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Luis Suarez has revealed he almost joined Real Madrid before Barcelona as a replacement to the then unwanted Karim Benzema.

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• Suarez could have joined Madrid
• Benzema could have moved to Arsenal
• MSN went on to become one of greatest attacks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  During an interview with DelSol, Suarez opened up on a potential move to Real Madrid which hinged on Karim Benzema leaving to join Arsenal. The legendary Barcelona forward explained how his infamous bite on Giorgio Chiellini in the 2014 World Cup and subsequent ban turned Los Blancos off a move for him and meant Benzema stayed in Madrid.

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  WHAT SUAREZ SAID

  On a potential move to Madrid, Suarez said: "Before the 2014 World Cup, Real Madrid wanted me as they wanted to sell Benzema to Arsenal. Barcelona at the time was [also] interested and Luis Enrique was pressing.

  "The bite case happened and Barcelona continued to want to sign me despite the punishment. I will always be grateful for that."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Suarez went on to join Barcelona and form a front three with Messi and Neymar which became one of the greatest attacking trios in the sport's history. However, Madrid's patience with Benzema did come true eventually and the Frenchman departed the club having won a Ballon d'Or, five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles. Arsenal, meanwhile, signed Danny Welbeck that summer and have yet to really solve the striker problem that has plagued them for years.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SUAREZ?

  Suarez has recently signed for Inter Miami and has joined up again with Lionel Messi. Had the Uruguayan made that move to Madrid to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, he may well have been tempted to join Al-Nassr instead.

An update has emerged on Sassuolo right-back Mert Muldur, regarding West Ham’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham are battling it out with Tottenham to sign Sassuolo right-back Mert Muldur this summer.

The report claims that both clubs are interested in a deal for the Turkish international and both have been attracted to him due to the versatility he has shown for club and country this year.

Fans would love it

West Ham boss David Moyes must sanction a deal to sign Muldur from Sassuolo in the coming months to bolster his squad.

Ryan Fredericks and Ben Johnson, the club’s two right-backs behind Coufal, averaged dismal WhoScored ratings of 6.44 and 6.39 respectively, which shows that there is an opening for someone to come in and compete with the Czech international.

Coufal was one of the top performers at the London Stadium in the Premier League. He averaged a score of 6.95, which only four of his teammates were able to better. This highlights the gap in quality between himself and Fredericks/Johnson, which is why Muldur could be an ideal signing ahead of next season to come in and provide healthy competition whilst also pushing for a place in the starting line-up.

Muldur’s agent, Max Hagmayr, commented on his future last month and opened up on the possibility of him signing for Napoli. He hailed his client as a “very promising” defender and said that he wants to take the next step in his career.

He told CalcioNapoli:

“In the past, I talked about him with Napoli because Mert is a very promising full-back, still young and who played well against Switzerland as a left-back.

 “We will see what happens in the summer.

“Muldur would like to take the next step in his career.

“It’s hard to say now but I can say that all players would be happy to play for Napoli. Right now, he has a contract with Sassuolo until 2024 (but) Mert feels ready for the next step.”

The £10k-per-week, aged 22, still has plenty of potential and is far from the finished article, which means that he could the long-term answer to West Ham’s right-back position rather than being a player who can come in and make an instant impact.

Muldur averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.97 at the European Championships for Turkey and registered a score of 7.07 in two World Cup qualifiers for his country.

This shows that he has the quality to perform at the top level and he’s a player who the fans would love to watch bomb up and down the flank as he is an exciting young talent who has already put in good performances at the international level, playing at both left-back and right-back.

Bringing in versatile, young players to add depth to the squad is something West Ham must be considering as they look to embark on a Europa League campaign, Muldur seems to fit the bill perfectly.

AND in other news, The Athletic drop concerning West Ham update on £10m “leader”, Moyes will be gutted…

Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Nobbs fired in a spectacular winning goal with the outside of her boot against Tottenham on Sunday.

