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MAN UNITED ENTER TALKS WITH AJAX FOR JURRIEN TIMBER

Manchester United have started talks with Ajax over the summer transfer of defender Jurrien Timber, The Guardian reports.

The Red Devils are eyeing a new central defender this summer. It appears Timber is the prime target, having played the last two years at Ajax under manager Erik ten Hag.

In recent weeks, the Netherlands international has been frequently linked, and The Guardian report that United have now made contact with Ajax for the 20-year-old.

Ten Hag was key to Timber breaking through the Ajax youth setup in 2020, and he is a ‘firm admirer’ of him. Ajax currently value their graduate at around £43 million.

United conceded a staggering 57 goals in their Premier League campaign last term. The arrival of Raphael Varane last summer did not necessarily improve their defensive showing.

The Frenchman joined from Real Madrid with huge expectations, but struggled to adapt to the style of play. He was also hampered by multiple injuries that saw him in-and-out of the line-up.

Varane is still best central defender in the squad based on achievements and experience, and any new signing could potentially take the place of Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof in the XI.

Timber has shown plenty of promise during the last two years at Ajax. He has been good with his defensive duties, and averaged over two tackles per game in all competitions last season.

The youngster has also been terrific with the ball at his feet. He completed 92 per cent of his passes. Among United centre-backs, Varane fared best with a 88 per cent success rate last season.

Timber should be a quality long-term signing for United, but the hierarchy will definitely want to lower the final transfer fee, having signed Donny van de Beek for around £35m in 2020.

Meanwhile, Varane should be fancied to come good next term as he will be involved for United from pre-season which was not the case last year when he started training in mid-August.

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EVERTON BOSS FRANK LAMPARD GETS FINED FOR SLAMMING REFEREE IN LIVERPOOL DEFEAT

Everton manager Frank Lampard has been fined £30,000 ($37,779) for criticising the referee during his side’s defeat to Liverpool in last month’s Merseyside derby, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.

Referee Stuart Attwell did not award a penalty for a challenge on Everton’s Anthony Gordon, and Lampard said the spot kick would have been given had the challenge been made on a Liverpool player.

“It was a penalty, you don’t get them at Anfield,” Lampard said after the match. “If that was Mohamed Salah at the Kop end, I think [the referee] gives that. It was a foul on Anthony.”

Earlier this month, the FA charged Lampard with improper conduct for attacking the integrity of referees.

The 43-year-old denied the charge and has now been fined “for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to media comments proven during a personal hearing,” the FA said in a statement.

“The Everton FC manager… denied that they constitute improper conduct as they imply bias and/or attack the integrity of the match referee — or referees generally — and/or bring the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1,” the FA added.

Lampard took over at Goodison Park in January with the club hovering above the Premier League relegation zone, but the English coach steered the side to a 16th place finish, securing their top-flight status for next season.

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LEVI COLWILL’S OWN GOAL GIFTS NOTTINGHAM FOREST PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE AFTER 23 YEARS.

Levi Colwill’s own goal sent Nottingham Forest into the Premier League for the first time in 23 years in a 1-0 Championship play-off final win over Huddersfield at Wembley.

Luckless centre-back Colwill put through his own net after James Garner’s teasing cross, that Jack Colback ducked under, and Ryan Yates failed to reach.

Chelsea’s 19-year-old loanee Colwill has impressed hugely at Huddersfield and will have the chance to battle for a first-team spot at Stamford Bridge later this summer.

But the talented teenage defender ended a fine season in most miserable fashion, handing Forest a return to the big time that the City Ground men have craved for so long.

Forest were bottom of the table and winless when Steve Cooper took charge in September – now they have won football’s most lucrative match and are headed to the top tier.

Financial experts rate the Championship play-off final as worth at least £170 million to the winners, and Forest will now enjoy a major cash injection to go along with the glory of a long-awaited return to the top.

Forest players like defender Djed Spence were not even born the last time the east midlanders tasted Premier League action back in 1999.

But a season that started in turmoil when Chris Hughton was sacked after seven winless matches and just one point in September, now Forest have pulled off a remarkable turnaround.

Former Swansea boss Cooper’s transformation of this Forest squad might not have been completed in the most enticing of fashion.

But the hordes of Forest fans crammed into Wembley will not care one jot.

Carlos Corberan’s Huddersfield can count themselves hugely unlucky on an afternoon where they simply failed to fire.

But two flimsy penalty shouts aside, Corberan’s men were ultimately toppled by the better-organised side, albeit amid slender margins.

Forest always had the better of a scrappy encounter, with Yates wasting a fine chance when heading wide from Garner’s teasing free-kick.

