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Sunderland have been handed a major boost in their bid to bring Vito Mannone back to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Roker Report, who claim that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has held discussions with AS Monaco regarding a move for the 33-year-old goalkeeper, who is believed to be keen on a return to Wearside.

The report goes on to state that, while a deal is not thought to be imminent, the Black Cats’ interest in the former Italy U21 international is ongoing as we enter the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much of a fan favourite Mannone was during his first spell at Sunderland, in addition to the fact the shot-stopper is undoubtedly a quality option in the position for a League One side, fans of the club will be buzzing to hear their club are interested in a deal for the Italian.

Despite having been a bit-part player following his move from Reading to Moncao last summer – making just nine Ligue 1 appearances last term – in the goalkeeper’s last full season with the Royals, the £5.5k-per-week man demonstrated he is still more than capable of doing a job between the sticks.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances in Reading’s 2017/18 campaign, the £720k-rated ‘keeper kept eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 3.1 saves and conceding just 1.4 goals per game.

These returns saw the man the former Black Cats manager Sam Allardyce dubbed a “crucial” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.77, ranking him as the club’s 15th-best performer in the league that season.

As such, while this campaign was admittedly a little while ago now, his displays would nevertheless suggest that Mannone still has much to offer in the third tier of English football, while his presence at the club alone, regardless of how much he will feature, would surely delight the Mackems fanbase.

In other news: SAFC dealt potential boost over “important” £225k-rated gem, Johnson will be buzzing

Kylian Mbappe has been invited to dinner by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, alongside Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

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• Macron invites Mbappe to dinner
• Al-Khelaifi also in attendance
• Evening held for Emir of Qatar

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The mercurial Frenchman looks to be heading out the exit door at the Parc des Princes this summer, with a move to Real Madrid all but sealed after years of rumours. writes that President Macron, who is no stranger to stepping in to matters at the capital club, has invited Mbappe to Paris' Elysee Palace alongside club chief Al-Khelaifi. But the nature of the visit owes to the presence of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

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• THE EXPLANATION

  According to the report, Macron has organised a meal on Tuesday in honour of Sheikh Tamim, with Mbappe and Khelaifi asked to join. notes that other PSG team-mates may also be in attendance. Sheikh Tamim's presence has been requested by Macron to broker negotiations regarding the ceasefire and release of hostages in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Neither Mbappe nor Khelaifi will be present for such talks, as they are simply in attendance for the meal set up by Macron.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Macron has been open in the past in wanting to keep Mbappe at the Paris club, stating that he would "try and push" for the Frenchman to sign a new contract. However, his attempts – if any were made – have proved fruitless, with the 25-year-old set to leave the Parc des Princes after seven years and embark on a new challenge as a 'Galactico'. Mbappe reportedly turned down a £188m ($238m) offer from PSG in order to do so.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tuesday evening won't be Mbappe's first appearance at Paris' Elysee Palace. notes that the French forward attended a meeting there after France's triumphant 2018 World Cup run, and he even met both Macron and Sheikh Tamim in February 2018 after George Weah was elected president of Liberia.

West Ham United face fresh competition over one of their latest striker targets…

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, the Irons were linked with a move for former Premier League frontman Salomon Rondon, formerly of Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion.

The Daily Mail believe the east Londoners are one of several teams eyeing up a return for the Venezuelan international.

And now, according to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (29th August, 18:19), Rondon’s former manager Rafa Benitez is thought to be lining up a swoop for his old striker in a bid to add some depth to his attack.

The 31-year-old is currently on-loan to Russian side CSKA Moscow but talks are said to be ‘ongoing’ with the Toffees.

Sullivan must act

If the Hammers are to end David Moyes’ striker nightmare, then it’s time for the club’s majority shareholder, David Sullivan, to take matters into his own hands to provide his boss with the tools he requires.

It’s no secret that the Scotsman is absolutely desperate for a new forward. He may well have remained coy about the prospects in recent interviews but you have to imagine he’s a little nervous heading into a potential 50-plus game campaign with only one senior option – Michail Antonio.

And whilst the 31-year-old talisman has started the season like a house on fire, with four goals and three assists to lead the goalscoring charts in the Premier League, many will be expecting his injury problems to come to the surface at some point.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-much-more-2” title= “Read the latest West Ham team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

Since the 2017/18 campaign, Antonio has failed to surpass 24 league starts, per WhoScored, and that’s all down to persistent niggles and knocks.

