Vaccine passports at Premier League games THIS weekend, Tottenham Covid outbreak LATEST, Chelsea transfer news
VACCINE passports will reportedly be required to enter Premier League grounds from THIS weekend.
The Government is understood to be on the verge of confirming it is adopting its Covid “Plan B” in a bid to stop the spread of the new Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have been hit with a covid outbreak that has reportedly brought down a 'number of players and staff'.
Their matches this week against Rennes and Brighton could be in peril as a result of up to SEVEN positive tests.
And Eddie Howe is eyeing up Stoke striker Tyrese Campbell as his first signing at Newcastle.
The son of former Everton forward Kevin Campbell, Tyrese has scored twice in nine games for the Potters this season.
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Get all the latest football news, updates and transfer gossip below…
- Justin Lawrence
BAD PHILL-ING
England and Leeds star Kalvin Phillips is reportedly set for two months out with a hamstring injury.
The Three Lions midfield ace limped off 55 minutes into the Whites' 2-2 draw with Brentford and looks likely to be out until the new year.
Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa was unable to confirm the nature of Phillips' injury after Sunday's match at Elland Road.
But it has now emerged it was a hamstring injury which could keep him out until February, according to the Mail.
- Justin Lawrence
FESTIVE BLOW
Football fans are set to be forced to show “vaccine passport” to enter grounds from this weekend.
The Government is understood to be on the verge of confirming it is adopting its Covid “Plan B” in a bid to stop the spread of the new Omicron variant.
That will see people needing to prove they are double vaccinated to enter public buildings as well as working from home directives and more mask-wearing rules.
And football will feel the immediate effect with clubs expected to enforce the new rules or prevent supporters entering grounds.
Premier League clubs were warned of the likely imposition of the new regulations during last Friday’s virtual “shareholder” meeting.
League officials explained that extra measures were likely to be brought in before Christmas, adding to the pressures on clubs.
- Justin Lawrence
SUPER SUB
Rio Ferdinand has compared Divock Origi to a few of his old Manchester United team-mates after the Belgian’s late heroics for Liverpool.
Origi was on song last night to help the Reds maintain their 100% record in the Champions League against AC Milan.
And Ferdinand had to admit that Origi reminded him of United super subs Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Javier Hernandez who used to come on and help the Red Devils seal victories with crucial goals.
Ferdinand told BT Sport: “I’ve played with players that have done what he does coming off the bench, the Chicaritos, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s.
“The appreciation for them within the squad, all the players love players like that because you need them – they’re so integral if you’re going to win multiple competitions.
“You need people to be able to come off the bench and have an impact.”
- Justin Lawrence
STRETCH THE RULES
Ralf Rangnick has been fighting for 15 YEARS to change one of the most fundamental rules in football – the size of the goal.
The Manchester United boss, 63, is well-known as a revolutionary within the beautiful game.
His pioneering tactics – considered the father of Gegenpress – has helped influence a generation of managers, including Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
But Rangnick isn’t content to just change the way footballers play, he wants to change the very game itself.
Incredibly, the German chief wants to make the goals BIGGER – claiming humans are, on average, 10cm bigger than when the dimensions of the goalposts were drawn up.
- Justin Lawrence
MARC HIM OUT
Ajax have issued a stern hands-off warning to clubs seeking to lure Marc Overmars away after the Dutchman signed a contract extension.
The club’s director of football will now stay with Ajax until 2026 amid reports linking him to the Newcastle job.
And now that the ex-Arsenal star has penned a new deal with Ajax, the club warned potential suitors to ‘stop calling Marc’ on Twitter.
Overmars also expressed his joy at committing to Ajax.
He said: “I still feel very excited by my work and get a lot of satisfaction out of it.
“The cooperation with my fellow board members is very good, as well as with the people at the Toekomst (the Ajax sports complex) with whom I work together in the fields of scouting, youth, transfers, and the like.
“I have a feeling that my work at Ajax is not done yet, so I would like to continue here.”
- Justin Lawrence
NAT'S BACK
Liverpool defender Nat Phillips sent social media into meltdown on Tuesday night after bamboozling Zlatan Ibrahimovic with an audacious Cruyff turn.
The 24-year-old starred in his first Champions League start of the season as the Reds beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro.
The ex-Stuttgart loanee dazzled supporters with an outrageous piece of skill inside his own box in the 69th minute.
Phillips reacted quickly after Konate intercepted a pass, before calmly performing a Cruyff turn which sent Ibrahimovic and Franck Kessie the wrong way.
Commenting on the incident, one user tweeted: "Just Nat Phillips sending Zlatan Ibrahimovic into the next dimension with a Cruyff turn."
Another remarked: "Nat Phillips doing Cruyff turns in the San Siro is the content we are here for!"
- Justin Lawrence
MO MONEY
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah should demand to be the best-paid player in the Premier League, according to Peter Crouch.
The Reds star has 18 months left on his contract and is currently in discussions with the Merseyside outfit over a new deal.
And ex-Liverpool striker Crouch believes the Egyptian deserves to earn the most of any player in English football.
Speaking on BT Sport, the former England striker said: “There's nobody better in the league at the moment.
