Saturday news (includes West Ham)

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Thanks Alan 2:55 Sat May 18

[Thanks Alan]

North Bank 2:35 Sat May 18

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Thanks Alan

[Alan]

"BBC Newcastle United are willing to pay £15m for Arsenal's 26-year-old England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. (Telegraph) Crystal Palace and Fulham have sent scouts to watch Fiorentina's 27-year-old Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who is on loan at Manchester United. (Sun) Manchester United may have to give captain and Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 29, a pay rise from his current £230,000-a-week contract if they want to keep him. (Star) Manchester United will turn down any offers for Fernandes this summer. (Caught Offside) Manchester United have been offered the opportunity to appoint long-term target Massimiliano Allegri after he was sacked as Juventus manager.(Express) Bayern Munich's top candidate to replace Thomas Tuchel as manager this summer is Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi. (Bild - in German) Manchester United are willing to pay £55m for 21-year-old English defender Jarrad Branthwaite, but Everton want £80m. (Givemesport) AC Milan are optimistic of signing Bologna's 22-year-old Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee but face competition from Arsenal.(Calciomercato - in Italian) Everton will continue negotiating with Leeds United to keep English midfielder Jack Harrison, 27, next season. (Yorkshire Post) Wolves are poised to sign Southampton and Scotland forward Che Adams, 27, on a free transfer despite interest from Everton and Leeds United.(Teamtalk) Celtic hope Champions League football will be enough to tempt QPR's 26-year-old English defender Jake Clarke-Salter to join. Crystal Palace, Burnley and Bournemouth are likely to be able to offer higher wages. (Football Insider) English goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, 34, has had his contract discussions put on hold by Southampton amid reported interest from Celtic.(Football Scotland) Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is expected to sign a new contract despite interest from Premier League clubs. (Telegraph) Lens manager Franck Haise is interested in departing Manchester United defender Raphael Varane, but they may not be able to afford his wages. The 31-year-old former France international began his career at Lens. (L'Equipe - in French) Real Madrid have reached an agreement with 38-year-old Croatia midfielder Luka Modric to extend his contract by a year on reduced wages. (Onda Madrid via Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish) AC Milan have made contact with Lille manager Paulo Fonseca, who wants to replace Stefano Pioli at San Siro. (Fabrizio Romano) Sky Paper Talk DAILY STAR Manchester United could be forced to hand Bruno Fernandes a bumper new deal to keep him at Old Trafford. DAILY TELEGRAPH Chelsea have increased the price of general admission season tickets for the first time in 13 years - the first hike of the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly regime. Newcastle United are pushing ahead with a deal to sign Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in the first move of what promises to be a busy summer of ins and outs at St James' Park. Michael Carrick is expected to sign a new deal at Middlesbrough and commit his future to the club after interest from the Premier League. DAILY MAIL Declan Rice has claimed that it's England's 'time' to win a major trophy ahead of next month's European Championships. Ruben Amorim's move to Liverpool from Sporting Lisbon reportedly fell through due to a dispute over his release clause. Gary O'Neil has backed Wolves' bid to abolish VAR in its current form and claimed every Premier League manager has problems with the system. DAILY MIRROR Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, currently the club's longest serving player, has announced his Gunners exit. Vincent Kompany claims Burnley will announce the future of their out-of-contract players next week. THE GUARDIAN Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he could have been sacked after Chelsea's humiliating 4-2 defeat at home to Wolves in February. THE SUN Harry Kane has given England a massive Euro 2024 scare as he is currently injured with a back problem. Manchester United star Jadon Sancho is in line for an awkward encounter with Erik ten Hag - after the winger splashed out on a stunning mansion round the corner from where his manager lives. Sofyan Amrabat is set to remain in the Premier League next season - with or without Manchester United with Crystal Palace and Fulham both having watched the midfielder. Gary O'Neil says some managers would not want to work in the ""tough and difficult"" financial circumstances at Wolves. Anthony Joshua will leap in and fight Saturday night's undisputed winner - if Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk's opener is a one-sided show. THE TIMES Barcelona look set to sack their head coach Xavi less than a month after he decided to stay at the club, having been poised to quit at the end of the season. The FA's chief executive, Mark Bullingham, has said it will keep VAR for the FA Cup even if the Premier League stops using the system. Caught Offside Unwanted West Ham player could be forced to return to club due to difficult circumstances Posted by Jake Staniland The much-anticipated transfer deal to secure Said Benrahma’s loan move from West Ham to Lyon on a permanent basis hangs in the balance, threatened by a dark cloud ensnaring the French club. Lyon, equipped with a £15 million option to buy Benrahma, find themselves navigating through unexpected hurdles, putting the deal on the brink of collapse. Contrary to widespread assumption, Lyon’s option to purchase Benrahma stands as a choice, not an obligation. However, Lyon’s current predicament, ensnared in a transfer embargo, poses a formidable obstacle. The club awaits a potential lifeline this summer, hoping for the lifting of the embargo to proceed with securing Benrahma’s services permanently. Lyon’s financial affairs have drawn scrutiny from France’s football financial watchdog, DNCG, due to irregularities in the budget presented by Lyon’s leadership under John Textor. Said Benrahma’s permanent transfer from West Ham to Lyon remains unclear Without the DNCG’s green light, Lyon remain unable to recruit new players permanently, including exercising their option on Benrahma. Despite the regulatory hurdles, Benrahma’s performance on the pitch has been nothing short of stellar, particularly after overcoming a rocky start in Ligue 1. His remarkable form has earned him a regular place in Lyon’s first team, prompting the club’s keenness to seal the deal. However, should Lyon falter in securing the necessary permissions, Benrahma faces the prospect of returning to West Ham. The potential return to West Ham poses its own set of uncertainties, especially under the incoming stewardship of Julen Lopetegui. Whether Benrahma’s departure would align with Lopetegui’s plans remains speculative, yet it could also impact West Ham’s financial strategy. The £15 million earmarked for Benrahma’s transfer could have been pivotal in bolstering the club’s transfer budget, thus complicating their offseason plans. Benrahma himself has previously shed light on his departure from West Ham, citing Lyon’s genuine interest as a decisive factor. Speaking to Telefoot, Benrahma expressed his conviction in joining Lyon, emphasising the support he feels from the city itself. Arsenal blog Luis Brown confirms Arsenal departure with defender set to join West Ham Defender Luis Brown has confirmed that he will be leaving Arsenal when his scholarship contract expires at the end of next month. The 18-year-old, who progressed all the way through the ranks at the club’s Hale End academy, wasn’t offered a professional contract by the Gunners. Brown has been training with West Ham United and is now expected to sign for the Hammers. During his time at Arsenal Brown, who can play at left-back or centre-back, made 31 appearances for the U18s, scoring three goals. He often captained the team last season. Brown also made his Premier League 2 debut as a substitute against Southampton and was named on the bench in the UEFA Youth League."