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Atletico Madrid are interested in signing AC Milan's star forward Rafael Leao, who could be on his way out of Serie A.

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Atletico Madrid interested in Portuguese wingerMilan failed to qualify for European competitionHas €150m release clauseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to journalist Orazio Accomando, Atletico Madrid have expressed their interest in signing AC Milan winger Rafael Leao. The Spanish club is reported to have made an enquiry following Milan’s failure to qualify for European competitions next season, which could force the Rossoneri to sell key players to balance the books.

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Signed from Lille in 2019, Leao became a fan favourite after winning the Serie A MVP award in the 2021-22 season, playing a key role in helping AC Milan secure their 19th domestic title ahead of bitter rivals Inter. In 2023, the 25-year-old winger signed a contract extension through 2028, which included a €150 million release clause. However, amid Milan’s current crisis, Atletico Madrid could potentially secure the Portuguese international for a bargain price as they seek to shore up their attack to push for the title next season.

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Leao, who holds the record for the fastest goal in Serie A history, has once again been linked with a move to Barcelona despite warnings against pursuing the transfer. Notably, the La Liga champions attempted to sign the Portuguese star last year, but the deal fell through due to a dearth of time.

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Milan host Monza in their final game of the season. With nothing left to play for, both the team and Leao will be looking to finish on a high note. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid travel to Girona aiming to close out what has been a largely successful campaign with a win.

Chelsea are throwing their support behind Nicolas Jackson, with the striker feeling no need to apologise for his red card against Newcastle on Sunday.

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Jackson sent off for elbow vs NewcastleChelsea show support to strikerBlues star hasn't apologised for dismissalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Senegal international was sent off in the first half of his team's 2-0 loss at St James' Park after a VAR review caught him elbowing Sven Botman.

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Chelsea will take no disciplinary action against the 23-year-old as the club have accepted that such incidents are inevitable, reports. Jackson made no apology to his team-mates for the red card and instead hopes to make up for it by scoring in the Conference League final.

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The sending off ensures the 23-year-old will miss Chelsea's final Premier League games of the season – against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest – dealing a blow to their challenge for a spot in next season's Champions League.

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Chelsea face United on Friday before finishing their Premier League campaign with a trip to Forest. On May 28, Jackson will make his return when they face Real Betis in the Conference League final

Max Dowman's devastating cameo in Arsenal's 3-2 pre-season win over Newcastle has captured the imagination of Gunners fans on social media.

• Excited Gunners compare 15-year-old to all-time greats
• Dowman won the deciding penalty
• Arteta called youngster's performance 'special'

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dowman entered the game with the scores level on the hour mark. The 15-year-old showed remarkable confidence, routinely picking up the ball and driving at the heart of the Newcastle defence. He drew two smart saves out of Nick Pope, and John Ruddy, before cannily drawing a foul from Joelinton inside his own penalty area. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard dispatched the ensuing spot kick, earning Arsenal the victory in an exciting game in Singapore.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Supporters PatrickTimmons1, perhaps somewhat sarcastically, compared the 15-year-old to the GOAT. Posting on X: "Lionel Messi, I hope you enjoyed your time as the greatest football of all time because Max Dowman is here now.

  Another fan, 2SAFC invoked Messi's name as well as comparing Dowman to Lamine Yamal, writing: "Another win for #Arsenal. 🔴⚪️ Two games, Two wins. ✨Max Dowman, Ill let him do the talking, in my opinion… The next Lionel Messi, all for Lamine Yamal succeeding but this guy is 15, and arguably his level. ⚡️"

  FTProgression added: "Max Dowman…. I am speechless. This is a Messi, Neymar, Yamal level talent."

  And EduardoHagn also joined in with a similar post: "MAX DOWMAN WTF. He’s like Yamal. He’s like Messi. He wins a penalty for Arsenal."

