English Premier League
Tottenham transfer plan in tatters as report claims Levy told to pay £51m for 26-y/o or no deal
Tottenham Hotspur have been told to pay a massive €60 million (£51m) if they want to sign key target João Palhinha this summer, according to Record (print edition, July 12, page 6). Record first reported about Spurs’ interest in the 26-year-old Sporting Lisbon ace at the end of last month. Nuno Espirito Santo is clearly keen to bolster the defensive side of his team this summer. And the addition of another defensive midfielder to compete with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg could be crucial to Tottenham’s hopes of achieving success next season. Joao Palhinha in action for Portugal at Euro 2020 However, it seems as though Spurs have their work cut out. Palhinha will cost Tottenham some serious cash Record’s print edition today suggested that Spurs chief Daniel Levy will have to pay £51...
Leicester City interested in signing 21-year-old centre-back from Mexican heavyweights – report
Leicester City are weighing up an approach to sign Club America centre-back Sebastian Caceres this summer, Football Insider reports. The Midlands outfit have already made quality signings in Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumare, and are expected to confirm the free transfer of Ryan Bertrand. They now appear to be focusing on the central defence, and have their sights on landing Caceres, who could be available for around £20 million. Sportslens view: The Foxes currently have Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu and Wesley Fofana as the senior centre-back options alongside the out-of-favour Filip Benkovic. Benkovic has yet to make his competitive debut for the Foxes, and has been out on loan with four different clubs. He appears likely to be sold this summer. Brendan Rodgers could stick with a back...
Manchester United negotiating personal terms with €50m-rated star, PSG also interested – report
Manchester United have been allowed to negotiate personal terms with defender Raphael Varane ahead of his potential move away from Real Madrid, Sky Sports reports. Varane has emerged as United’s top central defensive target, and the club have now been permitted to hold talks with the Frenchman over his contract demands. Paris Saint-Germain are also in talks with Varane’s entourage, and it is reported that United want to make sure that Varane is committed to joining them. They are still reluctant to pay a big fee as the centre-back could sign a pre-contract in January. This could yet prove a stumbling block towards a potential transfer. Sportslens view: United recently made a huge outlay to land long-term target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. He could provide an upgrade in the wide at...
Messi miles ahead of Bayern and Chelsea stars in Ballon D’Or race
The 2020/21 season has officially come to a close, and it’s around this time when we start to speculate about our award winners. The Ballon d’Or is the most high profile individual award in the game, recognising the world’s best player from the past 12 months. With the season over, we’re now looking at our potential winners. Two months ago, we compiled a list of the leading candidates for the prize. Since then, we’ve had a Champions League final and a summer of international football. Some of the list has aged well. Other parts….not so much (whose idea was it to give Antoine Griezmann an honourable mention?). Anyway, two months on, and we now have a clearer picture of who our 2021 Ballon d’Or winner could be. Lionel Messi The Copa America has tipped the balance in Messi’s favour As things ...
Wolves set to confirm deal for 28-year-old, player to replace club regular – report
Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to make their fourth summer signing after agreeing a deal for Olympiacos goalkeeper Jose Sa, Football Insider reports. The Midlands outfit are braced for the departure of first-choice keeper Rui Patricio. They are in advanced talks with Roma over a transfer deal. Jorge Mendes is the representative of Patricio and Sa, and it is reported that the transfers could happen simultaneously in the coming days. The club have agreed a fee of around £7 million for Sa, who has previously made 122 appearances for Olympiacos across all competitions. Sportslens view: Patricio has been with Wolves for the past three seasons, and he has been almost ever-present in the Premier League, making 112 appearances. He has entered the final year of his contract, and the departure...
Manchester United must pay €50m to sign world-class star, they have offered €45m – report
Real Madrid are reluctant to sell Manchester United target Raphael Varane this summer unless their €50 million price tag is met, Spanish publication ABC reports. The Frenchman has entered the final year of his contract, and he has yet to show any intention of exceeding his stay with the Madrid heavyweights. The centre-back is eyeing a new challenge after a decade with Los Blancos, and United are regarded as the front-runners to land his signature. They have made a bid of around €45m for the World Cup winner, but Los Blancos are adamant that they won’t sell him for less than €50m. They have no plans of negotiating the price, and are open to keeping Varane for the final year of his contract if there are no suitable offers. Sportslens view: Los Blancos recently parted ways with...
