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Ian Wright believes Newcastle United would be an ideal club for Marcus Rashford with his future at Manchester United in doubt.

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• Rashford has shone on loan at Aston Villa
• Villa have £40m option to sign him permanently
• Wright feels Newcastle should be in the mix.

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford has been urged to consider a move to Newcastle come the end of the season, as the ex-Arsenal star believes a link-up with Magpies talisman Isak would make for a frightening combination at St James’ Park.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford is on loan at Aston Villa until the end of the season having fallen out of favour under United manager Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.

  The England forward played just six times under Amorim following the Portuguese’s appointment in November. However, he was loaned to Villa in January and has thrived under Unai Emery, scoring four goals and registering six assists in 17 appearances.

  Villa have an option to buy Rashford for £40 million ($53m) but have still decide whether to use it. Rashford is under contract at United until 2028, but there are doubts whether he would be able to force his way back into Amorim’s plans.

• WHAT WRIGHT SAID

  Wright told the podcast of a possible deal for Rashford: “It’s the kind of signing Newcastle should be making.

  “That would be amazing. That would be dangerous. Rashford at Newcastle? Yeah. That would be really good. I really like that for Rashford. Rashford at Newcastle can be dangerous.”

  Asked if there was any possibility of Rashford returning to United, Wright replied: “Nope. No chance.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  The immediate focus for Rashford is Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace. Neither Villa nor Newcastle will be thinking about the transfer window yet, as they are each involved in a tight battle for Champions League football. Newcastle occupy the fifth and final qualification spot and have two-point lead over Villa in seventh with a game in hand.

  Similarly, United will be concentrated on their quest to reach the Champions League by winning the Europa League. The Red Devils face Athletic Club in the first leg of their semi-final tie next Thursday.

  There could be competition for Rashford’s services from Barcelona, who have been credited with an interest. Newcastle are in need of better strength in depth behind Isak and, like United, have been linked with Ipswich striker Liam Delap.

One club tabled a £10m offer on transfer deadline day in an effort to prise a player out of Leeds United ahead of the final part of the Championship season, it has been revealed.

Leeds enjoy quiet window

As Leeds United boss Daniel Farke largely predicted, it was a quiet January transfer window for Leeds United. The club’s only business was to agree the temporary exit of Joe Gelhardt, who joined Hull City for the remainder of the campaign as he searched for regular first team football. Having already recruited Josuha Guilavogui earlier in the season as a free agent, Leeds felt that they did not need to be forced into business.

Their results backed that up, with the Whites currently clear atop the Championship while boasting the best attack and second best defence in the division, and they remain well on course for automatic promotion back to the Premier League come the end of the campaign, a fact underlined by an impressive January on the pitch.

There was scope to bring in a player, but only if it was the right player, as Farke outlined after their 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City.

“I think it is also our responsibility, as key people in the club, to explore if there is something to improve the group a bit and make it a higher probability we are successful”, the Leeds boss explained. “If we find something and think it’s a good addition and affordable, we will go for it. And if not, then no.”

That player appeared to be Southampton forward Cameron Archer, but the Saints would not budge on their position even as Leeds pushed for a deal, leaving them empty-handed come the deadline. And now, details of a late move for a Leeds player have emerged.

Leeds reject forward bid

That is according to the BBC, who report that Leeds were offered the chance to cash in on impressive young talent Mateo Joseph on deadline day. Spanish outfit Real Betis, who signed Antony on loan from Manchester United this January, tabled a £10m bid to take Joseph back to Spain in the dying hours of the transfer window.

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However, it was swiftly rejected by the Elland Road outfit because the forward was “deemed too important to be let go”, in a move that was in part influenced by “the club’s inability to secure the services” of Archer.

Though he has only started 11 Championship games this season, Farke has previously branded Joseph as an “excellent” forward and the Spanish U21 international has had a key impact from the bench, featuring in all but one of Leeds’ clashes to date.

He scored from the bench in their 7-0 win over Cardiff, his third of the season, to go alongside three assists despite his limited opportunities at Elland Road. Still with three years left to run on his £15,000 a week deal in Yorkshire, his future could be revisited in the summer but for now he remains a key figure for the Whites.

A rumoured managerial target for Leeds United has addressed the rumours ahead of a Europa League clash with Tottenham.

