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€180m striker could be Barcelona’s priority signing, if Lionel Messi leaves
Barcelona will prioritise a summer move for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland if Lionel Messi leaves at the expiry of his contract, AS reports. Haaland is regarded as one of the world’s best strikers and he has been in sensational form for Dortmund this term with 33 goals and eight assists from just 31 outings. His progress has caught the eye of numerous elite clubs ahead of the summer, but Dortmund are likely to demand as much as €180m to sanction his sale. The Blaugrana are one of the clubs interested, but it is reported that the striker will be a transfer priority, only if Messi heads through the exit door. Messi’s contract expires at the end of June and the club’s hierarchy have yet to convince him to extend his two-decade long stay with a fresh renewal. There is stil...
Blow for England and Liverpool as inspirational leader faces more time out
Gareth Southgate has confirmed that he is unsure whether Jordan Henderson will be fit for the delayed 2020 European Championship tournament. The Liverpool captain suffered a serious groin injury in the Merseyside derby on February 20. Per Sky Sports, he was expected to be ruled out for a minimum of five weeks following surgery to fix the issue. However, his international coach has now hinted that he may be absent for much longer. Speaking ahead of the Three Lions’ game against Albania on Sunday, Southgate said: “We know it’s going to be close to the end of the season, and we will have to see how it goes. “In terms of promises, we can only say that Hendo himself is very optimistic about how the operation went. “There are a lot of things to take into consideration but, at the moment, that is...
Liverpool reportedly want to sign £42m Barcelona target this summer
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul in the summer transfer window. According to reports from Italian news outlet Tutto Udinese, Liverpool and La Liga giants Barcelona are fighting for Rodrigo De Paul in the summer transfer window. The report claims that the Udinese skipper would cost in the region of €50 million (£42m), and both the clubs are a clear front runner for his signature. SL View De Paul, who was heavily linked with a move to Leeds United during the summer transfer window, has established himself as one of the best players in Serie A. The Udinese skipper has been brilliant in 2020/21, having managed six goals and seven assists in 29 games across all competitions. He has a contract at the club until 2024, and Udinese a...
‘Yes please, ‘Sign him’: Some Liverpool fans react to reports linking with ‘class’ player
Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to express their reaction to reports linking the club with a move for Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. According to Tutto Udinese, Liverpool and Barcelona are leading the race to sign the Argentine midfielder in the summer. De Paul has a contract at the Italian club until 2024, and many Liverpool fans feel that he would be a great signing for them. The Argentine was heavily linked with a move to Leeds United during last summer transfer window, but the Whites failed to clinch a deal for him. De Paul has been superb for Udinese since joining the club in 2016 from Valencia. The Udinese skipper has bagged six goals and seven assists in 29 games across all competitions and would cost in the region of €50 million (£42m). Where are Barc...
Manchester United must pay £103m to sign 26-year-old with 19 goal contributions
Atletico Madrid have made it clear that Manchester United or any other club must trigger the £103 million release clause in Marcos Llorente’s contract to sign him this summer, Marca reports. Llorente is currently in his second season with the Spanish giants and has been in fine form with 10 goals and nine assists from 36 appearances across all competitions. It was recently reported that the Red Devils had tabled a £68.5m offer for the midfielder, which had made Atletico contemplate over a possible summer sale. However, this has been dismissed by Marca, who also claim that the La Liga leaders have no plans of selling him for anything less than his £103m buy-out clause. Thomas Partey, Lucas Hernandez, Rodri Hernandez and Antoine Griezmann were all sold only after their release clau...
Paul Merson says Bayern Munich star ‘not as good as’ Tottenham player
Popular football pundit Paul Merson has claimed that Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski is not as good as Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane. There is a general perception among football fans that Lewandowski is the best conventional forward in the world. The Polish striker has scored over 40 goals in each of his last six seasons, including a remarkable 55 goals for Bayern last season as they ended up winning the historic treble. The 32-year-old striker has been simply superb this season, scoring 42 goals in all competitions. He was named The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2020. However, Merson feels Kane has the edge over Lewandowski. “Robert Lewandowski won the award for the best player in the world last year – but he’s not as good as Harry Kane,” Merson wrote in the Daily Sta...
