English Premier League
Manchester United targeting PSG star Kylian Mbappe
Manchester United have made Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe a target for next summer, according to ESPN. Over the last few years, Mbappe has risen as one of the most sought after players in the world. He made his breakthrough in 2016/17 with Monaco, helping them to the Ligue 1 title and Champions League semi-final. This prompted a big-money move from PSG, who signed him in a deal worth up to €180 million – the second most expensive transfer of all time. He has continued to shine since then, scoring over 100 goals, winning two Ligue 1 Player of the Year awards, and lifting the World Cup with France in 2018. The 22-year-old has just one year left on his current contract, leaving him potentially available for free next summer. It is unclear whether he will renew at the Parc des Prin...
Pep Guardiola provides fresh fitness update on five Manchester City stars
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has provided a fitness update on five players ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Norwich City. The Cityzens have started their season in a poor fashion with a Community Shield defeat to Leicester City followed by a Premier League loss at Tottenham Hotspur. They had the vast share of possession in both of those matches, but the lack of cutting edge in the final third cost them successive 1-0 defeats. Ahead of Saturday’s afternoon kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola has provided a mixed update regarding the fitness of five players. Kevin De Bruyne was a surprise inclusion in the matchday squad against Spurs despite being initially ruled out with an ankle injury. He played just a 10-minute cameo against Spurs off the bench. He is now deem...
‘Getting fitter and fitter’: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms double Manchester United fitness boost
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has provided an update on his players ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at Southampton. The Red Devils started their league campaign in stunning fashion with a thumping 5-1 win over Leeds United in front of their supporters. They are scheduled to face the Saints in their next encounter. United have had plenty of joy playing against the south coast outfit in recent seasons. The Saints were on the wrong end of an embarrassing 9-0 defeat at Old Trafford earlier this year, and they face another tough test this weekend. Speaking in a press conference today, Solskjaer confirmed that Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane are available but refused to confirm whether they will make the trip. He said: “With regard to team news, that’s a boost as well. Edi...
Pep Guardiola to make five changes, Predicted Manchester City line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Norwich City
Manchester City will be eyeing their first victory of the new season when they entertain Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Cityzens recently suffered a 1-0 defeat to Leicester City in the Community Shield and lost by the same scoreline in the Premier League opener at Tottenham Hotspur. They will be keen to make amends against the Canaries. The English champions could be missing a couple of key players, but they are still fancied to win comfortably. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-up: Ederson had a mixed performance against Spurs last week, where he needed a goal-line clearance from Ilkay Gundogan. The Brazil international is expected to start between the sticks and will be aiming for a clean sheet this time around. There could be multiple changes to the defenc...
Tottenham set to submit offer for 26-yr-old ace who is valued at €30 million
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Granada defender Domingos Duarte before the transfer window closes. According to a report from Ideal, newly appointed Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo is keen on acquiring the 26-year-old’s services. The Portuguese defender has a contract with the Spanish club until 2023 and could be available for a reasonable price this summer. Duarte has a buy out clause of around €30 million, but Spurs are believed to be willing to offer around €10m. He has been a key player for Granada over the last two seasons and could prove to be a useful addition to Tottenham’s defensive unit. The Londoners have already signed Cristian Romero from Atalanta, but they have been trying to bring in another centre-back. Toby Alderweireld has exited the club, w...
‘Not looking great’: Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Southampton vs Manchester United
BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has stated his prediction for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s. The Saints had a good opening half against Everton in the season opener as debutant Adam Armstrong found the back of the net at Goodison Park. However, they capitulated after the interval. The Toffees ended up comfortable 3-0 victors. On the contrary, United secured a convincing 5-1 triumph over Leeds United at Old Trafford, with Paul Pogba matching a unique record with four assists. The Red Devils did the double over the Saints last season, which included a stunning 9-0 win at home. The Saints finished the game with nine men. Lawrenson does not anticipate a similar scoreline, but he has no doubts that the visitors will come on top with a 2-...
