English Premier League
West Ham United forward makes bold claim about Europe
Jarrod Bowen believes that West Ham United can defy expectations and secure a European qualification spot this season. The Hammers have won 12 and drawn six of their 24 matches to force their way into the upper reaches of the Premier League. Ahead of their home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Bowen told talkSPORT that the players are confident that they keep themselves in the mix. “We know what the manager wants – we have all bought into his philosophy of wanting European football,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of football still to be played from now until the end of the season, but if we can keep winning games and going under the radar a bit then it is probably kind of good for us. “People probably don’t expect us to be up and around it, so to keep winning each w...
German club preparing for 26-year-old’s exit, Tottenham Hotspur interested in signing him
RB Leipzig are preparing for the possible departure of Marcel Sabitzer, who is on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, a report from SportBild claims. Sabitzer has been with Leipzig since their time in Bundesliga 2 and he has gone on to become one of their undisputed starters as the club captain. He had his standout season last term where he registered 16 goals and 11 assists from 44 appearances as the majority of his playing time came from the right wing. In the current campaign, he has operated mostly in a central midfield role but has still impressed with five goals and five assists to date. His present contract with Leipzig expires in June 2021 and it is reported that the club are preparing for his summer exit in case they are unable to renew his deal. Spurs have been credited with an ...
Former Everton defender blasts cheating Liverpool star, time for authorities to act
Mohamed Salah has been blasted for trying to con the match officials during Liverpool’s dismal 2-0 home defeat against Everton on Saturday. The 28-year-old has repeatedly been criticised over his theatrics and he was at it again during the derby game at Anfield. Salah threw himself to the ground in the 57th minute of the game and replays showed that Toffees’ defender Lucas Digne made virtually no contact with the Egyptian. Former Everton star Kevin Ratcliffe hit out at Salah while commentating on the game for talkSPORT. “I can’t understand that,” said Ratcliffe. “If he’s claiming a foul and the referee doesn’t think it’s a foul why isn’t he saying ‘well, you’re diving’. “There was a little bit of contact but there wasn’t as much contact as the dive suggested.” SL View There is no other way...
Liverpool, Manchester United interested in signing €45m French centre-back
RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate is on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea ahead of this summer’s transfer window, a report from SportBild claims. The 21-year-old has had a difficult 18 months due to a series of injuries, making just 24 appearances for Leipzig since the start of last term. He recently returned from an ankle injury which kept him out of action for six weeks but he still appears on the radar of some of the Premier League’s elite teams. Konate has a release clause worth €45 million in his contract expiring in June 2023 and Leipzig believe that Liverpool, United and Chelsea are all interested in signing him this summer. Sportslens view: Despite his injuries, Konate has turned out 87 times for Leipzig and he has impressed with his tackling and abili...
‘Already spoken with Bielsa’ – Phil Hay shares Leeds DoF’s exciting plans for summer
Leeds United have taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to water, and they are all but guaranteed another season in the top-flight following an impressive start to 2020-21. The Elland Road outfit suffered their 12th defeat of the campaign at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers last night, but they are five places and 13 points above the relegation zone. With 14 games still left to be played and just eight points away from the popular 40-point safety mark, Leeds will fancy their chances of finishing in the top half of the table. They have scored more goals (40) than any team currently below the top-six in the table, but only 19th-placed West Bromwich Albion have conceded more goals (55) than they have (43) in the whole of the division. Leeds will be keen to strengthen their squad...
Chelsea boss fires warning – big money buy must ‘keep improving’
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has urged Christian Pulisic to prove that he can be successful in the Premier League. There was plenty of fanfare surrounding Pulisic when he joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, but he has struggled to live up to expectations so far. The 22-year-old has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, but Tuchel wants the forward to knuckle down and fight for a place at Chelsea. Speaking at his press conference for his team’s trip to Southampton on Saturday, Tuchel said: “Chelsea bought Christian for a reason, for his quality, his potential and it’s our job to bring out the best in him. “He proved in many weeks that he has the level to be a regular Chelsea player, to have a big impact in this club. “It’s a challenge now to hold this level, to impr...
