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Ancelotti gives his verdict on James Rodriguez’s potential move to AC Milan
Newly-appointed Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has delivered his verdict on growing speculation about James Rodriguez’s departure from Everton. In an interview with Il Giornale, the ex-Toffees manager hailed the Colombian’s technical qualities amid talks about the playmaker’s move to the European mainland. “A pure talent, a great footballer – he had some physical problems, and his contribution to the cause was therefore reduced,” the Italian tactician said. Rodriguez left the Santiago Bernabeu to team up with Everton last summer but blew hot and cold in his maiden Premier League campaign. The main reason behind the 29-year-old’s decision to move to Goodison Park was Ancelotti, who remains James’ favourite manager from their time in Madrid and Munich. Although the Italian got the most out...
Celtic in talks to sign 28-yr-old on a bargain, player wants a lucrative contract
Celtic are in talks to sign Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke. According to Football Insider, the striker wants a four-year contract that will double his current wages. The Scottish outfit must sign a quality forward this summer, and bagging Wyke on a free transfer could prove to be a major bargain. The 28-year-old had an impressive season with Sunderland, scoring 30 goals across all competitions for the club. The Sunderland forward is excellent in the air and would add a new dimension to the Celtic attack with his heading ability. French forward Odsonne Edouard has been linked with a move away from Parkhead, and Wyke could prove to be a solid replacement. Experienced striker Leigh Griffiths is also out of contract this month, and it seems unlikely that he will be offered a new deal at Parkh...
‘Deal agreed’ – Man Utd edge close to landing 16-goal star after making ‘further progress in negotiations’
Manchester United have made further progress in negotiations to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. According to The Athletic, the deal between the two clubs has not been done, but they are close to an agreement. Sancho, who is part of the England squad at the European Championships, has been a long-term target for United. The 21-year-old scored 16 goals and provided 20 assists in all competitions last season. Dortmund demanded €120 million (£110 million) for the winger last summer, and United were unwilling to pay that amount. This summer, there has been a willingness between both clubs to reach an agreement. The German giants initially demanded a fee close to €100m. Dortmund have now indicated that they would be willing to do a deal at €95m. Yeste...
The Athletic shares what KDB told Grealish in November as Man City plot bid
Manchester City are preparing a bid to sign Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish this summer, according to The Athletic. However, the Midlands outfit are not keen on selling the attacker, and City would need to part with around £100 million to have a chance of landing him. Grealish is admired at Man City, with Belgian midfield sensation Kevin de Bruyne a huge fan of the playmaker. The PFA Player of the Year made it clear how much he rated the Villa star and asked to swap shirts after Belgium’s 2-0 win over England in the Nations League last November. Sportslens View Villa clearly are no longer a selling club due to their current owners, but Grealish could be strongly contemplating an exit this summer. Playing alongside de Bruyne and under manager Pep Guardiola are the stuff dreams are made of...
Newcastle may have just received a massive boost in the race to sign £10m target
Celtic have rejected bids from two clubs for defender Kristoffer Ajer. According to The Athletic, the Bhoys have knocked back £10 million bids from Bayer Leverkusen and Norwich City this summer. The Norway international has made it clear to Celtic that he wants to leave the club and is unhappy with how they have handled the situation. It has been claimed that Celtic have assured him that he will be sold if they receive an ‘appropriate’ offer. Celtic want to secure a substantial fee for Ajer, but Norwich are unlikely to increase their bid for the defender. The 23-year-old will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside Scotland in January, ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. Boost for Newcastle United The Magpies are also reportedly in the hunt to sign Ajer....
“We are always the underdogs” – Gareth Bale is confident of a “big performance”
Wales captain Gareth Bale is unfazed by his team’s underdog status ahead of their Euro 2020 last-16 clash against Denmark on Saturday. Wales finished runners-up to Italy in Group A with a mixed return from their three group stage fixtures (W1, D1, L1) to reach the European Championships knockout phase for the second tournament running. The Dragons reached the semi-finals at Euro 2016, going down 2-0 to eventual winners Portugal as they hope to emulate similar success this summer. Rob Page’s team will have to overcome Denmark, who became the first nation in Euro history to make it out of the group stage after losing their opening two games of the tournament. Danish Dynamite lost their headline performer Christian Eriksen for the rest of the competition after the Inter Milan playmaker collap...
