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Cesc Fabregas has asked why he was dropped for Chelsea’s FA Cup final defeat to his old side Arsenal. The 30-year-old midfielder began four of the Blues last six Premier League games as Antonio Conte masterminded another Stamford Bridge title success. But Fabregas, who spent eight years at Arsenal before returning to Barcelona in 2011, found himself among the substitutes as Chelsea failed to secure the double following a 2-1 defeat. A controversial Alexis Sanchez goal opened proceedings for the Gunners, with referee Anthony Taylor over-ruling an offside decision having missed a handball from the Chilean in the build-up. Diego Costa levelled for a below-par Chelsea after Victor Moses had picked up a second yellow card for diving in the Arsenal box, only to see Aaron Ramsey head home the decisive goal three minutes later. Fabregas had been introduced in place of Nemanja Matic just after the hour mark, with the Spain international unhappy to have been given a watching brief beforehand. “I...

According to a report, Manchester United will offer Jose Mourinho a new five-year deal after winning the Europa League. An exclusive in the  Sunday Express  claims the three trophies Mourinho has claimed in his first reign at Old Trafford will be enough to convince Ed Woodward and Co. that the 54- year-old is the man to lead United to their long awaited victory.  The Portuguese boss signed a three year deal last summer, with the option of another 12 months. but already the clib are thinking on rewarding Mourinho with a new contract. “He has formed a close working relationship with United’s vice chairman Ed Woodward,” claims the report amid talk Mourinho will have £200million spend this summer. After the 2:0 Europa League win over Ajax this week Mourinho handed the summer transfer baton to Woodward as he left for his summer holidays. “Ed Woodward knows since March who I want, what I want how much I want. “He knows everything since March. Now it is for him to work, he can h...

Barcelona are reportedly ready to sell Neymar to Manchester United in the summer if they are still interested.  The Spanish giants are believed to have concerns about the Brazil star's lifestyle and will be happy to offload the player as long as his £170million release clause is met. Spanish outlet  Diario Gol,  says Barcelona chiefs are willing to sanction the 25-year-old exit this summer and bring in some new players due to Neymar’s disinterest to the Barca cause. United were seriously connected with the player last summer and his father claimed United had made an offer to Barcelona for the player. The club have once again been linked with Neymar more recently, while PSG are also thought to be interested and have the financial power to lure the player. Neymar signed a new deal to keep him at the Nou Camp until 2021 in October 2016 and earlier this month he claimed his future was in Catalonia. Neymar told  beIN Sports : “I want to be here and that’s why I renewed. I...

Italian business tycoon, Andrea Radrizzani has taken total control of Leeds United after buying the remaining 50 per cent shares held by co-owner Massimo Cellino. Radrizzani, bought a 50 per cent shares in the Sky Bet Championship club through his company Aser Group Holding in January and it has been reported widely that he had the option of completing a 100 per cent takeover at the end of the season if Leeds failed to win promotion. The 42-year-old who is now the chairman with immediate effect, told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to become a custodian of this great football club. “The heritage and history of Leeds United attracted me to the club and having spent time at games and at Thorp Arch, I can see that we are ready to move forward to the next level. “This is a long-term commitment, there is a lot of hard work ahead of us and I am aware of my responsibilities as owner of Leeds United. “I can assure all supporters that everyone at this club w...

Sam Allardyce has quit his job as manager of Crystal Palace after just five months in charge at Selhurst Park. The 62-year-old came on board on December 23 and guided the Eagles to safe haven on May 14 following a 4-0 defeat of Hull, who later went on relegation as a result. However, the former England manager has now decided to leave his two-and-a-half-year deal with the south-London club following a meeting with chairman, Steve Parish earlier on Tuesday. “In some ways, this has been a very difficult decision to make, but in others it has been a simple one,” Allardyce said in a statement. “I will always be grateful to Crystal Palace and Steve Parish for giving me the opportunity to go out with my head held high having helped keep the club in the Premier League.” His walking away appears on the terms of friendship and good will, with Allardyce’s stock once again on a high following a strong effective end to the domestic campaign. “More than that (keeping Palace up), they gave me a chan...

