third bout of the evening, the veteran Johnny Muller (21-9-2; 14) faces Akani Phuzi (11-0; 5) in a clash for the WBA Pan African cruiserweight title.

In what could be a closely-fought encounter, Simon Dladla (6-0; 5) meets Roarke Knapp in a fight for the IBO Youth junior middleweight title.

All five fights on the bill are scheduled for 10 rounds.

SOURCE: SUPERSPORT

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Arteta Keen On John Stones

Arsenal have asked Manchester City to keep them informed on the availability of John Stones, according to 90Min.

John Stones has 18 months left on his current contract at the Etihad, with the English centre-back currently facing fierce competition for places at City, alongside Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake.

So far this season, the 26-year-old has made three appearances in the Premier League - including a start in the 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

Arteta is a big admirer of the former Everton defender, the report states, with his on-the-ball ability a big appeal to the Arsenal boss.

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Duo Responsible For Derby Defeat At Whitehart Lane

Arsenal midfield Enforcer Thomas Partey has been at the center of blame by Sky Sports pundits Alex Scott and Graeme Souness for walking off the pitch shortly before Tottenham's second goal in the 2-0 north London derby win.

Tottenham top goal poacher Harry Kane fired home from close range before half-time whistle to double the lead after Son had opened the scoring15 minutes after the start. 

Partey, who had been struggling with a thigh injury for a number of weeks, limped over with Arsenal in possession, but it meant he left a huge gap in the midfield for Giovani Lo Celso to stroll into as Spurs regained the ball and launched a counter attack.

The Argentina international then found Kane who finished past the Arsenal goal keeper Bernd Leno to put Spurs in a comfortable advantage at half time.

Scott, who made 140 appearances for the English Women's National team during her career, slammed Partey's decision to leave his position, highlighting the role he played in handing the hosts their second goal.

"You always have to think of defence in attack," she told Sky Sports during the half-time break. 

"To be exposed like this, four vs two should never happen. This is how Spurs have been all season.

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Manchester United Signs Van de Beek On a Five Year Deal

The "Red Devil" Manchester United has confirm the signing of Donny van de Beek from Ajax on a five-year deal, with an option to extend for a further year.

The youthful player has emerged through the ranks of the Ajax youth system, making his debut in 2015. 

He played a key role I the just concluded Champions League where Ajax reached the semi-finals and also featured in the 2017 Europa League final against United.

The Netherlands international contributed 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 games last season before the Eredivisie was curtailed.

Donny van de Beek said: “I cannot begin to explain how incredible an opportunity it is to join a club with such an amazing history.

“I would like to thank everyone at Ajax. I grew up there and I will always have a special bond with the club.

“I am now ready to take the next step in my career and perform at the highest level and there is no higher standard than Manchester United.

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Gareth Bale Left From Real Madrid Squad Amid Premier League Return

Real Madrid out of favor Gareth Bale has been axed from Zinedine Zidane 22-man squad for their final La Liga game of the season amid speculations he could return to the Premier League.

Bale appears to be on his way out of Madrid this summer, with Newcastle United having been linked with a move for the Wales international if a proposed Saudi-led takeover of the club is approved.

The 31-year-old has also been linked with a return to former club Tottenham, while Manchester United have been suggested as a possible destination numerous times in recent years.

And a return to English football may have moved a step closer after Bale was left out for the newly crowned Spanish champions' clash away at Leganes on Sunday night.

Reports have suggested Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is desperate to move Bale on in the summer transfer window.

The forward could be seen celebrating awkwardly when Real sealed the Spanish title against Villarreal on Thursday, standing to one side as his team-mates jubilantly threw Zidane in the air.

Since the season resumed in June, Bale has made just two appearances for Los Blancos - and has failed to feature in their last six games.

Bale was snapped watching last Monday's win over Granada from the stands through pretend binoculars, while was also seen pretending to fall asleep with a face mask over his eyes during Madrid's 2-0 win over Alaves three days before that.

His antics angered some fans, while Bale's former Tottenham teammate Dimitar Berbatov accused the Welshman of "disrespecting" Real Madrid.

"Gareth Bale is in the headlines again for pretending to sleep in the stands when he found out he was going to be an unused substitute," Berbatov told Betfair.

"When I saw it I couldn't believe it. I watched him put his mask over his eyes and pretend to be asleep.

"I cannot support that. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to Real Madrid.

"Madrid need to find a solution to the Bale saga. It's not good for Bale or the team."

At one stage last summer, Bale appeared set to switch to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua which was not materialized.

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Messi Sees Lack Of Support At Barcelona - Dani Alves

Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves believes that Barcelona star  Lionel Messi is growing frustrated with the fact that he consistently has to lift the team.

The Argentine's exasperation came to the fore on Thursday night as he did the post-match interview after Barcelona's 2-1 defeat at home to Osasuna, which came on a night that Real Madrid became LaLiga Santander champions.

"He's a born winner, he doesn't like to lose and it's normal to get angry," Alves told Catalunya Radio.

"He wants to win every time, like me.

"He's been doing it for so long that you can tell when your team is giving [that feeling] and when it's not.

"That's why he said it, he's been at Barcelona for many years and he's aware of what he needs to be able to win and aspire to great things.

"He sees, what I feel, and that's a lack of support.

"Messi was the main course, but we were the perfect ingredients [in the past].

"He always wants to be on top and you need people to build that.

"The feeling now is that he always has to be doing everything for the team and he's only human."

So, does the Brazilian think that Messi could leave?

"No, I don't think so," Alves responded.

