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Anderlecht move for 19-yr-old Man City defender could be a good thing
Anderlecht are in talks with Manchester City to sign defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan, according to reliable European football correspondent Kristof Terreur. The 19-year-old struggled for consistency while on loan with Blackburn Rovers during the second half of last season, although he did improve towards the end of the campaign. However, he does not look ready for City’s first team just yet, and another temporary move is likely to help his development. Harwood-Bellis did finish the season with an 80% pass completion rate, highlighting that he possesses some of the attributes required to succeed. In his defence, he played for Blackburn who were far from the most gifted Championship team so he may shine in a better environment at Anderlecht. At best, he could have got the oc...
1 from Portugal, 1 from France, 2 from Netherlands – Euro 2020 Best XI of Round 3
The group stage has come to an end, and now we have to endure two whole days without Euro 2020 action. How will we cope? At least the groups ended on a cracker, with several exceptional performances from the final round of fixtures. Here is our best XI from round three of Euro 2020. Lukas Hradecky (GK) – It feels a bit bizarre to include someone who scored an own goal, but here we are. Hradecky kept Finland in the game for as long as possible, producing several excellent stops to keep Belgium out before being cruelly robbed of his clean sheet. Nelson Semedo (RB) – The selection of right-backs from the latest round of fixtures was somewhat slim, but Nelson Semedo gets in for a solid performance. He got a lot of criticism for his performance against Germany, and many feared that it...
Report claims West Ham have submitted an offer for 24-yr-old defender
Barcelona left-back Junior Firpo has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and the likes of West Ham United and Southampton have been linked with the player. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are keen on selling the 24-year-old defender this summer and the Hammers have submitted an offer for the player. The report further states that Barcelona like the offer from the Premier League club. However, the details of the offer have not been mentioned. West Ham currently have Aaron Cresswell as their starting left-back and Firpo could prove to be a quality alternative. The 24-year-old has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth at the Spanish club and he will be determined to show his qualities if he joins a new club this summer. His hunger and desire to do well cou...
17-goal attacker linked with Leeds is keen on a move to the Premier League
Leeds United have been heavily linked with the Dutch winger Noa Lang in recent weeks. Apparently, he is a top target for the Premier League side and the Whites are currently working on a deal to bring him to the Premier League. Football Insider are now reporting that Lang is keen on a move to England this summer. His desire to join the Premier League will come as a major boost for Leeds and it remains to be seen whether they can agree on a fee with Club Brugge this summer. The 21-year-old has been in sensational form for the Belgian outfit and he could prove to be the ideal addition to the Leeds attack. The Whites need to add more goals and depth to their attack and the Dutchman seems like a good fit. He managed to score 17 goals and pick up 11 assists in all competitions last season. Lang...
Everton have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of 25-yr-old ace
PSV Eindhoven defender Denzel Dumfries has been linked with Everton and Bayern Munich in recent weeks. However, Bild claims that Bayern are unlikely to move for the Dutch international who will cost around €16 million this summer. Bayern’s withdrawal from the race will come as a major boost for Everton, who are keen on signing the player. SL View: Could prove to be a major bargain for Everton The Toffees need to bring in a long term replacement for Seamus Coleman. The 25-year-old has shown his qualities for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie and his national team in the European Championships. Dumfries has been one of the Netherlands’ most impressive players at the Euros, and he could prove to be a quality acquisition for the Premier League club. The reported asking price seems like a major b...
Report suggests West Ham have made a move for 25-yr-old South American
West Ham United have reportedly made a move to sign Argentine forward Giovanni Simeone. According to Tuttomercatoweb, the attacker’s future at Cagliari is in doubt and Torino, Sampdoria, Bologna, Marseille and West Ham are keen on signing him. The Hammers are yet to make an official bid, but they have made their interest known to Simeone’s club. David Moyes needs to improve his attacking options this summer, and Simeone may prove to be a decent addition. The Premier League outfit need a natural goalscorer, but the Argentine is more of a creative forward. The 25-year-old bagged just six goals and two assists in Serie A last term, and the Hammers really need a more prolific forward. That said, Simeone is an international with Argentina who still has room for improvement and could be a useful...
