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Barcelona were quick to mock Real Madrid over the club's decision to boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony as Vinicius Junior lost out on the award.

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• Real Madrid boycott Ballon d'Or ceremony
• Vinicius loses to Spain midfielder Rodri
• Barcelona mock their rivals' no-show

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Star winger Vinicius was labelled as the bookmakers' favourite to be awarded the Ballon d'Or for the 2023-24 season as he led Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double. However, after news broke out that Manchester City star Rodri was set to be handed the prestigious award, Los Blancos decided to boycott the award ceremony in Paris at the last moment.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcelona saw a number of their players from the men's team travel to Paris for the Ballon d'Or ceremony, with Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi having been nominated for the Kopa Trophy, which went to the former following his heroics for club and country. Yamal was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or making it to the top 10 list. Barcelona's social media team has now seemed to mock Real Madrid's no-show as they thanked Ballon d'Or for the 'warm welcome'.

• WHAT BARCELONA POSTED

  Responding to Ballon d'Or's official X post of the Barcelona men's and women's team entering the gala, Barcelona's social media team wrote: "We are truly honoured to be here. Thank you, Ballon d'Or, for such a warm and gracious welcome."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  The players will now return to Barcelona to celebrate Yamal's Kopa Trophy win, and the Spaniard will likely present his award when his team take on bitter rivals Espanyol on Sunday, November 3 at home.

As Norwich City prepare for another season of Championship football, the Canaries are eager to use their links with a Brazilian club to bring a highly rated young player to Carrow Road.

Norwich ready to rebuild after playoff disappointment

As soon as the final whistle confirmed their playoff semi-final loss to Leeds United, Norwich wasted no time parting company with David Wagner and entering the market for a new manager. Johannes Hoff Thorup was the man that the Canaries landed on with the former Nordsjælland manager signing a three-year deal with the club.

The "outstanding" young Norwich star who could be Jonny Rowe 2.0

The Canaries youngster must be unleashed by Johannes Hoff Thorup next season.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 15, 2024

With a new name in the dugout at Carrow Road, attention has now turned towards regenerating the Canaries' playing squad. Norwich's recent retained list has seen a number of out of favour players shown the door at Carrow Road in order to make space for new signings.

The Canaries also look set to face interest from other clubs in a number of key players – The Turkish press have recently reported that Trabzonspor have made an opening offer for Norwich City midfielder Marcelino Nunez. The £4 million rated Chilean could be drawn by the promise of European football and depart East Anglia this summer.

And as one Norwich star is linked with an exit, the club are making first contact to bring in a young defender who has previously been linked to some of Europe's top clubs.

Canaries make swoop for South American youngster

As first reported by Sport Witness, the Brazilian press are claiming that Norwich are reportedly interested in Palmeiras youngster Vanderlan. The outlet have stated that the Canaries have made the first contact in order to find out the conditions for a deal to bring the 21-year-old to Carrow Road.

With the Brazilian club expecting to lose Vanderlan during this window, Norwich are hoping to use their open communication channel with Palmeiras to tip the scales in their favour. The Canaries dealt with the club last summer when they signed Pedro Lima on a loan deal.

Lima's time in East Anglia fell flat with the player struggling to crack the Norwich first team, making just 14 appearances for Norwich's Under 21s. Despite his struggles for senior game time, it is hoped that pathway will be enough to convince Vanderlan to make the move to Norwich this summer

If Vanderlan is to make the move to Carrow Road it would be a serious coup for the Canaries, with the young defender previously linked with moves to both Chelsea and AC Milan. The latter link saw the 21-year-old named by Fabrizio Romano as a player that the Serie A outift appreciated back in this year's January transfer window.

With high profile sides likely to reignite their pursuit for the Brazilian this summer, it could be the promise of greater game time at Carrow Road that causes Vanderlan to reject the Champions League in favour of a move to the Championship.

West Bromwich Albion have proven themselves to be shrewd operators in many a transfer window now, with large chunks of Carlos Corberan's current squad assembled courtesy of some bargains being purchased.

Alex Mowatt is just one of a whole plethora of players that arrived into the building on a free transfer once upon a time, with the likes of other first-team names in the form of Okay Yokuslu and Jed Wallace also walking in through the door with no fee attached.

West Brom could go against the grain to re-sign Mikey Johnston this summer, however, with a mega £6m transfer fee slapped above his head by Celtic, but will continue to look for bargains elsewhere, and could land another gem using this transfer method again – if reports are correct.

West Brom interested in recently released star

According to journalist Darren Witcoop – as reported late last week – the Baggies are intrigued by the prospect of bringing new free agent Ian Poveda to the Hawthorns this summer, having just had his Leeds contract ripped up.

