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BBC
Bayern Munich's former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is among Manchester United's list of potential replacements for Erik ten Hag should the Dutchman leave in the summer. (Times - subscription required)
But Tuchel has opened the door to staying at Bayern Munich after this season despite it being announced in February he would leave. (Florian Plettenburg)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made Newcastle United and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 24, his top target this summer. (Independent)
RB Leipzig and Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko, 20, is a cheaper alternative in Arsenal's striker pursuit. (Football Transfers)
Arsenal have opened contract talks with Brazilian centre-back Gabriel, 26, in a bid to fight off interest from Europe's top clubs. (Football Insider)
Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti has suggested the Serie A champions may challenge Manchester United and Arsenal for the signature of Bologna's 22-year-old Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee. (Mirror)
Manchester United have made contact with the agent of France international midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 29, whose contract at Juventus runs out this summer. (Team Talk)
Aston Villa do not intend to turn 24-year-old Italy midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo's loan move from Galatasaray into a permanent switch but the Midlands club have asked Juventus about 21-year-old Argentine midfielder Matias Soule. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian)
Fulham's in-demand English centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, 26, is leaning towards joining Newcastle when his contract is up in the summer. (Mail)
Everton hope to persuade Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, to stay at Goodison Park for one more year but Manchester United are confident a bid of £60-70m for the English centre-back would be accepted. (Football Insider)
Tottenham will listen to offers for Brazil forward Richarlison, 26 this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Real Madrid have made enquiries to River Plate about 16-year-old Argentina Under-20s midfielder Franco Mastantuono. (Fabrizio Romano)
Barcelona have made Arsenal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 30, their top transfer target this summer. (Caught Offside)
Manchester City are considering a move for Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas, with Manchester United also interested in the 22-year-old Greek stopper. (Corriere dello Sport, via Teamtalk)
Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman is one of the last three candidates as Newcastle look to recruit for the same role. (Mail)
Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is not ruling out talks with Chelsea after appearing to miss out on jobs at Liverpool and West Ham. (Mirror)
Inter Miami are in talks to bring former Real Madrid and Argentina midfielder Angel Di Maria, 36, to the Major League Soccer franchise. (ESPN Argentina, via Marca)
AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli, who is expected to leave the Serie A side in the summer, is the leading candidate to take over as the new manager of Napoli. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)
Sky Paper Talk
THE TIMES
Thomas Tuchel is on a list of managers under consideration at Manchester United should the club decide to part company with Erik ten Hag.
Chelsea's issues around finding a front-of-shirt sponsor are set to resurface with no deal so far announced for next season, which sources say means they have missed the deadline for kit manufacturers Nike to include a new brand on the shirt.
The leading referee Anthony Taylor will have another feather in his cap after it was announced he has been selected to take charge of the cup final in Albania.
The FA's new director of women's football, Sue Day, is coming from the RFU, where she was paid a salary package including pension contributions of £506,000 according to its latest annual report.
Wimbledon's latest issue of debentures has been fully subscribed with 2,520 sold at a cost of £116,000 per seat for five years from 2026.
THE SUN
Kyle Walker is considering a move away from the Premier League to Saudi Arabia.
Premier League clubs have been put on alert after Jan Oblak was reportedly put up for sale.
West Ham fans have launched a petition to stop the club appointing Julen Lopetegui as manager.
Arsenal are reportedly prepared to offer Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee a £115,000-a-week contract.
Diogo Dalot was a surprise name in the voting for the Footballer of the Year.
Manchester United could reportedly sign Vitor Roque on a free transfer due to a little-known rule.
Wrexham's promotion heroes have been treated to a trip to Las Vegas for the second year running.
Manchester United's Brandon Williams has been banned from driving after racking up 30 points on his licence.
Richard Keogh has announced his retirement - just days after Forest Green Rovers' relegation to the National League.
DAILY MAIL
Dougie Freedman is down to the final three candidates for the role of Newcastle's sporting director.
Chelsea are reportedly planning a £47m bid for Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian.
Wrexham director Humphrey Ker hasn't ruled out the possibility of the Red Dragons making an audacious move for Jamie Vardy, with the striker out of contract at the end of the campaign.
If Newcastle do commit to a tour of Japan this summer, they are in line to play at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is wanted by Newcastle.
DAILY MIRROR
Ruben Amorim has refused to rule out talks with Chelsea after appearing to miss out on both the Liverpool and West Ham jobs.
Thomas Tuchel wants a return to the Premier League.
THE ATHLETIC
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has sent an email to all Manchester United staff to highlight the lack of tidiness in parts that he witnessed of the club's Old Trafford stadium and Carrington training facilities, describing one area as a "disgrace".
Manchester United will be covering Dan Ashworth's legal costs if he takes Newcastle United to arbitration.
Real Madrid's squad will not celebrate at Cibeles, in the centre of the Spanish capital, should they secure the title in La Liga this weekend.
Arsenal will pay tribute to Daniel Anjorin, the 14-year-old supporter who was killed in a samurai sword attack in north east London, ahead of their match against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Xavi says Barcelona will assess the future of forward Vitor Roque at the end of the season.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Britain's best male tennis prospect Jack Draper has added a "supercoach" to his team, recruiting former world No 6 Wayne Ferreira for the next section of the clay-court season.
