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Report: Man Utd ‘huge admirers’ of 23 y/o defender…could face competition from two PL clubs

One of the many things that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to fix at Manchester United is the fragile defence, and it seems they are already working on that with the next transfer window less than a month away. According to reports from Manchester Evening News, United have earmarked Ben White as one of their centre-back options for their next two transfer windows. The Red Devils are reportedly huge admirers of White. But they have other targets in mind, such as RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano and Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane. However, United are likely to face strong competition with Leeds and Liverpool keen to secure his signature as well. Outstanding player  The 23-year-old is playing his first season in the Premier League for Brighton after impressing for Leeds on loan last seas...

Liverpool youngster reveals what Klopp told him before the game vs Midtjylland

Liverpool drew 1-1 against Danish club FC Midtjylland on Wednesday in the Champions League. With the Reds having already qualified to the knock-out stages, remaining top of the group as well, Jurgen Klopp gave opportunities to several young players. Leighton Clarkson was one of them. The 19-year-old was named in the starting line-up for the Group D finale clash, and the youngster went on to play for the full 90 minutes. Clarkson is a player of immense talent, and it was his third appearance for the Reds’ senior team. However, representing Liverpool at the European stages was really special for him. When asked about what advice he received from the manager ahead of the match, Clarkson told the club’s official website: “He just said: ‘Play your normal game.’ I’ve been training with...

‘What I do observe’: Bielsa says he doesn’t have a big influence over one Leeds player

Marcelo Bielsa is not just a great manager, but a fascinating person as well. I’m not a Leeds fan, but one cannot help but admire some of his qualities. The Argentine can be eccentric at times, his methods are often out-of-the-box, but there’s no denying the fact that he is very humble. Leeds will face West Ham in their next Premier League game at Elland Road where the Whites will be looking to return to winning ways. Ahead of the match, Bielsa touched on several topics. The Argentine was asked to comment on Illan Meslier, the Leeds goalkeeper, who has had a mixed campaign thus far. This is what he said, as quoted by Leeds Live: “Evidently, they say one of the virtues of a good goalkeeper is to have a bad memory. To be able to forget the moments of adversity and continue playing. “I don’t ...

FIFPro Announce 2020 World XI Nominees

The shortlist for the 2020 FIFPro World XI has been announced. Every professional footballer around the world was invited to vote for the best player in each position. The ones with the most votes made it into the 55-man shortlist. The goalkeeper with the most votes, as well as the top three defenders, midfielders, and forwards, will be inducted into the FIFPro World XI. The remaining spot will go to the outfield player with the most votes. Bayern Munich are the most represented team in the shortlist, boasting 11 players. Title winners Real Madrid and Liverpool come in joint-second with eight players each. Bayern completed the treble with a win over PSG in August Despite going trophyless last year, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur both make it into the top five, with six and five candidates...

Predicted Rangers XI vs Lech Poznan: Steven Gerrard to make two changes to his lineup

Rangers take on Lech Poznan in the Europa League later tonight and they will be hoping to finish their Europa League group campaign with a win. Steven Gerrard’s side have been in outstanding form domestically and in Europe this season. They will fancy their chances of getting all three points tonight. Rangers have already qualified for the knockout rounds of the competition after picking up 11 points from five matches but Benfica have the same number of points as well and the Scottish outfit will have to win here in order to go through as the group winners. They will be hoping to secure a favourable draw in the next round of the competition and therefore it is important for them to win their group. The last time these two sides met in October, Rangers managed to pick up a 1-0 win at home. ...

Manchester derby preview: United can only hope City forget keys to success

The eyes of the football world will be on the Manchester derby this weekend as United and City go head-to-head in the Premier League. The two teams have endured mixed fortunes this season and both will be eager to make a statement against their local rivals. Both sides have moved onto the fringes of the top four after a slow start to the campaign and a win for either on Saturday would keep them in touch with the leading teams. Read on as we take a closer look at some of the major talking points ahead of the game and predict who we think will emerge victorious at Old Trafford. Solskjaer Under the Cosh United have been inconsistent throughout the current campaign and they desperately need to pick up a positive result this weekend. Four successive league wins had fired the Red Devils up the t...

