Tottenham Hotspur pulled out of talks to appoint former Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso during the week and have since been linked with ex-Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde. After opening meeting with Jorge Mendes, Tottenham told Gattuso they’re not interested in appointing him. ⚪️❌ It’s never been a done deal, just an interview with the current frontrunner… as many others made by Spurs this summer. Fans reaction, key for the decision. #THFC — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2021 According to Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles, Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici admires Gattuso and was looking to bring him to Juventus as Andrea Pirlo’s replacement. He was behind Tottenham’s attempt to appoint the Italian, and while the club have since withdrawn from the process, ...
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Mikel Damsgaard this summer. According to reports from Club Doria, Spurs are eyeing the Sampdoria midfielder, who is currently playing in the European Championships for Denmark. Spurs are without a manager at the moment, and they are missing out on potential targets as a result. The report claims that Paulo Fonseca, who was close to joining Spurs before talks broke down, would have been keen on signing the player. He previously worked with him at Roma. Damsgaard is one of the bankable assets for Sampdoria. He has suitors in Europe, especially Tottenham. Sampdoria chief Massimo Ferrero is asking for more than €20 million for the exciting winger. While he is well within Tottenham’s budget, the managerial circus at the club means the...
West Ham United could revisit their interest in signing Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard this summer, Football Insider reports. The Hammers were heavily linked with the Frenchman last month, but it appeared that Leicester City had beaten them to his signature. However, there has been a surprise change of events over the past few weeks, and the Foxes have cooled their pursuit of the 23-year-old. The Midlands outfit have instead reached an agreement with Red Bull Salzburg for Patson Daka, and the player has agreed personal terms. It is now reported that the Hammers could return for Edouard’s services as they aim to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season. Sportslens view: Edouard struggled for consistency last term but still registered an impressive tally of 22 goals and six assis...
Manchester United have made an improved bid to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho, Sky Sport reports. The Red Devils were heavily linked with the Englishman last summer, but a deal failed to materialise as they were put off by the £108 million valuation. Sancho could be available for a lesser fee this time around, but United are yet to reach an agreement with the Bundesliga outfit for his services. United recently made an opening offer of £67m plus add-ons which was rejected, and they have now made an improved bid of more than £75m. The offer remains short of Dortmund’s valuation, but there is ‘a willingness from all parties’ to get the deal done with Sancho’s contract expiring in June 2023. Sportslens view: Sancho was in sublime form for Dortmund this past season, registerin...
Tottenham Hotspur are looking to convince Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers about moving to North London, according to Sport Italia journalist Rudi Galetti. Chairman Daniel Levy is a huge fan of the Northern Irishman and remains keen on having him in the Spurs dugout. Galetti claims Tottenham’s ‘decisive assault’ for Rodgers will take place over the coming week. ⚠️ #Tottenham wants to convince Brendan #Rodgers: the #Leicester coach, who came close to qualifying for the #ChampionsLeague last season, is considered the right man to relaunch the #Spurs. The decisive assault will take place over the next week. #Transfers #Calciomercato #THFC https://t.co/Gze131BOlj pic.twitter.com/N9Ippakuuk — Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) June 19, 2021 Talks with Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gatt...
The second Friday at the 2020 European Championships won’t be remembered for producing thrilling football. Sweden kicked things off with a dour 1-0 win over Slovakia, before Croatia and Czech Republic laboured to a 1-1 draw. Anyone hoping that England versus Scotland would lift the mood were left sorely disappointed, with neither side able to get on the scoresheet. Thankfully, we’ve still been able to find some talking points, so let’s begin. Robertson drops Twitter clanger ‘5 million strong’. Three words that highlight why some footballers would be well advised to steer clear of social media after a game. Andy Robertson’s tweet certainly found favour with Scotland’s happy clappers after a dour 0-0 draw with England on Friday. 5 million strong 🏴&...
For the 100th time in a competitive football match, less-than-friendly neighbours England and Scotland prepared to face each other. This was their first clash at the Euros since (look away Scottish readers) 1996, which was also at Wembley Stadium, where a certain man with bleached hair scored a rather good goal. This time around, England and Scotland’s match was their second group game, but the difference was that the hosts had won their opening clash while the visitors had lost theirs, as opposed to both drawing. So, this game bore greater importance for Steve Clarke’s side, who needed to win to keep their chances of progression to the knockouts in their own hands. A gripping tactical battle followed, which involved both managers making various changes during the match to give their side ...
Crystal Palace have identified former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre as a potential candidate for the managerial vacancy, Sky Sports reports. Roy Hodgson left the club after a four-year tenure at the end of the season, and the club have since been searching for a new head coach. Nuno Espirito Santo appeared the front-runner for the job, but the deal broke down at the last hurdle due to his contract and transfer demands. The club were initially aiming to pursue a manager with Premier League experience, but have changed their stance with the limited candidates. They are now interested in landing former Dortmund boss Favre, who is out of work after his sacking by the German outfit in December last year. Sportslens view: The south London outfit could have a major rebuilding job this summe...
Leicester City are set to complete the signing of highly-rated Red Bull Salzburg striker Patson Daka, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano reports. The Zambia international had a superb 2020/21 season with the Austrian champions, bagging 34 goals and 12 assists from just 42 appearances. In recent weeks, the 22-year-old has been associated with some of Europe’s elite clubs including Premier League duo Chelsea and Liverpool. It is now reported that the Foxes have finalised a transfer fee with Salzburg while Daka has also agreed personal terms over a five-year contract. The Midlands outfit are now completing the necessary paperwork and formalities, and a formal announcement could be made in the coming days. Sportslens view: Daka has been garnering plenty of attention over the past year after th...
A selection of England fans were left frustrated with the performance of Harry Kane during last night’s 0-0 draw against Scotland at Euro 2020. The Three Lions were overwhelming favourites to beat their neighbours at Wembley Stadium, but they struggled to dominate the proceedings. They ended up with just one shot on target over 90 minutes. The Scots fared better with two shots – one of them required a crucial diving save from Jordan Pickford. Kane was disappointing for the second straight group stage game. He struggled to make his mark with centre-back Grant Hanley winning most duels against him. The England captain ended up with just 19 touches of the ball and seven successful passes. He failed to register a shot on target for a second game running. His latest performance angered some sup...
More Copa America action occurred last night, with Uruguay getting underway with their first game of the tournament against Argentina. Meanwhile, Chile were also out on the field, facing Bolivia. Here is what they served up. Chile 1-0 Bolivia Brereton got his first international goal It was amusing to a number of Championship followers that Blackburn Rovers’ Ben Brereton was called up to the Chile national team. He was born in England, has played his entire career in England, and played for England youth teams. However, his mother is Chilean, qualifying him for the South American nation. And the 22-year-old was the hero on Friday evening, scoring the only goal as Chile defeated Bolivia in their second game of the tournament. Former Queens Park Rangers loanee Eduardo Vargas flicked the ball...
Liverpool are reportedly showing keen interest in signing Austrian attacking midfielder Christoph Baumgartner in the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old impressed last season at Hoffenheim, where he bagged six goals and five assists in 31 Bundesliga games. The Reds are looking to sign a new midfielder to fill the void left by Gini Wijnaldum, who will join Paris Saint-Germain this summer. With Curtis Jones expected to play a more prominent role, Liverpool are looking at a different sort of midfielder and Baumgartner has been earmarked as an option. According to reports from German media outlet Kicker, the Reds are chasing a player who has a contract at the club until 2025. The report claims that Manchester United have also shown an interest in the player, but they have no...