Manchester United cleared to seal superstar forward transfer after SHOCK development

Manchester United have been handed a huge Paulo Dybala transfer boost as Real Madrid president Florentino Perez no longer intends to sign the Juventus star.

The Red Devils have long been linked as admirers of the Argentina international, who would make an ideal replacement for the struggling Alexis Sanchez in attack.

MORE: Paul Pogba sends unexpected message to Jose Mourinho after Manchester United thump Cardiff

With Sanchez to Chelsea transfer rumours doing the rounds, and PSG also linked with the Chile international ahead of January, it makes sense that United could soon be back in for Dybala.

Despite long looking one of the finest attacking players in the world, Dybala has not been as much of a regular at Juve this season.

Part of that is down to the summer signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, and Don Balon claim Real Madrid are now less keen on him as a result of him having lost his place.

Big transfer boost for Barcelona: Manchester United star ‘only wants to play’ for Blaugrana amid transfer links

Barcelona have been handed a big boost regarding their pursuit of Manchester United and England winger Marcus Rashford, a player who’s also a target for Real Madrid.

According to Don Balon, both Real and Barca are in pursuit of the English youngster, and the player’s proposed €60M move to Los Blancos has been put to a halt following the future arrival of Jose Mourinho.

The report also notes that Rashford ‘only wants to play’ for the Blaugrana, and the possible departure of Malcom and inconsistent displays of Ousmane Dembele could tempt the club in to bolstering their attacking options.

Barca signing Rashford would be a fantastic move for the club to make, as the England international is one of the brightest talents that the Premier League has to offer.

The 21-year-old has managed to score 37 goals and bag 22 assists in 144 appearances for the Red Devils, a fine return for a player who’s constantly been made to play out wide in attack instead of centrally.

Rashford is only willing to seal a move to Barca and not rivals Real Madrid

Rashford didn’t exactly manage to cement his place in United’s starting XI during Mourinho’s stint as manager at Old Trafford, as the Englishman was constantly made to start matches on the bench during the 55-year-old’s tenure.

And it seems like the Portuguese coach’s future move to the Spanish capital looks to have forced the winger’s hand in his search for a new club if Don Balon’s report is anything to go off.

NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick has an Augusta National replica hole in his backyard

As far as backyards go, Kevin Harvick has just about everyone beat.

Outdoor putting greens are fairly common in, and outside of homes – but Harvick takes it to another level. The NASCAR driver is an avid recreational golfer – so much so, in fact, that he has a replica of Augusta National’s 12th hole in his backyard:

“It’s a little bit smaller and a little bit out of proportion, but in theory, if you’re just standing back with a quick glance, it definitely looks the same,” Harvick told For The Win. “So we had a corner of the yard that I convinced my wife was never going to grow grass, and we needed to utilize it. And we convinced her that it would be a good spot for (his son) Keelan and I to hang out and hit golf balls, so it worked out.”

Harvick’s son, Keelan, has burgeoning interest in the game, as you’ll see below:

The Harvicks sure take their golf seriously.

Done deal: Manchester City starlet signs new six-year contract at the Etihad

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with the club, which will reportedly see him earn £30,000 a week. 

The Englishman came through the ranks at the club at youth level before breaking into the senior squad permanently in 2017 and he has since gone on to make 23 appearances across all competitions.

According to City’s official website, Foden has now agreed on terms for a new six-year contract at the Etihad, which will see him remain in Manchester until 2024.

The 18-year-old only managed to feature in five games for Pep Guardiola’s side last season, but he has already surpassed that tally this term, appearing eight times as the team has continued their push for silverware on domestic and European fronts.

Foden has already represented England from U-16 level to U-21 and has been tipped for a bright future in the game, having already shown a maturity and confidence on the pitch belying his tender age.

As per the club’s official website, City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain expressed his delight after the announcement was made on Monday afternoon: “We are delighted to have secured Phil for the next five and a half years.

“He is an outstanding talent and he is Manchester City born and bred so this is where he wants to play his football.

“Under Pep and with the players, we have here around him, he is in the best place possible to develop as a player.”

Foden could be included in Guardiola’s starting line-up in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Hoffenheim visiting the Etihad in their final Group F fixture.

