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Man City's lost academy: £300MILLION of young talent - including Jadon Sancho - has

For most clubs, producing a starting XI worth over £300million from their academy alone would be heralded as a phenomenal success. Unfortunately for Manchester City that talent has made a combined total of just 92 appearances for their first team - 64 of which were made by Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho alone. While Pep Guardiola 's gilded squad have just landed an unprecedented domestic treble, behind the scenes one of the country's best academies is haemorrhaging its best prospects. Since the club's £200m state-of-the-art youth and training Etihad Campus opened in 2014, Monaco playmaker Rony Lopes (second left), Bournemouth starlet David Brooks (far right) and England prodigy Jadon Sancho (far left) are among those who have slipped through City's clutches. 

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The real story of Sunderland's takeover... Donald and Methven could pocket £40m by selling

SPORTSMAIL INVESTIGATIONS TEAM: If Sunderland secure promotion back to the Championship this weekend with victory over Charlton at Wembley, the fans may salute two men they regard as the saviours of their football club. But, as a Sportsmail investigation reveals, Stewart Donald (top and inset) and Charlie Methven (bottom right) struck a deal with former owner Ellis Short to buy the club using Premier League parachute payments. The pair committed only £5million of their own money in the reported £40m takeover.

Manchester United are putting together a transfer committee of three ex-players in a bid to ensure the club moves away from the big-spending wasteful approach of the past. 

A number of sponsors are this week set to return a substantial proportion of the 2,000 tickets for the final they were given by the European governing body.

Hamilton was due to attend the FIA press conference ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix but, after discussion with his Mercedes team, decided to miss the set-piece.

Manchester United Treble hero Sheringham admits: 'I didn't want us to win it without me

INTERVIEW BY CHRIS WHEELER: Teddy Sheringham turns up straight from Camp Nou. Not the stadium. His house in Essex. When he built the property in 2005, it was the obvious name. ‘You’ve got to call it something and Camp Nou seemed quite apt,’ smiles Sheringham. Twenty years on from his heroics in Barcelona and the former Manchester United striker is clearly happy to indulge in a little nostalgia. This weekend, he will join his former teammates at Old Trafford to take on Bayern Munich in a re-run of that momentous 1999 Champions League final.

Daniel James' father has passed away suddenly at the age of 60. Manchester United will give James and his family enough time and space to deal with the bereavement before completing the transfer.

A WhatsApp message sent by Emiliano Sala to a friend on January 6 appears to show he was not keen on the move to Neil Warnock's side from Nantes.

EXCLUSIVE BY LAURA LAMBERT: Two of England’s most high-profile female footballers have insisted they do not want to see mixed football introduced for adults.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY RICHARD GIBSON: Joe Root remembers vividly the start of England's four-year journey to a World Cup they enter as favourites.

EXCLUSIVE BY CHRIS FOY: World Rugby have pledged an extra £1billion in a desperate bid to salvage their Nations Championship concept.

Wilder's first round knockout of Dominic Breazeale on Saturday night reaffirmed the belief of many that he is the most fearsome knockout artist in the division.

Arsenal fans go wild for new Adidas home and away strips after Ian Wright appears to leak

Arsenal fans have struggled to contain their excitement after Ian Wright seemingly leaked the club's home and away kits for next season.   The Gunners legend took to Twitter to post a picture of striking duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette on Tuesday, supporters quickly noticing the Adidas Arsenal shirts the pair were wearing were ones that had not been seen before. Wright soon deleted the post, apparently realising he had uploaded a little prematurely,  but not before the image had been saved by his followers and shared all over the social media platform.

Having tried to sign the Manchester United striker for Chelsea in 2017 he will go back in for him to try and reshape the forward line at the San Siro when he takes charge in the summer.

The 22-year-old winger has spent his entire career with the Reds, coming through the academy before loan spells with Crewe, Hull City and Derby County.

Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has bowed to a presidential request to make himself available for next month's Africa Cup of Nations just 48 hours after announcing his international retirement.

