General Football News
Trevor Sinclair’s three-word reaction as NUFC star claims Hammers squad isn’t better than Magpies’
Newcastle United host West Ham United on Saturday and both teams will be playing for two different objectives. The Magpies are battling for Premier League safety with just a place and six points between them and the relegation zone. BY contrast, the Hammers are aiming to qualify for the Champions League and can move to third place with a victory. Newcastle finished three places and five points above West Ham in the top-flight last season, but both teams are not on the same level this season. The Hammers made a couple of quality additions to their squad during the summer and winter transfer windows, and that has made all the difference. Manager David Moyes has also got his side playing well and better than they did last term, but the same cannot be said of Newcastle. Steve Bruce is not popu...
‘Massive own goal’ – Luke Edwards reacts as NUFC takeover revelations emerge
According to Sportsmail, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene in his Kingdom’s plans to buy Newcastle United after it was blocked by the Premier League. Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners owner Amanda Staveley and the Reuben Brothers were looking to seal a £300 million takeover of the St James’ Park outfit a year ago. However, they eventually withdrew from the process after 16 weeks of rigorous Owners and Directors Test. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is still hoping that a deal can be revived as he is determined to sell the club. The businessman is waiting for an arbitration hearing against the Premier League in a bid to have the takeover approved, and the new revelation will be of interest to Magpies support...
‘Wouldn’t have faith in them’ – Shearer tears into four Spurs stars, sends Kane message
Tottenham Hotspur are yet to win since Premier League action resumed after the last international break, with a draw against Newcastle United and a defeat at the hands of Manchester United dealing a brutal blow on their top-four chances. While Spurs are just six points and three places off the Champions League places with seven games to go, they could miss out entirely on European football with Everton, Arsenal and Leeds United breathing down their neck. Head coach Jose Mourinho and the majority of his players have struggled to impress of recent, and Premier League legend Alan Shearer was not pleased with what he saw at St. James’ Park. “Tottenham’s back four were bloody awful when they played Newcastle United earlier this month and that should tell you something,” the former Magpies strik...
Barcelona and Man City target to sign new contract
Lautaro Martinez is set to sign a new contract at Inter Milan, Tuttosport reports (via Siempre Inter). Martinez has been one of Inter Milan’s most valuable assets since his transfer from Racing Club in 2018. He has scored 47 goals in 124 appearances in all competitions for the Nerazzurri, including strikes against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in their last two Champions League campaigns. Martinez celebrates his goal at the Camp Nou This season, the 23-year-old has hit 15 Serie A goals, putting him fifth in the Golden Boot race. Alongside Romelu Lukaku, he has formed one of Europe’s deadliest partnerships, putting his side on course for a first league title since 2010. Over the last year, there has been a lot of speculation about Martinez’s future. However, he appears ready ...
Hammers reportedly favourites in the race for Frenchman ahead of Arsenal & Rodgers
According to Football Insider, West Ham United have emerged as favourites to bring Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard to the Premier League this summer. The 23-year-old is also on the radar of Arsenal, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, but the Hammers have laid the groundwork for a deal and have made significant progress in his pursuit behind the scenes in recent days. West Ham are looking to wrap up a deal before the summer transfer window opens, and it will be interesting to see how things go in the coming weeks. Celtic demanded £40 million from suitors for Edouard last summer following an impressive campaign that saw him bag 22 goals in 27 Scottish Premiership games before the campaign ended abruptly due to the pandemic. However, the financial hardship that the coronavirus has put clubs in...
‘Very close’: Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal forward is on the verge of signing new deal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has acknowledged that the club are close to committing Folarin Balogun to a new long-term contract. The 19-year-old is one of the Gunners’ highly-rated graduates, but it appeared that he could leave the club on a free transfer this summer. However, he has been convinced to stay by Arteta, but the club have yet to make an official announcement over a new deal beyond June. Speaking in a press conference today, Arteta said that he has always been positive about the player’s desire to stay, and the club are ‘very close’ to a renewal. He told Arsenal.com: “We’re going to make it official when it’s official and everything is done, but as I said before, I was being very positive that he wants to stay at the club. We want him to stay at the club, so we are very close.”...
