BBC
Liverpool want to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the summer and the 27-year-old England international is open to the move. (Star)
Chelsea will hold talks with Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, who is on loan at Inter Milan, and will ask the 29-year-old if he wants to revive his Blues career under prospective new manager Mauricio Pochettino. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Interim Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is open to speaking to Pochettino about the Blues squad to help the expected transition to the Argentine taking charge be as smooth as possible. (Evening Standard)
England midfielder Mason Mount has one year left on his contract and is yet to sign a new deal with Chelsea. Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle are all interested in the 24-year-old. (Mail Sport)
Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United are ready to swoop for Fulham's Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha, 27, this summer. (Football Insider)
Chelsea are interested in signing Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana, 27, from Inter Milan and could use their Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, 28, as part of the deal. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)
Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who has been linked with Liverpool, says he wants more first-team football at Bayern Munich next season and the 20-year-old will wait to see what happens at the German club. (Voetbal International - in Dutch)
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will have a transfer budget of up to £150m to spend this summer with Arsenal and Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney, 25, among the targets. (Sun)
Newcastle are monitoring Roma's Brazil centre-back Roger Ibanez, 24. (Nicolo Schira)
Newcastle will consider selling French winger Allan Saint-Maximin, 26, this summer. (Football Insider)
Reece James' injury record could prevent Real Madrid from following up their interest in Chelsea's England right-back and making an attempt to sign the 23-year-old. (AS - in Spanish)
Barcelona are 'leaving no stone unturned' in their bid to re-sign Argentina forward Lionel Messi, 35, from Paris St-Germain but a deal will not be straightforward to complete. (90min)
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has dismissed rumours that 20-year-old Scotland full-back Aaron Hickey could be heading for Manchester City his summer. (Sky Sports)
Manchester United are close to agreeing a new contract with long-serving Spain goalkeeper David de Gea but could offer a contract extension on a lower salary with United reportedly preparing to replace the 32-year-old as first-choice goalkeeper. (Express)
Rangers are closing in on a deal to sign former England goalkeeper Jack Butland, 30, who has spent the season on loan at Manchester United from Crystal Palace. (Scottish Sun)
Manchester United are ready to pay the 10m euro (£8.8m) release clause of Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, to sign the 28-year-old from Dinamo Zagreb. (Sportske Novosti - in Croatian)
RB Leipzig have made a final contract extension offer to Spain forward Dani Olmo, whose current deal runs out in summer 2024, but the German club will look to sell the 24-year-old this summer if he chooses not to sign it. (Sky Sport Germany)
Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has made a cheeky attempt to convince former Wales forward Gareth Bale, 33, to come out of retirement and play for the Red Dragons in League Two next season. (Wales Online)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Romelu Lukaku will be asked whether or not he wants to try to revive his Chelsea career under proposed permanent head coach Mauricio Pochettino as attention turns to which players could thrive with the Argentine at Stamford Bridge.
THE SUN
Frank Lampard is set to keep his caretaker role at Chelsea despite the looming presence of Mauricio Pochettino taking over as permanent boss.
Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney has made a cheeky attempt to convince Gareth Bale to come out of retirement.
Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a move for Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Newcastle are reportedly preparing to pay £31m for Inter Milan and Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.
Manchester United youngster Willy Kambwala was promoted to first-team training on Tuesday.
Arsenal are reportedly among five clubs chasing Villarreal star Samuel Chukwueze.
Chelsea transfer target Gavi has confirmed his future plans, according to reports and it is bad news for the Blues in their pursuit of the Spanish sensation.
DAILY MAIL
The FA Cup final will kick-off at 3pm for the first time in 12 years when Manchester City meet Manchester United at Wembley next month.
Chelsea are willing to offer Kepa Arrizabalaga as part of a deal to bring Inter Milan's Andre Onana to west London, according to reports.
UEFA 'could exclude Juventus from European competition due to their alleged falsification of capital gains from transfer dealings.