Robert Snodgrass has hinted that there may have been a case of mistaken identity after being punished for aggressively calling two UK anti-doping officials 'c****'. 

'What a gentleman': David Beckham salutes Mauricio Pochettino after attending Tottenham

Tottenham's players were given a bit of added inspiration in their Champions League final preparations as footballing icon David Beckham paid a visit to the team's training session on Wednesday. Spurs are gearing up for the biggest game in the club's history when they take on Liverpool in the Champions League final in Madrid next Saturday.  And the likes of Maurico Pochettino and Harry Kane looked pleased to have one of the game's biggest stars present during the session at their Enfield training complex.

Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez back in Tottenham training

Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez have stepped up their bids for full fitness ahead of next Saturday's Champions League final. The key Tottenham trio are all on the way back from injury and desperate to play a part in Madrid against Liverpool. Kane has been out of action since suffering an ankle injury against Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-final. But the England international is back running and taking part in training sessions again and even took time out to chat with David Beckham who dropped in on the session.

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen is hopeful of winning his battle to be fit for the Champions League final. Mauricio Pochettino's side were handed a triple boost on Wednesday.

Arsenal chiefs are confident failure to qualify for the Champions League next week won't dent the club's pull and that it will remain 'strong enough' even if they miss out.

Maurizio Sarri insists he will leave Chelsea with immediate effect if his work is going to be judged only on the outcome of the Europa League final against Arsenal.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has added his voice to the chorus of critics who think the Europa League final should not be played in Baku.

But the leaked news has led to calls for Bernd Leno to start instead due to the 37-year-old's potential conflict of interest.  Here, Gunners fan PETER WOOD of Le Grove gives us his take.

Arsenal and Chelsea meet in the Europa League final at the Olympic Stadium in Baku on May 29, which will also be the venue for four games during the European Championship next year.

Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani named Premiership Player of the Season to seal awards

Danny Cipriani (left) has continued an outstanding debut year at Gloucester by being named Gallagher Premiership player of the season. Saracens' Mark McCall (right) was named director of rugby for the season after the north London club won their third European title after defeating Leinster in the final of the Champions Cup and finished the regular Premiership season in second. The young player of the year award was secured by Sale's 20-year-old England openside Tom Curry (centre).

The world governing body had considered expanding the event to 48 teams - as is planned for the tournament from 2026 - but this has proved impractical.

Academy boss Nicky Butt will oversee a summer restructuring that is geared to improve levels under the first team and could also see former United midfielder Quinton Fortune take up a role.

The Blues are hopeful of having their two-window FIFA transfer ban frozen and are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but there are fears it will go through after Caballero's new deal.

The 18-year-old has been monitored by Premier League clubs throughout the season after a string of eye catching performances in the Championship.

Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho join up with Brazil ahead of Copa

Premier League winners Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho were all smiles as they joined up with their Brazil team-mates on Wednesday afternoon. The pair have spent the past few days celebrating Manchester City's historic domestic treble but must now get back to work with the 2019 Copa America right around the corner. And they looked ready to go as they immediately hit the gym at the Granja Comary Football Complex, headquarters of the national team.

Manchester United , Everton and West Ham have been offered the chance to sign midfielder Kevin Strootman on loan, according to Sky Sports News.

The 23-year-old highlighted her dominance when scoring a hat-trick in last weekend's Champions League final and saw off competition from four other shortlisted players.

Fabian Delph joins in England training as Gareth Southgate's men begin Holland

Fabian Delph reported for England's training session on Wednesday as Gareth Southgate's men got their preparations for Nations League semi-final against Holland underway. As Sportsmail revealed this week, the midfielder took the decision to cut short Manchester City's domestic treble celebrations to hook up with the England squad five days early. Delph along with Manchester City team-mates, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and John Stones, were not due to attend until next Monday due to their participation in the FA Cup final against Watford.

A 54-year-old man from Huddersfield has been fined and banned following 'despicable' verbal abuse directed at a Liverpool player during the Terriers' clash at Anfield last month.

