According to reports in Portuguese media outlet A Bola, via Sport Witness, Newcastle United are ready to rival Everton and Southampton in the race to sign Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ruben Semedo this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Rafa Benitez is keen to significantly strengthen his Magpies squad this summer following their immediate return to the Premier League, and he looks set to be handed a transfer war chest by owner Mike Ashley after committing his future to the club.

One of the areas he is looking to bolster is at the heart of the defence, and reports in Portugal have suggested that he has sounded out Semedo with a view to moving to St James’ Park.

However, the supposed €45m (approximately £38m) release clause in his contract would throw the rumour into some doubt even though they could probably get him for less than that amount.

How good has Semedo been this season?

The 23-year-old has made 22 Primeira Liga appearances this term, and despite picking up two red cards earlier in the campaign he has still impressed.

A big presence in the air – he has won 55 aerial duels – the defender has made 66 clearances and 57 interceptions while he has also shown he is good on the ball with a passing accuracy of 90%.

However, he has been dropped from the starting line-up by manager Jorge Jesus in seven of their last 11 league matches to show that he still has some improving to do.

Would he be a good signing for Newcastle?

It’s difficult to say.

While he is highly-rated it would be something of a risk for Benitez to rely on him coming in and making an instant impact in the Premier League.

The Spaniard has also said that he is looking for players with knowledge of the English top flight, which certainly makes the rumour linking him with Semedo a bit of a mystery, considering he would be a similar addition to Chancel Mbemba in terms of age and experience.

That said, he does have all of the attributes to be a brilliant centre-back and it could be a risk worth taking.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, with Benitez looking to sign players with Premier League experience and Sporting likely to demand a high fee for the 23-year-old, a deal for Semedo doesn’t really look like a possibility.

Southampton and Everton are likely show more of an interest in him, and if they did Newcastle would find it difficult to sign him anyway.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Chelsea are confident of keeping hold of Barcelona target Cesar Azpilicueta this summer.

Spanish publication Sport had claimed on Wednesday that the defender is one of new Barca manager Ernesto Valverde’s summer targets after the former Athletic Bilbao coach was officially unveiled as Luis Enrique’s replacement at the Camp Nou.

It is no surprise given the 27-year-old enjoyed yet another impressive and consistent season at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues win the Premier League title and adapting to boss Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.

The La Liga giants are desperate to strengthen their squad over the course of the next few weeks following a disappointing campaign in which they finished second to Real Madrid in the league, and were easily beaten by Juventus in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

While the potential move could be tempting for the Spaniard, the Premier League champions have to stay strong.

Here are three reasons Chelsea must fight off interest in Azpilicueta from Barcelona this summer…

He is reliable

During his whole career with Chelsea, each of the managers that have worked with Azpilicueta would have known that they would be guaranteed a positive showing from the Spaniard if he was named in the starting line-up.

While defensive partners Gary Cahill and David Luiz can have off days, there are very few occasions when the 27-year-old gives anything less than a seven or an eight out of 10 performance on the pitch; and that is the very reason that he will have caught the attentions of Barcelona.

The Blues will need more of that next season as they return to the group stages of the Champions League and look to retain their Premier League title.

He has so many qualities

The Spaniard has so many impressive attributes and he is probably one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.

At the back, the 27-year-old is strong in the air despite not being the tallest, while he is the quickest of the three centre-backs when he lines up alongside Gary Cahill and David Luiz.

He also brings an attacking threat as well having scored two goals and provided a further seven assists this season.

That determination not to let anything beat him and his impressive reading of the game has to be admired, and Antonio Conte will not want to lose those qualities this summer.

He is versatile

Prior to this season, Azpilicueta spent much of his Chelsea career playing at left-back despite being right-footed, and it shows just how impressive his performances are and how highly-rated he is at Stamford Bridge that he consistently did that.

The 27-year-old has once again shown his versatility by playing in five different positions alone during the current campaign.

The fact that he is able to play on the left or on the right, as well as being an impressive centre-back in a three-man defence, means that he is almost irreplaceable for the Premier League champions.

Do you agree, Chelsea fans? Let us know below.

According to reports in The Times, Chelsea are leading Newcastle United in the race to sign Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero this summer.

The 35-year-old is in demand after leaving City following the end of his contract, and he is a target for both the Magpies and the Blues who are looking to strengthen between the sticks.

Antonio Conte is looking for back up for Thibaut Courtois after this season’s second choice stopper Asmir Begovic completed a move to Bournemouth last month, while Toon boss Rafa Benitez is looking for a new number one as he doesn’t feel Karl Darlow, Matz Sels or Rob Elliot are good enough to make the step up and be first choice in the Premier League.

