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Manchester City, Barcelona interested in £81m Serie A striker, but club don’t want to sell
Manchester City and Barcelona have been credited with an interest in Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, according to Calciomercato. Lukaku left Manchester United for the Nerazzurri in 2019, and he has since impressed with 59 goals and 13 assists from just 85 appearances. His performances have caught the eye of the Cityzens and Blaugrana, who are aiming to sign an elite striker during this summer’s transfer window. However, Inter have no plans of parting ways with the Belgian, who has been instrumental to them being top of the Serie A. Sportslens view: The Cityzens currently have Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero as their main strikers, but the latter’s future is uncertain beyond the summer. Aguero has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola in recent months, and he could leave...
Barcelona keen on Frankfurt standout Andre Silva
Barcelona’s transfer plans for this summer under new president Joan Laporta are already taking shape. While Romelu Lukaku and Memphis Depay remain two of their most coveted targets, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Andre Silva is also a player who Barca are keen on bringing to the Camp Nou, according to Marca. The Portuguese international is one of the most in-form strikers in the world right now. Silva has bagged 21 goals in just 24 appearances, helping Adi Hutter’s side push for a spot in the Champions League. This is undoubtedly Silva’s best season to date, having scored just 12 times for the Eagles last term. Prior to his move to Germany, he struggled to find his form with AC Milan. However, Silva’s experience in La Liga is enticing to the Catalans, having played the 2018/19 campaign for Se...
Borussia Dortmund name their price for Erling Braut Haaland
Borussia Dortmund have slapped an enormous €180 million price tag on star striker Erling Haaland, reports ESPN. Haaland made his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season. He first caught the eye with his prolific performances for RB Salzburg in the Champions League group stages. He carried this form into the second half of the season with Dortmund following his transfer in January 2020. Haaland is a man in high demand He has since established himself as one of the world’s very best strikers, scoring 49 goals in as many games for the Black and Yellows. This has attracted the attention of several of the world’s biggest clubs. However, ESPN claims that any club willing to sign the 20-year-old will need to stump up an eye-popping €180m for his services. This would be the second most expensive tr...
Spurs warned transfer target’s value will have skyrocketed after what Southgate did
Former Tottenham Hotspur right-back Alan Hutton has told the North London club that they might have to pay more than they have bargained for West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone following his England call-up. With Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford sidelined, Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate decided to call-up the West Brom star for this month’s World Cup qualifiers. He could earn an England cap if he impresses the coaches in training. Spurs are reportedly keen on signing Johnstone as Hugo Lloris’ potential replacement this summer, and Hutton reckons they could have a repeat of the Jack Grealish transfer saga on their hands should the goalie become an England international. Tottenham refused to meet Aston Villa’s news demands for the midfielder back in the summer of 2018, with...
‘You’ve been brilliant’: Some fans respond to Leeds star’s latest Twitter post
Ezgjan Alioski took to social networking site Twitter to share his reaction after North Macedonia lost against Romania on Thursday. The 29-year-old winger provided an assist for Arijan Ademi as Romania lost 3-2. Alioski also picked up a yellow card during the game. He posted this message on Twitter: ☀️ #ffm pic.twitter.com/RKObEGTxpb — Ezgjan Alioski (@ezgjanalioski) March 26, 2021 Alioski has been brilliant for Leeds this season in the Premier League. The versatile attacking midfielder, who has mostly played as a left-back under Marcelo Bielsa, has started in 20 games this season, and a further seven appearances have come from the bench. He has also scored two goals. According to reports from Football Insider, Alioski has agreed a pre-contract deal with Turkish outfit&n...
Report: Everton could ditch King, should they bring back Kean?
Everton are set to release forward Joshua King at the end of the season, according to a report from Football Insider. The Norwegian joined Everton on a short-term deal from Bournemouth in the January transfer window, with the potential to earn himself a long-term deal if he can impress by the summer. However, King has struggled to make any form of an impact since signing with the Toffees. The forward has featured in just eight games so far, racking up just 117 minutes of action and failing to challenge Dominic Calvert-Lewin for a starting spot in attack. Carlo Ancelotti recently commented on King’s lack of chances, claiming before the 2-1 defeat to Burnley that the player is ‘ready to start’. Ancelotti on whether Josh King can play alongside Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin. “Yes, ...
