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West Ham are under no pressure to sell Declan Rice this summer, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has told The Transfer Tavern.

Rice continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea, with The Telegraph claiming that Thomas Tuchel is a fan of the player, while Fabrizio Romano claimed on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast, via Give Me Sport, that Chelsea are in talks with his representatives.

Last year, it was reported that West Ham owed £70m from player transfers, which may sound worrying to some supporters.

However, after borrowing money over the last 12 months, Maguire is confident transfer fee issues can easily be addressed without having to sell key assets.

“No, I don’t think they have to sell,” The Price of Football author exclusively told TT. “They have borrowed money over the course of the last 12 months, so that will allow them to deal with those transfer fee issues.

“If they choose to sell, it’s because somebody comes in with a really good offer for Declan Rice. They won’t be in a firesale or liquidation sale environment, where you’re desperate to sell in order to keep the bank manager happy, so I think they’re in a strong position this summer.”

It is great news for manager David Moyes, who will not want to lose any of his star players after such a successful season.

The Hammers, of course, were able to qualify for the Europa League after finishing sixth in the Premier League table, and the Scotsman will surely be hoping to build on that and make sure it was not a one-off.

Some Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with comments from former SNP councillor Christopher McEleny.

The past week has been a mixed one for the Gers. Last weekend, they completed their unbeaten Premiership season thanks to a 4-0 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox (BBC), after which they received the league trophy. It was a day of celebration for Rangers players and supporters after 10 years without a major honour.

Unfortunately, there has been some controversy in the meantime. Twenty Rangers fans were arrested in George Square after scuffles broke out (firstpost.com), while the Gers players were ludicrously accused of singing sectarian songs during their own post-match celebrations. Police Scotland have cleared them of any wrongdoing (Daily Record), but McEleny still believes they are guilty of the charge being levelled against them.

The comments were shared on his official Twitter account and they attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These Gers fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on McEleny’s comments, which one irate fan described as “ludicrous”.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from McEleny

“My other half is a club employee & was there so genuine question… If those in attendance know it didn’t happen, where are you getting your info from? Surely not TikTok? These accusations are wrong & just pathetic.”

Credit: @WeeVK80

“Lost the plot mate.”

Credit: @The_JazzyB

“Claims to be a Morton fan yet tweets this out during their most important game of the season. Absolutely rent free.”

Credit: @Stu_1872_

“Many of the Rangers 1st team are Catholic and openly cross themselves when they enter or leave the field or score a goal. It’s simply ludicrous to suggest they would then happily sing FTP.”

Credit: @missteeray

“I hope the club lawyers are looking at this too”

Credit: @GraemeGames

“Chris if you are that sure players of a football club done that then why not name that club? Is it because if you name the club you’ll find yourself receiving a lawyer’s letter”

Credit: @kev84mc

In other news, some Rangers fans were livid at this article in The Times.

USMNT star Johnny Cardoso has made a dream start to life at Real Betis as he landed a top La Liga honour for his exploits in February.

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• Cardoso enjoying life in Spain
• Signed for Betis until 2029 from Internacional in January
• Was awarded U23 player of the month for February

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazilian midfielder, who made the leap from Internacional to Betis during the winter transfer window, has been enjoying a dream start to life in Spain. He scored his team's third goal in a recent 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao and had earlier bagged an assist as well in February during a 2-0 triumph over Cadiz. And now the 22-year-old has been recognised by La Liga for his efforts and was honoured with the U23 Player of the Month award for February.

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• WHAT PELLEGRINI SAID

  Manuel Pellegrini, coach of Real Betis, lavished praise on Cardoso after his impressive performance against Athletic and told reporters: “He is very organised and intelligent. He needs to adapt to the league but from the first minute, he is performing very well.”

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  The victory over Athletic keeps Betis in contention for European football next season, as they are currently sitting in sixth place in the league table. Reflecting on his goal-scoring moment, Cardoso exuded confidence, stating that he had no doubts when the opportunity presented itself.

  "When I saw the ball coming, I had no doubt to go for goal,” he said.

  “I’m very happy. It still hasn’t sunk in yet but I’m just enjoying the moment with my team-mates. Our goal is Europe, we’ll make it happen.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  On the international stage, Cardoso has represented the US Men's National Team (USMNT) on nine occasions since his debut in 2020. His recent involvement in friendlies against Germany and Ghana highlights his importance to Gregg Berhalter's plans for the national team's future.

Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho is on Liverpool’s list of potential summer arrivals, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Sancho exit possible

The 21-year-old has continued to excel for the Bundesliga giants this season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions and outlining his reputation as one of Europe’s best young players.

Sancho continues to be linked with a summer exit from Dortmund, however, with a return to England looking most likely should he leave Signal Iduna Park.