Last season, for example, he missed ten matches through injury yet still finished at Moyes’ joint-top goalscorer on ten goals. His presence is certainly needed in this squad but a solid backup option would be very beneficial.

Rondon isn’t a name that’s going to have fans at the London Stadium super excited but at the very least, it should allow Moyes to rotate his line-up in competitions such as the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League in a bid to improve on last season’s incredible sixth-place finish.

The 83-cap international has a respectable record in the English top-flight, where he has delivered 35 goals across four straight seasons for the Magpies.

His form up north earned the tag of him being a “swashbuckling” centre-forward with qualities similar to that of Les Ferdinand by Lee Clark, via ChronicleLive in 2019.

At 6 foot 1 with target man qualities – he has an average of 2.8 aerial duels won per game throughout his career – the towering colossus would also offer Moyes something different in attack, so he too could change matches in the Premier League.

Valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, Rondon could be the perfect, easy and cheap stop-gap solution to the Irons’ ongoing striker situation. But given interest from his former boss Benitez, GSB will have to act fast.

AND in other news, West Ham “unlikely” to move for this mooted target, fans won’t be happy…

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson scripted club history after keeping a clean sheet against Bournemouth.

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• Ederson scripted Manchester City history
• Kept his 110th Premier League clean sheet against Bournemouth
• Man City beat Bournemouth 1-0

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester City rode on Phil Foden's 24th-minute strike to register an important win in the Premier League on Saturday at Vitality Stadium. In the process, goalkeeper Ederson broke the club record of keeping the most number of clean sheets in the league which was previously held by Joe Hart. The Brazilian goalkeeper kept a clean sheet for the 110th time in the Premier League, beating Hart's tally of 109.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Ederson managed to achieve the feat in 242 league appearances, Hart played in 266 matches. The former Benfica custodian is now ranked 15th in the list of all-time highest clean sheets by a goalkeeper in the English top flight with former Chelsea and Arsenal star Petr Cech leading the pack with 202 clean sheets.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 30-year-old joined the Cityzens from Benfica in 2017 and has successfully established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the club's history. He has won multiple trophies with the club in the last seven years. He bagged the Premier League Golden Glove award for the first time in the 2019/20 season and then repeated the feat in the next two campaigns as well.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  Pep Guardiola's side will now shift focus to the FA Cup where they take on Luton Town on Tuesday in a fifth-round clash before facing rivals Manchester United in the league on Sunday.

Former All Leeds TV presenter Joe Wainman feels Leeds United were never in the running to sign Matheus Pereira, contrary to reports.

Pereira swapped West Bromwich Albion for a big-money contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal earlier this month.

The move came after the Baggies suffered relegation to the Championship despite the Brazilian winger notching 12 goals and six assists last season.

A number of clubs were keen to keep Pereira in English football, with Leicester City and West Ham United being named as two of the interested parties.

According to ESPN Brazil, Leeds were also courting the 25-year-old. The report suggests Aston Villa and Crystal Palace joined the race to sign Pereira before he opted to join Al Hilal.

However, JustJoe Football Show anchorman Wainman has rubbished claims a move to Elland Road was ever on the cards, although he does question why boss Marcelo Bielsa did not raise an interest in the winger.

He told Football FanCast: “I was quite surprised when we heard from Pereira’s agent that Leeds had not been in contact at all.

“I know some Premier League clubs were but the fact that we never actually opened up dialogue was a little bit surprising because I think he would have fit in nicely.

“I understand why he has gone abroad – it is what it is. It’s money for him and that kind of money can’t be sniffed at.”

The England forward was the mastermind of the Red Devils' downfall in a pulsating contest as the Sky Blues leapfrogged their rivals in the table

Sunday was set up to be a huge day for Manchester United. A club record 43,615 fans poured into Old Trafford to watch the women's team take on bitter rivals Manchester City in the Women's Super League and captain Katie Zelem gave the Red Devils the lead with 21 minutes on the clock. It was all going to plan. But the defining image of the latest instalment of this derby will instead be that of England star Chloe Kelly shushing the home crowd as City scored two goals in 79 seconds to turn the game around and paint Manchester blue.