Real Madrid join Arsenal in race to sign €70m star excelling at Euro 2020 – report
Real Madrid have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak this summer, Spanish publication AS claims. The 21-year-old had a good 2020/21 season with Sociedad, registering 17 goals and two assists from 44 appearances in all competitions. He is currently playing a leading role for Sweden at Euro 2020, and it appears that Madrid have now registered an interest in his services. Los Blancos have contacted the player’s representatives after learning that the marksman could be prepared for a new challenge. Arsenal are also interested in the young striker, who has a buy-out clause worth €70 million on his current contract with Sociedad. Sociedad are reluctant to sell him for anything less than the release clause this summer. They intend to keep him for another s...
‘Rashford is nowhere near him’ – Some fans react to Liverpool man’s latest ‘masterclass’ display
Brazil left it late to secure a 2-1 victory against Colombia in the Copa America on Wednesday. The Selecao went behind for the first time in eight games, but goals from Roberto Firmino and Casemiro earned them an important victory. Brazil had won their previous nine games, all but one without conceding a goal. However, Colombia took the lead in the first half through a wonder strike from Luiz Diaz. Juan Cuadrado produced a brilliant cross from which Diaz scored with an acrobatic overhead kick. In the second half, Brazil pushed hard for an equaliser and nearly got it through Neymar, who could only hit the bar after being put through by Firmino. The Liverpool striker finally got the equalising goal with a header after meeting a cross from the left. It came from a controversial circumstance a...
Bundesliga duo star in enthralling game – Sweden 3-2 Poland Player Ratings
Sweden secured top spot in Group B with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Poland at the European Championships on Wednesday. Poland went into the game needing a win or they’d be eliminated, and they made the worst possible start. Alexander Isak bundled the ball through to Emil Forsberg, who finished into the far corner with his weaker left foot via a small deflection. But they responded well to going behind and really should have been level in the 18th minute. Robert Lewandowski saw his header crash back off the crossbar, but the rebound fell perfectly for the Bayern Munich forward. With everyone expecting to see him nod home from close range, he somehow hit the crossbar again before it was cleared to safety. Shortly before half time, Paulo Sousa’s men had another opportunity to equalise. Piotr...
Real Madrid and Barcelona enquire about £63m star with 17 goal contributions last season
Real Madrid and Barcelona have enquired over the situation of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, Sport1’s Florian Plettenberg claims. The Germany international had a solid 2020/21 season for the Bavarian giants, registering eight goals and nine assists from 32 games. Despite this, there remains uncertainty over his future with the club, with his current contract expiring in 12 months. The player has yet to commit to a new deal due to salary concerns, but Bayern are optimistic that they can make the breakthrough. Goretzka now has a new duo of agents, and it is claimed that Madrid and Barcelona have enquired over the possibility of signing him. Sportslens view: Bayern sanctioned the sale of Thiago Alcantara to Liverpool last summer after he entered the final year of his contract. Howeve...
Club confident player will sign new deal after Villa submit £25m bid – report
Arsenal are confident that Emile Smith Rowe will sign a new contract at the club. According to football.london, the Gunners are in talks with Smith Rowe about a new long-term deal. The youngster cemented a place in the first team last season alongside fellow academy graduate Bukayo Saka. The 20-year-old made his senior debut for Arsenal against Chelsea on Boxing Day and finished the campaign with four goals and seven assists. The highly-rated youngster has two years left on his current deal, and the Gunners view securing an extension as a priority. Richard Garlick, the club’s head of football operations, is leading contract negotiations for all first-team players, and the Gunners are confident that Smith Rowe will pen a new deal. Aston Villa recently tabled a £25 million bid...
Ronaldo makes history, Man Utd and Real Madrid stars impress – Portugal 2-2 France Player Ratings
Portugal and France both progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2020 after an entertaining 2-2 draw. The first chance of the evening fell to Kylian Mbappe. The youngster was played through on goal by an excellent Paul Pogba through ball, but his finish was underwhelming for a player of his standards. From then on, it was a half soaked in controversy, beginning when Portugal were awarded a penalty in the 28th minute. Danilo Pereira got his head to a cross and was caught by the arm of Hugo Lloris on the follow through. Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz pointed to the spot, despite protests from French players. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and slammed his penalty past Lloris. Just before half time, more controversy arose when France were given a penalty. Mbappe went down under contact from Nelso...