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The Latest: Liverpool again linked with move

Speaking to Bild [via Sport Witness], Falk confirmed that Sancho is being viewed as a possible summer signing by Liverpool, although they aren’t alone in showing in interest in him. The journalist outlined:

“That is indeed, true, Liverpool are looking at Sancho again.

“He is on the list, especially because they don’t know what will happen with Salah, who is always a bit on the move and thinking about a transfer.

“Chelsea are also very interested, as we have reported, and also Spain lures him again and again.

“If Salah were to be sold or he says he doesn’t want to be at the club anymore then there would surely be movement on Sancho with Liverpool.”

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The Verdict: Future superstar

Sancho is a special young talent who has already achieved so much at the top level, making 135 senior appearances for Dortmund and winning 18 England caps by the tender age of 21, so it is only natural that the Reds’ rumoured interest should be seen as hugely exciting.

Eventually, Jurgen Klopp will need to find long-term replacements for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, with the pair both turning 30 next year.

If Diogo Jota is the man to potentially fill the Mane-shaped void over time on the left, Sancho could then be Salah’s successor, wreaking havoc on the right wing by combining electric pace, quick feet and consistent end product.

The forward has 50 goals and 63 assists for Dortmund, which speaks volumes about his quality, but whether or not Liverpool can afford to sign him this summer without selling one of their main assets is debatable – Sancho is valued at £90m by Transfermarkt.

In other news, there has been a key update on Liverpool’s pursuit of one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

The Gunners centre-back has taken her game to the next level over the past few months, and with others out injured, she should get her chance to start

There was plenty for Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall to be happy about following his side's emphatic 3-1 victory over Manchester United in front of a Women's Super League-record Emirates Stadium crowd on Saturday. Following a shock defeat to West Ham, as well as an FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester City, the Swede has been under pressure recently, and the welcome win moved the Gunners back to within three points of leaders Chelsea with eight games to play.

Cloe Lacasse seriously impressed on a rare start, Beth Mead was unplayable at times and Lia Walti ran things in the middle of the park. But at full-time, Eidevall made sure to give his makeshift back four – disrupted by Leah Williamson and Amanda Ilestedt being absent – special credit for the victory, singling one player out in particular.

"We had to rejig and you could see Laia Codina, for example, she has been training really well so she was ready to play. But it is still a new back four to play together. But in that unit we have to acknowledge a player like Lotte Wubben-Moy. We have to acknowledge the level she is playing at this season and seeing how she develops," he said.

"A performance like she has today is incredible. I think it is something the whole club should be very proud of because she is Arsenal through and through. She is coming from our academy, our community and to see her excel the way she does at Emirates Stadium, it is fantastic. I am really, really happy for her and the club to see that."

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  Stepping up last season

  Her manager's glowing appraisal after Saturday's huge result has been echoed by most onlookers throughout the current campaign. Almost every Arsenal fan would agree that Wubben-Moy is firmly in the conversation for the Gunners' Player of the Season award, while a spot in the WSL Team of the Year also seems likely if she continues on her current trajectory.

  Wubben-Moy's emergence as a key player has not come out of the blue, though. Following Leah Williamson's devastating ACL injury last season, and with other starting centre-back Rafaelle missing a decent chunk of the 2022-23 campaign too, she stepped up when it mattered, playing near enough every minute of her side's congested run-in.

  Forming an unorthodox partnership with Steph Catley at the heart of the defence, she chipped in with a string of vital contributions; none more so than in her side's Champions League semi-final second leg against Wolfsburg, where she provided the pinpoint cross for Jen Beattie's headed equaliser that sent the game to extra-time.

  Heartbreakingly, it would be Wubben-Moy's tired error in that additional period that would eventually gift the German side their place in the final, but she did not let this setback affect her performances for the remainder of the season, scoring in Arsenal's victory over Everton a few weeks later, a result that went a long way to sealing their spot in the Champions League for the following campaign.

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  Reaching new heights

  New heights have been reached since then, though, with few defenders enjoying better WSL seasons so far. And it was telling that when Williamson did return to the WSL starting line-up in February against West Ham, it was World Cup star Ilestedt that dropped to the bench, not Wubben-Moy, suggesting that the Englishwoman has risen to the very top of the defensive pecking order.

  Delving into the statistics, it's not hard to see why. Earlier in her career, there were concerns that Wubben-Moy was not as effective in possession as some of her club and international colleagues. But this campaign, no outfield player has completed more long balls or racked up more progressive passing distance than her in the WSL.

  She is also carrying the ball effectively; just five WSL players (Anna Patten, Maya Le Tissier, Laia Alexandri, Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter) have racked up more progressive distance than Wubben-Moy's 1766 yards this season. And of those players, just Greenwood has registered fewer minutes than the Arsenal star.

