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Man City vs PSG the standout as Champions League groups drawn
The groups for the Champions League 2021/22 have been drawn. Chelsea are looking to defend their title, having defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the final last March. Those two are joined by fellow English sides Manchester United and Liverpool. Paris Saint-Germain look to win the competition for the first time, hoping that the acquisition of Lionel Messi can help them over the final hurdle. Man City are also yet to win the trophy, while Juventus have gone a quarter of a century since their last European triumph. Meanwhile, Sheriff Liraspol become the first ever Moldovan team to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. There are several exciting fixtures to come out of the draw. The headline tie of the group stage will likely be Man City vs PSG in Group A, while Barcelona and Bay...
Norwich in talks with 29-year-old Arsenal-linked La Liga midfielder
Norwich City have opened talks with Real Betis over a move for midfielder William Carvalho, according to a report by Sky Sports. Carvalho spent seven years at Sporting CP at the beginning of his career, making almost 200 appearances and winning two domestic trophies. His performances earned him several caps for the Portugal national team – winning the European Championships in 2016 – and he has often been linked with a transfer to Arsenal. However, he later moved to Real Betis in 2018 after the World Cup in a deal worth around £15 million. He began as a regular starter but has since been in and out of the side. Carvalho made 12 La Liga starts and a further 15 appearances off the bench last season as Manuel Pellegrini’s men finished in sixth and qualified for the Europa League. According to...
Tottenham have opened talks to sign 22-yr-old, deal could be possible for £40m
Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing the American midfielder Weston McKennie from Juventus before the transfer window closes. The Italian outfit are reportedly open to selling the player and replacing him with Axel Witsel from Borussia Dortmund. As per Gianluca di Marzio, Tottenham director Fabio Paratici has been a long-time admirer of the player. He took the former Bundesliga midfielder to Juventus, and it is no surprise he is keen on bringing him to Spurs. They need more depth in central midfield, and McKennie could prove to be a quality long-term investment. Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko have been linked with moves away from the London club, and McKennie would be a superb alternative. Meanwhile, the Independent claims that a deal may be possible for around £40 million, and S...
Predicted Rangers XI: Steven Gerrard to make five changes, 19-yr-old set to start
Rangers take on Alashkert FC in the second leg of the Europa League qualifiers later today and will be hoping to get the job done away from home. Steven Gerrard’s men secured a 1-0 win in the first leg and are firm favourites to progress to the group stage. However, the Scottish outfit are currently without several key players because of a COVID-19 outbreak. Goalkeepers Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin, captain James Tavernier, left-back Calvin Bassey, attacking midfielder Scott Wright and winger Ryan Kent have been unable to travel. John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe are suspended, but Glen Kamara will be available after serving his suspension. The Scottish champions crashed out of the Champions League earlier this summer and cannot afford to miss out on Europa League football. Alashkert FC ...
Predicted Celtic XI: Ange Postecoglou to make one change, 28-yr-old to start
Celtic take on AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League qualifier later today. The Hoops secured a 2-0 win in the first leg at home, and they will fancy their chances of picking up a similar result here. Celtic are in impressive form right now. The Dutch outfit will have to be at their best to grind out a positive result. Ange Postecoglou’s men have improved their form after a mixed start to the season and the fans will be expecting a comfortable victory. Celtic have their key players fit and are the favourites heading into the contest. Alkmaar will head into the game on the back of a five-match winless run in the Europa League. By contrast, Celtic have scored 24 goals in their last six matches across all competitions. Postecoglou is likely to make just one change to the side that won against ...
Olympic Skateboarder Cory Juneau on Designing the Sneakers He Won Bronze In
When Cory Juneau cinched bronze in men’s park at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 22-year-old skateboarder was wearing sneakers of his own design. He had been immersed in sneaker culture for years by virtue of his sport and beyond mere functionality, formed an appreciation for shoe design. Juneau was such a fan of the Italian brand Golden Goose, in particular, that he reached out to the company himself to gauge if it would be interested in working with him. Less than a year later, their collaboration made its debut in the international arena as Juneau repped the United States in the first-ever Olympic park skateboarding competition. Coming off of his history-making win, Juneau talked to HYPEBEAST from his home in San Diego in an exclusive interview, delving into shifting perceptions of skatebo...
