Gary Neville admitted that the thought of the Europa League final gives him a "sickly feeling" as Manchester United prepare to face Tottenham.

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United set for the biggest clash of the seasonRed Devils could earn £100m if they triumphNeville is "confident" in Amorim's troopsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

With both United & Tottenham eager to salvage disappointing domestic campaigns, the final offers more than just silverware; it carries the crucial incentive of Champions League qualification and an estimated financial windfall of £100 million ($133m).

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Despite United’s struggles this season, Neville remains optimistic about the team’s ability to rise to the occasion. However, the former right-back also admitted that the sheer importance of the match fills him with anxiety.

WHAT NEVILLE SAID

Neville, speaking as a lifelong supporter and former player, described the prospect of the final as unsettling.

"It is a huge game. The consequences are massive. I have a sickly feeling in my stomach about this game as a United fan purely because of what is at stake," he said, per BBC Sport.

While fellow pundit and ex-captain Roy Keane called it an exciting fixture, Neville took a more cautious view.

"Roy Keane called it a great game the other day," he said. "That is what Roy would think. My mentality is different. I was a right-back. You know the only thing you can do is lose your team the game. Unless you are Trent Alexander-Arnold, you are unlikely to win your team a game as a right-back. But I am confident. Manchester United have an uncanny knack, even in difficult times and bad times – and this has been a really bad season – of picking up trophies."

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Under Erik ten Hag, United won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and Neville believes Amorim will also deliver a silverware despite their awful league form.

"That is not a bad habit to have as a football club," he added. "They still get to finals and do things even though the league form has been awful – and it has been a terrible season."

Chelsea are now believed to be targeting a Liverpool star for manager Enzo Maresca, with the Premier League side joining Barcelona in a race for his signature this summer.

Chelsea eye new attackers for Enzo Maresca

The west Londoners were forced to cope without Noni Madueke, Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson against Aston Villa on Saturday, who all missed the clash through injury, with Chelsea short of attacking options overall.

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João Félix’s loan move to Milan left Maresca another body short in the final third, and while the aforementioned trio are expected back after the international break (Maresca), this current situation brings attention to Chelsea’s failure to land another attacker in January.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Southampton (home)

February 25th

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Brentford (away)

April 5th

Chelsea did hold some talks over Mathys Tel, who eventually ended up joining Tottenham on loan, and were linked with a host of other high-profile centre-forwards, but Maresca must now wait until the summer before BlueCo can take action and help to reinforce his squad.

It has been reported that Chelsea have laid some groundwork over a move for Liam Delap, who’s been on fire for Ipswich this season, while RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP hero Viktor Gyokeres are also under consideration (Simon Phillips).

More left-field targets are emerging on a weekly basis, with a report now sharing Chelsea’s interest in Liverpool forward Luis Diaz.

The Colombian has scored 13 goals and registered three assists in all competitions under Arne Slot, playing a key role for Liverpool throughout 2024/25, but he’s out of contract in 2027 and his future has been the source of some speculation recently.

The Reds would want as much as £67m to part company with Diaz, according to TEAMtalk, with Chelsea said to be on red alert over his potential capture.

Chelsea join Barcelona in race to sign Liverpool star Luis Diaz

A Spanish media source reports that Chelsea have joined Barça in the race to sign Diaz from Liverpool, and both sides view the South American as an ideal potential capture.

While a move to one of La Liga’s biggest clubs may well prove tempting for Diaz, a switch to London and remaining in the Premier League cannot be discounted at this stage.

Despite his star player status, the 28-year-old earns just £55,000 per week at Anfield, with Diaz said to be keen on signing improved terms. Until he puts pen to paper, Diaz’s future will remain at the centre of reports linking him with a Merseyside exit.

One thing is certain: Liverpool won’t want to lose the player if they can help it.

“The speed he has is insane,” said former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp during Diaz’s first season at the club after he joined them from FC Porto in 2022.

“He gets our football 100 per cent. We thought we saw that at Porto. He fits like a glove to our football and that’s really, really special.”

