#ngolo-kante

#ngolo-kante

Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan, 32, could return to Borussia Dortmund this summer as Barcelona cannot afford to pay the out-of-contract Germany midfielder's wages.Barca have tried to persuade Gundogan by extending their contract offer to three years with reduced wages, while Arsenal have offered a two-year deal and a lucrative proposal is also expected from a Saudi club.

(Image credit: Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly is set to purchase a new club, as the Blues expand their portfolio.Last season, a consortium led by Todd Boehly, chairman and CEO of Eldridge, and Clearlake Capital Group acquired Chelsea following the club being put under government sanctions.

By Tom Gott, Graeme Bailey12:30 PM GMT Chelsea could have another busy summer / Richard Sellers/GettyImages Chelsea's owners are prepared to part ways with a number of players during the coming summer transfer window as part of their new approach to contracts, 90min understands.The Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership have been keen to tie their top stars down to new contracts this season and have wrapped up most of Chelsea's young talents on mammoth long-term deals, with Mason Mount a noticeable exception.

In the midst of all the criticism leveled at the players, manager, and owners for the club's awful to the season, Liverpool has begun to assess what has to be done.They should have done it sooner, but better late than never.The Reds are watching the transfer market with their eyes wide open.There aren't many players said to be leaving in the coming summer who Liverpool isn't interested in.

Liverpool are potentially going to have a big spending transfer window in the summer, and rightfully so.God knows they need one.They need midfielders but that's not all they need.They wouldn't really mind a centre-back either, and it remains to be seen what they do.Free agency is a very useful tool for clubs to add players to their roster without spending that transfer fee money.

TEAM NEWS
Chelsea caretaker boss Frank Lampard is again without a host of players for what is his last match in charge.Benoit Badiashile, Armando Broja, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Reece James are all out, while Mason Mount is a doubt.Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has confirmed Joelinton and Javier Manquillo will miss this game.

TEAM NEWS
Manchester City could again be without defender Nathan Ake due to a hamstring injury.Manager Pep Guardiola has no other injury concerns to contend with in his squad.Chelsea are missing Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount due to injury.

(Image credit: Getty) Chelsea are pursuing a transfer for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia in the summer window, with reports suggesting the 19-year-old is a priority signing for the club.Lavia joined Southampton from Manchester City for 14 million last summer, and the Belgian has impressed since arriving on the south coast, despite it looking increasingly likely that the Saints will get relegated to the Championship.

Chelsea will be looking to close the gap on those above them in the Premier League when they host Aston Villa on Saturday.The Blues have won two of their last three league games to sit 10th, with Liverpool, Brighton, Brentford and Fulham in their sights as they seek a better finish than tenth under Graham Potter.

TEAM NEWS
Chelsea are without Raheem Sterling, who has a minor hamstring problem, but Reece James could come back into contention after missing the win against Leicester through illness.N'Golo Kante, who last played in August, has a chance of returning to the matchday squad.Thiago Silva, Mason Mount and Cesar Azpilicueta are again sidelined.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter still has the support of chairman Todd Boehly and the club's board despite their poor run of form.The Blues have won just two of their past 14 games in all competitions and were beaten 1-0 by Premier League strugglers Southampton on Saturday.Potter was appointed in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

Chelsea are in historically woeful form but could begin a long apology to fans with a good result against Arsenal on Tuesday.Five straight defeats in a run of eight games without victory is objectively awful, but adding a loss to Arsenal into the mix would make things even worse.Chelsea need a serious response if they are to get fans back on their side.

(Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Chelsea star Reece James is being eyed by Real Madrid, with Los Blancos looking for a new right-back.The Cobham academy graduate has faced a tough season at Stamford Bridge with injury setbacks, missing the World Cup when he was sidelined in autumn.

Verdict: Chelsea win Best Odds: 1/2 Bookmaker: Unibet Looking to extend on their recent flurry on Saturday evening, Chelsea will welcome relegation scrappers Everton to Stamford Bridge.Chelsea
Starting with the hosts, while Graham Potter might have found himself in the midst of a public nightmare after arriving at Stamford Bridge back in September, Chelsea have managed to find a crucial recent boost.

Liverpool is contemplating a star-studded summer transfer window, being interested in a number of players to bring to Anfield for next season, in light of the growing necessity for a total makeover of the team following the disastrous season that has been going.The team has made news for probable interest in players such as N'Golo Kante, Matheus Nunes, and Ruben Neves.

Chelsea are in the market for a new midfielder / Pixsell/MB Media/GettyImages Chelsea have been pushing hard to sign Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, but they've found themselves frustrated thus far.The Blues' reluctance to pay his 120m release clause has proven problematic and has yielded a furious response from Benfica manager Roger Schmidt, who accused Chelsea of being 'disrespectful'.

9:35 AM ET



Julien LaurensCorrespondent



France have been hit with a virus that could see the team's starting centre-back pairing miss the World Cup final, sources have told ESPN.According to sources, Raphael Varane has small symptoms of the virus and fellow defender Ibrahima Konate has not left his room after feeling unwell.