The midfielder blazed high and handsome from 18 yards in another half chance for the City Ground men.

Just when both sides looked happy to turn around in stalemate though, Forest forced the breakthrough.

Another testing ball from the ever-influential Garner was first ducked by Colback then missed by Yates – and the two close shaves left Colwill as the fall guy.

The young Chelsea prospect was forced into connecting with the ball, and could only divert into his own net.

Forest flagged after the break, with Jonathan Hogg heading over from a corner as Huddersfield pressed hard in search of a leveller.

Harry Toffolo thought he had earned the chance for his side to hit level terms when ending in a heap in the box after stepping past Colback.

Referee Jon Moss first booked Toffolo for diving, then a VAR check ruled out any chance of a penalty.

Huddersfield were left incensed by the call, but also still trailing their east midlands foes.

Another penalty shout was even more quickly dismissed when Max Lowe tangled with Lewis O’Brien, with Huddersfield again denied a spot-kick.

Huddersfield continued to press right until the death, but Forest clung on, to spark scenes as delirious on the pitch as in the stands.

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LIVERPOOL WANT PARIS STADIUM CHAOS INVESTIGATED

Liverpool have called for a formal investigation into what led to large numbers of the club’s fans being stuck outside the perimeter fence for up to three hours before kick-off at the Champions League final in Paris.

The club said the entry issues at the Stade de France and the breakdown of the security perimeter were “hugely disappointing”, with the French authorities and UEFA saying supporters without tickets or with fakes were responsible for causing the delays.

Tear gas was used on the fans waiting at the fence, despite Merseyside Police observers saying the majority of supporters had behaved in an “exemplary” manner there, and it was reportedly deployed again at the fan zone on the Cours de Vincennes immediately after the final whistle.

UEFA said the delays were caused by “thousands of fans” trying to gain entry with fake tickets which would not work in the turnstiles. The Paris police prefecture said these supporters “employed strong force” in an attempt to gain entry and delayed the entrance of those with genuine tickets.

The police said others then sought to capitalise on this and breached the fences.

“The rapid intervention of security forces allowed calm to return and helped remove the disruptors from the surroundings of the Stade de France,” a force statement read.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said a friend who he had given a genuine ticket to was told it was a fake.

Kelly Simmons, the women’s professional game director at the Football Association, was caught up in the chaos.

“Crushed on the way in, unable to move for 90 mins. Face wedged against someone in front. Absolutely terrifying. Tear-gassed on the way out as we were near a v minor skirmish. A night from hell #paris” she tweeted.

She added in a further tweet: “My legs were like jelly and had to keep sitting down in the game. All I could think was we have to get out at the end. All the fans near me in that crush behaved impeccably calling for calm/no panic. It was just sheer volume and nowhere to go as no gates open.”

French police inside the fence used tear gas on fans outside after Gate Y, one of the two main gates on a narrow walkway which 20,000 supporters were trying to access, was closed for up to an hour in the lead up to kick-off in response to the growing frustration of fans queueing to get in and being delayed by problems scanning tickets and security searches.

Liverpool are understood to be furious at UEFA’s “totally inaccurate” initial blaming of the delayed start on the late arrival of fans.

Supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly described the scenes as “totally shambolic and extremely dangerous”.

And the problems did not end there for fans as after the 1-0 defeat many were reportedly assaulted and robbed by local youths on the 10-minute walk back to train stations.

Former Liverpool defender and now television pundit Jim Beglin said people were running “a gauntlet of thuggery”.

“Post-match last night was the scariest I’ve ever experienced,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Organised gangs set about mugging departing fans. We ran a gauntlet of thuggery on our way to the Metro. Not a police officer in sight.

Merseyside Police, who had officers deployed in Paris to work in an observer and advisory capacity, said the majority of fans had behaved in an “exemplary” manner, arrived at turnstiles early and queued as directed.

They said those officers would contribute their observations to the relevant authorities for the debrief.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Green said: “We know that people would have witnessed a lot of distressing scenes last night, and we wish everyone returning home from Paris a safe journey. Our focus today will be supporting Liverpool city council with the policing of the homecoming parade.”

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston tweeted: “We are very concerned about the upsetting scenes around the Stade de France last night and shall be working with the appropriate authorities to find out what happened and why.”

France’s minister for the interior Gerald Darmanin attended Saturday night’s game and blamed the chaos on ticketless British fans.

“Thousands of British ‘supporters’, without tickets or with counterfeit tickets, forced entry and sometimes assaulted the stewards,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Thank you to the very many police forces mobilised this evening in this difficult context.”

