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Burnley negotiating personal terms with versatile attacker after agreeing £15m fee – report
Burnley are negotiating personal terms with Maxwel Cornet after finalising a transfer fee with Lyon, The Sun reports. The Clarets have had a quiet transfer window with centre-back Nathan Collins being the only outfield signing to date. Sean Dyche has emphasised the need for at least two new wingers, and they are now on the cusp of signing Cornet. The club have made multiple bids for the winger and they have eventually agreed to meet the £15 million price tag. Cornet had been keen on a move to Hertha Berlin, but the Bundesliga outfit appear to have been put off by the valuation. Burnley have now been granted permission to negotiate personal terms, and finalise the Ivorian’s transfer. Sportslens view: Cornet can play on either wing or at left-back. The Clarets could utilise him from the...
Report: Door open for Leeds to sign £26m Samba Boy, Bielsa lifeline after La Liga giants bid
Leeds must act fast if they want to sign Matheus Cunha this summer with Atletico Madrid having submitted a £21 million bid for the Brazilian according to a report from German publication BILD. Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa still has a good chance to sign the 22-year-old, however, with Hertha Berlin said to be holding out for closer to £26 million for his services. Cunha would be an absolutely outstanding addition for Leeds. So if the west Yorkshire outfit have to pay £26 million for his signature, it will be well worth their while. Cunha is an alleged transfer target for Leeds this summer Leeds must act fast as Atleti make Cunha bid BILD claims that La Liga giants Atletico Madrid have already submitted a £21 million bid for the Brazilian ace – £5 million below Hertha’s asking price for the at...
Predicted Leeds XI vs Everton: Bielsa to make just one change; 22-year-old dropped
Leeds United will welcome Everton in front of fans at Elland Road on Saturday. The Whites will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after suffering a humiliating 5-1 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford in their opening game last week. Leeds made it way too easy for the Red Devils to dominate, especially in midfield, despite restoring parity after the break. The one defeat will not make any difference to Leeds’ season, while it is also well-known that Marcelo Bielsa’s side will continue to play in the same way. With Spanish defender Diego Llorente still not available, it’s time for Bielsa to ditch the plan of using Robin Koch in midfield. Kalvin Phillips is set to return to the starting line-up, while Koch is expected to partner Liam Cooper at the back. The return of Phill...
Report: Wolves have pre-agreement to sign attacking midfielder and winger
Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen to sign Las Palmas youth duo Alberto Moleiro and Ale Garcia, according to a report from La Provincia. Bruno Lage is desperately trying to bolster his ranks at Molineux this summer. Wolves have a talented group of players, but Lage seems intent on building for the future. The Black Country outfit have been linked with a very exciting swoop for two young talents. Wolves boss Lage Wolves want Las Palmas duo Moleiro and Garcia The teenagers are on Lage’s radar, according to a report from La Provincia. The young Spanish duo are completely unproven at the highest level. However, they are supremely talented. Moleiro is an attacking midfielder while Garcia operates on the right-wing. La Provincia reckon that Wolves already have a ‘pre-agreement’ in place ...
‘Big response’ – Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Leeds vs Everton
Leeds United will take on Everton in the Premier League at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon. The Whites made a horror start to the new campaign, suffering a 5-1 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Leeds did well in the first half to keep the game tight, despite going a goal down. They restored parity after the break, but a calamitous performance soon after saw the Red Devils tear them apart with four unanswered goals. Robin Koch struggled badly in the defensive midfield role, and Marcelo Bielsa needs to strengthen this position before the transfer window closes. It won’t be a problem against the Toffees, with Kalvin Phillips set to return to the starting line-up. Leeds are more stable and compact with him on the side. His return will allow Koch to move back in defence alongs...
Newcastle allegedly plotting shock move to sign 90k-a-week Premier League ace
Newcastle United are keen to sign Everton ace James Rodriguez, according to football journalist Ekrem Konur. The 30-year-old joined the Toffees from Real Madrid in September last year for around £12 million (BBC). However, it seems as though he has no future at Goodison Park. The Colombia international seemingly only joined Everton because of Carlo Ancelotti. And he now wants to leave Goodison (Liverpool Echo). The Magpies could offer Rodriguez an escape route from Merseyside. Newcastle allegedly want to sign Rodriguez from Everton Newcastle chasing Rodriguez? Ekrem Konur reckons Steve Bruce has asked Mike Ashley to try and bring the classy play-maker to St James’ Park this summer: 🚨#Newcastle United plan to hold talks with #Everton about James #Rodríguez 🇨🇴 at...