Manchester City are growing confident they can land England's Jude Bellingham, 19, in the summer, but Real Madrid remain in the race for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.Newcastle United are targeting Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay this summer and the 26-year-old Scotland international is believed to be open to the move.

12:03 PM ET



Julien LaurensCorrespondent



Karim Benzema has rejected an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the World Cup final, sources have told ESPN.Benzema suffered a thigh injury days before France's first game of the competition which led to him flying home.Like the other players injured, Benzema was given the opportunity to join the presidential plane to travel to Doha for the final but, alongside Laurent Blanc, Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini, he did not accept the invitation.

After the lackluster January transfer window and ongoing criticism from supporters for not exploring big transfers, Liverpool has finally entered the transfer market with eyes wide open.It appears that the club has finally realized the team's dismal form and recognized the necessity for a substantial roster revamp.

Even if you only mildly maintain pace with all the rumors surrounding Liverpool and its prospective targets for the summer, you'll see that the club is heavily engaged in entirely rebuilding the midfield.There isn't a single day that goes by when new rumors about a new interest or additional development in the case of an already pursued midfielder don't make headlines.

Liverpool is on the lookout for a midfielder to bolster the team's quality.There is Jude Bellingham, who is Jurgen Klopp's top target, while others such as N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, and Matheus Nunes are also being pursued.The club is studying every facet of the transfer decision.They've identified potential backup targets in case the Bellingham move falls through.

Liverpool's dynamics are shifting with breakneck pace.The club is thinking about a variety of matters in light of the decisions that will be made in the coming months, and nearly no players, with the exception of a few essentials, are untouchable.The Reds are preparing a significant squad overhaul as they continue to pursue big names such as Jude Bellingham, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Matheus Nunes, and a long list of other European talents.

Manchester United's takeover could be delayed as current owners the Glazers want a higher fee of £6bn for the club.Napoli are planning to fend off interest in Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia by doubling the 22-year-old's salary and extending his contract until 2028.Alexis Mac Allister's father and agent was a club guest at a recent Liverpool game as the Reds eye Brighton's Argentina midfielder, 24, as well as Chelsea's England forward Mason Mount, 24, and Borussia Dortmund's England midfielder Jude Bellingham, 19.

With just a few weeks remaining before the opening of the January transfer window, there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where.Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!TOP STORY: Bayern watching De Jong
Bayern Munich are keeping close tabs on Netherlands star Frenkie de Jong, reveals Sport.

The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe.However, with an eye on January, there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where.Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!TOP STORY: Liverpool, Juventus eye Mount
Liverpool and Juventus are both keeping track of Mason Mount's uncertain situation at Chelsea, as has been reported by The Guardian.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Graham Potter and the Blues will be hoping for a fast (re)start to kickstart their top-four push when the Premier League returns to Stamford Bridge Tuesday, Dec. 26 ( watch live, 10 am ET on USA Network and online via NBCSports.com).Thomas Tuchel was dismissed after just six PL games (3W-1D-2L)), with Chelsea sitting 6th in the PL table.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Graham Potter and the Blues will be hoping for a fast (re)start to kickstart their top-four push when the Premier League returns to Stamford Bridge Tuesday, Dec. 26 ( watch live, 10 am ET on USA Network and online via NBCSports.com).Thomas Tuchel was dismissed after just six PL games (3W-1D-2L)), with Chelsea sitting 6th in the PL table.

By Julien Laurens French football writer


Last updated on .From the section World Cup  

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.Day-by-day TV listings  - Full coverage details  

From the games room of the luxurious Al Messila Resort in Doha, you can hear the laughter from far away.

Lucas Hernandez has successfully undergone surgery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in France's 4-1 World Cup opening win against Australia on Tuesday.Hernandez's club Bayern Munich confirmed he had the operation in Innsbruck on Thursday, with his rehabilitation to commence in Munich in the coming days.

Olivier Giroud moved level with Thierry Henry as France's all-time top men's scorer after his brace led the World Cup holders to a 4-1 win over Australia in their Group D opener at Qatar's Al-Janoub Stadium on Tuesday.Craig Goodwin gave the Socceroos a shock lead when crashing in a shot at the back post in just the ninth minute.

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November -18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.Day-by-day TV listings  - Full coverage details  

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani has been called up to the France World Cup squad in place of the injured Christopher Nkunku.

(Image credit: The Mirror) Arsenal have confirmed that Pablo Mari is safe and recovering after being stabbed in an Italian supermarket.The Gunners' 2-0 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League was overshadowed by the news that Mari  currently on loan with Monza  was the victim of the attack, which has already claimed the life of one victim.

(Image credit: Matt Childs - Pool/Getty Images) Arsenal have won the race for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans and are free to sign him at the end of his contract next summer.That's according to one report that says the Belgian controller is set to leave the Foxes for nothing and that Juventus have pulled out of the race for his signature  leaving the Gunners with a free path to his signing.