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RALF RANGNICK REJECTS MAN UNITED CONSULTANT ROLE

Manchester United have announced Ralf Rangnick will not take up a consultant role with the club following his appointment last month as Austria manager.

The German took charge of United on an interim basis for the last six months of the season following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last November and oversaw a sixth-placed Premier League finish.

Rangnick was expected to remain at Old Trafford for the next two years in a consultancy position, but he was recently appointed the new Austria boss, and it seems holding the dual roles is an unviable option.

“We would like to thank Ralf Rangnick for his efforts as interim manager over the past six months,” a statement on United’s website read.

“By mutual agreement, Ralf will now focus solely on his new role as manager of the Austria national team and will not therefore be taking up a consultancy role at Old Trafford.

“We would like to wish Ralf the best of luck in this next chapter of his career.”

Erik Ten Hag has been tasked with reviving United’s fortunes after they missed out on Champions League football next season.

A haul of 58 points was their lowest in the Premier League era.

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PARIS DISAPPOINTMENT WILL MAKE US STRONGER – JORDAN HENDERSON

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson admits another Champions League defeat to Real Madrid is difficult to process but believes recent history repeating itself may not be such a bad thing.

In 2018 in Kyiv, Jurgen Klopp’s side were beaten 3-1 after two freakish goals from Gareth Bale but went on to win a sixth European Cup 12 months later with victory over Tottenham and followed that up the next year with a first league title in 30 years.

So Henderson hopes the 1-0 defeat at the Stade de France to a LaLiga side winning the competition for a 14th time can be a catalyst for something better next year.

“It’s still difficult now to process everything with how the game went in the end. It’s hard to speak about it,” said the 31-year-old, who has still led the team to a Carabao-FA Cup double.

“I felt as though we had three or four good chances and the keeper (Thibaut Courtois) made world-class saves.

“Hopefully we can have a good break now and then use that to process this season and everything that’s happened and use it to go again next season when we come back.

“We’ve had this feeling before and reacted in the right way. Hopefully we can do the same again, I’m sure we will.

“The mentality and character within the dressing room is outstanding and yes, we will be disappointed, and it’s hard because we have such a long time to think about it now.

“But I can say we’ve given absolutely everything all season, and sometimes you can’t do more than that.

“Football’s fine margins, that’s the way it is. We’ve had a little bit of luck in domestic cups on penalties when we won them. Against Real and in the league we didn’t.

“We have to deal with that and use it in the right way and use it to go forward and be stronger and better next season.”

Despite a domestic cup double, a campaign in which Liverpool played every one of the 63 matches for which they were eligible and took the Premier League title race down to the last 10 minutes of the season ended on a negative with crushing disappointments on back-to-back weekends.

But Henderson said that should not overshadow their achievements and, having delivered a positive message to the players in the dressing room in his post-match interviews, Klopp told fans to “book the hotel” for next year’s final in Istanbul.

“To be fair, the manager in these situations is really good and he can see the bigger picture. As players it’s really difficult,” added the Liverpool captain.

“It will take a little bit of time for us, but I have no doubt we will use it in the right way and use it to be better and stronger.

“We have always reacted in the right way, and I am sure we will do it again.

“I hope when we are on holiday and having a break we realise that this season has been special.

“I don’t know when the last time we went to a final or the last game in every single competition was. It shows the mentality and talent of the squad.

“We couldn’t give any more and football is down to fine margins.

“It is really difficult to stand here and be positive, but I really hope in the next few weeks we can look back on the season it can be a positive one.”

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PARIS POLICE CRITICIZED FOR SHAMBOLIC HANDLING OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Football fans, politicians and UK authorities have slammed the policing of Liverpool’s Champions League final in Paris after people were tear-gassed and involved in violent clashes.

The Reds lost to Real Madrid 1-0 at the Stade de France, just north of the city, on Saturday evening.

However, shambolic scenes outside the ground saw supporters with tickets made to wait in huge queues, before French police used tear gas.

Some were kept out of the stadium for large swathes of the first half and fans spoke of officers pointing guns at them after the game.

People spoke of their disgust at seeing elderly fans and children caught up in the mayhem, which a Liverpool supporters trust dubbed “shambolic and extremely dangerous”.

A British cabinet minister said it appeared French officers used an “aggressive approach”, while a UK police force defended the “exemplary” behaviour of fans.

Supporter Greg Scott, said his experience had been “shocking”.

He said: “I’ve travelled to many stadiums around Europe, away days, that kind of thing. But never have I seen anything like this, complete lack of control from the police.

“Their excuses stink – it’s nothing to do with the fans, the club, it’s [organisers] Uefa and the French police.

