Premier League clubs battling for Genk’s Mike Tresor 

At least five Premier League clubs are reportedly fighting for the services of emerging Genk winger Mike Tresor. The Belgian is one of Europe’s leading assist makers this season, making 18 assists in 30 league appearances for Genk while scoring seven times.  Only Swift Hesperange’s Rayan Philippe, with 20 assists, has recorded more assists than Tresor in Europe, and the 23-year-old’s contributions have catapulted Genk to the top of the Belgium Pro League table.   Read more: Man City & PSG make opening bid for Croatian sensation Luka Vuskovic His form and numbers has alerted Europe’s leading clubs of his availability. And according to 90min, at least six clubs in England are after him.  The five Premier League clubs interested in his services are Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Brentford, Brighton and Wolves. These sides are among teams who have sent scouts to watch Tresor in recent months. Championship leaders Burnley, managed by former Belgium international Vincent Kompany, are also keen on the player. The Clarets tried to bring Tresor to England in January but failed, as Genk was not interested in selling their star mid-season. However, Burnley are expected to return for the 23-year-old in the summer as they attempt to build a squad that will compete favourably in the Premier League. Tresor began his career with Anderlecht before spells in Holland with NEC and Willem II before joining Genk. He has also attracted interest from clubs in Germany and Spain. The 23-year-old is still waiting to make his international debut, having yet to be selected by former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez or current coach Domenico Tedesco for their most-recent international games. 

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Wenger and Ferguson inducted into the EPL Hall of Fame 

Former Manchester United and Arsenal managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been inducted into the EPL Hall of Fame, the Premier League has announced. The duo have become the first managers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for their outstanding contributions to the league. They follow in the footsteps of the likes of Thiery Henry, Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Sergio Aguero, Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright, Didier Drogba, Paul Scholes, Vincent Kompany, Peter Schmeichel and Alan Shearer who were inducted in the previous editions. The legendary duo have 16 Premier League titles between them, with Ferguson alone responsible for 13 of those titles. The Scotsman spent 27 years at Old Trafford, amassing 528 wins from 810 matches and 1,752 points accumulated.  He was named Premier League manager of the season 11 times and collected the Manager of the Month award on 27 occasions. Read more: Man City make move to keep Haaland Wenger is the only manager to have won the Premier League title without tasting defeat, with his ‘Invincibles’ of 2003 the only club in the competition’s history to go an entire season without losing a game. The Frenchman managed 828 Premier League matches, including 476 wins and 199 draws. He was voted Manager of the Season in 1998, 2002 and 2004.  Speaking after the announcement of their induction, Ferguson paid homage to Wenger, calling him a ‘worthy inductee’. “I feel Arsene is a very worthy inductee,” he said. “He transformed Arsenal Football Club fantastically. They became a tough team to compete with, and we both wanted to win, which motivated us further.  “Through the years since retirement, we’d go for dinner together in a little restaurant he knows well in Switzerland. He is a really interesting man, and I enjoy his company, but it is still my job to pick the wine!’ “I’d like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger.” Wenger said: “I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame. We always wanted to give something special to the fans, and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection. “To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me. It’s like two boxers. You fight like mad and go the distance together.  “At the end of the day, you have respect, and it will be a great opportunity to meet with him, share a good bottle of wine and memories of our old battles.”

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Man City & PSG make opening bid for Croatian sensation Luka Vuskovic

Premier League defending champions Manchester City and Ligue 1 heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly submitted an opening bid for Hajduk Split defender Luka Vuskovic. According to 90min, the two European giants have indicated an interest in Vuskovic, but the Croatian side are in no rush to finalise a deal. The 16-year-old centre-half’s contract at Hajduk runs until 2026. But they are expected to agree to a sale this summer to balance the books. Read more: PSG Offered Rashford a huge £400,000-a-week contract amid stalled contract discussions at Man United Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side are reportedly the first team to approach, proposing a deal worth up to €12m for Vuskovic, the youngest player to feature in the Croatian top flight. He is also the youngest Croatian to play and to score in the UEFA Youth League and is highly thought of in his home country, resulting in Hajduk believing they can fetch a higher fee for him. The Croatian side believes €15m is a more realistic valuation for the 16-year-old, and so are not ready to agree on a sale for him at this moment. Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham have also shown an interest in the teenager. Across Europe, Lyon, PSG, Benfica, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund are also keen on landing Vuskovic. However, the feeling is that Hajduk Split and Vuskovic want the player to remain for at least one more season, as he has already become a regular in the club’s senior set-up. 

