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LEEDS UNITED MAKE OFFER FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN’S LEON BAILEY.

Leeds United have reportedly made an offer for Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey, according to European sources.

Bailey has become one of the most sought after Bundesliga youngsters over the past few seasons and could finally be moving to the Premier League after another successful season at the BayArena.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is on a mission to strengthen his forward line ahead of their first Premier League season in 16 years, with the club also reportedly interested in signing Valencia striker Rodrigo, as a possible upgrade on Patrick Bamford.

Bailey is a predominantly left footed winger, whose pace, and goal threat make him an ideal candidate to step into Leeds’ set-up. He won’t come cheap though – at the age if just 23, with three years remaining on his contract, Leverkusen have no reason to sell him cheaply, especially if they receive the fee they are demanding from Chelsea for star man Kai Havertz.

Leeds have turned their attention towards Bailey after having an offer for Rangers winger Ryan Kent rejected. It’s clear that Bielsa wants to bring in depth and quality on the wings with a highly congested season ahead of them, not to mention the physical demands the coach imposes on his players both in training and in matches.

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LUKAKU TURNS VILLAIN AS SEVILLA EDGE INTERMILAN TO LIFT SIXTH EUROPA LEAGUE TROPHY.

Romelu Lukaku suffered the agony of an own goal that handed Sevilla the ecstasy of a sixth Europa League triumph. After an explosive opening half the final had entered its closing phase when Diego Carlos intervened to become the Spanish club’s hero.

The defender, leg heavily strapped, attempted an overhead kick that was missing the goal before Lukaku’s attempted clearance went straight in. Internazionale rallied: Alexis Sánchez, a late replacement, had an effort cleared off the line by Jules Koundé but ultimately this was Sevilla’s night.

Luuk de Jong’s reward from Julen Lopetegui for the winner that knocked out Manchester United was to start as his central striker. Antonio Conte’s XI showed the former United players Ashley Young and Lukaku in his 3-5-2 though Sánchez was a substitute only.

Inter had not won a European trophy since the Champions League triumph a decade ago, while Sevilla had claimed this competition three times in the last six years.

The Spaniards had proved feisty against United and Danilo D’Ambrosio signalled Inter would go toe-to-toe with them by handing off Sergio Reguilón in the opening moments. Nothing came from the free-kick but when moving down the other end instantly Inter had a penalty.

A Lukaku burst took him into Sevilla’s area and Diego Carlos pulled the No 9 down. Danny Makkelie in his first continental final pointed to the spot but the referee gave the defender a yellow card when red seemed appropriate. This completed a hat-trick of penalties conceded by Carlos – to follow those in the quarter and semi-finals and when Lukaku converted for Inter he joined the Brazilian Ronaldo’s mark of 34 in a season for the club, and Conte’s team had the lead.

This initiated a first-half goalfest. Sevilla’s response was to probe via a Suso cross Inter scrambled away. But when Jesus Navas hit a ball in from the same right flank De Jong’s flying header was too powerful for Samir Handanovic, Inter’s goalkeeper beaten to his left.

In a hectic final, Conte was booked by Makkelie after the latter failed to give a second penalty when the ball hit Fernando’s hand: the manager’s protests crossed from vociferous to disrespectful.

An Éver Banega free-kick for Sevilla and a clever Young ball that released Lukaku were the only threat for a passage as the game lulled. But, then, De Jong struck via a second header, connecting with another Banega dead-ball, this spiralling over Handanovic from wide.

The lead lasted barely two minutes. Again, from a free-kick, again from a header, Inter responded. This time Marcelo Brozovic floated the ball over and Diego Godín’s hunger had him leaping through a crowd to head beyond Yassine Bounou. By the break a breather was needed by all.

The second half had a cagey beginning. When Nicolò Barella was hauled back by Joan Jordan near the centre circle, instead of firing the free-kick into Sevilla’s area the ball went sideways.