City have already booked their spot in the knockout phase and the Spanish boss might, therefore, be tempted to blood some of the youngsters within his squad, which could give Foden the perfect opportunity to showcase his talent once again.

Chelsea’s Victor Moses could make a return to this former club in January

Chelsea wideman Victor Moses could be offered the chance to get his career back in track by one of his former clubs in January, Moses has only featured twice in the Premier League this season.

According to reports from Mirror Football and The Sun, Crystal Palace could look to re-sign their former academy graduate in the January transfer window.

The Blues are understood to demand £12m for the Nigerian’s signature.

Moses was a key member of Chelsea’s team under Antonio Conte when the Blues won the league. Since then Moses has fallen out-of-favour at Stamford Bridge.

With first-team opportunities looking unlikely at Chelsea, Moses will have to push for a move away in January if he has any hope of getting his career back on track.

The 27-year-old would still be a fine addition to any sides in the bottom half of the Premier League and his versatility could appeal to many sides.

Should Moses return to Palace, the pressure on Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend would be eased, with Christian Benteke succumbing to several different injuries in the past 12 months, Zaha and Townsend have been the Eagles’ main source of goals.

Moses will likely jump at the chance to re-join his former club. Crystal Palace had to cash in on the talented wideman in 2010 because the club fell into administration, Moses was sold to Wigan Athletic, where he impressed and caught the eye of Chelsea.

Ways the PGA Tour might change the FedEx Cup

ATLANTA (AP) — Dustin Johnson had a chance to win $10 million while sitting in front of a television.

For all the drama the final day of the FedEx Cup can provide, it must have been just as entertaining inside the clubhouse at East Lake last year. Johnson was the No. 1 seed and had squandered his chances to win the Tour Championship with a 73 in the final round.

He still could capture the FedEx Cup provided Rory McIlroy didn't win. Just his luck, McIlroy holed a shot from the 16th fairway for eagle and got into a playoff when Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore both missed birdie putts on the last hole.

And all Johnson could do was watch.

MORE: Tee times, pairings for Tour Championship | Full 2017-18 PGA Tour Schedule

"No offense to Rory, but I was rooting for Chappy very hard," Johnson said. "If he would have won, I would have won the FedEx Cup."

Chappell was eliminated on the first extra hole, and McIlroy wound up beating Moore on the third playoff hole.

Imagine being in the clubhouse with Johnson.

"Extremely uncomfortable," said Justin Thomas, who happened to be sitting there with Johnson and his family, including 18-month-old son Tatum. "I'm in there with some tour guys and we're dead quiet. We can't really react or do anything. We can't say normal stuff we would say. We needed to be pro-Ryan Moore. And Tatum was on the ground playing on an iPad while this playoff was going on. It was great."

It could happen again this year.

Jordan Spieth, the No. 1 seed this year, wouldn't be surprised if it did, and he wouldn't want to be in Johnson's place. The winner gets a $10 million bonus. The guy who finishes second in the FedEx Cup gets $3 million. This is one definition of a first-world problem.

"He's sitting there not able to control a $7 million difference. That doesn't happen anywhere else," Spieth said. "It's like having a $7 million bet on a fight that you're not even taking part in."

Such a scenario might not be a possibility much longer.

Along with revamping the schedule to end the FedEx Cup around Labor Day, the tour is contemplating an overhaul to the FedEx Cup finale. One idea floating around is for the Tour Championship and the final day of the FedEx Cup to be separated.

The Tour Championship, the last of the playoff events, could end on a Saturday. That would leave Sunday for the top players to compete over 18 holes — or perhaps even 36 holes for a truer test — to determine who gets the $10 million as FedEx Cup champion.

"We've considered virtually every single circumstance that's available to us, and that is one possibility," Commissioner Jay Monahan said.

Consider a few possibilities.

The points are reset for the Tour Championship, just like now, to give all 30 players who qualify for East Lake a chance to reach the final day. Or the points are accumulative through the FedEx Cup playoffs, which would be sure to reward players who had the best season. They can play 54 holes for the Tour Championship and then face a 36-hole final, or a 72-hole Tour Championship that goes Wednesday to Saturday, leading to an 18-hole FedEx Cup final on Sunday.

One question is how many players qualify for the final day. A popular number making the rounds is six players. They would compete in groups of three on Sunday, and the low score wins. It's that simple.