DAILY STAR
Wrexham CEO Fleur Robinson is to leave the club after their second successive promotion.
EVENING STANDARD
Crystal Palace have opened talks with seven players out of contract this summer, including captain Joel Ward.
DAILY RECORD
Dundee are fighting Rangers' claim for compensation over their twice-postponed Dens Park clash.
Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin and assistant Darian MacKinnon are believed to have agreed long-term contract extensions with the club.
SCOTTISH SUN
Former officials are "raging" after their Scottish Cup Final hospitality tickets were axed.
OS
Report & Reaction: U21s book quarter-final spot after Blackburn win
West Ham United U21s 4-1 Blackburn Rovers U21s
Premier League 2 Play-Offs, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 3 May 2024, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s secured their place in the Premier League 2 Play-Offs quarter-finals following a comprehensive 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers on Friday night.
Sean Moore’s first-half effort got the Hammers on their way, before a Callum Marshall brace either side of a super strike from Earthy and a consolation from Blackburn, clinched a comfortable victory at Rush Green Stadium.
The Hammers, who finished second in the main competition, will now face Sunderland or Wolverhampton Wanderers in the quarter-finals of the Play-Offs.
A date for this fixture, which will be played away from East London, will be confirmed in due course.
Chances came and went aplenty as Steve Potts’ side saw Gideon Kodua, Lewis Orford, and Callum Marshall all work visiting goalkeeper Felix Goddard, who stood tall for all but the final two minutes of the first 45.
Indeed, Moore’s goal on minute 43 was the least the Hammers deserved for their dominance and were arguably unfortunate not to lead by more than one goal by the interval.
That changed though in the second half, where after Keenan Appiah-Forson, Gideon Kodua, and Marshall forced decent stops from Goddard, and Earthy smashed a powerful strike against the crossbar, West Ham found their shooting boots in some style.
Marshall poked home from close range on 77 minutes, before Earthy finished a flowing West Ham move to make it 3-0 ten minutes from time.
Blackburn then found a response through Jake Batty one minute later, although Marshall secured the points with a stunning strike from 20 yards out in the final minute of the 90.
Four goals, then, capped a superb return to winning ways, after defeat by Leicester City last week, and deservedly booked West Ham a spot in the last eight of the PL2 Play-Offs.
West Ham United U21s: Knightbridge, Appiah-Forson, Casey (Golambeckis 90+1), Forbes ©, Mayers, Moore (Adiele 82), Kelly, Orford, Kodua (Swyer 64), Marshall, Earthy (Ajala 90+2)
Subs not used: Terry (GK)
Goals: Moore 43, Marshall 76, Earthy 79, Marshall 89
Booked: Moore, Earthy, Kelly
Potts praises Hammers’ showing in east London
While a second-place finish in the Premier League 2 table was a welcome end to the regular season, how the U21s adapted to knockout football will ultimately decide whether or not the development side can turn the 2023/24 season into a winning one.
Knockout football has been kind to the young Hammers this season – who reached the Bristol Street Motors Trophy last 16 and the Premier League International Cup semi-finals for the first time in the Club’s history - and their start to this competition showed it could be more of the same in the PL2 Play-Offs.
Such a comprehensive performance on Friday pleased lead coach Steve Potts, who was delighted the U21s have taken a step closer in their final shot at silverware in 2023/24.
“We knew it wasn’t easy because of the way they set up with a lot of players behind the ball,” the lead coach explained, “so it was always going to be a patient one and you didn’t want the boys to get frustrated with not getting that earlier goal.
“We just had to be wary of their threat on the break, and in the end, it was important we got that goal from a corner and a great finish from Sean, which settled us down.
“In the second half, we were in full control but they managed to stay in the game so we needed those goals and thankfully we got them.
“The front three [Gideon Kodua, George Earthy, and Callum Marshall] was what we had at the start of the season and were doing a lot of damage. They are so good at interchanging so often and that doesn’t matter because they all know those three roles.
“But they also work so hard and set the tone for the team because they are on the front foot and in the first half of the season you could see the relentless and running and running, even if the last minutes of games, and that is so good to watch and important to the way we play.”
Forbes delighted to make a return for U21s
It has been a tough season for U21s skipper Michael Forbes, who has seen a hatful of injuries restrict his minutes this campaign.
But the Northern Ireland international defender is back in the Starting XI and made his second of consecutive PL2 starts against Blackburn Rovers, following a return to action against Leicester City last week.
He stated: "It's would really good to be back out there with this group. The first half was a bit tough but I think we controlled the second half and I didn't have as much to do so it was a nice 90 to get back to it.
"It's tough when teams sit in a low block because we like that space to run in behind but we dealt with it and moved the ball fast and got the goals we needed.
"We have done well in the league games to finish second and it has been a positive season but we want to finish the season with a trophy and for me on a personal level hopefully I can get a couple more competitive games under my belt as well."
Up Next
West Ham United U21s will travel away to face Sunderland or Wolverhampton Wanderers in the quarter-finals.
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