Surely, though, this was calm before the tempest started up again. So it was that, suddenly, Carlos was flinging himself at Robert Gagliardini’s shot, and, at the other end, De Jong had to be crowded out.

Then, Reguilón skated past Godín and hit the side-netting. More space opened up. Young, Inter’s left wing-back, hit a 30-yard shot that was high, a sign of how his team hogged possession at this juncture. Lukaku missed after racing clear: Conte, on the sideline, was bereft.

Young’s radar was better when pinging in a free-kick towards Godín that Bounou punched clear. Now, disaster struck for Lukaku as he scored inadvertently at both ends.

Banega’s free-kick went to Carlos and his bicycle volley was going wide before the Belgian stuck out a leg and beat Handanovic. From here Sevilla dug in.

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Harry Kane Quarantined after trip to Bahamas

England captain Harry Kane should be available for the Nations League games next month despite being in quarantine following a trip to the Bahamas.

Tottenham striker Kane, 27, was on holiday in the Caribbean when the island was added to the UK quarantine list on 7 August.

He is now in self-isolation for 14 days after returning home.

Kane is expected back in Spurs training next week before their Premier League opener against Everton on 12 September.

On Tuesday, England manager Gareth Southgate is due to name his squad for matches against Iceland and Denmark on 5 and 8 September.

There is doubt over whether players from Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United will be involved because they are still on their agreed 30-day break after the end of their European campaigns.

Kane was Tottenham’s top scorer with 24 goals last season.

He suffered a hamstring injury in January and spent four months on an individual training plan to ensure he was fit to play in time for the Premier League’s restart in June after the coronavirus shutdown.

Spurs face League One side Ipswich in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

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Harry Maguire arrested in Greece

Manchester United say captain Harry Maguire is “fully co-operating with the Greek authorities” following an “alleged incident” on the island of Mykonos on Thursday night.

Local reports have named Maguire as being involved in an incident, but no details have yet been confirmed.

The England defender, 27, is on holiday in Greece.

He joined United from Leicester for £80m – a world record fee for a defender – in August 2019.

“The club is aware of an alleged incident involving Harry Maguire in Mykonos last night,” United said in a statement on Friday.

“Contact has been made with Harry, and he is fully co-operating with the Greek authorities. At this time we will be making no further comm

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YAYA TOURE AIMS AT PEP OVER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FAILURE.

Yaya Toure has aimed a dig at his former boss Pep Guardiola by questioning whether Manchester City need to change manager in order to win the Champions League.

Guardiola has been in the City hot seat for four seasons but is yet to lead the club beyond the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier competition.

The most recent campaign ended in further disappointment as the Sky Blues were stunned by underdogs Lyon to lose 3-1 and exit at the last-eight stage.

Toure has had an uneasy relationship with his former Barcelona and City coach in the past and branded Guardiola’s failure to bring the Champions League to the Etihad “disappointing” and “strange”.

“The manager has been signed for that: just to bring this trophy,” the former Ivory Coast midfielder told newsmen.

“And when you see Liverpool maybe and other clubs who [have won it] without doing a lot of work in the transfer market, it’s quite strange and disappointing.

“Of course, he’s been brought to the club to get a massive trophy for them and at the moment it’s not been delivered in the way they want.

“Everyone knows Pep is a great manager, but at the moment when things are not going their way, sometimes it’s the time to change the way they do things. We’ll see.”

Guardiola has won two Premier League titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup since joining City in 2016. Before that, he enjoyed a glittering three-year stint with Bayern Munich in which he won five major honours.

But the Spaniard has not won the Champions League since 2011, when his Barcelona side beat Manchester United 3-1 in the final to add to their historic treble two years earlier.

Meanwhile, Lyon faced Bayern Munich after overcoming City but were beaten 3-0 in Wednesday’s semi-final.

And Bayern will face French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Sunday night.

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UEFA APPOINTS DANIELE ORSATO TO OFFICIATE PSG VS BAYERN UCL FINAL.