Leeds have great chance to sign ‘unplayable’ attacker for bargain 8-figure fee – opinion
Leeds United could secure themselves a real steal by signing Rangers attacker Ryan Kent for just £20 million this summer. The Whites allegedly want to sign the Gers winger (GiveMeSport). The 24-year-old has a release clause of £20 million inserted into his contract, according to The Athletic. While that seems a lot of money to pay for a player from the Scottish Premiership, it actually would be great value for Leeds. Marcelo Bielsa could do with adding more variety to his attacking options, and the former Liverpool man could be just the man for the job. Ryan Kent celebrates after scoring for Rangers Ryan Kent could be a superb signing for Leeds The lively wide-man has been a key player for Rangers boss Steven Gerrard at Ibrox over the past few years. He racked up 13 goals and 15 assis...
Mikel Arteta provides fresh Arsenal team news plus update on transfer plans
In a press conference ahead of the Chelsea game, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on player availability and the club’s transfer plans. The Gunners recently confirmed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Alex Runarsson and Willian missed the season opener due to COVID-19. Out of those, Aubameyang and Willian have tested negative, but Arteta acknowledged that he has no idea whether they will be able to train in the lead-up to the derby. He said: “It’s still very uncertain. I cannot give you any answer today because I don’t know if they are going to be able to train in a few hours – if they can compete at the weekend, I don’t know.” Meanwhile, Saka was only a second-half substitute in the curtain-raiser at Brentford. Arteta hinted that he could be fit enough to...
Thomas Tuchel confirms double Chelsea injury boost but Christian Pulisic ruled out
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has provided a fitness update on three players ahead of the Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday. The Blues were without N’Golo Kante (muscle injury) and Hakim Ziyech (dislocated shoulder) for the season opener against Crystal Palace. It was confirmed that the setbacks were only minor. Ziyech did not require surgery for the shoulder concern. The pair have now returned to training. In his press conference, Tuchel confirmed that the duo will have intense physical sessions tomorrow, but there are positive signs that they could be involved on Sunday. He told football.london: “Hakim and N’Golo both trained yesterday, so we need to have a more physically intense session tomorrow and decide tomorrow. “Right now, it seems very positive that both can be in th...
Chelsea enter race for 26-year-old Liverpool and Barcelona target
Chelsea are keeping an eye on Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. Saul first came to Atletico Madrid in 2008 during his youth days, earning a call up to the B team two years later. He made his debut for the first team in March 2012. Following a successful loan spell at Rayo Vallecano, the Spaniard became a regular at the Wanda Metropolitano. He has since made over 300 appearances for Los Rojiblancos in all competitions, scoring 43 goals and helping the club to a La Liga title, two Europa Leagues and a Copa del Rey. He has repeatedly been linked with moves away from the Spanish capital this summer. Earlier in the window, he looked nailed on for a move to Barcelona in exchange for Antoine Griezmann, but the deal fell through. Liverpool ha...
Arsenal face big selection problems, Chelsea sweating on key player’s fitness
The new Premier League season continues apace this weekend, with some exciting fixtures scheduled to take place. The action gets underway on Saturday lunchtime, with Liverpool welcoming Burnley to Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s side recorded a 3-0 win at Norwich City last weekend and are a banker bet to follow up against the Clarets. There are five more fixtures to follow, with the clash between Leeds United and Everton likely to be the pick of the bunch. Leeds crashed 5-1 at Manchester United on the opening weekend and will be desperate to bounce back at Elland Road. The Red Devils are in action on Sunday as they travel south to face Southampton at St Mary’s. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team were hugely impressive against Leeds and should continue in the same vein in this one. The two north London cl...
Man City star refuses Tottenham move as part of Kane swap deal
Bernardo Silva has no interest in moving to Tottenham Hotspur as part of a deal to bring Harry Kane to Manchester City, according to The Athletic. Silva first came to Man City back in 2017 from Monaco, arriving in a deal worth up to €70 million. He won the Premier League title and Carabao Cup in his debut season but made most of his appearances from the substitutes bench. The following year was when he started to become a key figure at the Etihad Stadium. He bagged 13 goals in all competitions for the Cityzens, winning the club’s Player of the Season award and helping them to the domestic treble. However, with competition for places high on the wings, the Portugal international hasn’t been starting as often as he’d have liked. In the last two seasons, he has started 45 league games out of ...