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• Villa faced Tottenham in WSL
• Nobbs smashed in great goal
• Sealed the win for her team

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With the Women's Super League match tied at 1-1 at the hour mark, Spurs failed to clear a corner and it fell to Mayumi Pacheco, who teed up Nobbs with a simple pass. The England international then lashed it into the top corner with the outside of her boot from 20 yards out, sparking wild scenes of celebration.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Nobbs, 31, proved to be the star for Villa in the absence of suspended hero Rachel Daly. She almost got a second goal later in the game but saw her effort hit the woodwork. Nevertheless, her side held on to secure the three points to ensure they remain eighth in the WSL table – level on points with Leicester and three behind Spurs.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA?

  Nobbs and her fellow Villa stars have almost two weeks to prepare for their next test – a home game against Liverpool in the WSL. The Reds are fifth in the table after beating Brighton in their WSL match this week.

The Los Angeles Galaxy are set to sign $9 million-rated Genk winger Joseph Paintsil in a blockbuster deal.

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• Galaxy set to sign $9m-rated Paintsil
• Ghanaian in LA to secure deal
• MLS side bolster attack with move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Paintsil touched down in Los Angeles Friday morning and is set to secure a deal with the MLS side. The Belgian club and the Galaxy have agreed a fee of around $9m (£7m) and the Ghana international will sign a multi-year deal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Paintsil will be one of the biggest signings in Galaxy history, and he has big footsteps to follow in, too. The likes of David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan have all crafted their trade at the club – and with a price like $9m, there are expectations on the table.

  He has six goals and four assists in the Belgian Pro League in 2023, but scored 17 times and set up 11 in 2022-23 for the club. The Galaxy will hope they can get a similar, if not better, return in MLS now.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Paintsil has been capped by Ghana 15 times, but has failed to score in a single appearance for the Black Stars.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JOSEPH PAINTSIL AND THE LA GALAXY?

  Los Angeles opens up their 2024 MLS campaign in nine days against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Their goal has to be to get Paintsil integrated quickly, so that he can play in their February 25 clash.

Bayern Munich's sporting director, Christoph Freund, suggested that they will return for Fulham's Joao Palhinha after a failed summer move.

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• Palhinha continues to be on Bayern's radar
• Transfer broke down on deadline day
• Freund hints at renewed interest in January

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Bavarians continue to have an active interest in the Portuguese midfielder despite failing to land him at Allianz Arena in the summer. Their previous pursuit could not be finalised by the deadline as Fulham were reluctant to let him go due to their inability to sign a replacement but the reigning Bundesliga champions have not given up on him and will once again attempt to sign the player in the upcoming winter window.

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  WHAT FREUND SAID

  Speaking to , Freund said: "Of course, he is still on our radar. The club worked intensively with Palhinha in the summer. I was there for the bit on the last, strange day of the transfer window, but you can't say yet what will happen. We are generally exploring the market."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palhinha committed to a new long-term contract with Fulham until the summer of 2028 with an option to extend it by another 12 months. This could complicate Bayern's pursuit as the Cottagers are firmly in control of the player's future. He continues to be an important piece of the jigsaw under Marco Silva and has started in nine of his 10 appearances this season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR PALHINHA & BAYERN?

  Palhinha will be in action with Portugal against Liechtenstein and Iceland in two Euro 2024 qualifiers on November 16 and 19 respectively. Meanwhile, Bayern will take on Koln on November 24 in a Bundesliga fixture after the international break.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has suggested that Wolves cutting back on their spending played a part in Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure.

Nuno surprised English football when it was announced last month by the club’s official website that he would be leaving Molineux after four seasons.

Those four seasons were largely successful, with the 47-year-old taking Wolves from the Championship to the Premier League before guiding the team to two seventh-placed finishes – hence why most were caught so off guard by the announcement.

