Roma react to Manchester United, Arsenal move for Tammy Abraham

Roma are reportedly not willing to sell Tammy Abraham this summer after a stellar first season in Serie A.

Abraham’s form had led to rumours linking him with both United and Arsenal.

The clubs are on the lookout for a striker, with Calciomercato claiming both teams are willing to splash £75m on the former Chelsea man.

Roma though are reportedly not prepared to entertain any offers whatsoever for the 24-year-old.

Arsenal set for shock swoop for Manchester United star

Manchester United academy product Marcus Rashford could be set for a shock move to Arsenal this summer.

Reports suggest the Gunners are plotting a swoop for the 24-year-old come the end of the campaign.

The Manchester United forward is enduring a rough time at Old Trafford this season.

However, according to the Mirror, Rashford could be offered an escape route out of Old Trafford by Arsenal, as the Gunners look to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goals.

Burnley’s attempt to rescue Victor Moses from Russia blocked

Burnley’s bid to rescue Victor Moses from the distress of being left in limbo in warring Russia has been blocked by the Premier League.

The Spartak Moscow player is still stuck in the capital, isolated from family and friends.

Moses, a former Chelsea wing-back, is considered out of contract until June 30 this year, and can be signed under special dispensation granted by FIFA and UEFA.

There has been a temporary amending of the statutes governing transfers due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

According to Sky Sports, Burnley have tried to provide Moses with the opportunity to play again, earn a salary, and be reunited with his family in England, but the Premier League does not want to accept any such request, citing the sporting integrity of the competition.

The Premier League has come under criticism for its stance.

Former Finland captain Tim Sparv told Sky Sports News: “We need to do everything we can to help players get out of Russia, a country led by a dictator.

“We need to give them the chance to go and play somewhere where they feel safe. This is a humanitarian issue.”

Serie A and the Bundesliga have also barred clubs from using the special dispensation on the grounds of sporting integrity.

Abramovich uses Portuguese passport to travel to mediate between Putin, Joe Biden

Roman Abramovich has reportedly travelled to Poland to mediate between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.

The oligarch took the train to Poland on Thursday using his Portuguese passports, reports claim.

TVN reporter Jakob Stachowiak said on social media: “Yesterday he came to Poland in secret from Ukraine by the smart train.

“Interestingly, he used a Portuguese passport. Perhaps there will be an informal meeting with the president. Has Putin sent a billionaire?

“The oligarch got to Poland from the territory of Ukraine, where he was allegedly talking to President Volodymir Zelensky.”

Potential buyers set to meet Thomas Tuchel, Marina Granovskaia before takeover

Potential Chelsea buyers will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Thomas Tuchel and Marina Granovskaia before a £2.5billion takeover.

Chelsea have whittled down their list of potential buyers to just a handful of consortiums.

The Blues are now set to choose from options that includes a group involving Seb Coe, ex-Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton and two American businessmen.

And according to The Times, all parties will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Tuchel and director Granovskaia.

Chelsea hand club’s potential buyers big condition

Chelsea’s buyout candidates are mulling over the reported need to commit £1billion to future investment.

Apart from the club’s £3bn takeover valuation, the Blues are said to want guarantees of huge funding for Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

The four consortiums in the running are thought to be: Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family, former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton aided by Sir Seb Coe, LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, and Boston Celtics and Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca.

Meanwhile, the controversial Ricketts family are reportedly willing to pledge the £1bn squad funding Chelsea want as part of a takeover deal.

The Telegraph say the Chicago Cubs owners – whose offer sparked criticism from Blues fans due to historical racism claims – have already come forward to meet the demand.

The mega-rich family are on the four-bid shortlist to buy out Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich despite a #NoToRicketts social media campaign.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta warns Chelsea target

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has issued Chelsea transfer target Ousmane Dembele – also linked with Manchester United – a blunt warning amid a contract stand-off.

Laporta is still holding talks with Dembele, whose deal with Barca runs out in June, and insists he will have to lower his wage demands if he wishes to stay at the Nou Camp.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Barca bigwig has told the winger he will have to adapt to the club’s new salary scale that is set to come into effect next season.

Laporta also confirmed negotiations are underway with Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Sergi Roberto.

Romano tweeted: “Barcelona president Laporta tells [Mundo Deportivo]: ‘We’ve no news for Ousmane Dembele contract.

‘If he wants to stay, he will have to adapt to our salary scale for next season. ‘Talks are underway with Gavi and Araujo. Sergi Roberto? It’s in the hands of his agent’.”