"He's the face of this club, of this team and it would be the biggest mistake the club would ever make [if he left].

"It would be a mistake for such a player not to retire there and change the name of Camp Nou to Leo Messi."

Neymar has been strongly linked with a return to Barcelona in the last couple of summers, and Alves admitted to trying to convince his compatriot to join the Catalan side once again.

"The only one I've tried to convince is Neymar to go to Barcelona," he explained.

"He had a very big offer from Real Madrid, and I told him that if he wanted to be happy he should come to Barcelona.

"It's the only time I've ever convinced anyone of anything.

"If I were him, I would come back without thinking about it.

"I never think that people make mistakes when they make a decision.

"Everyone knows that Ney can help Barcelona, Messi and the club to become a giant again in LaLiga, in Europe... and football is becoming more and more balanced.

"The team has 11 and with Messi you have 13.

"The team has 11 and with Neymar you have 13."

The 37-year-old departed in 2016 as he joined Juventus on a free, but he is not happy about the way his exit was handled.

"I'm not a selfish, spiteful person," Alves stated.

"Of course I miss Barcelona, and I always will, because it's my home.

"The other day I said to my people that I was at Barcelona for eight years and I basically left out the back door.

"That bittersweet taste of asking you what else there is to do remains.

"I felt hurt at the time because I was doing so much at Barcelona and they didn't want to give me a new contract.

"I had just had my best season. I did not feel valued.

"Real Madrid, and other teams, offered me double and I decided to go to Barcelona [when I left Sevilla]; I wanted to have the right to make the decision to leave [when the time finally arrived].

"I wanted to go out the front door.

"I was left with this situation that I didn't like.

"I'm not bitter, I'm a pure and clean soul.

"When I left, as I said on another occasion, my thought was to go and prove my worth elsewhere and then come back.

"That's why I dedicated myself double and even triple."

Alves ended up spending just one year at Juventus as he made the move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, again on a free, but there was some talk that he could have returned to Barcelona in the last few years, so was it true?

"Things were being talked about, but nothing ever came of it," Alves confirmed.

"I'm not bitter, but they are anyway [laughs]."

Xavi Hernandez has been strongly tipped to take charge at Barcelona, most likely depending on the results of the presidential elections in 2021, and Alves is excited about the Blaugrana's future is his former teammate takes charge.

"It will be Barcelona's 3.0 version," he noted.

"A team is not just 11, it's not just a coach... it's the conjugation of all those verbs.

"That's how you make a great team invincible: when it's in tune."

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Arsenal 'In Advanced Talks For Philippe Coutinho Swap Deal

Arsenal are in talks with Barcelona over a proposed deal for Philippe Coutinho which could involve Matteo Guendouzi moving the other way.

Phillipe Coutinho has been in the frame of transfer lately, he's poised for a return to the Premier League ahead of next summer, with the former Liverpool attacker surplus to requirements at Camp Nou.

Chelsea, Tottenham, Leicester City and Newcastle United have all been linked with the 28-year-old, as well as FA Cup hopefuls Arsenal.

Matteo Guendouzi's Emirates future in doubt after the midfielder was dropped by boss Mikel Arteta following his antics against Brighton last month against Maupay.

Arsenal and Barcelona are in talks over a swap deal involving the two players, according to Foot Mercato.

The publication says Arsenal technical director Edu has long courted Coutinho, while Guendouzi has been held in similar esteem by Barcelona chiefs.

Barcelona are keen to get Coutinho off the wage bill with the midfielder having failed to hit the heights he enjoyed at Liverpool since his transfer to Catalonia in January 2018.

The Brazilian is contracted to Barcelona until 2023.

In a straight cash deal he would cost upwards of £60million, which would be a stretch for Arsenal given the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with Arteta having been told he must sell before he can buy this summer.

Therefore, the Gunners boss must find more creative solutions - and a swap between Coutinho and Guendouzi is likely after the French midfielder was left out of the squad for Arsenal's last eight games.

Arsenal's priority this summer is signing defenders and then holding midfielders.

However, the Gunners have an unusual relationship with Coutinho via his agent which could help engineer the move.

Kia Joorabchian is an Arsenal fan and is good friends with Edu. He also represents Gunners defenders David Luiz and Cedric Soares.

It remains to be seen whether Joorabchian's relationship with Arsenal and Coutinho's desire to return to the Premier League come together for what would be one of the most sensational transfers of the summer.

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Gimnasia Lure's Ronaldinho Out Of Retirement

Argentine legend and Gimnasia Boss Diego Maradona is hoping to convince Ronaldinho out of retirement to join his Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata side.

The Brazilian is currently under house arrest in Paraguay as his case has been halted due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ronaldinho has been contemplating on a comeback to football, but there haven't been any negotiations between the two parties yet, though Gimnasia coach Maradona is hopeful.

The former Barcelona superstar came close to joining Gimnasia in 2016 as the club offered him 1.5 million dollars per year.

However, his brother, who was heading the negotiations, announced that Ronaldinho will not move to the Argentine team.

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Arsenal Keeps Ceballos, Signs Cedric Soares And Pablo Mari On A Permanent Deal

Arsenal have confirmed they are making Pablo Mari's transfer permanent. 

£8million transfer option has been the hit as well as tying down David Luiz to a new one-year contract.

Cedric Soares, the Portuguese international who is still yet to kick start a game for the club despite arriving in January, has also signed a "long-term deal", while Dani Ceballos' loan from Real Madrid has been extended till the end of the current season.

