Premier League
Leeds United propose new and improved contract to £15,000-a-week star – report
Leeds United have made an improved contract offer to defender Ezgjan Alioski, Football Insider reports. The 29-year-old has been with the Yorkshire outfit for the past four seasons, but he could leave the club when his deal expires on June 30. They failed to convince him with a contract proposal earlier this year, but they have now made a fresh approach with an improved salary. Sportslens view: The £15,000-a-week man has made 171 appearances for the Whites in all competitions, and he has firmly made himself a favourite among the fans. Marcelo Bielsa had the opportunity to bring in a new left-back after promotion last term, but he decided to stick with his existing options. Alioski was almost ever-present throughout the Premier League campaign, and 29 of his 36 appearanc...
Atletico eye Arsenal star as possible replacement for Red Devils target
La Liga champions Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin as a potential replacement for Kieran Trippier, according to Marca. Although Trippier featured extensively for Diego Simeone’s side last season, he has been linked with a return to the Premier League. The 30-year-old could be tempted to return to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Everton both credited with an interest in securing his services. Bellerin struggled for game time at Arsenal towards the end of last season as Mikel Arteta preferred Calum Chambers over the Spanish international. The 26-year-old is at a phase of his career where he will want a more prominent role in Spain’s plans, and a move to Atletico could help him achieve this goal. In addition to Atletico, Bellerin has also been linke...
West Ham offer lucrative contract to Alex Kral
West Ham United have been heavily linked with a move for the Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral. Meanwhile, Football Insider are claiming that the Premier League side have offered the 23-year-old defensive midfielder a double-your-money contract. The Czech Republic international is highly rated and he could prove to be a quality long term investment for the London club. The Hammers signed his compatriots Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal recently and both players have proven to be massive hits at the club. The Premier League side will be hoping that Kral can follow in their footsteps and succeed at West Ham. The chance to move to a Premier League club is already an attractive proposition and the fact that he will be earning double of what he is currently picking up at Spartak Moscow will o...
Chelsea cull tipped to gather pace, £40m man linked with summer switch
Tiemoue Bakayoko looks set for another temporary move away from Chelsea, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that Fiorentina want to sign the midfielder on loan. The France international has proved to be a massive disappointment since joining the Blues from Monaco for around £40 million in 2017. He struggled to make an impact during his first season at Stamford Bridge and has spent the last three years with AC Milan, Monaco and Napoli. Chelsea have been tipped to shake up their squad this summer, with more than ten players potentially heading out of the club. SL View Big things were expected of Bakayoko when he moved to Chelsea, but he failed to deliver the goods during an ill-fated first season in the Premier League. His subsequent loan moves have largely been underwhelming, with non...
Liverpool linked with Leeds’ striker + two others in search for next Firmino
Liverpool ended the previous campaign on a high note with five successive victories, which saw them finish in the top four of the Premier League. It was far from an achievement for the Merseyside outfit, who had outclassed Manchester City to the league title just 12 months ago. Injuries to key defenders hampered their season, but they were also disappointing from an attacking point of view over the entire campaign. Mohamed Salah starred with 22 goals, but he was not complemented sufficiently by his regular partners in Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. Both found form in the final weeks of the season, but there is room for improvement as the Reds look to challenge for the title next term. A centre-forward could be a priority for Jurgen Klopp’s side, with Firmino scoring just nine goals from 4...
Why £40m star should reject Arsenal and Villa, Hammers are an ideal fit
Norwich City midfielder Emiliano Buendia has been heavily linked with a move away from Carrow Road this summer. Arsenal and Aston Villa have both submitted offers of more than £30 million for the 24-year-old following his impressive performances in the Championship last season. Buendia, who is valued by the club at £40m, bagged 15 goals and 17 assists as the Canaries secured an immediate return to the Premier League. SL View It is little wonder that Buendia has been attracting attention from elsewhere, and he undoubtedly has a big decision to make this summer. However, it is debatable whether Arsenal or Aston Villa would be sensible destinations for the Argentinian playmaker. The Gunners are well stocked for attacking options, with Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Nicolas Pepe all capable...
