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Manchester City could face an even bigger task to try and hold onto Ilkay Gundogan this summer, with reports from Sport Bild (via Caught Offside) stating that Arsenal are now also keen to sign the player.

Is Ilkay Gundogan leaving Man City?

The midfielder has been excellent once more for the Premier League outfit this season, despite some uncertainty over his future. He's been a constant in Pep Guardiola's first-team squad, with the German playing in 30 games for the club so far this campaign and scoring eight goals along the way with four assists.

He's also shone in City's Champions League campaign, helping them to get to their current place in the semi-finals with one goal and two assists in eleven outings. The 32-year-old then remains an integral part of the side at the Etihad Stadium this year.

It will be worrying for Guardiola and the club's supporters then to see that the player is still yet to commit his future to them. With his contract set to expire at the end of June and no fresh terms agreed, it means that Gundogan could depart the side on a free transfer this summer. Barcelona have been the most eager to add the midfielder to their squad, with the Catalan giants determined to try and get a deal done.

City though have also made it clear that they want to keep the German in England if they can. A recent report suggests that Guardiola is desperate to try and keep Gundogan and that his side will even "double their offer" when it comes to new contract talks with the player. They've also offered him a longer deal than previously in an effort to keep him on.

However, a new report from Sport Bild (via Caught Offside) suggests that things might get a lot harder for City in their pursuit of tying Gundogan down. That's because Arsenal have now entered the race for the midfielder and could try and snap up the out-of-contract man themselves at the end of the season.

Will Man City sell Ilkay Gundogan?

City though would likely not want to sell such a crucial player to a Premier League rival, especially when you consider his stats from this campaign.

Gundogan has 2.07 shots per 90 this season, showing his ability to get forward and test the opposition keeper despite his role in the centre of the field. He likes to become an attacking option himself by roaming to the edge of the box and having a crack at goal and his shot on target percentage of 38.5% this season – one of the best of his career – show that he is getting more and more clincial to boot.

In addition, the player has been praised by those around him for his superb ability. Roy Keane labelled the midfielder as "outstanding" to Sky Sports news (via Manchester Evening News) and added that he is "brilliant" at getting into the opposition box.

City then would suffer hugely if they let him leave – and it certainly won't be easy to keep him this summer.

Steven Smith apologised to travelling supporters for having to witness an ugly 3-0 defeat, before saying the touring batsmen and spin bowlers had a lot of thinking to do ahead of next year’s trip to India

Daniel Brettig in Colombo17-Aug-2016Australia’s mystified captain Steven Smith apologised to travelling supporters for having to witness an ugly 3-0 defeat, before saying the touring batsmen and spin bowlers had a lot of thinking to do about their cricket in Asian conditions ahead of next year’s trip to India.The visiting batsmen fell in an unruly heap on the final day of the series after reaching a platform of 100 for 1, mirroring their first innings slide from 267 for 1 to 379 all out. Smith, who was out when trying to cut Rangana Herath off the stumps for the second time in the series, said recurring problems for the batsmen and the spinners Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland were the major problems to arise from a contest in which the pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had done well.”It’s a hard one to grasp really, it’s been a very tough series again, that is our third straight whitewash loss in the subcontinent,” Smith said. “What we are doing isn’t working. Batters aren’t adapting to the conditions, spin bowlers aren’t adapting to the conditions. I can’t fault our quicks, I thought they did a great job, particularly Starc, but our batters and spinners are the ones who have to step up in these conditions and we haven’t been able to do that.”We have been outplayed in every facet of the game, our plans haven’t worked as individuals or as a collective group, we haven’t been able to put Sri Lanka under as much pressure as we would have liked.”Smith explained the selection of the allrounder Moises Henriques who was out twice cheaply and bowled only two overs in the defeat having come into the side in place of Usman Khawaja. “He was picked pretty much as a batsman,” he said. “He can obviously bowl a little bit. Mitch Marsh is the allrounder in the team.”In these conditions, it is the spinners’ job to get the majority of the wickets as the Sri Lankan spinners did, we just haven’t been able to do that. The selectors are there to do the job and I back whatever they go with. We’re here to do a job and in this series and we haven’t been able to do that.”Reflecting on where the series was won and lost, Smith harked back to the first innings of the first Test at Pallekele, when Australia bowled Sri Lanka out for 117 but then failed to capitalise in being rolled over for just 203 in response. Sri Lanka were then granted a lead through the brilliance of Kusal Mendis, and never again surrendered the initiative.”That was a great opportunity for us,” Smith said. “I thought we did particularly well that first day to bowl them out for 117, and then a lead of 86 in that first innings wasn’t good enough. We had another chance to go really big and put the Sri Lankan batters under a bit of pressure and we weren’t able to do that. Since then we haven’t really fought our way back. It’s been difficult, we’ve batted second in every game we’ve played, and you’re always behind the game knowing you have to bat last in these conditions. That first innings of the series did hurt us.”Australia have committed enormous resources to trying to educate players in Asian conditions, whether sending Australia A and the National Performance Squad to India or installing a “spin wicket” at the National Cricket Centre. But Smith said that the surface was only a rough approximation of what his men had faced in Sri Lanka.”I’d love the wickets to be as they were back in the old days when the SCG broke up and reverse swung and spun late in the game, Adelaide the same,” Smith said. “It’s harder with Adelaide now as a drop-in wicket to get that same surface up. Even when the wickets are turning back home they’re different to the subcontinent wickets.”They’ve always got a little bit more bounce than the wickets over here. It’s hard to replicate anything you get in the subcontinent back home. We’ve got the spinning wicket at the NCC, I’ve had a bat on that and it spins, but there’s probably too much bounce for what you get in the subcontinent. So it’s hard to replicate what you’re going to get but I’d like as much as we can to get the Shield wickets back to the old days as such.”