And Sanchez has put part of that shock exit down to financial reasons. He told TT:

“As I understand it, part of the reason that he left was that there’s been a bit of cutting back from the Chinese owners, financially, who have funded that club.

“I think worldwide the Chinese state has pulled back a little bit from football financing. That’s part of the reason why [Antonio] Conte left Inter.”

It would have made a great storyline seeing Nuno go up against Wolves and his successor Bruno Lage in the Premier League, but that no longer looks like it is going to happen after talks to become the next Crystal Palace manager came to an end earlier this week.

There is, of course, still an opening at Everton, a vacancy that he is currently being linked to, so who knows?

Serie A expert Conor Clancy believes Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic would be a superb signing for Tottenham Hotspur, and has backed him to fill the gap left by Harry Kane if he does leave the club.

Sky Sports have reported that Kane has asked to leave the club this summer, prompting interest from Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

Vlahovic has been linked with a move to Spurs, with the club reported to have entered into talks with Fiorentina over a possible deal.

They are not alone in the race, though, with Arsenal and Liverpool also said to be in pursuit. Spurs are also in the market for a new manager and Clancy feels that either Mauricio Pochettino or Antonio Conte – both of whom have been linked – would help the forward improve immensely.

Vlahovic is just 21 and scored 21 goals in all competitions this season, while also laying on two assists.

In total, the young forward has 29 goals in 84 games for the club, and has also been capped seven times by Serbia, scoring twice.

He is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt and has a contract until 2023, and Clancy feels he would be a fine acquisition for Spurs.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I don’t think anyone’s good enough to replace Harry Kane but in terms of what Vlahovic could go on to do, quite possibly.

“I think the ceiling for him is higher than it would be for a lot of strikers, and he’s still very, very young. You would hope that he’s only going to get better.

“If Spurs have a coach like Pochettino, I think Vlahovic could really, really step his game up, also with Conte. You saw what Conte did with [Romelu] Lukaku. It depends on the coach they get in but Vlahovic is someone that most clubs should be looking at.”

Karim Benzema has explained why he left Real Madrid for the Saudi Pro League a matter of months after becoming a Ballon d’Or winner.

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• French forward landed prestigious Golden Ball
• Took on new challenge outside of Europe
• Plenty of household names now in Middle East

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The French striker was named the best player on the planet in October 2022, but had packed his bags at Santiago Bernabeu and bid farewell to European football by June 2023. Benzema had spent 14 memorable years in Madrid – scoring 354 goals while claiming four La Liga titles and five Champions League crowns.

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• WHAT THEY SAID

  He opted to follow former Blancos team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East when linking up with Al-Ittihad and has told the of making that switch: “With everything I’ve made and gained with Real Madrid, I think it was for me the good moment to try a new challenge. And for a really long time, even before football, I always wanted to come here. And the football project came in. It was a project that was just starting to burst from everywhere, so on my side I really wanted to be part of the story. I really wanted to help Saudi football grow.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Benzema is convinced that he made the right career move at 35 years of age and has been pleasantly surprised by the standard of football in a region that has often been overlooked by those in Europe. He added: “I feel the love of the people here, so obviously that makes me happy and I try to return that love on the pitch. There is a lot of passion, there is history behind that. There are the fans and everything that goes with that. I’m really surprised and pleased about the level of the game here, really surprised because in Europe we don’t watch much football from here – nowadays we are watching more and more because of the big names they signed.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Benzema has hit six goals through 11 appearances for Al-Ittihad this season, after shaking off an injury problem, and is hoping to help his current club defend their domestic title amid mounting competition from rivals that now boast star-studded squads of their own.

The two midfielders dominated the lacklustre Eagles as the Red Devils began their Carabao Cup defence in style

That was more like it from Manchester United. Erik ten Hag earned lots of goodwill by winning the Carabao Cup last season and his side made an emphatic start in the competition with a dominant 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Alejandro Garnacho got United off on the right foot by scoring the opening goal following a sweeping team move although Casemiro was the star of the show, heading in the second goal then setting up the third for Anthony Martial.

