🚨 Man Utd eye Premier League attackers, Arsenal battle City for free agent, important Liverpool deal CLOSE, & more
Man United look set to be busy, plus bargain star on his way to Arsenal?
Good morning everyone and welcome to another Daily Briefing! Thanks as always for reading, and hope you enjoy :-)
Today’s top stories:
Liverpool close to important deal, & much more!
Premier League round-up
Arsenal slip up in the title race
Arsenal were stunned by Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium yesterday to suffer a major blow in the Premier League title race.
Eli Junior Kroupi punished some sloppy defending to make it 1-0 early on, though Viktor Gyokeres brought the Gunners level from the penalty spot later in the first half.
Still, Bournemouth were the better team and put together a lovely move, finished off by Alex Scott, to re-take the lead in the 75th minute.
Arsenal remain nine points clear at the top of the table, but Manchester City have two games in hand, and host the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium next week.
FT Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth [Pictures from TNT Sports]
Liverpool score two stunners to beat Fulham
Liverpool fans haven’t had a lot to celebrate this season, but they were treated to two delightful goals in yesterday’s win over Fulham.
First, Reds wonderkid Rio Ngumoha cut inside before curling in a stunning finish into the far corner, and Mohamed Salah then produced a quality first-time shot into the back of the net.
The result boosts Liverpool’s hopes of finishing in the top five and securing Champions League football for next season.
FT Liverpool 2-0 Fulham [Pictures from Sky Sports]
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Arsenal
Anthony Gordon would be tempted by a transfer to Arsenal this summer, while Newcastle might come under financial pressure to sell the England winger. (CaughtOffside)
Arsenal are up against Chelsea for the potential transfer of highly-rated Monaco attacker Maghnes Akliouche. (Media Foot)
Arsenal could also be one of a number of clubs in the mix for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers this summer, along with Chelsea, Manchester United, and PSG. (Sky Sports)
Oscar Mingueza has been offered to Arsenal by intermediaries as he is set to become a free agent this summer, with the Gunners tempted to sign the versatile Celta Vigo defender. (TEAMtalk)
Barcelona
Barcelona player ratings as they take a step closer to winning La Liga with a derby victory over Espanyol!
However, Barca could have fitness concerns ahead of their crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. (Football Espana)
Bayern Munich
Chelsea
It’s increasingly hard to see Enzo Fernandez staying at Chelsea this summer amid links with Real Madrid and PSG. (Football Insider)
Chelsea are looking closely at West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez if he leaves this summer. (Fichajes)
Chelsea are also looking for a statement signing in attack and are preparing a blockbuster move for this La Liga sensation - full details here!
This Premier League manager has responded to talk of Chelsea targeting one of his most important players - read more here!
Liverpool
Liverpool are at the ‘final stages’ of sealing a new contract for Ibrahima Konate as he now looks increasingly likely to stay at Anfield. (Fabrizio Romano)
Tottenham have a verbal agreement with Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson over a free transfer when his contract expires this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)
Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise onto Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha after his performance against Fulham - more here!
Manchester City
Manchester City are one of the clubs showing a strong interest in Celta Vigo full-back Oscar Mingueza as he’s set to become a free agent this summer. (TEAMtalk)
Pep Guardiola has responded to Bernardo Silva being linked with Juventus as he nears the end of his contract this summer - full quotes here!
Manchester United
One interesting piece of World Cup news this summer could be Manchester United using the tournament to their advantage in the race to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest ahead of rivals Manchester City. (Sun)
Manchester United are intensifying efforts to sign a top attacking player this summer, with Yan Diomande and Iliman Ndiaye emerging as their main targets. (Sky Sports)
Morgan Rogers is also emerging as one of Manchester United’s priorities in attack, with the Red Devils possibly prepared to break the bank for him this summer. (Fichajes)
Bruno Fernandes is increasingly tempted to stay at Manchester United now that they’re highly likely to qualify for the Champions League, but Saudi interest remains. (Fabrizio Romano)
Manchester United are currently ahead of Arsenal in the race for this €80m transfer - full story here!
Could Manchester United make a surprise signing to replace Luke Shaw this summer? Full story here!
Newcastle United
Newcastle United are exploring a move to bring former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez back to the Premier League from Saudi club Al Hilal. (Fichajes)
Real Madrid
Real Madrid could be back in for Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck this summer, with the Germany international having a release clause for a few select clubs, one of which is Real Madrid. (AS)
Tottenham
Tottenham have a verbal agreement with Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson over a free transfer when his contract expires this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)
Tottenham have a serious interest in Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who is known to be a big fan of manager Roberto De Zerbi from their time together at the Amex Stadium. (TEAMtalk)
Celtic star Benjamin Nygren is a top target for Tottenham this summer, though they could face competition from Brighton and Bournemouth. (Sports Boom)
Tottenham have been dragged into the bottom three after West Ham’s win over Wolves, with a huge task awaiting Roberto De Zerbi in his first game as Spurs manager today.