‘Legs are going to explode’: Some Spurs fans drool over ‘absolute beast’ 25-year-old star
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg played the entire game as Denmark won 2-0 against Israel in the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday. Hojbjerg, who joined Spurs in the summer transfer window from Southampton, has been a key player under Jose Mourinho this season. The 25-year-old was making his 49th appearance of the campaign for club and country yesterday, and Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to admire his stamina and energy. Since joining Spurs, he has been one of the first names on the team sheet and has played in every league match this term. He has been an epitome of consistency for Spurs, featuring in five of Tottenham’s six cup matches and nine out of 13 in the Europa League. This man don’t rest — Tayguy ²⁸ | TL🌟 (@ThfcTL) March 25, 2021 Knackered before he went. Been off his best...
Jose Mourinho hits back at his critics in classic Jose Mourinho fashion
Jose Mourinho has been one of the game’s most influential figures for the past two decades. From his underdog days at Porto, to his famous ‘Special One’ press conference, to his divisive time at Manchester United – he’s always been at the heart of the drama. In recent years, the Portuguese has come under a lot of scrutiny, with many fans feeling like his days at the top level are over. His time at Tottenham Hotspur has further heightened this feeling. Mourinho took over from Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs The Lilywhites are looking unlikely to reach the top four this season and suffered an embarrassing Europa League exit to Dinamo Zagreb, all while playing uninspiring football. On the whole, it seems like a vast downgrade from the Mauricio Pochettino era. Mourinho has responded to those who ...
Calvert-Lewin scores twice as England breeze past San Marino
In Gareth Southgate’s 50th game in charge, England beat San Marino 5-0 at Wembley to kick start their hunt for 2022 World Cup qualification. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin (2), James Ward-Prowse, Raheem Sterling and Ollie Watkins ensured a comfortable evening for the Three Lions against a country with the worst FIFA ranking in the world. Manager Southgate named a very different looking side for the game than the one that we have become accustomed to recently. He became the first person to manage and play for England 50 times and made 10 changes to his starting 11 from the last international run-out, a 4-0 triumph over Iceland in the Nations League last November. Injuries to current number one goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish kept the pair out of this round of in...
From Owen to Wilshere, the Premier League’s Unfulfilled XI features the best players to never make it
The launch of the Premier League in 1992 sparked a wave of hype that has continued apace since then. While the self-styled ‘best division in the world’ clearly has plenty of attributes, it is debatable whether the excitement it generates is truly justified. One area where the propaganda machine has run riot is regarding players, with the last few decades littered with examples of someone being hailed as ‘the next big thing’. With many of those players failing to live up to expectations, we have assembled a Premier League Unfulfilled Potential XI. David James (GK) – Although James ended his career with two major trophies on his CV, it is impossible to look back on his playing days and think that he delivered what was expected of him. For starters, you don’t end up with the nickname ‘Calamit...
Tottenham and West Ham stars lead the list of Premier League’s bargain transfers this season
The transfer market has exploded in recent years. Newly-promoted clubs spend tens of millions, the top sides seem to cough up nine figures every summer, and someone breaks their transfer record every five minutes. However, it isn’t all £100 million deals. We still see plenty of players come in on the cheap and prove themselves to be superstars. Here is a look at the best bargains from the Premier League this season. GK: Emiliano Martinez (£16m) – Off the back of a succession of impressive performances post-lockdown for Arsenal, Aston Villa decided to splash out on Emiliano Martinez. It’s safe to say the signing has worked out. Martinez has been a brilliant signing for Aston Villa The Argentine has arguably been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season. His tally of 14 cle...
Manchester City and Barcelona could compete to sign £28.8m French star
Manchester City and Barcelona are closely monitoring Adrien Rabiot’s situation at Juventus ahead of a possible summer move, Calciomercato reports. The Bianconeri have experienced a poor season by their high standards, and they are currently 10 points adrift of the top of the league standings. After nine league titles in a row, their Serie A dominance appears set to end this term with leaders Inter Milan in stunning form at the moment (eight straight wins). Ahead of the summer, it is reported that manager Andrea Pirlo wants a rebuild of the midfield, and the club are prepared to part ways with Aaron Ramsey and Rabiot. The Bianconeri ideally want Manuel Locatelli and Paul Pogba to fill the void, and they are hoping to recoup part of the funds through the sale of the duo. Unlike Ramsey, Rabio...