Chelsea are back on their travels in the Premier League as they head to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth this afternoon.

The Blues are on a wretched run of form in a horrendous season – having only accumulated one point from the last 15 available to compound a miserable return to management for interim coach Frank Lampard.

Conversely, the Cherries have won five of their last seven games to provide a nine-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone.

Gary O’Neil, who took over from Scott Parker at the beginning of the campaign, has instigated this unbelievable turnaround, and his side look set to retain their top-flight status.

To pile more embarrassment upon Chelsea, a win for the hosts would mean they leapfrog the 2021 Champions League winners into 12th place.

Lampard will be perplexed by his team’s abject display in their 3-1 defeat in midweek against Arsenal and will be expected to name a rotated lineup.

Here’s what we are predicting…

How will Chelsea line up against Bournemouth?

There could be as many as four changes from their last outing at the Emirates.

In goal, Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to continue between the sticks as stories have surfaced that Edouard Mendy is to leave in the summer after rejecting the latest contract offer from the Blues.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell are expected to keep their places, but a change in the back four could see Wesley Fofana make way for Benoit Badiashile.

The former Monaco man has started eight Premier League games and the Blues have only conceded six goals in those outings.

Carney Chukwuemeka could be in line for a rare start too after Chelsea’s midfield was completely overrun in midweek. His athleticism could feature nicely alongside N’Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez.

Meanwhile, the west London outfit’s frontline could be heavily altered as the last trio barely threatened on Tuesday.

Noni Madueke is expected to be the only surviving attacker after he netted his first for his new club in the London derby.

Lampard called out the majority of his players for their poor performances but reserved special praise for the winger, who was the only bright spark.

He said: “My job is to tell the players what needs to be done and the players have to do it. And if they don’t do it, they won’t start the game. People like Noni [Madueke] today, I thought he was great.

“Because he has been training like that all week, that is why he plays.”

On the other flank, Mykhailo Mudryk will fill in for £70m-rated Raheem Sterling, who was anonymous in north London and was labelled as "embarrassing" for his lack of contribution.

Then, the final change will see Joao Felix deployed as the central striker instead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Predicted Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Kante, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka; Madueke, Felix, Mudryk.

Newcastle United avenged their Carabao Cup final defeat by securing a deserved 2-0 win over Manchester United last time out, with the convincing victory having only strengthened the Magpies' bid for Champions League qualification.

That impressive triumph has ensured that Eddie Howe's men have now won three successive Premier League games heading into tonight's meeting with relegation strugglers, West Ham United, with the trip to east London offering the chance to maintain this fine, recent momentum.

A key figure in the northeast side's standout showings of late has been that of club-record signing, Alexander Isak, with the towering Swede having scored three goals in his last three league games, while also having been an 'almighty presence' when leading the line against the Red Devils, according to the Chronicle's Lee Ryder.

Hailed as a player who could become a "world star" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the 23-year-old is beginning to justify his £63m transfer fee following an injury-hit start to life at St James' Park, with it looking as if he can be the man to power the club to a top-four finish.