Dembele has been linked with a Premier League move this summer and Chelsea are among the clubs keeping tabs on him.

Cesc Fabregas complains about modern football, says game is becoming robotic

Former Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas has expressed his problem with the new trend in modern football, saying “it has changed so, so, so much.”

In an interview with Marca, Fabregas was asked if football itself was still the same as the one that took him to be champion of world with Spain.

Fabregas didn’t hold back with his answer, leaving no doubt that he believes some aspects of the modern game have been taken too far.

“Football has changed so, so, so much. The change started about four or five years ago and now it’s quite notable. I’ve had various managers and it’s not just happened with one or two. It’s happened with four or five. This thing is here to stay.

“They are methodologies based on a lot a automatisms, in which the manager basically tells you where you have to pass the ball in every moment. The player has to be positioned in their exact place. It’s becoming a robotic game.”

For a player who thrived off creativity and the ability to manipulate the ball, the physical side of the game is taking over too much according to the Catalan.

“Then there’s the game of the GPS. Many managers are obsessed with the numbers. If you don’t get to these numbers, you’re not prepared to play, if you rest, you have to do these numbers in order to maintain your level…”

“Sometimes I’m a bit old-school’ in that respect. I have experienced great moments, great periods in my career in which I managed, without training, great seasons both physically and mentally. Now it seems like if you don’t train, you can’t be good. Everything is based on science, numbers and GPS.”

Regardless of what is preferable, as Fabregas says, this is here to stay

VAR comes to Ghana’s aid as Super Eagles survive first leg clash unscathed, Eguavoen, Ekong react

Ghana and Nigeria played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their World Cup playoff in Kumasi, leaving the tie wide open when they meet again in Abuja on Tuesday to decide a place in Qatar.

There was little in the way of clear-cut chances across the 90 minutes in Kumasi, with Moses Simon having the best chance as he was denied in the second-half.

It was Ghana who started the match the better of the two sides, roared on by a raucous home crowd, though it wasn’t until 30 minutes in that their first real chance of the match came. Abdul Fatawu let fly with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, which Francis Uzoho parried away.

Nigeria grew into the game and enjoyed a bright spell just before the break. Kelechi Iheanacho very nearly got on the end of a cross at the back post, before Victor Osimhen sent a tame volley at goal that was comfortably saved.

Home side Ghana had more of the possession but only twice did they test goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who made a stop from a stinging shot by Issahaku Fatawu and then again late on from Mohammed Kudus.

Nigeria’s best chance came through Moses Simon ten minutes into the second half, but he fired straight at the goalkeeper from ten-yards out.

The Super Eagles were awarded a penalty with 15 minutes left when Idrissu Baba Mohamed handled the ball after being tripped in his own penalty area, but after a VAR check the referee overturned his decision after deciding that the Ghana man had been fouled.

Ghana were playing their first game under new coach Otto Addo, as changes were made following a dismal Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Leicester’s Ademola Lookman, who had previously played for England at under-21 level, made his Nigeria debut as a substitute for the last 15 minutes.

The result means it’s all to play for heading into the second leg in Nigeria on Tuesday night when a place in Qatar at the end of the year will be won.

After the match, Austin Eguavoen said: “Ghana are a very tough team.

“The biggest positive we take from this is that we did not lose. We got a good result and our team was very organized and disciplined. But it was a good game and we are happy with the result.

“We trust in our players and we know that anybody we call upon at any time has the ability to do the job.

“This is not over,” he said. “It is just the first half of this game, and there is still the second leg to play. I was not happy with the way we were letting them win some balls and get into spaces, but we will sort that out in the second leg.

The Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong added: “We don’t expect an easy game in Abuja, but we are confident that we can win and qualify.”

“We had to stay strong, and keep our focus on ourselves and what we came here to do.”

Revealed: Why Juventus called off move for Antonio Rudiger

A report from Italian media claims that Antonio Rudiger’s wage demand has caused Juventus not to want to talk with the Chelsea defender’s representatives, according to Sport Witness.

The report details the ‘shock request’ made by the Germany international to join the Turin club as a free agent in the summer.

According to ‘London sources’, he and his entourage would be ‘satisfied’ with a salary of €10m net per year. Apart from this, they will also want a ‘substantial signing on bonus’ of €30m.

Tuttosport make it clear that if those requests are genuine, representatives of the Old Lady would not even sit at the negotiating table and ‘won’t even have a coffee’ with Rüdiger’s agents.