QPR hoping to sign Premier League duo
Queens Park Rangers are looking at completing deals for Burnley’s Jimmy Dunne and Norwich City’s Sam McCallum, according to West London Sport. The Rs had a mostly positive 2020/21 season. After a bumpy start, they managed to finish in ninth place in the Championship – their highest finish since getting relegated in 2015. There is a feeling that they could push for promotion next season with the right additions. Warburton guided QPR to ninth last season If Mark Warburton’s men wish to compete with the teams at the top, they will need to tighten things up at the back. They conceded 55 goals, which was the most in the top half. In order to rectify this, QPR have turned to Premier League pair Jimmy Dunne and Sam McCallum, reports West London Sport. Dunne joined Burnley in 2016 after being rele...
24-yr-old linked with Arsenal move, Gary Lineker reckons it would be a ‘backward step’
Arsenal fans are thought to be keen on a move for the Leicester City playmaker James Madison this summer, according to a report from Football London. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the most exciting English talents in the Premier League and he could prove to be a sensational signing for the Gunners in the long run. Arsenal could definitely use an attacking midfielder like him next season especially after the kind of impact Martin Odegaard had during his loan spell last year. The Norwegian was on loan at the London club during the second half of the season and the Gunners improved a lot in the final third with a creator like him. Maddison scored 11 goals and picked up 10 assists across all competitions for the Foxes last year and he helped them win the FA Cup as well. There ...
Fabrizio Romano claims £31m Liverpool target wants to leave, club ready to sell
Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Renato Sanches amidst recent links with Liverpool, when speaking on his official Youtube channel channel. L’Equipe recently claimed that Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is keen to bring the talented Portuguese midfielder to Anfield this summer. The 23-year-old’s career sparked back into life over the past 12 months after a really difficult few years. Sanchez made the huge move to Bayern Munich from Benfica in the summer of 2016 for a fee that could eventually rise to €45 million (£40.5 million), according to BBC Sport. The midfielder really struggled with the Bavarian giants, however. He spent an unsuccessful loan spell with Swansea City as well before joining Lille for around £17 million in the summer of 2019 (Bavarian Football Works). Fabrizio R...
Report claims Wolves man who scored 16 goals last season is a target for Atletico Madrid
Wolves forward Rafa Mir is a summer transfer target for Atletico Madrid according to a report from AS (print edition, July 12th, page 15). The 24-year-old moved to Molineux from Valencia in January 2018 for around £1.8 million (Daily Mail). He has struggled to make an impression for Wolves, however, playing just four games for the club and failing to score a single goal. Atletico are allegedly chasing Wolves ace Rafa Mir – ZUMAa181 20210516_zaa_a181_285 Copyright: xJoaquinxCorcherox The striker is out of contract with the Black Country outfit in just 12 months time. And it seems as though he could be heading for the exit door. Atletico Madrid targeting Rafa Mir swoop That’s according to today’s print edition of Spanish newspaper AS. It is suggested that Diego Simeone is keen to bring in mo...
Report: PL rival ready to bid for 24 y/o after Leeds refused to meet asking price
Burnley are ready to make a bid for Lyon defender Maxwel Cornet this summer. According to The Sun, the Clarets are in talks to sign the 24-year-old and are ready to bid around £13 million for the Ivory Coast international. The report claims that Burnley want extra pace, and they have earmarked Cornet as a perfect fit for their squad. Cornet can play at left-back and further forward, and his versatility would be handy for the Clarets. German outfit Hertha Berlin are also in the race for the player’s signature and could offer more than Burnley are willing to splurge. We have already seen several players moving from the Ligue 1 to England this summer, and Cornet could do the same. Cornet was heavily linked with a move to Leeds United, but they were not willing to meet Lyon’s asking ...
38-cap Int’l set for showdown talks regarding his future, Spurs and Arsenal keen
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are keeping tabs on the situation of the Real Madrid midfielder Isco Alarcon. The 29-year-old playmaker has fallen down the pecking order at the Spanish club and needs to leave to play regularly. According to Daily Mirror, Isco is set to hold crunch talks with newly appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti regarding his future and is open to moving abroad this summer. AC Milan are also keen on the player and are waiting to see how his meeting with Ancelotti unfolds. Isco has just 12 months left on his current deal, and Madrid will probably feel that they should cash in on him instead of losing him on a free transfer next year. Tottenham and Arsenal desperately need a quality playmaker, and the 38-cap Spanish international could prove to be a smart addition. Spurs hav...