Bury's players have issued a statement urging owner Steve Dale to sell the club quickly. The Shakers, who won promotion to League One last month, are facing a winding-up petition.

Premier League Leicester City are also hopeful of signing for the highly-rated 21-year-old who can play at left-back or right-back and was a target for West Brom last season.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Madrid are pursing a host of Premier League stars with Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba top of Zinedine Zidane’s wishlist but they are struggling to sell players.

England batsman Jos Buttler happy to have baby daughter as distraction from World Cup

EXCLUSIVE BY GLEN WILLIAMS: The stresses of becoming a father for the first time might weigh heavily on some — but for Jos Buttler, it is a more than welcome distraction. The England batsman, who many hope will have a starring role in this summer’s World Cup, last month cut short his stint in the IPL and flew home to be beside his wife Louise before she gave birth to their baby girl, Georgia Rose. And while the pressures of the World Cup loom, Buttler is grateful for the comparative serenity of fatherhood

McGregor and Khabib were embroiled in a dramatic UFC showdown in October, when a submission victory for the Russian sparked a mass brawl inside and outside the Octagon.

Tyson Fury has told Anthony Joshua to 'get his nuts out of Eddie Hearn's handbag' as the war of words among the world's top heavyweights continued. 

Anyone wishing to buy Bolton will need to prove they have at least £25million to take control of the club. The stipulation was made by Hilco Global, who have set the parameters for a sale.

Barcelona won't sign Maxi Gomez as back-up for Suarez but Llorente and Stuani are being

Barcelona are not about to derail Tottenham and West Ham’s attempts to sign Uruguayan centre-forward Maxi Gomez (left). The player coming in also needs to be willing to sit on the bench for most of the season because although 32-year-old Luis Suarez (inset) needs back-up, he still wants to play most games and he second top-scored in La Liga this season with 21-goals. Of the veteran options another Uruguayan has emerged as a contender after the recent relegation of Girona. But it remains to be seen whether Cristhian Stuani (top right) will want to see out his career from the sidelines. Fernando Llorente (bottom right) is another option and would cost nothing having come to the end of his deal at Tottenham.

Borussia Dortmund complete signing of Thorgan Hazard on five-year deal

Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Eden Hazard's younger brother Thorgan on a five-year deal. The attacking midfielder has joined the eight-time German champions for an undisclosed fee from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Monchengladbach.   'I’m grateful for the five wonderful years I’ve spent at Borussia Monchengladbach and the good memories I take with me,' Hazard said on Wednesday.  

He has become Dortmund's second signing of the day, after they unveiled Thorgan Hazard earlier on Wednesday following his £30million switch from Monchengladbach.

Henderson spent this season on loan at Sheffield United as they finished second in the Championship and he could prove to be the ideal replacement for David de Gea at Manchester United.

The Spanish giants are desperate to get Bale off the wage bill as they look to revamp their attacking options this summer and the supporters also want to see the back of him it seems.

The former Chelsea defender has spent most of the season as assistant manager at Aston Villa, working under Dean Smith, and has helped the Villains reach the play-off final.

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Jordan Henderson captains team to 6-a-side win at Liverpool's Marbella camp

Liverpool have been training in the Marbella sun as Jurgen Klopp's men hone their preparations for the Champions League final against Tottenham. The Reds arrived in Spain on Monday for a warm-weather training camp ahead of their June 1 fixture against their Premier League rivals. And Klopp oversaw a four-team, six-a-side tournament involving a twist with key men Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.

Maurizio Sarri confident N'Golo Kante will be fit for Europa League final

Maurizio Sarri is confident N'Golo Kante will be fit to face Arsenal in the Europa League final. Kante, who missed the final two games of the season after injuring a hamstring against Watford earlier this month, joined teammates for training at Cobham on Tuesday. 'We are trying to recover Kante,' said Sarri. 'He had a part of the training on Monday with the group, so we are optimistic.

Barca had reportedly wanted to conclude a deal this week, ahead of De Ligt joining up with the Holland squad for the UEFA Nations League - but that will no longer happen.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to add reinforcements to his squad following a difficult season at Old Trafford. It's reported United have already made contact with Barcelona.

