REAL MADRID are reportedly preparing a move for Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes.

The 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder moved to St. James’ Park for £35 million in January 2022 and has become one of Europe’s most sought-after players.

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The former Lyon ace has scored 13 goals and assisted a further 13 in 96 appearances for the Magpies.

And we revealed earlier this month how Guimaraes is now attracting interest from a host of teams across the continent.

He is under contract with Newcastle until 2028, after signing an extension earlier this season.

However, that deal reportedly includes a £100 million release clause, at the star’s own insistence.

Now talkSPORT claims Eddie Howe and the Toon are “bracing for Real Madrid to ramp up interest this summer”.

They claim the LaLiga giants had him under surveillance during last week’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City.

Guimaraes is also said to have a “burning desire” to play regularly in the Champions League.

He did achieve that on Tyneside before the theory group stage was abandoned this season, but Newcastle will need a miraculous turn of results to qualify for it again next season.

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The Magpies are also looking at the prospect of having to offload a star to help them stay on the right side of the Premier League’s spending rules.

And any figure they receive near his release clause would result in a huge return on the Samba ace.

Newcastle are currently 10th in the Premier League and of all the cup competitions, something Guimaraes admitted left him “disappointed” when quizzed about the campaign this week.

Speaking ahead of Brazil’s match against England at Wembley, he said: “This season we have struggled.

“I think we have had a lot of problems with injuries and suspensions, but this is part of the process. When I signed for the club I knew this would happen.

“Things happened too quickly. During my two years at the club we reached a final. Unfortunately we didn’t win, but we got there after 20 years, which was huge for the club.”

When asked whether Newcastle had to sell to comply with PSR rules, Guimaraes said: “I don’t know. I’m not involved in that.

“We never know what will happen, but I am happy at the club. Of course I’m disappointed with our season, but I think we still have a chance to finish at least seventh in the Europa League or Conference League.

“But I can’t say much about the club staff. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but what I can say is that I am so grateful to Newcastle.”

FANS say Gary Neville is “never wrong” after his England squad prediction came true.

The Three Lions take on Brazil at Wembley on Saturday before taking on Belgium on Tuesday.

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However, England boss Gareth Southgate will now have to make do without Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.

The 22-year-old arrived at camp with an injury and has now returned to the Gunners for rehabilitation ahead of his club’s upcoming title clash with Manchester City on March 31.

That’s a move that Manchester United and England legend Neville eerily predicted during the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky betwhich was filmed earlier this week.

He said: “I have a good feeling that Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice or Phil Foden will withdraw from the second match against England this break.”

Neville later added: “The Arsenal players may not withdraw from the games in England because they have had a few extra days of rest from not playing in the FA Cup.

“But there is a part of me that thinks they need to keep the momentum going and keep playing, especially when England have two games against strong opponents in Brazil and Belgium.

“I think Harry Kane might pull out the second game. He could play one game or make a deal.

“We refer to it because [Erling] Haaland and [Kevin] De Bruyne. I mentioned it a few weeks ago. I said there will be a withdrawal in March and straight away the two best players for City are out.”

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Although Neville had predicted it would be the Belgium game that one of the Gunners’ big hitters would miss, fans were still impressed by how right he was.

One person posted on

“He knows ALL the tricks in the handbook for winning title races.”

Another wrote: “He’s been seen there 100 times. No one knows title races better than this man.”

While a third added: “He’s never wrong is he.”

Saka is not the only Arsenal player who will not be present in the match against England on Saturday. Gunners defender Gabriel has also withdrawn from the Brazil squad.

Neville was part of Roy Hodgson’s England staff for a number of years and explained why the March international break was always difficult.

He added: “Obviously I coached with Roy Hodgson for four years and when players pulled out knowing they were probably not injured you were furious. But that also happened during our lifetime.

“The clubs think: ‘We’re playing against the players, we’re having a clash and we can’t afford to lose them.’ “We have Champions League football and that’s huge for us. Or we get a title, quarter-finals or semi-finals of the Champions League.” And that’s why there is that push and pull.

“This friendly match in March is a bad one. It’s during a title run and Champions League games.

“As far as I’m concerned, this should be played again somewhere, because you’re really thinking about ‘club’ and not country.

“Country starts in about May, when the season is over and you have a tournament.”

GEORDIES are the most abusive Premier League football fans, a survey has found.

Supporters of Saudi Arabia-backed Newcastle United used a swear word in half of posts on fan forums, while one in three comments were insults about their team.