It appears as though the Argentine would prefer a move to London, but Benitez will try to persuade him to make the move to Tyneside.

Here are three reasons Newcastle must beat Chelsea to the signing of Caballero…

Experience

The reason that Benitez is looking for a new goalkeeper this summer is because he doesn’t believe Karl Darlow and Matz Sels have the experience to cope with being the number one choice in the Premier League, but Caballero certainly has that.

While he has only made 23 appearances in the English top flight, the 35-year-old has also made 117 outings in La Liga and more than 400 appearances in total in his career, meaning he has seen it all and done it all.

That experience could be priceless as Newcastle look to avoid being embroiled in a relegation battle next season.

He’s on a free

While Benitez is said to have been handed a significant transfer war chest by owner Mike Ashley this summer to ensure that his Newcastle squad is strong enough to comfortably survive next term, the Spaniard will know that signing Caballero on a free would be hugely worthwhile.

Having been released by Man City following the expiry of his contract, bringing the 35-year-old to St James’ Park for nothing would allow him to use more funds on other areas of his team.

Ability

Even though Pep Guardiola brought in Claudio Bravo to be his first choice at the Etihad this season, Caballero displaced him halfway through the campaign and went on to make 17 Premier League appearances and 27 in all competitions.

The 35-year-old showed his qualities by conceding just 13 goals and keeping seven clean sheets in the top flight, and fans may also remember his outstanding performance in the penalty shootout of the League Cup final win against Liverpool in 2016.

He produced three brilliant saves to help City lift the trophy and prove what a good stopper he is.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

When considering the many top-class talents to have graced Stamford Bridge since Roman Abramovich became Chelsea’s ludicrously rich owner in 2003, Florent Malouda probably isn’t a name that instantly comes to mind.

A quality player for sure, but one that seemingly pales in comparison to the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. Even excepting club legends, players like Deco, Juliano Belletti, Arjen Roben and Hernan Crespo stand head and shoulders ahead of the France international.

Yet, 2009/10 was arguably the greatest campaign of the Abramovich era, ending in a Premier League and FA Cup double. Of course, Carlo Ancelotti is by no means the first or the last manager to add silverware to the Russian’s trophy cabinet – countryman Antonio Conte has done so this season – but the real difference was how Chelsea won it, adopting the adventurous, attacking style of football Abramovich has always craved.

The pragmatic Jose Mourinho refused to share that ideal and Conte’s approach can be described as balanced at best, whereas Phil Scolari, Andre-Villas Boas and Roberto Di Matteo implemented attacking football their own detriment. Consequently, Ancelotti is the only Chelsea manager hired by Abramovich to date who has found the balance between scintillating and successful football, and even he could only keep it in place during one incredible season. The Blues still hold the record for the most goals in a Premier League season, a staggering 103, and goal difference at +71.

Of course, the usual suspects all played their part as Ancelotti revelled in a squad about as vast and varied as it gets. Even a young Daniel Sturridge chipped in with five goals, whilst pre-Benfica Nemanja Matic, now-Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt and Sunderland’s Fabio Borini all featured in the Premier League from the bench.

But the Players’ Player of the Year award that season didn’t go to Lampard or Drogba, who netted a whopping 64 goals between them, Terry, Cech or any of the old guard. Indeed, Florent Malouda was the pick of his team-mates and rightly so. He finished the campaign with 15 goals and 15 assists to his name – a significant improvement from the season previous, where he’d racked up nine apiece.

Perhaps that return doesn’t seem so incredible for a left winger in a team designed to win games by enormous margins, that season claiming eight league victories by four goals or more and eleven across all competitions.

But Malouda was never a flashy player in the conventional sense of delicate turns and intricate goals; even his many impressive long-range goals for the Blues were more clinical than stylish, calmly and accurately rolling in off the woodwork.

It was hard graft and industry that moved him from the fringes of Chelsea’s first team to the beating heart of the starting XI in time for 2009/10 after arriving from Lyon two years earlier, and he actually ended the campaign more as part of the engine room alongside Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard than the attack.

Indeed, Malouda was not only Chelsea’s third top scorer and third top provider that season, but also boasted the fourth-most tackles per match and the most interceptions per match of any player in the division to make more than ten appearances on the left wing. It was that all-round game, combined with the fact Malouda simply had his shooting boots on that season, which made him such an integral cog in Chelsea’s 2009/10 side.

The next season, Malouda continued to hold up his end of the bargain, producing 13 goals and four assists in the Premier League, but certain team-mates did not. He actually ended up as Chelsea’s top scorer that term, whilst Lampard and Drogba could only produce 26 across all competitions – less than half of the year previous. Ancelotti lost his job to Villas-Boas in the summer, an appointment that proved to be the start of Malouda’s demise.