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Draxler and Paredes to return to PSG this summer

PSG loan stars Julian Draxler and Leandro Paredes will reportedly return to the Parc des Princes this summer when their loan deals expire. Both players left PSG on loan last summer to pursue first-team football, but things have not gone according to plan, and they are set to return to their parent club. Read more: Bayern players surprised by Julian Nagelsmann’s sack Germany international Julian Draxler joined Benfica, while Leandro Paredes joined Italian Serie A side Juventus. But they will both return to PSG in the summer before looking for permanent moves away from the Parks side. This is according to football transfer expert Frabizo Romano who tweeted,  “Julian Draxler and Leandro Paredes are both expected to return to PSG at the end of the season, waiting for possible new solutions. “Juventus are not planning to activate the buy option clause for Paredes at this stage; Draxler is injured and expected to leave Benfica.”

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PSG Offered Rashford a huge £400,000-a-week contract amid stalled contract discussions at Man United 

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly offered in-from Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford a huge £400,000-a-week contract to ditch Old Trafford for Parc des Princes this summer amid uncertainty over his future in England. The England man has just one year left on his deal with United. He has opened talks with the Premier League side, but talks between both sides have reportedly stalled recently. Read more: Kante and Chelsea close to an agreement According to The Athletic, there is little progress in discussions between Rashford’s entourage and Man United, with the striker reportedly waiting to find out if the club will be sold to new owners. As a result, PSG are lurking around, looking to pounce should both sides fail to reach an agreement soon.  The French giants have maintained a keen interest in the 25-year-old since last summer and are willing to match his rising profile with a good monetary offer.  Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi even admitted during the World Cup that the Ligue 1 giants have previously spoken with representatives of the “really amazing” United star. And now it is reported that PSG had an offer worth more than £400,000-a-week on the table for Rashford at one stage. However, they were unable to tempt the England ace to France. But if the uncertainty surrounding Rashford’s contract at Old Trafford persists, they will certainly return to try again. So  United need to move quickly and decisively if they are to keep a home-grown talent on their books. 

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Scotland vs Spain: Preview and Expert Football Prediction 

Scotland and Spain will square at Hampden Park this Tuesday for the second leg of the 2024 European Championship qualifiers. The hosts began their quest for a place in Germany next year with a positive result, beating FIFA’s #110-ranked side Cyprus 3-0, courtesy of two late goals from Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay. The win extended their unbeaten run in competitive games to five games (W4, D1). They kept three clean sheets in those five games and failed to score in only one game. So they will fancy their chances in this game in front of their supporters. Read more: Preview and Expert Football Prediction A seven-match winning run in major tournament qualification matches (excluding play-offs) for Steve Clark’s men also shows they can rub shoulders with the bigger teams. Nevertheless, Spain will provide a far sterner test for them, with three-time European champions and #10 ranked looking to make it two wins in two qualifier games. La Roja began life under new manager Luis de la Fuente with a 3-0 win over Norway in their first game.  So they will travel to Glasgow looking for a win that will give them total control of Group A, ahead of Scotland. They will feel confident about getting a win, given their record in head-to-head games, as they are unbeaten in their last five games against the Scots (W3, D2). Also, they have lost just once in their last  18 away Euro qualifiers (W14, D3), so they will fancy their chances against a nation that is ranked 37 placed below them on the FIFA rankings. Click here to get the best expert football predictions.

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Kante and Chelsea close to an agreement

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is reportedly closing in on an agreement that will see the France midfielder remain at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer.  The defensive midfielder has been a big hit in London when he moved from Leicester City in 2016, shortly after helping the Foxes win the Premier League title. He also helped Chelsea to win the UEFA Champions League title under Thomas Tuchel in 2021, producing a Man-of-the-Match performance in two semi-final legs over Real Madrid. However, injuries have limited his involvement with Chelsea this season, leading to speculations that the Blues will allow him to leave when his contract expires this summer. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, as Chelsea are happy to keep the player beyond this summer.  Read more: Julian Nagelsmann could land Tottenham job after Bayern Munich sacking They have opened contract talks with his entourage and are reportedly close to an agreement. According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, contract discussions are reportedly in their ‘final stages’, with the French World Cup-winning midfielder expected to commit his future to the club. The deal is expected to keep Kante at Stamford Bridge for at least two seasons, with an option for a third year also discussed.  “N’Golo Kanté was back on the pitch for a friendly game earlier this week… and the negotiations over a new contract are still ongoing and progressing well to final stages”, Romano tweeted. “Discussions on last details as a new deal could be valid for the next two years plus one season club option,” he added.  Romano also claimed that Kante’s positive feelings toward Chelsea were a crucial factor in the negotiation, with the midfielder also keen to stay in west London. The 31-year-old was attracting interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Reports also linked him to Bayern Munich, where former boss Thomas Tuchel has just taken over.  But he will remain at Stamford Bridge, where he will hope to regain the trust of manager Graham Potter having not played a competitive game for the Englishman since his arrival early in the season. The midfielder has been injured since August and has not featured in any game for Chelsea since then. But he was an unused sub last time out when Chelsea played Everton at Stamford Bridge, while he stepped up his fitness by playing one hour in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Charlton last week.