تحدث إمام عاشور لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن مواجهة إنتر ميامي في افتتاح بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، المقرر إقامتها في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع إنتر ميامي الأمريكي في افتتاح مباريات كأس العالم للأندية في التاسعة مساء يوم 14 يونيو بتوقيت أمريكا – الثالثة صباح يوم 15 يونيو بتوقيت القاهرة.

وقال إمام عاشور في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “متحمس جدًا للبطولة وإن شاء الله نسعد جماهيرنا، وننتظر الجماهير لأن البطولة لن يكون لها طعم بدونهم”.

طالع أيضاً.. حكم مباراة الأهلي وإنتر ميامي في افتتاح كأس العالم للأندية

وأتم: “ننتظر دعمكم، أنا متحمس لمواجهة أفضل لاعب في العالم وإن شاء الله سنقدم شيئًا يليق باسم الأهلي”.

ويتواجد الأهلي ضمن المجموعة الأولى في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية رفقة إنتر ميامي الأمريكي وبالميراس البرازيلي وبورتو البرتغالي.

South Australia are just one win away from ending their 11-year trophy drought after a one-sided eight-wicket win over Victoria put them into the domestic One-Day Cup final.They turned around a heavy defeat against Victoria in this week’s Sheffield Shield match to ease to victory with 24 overs to spare in Adelaide on Sunday.The final-round contest between the two second-placed sides had a ticket to the March 8 final on offer, but Victoria’s hopes dipped early on at 6 for 97, and they were eventually bowled out for 136.South Australia cruised to a bonus-point success on the back of a 116-run opening-wicket stand between Henry Hunt (63) and Jake Carder (49).Awaiting them are a Western Australian side looking to repeat last year’s rare feat of winning both state domestic honours.Despite two defeats against Western Australia in this year’s 50-over competition, South Australia’s new skipper Jake Lehmann says the holders are not to be feared.”We are so excited about the opportunity to go over there and take them on,” he said. “Winning against WA in WA is obviously going to be tough, but it is an amazing opportunity.”We want to take our positive way of playing and positive vibes up to them and hopefully we can come up with a first win for South Australia in some 10 years, so there is nothing but excitement in our [dressing] room.”There is no one that is scared or intimidated by WA. They are a good outfit but we just need to play the best we can,” added Lehmann, who only assumed the captaincy before this match after Hunt elected to concentrate on his batting.South Australia’s performance was again marked by a strong bowling display, with six different wicket-takers.Heading the field was Nathan McAndrew, while new face Spencer Johnson impressed again following his recent Shield debut.”Our bowlers didn’t miss all day and credit to them where credit is due,” Lehmann said. “The momentum is there and we just have to keep riding that wave.”It was a surprisingly limp display from a Victoria side that had enjoyed a series of gaping wins in both forms of domestic cricket.Victoria lined up with two debutants in opener Tom Rogers and spinner Tom O’Donnell, son of former limited-overs star Simon O’Donnell.Only James Seymour (51) impressed with the bat for Victoria, while legspinner Ruwantha Kellepotha picked up both South Australia wickets to fall.

Chelsea fell to defeat at Aston Villa last weekend but have the perfect chance to turn things around on Tuesday night as Enzo Maresca’s men host lowly Southampton in the Premier League.

Though the Blues started on the front foot against Unai Emery’s side and were rewarded for their initiative through Enzo Fernandez’s close-range finish – shout-out to Pedro Neto – the visitors failed to get a firm grip on the match and succumbed to second-half pressure.

Filip Jorgensen’s error in the dying embers allowed Marco Asensio to claim a brace after earlier finishing inside the area, but goalkeeping woes are not the extent of the issues Maresca is currently beset with.

Chelsea have shouldered a tonne of injuries in recent weeks but still need to restore some positive momentum with the business end of the campaign looming large. Indeed, the Blues are only four points off third-place Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea's latest injury news

Trevoh Chalobah was forced off in the early stages against Villa with an apparent back injury but Maresca has allayed fears of a long-term layoff – though Tosin Adarabioyo may have to deputise in his stead against the Saints.

However, the frontline is still going to be depleted for a while, with Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson not expected back until after the March international break and 18-year-old striker Marc Guiu also sidelined indefinitely.

Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile’s respective return dates are also unknown, but star centre-back Wesley Fofana still faces up to two months on the sidelines.

The most pressing concern is who Maresca will stick at number nine against Southampton. Chelsea simply have to get three points against the Premier League’s bottom-placed team at Stamford Bridge, but Christopher Nkunku isn’t cutting it.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Who Maresca should start at centre-forward

With Jackson and Guiu both sidelined, Maresca has been forced into drafting Nkunku into the focal striking role. The France international is tactically versatile and prefers to play between the lines, feeding off the centre-forward.

Admittedly, Chelsea played him off the left flank against Villa, with Neto deputising in a dynamic middle role and achieving some measure of success, but Nkunku was branded with a 4/10 match rating by GOAL after the match all the same, criticised for his anonymous performance.

Indeed, while he attempted five dribbles (completing two) and made two key passes for his teammates, Nkunku only managed to fire one shot at Emi Martinez all evening, and Maresca may now want to turn toward a more naturally suited option at number nine, even if that means conceding some experience in the process.

Premier League

22

2

1

Conference League

5

5

3

UECL Qualifiers

2

2

0

FA Cup

2

1

0

Carabao Cup

2

3

0

He’s not been nearly clinical enough in the Premier League, and with that in mind, Maresca might want to turn to the youth to spark some inspiration back into his flagging frontline.

Shumaira Mheuka is only 17 years old but he’s proven himself to be an able goalscorer for the U18s and U21s this season, posting eight goals and two assists from 22 matches (14 starts).

Moreover, the 6 foot 1 prospect was handed his professional debut during Chelsea’s Conference League match against Astana in December, coming on for roughly 13 minutes during the 3-1 away victory in Guiu’s stead.

He didn’t have much time to assert himself but the teenager did showcase some exciting physical attributes and his eye for goal, unleashing one wayward shot while winning two of his three contested ground duels and also making two tackles, as per Sofascore.

With fixtures passing Nkunku by at the moment, Chelsea may well want to consider making this tweak. No Premier League side have conceded more goals than Southampton’s 61 this term, and Mheuka’s off-the-ball movements, his link-up play, could be exactly what the Stamford Bridge side have been lacking since Jackson picked up an injury.

It would be a bold move – but one which might just pay off given the circumstances. Southampton’s threat has been negligible under Ivan Juric and indeed they have fallen to defeat in eight of their past nine Premier League contests.

Mheuka is the cream of the crop within the west Londoners’ academy set-up at centre-forward, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing the teenager as one of “Cobham’s finest” as he continues to press against the first-team squad.

Maresca is seemingly open to finding alternative means to combat the club’s current injury problems and Mheuka might just fit the bill – named in the matchday squad for the first time in the Premier League during the Villa clash after indeed making his debut in the Conference League.

The natural goalscorer wouldn’t be the first to emerge from the academy and forge a name for themselves at Chelsea, and the timing and opponent up ahead couldn’t be more apt for his manager to unleash him from the outset.

If Cole Palmer can return to his finest form and bounce off the likes of Neto and Fernandez, Mheuka could find himself supplied with plenty of quality as he provides a striker’s take and maybe even pops up with a significant contribution.

Beyond Southampton, Chelsea only face Leicester City and Arsenal in the top flight before next month’s international break passes into April.

If Chelsea can weather the current storm, they will be in a good position over the final stretch of the 2024/25 campaign. And if Mheuka is given a shot and takes it, the Blues fans might be filled with quite a bit of optimism for the future.

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Chelsea have now entered the race to sign a “phenomenal” striker in the summer, and they hold an advantage over the rival suitors, according to a report.

Blues' striker search

The Blues have been pursuing a top striker for quite some time, with Victor Osimhen emerging as a major target last summer. However, the move fell through, and Nicolas Jackson has been called upon to lead the line this season.

Jackson made a flying start to the campaign, but the 23-year-old has failed to score this calendar year, and it is becoming pretty clear Enzo Maresca will attempt to bring in an upgrade in the summer window.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg recently revealed RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is a target, with Maresca’s side said to hold a concrete interest in the Slovenian, while they are also expected to enter talks to sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

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Chelsea’s ability to attract strikers in Isak’s category will likely hinge upon whether they qualify for the Champions League this season, with the race very close heading into the last 10 games of the Premier League season.