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• Leeds considering replacing Farke
• Rumoured target addresses rumours
• Plays Tottenham in the Europa League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bodo-Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen takes his side to north London on Thursday night for the first leg of the semi-final but was asked in the build-up about a potential move to the newly-promoted Premier League side. Knutsen claimed the move is not yet on his radar but did not rule out the interest that has been reported by the BBC.

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  WHAT KNUTSEN SAID

  Asked if he had thought about the rumours, Knutsen said: "No, not at all. I really want the players to reach their potential.
  I think you have to live in the present. If you want to be good, you have to be good today. Thinking about what lies far ahead, then you lose the most important thing."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Leeds can wrap up the Championship title on Saturday but are considering a move to replace Farke as they aim to buck the trend of teams struggling to deal with the step up from the Championship to the Premier League. The last six promoted teams have been relegated straight away, and Leeds are said to be pondering a radical change of approach.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KNUTSEN?

  Knutsen has impressed with his work at Bodo-GLimt for several seasons and has often been linked with vacant Premier League positions. Should he lead his side to victory over Tottenham in the two-legged Europa League tie, his stock will be at an all-time high.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now submitted a £17m bid to sign an “exceptional” midfielder before the deadline, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Wolves set for busy deadline day

Wolves moved out of the Premier League relegation zone after a 2-0 victory against Aston Villa on Saturday and now sit two points clear of the bottom three, but there is still a long way to go until the end of the season.

As such, the Old Gold have been working hard to bring in reinforcements before the transfer deadline, and they are particularly keen to seal a deal for a new centre-back, owing to their poor defensive record this term, shipping 52 goals in 24 games.

Kevin Danso has been one of the main targets throughout the January transfer window, but it looks as though the Wanderers could be set to miss out on the Lens defender, with Tottenham Hotspur poised to complete a late hijack.

Vitor Pereira will therefore have to reconsider his options at centre-back, but defence is not the only position in which the manager is looking to strengthen, with signing a new midfielder also on the agenda.

Romano has now reported Wolves have submitted an initial bid worth €20m (£17m) to sign Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Volodymyr Brazhko, with negotiations still ongoing.

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There is seemingly a good chance a deal could be possible, too, as Brazhko is said to be keen on a move to the Premier League.

Brazhko impressing in Ukraine

The 23-year-old has put in some top-quality performances in his native country this season, cementing his place in the starting XI and displaying a keen eye for goal by scoring three times in 13 league outings.

Ahead of Euro 2024, the maestro also received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who praised him for his defensive abilities and passing.

Although Wolves kept a clean sheet last time out, they retain one of the worst defensive records in the league, so a new midfielder should definitely be the priority before the deadline, and it is exciting news they have now been linked with Axel Disasi.

However, Brazhko’s performances in Ukraine indicate he could be a solid addition for the Old Gold in midfield, and at 23 he is at a good age to be a long-term success at Molineux.

Jorge Sampaoli has attempted to explain his comment in which he claimed Ousmane Dembele "plays like an autistic" person.

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• Sampaoli issued formal apology
• Remarks were made during Euro 2024
• Samapoli claims he is 'very emotional'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sampaoli apologised last summer after claiming that Dembele "plays like an autistic" at Euro 2024. The former Argentina boss claimed that Dembele "only has the ability to make himself shine" but, at the time, he appeared to realise he had made an unacceptable comment.

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  Now, though, Sampaoli has re-litigated the issue, claiming that he expressed himself badly, but he has again claimed Dembele is too selfish. In a rather confusing explanation, the manager has also claimed the Paris Saint-Germain star is capable of being one of the best players in the world.

• WHAT JORGE SAMPAOLI SAID

  Sampaoli said to : "I was very bad at expressing myself. I'm very emotional and passionate, and all I wanted to say was that Dembele isn't an association player. He looks at his opponents and the goal much more than his team-mates. For me, he's one of the best in the world, but in a context like Barca's, where association is necessary, he isolates himself and doesn't perform as well. He plays his game, he does it very well, but I attach a lot of importance to authority and association football."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  PSG face Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. Dembele scored the only goal in the first leg, giving the French side a 1-0 lead for the second leg at Parc des Princes.

CBS will look to build on the record viewership in the Champions League final on May 31, as Inter take on PSG in Munich

• CBS Sports achieves unprecedented viewership
• Inter Milan versus Barcelona match tightly contested
• Averages 1.278 million viewers, up 24% from last year

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  Tuesday's UEFA Champions League semifinal between Inter Milan and Barcelona on CBS attracted an average of 1.278 million viewers, setting a U.S. record for the most-watched non-final Champions League match in English.