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They were 65 times more likely to drop F and C bombs during conversations about their side than Bournemouth fans, who were mentioned the most politely.

West London clubs Brentford and Fulham were ranked second and third best.

Champions Manchester City finished 13th in mid-table, with 26 percent of social media posts criticizing Pep Guardiola’s side – even during last season’s treble-winning campaign.

West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Everton fans completed the bottom four, an analysis of fans’ social media last season by ticketing platform SeatPick showed.

A spokesperson for SeatPick said: “The data paints a vivid picture of Newcastle United supporters as a passionate and vocal bunch.

“There is a disconnect between the relative success of the team and the fiery emotions displayed by the supporters.

“The data underlines the importance of social media platforms as a sounding board for fan sentiment.

“It is a space where emotions, both positive and negative, find an outlet and offer a glimpse into the psyche of the supporters.

“It is worth considering that fans from the North appear to be more offensive than fans from the South, with Bournemouth and Brentford having the most respectful fan bases.”

“LONELY” Jack Grealish has mesmerized fans with the mystery of his perfect hair – even UNDERWATER.

The Manchester City hero shared incredible photos of his solo situation as he misses two prestigious friendlies in England due to special training.

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Etihad boss Pep Guardiola wants the winger to finally overcome his injury problems during additional rehabilitation this month.

And Grealish showed himself sitting at the bottom of a pool amid what he called a “lonely month on the way home”.

But amid an outpouring of well-wishes, many of his 9 million Instagram followers seemed more fascinated by the way the 28-year-old kept his hairstyle even when he was “practically drowning.”

His appearance remained unchanged regardless of his fitness training.

But when he switched to the pool, fans were stunned by his flawless underwater undercut.

One joked: “Still looking good and he’s almost drowning…give normal guys a chance Jack lol”

Another asked: “How do you keep your hair untouched even under water?”

And a third summed it all up: “Hair still always looks perfect.”

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However, a few others were focused on his underwear rather than his undercut.

One wrote: “Things I love. 1) Jack Grealish 2) Puma briefs 3) Jack Grealish in Puma briefs.”

And fans’ overall verdict on his polished series of training shots? How about, “This is cold, man.”

Meanwhile, after shaking off his biggest problem of a groin injury, Grealish will be hoping to return to his peak for City’s title challenge and for the Three Lions at this summer’s European Championship.

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ARSENAL gave two first-team players some much-needed minutes in a 4-0 behind-closed-doors friendly defeat to QPR today.

The Gunners are making the most of the break to give those not on international duty the chance to get up to full strength ahead of the pre-season and title challenge.

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SunSport understands Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu were involved. Partey was credited with 60 minutes, while Tomiyasu played 45 minutes.

But Jurrien Timber did NOT playing as he continues his rehabilitation from ACL surgery.

The match took place at one of QPR’s training grounds and there were a lot of Arsenal U21s in attendance who had the chance to impress Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal had not played since beating Porto on March 12 to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with their next meeting against Manchester City on March 31.

Partey made his official return from the bench on March 4 against Sheffield United, having been out for five months following thigh surgery in October.

Before that, the Ghanaian had only been on the field for half an hour since August.

Partey also played the final few minutes of Arsenal’s 2–1 win over Brentford on 9 March, as he returned to regular football.

Boss Arteta hopes Partey can play a big role with just 10 league games remaining in the Premier League and a Champions League quarter-final next month.

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Tomiyasu has also struggled with injuries this season and has been dealing with a calf problem, meaning the Japan international is yet to play for Arsenal this calendar year.

But after signing a new two-year contract this week – with the option of a further 12 months – Tomiyasu was given game time against QPR.

The return of Tomiyasu gives Arteta plenty of options at the back and can rotate players like Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White and Jakub Kiwior if necessary.

However, Dutch full-back Timber – who was injured on the opening day of the Prem against Nottingham Forest in August – is not yet ready to participate in a match situation.

Timber has been involved in full training with the seniors in recent weeks and is building up to be able to perform again sometime next month.

However, Arteta won’t be taking any chances with a player he sees as crucial to his setup, and internally the club is very excited about what Timber can bring to the side next season when he is fully fit.

GARY NEVILLE joked that Ian Wright’s FA Cup semi-final draw “didn’t feel right” after fans accused it of being “fixed”.