United's playmaker Zlatan Ibrahimovic may only be an observer at Wednesday’s Europa League final, but his team-mate Ander Herrera looks forward to the probable occurance that the experienced 35-year-old will still have a part to play in Stockholm. The Swede striker is back at United’s Aon Training Complex last week after undergoing knee surgery in America to repair the ligament damage he sustained during the Europa League quarter-finals. Which ruled him out of a homecoming against his former club Ajax, at the Friends Arena where a statue of the striker is due to be constructed, though United boss Jose Mourinho has already established that Ibrahimovic and his fellow injured team-mates will travel to the finals regardless. And for a United squad seriously lacking the continental pedigree of the past years, with Herrera, Antonio Valencia and Paul Pogba the only players in the XI that started against Celta Vigo to have featured in a previous European final, Herrera believes Ibrahimovic...

Manchester United have made an offer that “cannot be refused” to swoop Monaco star, Bernardo Silva this summer according to report. Silva has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford over the last six months, while Manchester City are also said to be in the running for the player. French outlet  Le10Sport  recently claimed that Jose Mourinho has made the 22-year-old a priority target, while  Canal+  reported that United had moved ahead of la liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona after having long talks with the player. However,  France Football  now suggest that United have made a bid “that cannot be refused” to sign the Portugal international as reported in the  Express . Mourinho is reported to have a £200m transfer budget this summer and is looking forward to completely strengthen a United side that has been struggling to collapse the opposition, mostly at home, this season. With the possibility of Champions League football next season, if Un...

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany was among the first people to pay their respects on social media following an explosion that left 22 dead on Monday night. The explosion, which was a terrorist attack from a suicide bomber, occurred at the end of a pop concert by US singer, Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena at around 10.40pm. The incident has also left 59 people injured. Kompany took to his Twitter handle and wrote:  “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims. It’s a sad day for the great city of Manchester.  #Unity  ” Later on, Manchester City’s official twitter account followed suit, while tributes also came in from Gary Lineker and other stars. Manchester United also tweeted a condolence message on Tuesday morning as the rest of the world woke up to the sad news of the blast. Quite a number of Manchester’s emergency services was sent down to the scene where a significant number of the 21,000 people who attended the concert...

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane rained praises on his side’s first La Liga title in five years after a 2:0 win in Malaga on Sunday. Goals from both Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema ensured Real claimed the points they needed to hold off Barcelona and claim the trophy for the first time since 2012. And afterwards Zidane admitted it was essential that a club of Real’s stature should re-assert their domestic dominance. In an on-pitch interview reported by Marca, Zidane said: “It was very important (to win the league). It was a lot of years without winning it and we knew that the league is everything. “For Real Madrid, because it is the best club in the world, we have to return with this league title.” Ronaldo produced another leading performance for his side having settled any early nerves by firing them in front after just two minutes. Zidane added: “The credit is for all of them because they have fought and the message has been that they are all important and have been key to the...

Philippe Coutinho has vowed to stay at Liverpool next season after the club secured a spot for Champions League next season. The Brazilian star has been consistently linked with a move to Barcelona this summer, with some reports in Spain actually he had verbally agreed with the move to Nou Camp. But after the Reds beat Middlesbrough 3-0 on Sunday to secure their place in the Champions League qualifiers, Coutinho has made a big statement of intent over his future. Jurgen Klopp’s side will be seeded for the draw, ensuring a more favourable two-legged tie, and now look a strong bet to qualify for the competition proper.  Speaking to  ESPN Brasil  after the game, Coutinho strongly stressed his commitment to Merseyside. “I have a long contract with Liverpool,” he said. “Speculation is for journalists only. “We started the season very well, I started well. But then in the middle the performance regressed,” he added. “Then we bounced back, I finished the season at a high level. ...

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho claimed his men did “more than ok” as they struggled to a goalless draw against Southampton on Wednesday evening.  Sergio Romero saved first-half penalty  from Manolo Gabbiadini, while Anthony Martial clipped the post from range, but to say the truth the Red Devils present little going forward. United managed to get 47% possession on the south coast and one shot on target in their penultimate Premier League game with next Wednesday’s Europa League final surely playing on their minds. “We played a good team, a team who tried to win and tried to finish well. I think we did more than ok,” said Mourinho. “I think all of them gave me positive feelings. Sergio had a very good performance, more than very good. The team wasn’t perfect but individually they gave me good things. They showed me they want to be an option for the final.” When asked if his men came away unscathed tonight, he added: “I don’t know. Fellani hasn’t got a tear but he’s experi...