For all the praise falling the way of the former Real Sociedad man, however, Howe may be considering whether to leave the 6 foot 4 man out of his starting lineup for this evening's clash with the Hammers, as a result of Callum Wilson's immense record against today's opponents.

Will Wilson start against West Ham?

The Englishman looked to have 'run out of steam' following his return from World Cup duty, according to BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks, with the 31-year-old's only goal this year prior to Sunday's win having come, ironically, against David Moyes' side back in February.

The former Bournemouth man was able to end that long-running duck against the Red Devils, however, showcasing his poaching prowess to nod home late on to make sure of the points, ensuring he now has eight goals and three assists in just 20 league appearances this season.

While not prolific, Wilson has been a reliable goalscoring presence in recent years for Newcastle, having now bagged a respectable tally of 28 top-flight goals since joining the club on a £20m deal back in the summer of 2020.

As such, Howe should have no concerns with regard to handing Isak a well-earned rest this evening, particularly with his fellow forward having been a constant thorn in the side of the Irons during his top-flight career.

The Coventry-born menace currently boasts a standout tally of ten goals in just 12 appearances against West Ham to date, with that by far his best record against any club throughout his playing career.

For whatever reason, the £46k-per-week man seemingly relishes the prospect of coming up against the Hammers, notably scoring a hat-trick for the Cherries in a 4-3 win back in 2015, earning the south coast side their first Premier League points in the process.

A long-running nemesis for those at the London Stadium, the "incredible" ace – as hailed by Howe – could prove to be the difference-maker yet again this time around.

With the dreaded international break having come and gone, Manchester United return to action away to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's side hoping to further strengthen their place in the top four with a positive result at St James' Park.

Ahead of a month that will see the Red Devils play nine games across three competitions, the Old Trafford outfit's first port of call will be to improve their form in the league, having won just three of their last eight games in the top-flight.

That rather uninspiring run of results has perhaps been overshadowed by the positive progression in both Europe and domestic cup competitions, with Ten Hag now needing his side to truly hit form in order to continue their quest for Champions League qualification.

The former Ajax boss will be looking to begin what will be a hectic April with a strong performance on Tyneside, with the 53-year-old having seen his charges run out 2-0 winners when the two sides last met in the Carabao Cup final back in February.

The Dutchman may look back to that commanding Wembley performance in order to help aid in his selection decisions this time around, with resurgent full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka likely to have staked his claim for a starting berth due to his "monstrous" display in that showpiece triumph, as hailed by Daily Express journalist, Alex Turk.

Will Wan-Bissaka start against Newcastle?

Ten Hag has seemingly been unable to settle on a first-choice option at right-back in recent weeks, with the return of Diogo Dalot from injury having sparked something of a battle for a starting berth of late.

After starting seven successive league games following the World Cup break, Wan-Bissaka has only since only started once in the last four top-flight outings, with that appearance coming in the goalless draw against Southampton.

With the Englishman having been the undoubted understudy to Dalot in the first half of the campaign – having made just a solitary, four-minute outing from the opening 16 league games – the situation appears far different at present, with there an argument to be made that it should be the former Crystal Palace man is who is the "first-choice" pick, as per Turk.

While rotation is likely to be in order due to the rampant run of upcoming fixtures, if Ten Hag is to select his strongest, available side against Eddie Howe's men tomorrow then Wan-Bissaka should earn an inclusion, particularly with the 25-year-old having shone against Newcastle at Wembley.

Having entered the fray at the interval during that mouthwatering meeting, the Croydon-born rock went on to thwart his opposite man, Allan Saint-Maximin, with the Frenchman having previously 'skinned' the aforementioned Dalot in the first half, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

Although aided by United's handsome, two-goal at the time of his arrival onto the field, Wan-Bissaka ensured that there was to be no fightback from the Tynesiders as he won a mammoth haul of eight ground duels in the second period, with his 7.6 match rating, as per Sofascore, only bettered by Casemiro among his teammates.

That 'front foot' showing – as per Luckhurst – should indicate that the £90k-per-week machine is the man to be called upon at right-back for Sunday's pivotal, top-four tussle, with the former Selhurst Park starlet having warranted the faith of his manager.

Simon Jordan has claimed on TalkSport that Patrick Vieira was sacked by Crystal Palace as the players stopped responding to him and his coaching staff.