SL View: Fabrizio Romano has heartbreaking transfer news for Aston Villa
Aston Villa are about to be heartbroken in their pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe if the latest transfer update from Fabrizio Romano is anything to go by. Villa tabled a £25 million bid for the 20-year-old, but it was quickly knocked back by the Gunners. The Midlands side are reportedly preparing to return with an improved bid, but they are not likely to be successful. According to Romano, Arsenal are now looking to hand Smith-Rowe a new five-year deal after Kieran Tierney put pen to paper on an extension today. Official. Kieran Tierney has signed a new 5-year contract at Arsenal. Next step will be to extend Emile Smith-Rowe contract until June 2026. ⚪️🔴 #AFC — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 25, 2021 Having established himself as a key player in ...
West Ham keen on Serie A goalkeeper but Paratici could bring him to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur could offer strong competition to West Ham United in the pursuit of Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski, La Nazione reports. The 23-year-old has been with the Serie A outfit since 2016 and has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper over the past couple of seasons. He still has two years left on his contract, but reports claim that Fiorentina would be willing to sell him for a fee of around €15 million this summer. The Hammers are interested in landing his services, but they could be rivalled by Spurs with a ‘whisper of interest’ from sporting director Fabio Paratici. Sportslens view: The Hammers are looking for a long-term replacement for Lukasz Fabianski, but the same could be said for their London rivals. Hugo Lloris has one year left on his...
Brentford and West Brom interested in 24-year-old with 19 goal achievements last season
Brentford and West Bromwich Albion are among the clubs interested in signing Liverpool attacker Harry Wilson this summer, Goal.com reports. Wilson graduated through the Reds’ youth ranks, but he has made just two competitive appearances for them in all competitions. He has spent time on loan with five different clubs and was most recently with Cardiff City in the Championship last season. The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract, and it is reported that the Reds are prepared to sell him for around £12 million. Benfica have explored the possibility of signing him, but Wilson is also on the radar of Brentford and West Brom. Sportslens view: Wilson has struggled to make his breakthrough with the Reds’ first-team in recent years with the fierce competition for places out wide. M...
‘Advanced talks’ – Di Marzio claims Spurs are very close to appointing 47 y/o as their next boss
Tottenham Hotspur are close to appointing Nuno Espirito Santo as their next permanent manager. After checking out several options, and in some cases making a mockery of the managerial hunt, they are finally set to appoint the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss. According to reliable journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Spurs are in advanced talks with the Portuguese, and he is “very close” to moving to north London. #NunoEspiritoSanto in advanced talks and very close to become new @SpursOfficial manager: #Koundé (@SevillaFC) is the first target as central defender #Spurs @SkySports @SkySportsNews — Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) June 25, 2021 If the 47-year-old becomes the new manager, the north London club will be targeting Sevilla defender Jules Kounde. However, there’s nothing to be exc...
‘Incredible’ – Rangers coach in awe of news coming out of Ibrox
Rangers have sold out 45,000 season tickets ahead of the 2021-22 season, with supporters buying the maximum number of tickets available for the sixth consecutive season. Despite the prospects of not having fans at Ibrox in 2020-21, the Light Blues sold out last summer. Rangers won the Scottish Premiership title in the absence of their fans, and while there are no guarantees a return to Ibrox is on the cards ahead of next season, all the tickets have been sold in a huge show of support. Rangers first-team coach Michael Beale has been blown away by the development an cannot wait to have the fans back for the title defence. He has reacted to the news on social media thus: Incredible – we look forward to seeing you all at Ibrox soon 💙 https://t.co/njmqKYPvRr — Michael Beale (@MichaelBe...
Villa braced for record-breaking bid for 25-year-old star — report
Manchester City are determined to break their bank for Jack Grealish in the summer transfer window. Earlier today, Daily Mail wrote an exclusive about the Grealish transfer saga where the tone of the report gives you the impression that City have already agreed a deal for the 25-year-old, and that it is only a matter of time (the end of Euro) before he joins the champions. Check the report here — I’ve deliberately used bold letters to quote the lines from the Mail. All the major media outlets have now covered the story, but I find the versions slightly different from one another. Sky Sports They claim that it’s not a done deal yet, which is obvious. Man City are merely planning to make a formal offer to sign Grealish. They have added new info that was absent in the Dai...
