🚨 Vini Jr GOLAZO plus Mourinho row, Saka agrees new Arsenal deal, Chelsea eye Prem CB, TWO Liverpool winger targets, & more
Today's headlines and UCL news clips...
Good morning folks and welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing! Thanks as always for reading, and hope you enjoy :-)
Today’s top stories:
Champions League play-offs round-up:
Real Madrid beat Benfica thanks to Vinicius Junior screamer
Real Madrid earned a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Benfica last night thanks to a stunning solo goal by Vinicius Junior.
The Brazilian cut inside and unleashed a powerful effort into the far corner, giving Madrid an important advantage in this playoff tie.
FT Benfica 0-1 Real Madrid [Pictures from TNT Sports]
Galatasaray beat Juventus in seven-goal thriller
Galatasaray came from behind to beat Juventus in a memorable seven-goal thriller.
Teun Koopmeiners had put Juve in front in the first half, but Galatasaray blew their opponents away in the second period to earn a remarkable 5-2 victory.
FT Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus [Pictures from TNT Sports]
PSG complete brilliant comeback away to Monaco
Monaco were 1-0 up in the first minute and quickly found themselves 2-0 up, but ultimately couldn’t hold on against PSG.
Two goals from Desire Doue and one from Achraf Hakimi gave the visitors a brilliant 3-2 victory to give them the edge in this playoff tie.
FT Monaco 2-3 PSG [Pictures from TNT Sports]
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Arsenal
Bukayo Saka has reached a full agreement over a new Arsenal contract until 2031, becoming the club’s highest earner on £300,000 per week. (BBC Sport)
Arsenal lead the race for Leon Goretzka this summer despite Tottenham also being interested in the Bayern Munich midfielder as he approaches the end of his contract. (Football Insider)
Arsenal have been informed that Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams could be available and looking for a move this summer. (TEAMtalk)
Arsenal are also plotting an ambitious transfer move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. (Fichajes)
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid want to tie Julian Alvarez down to a new contract but he’s eyeing a potential transfer to Barcelona, while the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea have also been strongly linked. (Sport)
Barcelona
Barcelona have been handed a boost as Julian Alvarez wants to join them despite the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea also being strongly linked. (Sport)
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich wanted Florian Wirtz in the summer and have maintained contacts with the Germany playmaker even though he ended up joining Liverpool. (Bayern Space)
Chelsea
Chelsea have done extensive work on the potential transfer of Murillo as they currently lead the race to sign the Nottingham Forest centre-back. (CaughtOffside)
Liverpool
Liverpool are making Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise their preferred long-term target to replace Mohamed Salah. (TEAMtalk)
Liverpool also look to be stepping up their interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande after a recent scouting mission to watch the player. (TEAMtalk)
Liverpool have been scouting Palmeiras midfielder Allan, who could cost around €30-35m. (Sports Boom)
Has Dominik Szoboszlai’s Liverpool future just been cast into serious doubt? Full story here!
Meanwhile, another report has a more positive update on the Liverpool midfielder’s future - full story here!
Manchester City
Manchester City are laying the groundwork for a £70m deal to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White this summer. (Football Insider)
Manchester United
Manchester United are interested in Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and could have a key connection through Michael Carrick. (TEAMtalk)
Manchester United are expected to make a move for Igor Thiago this summer even though he recently signed a new contract with Brentford. (Fichajes)
Newcastle United
Jacob Ramsey has sent a message to Aston Villa fans after he was seen kissing the Newcastle badge when playing against his former club - full story here!
Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior scored a screamer for Real Madrid to win them the game against Benfica last night, but the match was marred by an alleged incident of racist abuse against the Brazilian, who left the pitch in protest. (Football Espana)
Kylian Mbappe on the incident: “What I’ve seen is very clear: player number 25 has told Vini five times, ‘You’re a monkey.’ … We all have to pull in the same direction… we can’t accept this kind of behaviour. It’s wonderful to play in the Champions League, the competition that excites everyone. But this kind of image is terrible.” (Movistar Plus)
Jose Mourinho could make an unexpected return as Real Madrid manager - full story here!
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino has also been linked with the Real Madrid job but has laid down key conditions for the potential deal. (Defensa Central)
Tottenham
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood is convinced he knows who the club’s next permanent manager will be - full story here!
West Ham United
West Ham United are interested in signing Real Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell this summer. (Fichajes)