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Aston Villa allegedly want 27-cap France international but £50m price-tag makes deal unlikely
Aston Villa are keen to sign Manchester United ace Anthony Martial this summer, according to a report from The Daily Star. However, the Midlands outfit have been put off by United’s £50 million asking price for the 27-capped France international. Dean Smith seems to be intent on making his Villa side a real attacking force next season. The Villans boss has already brought Emiliano Buendia to Villa Park and has also been linked with moves to sign Todd Cantwell and Arnaut Danjuma (The Sun and The Sun print edition, July 20, page 51). Villa are allegedly keen to sign Martial from Man United this summer Aston Villa eyeing Anthony Martial swoop? The United man is on the Villans’ radar, according to the Daily Star. However, the 25-year-old’s £50m price tag is allegedly putting off Vill...
Premier League duo interested in Juventus midfielder
Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers are both looking to sign Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey, according to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Inside Futbol). Ramsey joined Juventus on a free transfer back in the summer transfer window of 2019. He was given a four-year deal worth a reported £400,000 per week, making him the highest-paid British player of all time. Ramsey in action for Juventus His time in Turin hasn’t always been successful. He helped the club to success in Serie A and the Coppa Italia but has failed to get past the round of 16 in the Champions League. He has made 65 appearances for the Italian giants, scoring six goals. The Bianconeri are apparently looking to get him off the wage bill this summer amid some financial trouble. La Gazzetta dello Spor...
Atletico Madrid keen on signing Arsenal forward, could be available for just £15m – report
Atletico Madrid have revived their interest in signing Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, Calciomercato reports. The La Liga giants are long-term admirers of the Frenchman, and they could lure him on a cut-price deal this summer. Lacazette recently entered the final year of his contract with the Gunners, and the club are prepared to sanction his sale. Sportslens view: Lacazette was the Gunners’ top-scorer last term with 17 goals in 43 games, but he could be on the move as he is no longer indispensable. The hierarchy have no plans of extending his deal, and it has been reported that he could be sold for a fee of around £15 million. The London club have their sights on landing Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham as his replacement but need to recoup funds first. Meanwhile, the interest from Diego...
Team USA Falls 76-83 to France in Tokyo Olympics Opener
As the Tokyo Olympics has officially begun, Team USA’s men’s basketball team came out with a shocking 76-83 loss at the hands of France last Sunday. Citizens are having a social media field day about the All-Star packed lineup. This is the first time Team USA has lost its first Olympic game since the 2004 semifinals against Argentina. France was also the same team that got America eliminated in the 2019 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals. Although Team USA led by eight points at halftime, France came back with a 25-11 advantage by the third quarter and led with six points during the fourth. France connected on 47 percent of its attempts, while America only shot 36 percent from the field. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert along with Boston Celtics’ Evan Fournier took the reigns for Fra...
Tokyo Olympics Sees Record 121 NBA and WNBA Players Competing on National Teams
The NBA and WNBA have had a record number of players representing their national teams at this year’s Tokyo Olympics. A total of 121 professional basketball players from the two organizations are featured, while 27 NBA and 10 WNBA teams are represented at the Summer Games. This year’s record surpasses the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics where only 46 and 25 NBA and WNBA players, respectively, were at the games. This time, a record of 49 current NBA players and 29 current WNBA players and 16 former NBA and 22 former WNBA players make up the 121 in Tokyo. Outside of the U.S., Nigeria has the most current NBA players on its roster, followed by Australia, then France. Out of the 12 teams competing at the Olympics, 11 of them have at least one NBA athlete. The NBA is well represented, with the Dal...
Report: Tottenham keen to sign £250k-per-week winger from PL rival club this summer
Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Anthony Martial from Manchester United, according to the Daily Star. Martial has become surplus to requirements at the club following the arrival of Jadon Sancho, and United are desperate to offload him this summer. The Red Devils confirmed the signing of Sancho earlier this week. The Old Trafford club paid £73 million to sign the 21-year-old winger from Borussia Dortmund. Martial joined United in 2015 from Monaco and has made over 255 appearances in all competitions, scoring 78 goals. United are now looking to offload him at the earliest opportunity to recoup some of the money spent on Sancho. Spurs are interested in signing the 25-year-old and are willing to match the £50m wanted by United. However, Martial’s £250,000 weekly...
