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Ex-Liverpool forward makes bizarre claim about Haaland and Mbappe
Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has made a bizarre claim about Erling Braut Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. The Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain forwards shone in the Champions League in midweek, sparking talk that they will be the dominant force in football over the next few years. The pair have been tipped to have the same impact as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but Heskey has poured cold water on that prediction. Speaking to talkSPORT, Heskey said that Haaland and Mbappe are not in the same league as a young Michael Owen. “Whenever everyone talks about stats and young players coming through at a certain age, I always go to Michael,” Heskey said. “I start comparing them with him, and a lot of them don’t compare to him. For the stuff he did and the age he did it at, and hi...
Liverpool’s interest in 26-yr-old ace shows Klopp is finally ready to sort out a major weakness
Liverpool have been linked with the Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul once again. According to a report from Tutto Udinese earlier in the week, the reigning Premier League champions are looking to revolutionise their midfield in the summer and they are prepared to make a move for the 26-year-old Udinese midfielder. Apparently, the Italian club value the player at €40 million and the asking price is within the reach of the English club. SL View: A different type of replacement for Wijnaldum? Liverpool are expected to lose Gini Wijnaldum on a free transfer at the end of the season and Jurgen Klopp will have to bring in a quality alternative. The Dutchman has been an important player for the Reds during his time at Anfield and it remains to be seen how Klopp replaces his qualities in the s...
Joan Laporta says Barcelona can afford to sign 25-goal striker this summer
Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has talked up the prospect of Erling Braut Haaland joining the Blaugrana during this summer’s transfer window. The presidential elections were initially scheduled for January before it was pushed back to March 7 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Laporta is one of the three candidates in line for the post alongside Victor Font and Toni Freixa and he is seen as the favourite to win the election The primary focus for the next president will be to reinforce the squad after what has been a disappointing 2020/21 campaign for the club judging by their high standards. Haaland has been mentioned as one of the potential targets for the Blaugrana and Laporta has suggested that the club can afford to sign the Borussia Dortmund ace. “If we have to improve th...
Dean Smith confirms he will speak to 23-yr-old Aston Villa star regarding transfer rumours
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been recently linked with a move to Tottenham and Liverpool. The 23-year-old centre back has been in outstanding form for the West Midlands club and he has helped them keep 12 clean sheets in the Premier League so far. It is hardly a surprise that the top Premier League clubs are keen on signing him at the end of the season and manager Dean Smith has now responded to the transfer interest in the player. Smith has revealed that Konsa is a focused individual who is unlikely to be distracted with all the transfer talk. The Villa manager has also revealed that he will speak to the young defender regarding the reported rumours. Smith was quoted saying (via Birmingham Mail): “He certainly won’t get distracted. I’m not sure Ezri reads any newspapers but he’s pr...
Former Liverpool legend blasts Jurgen Klopp over transfer failures
Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon has blasted Jurgen Klopp for allowing the club to regress in the Premier League this season. Speaking to talkSPORT, the Reds’ legend hit out at Klopp’s failure to significantly strengthen his squad after winning the title last season. “The art of top teams is ‘spend when you’re on top’, but they’ve gone backwards in the Premier League because everyone else is moving forward,” he said. “I would have thought you’d sign two or three when you’re on the up, not when you are struggling. “Nine times out of ten Klopp knows his best team. When you start tinkering and your best eleven isn’t available, and you have a few adverse results, that’s when you start to question your team and ask, ‘am I selecting the right players in the right positions?’ “It’s been ...
Wishlist: Five Players Manchester United Should Target This Summer
Manchester United get linked with a lot of players every season, with agents often using drummed up interest from Man Utd as a way to get leverage in their player’s contract negotiations (the latest example of this being the Kingsley Coman / Bayern Munich story). With that in mind, we wanted to look at players that would a) help United become genuine title contenders and b) would be interested in joining United. That means we’re not looking at Erling Braut Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Rafael Varane, Sergio Ramos, etc. Who is on the list? Let’s find out. Position: Central Defence Options: Milan Skriniar, Nikola Milenkovic, Jules KoundeAlternative: Jean-Clair Todibo A slow defence can nullify both the goalkeeper and the attacking strengths of a team. We’ve discussed this in more detail here, but ...
