Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he is intrigued to see how Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola embeds Erling Haaland within his style of play next season.

The former United centre-back Ferdinand has outlined his tactical reservations about how Guardiola will utilise Haaland’s talents within his preferred way of playing. City have built up a tendency for operating with a false-nine and that is not a role that Haaland will want to fulfil.

“I think there’s a tactical element to this that I can’t wait to see unfold,” Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. “How does Haaland fit into this team?

“Because normally their number nine that they’ve had in the last season or two, he drops in. When Ilkay Gundogan played up there he dropped into midfield, created an overload in midfield where they dominate teams all the time and bamboozle you with that extra player.

“Haaland isn’t coming to feet like that, Haaland wants the ball in and around the box or behind the other team so he can run onto it. I want to see what Pep does with that.”

Although Ferdinand has raised an element of concern about how City will accommodate the striker within their way of style, he is already backing them to retain their Premier League crown and win it for a third successive season next term. They pipped Liverpool to the title this season by just a point, meaning they are likely to expect another close-fought battle next season.

Ferdinand added: “Listen, I said at the beginning of this season that Chelsea would win it after winning the Champions League and what Tuchel had done but they went backwards. I’m going to go for City.

“I think they’ll get the three in a row they’re looking for. I think that will happen.”

Aurelien Tchouameni on the transfer speculation pitting him between moves to both Liverpool and Real Madrid.

He has been linked with every top club going after his rapid rise this season.

Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea all continue to be linked with the 22-year-old, who seems destined to leave AS Monaco this summer.

The France international, however, was remarkably coy on his future when asked about it by CNN.

He told CNN: “I like both: I can watch Spanish games and English games.

“It’s different to play in Spain and it’s different to play in England, but at the end, for me, it’s just a matter of adaptation.”

Tchouameni added: “It’s funny. With my friends Benoit Badiashile and Djibril Sidibé , every morning they tell me: ‘Ah, you go to this club.’ And the next day, it’s another club. But it’s good to be in this situation. It means I’m in a good position.

“But in the end, it’s just social media – the most important thing is to be good in training and in the next game. We’ll see.”

Photo Credit: AS_Monaco_EN

AS Roma boss Mourinho has encouraged Abraham to stay at the Serie A club for at least another season.

“Tammy has incredible potential. He is what I call a big match player, but I want him to understand that to win thing you can’t just be a big match player, you have to be an every match player,” Mourinho told BT Sport.

“If Tammy was able to put his levels of determination, self-esteem, if he managed to put that into other matches, that would mean three points.

“I think he will be a big striker, he will go back to England sooner or later. Hopefully later, I think it’s too soon, but I hope that this is going to happen, it’s a normal consequence.”

Tottenham are reportedly closing in on the signing of Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic.

Spurs are set for a busy summer with a number of incoming and outgoings and Antonio Conte has identified Perisic as a key target.

The Italian worked with the 33-year-old at Inter as they were crowned Serie A champions last year, and several clubs now want Perisic.

But Spurs have emerged as favourites to land the Croatian on a free after agreeing a two-year deal with the wing-back, report The Independent.

Jurgen Klopp has addressed the rumours around Sadio Mane’s future during his final press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League final with Real Madrid.

He said: “Sadio is in the shape of his life. It’s a joy to watch him at the moment.

“Football asks a lot of him this year. I couldn’t care less about the Bayern rumours.

“He knows how important it is. No concerns.”

Klopp added: “This is the wrong moment to talk about that.

“Wherever he plays next season, he will be a big player.”

Danny Drinkwater has finally left Chelsea and described his time with the club as “a business move gone wrong”.

The midfielder played just 23 times for the Blues since his 2017 move, with his last competitive match in the 2018 Community Shield.

And in a farewell posted on his Instagram account, Drinkwater, 32, described his turbulent time in West London.

He wrote: “My time at Chelsea has come to an end… actually feels really strange writing this.

“Me, the club and fans are hugely disappointed with the outcome there is no doubt about that.

“Injuries, how I have been treated, mistakes I have made, issues of the pitch, lack of game time… the list of excuses could be endless but I would not and can not change what’s happened.

“Footballs a fantastic sport but this for both parties was a business move gone wrong, it’s as black and white as that.

“To the Chelsea fans I apologise for how this has turned out I would of loved for you to see me at my best in that shirt doing what I love. All the best.”

Aston Villa are understood to be looking into the possibility of signing free agent Luis Suarez following his departure from Atletico Madrid.

The 35-year-old has left the Wanda Metropolitano after two seasons playing under Diego Simeone.

Gerrard has previously waxed lyrical about the talents of Suarez, with whom he spent three years alongside at Anfield, and hailed him as his greatest ever teammate.

“I played with some top players, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, but Suarez was just different,” he said.

“You just felt that whoever you were playing, you had a feeling that he was going to win you the game, every game. It didn’t matter who it was.

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