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Lionel Messi’s jersey is always in demand, with stars of Newell’s Old Boys the latest to put themselves in contention for a post-game shirt swap.

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Argentine icon in action against first clubPosed for pictures after the gameGifted his shirt to promising midfielderWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine outfit lined up against Inter Miami at DRV PNK Stadium as Messi and Co took in their final friendly date ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign. The star of that particular show spent 60 minutes on the field, as he works his way towards full match sharpness.

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There was a clamour for pictures with Messi afterwards, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner happy to grant all of those requests. He also passed his famous No.10 jersey on, with one lucky rival landing himself a prized memento.

DID YOU KNOW?

Esteban Fernandez was the man in question, with the ball-playing midfielder winning the race to get a shirt swap promise from Messi. He has been proudly showing off a new addition to his kit collection, and the 22-year-old was all smiles in the Newell’s dressing room.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Messi endured a testing pre-season with Inter Miami, with a serious stir caused when sitting out an exhibition game in Hong Kong, but is now counting down the days to gracing a competitive stage once more and has his sights set on more major honours.

Chelsea’s need for new players was identified further this weekend as the Blues lost out to Champions League chasing Arsenal.

In a massively below par performance from Mauro Sarri’s men, the Blues were seen off with ease by the Gunners, and the comments following the game from Sarri suggested all is not too well within the Chelsea camp at the moment.

New players are a must then it would seem at the Bridge, and we at the Tavern think that the club need to use the next 10 days wisely and move certain players on while bringing in talent of the relevant quality to improve their squad.

And one man we feel has to be top of the shopping list is Inter Milan ace Mauro Icardi, who is once again having a superb season over in Serie A.

The Inter man, who is valued by Transfermarkt at a whopping £100m, is one of the hottest properties in world football when it comes to striking talent, and if Chelsea could sign him, it would send quite the message to the rest of the league and beyond.

Icardi is truly world class, and on his day is as good as anyone in world football.

Quick, a lethal finisher, and of the right age to spend his prime years in the Premier League, we think Icardi would be the most perfect signing possible for Chelsea in the coming 10 day period before the end of the window.

Chelsea fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo gave his Instagram followers a sneak peak of his strict training regime with a video of his gruelling workout.

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Ronaldo in insane shape for 38Currently on break from SPL actionBut hitting the gym with gruelling workoutWHAT HAPPENED?

The Saudi Pro League is currently on a break due to the upcoming 2023 Asian Cup, but that hasn't stopped the Portugal superstar from putting in the hours at the gym. Ronaldo has been known for his commitment to maintaining his incredible physique throughout his career, with the latest evidence coming in his recent Instagram story. In it, the 38-year-old could be seen working out topless using gymnastic rings, in what looked a gruelling workout.

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Ronaldo is undoubtedly in insane shape for a 38-year-old. It shows that his high standards have never dropped despite stepping down a level to play in the Saudi Pro League over a year ago. This was shown by another stellar calendar year for the Al-Nassr and Portugal star, who topped the globe's scoring charts for 2023 with an incredible 54 goals to his name for club and country.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Training will no doubt continue at the Ronaldo abode as he gears up for a return to Pro League action in mid-February. Before that, though, the Portuguese talisman will face eternal rial Lionel Messi in an eagerly-anticipated friendly contest on February 1.

Bukayo Saka and Son Heung-min may have wanted to avoid each other in derby week, but they were forced to sit together at a Burberry fashion show.

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Gunners & Spurs impressing this seasonLong-running rivalry set to be renewedStar turns mingling away from the pitchWHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal and Tottenham superstars are readying themselves for a clash between north London’s fiercest rivals at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Both sides have been in fine form at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, with 13 points apiece collected from five fixtures.

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Saka and Son will be hoping to make the difference when returning to their day job, but they have been relaxing ahead of competitive action by taking in a visit to London Fashion Week. They attended the Burberry spring-summer 2024 show at Highbury Fields in Islington – which is very much Arsenal territory – and were seated alongside one another on the front row.

DID YOU KNOW?

Saka and Son did share a brief conversation, but looked a little awkward as cameras were turned away from the catwalk and in their direction. The pair were eventually split up when Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze – an England colleague of Saka – turned up and filled a seat between them.

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Son has been a Burberry ambassador since the summer of 2022 and has starred in several shoots for Daniel Lee – the fashion house’s creative director. The South Korean forward recently hit a Premier League hat-trick in a meeting with Burnley, while Saka has registered two goals through five top-flight appearances for Arsenal.