“Sugar” Sean O’Malley and Sanabul Reconnect for Cotton Candy MMA Glove Release
Continuing to serve as one of the biggest names in the UFC, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley has teamed up with Sanabul for another pair of cotton candy-themed gloves. Building on their pastel tone boxing gloves release last year, the duo has put together MMA sparring gloves that match the Bantamweight fighter’s superstar personality and combat skills. Coming in a mix of pink, baby blue and white, the 7 oz MMA gloves design comes complete with open palms for sparring and light mitt work. The training essentials are constructed of durable full-grain engineered vegan-friendly leather with a dura-soft protection system of hand-shaped, professional-grade padding and a custom premium lining for enhanced protection. Limited to 100 pairs, the gloves feature a secure hook and loop closure and come complete w...
Jose Mourinho could bring £60,000-a-week Chelsea star to Roma after Tammy Abraham – report
Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is one of the midfield targets for Roma boss Jose Mourinho, Corriere dello Sport reports. The Giallorossi have been busy during this summer’s transfer window with six signings for a combined fee of around €98 million. The most expensive of those was Tammy Abraham from Chelsea. He made a huge impression on his debut with two assists. It is now reported that Mourinho could be eyeing another player from his former club. Loftus-Cheek is under consideration. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria is the priority midfield target, but he is proving costly with his contract expiring next summer. Roma are prepared to pay between €10-15m for the Swiss, but Monchengladbach are reluctant to sell him for less than €20m. Sportslens view: Loftus-Cheek spent th...
‘Really happy for him’: Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal star after West Brom display
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was pleased with Aaron Ramsdale’s debut in goal against West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night. The Gunners’ new signing was preferred ahead of Bernd Leno for the Carabao Cup second round tie, and he was kept busy at the Hawthorns. The Baggies were far from full strength with six debutants from the academy, but Ramsdale was called upon to make four key saves. One of those was with his left foot after a big deflection. He was made to earn his clean sheet, and Arteta was pleased with his showing. He told Arsenal.com: “I’m really happy with him. He hasn’t trained a lot with us, but you can see the qualities he has.” “He’s a really young goalkeeper – he’s done a lot already in the league, and you can see the presence and the personality he has when he plays.” Rams...
‘Looked sharp’, ‘Happy’: Some Arsenal fans pleased for €25m-rated star after West Brom win
A selection of Arsenal fans were pleased for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he grabbed a hat-trick in the 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday. The Gunners made the trip to the Hawthorns for the Carabao Cup second round tie, and they were clear favourites when the matchday squads were put up. Baggies boss Valerien Ismael handed surprise debuts to six academy players. It was expected that the Gunners would win comfortably on the night. They still needed to produce a strong performance after back-to-back league defeats, and Aubameyang stood out with a hat-trick alongside an assist. He scored his first two goals with simple tap-ins while assisting Nicolas Pepe before the break. His bicycle kick ended up into a nice pass for the Ivorian. Shortly after the hour mark, Aubameyang appeared...
Report: Aston Villa now intent on signing £45m superstar in the making
Aston Villa are now determined to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, according to Tuttosport. Villa boss Dean Smith has already been a very busy man in the transfer market. Danny Ings, Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young have all been brought to Villa Park and Jack Grealish left for Manchester City. However, it seems as though Villa are far from done. Smith seems to be keen to bolster his central midfield ranks at Villa Park. Aston Villa determined to sign McKennie The 22-year-old is on the Villans’ radar, according to Tuttosport. In fact, it is suggested that the Midlands outfit are now ‘determined’ to sign him. Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace also want to sign the United States international. So Villa will certainly not have things all their own way. Wha...
Liverpool and Tottenham need to pay €50m for winger who starred at Euros – report
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will need to pay at least €50 million to convince Rennes to sell Jeremy Doku this month, Jeunes Footeux reports. The 19-year-old joined the Ligue 1 club from Anderlecht for €26m last summer but had a disappointing debut season with just two goals and four assists from 37 outings. However, he made a huge impression for Belgium at the European Championships. He bagged just one assist from two games but was the Red Devils’ main attacking threat. It is now reported that Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo is an admirer of the wide attacker, and the north London club could consider a late approach to sign him. Liverpool have also been keeping tabs on his situation. With the transfer window closing in a week, it is claimed that it would take at least €50...