The following domestic campaign was Malouda’s least productive since turning out for Guingamp in 2000/01, although it ended in the greatest honour of his career – a Champions League title after coming on from the bench in the final.

After refusing a number of opportunities to leave the club in summer 2012, the Frenchman was completely frozen out at Stamford Bridge for the final year of his contract. He wasn’t selected for the registered Premier League squad and was made to train with the U21s. An unspectacular, almost unfair end for a player who had been instrumental in Chelsea’s greatest Premier League campaign and present for their biggest trophy scalp under Abramovich.

Today, Malouda celebrates his 37th Birthday, and you have to wonder how he’ll be remembered by not only Chelsea fans but the beautiful game in general; likely a talented player and a successful player, but probably not in the way a Premier League title winner, a Champions League winner and an 80-cap international should. Ever-underrated and overlooked, there could be no better fitting present than a bigger and more accurate share in the annals of Chelsea history.

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As reported by The Daily Record, Aberdeen have given Rangers a firm rebuttal in their quest to sign Dons midfielder Kenny McLean this summer.

What’s the word?

Having made almost a full team of signings already this pre-season, Pedro Caixinha continues to dominate the transfer window in Scotland and he’s eager to wrap up a deal for one the Scottish Premiership’s most consistent midfielders.

The Daily Record say that the Ibrox side notified the Pittodrie hierarchy that they were planning a bid for Kenny McLean.

However, the report also states that the Dons have said he is categorically not for sale, even though he only has 12 months left on his contract at the club.

After already losing their captain Ryan Jack to the Light Blues and Jonny Hayes to Celtic this summer, it’s clear that Aberdeen are desperate to make sure that no more make the switch to Glasgow.

Worth pursuing?

Of course, there’s every chance that Rangers don’t heed Aberdeen’s hands off warning and continue in their bid to bring McLean to Ibrox.

He’d certainly add something to Pedro Caixinha’s first team alongside the likes of Ryan Jack and Carlos Pena. Having made over 100 appearances in three seasons at Pittodrie, he’s emerged as one of the division’s best in the position, certainly outside of Celtic.

With a class first touch, excellent vision and a desire to impact the game in the final third, he could become a fan favourite at Rangers.

That’s why Aberdeen will want to hold onto him though and even if it means he eventually leaves on a free, it could be worth it to stop Rangers’ attempt to destabilise them further this summer.

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of forward Dominic Solanke, who has moved to Anfield following the expiration of his contract at Chelsea.

It is understood that Chelsea wanted the 19-year-old to sign a fresh deal at Stamford Bridge this summer, but the England Under-20 international decided to leave the English capital to seek pastures new on Merseyside.

It became clear that Solanke would move to Liverpool last month, but the Reds have only just confirmed the arrival of the highly-rated teenager.

The signing has not caught the imagination of the supporters in the same way that Arsenal and Manchester United fans reacted to the arrivals of Alexandre Lacazette and Romelu Lukaku respectively, but Solanke’s move to Merseyside still brought a positive response.

Solanke, who will wear the number 29 shirt for Liverpool next season, could make his first appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s side in their pre-season clash with Tranmere Rovers on Wednesday.

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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah is a loan target for Watford.Despite the fact that the 19-year-old has featured in all of the Red Devils’ pre-season fixtures – and has been named in the starting line-up for their latest friendly against Sampdoria on Wednesday – the versatile Dutchman made just 11 appearances in all competitions under Jose Mourinho last term.Only one of those was a start – the final day win against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford – and it remains to be seen whether Fosu-Mensah – who can play at centre-back, right-back or in defensive midfield, will be given more opportunities in the upcoming campaign.The Daily Mail says Mourinho will make a decision on whether he can leave the club on a temporary basis following their UEFA Super Cup clash against Real Madrid later this month.Man United supporters were quick to have their say on the future of the teenager via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.While some believe he would be better off staying to provide cover, others believe it would be better for his development if he played regularly elsewhere.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Pre-season begun with what can only be described as a cull of catastrophic proportions as all but 5/6 players from last year’s squad were brutally removed from the “group chat” and told their services were no longer required. With only a couple of months until the season opener and needing to recruit 30/40+ players time was against us.

So first up, was the trials…

Trial day one brought about a wealth of young skilful players, the Romford Riyad (Samraj Gill) and The Guvnor (Tre McDonnell), to name a few. However, for all the technically gifted attacking players on show I still felt we were lacking that experience and “know how” that we were so short on last season.

