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Why Bayern’s Alaba stance means United could sign £50m winger this summer
Bayern Munich’s refusal to meet exorbitant wage demands from their players could be good news for Manchester United. According to German football expert Florian Plettenberg, the Bundesliga champions were unwilling to pay David Alaba what he was looking for. The 28-year-old is now set to sign for Real Madrid, and he may not be the last player to leave Bayern this summer. Plettenberg has claimed that Kingsley Coman could be sold, with the winger stalling on signing a new contract with the club. SL View Coman’s current deal runs out in 2023, and he is believed to have asked super-agent Pini Zahavi for advice about his future. United have already reportedly submitted a financial proposal to Coman, and their offer may well have had the desired effect. The 24-year-old is thought to be seeking fi...
Real Madrid join Tottenham in race for in-demand manager
Real Madrid have identified Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino as a perfect long-term replacement for Zinedine Zidane. After months of speculation, Zidane decided to call time on his second stint in Madrid on Thursday, leaving a vacancy only a handful of managers can fill. One of them is Pochettino, who has experienced a rather torrid six-month spell in Paris after replacing Thomas Tuchel in January. PSG sacked the German tactician in the midst of the side’s rough patch and opted for the ex-Tottenham boss to take over the reins at the Parc des Princes. However, the move has not worked out as expected, with Les Parisiens suffering a heartbreaking Champions League exit to Manchester City in the semi-finals. Paris’ underwhelming campaign culminated with a domestic heartache as Lille...
‘Returning to England’ – Guillem Balague comments on reports linking Pochettino with Spurs
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a sensational return to Tottenham Hotspur in recent hours, with the Argentine even spotted in London. It is believed Spurs have held talks with their former boss as they search for Jose Mourinho’s replacement. However, it does not seem PSG are entertaining the idea of letting him go after just five months in charge of the club. Pochettino joined the French giants in January as Thomas Tuchel’s successor and has since won the French Super Cup and Coupe de France. He is reportedly open to returning to Tottenham but has also been linked with the Real Madrid vacant managerial post after Zinedine Zidane left the job this morning. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague does not see him leaving PSG anytime soon, though, taking t...
‘This is emotional’ – Rice reacts as West Ham star pens goodbye message
Jesse Lingard has established himself as a West Ham United star and hero in just five months, helping the Hammers secure European football after hitting the ground upon arriving at the London Stadium in January. The England international joined West Ham from Manchester United on loan during the winter transfer window, ending his spell with nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League games. Manager David Moyes would love to sign Lingard permanently, but it remains to be seen whether Man Utd are open to selling the attacking midfielder. The 28-year-old has reflected on his West Ham stint, taking to social media to thank the club and fans for the opportunity and leaving the door open for a permanent move: Lingard’s mate and Hammers skipper Declan Rice is gutted to see him leave, taking t...
Goalkeeper leaves future in club’s hands amid West Ham and Tottenham links
In-demand West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has put his future into the club’s hands (as related to iNews) amidst growing interest from West Ham United and Tottenham. The 28-year-old keeper has been a rare shining light in West Brom’s dreadful Premier League campaign. Even though the Baggies suffered relegation from the top flight and conceded a staggering 76 goals, the Englishman has enjoyed a stunning individual season. Johnstone has benefitted from playing behind one of the worst defences in Europe’s top-five divisions, making over 150 saves to catch the eye of several Premier League clubs. An array of magical moments includes a fantastic save to thwart James Ward-Prowse’s spot-kick in a 3-0 win over Southampton in mid-April. His impressive displays for the West Midlands out...
£120,000-a-week star ready to fight for his Chelsea future amid Jadon Sancho interest – report
Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi is prepared to fight for his future and has no plans of leaving the Blues this summer, Goal.com reports. The 21-year-old has had another tough season with the west London club, where he has struggled to secure regular playing time. It was recently reported that the Blues were open to parting ways with Hudson-Odoi, with interest from German giants Borussia Dortmund. However, it appears that the England international has no desire to leave and won’t accept being a makeweight for either Harry Kane or Jadon Sancho. The Blues have not seen the best of Hudson-Odoi in recent years, but it is claimed that the club still have confidence in the player’s ability. Sportslens view: Hudson-Odoi has registered five goals and five assists from 37 games this term, but he ...