  Viewership peaked during extra time with 1.735 million viewers tuning in to watch the thrilling conclusion between the two European giants as Inter reached their second Champions League final in three years.

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• WHAT CBS SPORTS POSTED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This record viewership represents a significant 24 percent increase over to last year's comparable semifinal match. The unprecedented viewership figures come at a time when soccer continues its rapid growth in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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• WHAT’S NEXT?

  CBS Sports will look to build on the record viewership in the Champions League final on May 31, as Inter take on PSG in Munich.

Newcastle United will hope to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend, meeting Birmingham City in the Midlands.

Eddie Howe’s side are also battling to lift gold in England’s other top domestic competition, meeting Liverpool at Wembley in March’s final, and it’s all pointing toward a rather exciting business end to the 2024/25 campaign.

It didn’t always feel like it was going to be a barnstorming campaign for the Magpies, who had trundled out of the gates after a disappointing summer of spending.

But, fronted by the brilliant Alexander Isak, United are poised for a return to European competition and indeed have another shot at silverware, seeking to end a 70-year drought.

Isak is the key.

Alexander Isak's season in numbers

Mention the name Isak to Alan Shearer and you’ll get a stream of effusions about one of the best centre-forwards to have ever graced the Premier League pitch.

After all the ballyhoo, though, Isak truly is one of the finest goalscorers in the business, with Shearer labelling him as a “world-class assassin” during one recent striker-to-striker interview.

Newcastle’s stunning two-legged victory over Arsenal to set up a Carabao Cup final with Liverpool is all the buzz on Tyneside at the moment, but justly so.

Perhaps the biggest testament that could be bestowed upon the Sweden star’s skill set would be that he didn’t score or assist against Arsenal on Tuesday evening but still earned the roaring support of St. James’ Park and beyond, putting in a complete display that many other top strikers fail to produce.

He’s one of a kind, and Newcastle fans treasure the knowledge that he leads their line. However, PIF might never have authorised his sale had things worked out better with Chris Wood, who fell by the wayside in black and white but has since picked himself back up.

Why Newcastle sold Chris Wood

When Howe was anointed as Steve Bruce’s replacement, significant changes were made. It was January 2022. Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn reinforced the backline; Bruno Guimaraes marked a Galactico-esque addition to the midfield.

Newcastle were embroiled in a relegation battle but felt that they could leap from the pit of the Premier League with well-worked investment, and Wood was also targeted to strengthen the striking department.

Burnley’s talisman had been a consistent source of goals under Sean Dyche and was signed for a sizeable £25m fee, but he failed to replicate his solid striking record under Howe’s leadership.

Pundit Tam McManus commented that Wood looked “a bit lost” during his St. James’ Park stay, failing to slot into the frontal position with the kind of fluency that has been evidenced with other English clubs.

Despite reaching double figures in all four of his full Premier League campaigns with the Clarets, Wood only managed to notch five strikes across 39 fixtures for Newcastle, with his target-man-like style not quite working in Howe’s set-up.

The New Zealand native was only ever a stop-gap, and United chiefs will be happy to have convinced Nottingham Forest to pay £15m to take him off their hands.

They will be less chuffed, however, with his success over the past two campaigns.

Chris Wood's incredible campaign

Wood joined Forest on loan in January 2023, with his move turning permanent the following summer. The 33-year-old’s journey at the City Ground has been remarkable, posting 33 goals across just 67 appearances.

Last season, the Kiwi striker provided Forest with the perfect focal presence as they fought to stave off relegation from the Premier League, Nuno Espirito Santo replacing Steve Cooper before Christmas.

The Tricky Trees did their job, with Wood scoring 14 goals across 31 top-flight matches. However, few – if any – will have foreseen Wood’s incredible performances this season,

The fact that Wood is scoring as many as Isak in the Premier League bears testament to his experience and success as the spear-point of Nuno’s high-flying Forest side.

Last time out in the Premier League, Forest decimated Brighton & Hove Albion, putting seven past the South Coast side. Naturally, the 6 foot 3 titan claimed a hat-trick.

Digging deeper into the forward’s brilliance, Wood has triumphed with a balanced approach to his shooting, scoring nine Premier League goals with his right foot, six with his head and two with his left, as per Sofascore. This level of protean threat has given Nuno the perfect focal point, capable of scoring from every which way.

