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Roberto De Zerbi believes Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister “deserve to play in another level” but hopes European football can convince the in-demand duo to stick with Brighton. Ecuador international Caicedo and Argentina World Cup winner Mac Allister continue to be heavily linked with summer transfers following standout seasons in Sussex. Albion potentially strengthened their hopes of retaining two of their star performers by securing continental qualification with Sunday’s 3-1 Premier League win over relegated Southampton. While De Zerbi feels that may prove persuasive, he does not wish to hamper the careers of the pair and concedes Wednesday evening’s match with Manchester City could be their final appearances in a Seagulls shirt at the Amex Stadium. “It can be the last game but I don’t know,” said the Brighton head coach. “They can have the possibility to change (clubs) because they deserve to play in another level. “But now we can offer them the possibility to play in Europe because our level is bigger now. We can offer them one possibility more.” Asked if a European place can make the difference, De Zerbi replied: “It can be. They can have more motivation. But they are very good guys. “When I work, I think for myself, I think for my club but I think still for the players because the players have one career, one life and we can’t decide for them. “I don’t know what Tony (Bloom, Brighton owner) can decide but if they want to leave, for myself, it’s right they leave.” Albion will almost certainly finish sixth and be in the Europa League next term due to their goal difference being significantly better than Aston Villa’s but need one more point to banish any prospect of slipping into the Europa Conference League. De Zerbi insists his side will not play for a draw against champions City as they attempt to cement their spot in the superior competition. “The focus is to play seriously,” said the Italian, whose team conclude the campaign at Villa on Sunday. “We want to play in the Europa League and to play in the Europa League we have to make another point. “We can’t start the game to make one point. We have to think to win the game. “We have a big, big, big target – bigger than Conference League because we expect Conference League. “If we have the possibility to play in a more prestigious competition, we have to try it.” City boss Pep Guardiola compared De Zerbi to a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant ahead of the midweek clash on the south coast, while hailing him as one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years. De Zerbi reciprocates that respect and praised the Spaniard for aiding his transition to life in England. “I can’t forget that before I arrived here, I received his call and he helped me a lot in the first period,” De Zerbi said of Guardiola. “He was very nice with me. “I can’t explain Guardiola. My opinion is he is the best coach in the Premier League and the best coach in the last 30 years. It’s my opinion but I think a lot of people think like me.” Meanwhile, De Zerbi backed Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk for an international recall. England boss Gareth Southgate will on Wednesday name his squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. “He deserves to play in the national team,” De Zerbi said of defender Dunk, who won his only international cap in 2018. “It’s not my work to decide the players of the national team but for us it should be a target. I hope he can play in the national team.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ECB CEO sees bright future for The Hundred despite Sanjay Patel’s impending exit Pep Guardiola expecting City’s intensity to drop but warns of challenges to come ‘This is the right club’ – Bukayo Saka signs new long-term Arsenal contract

Feyenoord’s Arne Slot is being viewed as a leading candidate for the Tottenham Hotspur job, although the club are monitoring what happens with Julian Nagelsmann, as they seek to find clarity in a chaotic period. Spurs on Friday morning announced that Fabio Paritici - who would have led the managerial search - was standing down as Managing Director of Football after having his appeal to overturn a worldwide ban on football-related activities rejected. With the Italian federation and Fifa ban from his time at Juventus, Spurs had ample time to prepare and the situation has just fed into what has been a crisis time for the club. New Chief Football Officer Scott Munn will now take on a lot of Paratici’s responsibilities, including the managerial search, although many in the game believe it will all ultimately come down to Levy. Spurs have already found a number of other issues in the process, however, not least the fact they are looking for a manager at the same time as Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy are currently in talks with Tottenham legend Mauricio Pochettino but it is understood a return to White Hart Lane was never seriously broached. The situation creates the possibility of a moving chairs situation as that could leave Nagelsmann free, who Spurs have long admired. The German has also been in talks with Chelsea and is being heavily pushed - with some thinking it could come down to a straight choice between Nagelsmann and Pochettino. While these are both managers out of work, however, Spurs have found that other prospective candidates are not willing to seriously think about their futures at such an intense point of the season. That has led to the club doing a lot of reconnaissance and talks through back channels, and Slot is known to have struck the club as a possible manager who best fits what they want. While Levy’s recent thinking has been for big names such as Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, the ultimate disappointment of both may see the club shift to a coach who was on an upward curve working with younger players as with Pochettino in 2014. Roberto De Zerbi has equally been considered but that is seen as a difficult deal to strike, and he has a huge support staff. Read More Fabio Paratici resigns from Tottenham role after losing appeal against ban Mauricio Pochettino impresses in further talks over Chelsea job Fantasy Premier League tips gameweek 32: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gabriel Jesus, Kurt Zouma and more Tottenham identify leading candidate to be next manager Tottenham lose at home to Brentford as fans turn on club’s board Tottenham Hotspur vs Brentford LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

LeBron James has plenty of options if he does retire.