“People could have been seriously hurt, we were piled in together for hours in the heat queuing up, and then we had no idea where to go next.

“French police were using tear gas on a calm crowd like it was nothing, those with tickets were kept outside, I didn’t see most of the first half.”

Another told of being in “fear” of the French police.

Supporter Robbie (24) who did not want to give his surname, said: “I got pepper-sprayed, the first time that’s ever happened to me.

“It was unprovoked, people were just standing there waving at the police to let us in, we had tickets.

“Police were just spraying us for no reason, even kids and older people, it was bad.”

Liverpool FC supporters union Spirit of Shankly said on Twitter on Sunday: “Last night was totally shambolic and extremely dangerous – we are gathering evidence from fans.”

The issues started hours before the game, as tens of thousands of Liverpool fans were funnelled underneath a bridge close to the stadium, where they waited for hours in long queues.

Footage on social media appeared to show people climbing over barriers as crowds built up, and the kick-off was delayed by more than 30 minutes.

Police carrying shields and riot gear moved into the area shortly after 8pm and began using tear gas.

Tensions outside the stadium were then driven by young Parisians, causing ticket gates to be shut.

Bottles were thrown at officers who responded with tear gas.

Supporters argued with ticket officials on the other side of the fence after being refused entry.

Beyond the gates some people, a few wearing Liverpool shirts, were taken away.

Those with tickets were later let into the stadium well after the match began.

Similar scenes also took place at the fan zone in the Cours de Vincennes area in the south east of the city.

Police said 68 people were arrested and a nearby pub of 500 football fans was evacuated.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “I think it is concerning, I think we do need to ensure that they are looking into how this happened.”

He added: “We’ve got to learn a little bit about what happened over there, get to the bottom of it.

“But it is concerning to see that people either didn’t get into the stadium or were treated in the way that some of them seem to have been treated, with a very aggressive approach.”

Uefa said the delay was caused by the late arrival of Liverpool fans, but the club said that was “totally inaccurate”.

A Merseyside Police spokesperson said: “Can only describe it as the worst European match I’ve ever worked or experienced.

“I thought the behaviour of the fans at the turnstiles was exemplary in shocking circumstances. You were not late 100 per cent.”

A statement from Prefecture de Police, the Parisian police force, said queues formed after fans arrived without tickets.

French minister of sport Amelie Oudea-Castera, who attended the game alongside French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, wrote on Twitter: “The attempts of intrusion and fraud by thousands of English fans have complicated the work of stewards and police forces but will not tarnish [Real Madrid’s] victory.

“Violence has no place in the stadiums.”

Uefa said turnstiles were blocked because some Liverpool fans had purchased “fake” tickets, leading to a build-up.

Liverpool later released a statement calling for a thorough investigation into events outside the ground.

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LIVERPOOL DENIED SEVENTH EUROPEAN CROWN AS REAL MADRID EDGE REDS IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Liverpool were denied a seventh European crown as Real Madrid became kings of the continent once again thanks to Vinicius Junior’s strike in a Champions League final marred by chaos outside the Stade de France.

Paris stepped in as host after UEFA stripped St Petersburg of the showpiece following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it did not provide a fitting host as European royalty went toe-to-toe in the biggest club match of the season.

Kick-off had to be delayed by 36 minutes due to substantial security issues outside the Stade de France, where Liverpool would be edged out 1-0 in a tense, engaging final settled by Real star Vinicius Jr.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were unable to find a response to the second-half strike as Carlo Ancelotti, managing a record fifth Champions League final just a year after leaving Everton, oversaw the Spanish giants’ 14th European Cup triumph.

It was a heartbreaking end to a memorable season for Liverpool, who won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before being pipped to the Premier League title by a point and losing in the French capital.

Liverpool had settled quickest in Paris, where Thibaut Courtois denied Mohamed Salah – a man in search of revenge following his injury in the 2018 defeat to Real – before tipping a Sadio Mane strike onto the post.

Karim Benzema, this season’s Champions League top scorer, saw a goal ruled out for offside just before half-time and the LaLiga champions caught Liverpool napping in the 59th minute, landing a match-winning blow.

Vinicius Jr snuck behind Trent Alexander-Arnold to turn home Federico Valverde’s low cross and Courtois produced one of the best performances of his life to keep Liverpool at bay.

Salah led the charge for an equaliser that never arrived on a night that will be remembered by many for the farce outside the Stade de France, which led Liverpool to request a formal investigation midway through the final.

UEFA said the delay was due to “security reasons” but those inside the ground were told it was down to “the late arrival of fans”.

