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BBC
Chelsea are keeping tabs on Arsenal's 27-year-old Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who has only one year left on his current contract and is yet to commit to a new deal. (Mirror)
Barcelona believe Andres Iniesta will leave the club to join a team in China when the 33-year-old's contract runs out at the end of the season. (Sport)
Juventus have held a meeting with Anthony Martial's agents. The Italian club are determined to sign Manchester United's 22-year-old France forward. (Premium Sport - in Italian)
Chelsea fear forward Eden Hazard and keeper Thibaut Courtois could follow boss Antonio Conte in leaving the club if they fail to finish in the top four. The Belgium internationals are both likely to targeted by Real Madrid, with Paris St-Germain also watching closely. (Mirror)
Real Betis believe Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere encouraged their interest in him as part of a strategy to get a good deal in new contract negotiations with the Gunners. (Sun)
Manchester United cancelled a players' trip to the Cheltenham Festival after the side's Champions League exit on Tuesday. (Independent)
Asked whether he plans to feature for Sweden at this summer's World Cup, Manchester United's 36-year-old striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said: "If I want to, I'll be there." (Daily Mail)
Ex-Romania striker Adrian Mutu, who played under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, has claimed Ibrahimovic is not really injured but is out of the Manchester United team because of a dispute with the Portuguese. (Telekom Sport - in Romanian)
Arsenal plan to hand their 25-year-old Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny a new contract. (Mirror)
Danny Ward's passport was lost in the post during his application for a Chinese visa and the 24-year-old Liverpool goalkeeper will be unable to travel with Wales for the China Cup as a result. (Times - subscription required)
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold intend to attend the club's next home match despite the violent fan protests at London Stadium last week. (Sun)
Five members of stadium security were injured by Marseille fans who had travelled for Thursday's Europa League match at Spanish side Athletic Bilbao. (El Periodico - in Spanish)
Between 100 and 150 Lyon 'ultras' attacked police outside the French team's home stadium before Thursday's Europa League tie with CSKA Moscow. (L'Equipe - in French)
Spanish prosecutors are calling for former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso, now retired, to be jailed for eight and a half years for tax fraud. (El Mundo - in Spanish)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Simon Burnton
First they tried to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, an Arsenal player whose contract was coming towards its end, and then they signed Ross Barkley, whose contract was also coming towards its end, and Olivier Giroud, an Arsenal player. Now Chelsea’s next target as they focus their recruitment efforts on domestic players who are approaching out-of-contract status and ideally also play for Arsenal is Aaron Ramsey. The midfielder’s current deal at the Emirates Stadium runs to the end of next season, with talks over a renewal yet to begin, allowing their London rivals to start dreaming of another potential bargain.
But perhaps they should worry about their own players’ contracts, with a fog of rumour gradually building around Thibaut Courtois, who will be available for nothing in the summer of 2019 and thus a potential bargain for someone as early as this summer. With Eden Hazard disgruntled about how poorly the team has played this season, and allegedly ready to leave should they miss out on the top four, plus Antonio Conte almost certain to depart, this could be a summer of bewildering change at Stamford Bridge.
The Fiver: the Guardian's take on the world of football
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Talking of goalkeepers, there’s some confusion about the future of Roma’s Alisson. According to L’Equipe, the Giallorossi have identified Toulouse’s highly-rated 19-year-old Alban-Marc Lafont as his potential replacement, encouraging those teams – primarily Liverpool, Napoli and Paris St-Germain, though Real Madrid have suddenly emerged as credible suitors – who want to sign the 25-year-old Brazilian. But then according to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma are locking Alisson inside a notional fortress and raising the drawbridge – or, in plainer terms, offering him a bumper new contract with a massive release clause – having no desire to let him leave for at least another year or so. And while on the subject of Italian clubs, Juventus have started to raise funds ahead of a summer swoop for Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, having been led to believe that they can have him for a mere £57m as United try to raise funds for yet another summer blowout transfer splurge.
Good news for firework salesmen everywhere: Mario Balotelli is about to be on the move again! After two years at Nice, and an impressive 22 first-team goals this season, his contract is up in the summer and according to Tuttosport Napoli and Roma are both interested in a fee-free transfer, despite the Nice president, Jean-Pierre Rivère, claiming just yesterday that “he won’t leave for nothing” because of some kind of mysterious “written deal” with the player and his agent – a certain Mino Raiola.
In managerial news, the former Liverpool defender Didi Hamann – who is German, so should know – says Bayern Munich want Mauricio Pochettino to be their next manager. A few months back, Tottenham’s manager declared that “I hope to stay 10 or 15 years here”, but Bayern have not been offput and according to Hamann “might still be” in contact with the talented tactician.
HITC
Ex-Chelsea director Christian Purslow delivers verdict on West Ham finances, makes bold prediction on future
Damien Lucas
West Ham are a club in crisis on and off the pitch as David Moyes' side have gone off the rails of late.
Losing three games on the bounce and conceding 11 goals in the process has seen the Hammers dragged into the thick of the relegation battle.
The 3-0 home defeat to Burnley last time out saw fan unrest come to a head with supporters invading the pitch to protest against the way the club has been run by co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and vice-chairman Karren Brady.
Homegrown Hammer and captain Mark Noble was seen rugby tackling one of the fans while another took the corner flag and planted it in the centre circle in scenes reminiscent of the Bonds scheme protests back in 1992.