• WHAT ARTETA IS SAYING

  Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise of the youngster after the final whistle. He called the 15-year-old "special", and heralded the work of Dowman's "family, the people at the club, and around the academy" in getting the player ready for his chance in the first team.

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  It is telling that Arteta called on Dowman to replace Bukayo Saka, as the Arsenal manager tended towards his more senior players in this fixture. There were starting spots for fellow teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, but given their heavy involvement in the 2024/25 campaign, their inclusion was a given. Andre Harriman-Annous and Marli Ellis Salmon eventually made their way on to the pitch, but Dowman's 30-minute cameo could be a sign that Arteta intends to include the winger in his first-team plans going forward.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola now wants to sign an “ice cool” player, amid concerns over the performances of a current starter, according to a report.

On paper, Man City should have been no match for Al-Hilal, and they certainly had the better of their opponents, creating more chances and having over double the amount of shots on target throughout the match.

However, the Blues ultimately ended up crashing out of the Club World Cup after a shock 4-3 defeat, with Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou putting in a phenomenal performance, making eight saves from inside the box to keep Guardiola’s side at bay.

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The City boss refused to be too critical of his players in the wake of the result, while also singling out Bounou for praise, saying:“It is a pity. We have been on incredible journey together and were in a good place. The vibe was really good. I cannot thank the players enough for training and playing how they have been.

“But it was a difficult game. The margins were minimal. We created a lot and (Yassine) Bounou made incredible saves but we were so open.”

However, behind-the-scenes, Guardiola is still planning to make some changes to his squad, with a report from Spain revealing the Man City manager has made it clear that he wants to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

With Ederson not the player he once was, having lost consistency in his performances, there is a desire to bring in a new goalkeeper, and Guardiola believes Ter Stegen could be an ideal fit, believing that he has the qualities to succeed in the Premier League.

Barca would be willing to sanction a departure if a good offer comes their way, as the La Liga side are looking to reduce their wage bill, and the German rakes in a sizeable £105k-a-week.

"Ice cool" Ter Stegen has track record of success

The 33-year-old has won 20 major honours throughout a glittering career, having been an important player for Barcelona over a number of years, making a total of 422 appearances for the Spanish side.

That experience at the top level could be very useful for a Man City side which needs to start winning again, having endured a rare trophyless season during the 2024-25 campaign.

The “ice cool” goalkeeper is also comfortable in possession of the ball, which could make him a good fit in a Guardiola system, with counterpart Thibaut Courtois describing the Barca shot-stopper as the “best in the game” with his feet.

Ter Stegen could be a fantastic signing for Man City, but there may be some concerns over the fact the goalkeeper is already 33-years-old, making him two years older than Ederson, which indicates he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for the Brazilian.

يرى محمود فتح الله نجم الزمالك السابق، أن قرار رحيل يانيك فيريرا عن تدريب الفريق هو الأفضل، ولكن التوقيت به “مخاطرة”. 

واستقر الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، على توجيه الشكر إلى يانيك فيريرا عقب تراجع نتائج الفريق في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز. 

وتعادل الزمالك مع نظيره البنك الأهلي بهدف لكل فريق، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ12 من بطولة الدوري الممتاز. 

طالع.. خاص | الزمالك يقرر إقالة يانيك فيريرا

وقال فتح الله في تصريحات على قناة “إم بي سي مصر2”: “الزمالك ما زال متواجدًا في المنافسة على لقب الدوري الممتاز، ورحيل فيريرا صحيح ولكن في توقيت صعب وبه مخاطرة كبيرة بسبب كأس السوبر المصري”.

وأضاف: “لو أنا مسؤول أو أقوم بتقييم مدير فني، كان يجب رحيل يانيك فيريرا عن تدريب الزمالك منذ شهر”.

وتابع: “تدخلات يانيك فيريرا في الملعب كارثية، لو لي قرار في الزمالك كان فيريرا يرحل بعد يوم من مباراة الأهلي التي خسر فيها الزمالك بثنائية”.

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