MANCHESTER CITY have CUT their £600m contract offer to Lionel Messi to £430m following Barcelona's 4-1 loss to PSG.
Pep Guardiola's men are still extremely keen on the six-time Ballon d'Or winner but due to the pandemic and Messi turning 34 in summer, they have chosen to reduce their bid by £170m.
Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…
- William Pugh
MORNING FOOTY FANS
Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are in the transfer speculation spotlight – with mind-boggling figures circling around all of them.
And Bruno Fernandes' value soared on his latest glory night for Manchester United.
Manchester City have slashed their five-year pay offer to Barcelona legend Messi from £600million to £430m.
And City, as well as neighbours United, are tipped to pursue Tottenham striker Kane this summer, despite the England skipper's £200,000-a-week wages.
Meanwhile, PSG will demand £175million for France superstar Mbappe, with Real Madrid the frontrunners for his signature and Liverpool rated as outsiders.
Elsewhere, Wolves frontman Raul Jimenez returned to training yesterday after fracturing his skull in a horrific clash with Arsenal's David Luiz in November.
On the field, Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes saluted Fernandes' continuing "sensational" form as the midfielder's double set up United's 4-0 Europa League last-32 first-leg win against Real Sociedad in Turin.
Marcus Rashford and Dan James netted later on, with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying: "We've been through a difficult spell and I thought we found ourselves a little bit tonight.
"I thought the boys had got that little bit of zip in their legs again."
Tottenham chief Jose Mourino insisted Gareth Bale's fine goal plus an assist in Spurs' 4-1 Europa League triumph at Wolfsberger means he could start Sunday's Premier League clash at West Ham.
And Bukayo Saka's leveller earned Arsenal a shot-shy 1-1 first-leg draw with Benfica in Rome's Olympic Stadium.
Even better for the Gunners, left-back Kieran Tierney and forward Gabriel Martinelli returned after injury as second-half subs.
Leicester drew 0-0 at Slavia Prague after struggling to create chances.
- Ian Tuckey
KANE RESTED AS HE FEARED INJURY
Harry Kane told Jose Mourinho not to play him in the 4-1 win over Wolfsberger because the Tottenham striker feared another injury.
But Gareth Bale stepped up by scoring one and making another in Budapest to prove he is far from finished.
Kane recently returned from injuring both ankles but Mourinho hopes to have his talisman fit to face West Ham on Sunday – with Bale now in contention to start.
Spurs boss Mourinho said: “Harry made the decision based on his feelings which was that to play in this game was a risk with the accumulation of minutes after the injury he had.
“He is an experienced guy who had injuries in the past and knows his body better than anyone. Myself and the medical department agreed with him, to give him this opportunity to take care of his condition.
“He knows I want to play him every minute of every game so it is never a question of a choice.
“I wanted to come here with the best team and the players to give us more opportunities to have a good result. But I believe Sunday he will be okay and ready.”
- sstreet
A RIGHT OLD MESS
Manchester City have cut their contract offer to Lionel Messi by a whopping £170m, writes Duncan Wright.
City tabled a five-year deal worth £600m when they tried to sign him six months ago.
But SunSport understands they have presented the Argentine, 34, with a new package to join this summer worth a reduced £430m.
Messi is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain and he is weighing up options, with his Barca contract expiring in July.
But Premier League leaders City are not prepared to match the terms they proposed back in August, believing the financial climate has changed and also taking into account he is another year along in his career.
The Messi camp, led by the Argentine’s father Jorge, asked for all clubs who were keen to sign the player to put their money on the table in December.
It is thought City want Messi on a two-year playing deal at the Etihad with a 12-month option, before committing to two more seasons in MLS with sister club New York City.
- Ian Tuckey
ARSENAL SUB RATINGS
KIERAN TIERNEY (FOR SOARES '64)
NICHOLAS PEPE (FOR AUBAMEYANG '77)
GABRIEL MARTINELLI (FOR SMITH ROWE '77)
MOHAMED ELNENY (FOR CEBALLOS '90)
WILLIAN (FOR ODEGAARD '90)
- Ian Tuckey
MORE ARSENAL RATINGS
MARTIN ODEGAARD – 8
His influence on this Arsenal attack is growing by the game, and this was no exception on a grand European stage. His runs in the pockets off the front men proved difficult for the Benfica defence to manage, and his pinpoint through ball created the leveller.
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG – 6
Missed several chances to hand Arsenal an important away win, including a sitter from six yards in the first-half. He may have bagged a hat-trick against Leeds, but the striker remains lacking that fine cutting edge fans are used to seeing.
- Ian Tuckey
MORE ARSENAL RATINGS
GRANIT XHAKA – 7
A solid performance from a man so depended on now by Arteta, and provided Arsenal with protection on the counter. His only misplaced pass before half time could have cost his side as it allowed Benfica to have one more attack. Luckily for him, they didn’t take it.
