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Carlo Ancelotti brushed aside speculation linking Real Madrid with a move for Kylian Mbappe and insisted that he remains focused on the job at hand.

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• Mbappe continues to flirt with Real Madrid
• Ancelotti refused to be drawn in by rumours
• Insisted balance is most important thing

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe has reportedly informed Paris Saint-Germain of his intention to depart the club, once he hits free agency in the summer. Real Madrid have been long-term admirers of the 2018 World Cup winner and after being snubbed on two occasions in the past, it seems that they would finally achieve their target.

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• WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

  However, Ancelotti remains unfazed about the growing speculations and told reporters: "I see and hear everything but nothing else. I understand that it’s the topic of the day for you but not for us. We have prepared for tomorrow’s game and that’s what we have talked about, not about anything else. I’d like to work on this season, there’s a long time to go before next season."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aurelien Tchouameni reached for the popcorn after Mbappe's bombshell exit news went viral. However, Ancelotti asserted that the ongoing speculations won't be a distraction for the squad as they continue to fight for silverware on multiple fronts.

  "If I’m worried about Mbappe, do you see me worried?" he asked. "I think it’s going to be the same for the next few press conferences, I’m not worried."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ancelotti currently has Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, Joselu, and Brahim Diaz at his disposal in attack, with Jude Bellingham firing on all cylinders in midfield in an extraordinary debut campaign in Madrid’s colours. When asked if the inclusion of Mbappe would disrupt the equilibrium of the squad he explained: "Yes, I agree that good players can play together, but the important thing is to keep the balance. The most important thing is quality and balance. If you combine those two aspects well, it’s good."

  Real Madrid will be in action against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in a La Liga encounter.

USMNT captain Tyler Adams has passed his 'return to play' tests for Bournemouth following a long spell out with injury.

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• USMNT star passes 'return to play' tests
• Underwent hamstring surgery last year
• Captain set to fight for USA role again

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Finnish orthopedic surgeon Lasse Lempainen posted on Instagram that he collaborated with the Cherries and Adams to perform the American's 'return to play' tests. The midfielder underwent hamstring surgery last year and has yet to make a league appearance for Bournemouth since his mid-summer transfer.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In his photo with Adams, the surgeon states that he "will be back soon", and this surely has both Bournemouth and USMNT fans buzzing. More than anyone, though, it's likely the USMNT captain who is bursting with excitement. The midfielder has not played two matches in a row since last spring for Leeds United, with his lone appearance since coming in September for the Cherries before re-aggravating his injury, causing the surgery.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Adams has 36 international caps with the USMNT, scoring one goal. He has made just one appearance so far for Bournemouth, having been brought off the bench in his team's 2-0 win against Stoke in the Carabao Cup in September.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ADAMS AND BOURNEMOUTH?

  The Cherries take on Newcastle United in the Permier League on Saturday. Meanwhile, Adams is shooting for a return to the pitch this March.

Barcelona are set to take on Club America in Dallas on December 21, only a day after their final La Liga fixture before the Christmas break.

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• Blaugrana schedule exhibition match in Dallas just before Christmas
• Set to play Almeria on December 20
• Club America currently top of Liga MX

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blaugrana have organised a friendly against Club America for late December, due to take place with very little time for the Spanish side to recover and fly to Dallas.

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• FC Barcelona
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The fixture comes just four months after Xavi's side embarked on a lengthy trip to America for their 2023-24 preseason tour. They have played in Dallas before, beating Real Madrid 3-0 in a summer clasico. According to a cut of the proceeds from the match will be donated to relief efforts for Hurricane Otis, which hit Mexico a few weeks ago.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  This is the second time Barca have announced a fixture with a quick turnaround this year. They flew to Japan on June 6 to take on Vissel Kobe, a game that kicked off less than two days after the final contest of their 2022-23 title-winning season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Barca's next fixture is on November 25, when they will line up against Rayo Vallecano in a La Liga clash.

Former professional footballer David Norris believes that if Manchester City can add both Jack Grealish and Harry Kane to their squad, it would take them to another level.

City completed the £100m signing of the former England international earlier this month, following plenty of speculation throughout the summer months.

Whilst that deal is completed, another name that City have been linked with is Tottenham striker Harry Kane, with the club’s Athletic correspondent Sam Lee suggesting that the Premier League champions are confident of sealing a deal before the transfer window closes on August 31st – it remains to be seen whether the England captain starts against the club that want him on the opening day of the season tomorrow.

If the Cityzens can follow up the Grealish deal by signing Kane, Norris believes it will take the club to another level, telling Football FanCast: “To take them two, just to add to what they have already got, you can’t see past them then. 

“With the other teams, Man United are getting better and were good, but they are still a little bit inconsistent for me. Liverpool had a bad season so it will be interesting to see how they come back but they’re going to need to bring in a few.

“It looks like it will just be Man City, they already have their way of playing, a settled group of players and they’re just topping it up with pure quality.”

