Tottenham told two Christian Eriksen replacements amid Man Utd and Real Madrid links

TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino has been recommended two replacements for Christian Eriksen with the Dane reportedly of interest to Real Madrid and Manchester United.

 

totthenham have confirmed two transfers this week having finally returned to business for the first time since acquiring Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018.

Pochettino completed a club-record £55million - plus add-ons - fee to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon while Jack Clarke has joined from Leeds United for an initial £10m, though the teenage winger has immediately returned to the Whites on a season-long loan.

The Argentine coach is keen to revamp his squad in north London this summer as Spurs chart a fresh tilt at the Premier League title, having finished fourth last term, 26 points off runners-up Liverpool and 27 behind champions Manchester City.

But the Spurs boss also looks set to bid farewell to several stars of his current side, with attacking midfielder Eriksen and centre-back Toby Alderweireld both entering the final 12 months of their contracts.

Eriksen is the more valuable of the duo with Alderweireld available for a cut-price £25m until the final two weeks of the window due to a clause in his contract, the Dane likely to command upwards of £60m after Eden Hazard joined Madrid for a deal worth up to £130m despite having just 12 months left on his deal at Chelsea at the time.

Play-maker Eriksen is reportedly of interest to both Real Madrid and Manchester United having publicly admitted his desire to leave Spurs and “try something new” having played for the club since 2013, when he joined from Ajax. 

Spurs have sought to keep him, offering him a contract that doubles his wages to a reported £150,000-a-week, but having refused to extend his terms, club chairman Daniel Levy is said to be open to a sale to avoid losing the 27-year-old for nothing next year.

It is believed Levy would rather sell Eriksen to Real Madrid than direct rivals Man United but any move could depend on Paul Pogba, with Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane thought to prefer a move for the Frenchman though he would be more than double the cost at around £150m.

Liverpool dealt blow in transfer pursuit of Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos

Liverpool could be set to miss out on the signing of Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos to fellow Premier League rivals and Champions League final opponents Tottenham .

According to reports Spurs are close to securing a loan deal for the talented young player, news which would come as a disappointment to Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp had allegedly identified Ceballos as one of his number one targets this summer and Spanish publication Marca reported that Liverpool were poised to make a £45m bid for the player.

AC Milan are another club thought to be interested in Ceballos, but Spurs will now be considered favourites for his signature.

 

So far the only deal Liverpool have completed this summer is the £1.7m transfer of young centre-back Sepp van den Berg from PEC Zwolle of the Netherlands.

They have moved some players on to allow space in their squad for new arrivals, however, having sold Danny Ings to Southampton for nearly £20m and they have also released the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno.

Ceballos joined Madrid from Real Betis in 2017, and has since gained a reputation as one of Europe's brightest young midfield talents.

He made 34 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos last season, scoring three times, and has also won six caps for Spain.

However, due to a number of new arrivals at the Bernabeu it is thought Madrid are willing to let him go in spite of his undoubted potential.

They have spent over £300m already this summer by bringing in Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo, and the spending is not expected to finish there, with Manchester United's Paul Pogba also linked with a big-money move to the club.

As a result Madrid are looking to have a clear-out of players they deem not crucial, and Ceballos appears to fall into that category.

Manchester United transfer news: Real Madrid offer £72million PLUS Gareth Bale or Isco for unsettled Paul Pogba

The LaLiga club are reluctant to pay Pogba's asking price in full so are trying to include one of their stars in the deal

Real Madrid have reportedly made an almighty offer to Manchester United in an attempt to land unsettled midfielder Paul Pogba.

Pogba, who admitted he wants to pursue a ‘new challenge’ last month, has been linked with a Bernabeu move or a transfer back to former club Juventus.

 

And the Spanish giants, who have signed the likes of Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic in this window already, are preparing to go all-out to land the World Cup winner.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Real are willing to offer the Red Devils £72million, plus the choice of Gareth Bale or Isco for Pogba.

Los Blancos are reluctant to meet United’s asking price for the Frenchman, 26.

The report states Real were willing to pay up to £134m for him but are now more keen on the idea of including one of their stars in the deal.

However, the LaLiga club have indicated they will only make a move for Pogba if he hands in a transfer request himself with United under no pressure to sell him.

Pogba has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford for months and his agent Mino Raiola has reiterated the player’s desire to leave.

United have been busy in the summer transfer window, having captured Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Swansea and Crystal Palace respectively.

