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Graham Roberts insists that Tottenham Hotspur will only allow Tanguy Ndombele to move to Bayern Munich if they receive a big fee or Robert Lewandowski in part-exchange.

Ndombele is reported to have informed Spurs that he would be open to an exit from the club prior to the transfer deadline.

That has led to links with Bayern Munich, and a mooted swap deal involving midfielder Corentin Tolisso.

Roberts, though, insists that Spurs have no interest in the players that are currently being offered, and that Bayern need to pay up.

Ndombele, of course, is Spurs’ all-time record signing after arriving from Lyon for a fee of £54m.

Indeed, the club legend believes that the Bundesliga giants would need to offer a player of the quality of Lewandowski to convince chairman Daniel Levy to swap Ndombele.

Lewandowski has also told his current club that he would like to take on a new challenge, per reports, and has been a legendary player at Bayern, scoring a staggering 298 goals in 332 games for the club.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “It will if they want to pay the money.

“We don’t want the players that they’re throwing at us. If they want to throw Lewandowski in it, then yeah we’ll take him and we’ll swap you, but they don’t want to do that.”

Former Everton star Michael Ball insists that the club may only be able to sign midfielder Denis Zakaria if other big clubs decide against making a bid.

The club have been linked with an interest in the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder in this transfer window.

Gladbach were reportedly demanding over £40m for him last summer but they are said to have slashed that asking price this summer, to around £17m.

Everton are not the only Premier League club credited with an interest, as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be considering bids.

Zakaria has been with Gladbach since 2017 and has made a total of 128 appearances for the club, while also winning 34 caps for Switzerland.

Ball believes Zakaria would be a fine signing for Everton but he insists that they will only be able to get a deal done if both Spurs and Arsenal refuse to follow up their interest.

Indeed, the club have only signed Demarai Gray for a fee this summer, at just under £2m, while they have also snapped up Andros Townsend and Asmir Begovic on free transfers.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Ball said: “I think with Everton’s situation right now, I think they played their hand pretty early on in the transfer window with financial fair play.

“I think the majority of clubs know Everton’s financial restraints at this moment in time. Maybe Everton have to sit and wait to see if other clubs press the button on him or not, and whether they can get him for a cut-down price.”

Lauren James netted a hat-trick and provided a sublime assist as Chelsea demolished Liverpool in WSL.

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• James bagged hat-trick in 5-1 win
• Also provided sublime cross for Beever-Jones' goal
• Youngest in WSL history to have four goal involvements

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England and Chelsea star had an afternoon to remember against Liverpool on Saturday. She opened the scoring inside 11 minutes after receiving a pass from Sophie Ingle on the left side before going past Gemma Bonner with a body feint inside the box and then slotting home into the net.

  In the 24th minute, James produced a brilliant assist as she found Aggie Beever-Jones inside the box with a pinpoint cross from the left flank to make it 2-1 to Chelsea. The Lionesses forward then scored a second as she arrowed in a shot into the corner of the net with her left foot before completing her hat-trick with a first-time finish from close range in the 64th minute.

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• WATCH THE CLIPS

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was a tricky summer for James, with the Lionesses star having been left out of the starting XI for the World Cup final defeat to Spain, which undoubtedly would've hurt. She's come back to Chelsea with exactly the right attitude, however, and has scored four goals in the opening six matches of the WSL season to prove how vital she is to Emma Hayes' trophy-chasing Blues.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Hayes' team are scheduled to face Paris FC next in the Women's Champions League on November 23 before taking on Leicester City in the WSL three days later.

Amad Diallo is being lined up for a move to Birmingham, with Tom Brady and the Blues board ready to “go hard” for the Manchester United winger.

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• Ivorian winger starred at Sunderland
• Injury disrupted 2023-24 campaign
• Is being linked up for another loan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Ivorian forward was linked with a loan return to the Championship in the winter transfer window, having starred at that level during a spell at Sunderland in 2022-23. Birmingham were among those to be credited with interest prior to parting with the services of United legend Wayne Rooney as their manager.

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  According to , interest in Amad will be rekindled in the summer. It is claimed that the Blues will “go hard” for the 21-year-old once they have “cash to spend”. Another loan is being mooted, with Amad eager to find regular football again after suffering an injury-disrupted 2023-24 campaign.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Birmingham are, however, set to face competition for Amad’s signature. It is claimed that Watford are also keen on the African star, with the Pozzo family prepared to put a permanent deal in place for Serie A side Udinese – another team under their ownership umbrella – before loaning him out to those at Vicarage Road.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AMAD?