Fans mock sculpture of Manchester United legend George Best

There have been plenty of examples where turning a footballer into a statue hasn't quite worked out and a sculpture of George Best has drawn awful reviews after being unveiled on Wednesday. A statue of the Manchester United legend has been erected outside Windsor Park in Belfast and was presented by his former Northern Ireland team-mates Pat Jennings and Gerry Armstrong on what would have been his 73rd birthday. Best, who made over 350 appearances and scored more than 100 goals for the Red Devils, died in 2005 at the age of 59 and his homeland have now attempted to pay tribute to him.

Arsenal fans joke Chelsea stars have links to Armenia before Europa League final

Arsenal fans have taken to social media to joke that a number of Chelsea players are Armenian so they cannot play in next week's Europa League final. The eagerly anticipated all-English final in Baku descended into farce on Tuesday when Arsenal announced they would not be taking Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the Azerbaijani capital due to safety concerns.

With Premier League clubs looking to revamp their squads for another campaign, here is a club-by-club guide to every major signing made in the build up the new season.

With Premier League clubs not kicking a ball in anger until August, keep track of all the summer's pre-season friendly fixtures and results with Sportsmail.

Sportsmail will keep you up to date with all the kit releases from every Premier League side throughout the summer as well as give our verdict on each strip's design...

Steve Smith and David Warner return for Australia in World Cup warm-up

Steve Smith marked his return to English soil with a typically assured half century but there were contrasting fortunes for his Australia team-mates David Warner and Usman Khawaja. Smith and Warner are back on the international scene after one-year bans for their part in the ball-tampering scandal and made their comebacks on these shores in the first of the summer's World Cup warm-ups against the West Indies. There is likely to be plenty of barracking from partisan crowds in the coming months, not least when it comes to the Ashes, but they were afforded the gentlest of baby steps during a seven-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl's Nursery Ground.

From backpackers to 33,000 Barmy Army fanatics - England's followers are preparing for a

In 1994, a group of backpackers joined a small group of cricket fans who watched England lose the Ashes – but carried on singing, drinking and supporting their defeated team. They printed a few t-shirts – and the Barmy Army was born. A quarter of a century on and the Barmy Army has 33,000 members, 250,000 social media followers, brings millions of pounds to every foreign venue they visit and are welcomed everywhere but Lord's. They are intent on keeping Test cricket alive and want to be taken seriously as a force in a game that refuses to die.

Alex Hales refuses to accept his England career is over and is targeting next year’s World Twenty20 in Australia as his international comeback.

The Kenyan doping crisis deepened on Wednesday after the former head coach of their Olympic track and field team was banned from athletics for 10 years.

Swan's win was particularly impressive, the 20-year-old overcoming a rankings gap of more than 100 places to beat second seed Jil Teichmann 6-4 6-2 in just an hour and nine minutes.

Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips ahead of Thursday's meetings at Chepstow, Goodwood, Sandown, Lingfield and Chelmsford City.

Too Darn Hot, ruled out of the Investec Derby after his second to Telecaster in the Dante Stakes at York last Thursday, could make a quick reappearance in Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has paid £92.9m in compensation to sacked managers since

Chelsea were this week ordered to pay their former boss Antonio Conte £9million in compensation, taking their spending on sacking managers to £92.9m. Conte was dismissed last July despite leading Chelsea to the FA Cup trophy after they failed to qualify for the Champions League. Here, Sportsmail takes a look at owner Roman Abramovich's past victims.

SHERIDAN BIRD IN ITALY: Maurizio Sarri's first season in the Premier League has been turbulent, abrasive and often uncomfortable viewing. But he is still courted back in Italy.

Tottenham are set to compete with Juventus for Lyon's highly-rated midfielder Tanguy Ndombele this summer. But who is the player set to spark a bidding war between Europe's elite?

We were very, very close and what has happened is in some ways a terrible thing. But in others it is a blessing because he had been in bad shape for some time. The last few months were torture.

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