The quartet were due to leave the Emirates Stadium on July 1, with their contracts set to expire next week.

All will now remain, most notably Mari, whose loan deal from Flamengo has been made permanent, and ex-Chelsea defender Luiz, who has found himself under fire from fans after his recent red card against Manchester City.

The Brazilian's one-year option had initially not been taken up by the club.

But with both he and Arteta keen for him to remain, a new deal, on slightly reduced terms, has been cut.

“With Pablo we’re all disappointed he got injured at Manchester City. Since Mikel arrived here he was asking for a central defender who was left-footed.

"We were really pleased with Pablo - his behaviour, the way he is training, his mentality and his quality.

"Unfortunately, he has that injury but of course we are really happy to keep him for the future."

Portugal full-back Cedric, part of their Euro 2016-winning side, arrived in North London from Southampton in January on a free transfer.

Injuries mean he is yet to feature for the club since his arrival, but the 28-year-old is understood to have been handed a four-year contract.

It's hoped he will challenge Hector Bellerin for the right-back spot next term.

“Cedric is also going to be an important player," added Edu. "He has been unlucky with the injuries but he is close to being ready and gives us more strength in the right-back position.

"We’re also pleased Dani will finish the season here.

"He is making a good contribution and we look forward to him having a strong finish to the season.”

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Morgan Recalls How He Adviced Gunners To Appoint Jorgen Klopp Five Years Ago

Under the shrewd managerial competence of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool lifted their first league title in 30 years after Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea left them trailing by 23 points with seven games still to play.

As a result, Liverpool are crowned champions of England, Europe and the world but Morgan was left in dejection at the thought it could have been Arsenal jubilating if they had listened to his advice five years ago.

Klopp was still in charge of his previous side Borussia Dortmund as at that period but had already announced his intentions to leave the German side at the end of the season, thus effectively becoming a free agent in the summer.

Already at that point Klopp was considered one of the biggest managers in Europe having landed back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Dortmund, including a league and cup double in 2012, against a vastly more resourceful and rich Bayern Munich outfit.

'Arsenal would be perfect for Jurgen Klopp - and he would be perfect for Arsenal. Sign him.

'If we don't sign Klopp, he will go to another top club and win trophies. The guy's a dynamic, driven young winner.

'Two league titles in last five years against one of the greatest Bayern sides ever - and some Arsenal fans don't think Klopp's good enough? Wow.

'Klopp would be our Mourinho. The time has come, Arsenal - act. #KloppIN'.

Despite his predictions over his future success coming true, Arsenal failed to act and stuck with Arsene Wenger for another three seasons.

Although they went on to win two additional FA Cups under the Frenchman, they also dropped out of the Champions League in 2017 and have not returned since.

The Gunners now currently sit ninth in the Premier League table with just half the points of Liverpool under new boss Mikel Arteta following the sacking earlier in the season of Wenger's eventual successor Unai Emery.

Klopp spent five months out of the game after leaving Dortmund, before being appointed Liverpool boss in 2015 following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers. The rest as they say is history.

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Ferguson Already Knew Klopp Would End Liverpool's 30 Year Wait - Jammie Carragher

Former and legendary Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson already knew that Jurgen Klopp would be the man to end Liverpool's 30-year wait for the premier league title from the moment he arrived, according to Jamie Carragher.

The German arrived on Merseyside in 2015 after impressing with his games at Dortmund, taking them to the Champions League final and winning the Premier League.

However, he arrived to a squad who had finished sixth the previous season were lacking in quality in vital areas, leading few to imagine the transformation Klopp has managed at Anfield.

'Outside Anfield, there was only one high-profile figure in the game who tried to convince me Klopp could bring the title to Anfield,' Carragher told the Telegraph.

'I should have listened to Sir Alex Ferguson. I will never forget meeting Sir Alex when I played in Michael Carrick's testimonial in June, 2017. "You've got yourself a manager, there," Fergie told me.

'It was the look he gave me which was most revealing, as he explained how impressed he had been with Klopp during Champions League coaching seminars.

'Klopp attended while Borussia Dortmund coach to hear from the most esteemed football minds. He felt, and exhibited, no inferiority complex, and Ferguson intuitively knew he was perfect for Liverpool.'

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Sheffield United Optimistic On Gunning Down Arsenal At The Bramall

Sheffield United Boss Chris Wilder  speaks Ahead of Arsenal's FA cup quarter final trip to the Bramall Lane. 

He recollected Arsenal's legend Nwankwo Kanu's controversial assist for Marc Overmars' goal when both teams met in the competition back in February 1999.

Alan Kelly's clearance was put into touch for Sheffield United striker Lee Morris to be attended to at the other end of the pitch.

Arsenal legendary midfielder Ray Parlour intended to give the ball back with his throw-in as it's the convention but Nwankwo Kanu, eleven minutes into his debut, misunderstood the situation and Marc Overmar's instinctive reaction was to score with ten minutes remaining.

The Gunners coached by Arsene Wenger decided on a sporting solution and offered a rematch which was again won by them.

"There have been a couple of instances against Arsenal in the Cup, the one at the old Highbury ground when Kanu decided to go his own way," the Sheffield United coach was quoted as saying by the Mirror.

"That was quite an interesting afternoon! I was at that game.

I went to a lot of ­Sheffield United games.

"I must have been dropped so many times when I was at Rotherham, ­Bradford and Notts County to allow me to go to all these games!"Games against Arsenal, we’ve had a decent run at it.

They’ve been very, very intense and quite tight.