  Amad was laid low during the summer of 2023, with a serious knee injury picked up in pre-season. He has seen just 36 minutes of game time since returning to fitness, in one substitute appearance, and does not appear to have the full backing of Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag.

Newcastle United have now reportedly made an approach to sign Ethan Ampadu before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Ampadu considered

According to The Daily Express, the St. James’ Park faithful have been considering a move for either Ampadu or his Chelsea teammate Malang Sarr on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Steve Bruce is reportedly interested in bringing in another central defender before the window closes.

The Latest: Ampadu approach

Writing in his latest piece for The Northern Echo, Scott Wilson has said that the North East club has now made an approach to the Blues to take Ampadu on loan.

They have inquired about his availability, and the Wales international is expected to leave Stamford Bridge within the next couple of weeks.

Bruce regards him as a ‘potentially valuable addition’ to the defence after the permanent departure of Florian Lejeune, and is now looking at Ampadu after missing out on a loan deal for Axel Tuanzebe from Manchester United, who has since gone to Aston Villa.

The Verdict: Sign

Once described as a ‘manager’s dream’ by former Wales boss Ryan Giggs while on international duty in 2018, Ampadu is certainly a player that Bruce could utilise and get the best out of in his current squad.

He has the added experience of playing in the Premier League, mainly while on loan at Sheffield United in the last campaign, and has the added capability of being able to play in the centre of midfield in addition to centre-back (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Ampadu would be a solid addition to the squad as the Magpies look to get more bodies in as soon as possible.

In other news, find out who Bruce is now pushing NUFC to sign here!

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has admitted that he "wasn't comfortable" during his brief trial period at Arsenal in 2016.

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• Valverde struggled during Gunners trial
• Did not want to go to England
• Got homesick while in London

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Valverde also admitted that he never really wanted to play his football in England, despite the temptation of the riches on offer in the Premier League. The 25-year-old claims that several people around him desperately wanted to send him to England just so they could make money through him, and he felt obligated to at least give life with Arsenal a try after being invited for a trial.

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  The Uruguayan had his opportunity to join Arsenal in 2016, but then-manager Arsene Wenger ulitmately decided against adding him to the first-team squad. In the same year, he eventually moved to Europe when Los Blancos secured his signature from Penarol.

• WHAT DID FEDE VALVERDE SAY?

  In his column for , the midfielder wrote: "If you Google me, you will see stories about how I almost went to Arsenal when I was 16. That’s maybe half-true. It’s nothing against Arsenal, but I never wanted to go to England. At that time, the business side of football took over. Certain people were telling me, 'Who wouldn’t want to go play for Arsenal? You want to stay here in Uruguay? That’s crazy!' What they were really saying under their breath was, “We can all make a lot of money if you go.”

  "You realize that your life is not your own in football. Especially at a young age, you feel more like a hostage. Even your family becomes a hostage. Football is an escape to a better life, especially for us in South America, and the vultures know that. They put the pressure on you in a “nice” way. 'Damn, Fede, if you go to Arsenal, you’ll have a nice bed and a shower that stays warm for 30, 40 minutes! Who wouldn’t want that life?' They sent me on trial to London for a week, and I just wasn’t comfortable. If you only think of material things, it sounds great. But we are not robots. The reality was that my family couldn’t come to London with me. I’d have to live alone, not speaking the language, at 16 years old. For every one kid who succeeds in moving overseas, you don’t see the 100 who fail."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Valverde has gradually established himself as one of the most important players in the Real Madrid squad, winning nine trophies along the way. He will be hoping to add to that tally in 2023-24, but will next be seen in action for Uruguay, who are set to take on Argentina in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game on Friday.

Sheffield Wednesday will win the race for winger Josh Sims this summer, the club’s former midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview.

According to The News, Portsmouth made enquiries about signing the 24-year-old earlier in the transfer window but now face serious competition from Wednesday.

Sims is a free agent following his release from Portsmouth’s rivals Southampton. The Englishman spent last season out on loan at Doncaster Rovers, working under Wednesday manager Darren Moore during his time at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Because of that, Palmer believes the Owls are in the driving seat to secure Sims’ signature.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Wednesday’s pursuit of the player, the ex-England international said:

“He’s worked for Darren before, so he’s enjoyed success under Darren. And I’m assuming as long as the financials are not too far apart in terms of what Portsmouth are prepared to offer him, I’m assuming Sheffield Wednesday will win the race for him.