Spieth is aware of the conversation between the PGA Tour and its players, and he buys into the idea that it would only add to the interest and to the TV ratings. His only concern is having two big prizes — the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup — stacked on top of each other.

"A guy who just won the Tour Championship — let's say he was fifth (seed) — has been on this grind, and now you're telling him to play 18 or 36 holes for the much bigger prize," Spieth said. "Anyone who's not a player doesn't have the bearings to recognize how much it takes out of you. That's why I think you could have an unfair champion."

He caught himself, because an argument can be made that the FedEx Cup is rarely fair.

Johnson was the best player in golf last year and didn't win the FedEx Cup, just like McIlroy was the best in 2014 when he was second to suddenly-hot Billy Horschel.

And while there are 30 potential FedEx Cup champions at the start of the Tour Championship — Bill Haas won in 2011 as the No. 25 seed — last year's exciting finish was more the exception than the norm. The previous four times, the Tour Championship was decided by three shots or more.

Change seems inevitable. It's now a matter of the model.

"They're talking about," Johnson said. "I don't care. It'll be fun. As long as I've got a chance, I'm fine."

This article was written by Doug Ferguson from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.

 

Barcelona could wrap up signing of top target for just €5m in January

Barcelona could reportedly secure the signing of Adrien Rabiot from Paris Saint-Germain in January for just €5m.

The 23-year-old will be a free agent next summer with his current contract set to expire, and so with that in mind it seems to make sense from PSG’s perspective to cash in during the winter transfer window to avoid losing him for nothing.

SEE MORE: Key breakthrough: €75m-rated Barcelona transfer target green lights move to Nou Camp

AS report that they could allow him to leave in January for just €5m in compensation, as they’re apparently eager to move him on and out of the squad.

That will surely be a deal that Barcelona jump at, as although if they played the waiting game they could get him for free, he could prove to be a crucial addition for the second half of this season.

Nevertheless, it won’t be that cheap for them in total, as it’s added by AS that they will have to agree to a €10m-a-year salary along with a €10m bonus for his mother, who is also his agent, and Rabiot himself.

In turn, it could still prove to be a costly signing by the summer, and so it remains to be seen if Barcelona jump at their chance in the New Year or play the waiting game. Nevertheless, the fact that they could get him by paying PSG just €5m could be an appealing factor.

Either way, the signing of Rabiot itself is a sensible one from their perspective, as the Frenchman arguably fits the club perfectly with his technical quality, creativity in midfield and general game in mind.

In turn, he will surely strengthen the squad and help them in their bid to win major honours moving forward if an agreement is reached, but time will tell if the Catalan giants are willing to splash out on that fee to get him through the door at the Nou Camp a little earlier.

HUGE BOOST for Man United fans as odds on Mauricio Pochettino arrival SLASHED following Spurs rout vs Everton

Man United fans have been handed a huge boost after the odds of Mauricio Pochettino taking over as the club’s new manager in the summer have dropped dramatically.

According to Sun, the Argentine is now odd-on to take over the reigns at Old Trafford, with the Spurs boss 5/4 with Ladbrokes to be appointed by the Red Devils.

The report notes that Ladbrokes cut their odds on Pochettino to United after Spurs thumped Everton 6-2 at Goodison Park, with spokesman for the company Alex Apati stating “It’s a three-horse race for the permanent United job” and that ” Poch is beginning to run away with things at the head of the betting.”

Man United fans will be over the moon at this news, as it seems like Pochettino is all but set to take over at Old Trafford if Ladbrokes’ odds are anything to go off.

The club recently appointed former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager following Jose Mourinho’s sacking, however it seems like the Norwegian is only going to get until the summer to prove his worth if the Sun’s story is anything to go by.

Pochettino looks odds on to take over from Solskjaer at Old Trafford in the summer

Pochettino has done a superb job ever since taking over as Spurs manager back in 2014, with the Argentine turning the north London side from top four contenders into title challengers in just a few years.

The former Southampton boss has dragged Spurs into the title race whilst having the lowest net spend of any side in the top six, a mightily impressive feat when you consider what clubs like United and Man City have spent in recent times.