I’m not expecting anything ­different on Sunday and yeah, it would be great to win this time.

" A two-time African Footballer of the Year, Kanu won the FA Cup three times during his playing days in England.

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Pjanic Medical Takes Place In Turin As Barcelona Transfer Moves Closer

Barcelona star Arthur Melo has arrived in Turin ahead of his medical, while Miralem Pjanic will have his Barcelona medical in Turin as well.

The Brazilian landed at the Caselle Airport in Turin via private plane late on Saturday night.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, he was accompanied by family members and former Barcelona director Robert Fernandez.

He will complete a transfer worth €70m, as Pjanic is going to Barcelona with an additional €10m cash sum.

It’s believed Arthur’s contract with Juve will be worth up to €7m per year, including performance-related bonuses.

The two clubs are rushing to get the deal finalised by June 30 so that it counts for the 2019-20 financial year.

These players will see out the season at their current clubs, not making the transfer until the 2020-21 season.

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Champions League To Return on August 7 As 'Final 8' Will Be Held in Lisbon on August 12

UEFA have confirmed today plans to end this season's Champions League with a mini-tournament in Lisbon over 12 days in August.

Europe's premier club competition will complete its 2019-20 edition with a final-eight World Cup-style tournament, held in the Portuguese capital, from August 12 to August 23.

After the four outstanding last-16 ties are completed at the scheduled home stadiums, the quarter-finals onwards will be held on neutral territory, with no fans present and, most notably, over just one-leg.

As things stand, teams will not have to quarantine either, with each club are likely to set up in their own hotel away from the public so that social distancing measures can be maintained.

UEFA have earmarked August as the month to complete the competition in order to give Europe's top domestic leagues enough time to finish their respective seasons.

The 'final eight' tournament will be held over 12 days in Lisbon, with the first match taking place on August 12 and the final being played on August 23.

Instead of playing the quarter-finals over two legs as normal, the new plan will see the ties become single games across four straight days.

The semi-finals, which will also be played over one leg, will take place on August 18 and 19, with the final at the Estadio da Luz four days later.

Istanbul was due to host the 2020 final but will now be the venue for the 2021 showpiece, with all other scheduled hosts moving back a year.

The teams already qualified for this season's quarter-finals are France's PSG, Italy's Atalanta, Spain's Atletico Madrid and Germany's RB Leipzig.

The remaining last-16 second-leg fixtures are Manchester City's home tie against Real Madrid, Chelsea's trip to Bayern Munich, Juventus's home game against Lyon and Napoli's visit to Barcelona.

Portugal was picked because of its location and the fact it has no teams left in the competition.

Lisbon emerged as an attractive host city because it has two stadiums with the facilities needed for elite matches - Benfica's Estadio da Luz and Sporting Lisbon's Estadio Jose Alvalade.

In addition, most of the country's coronavirus restrictions are also being lifted this month, with air travel in and out of the country allowed from June 22.

Visitors will not need to go into quarantine on arrival, although additional health and safety measures will be in place in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Organisers are proceeding on the basis that all matches will be played behind closed doors, with only essential personnel allowed on site.

However, UEFA are understood to have left the door open for possible changes should public health conditions in Portugal allow.

If government guidelines are altered in time for ticketing to be organised, there is an outside chance that some fans could be allowed in to watch.

The capacity of both grounds would be greatly reduced in order to comply with social distancing rules and other safety protocols.

UEFA are braced for a loss in income from broadcasters, who will expect sizeable refunds because they will have six fewer games to show as a result of the new format.

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Liverpool 'Consider £110M Move On Wolves 'Generals' Ruben Neves and Adama Traore

Liverpool Boss Jurgen Klopp is determined to keep improving on his squad, eyeing up a swoop for Wolves stars Ruben Neves and Adama Traore.

With Liverpool inches from the title and Jordan Henderson's fingers hovering above the Premier League trophy, the Reds are already looking ahead to a title defence.

A number of departures are likely in the summer with Xherdan Shaqiri and Adam Lallana almost certain to leave, while Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita and Divock Origi's Anfield futures remain in doubt.

Klopp is a known admirer of Nuno Espirito Santo's work at Wolves and in particular his star players Neves and Traore, who Liverpool are considering a £110m move for, according to the Sun.

Traore was described as 'unplayable at times' and 'unbelievable' earlier this season, and has been one of the standout performers of 2019-20.

The Spaniard has finally turned the raw pace and power he's shown since his Barcelona academy days into a terrorising threat for top-flight defenders, bagging four goals and seven assists.

Midfielder Neves joined from Porto in 2017, helping Wolves climb out of the Championship before proving his £16m fee was a bargain in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old could refresh the Liverpool midfield and challenge for a place in the Champions League winners' first XI.

Liverpool restart their march to the title with Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, hoping to secure the title the day after Wolves take on struggling West Ham behind-closed-doors.

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PSG Confirms Edison Cavani & Thiago Silva Will Leave This Summer As A Free Agent

French Ligue 1 giant Paris Saint-Germain director Leonardo confirms ‘Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva will be leaving’ at the end of the season as a free agents.

Their contracts are due to expire and have been linked with numerous clubs, including Cavani to Inter and Atletico Madrid, with Thiago Silva potentially returning to Milan.

“It’s true, we are reaching the end of the road with them,” Leonardo told Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

“The idea is to keep them until the end of August so that they can play in the Champions League.”

Cavani is 33 years old and had moved to PSG from Napoli for €64.5m in the summer of 2013.

As for Thiago Silva, the 35-year-old centre-back joined the Parisians from Milan for €42m alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2012.