Wood actually ranks among the top 10% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref, highlighting the quality that Newcastle saw in him. He differs greatly from Isak but could have been the perfect foil in a fully functioning Howe system.

With Callum Wilson barely featuring this term as he succumbs to injury problems and approaches the end of his contract and the 21-year-old William Osula, signed from Sheffield United for a £15m fee last summer – yet to start in the English top-flight as he continues to develop – this would have been quite the dimension – perhaps proving the difference-maker in a side that is already riding the crest of a wave.

Wood’s failure to hit the mark on Tyneside doesn’t really matter now that Isak is banging them in for fun, but he earned a big wage at £80k per week and Newcastle lost £10m in straight transfer funding on a player who offered very little.

That said, the new era was bound to have one or two blunders on the market, and the overall success of the strategy has negated the fumble with this one.

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Despite welcoming Kevin Danso during the January transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly ready to offer a deal worth £15m to sign another new centre-back this summer.

Tottenham transfer news

Even after the January transfer window, Spurs are in desperate need for further reinforcements when the summer transfer window arrives. Ange Postecoglou has been forced to create internal solutions amid an injury crisis this season and only managed to welcome the likes of James Maddison back to his side in an important 1-0 victory over Manchester United last time out.

Speaking about his side’s injuries following comparisons with Manchester United, Postecoglou told reporters after Spurs’ victory: “Man Utd with many injured players? If I check my office, I don’t have any sympathy cards from other coaches

“He (Amorim)’s had to play players out of position and have kids on the bench. Welcome to my world. It’s one game. Try doing that for two months.”

In a season full of frustration, it’s chairman Daniel Levy who has found himself at the centre of blame and he must now make up for things in the summer transfer window.

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According to Roma Forever, Tottenham are now ready to offer an €18m (£15m) deal to sign Gianluca Mancini from AS Roma in an attempt to add further depth to their backline this summer.

Having signed Danso in January, the Lilywhites at least got a head start on their pursuit of further depth, but one will not be enough amid the consistent injury issues of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

It’s become clear as the campaign has progressed that Postecoglou may well need to find a fresh partnership altogether, particularly as Van de Ven continues to struggle on the comeback front.

Mancini could end Tottenham's struggles

Spurs are desperate for a summer reset which could see as many as five natural centre-backs all compete for a place under Postecoglou if Mancini joins Danso, Romero, Van de Ven and Radu Dragusin. It’s the type of competition that the Australian so desperately needs and the type which could see the aforementioned Roma man come out on top next to Romero.

Whilst Romero is more robust, as the numbers suggest, Mancini’s ability to progress play is a crucial trait to hold under Postecoglou and would quickly see him rise up the pecking order in North London.

Earning a reported £104,000-a-week at Roma, it will be interesting to see if Mancini is lured away from the Italian club and become the latest central defender tasked with solving Spurs’ problems.

For £15m, meanwhile, Spurs would be getting a summer bargain in the form of an experienced defender. With Levy under mounting pressure too, he could certainly do with getting things right on the transfer front.

Ex-Germany stars Lothar Matthaus and Didi Hamann have claimed that Florian Wirtz will become a fan favourite at Liverpool after he joins the club.

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• Wirtz set to reject Bayern for Liverpool
• Matthaus and Hamann understand decision
• Hamann feels that Wirtz will be Liverpool favourite

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wirtz has been one of Europe's most sought-after players ever since the German youngster starred in Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga title win last season. Manchester City and Bayern Munich had been discussed as the most likely destination for Wirtz, however, progress has been made over the last few weeks by Liverpool to sign him, and they have reportedly agreed on personal terms with the 22-year-old.

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  Matthaus and Hamann have claimed that they understand why Wirtz has seemingly decided to reject the opportunity to stay in Germany with Bayern Munich in favour of heading to Liverpool. The former Bayern stars have also claimed that Wirtz could become a fan favourite at Anfield in the coming years.

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  WHAT MATTHAUS AND HAMANN SAID

  Speaking with , Matthaus said: "He's taking on a big challenge. It's not just a new club. It's a new mentality, a new language. But: This step also shows that he's not afraid. Florian Wirtz believes in himself 100 percent – and rightly so. I have absolute confidence in him that he will succeed at Liverpool and in the Premier League."