However, the Blues are also starting to make contingency plans in case they miss out on their main targets, and they have now entered the race to sign Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha, according to a report from CaughtOffside.

Emegha is viewed as an ideal alternative option, should their pursuits of their main targets be unsuccessful, and the French club would be willing to let him leave for the relatively low fee of between €22m and €25m (£18-21m).

A whole host of Premier League clubs have also shown interest in the striker, namely Everton, West Ham United, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, but Chelsea hold an advantage over the rival suitors.

As Strasbourg are also owned by BlueCo, it will be easier to facilitate a deal, should the Blues decide to make a concrete approach.

"Phenomenal" Emegha impressing in France

The Dutchman has been impressive in front of goal in Ligue 1 this season, netting 11 goals, having been in prolific form this calendar year, picking up a total of eight goals and one assist in 2025.

The 22-year-old has also received high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded him as “phenomenal”, so there are plenty of indications he could be capable of making the step-up to one of the Premier League’s top clubs at some point.

That said, the Strasbourg star should remain a back-up option for the Blues, given that some of their other summer targets have a lot more experience at the top level.

Chelsea remain interested in Osimhen, despite missing out last summer, and the Nigerian has a proven track record of scoring goals, netting nine in 17 Champions League games, while also scoring 26 times for Napoli in their historic Serie A title-winning season.

With Will Hughes still on course to leave as a free agent this summer, Crystal Palace have reportedly turned their attention towards a young midfielder who could replace the former Watford man.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have been back to their best under Oliver Glasner in recent months and even find themselves in an FA Cup quarter-final as a result. One game away from Wembley and two games away from the chance to end Palace’s search for their first major honour since 1994, Glasner is moving closer and closer to history at Selhurst Park.

Despite that potential history, it seems as though not everyone is keen to stick around. Now in March, Hughes is yet to sign a new contract in South London and remains on course to bow out at Selhurst Park when the summer arrives – leaving a gaping hole in Glasner’s side in doing so.

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Planning for the worst, the Eagles have had no choice but to turn towards potential replacements. According to Africa Foot, Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move to sign Mahamadou Doumbia from Royal Antwerp alongside Sevilla this summer.

The Belgian reportedly value their midfielder at as high as €15m (£13m) ahead of the summer transfer window, as they look to at least from selling their 20-year-old.

Yet to reach the peak of his powers, Doumbia could prove to be a worthwhile investment for just £13m, especially given how he’s risen to become a key starter at Royal Antwerp this season. With both Palace and Sevilla interested, the midfielder could have quite the decision to make this summer.

"Perfect" Doumbia is a rising star

Like Hughes, Doumbia’s work is rarely seen in the spotlight. Instead, the midfielder is one of Royal Antwerpt’s “unsung heroes”, according to U23 scout Antonio Mango, who believes that the Belgian club are moulding the “perfect midfielder” in the 20-year-old.

Whether Doumbia is “perfect” enough to replace Hughes can only be answered in one way, but whether Palace turn towards the midfielder in the face of the 29-year-old’s potential exit remains to be seen.

After rising through the ranks at JMG Bamako before joining Nordsjaelland on loan to earn the interest of Antwerp, Doumbia could complete the biggest move of his career so far by swapping Belgium for the Premier League this summer.

Glasner’s Palace has been a land of opportunity for the likes of Justin Devenny to begin making their mark and many more could yet follow that path into first-team stardom.