On loan last season with Sheffield Wednesday, where he showed signs of his dynamic best, the South American winger is wanted immediately back by his short-term South Yorkshire employers on a permanent deal now too, with Luton Town and Cardiff City also waiting in the wings to make an offer – as per Witcoop.

Poveda could see West Brom strike gold yet again with their wheeler-dealer approach, having signed Mowatt from Barnsley for nothing back in 2021, after he was also on the books at Elland Road.

The enthralling 5 foot 6 forward could also make competition fierce down the right wing in the West Midlands, pushing the likes of Tom Fellows and Jed Wallace all the way in unsettling the Baggies status quo, with Poveda then forming a terrifying partnership with Johnston down the line – if he is also signed – to scare Championship defences stiff next season.

How Poveda would fit into the West Brom side

Equally as keen as Johnston to terrorise defences with showboating and tricky skills down the flanks, both Poveda and the 25-year-old linking up next campaign could be a sight to behold for Baggies supporters, as another attempt at promotion comes into view.

Poveda will also look to the current Celtic man for some inspiration, having struggled to really show off his electric best from his youth days – which saw him bag six goals for former employers Manchester City at U23 level from 37 games – in the men's game.

Yet, despite Johnston tearing the second-tier apart with seven goals and two assists during a breakneck 18 games, whilst the ex-Leeds man failed to find the back of the net for the Owls with just one assist mustered up, Poveda's statistics compared to Johnston's in their respective games, away from output alone, shows the free agent to be arguably a more dangerous player bombing forward.

The South American's game could potentially even be elevated by playing side-by-side with the 25-year-old next campaign, alongside Corberan putting his arm around the exciting attacker, like he has done with a lot of the squad at his disposal who had previously been written off.

Stylishly gliding around the pitch last season with a 90% pass accuracy averaged per match, alongside notching up five assists, Mowatt has managed to become a key cog for Corberan, after once being let go of by the Tykes for nothing.

Described as possessing a "touch of magic" by his former Whites boss in Daniel Farke, The Hawthorns could be the perfect environment for Poveda to flourish in, after once again feeling discarded.

West Brom could sign Matheus Pereira 2.0 in £0 Phillips replacement

West Bromwich Albion could finally have a similar style player to Matheus Pereira again in their ranks with this buy.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 10, 2024

Phil Parkinson has offered some insight into Wrexham's plans to get to the 'very top' of the game with owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

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• Wrexham currently in League One
• Aiming for yet another promotion
• Parkinson says club planning to reach 'very top'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham have been making waves ever since McElhenney and Reynolds took ownership of the Welsh club in 2021. The club have risen from the National League all the way into League One and are currently sitting second in the table and eyeing another promotion to the Championship. Wrexham director Shaun Harvey has previously admitted the club's ambition "must be to get to the Premier League," and Parkinson has now acknowledged he is aiming for the "very top".

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  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  The Wrexham boss told William Hill at the Football Writers’ Association Northern Managers Awards: “I think you’ve always got to dream. You’ve got to want to get right to the very top and be ambitious; that’s what it’s all about. That’s not us getting carried away by any stretch of the imagination. We know we’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us this season. I’m putting structures in place, in terms of the squad, for years to come, and the owners are building the club behind the scenes to make us a strong, sustainable club for years to come. Of course we want to keep progressing, but so do a lot of other teams! We’re doing everything we can to continue taking the club forward.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham have enjoyed a strong start to the new season but have been hit with some injuries to key players that will test the depth of their squad. Jack Marriott has been ruled out with a broken leg, while fellow attacker Steven Fletcher has also been sidelined in what Parkinson has described as a "real blow" for his side. Wrexham may now be tempted to dip into the transfer window in January in a bid to boost their attack and keep their promotion ambitions on track.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM

  Wrexham are back in League One action on Saturday at Charlton before their focus switches to an FA Cup first-round clash with Harrogate Town.

France boss Didier Deschamps has played down the idea of a split between himself and his captain, Kylian Mbappe.

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• Deschamps denies rift
• Mbappe had been allowed to rest
• Star spotted in Swedish club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Deschamps denied that there was any animosity between him and Mbappe despite the star being spotted in a Swedish nightclub on the same night as France's clash with Israel. Mbappe had been excluded from the French squad to recover from injury but drew attention with his appearance in the nightclub. Deschamps claims he was not aware Mbappe was away in Sweden.