Bayern Munich legend tips Hansi Flick for Germany job
Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus has claimed that Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick will replace Joachim Low in charge of the German national team. Flick was appointed as Bayern Munich manager in November 2019 on an initial interim basis, following the departure of previous manager Niko Kovac. In his first season, he exceeded all expectations, winning all three major trophies available to him. Flick won a treble last season This season, things haven’t been as successful. The Bavarians remain in the driving seat for a ninth successive Bundesliga title, but have been eliminated early in the Champions League and DFB Pokal. Last week, it was reported that the 56-year-old was set to leave the Allianz Arena and take over from Joachim Low at the German national team after this summer’s Europe...
Wolves reportedly want Iceland international ‘described as the next Gylfi Sigurdsson’
According to The Telegraph, Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen on bringing IFK Norrkoping midfielder Isak Bergmann Johannesson to the Premier League this summer. The £5 million-valued Iceland international has been described as the next Gylfi Sigurdsson to come out of his country. He made his international debut against England last November and looks to be a promising future talent. Sportslens View Wolves will look to strengthen their squad this summer after what has been a disappointing campaign, given how impressive they were during the last two seasons. Johannesson is on their radar, but there are issues about getting a post-Brexit work permit for the 18-year-old. A new points-based system has been put in place due to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. It will be challeng...
Former Juventus boss wanted to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Italian source
Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri wanted to sell star man Cristiano Ronaldo before his departure, claims Italian outlet La Repubblica. Ronaldo came to Juventus from Real Madrid for a whopping €100 million in 2018 following a third Champions League title in a row. It was hoped that the Portuguese forward could be the man to propel the Old Lady to European glory, having not lifted the trophy since 1996. Ronaldo has netted 97 goals for Juventus Since his move to Turin, the 36-year-old has scored 97 goals in 126 appearances, helping his side to two Serie A titles. However, while Ronaldo has shone, Juventus have begun to go downhill. They are on course to miss out on the league title for the first time in a decade, have not won the Coppa Italia in the previous two seasons, and have s...
Hammers reportedly want 15-goal hitman who is Bundesliga’s tallest player
According to Eurosport, West Ham United are keen on Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic ahead of the summer transfer window. The Bundesliga’s tallest player has scored 15 goals in 30 games this term, and he is not short of suitors. Tottenham Hotspur are also looking into a potential summer move for the £15 million-rated 23-year-old, while RB Leipzig and AS Roma have also been linked with ‘Austria’s Peter Crouch’. West Ham sold Ivory Coast international striker Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January, and they were not able to bring in a direct replacement, landing Jesse Lingard on loan instead. While the Manchester United attacking midfielder has hit the ground running at the London Stadium, bagging eight goals in nine Premier League games, manager David Moyes wants to sign a striker for next sea...
BBC pundit claims Lingard must stop one thing at West Ham to be taken seriously
West Ham United secured a 3-2 victory over Leicester City on Sunday to keep their Champions League aspirations alive. The win saw them return to fourth place in the Premier League table with seven games to go, and they have Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard to thank for their good form and fortunes. Since joining West Ham in January on loan until the end of the season, the England international has bagged eight goals and assisted three more in nine league appearances. A brace from Lingard against Leicester helped the Hammers pick up valuable three points, and he is undoubtedly one of the best players in the top-flight at the moment. He has earned a recall to the Three Lions squad after two years out due to his red-hot form and is widely expected to make manager Gareth Southgate’s Euro...
Neymar’s ex-agent reveals how the move to PSG from Barcelona occurred in 2017
In an exclusive interview with L’Equipe, Neymar’s former agent Wagner Ribeiro has revealed how the forward’s world-record move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain occurred. The Brazil international made the surprise switch to Les Parisiens in 2017 after the Ligue 1 giants triggered the £198 million buy-out clause on his contract with the Blaugrana. Neymar has since established himself as one of Les Parisiens’ leading performers alongside Kylian Mbappe, but his future could be a talking point this summer with his contract expiring in 14 months. In an interview with L’Equipe, Ribeiro has now revealed that Neymar’s move to Parc des Princes was planned well in advance and disclosed a private meeting in Ibiza in 2016 which involved the forward, his father and Les Parisiens’ president Nas...
