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‘Levy doesn’t want a winner’, ‘Embarrassing’ – Some Spurs fans react as Conte pursuit ends

Tottenham Hotspur were lining up a move for the Italian manager Antonio Conte but the deal seems to have collapsed. According to the Guardian, the Londoners have now called off their pursuit of the former Chelsea manager but they are set to hire Fabio Paratici as the club’s new sporting director. It will be interesting to see who they turn to next as they prepare to replace Jose Mourinho in the long run. The Portuguese manager was sacked on the 19th of April and former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason has been acting as the interim boss ever since. The Londoners have been linked with a move for the Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino as well. Daniel Levy must look to appoint a manager who can transform the site immediately and get them back into the Champions League at the ...

Leeds and Newcastle in the race to sign €15m-rated ace with 10 goal contributions

Leeds United and Newcastle United are interested in signing the Brest defender Romain Perraud. According to L’Equipe (via GFFN), Southampton are apparently leading the chase to sign the 23-year-old who could cost around €15 million this summer. The defender has a contract with the French outfit until the summer of 2025 and his suitors will have to pay the asking price if they want to sign him this summer. The French outfit are under no pressure to sell the 23-year-old and they can afford to demand a premium. Southampton need to sign a quality replacement for Ryan Bertrand and Perraud certainly fits the bill. Leeds could definitely use a quality left-back signing especially with Ezgjan Alioski set to leave the club when his contract expires later this summer. Meanwhile, Newcastle Unite...

Odegaard and two more: Real Madrid outcasts who could become regulars under Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid recently appointed Carlo Ancelotti as their head coach for a second stint after Zinedine Zidane decided to step down from the position. The club have a potential squad rebuilding job this summer but before that, they are likely to offload multiple players to recoup funds for new signings. As many as ten Los Blancos players, valued at a combined €177 million, featured for different teams on loan in the recently-concluded campaign. It is unlikely that all of them will be shown the exit door. We look at five players, who could emerge as regulars under Ancelotti next term. Martin Odegaard The Norwegian was definitely the most valuable player, who was sent out on loan last term. The 22-year-old had an impressive 2019/2020 season on loan with Real Sociedad, registering seven goals an...

Leeds star must reject Reds’ advances – stay put and wait for better move

The close season often produces some eye-catching transfer stories and yesterday was no different in that respect. Liverpool were linked with a move for Raphinha, with Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari claiming that they are leading the race to sign the Leeds United star. Manchester United and Manchester City were also credited with an interest in a player that Leeds are eager to keep hold of. SL View Raphinha was a standout performer for Leeds last term, and it is no surprise that other clubs are keen to sign him. However, a move to Anfield would make little sense unless the Brazilian fancies spending most of next season sat on his backside. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are undisputed first choices on the flanks for the Reds, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. As things stan...

West Ham can’t afford to carry passengers, Chelsea man has too much to prove

The news that West Ham United are interested in signing Ross Barkley probably sent a shudder down the spine of their fanbase. The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, but he struggled to make much impact with the Midlands outfit. Barkley appears to be surplus to requirements at Chelsea, and they are expected to try and move him on permanently this summer. SL View David Moyes has got most of his transfer business right at West Ham, but signing Barkley would be a massive risk. He was once rated as one of England’s brightest prospects when he came through at Everton, but things have gone downhill over the past few years. Barkley has done little of note with Chelsea, and it was no surprise when they farmed him out to Villa last summer. He is increasingly looking like a player ...

PFA Team of the Year: Man City dominate, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool also represented

The PFA Premier League Team of the Year has been revealed. The team is comprised of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. It is voted by fellow professionals based on who has performed best in the Premier League over the last season. The XI is heavily dominated by runaway champions Manchester City, who boast six of the 11. Of the remaining five, two play for rivals Manchester United, two for Tottenham Hotspur and one for Liverpool. The most notable omission from the team is Man City’s Phil Foden, who misses out despite being one of the six nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. Full team Ederson and Dias have been excellent at the back Ederson (GK) – The Brazilian has been excellent since arriving in the Premier League, and this year was no exc...

