General Football News
Thomas Tuchel on Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kante and possible penalty shoot-out
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel faced the media ahead of the Champions League final against Manchester City on Saturday night. The Blues recently ended the league campaign with a defeat at Aston Villa, but they still made the top four ahead of Leicester City. They are assured of Champions League football for next season, which has relieved some pressure ahead of the final in Lisbon. Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante reported for training earlier this week after injuries, and Tuchel has confirmed that he has a fully fit squad. He told Chelseafc.com: “The team news is the best news ever – we have a full squad. We have no injuries, and I hope it stays like that until after we finish today’s training session.” The Europa League final between Manchester United and Villarreal went to a penalty shoot-...
‘Absolute hero’ – Some Spurs fans react to what player was pictured doing after his release y’tday
Tottenham Hotspur have released English left-back Danny Rose yesterday following the expiration of his contract. The Club can confirm the departures of Danny Rose and Paulo Gazzaniga following the conclusion of their contracts. We thank Danny and Paulo for their service and wish them well for the future.#THFC ⚪️ #COYS — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 27, 2021 💙 Thank you, Danny. #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/2QpyUNjubt — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 27, 2021 The 30-year-old spent his last season at the club training with the youth teams having been omitted from Spurs’ Premier League and Europa League squads by former manager Jose Mourinho. Rose fell out with the Portuguese in 2019-20, leaving temporarily for Newcastle United in January...
Barcelona president gives update on the futures of Lionel Messi and Ronald Koeman
Recently elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta has spoken about the futures of star man Lionel Messi and manager Ronald Koeman. It has been a turbulent season at Camp Nou. Koeman found himself under severe pressure after a poor first half of the season, with La Blaugrana looking way off the pace in the title race. A round of 16 humiliation at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League did little to ease the tension. Koeman’s side have been unable to win the title However, the Dutchman managed to turn things around, winning the Copa del Rey and putting themselves within touching distance of the top of the table going into the final few weeks. Carelessly dropped points against Granada and Levante saw them lose their grip on the title race, and they eventually ended the season in ...
Celtic reportedly want 56-cap int’l EPL winger, top-flight sides keen too
Republic of Ireland winger Robbie Brady is a man in demand following his release from Burnley and Celtic are interested in him, according to The Athletic. Premier League clubs are also keeping tabs on his situation, and the Hoops have a huge battle on their hands in their attempt to sign him. Brady joined Burnley in January 2017 from Norwich City, going on to make 87 appearances across all competitions for the side. The midfielder’s time at Turf Moor was plagued with injuries, and a move to Scotland and change of scenery could do him some good. Celtic are looking to make a major squad rebuild this summer following last season’s debacle, and landing an experienced player from the Premier League could be huge. Brady has 56 caps for Ireland, and the Hoops could do with such a quality player w...
‘Returning to England’ – Guillem Balague comments on reports linking Pochettino with Spurs
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a sensational return to Tottenham Hotspur in recent hours, with the Argentine even spotted in London. It is believed Spurs have held talks with their former boss as they search for Jose Mourinho’s replacement. However, it does not seem PSG are entertaining the idea of letting him go after just five months in charge of the club. Pochettino joined the French giants in January as Thomas Tuchel’s successor and has since won the French Super Cup and Coupe de France. He is reportedly open to returning to Tottenham but has also been linked with the Real Madrid vacant managerial post after Zinedine Zidane left the job this morning. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague does not see him leaving PSG anytime soon, though, taking t...
‘This is emotional’ – Rice reacts as West Ham star pens goodbye message
Jesse Lingard has established himself as a West Ham United star and hero in just five months, helping the Hammers secure European football after hitting the ground upon arriving at the London Stadium in January. The England international joined West Ham from Manchester United on loan during the winter transfer window, ending his spell with nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League games. Manager David Moyes would love to sign Lingard permanently, but it remains to be seen whether Man Utd are open to selling the attacking midfielder. The 28-year-old has reflected on his West Ham stint, taking to social media to thank the club and fans for the opportunity and leaving the door open for a permanent move: Lingard’s mate and Hammers skipper Declan Rice is gutted to see him leave, taking t...