Trial day two and with a lower turn out and less quality throughout. Things looked disappointing, until unearthing the professionalism and maturity we had been crying out for in the form of the biggest family to hit football since the Neville brothers – The Trumans. In Pete Truman we had the old school centre-half who has been around the block to organise our once shaky defence and in Scott, the combative yet classy midfield general, Chairman Norths’ prayers may well have been answered.

The weekend had arrived for our first Pre-Season games and with around 40 players to choose from, two equal sides were picked with one travelling to play Chingford AFC – who had dominated the Essex Alliance Premier league in recent seasons (and coming away 4-0 winners) – and one hosting East Ham International (drawing 3-3).

Overall not a bad weekend of results, but Mark being his usual merciless self, spotted weaknesses that needed to be addressed and heads would roll in the WhatsApp group once again!

The next weekend saw us take on Ryan FC of the Essex Olympian League and Mark was able to give a start to his marquee summer signing and prolific scorer in the form of Harry Chalk. ULFC ran riot, ending the game 8-0 winners and although Harry didn’t manage to net a goal on his debut, his Diego Costa/Mike Tyson-esque style of play had made him an instant hit with the United faithful!

Fellow debutant Ajani Wilson was also impressive, putting in a tireless performance down the left flank that was reminiscent of a 1990s Cafu (although he played on the right, but that’s not important).

Our 4th fixture saw us pitted against Lymore Gardens, a psychical and well organised side. Lymore provided a real test and dominated the game for large spells so we did really well to snatch a 3-2 win with quite a young side out ourselves.

In the other game we had lined up to play AFC Croydon but in typical grassroots fashion, the game was on at 9am, off at 10.30am, back on at 11.15am and finally cancelled an hour before kick off when all of our players got there.

Our final game to date was against a newly formed Thames Ironworks FC side, which had been put together by some of the lads at West Ham Fan TV. Despite coming away 12-0 winners it was an enjoyable contest played in the right spirit. Fair play to TIFC; we had a very strong side out that day, so it was always going to difficult for a team still trying to learn to play together.

So here we are, five fixtures in, four wins one draw, still undefeated with three more pre-season games left to play. We have recruited well and the mood in the camp couldn’t be better!

In terms of my own pre-season, 12 goals in 4 games isn’t a bad start and I believe I can score a hat-trick every time I step on to the pitch at the moment. Bring on the season!

Follow Billy on Twitter : @billytex10 | Instagram: @billytex10 | YouTube: billytex10TV

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According to the Nottingham Post, Leeds are leading the race for in-demand striker Junior Kabananga, with Nottingham Forest and Hull hot on their tail.

What’s the Story?

DR Congo international Junior Kabananga is cauguht in the middle of a tug of war between three Championship clubs, with Leeds believed to be in pole position to sign the 28-year-old.

Kabananga plies his trade in Kazakhstan with Astana but caught the attentions of European scouts after his stellar displays at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year. The striker was the top scorer in the competition and impressed with his strength and tenacity in front of goal.

However, the report also claims that Kabananga, who has only recently signed a new deal with Astana, is happy in the country stating;

“I’m happy to play in Astana, where I feel the respect and support of the Kazakh people. My environment, the very environment where you live, is very important to me, and Kazakhstan has become for me another place where me and my work on the field is appreciated.”

How good was Kabananga last season?

By far the best season of his career, the 28-year-old was a revelation in Kazakhstan and during the African Cup of Nations. After spending much of his career playing a bit-part role for a number of Belgian clubs, Kabananga flourished, netting 16 times in 33 games for Astana.

The DR Congo international, who is valued at £1.08million by Transfermarkt impressed with his towering strength and eye for goal, which could be a real asset to a Championship club.

Some Arsenal supporters have not quite gotten over the fact that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected a new deal in favour of joining Liverpool.

The 24-year-old made the switch to Anfield on transfer deadline day last Thursday for what The Telegraph claimed was a £35m fee.

Last month it was reported by the Daily Mail that the England international had turned down an offer of £180,000-a-week wages at the Emirates as he felt his time at the club was over.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Gunners from Southampton in 2011 and during a six-year spell he won three FA Cup trophies.

The majority of his time on the pitch was spent as a winger, and manager Arsene Wenger opted to play the Englishman in a wing-back role in the early matches of this season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has previously admitted that he has a desire to play more centrally, and he could be given that wish by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

During his first day at the club, the midfielder spoke of how the German coach was a major influence on his decision to move to Anfield.

Some Arsenal fans did not take too kindly to this by suggesting that Oxlade-Chamberlain was having a dig at Wenger, while others criticised the player for leaving.