English Premier League
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur may have to pay over £30m to sign 23-year-old PL midfielder
Sheffield United have set their asking price for Sander Berge amid interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, a report from Sheffield Star claims. Berge joined the Blades in a club-record deal from Genk in January last year and played a key role in the defensive midfield (14 league games) as they finished ninth in the standings. In the current campaign, the 23-year-old managed 13 league appearances until December before sustaining a hamstring injury. He has not played in the past three months, but is likely to make a comeback before the end of the season. With the Blades on course for relegation, Berge is likely to be one of the high-profile players leaving the club this summer, but it is reported that the Yorkshire outfit won’t sell him on the cheap. Berge was purchased fro...
Atletico Madrid and Roma among clubs interested in £31.5m Arsenal star
Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Roma are all keeping tabs on the contract situation of Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, a report from ESPN claims. Lacazette is currently in his fourth season with the Gunners, and he has had a decent campaign with 13 goals from 34 appearances. His form since Boxing Day has been impressive and he recently played a part in all three goals in the 3-3 comeback draw at West Ham United from three goals down. Despite the positives, Lacazette’s future remains uncertain with his contract expiring in 15 months, and this has apparently caught the eye of multiple European clubs. Atletico are long-term admirers of the Frenchman from his Lyon days, and it is now reported that Sevilla and Roma have joined the pursuit of the 29-year-old. Sportslens view: Lacazette was in-...
Football’s greatest comebacks, featuring Liverpool, Barcelona and Camp Nou in 1999
When players are being taught the basics of the game as youngsters, one of the key messages is to play until the final whistle. That point certainly rings true at professional level, with fans taking a dim view of teams who throw in the towel too early. One of the most thrilling aspects of football is when a team recovers from an impossible position to win a game. With that in mind, we take a look at ten of the best-ever comebacks. Manchester United vs Bayern Munich – Champions League – 1999 Recovering from one goal down is common in football, but the manner of United’s comeback in the 1999 Champions League Final was extraordinary. Bayern took an early lead through Mario Basler and looked on course to lift the prestigious trophy as the game headed into stoppage time. However, goals by Tedd...
Everton looking at Man Utd’s forgotten fullback – Report
Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot is expected to be on Everton’s shortlist for a new right-back this summer, according to the Liverpool Echo. Dalot, currently on loan at AC Milan, was unable to cement himself in the first eleven among his arrival at Old Trafford. The Portuguese defender featured 25 times across all competitions in his first season at United but only made 11 appearances in the 2019/20 season with Aaron Wan-Bissaka joining the Red Devils that season. Dalot then moved to AC Milan on loan last summer and has made 24 appearances for the Rossoneri this season. However, it could have been very different for the player. According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton attempted to sign Dalot last summer and felt they were close to landing the player. United were unwilling to st...
‘Playing like Messi’: Some Liverpool fans drool over ‘quality’ 29-year-old’s latest display
Switzerland began their World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable win on Thursday, with Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri impressing against Bulgaria. Shaqiri set up two goals in three minutes as Switzerland earned a 3-1 victory in their first 2022 World Cup qualifying match, and Reds fans have raved about his performance on Twitter. The 29-year-old has played a bit-part role for Liverpool this season under Jurgen Klopp, with injuries hampering his regular involvement. Liverpool have a wealth of attacking midfield options, and Shaqiri is way down the pecking order at the club. He has managed only 18 appearances this season, but he is a regular starter for his country. Shaqiri produced a fantastic creative display as he made his 87th appearance for Switzerland on Thursday. All th...
Everton’s ‘forgotten man’ could be the answer to their midfield problems
While Jean-Philippe Gbamin has become almost the forgotten man at Everton, there are plenty of reasons for fans to be excited about his return. Gbamin signed for Everton in the summer of 2018 from Mainz for a fee in the region of £25 million but has racked up just two appearances for the club in that time. Despite showing promising signs in his first two games against Crystal Palace and Watford, Gbamin suffered an injury that would keep him out of action for most of the 2019/20 season. Following that lay-off, Gbamin returned to training, with fans excited to see him in action again. That excitement soon turned into despair, with Gbamin suffering yet another long-term injury in May 2020 that currently has him on the sidelines. However, Carlo Ancelotti has recently suggested t...