The UEFA Referees Committee has announced that Daniele Orsato will referee the 2020 UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München.

The match will be played at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in Lisbon on Sunday 23 August at 8:00pm

The 44-year-old Italian, an international referee since 2010, will be taking charge of his first major UEFA final, having been entrusted with officiating at eight matches in the UEFA Champions League this season, including Real Madrid’s round of 16 first leg against Manchester City in February.

Orsato has also refereed a quarter-final match at the current UEFA Europa League final tournament which is being played in Germany, while last season he was the fourth official for the UEFA Europa League final between Chelsea and Arsenal.

At the final in Lisbon, Orsato will be assisted by countrymen Lorenzo Manganelli and Alessandro Giallatini. The fourth official will be Ovidiu Hațegan from Romania. The video assistant referee (VAR) role has been assigned to Massimiliano Irrati and he will be helped by fellow Italian Marco Guida. Spaniards Roberto Diaz Pérez del Palomar and Alejandro Hernández Hernández complete the VAR line-up.

2020 UEFA Champions League final refereeing team

Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Assistants: Lorenzo Manganelli, Alessandro Giallatini (both from Italy)
4th official: Ovidiu Hațegan (Romania)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (Italy)
VAR Assistant: Marco Guida (Italy)
Offside VAR: Roberto Diaz Pérez del Palomar (Spain)
VAR Support: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)

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CHELSEA CONFIRM SIGNING OF BARCELONA YOUNGSTER XAVIER MBUYAMBA.

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of youth prospect Zavier Mbuyamba from Barcelona, with the 18-year-old signing a three-year deal.

The central defender was without a club after the end of his contract at the Nou Camp, and will initially join the club’s development squad as part of his development at the club.

Chelsea were said to be interested in the transfer last summer, but were prevented from making a move for the defender due to the transfer ban imposed on the club.

The teenager instead joined Barcelona, where he played for the club’s U19 side, making four appearances in the UEFA Youth League for the Spanish giants.

He started his career in his native Netherlands with MW Maastricht Youth.

Mbuyamba has also made one appearance for the U19 Netherlands team, playing the full 90 minutes of the 3-3 draw with Mexico back in November.

The defender has been referred to as the ‘new Van Dijk’, standing at 6 foot 5in with a composed style similar to that of the Liverpool star.

In a statement on their official website, Chelsea confirmed the signing.

“Chelsea Football Club can also confirm the signing of Xavier Mbuyamba from Barcelona. The 18-year-old signed a professional contract at Cobham earlier this week and will join our development squad ahead of preparations for the new campaign,” they wrote.

“A Dutch Under-19 international, Mbuyamba is a tall right-footed central defender who enjoys playing with the ball at his feet and is equally as strong in the air. He joined his local team MVV Maastrict as an Under-9 and progressed through the age groups before signing at the Nou Camp last summer.

“After being watched closely by the Blues, the Dutchman has made the switch to west London, committing himself to the club until at least 2023.”

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KOEMAN WANTS LIVERPOOL’S GINI WIJNALDUM AS HIS FIRST BARCA SIGNING.

New Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is set to prioritise the signing of Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, reports say.

The 57-year-old Dutchman was named as Quique Setien’s replacement on a two-year deal on Wednesday. He has left his role as Holland boss and was unveiled at a press conference at the Nou Camp.

Koeman has been drafted in following Setien’s swift exit in the wake of last Friday night’s humiliating 8-2 Champions League drubbing by Bayern Munich.

He is the third man to take charge this calendar year, with Setien having only succeeded Ernesto Valverde in January.

Koeman will inherit a side which finished five points behind LaLiga champions Real Madrid and failed to win a major trophy this season for the first time since 2013-14.

And the former Southampton and Everton boss will be tasked with revamping the squad this summer, while getting the best out of a host of talented footballers already at the club.

But a report from a Dutch publication, AD claims that Koeman sees Wijnaldum ‘as a building block for Barca’s resurrection’ and features ‘very high’ on his ‘wish list’.