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Manchester United Offer Alexis Sanchez A Lifeline After Torrid Time In Italy

Former Arsenal and Current loany Manchester United player Alexis Sanchez is set to be welcomed back at Old Trafford next season but may have to settle for a back-up role.

The Chilean striker is currently on loan at Inter Milan, where he has continued his disappointing form in major European football after being exiled at United last season.

The 31-year-old is currently on a £500,000-a-week contract and has two years on his current Manchester United deal.

According to the Daily Mirror, United manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has met with the club's chief executive Ed Woodward, with the club choosing to keep Sanchez in its ranks next term instead of paying off the striker to terminate his deal.

Financial constraints at the club caused by the coronavirus pandemic has forced Manchester United's hand on this matter, though the Chilean is likely to be used as a back-up option next season.

While Solksjaer is happy to include Sanchez in his plans for the 2020/21 season, he is wary of the forward blocking the development of other youngster such as Daniel James and Mason Greenwood.

The 31-year-old joined Manchester United from Arsenal in January 2018 in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mhkitaryan.

He has since made 32 league appearances for the Premier League giants.

He enjoyed a torrid first full season at United, which saw him score just once in a league campaign where he fell out of favour with both Jose Mourinho and his replacement Solksjaer.

He moved to Antonio Conte's Inter at the beginning of the current campaign along with fellow United exile Romelu Lukaku, who joined the Serie A club for £73million, but has yet to pick up his form.

The Chilean has played just 16 games in all competitions since joining Conte's team due to injury problems and stiff competition for places.

Sanchez was a second-half substitute for Inter in their Coppa Italia second-leg tie on Saturday night, which the Nerazzurri drew 1-1 to crash out of the competition.

Before joining Manchester United two-and-a-half years ago, Sanchez enjoyed a goal-laden spell at Arsenal, where he scored 80 times in 166 games for Arsene Wenger's Gunners.

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Barcelona Mount Pressure On Arthur To Accept A Swap Deal With Juventus' For Pjanic'

Spanish giant Barcelona are cranking up the heat on midfielder Arthur to accept a swap deal with Juventus' Miralem Pjanic, according to reports in Spain.

The Catalan giants have taken a heavy financial hit amidst the lethal Covid-19 pandemic, with their players taking hefty pay cuts to support other staffs at the club.

Barcelona and Juventus are continuing to struggle over the transfer fee, with Pjanic reportedly determined to join Barcelona after supposedly turning down advances from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

But so far Arthur has refused to move in the opposite direction, and according to Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona cannot keep waiting and are now turning up the pressure on Arthur to accept the move to Italy.

The Brazilian came on as a second-half substitute in the club's 4-0 win at Real Mallorca on Saturday, with boss Quique Setien preferring to start with Arturo Vidal, who scored the opening goal of the evening.

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OFFICIAL: PL Approve 5 Subs Per Game & 9 Subs On The Bench

For the rest of 2019/20 season up to five substitutions is to be allowed in every match and team benches will increase to nine players, approves Premier League.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT:

Premier League Shareholders today agreed temporary changes to the rules relating to substitute players.

For the remainder of the 2019/20 season, the number of substitutes that can be used during a match will increase from three to five players.

This is in line with the temporary law amendment made by the International Football Association Board last month. 

Shareholders also approved for Clubs to increase the maximum number of substitute players on the bench from seven to nine for the rest of the 2019/20 season. 

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Tottenham Records A Positive Case Of COVID19

The Premier League have announced a positive case of coronavirus after 1,197 samples across the fifth round of testing this week.

With exactly two weeks until the top-flight season resumes, numbers of positive cases have remained very low but climb from the zero recorded in the fourth set of tests.

Tottenham have revealed that the individual to have tested positive for coronavirus is a player/staff member from their club.

The individual's name will not be disclosed.

They are currently asymptomatic and will now self-isolate for seven days.

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Chelsea Agree Deal On Timo Werner From RB Leipzig (Sky Sports)

The Blues (Chelsea) have agreed a deal to sign Timo Werner from German top flight club RB Leipzig, according to Sky Sports.

The German international striker has a release clause of €55m (£49.4m) which expires on Monday June 15.

Chelsea have offered a £200,000-a-week deal to Werner, who also interest Liverpool and Manchester United.

He had publicly indicated his preference to move to Premier League leaders Liverpool but they were unwilling to pay the release clause in the current climate.

That allowed Chelsea to move in for their number one forward target, and the 24-year-old is happy to play for Frank Lampard's side. 

His priority has always been to sign for a Champions League club where he can play regularly.

Werner will join Hakim Ziyech, who is joining from Ajax for £33m on July 1, as new additions at Stamford Bridge this summer following their transfer ban being lifted by FIFA in December last year.

Chelsea were unable to sign players last year and opted not to bring in any acquisitions in January, instead focusing on their main targets this summer.

The club are also interested in bringing in a new left-back, with Leicester's Ben Chilwell their number one target.

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Benfica's Zivkovic 'Taken To The Hospital After Attack On Team Bus

Julian Weigl and Andrija Zivkovic have reportedly been taken to hospital after the Benfica team bus was stoned by angry fans, according to A Bola.

The incident occurred after Benfica's first game since the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, when they were held to a goalless draw against Tondela.

The long-awaited return for football in the country appeared to be going well, with touching gestures in stadiums around the league, however the apparent attack on the Benfica team bus ended the day in disgrace.

Reports say that the players were both hit in the face by shards of glass from the bus' windscreen after it was hit by rocks.