The draw took place at Old Trafford on Sunday, after Manchester United’s thrilling 4-3 win over Liverpool.

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The Red Devils played Championship side Coventry, while holders Manchester City were paired with Chelsea.

But the manner of the draw sent many fans into a frenzy as Wright selected the balls in front of Roy Keane and Graeme Souness in the studio.

They remained seated as Wright rummaged around in the famous velvet bag before showing the numbers to the camera.

And the viewers were not told in advance which song belonged to which team.

The casual atmosphere was a far cry from most draws, which usually take place in a much more formal setting.

Teams were also drawn directly from the bag rather than first being placed in a hat as is traditionally the case.

And Manchester United legend Neville spoke about the bizarre format when speaking to Arsenal icon Wright during the latest edition of Stick to football.

He said: “That didn’t feel right at the end, you pulled it out like a Marks and Spencer bag.”

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Lioness legend Jill Scott then wondered why “nobody laughed” about Wright’s comment about shaking his “ball sack.”

Before the ex-Gunners man replied: “Do you know how many people went crazy over that?

“It’s only four balls. I think people were a bit upset about the fact that we didn’t know who was one, two, three and four.

“But the most important thing is that they are so strict on ‘don’t look in the bag, make sure the bag is closed properly before you open it so you don’t look’.

“People end up saying, ‘What’s he doing the Stevie Wonder for?’ I wasn’t doing Stevie Wonder, I was just making sure I wasn’t looking in so much [moves his head away] and it looked like Stevie Wonder.

“But I didn’t want people to say, ‘Ah, that draw was wrong.’

“People still slaughtered you, but I thought it was a great draw.”

There is no evidence that claims the draw has been fixed.

PREMIER LEAGUE bosses are making plans for an unprecedented end to the season amid a tense battle for the title.

But there’s one potential headache…

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What will they do with the winners’ trophy when it comes down to the final day and there are three teams still in the race to finish on top?

Since 1992, two teams have battled it out for top spot on the final day nine times, with Liverpool and Manchester City doing so two years ago.

But if the table looks the same on Sunday, May 19 as it does today, City, Arsenal or Liverpool could all be crowned champions.

All three teams are at home: Arsenal play Everton, Liverpool play Wolves and City play West Ham.

There are two identical, solid silver trophies originally cast by Asprey London, the Crown Jewellers.

Trophy No. 1 will remain with the holders until they return it three weeks before the end of the campaign.

There is also a second trophy that the Premier League takes around the world for various sponsorship events.

Clearly the two trophies cannot be in three different places, but SunSport understands there is a solution.

Premier League Productions is a company that provides studio shows and commentators for viewers of the English game around the world.

It is based at Stockley Park in Uxbridge, which is also home to the VAR control room.

A Premier League trophy is on display at PLP and while it is not identical or solid silver, it is a convincing stainless steel version.

So this is likely the trophy that would be in the home of the third-placed team on the final day, in case they skip the other two teams.

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Anyone who lifts the trophy on May 19 will initially have to return it after two weeks so that it can be cleaned by expert specialists.

The silverware is always dirty after title celebrations because of the sheer number of people who have handled it.

BRAZIL TO GLORY

TOTTENHAM star Richarlison and his Brazilian teammates are based at Arsenal’s training ground ahead of their sold-out friendly against England on Saturday.

It is the Samba Boys’ first match against a European country – outside a World Cup – since they defeated the Czech Republic in Prague in 2019.

Brazil have played regular friendlies in Europe and drew 0-0 at Wembley in 2017.

But the Nations League has had a big impact on all the South American countries coming here because the international calendar is busier.

SARNIE OF CHAMPIONS

Do you want to know the food of champions?

Erling Haaland loves a colossal sandwich with Parma ham, burrata cheese, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, truffle oil, arugula and pistachios.

Manchester City invited a Sardinian couple, who run Italian sandwich shop Ad Maiora in the city, to treat the team after beating Manchester United in the derby.

The players chose the ingredients and Haaland apparently loved his gut-buster.

And now, until the end of the month, you can buy the Haaland Sandwich, although it will cost you £13.90.

MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly willing to give Jadon Sancho a chance this summer in a sensational swap deal.

The England was international frozen out by Erik ten Hag last September as he hit back at the public outcry he received from the Dutchman after United’s 3-2 defeat to Arsenal.

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United loaned Sancho out to former club Borussia Dortmund in January so he could get some playing time.

