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LONDON -- Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed suggestions that Erik Lamela could leave, saying it is "impossible" for the winger to think of moving clubs while he recovers from injury. Lamela has been linked with a return to Italy since he joined Spurs from Roma for £30 million in 2014, and the rumours have increased while he has been sidelined with a hip problem since October. The Argentina international will have surgery in Barcelona on Saturday -- described by Pochettino as a "last resort" to get him fit. Since he last played, Lamela has spent time in his home city of Buenos Aires on compassionate leave and in Rome, where he was treated for the hip problem at his former club. A relative lack of information from Spurs and Pochettino, plus Lamela's reluctance to speak publicly, has led to speculation including reports that the 25-year-old has played his last game for the club. But Pochettino said: "That was so stran...

Watford have announced that they have exercised their option to sign Tom Cleverley from Everton on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee. Cleverley, 27, joined Watford on loan in January and will extend his stay at Vicarage Road after agreeing a five-year contract. Sources had told ESPN FC this week that Watford would be obliged to make the deal permanent under the terms of the loan agreement if he played on Saturday due to an appearance clause Watford CEO Scott Duxbury told his club's official website: "We're very pleased to secure Tom's signature. I believe it's a sign of our ambition to recruit the highest calibre of player for Watford. "Tom's affinity with the club and supporters has been very clear from the moment he returned, and we now look forward to seeing him in a Watford shirt for many years to come." Cleverley, who has made 13 appearances for England, joined Everton from Manchester United in 2015.

  Amid speculation about Antonio Conte 's future at Chelsea, the Premier League leaders have decided they cannot sell Eden Hazard in case it further unsettles their manager, the London Evening Standard claims. ESPN FC reported Thursday that Conte is wanted by Inter Milan, and it is said that any hope of keeping him happy at Stamford Bridge hinges on Chelsea keeping their best players, Hazard among them. For his part, the Belgium international reportedly has reservations about moving to Real Madrid and fears he may not play regularly due to the competition for places in Zinedine Zidane's starting XI.

Griezmann remains United's top priority   Jose Mourinho likes the look of Kylian Mbappe and has his eye on Romelu Lukaku, but Antoine Griezmann is the manager's top target for Manchester United this summer -- and Mourinho has enlisted United star Paul Pogba to help complete the signing. The Daily Telegraph claims Pogba has been trying to allay his France international teammate's fears about the English weather in an attempt to convince him to leave Atletico Madrid for the Premier League and take United's attacking threat up a notch. United have long been linked with Griezmann, who has 22 goals in all competitions for Atletico this season, and it is reported they have no problem upping the ante in their pursuit by meeting his £85 million release clause.

Paul Pogba has been told to go slow on his social media antics and focus more on his Manchester United career. Jose Mourinho has finally waded into Paul Pogba’s incessant image and commercial work and as told the midfielder to concentrate more on his football instead. Pogba has extensive sponsorship agreements including a huge deal with sports goods giants Adidas, and his twitter emoji was recently launched. The midfielder can also be seen on social media either singing or dancing, but it was the emoji episode that tipped the balance for Mourinho, according to the Mirror. The United boss is believed to have told Pogba to cut down on his commercial activities, warning the France star he was prepared to drop him if he felt they were affecting his form. The France midfielder promoted his own emoji before the draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford in January and regularly sports eye-popping new hairstyles, and was criticized for promoting himself just before a crucial g...

World footballing body, FIFA, has suspended Lionel Messi from playing in Argentina’s next four qualifying games of the 2018 World Cup. The disciplinary committee of the football body also fined  Messi CHF10,000. The 29-year-old striker was banned as a result of an incident that occurred during a match between Argentina and Chile on March 23, 2017. He was found guilty of violating art. 57 of the FDC for having directed insulting words at an assistant referee. “As a result, Messi will be suspended for four official matches and sanctioned with a fine of CHF 10,000,” FIFA said in a statement. “The first match for which the sanction will apply is the next fixture in the preliminary competition of the 2018 FIFA World Cup between Bolivia and Argentina, which will be played today, 28 March. “The remainder of the sanction will be served over Argentina’s subsequent FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. “This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s previous ru...

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana could be out for up to a month after injuring a thigh on England duty. The 28-year-old set up Jamie Vardy for England's second goal in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania on Sunday, having also started against Germany in a friendly on Wednesday. He played the full 90 minutes    But it later emerged that he had sustained a thigh injury during the Wembley victory, and will miss Saturday’s Merseyside showdown with Everton. There is no timescale on Lallana's recovery, but the forward who has featured in 27 of Liverpool's 29 Premier League games so far this term could potentially miss five games. Jurgen Klopp's side host Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday. Losing him for the clash with their neighbours would be bad enough but further tests suggest the problem is not simply a minor one.