It was the visitors who started the better of the two, with Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp in particular testing Mary Earps in the opening stages. United grew into it, though, and they took the lead when Melvine Malard's shot struck the outstretched arm of Lionesses defender Alex Greenwood in the box, with Zelem reliable as ever from the penalty spot.

Marc Skinner's side thought they had doubled that lead not long after, but Geyse was instead denied by the assistant's flag after the ball was ruled to have crossed the line and gone out for a goal-kick before she put it into the back of the net, and then the momentum shifted dramatically thanks to two goals in two minutes.

Kelly got the better of Lisa Naalsund down the left for the equaliser, picking out a well-positioned Jill Roord, who left Earps helpless when she found the bottom corner with deadly accuracy to level things up. Seconds later, it was 2-1, with City winning the ball high up the pitch and Shaw setting up Hemp to beautifully curl a shot into the top corner.

There was a feeling that City needed to make their dominant end to the first half count. Earps came up big to stop Kelly making it 3-1 before the break and United had the chance to go inside and reset with the deficit still just one goal. However, missed chances would come back to haunt the Red Devils rather than the Blues, with City going 3-1 up before the hour mark when Earps smashed an attempted clearance from Maya Le Tissier's under-hit backpass against Shaw and was only able to watch as it trickled into the back of her empty net.

United huffed and puffed but couldn't break down the City defence to get back into the game, even after Laia Aleixandri's second yellow card saw the visitors reduced to 10 for almost half an hour. Instead, after back-to-back defeats, this win was huge for City, who leapfrog United in the WSL table to move into third place and a Champions League spot. There's still plenty of work to do in the title race, though, with Chelsea six points ahead of them at the top of the table.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Old Trafford…

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  LOSER: Maya Le Tissier

  Even when Man Utd underwhelm, it's rare that Le Tissier does. Seemingly always a player that you can expect a 7/10 performance from, perhaps Sunday was a reminder of the fact that she is still a very young player who is still learning and lacking in experience.

  She got on the ball plenty, as usual, but lost possession 15 times at Old Trafford, which was quite unlike her. It was a number only five players ranked worse in, two of them attackers. The long, defence-splitting passes that have become a key feature of her impressive performances were not as prominent on this occasion and it was all compounded by City's third goal.

  Le Tissier's pass back to Earps was short, even if the goalkeeper seemed to be surprisingly slow to meet it, and the resulting clearance cannoned off Shaw and into the back of the United net. Still 21 years old, and so talented, this was a day for her to learn from.

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  WINNER: Chloe Kelly

  Kelly has made quite a start to this new season and that continued in Sunday's huge win at Old Trafford. She was electric in this derby, creating four chances, more than any other player on the pitch.

  One of those was particularly huge, as she beat Lisa Naalsund brilliantly to drive into the box and cut the ball back to Roord, who found the bottom corner with a fantastic strike. Man Utd just didn't know how to deal with her.

  England boss Sarina Wiegman was in the stands to watch Kelly light the game up and she certainly staked her claim to continue to be a key player for the Lionesses, who have a huge international break in December that will decide their Olympic and Nations League fates. Arsenal star Beth Mead will be coming back into contention for her country soon after recovering from an ACL injury, which will increase the competition for a place out wide, but Kelly continues to prove that she can be a game-changer even in the biggest matches.

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  LOSER: Ella Toone

  After a tough year, there have been glimpses that Ella Toone is getting back to the level that made her such a star for England and Man Utd but Sunday was a difficult one for the playmaking midfielder.

  Toone didn't struggle to get involved in the first half, she actually took up excellent positions and her runs were often found on the counter, but her decision making let her down. There was a huge moment in the first half where she went for a pass rather than taking on the shot herself and it was one that was mis-hit and cleared by the City defence. It was a clear sign of a player lacking confidence.

  In the second half, Toone's involvement faded somewhat. In fact, she had as many touches in the game as substitute Lucia Garcia, who entered the match in the 68th minute, and only Nikita Parris, hauled off at half time, had fewer touches of any starter.