Mohammed Shami triggered a dramatic Australian collapse, but the target proved a challenge in Mumbai

Hemant Brar17-Mar-20232:41

Jaffer: When he’s on song, Rahul is a treat to watch

KL Rahul might have had trouble in Test cricket of late, but he once again proved his worth as an ace No. 5 batter in ODIs with a high-quality half-century in tough batting conditions to give India the series lead in Mumbai.Chasing 189 on a seamer-friendly surface at the Wankhede Stadium, India were reduced to 16 for 3 and then 39 for 4 during a near-unplayable spell of fast, swing bowling from Mitchell Starc. It soon became 83 for 5, before Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja soaked up the pressure during their unbroken stand of 108 to finish the chase in the 40th over. Rahul was unbeaten on 75 off 91, and Jadeja 45 off 69, as India extended their winning streak in ODIs to eight games and ended Australia’s run on six matches.Before the Australian quicks tested the Indian batters, Mohammed Shami had triggered a startling collapse. He took three wickets in 11 deliveries and conceded only eight runs during a three-over spell with a slightly old ball. Despite Mitchell Marsh smashing 81 off 65 balls at the top of the order, Australia crashed from 129 for 2 in the 20th over to 188 all out in the 36th.In the afternoon, Hardik Pandya, standing in as captain for Rohit Sharma who had family commitments, had asked Australia to bat in the Mumbai heat. Despite missing David Warner (elbow injury) and Alex Carey (unwell), the visitors had a long batting line-up with Marcus Stoinis at No. 8, followed by Sean Abbott and Starc.Mohammed Siraj landed the first punch in the second over of the innings. After getting beaten on the outside edge twice and cramped for room as well, Travis Head gave Siraj the charge and played on.Both Shami and Siraj found movement in the air and off the pitch but struggled with their lines, straying on to the pads and also down the leg side. Rahul, who kept wicket even though Ishan Kishan was in the XI, was impressive behind the stumps, diving full length to his left for one-handed takes on a couple of occasions.1:58

Jaffer, Tait impressed by Hardik’s risk-taking appetite as captain

While Marsh and Steven Smith did not middle every ball and were beaten a few times, they found the boundary with high frequency. In the first ten overs, there were ten fours and a six. Hardik cut short Smith’s innings on 22; a leaping Rahul catching an attempted cut with both hands.Marsh looked imperious. Returning from ankle surgery and playing this series as a specialist batter, he reached 50 off 51 balls and then decided to go even harder. He had brought up the milestone with a four off Kuldeep Yadav and celebrated it with another boundary next ball. He then deposited Jadeja beyond long-on before dishing out more punishment to Kuldeep, hitting him for a four and six off successive balls in the 19th over.Marsh hit Jadeja for another boundary in the next over before miscuing the next one to short third. Three overs later, Jadeja held on to an excellent catch, diving to his right from a squarish short third to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne off Kuldeep.Those two wickets reduced the run flow but it was Shami who changed the complexion of the game. Having bowled just three overs with the new ball, he returned in the 28th over and still got the ball to move around. And he swung the game in India’s favour by bowling a Test-match line and length.The third delivery of Shami’s second spell disappeared for a six over square leg, but he beat Josh Inglis next ball. India even wasted a review, thinking Inglis was caught behind. Shami then got his man the ball after that, when Inglis chased a wide ball with minimal footwork and chopped on.Shami’s next two overs were wicket maidens. Cameron Green was the next to fall; Shami pinging the top of off stump with a ball that moved away just enough to beat the outside edge of the forward defence.He could have had Stonis immediately too, but Shubman Gill spilled a chance at first slip. He had earlier dropped Green as well off Kuldeep – a much tougher chance, low to the right at first slip. Gill, however, made amends by plucking one to his left in Shami’s next over to get rid of Stoinis.Soon after, Jadeja had Glenn Maxwell caught at short midwicket and Siraj picked up two wickets without conceding a run off his last ten balls to wrap up Australia’s innings.Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav off successive balls•BCCI

If anyone thought India’s chase of 189 would be easy, they were in for a shock. Stoinis struck the first blow in the second over, trapping Kishan lbw to prolong his run of poor scores. From the other end, Starc showed just why he is such a force in the ODI format, swinging the ball in both directions at searing pace to rip out three wickets. Virat Kohli played around an inswinger and was lbw. Suryakumar Yadav was beaten by pace and trapped in front as well, on his first ball.Gill seemed to be living a charmed life. He was dropped on 2 by Inglis off Starc, and a couple of outside edges went past second slip. Gill kept playing on-the-up shots, and one of those off Starc was caught by Labuschagne at backward point.Only when Hardik joined Rahul in the middle did India get some stability; they added 44 runs for the fifth wicket before Hardik was caught at deep square leg off Stoinis.Australia seemed to have the upper hand at that point, but Rahul and Jadeja denied them. With the asking rate never an issue, the two could afford to take their time. Scoring mainly in singles, they took India to 150 in the 35th over. Rahul then hit Adam Zampa for a four and six in one over that also featured four wides. A few moments later, Jadeja hit Starc for two fours in three balls to seal the game.It was yet another perfect comeback for Jadeja since his knee surgery. He was the Player of the Match in the first Test in Nagpur, and now in his first white-ball game since August 2022, his all-round show – two wickets, a catch, and an unbeaten 45 – earned him yet another Player-of-the-Match award.