BUKAYO SAKA – 8
An instinctive finish topped off another fine evening for the English winger, and perhaps could have had more in a game littered with chances. A dragged effort just before his second-half leveller would have earned him a deserved double, and was a marked man throughout with Jan Vertonghen throwing a few tackles his way.
EMILE SMITH ROWE – 7
He looked as though the intense schedule has caught up with him with some heavy legs on the Stadio Olimpico turf, but he still managed some moments of magic. His link-up play was matched only by his work rate, dropping deep to help build attacks.
- Ian Tuckey
ARSENAL RATINGS – CONTINUED
DAVID LUIZ – 7
A much-welcomed scare-free night from the veteran defender – and one which is becoming more and more common as he settles as Arteta’s experienced head. There is always a chance he will lose his head, but tonight was not one of them.
CEDRIC SOARES – 7
With Benfica sitting narrow and deep, Cedric had plenty of chances to deliver and in the second half one connected as Saka tapped home his cross. In the absence of Kieran Tierney he has performed well, and done his chances of starting the next couple of games with the Scot returning little harm.
DANI CEBALLOS – 8
Another game and another reason why Thomas Partey should not expect his return to the Arsenal starting XI to be a given. His creativity from deep and abstract style compared to Xhaka gave Arsenal a good balance in midfield, and came close to providing several openers with his passing.
- Ian Tuckey
ARSENAL RATINGS VS BENFICA
BERND LENO – 7
Had very little to do all night, and will be disappointed that he was unable to keep out the second-half penalty. He dived the correct way, but was a fraction of a second too late.
HECTOR BELLERIN – 6
His driving runs forward in the first half got Arsenal up the pitch, but remains a worry when it comes to the final pass, or in fact making the right pass. Bellerin’s leadership cannot be questioned, but his ability on the ball in the final third can.
GABRIEL – 7
After a nervy return to the starting XI following his positive coronavirus test, the Brazilian looks to finally be getting back to his best. Very rarely looks unsettled, and is building a nice partnership with his compatriot beside him.
- Ian Tuckey
AU DEAR…
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shocked Arsenal fans with a poor miss in the early stages of the 1-1 draw with Benfica.
The Gunners were hoping to see their club captain continue his incredible display on the weekend, when he struck a hat-trick past Leeds.
But the away leg of their Europa League tie with the Lisbon club started ominously tonight.
Hector Bellerin raced down the right on 19 minutes and slipped a cool pass across goal that begged for a finish.
With the net gaping, Aubameyang met the cross but placed his left-footed shot wide of the near-post.
The 31-year-old looked to the sky immediately after the miss, slapping his hands on his thighs in frustration.
It was only his second outing in the Europa League all season, having been rested for most of the group stage.
- Ian Tuckey
JOSE HAILS BALE AND MAY START HIM IN PREM
Gareth Bale could be handed a Premier League reprieve after his starring role in the 4-1 win at Wolfsberger.
Jose Mourinho handed the Welshman his first start since the pair fell out over an Instagram post earlier in the month.
The recent FA Cup defeat to Everton was missed by Bale, who appeared to assert his fitness online to dispute Mourinho's reasoning for dropping him.
But the player is back in his manager's good books after a goalscoring performance in the Europa League.
And Bale could even stay in the side for Tottenham's trip to West Ham on Sunday.
Mourinho told reporters: "I know that the match is already Sunday at 12pm but I believe that he has a chance to play the match and let's wait.
"He's the kind of player also who is experienced and his feelings are a very important thing, like Harry Kane.
"I believe for him it was important to play and not to play the full 90 minutes."
- Ian Tuckey
RESULT: BENFICA 1 ARSENAL 1
The Gunners will be reasonably happy with the result and not totally disappointed with the performance.
For all the reaction, click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg match.
- Ian Tuckey
LATEST: BENFICA 1 ARSENAL 1
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went off in the closing minutes for the Gunners after a disappointing night as they hunt a winner.
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
- Ian Tuckey
LATEST: BENFICA 1 ARSENAL 1
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
Bukayo Saka hails his Arsenal leveller against the Portuguese giantsCredit: PA:Press Association - Ian Tuckey
NORTH AND SOUTH ENDED
National Leagues North and South will NOT continue this season, with clubs voting to declare the campaign null and void.
Both divisions had tried to trundle on, continuing after a two-week pause in late January.
But after a spate of postponements and financial difficulties, clubs have now taken the decision to end the campaign.
Rather than determine promotions and relegations via points per game, however, the 2020-21 season has been declared null and void.
Step One of non-league, the National League, WILL continue, however.
As revealed by Ollie Bayliss, 24 Step Two sides voted to end the campaign, compared to 19 against.
Only nine National League South sides voted to end the season now, however, while 12 wanted to continue.
But because of the vote being across both North and South divisions, they will see their campaigns end.
One of the teams that voted against finishing was National League South runaway leaders Dorking Wanderers.
The Surrey outfit had found themselves five points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, but will now have to start from scratch next term.
- Ian Tuckey
LATEST: BENFICA 1 ARSENAL 1
The Gunners have seemed on top since levelling.