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has reportedly made Manchester United his next destination of choice amid fresh speculation his time at Bernanbeu has come to an end this summer. Bale has undergone something of a very disappointing season for Real, where he has made only  19 appearances in the La liga games because of series of niggling injuries and poor form. And with speculation piling up that Real boss Zinedine Zidane may likely  cash in on Bale and use the money to fund a move for Chelsea’s playmaker Eden Hazard, reports in Spain suggest the player has already made it known which club he sees himself next.  And while Bale’s choice is to remain at the Real, it is widely suggested that Bale does not want to walk through the exit door at the Galactico-laden side, but should the club’s hierarchy force through a move and accept an offer, then the he has little or no option to grab the chance. Truthfully, only Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United could afford to spend...

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger pleased that his side managed to take the race for a Champions League spot to the final day after beating Sunderland. A late minutes goal from top scorer Alexis Sanchez saw the Gunners overcome a stubborn Sunderland side at The Emirates and leaves them a point behind fourth-placed Liverpool with one game to go, while Man City are three points clear in third but have a better goal difference. Gunners will host Everton on Sunday, while Liverpool will battle Middlesbrough at home and City journey to Watford, but for now Wenger was just happy to get the win. He told BBC Sport: “We had plenty of shots on goal but we needed to be patient. We were frustrated at half-time not to be leading. “We made 71 points and were second. We now have 72 and want to go to 75. After that you deal with what happens. “We’ve got in on the final day many times. Sunderland fought and you want that in the Premier League – that’s what you want from every team. “We had a difficult patch...

James Rodriguez has been a target of Manchester United and looks increasingly likely to exit Real Madrid this summer - that is if what his step-father said is the truth.  The Colombia international has been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer according to reports suggesting he would be among a double £128m raid on Real Madrid from United's boss Jose Mourinho.  Media outlets claims a £64m deal for Rodriguez could be announced as early as Sunday. And the forward's stepdad, Juan Carlos Restrepo, reckons moving away from the Bernabeu for first-team football is the best move for Rodriguez. “I’m sure James knows about how few minutes he’s been getting,” he said on  Cadena SER “I, as a father, prefer him to be a starting player in a different team than being a substitute at Real Madrid.” But the midfielder's step-dad  does not think Rodriguez is being forced out of the team by Gareth Bale. “James gets into different areas of play, something you don’t get with Bal...

Dele Alli says he “can’t see many good places” to get better than under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham. The England star has become great possession  in just two spells at Spurs following his £5million move from MK Dons. Spanish giants Real Madrid are one of those to have been connected with Alli, who has netted 31 goals since landed in London.  Even though he admitted that it is impossible to predict the future, the 21-year-old insists he is happy to be a member of Pochettino's young squad who will reach the runners-up to Chelsea, the Premier League champions. “We all want to achieve stuff,” Alli said in a  Sky Sports   interview. “It’s a good place to be, and with the manager we’ve got here I can’t see many better places for me personally to improve. “It’s a fantastic club to be a part of. We’re all looking to learn together and build together and be as successful as we can. “You never say what’s going to happen in the future, no-one knows, no-one can predict it....

Sky Sports pundits have made their selections as far as this season is concerned. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher failed to agree when it came to selecting who they think deserve recognition during Monday Night Football. Both men were tasked with picking their best player, manager, goal and young player of the season, as well as the stand-out player to watch out for next season during the final edition of Monday Night Football of the campaign. The debate began with the player award, with both backing Chelsea players. Neville went for N’Golo Kante, while Carragher selected Blues playmaker, Eden Hazard. “I think he’s the best player in the league,” Carragher said of the Belgian. “There’s no doubt he had a massive drop off last season. “I think that [you have to pick] a player who gets you off the edge of your seat, I’ve gone for Hazard.” Neville disagreed, saying that Kante is “just a huge influence on this Chelsea team”. He added: “I saw the way they celebrated with him on Fri...

Pundit insists Barcelona have no plans to swoop Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool this summer, according to La Liga expert Guillem Balague. An article was published last week by Spanish publication Sport suggesting that the Brazilian player has verbally agreed to a move to the Nou Camp this summer, with Barcelona agreeing to pay Liverpool their asking clause of £76milion.  But the Reds Chief, Jurgen Klopp quickly insisted in a comment that Liverpool has no intention of selling their playmaker, Sky Sports pundit Ballague has put another dampener on the possibility of the deal ever taking place.  “This has turned into a weekly question,” Balague told  Sky Sports . “[Coutinho’s] entourage is clearly working to move him to the Nou Camp. “But there are different reasons why Barca will not go for him. “One is the cost and the other is they think he’s a forward rather than a midfielder. And of course they are completely sorted in attack. “They are looking for a different type of ...