Jose Mourinho has reacted to speculation over the Portugal job but stopped short of committing his future to current club Fenerbahce.

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• Mourinho denied talks with the Portuguese FA
• Remains tight-lipped on his Fenerbahce future
• Linked with jobs in England and Saudi Arabia

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mourinho has denied having any contact with the Portuguese Football Federation, despite multiple reports linking him to the national team job. The 62-year-old's first season in Istanbul has been full of controversy, and his future with the Turkish club remains uncertain. While Mourinho denied holding talks to replace Roberto Martínez, he has not ruled out the possibility of staying at Fenerbahce beyond the summer.

  Mourinho also revealed that he rejected a team back in January. He guided Fenerbahce to a second-place finish in the 2024–25 Turkish Super Lig, but a crucial loss to Galatasaray has sparked questions about his long-term commitment. A derby defeat to Besiktas only added to the pressure, especially with just one year left on his contract.

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  With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, some Portugal fans are dreaming of seeing Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo team up again to lead Portugal to glory. However, reports in the UK suggest that Leeds United and Rangers are keeping an eye on the 'Special One', while Saudi giants Al Hilal, longtime admirers of Mourinho, are also said to be monitoring the situation closely.

  Last summer, Mourinho reportedly held talks with Al Qadsiah, shortly after the club was promoted to the Saudi Pro League. According to reports, he attended the Sync Summit in Al Khobar, where he met with Aramco CEO Amin Nasser, Qadsiah board member Faisal Alnughaimish, and project head Nabil Aljama. Despite the high-level meetings, no agreement was reached.

• WHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID

  Mourinho said: "Yes, I can deny that I had any meeting with the Portuguese Football Federation. I am a loyal person.

  "The only time I had direct contact with a club I informed Fenerbahce. It wasn't now, it was in January. I had a meeting with the [unnamed] club. I didn't accept the offer. But I informed my club even before the meeting.

  Regarding his future, Mourinho made it clear that any decision would be handled internally.

  He added: "I am not speaking about next season. I will speak internally, not to the media. If there is something, out of respect to the president and the board, I will not bring it into the public."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mourinho is still under contract with Fenerbahce, but discussions about his future are expected soon. If the Portuguese coach decides to leave, the Turkish club will need to act quickly, especially with Champions League qualifying rounds to negotiate over the summer.

Cole Palmer is reportedly in line for a smaller Chelsea bonus than some of his team-mates if they win the Europa Conference League.

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Chelsea in Conference League finalBonuses set to be paid out if they winPalmer to pocket smaller amount than someFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Sun reports that Chelsea's players will receive a bonus if they beat Real Betis next week and win the Conference League for the first time. But as Palmer was deliberately kept out of the competition's group stages, he is in line to earn less off the back of his five games. Filip Jorgensen, for example, has made 13 appearances, so he will earn more as the bonus scheme relates to matches played.

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The report adds that if Chelsea qualify for next season's Champions League, their pay packets will be 'considerably more full'. But with many earning thousands upon thousands a week, that may not make much of a difference to them financially. The bigger prize is winning the Conference League and qualifying for the Europa League.

DID YOU KNOW?

Palmer has scored 15 goals and bagged 10 assists this season in 44 matches in all competitions. In his five Conference League outings, the Chelsea star has one assist from three starts.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Before the Conference League final takes place against Betis next Wednesday, Palmer's fifth-placed Chelsea take on seventh-placed Nottingham Forest on Sunday. If they win, and results elsewhere go their way, they could secure Champions League qualification.