Brighton have held talks over a summer move for Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expects an inevitable drop off in intensity from his players now the Premier League has been retained but warned them that major challenges still lie in wait. A fifth title in six years was attained following Arsenal’s defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which essentially gave City three ‘free’ games until the end of the domestic campaign. They have already dispensed with Chelsea and Brighton follow on Wednesday before Brentford on the final day, but the bigger picture is the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the Champions League final against Inter Milan. “They have the party after the (Chelsea) game. I don’t know how they feel,” said Guardiola. “They have to be ready to run a lot. The best way to prepare for the final is be ready. The players set the standards, they have to maintain it. “It’s normal the energy would drop. Arsenal play for just the Premier League, we have FA Cup, Champions League, the energy we spend is massive. “It’s normal you drop, you have to avoid it or don’t drop much otherwise the two teams (Brighton and Brentford) can hurt us. Brighton - Premier League, May 24 Brentford - Premier League, May 28 Manchester United - FA Cup final, June 3 Inter Milan - Champions League final, June 10 “Play our game, adapt the way we play, arrive to United and Inter in the best condition possible.” Guardiola has plenty of options at his disposal in terms of being able to keep his players fresh, so there should be no excuse for a huge drop off in performance. Against Chelsea he made nine changes, allowing him to be able to bring on the likes of 52-goal striker Erling Haaland, playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and John Stones while not even using Jack Grealish or the in-form Ilkay Gundogan. That meant a first Premier League start for Kalvin Phillips, who has had a difficult debut season since arriving from Leeds for £42million. Guardiola insists all his squad still have a part to play. “Everyone can have influence, sometimes five minutes is as important as the rest,” he added. “Everyone has been important, everyone has been involved in the fact we are where we are.” The City boss, however, remains wary of Brighton, who are riding the crest of a wave having qualified for Europe for the first time in their history. Pay attention to what I'm going to say. I'm pretty convinced I'm right in what I'm saying: I think Roberto is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years. Pep Guardiola on Roberto De Zerbi Guardiola is a huge fan of the work done by Roberto De Zerbi since taking over from Graham Potter. “Congratulations for Brighton for this incredible achievement for the Europa League,” he said. “Pay attention to what I’m going to say. I’m pretty convinced I’m right in what I’m saying: I think Roberto is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years. “There is no team playing the way they play, it’s unique. I have the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great – I didn’t expect them to do it in this short space of time. “If you don’t play at a high level he can do whatever he wants against you. They deserve completely the compliments and the success they have, one of the teams I try to learn a lot from. “Brighton is the master of passing the ball to the man free, but also when to pass to the free man. “They move at the right time, this is the best at the world, for the right tempo and the free man.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘This is the right club’ – Bukayo Saka signs new long-term Arsenal contract Leeds, Leicester and Everton facing final-day scrap for Premier League survival Jack Nowell rules himself out of England’s World Cup plans

Oli Marmol gave a proverbial nod toward a late Cardinals reporter with his attire on Monday night.Oli Marmol infrequently wears his full uniform while managing the St. Louis Cardinals. On top, he typically dons a hoodie or a long-sleeve shirt instead of the jersey.For some of the purists of ...

There are no longer any undefeated teams in the NWSL after week eight, where teams can fall and rise and turn in the blink of an eye. After all the upsets and upturns, here are your week eight NWSL power rankings.It wouldn’t be the chaotic NWSL we all know and love if there was an unbeaten...