Liverpool’s interest in 26-yr-old ace shows Klopp is finally ready to sort out a major weakness
Liverpool have been linked with the Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul once again. According to a report from Tutto Udinese earlier in the week, the reigning Premier League champions are looking to revolutionise their midfield in the summer and they are prepared to make a move for the 26-year-old Udinese midfielder. Apparently, the Italian club value the player at €40 million and the asking price is within the reach of the English club. SL View: A different type of replacement for Wijnaldum? Liverpool are expected to lose Gini Wijnaldum on a free transfer at the end of the season and Jurgen Klopp will have to bring in a quality alternative. The Dutchman has been an important player for the Reds during his time at Anfield and it remains to be seen how Klopp replaces his qualities in the s...
Dean Smith confirms he will speak to 23-yr-old Aston Villa star regarding transfer rumours
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been recently linked with a move to Tottenham and Liverpool. The 23-year-old centre back has been in outstanding form for the West Midlands club and he has helped them keep 12 clean sheets in the Premier League so far. It is hardly a surprise that the top Premier League clubs are keen on signing him at the end of the season and manager Dean Smith has now responded to the transfer interest in the player. Smith has revealed that Konsa is a focused individual who is unlikely to be distracted with all the transfer talk. The Villa manager has also revealed that he will speak to the young defender regarding the reported rumours. Smith was quoted saying (via Birmingham Mail): “He certainly won’t get distracted. I’m not sure Ezri reads any newspapers but he’s pr...
Former Liverpool legend blasts Jurgen Klopp over transfer failures
Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon has blasted Jurgen Klopp for allowing the club to regress in the Premier League this season. Speaking to talkSPORT, the Reds’ legend hit out at Klopp’s failure to significantly strengthen his squad after winning the title last season. “The art of top teams is ‘spend when you’re on top’, but they’ve gone backwards in the Premier League because everyone else is moving forward,” he said. “I would have thought you’d sign two or three when you’re on the up, not when you are struggling. “Nine times out of ten Klopp knows his best team. When you start tinkering and your best eleven isn’t available, and you have a few adverse results, that’s when you start to question your team and ask, ‘am I selecting the right players in the right positions?’ “It’s been ...
Wishlist: Five Players Manchester United Should Target This Summer
Manchester United get linked with a lot of players every season, with agents often using drummed up interest from Man Utd as a way to get leverage in their player’s contract negotiations (the latest example of this being the Kingsley Coman / Bayern Munich story). With that in mind, we wanted to look at players that would a) help United become genuine title contenders and b) would be interested in joining United. That means we’re not looking at Erling Braut Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Rafael Varane, Sergio Ramos, etc. Who is on the list? Let’s find out. Position: Central Defence Options: Milan Skriniar, Nikola Milenkovic, Jules KoundeAlternative: Jean-Clair Todibo A slow defence can nullify both the goalkeeper and the attacking strengths of a team. We’ve discussed this in more detail here, but ...
Everton have made contact with target’s agent, Ancelotti keeps in touch with ‘complete player’
According to reports from Italy, Everton have opened talks to sign French midfielder Adrien Rabiot during the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old has been frequently linked with a move to Everton, and Il Bianconero claim that contact has been made with the player’s agent who is also his mother. Rabiot joined Juventus on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, and he could be on the move again. Ancelotti knows Rabiot very well as the pair worked together at PSG before. In fact, ESPN claim that the Italian has kept in touch with him ever since he left the club. SL View The Toffees are looking to bolster their midfield this summer, and Rabiot has emerged as a potential option. ESPN claim that the Italian boss is looking at someone who would be an upgrade on Andre Gome...
Fabrizio Romano: Leicester want French midfielder, NUFC’s £32m bid was once rejected
According to Sky Sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leicester City are interested in signing Lille midfielder Boubacary Soumare this summer. Leicester are interested in signing Boubacary Soumaré. He’s in the list as potential target for the midfield. Many clubs have asked info to Lille as his contract is expiring in June 2022 – big opportunity. But #LCFC are now planning to open talks. 🔵 #transfers — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2021 Sportslens View Manager Brendan Rodgers is keen on bolstering his options in the middle of the park, and the Frenchman is firmly on his radar. However, Leicester are not the only Premier League club that have registered interest in recruiting Soumare’s services. Newcastle United reportedly had a £32 million bid for his signature rejec...