Raphinha reacts to reported Manchester United and Liverpool interest
Leeds United winger Raphinha has reacted to the reported transfer interest from Manchester United and Liverpool ahead of this summer’s transfer window. The Brazilian joined the Whites from Rennes last summer and had an impressive debut campaign, registering eight goals and 11 assists from 38 appearances. His progress has caught the eye of several European clubs, and he has regularly been linked with United and Liverpool over the past few months. When asked about the speculation by UOL Sport, Raphinha said that he grew up watching some of the leading players in the English top-flight. However, the 24-year-old emphasised that he is clearly happy at Leeds and has no plans of leaving the Yorkshire outfit anytime soon. He said: “It is difficult to explain how I feel when I hear speculation abou...
‘Howe’s a fan’ – Journo claims incoming Celtic boss could sign Englishman Rangers once wanted
English midfielder Jack Wilshere has left Bournemouth after the short-term deal he signed in January ended. The former Arsenal star is now a free agent again, and according to Evening Standard’s Simon Collings, Celtic could emerge as an option for him if, as expected, Eddie Howe is appointed as their new boss. The former Bournemouth manager is a fan of Wilshere after working with him at Vitality Stadium during 2016-17. The 29-year-old was linked with Rangers last October after West Ham United released him, but he took to Twitter early this year to reveal that the Scottish Premiership champions never made a move to suggest they wanted him. Nope! https://t.co/XVZZqLroNc — Jack Wilshere (@JackWilshere) January 22, 2021 It remains to be seen whether the Light Blues outfit would return for Wils...
‘He can call me anytime’ – German manager tells Levy he’d ‘always consider’ Spurs job
Tottenham Hotspur legend Jurgen Klinsmann has sent a message to chairman Daniel Levy, admitting he is open to becoming the club’s next permanent manager. Spurs are looking for a boss to succeed Jose Mourinho, but they have been turned down by Julian Nagelsmann and Hansi Flick who have both opted for better jobs. Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter and his Leicester City counterpart Brendan Rodgers have publicly insisted they are not keen on replacing Mourinho. Levy will be frustrated with how his managerial search is going, but Klinsmann has confessed to being available to a return to his former club as a boss. “Definitely you’d entertain it, no doubt,” the former Germany manager told Sky Sports when asked if it would interest him to help out if the call came from Tottenham. “...
‘Absolutely incredible’ centre-back reportedly leaving Liverpool as Leicester eye move
According to Sport 1 Chief Reporter Patrick Berger, Leicester City are interested in signing Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak this summer. Confirmed: Liverpool FC has not activated the €23m release clause for Ozan Kabak. A permanente deal with #LFC is unlikely. The 21-year-old Turkish centre-back is targeted by RB Leipzig and Leicester City. #S04 urgently need to sell him this summer. @ozankabak4 — Patrick Berger (@berger_pj) May 25, 2021 The Turkey international spent the second half of 2020-21 on loan at Liverpool, featuring in 13 games before injury struck. The Reds have an option to sign Kabak permanently for €23 million but have opted against it. Kabak a bit unlucky but can understand why #LFC don’t want to buy him for £18 million. Settled and did a decent job for Klopp after a difficul...
Patrick Vieira says Daniel Ek will try again to buy Arsenal, time for a change
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has said that Daniel Ek will make a fresh bid to buy the club despite the owners having no intention to sell. Ek initially revealed his desire to buy the club last month when the fans protested against the ownership of the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) group. Since then, club legends such as Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp have publicly backed the Swedish billionaire to take charge of the Gunners. Ek recently confirmed that he made an opening bid to KSE, but the offer was rejected with the Kroenkes stating that they don’t need the money. Vieira has now revealed that the Spotify co-founder will make a fresh approach as he is a huge fan of the north London club. He added that the 38-year-old is prepared to stay patient and wait for the opportunity t...
‘Something special’: Timo Werner speaks ahead of Champions League final vs Manchester City
Chelsea forward Timo Werner has talked about the significance of the Champions League ahead of the final against Manchester City on Saturday. The German has experienced a mixed debut season with the Blues, but he has still registered a credible tally of 12 goals and 15 assists from 51 appearances. Werner is likely to lead the line against the Cityzens in the final, and he spoke about the special nature of the European competition ahead of the game. He told Chelseafc.com: “The Champions League is something special. “I think when you hear the anthem before the game, and the fans get that feeling, that’s when you really start looking forward to the game. “It will be great to play in front of fans again because we haven’t had them there this whole time. “The Champions League final is the bigge...