Bayern Munich keen on Atletico Madrid midfielder, player favours EPL move

Bayern Munich are close to signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez for €80 million, according to Radio Marca. Despite making 33 La Liga appearances last season, Saul was not a regular starter as Atletico won the Spanish title and they are open to listening to offers this summer. Diego Simeone is interested in recruiting Udinese captain Rodrigo de Paul which could make the club more inclined to sanction Saul’s sale. Bayern are in the process of reshaping their squad despite romping to a ninth successive Bundesliga title last season. They were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and will be keen to reclaim the trophy they won in 2020. If Saul moves to Bayern, he would be an unusual signing as they are noted for targeting players in their ea...

Leeds United propose new and improved contract to £15,000-a-week star – report

Leeds United have made an improved contract offer to defender Ezgjan Alioski, Football Insider reports. The 29-year-old has been with the Yorkshire outfit for the past four seasons, but he could leave the club when his deal expires on June 30. They failed to convince him with a contract proposal earlier this year, but they have now made a fresh approach with an improved salary. Sportslens view: The £15,000-a-week man has made 171 appearances for the Whites in all competitions, and he has firmly made himself a favourite among the fans. Marcelo Bielsa had the opportunity to bring in a new left-back after promotion last term, but he decided to stick with his existing options. Alioski was almost ever-present throughout the Premier League campaign, and 29 of his 36 appearanc...

Antonio Conte reportedly concerned about Tottenham’s ambition

Talks between Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte have hit a stumbling block as the Italian is concerned about the club’s ambition, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Spurs are still searching for their next full-time manager after Jose Mourinho was sacked in April. Conte has been linked with the Spurs job since leaving Inter Milan at the end of last season. He guided Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years, ending Juventus’ dominance in Italy’s top flight. Conte has concerns about the budget he will be handed to rebuild Spurs this summer, which could scupper their chances of appointing him. Transforming Spurs into a team that could challenge for the Premier League title could take three or four years, and Conte isn’t renowned for his patience. He is considered to be among t...

Atletico eye Arsenal star as possible replacement for Red Devils target

La Liga champions Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin as a potential replacement for Kieran Trippier, according to Marca. Although Trippier featured extensively for Diego Simeone’s side last season, he has been linked with a return to the Premier League. The 30-year-old could be tempted to return to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Everton both credited with an interest in securing his services. Bellerin struggled for game time at Arsenal towards the end of last season as Mikel Arteta preferred Calum Chambers over the Spanish international. The 26-year-old is at a phase of his career where he will want a more prominent role in Spain’s plans, and a move to Atletico could help him achieve this goal. In addition to Atletico, Bellerin has also been linke...

Real Madrid talks with Sergio Ramos stay deadlocked

Sergio Ramos remains locked in talks with Real Madrid over his future at the club, according to Cuatro. The 35-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the month and it appears increasingly likely that he will leave this summer. However, Los Blancos have not confirmed that Ramos is heading elsewhere, raising the possibility that he could remain with the club. Ramos is believed to have had a fallout with Madrid President Florentino Perez, and Spanish publication AS reported that he will definitely leave. Ramos made just 15 La Liga appearances last season, with injuries limiting his game time. He subsequently missed out on a place in the 26-man Spain squad that will contest the European Championships this summer. He may now be in the final years of his career but Ramos will be...

Spurs could target 21-yr-old if Conte joins, Zlatan thinks he is the best in his position

Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 22-year-old will be a free agent this summer, and his future has yet to be decided. According to Tuttosport, the arrival of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici could see the Italian international added to Tottenham’s wishlist. SL View: Ideal replacement for Lloris Hugo Lloris has been linked with a move away from the Premier League club, and Donnarumma would be a sensational replacement. He is already one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has massive scope for improvement. He could sort out Tottenham’s goalkeeping situation for the next decade, and signing a player of his calibre on a free transfer could prove to be a major bargain. Lloris is a target for Jose Mourinho at Roma, with the Fre...