1. Pogba on his way?
The Sun reports that midfielder Paul Pogba will not be seen again in a Manchester United shirt.
Rumours have been growing in recent days that the Frenchman wants out of Old Trafford sooner rather than later, and the paper says that he and the Red Devils are “desperate” to go their separate ways this month.
The Sun namechecks Real Madrid as Pogba’s likely destination, although the move “could depend on the future of Toni Kroos with the German potentially moving the other way”.
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United had slapped a £180m price tag on Pogba last summer but he could leave for closer to £100m with Kroos thrown in as a sweetener.
2. Reds march towards title
Liverpool have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to a massive 13 points after a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at Anfield last night.
Jurgen Klopp’s men, who have a game in hand on their title rivals, have not lost in the league for one year.
Unstoppable: Klopp’s Liverpool are in a league of their own
3. Bring World Cup home to the North
The Daily Mirror reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been urged to make the North the centre of Britain’s bid to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: “The North of England is arguably the strongest football heartland in the world. To the world footballing community, the pull would be immense. The Government needs to turn their words about the North into proper commitments.”
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4. Webb available for Wales’s Six Nations defence
BBC Sport reports that scrum-half Rhys Webb will be available for Wales’s defence of the Six Nations rugby championship after announcing he will return to the Ospreys from French club Toulon.
A statement said: “The Welsh Rugby Union can confirm Rhys Webb will be eligible for selection for the 2020 Guinness Six Nations. It was announced earlier this week that Top 14 side Toulon had agreed to Webb’s early release from his contract for family reasons.”
5. Double injury blow for Villa
Premier League side Aston Villa have been dealt a double injury blow with news that goalkeeper Tom Heaton and striker Wesley will miss the rest of the season. Both players are set for six to nine months out after suffering knee ligament damage.
6. Mayweather’s in the money
American boxing icon Floyd “Money” Mayweather has taken top spot on Forbes’s list of the highest-paid sports stars from 2010 to 2019.
In the past decade Mayweather raked in $915m (£698.3m) to finish ahead of football stars Cristiano Ronaldo ($800m/£610.5m) and Lionel Messi ($750m/£572.4m).
Sport rich list 2010-2019: ‘Money’ Mayweather takes No.1 spot ahead of Ronaldo and Messi
7. Christie takes break from social media
Team GB short track speed skating star Elise Christie is to take a break from social media in a bid to improve her mental health.
The 29-year-old wrote on Instagram: “I messed up [last] year so much. I let the depression and anxiety turn me into something I wasn’t more times than I’d have liked. I’m going to take a break from social media for a while.”
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8. Zlatan: I am not a Rossoneri mascot
Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists that he has not returned to AC Milan to be a “mascot” for the struggling Italian giants.
The 38-year-old Swede, who has signed a six-month deal at the San Siro, said: “I’ve been looking for one final rush of adrenaline to give it my all. I received even more calls after the game against Atalanta [which Milan lost 5-0].
“I didn’t come here to be a Rossoneri mascot. I’ve never lost my passion.”
9. F1 pays tribute to Schumi on his 51st birthday
Formula 1 teams Mercedes and Ferrari have used social media to send their best wishes to Michael Schumacher on his 51st birthday.
In December 2013 the seven-time world champion fell and hit his head in a skiing accident and spent six months in a coma. Since then he has been cared for at his home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
F1: Schumacher is hailed for his part in Mercedes’s success
10. Today’s back pages
The news that England batsman Rory Burns is out of the rest of the Test series against South Africa after damaging his left ankle playing football draws a sharp rebuke from Michael Vaughan in The Daily Telegraph.
The former England cricket captain turned pundit says the loss of Burns - who has brought some much needed stability to the top of the batting order - is a “terrible blow” to England’s chances of winning the series.
The second Test started this morning in Cape Town.
Today’s newspaper back pages
Rory Burns ruled out after kickabout and it’s year we go for Liverpool
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