Despite the continuing chaos outside, singer Camila Cabello’s set went ahead as fireworks from the opening ceremony filled the air. If only as much thought had been put into planning as the pre-match pyrotechnics.

The Champions League anthem was jeered before play got under way 36 minutes late.

An edgy opening flew by without either side creating a clear cut-chance, but Courtois was alert when Alexander-Arnold squared for off-balance Salah to get away an effort.

Real Madrid’s goalkeeper denied more straightforward shots from the Thiago Alcantara and the Egypt international but had to be at his best to stop Mane landing a 21st-minute blow.

Showing great skill and poise, the 30-year-old beat two players and made space to get away a low snapshot that Courtois stretched to tip onto the post.

Madrid settled after that scare and seemed to pin their hopes on a moment of magic from Benzema or rapid Vinicius Jr racing behind.

Salah headed straight at Courtois and Jordan Henderson whistled wide as half-time approached, only for Real to find the net in the 43rd minute.

Benzema was put behind and cut past Andy Robertson, with Ibrahima Konate and Alisson getting in each other’s way when attempting to deal with the striker’s poor touch.

Valverde stretched to meet the loose ball under pressure and it popped through for the skipper to strike home, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. A decision ratified after a lengthy VAR review.

The second half began much like the opened period as the sides traded spells in possession without seriously threatening.

Alexander-Arnold was proving a handful on the right and Salah saw penalty appeals ignored as Liverpool fans’ chants began to fill the Parisian air.

But soon Real’s white wall were in raptures.

A move involving patient passing led Casemiro to play wide to Valverde on the right. The midfielder was afforded too much time and drove a cross to the far post, where Vinicius Jr had ghosted behind Alexander-Arnold and fired home.

It was a body blow that Liverpool tried to respond to, only for Courtois to prove an immovable object.

The Real goalkeeper stopped a curling 20-yard effort from Salah, who was soon seeing the Belgium international race across the face of goal to block a shot.

Alexander-Arnold drove a ball in as Liverpool desperately pushed, with substitute Diogo Jota almost diverting a Salah effort home. Courtois came to the rescue again.

Madrid’s defenders raced over to the goalkeeper in the 82nd minute when he somehow denied Salah, who controlled superbly before hitting a fizzing strike.

Play became stretched as Liverpool desperately hunted an equaliser that would evade them.

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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC SAYS HE PLAYED THROUGH PAIN TO WIN SERIE A TITLE

MAPEI STADIUM, REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY - 2022/05/22: Alessio Romagnoli (C) of AC Milan lifts the Scudetto trophy as players of AC Milan celebrate during the award ceremony following the Serie A football match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan. AC Milan won 3-0 over US Sassuolo securing the Scudetto championship (Serie A title). (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed the full extent of his knee injury after undergoing surgery which could threaten his career.

The 40-year-old went under the knife in France this week to repair damage and instability caused by a previous anterior cruciate ligament injury and is expected to be out for up to eight months.

Ibrahimovic, who is out of contract in the summer, says he “made something impossible to something possible” by playing through the pain barrier and helping Milan to the Serie A title this season.

In typical Ibrahimovic fashion, he told the world about his challenges in a dramatic Instagram post: “For the past six months I played without an ACL in my left knee.

“Swollen knee for six months. I was only able to train with the team 10 times in the last six months.

“Took more than 20 injections in six months. Emptied the knee once a week for six months.

“Painkillers every day for six months. Barely slept for six months because of the pain.

“Never suffered so much on and off the pitch.

“I made something impossible to something possible.

“In my mind I had only one objective, to make my team-mates and coach champions of Italy because I made them a promise.

“Today I have a new ACL and another trophy.”

The veteran striker scored eight goals for AC Milan this season as they won the Scudetto for the first time in 11 years.

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ASTON VILLA AGREE DEAL TO SIGN SEVILLA DEFENDER DIEGO CARLOS

Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign defender Diego Carlos from Sevilla.

The 29-year-old Brazilian centre-back is now set to travel to England for a medical and iron out personal terms on a reported £26million transfer.

Carlos, who played 136 matches for Sevilla, helping them win the 2019-20 Europa League, had been in talks with Newcastle during the January window, but a deal could not be reached.

“Aston Villa can confirm the club has reached an agreement with Sevilla FC for the transfer of Diego Carlos for an undisclosed fee,” a Villa statement read.

“The player will travel to England in the next few hours to complete a medical and finalise personal terms.”

Carlos joined Sevilla in the summer of 2019 from French club Nantes and was part of the Brazil squad which won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Sevilla FC would like to thank the player for his work during all these years in Seville and wishes him the best of luck in his new journey,” a statement from the LaLiga club read.