Women's World Cup: USA's Alex Morgan questions reaction to 'tea drinking' goal celebration against England

Alex Morgan says she is "disappointed" with the reaction to her goal celebration against England and questioned the double standards in women's sport.

Morgan insists her 'tea drinking' celebration after heading the winner to send the United States into the World Cup final "wasn't a hit to England".

The forward had been accused of taking a swipe at Phil Neville's Lionesses.

"I'm a little taken aback, you have to laugh about it," said Morgan.

Morgan, 30, feels the reaction to her celebration highlights double standards in sport when compared to some of the elaborate celebrations in the men's game.

"I feel that there is some sort of double standards for females in sports to feel like we have to be humble in our success. We have to celebrate but not too much, we have to do something, but it always has to be in a limited fashion," she said.

"You see men celebrating all around the world in big tournaments, grabbing their sack or whatever."

Chief executive of the US Women's National Team Players Association, Becca Roux, agreed that gender was an issue in the reaction.

"I think our players are role models and I think some of the things that they get criticised for is just sexist bullshit.

"I love their personas, I love that they are fully who they are. I think they're still very polite, they respect their opponents, like England, they respect all of the teams that they played.

"I think for both the players I represent as well as all female players, they are athletes - they are not going to tea, they're going to play sport. They are a different breed of human because they are the top athletes in the world. And that is not a gender thing that is just an athlete thing."

Morgan says her celebration was a tribute to the phrase 'that's the tea', slang for gossip or interesting news, frequently used on social media by Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner.

"My celebration was actually more about 'that's the tea' - telling a story, spreading news. Sophie Turner does it quite often, she's one of my favourite actresses," she said.

"It wasn't a hit to England in anyway."

Turner responded in a social media video on Friday saying she felt "honoured" by the celebration.

"All those people who are hating on you are probably sitting at home, millennials drinking kombucha," she added.

England forward Lianne Sanderson, a former team-mate of Morgan, was among those to criticise the celebration, calling it "distasteful".

In response, Morgan said: "I am disappointed in that and we were team-mates at Orlando Pride. I have the utmost respect for Lianne and all team-mates I have played with."

Football transfer rumours: Philippe Coutinho set for Liverpool return?

is  a return to Anfield on the cards for Philippe Coutinho? Don’t rule it out because Liverpool haven’t, say Le10Sport, a media outlet that must know what its talking about because it’s got quite the hip10ster title. Having left Liverpool 18 months ago to join Barcelona in a dream move that quickly became a nightmare, the Brazilian playmaker is being touted with a move elsewhere and the word in Spain is that his former employers might be open to taking back their prodigal son. Meanwhile in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid are prepared to offer Liverpool Marco Asensio in exchange for Sadio Mané, in a potential swap deal that should prompt no end of honking laughter in the corridors of Anfield.

Manchester United are ready to welcome Wissam Ben Yedder to Old Trafford irrespective of whether the mooted move of Romelu Lukaku to Inter works out. Despite rumours linking him to Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, reports from Spain say the Sevilla striker has already agreed personal terms with United, who will now ramp up their interest in Sporting midfielderBruno Fernandes. United are also being linked with a move for Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, but will have to bid the thick end of £50m to have even the remotest chance of securing his services.

Napoli could muscle in on Arsenal’s attempt to buy Kieran Tierney from Celtic, in a state of affairs that may force the Gunners to up their previous bid from 25p and a handful of Tesco petrol vouchers to a more reasonable £25m for a 22-year-old left-back who has already made 170 appearances for the Scottish champions. In other transfer hijack news, reports in France say Manchester United may try to put the kibosh on Tanguy Ndombele’s move to Spurs. Lyon are understood to have agreed a fee with Tottenham for the midfielder, but the player and his people have yet to thrash out those all important personal terms.

Juventus are giving Burnley midfielder Dwight McNeil the glad eye, while Bristol City defender Adam Webster could be off to Aston Villa. No, really, Juventus are giving Burnley midfielder Dwight McNeil the glad eye, having been impressed with his performances for England’s Under-20s at the Toulon Tournament. Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton are also keeping tabs on the 19-year-old.

Having consciously uncoupled from Newcastle when the clock struck 12 last night, Rafael Benítez is now a free agent and open to offers from employers who might appreciate a man of his talents. Having reacted badly to news of his imminent departure last week, the mood of Newcastle fans is unlikely to be improved by the news that Neil Redfearn is set to take over as caretaker manager for the beginning of pre-season training this week. According to The Shields Gazette, the club’s under-23 coach will put out the cones and blow his whistle while Mike Ashley mulls over a shortlist of potential new first team coaches featuring such names as Giovanni van Bronkhorst, Patrick Vieira and Gennaro Gattuso.