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Man City make move to keep Haaland

Manchester City are reportedly looking to fend off interest from Real Madrid over the signature of star striker Erling Haaland by offering him a new deal. The Norwegian striker is currently one of the hottest players in Europe, having scored eight times in two matches before the international break. He leads the Premier League and Champions League scoring charts this season and is already on 42 goals in just 39 appearances in all competitions.  Read more: Messi edging closer to Barcelona return Despite only joining Manchester City last summer from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland’s form has attracted interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid who are ready to sign him this summer. However, to stop any interest from Madrid, Pep Guardiola’s are looking to offer the 22-year-old a bumper new deal. According to a report by The Sun, the Cityzens want to hand the Norwegian a massive £500,000-a-week wage to tie him down at the Etihad. The striker’s current contract at Manchester runs till 2027 and sees him earn £375,000 a week, making him the joint-highest wage earner in the Premier League, along with team-mate Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.  However, City wants to add a substantial amount to that sum and an extra year to Haaland’s contract to keep him at the club.

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Ireland vs France: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

The Republic of Ireland will begin their quest for a place in the 2024 European Championship with a visit from World Cup finalists France this Monday. The hosts are yet to kick off their Euro qualifiers but had a great outing last time when they beat Latvia 3-2 in an international friendly. Goals from Callum O’Dowd, Chiedozie Ogbene and 18-year-old Evan Ferguson secured the win for Stephen Kenny’s young side–their second win in a row. Read more: England vs Ukraine: Preview and Expert Football Prediction The Boys in Green now return to Aviva Stadium, where they beat Latvia, looking for another massive win in front of an expectant fans base. However, they haven’t beaten France in any game since October 1981, so this will be a tough challenge. Les Bleus began their European Championship qualifiers with a massive 4-0 win over the Netherlands, so they are easily the favourites here.  Didier Deschamps’ side are supposedly on a rebuilding journey, but they didn’t look like a team missing their veterans when they dispatched the Dutch. A brace from newly-appointed captain Kylian Mbappe, which came after Antoine Greizmann and Dayot Upamecano had given France a 2-0 lead in the first ten minutes, ensured the World Cup finalists made a positive return to competitive action after their tragic end to the World Cup. Another win will see them set the right pace for the rest of the qualifiers. However, the visitors haven’t won any of their last three matches as the away side (D2, L1), while each of their last four such games produced exactly two goals. So they will have to tread carefully here and not become too confident. Click here to get the best prediction for this game.

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England vs Ukraine: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

England will welcome Ukraine to London this Sunday for their second Euro 2024 qualifier match. After a disappointing ending to their last two tournaments, the Three Lions are looking to rebuild again under long-serving coach Gareth Southgate. The Englishman is looking to secure a place for his side in the European Championship for the fourth consecutive time. And his side have started on a strong note, beating holders Italy 2-1 in the first game at Naples. Goals from Declan Rice and record-breaker Harry Kane sealed the win and ended a miserable run of results against Roberto Mancini’s side.  Read more: France vs Netherlands: Preview and Expert Football Prediction Their target will be solidifying their top position with another dominant display in front of their fans at Wembley. Given their record in Euro qualifiers, they will fancy their chances against a Ukraine side that England have lost to only once (W5, D2, L1). After narrowly missing out on a place in Qatar last summer, Ukraine are looking to go above the challenges facing them collectively as a war-torn nation. Like their hosts, they are targeting a fourth straight European Championship outing. But unlike England, this is the visitor’s first Euro qualifiers match in this cycle. They did not play in midweek but warmed up for this game with a 2-0 win against Brentford’s second team. With England and North Macedonia already on three points apiece, Ukraine will be desperate to put some points on the board to give them a chance to qualify from Group C. The visitors were the only side in their group to avoid defeat in all their away games in the previous cycle (W2, D2), including both games entered as outsiders in Serbia and Portugal. So they will be confident of getting a good result. However, their last competitive outing was a heartbreaking defeat to another British side Scotland, which denied them UEFA Nations League qualification.  Meanwhile, England have led 1-0 at half-time in four of the previous eight H2H encounters. So a goal in the first half is expected in this game.

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