The Lowdown: Palace are in dire straits

It was perhaps of little surprise to those connected to Palace when Steve Parish made the decision to sack Vieira following their poor run of form, but he certainly wasn’t helped by a horrific run of fixtures.

Despite sitting in mid-table, Palace are yet to play a team below them in the Premier League this calendar year, so Vieira was always fighting a losing battle when trying to pick up points, while he managed to do so against the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United with valuable home draws.

Parish clearly had a plan in place for life after Vieira as he’s moved swiftly to bring Roy Hodgson out of retirement and hand him the task of keeping Palace in the Premier League, with the 75-year-old handed the job until the end of the season.

The Latest: Players seemingly downed tools behind the scenes

Former club owner Jordan has claimed that a lot of the Palace players stopped responding to the coaching staff in training sessions, which would not have helped Vieira’s cause. He told TalkSport that Hodgson, meanwhile, should manage to turn things around.

He said: “I think the players will look upon it as the Patrick Vieira situation was running its course. The coaching staff, from what I understand, weren’t the greatest and the players weren’t responding to them – which I don’t think is great, but it is what it is.

“I think they’ll respond to Roy Hodgson because I think most people do. I think he’ll get a tune out of them – enough of a tune to get them out of the current situation they’re in.”

The Verdict: Players must now start responding

It’s certainly not a good view from the outside looking in if the players had seemingly stopped responding to what was being asked of them by Vieira and his coaching staff, but it does perhaps shine some light on their woeful performances.

Not too long ago, Palace went on a torrid run which saw them fail to register a shot on target for three successive games, which was a damning indictment of how their season had negatively turned around in 2023 under Vieira.

However, judging by Hodgson’s last stint as a manager with Watford, it doesn’t appear that Palace will suddenly start to become a free-flowing attacking machine, as the Hornets scored just 11 times in the 18 games he was in charge of.

That said, Palace are by no means in as dire a situation as the Championship side were, and Hodgson has kept the Eagles’ heads above water plenty of times in the past, which will surely have been the main reason behind Parish sealing his return.

Tottenham Hotspur managerial target Luis Enrique would be open to talks about replacing Antonio Conte, according to a report from The Times.

The Lowdown: Enrique top target?

There have been conflicting reports about Tottenham’s main target to replace Conte in recent days, with it initially being suggested that Enrique was the ‘lead contender’ for the job, despite the availability of Mauricio Pochettino.

A more recent update indicated that Marco Silva is Daniel Levy’s first choice, however Fulham have moved swiftly to deter Spurs from making a move for the Portuguese coach, recently accelerating talks with their manager about a new deal.

It remains unclear which manager will be prioritised by the Tottenham board, but they have now been given a boost in their pursuit of Enrique…

The Latest: Open to talks

As per a report from The Times, all parties now expect Conte to move on in the summer, with the Italian’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, and the former Barcelona boss would be open to replacing him.

The 52-year-old, who has been out of work since leaving Spain in December, is interested in working in the Premier League, and would be willing to make a swift return to management if the right opportunity presented itself.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The Spaniard has a proven history of managing teams at the very highest level, enjoying a remarkably successful spell at Barca, during which time he won nine trophies, including the 2014-15 Champions League, also being named by world’s best club coach in the same year.

Hailed as a ‘genius’ by members of the media, the Gijon-born tactician predominantly favours an attacking 4-3-3 formation, indicating he would bring an exciting brand of football to N17, which it could be argued is needed, given that Jamie O’Hara has recently described Conte’s play style as ‘diabolical’ and ‘awful to watch’.

That being said, the former Celta Vigo boss is unproven outside of Spain, and he was also unsuccessful as Spain manager in his most recent spell, with his side crashing out of the World Cup against Morocco at the round of 16 stage.

As such, appointing Enrique would be a risk, especially considering there are managers available with proven Premier League experience, including Pochettino, who would be available for free after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, while Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi has also recently been linked.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Loris Karius has been offered to AC Milan and is keen to leave the Premier League, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The German first arrived at St. James’ Park as a free agent back in September 2022 but has failed to establish himself under Eddie Howe.

The Magpies boss has predominantly opted for Nick Pope as his number one between the sticks and with Martin Dubravka as his back-up, the 29-year-old hasn’t had a proper look in.

Speaking during a recent interview, the 6 foot 2 shot-stopper admitted that he doesn’t know whether he’ll still be in the northeast beyond the summer. He said:

“I’m here until the summer. I don’t know if I’ll stay longer or not. We haven’t spoken about this – there was no need for it.