Ten Hag is yet to open the door for a return to Old Trafford for the £73million man, who he is reportedly willing to use as a makeweight to sign Dortmund chief Donyell Malen.

That is according to Imagewho claim United are interested in a possible ‘swap deal’ between the pair.

However, the German newspaper claims that Arsenal and Liverpool are also sniffing around for the Dutch international.

The 25-year-old Malen has been in excellent form for Dortmund this season. He scored 13 goals and recorded five assists in a total of 33 games. matches.

The 23-year-old Sancho has scored once and provided one assist in his nine Bundesliga games so far in his second stint with the black and yellow.

Sancho’s contract with Manchester United expires in the summer summer from 2026, although the Red Devils have the option to extend this for another year.

But judging by Ten Hag’s recent claim that the club had problems with the winger before the boss arrived, it is likely that his future is far from Old Trafford.

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Ten Hag said: “He is now at Dortmund. So after he was signed, a year earlier [I was here]and there were problems.

“We have had problems all the time, so you can see that his stay at Manchester United has not been a success so far.

“So now he’s going back to Borussia Dortmund, so I wish him the best of luck.

I hope, we all hope that he does well there, that he will be successful. We’ll see again what will happen.

“[Would things be different if he had apologised?] ‘We’ve said that before.

“And I don’t want to get to the point every time. He knows what to do and we have made that clear.

“It was also so clear and obvious about his performance, so let’s stop this discussion.

“He is going to Dortmund and we wish him the best of luck.”

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PREM giants face fines of more than £50m if they fail to get in touch with the government’s new independent football regulator.

The long-awaited measure will be introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday and is expected to receive cross-party support.

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Under its powers, the regulator will be able to impose a funding deal between the Prem and the EFL after the process stalled again last week, stop and eliminate rogue owners and prevent clubs from joining a breakaway from the Super League.

But the regulator will also have “the ability to fine clubs up to 10 percent of their turnover for non-compliance”

Meaning potential ENORMOUS fines, with the Big Six racking up more than £500m every year.

Tory MPs said the regulator would prevent repeats of the financial chaos that overtook Bury, Derby, Wigan, Bolton and non-league Rhyl in recent seasons.

Mid-Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham said: “The Regulator is a new dawn for fans of the beautiful game.

“I’m so proud that we were able to save Derby County, but many other clubs are not so lucky.

“And I don’t want other fans to have to face what we did.

“The government has listened and is taking strong action to give football fans a voice.”

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In a brief response, Prem leaders said they agree that it is “critical that football clubs are sustainable, remain at the heart of their communities and that fans are fundamental to the game”.

However, the Prem warned of the “unintended consequences of legislation that could weaken the competitiveness and appeal of English football”.

In contrast, EFL chief executive Rick Parry hailed an “important milestone to help us secure the long-term financial sustainability” of the pyramid.

Parry added: “If implemented on the right terms, this landmark legislation could help fix the game’s broken financial model and ensure all clubs can survive and thrive in a fair and competitive environment.”

The Championship play-off final will be postponed to JUNE if Coventry City pull off a big FA Cup victory, it has been claimed.

The Sky Blues are still in a good bid to qualify for the richest competition in football.

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Mark Robins’ troops are four points behind in sixth place Norwich cityalready finished them The Canaries a match in hand.

The play-off final will take place on May 26 at Wembley Stadium, but the match will be postponed if Coventry shock the world and reach the FA Cup final.

Coventry will face Premier League giants Manchester United in the semi-final of the tournament on April 20.

And the FA The cup final will take place on May 25, the day before the play-off final.

And according to The daily emailthe EFL will postpone the match for seven days until June 2 if both scenarios come to fruition.

Wembley staff will be busy for 48 hours if Coventry reach both finals, with the Champions League final taking place on June 1.

Coventry boss Robins will have added incentive to reach the FA Cup final as he used to play for the Red Devils.

He said of United’s stunning 4-3 win over Liverpool: “I watched it and I thought the whole weekend was excellent.

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“The games were all entertaining and many goals were scored.

“I thought ours set the tone and it was just incredible.

“The feeling everyone was left with is that it’s one of those games you’ll never forget. It was brilliant.”

He added: “Sunday’s match was an open game and Man United were brave.

“They had to make changes and put midfield players and forwards at full-back and they went for it and it paid off.

And Amad Diallo’s goal made it complete for them.

“In the end, United did enough to win, but I think our play set the tone for everyone else.”