‘Not good enough’: £170,000-a-week star determined to prove himself at Chelsea next season
Chelsea forward Timo Werner has said that he is determined to prove his worth to the club, and has no desire to pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere. The Germany international joined from RB Leipzig last summer after a sublime season, where he registered 34 goals and 13 assists from 45 appearances. He has failed to replicate the performances this term, contributing only 12 goals and 15 assists from 51 appearances for the west London club. In an interview with The Telegraph, Werner acknowledged that he has been low on confidence, but has never thought about the prospect of moving elsewhere. He said: “When you don’t try, you will never come back to the feeling of how to score and your confidence will never come back. I could say, ‘OK, I stay away from the goal and I stop trying to score.” “And...
Romano: Liverpool want 24-year-old Arsenal target who has dropped a major transfer hint
Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma is reportedly wanted by several Premier League clubs this summer. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in signing the 24-year-old. Bissoouma has been one of the top performers for Brighton this season, making 36 appearances in the Premier League. Signing a midfielder is one of the top priorities for the Gunners. Dani Ceballos has returned to Real Madrid, while the futures of Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka are in doubt. Romano claims that the Gunners are interested in him, but he is not their only option. Arsenal are also exploring different kinds of players in his position. Yves Bissouma is appreciated and he’s ‘one of the options’ ...
Raphinha reacts to reported Manchester United and Liverpool interest
Leeds United winger Raphinha has reacted to the reported transfer interest from Manchester United and Liverpool ahead of this summer’s transfer window. The Brazilian joined the Whites from Rennes last summer and had an impressive debut campaign, registering eight goals and 11 assists from 38 appearances. His progress has caught the eye of several European clubs, and he has regularly been linked with United and Liverpool over the past few months. When asked about the speculation by UOL Sport, Raphinha said that he grew up watching some of the leading players in the English top-flight. However, the 24-year-old emphasised that he is clearly happy at Leeds and has no plans of leaving the Yorkshire outfit anytime soon. He said: “It is difficult to explain how I feel when I hear speculation abou...
Juventus’ hopes of bagging big target boosted as Milan sign 25-year-old
AC Milan’s acquisition of Mike Maignan from Lille ends a long-running saga over their goalkeeping situation. Maignan has signed a contract until June 2026 with the Serie A outfit, ending his six-year association with the newly crowned French champions. SL View Maignan had been strongly linked with Tottenham Hotspur over the past few weeks, with the club in the market for a replacement for Hugo Lloris. However, once Milan made their interest known, there was only ever likely to be one outcome. Maignan’s arrival in Milan coincides with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s departure this summer, with technical director Paolo Maldini confirming the news on the club’s Twitch channel. Donnarumma has made more than 250 appearances for Milan in all competitions, but his time at the club has been dogged by contr...
Barcelona approach Lionel Messi’s father-agent with contract proposal
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has pitched Lionel Messi’s father-agent Jorge Messi with a contract offer that would see his son spend the next two years at Camp Nou. The 33-year-old has less than two months left to run on his current deal in Spain and has yet to pledge his future to Barcelona following another turbulent season. Messi seemed to be on the verge of cutting short his trophy-laden career at Camp Nou last summer, but former president Josep Maria Bartomeu managed to persuade him to stay put. An embarrassing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2019/20 and the club’s decision to release Luis Suarez last summer nearly pushed the six-time Ballon d’Or winner away from La Liga. Despite convincing their captain and headline performer to remain, the Ca...
Analysis: How Villarreal’s adaptability helped them beat Manchester United
In the second-last match of continental football in Europe for the 2020/21 season, Villarreal and Manchester United prepared to square off for the UEFA Europa League trophy. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was leading the Red Devils into his first-ever final as a manager, meaning that this was also his first chance to lift a trophy for the club, and it would also be United’s first major honour since 2017 when they won the same competition. Villarreal, meanwhile, were battling for their first-ever coveted piece of silverware barring the Tercera División and UEFA Intertoto Cup, as Unai Emery was eyeing his fourth Europa League success in five finals. The Yellow Submarine had an additional incentive as this was a bonus shot for them to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League, as their sevent...