“There is so much going on here at the moment – we have important games, it’s a full schedule. There’s no rush.

“In football, you can never plan too far ahead, but I’m just enjoying my time here, really. Whatever role I have to play until the end of the season, I’m doing it for the team to be successful and then we will see.”

The Latest: Karius offered to AC Milan

According to CMW (via CaughtOffside), Karius’ agent has ‘already offered’ his client to AC Milan, with Inter Milan also interested in signing him in the upcoming window.

The Biberach native is reportedly ‘keen on leaving’ at the end of the season as a result of him wanting to spend more time with his partner who is based in Italy.

The Verdict: Let him go

Karius will be out of contract at Newcastle in the summer and his spell at St. James’ hasn’t been as successful as hoped so it would be the right decision to let him go.

Liverpool’s former star has made just one appearance during his time under Howe which was the Carabao Cup final vs Manchester United where he had a poor pass success rate of 38.5%.

The keeper is also the manager’s third choice having not even been named in the matchday squad for the last 13 top-flight games so it’s obvious he doesn’t view him as part of his long-term plans.

PIF won’t get any fee for Karius should he depart for nothing but his wages would certainly free up some money to invest in potential new signings in the months ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur have held investment ‘discussions’ with interested parties, and a possible windfall ‘could yet happen’ to boost the club.

The Lowdown: Spurs takeover talk…

Last week, news broke of US-Iranian billionaire Jahm Najafi – through MSP Sports Capital – plotting a multi-billion pound bid for Spurs. That offer is expected within the next few weeks, but the magnate may fall short given chairman Daniel Levy and owner Joe Lewis’ valuation of Tottenham.

Reports also suggest that both Levy and Lewis are undecided as to whether they wish to give away a minority stake, sell the club outright or take no action.

The Latest: Gold makes Spurs investment claim…

Writing in a Q&A for football.london, reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has claimed that Spurs have ‘certainly’ held discussions with interested parties over investment in the club.

Making a promising claim, the journalist also suggests ‘that could yet happen’ to boost Antonio Conte’s side financially.

Gold explained: “Spurs have certainly held discussions about potential investment with interested parties so that could yet happen to help them compete.”

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The Verdict: Good news…

The Premier League’s financial powerhouses are beginning to take monopoly of England’s top flight, and there could be a worry from Levy’s perspective that Spurs get left behind.

London rivals Chelsea have spent more than £500m since new owner Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich last year, a sum which Tottenham can’t match in such a short space of time.

News of possible off-field investment comes as positive for the Lilywhites, and if Najafi ultimately fails in his proposed takeover bid, supporters may be hoping that the club can at least secure a windfall through minority investment.

Celtic defender Stephen Welsh will remain at the club amid Sheffield Wednesday’s interest, according to Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Interest in Welsh

The 23-year-old centre-back was previously reported by Sky Sports reporter Joseph to be a possible departure from Celtic Park this month, with the Bhoys open to listening to offers within the opening weeks of the window.

Following just six appearances all season, Welsh hasn’t played in the SPFL since October and only featured in a matchday squad once since then.

On Monday, Joseph reported another update on the defender that third-tier Sheffield Wednesday were interested in taking him to Hillsborough for the remainder of the season, though this came amid Moritz Jenz’s loan from Lorient being terminated earlier this month.

The Latest: Set to stay

Following a rollercoaster month regarding the Scotsman’s future, it now seems as though his short-term future has been decided, with Joseph’s latest update revealing he’s set to stay in Glasgow until at least the summer, saying:

“UPDATE: It’s unlikely Stephen Welsh will be leaving Celtic before tonight’s deadline.

“His situation will be reassessed in the summer.”

The Verdict: Summer exit?

After Jenz’s loan was ended, Ange Postecoglou has been left with four out-and-out centre-backs, providing him ample cover for the remainder of the season.

With Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt appearing the most amongst fellow centre-backs still at the club (via Transfermarkt), after a knee injury hindered Starfelt at the beginning of the season, he’s since played in the previous 10 SPFL games.

All but one of those games has been alongside the United States international, showing what Postecoglou’s defensive partnership is set to be for the remainder of the campaign, leaving Welsh likely to remain as nothing more than a backup should one of the pair become unavailable.

And after penning a four-year contract nearly two years ago (via Sky Sports), it’ll be interesting how he and Celtic see Welsh’s future come the end of the season – though we can see why the Hoops have opted against parting ways for now.