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Manchester United take the wrong player off for the right man in Juan Mata

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  Man United needed extra-time and another Bruno Fernandes penalty to beat Copenhagen in their Europa League quarter-final but Juan Mata made the difference. Manchester United cannot fully concentrate on Jadon Sancho just yet in this neverending season. Their exhausting defeat of Copenhagen was so long it almost ticked over to the date that their season started and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Reds will go marching on beyond a 60th game. This was a nervier night than even the Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken envisaged and  United  suffered some ominous harbingers. A penalty was overruled, the Video Assistant Referee denied them, Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes pinged both uprights, Anthony Martial was ostentatiously denied by the goalkeeper and there was extra-time. Harry Maguire was piqued by the French official, Scott McTominay smacked his seat in anger and the United players and staff raised their hands in disbelief at an errant Fernandes pass. If anything summarised the...

We’ll see the best of Paul in the next couple of seasons’ – Solskjaer drops Pogba contract hint

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  The World Cup winner could be in line for a new deal at Old Trafford, despite speculation linking him with Real Madrid Manchester United  manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted that Paul Pogba is set for a prolonged stay at the club. The central midfielder has endured a torrid 2019-20 campaign, which has been punctuated by injury problems, and with the rise of January signing Bruno Fernandes, it had been suggested that the Frenchman might be surplus to requirements in Solskjaer’s regime. The World Cup winner’s future has been clouded for months, with reports suggesting that he was in line for a return to  Juventus , while there have also been close links with  Real Madrid , where head coach Zinedine Zidane is said to have placed him right at the top of his transfer shortlist for the summer. With a contract that is set to expire in under a year, United are faced with the possibility of losing a player they paid a world-record fee for in 2016 for absolutely nothing,...

PSG prefer Mbappe and Neymar deals over Ronaldo; Chelsea and Inter watch Ter Stegen's Barca talks

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Christiano Ronaldo  has been linked with a move to  Paris Saint-Germain  this summer but sources have told ESPN that the club prefer to extend  Kylian Mbappe  and  Neymar 's contracts rather than finally sign a player they have coveted for years. Both Mbappe and Neymar have contracts in Paris until 2022 and the club's priority is to extend both deals before they focus on incoming transfers. The  Juventus  forward could have joined PSG numerous times since the club were taken over by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and there was strong interest on both sides after  Real Madrid  won  La Decima , the club's 10th European Cup, in 2014. QSI's big dream upon taking control in Paris nine years ago was to attract Ronaldo to the French capital and they've tried many times, with big offers on the table. Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's long-time agent, has been involved in discussions but Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer has yet to say yes to a ...

‘Oblak deal would make Chelsea title challengers’ – Sinclair urges Blues to land top goalkeeper

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  Frank Lampard is considered to have “lost trust” in Kepa Arrizabalaga, with the hunt on for a new number one at Stamford Bridge Frank Lampard has “lost trust” in Kepa Arrizabalaga, says Frank Sinclair, with  Chelsea  being urged to address that issue by launching a raid on  Atletico Madrid  for Jan Oblak. The Blues are expected to explore the option of bringing in a new goalkeeper this summer. They already have the most expensive shot-stopper in world football on their books, but £71 million ($93m) man  Kepa has struggled to convince across his two seasons in English football. That has led to him falling out of favour and Lampard casting an eye over potential alternatives. Chelsea have been  linked with a number of keepers in the current window, from Andre Onana  to Dean Henderson via Nick Pope and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Sinclair feels  Oblak should be made the top target at Stamford Bridge , with a man widely regarded as the finest keeper ...

Ighalo, Mata & more can deliver Solskjaer's first trophy - but Man Utd stars must be spared Europa League strain

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The Red Devils boss has the opportunity to secure his first piece of silverware in charge of the club but it's his fringe players who now must step in Manchester United  secured their  Champions League  status for next season just over a week ago at the King Power Stadium. With a 2-0 victory over  Leicester City  in the Premier League, the club ensured they would not be forced to win the  Europa League  in order to re-qualify for the top competition. That's why celebrations were perhaps tinged with a slight sense of relief.  After a long season, and a new campaign coming quickly on the horizon, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s players headed off on a short break and the focus can be solely on winning a trophy. It would be easy for United to write off the rest of the Europa League, a second-tier European competition played in an empty stadium, but  success in Germany would cap off a successful first full season in charge for Sol...