The bus was apparently under escort from local police as it returned from the stadium to Seixal, however the attacker has not yet been identified.

They were treated at the club's training centre nearby, and were then taken to Hospital da Luz as a precaution.

With scarves replacing fans and an eagle mascot making its traditional pre-game flight, Benfica were held to a 0-0 draw by Tondela on Thursday, missing a chance to take the outright lead of the Portuguese league in the team's first match since the competition was halted nearly three months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thousands of scarves with the club's red and white colours were placed on the seats at the Stadium of Light to represent Benfica fans as the club returned to action a day after rivals Porto lost 2-1 at Famalicao in their first game back.

The pair of results left the clubs tied with 60 points with nine rounds remaining. Porto had carried a one-point lead from before the pandemic.

The Benfica scarves on the stands had messages such as 'always together' and 'wherever you are.' A big banner with the words 'here we are' was seen above the scarves in one of the seating sections.

Before the match, one of Benfica's eagle mascots flew around inside the stadium in a tradition that happens before every home match.

'It's ugly to play in an empty stadium,' Tondela coach Natxo Gonzalez said. 'I don't get football without fans, but we have to get used to this new reality.'

Needing a win to overtake leaders Porto, Benfica dominated from the start against 13th-place Tondela, creating more than 20 attempts without being able to capitalise. Benfica were denied twice by the woodwork near the end.

'They always played with 10 men behind the ball, it was tough,' Benfica midfielder Adel Taarabt said. 'We kept trying and trying but the ball just wouldn't go in. Of course we missed our fans, but that can't be used as an excuse.'

It was the third consecutive draw for the defending champions, and the second at home. Benfica haven't won in four straight matches at the Stadium at Light in all competitions.

Earlier on Thursday, Maritimo and Setubal played to a 1-1 draw to stay in the bottom half of the table.

Sporting Lisbon played Vitoria SC later on, where photos of fans were placed on the seats in the empty stadium.

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Aubameyang Swap Deal Increases After Target’s Agent Troll On Social Media

Gunners are sweating to get a replacement for the want away goal machine. It has in recent days being linked with a swap deal including Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and the Argentine’s agent may well be keen on such deal.

Wanda Nara is the wife and agent of Icardi, who has spent the season on loan with Paris Saint-Germain, registering 20 goals in the process.

The striker is expected to return to Italy in the coming weeks, with the French Ligue 1 having already called time on their division following a decision by the country’s president to not allow competitive sports until August at the earliest.

The French club had been claimed to be interested in signing their loanee on a more permanent deal, but his wife supposedly told the club that he wanted to return to Italy following the end of the campaign.

Wanda has recently posted a picture of her son on Arsenal Jersey, although it is not the newest shirt, and is actually from 2018- 2019 collection, which may well put a downer on the initial excitement.

Regardless of the year of the shirt, Wanda may well be pushing talk of a move by posting the image on her Instagram page.

Icardi could well prove to be a top acquisition could the Gunners pull off the deal, though, it could not be seen if he could replace the goal threat of Aubameyang, this calls for another story.

He has done excellently well in both Italy and France, and seems to have some attitude problems, but if he is able to be somewhere that he could be happy, it could be a partnership that thrives for years to come.

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Becky Lynch (The Man) Surrender To Asuka After 400 Days

RAW Women's champion Becky Lynch has announced she is pregnant after getting engaged to Seth Rollins few months ago.

Lynch "The Man" who has been the Women's Raw champion for 400 days has surrendered her title with Money in the Bank winner Asuka set to be announced as the new Raw Women Champion.

Lynch won the title in the main event of Wrestlemania 35 in 2019 where she defeated her best friend Charlotte Flair and the princess of kick boxing Ronda Rousey in a Triple Threat match.

She has gone on to successfully defend her title against Lacey Evans, Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, and Asuka.

“I’m just so career-focused that it became one of those things that, when you’re chasing a dream for so long, I always wondered, ‘Am I going to get around to it? Is it going to happen for me?’ ” …The Irish wrestler revealed she has always wanted to start a family and have kids with her partner Rollins as she tells PEOPLE: “I’ve always, always wanted kids.

“When we got together, things started to look a lot clearer and I knew he was the person that I wanted to have kids with — that this was going to happen and it was just a matter of when,”

Lynch received congratulatory messages from her fellow WWE stars including her best friend Charlotte Flair.

WWE Money in the Bank 2020 Results sprang lots of surprises as championship opportunities have been given to two underdogs in the men and women's division.

Six men and women contested in the main event ground floor of the WWE headquarters to the roof to retrieve their contracts.

For the very first time in their respective careers, Otis and Asuka representing SmackDown won their Money in the Bank ladder matches and have the opportunity in cashing in their briefcases for a title shot.

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Tottenham Midfielder Dele Alli Robbed At His Residence

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli was robbed after burglars broke into his North London residence in the early hours of Wednesday.

There were reports that five people in the house including the 24-year-old England star at the time of the robbery, with Alli, his brother, their girlfriends and another friend present.

Alli had scored nine goals in 35 appearances for Tottenham when the season was suspended in March because of the ongoing lethal coronavirus pandemic.

Premier League teams could return to training next week with players unsure about resuming set to speak to their club captains in the next 24 hours.

League captains held a meeting with the Premier League and medical experts on Wednesday afternoon to talk through the protocols which will be in place to make sure training is as safe as possible.

Premier League clubs could start training again next Tuesday if the proposals are backed by players and managers and approved by the government and Public Health England.

