English Premier League
Opinion: Spurs keen on 23 y/o striker…but £10m Everton target would still be a better option
Despite signing a striker on loan in the summer transfer window, it seems Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho is still looking to add another forward to his ranks in January. Spurs recovered brilliantly from their opening day defeat against Everton, and have won six of their last eight, dropping points against West Ham and Newcastle United. Their impressive form has seen them move to the top of the Premier League table, where they are ahead of champions Liverpool on goal difference. In order to successfully mount a title challenge, Mourinho could delve into the transfer market once again, and signing a striker could be one on his priorities. Carlo Vinicius joined in the summer on a season-long loan, and although he has impressed in the Europa League, his slow start to life at his new...
The Bayern stars and Liverpool defender missing from FIFA Best Player nominees
The Best FIFA Men’s Player nominees were announced on Wednesday, with 11 players up for the award: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Ramos, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, and Thiago Alcantara. And, rather unsurprisingly, an angry mob of football’s finest keyboard warriors followed, tweeting “Where’s this/that/whoever?!?!?!” (with slightly less tidy language, admittedly). While the angry mob tends to be uncivilised, maybe they’ve got a point. Maybe there are some who should have been given their place on the shortlist. Here is one player from each position who could, and probably should, have been nominated. Goalkeeper – Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) Neuer had another incredible year In recent seasons, there have ...
‘One of the best’: Xabi Alonso raves about ‘fabulous’ Liverpool player
Xabi Alonso has showered heaps of praise on Liverpool summer signing Thiago Alcantara and has backed the midfielder to shine at Anfield. Thiago joined Liverpool during the summer transfer window from Bayern Munich for a reported fee of £20m, but his short time at the Merseyside club has been blighted by injury thus far. The Spaniard enjoyed a hugely successful career at Bayern and helped the club complete a prestigious treble last season. In fact, his impressive performance last season has earned a nomination for FIFA 2020 Men’s player of the year. Alonso – who like Thiago, had played for both Liverpool and Bayern – feels that the Spaniard will fit into Jurgen Klopp’s side seamlessly. The former Real Madrid midfielder has hailed Thiago as ‘one of the best’ midfielders in the wor...
Inter Milan Targeting Olivier Giroud
Inter Milan are set to make a move for Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, according to Calciomercato.com. I Nerazzurri have made a mixed start to the new season, currently sitting in fifth place – five points behind rivals AC Milan at the top of the Serie A table. The frontline, however, has been very impressive, with Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez netting 12 goals between themselves after just eight games. This has helped Antonio Conte’s side become the joint-highest scorers in the division. Lukaku and Martinez have been on fire this season However, Inter suffer from a lack of depth upfront. Given the cramped schedule of this season, and possible deep ventures in knockout competitions, an alternative to Lukaku and Martinez could be vital. And, according to Calciomercato, French forward O...
Will Barcelona move for Man City defender again in January?
Barcelona reportedly have two centre-backs on their radar for the upcoming January transfer window as they look for a quick fix for their current defensive crisis. The Catalan giants have recently been hit with several injuries at the heart of the defence. Samuel Umtiti and Ronald Araujo were already sidelined before Gerard Pique picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury which is believed will keep him out for most of the season. LATEST NEWS‼️ Tests carried out this Sunday on @3gerardpique have shown that he has a grade 3 sprain in the internal lateral ligament and partial injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The evolution of the injury will condition his availability. pic.twitter.com/0Bf0EnXiZo — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 22, 2020 This ...
Report: Goal-shy Arsenal snub chance to sign Eriksen and want to sign a central defender
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has snubbed the opportunity to sign Christian Eriksen and has instead prioritised the signing of a central defender despite his side struggling to create goal-scoring opportunities, according to Paul Brown of the Daily Star. Christian Eriksen moved to Inter Milan from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2020 for £17 million. He was expected to be the creative hub of the Italian side but did not fit into head coach Antonio Conte’s system and so has been a bit-part player. This season, he has made just seven appearances for the Nerazzurri in all competitions and has not had a hand in a single goal. Out of these seven appearances, he has come off the bench three times. The Denmark international is deemed surplus to requirements at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and wil...