After adding another Premier League title and Carabao Cup last season, City will be hoping that they can defend their titles this coming season and also mount another serious charge for the Champions League.

Lionel Messi reacted to an obscene gesture from Manuel Ugarte towards Rodrigo De Paul by advising certain Uruguayan players to “learn respect”.

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• World champions suffer first loss since Qatar 2022
• Fiery qualification contest at La Bombonera
• Albiceleste remain top of the CONMEBOL table

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  A heated 2026 World Cup qualification clash between the South American neighbours was played out at Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera home on Thursday evening. Argentina suffered a dramatic 2-0 loss in that contest, with the Albiceleste slipping to their first defeat since capturing a global crown at Qatar 2022.

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• WHAT DID UGARTE DO?

  There were numerous flashpoints in the game – which saw Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez on target for the visitors – with one first-half tussle seeing Ugarte clash with De Paul. The Uruguayan midfielder accused World Cup winner De Paul of being Messi’s “bottle feeder” – with a distasteful gesture thrown into the mix – leading to players from both side becoming embroiled in an unsightly brawl.

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  HOW DID MESSI REACT?

  Messi told reporters afterwards when asked about the incident: “It's normal. These kinds of games, qualifiers, against Uruguay, it's always like that. I prefer not to say what I think. Young people have to learn to respect from their elders. This classic was always intense, hard, but always with a lot of respect. They have to learn a little.”

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• WHY DID ARGENTINA LOSE?

  Messi went on to say of the game itself, which saw Argentina fall behind late in the first-half before conceding a second in the 87th minute: “We never felt comfortable. They're a physical team that works well and on the counter-attack, they were very dangerous. Today it was our turn to lose. It's a test. We have to get back up and play a great game in Brazil.”

USMNT star Matt Turner has never heard of “second-season syndrome”, but he is hoping to avoid it in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.

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• Keeper left Arsenal for Forest
• Made No.1 spot his own for now
• Eager to avoid any complacency

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international goalkeeper has been in the English top-flight since linking up with Arsenal in the summer of 2022. He lasted just 12 months in north London before completing a £10 million ($12m) transfer to Forest. Turner has quickly made the No.1 spot his own at the City Ground, with regular game time now being enjoyed having struggled for minutes at Emirates Stadium.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Turner is enjoying his spell in Nottingham and has told when asked about early season form in 2023-24 that suggests Forest can avoid a case of second-season syndrome – having successfully steered clear of relegation last term: “I’ve never really heard of that, but I think for us – a lot of new faces but the same manager, and he’s done a really great job of integrating everybody together. The messages are clear within our locker room, within our camp, about what we want to be able to achieve this season. We’ve had some really great tests of our character already this season with some tough away trips and we’re looking forward to continuing and building after the international break.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Forest have taken nine points from eight games, allowing them to sit five clear of the drop zone. Turner added on whether that “cushion” is allowing collective focus to look up, rather than down: “I don’t think we look at it as a cushion or confidence, given the performances it’s probably fair. We’ll still be feeling a little bit of ‘what if’, could we be a little bit higher, and I think that’s a really positive sign when you’re not feeling that complacency of ‘yeah, we’re good, we’re safe’. We’re really feeling that we can achieve more and do better and get better results.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Turner has now linked up with the United States squad ahead of their international friendly dates with Germany and Ghana. Forest will be back in Premier League action when playing host to Luton on October 21.

Aaronson could only watch on as Real snatched a last-minute win thanks to Bellingham's tap-in.

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• Union Berlin beaten by Madrid
• Aaronson came on in second half
• USMNT man unable to influence match

Union Berlin made a strong impression in their first ever appearance in the Champions League, despite losing 1-0.

Coming up against the kings of the competition in the Santiago Bernabeu in their debut was a massive task, but the visitors held tight and came excruciatingly close to earning a point.

After handling the immense pressure from the Spanish side for 90 minutes, the visitors' hopes were destroyed by Jude Bellingham, whose wonderful start to life in Madrid continued with his sixth goal for the club right at the death.

The goal will come as a devastating blow to Union Berlin, who had done so well to keep the score level until stoppage time, but they can take a lot of pride from the performance.

Among those who dug in and came close to pulling off a historic upset was Aaronson, who came on in the second half and looked lively for the visitors, but it was not to be for the USMNT man and his co-stars.

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Leeds loanee came on midway through the second half, replacing Aissa Laidouni. Aaronson almost got a sniff at goal when Berlin managed to whip it into the box in a rare venture forward, but Madrid managed to clear the danger.

  Laidouni had been active for the visitors until his replacement, getting a decent amount of touches, though his passing was certainly not good enough. Aaronson, meanwhile, was lively as soon as he came on, always looking to rush forward but holding his position as his side tried to soak up the pressure from the dominant hosts.