‘I feel good’: £90 million-rated star speaks about his future amid reported Chelsea interest
Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has spoken about his future with the club amid interest from former club Chelsea. The Belgium international had a superb 2020/21 campaign for the Nerazzurri, registering 30 goals from 44 appearances across all competitions. 24 of those came in the Serie A as the San Siro giants ended Juventus’ nine-year dominance, winning the Scudetto for the first time since 2010. Shortly after the title success, manager Antonio Conte opted to cut ties with Inter amid a disagreement over the transfer strategy this summer. It was recently reported that Lukaku could follow him through the exit door with strong interest from newly-crowned European champions Chelsea. The 28-year-old has now dismissed the speculation by confirming that he is staying. He added that he had a ‘ve...
Aston Villa planning surprise move for £30m-rated star with 47 Premier League goals – report
Aston Villa are weighing up a surprise bid to sign Burnley striker Chris Wood this summer, Football Insider reports. The Villans had an impressive 2020/21 Premier League campaign as they finished 11th in the standings with 55 points. The club were in contention for Europe at one stage, but the injury to captain Jack Grealish coincided with their dip in form. The Midlands outfit are searching for attacking reinforcements ahead of next season, and a new striker appears a priority. Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham has been linked with a return to the club, but manager Dean Smith is unconvinced over a move. It is now reported that the club are lining up a surprise approach for Wood, who is also on the radar of two other Premier League teams. The Clarets apparently value Wood at £30 million, but his pri...
Arsenal to rival Tottenham Hotspur for in-demand Ligue 1 star valued at just £13m
Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have expressed interest in signing Lille defender Zeki Celik, Standard Sport claims. Celik had a superb 2020/21 season with Lille as they won the Ligue 1 title after a decade. He has two years left on his contract, but it is reported that he is open to transfer offers. Lille value the right-back at £13 million. Inter Milan have also been linked amid the uncertainty over Achraf Hakimi’s future. Sportslens view: Among the English trio, United appear the least likely destination for Celik, given Aaron Wan-Bissaka is an undisputed starter under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Both Gunners and Spurs need a regular right-back, and they could go head-to-head to land the Turkey international this summer. The Gunners look certain to part ways with Hector ...
Gary Lineker expects Manchester clubs or PSG to win Harry Kane race
Gary Lineker believes that both Manchester clubs and Paris Saint-Germain are the favourites to land Harry Kane in the summer, although he expects Daniel Levy to fight hard to keep Tottenham’s star man. Kane recorded 22 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League last season to secure both the golden boot and the playmaker award, despite Spurs finishing in seventh place in the table. As reported by Goal on May 17, the Spurs forward, who will captain England at the upcoming European Championship in the summer, wants to leave the north Londoners and Lineker can understand his desire for trophies. “I think that it would be worrying [to see him dominate the league if he joins Manchester City],” Lineker told Goal. “I would love to see him at Barcelona but they are going for [Sergio] Aguero and ar...
Ex-Arsenal captain says Gunners board ‘made a mistake’ in signing £96,000-a-week man – report
Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has said that the Gunners board made a mistake in appointing Mikel Arteta as their manager. Arteta succeeded Unai Emery as the Gunners’ head coach in December 2019, guiding them to FA Cup glory at the end of the campaign. However, the Gunners were disappointing in the Premier League, where they finished only eighth on the table. The same was the case last season. Speaking to The Sun, Gallas believes Arteta could be a great manager in the future, but the Gunners made the wrong decision to appoint him. The former club captain said that Arteta’s lack of experience has cost the club, having previously only been the assistant coach at Manchester City. He said: “Mikel Arteta was not ready yet to manage a club like Arsenal. OK, he was assistant coach at Manc...
Arsenal favourites to sign £81m-rated star with 26 goal contributions last season – report
Arsenal are leading the race to sign Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling ahead of this summer’s transfer window, The Sun reports. The England international had another impressive campaign for the Cityzens, registering 14 goals and 12 assists from 49 appearances in all competitions. However, his playing time was reduced in the big games during the back end of the season, with Phil Foden preferred ahead of him on the left wing. Sterling was handed a surprise start in the Champions League final against Chelsea last weekend, but he was disappointing as the Cityzens suffered a 1-0 loss. It was recently reported that the Cityzens could offer him and Gabriel Jesus as makeweights in a potential deal to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. Sterling’s £300,000-a-week wages are apparently a s...