  Hamann then interjected: "Liverpool is a global club. They demonstrated that during the negotiations. We've had contact for a long time, and we've never heard anything. That certainly impressed the Wirtz family as well. Discreet, quiet, everything in the background."

  Speculating about why Wirtz rejected Bayern, Hamann added: "Perhaps that was also a consideration: At FC Bayern, Jamal Musiala is actually the number 10. Perhaps he doesn't want to share the position."

  Matthaus also speculated about the reasons for Wirtz's rejection, saying: "Liverpool doesn't yet have that kind of game-changing player in his position."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ?

  Wirtz is set to seal the deal with Liverpool soon, as the Premier League champions are said to be in the final part of their discussions with Bayer Leverkusen.

The Philippe Clement era at Rangers is over.

Last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat at the hands of St Mirren, the Buddies’ first victory at Ibrox since 1991, proved to be the Belgian’s 86th and final match in charge, enjoying 55 victories but unable to lead the Gers to a 56th title.

His sacking was announced a week ago before, the following morning, it was confirmed that Barry Ferguson, who made 410 appearances for the club, will be in interim charge until the end of the season, assisted by a trio of fellow-former Rangers players, namely Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.

Given that, as noted by Graham Ruthven of the Total Soccer Show, Ferguson has no pedigree as a top-level manager, previously taking charge of Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic with mixed success, he’s unlikely to get the job permanently.

So, should Rangers’ potential new investors, namely Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises, look to a manager from farther afield, with Pep Guardiola’s approval no less, as Clement’s long-term successor?

What went wrong for Philippe Clement at Ibrox

Ever since Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park, beaten at Ibrox in that competition by a team from a lower division for the first time ever, it was only a matter of time until Clement lost his job.

With his team also currently 16 points adrift run-away Premiership leaders Celtic, speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart said he could not see how Clement could survive such an historic cup shock.

Meantime, speaking on the Scottish Football Show, Findlay Marks believes Clement has been a ‘dead man walking’ ever since that cup exit, adding that while the Belgian is clearly a good manager, he ‘never figured out… how to play in Scotland’.

Clement failed to win any of his first six Glasgow derbies, two of which came in cup finals, another reason why Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman believed ‘most Rangers-minded individuals wanted him gone’ a while ago.

With Rangers marooned in second spot in the Premiership, not going to catch Celtic and equally unlikely to be overtaken by Aberdeen, they can start planning for next season, which they know will commence on 22 or 23 July with the first leg of a Champions League qualifier.

By then, the Light Blues could have new owners, given that 49ers Enterprises are attempting to purchase a ‘controlling stake’ in the club, as reported by Jordan Campbell of the Athletic, so should they look to the other side of the world for their first managerial hire?

Manager Focus

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Rangers' ideal Clement successor

According to David Irvine of the National, Kevin Muscat is currently third-favourite to be the next Rangers manager, having been interviewed for the job back in October 2023, when Clement was appointed instead, a decision that left him ‘disappointed’.

As a player, Muscat made 26 appearances for Rangers in the 2002/03 season, also representing Crystal Palace, Wolves, Millwall as well as various clubs across Australia, infamously deemed to be too hot-headed by manager Alex McLeish to play in an Old Firm.

He’s since become something of a globe trotter in management, in charge of Melbourne Victory for six years, winning two A-League titles, before a brief stint as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

After little over a dozen matches in charge of Sint-Truiden in Belgium, he then succeeded Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos, after his compatriot became Celtic head coach, winning the J1 League in 2022.

Since December 2023, Muscat has been in charge of Shanghai Port in China, winning the Chinese Super League and Chinese FA Cup double last season, beating Shandong Taishan 3-1 in November’s final in Wenzhou, as he pointed out himself, achieving the club’s very first double.

“Guardiola has approved of Kevin Muscat’s high-tempo attacking football” as noted by digital producer Sacha Pisani, with the Manchester City boss saying of Muscat’s Yokohama side “wow… they are dynamic in their process, the build-up, everything they do. I like it.”

So, let’s see how he compares to Clement.

As the table underlines, Muscat has won a league title in three different countries, not many can boast that, while his Shanghai Port side won last season’s Chinese Super League title with a record-breaking 78 points, dropping only 12 points all year.

Thus, the 51-year-old’s pedigree means he has to be a serious candidate to fill the current vacancy at Ibrox.

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