  He was energetic and moved into space to receive a pass as he looked to instigate an attack for Berlin, but there were not many forward options as Madrid marked the Berlin players well. The American appeared to have a chance of creating something outside of the home team's box but he fell under the challenge from Toni Kroos.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Considering the strength of the opponent, Aaronson looked bright for Berlin despite not being able to create any direct threat on Kepa Arrizabalaga's goal.

  Given he has started just one of the five matches in which he has featured for the Bundesliga side, he will hope that he was lively and a positive enough figure to convince Urs Fischer to give him another chance in the first 11.

  The pressure is on him to prove his worth in the German top-flight, especially after he was sent off with two yellow cards in just his second match of the season for Berlin.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  Aaronson came off the bench in both of the recent international friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman and he will be hoping to convince Gregg Berhalter that he is worthy of a chance in the starting XI for next month's matches against Germany and Ghana.

  He showed some positive signs against a strong opponent but it will require consistency, a regular starting spot and a lot more strength on the ball if he is to succeed in his battle to become a key figure for the national team.

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• GOAL'S RATINGS

  Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

  The 22-year-old tried his best to get on the ball in the 25 minutes or so that he was on the field. He tracked back, made himself available for passes and tried to move the ball on to boost Berlin's chances of threatening the Spanish giants before the game's heartbreaking conclusion.

Nottingham Forest have reportedly submitted an official complaint to PGMOL regarding the officiating in their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.

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• Red Devils recovered from going two goals down
• Big decisions went in favour of the home side
• Marinakis & Cooper raise issues with PGMOL

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds left Old Trafford stunned when taking advantage of some questionable defending from the hosts to go two goals up inside four minutes. United hit back to take all three points, but the performance of referee Stuart Attwell made as many headlines as those put in by Bruno Fernandes and Co.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and head coach Steve Cooper were left fuming at Attwell following the final whistle in Manchester, with claiming that their grievances have now been taken to PGMOL chief Howard Webb – with this not the first time that the East Midlands-based outfit have felt the need to tread such a path since returning to the top-flight in 2022.

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  Forest have taken issue with big decisions that went against them at Old Trafford. Captain Joe Worrall was shown a straight red card for a foul on Fernandes early in the second half, despite fellow defender Willy Boly seemingly getting round on the cover. United were then awarded a penalty for a supposed trip on Marcus Rashford by Danilo – with both on-field decisions upheld despite VAR checks.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Attwell has incurred Forest’s wrath before, with a penalty shout waved away during a crucial promotion-chasing clash with Bournemouth back in 2021-22. Saturday’s game with United was Attwell’s first in charge of the Reds since that match at the Vitality Stadium, and he has done little to improve his reputation in the eyes of those at the City Ground.

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard is the type of player Aston Villa would be interested in but a move is unlikely, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Lingard spent the second half of last season out on loan at West Ham and thoroughly impressed. There, the 28-year-old attacking midfielder scored nine goals and provided four assists in just 16 Premier League appearances.

As things stand, though, a return to the London Stadium does not seem to be an option, with The Athletic recently reporting that the Hammers cannot afford the £30m fee United are demanding for a permanent deal.

Prior, Football Insider had claimed that Villa were ready to make a move for Lingard this summer, so now could be a good opportunity for them to act, with West Ham seemingly out of the running.

Hatfield, though, cannot see such happening, suggesting United’s asking price will also be a problem for Villa.

“I think in terms of his experience and stuff, he’d be the type of player they’d be interested in,” the Villa journalist told FFC. “I just think his age probably goes against it.

“And the issue that West Ham have had is the fee United want for him. I think Villa would probably agree with that for a player of his age because you’re not going to get much resale on him.

“If the money’s not right for them, then it wouldn’t shock me if it’s not right for Villa either.”

With there still some time before the transfer window closes, this saga surrounding Lingard probably isn’t finished yet.

Get French Football News’ Adam White has questioned whether Paul Pogba and Eduardo Camavinga would work well together in the heart of Manchester United’s midfield.

Camavinga made 39 appearances for Rennes last season and has sprung to the attention of a host of big-spending clubs.

The 18-year-old is on Manchester United’s radar, although they face competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

With the France international midfielder’s Rennes contract set to expire next summer, it is thought the Ligue One side are open to negotiating a deal before the transfer window shuts at the end of next month.

Like Camavinga, Pogba is facing an uncertain future as his current Red Devils contract only has another 12 months to run. However, United are in the process of offering Pogba a bumper new deal, according to reports.

Fans are excited by the prospect of Pogba and Camavinga linking up, but White insists it could hinder the form of one of United’s stars.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, White said: “It would certainly be an exciting prospect. I guess it depends on what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans are for midfield if Pogba stays and they do sign Camavinga. For them to play together, I think you would need to play a flat 4-3-3 and a holding midfielder to support them.

“That would suit Pogba and allow Camavinga a little bit more freedom to play a dynamic box-to-box role.

“But then where does Bruno Fernandes play? You’re already into a jigsaw puzzle there. I think, in theory, Pogba and Camavinga in the same midfield sounds great. But does it work?”