Everton have made contact with target’s agent, Ancelotti keeps in touch with ‘complete player’
According to reports from Italy, Everton have opened talks to sign French midfielder Adrien Rabiot during the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old has been frequently linked with a move to Everton, and Il Bianconero claim that contact has been made with the player’s agent who is also his mother. Rabiot joined Juventus on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, and he could be on the move again. Ancelotti knows Rabiot very well as the pair worked together at PSG before. In fact, ESPN claim that the Italian has kept in touch with him ever since he left the club. SL View The Toffees are looking to bolster their midfield this summer, and Rabiot has emerged as a potential option. ESPN claim that the Italian boss is looking at someone who would be an upgrade on Andre Gome...
Fabrizio Romano: Leicester want French midfielder, NUFC’s £32m bid was once rejected
According to Sky Sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leicester City are interested in signing Lille midfielder Boubacary Soumare this summer. Leicester are interested in signing Boubacary Soumaré. He’s in the list as potential target for the midfield. Many clubs have asked info to Lille as his contract is expiring in June 2022 – big opportunity. But #LCFC are now planning to open talks. 🔵 #transfers — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2021 Sportslens View Manager Brendan Rodgers is keen on bolstering his options in the middle of the park, and the Frenchman is firmly on his radar. However, Leicester are not the only Premier League club that have registered interest in recruiting Soumare’s services. Newcastle United reportedly had a £32 million bid for his signature rejec...
Eric Cantona or Bruno Fernandes – who had the best first season at Man Utd?
Manchester United have a rich history in the Premier League (yes we are restricting this discussion to the Premier League era) with many high-profile signings that lit up the league in all positions on the pitch. However, which signing had the best first season at the club? The signing must have had a substantial first-team role at the club, so despite Anderson’s penalty in the Champions League final, he doesn’t make the list. Let’s see the outstanding transfers: Eric Cantona – 92/93 The original title-winning signing – Cantona signed in November and led United to their first title win in 26 years by the end of the season. United only lost twice in the league after Cantona’s arrival, and finished the season 10 points clear at the top of the table. Roy Keane – 93/94 Signed in the summer of ...
LeBron James & Kevin Durant Named NBA All-Star Game Captains, Damian Lillard & Donovan Mitchell Snubbed As Starters
Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty The 2021 NBA-All-Star Game starters have been announced, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be the captains. Thursday night (Feb.18), the NBA revealed which superstars will start next month’s All-Star Game going down in Atlanta. Kicking things off, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant, who led in fan votes in their respective conferences, will have the job of choosing their team from the other remaining stars as captains. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the 2021 #NBAAllStar Game captains 🙌@KingJames 🤝 @KDTrey5 pic.twitter.com/0Vs0YCa3P1 — ESPN (@espn) February 19, 2021 Joining Bron from the Western Conference in the frontcourt are Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Dallas Mavericks...
Aston Villa star in awe of what Spurs star did in the Europa League last night
Tottenham Hotspur secured a 4-1 victory over Austrian Bundesliga side Wolfsberger in the first-leg of the Europa League last-32 yesterday, with Heung-Min Son, Gareth Bale, Lucas Moura and Carlos Vinicius all getting on the scoresheet. It was a straightforward victory for Spurs, and the duo of Dele Alli and Bale provided a timely reminder of their quality. The Real Madrid loanee assisted Son’s opener before scoring a fine goal following a lovely piece of skill, and he might have played his way into Tottenham’s starting XI for Sunday’s trip to West Ham United after his impressive performance. Alli returned to Spurs starting line-up for the first time in over 80 days against Wolfsberger, and while he had no hand in goal, the midfielder was splendid for the whole 78 minutes he spent on the pit...
Chelsea pair set to miss out, Arsenal star may start against champions-elect
The 2020/21 Premier League season rumbles on this weekend, with some eye-catching fixtures scheduled to take place over the next four days. The action gets underway on Friday evening as Wolverhampton Wanderers go head-to-head with Leeds United at Molineux. There are four games on Saturday, with Southampton versus Chelsea kicking-off proceedings at lunchtime. Thiago Silva has definitely been ruled out of the game for the Blues, while Christian Pulisic is also doubtful with a calf injury. Burnley vs West Bromwich Albion is next on the agenda, but that will serve as a warm-up to the standout game of the day at 5.30 pm. Liverpool will be eager to bounce back to form in the Premier League after a dismal run as they face Everton at Anfield. The final match of the day sees Fulham welcome Sheffiel...