If Ladbrokes’ odds are to be believed, we may very well see Pochettino take over as manager at Old Trafford in the not-too-distant future…

Arsenal rival Tottenham in considering surprise transfer swoop for South American

Arsenal are reportedly up against Tottenham in keeping tabs on Colombian playmaker Juan Quintero ahead of a potential transfer.

The 25-year-old is currently on loan at River Plate from Porto, having had a slightly up and down career to date.

MORE: Unai Emery is the manager Manchester United need as emboldened Arsenal look set to end wretched Mourinho and Old Trafford runs

Still, it seems Quintero remains highly rated among top clubs in Europe as Arsenal, Spurs and Valencia are linked with an interest in him by Don Balon.

One imagines Quintero could be available in the near future after several loan spells away from Porto in recent times, and his talent means he could be worth a gamble for Premier League clubs.

The Colombia international is a skilful and creative attacking midfield player who could no doubt be a useful addition for Arsenal in particular given that Aaron Ramsey’s contract is up in the summer, while Mesut Ozil no longer looks guaranteed a key role in the team under Unai Emery.

Jason Day surges, Jordan Speith falls back at Australian Open

SYDNEY (AP) — Jason Day and Jordan Spieth went in opposite directions Friday at the Australian Open.

Day had four consecutive birdies on the back nine, including a 30-footer, for a 3-under 68 that left him a stroke out of the second-round lead. Australian Lucas Herbert, who shot 66, is in front with a 9-under total of 133 on The Australian course.

First-round leader Cameron Davis, who shot 72 Friday, is another stroke behind in third.

Defending champion Spieth earlier failed to take advantage of ideal morning scoring conditions and had a 71 to fall further behind the leaders — eight strokes behind Herbert and tied for 19th place with 10 others.

Spieth, who hasn't played since the Presidents Cup in late September, has won the Australian Open two out of the last three years and finished second the other time.

Day, who had seven birdies and four bogeys, is aiming to win his first Australian Open title in his first competitive appearance on home soil since 2013.

"It was quite tough out there today with the winds," Day said. "But I played very well and gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdies."

The 21-year-old Herbert led the Australian Open into the final round last year — when he finished seven shots off the pace in a tie for 20th — and is coming off a second-place finish in last week's New South Wales Open.

"I think I warmed up this morning and it felt really good, and I was like, 'I hope this sticks around'," Herbert said.

At least Spieth's morning start Saturday means he will avoid the windy conditions that the leading groups will have to contend with in the afternoon.

And that left him optimistic of a comeback. In 2014, he shot a then course-record 63 at The Australian to win his first Australian title by six shots.

"I feel like you can make up more ground and come from behind here over I think any tournament I've played this entire year," Spieth said. "The golf course will start to bake out and you get really calm conditions in the morning that leave the windier conditions for the afternoon, so I'll have a pretty gettable golf course. If I can post something like 5, 6-under, then I'm very much in this tournament."

Day agreed that Spieth is far from out of it.

"It's Jordan Spieth," Day said. "If he gets something going on the weekend he can hole a lot of putts and make a lot of birdies and make a charge, and usually he does make a charge on the weekend.

"Sometimes there's not a lot of pressure on your shoulders. You just go out there and kind of free-will it and that's how you make a ton of birdies and move up the leaderboard pretty quick."

Spieth said the seven-week layoff was the longest he's had since his college days and that he felt rusty and nervous at times during his first round which featured five bogeys in windy conditions.

The wind began to pick up late in Spieth's round Friday, as did his frustration level at times. On the par-4 sixth — his 15th of the day — his drive traveled well over 300 meters, so far that it reached a spectator crossing area that officials obviously felt was far enough from the tee.

Spieth took a drop from it, but his approach to the green failed to spin back, leaving him a putt of at least 20 feet. He missed his birdie attempt.

"It's just been the short game rust that's kind of hurt me a bit the last couple of days that prevents me from being 5 or so under," Spieth said.

At least he birdied the ninth — his last hole Friday. Finishing on even-par would have left him just one stroke away from the projected cut, which could have changed based on afternoon scoring.

"That was only my second one-putt of the day," Spieth said. "The other was for par."

NOTES: Canadian Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, missed the cut, shooting 77-69. He's set to play in next week's Australian PGA at Royal Pines on Queensland state's Gold Coast, where Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman are also entered.

This article was written by Dennis Passa from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.