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  WHAT DESCHAMPS SAID

  Deschamps said: "I don’t follow the news of players who are not here, Kylian is following a programme with Real Madrid, I don’t know if he was away or not. Like any player for his club, he follows a programme. If players have days off, they are free to do what they want."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mbappe was sidelined with a thigh injury after sustaining it in Madrid's 3-2 win over Alaves in La Liga. The forward was expected to be out of action for a couple of weeks, although he returned ahead of schedule to play against Villarreal, and was left out of France's squad. The rumours of a rift come amid reports that Mbappe only wanted to play in 'important' international fixtures as he prioritises his efforts to win the Ballon d'Or.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Mbappe will continue to rest during the international break. He'll be hoping to take part when Real Madrid take on Celta Vigo on October 19, before they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League three days later.

It’s fair to say that last season, Cole Palmer was arguably the best player in the Premier League, let alone at Chelsea.

The attacking midfielder scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 29 league starts, which made him the highest goal contributor in the top flight.

However, the Blues could add another Palmer-esque player to their squad this summer, with a move for Michael Olise on the cards.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a current Chelsea player who earns more than both Olise and Palmer, despite not justifying his salary.

Wesley Fofana’s start to life at Chelsea

Wesley Fofana made a name for himself at Leicester City during the 2020/21 season, impressing over his 27 league starts.

However, his second campaign in England was massively disrupted by a pre-season injury that kept him out until the end of March.

Despite missing plenty of action through the setback, Chelsea still saw enough talent and potential in Fofana to move for him that summer.

The French defender moved to Stamford Bridge for a huge £75m fee; however, his start to life at Chelsea was once again ruined by injuries, and he missed 26 games through a knee issue.

What Wesley Fofana earns at Chelsea

After recovering from those setbacks, last season was supposed to be a fresh start for Fofana, especially with new boss Mauricio Pochettino in charge.

However, another knee problem occurred in July, which meant that Fofana was forced to undergo reconstructive ACL surgery.

Unfortunately, this meant that the 23-year-old missed the entire 2023/24 campaign, and he’s set to not play a competitive game for over a year.

Despite being at the club for two years, he’s only played 20 times across all competitions, 57 games fewer than the matches he’s been absent for via injury.

Nevertheless, when he joined, Fofana became one of the club’s highest-paid players, earning £200k per week, as per Capology.

The former Fox only earns less than Reece James and Raheem Sterling, £325k and £250k per week, while earning the exact same as another injury stricken figure in Ben Chilwell.

However, even more shockingly, this means that Fofana is also the joint-fourth-highest earning centre-back in the entire Premier League, earning just £20k per week less than Virgil Van Dijk, for example.

On top of that, the number 33’s salary is more than both Olise and Palmer’s combined, £100k and £75k-per-week, despite not playing at all.

Considering he signed a seven-year contract taking him to 2029, Chelsea will hope that his spell of terrible luck will come to an end; otherwise, they’ll be stuck.

There’s no denying that when Chelsea originally signed Fofana, he was one of the most promising defenders in Europe, with football scout Jacek Kulig saying that he’s an “elite prospect and already one of Premier League's best centre-backs.”

Sadly, the French defender has somewhat become a forgotten man at Chelsea, and there’s no denying that he’s cost the club millions with no output.

No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea

Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.

By
Tom Lever

May 29, 2024

The summer transfer window doesn't even officially open until the end of next week, but as is the way in modern football, the rumour mill is in full force, and it's no different for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's side just came off another brilliant Premier League season but were pipped to the post by Manchester City for the second year running, and while they could boast a better defence than the Sky Blues, they scored five goals fewer.

So, with this in mind, it's not surprising that the Gunners have been linked to a number of strikers in recent weeks, although RB Leipzig's Benjamin Šeško seems to be the name mentioned more than any other.

However, according to reports, the North Londoners are interested in some potential alternatives to the Slovenian, and one of them may be the better option.

Arsenal's striker search

According to a report from journalist Ben Jacobs via GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, while Arsenal are still interested in Šeško, they have placed several other strikers "on their list," including Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Jacobs does not mention a potential price for the Swedish striker, but a report from January of this year revealed that the Lisbon side would not entertain a bid below his €100m release clause, which is around £85m.

While it would be a far more expensive deal to complete compared to the supposed £55m needed to land Sesko, the sheer weight of goals scored by the former Coventry City ace this season and last season means that it might prove value for money in the long run, and if Arsenal need goals now, he might be their man.

How Gyokeres compares to Šeško

So, raw output is the first and arguably most important thing to compare when looking at two striker targets. After all, their main job is to put the ball in the back of the net.