Everton’s new stadium plans approved by government
The government have approved Everton’s plans to build a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the club have confirmed via their official website. Everton currently play their football at Goodison Park, which holds a capacity of 39,414. This is the tenth biggest stadium in the Premier League and the 13th biggest in England. Goodison Park, Everton’s current home The club have made plans to move out of Goodison Park and build a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which would hold an increased capacity of 52,888. This would be the seventh-largest stadium in the top flight of English football. And now the club have announced that the plans have been approved by the government. The plans were initially approved unanimously by the Liverpool City Council’s Planning Committee on February 23 and have si...
Manchester City, Barcelona interested in £81m Serie A striker, but club don’t want to sell
Manchester City and Barcelona have been credited with an interest in Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, according to Calciomercato. Lukaku left Manchester United for the Nerazzurri in 2019, and he has since impressed with 59 goals and 13 assists from just 85 appearances. His performances have caught the eye of the Cityzens and Blaugrana, who are aiming to sign an elite striker during this summer’s transfer window. However, Inter have no plans of parting ways with the Belgian, who has been instrumental to them being top of the Serie A. Sportslens view: The Cityzens currently have Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero as their main strikers, but the latter’s future is uncertain beyond the summer. Aguero has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola in recent months, and he could leave...
Borussia Dortmund name their price for Erling Braut Haaland
Borussia Dortmund have slapped an enormous €180 million price tag on star striker Erling Haaland, reports ESPN. Haaland made his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season. He first caught the eye with his prolific performances for RB Salzburg in the Champions League group stages. He carried this form into the second half of the season with Dortmund following his transfer in January 2020. Haaland is a man in high demand He has since established himself as one of the world’s very best strikers, scoring 49 goals in as many games for the Black and Yellows. This has attracted the attention of several of the world’s biggest clubs. However, ESPN claims that any club willing to sign the 20-year-old will need to stump up an eye-popping €180m for his services. This would be the second most expensive tr...
Spurs warned transfer target’s value will have skyrocketed after what Southgate did
Former Tottenham Hotspur right-back Alan Hutton has told the North London club that they might have to pay more than they have bargained for West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone following his England call-up. With Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford sidelined, Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate decided to call-up the West Brom star for this month’s World Cup qualifiers. He could earn an England cap if he impresses the coaches in training. Spurs are reportedly keen on signing Johnstone as Hugo Lloris’ potential replacement this summer, and Hutton reckons they could have a repeat of the Jack Grealish transfer saga on their hands should the goalie become an England international. Tottenham refused to meet Aston Villa’s news demands for the midfielder back in the summer of 2018, with...
‘You’ve been brilliant’: Some fans respond to Leeds star’s latest Twitter post
Ezgjan Alioski took to social networking site Twitter to share his reaction after North Macedonia lost against Romania on Thursday. The 29-year-old winger provided an assist for Arijan Ademi as Romania lost 3-2. Alioski also picked up a yellow card during the game. He posted this message on Twitter: ☀️ #ffm pic.twitter.com/RKObEGTxpb — Ezgjan Alioski (@ezgjanalioski) March 26, 2021 Alioski has been brilliant for Leeds this season in the Premier League. The versatile attacking midfielder, who has mostly played as a left-back under Marcelo Bielsa, has started in 20 games this season, and a further seven appearances have come from the bench. He has also scored two goals. According to reports from Football Insider, Alioski has agreed a pre-contract deal with Turkish outfit&n...
Report: Everton could ditch King, should they bring back Kean?
Everton are set to release forward Joshua King at the end of the season, according to a report from Football Insider. The Norwegian joined Everton on a short-term deal from Bournemouth in the January transfer window, with the potential to earn himself a long-term deal if he can impress by the summer. However, King has struggled to make any form of an impact since signing with the Toffees. The forward has featured in just eight games so far, racking up just 117 minutes of action and failing to challenge Dominic Calvert-Lewin for a starting spot in attack. Carlo Ancelotti recently commented on King’s lack of chances, claiming before the 2-1 defeat to Burnley that the player is ‘ready to start’. Ancelotti on whether Josh King can play alongside Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin. “Yes, ...
