English Premier League
Roma are interested in Arsenal midfielder
Granit Xhaka is closing in on a move from Arsenal to Roma, according to Football London. The Swiss international was strongly linked with a move to Borussia Monchengladbach in January, but Gunners manager Mikel Arteta persuaded him to remain at the Emirates Stadium. The 28-year-old was one of Arsenal’s best players last season as he went on to make 46 appearances in all competitions. Arsenal fans have been fairly indifferent to Xhaka since October 2019 after he made rude gestures as he was substituted in a Premier League game against Crystal Palace. Xhaka was stripped of the club captaincy by then-manager Unai Emery following the incident. He is now looking to be part of Jose Mourinho’s project at Roma, which will entail building the Serie A team into a trophy challenging force. Now in the...
Report: Manchester stars lead La Liga rivals in player transfer values
The latest CIES Football Observatory report has been released, revealing the highest estimated transfer values of players in Europe’s top five leagues. The list is dominated by English players, with three Englishmen topping the charts and another four inside the top 20. The Premier League is also very heavily represented, with 12 players inside the top 20 and 43 in the top 100. There are 21 from La Liga, 15 from the Bundesliga, 14 from Serie A, and seven from Ligue 1. Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe ranks 12th, much lower than many would expect. The Frenchman has been given a value of €118.3 million. This will be largely because he has a year left on his current contract, but he could probably command a higher fee this summer. Harry Kane is another who is lower down than expected, w...
Southampton reveal transfer stance on James Ward-Prowse amid Aston Villa interest – report
Southampton have made their stance clear on club captain James Ward-Prowse amid interest from Aston Villa, The Mail reports. The Villans are eager to complete their transfer business early, and they are on the verge of landing Norwich City playmaker Emiliano Buendia on a club-record deal. It was recently claimed that they could follow the purchase of Buendia with a surprise move for England international Ward-Prowse. However, the Saints have made it clear that their graduate is not for sale at any price during this summer’s transfer window. Sportslens view: The Saints sanctioned the sale of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham Hotspur last year, and they failed to find a suitable replacement. They didn’t have much choice as the Dane’s contract was due to expire in 12 months. The same is not ...
SL View: Spurs will strike gold if they can land £40m Everton target this summer
Could this be the year? It has to be this year. Has there been any transfer window in recent memory where Wilfried Zaha didn’t want to leave Crystal Palace? How many times in the last few years have we seen clubs queuing up for Zaha, only to walk back after knowing his price tag? Zaha is the talisman figure for the Eagles, but maybe he has outgrown himself. He needs a fresh challenge, and Palace need a fresh direction as well. Two summers ago, he was valued at around £100m, but now he could be available at a reasonable £40m. According to reports from The Times, Zaha has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave. He wants to quit Selhurst Park in the summer and preferably wants a move away before the Eagles return for pre-season training next month. According to a recent re...
Report: Newcastle want £27m player on loan as deal for Celtic star now unlikely
Newcastle United are interested in signing William Saliba on loan this summer. The Magpies are looking to bolster their defence in the summer transfer window, and they have been heavily linked with a move for Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer. However, any potential deal for the Norwegian now looks ‘unlikely’. Instead, newly promoted Premier League club, Norwich City, are now leading the chase for Ajer. As a result, the Magpies have now turned their attention towards signing Saliba on loan, according to reports from The Daily Mail. The exciting young defender joined Arsenal in 2019 for a fee of £27m but he is yet to play a competitive game for the Gunners. The 20-year-old spent the last season on loan in France with Nice, where he heavily impressed. The loan deal was a succes...
Gareth Southgate reveals Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement in England Euro 2020 squad
Ben White has been called up to England’s final squad for Euro 2020. The Brighton and Hove Albion man was included in Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad back in May, earning his first ever call up. However, he was one of seven players to be cut from the squad. White in action against Romania In England’s warm up fixture against Austria, Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up a hamstring injury, and it was later confirmed that he would be sidelined for four to six weeks, keeping him out of the tournament. This left one space in the squad, which has since been given to Ben White. White is primarily a centre-back, although he has been praised for his versatility. He is able to cover at right-back and central midfield if necessary. White’s selection could be an indicator of the fitness of H...