The club don't play again for three weeks when they take on Southampton at the London Stadium in an an absolute must win if they are to have any realistic hope of surviving.
West Ham face Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester City and Everton in six of their last seven games.
If they do manage to stay up the club will find itself at a serious crossroads in the summer.
Fans want big changes or preferably a change of ownership after broken promises over transfers, ambition and the move to the former Olympic Stadium.
And business guru Christian Purslow, the former managing director of Liverpool and Chelsea, has made a prediction that will be music to supporters' ears when appearing as a guest on Sky Sports' The Debate.
"The club made - they've just announced their results - £43 million of profit in their first year, so that's last season, that's £43 million of profit, after tax, after interest," Purslow told The Debate, after reading through the club's accounts.
"Most normal companies, and let me tell you because this (business) is my world, a company making £40m of profit - if that's sustainable which means in football if you say you're going to be in the Premier League indefinitely that's a £3-400m company, so as a strictly business matter they've made a fortune.
"They're not young men, they may sell the business.
"They could spend significantly more, if they wanted to, on wages given that profit.
"I think if they stay up then there's got to be a very good chance that the owners look to sell the club."
Football London
Heidel, Overmars, Campos - the Director of Football candidates who could revolutionise West Ham
West Ham are reportedly ready to make sweeping changes in the summer and a director of football is on the agenda
By Sam Inkersole
It's something that a fair few West Ham fans have been clamouring for and it appears they might get their wish this summer as the Hammers look to recruit a Director of Football.
According to reports, the club already has an experienced person in mind for the role and will approach that person to fill in once the season is finished and the club are, hopefully, still a Premier League team.
Co-chairman David Sullivan revealed last month he would be taking a step back from being the chief transfer negotiator for West Ham. It was he, along with former director of player recruitment Tony Henry and either Slaven Bilic or David Moyes that would identify transfer targets and attempt to bring them to the club.
Henry was fired in disgrace in February over claims he said the club would not sign any more African players, while Sullivan's negotiating tactics have come under heavy heat after failed moves for William Carvalho and Leander Dendoncker - two defensive midfield players the club desperately needed then and now.
Sullivan appears to have now decided the time is right for him to step back, with this summer proving absolutely crucial if the club remain in the Premier League to spark a radical overhaul at the club after two extremely testing seasons since moving to the stadium. Whether he truly takes a backwards step remains to be seen,
So, who are the potential candidates that could revolutionise a club struggling to adapt to new surroundings, having issues on and off the pitch and hopefully get the team up the right end of the table once again?
Luis Campos
A highly-regarded talent spotter, Campos is currently sporting director at Lille in France but was a huge driving force behind the recent success of AS Monaco and was a scout for Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.
The Monaco side Campos helped put together was sensational as he spearheaded the signings of Joao Moutinho, James Rodriguez, Bernardo Silva, Djibril Sidibe, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko and bringing through Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar.
Chelsea have been linked with swooping for Campos but if West Ham were to beat them to it, he could work wonders and is considered one of the best in Europe at his job.
Andoni Zubizarreta
The former Spanish goalkeeper is currently at Marseille as sporting director and held the same role at Barcelona between 2010 and 2015 before he was sacked for making "transfer mistakes" - that might not sit well with West Ham fans reading this but many feel he was made a scapegoat for Barca's issues back in 2015.
The Spaniard is currently battling with questions over Marseille's signing of Kostas Mitroglu and letting go Bafetimbi Gomis, who is tearing up the Turkish League this season, but he is still held in high regard for the job he did at the Nou Camp before he was eventually let go.
Marcel Brands
The PSV man has taken the club from being mid-table mediocrity to title challengers in recent seasons in the Eredivisie. Brands has taken a strong interest in PSV's academy, recruiting talented young players and bringing them through, such as Santiago Arias and Hirving Loano.
He has been linked with moves to both Everton and Chelsea and is one of the most sought-after properties for DoF/Sporting Director roles in Europe.
Marc Overmars
The former Arsenal winger is currently director of football at Ajax and is credited with helping steer the club to the Europa League final last season along with manager Peter Bosz, where they were eventually beaten by Manchester United.
Under Overmars' watch, the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Justin Kluivert have come through the ranks, while he has been credited with making the move for Hakim Ziyech.
Arsenal however are reportedly favourites to recruit Overmars should he leave Holland.
Christian Heidel
The German, currently at Schalke, has a track record of basically getting things right, which is something that should be listened to when West Ham are looking for their new director of football.
It was Heidel who convinced Jurgen Klopp to retire from the game and take up a role in management and join Mainz, who he got promoted into the Bundesliga.
Not content with Klopp, Heidel then asked Thomas Tuchel to do the same job after Mainz were relegated and Klopp went to Borussia Dortmund and got it right again as the German side were promoted once again.
He's now cementing himself as one of the best directors in the game at Schalke and would be a real coup for the Hammers if they brought him in.
Damien Comolli
Comolli will be well known to Premier League fans having taken on director of football roles at both Tottenham and Liverpool, being hit and miss at both. Comolli brought Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson and Raul Meireles to Anfield but also signed the likes of Andy Carroll for a huge fee and Charlie Adam.
He had several disagreements with former Spurs manager Martin Jol over transfer strategy though he did have some hits in North London, bringing Gareth Bale to the club from Southampton and also Luka Modric and Dimitar Berbatov.
Experienced and fluent in a number of langauges, Comolli wouldn't be a surprising appointment given how he knows the Premier League especially.
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