Bayern Munich Plotting Move For Barcelona Midfielder

Bayern Munich are eyeing up a move for Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo. De Jong joined Barcelona from Ajax in the summer transfer window of 2019. Since then, he has had a mixed time at the Camp Nou, often showing flashes of brilliance without ever consistently producing his best stuff. Nonetheless, there is no denying that the Dutchman has immense potential, as proven by his stellar performances at Ajax. De Jong has impressed on the international stage and at Ajax Treble winners Bayern Munich are said to be interested in the 23-year-old, with Mundo Deportivo claiming that he could be sold in order to raise funds during financially unstable times for Barcelona. Barcelona’s financial situation is no secret, with interim president Carlos Tusquets ...

Bielsa suggests two Leeds players are ‘very similar’… but only one has ‘advantage’

Leeds United will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on West Ham United on Friday in the Premier League at Elland Road. The Whites are facing a crisis at the back, with Leeds set to be without their two summer signings – Robin Koch and Diego Llorente. Ahead of the match, Bielsa has given his view on the two defenders he signed this summer. While Llorente has played just one game so far, the Argentine has elaborated on the qualities the two players can bring to the side. The Leeds boss feels that both the players are ‘very similar’ in their approach, with Koch holding a slight advantage over Llorente as he has played more games than him at the Yorkshire club. “They are both good in the aerial game – they are both players of a similar physical stature and despite how ...

Report: Wolves eyeing 24-yr-old linked with Arsenal, after Raul Jimenez injury blow

Valencia striker Maxi Gomez could be allowed to leave the club in January. According to Daily Mail, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal are keeping tabs on the Uruguayan international. Valencia are under financial stress due to the Coronavirus crisis and they could look to sell the player in order to raise some funds when the transfer window reopens next month. The player was heavily linked with a move to West Ham United at the start of this season but the 24-year-old ended up staying in Spain. Maxi Gomez has a release clause of £125 million but Valencia are prepared to sell him for less than that in order to cope with their financial losses. According to reports, Arsenal have been watching the forward over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers needs to sign a striker in...

SL VIEW: UEFA 2020 Fans’ Team of the Year

Earlier this month, UEFA revealed their 51 nominees for the Team of the Year and it was unsurprising that Bayern Munich had the most players on the list. The Bavarian giants won the Bundesliga, DFL Pokal Cup and Champions League treble for only the second time in their history last term and they did so in stunning fashion with a 30-match unbeaten streak which included 29 wins. Since 2001, UEFA have allowed fans to vote for their Team of the Year on their official website. As always, the final result will be announced in January and here are my picks for the 2020 Team of the Year. Formation: 4-3-3 Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich: The 34-year-old was almost ever-present for Bayern between the sticks as they went on to win another treble. The club-captain kept 23 clean sheets in his ...

Dundalk vs Arsenal: Europa League Match Preview, Team News and Predicted Line-ups

Arsenal travel to Ireland today to face Dundalk and will look to secure their sixth win of the Europa League group stage campaign. [embedded content] The Gunners have booked a place in the last-32 of the competition as Group B leaders following their impressive run thus far, and manager Mikel Arteta is expected to hand a couple of fringe players the chance to impress tonight. Dundalk are without a point in the Europa League this term having lost all of their opening five group games, and they shouldn’t pose any sort of threat to a second-string Arsenal side given their form and quality. The North Londoners have struggled to impress in the Premier League in 2020-21, losing six out of 11 games and winning just four, so they will be keen to make the most of their chances in the knockout stage...

‘I believe they do’: Journalist delivers verdict on Man Utd interest in £100m target

The Atheltic journalist Laurie Whitwell has suggested that Manchester United still retain an interest in Jack Grealish. The Red Devils were heavily linked with a move for the England international during the summer, but they didn’t come up with a formal bid. Aston Villa were demanding a fee in the region of £70-80m for their star midfielder, while United had other targets (Jadon Sancho for instance) in mind. Grealish has been simply outstanding for Villa (five goals, five assists) this season, and there’s a feeling that United may have missed a trick by not signing him. The 25-year-old creative midfielder can take some of the creative burdens off Bruno Fernandes and could be an ideal replacement for Paul Pogba, if and when he leaves the club. Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, drop...