In this area, it's a rather emphatic victory for Gyokeres. In just 50 games this season, the 6 foot 2 "powerhouse", as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 43 goals and provided 15 assists, and last season, he managed to score 22 goals and provide 12 assists in as many games for Coventry.

In contrast, Šeško scored 18 goals and provided two assists in 42 games for Leipzig this season and returned 18 goals and four assists in 41 games for RB Salzburg last year.

How about their striker-relevant underlying numbers, then? Does the "incredible" Swede, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, still dominate there? Well, unfortunately for the Slovenian, he does indeed.

For example, while he takes fewer shots on target per 90, he comes out on top in every other metric, including overall shots, successful take-ons, goal and shot-creating actions, progressive passes and carries, expected goals and assists, and actual goals and assists, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Šeško would likely be a brilliant addition to Arsenal's squad this summer if Arteta and Co want to bring in a player who seems almost guaranteed to score goals, Gyokeres looks like the far better option, even at a higher price.

Arsenal crazy about signing £43m Saliba & Gabriel hybrid

The promising defender could be the perfect addition to Arsenal’s backline.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 6, 2024

Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has opened up about the abuse and mental toil he went through during his injury-hit career.

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• Jones speaks about abuse in career
• Defender retired in August
• Jones focusing on coaching career

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jones retired from football in August having been without a club after leaving United in June 2023. The defender had been tipped to be a future Manchester United great by his then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson but failed to live up to the promise as injuries plagued his career. Since retiring, he has opened up about how difficult it was to suffer abuse for poor performances and the mental turmoil of injury setback after injury setback.

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  WHAT JONES SAID

  Writing for , Jones said: "I'd had lots of public situations like that to deal with down the years without responding in that positive way, and had often ended up just trying to avoid them.

  "It got so bad for a while that I would be walking down the street, worried about what people would say to me in case I got abuse, and thinking about what I'd say next. I just wanted to keep my head down when I was in a crowd, and it was the same on social media, which is why I came off it for a while.

  "If you knew me, you knew all I wanted was to be able to play football – but it is as if people thought I just woke up each morning and decided I was injured.

  "You want to say something back, especially when they said it to my face, but it has never been in my character to do that. I've always been humble and down to earth, and I've never taken myself too seriously."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jones spent 12 years at United and made 169 Premier League appearances for the club. He made just six appearances in the division after the start of the 2019-20 season, none of which came in his final season (2022-23) at Old Trafford. Jones' injury troubles hampered his consistency and form and left him struggling mentally as well as physically, but he is now focused on coaching.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JONES?

  Jones wishes to put his troubled playing career behind him and ensure he becomes the best coach he can. The former defender has almost completed his UEFA Pro Licence and believes his time learning under some of the best managers in the game will help him.

  He added: "I learned so much from all the different managers I played for and the team-mates I played with, in lots of different competitions at club and international level. I have built up and stored all of that information, and feel I could use it to really help players and get them to the next level."

Liverpool found their feet once again during Jurgen Klopp's final campaign at the helm. The 2022/23 season brought a fierce storm down on Anfield and ended an eight-year marriage with the Champions League but sweeping summer changes painted a -red-gold sky over the city.

However, despite winning the Carabao Cup in February, Liverpool were a day late and a dollar short in the Premier League title race, pulled away from a gripping three-horse race after a gloomy April plummet that also saw Klopp felled by Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals, eventual champions and conquerers over 51-games-unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the final, who for their part were inches away from immortality.

Liverpool might have appeared to have bungled their hopes of silverware in the biggest competitions but Klopp's announcement that he was stepping down, back in January, put the squad under a microscope and in hindsight, the campaign was one of progress and potential.

Enter Arne Slot, who must now take the framework left by his predecessor and sculpt the team into a position of power, capable of finishing first in the top flight, of wading deep into the Champions League and fighting for the trophy.

The Dutchman has an immensely talented team to pick from, though there's a pressing concern in the lack of depth at centre-back, with a fresh signing required to ensure that Ibrahima Konate does not start the 2024/25 season as Virgil van Dijk's chief partner.

Ibrahima Konate's season in numbers

Make no mistake, Konate is a high-quality defender who stepped up commendably following Joel Matip's season-ending ACL injury back in December. The Cameroonian has now departed Anfield amid the end of his contract.

The France international was described as a "monstrous" talent earlier in 2024 by writer Leanne Prescott and indeed there is little indication that Liverpool do not boast one of the most athletically imposing, technically impressive defenders in the division, but Konate is marred by lapses in form and an injury track record that leaves plenty to be desired.

As per FBref, Konate ranks among the top 5% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 11% for successful take-ons, the top 16% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for tackles and the top 2% for aerial duels won per 90.

