Meet the World Cup hopefuls...Real Madrid's next Galactico and Spurs' best performer
Each World Cup presents us with a new footballing star. Enzo Fernandez in Qatar. Kylian Mbappe in Russia. James Rodriguez in Brazil. Who will it be in the USA, Canada and Mexico?
From Real Madrid's next Galactico to Spurs' best performer this season, Your Site takes a look at who could be this year's World Cup breakout star. Who will be Next Up?
Gerrard advised Salah not to leave 'under cloud'
Steven Gerrard has revealed he advised Mohamed Salah not to leave Liverpool "under a cloud" following the Egyptian's public fallout with manager Arne Slot.
Salah announced last week he will depart Anfield in the summer after agreeing to end his contract a year early.
The 33-year-old has endured a difficult season and claimed during a post-match interview in December to have been "thrown under the bus" by Slot, having been dropped to the bench amid a poor run of results.
"I spoke to him around that interview at the time and sort of said to him, 'don't do what you've done and go under a cloud'," said Gerrard, speaking on The Overlap podcast.
"I spoke to him direct. He texts me now and again, or I text him - more to do with if I'm going somewhere with Lio (Gerrard's son), just so Lio can see him, really, but I'm not like close to him.
"But it gave me the opportunity to say to him, 'Look, you've been here eight, nine years, you've been king here, you've got this legacy, just go on your terms, the right way'.
"He was still a little bit emotional from the incident. He was in and out of the team at the time, he was upset. I just thought it would be a shame if he left in January and he just left (without a goodbye)."
Former Reds captain Gerrard believes it is in "everyone's best interests" for Salah, who has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for the club, to leave at the end of the campaign.
Gerrard believes the forward will ultimately regret his explosive interview, which followed being an unused substitute in a 3-3 draw at Leeds on December 6.
Asked if he was shocked by news of Salah's imminent departure, the 45-year-old replied: "No, not at all. I think it's in everyone's best interests now. I think the timing's right.
"He's obviously had a disagreement with the manager. I don't know at what level. He's obviously done the interview, which I think he'll regret further down the line. But that told that there was an issue there."
RB Leipzig set price tag for Liverpool and Man Utd target Diomande
RB Leipzig have slapped a 87.3m (100m) on Liverpool and Manchester United target Yan Diomande, according to Sky in Germany.
It is claimed that although the Bundesliga side want to keep the teenager for another season, they will consider offers for him starting at 87.3m (100m).
RB Leipzig want to reward the 19-year-old with a new deal and a performance-based pay rise, but there would be no release clause included in the new contract.
Liverpool are reportedly closely monitoring the Ivory Coast international and remain in contact with his agents.
The Reds will be searching for a Mohamed Salah replacement this summer, with the 33-year-old departing Anfield at the end of the season.
But Liverpool will face competition for Diomande's signature.
have emerged as one of the clubs with the strongest interest.
There is also interest in him from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, too, while he has been tracked by Tottenham.
Diomande is set to be one of the most coveted wingers this summer, having scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 29 games across all competitions for Leipzig this season.
Diomande is set to star at this summer's World Cup for the Ivory Coast, and you can read more about him here in our Next Up special on the tournament's rising stars!
Papers: City formally ask Pep if he plans to see out contract amid uncertainty
The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday's newspapers...
'Chelsea players unhappy with Fernandez'
Chelsea players have been left unimpressed by Enzo Fernandezs leadership during a run of four consecutive defeats, according to The Telegraph.
The midfielder, who is vice-captain and has been skipper in Reece James' absence, has reportedly been vocal in the dressing room after the recent losses to Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle and Everton.
It is claimed he has also berated his own team-mates on the pitch, which has annoyed some of his colleagues at a time when the club needs to pull together.
The Argentina international cast doubt on his future in the immediate aftermath of the Champions League last 16 loss to PSG.
He has five years to run on the contract he signed when joining for a then-British record fee of 106.8m in 2023, but hinted to ESPN Argentina that the next few months could be his last at Stamford Bridge.
De Zerbi wants to be at Spurs for 'long time'
Roberto De Zerbi has said he wants to stay at Tottenham "for a long time" in his first recorded message to the fans.
The Italian has signed a five-year contract which does not include a relegation exit clause.
Spurs sit one point and one place above the relegation zone with seven games to go after sacking three managers in the last year.
De Zerbi appeared keen to buck that trend in his first address to the Spurs supporters.
"I am very happy to [be] here with you," the former Brighton boss said. "It is a very big honour to be here and I'm very proud to be your coach.
"I want to give my best. I want to stay for a long time in this big club. See you soon."
LISTEN: Latest episode of Transfer Talk podcast
Pete Graves is joined by ESPN's Sam Tighe and Dominic King from the Daily Mail to discuss Mohamed Salah's shock announcement, the future of Arne Slot and whether the club can afford to spend big again this summer.
Plus, there's a full review of last summer's big money signings!
Defoe: Woking job is a gamble but Redknapp said I'd be brilliant
Harry Redknapp once told Jermain Defoe that the former Tottenham and England striker would make a "brilliant" manager now hes about to find out.
'It's been a long time coming!' | Defoe 'looking forward' to Woking challenge
Man Utds Lammens backed to be among worlds best if hard work continues
Manchester United keeper Senne Lammens can be one of the worlds best if he continues as he has started at Old Trafford.
That is the view of the clubs chief goalkeeping scout, Tony Coton, who has been hugely impressed with how the 23-year-old Belgium international has performed since his 18.1m switch from Royal Antwerp last summer.
Asked if Lammens reminded him of anyone on Uniteds club podcast Inside Carrington, Coton said: He can be anything.
If he puts the work in and he has a really good work ethic he does. Hes got all the tools and hes got the mental capacity to cope with it, as weve seen.
From a goalkeeping point of view, I dont want to compare him to anyone. He is Senne Lammens and he is himself, and if he keeps working as hard as he is doing and we get those little things tidied up, he can be one of the worlds best, Im sure he can.
Hes still got a bit to do, for me, though. Hes got a lot of improvement to do in certain areas.
Lammens kept a clean sheet on his United debut in a 2-0 Premier League victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 4 and has retained his place ever since.
Coton said: They asked me could he go into the team and I said, Yes straight away, straight away. I had to say that anyway because Id recommended him!
The United scout, who was at Aston Villa at the time, revealed he had been monitoring the youngster since first coming across him as an Under-17s international in 2019.
He said: I saw somebody that loved to protect his goal, defend his goal. It hurt him when a goal went in, it meant something because hed conceded. He wasnt happy.
Even from an early age, you really had to look at him and analyse him to see which was his stronger foot.