Report: Barcelona set to lose out on ‘done deal’ with Liverpool midfielder
Georginio Wijnaldum has decided to join Paris-Saint Germain in a deal that will run until 2024, according to reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Wijnaldum looked certain to join Barcelona as a free agent at the end of May, with Romano previously describing it as a ‘done deal’, He ran down his contract with Liverpool at the end of last season and was even set to undergo medicals at Camp Nou. However, Romano has reported that French heavyweights PSG have hijacked the deal and will double the salary Barca were prepared to offer. Barcelona are looking to rebuild following several years of underachievement both domestically and in Europe. It will be a big blow to their short-term ambitions if they fail to sign the 30-year-old. Due to the Spanish club’s financial situation, they have been ...
Arsenal working on a deal for 24-year-old Manchester United target, ready to pay €40m – report
Arsenal have begun working on a summer deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, The Times reports. The Gunners are planning to reshuffle their midfield options with Dani Ceballos having returned to Real Madrid, while there are doubts surrounding Granit Xhaka’s future. They have regularly been linked with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma in recent weeks, and it is reported that the midfielder remains on their radar. However, they are also planning an approach for Neves, who is one of the high-profile players likely to be sold by Wolves to recoup funds for new signings. The Portugal international has three years left on his contract, but the Gunners are hopeful of landing his signature for a fee of around €40 million this summer. Sportslens view: Neves has been...
Report: After agreeing £30m deal, Villa turn attention towards signing 26 y/o int’l
Aston Villa are making some smart moves this summer. Villa pulled off a huge coup this week after agreeing a club-record £30 million-plus deal to sign Emiliano Buendía from Norwich City. Dean Smith is keen to secure his targets quickly as Villa prepare for another season in the Premier League. If Buendia’s move to Villa Park isn’t already enough to shake the fan base, the latest transfer update from The Guardian will undoubtedly keep the fans excited. Paul Doyle writes that Villa are set to make a move for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse in the next few days. It clearly shows that Ward-Prowse is not someone who Villa are just looking at but are planning to sign him with a concrete offer. The report claims that Villa are keen to bolster their midfield and have ...
Real Madrid have beaten Arsenal to the signing of Portuguese transfer supremo – report
Real Madrid have appointed Luis Campos as their sporting director despite the recent interest from Premier League club Arsenal. It was recently reported that Campos was in talks with both European clubs, but it appears that Los Blancos have landed his signature. According to Turkish outlet T24, the Portuguese was signed by the club shortly after the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the manager. Campos, who was recently contracted with French champions Lille, will also act as the advisor to Los Blancos president Florentino Perez. Sportslens view: Campos has done a fantastic job previously at Monaco and Lille, helping them pursue quality young signings for the first-team squad as well as the academy. He brought in the likes of Bruno, Boubakary Soumare, Renato Sanches and Jonathan David, who...
Barcelona keen on signing 27-year-old Spanish star, could offer Sergi Roberto in exchange – report
Barcelona could propose a part-exchange deal to sign Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte this summer, Spanish publication Sport claims. The Spain international made just 14 starts in the Premier League last term as he played the back-up role behind central defensive duo Ruben Dias and John Stones. Laporte recently hinted that he couldn’t guarantee his stay with the Cityzens with the limited game, and it is now reported that the Blaugrana are keen on signing him. The club are unlikely to afford him in a straight-cash deal and could offer Sergi Roberto as a makeweight to the Cityzens to secure his signature. Pep Guardiola is reportedly a huge admirer of Roberto. He handed him his Blaugrana debut when he was the club’s manager back in the 2010/11 season. Sportslens view: The 27-year-old ...
Matt Doherty gives insight into why Tottenham sacked Jose Mourinho
Tottenham Hotspur’s players were partly responsible for Jose Mourinho’s sacking, according to right-back Matt Doherty. Mourinho was sacked by Spurs in April following a poor run of form with the club and after 17 months in charge. “He was only there for 18 months. If it was three or four years, it could be a different conversation, but we weren’t getting the results for him,” Doherty told Sky Sports. “The manager is always the one to lose his job, but as players, we were the ones on the pitch, and we weren’t able to get the results for him, which was a shame because he’s one of the best managers ever.” Spurs were seventh in the Premier League when Mourinho was sacked and had also been humiliated in the Europa League in the round of 16 by Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb. The 58-year-old faile...