The England midfielder played a decisive role as the treble winners came back from the dead to make it five Champions League wins out of five

Never write Manchester City off, even in games they barely need to win. That was the lesson here as the treble winners overcome a shabby first-half display and hauled themselves to a 3-2 victory that clinched top spot in their Champions League group.

Pep Guardiola's side were unrecognisable in the first half as they lacked concentration and shipped two goals for the first time in a game all season, with Belgian striker Lois Openda capitalising on woeful defending from Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias.

City were 45 minutes from losing a first Champions League home game for five-and-a-half years but Guardiola must have given them a rollicking at the break as they came out a different side and Erling Haaland pulled a goal back – his sixth against Leipzig in 2023 – and then Phil Foden and substitute Julian Alvarez followed suit.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

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Stefan Ortega (5/10):

Beaten too easily for Openda's second goal.

Kyle Walker (5/10):

Out of position for the second goal and his usual leadership was lacking.

Ruben Dias (3/10):

A stinker from the Portuguese, who was barged off the ball for the second goal and risked picking up a yellow card, which led to Guardiola hooking him at half-time.

Manuel Akanji (4/10):

Misjudged Blaswich's long kick for Openda's opener, a rare error from the usually switched-on Swiss.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

Could have done more to close down Openda for the second goal but made amends by setting up Foden's equaliser.

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Bernardo Silva (7/10):

Provided the foundation for the fightback.

Rodri (5/10):

Way below his usual high standards.

Rico Lewis (6/10):

Missed a big chance to score in the first half. Kept the faith in the second.

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Phil Foden (8/10):

Recovered from a flat first half to play a hand in every goal. The sign of a top class player.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

Scored his 12th goal in his last eight games against Leipzig to pull City back into it but missed big chances either side of that.

Jack Grealish (5/10):

Not the best return after missing the Liverpool game although he also sustained a knock to the head. Upstaged by his replacement Doku.

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Nathan Ake (6/10):

Came on when City were trailing 2-0 and they were 3-2 up by full-time. Enough said.

Jeremy Doku (8/10):

His pace and trickery sent shivers down Leipzig's spine and was a key factor in the turnaround.

Julian Alvarez (8/10):

A bundle of energy and excitement and completed a fightback which he played a big role in sparking.

Sergio Gomez (N/A):

Came on in the 92nd minute.

Pep Guardiola (8/10):

His half-time talk breathed life back into City and his substitutions finished the job.

David Beckham, Gary Neville and the rest of Manchester United's Class of '92 who co-own Salford City are looking for new investors for the club.

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Beckham, Neville and Co, own SalfordGroup looking for investorsClub currently 19th in League TwoWHAT HAPPENED?

The League Two side are co-owned by key members of the famous Red Devils squad, including Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville, alongside brother Gary and Beckham. Butt, who took over as the club's chief executive from Gary Neville in October 2022, has announced Salford's pursuit of "strategic partners" to take advantage of "major opportunities" and boost the club's growth.

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Salford's CEO said in a statement: “We are backing Salford City with as much commitment and confidence as ever. We have achieved very special things here but there are major opportunities in front of us and we want to make sure we have the right mix of investment and strategic partners to take advantage of those opportunities. We had an original 10-year plan and with strong foundations now in place, it was always the intention to explore options for the next phase. That includes potentially bringing in new partners to help us grow the club and best serve the fans and community.”

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Beckham, Neville and Co have helped increase the capacity at Salford's Peninsula Stadium from 3,000 to 5,000, as well as securing four promotions since their takeover of 2014. The Class of '92 co-owned side now share a league with Wrexham, whose co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are currently aiming for back-to-back promotions. The Hollywood duo have been lauded for their growth of the Wrexham community as well as the club through strategic partnerships, and it is fair to assume they may serve as inspiration for Salford and their owners.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SALFORD?

Salford did celebrate a memorable win over the Red Dragons earlier this month, recording a 3-1 victory at the Peninsula Stadium. However, their league form has been underwhelming elsewhere, as they sit 19th in the League Two table and nine points clear of safety after 34 games. Salford's next match comes on Tuesday at home to Colchester.

The Danish striker made it seven goals in his last six matches to fire Erik ten Hag's side to a narrow victory against a determined Luton

Rasmus Hojlund could not score in his first 14 Premier League games but is now truly on fire and his double was enough to give Manchester United a scrappy, barely deserved 2-1 win at Luton Town.

The Dane scored for the sixth league game in a row to give United the lead after just 40 seconds, staying alert to pounce on a Luton error and calmly round goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski. In the seventh minute he knocked in an Alejandro Garnacho strike into the net with his chest to put the visitors in full command.

