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West Ham and Watford keen on signing £20m-rated striker from Premier League giants – report
West Ham United and Watford are among the Premier League clubs interested in signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer, Football.London’s Chris Wheatley reports. Nketiah had a frustrating 2020/21 campaign with the Gunners where he was the back-up option behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. He was restricted to just over 1,300 minutes of game time across 30 appearances, but still impressed by finding the back of the net on six occasions. With just one year left on his contract, Nketiah is attracting widespread interest. Bayer Leverkusen are keen on luring him to the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old is also on the radar of West Ham United and newly-promoted Watford. Sportslens view: Nketiah’s future with the Gunners appears bleak after the club handed a new five-year ...
‘We’ve got to make sure we’re ready’: Spurs star issues rallying call
Harry Kane insists there is no room for complacency in the England camp following a memorable 2-0 win over Germany as he pinpoints Ukraine’s ‘greatest strength.’ Kane told the England team’s official YouTube channel the Three Lions have to be at their best to get past Ukraine in the quarter-finals. “We were on the couch, and we were watching it – we had it on, and it was a good game,” he said. “Ukraine had a huge high, scoring in injury-time, so I’m sure they’ll be buzzing today, and I’m sure they’ll take that into the game on Saturday. “We’ve just got to make sure we’re ready for everyone, their greatest strength is our team unity, and we need to be ready. “We know if we play to our highest abilities, we should have enough to win the game. But it’s knockout football, so we’ve got to make ...
Newcastle expected to submit bid for 28-yr-old attacker in the coming days
Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Portuguese international Rafa Silva this summer. According to Correio da Manha, the Premier League club are expected to submit a bid for the 28-year-old winger in the next few days. Benfica are prepared to sanction his departure this summer for around €25 million, and Newcastle have the resources to pay that kind of money for Silva. The Magpies need to add more creativity and flair to their attack, and Silva could prove to be a quality addition. The right-sided winger bagged nine goals and 10 assists across all competitions, and his productivity would be a big boost for Newcastle. The Portuguese international is at the peak of his career right now, and this is the ideal time for him to make the step up to the Premier League. His direct play...
Arsenal one of the clubs leading the chase for 26-yr-old, Spurs linked as well
Lazio attacker Joaquin Correa has been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks. According to Calciomercato, the 26-year-old Argentine international could be on his way out of the Italian club this summer. Former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has taken over at the Italian club and is likely to employ a 4-3-3 system next season. Correa is not an ideal fit for the system, and Lazio could look to cash in on, with a fee of around €50 million likely to be enough to secure his services. Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with Correa, with the latter two clubs believed to be leading the race to sign him. Correa bagged 11 goals and six assists in all competitions last term, and his ability to play across the front line makes him a tempting proposit...
Aston Villa keeping tabs on 25-yr-old Spurs ace, 21-yr-old winger on their radar as well
Aston Villa are looking to improve their midfield options this summer and are keeping tabs on Harry Winks, Todd Cantwell and Dwight McNeil. According to the Telegraph, Roma are keen on signing Douglas Luiz from Villa this summer, and Dean Smith is looking at potential replacements. Winks has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth at Tottenham this past season and could prove a smart signing for Villa. The 25-year-old is very good at recycling possession and controlling the tempo of the game. He could be an ideal foil for John McGinn. The interest in Cantwell seems surprising, with Jack Grealish the undisputed starter in his position for Villa. Unless Grealish leaves the club this summer, Cantwell’s signing would not make sense for the Midlands club. As far as McNeil is considered,...
‘This should not frighten us’: Man City star not phased by facing England
Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko believes in Ukraine’s chances of surpassing England in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals this Saturday. In an interview with The Independent, Zinchenko maintained England’s strength and squad depth but insisted Ukraine will fancy their chances in Rome. “I watched almost all of their matches at the Euros except for (Germany),” he said. “I know many players of the team personally, thanks to the matches in the Premier League. “It is very difficult to score for this team. It is a great team with a fantastic selection of performers. “If you look at their bench, there are players worth, probably, like three national teams of Ukraine. “But this should not frighten us, but rather motivate us. I have already felt that everything in this life is real. I will perso...