“Whatever the best player in the league is on, give him that.”
- Justin Lawrence
WALK OF SHAME
Pep Guardiola slammed Kyle Walker for his needless red card in Leipzig — and says his ban will hurt Manchester City in the Champions League last 16.
The England full-back, 31, was sent off for stupidly kicking out at RB Leipzig goalscorer Andre Silva eight minutes from time.
Walker came steaming in from behind, deliberately and brutally swiping the striker's legs from beneath him.
He will now face a minimum one-match suspension for the knock-out tie in February — and Guardiola has told him to learn from the mistake.
City still progressed as group winners but Pep said: “The red card hurts us, especially for the round of 16.
“Kyle is an important player and it is unnecessary to lose him like this.
“I hope he learns from this. It was a red card, definitely.”
- Justin Lawrence
WERNS FOR US
Chelsea are in talks with Barcelona over loan deals for Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, according to reports.
But after initial willingness to do a deal, the Blues hierarchy have cooled their stance after Thoms Tuchel said he was reluctant to lose the pair in January.
Cash-strapped Barca are looking for low-cost ways of bolstering their attack in January now Xavi is in charge.
And they have highlighted Chelsea duo Werner and Ziyech as ideal candidates, according to Sport.
Blues director Marina Granovskaia was the first point of contact and was said to be open to talks.
But the West Londoners have 'put the brakes on' despite both men being eager for more game time.
- Justin Lawrence
MISINTERPRETED
Robert Lewandowski has been forced to deny a brewing rift with Lionel Messi following last week's Ballon d'Or controversy.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, 34, picked up the most-prestigious individual prize in football for an incredible seventh time last week.
After winning the 2021 award, Messi claimed the Bayern Munich striker should be given the award for the missed year.
Lewandowksi, 33, was initially claimed to have called Messi's kind gesture 'empty words'.
But the Bundesliga hotshot has now refuted those claims – calling it a 'misinterpretation'.
- Justin Lawrence
PEPI MAX
Manchester United and Liverpool are set to lock horns over American teenage striker Ricardo Pepi.
The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene with FC Dallas earlier this year.
The star has scored 13 goals in the MLS this term and his form has been rewarded at international level.
Pepi has three goals in six caps for USA and is already catching the eye of Europe’s big guns.
United and Liverpool have been watching the youngster for months with their scouts attending several FC Dallas matches.
Now both Premier League clubs could be about to launch a move for the hotshot.
- Gary Stonehouse
GOOD MORNING FOOTY FANS
SunSport can exclusively reveal West Ham are considering a loan bid for Nathan Ake after being rocked by the news Kurt Zouma faces months on the sidelines through injury.
The 26-year-old Dutchman has started just three games in the league this season and is fourth choice centre-back at City.
And the Hammers will hope they can tempt him with the offer of regular first team football.
They would be unable to come up with a large fee for the former Bournemouth star but a loan deal may suit all parties.
Meanwhile, Andreas Christensen is set to ease Chelsea’s contract headaches by signing an extension ‘within days’.
Reports suggest the 25-year-old is ready to pen a new long-term deal at the club he joined back in 2012.
That will come as a blow to the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan who have been tracking the centre-back for months.
But Antonio Rudiger is reportedly on the verge of joining Real Madrid.
The Independent says the LaLiga giants have reached an 'informal agreement' with the defender following a meeting last month.
And Chelsea’s injury problems continue with Mateo Kovacic testing positive from coronavirus just one day after recovering from a hamstring setback.
Finally, Liverpool hope to fly in under-the-radar and nab Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham while Premier League rivals are distracted by Erling Haaland.
But any move would likely cost the Reds a whopping club-record £90million.
Meanwhile, several of Liverpool’s rivals are thought to be intent on landing his team-mate Haaland instead.
Man United, Chelsea and Man City are understood to be tracking the prolific striker, who has a £64million release clause.
- Anthony Chapman
EXCLUSIVE BY CHARLIE WYETT
Jude Bellingham star Jude Bellingham has made himself a hero in Germany.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has been fined £34,000 by the German Football Federation for his dig at referee Felix Zwayer after their 3-2 defeat by Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Bellingham claims Zwayer’s decisions were unsurprising as he was implicated in the worst match-fixing scandal in German history in 2005.
But SunSport understands that Dortmund are going to pay the fine for Bellingham as many within the club agree with his comments.
Privately among players and staff elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Bellingham is being hailed for having the bottle to speak out even though he was aged just two at the time of the scandal.
- Anthony Chapman
RANG THE CHANGES
Ralf Rangnick has told Manchester United’s fringe players ‘prove to me you have a future here’.
He said: “Everyone has the chance to perform and present himself.
“That is why I am happy to give game time to quite a few of those players to see them under pressure in a Champions League game in front of 75,000 in a sold-out stadium.
“This is a perfect opportunity to get to know the players, like I did last Sunday against Palace. We have only had a week of training so far.
“With every training session, every opportunity to see them in competitive games, I will get to know them better.”