THE GUARDIAN
A Ukrainian community in southern Brazil has decided to turn its local football team into FC Mariupol, a top-flight club disbanded after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in a show of solidarity with the war-torn country.
DAILY MIRROR
Bruno Fernandes is set to miss Manchester United's top-four showdown with Tottenham on Thursday.
Liverpool have targeted England star Kalvin Phillips as an alternative signing to Jude Bellingham this summer.
Ryan Gravenberch has made it clear that he is growing increasingly impatient with his situation at Bayern Munich.
EVENING STANDARD
Chelsea are weighing up Joao Felix's future, with incoming head coach Mauricio Pochettino set to be key to whether the club opt to keep the 23-year-old at Stamford Bridge next season.
THE ATHLETIC
The Football Association (FA) is reviewing evidence concerning the relationship between a former director of Watford's parent company and the controversial agent Mogi Bayat over a potential conflict of interest.
Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has backed the formation of the Union of European Clubs (UEC) and believes it will have an influential impact on the game.
THE TIMES
Top English cricketers are considering giving up their central or county contracts to accept full-time deals with Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.
The Athletic
West Ham win FA Youth Cup by defeating Jack Wilshere’s Arsenal 5-1
West Ham beat Arsenal 5-1 to win the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 24 years on Tuesday
West Ham have won the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 1999 thanks to a 5-1 win over London rivals Arsenal.
Jack Wilshere’s Arsenal Under-18 side took the lead at the Emirates Stadium before West Ham hit back in emphatic fashion.
Omari Benjamin opened the scoring for Arsenal in the seventh minute when he was first on the scene after team-mate Amario Cozier-Duberry was denied by West Ham goalkeeper Mason Terry.
Arsenal’s lead lasted less than 10 minutes as West Ham levelled the scoring through George Earthy in the 16th minute.
West Ham were celebrating again three minutes later when Callum Marshall’s strike ensured his side completed a first-half turnaround.
The east London side put one hand on the trophy just before half-time with Gideon Kodua scoring the goal of the game after 42 minutes.
Kodua punished slack defending by Arsenal’s Josh Robinson at the centre circle and then chipped the ball into an empty net from 40 yards to seal the win.
West Ham piled more misery on Arsenal in the second half with Kaelan Casey and Josh Briggs rounding off the scoring in the 78th and 90th minutes respectively.
The club’s latest crop of young talent, managed by Kevin Keen, have now followed in the footsteps of players such as Michael Carrick and Joe Cole in helping West Ham win the FA Youth Cup.
Their previous victory came 24 years ago when Carrick, Cole and Co defeated Coventry City 9-0 on aggregate rout.
The Athletic
How West Ham won the FA Youth Cup: Kodua wondergoal, Rice’s singing and a special bond
By Roshane Thomas
It was the perfect night. After a 24-year wait, West Ham United are winners of the FA Youth Cup. It is a prestigious competition that has helped launch the careers of many and the latest generation of talent at Chadwell Heath could be the most promising yet.
The emphatic 5-1 win over Arsenal, on their own pitch at the Emirates Stadium, was a performance for the ages, achieved through George Earthy’s strike from outside the box, Callum Marshall’s tap-in, Gideon Kodua’s audacious dink from 35 yards out and then coups de grace from defenders Kaelan Casey and Josh Briggs. This season, Kevin Keen’s youngsters have been ruthless against all comers. Arsenal were simply their latest victims.
West Ham, also recently crowned winners of the Premier League South division, have now won the FA Youth Cup on four occasions (the previous three came in 1963, 1981 and 1999) and this latest triumph was a jigsaw where every piece slotted perfectly into place in front of 7,000 travelling fans.
Keen, Mark Phillips, Gerard Prenderville and other members of the backroom staff have created a family environment; Scott Boyd, the Northern Ireland scout, played a key role in signing Marshall, Briggs and Patrick Kelly, all of whom have brought a winning mentality and work ethic to the group; plus Mark Noble, West Ham’s club-legend sporting director, and Declan Rice, the first-team captain, being mentors for the youngsters.
