NEWCASTLE supporters attempt to lure Jamie Vardy to St James’ Park, as the FIFA franchise looks for a new cover star.
All of that and more in Paper Talk.
GIVE them the chance and just about every team in the Premier League would leap at the opportunity to sign Leicester’s goalscoring gun Jamie Vardy.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked with the £30 million-rated Vardy, who has struck 15 goals from 20 games so far this season.
But it’s Newcastle supporters that are going to new and incredible lengths to sway the English striker to swap Leicester with the north-east.
Vardy’s fiancee, Becky, posted a photo on Twitter from the striker’s backyard that showed a Newcastle shirt which had been thrown over their fence.
Get the hint?
The prank was laughed off by the Vardy clan, with Becky saying: “To whoever put this over our wall ... Absolute banter!”
According to the Daily Mail, Vardy is expected to ignore widespread rival interest and recommit with Leicester by signing a deal worth almost £80,000 per week.
BARCELONA superstar Lionel Messi could end a four-year stint as the face of gaming franchise FIFA when his contract expires this year.
Messi, who has recently been short-listed for what would be his fifth Ballon d’Or award, has been on the cover of the iconic series since 2013.
However, French newspaper L’Equipe is reporting that FIFA is seriously considering whether to extend Messi’s contract beyond the current version of the game.
Both of Messi’s Ballon d’Or rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, currently hold lucrative contracts with the Pro Evolution Soccer series.
Therefore, questions have been raised as to who could be on the cover of FIFA 17 were it to be released without Messi later this year.
Real Madrid midfielder James Rodrigues and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero have been instilled as the early favourites to replace Messi, should he not continue in his role.
MANCHESTER CITY manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed he would accept being sacked in place of Pep Guardiola, but only if he wins the Premier League title this season.
The odds are shortening of Guardiola choosing City as his next destination, which would mean the end of Pellegrini’s successful three-year stint as the club’s manager.
But the 62-year-old has suggested he would be okay with departing the club on a good note and would prefer team success over a long-term contract offer.
“If I have the option to renew here for five more years or to win the title and be sacked, I’d prefer to win the title,” Pellegrini said.
“I don’t think my position in the future is linked to titles. For me, as a manager, it’s important to win the title because it’s my job.
“I think that if you’re the owner of a club, you must have the option to replace the manager if they win the title or if they don’t win the title.”
LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he will try to sign a defender in the January transfer market in the wake of the club’s fresh injury crisis.
The Reds have 12 first-team players sidelined with injury, with all four of the club’s centre backs in doubt ahead of the team’s trip to Exeter in the FA Cup on Friday night.
Martin Skrtel (hamstring) and Mamadou Sakho (knee) were ruled out of Liverpool’s League Cup clash with Stoke during the week, while Dejan Lovren (hamstring) was withdrawn and Kolo Toure (hamstring) required medical attention.
Midfield duo Lucas and Emre Can finished the match in defence and could feature in the back four against League Two opposition over the weekend.
But Klopp is unlikely to want to use the pair at centre back ahead of crucial Premier League encounters with Arsenal and Manchester United next week.
“In this moment with no centre back fit, I would say it is a situation where we have to think about going into the transfer market,” Klopp said.
“Two weeks ago we had three centre backs, that’s a good situation. At the start of the season we had five, now we have none. I don’t know if any have a chance of being fit.”
Liverpool has been linked with Schalke defender Joel Matip, who is available as a free agent at the end of the season.
ITALY and Roma legend Francesco Totti is ready to retire from professional football, according to his wife Ilary Blasi.
The 39-year-old has not featured for Roma since a 5-1 victory over Carpi in September, playing only nine minutes before being substituted with a thigh injury.
He was reportedly set to return to the team for this week’s clash with Chievo, but his lay-off will now be extended due to a lack of match fitness.
Although it has been speculated that Totti would like to play into a 25th year at Roma, Blasi has revealed that he is unlikely to do so.
“The time has come,” she said.
“Francesco is going to be 40 next year. He has enjoyed all this so much that I really think that right now he is desiring something else. But he will remain involved in football for sure.”