- Anthony Chapman
FT – AC MILAN 1 LIVERPOOL 2
Divock Origi popped up with another winner as Liverpool ensured they finished the Champions League group stage with an amazing 100 per cent record.
The result also meant Atletico Madrid qualified for the knockout round in second place as they beat Porto 3-1.
The Portuguese side finished third, bagging the group's Europa League spot.
And after returning to the Champions League after a lengthy absence, Milan find themselves immediately out of the competition.
- Anthony Chapman
RUD AWAKENING
Antonio Rudiger is on the verge of joining Real Madrid, according to reports.
The Independent says the LaLiga giants have reached an 'informal agreement' with the defender.
Rudiger is represented by his brother, Sahr Senesie, who met with Madrid in November.
He is understood to have reached an agreement with Florentino Perez.
But nothing has yet been signed.
- Anthony Chapman
HEY JUDE
Liverpool hope to fly in under-the-radar and nab Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham while Premier League rivals are distracted by Erling Haaland.
But any move would likely cost the Reds a whopping club-record £90million.
Meanwhile, several of Liverpool’s rivals are thought to be intent on landing his team-mate Haaland instead.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Man City are understood to be tracking the prolific striker, who has a £64million release clause.
- Anthony Chapman
BLUE SOON
Andreas Christensen is set to ease Chelsea’s contract headaches by signing an extension ‘within days’.
Reports suggest the 25-year-old is ready to pen a new long-term deal at the club he joined back in 2012.
That will come as a blow to the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan who have been tracking the centre-back for months.
Barca had been hoping to make a move for the defender if he became a free agent in the summer.
And Milan were even preparing to go earlier with a potential bid in January as a replacement for the injured Simon Kjaer.
- Anthony Chapman
RB LEIPZIG 2 MAN CITY 1
Pep Guardiola's ten men suffered their second defeat of the group stage with a 2-1 defeat in Germany.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Andre Silva were on target for Leipzig, who qualified for the Europa League, with City pulling one back through Riyad Mahrez before Kyle Walker saw red.
But City still finish top of the pile despite PSG thrashing Club Brugge 4-1.
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi both scored twice in Paris, and the latter overtook Brazil legend Pele for most career goals with 758.
- Anthony Chapman
TEAM NEWS
AC MILAN: Maignan; Kalulu, Tomori, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Tonali, Kessie; Messias, Diaz, Krunic; Ibrahimovic
LIVERPOOL: Alisson; Williams, Konate, Phillips, Tsimikas; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Morton, Minamino; Salah, Origi, Mane
FOLLOW THE ACTION HERE
- Anthony Chapman
DENNIS THE MENACE
Emmanuel Dennis’ agent Drew Uyi has declared the Watford striker could have been plying his trade at Arsenal or Manchester United.
He said: "Arsenal were interested (in signing Dennis) in the past.
"Manchester United were also interested, but Club Brugge wanted a ridiculous fee for him.
"They wanted £25m, while these clubs were prepared to pay £15m.
"In the end he joined Watford for £3.4m because his contract was running out. He was frustrated at Club Brugge.
"He was not happy because no young man would be if he were stopped from such opportunities."
- Anthony Chapman
RUN FOR KOVA
Mateo Kovacic has dealt Chelsea another blow after testing positive for coronavirus just a DAY after returning to training following his hamstring injury.
Thomas Tuchel said: "We have bad news.
"Mateo was in training yesterday and with a big smile and it was a pure pleasure to have him back.
"But he tested positive today, for coronavirus, so he's quarantining for a few days.
"So it's a huge setback for him personally and for all of us."
- Anthony Chapman
PERFECT TEN
Man City and Man United look set for a bidding war over Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, reports suggest.
According to the Telegraph, Ten Hag's incredible work has attracted the attention of City after manager Pep Guardiola announced last summer that he intends to leave the club in 2023 when his contract expires.
Ten Hag is among the Citizens' top candidates to take over at the Etihad if the Spanish head coach decides to leave.
But rivals United are also keeping tabs on the former Utrecht manager shortly after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
- Anthony Chapman
WAS LEW ROBBED?
Robert Lewandowski has been forced to deny a brewing rift with Lionel Messi following last week's Ballon d'Or controversy.
He said: "My statement, which I made in an interview with a Polish TV / Via Play broadcaster, is currently being misinterpreted.
"I never say that Lionel Messi's words were not sincere.
"On the contrary: Lionel Messi's speech at the event in Paris, in which he expressed that, in his opinion, I deserved the Ballon d’Or 2020, really touched me and made me happy.
"With my statement, I just wanted to express that I would of course be very happy if Messi's words were heard.
"I respect and appreciate Lionel Messi beyond measure and once again congratulate him on winning the Ballon d’Or 2021."
- Anthony Chapman
FER REAL
Barcelona are preparing a £38million offer for Manchester City’s Spain international forward Ferran Torres.
And reports in Spain say the Nou Camp giants are ready to put the bid on the table for the start of the January transfer window.
The figure is short of where City value 21-year-old starlet Torres – which is said to be closer to the £50m mark.
But it would still represent a sizeable profit on a player who joined them in a bargain £20m deal from Valencia just 18 months ago.
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