Burnley enter race to sign Crystal Palace target with 77 Premier League appearances – report
Burnley are set to go head-to-head with Crystal Palace in the race to sign Watford midfielder Will Hughes, The Mail reports. Hughes has entered the final year of his Hornets deal, and he recently turned down a two-year contract extension with the club. As a result, he has been demoted to the Under 23s, and the club are likely to sanction his sale before the transfer deadline. Crystal Palace were leading the race to land his signature, but their opening offer of £5 million has been turned down. The London outfit are reluctant to pay more. The Clarets have now joined the pursuit and could bring the 26-year-old to Turf Moor. Sportslens view: The Hornets have been active throughout the transfer window, and they are preparing for multiple midfield exits before the deadline. They have signe...
Aubameyang and Saka return, Predicted Arsenal line-up (3-4-3) vs Chelsea
Arsenal take on London rivals Chelsea in Sunday’s Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners had a horrendous start to the new campaign with a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Brentford. They were without seven first-team stars for the derby due to injuries and COVID-19. Among those absentees, only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian stand the possibility of facing the Blues. The Gunners will also be without Martin Odegaard, who has not received a work permit after rejoining the club. Mikel Arteta’s side are far from full strength and appear underdogs for the London derby. They can take heart from the fact that their recent record against the Blues has been good. The club have won three of the last five meetings. They did the double last season. Formation: 3-4-3 Predicted Line-...
Lukaku starts, Chalobah keeps his place: Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-1-2) vs Arsenal
Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium for Sunday’s Premier League derby against Arsenal. The Blues made a terrific start to the new league campaign last weekend with a comfortable 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. They should fancy their prospects of securing successive wins as the Gunners could be without eight first-team players for different reasons. Their recent record against their London counterparts is not great, with just one win in five league outings. They will be aiming to make amends tomorrow. Formation: 3-4-1-2 Predicted Line-up: Edouard Mendy has been the Blues’ first-choice goalkeeper in the league since he arrived from Rennes last summer. He is expected to start ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Trevoh Chalobah has made himself difficult to be dropped on the b...
‘Incredibly satisfied’: Pep Guardiola heaps praise on £90,000-a-week star after Norwich City rout
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hailed the performance of Gabriel Jesus following the club’s 5-0 win over Norwich City in the Premier League. The Cityzens bounced back from successive defeats with a convincing performance against the Canaries. Jesus was adjudged the man of the match. The Brazilian started from the right-wing instead of his regular centre forward position. He was at the top of his game throughout the 90 minutes. Jesus cross led to the own goal scored by Tim Krul in the seventh minute. He went on to add two more assists for Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling. It was one of his best performances for the club in a long while, and Guardiola was immensely pleased with the forward’s goal contributions. He told Mancity.com: “He’s a player who likes to be in more of a wider th...
Southampton agree deal for 24-year-old Brazilian star, medical planned this weekend – report
Southampton have reached an agreement with Torino to sign centre-back Lyanco, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano reports. The Saints recently sanctioned the sale of Jannik Vestergaard to Leicester City, and they have now secured Lyanco as his replacement. They will pay €7.5 million up front for the Brazilian. He is likely to undergo his medical this weekend before signing a four-year deal. Sportslens view: The Saints have focused on quality young players and have already signed Adam Armstrong, Romain Perraud, Tino Livramento and Armando Broja (on loan). Theo Walcott is the only one signed this summer aged above 24. Their policy has continued with the purchase of Lyanco, who played 25 games for Torino last term. The Saints have been known for their quality recruitment over the years with th...
Predicted Aston Villa XI: Dean Smith to make two changes, 24-year-old to start
Aston Villa face Newcastle United in the Premier League later today and will be looking to pick up their first win of the season at home. Dean Smith’s men were beaten by Watford in their Premier League opener but are favourites to collect three points this weekend. Villa are undoubtedly the better team and should be able to grind out a positive result. They have an outstanding recent home record against today’s opposition, going undefeated in their last five matches in all competitions. However, they will have to iron out their defensive issues following last week’s shambolic performance at Vicarage Road. They conceded three goals against Watford, and Smith will demand a better defensive showing from his players. Villa are likely to make two changes to their starting line-up. Striker Ollie...