And finally, in other managerial news, Frank Lampard’s Derby County are resigned to losing their manager to Chelsea in the coming days, but envisage a brave new dawn glorying in the moniker of Philip Cocu’s Derby County.

Football transfer rumours: Dejan Lovren to leave Liverpool for Milan?

it’s been a sorry time to be a Milan fan. Having seen their team fail to qualify for the Champions League and then get banned from the Europa League for breaching FFP rules, the venerable old club’s followers need some good news. The kind of exciting transfer talk that places them at the front of the queue to sign one of the best defenders in the world. Yes, it says here that Dejan Lovren may be on his way out of Anfield to San Siro after his agent held talks with the Serie A club over a £25m move. Just £25m! What value! OK, so yes, he’s 29 and played only 13 times in the league for Liverpool last season due to a list of ailments that The Mill’s granddad would blush about, but they’ll get a confident defensive vibes man; a believer who will stridently ignore his own failings – and Milan’s. If he ever plays. Just £25m! Take that FFP
Manchester United want a new collection of racy young midfielders who will run around a bit for the cause instead of sulking like grounded teenagers. First on the list is Rumour Mill favourite, Bruno Fernandes. They’ve reportedly submitted a £31m offer for the midfield dynamo but have been told by Sporting to get serious and come back with considerably more cash. United beancounters have also set aside £25m for Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff. It’s the kind of money that would help fund Mike Ashley’s main hobby of buying up failing retail chains on the British high street. So watch this space. Oh, and on the subject of brooding midfielders, Paul Pogba has been training alone in New York while his teammates report back for training. Make of that what you will

A year after almost signing for Liverpool, Nabil Fekir is still very much keen to play for a Premier League team who play in red – and he may get his wish if Arsenal turn their attention away from Wilfried Zaha for a moment, and throw in a £30m bid for the unsettled Lyon playmaker. Reports in France suggest Fekir is being touted around like cheap meat in a dodgy pub. It’s a cut-price deal for sure, as Liverpool were primed to sign him for £50m last season before medical concerns caused the transfer to collapse.

Crystal Palace have targeted jinking Carl Jenkinson as a replacement for Aaron Wan Bissaka at right-back. Jenkinson, who has been loaned out for the best part of a decade, is still an Arsenal player, apparently. He will cost Palace just £5m and the Gunners will probably be delighted to have the opportunity to negotiate with Palace so they can keep badgering them about lowering their asking price for Wilfried Zaha to something slightly less ludicrous than £100m.

It seems that Barcelona may be up to some fun and games to get their mitts on Antoine Griezmann for a little less than the £107m Atlético Madrid want for the 28-year-old striker. You see, reports in Italy suggest the club are willing to pay £100m for the 21-year-old Inter and Argentina striker Lautaro Martínez, also known as “The Bull”. The Mill can smell a bit of that here. Expect Griezmann, not Martínez, to wind up at the Camp Nou.

And in red-hot managerial news, Derby are set to hold further talks withPhillip Cocu over replacing Chelsea-bound Frank Lampard as manager. Cocu has been kicking his heels since October, when he was sacked by Fenerbahce.

Brazil vs. Argentina score: Gabriel Jesus, Firmino lead host past Messi and company and into Copa America final

Brazil is through to the 2019 Copa America final after beating rival Argentina 2-0 on Tuesday in the semifinals with a convincing display against their uninspired rivals. In an intense match that was back and forth and saw Argentina hit the post and the crossbar, it was a goal from Gabriel Jesus in the first half that was the winner. Assisted by Roberto Firmino with a low ball in the box, the Manchester City man finished past Franco Armani with class, as Argentina couldn't find the net. Here's the winning goal:

Gabriel Jesus then returned the favor in the second half, setting Firmino up for the second on the counter attack to put it out of reach. It was a quality display from Brazil and a poor one from Argentina, as Messi still looks for his first senior title with the national team.

Brazil still hasn't conceded at the tournament, recording five straight shutouts, with Alisson coming up big on a Messi free kick in the second half that was headed for the upper corner. 

Brazil last won the Copa America in 2007. Argentina's last senior title was in 1993.

Chile and Peru will play on Wednesday for the other spot in the final, and you can see the game on fuboTV (Try for free).