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  WINNER: Manchester City

  It's still early days in this WSL season but a loss at Old Trafford on Sunday would've put Man City at a serious disadvantage in the title race. Coming into the match having suffered back-to-back defeats, a disappointing loss at Arsenal followed up by a shock at the hands of Brighton, a third in a row would've left them not only low on confidence but also nine points off table-topping Chelsea with only seven games played.

  When they went 1-0 down thanks to Zelem's penalty, then, head coach Gareth Taylor must've been fearing the worst. City had dominated the opening exchanges but hadn't made them count. It was a familiar tale that was unfolding – but his team ensured that they changed the way it was going.

  A fantastic response to that opening goal saved this game and City did brilliantly to see the game out when they went down to 10, too, to secure a huge three points that puts them right back amongst it in these early stages of the title race.

Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate laughed off suggestions that he may be joined by France team-mate Kylian Mbappe at Anfield.

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• Konate laughs off Mbappe Liverpool link
• Says: 'We all know where he's going'
• Reds go five clear at top of table

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The defender returned from suspension to help his side to a comfortable win at Brentford on Saturday afternoon. He was in a playful mood after the game when asked by a French broadcaster on the prospects of Mbappe, who this week told Paris Saint-Germain he will depart the club his summer, joining him on Merseyside next season.

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• WHAT IBRAHIMA KONATE SAID

  "Do you really think he's going to come here?" laughed Konate when asked by about the chances of Mbappe joining Liverpool. "I think we all know where he's going to go."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Konate's response underlines the theory that Mbappe is destined for Real Madrid. Representatives of the 25-year-old are reportedly in negotiations to finalise a deal that has been a long time in the making, with the Madrid board keen to conclude the transfer with as little fuss as possible and also keen not to upset a club they may yet meet in the Champions League this season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL AND KONATE?

  It was a good result for Liverpool, winning at a ground that has proved problematic for them in the last two seasons. But it wasn't all plain sailing as the Reds picked up a number of concerning injuries as they head into a week where they face Luton Town in the league on Wednesday and contest the first silverware of the season against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final next Sunday.

A number of Liverpool supporters cannot believe that the Reds have been linked with an audacious summer move for Manchester United star Paul Pogba.

Jurgen Klopp may be keen on signing a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, with the Dutchman leaving Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer.

The 30-year-old was an influential performer for the Reds over five seasons, proving to be a model of consistency, both in terms of performance and fitness.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Wijnaldum’s exit has left a void in Liverpool’s midfield and they have been linked with a sensational move for Pogba to help fill it.

According to Le10 Sport [via Sport Witness], the United midfielder has been offered to the Reds by his agent, Mino Raiola, but they would only potentially be interested in signing him in January.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-9/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans react to stunning Pogba rumour

It is a rumour that has come from nowhere and these Liverpool fans have been reacting to the story on Twitter.

“You what”

Credit: @jvm_ii

“Hahahahahahahaa”

Credit: @LFC_Kenan

“If this happens, I’ll shave my head and have Souness cry with me”

Credit: @NotVeryFunny511

“Imagine the fume, it would be amazing”

Credit: @scouser_soze

“Shut up LOLLLLLL”

Credit: @Kay__Gee

“How can these people type this stuff with a straight face? He’s a United player who probably wants £300k a week loool”

Credit: @SMXLFC

In other news, some Liverpool fans have lauded one Reds player after brilliant new footage emerged. Find out who it is here.

The Spain international found the net and was impressive throughout while filling in for Real Madrid's main man

Consistently denied a spot in the side by the brilliance of Jude Bellingham, Brahim Diaz has been waiting for his chance to impress. On Wednesday night, with Bellingham rested, he took it. The Spaniard bagged a goal, was unfortunate to see another ruled out, and pulled the strings in the Englishman's usual role as Los Blancos cruised to a 3-0 win over Braga.

The visitors were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead early, when Lucas Vazquez dragged Cristian Borja down in the box — only for reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to keep out the ensuing penalty.

Diaz thought he had opened the scoring shortly after, but saw his calm finish ruled out for a foul in the build up. There was nothing wrong with the next time he had the ball in the net, though. The attacking midfielder ghosted into the box to meet Rodrygo's cutback, and handed his side a deserved 1-0 lead.