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Liverpool Midfielder Opened To Playing For Super Eagles

The President of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has reported that Liverpool midfielder Ovie Ejaria has promised to commit to playing for Nigeria.

It has been reported that Ejaria's paperwork has been filed FIFA.

However, FIFA will certainly not process a change of association because Ejaria's passport has expired which means there's need for a fresh application to be submitted.

Two out of the five documents to be submitted to FIFA are a copy of Ejaria's passport showing his Nigerian nationality, which is valid at the time the request for a change of association is submitted; and a copy of Ejaria’s passport or identification showcasing his English nationality.

"Yes, he has agreed to play for Nigeria.

His documents have been sent to FIFA." Pinnick said to ESPN.

Anonymous Super Eagles team source has admitted that Ejaria's documentation would probably need to be re-filed after the coronavirus lockdown.

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Arsenal In Advanced Talk To Sign Norwegian Winger George Lewis

Arsenal are in race to sign teenage Norwegian sensation winger, George Lewis.

The 19-year-old spent a fortnight on trial with the Gunners earlier in the year and did enough during his spell to convince the north London club into pursuing a permanent deal.

Lewis is currently a free agent having spent the past few years playing in the lower leagues of Norwegian football.

Goal.com has learned that should the transfer go through, Lewis will link up with Steve Bould’s Under-23s at Arsenal, rather than follow the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Matteo Guendouzi, who have immediately made the step up to the senior side in recent years following moves from abroad.

Lewis who was born in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, started his career in the youth ranks of Norwegian club Tromso IL before moving to third tier side Tromsdalen in 2017 - where he signed his first professional contract.

A brief move to Fram Larvik, who also play in Norway’s third tier, followed in 2019, but Lewis is now a free agent and has spent some time in the past year with Ipswich.

Arsenal invited the young attacker for a week-long trial in March and having impressed with his versatility in attacking areas, he was kept on for a further seven days.

And the north London club are now pursuing a permanent deal for the right winger, who can play across the forward line.

Like all clubs, Arsenal are expected to have a relatively quiet summer in the transfer market due to the ongoing financial implications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Arteta is looking to strengthen his senior squad, but the Spaniard accepts that the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak means cash will be hard to come by.

One player Arsenal could look to move on to raise some funds is Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has spent the season on loan with Roma in Serie A.

On Tuesday, Italian newspaper the Corriere dello Sport reported than Mkhitaryan wanted to make the move permanent and quoted him as saying: “My time in London is over. I hope you [Arsenal] manage to find an agreement with Rome because my desire is to stay.”

But the 31-year-old’s agent, Mino Raiola, has now refuted those claims.

Taking to social media, Raiola said: “Mkhitaryan did not send any message to Arsenal. Specially in times like these, fake news are completely unacceptable.”

The Armenia international is approaching the final year of his contract with the Gunners.

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Three Florentina Players Test Positive To Coronavirus

Fiorentina have announced they have found six new COVID-19 cases, of which three of their players are involved and also three staffs, after the first round of medical tests.

All the Serie A clubs are performing swab tests before the return to training, in order to be sure they are all clear of coronavirus before setting foot in the facilities.

With a statement released this evening, Fiorentina announced that they have “identified three athletes and three members of staff who are positive for COVID-19.”

These individuals have been isolated and the rest of the squad is due to begin training tomorrow.

It’s a huge blow for the Viola, who had already dealt with players Patrick Cutrone, German Pezzella and Dusan Vlahovic testing positive for coronavirus last month.

Several members of staff were also ill, some of which had to be hospitalised.

Torino also announced that they had found one player to be COVID-19 positive during tests yesterday.

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Real Madrid Eyeing £60m Move for Sevilla Winger Lucas Ocampos

Spanish giant Real Madrid are planning a surprise move for £60million rated Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The 25year old winger has been one of the standout performers in LaLiga since moving to Sevilla from Olympique Marseille last summer, which has led to interest from several teams in Europe, including Borussia Dortmund.

In his debut season in the Spanish top flight, the Argentine has scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 22 games.

Ocampos joined Sevilla last summer from Olympique Marseille for €15m and his contract carries a €70m buyout clause.

Real could use Sergio Reguilon, on-loan with Sevilla this season, as a makeweight in negotiations for the attacker.

Sevilla are also interested in midfielder Dani Ceballos, who has impressed on loan at Arsenal and is surplus to requirements at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Arsenal are keen to sign Ceballos permanently or bring him back to the club on another season-long loan following his performances this term.

AS claim Real are only prepared to sell the 23-year-old if a club offers £44m (€50m) for Ceballos.

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Arsenal Offered Inter Sensational Striker Mauro Icardi In A Swap Deal For Aubameyang

Inter Sensational Mauro Icardi is being used as a bait to price top Arsenal asset Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang away from the Emirates according to reports in Italy.

The Arsenal captain has little left on his contract at the Emirates, and the north London club could be forced to sell him rather than risk losing him for nothing in 12 months.

This has raised the prospect of a swap deal with Inter Milan to bring Icardi in as a direct replacement for the Gabonese star, claim Tuttosport.

Icardi has no future at the San Siro and despite impressing on loan at Paris Saint-Germain this season, there are doubts he will stay in Ligue 1 permanently.

The 27-year-old has 20 goals in 31 appearances, while Aubameyang has returned the same number in just one game more.

Last year Arsenal lost Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer to Juventus and will be desperate to avoid a similar situation with their star player.