Leeds United interested in Valencia winger; does January move make sense?
Leeds United are interested in signing Valencia winger Yunus Musah, according to 90min.com. However, the West Yorkshire club are not the only ones who are keeping tabs on the 17-year-old, according to the report. It has been claimed that Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Arsenal are also monitoring the USA international. The teenager came through the Arsenal youth system and was on the books of the North London club from 2012 until the summer of 2019 when he moved to Valencia in Spain. 90min.com claims that Musah is open to returning to the Premier League in the future, but the teenager is in no rush to leave Valencia. How has Yunus Musah fared at Valencia? Musah has progressed and developed quite a lot at Valencia and is now a regular in the first-team squad. The winger has made eight ...
Report: Rangers planning to move for 25-yr-old PL attacker in January
Scottish outfit Rangers are thought to be keen on signing the Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy when the transfer window re-opens in January. The 25-year-old has done well for Newcastle United since his return to the club and he has now managed to establish himself as a starter for Steve Bruce’s side. According to Football Insider, Murphy is not up for sale anytime soon and the Premier League club are planning a contract extension. The winger will be a free agent at the end of this season and it remains to be seen whether the Magpies can convince him to commit his long-term future to the club. Jacob Murphy was heavily linked with a move away from Newcastle United at the start of this season. He spent last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and he picked up nine goals and six assists ...
Report: Ancelotti wants Everton to bring 28-yr-old back to the Premier League
Everton could make a move for the Lazio attacking midfielder Luis Alberto when the transfer window re-opens in January. The 28-year-old has been in outstanding form for the Italian outfit ever since he joined them and his performances have caught Carlo Ancelotti’s attention. The Spaniard picked up six goals and 15 assists in the Serie A last season and he produced ten man-of-the-match displays. It is hardly a surprise that Everton are keen on signing him. The former Liverpool midfielder is a traditional number ten who will add creativity and technique in the final third for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. He is an excellent set-piece taker as well. That said, the Toffees decided to sign James Rodriguez from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window and he has been quite impressive for them so ...
Report: Arsenal reignite interest in £22m midfielder after missing out on him last January
Arsenal are still keeping a close eye on Sander Berge and could make a move for the Sheffield United midfielder, according to reports from Norwegian outlet VG. The Gunners were one of the many Premier League clubs that showed interest in singing Berge before he joined the Blades for the then club-record deal worth £22m in January 2020. The player quickly settled in and was considered one of the outstanding signings of the transfer window thanks to displays like these. While Sheffield have been really poor in the Premier League this season, managing just one point from nine games, Berge has been superb for them, producing eye-catching displays against Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea. Arsenal have continued to monitor his progress, and are potentially weighing up a move for ...
FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year Nominees Announced
The shortlist for the 2020 FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year award has been released. Five managers from Europe’s top leagues have been selected for the award, which has been running since 2010. Some of the world’s biggest names have been excluded from the shortlist, including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho, and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone. Here’s a closer look at the five nominees. Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich) Hansi Flick is the favourite for the award The obvious favourite for the award is Bayern Munich boss Hans-Dieter Flick. The German took over from Niko Kovac in November 2019, with his side in fourth place. After a mixed start, Flick helped turn the Bavarians’ fortunes around massively, embarking on an incredible 32-game unbeaten run f...
Marcelo Bielsa up against Madrid and Bayern – who was the best manager in 2020?
Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp have been named on the five-man shortlist for 2020 FIFA men’s coach of the year. Bielsa and Klopp have joined the elite company of Hansi Flick (Bayern Munich), Julen Lopetegui (Sevilla), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) for this prestigious award. How did they fare last season? Flick guided Bayern to their seventh consecutive Bundesliga title but winning the Champions League will go down as his finest achievement. The German giants were a class above the rest, with their imperious 8-2 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou demonstrating how good they had been. At Real Madrid, Zidane returned once again after brief spells from Santiago Solari and Lopetegui and won the La Liga title for the second time in his managerial c...