“Darren Moore was always a very popular person as a player, a well-liked man and very genuine person. He’s shown that he’s also a good manager at West Brom, at Doncaster and I’m sure he’ll prove that at Sheffield Wednesday.”

Sims obviously has League One experience from that spell with Doncaster, as well as experience in the Premier League and the Championship, so the former Southampton man looks like he could be a good bit of business for Wednesday.

Neymar has undergone successful surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage he sustained while on international duty with Brazil.

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• Neymar sustained injury last month
• Had successful operation in Brazil
• Could be back for Copa America

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The attacker suffered the injury in a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay and had the operation on Thursday. It was performed in his homeland by Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar, doctor of the Brazilian team and Atletico-MG. The star's father posted a video on Instagram of Neymar in a hospital bed, adding a prayer to the caption. Neymar also posted a message on his social networks. "Everything will be fine," he wrote along with a photo of him with his two children.

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  Despite the successful operation, the 31-year-old is expected to be kept out of action until at least the end of the season. However, Brazil still hope to have him fit and available to feature at the Copa America in the United States next summer.

• WHAT'S MORE

  The injury will come as a huge upset to Al-Hilal, who signed Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain this year. Since making the €90 million (£77m/$98m) transfer to the Saudi Arabian club, Neymar has played just five times and scored one goal.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  The former Barcelona star will start his rehabilitation and hope to be fit again by the time the Copa America comes around.

The ludicrous way in which Luis Diaz's goal was disallowed on Saturday proves the officials are not competent enough to use the technology available

Virgil van Dijk was reluctant to say the words. He didn't want to contribute to the controversy already swirling around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, but he was still in a state of shock at the ludicrous nature of the mistakes made during Liverpool's 2-1 loss and admitted that he was "losing faith" in VAR.

"It's all a bit strange," the Dutchman said when asked about Luis Diaz's disallowed goal during the first half of the game in north London. "I don't know who was in the VAR room and making that decision. It's not a good thing. It doesn't look well either. But it is what it is. We lost."

Gary Neville was among those that believed Liverpool should have followed Van Dijk's lead and just moved on from what Jurgen Klopp described as "the most unfair" of defeats. Neville argued on Twitter that the apology that PGMOL issued shortly after the full-time whistle should have been sufficient to quell Liverpool's sense of injustice.

It wasn't, though, and why would it be? Saying sorry can't just be the end of the matter because enough is enough at this stage. It's time to get rid of VAR.

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  VAR anything but effective

  The introduction of technology into football was greeted as an overdue step forward for 'The Beautiful Game'. Television match officials had long since proven their worth in sports such as rugby and cricket. The decision-making process was fast, transparent and effective. It has proven anything but in football.

  The hope was that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) would not only aid match officials doing the most thankless task in football, but also bring a level of objectivity to the application of the rules that would make the game fairer, as well as significantly reducing both the amount of accusations of biased officiating from furious fans and the spread of ludicrous conspiracy theories.

  Yet here we are, with Liverpool claiming that "sporting integrity" was "undermined" by the events of Saturday evening.

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  'Sporting integrity undermined'

  "We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under ,but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR," a club statement read. "It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.

  "That such failings have already been categorised as 'significant human error' is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency. This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs, with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again. In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution."

  Neville has argued that the wording of the club's statement was "dangerous" – and with some justification. There should certainly be no insinuation that anything untoward took place at Tottenham. It was, as PGMOL acknowledged, simply a case of "significant human error".

  But that is exactly why VAR, in its current format, has got to go. It is not the technology that is erring here, but those operating it.

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  Apologies count for nothing

  Liverpool are hardly the first victims of a dreadful VAR oversight. There have been 14 apologies issued by PGMOL since August 2022 and, as Klopp alluded to, they count for very little. After all, Liverpool aren't going to get that Luis Diaz goal back. Wolves, for example, won't belatedly receive the penalty they should have been awarded at Old Trafford earlier the season.

  It is, of course, nice of the officials to acknowledge their mistakes, but it doesn't help the teams that have lost points as a consequence. Teams can get relegated on goal difference. Titles can be decided by a solitary point, as Liverpool well know. These decisions, then, can be incredibly costly – in every sense of the word.