United could not live up to their dream start, though, and Luton captain Carlton Morris halved the deficit while the Red Devils were lucky not to concede again before the break, while Casemiro was fortunate not to be sent off.

Luton continued to pile on the pressure and United failed to take their chances on the break, with Garnacho particularly wasteful. They had to ride out a nervy few minutes, helped by the unstoppable Jonny Evans, and eventually secured a fourth consecutive league victory, taking them within three points of fifth-placed Tottenham and five of Aston Villa in fourth.

After a dire first half of the season, the hunt for Champions League football is truly on. GOAL rates Man United's players from Kenilworth Road…

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Andre Onana (6/10):

Could have done more to put Morris off. His footwork helped slow the game down and ease the pressure.

Diogo Dalot (5/10):

Couldn't cope with Alfie Doughty for large spells and messed up a potential one-on-one with Thomas Kaminski.

Harry Maguire (5/10):

A bit of a wobbly performance. Late to numerous tackles and could have been booked long before he finally saw yellow. Taken off at half-time as a precaution.

Raphael Varane (8/10):

A highly effective last wall of defence, making block after block after Luton breached midfield and the flanks.

Luke Shaw (6/10):

Had some nice passages of play and put out numerous fires, including getting a booking for a meaty challenge. Taken off before half-time amid fears of another injury.

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Kobbie Mainoo (8/10):

A class act. His nimble footwork helped United play their way out of Luton's aggressive press and he also read the game superbly.

Casemiro (5/10):

Very fortunate not to earn another booking for taking out Barkley, with Erik ten Hag sensibly removing him at half-time. Despite his struggles against Barkley, he sparked the move for the first goal with a punt downfield, which Hojlund capitalised on.

Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

Made plenty of sloppy passes but worked hard to contain Luton late on and made a vital block to prevent Gabriel Osho from levelling.

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Alejandro Garnacho (4/10):

Made lots of bad decisions, above all when he bungled his attempt to dribble around Kaminski. At least he got an assist.

Rasmus Hojlund (9/10):

That's seven goals in six matches for the Dane, who is starting to look like the true heir to Ruud van Nistelrooy – United's last proper 'fox in the box'. He showed awareness and composure for his early goal and cheekiness for his second. Also held the ball up superbly.

Marcus Rashford (5/10):

Some promising moments but overall a disappointment. Should have released Garnacho far earlier in the first half but made amends with a dream pass, which the Argentina international squandered.

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Victor Lindelof (6/10):

Did better deputising at left-back than last week at Villa but still picked up a yellow card.

Scott McTominay (6/10):

Brought on at half-time and held the ball up well while working hard in defence.

Jonny Evans (8/10):

Outstanding when he came on, heading and booting away every ball that came his way. Also showed impressive stamina to storm forward in the last minute.

Sofyan Amrabat (N/A):

Brought on in the 86th minute to shore up the defence and see out the win.

Erik ten Hag (6/10):

His substitutes made sense and averted potential red cards but the way his side had to cling on for so much of the second half should concern him.

The Al-Nassr superstar did what he does best on Friday, scoring twice to secure Roberto Martinez's side's place in Germany next summer

Portugal sealed their qualification for Euro 2024 with their 3-2 win over Slovakia on Friday, but they didn't exactly have it all their own way in a thrilling encounter.

Goncalo Ramos scored a header from a superb Bruno Fernandes cross to open the scoring, before Cristiano Ronaldo notched from the penalty spot after a penalty was awarded for handball. Ronaldo should have added his second and his country's third before half-time, but he somehow missed an open goal from six yards out.

Slovakia pulled a goal back with conditions worsening due to heavy rain, as David Hancko's long-range shot was deflected into the bottom corner by Antonio Silva. Ronaldo, though, hit back just three minutes later, tapping in another exceptional Fernandes cross at the back post.

Stanislav Lobotka scored a wonderful goal to reduce the arrears again, sending a dipping, 25-yard effort into the top corner, although Portugal managed to hold out and seal a precious win. The Euros now beckon.

GOAL rates Portugal's players from Estadio do Dragao…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (5/10):

Beaten all ends up by Hancko's deflected strike and could not get close to Lobotka's unbelievable goal.

Joao Cancelo (5/10):

Some superb work down the right flank but his end product left something to be desired. Summed that up with a slaloming run ending with a wild effort.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

A leader at the back, constantly organising. Made some good tackles and was never beaten in the air, although Lobotka's goal came from his position.

Antonio Silva (6/10):

Stood up well to Slovakia's aerial threat. Unlucky to see his attempted block send Hancko's shot into the bottom corner.