Tyson Fury is in talks with unbeaten heavyweight Demsey McKean over a fight Down Under, according to the Australian’s manager. WBC champion Fury was expected to fight Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the unified titles, in a seismic bout in April, but negotiations collapsed in March. As a result, Usyk is expected to defend his belts against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois this summer, while Fury’s next move is unclear. The unbeaten Briton, 34, is in Melbourne this week to support teammate Joseph Parker, who is fighting Faiga Opelu on Wednesday (24 May), and Fury may follow in the New Zealander’s footsteps later this year. That’s according to Angelo Di Carlo, manager of McKean, who told Australian media on Monday (22 May): “Chats began some time ago for Demsey to fight Tyson Fury in Australia, and I think Demsey is the best option for the ‘Gypsy King’. “We’re certainly keen to do the fight. We’ve had a good association with Matchroom [McKean’s promoters], and we have great respect for [Matchroom chief] Eddie Hearn, but I’ll have more talks with Fury’s camp and see where that takes us. “If Tyson Fury wants to fight in Australia, the logical option is to fight an Aussie fighter, and talking to Fury’s people, they don’t want to fight a small heavyweight. Demsey and Justis [Huni] are Australia’s best heavyweights, but Demsey is 6ft 6in and – being a southpaw – he would present a real test for Tyson. “We’ve been given a possible date to fight Fury in August, so hopefully we can make it happen [...] Demsey has said, ‘Let’s make this fight happen.’ For Demsey to get the chance to jump in the ring with Tyson Fury, it would be the biggest fight in Australian history [...] This would be a dream come true, all the greatest heavyweights are chasing Fury; Anthony Joshua, Usyk, Andy Ruiz, Deontay Wilder – they all would love a piece of Fury. “Demsey is unbeaten and he is awkward enough to give any heavyweight problems. Being a southpaw makes him tricky to fight, and he has the youth and hunger to be competitive against Fury. Tyson cannot underestimate Demsey, because he has the size and power to pull off an upset.” McKean, 32, has a professional record of 22-0 (14 knockouts) and was linked with Anthony Joshua earlier this year. The Briton, however, went on to fight Jermaine Franklin instead. Joshua outpointed the American in London in April. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Katie Taylor’s long reign as boxing queen over despite heroic last stand ‘Daylight robbery’: Vasiliy Lomachenko’s team plan to appeal Devin Haney defeat Wood vs Lara live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Tyson Fury lifts lid on ‘silly’ Andy Ruiz Jr negotiations

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s MVP case was propelled even further by an absolutely wild stolen base on Monday night that caught the Dodgers snoozing.Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. is quickly cementing himself as one of the most important players to watch in 2023. The outfielder is ...

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has signed a new long-term contract. The 21-year-old England international has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season as well as providing 11 assists. Saka told the club website: “I’m just really happy. There’s been a lot of talking and it’s been a while, but I’m here now. I think this is the right club, the right place to make the next step. It’s a beautiful club – look where we are. “For me, it’s about achieving my personal ambitions – how much I push myself and demand from myself each game, week in, week out. Then I have all the right people around me in terms of family, and when I come to the training ground, my team-mates, the coaching staff. “I think I have everything I need to become the best player I can be, and that’s why I’m happy to stay here and be here for the future, because I really believe that we can achieve big things.” Saka made his Gunners debut in November 2018 and has made 178 appearances in red and white. He added: “I have seen a lot of change. I’ve seen this team and the club grow, and one thing that everyone around us can be excited about is that we are going in the right direction. “Time is on our side. You can look at our team and a lot of the players are young. We’re hungry, and a lot of us haven’t won trophies at Arsenal so we want to achieve big things. If you watch the way we all speak, we want to win and we want to win here. “It’s been too long since this club has had Champions League football. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday and Wednesday nights in this stadium, the atmosphere is going to be special.” Saka joins goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in signing a new deal in the last few days. Boss Mikel Arteta said: “It’s great for the club that Bukayo has extended his contract. Retaining our best young talents is key to our continued progress and Bukayo represents such an important part of our squad now and for the future. “As well as being a fantastic talent, Bukayo is a special person, he’s loved by us all and he is a credit to himself and his family for the hard work and commitment they have all made to get to this level today. “Together with our supporters, we’re so looking forward to enjoying Bukayo’s continued development with us in the years to come.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leeds, Leicester and Everton facing final-day scrap for Premier League survival Jack Nowell rules himself out of England’s World Cup plans Dean Smith feels Leicester have put pressure on Everton ahead of final-day scrap

NBA Free Agency is coming and teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers have plenty to lose.NBA free agency is rapidly approaching. Negotiations with free agents can officially begin on June 30 but every team that's been eliminated from the playoffs is already...

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith and Atlanta Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna have beef, and lots of it.You won't like Will Smith when he's angry -- the incident with Chris Rock at The Oscars should've proved that fact years ago. Yes, even this article will have Will Smith puns....