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Gossip: Chelsea and Arsenal 'fight' for Allegri and Enrique, Mourinho 'divides' Man United dressing room

There will be some big changes in the Premier League this summer.
There will be some big changes in the Premier League this summer.

Arsenal v Chelsea in its heyday. Wenger v Mourinho: the clash of styles, the one-sided results, the laughable touchline fights. Glorious times for the Premier League.

But it’s a duel we will not seen again. One manager is going; the other is going mad (you can decide which is which) and now Arsenal and Chelsea are battling each other for a new manager to bring their glory days back. According to the Sunday Express, that manager is Massimiliano Allegri.

“Max”, as he is now commonly known to British tabloid journalists who either can’t be bothered, or don’t know how, to spell his full name, is reportedly a wanted man in London.

But will he choose the west side, with its fashionable boutiques and friendly Arab millionaires, or the north side, with its fashionable boutiques and friendly Jeremy Corbyn? We just don’t know yet.

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The 50-year-old Italian is said to be at the centre of a “tug of war” between the Gunners and the Blues, which sounds either fun or painful depending on your point of view.

The Juventus coach is apparently “top” of Arsenal’s list to replace Wenger, but Chelsea have simultaneously “made contact” with Allegri in the hope he will choose them instead.


Arsenal currently hold the slight advantage of a guaranteed managerial vacancy, although Allegri would probably prefer it if they could offer him Champions League football too. It’s over to Wenger to provide that.

Luis Enrique wanted by London duo

But hold on a minute, what’s this in the Sun on Sunday? Arsenal and Chelsea are locked in a “bitter tug of war” – yes, yes, we know – for… Luis Enrique??

Eh? The Spaniard is reportedly Arsenal’s top choice to replace Wenger, but Chelsea are simultaneously in “advanced talks” with Enrique in the hope he will choose them instead.

Luis Enrique looks set to move to England.
Luis Enrique looks set to move to England.

This is all sounding strangely familiar. All we know for sure is that either the Sun or the Express are writing complete rubbish, which is really disappointing from two publications who are normally so balanced and trustworthy.

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It doesn’t help clear things up that the Gunners are also being linked with Nice coach Lucien Favre (Daily Star Sunday) while the Blues are said to be targeting Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri (Sunday Times).

Wenger, meanwhile, continues to be linked with Paris Saint-Germain. But apparently the French champions don’t want him as their manager; they want him as “president” (Sunday Mirror).

Martial can leave Man Utd

Mourinho is in the news today too. The Sun on Sunday says he faces a “player backlash” at Manchester United after “splitting the dressing room” by publicly criticising some players while praising others.

One of those not feeling the love from Jose is Anthony Martial, who the Sunday Times says will be allowed to leave Old Trafford this summer.

The young Frenchman’s agent has apparently been trying to secure the forward a new club, a fact which Mourinho is “aware” of and evidently not remotely bothered by.

Elsewhere, Mauricio Pochettino could be another joining the managerial merry-go-round after he “hinted” that his future may not lie at Tottenham (Sunday Telegraph), Napoli midfielder Jorginho says he would prefer to move to Man City over Man Utd (Sun on Sunday) and Alexis Sanchez made a “sly dig” at Arsenal by admitting he had struggled to adapt to life at a “big club” like United (Star). No need for that Alexis – not this week of all weeks.

@darlingkevin