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  Technology killing joy and slowing down the game

  Mystifying mistakes and controversial calls are nothing new, of course, and the game can never be completely error-free. There is just too much subjectivity surrounding what constitutes a handball or serious foul play.

  The debate over the Curtis Jones red card is a perfect case in point. Neville, for example, felt the midfielder only warranted a yellow because there had been no malice in the challenge; other pundits insisted that Jones had to be dismissed because he'd gone over the top of the ball. Each argument has its merits.

  But the problem is offside decisions – which should, in theory, be straightforward – are sparking outrage because of lines being drawn incorrectly. They're also taking far too long, which only serves to prove that we are not talking about 'clear and obvious' errors here. We're instead seeing lines being drawn to establish whether a player's shoulder was offside. It's ridiculous and goes against the spirit of the game.

  For the most part, fans remain willing to accept officials getting decisions wrong. To err is human, after all. But what they cannot accept is officials making a mess of decisions when they have replays available to them.

  If they're going to botch offsides like the one at Tottenham, then what's the point in having the technology at all given the fact that, in general, it's already killing the joy of celebrating goals and resulting in painfully slow reviews?

Chelsea are finally closing in on the midfielder despite Liverpool's best efforts – and it's just as well, because he will be intrinsic to their style

A new era in Chelsea's storied history gets underway in earnest as the 2023-24 season begins. The squad and indeed the coaching staff are unrecognisable from the group that ended 2022-23 at Stamford Bridge, with the club evidently desperate to consign a nightmare campaign to the history books.

Chelsea's unprecedented summer clear-out and a smattering of new arrivals means new head coach Mauricio Pochettino inherits a rejuvenated – if incomplete – Blues squad, with muted anticipation for a more successful season ahead. Indeed, the only way is surely up.

But how will Argentine tactician set up his side in what will be a watershed period in the Blues' modern history? GOAL runs through what should be his go-to line-up below…

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  GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga

  Pochettino has a sudden selection headache following the £25 million ($32m) arrival of Robert Sanchez from Brighton, but – for the time being, at least – it makes sense to stick with Kepa Arrizabalaga.

  There's no guarantee he will be the long-term first choice, especially amid links with Bayern Munich, but Kepa offers a modicum of continuity amid the unprecedented upheaval. Aside from a few lapses, Kepa was much improved last season, with a 73% save percentage in the league and a post-shot xG minus goals allowed of +5, which meant he ranked third among Premier League goalkeepers in the most reliable metric for measuring shot-stopping ability.

  Sanchez, on the other hand, lost his place at Brighton and slipped to third in the pecking order.

  Pochettino has already suggested Kepa is his No.1 for the moment: "They know they are going to fight for the No.1. At the moment, Kepa is a little bit ahead. With time, we will see if Robert is there and can challenge Kepa."

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  RB: Reece James

  A no-brainer on the right side of defence. Reece James is Chelsea's new club captain and, barring any further fitness issues on the horizon, he is a guaranteed starter.

  Pochettino does prefer a 4-2-3-1 shape and there is an argument that James is not at his best in a flat back-four given his potency as an attacking wing-back. New signing Malo Gusto will also provide him with stiff competition and quality cover.

  However, James is arguably the Blues' best player, and the added responsibility of the captaincy means he should be the first name on the team sheet.

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  CB: Thiago Silva

  The swansong begins. In what will likely be his final season at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will once again rely heavily upon the defensive nous and immeasurable experience of Thiago Silva.

  Unsurprisingly, the 38-year-old phenomenon remained one of the club's most consistent performers throughout a turbulent 2022-23 campaign, and as a serial winner he will be determined to right the wrongs of last season on the pitch before bidding an emotional farewell to the Blues.

  Indeed, he will also be crucial in being an on-field mentor for his young centre-back partner…

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  CB: Levi Colwill

  Chelsea clung on to their latest outstanding academy graduate for dear life and finally managed to tie him down to a new long-term contract. Now it's time to back him.

  He initially had to fight for his place in the team, but Levi Colwill eventually made his Premier League breakthrough on loan at Brighton in 2022-23 and he has proven that he is ready for the top level.

  Given they have no European football to contend with and following the serious knee injury to Wesley Fofana, Pochettino should throw Colwill in at the deep end at left centre-back and build for the future. He has all the attributes to become a club legend.