Diogo Dalot (6/10):

Barely drove up the flank, instead opting to pass as opposed to running. Never beaten down his side, though.

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Joao Palhinha (6/10):

Swept up behind Silva and Fernandes. A composed operator that keeps the midfield ticking. Unfortunate to be booked for a fantastic challenge in midfield. Subbed late on.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Some very clever interplay in midfield. Continually played the ball forward, always having his head up. Subbed late on.

Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

Superb cross for Ramos' header and added another when assisting Ronaldo's second, and Portugal's third. Somehow missed a header of his own from four yards that would have capped a great performance.

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Cristiano Ronaldo (7/10):

Scored his 124th goal for his country from the penalty spot. Somehow missed with the goal gaping on the stroke of half-time but made up for it with his second, tapping in Fernandes' cross.

Goncalo Ramos (7/10):

Scored an excellent header from Fernandes' cross. Hit the post as well and ran Slovakia ragged at times.

Rafael Leao (6/10):

His cross won Portugal's penalty. Got down the left flank continually but struggled to create himself a goalscoring chance.

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Joao Felix (6/10):

Replaced Leao. Had a big chance late on but could not quite reach Fernandes' superb cross.

Ruben Neves (6/10):

On late on.

Otavio (6/10):

Came on with minutes left.

Diogo Jota (5/10):

Replaced Ramos late on. Should have scored late on but saw two shots well saved by Martin Dubravka.

Roberto Martinez (6/10):

Not as comfortable as he would have liked, but Martinez got his key selections right, and can now start preparing for the Euros.

Raphael Varane is being linked with a January move to Bayern Munich and could follow Harry Kane out of the Premier League.

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Bayern Munich consider Raphael VaranePermanent deal an 'interesting' optionDefender out of favour at Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United defender Varane is reported to be the subject of 'internal discussions' at Bayern Munich as the January transfer window nears. Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg suggests the Bundesliga champions are put off because of a £14.9 million ($18.6m) salary, but still consider the Frenchman an 'interesting' option and will continue to monitor his situation. A loan is not thought to be on the table and a proposed transfer fee would be up to £26.3m ($32.9m)

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Varane joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United to much fanfare in the summer of 2021, paraded on the Old Trafford pitch before the opening Premier League game of the season against Leeds. But the four-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid has often struggled with injuries since moving to England and in recent months has fallen out of favour with current manager Erik ten Hag. Indeed, Varane has only started one Premier League game – the home defeat to Crystal Palace – since going off injured at half-time against Nottingham Forest back in August. Ten Hag has preferred Harry Maguire and even Jonny Evans at times this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kingsley Coman and Dayot Upamecano are the existing French players in the Bayern squad, while Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard left the Allianz Arena in summer. French stars also account for three modern Bayern legends in Franck Ribery, Bixente Lizarazu and Willy Sagnol.

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WHAT NEXT FOR VARANE?

The big challenge for Varane in the short-term is to win back his place at Manchester United. There are six weeks until the January transfer window opens, but the Red Devils letting him go at this point would risk leaving them short defensively in the second half of the season.

Erik ten Hag has likened Andre Onana’s slow start to life at Manchester United to the early struggles endured by Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea.

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Change made in important positionSpanish shot-stopper allowed to move onCameroonian custodian yet to convinceWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils made the big decision to bring in a new No.1 during the summer transfer window. Long-serving De Gea was allowed to depart as a free agent after 12 seasons in England, during which he broke United’s all-time clean sheet record.

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Cameroon international Onana was the man identified to fill a sizeable void between the sticks, with £48 million ($58m) invested in prising him away from Serie A giants Inter. The 27-year-old has endured an error-strewn start to life in Manchester – conceding 19 goals through 11 appearances – but legendary predecessors such as De Gea and Danish great Schmeichel did not hit the ground running either.

WHAT THEY SAID

Ten Hag is eager to point out as much, telling reporters when asked to deliver another assessment of Onana’s efforts so far: “He knows, we know, he will do much better and as every player who's coming into the Premier League, you need an integration period but he has to step up. Big United keepers like Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea started not doomed and Andre knows that it is good to know a little bit from history. We live now, we live in the future and he has to make his future by giving better performances. I'm sure he will do. He showed it at Barcelona, Ajax, Inter Milan, he was in semi-final and final of Champions League, I'm sure he will give a great performance.”

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Onana, who is already seeing questions asked of his future at Old Trafford, will be back in action on Saturday when United – who sit 10th in the table as things stand – return to Premier League action with a trip to rock-bottom Sheffield United.