Sofyan Amrabat had a brilliant home debut, appearing all over the pitch and playing some wonderful passes, while Mason Mount had a strong return from injury and even Harry Maguire gave a solid performance.

GOAL rates Man United's players from a smiling Old Trafford…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (7/10):

  Had a quiet night but did well to beat away two shots from Jean-Philippe Mateta, using his feet and then his chest.

  Diogo Dalot (8/10):

  Had a brilliant first half, flying up and down the right wing and also dropping into midfield. Combined well with Facundo Pellistri to set up Garnacho's goal.

  Raphael Varane (7/10):

  Lead a very solid defence as captain for the night and looked sharp after recovering from injury.

  Harry Maguire (7/10):

  An accomplished performance, seeing plenty of the ball and comfortably nullifying Mateta and Jordan Ayew. Will do his confidence a world of good.

  Sofyan Amrabat (8/10):

  An excellent full debut for the Moroccan. Rotated between left-back and midfield and oozed class as he sprayed long passes across the pitch.

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  Midfield

  Mason Mount (6/10):

  An encouraging return after a month out injured. Launched the move for the opening goal then got his first assist for United by teeing up Casemiro. Rested at half-time.

  Casemiro (8/10):

  After showing signs of recovery against Burnley this was the Casemiro United fans fell in love with last season. Physically dominant and classy.

  Hannibal Mejbri (7/10):

  Energetic and influential. Helped the team in attack and defence although had to be careful after getting booked in the first half.

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  Attack

  Facundo Pellistri (7/10):

  Linked up well with Dalot down the right hand side and worked hard defensively.

  Anthony Martial (6/10):

  Got his first goal of the season which will help his confidence. Important that he took his chance in the Cup as he won't be starting much in the league ahead of Rasmus Hojlund.

  Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

  Got the ball rolling with his first goal of the season but crucially showed he can perform well from the start and not just when coming off the bench.

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  Subs & Manager

  Victor Lindelof (6/10):

  Brought on for Mount at half-time to shore up the defence and did just that.

  Jonny Evans (6/10):

  The hero of Turf Moor got a rousing reception from the home fans when he came on and helped United stay in command.

  Dan Gore (6/10):

  A bright debut for the 19-year-old, did not look overawed by the occasion at all.

  Donny van de Beek (5/10):

  Made his first appearance of the season. Is unlikely to get many more but did little wrong.

  Rasmus Hojlund (6/10):

  When he came on the job was already done and didn't really get involved.

  Erik ten Hag (8/10):

  Did not mess about with his team selection and used his substitutions early to make sure players for some rest while giving others the minutes they needed.

AC Milan are reportedly discussing a sensational return to San Siro for retired Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

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• Former frontman retired at the end of last season
• Enjoyed two memorable stints at San Siro
• Could fill post alongside coach Pioli

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The enigmatic 41-year-old hung up his boots at the end of last season as injuries finally caught up with him. The curtain came down on his remarkable career while in Italy, with a second Serie A title-winning spell being enjoyed with the Rossoneri.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ibrahimovic was recently spotted back in Milan ahead of a Champions League clash with Newcastle, and reports that talks have been held between the former Sweden international and club owner Gerry Cardinale regarding a possible role for him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Milan are eager to bring Ibrahimovic’s experience and character on board – as someone that knows all about the pressures of performing under the brightest of spotlights and a figure capable of bridging the divide between the dressing room and dugout.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  There have been suggestions that – following the departure of club legend Paolo Maldini over the summer – Ibrahimovic could be handed a role as team manager, allowing him to work alongside head coach Stefano Pioli. Ibrahimovic will not be rushing into a decision, as he seeks greater clarity over the structure of the club and what his new role would entail, but further meetings are planned for either November or December.