Benfica star duo set for Premiership move

Former Manchester City boss Joe Royle says Pep Guardiola’s current side is “one of, if not the best” English football has seen.

City completed the treble on Saturday night with victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final and Royle has no doubts where Guardiola’s class of 2023 ranks in the all-time list.

Royle, 74, who led City from the third tier to the Premier League after back-to-back promotions in 1999 and 2000, told the PA news agency: “There’s no doubt about it. They’re one of, if not the best English club side there has been.

“They’ve got to be talked of as one of them. They can play off the cuff or play in various systems and they can counter very quickly.

“They’ve got world-class individuals, they’ve got the team…

Alexis Mac Allister is exactly the type of player Liverpool need if they are to return to the top, according to Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool wrapped up a £35 million deal to sign the Argentina midfielder from Brighton last week.

The Reds are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing Premier League season that saw them miss out on the top four as they finished fifth despite a strong finish to the campaign.

Van Dijk, speaking before the Netherlands play Croatia in the Nations League semi-final in Rotterdam on Wednesday, thinks the swoop for Mac Allister is an ideal start to the transfer window.

He is a very good player, said Van Dijk.

Obviously, we have played against him many times [with Liverpool] and also with Holland against Argentina.

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Defender Filipe Luis has set his sights on a Premier League and UEFA Champions League double in his first season at Chelsea.

The full-back completed his move from Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge on Friday, penning a three-year deal.

Filipe was part of the Atletico side that won La Liga on the final day of last term and then lost in extra time in the Champions League final against city rivals Real.

And the 28-year-old is determined to go all the way in Europe with 2011-12 winners Chelsea as well as mounting a sustained title challenge domestically.

Last season was brilliant but I ve come here to do exactly the same, Filipe told the club s official website.

I want to go one better in the Champions League and, in terms of the Premier League, …

Pep Guardiola has quashed speculation that Jerome Boateng could swap Bayern Munich for Barcelona.

Reports in Spain on Monday had suggested that World Cup-winning defender Boateng is a top target for Barca as they look to strengthen their back line following the retirement of captain Carles Puyol.

However, Guardiola has no intention of allowing the 25-year-old Germany star to join the Bayern coach s former club.

I do not know what the media say, he said at a media conference ahead of Bayern s clash with an MLS All-Star team in Portland.

I only know that Jerome Boateng will be a Bayern player next season, 100 per cent.

Since joining Bayern from Manchester City in 2011, Boateng has won eight trophies, including two Bundesliga titles and the 2013…

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel was taken aback by his side s 9-0 demolition of Guingamp on Saturday.

Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani scored hat-tricks, while Neymar netted a double as PSG humiliated Guingamp in Paris.

PSG tied their record Ligue 1 winning margin, leaving German boss Tuchel stunned post-match.

I have to think about it, but I don t think I ve ever seen that before 9-0 in a league game, Tuchel told reporters.

 Biggest home win in  
 Biggest win in , equaling the scoreline from a March 2016 victory  Troyes

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English)

We really wanted to score, we played with a lot of quality. We improved during the second half and played very smoothly with a good offens…

Leicester City expect full commitment from Riyad Mahrez and will drop the winger if he does not show it, while the Premier League club have still not received any offers for the star, manager Craig Shakespeare says.

Mahrez confirmed his intention to leave the 2015-16 Premier League champions by releasing a statement in May, with Arsenal reported to be among the clubs interested.

But despite Arsene Wenger making complimentary comments about the Algerian, Shakespeare said Leicester have not had any bids for Mahrez and will not select him if he is not focused on his game.

It can be disappointing when players go public with it but I think you have to understand the modern game, Shakespeare said.

Sometimes outside influences are secondary behind that and the…

Achraf Hakimi was sent off for Paris Saint-Germain as the Ligue 1 leaders played out a 0-0 draw with Marseille in Le Classique on Sunday.

Mauricio Pochettino s side, who started with the heralded trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, largely struggled to break down their stubborn hosts, even before Hakimi s dismissal in the 57th minute for a foul on Cengiz Under.

Valentin Rongier and Konrad De la Fuente wasted glorious opportunities to find a winner, while Messi was chased by a spectator late in the second half as he pushed forward in the Marseille half, with security slow to apprehend the man.

The result means PSG are seven points clear at the Ligue 1 summit, while Marseille are 10 points behind in fourth, although Jorge Sampaoli s side have a game …

Verdict: Manchester City win and both teams to score

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Desperate to bounce back from last weekend s shock 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace, Pep Guardiola s side will travel to the King Power Stadium on Boxing Day afternoon.

Leicester

Starting with Wednesday s hosts, although many around the King Power were worried that Leicester would drop out of the top half of the table following a poor run of form entering Christmas, the Foxes 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge last weekend has certainly given Claude Puel s side a much-needed boost. Ending their four-match winless run on Saturday, a run that also saw them crash out of the EFL Cup at the hands of Manchester City earlier in the month, the former Southampton boss will still know that he must…

What the papers say

Arsenal have entered their third bid, worth £105million for West Ham star Declan Rice after Manchester City had a bid rejected at £90million, the Guardian said.

West Ham will reportedly wait for Manchester City to submit another offer on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich’s first bid of around £60million plus add-ons for Harry Kane has been deemed too low by Tottenham, the Guardian reported.

The club are demanding £100million for the England and Tottenham captain, who is said to be keen to move to the club.

Inter Milan are looking to acquire Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku on loan again next season with an £25million option to buy him at the end of the year, the Telegraph said.

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Tottenham are now closing in on Jam…

Aaron Ramsdale was left revelling in the fact he saved everything during an inspirational performance as Arsenal beat Leicester City 2-0 on Saturday.

Arsenal were buoyed by two early goals as Gabriel Magalhaes and Emile Smith Rowe had them comfortably ahead inside 18 minutes, but from then Ramsdale was the key man.

A maligned pre-season arrival from Sheffield United, Ramsdale has dislodged Bernd Leno as Arsenal s first-choice goalkeeper and showed why that is the case at the King Power Stadium.

He saved all eight of Leicester s shots on target, which improved his overall save percentage for the season to 85.7, which is bettered by only Edouard Mendy (89.7) among goalkeepers to have faced more than two shots.

Further to that, according to Stats Perform s x…