  Wubben-Moy has always excelled at bread-and-butter defending too, and this has continued recently. Bunny Shaw, Sam Kerr and Rachel Daly are among the top-class centre-forwards that she has kept scoreless this season, and she is yet to make an error that's led to an opponent having a shot this term. Meanwhile, only Liverpool's towering forward Sophie Roman Haug has won more aerial duels.

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  Struggling for international recognition

  But amid this excellent run of form, Wubben-Moy has found international recognition under Sarina Wiegman hard to come by this season. She made her Lionesses debut back in 2021, coming on as a substitute during an emphatic friendly victory over Northern Ireland, eventually earning a maiden start in her side's infamous 20-0 thrashing of Latvia in November that same year.

  Since then, she's been a near ever-present in England squads, only pulling out of a few camps due to injury. Despite this, her playing time has been frightfully limited. In fact, since that Latvia game, she's only managed a single start, a 45-minute outing in a friendly against Belgium in June 2022.

  Thus, while she has a Euro 2022 winners' medal, and was a part of the Lionesses' impressive run to the 2023 World Cup final and Finalissima triumph, it all came as a spectator. That will surely change in the upcoming fixtures against Austria and Italy, though.

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  Timing is everything

  In the past, it's been easier for Wiegman to ignore Wubben-Moy. During the Euros, Williamson and Millie Bright were always going to be impossible to displace at the heart of defence. And at the World Cup, Greenwood and Carter each emerged as deserved starters as the England boss flipped between a back-three and back-four.

  But in this camp, Bright and Williamson are unavailable due to injury, and it's hard to argue that Carter and Esme Morgan – who has taken a lot of Wubben-Moy's potential minutes in recent times – are in anything like the same form as her at club level. The same can also be said of United pair Le Tissier and Millie Turner.

  With all of that in mind, and with two low-stakes games for Wiegman to experiment in coming up, it is surely time for Wubben-Moy to seize her opportunity.

Manchester City will reportedly consider a move for West Ham talisman Declan Rice this summer, and the England international could be the ideal replacement for Fernandinho should he depart.

According to The Times, City will consider a move for the 22-year-old midfielder if the Brazilian decides to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 36-year-old has put in some inspired performances of late and was superb in City’s 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain which sealed their spot in the Champions League final in midweek, which emphasises that he still has the ability to play at the very top.

However, the Brazilian, who reportedly earns £150,000 per week at the Etihad Stadium, is currently set to leave in June and it seems clear that Pep Guardiola will want a ready-made replacement for next season.

Although they already have Rodri available in that position and the Spain international has been the first-choice there for most of the season, he cannot play in every game, especially if City are in a similar position next term in competing for multiple trophies and therefore have two games a week regularly.

Therefore, a move for Rice would make a lot of sense, as he has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League in recent years and could prove to be an ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho.

So far this season, the former Chelsea youngster has made 29 appearances in the top flight, contributing one goal and one assist and averaging a solid 7.02 WhoScored rating for his performances.

Rice has been a driving force in West Ham’s push up the league, which has left David Moyes’ side competing for a Champions League spot with just a few games of the season remaining, which is a remarkable achievement when you consider their struggles last term.

The Englishman also emphasised his class in recent World Cup qualifiers, averaging a 7.72 WhoScored rating across his two appearances against Albania and Poland.

Although he certainly wouldn’t come cheap, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £54m, his performances in recent seasons have suggested that he could definitely establish himself as a world-class midfielder in the future, especially under the tutelage of Guardiola.

Therefore, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely look to sign the “outstanding” Rice this summer if Fernandinho departs, as he could prove to be the ideal replacement for the former Shakhtar Donetsk man.

In other news… Man City signing beast Pep dubbed “world class” would surely be bad news for “fantastic” gem

Cristiano Ronaldo posted his mood on Instagram ahead of Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League second leg against Saudi rivals.

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• Ronaldo relaxed ahead of crunch tie
• Al-Nassr in AFC Champions League action
• Al-Feiha stand in the way

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A clearly relaxed Ronaldo captioned his post 'good vibes' two days before Al-Nassr are due to face fellow Saudi Arabian club Al-Feiha in the last 16 of Asia's Champions League this week.

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  Ronaldo and Co. hold a slender 1-0 aggregate advantage from the away first leg last week and will be confident of progressing now they are at home for the second. Al-Feiha are not one of Saudi Arabia's traditional giants and finished 11th out of 16 teams in the domestic league last season, having been in the second tier as recently as 2021. But they enjoyed a remarkable run to win the 2021/22 edition of the King's Cup to qualify for the 2023/24 AFC Champions League and then made it through the group stage despite being a struggling team in the Saudi Pro League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Al-Hilal (1991, 2000, 2019, 2021) and Al-Ittihad (2004, 2005) are the only Saudi Arabian teams to have been crowned club champions of Asia. Al-Nassr are yet to win the competition, best finishing as runners-up in 1995 when they were losing finalists to Ilhwa Chunma, now known as Seongnam FC, of South Korea.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO & AL-NASSR?

