BUNDESLIGA
Can Joao Cancelo play against Man City in Champions League quarter finals?

Manchester City have been handed a tough draw against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
It’s also a tie which will reunite a few familiar faces. Pep Guardiola previously enjoyed Bundesliga title success in Bavaria, while Leroy Sane now plays for the German giants. Should City come out on top, they’ll face either Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi finals.
The eligibility of Joao Cancelo has also come into question. In the January transfer window, one move that surprised everyone was the right back’s loan from City to Bayern, and as fate would have it the two teams are now set to square off for a place in the last four.
Thanks to a rule change in the 2018/19 season, it now no longer matters if a player has played in the Champions League for another team earlier in the competition. This is the same for the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.
The only thing that could have stopped Cancelo from playing for Bayern against City was if the German side had already registered three new players from the winter transfer window for the knockout phases of the Champions League.
Clubs had until February 2 to confirm their squads for the latter stages and Cancelo was included in Bayern’s list, meaning there is nothing stopping him from helping Julian Nagelsmann knock City out of the Champions League.
While there are rules in the Premier League that prevent loan players featuring against their parent clubs, no such statute exists in European competitions. Philippe Coutinho scored against Barcelona for Bayern in the famous 8-2 thumping, while in 2015/16 Kingsley Coman netted in a clash with parent side Juventus.
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There was a similar situation back in 2014 involving Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. The goalkeeper was on loan at Atleti from Chelsea when the pair were drawn together in the semi finals of the Champions League.
There were some reports that Atleti would need to pay a £2.5m fee for each match, but UEFA soon released a statement saying this was not the case and he was free to play.
The statement from UEFA said: “In response to media reports referring to the situation of Club Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, UEFA would like to reiterate its position. The integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle for UEFA.
“Both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations contain clear provisions which strictly forbid any club to exert, or attempt to exert, any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match. It follows that any provision in a private contract between clubs which might function in such a way as to influence who a club fields in a match is null, void and unenforceable so far as UEFA is concerned.
“Furthermore, any attempt to enforce such a provision would be a clear violation of both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations and would therefore be sanctioned accordingly.”
It therefore seems that there is nothing City can do to try and stop the Portugal international from playing against them.
BUNDESLIGA
Man Utd ready Kane bid; Tuchel eyes Mount reunion at Bayern

90min rounds up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating around the world…
Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold is ready to sanction a move for Harry Kane, with the Red Devils set to offer £80m for the Tottenham striker. (Daily Star)
However, Manchester United are no closer to agreeing a new contract with Marcus Rashford, whose deal expires in 2024. (The Athletic)
Arsenal are one of several clubs vying to sign Denmark international Jesper Lindstrom, with Eintracht Frankfurt ready to sell for a fee of €30m. (Sport1)
Real Madrid are hoping to sign Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich this summer amid speculation that his future at the Allianz Arena is uncertain. (Fichajes)
Following Thomas Tuchel’s arrival, Bayern Munich are prepared to reunite their new manager with Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount. (The Times)
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Barcelona are willing to re-sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Chelsea on loan this summer. The Gabon striker only made the switch from Camp Nou to Stamford Bridge back in August. (Sport)
Liverpool have joined Arsenal and Tottenham in the race to sign Evan Ndicka on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt. (Daily Mirror)
Another centre-back target for Liverpool is Napoli’s Kim Min-jae, who is also wanted by Manchester United. (Rai)
Manchester City are ready to replace Ilkay Gundogan with either Jude Bellingham or Florian Wirtz in the event he departs for Barcelona on a free transfer. (Football Insider)
The father of Barcelona winger Ansu Fati has hit out at the club for their treatment of the winger, though insisted he wants to stay at the club. (COPE)
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On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss Julian Nagelsmann’s future and links to the vacant Tottenham head coach role, Barcelona’s ambition to bring Lionel Messi ‘home’, Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson, Florian Wirtz, Kalvin Phillips and more!
If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
BUNDESLIGA
Chelsea join race for Gladbach midfielder Manu Kone

Chelsea have registered an interest in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone, 90min understands.
The Blues are looking to bolster in midfield this summer and have added plenty of names to their shortlist, at the top of which is West Ham United’s Declan Rice.
There are plenty of suitors for Rice, however, and so Chelsea are exploring all their options. 90min reported in January that Southampton’s Romeo Lavia was once again of interest to the London side, who failed with a bid to sign the Belgian last summer.
Now, sources have confirmed that Gladbach starlet Kone has played his way onto Chelsea’s radar.
The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has been sensational for Gladbach and has attracted significant interest from across Europe, with Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain both known admirers of Kone.
In the Premier League, Liverpool and Newcastle have both scouted Kone this year ahead of a summer departure from Gladbach which is becoming increasingly likely.
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Chelsea are now firmly in the fight for Kone who, at 21, fits the profile for the Blues’ new owners as a young star with plenty of top-flight potential.
Kone was recently asked about the interest in him, admitting to Le Parisien that he is honoured to see so many big clubs watching him.
“I live well with rumours, I don’t pay attention to everything that is said. It’s more my entourage and my friends who send me the articles,” he explained. “It’s a source of pride for them to see my name associated with big clubs, but it doesn’t make me hot or cold. I prefer to finish my season quietly. Afterward, what must happen will happen.”
Asked specifically about the interest of PSG and a possible return to the city of his birth, Paris, Kone insisted the only deciding factor for him when it comes to a transfer would be the game time on offer.
“It’s true that I’m Parisian,” he acknowledged. “I was born and trained here. There is a logical link.
“But whether it’s Paris or another club, I don’t care. I just want to play football. In Monchengladbach, I play. So if I have to leave, I’ll think about playing first.”
BUNDESLIGA
Josko Gvardiol reveals Pep Guardiola chat & confirms RB Leipzig transfer stance

RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol has confessed the club have no interest in selling him this summer, despite widespread interest from across Europe.
The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid have all expressed an interest in the 21-year-old, who penned a contract extension last summer to tie him to the Bundesliga side until 2027.
90min understands Gvardiol’s contract includes a release clause of €100m which becomes active in 2024, so any sale this year will have to be negotiated directly with Leipzig – something Gvardiol does not believe his current employers are prepared to do.
“The club is not interested in selling me this summer, so there is no point in talking about anything else,” Gvardiol told a press conference.
“The most important thing is to end this season in Leipzig in the best possible way.”
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Among Gvardiol’s suitors are Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, after whom the Leipzig defender is nicknamed due to the similarities in their surnames.
The due were seen speaking after City’s Champions League last-16 victory over Leipzig earlier this month, but Gvardiol declined to reveal what was said.
“I extended my hand to Guardiola and congratulated him on advancing in the Champions League,” the defender said. “Guardiola, a great coach, threw a few words at me, but I will keep them to myself.”
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On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss the race to sign Jude Bellingham, Roy Hodgson’s return to Crystal Palace, Erling Haaland’s contract, Mason Mount & more!
If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
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