Aubameyang has been prolific in the Premier League since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

He has scored 61 goals in 97 appearances, has quickly become a fan favourite and shared the Golden Boot last season with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

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Messi, Griezman, Suarez...... Barcelona Stars Return To Training

First-team players of Barcelona, led by the captain, Lionel Messi, arrived at the Esportiva in Sant Joan Despi on Friday to resume training. 

After testing negative in Wednesday's coronavirus tests, the players were able to resume individual training ahead of a potential La Liga return in June. 

Each player arrived in their respective vehicles with masks and gloves on, already dressing in their training kits, which had been given to them earlier this week in sealed bags. 

They headed straight to the training pitched without using facilities like the dressing rooms or the showers and headed straight back to their card after their individual sessions. 

Players began arriving from 09.30am, with the squad using different pitches, such as the Tito Vilanova pitch, Pitch 2 and Pitch 3, in order to respect social distancing protocol. 

Meanwhile, Luis Suarez continued with his recovery work with the hope of being given the green light to return to action as soon as possible. 

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Harzard Returns From Injury And Ready For The Season

Eden Harzard, the Belgian winger has been reported back at Valdebebas this week having nearly fully recovered from injury and will play a part when LaLiga and Champions League resumes.

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Jadon Sancho On His Way To Old Trafford

The Red Devil's Manchester United fans believes Jadon Sancho has dropped a hint that could trigger his way to Old Trafford in the summer after the winger admitted he idolised club legend Wayne Rooney as a child.

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Barcelona Have Reached An Agreement With Juventus Over Pjanic

Juventus playmaker Pjanic has reached an agreement with Barcelona, but there are doubts about which players would be offer in exchange, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

Juventus admire Arthur, but the Brazilian midfielder has no intention of leaving. Both Arthur and Pjanic are valued at €60 million so it would be a capital gain for both clubs.

Vidal & Rakitic are offered by Barcelona, but Catalans would be forced to pay a value difference of €45m for the players who are worth only €15m. Moreover, the Italian champs are not convinced by the two veterans.

Semedo would be very comfortable at Juve, valued at €35m with a difference of €25m. Yet to see which of these players would be prepared to move.

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Nigerian Footballer Martins Collapse And Dies On The Field

Nasarawa United's Chieme Martins passed away after collapsing on the field during Sunday’s Nigeria Professional League clash against Katsina United.

The player went down after a collision with an opposing player while the clash was still goalless

The ambulance was stationed at the stadium reportedly failed to start after Martins was rushed off the pitch, causing a delay in seeking medical treatment for the player.

It is understood he was later taken to hospital in a press vehicle, but medics failed to revive him and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

News of his passing filtered back through to the game, which finished 3-0 in Nasarawa's favour, leaving his team-mates inconsolable as they learned of their tragic loss.

Chairman of the League Management Company, Shehu Dikko anticipates an autopsy to establish the cause of the player’s death.

“We commiserate with Nasarawa United and the immediate family of the late player,” said Dikko in a statement.

“It is hoped that the findings of the autopsy would inform subsequent measures, if any, that has not been addressed by the existing standard procedure.”

Sadly, Martins is not the only footballer to have suffered a tragic end while playing.

Ex-Lyon and West Ham midfielder Marc Vivien Foe collapsed in the middle of Cameroon's 2003 Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia, with coroners discovering that he suffered from a rare heart condition that increases the risk of sudden death during strenuous physical activity.

Sevilla star Antonio Puerta suffered cardiac arrest during his side's 2007-8 Liga opener against Getafe and carried on playing before collapsing again in the dressing room; he passed away three days later in hospital having been diagnosed with a similar heart condition to that carried by Foe.

Ex-Scotland international Phil O'Donnell, a fellow unwitting sufferer of the condition, passed away just months after Puerta in almost identical circumstances at the age of 35 while playing for Motherwell.

While the FA and other national associations do screen for such defects, detecting the condition is extremely difficult as it tends to show few if any symptoms, particularly in young, physically fit athletes.

Some doctors believe screening to be ineffective and a waste of time, while others defend it as a necessary precaution even if the majority of cases cannot be predicted.

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Man City Banned From European Competitions For 2 Seasons

Manchester City have been banned from the UEFA club competitions for the next two seasons by Uefa and fined €30m (£25m) after they were found to have seriously misled European football’s governing body and broken financial fair play rules.

UEFA handed down the punishment to the Premier League giants for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

In a statement, UEFA said City "overstated its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016".

The club were also found guilty of "failing to cooperate in the investigation by the CFCB" and will be banned from Europe in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.

Man City to take case to CAS

Man City say they are "disappointed but not surprised" by the verdict, describing the process as "prejudicial", and will take the case to Court of Arbitration for Sport.

They released a statement, reading: "Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today's announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber. The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position.

"In December 2018, the UEFA Chief Investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City, before any investigation had even begun. The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver. The club has formally complained to the UEFA Disciplinary body, a complaint which was validated by a CAS ruling.

"Simply put, this is a case initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA. With this prejudicial process now over, the club will pursue an impartial judgement as quickly as possible and will therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity."

Fifth place could qualify for Champions League

If Manchester City finish in the top four and their ban is upheld by CAS, it would mean a Champions League place would go to the team who finish fifth in the Premier League.

UEFA rule 4.08 states: "A club which is not admitted to the competition is replaced by the next best-placed club in the top domestic championship of the same association, provided the new club fulfils the admission criteria. In this case, the access list (see Annex A) is adjusted accordingly."

Sheffield United currently are fifth in the Premier League table on 39 points, two points ahead of Tottenham who have a game in hand.

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