  With a 39-year-old Ronaldo spearheading the team by scoring 30 goals in 31 games across all competitions, Al-Nassr are targeting trophies on multiple fronts this season. They won't believe that a seven-point gap to Al-Hilal is too big to close in the Saudi Pro League title race when there are 14 games left, while they are also into the semi-finals of the King's Cup, as well as looking good to progress to the last eight of the Champions League.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has revealed that Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Josko Gvardiol could be set for spells in the treatment room.

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• Guardiola confirms triple injury blow for Man City
• Grealish suffers muscular problem in Copenhagen
• Silva & Gvardiol sustain ankle injuries

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City breezed to a 3-1 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg against Copenhagen on Tuesday but the result was marred by Grealish suffering a suspected groin injury midway through the first half. Guardiola confirmed that the midfielder had suffered a muscular problem and also revealed that Bernardo Silva, who also had to be taken off in the second half, had hurt his ankle. He also disclosed that Josko Gvardiol will be out for up to three weeks after injuring ligaments in his ankle.

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• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  "Bernardo has a big knock. Looks like a muscular [injury] for Jack Grealish," Guardiola told. "It is a pity. He helped us to play at the right tempo. He felt it when he rolled on the grass. They know."

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  City were just approaching full strength again after suffering numerous injury setbacks throughout the season. They were without Kevin De Bruyne for five months, Erling Haaland for two months while John Stones has missed large parts of the campaign with separate issues. They all started at Parken Stadium on Tuesday night but now City have fresh injury concerns in midfield due to the likely absences of Silva and Grealish, while Gvardiol, who was not in the matchday squad against Copenhagen, leaves them with just one option at left-back.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

  The injuries come at a key moment in the season for City and ahead of a daunting run of fixtures. Guardiola's side face an improving Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday before hosting Brentford the following Tuesday. They then travel to Bournemouth and Luton before facing Manchester United in the derby and visiting Liverpool in a potential title showdown.

Diego Simeone has claimed that people at Atletico Madrid "don't like" Joao Felix, while also insisting he wants him to succeed at Barcelona.

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• Felix told he is not liked at Atletico Madrid
• Simeone will be glad if Felix succeeds at Barcelona
• Joined Barcelona on loan from Atletico

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Simeone has made it clear that people at Atletico Madrid are not fond of Felix, as according to him the Portuguese never really got accustomed to the way of life at the club. However, he also suggested that Atletico will be glad if the forward succeeds at Barcelona, where he is currently on loan.

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  The 24-year-old also spent the second half of last season out on loan at Chelsea. After an unsuccessful stay in London, he returned to Atletico before once again moving out and joining the Catalan giants on another loan spell during the summer transfer window. He has got off to a flying start at Barcelona, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 14 games for Xavi's side.

• WHAT DID DIEGO SIMEONE SAY?

  Speaking to , the Atletico boss said of Felix's struggles at Wanda Metropolitano: "They are opinions or personal gestures. It is a question for him. The people at Atlético don't like it. We have another idiosyncrasy and when you don't understand it, it is difficult to be there. If I am Argentine and I am in Spain, I have to live like in Spain. Everything good that happens to him is extraordinary for us. If he stays in Barcelona there will be an important income and if he returns, we are here for three years so that he can come back to what he has improved elsewhere.

  Simeone added on the suggestion Felix never gave his all for Atletico: "It's unfair, he couldn't give everything he would have wanted, I don't think that's it. He couldn't. He gave what he could give. Today we see him well, with a more reactive intention to the loss of the ball, more active in attack, he was always talented, it is difficult for him to run meters back. Anything that happens well for Joao we will be happy at Atlético because it will be better for the club."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Barca star could be next seen in action for Portugal as they take on Liechtenstein in a Euro 2024 qualifying game on November 16.

Nike are set to release a set of signature boots for Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.

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• Rashford to collaborate with Nike
• Signature collection to be released
• Striker has struggled this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford is set to drop his first ever collection of football boots with Nike, and the release has been teased by the sportswear giants, with the campaign titled 'Better Believe It'. The official design is only glimpsed in the segment on the company's Instagram story but reports that a leaked design has been seen online.

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  The boots are said to be based on the Zoom Mercurial 15 Vapors, and will be white with neon detailing. The famous Swoosh has a black outline and is filled with pink, orange and yellow.

  Rashford's boots also include an inscription reading: "When you believe in yourself, incredible things can happen."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rashford has struggled somewhat this season and has scored just once. In total, though, the 25-year-old has a record of 124 goals in 371 games for United, and 17 goals in 57 caps for England.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  United are next in action against bitter rivals Manchester City this weekend.