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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...
Steve Bruce could look to bring in a marquee signing for Newcastle this summer
Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce is looking to bring in a marquee signing during the summer transfer window. According to Football Insider, Bruce could spend his entire budget on one star signing. The Magpies will then look to take advantage of the free-agent market and pull off loan deals to strengthen their squad. It will be interesting to see if Bruce can plug the gaps in Newcastle’s squad and help them push for a top-half finish next season. Newcastle will need to improve defensively and add more depth to the attacking areas. A quality winger and a striker should be a top priority for them this summer. Star players like Allan Saint-Maximin have been linked with a move away from the club and it remains to be seen whether the Magpies can convince the 24-year-old to stay beyond this s...
Chelsea make their transfer decision on Eden Hazard amid Jadon Sancho interest – report
Chelsea don’t have plans to re-sign Eden Hazard from Real Madrid in the forthcoming transfer window, a report from Sunday World claims. Hazard has endured a tough couple of seasons with Los Blancos due to regular injuries, and it was recently claimed that he would be interested in rejoining the Blues. It is now reported that the west London outfit have been made aware of his availability, but they are unlikely to prioritise a move for him this summer. Their main focus lies on landing a new striker, with Romelu Lukaku the prime target. Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho is an option to bolster the wide attacking department. Sportslens view: Hazard had a terrific career with the Blues between 2012 and 2019, registering 110 goals and 92 assists from 352 appearances in all competitions. Since hi...
‘Howe’s a fan’ – Journo claims incoming Celtic boss could sign Englishman Rangers once wanted
English midfielder Jack Wilshere has left Bournemouth after the short-term deal he signed in January ended. The former Arsenal star is now a free agent again, and according to Evening Standard’s Simon Collings, Celtic could emerge as an option for him if, as expected, Eddie Howe is appointed as their new boss. The former Bournemouth manager is a fan of Wilshere after working with him at Vitality Stadium during 2016-17. The 29-year-old was linked with Rangers last October after West Ham United released him, but he took to Twitter early this year to reveal that the Scottish Premiership champions never made a move to suggest they wanted him. Nope! https://t.co/XVZZqLroNc — Jack Wilshere (@JackWilshere) January 22, 2021 It remains to be seen whether the Light Blues outfit would return for Wils...
Little White Connecticut Sun Head Coach Suspended & Fined After He Was Called Out By Liz Cambage
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83 Connecticut Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller learned the hard way that Las Vegas Aces hooper Liz Cambage is not the one to be played with. Miller earned himself a one-game suspension and a fine from the WNBA after making a disparaging comment about Cambage. During Sunday’s (May 23) game against the Las Vegas Aces, while trying to get a call from the referee, Miller said, “Come on, she’s 300 pounds.” referring to Aces superstar. In an email sent to the HuffPost, the WNBA revealed that Miller was slapped with a $10,000 fine and suspended for one game for his remarks. Before the league took action, Cambage — who doesn’t bite her tongue for anyone — hopped on Instagram after the game to call out Miller, wh...
Hating or Nah?: BAL Player Feels “It’s Disrespectful” For J. Cole To Be In The League
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty J. Cole living out his hoop dreams isn’t sitting well with everyone. It hasn’t been two weeks since J. Cole made his season debut in the BAL (Basketball Africa League), and while the Hip-Hop community is locked in and wants to see Cole get buckets, there is one player who is not feeling his presence. Terrell Stoglin, who hoops for the AS Salé basketball club in the league and is the only player to drop 40 points in a game, spoke with ESPN about Cole being in the BAL and didn’t mince his words saying Cole’s skills were “average,” at best and that he was taken an opportunity away from players who deserve the BAL look. “I think there’s a negative and a positive [to Cole’s presence],” Stoglin said to ESPN. “The negative part of it is: I th...
‘He can call me anytime’ – German manager tells Levy he’d ‘always consider’ Spurs job
Tottenham Hotspur legend Jurgen Klinsmann has sent a message to chairman Daniel Levy, admitting he is open to becoming the club’s next permanent manager. Spurs are looking for a boss to succeed Jose Mourinho, but they have been turned down by Julian Nagelsmann and Hansi Flick who have both opted for better jobs. Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter and his Leicester City counterpart Brendan Rodgers have publicly insisted they are not keen on replacing Mourinho. Levy will be frustrated with how his managerial search is going, but Klinsmann has confessed to being available to a return to his former club as a boss. “Definitely you’d entertain it, no doubt,” the former Germany manager told Sky Sports when asked if it would interest him to help out if the call came from Tottenham. “...
Report: PL rival join the race to sign £15m Arsenal and Leicester target
Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly joined the race to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard this summer. According to reports from The Sun, the Seagulls are showing keen interest in the French striker who is likely to leave Celtic this summer. However, Brighton are likely to face competitions from two Premier League clubs – Arsenal and Leicester City – to sign him. Edouard has been outstanding for Celtic since he joined from Paris Saint-Germain. In four seasons (including a loan spell) at the Bhoys, he has bagged 85 goals in all competitions. Last season, he was one of the most consistent performers for the Hoops, scoring 22 goals. The 23-year-old is likely to leave Parkhead in the summer, with his contract expiring in the next 12 months. Several Premier League clubs are vying f...
Journalist claims Leeds have begun talks to sign 23-year-old this summer
Leeds United are preparing to sign a replacement for Ezgjan Alioski, who is expected to leave this summer. The experienced full-back is out of contract and has not signed an extension with the Premier League club yet. According to journalist Ignazio Genuardi, Leeds have identified Brest defender Romain Perraud as a potential target. The journalist claims that Leeds are looking at the 23-year-old as a priority transfer target and discussions are currently ongoing between the two clubs regarding a summer move. Aujourd’hui, le dossier apparaît même en bonne voie. Des discussions sont en cours. — Ignazio Genuardi (@IgnazioGenuardi) May 25, 2021 Perraud has been quite impressive for Brest in Ligue 1 this season, and he has the potential to succeed in the Premier League. He is young, and a coach...