This is an illustration of an elite clutch of core attributes, but Konate has been culpable of failing to mesh it all together in recent weeks and has thus lost his place in the starting line-up, benched for seven of Klopp's final ten Premier League fixtures.

The 6 foot 4 titan was at the epicentre of that weary spring spell that saw Liverpool fail in their bid for Premier League title success, inexcusable during his team's loss against Atalanta, with The Athletic's James Pearce remarking that he was "dreadful".

To compound the 24-year-old's struggles, pundit and Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher said: "Konate has been so poor. Liverpool need to buy a centre-back in the summer."

Why Slot must ditch Konate from the starting XI

It's incredible that Van Dijk maintained such imperious levels throughout the year despite seeing his peers drop like flies around him. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both spent spells on the sidelines, Matip's season was severed and Konate only started 17 times in the Premier League.

The emergence of Jarell Quansah mitigated such issues, with the 21-year-old looking every bit the talent fit for long-term purposes on Merseyside's red half, called up to Gareth Southgate's provisional European Championship squad for England this week.

The fact that Quansah finished the year on top, starting alongside his Dutch captain for eight of the club's final 11 games of the league campaign, speaks of where Klopp's heart lay, but sure there will be a tussle for a regular starting berth when Slot starts to build his team.

The table above shows that Konate and Quansah have performed at a relatively similar level, and while both are blessed with natural skills and front-footed defensive techniques, Carragher is right in demanding that Slot, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes pull no punches in augmenting the backline with an addition of real quality.

There have been myriad rumours shooting about, with Lille defender Leny Yoro, who is 18 years old, one of the recent names to enter circulation, according to French outlet Le Parisien, with Slot seeking to rival Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain for the prodigious talent.

Given that Konate earns £70k per week, more than both Luis Diaz (£55k per week) and Curtis Jones (£15k per week) combined, it would seem that he should be cementing a spot in the starting line-up with consistency, now four seasons on from joining from RB Leipzig in a £36m deal.

But he's proven that he can't be trusted as the leading man next to his skipper. Diaz might be wasteful in front of goal but he is indefatigable, maintaining a ferocious presence down Liverpool's left channel and starting every single one of Liverpool's Premier League games since the start of January.

Slot could restore Nunez by unleashing forgotten £41k-p/w Liverpool star

Bobby Firmino absolutely adored this talented player…

By
Angus Sinclair

May 24, 2024

Based on that evidence, the Colombian is earning his salary and then some. Konate will need to lift his game to another level if he wishes to renew his terms and match his innate ability with product on the pitch.

But whatever happens, Slot would make a grave error in entering his maiden campaign on Merseyside without addressing the need to bolster the backline and restore Liverpool's defence to its one-time formidability.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique has admitted he would be willing to give up half of his salary if it meant he could avoid speaking to the media.

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• Luis Enrique reveals distaste of media duties
• Willing to take pay cut to avoid press work
• Reassures the media he still likes talking to them

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Luis Enrique's relationship with the media, especially in France, has never been very good at the best of times. The Spaniard was often irritated by questions regarding Kylian Mbappe's future at Paris Saint-Germain. In an excerpt from a recent behind-the-scenes documentary for the Spanish platform Movistar, the Asturian made headlines when he discussed how much he disliked media duties. He even said he would be willing to accept a 50% pay cut in order to escape the media.

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  WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

  Speaking to the media ahead of PSG's Ligue 1 clash against Rennes, Luis Enrique said: "I have a great time with you all, I get on well with the press. But if the choice was left up to me, I would have no issue with it. But I’ve never cut a press conference short, I say what I have to say, and sometimes in other languages – not very well, but I do it.

  "It was a spontaneous comment, and it’s true – if right now you were to hand me a piece of paper that said I wouldn’t have to speak to the press anymore in return for giving up 25%, or even 50%, of my salary, then I would sign it. But it wouldn’t be possible, because the contracts that the clubs have signed include an obligation for managers to speak.

  "Personally, I enjoy it, but if I could avoid it I would – especially post-match interviews, when I don’t really have the energy. I’ll say it again, though, I have a good time with you guys."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Luis Enrique's strong personality also caused the 54-year-old to have run-ins with the media whether during his time with Barcelona, Spain or with PSG. However, his persona has also made him a very likeable character for his players, fans and club staff as he has always been very up front with his thoughts.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LUIS ENRIQUE?

  The Asturian's side have fared very well so far this season as they sit atop the Ligue 1 standings despite their disappointing 1-1 draw with Reims on Sunday. He will now look to set up his side to return to winning ways when PSG take on Rennes on Friday, September 27.