The Netherlands international only has a year left on his contract at Anfield despite being integral to the Reds’ march to the Premier League title this campaign.

His contract status ‘makes it affordable’ for Barcelona with sources ‘in the area around’ Wijnaldum telling AD that ‘there are serious whispers that Koeman recently urged the player not to sign in Liverpool’.

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KAI HAVERTZ REPORTEDLY AGREES PERSONAL TERMS WITH CHELSEA AS THE BLUES NEAR ANOTHER MAJOR SIGNING.

Chelsea appear to be one step closer to signing Kai Havertz after agreeing a five-year contract worth around £346,000-a-week with the Bayer Leverkusen star, according to reports today.

Frank Lampard has already snapped-up winger Hakim Ziyech and striker Timo Werner this summer but the Chelsea boss is keen to further strengthen his squad as he looks to build a side capable of competing for major honours next season.

Havertz has been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge all summer with widespread reports over the past few weeks suggesting that Chelsea have been locked in negotiations with Leverkusen trying to thrash out a deal.

It looks like Chelsea are now one step closer to signing Havertz as the Guardian claims that the 21-year-old attacking midfielder has agreed terms over a five-year contract with the Blues.

The report suggests that Havertz will earn around £346,000-a-week at Chelsea which works out at £90m over the course of the five-year contract.

All that remains if for a fee to be agreed between the two clubs but the Guardian says Chelsea will have to increase their offer after seeing an opening bid worth £58.6m plus £13.25m in add-ons rejected by Leverkusen who are demanding £90m.

Popular reports claim that Havertz has made it clear to Leverkusen that he wants to join Chelsea as soon as possible so he can get settled in England ahead of the new season amid reports the German side want things settled before August 28th.

We’ll have to wait and see how negotiations progress over the coming days but it looks increasingly likely that Havertz will become Chelsea’s third major signing of the summer transfer window.

The German international would be a hugely exciting addition to Lampard’s squad as he’s developed into one of the best young players in world football since breaking into the Leverkusen first team in 2016.

Havertz has already provided 45 goals and 31 assists in his 148 appearances for Leverkusen and is expected to go on to become one of the leading attackers in world football so it would be a major coup if Chelsea can get this proposed deal over the line.

Lampard already has talented young attacking midfielders such as Christian Pulisic, Ziyech, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley in his ranks but Havertz would arguably be the most exciting of the lot.

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FIFA ETHICS COMMITTEE CLEARS INFANTINO OF BREACHING REGULATIONS.

FIFA’s ethics committee has cleared president Gianni Infantino of breaching the governing body’s regulations after a preliminary investigation.

Infantino is the subject of a criminal investigation after the Swiss special federal public prosecutor opened proceedings last week over meetings Infantino held with the country’s attorney general Michael Lauber in 2016 and 2017.

In a letter to national association bosses, Infantino said the meetings were broadly to discuss the fact that Lauber’s office was investigating a series of criminal allegations in which FIFA was a damaged party.

Neither Lauber nor Infantino have been able to recollect the specific details but both deny any wrongdoing.

Fifa said the documents shared by the Swiss courts were examined and that “no aspect of the conduct analysed constitutes a violation”.

A FIFA statement read: “After examining the relevant documentation and evidence, the chairperson of the investigatory chamber has decided to file the complaint and close the case due to the evident lack of a prima facie case regarding any alleged breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

“Based on the information available to date, no aspect of the conduct analysed constitutes a violation of the FIFA regulations some aspects do not even fall within the provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics, or justify the adoption of any kind of measure, including that of a provisional suspension.”

The committee said some parts of the complaints did not “even fall within the provisions of the FIFA code of ethics, or justify the adoption of any kind of measure, including that of a provisional suspension”.

Infantino was elected in 2016 to replace Sepp Blatter, who himself was the subject of criminal proceedings in 2015 and was banned from all FIFA activities by the ethics committee.