Chris Sutton’s three-word reaction as Rangers star is linked with Man Utd
Manchester United want to sign Rangers right-back and skipper James Tavernier, according to 90min. Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Norwich City are also interested in bringing him back to the Premier League. The Rangers star ended last season with 15 goals and 10 assists across all competitions and helped the Ibrox side win their 55th Scottish Premiership title. Tavernier impressed in the domestic league and the Europa League, and it seems he has attracted the Red Devils and co. However, Celtic legend Chris Sutton has rejected the idea on Twitter. This is unlikely… https://t.co/vEX1SguswI — Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) June 30, 2021 Sportslens View Although the 29-year-old is undoubtedly the best right-back in the Scottish top-flight, the report linking him with a move to Man Utd...
Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus enter race to sign Arsenal star valued at €20 million – report
Paris Saint-Germain have joined Roma and Juventus in the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka this summer, Il Romanista report. The Switzerland international has been with the Gunners for the past five seasons, but he has been fancied to head for the exit door this summer. He has reportedly agreed personal terms with Roma, but there has been no progress over a transfer as they have yet to meet the Gunners’ demands. Juventus recently joined the pursuit of the 28-year-old, and it is now reported that Roma could face more competition in the form of Paris Saint-Germain. Sportslens view: Xhaka recently spoke glowingly about new Roma head coach Jose Mourinho and talked about his admiration for Rome. Mourinho has been a long-term admirer of Xhaka as well, and a move to the Giallorossi wou...
Copa America quarter-finals preview: Argentina and Brazil going for the trophy
The Copa America group stages have ended, and we now know our line-up for the knockout rounds. This is where things get incredibly interesting. One poor game, and it’s all over. It’s all about the result. Ahead of the quarter-finals, here are our predictions for the last eight ties. Peru vs Paraguay Can Peru get past Paraguay? Peru surpassed expectations in the group stages. Aside from one 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brazil, they enjoyed a strong showing, finishing in second place. Paraguay also gave a good account of themselves in their group. They managed to pull off a surprise win against Chile and suffered narrow defeats to Argentina and Uruguay. They finished in third place. It’s a difficult one to call. Both sides have fairly similar records, scoring five in their four group outing...
Former Tottenham star shows up biased pundit
It happened folks! England finally got the job done in a big game against Germany on Tuesday. The Three Lions just about deserved their 2-0 win, although it wouldn’t be England if there weren’t a few scary moments along the way. In our latest Euro 2020 Diary, we look at a couple of talking points around the game and assess what lies ahead. England unites People have had a tough time of things over the last year and a bit, but football is once again proving how it has the power to lift everyone. The viewing figures for England’s game highlight that point to perfection, and they are likely to increase if the team goes further. Peak TV audience on @BBCOne for the England game yesterday was 20.6m = 80.1% of audience. — Simon Stone (@sistoney67) June 30, 2021 The atmosphere at Wembley Stadium w...
2 England, 1 Belgium, 2 Switzerland – Best XI from the round of 16
As the group stages came to a close, the knockout rounds of Euro 2020 begun, and the round of 16 certainly didn’t disappoint. We’ve had everything you could possibly want. Penalty shootouts, giant killings, last gasp winners, eight-goal thrillers, screamers, VAR drama – it’s what we live for as football fans. Here are our picks for the best XI from the round of 16. Jordan Pickford (GK) – England’s goalkeeper position has been the subject of debate for a while now, with many of the fans preferring the likes of Nick Pope and Dean Henderson over the Everton stopper. However, Gareth Southgate stuck with Pickford and has been rewarded for his faith. Against Germany, the 27-year-old was on top of his game, making crucial saves to deny Timo Werner and Kai Havertz at 0-0. Cesar Azpilicueta (R...
The latest on Ramos and Varane negotiations with PSG and Manchester United
Sergio Ramos will officially leave Real Madrid on a free transfer when his contract expires at midnight. Paris Saint-Germain have been tipped to sign the Spaniard, and L’Equipe claims that the club have intensified talks with the player’s agents. However, there remains a stumbling block over the contract length. Ramos is adamant that he wants a two-year contract worth €13 million per year. Les Parisiens are reluctant to meet his demands after his injury-plagued final season at Madrid. They are offering a one-year deal with the option for another 12 months. Negotiations are ongoing between both parties, but Marca claims that there are two more clubs in the running to sign the 35-year-old centre-back. Meanwhile, Ramos’ regular central defensive partner Raphael Varane could also be ...