£50m star to undergo Arsenal medical on Wednesday ahead of transfer – report
Ben White will have a medical with Arsenal on Wednesday ahead of his £50 million transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth claims. The Gunners were in regular discussions with the Seagulls for the centre-back last month, and they recently reached a transfer agreement. The formalities could not be completed with the 23-year-old on holiday after his involvement with England at the European Championships. He recently returned from his vacation in Mykonos, and it is reported that a medical has been scheduled with the north London club on Wednesday. White is set to become the club’s third signing of the summer transfer window after the arrivals of Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga. The Gunners have made a huge outlay to prise him away from the Seagull...
Manchester United nearing agreement for Champions League winner, could pay €45-€55m – report
Manchester United are nearing an agreement to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, Goal reports. The Red Devils have already negotiated personal terms with the centre-back, and they are now in discussions over the transfer fee with Los Blancos. It was recently reported that the club had failed with an opening bid worth €45 million for Varane, but they still appear on track to sign him. The Red Devils continue to have a good relationship with the Madrid giants, and it is claimed that a fee between €45-€55m could seal the deal. Sportslens view: United are determined to land Varane this summer, having previously failed to sign him on two separate occasions in 2011 and 2019. With under 12 months left on his contract, Los Blancos are also open to sanctioning his sale rather than ...
Barcelona have put £212,000-a-week star on shop window, keen to offload him – report
Barcelona are putting Samuel Umtiti in the shop window by playing him regularly in pre-season, Spanish publication Sport claims. The France international has fallen down the pecking order over the past couple of seasons amid regular knee injury concerns. He is now deemed surplus to requirements by manager Ronald Koeman, and the club are keen to offload him in the coming weeks. Umtiti recently played 45 minutes of the club’s friendlies against Nastic and Girona. The club are hoping to attract transfer interest. They still have a major stumbling block as the defender’s hefty wages of £212,000-a-week could put off clubs from signing him. Sportslens view: It was recently revealed that the club need to slash their wage bill by a staggering £171 million to come within the La Liga salar...
Report: Leeds want to sign £45k-per-week star…PL club have made a decision
Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion are keen to sign Daniel James from Manchester United this summer, according to The Sun. James was close to joining Leeds when they were in the Championship, and Marcelo Bielsa still retains an interest in signing the highly-rated winger. Both clubs are looking to sign the £45k-per-week Welsh star on loan this summer, but United have other ideas. The Red Devils have bolstered their attacking midfield department this summer by signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million. His arrival could see James dropping down the pecking order. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants him to stay at the club partly because Marcus Rashford may miss a chunk of the start of the campaign through injury. United may even hand the 23-year-old ...
Wolves offered chance to sign €30m forward with 13 goal contributions last season – report
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been offered the chance to sign AC Milan forward Rafael Leao through his representative, Calciomercato reports. The Portuguese has three years left on his contract with the Rossoneri, but he is not considered an indispensable figure. The Serie A outfit are willing to accept offers of €30 million for the 22-year-old. He has been offered to Wolves by his agent Jorge Mendes. However, the Midlands outfit have yet to make an approach for the former Lille man. Sportslens view: Mendes has been pivotal to Wolves’ recruitment in recent years, and the theme has been quite similar in the current transfer window. He has brought in three players in Rayan Ait Nouri, Jose Sa and Francisco Trincao (loan from Barcelona), and there could be more activity. Wolves are likely to ha...
Report: Wolves eye move for £12.8m midfielder, could face competition from Newcastle
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace are interested in signing Jens Cajuste, according to The Athletic. The 21-year-old midfielder is also being targeted by Newcastle United and Leeds United. The Magpies are looking to bolster their midfield this summer and have several targets, including Arsenal’s Joe Willock. The FC Midtjylland midfielder is also being watched. He is rated highly by Newcastle’s recruitment team, and the club have made their intentions clear. Last week, Expressen.se claimed that Newcastle and Leeds are prepared to bid for the exciting young midfielder. The Athletic claim that the Danish club want around €15 million (£12.8m) for the Sweden international. The Magpies are operating on a shoestring budget, and it looks highly unlikely they ...