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
- Ian Tuckey
GREENWOOD REVEALS CENTRAL AIM
Mason Greenwood insists he wants to eventually become Manchester United’s central striker.
And Paul Scholes agrees, calling Greenwood the club’s best finisher ahead of Marcus Rashford.
Mason Greenwood says he'd eventually like to be Man Utd's man in the middle up front Greenwood, 19, has scored 21 goals in 83 games for the Red Devils since making his first team debut in 2019.
But most of the forward’s appearances have come on the right wing, even though he is usually labelled a striker.
Greenwood told Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport: “I’m happy to play on the right, I’m happy to play up front, I’m not really sure.
“But I always wanted to be a striker when I was younger.
“I would like to play up front eventually when I’m older, fill out a bit more and get bigger and stronger.
“The centre halves are always big and strong at the back, it’s a place where I want to play.
“I do want to play centre-forward eventually but I’m always happy on the right and it’s a good position to work from.”
- Ian Tuckey
GOAL: BENFICA 1 ARSENAL 1
The Gunners' strong response to falling behind was quickly rewarded.
Bukayo Saka knocked in Cedric Soares' high-class cross for a 57th-minute leveller confirmed by VAR.
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
- Ian Tuckey
JIMENEZ BACK IN TRAINING
Raul Jimenez has returned to Wolves training after the striker's operation for fracturing his skull.
The Mexico superstar clashed heads with Arsenal's David Luiz in November.
Raul Jimenez is overjoyed to be back training with Wolves There were initial doubts as to whether Jimenez would ever recover to play again in the Premier League – but he is now set to make a playing comeback after going under the knife.
Boss Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed the 29-year-old has joined in with some of his sessions but is not yet back full-time.
The Portuguese manager reiterated that he will not rush Jimenez's return to action after such a traumatic blow.
Nuno said reporters: "He's training, most of the sessions individually. He's been able to integrate in some parts of training sessions, like technical exercises, so he's getting better.
"He's improving really well, we have to be very careful – but we're keeping positive. (We are) missing him but knowing he's going in the right direction, making the right steps and he's recovering.
"He will keep improving his fitness, following the protocols, doing exams and consulting the neurosurgeon who operated on him – they're the next steps. It requires patience."
- Ian Tuckey
GOAL: BENFICA 1 ARSENAL 0
Pizzi tucked home a 55th minute penalty after Emile Smith Rowe was ruled to have handled.
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
- Ian Tuckey
LATEST: BENFICA 0 ARSENAL 0
In a scrappy start to the second period, neither side held onto the ball well.
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
- Ian Tuckey
H/T: BENFICA 0 ARSENAL 0
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 first-leg tie.
- Ian Tuckey
THE FIRST MAD STAT…
Amad Diallo notched up a stat that hints at a thrilling Manchester United future on his debut in the 4-0 away win against Real Sociedad tonight.
- Ian Tuckey
LATEST: BENFICA 0 ARSENAL 0
Just one shot on target for either side in the first 35 minutes, but Darwin Nunez has emerged as a real menace for Benfica.
Click on our live match blog HERE for all the action from this Europa League last-32 tie.
- Ian Tuckey
BOBBY 'HEARTBREAK' AT RETIRING AGED 19
Peterborough defender Bobby Copping has spoken of his heartbreak at retiring from playing aged 19 after a head injury last July.
He said: "Over the last few months, I have been doing all I can to recover whilst having conversations with a specialist who had suggested I try a medication to see if that would stop the injury from reoccurring.
"Unfortunately, this didn’t work, so that left few options open to me.
"We all came to the same conclusion that for my long-term health and to prevent further damage, retirement from football completely was the obvious decision to make and that has been backed up by the fact I still have problems on a day-to-day basis because of the injury.
"This decision was extremely heartbreaking to make and not just for me, but also for my family who have invested so much into my football journey.
"Words cannot describe how truly gutted that I am."
But Copping thanked "everyone at the club, especially the staff and my teammates for all their support in such a difficult time for myself.
"They have been amazing and I wouldn’t have been able to come through this without their support. I would also like to thank my family.
"They have been my rock throughout this tough time. Finally, thank you to the fans that have supported me and made my time at the club as enjoyable as possible., I have really loved every moment since I joined in 2019.
"I will be taking up a new role at the club as I now progress my career down the business side of things.
- Ian Tuckey
DIALLO DEBUT JOY
Amad Diallo was finally handed his Manchester United debut in the Europa League win at Real Sociedad.
The 18-year-old wonderkid was named on the bench at the Juventus Stadium in what turned out to be a comfortable 4-0 win for the Red Devils
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed the youngster his bow in the final seven minutes of the game.
With the result already in the bag, the Ivorian didn't have much time to show what he is all about.
Bruno Fernandes scored twice and Marcus Rashford added a third before Daniel James scored United to put one foot into the last-16.
United fans are buzzing at the potential the £37million signing has already shown.
Earlier this month, netted once and provided three assists in a 6-4 win for Man Utd's Under-23s over Blackburn Rovers.
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