The latter duo were in attendance at the Emirates, as was former first-team coach Stuart Pearce, West Ham-supporting US golfer Billy Horschel and academy coach Zavon Hines. Rice joined in the celebrations in the changing room, singing along to American rapper Lil Baby and helping to lead chants of the club being “massive”.
From left: Declan Rice, golfer Billy Horschel and Mark Noble watch West Ham win the FA Youth Cup (Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
“After the match I said the same thing I said before the game – that I take this group over any group for the rest of my life,” said Keen. “It’s that genuine togetherness. This is the best group, and I’m not talking about the starting XI and lads that came on, it’s the group as a whole. When you get a group of players that’s pretty good, it’s special.
“There were a lot of first-round defeats (in this competition over the years) and I think there was a little bit of pressure attached to the academy. Even after the 1999 win and the players in that group going on to do well (including Joe Cole and Michael Carrick), maybe there was pressure on the youngsters that followed them, with it being the ‘Academy of Football’. Hopefully we’ve dispelled that now and we can kick on and add to it.
“And to get 7,000 out there and to sing like that and be as passionate for academy football, wow. It was one of the best nights of my life and I’m sure it’s one of the best nights of our young players’ lives.
“We’re trying to create the next Declan Rice, the next Ben Johnson. The dream is to create the next Mark Noble and find someone who will stay at the club for their whole career and nights like this only make that even more likely, hopefully.”
For the family members watching on from the stands, there was just a feeling of overwhelming pride.
“What a night,” says Paul Earthy, father of George, whose equaliser sparked West Ham’s comeback following Omari Benjamin’s early opener for Arsenal. “When George scored, his mum (Ann) and his brothers (William and James) went crazy. I can’t really remember what we were doing other than jumping. We’re so proud of the boys, they’ve had a great season and they deserved that win.”
Lloyd Kodua, Gideon’s older brother, was also in attendance and admitted “losing it” when his sibling scored what is surely one of the best goals ever seen in an FA Youth Cup final – and one that proved a point, given the 18-year-old had been released by Arsenal as a youngster. Kodua, who signed his professional deal in December, joined the West Ham academy in 2017 and has been a key player for Keen.
“Where do I start?,” said a proud Lloyd. “I lost myself and started celebrating when he provided the assist for Marshall’s goal. Then I really lost myself when Gideon scored. His goal is trending on social media. He doesn’t have Twitter so he’s not aware but what a moment for him and his team-mates. I feel like my wife has just given birth to a new baby! They all deserve it. This is one of the most talented groups in the country. ”
So what next for Keen’s young stars?
Celebrations will be shortlived, with many of these players expected to feature for Mark Robson’s under-21 side in Friday’s game against Leicester City. But, providing the first team (on 34 points with seven games to go) finish the job and secure their Premier League safety in the coming weeks, the likes of Casey and Divin Mubama could feature in a senior matchday squad again before the end of the season.
Casey, who made first-team debut against Romania’s FCSB in the Europa Conference League last November, was an unused substitute in the 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur in February. Mubama, who scored his first senior goal against AEK Larnaca in Europe last month, made his league debut in the 3-1 loss away to Arsenal in December.
Lewis Orford travelled with the senior squad to FCSB, while Ollie Scarles was one of the standout performers that night in Bucharest. Most of the under-18s have experienced travelling, or training at Rush Green, with David Moyes’ first-team squad.
With West Ham now in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, Moyes is unlikely to bed in any more youngsters in that competition. But it could be a different story in the final six domestic fixtures against Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Manchester United, Brentford, Leeds United and Leicester City.
The West Ham faithful love seeing young players come through the ranks and for a club that has proven they can help such youthful talent to blossom, this latest crop offers hope that the future is bright.