He should have made it two in the second half, but was brilliantly denied from close range by Matheus. Vinicius made no such mistake after 58 minutes, slotting home to complete a smooth counter-attack. Rodrygo added a third two minutes later, receiving Vinicius' pass in stride and delightfully chipping over Matheus, sealing a comfortable win.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andriy Lunin (7/10):

  Called in for the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga at the last minute. Did well to save the Braga penalty. Will be happy to keep the clean sheet.

  Lucas Vazquez (5/10):

  Gave up a pen and was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow. Not his best night.

  Antonio Rudiger (7/10):

  Covered spaces in behind effectively. Did a lot of running for the ageing Nacho. Won a few tackles.

  Nacho (7/10):

  Involved heavily throughout. Went about his defensive work well.

  Ferland Mendy (7/10):

  Handed a rare start. Solid defensively, and contributed going forward. Nearly nicked a goal in the first half, too.

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  Midfield

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Snappy in tackles and tidy in possession. Survived an injury scare early in the second half.

  Federico Valverde (7/10):

  Dangerous down the right channel. Had a few dangerous efforts blocked. A real return to form.

  Toni Kroos (7/10):

  This was the perfect kind of game for him: low tempo, space to ping it around, not much defensive work to do. He was as controlled as you'd expect.

  Brahim Diaz (8/10):

  Deployed in the Bellingham role. And there wasn't much, if any, drop-off. Diaz scored the opener, had one disallowed, and was key in the other two goals. Took his chance with aplomb.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (7/10):

  Produced a fine piece of skill and pass to set up Madrid's first. Took the third wonderfully. Two in two in the UCL — he now needs to do it domestically.

  Vinicius Jr (8/10):

  A loose touch cost him a clear goalscoring opportunity early on. Was immense thereafter, creating problems with his running and creativity. Set up one and scored one to round off an electric night.

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  Subs & Manager

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  A masterful cameo, as you'd expect.

  Dani Carvajal (6/10):

  Scampered up the right flank with his usual vigour.

  Nico Paz (6/10):

  Lively on his debut.

  Joselu (5/10):

  Got into good areas, made life awkward for defenders.

  Fran Garcia (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Carlo Ancelotti (8/10):

  Made a few changes, and trusted Diaz with Bellingham absent. It mostly worked out, with his side looking relatively comfortable throughout — early penalty notwithstanding. He will be glad to see Rodrygo back among the goals, too. Qualification sorted.

Celtic’s start to the new campaign has been a disastrous state of affairs.

This was supposed to be a clean slate for everyone at the Hoops but even with Ange Postecoglou at the helm, the vibrant future which stood in front of them now looks like a murky mess instead.

They are no longer in the Champions League and they have started the Premiership season with a defeat to a newly-promoted side.

The board have copped some criticism for failing to back Postecoglou in the transfer market but some of his decisions during the club’s 2-1 defeat to Hearts on Saturday were peculiar.

Stephen Welsh was dropped to the bench in favour of debutant Carl Starfelt but his defensive partner Nir Bitton was a calamity at the back again.

Scott Bain made an error in goal, one that Vasilis Barkas may have avoided, while James Forrest’s inclusion at left wing probably won’t be repeated. Odsonne Edouard continued to look a shadow of his former self in attack but it was Forrest who proved more wasteful in attack.

The winger struggled with fitness issues throughout 2020/21, featuring on just 13 occasions in the league.

He was a player who Neil Lennon and co missed significantly as they lost their grasp on the title, but if you expected fireworks from the Scot this season, you may have thought wrong.

Forrest was inconsistent against Hearts and struggled significantly with his end product, spurning a wonderful chance to equalise deep into injury time. The ball fell to the 30-year-old inside the area and, after taking one touch to get the ball out of his feet, he struck a shot which Craig Gordon smothered brilliantly.

At the peak of his powers, it was a chance that he’d usually bury in his sleep.

Instead, Forrest was left to rue what could have been during an out-of-sorts performance. He completed just one of his four dribbles and failed to provide an accurate cross in the entire game. Furthermore, he lost 80% of his duels and lost possession 11 times; the highest number by any attacking player for Celtic.

Forrest isn’t usually a wasteful player but the £15k-per-week earner was disappointing on Saturday, badly letting his manager down.

AND in other news, Worse than Bain: Ange surely livid with Celtic’s “walking joke” who won just 50% duels…