Arsenal could be handed big boost in re-signing Martin Odegaard if this happens
Arsenal have a good chance of re-signing Martin Odegaard next season, should Zinedine Zidane remain the manager of Real Madrid, Football Insider reports. The Norwegian had an impressive loan stint with Real Sociedad last term, registering seven goals and nine assists from 36 appearances in all competitions. He was reintegrated into the first-team plans at Los Blancos this season but played just 367 minutes before he was loaned out to the Gunners in January. Odegaard made a slow start to his Gunners career, but he stepped up before the international break with several standout displays. While he has netted just twice in his 12 appearances, he has been hugely influential in the build-up of several other goals for the north London side. It is now reported that the Gunners have a good chance o...
Spurs reportedly join the race to sign in-demand Everton target, club ready to offload him this summer
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined the race to sign former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey in the summer transfer window. According to reports from Italian media outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Juventus are looking to offload a few players in the summer to free up the space for new additions and could sell Ramsey this summer. Ramsey joined the Old Lady on a free transfer after leaving Arsenal. He is reportedly on £225k-a-week wages in Turin, and Juventus will look to tie down the likes of Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo on lucrative deals by getting Ramsey off the wage bill. The 61-times capped Wales international has been in and out of the team since moving to Italy. This season, he has made 12 Serie A starts, and a further six appearances have come from the ben...
Lucas Torreira open to playing for Arsenal again on one condition
Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira would be open to playing for Arsenal next season if he is assured regular playing time by manager Mikel Arteta, The Athletic reports. The 25-year-old fell out-of-favour under Arteta following the project restart last term, and he was loaned out to Atletico Madrid before the summer transfer deadline. His time with the Madrid giants has been a frustrating one with just 629 minutes of playing time, and they are unlikely to consider the option to buy him this summer. It is now reported that Torreira is open to re-establishing himself within the Gunners ranks next term, but he will want the assurance of regular game time. Sportslens view: Arteta has shown that he is prepared to hand opportunities to fringe players, and Mohamed Elneny has been a prime example ...
Chelsea could move for £81m Serie A star, if they fail to sign Haaland
Chelsea could make a surprise move to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan if they fail to land Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland this summer, The Telegraph claims. The Blues spent more than £225 million on new signings last summer, but the move has not proved effective, with the club still far away from competing for the Premier League crown. They are likely to be more changes to the squad in the next transfer window, and it is reported that the club have their sights on signing a new number nine. Haaland is their top name on their wishlist, but they face stiff competition with interest from Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona, among others. They may need an alternative option this summer, and The Telegraph’s Matt Law claims that the club could consider a surpri...
Newcastle preparing £8m bid for target, some of their fans react: ‘Top player’
Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer. The 22-year-old has one year left on his contract with the Scottish outfit, and he has been urged to leave the club by his national team manager Stale Solbakken. According to Daily Mail, the Magpies are looking to submit an offer of around £8 million for the defender, and Ajer is thought to be keen on moving to England. SL View: Ajer for £8 million would be a bargain Newcastle could definitely use some defensive depth, and Ajer could prove to be a quality long -term investment for them. The defender is only 22 and has his best years ahead of him. He has the potential to develop into a quality Premier League defender in future. If Newcastle can sign him for £8m, it could prove a major bargain for them, a...
‘He’s a baller’, ‘Would take him’ – Some West Ham fans react to links with 10-goal winger
West Ham United have been linked with a move for Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma. The highly-rated 24-year-old has been in impressive form for the Cherries this season, scoring 10 goals with four assists in the Championship. According to the Sun, Southampton are also thought to be interested in signing the goalscoring winger. West Ham could definitely use more depth in the wide areas, and a goalscoring attacker would be ideal for them. Danjuma could be the ideal signing for David Moyes if Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko decide to move on this summer. According to the report, the Hammers are monitoring the attacker’s progress, and Southampton are also weighing up a summer move for the Dutchman. Danjuma recently impressed in an FA Cup clash against Southampton. A move to the...
