Premier League
Paul Pogba: N’Golo Kante star is a ‘smart kid’ and a ‘cunning’ player
N’Golo Kante “cheats a lot”, according to Paul Pogba, who has described the Chelsea star as a “smart kid” and a “cunning” player. Kante has established himself as one of the top midfielders in Europe since joining Leicester City from Caen in 2015, helping the Foxes win the Premier League title before also going on to lift the trophy with Chelsea. The 30-year-old has a World Cup winners’ medal to his name too, having been part of the triumphant 2018 France squad alongside Pogba, who has now revealed that his compatriot will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means bending the rules. The Manchester United talisman told beIN Sports of his international colleague: “He cheats a lot. A lot. At card games, board games. Honestly, I’m telling the truth. He cheats. “He says he doesn’t cheat, bu...
Everton open to selling Mason Holgate to part-fund deal for £43m-rated centre-back – report
Everton could sanction the sale of Mason Holgate this summer to part-fund the transfer of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, Football Insider reports. The Toffees have been impressive in Carlo Ancelotti’s first full season in charge, but their home form has cost them a top-four push. Their defensive performances at Goodison Park have been questionable, and the Italian may look to upgrade his options ahead of next season. It is now reported that the Toffees are open to parting company with Holgate, who only signed a five-year deal with the club last year. Ancelotti has not been fully convinced by the Barnsley graduate, and the club are lining up a top-class centre-back to replace him. Kalidou Koulibaly is reportedly the top target for Ancelotti, and part of the funds for the transfer could ...
Manchester United favourites to sign winger with 19 assists, could cost between €85-€90m
Manchester United continue to remain favourites to sign Borussia Dortmund attacker Jadon Sancho during the forthcoming transfer window, German outlet Sport1 claims. The Red Devils were heavily linked with the England international last summer, but a deal failed to materialised as they refused to meet the €120 million price tag. Sancho had a slow start to the current campaign, but he has still been hugely impressive with 16 goals and 19 assists from 36 appearances in all competitions. The 21-year-old recently starred in Dortmund’s 4-1 thrashing of RB Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal Cup final, registering two goals and one assist. It is now reported that United are still in pole position to sign the versatile attacker, and talks have already been initiated with his representatives. United have...
Manchester United linked with Getafe midfield star
Manchester United could make a shock summer move for Getafe midfield anchor man Mauro Arambarri. The Premier League side are rumoured to be in the market for midfield options ahead of the 2020/21 season and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to La Liga for options. The Red Devils have also been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid star Marcos Llorente, but with Los Rojiblancos demanding a minimum of €80m for the Spanish international, Arambarri is a much cheaper alternative. The Uruguayan was linked with a move to Atletico himself at the start of the current campaign, after establishing a reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Spain under Jose Bordalas. However, that interest has now cooled from their domestic rivals, and United are planning a €20m swoop according to rep...
‘He will be available’: Romano issues update that should worry Arsenal fans
Fabrizio Romano’s revelation that Aaron Ramsey ‘would love’ to seal a return to Arsenal should send a shiver down the spine of every Gunners fan. The 30-year-old has struggled to make an impact for Juventus since joining the club in 2019 and has been tipped to return to the Premier League. Transfer expert Romano has now issued an update on Ramsey, saying that the Welshman would be eager to reunite with Arsenal this summer. “Aaron Ramsey would love to join Arsenal again,” Romano told the Arsenal Lounge. “At Juventus he is struggling, he is not playing, he has had many injuries. He will be on the market, 100 percent. He will be available. “If Arsenal want to go for Ramsey, they know they have the chance. But, at the moment, there’s nothing advanced or serious with Ramsey yet.” SL View Ramsey...
Leeds recall key duo, Spurs defender out, Toffees sweating on playmaker’s fitness
The 36th round of fixtures in the Premier League features some vital matches at the top end of the EPL table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. The action got underway on Friday evening, with Manchester City winning 4-3 at Newcastle United – Ferran Torres (3) and Joao Cancelo got their goals. Leeds United demolished Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor in the early kick-off on Saturday – Rodrigo (2), Mateusz Klich and Jack Harrison were on the scoresheet. Southampton vs Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United completes the Saturday line-up. There are four games on Sunday, three of which could have a major bearing on who qualifies for Europe this season. Liverpool have a golden opportunity to move j...
Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea duo are fit, reveals starting goalkeeper vs Leicester City
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has provided a fitness update on N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic ahead of the FA Cup final against Leicester City on Saturday. The Blues recently suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League, and they will be aiming to make amends by lifting silverware this weekend. Tuchel provided an update on Kante and Kovacic ahead of the Wembley showdown, with both players in line to feature this weekend. He told football.london: “It was pain management, not a huge injury. He trained yesterday and today full, no complaints. He will start tomorrow and hopefully finish the game for us.” Kovacic has also returned to full training, and Tuchel confirmed he is excited by the return of the Croatian who last played on April 10. He added: “It’s huge because M...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms £190,000-a-week star is out injured for rest of league season
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has provided an injury update on Harry Maguire ahead of the Premier League clash against Liverpool on Thursday. The England international sustained an ankle injury during the Aston Villa game last weekend, and he subsequently missed yesterday’s game against Leicester City. In a press conference earlier today, Solskjaer highlighted that Maguire suffered an ankle ligament injury, but has managed to avoid a fracture. He added that Maguire will miss rest of the league season, and the club will try their best to get him fit for the Europa League final against Villarreal. He told Manutd.com: “The good news was it wasn’t broken. There was no fracture, but a ligament injury, of course, is serious as well. If I’m very positive – that’s maybe stretching...
Southampton confirm Arsenal target to leave club on free transfer
Southampton have confirmed that Arsenal and AC Milan target Ryan Bertrand will leave the club for free this summer. Bertrand has spent the last six years of his career on Southampton’s books, scoring eight goals in 240 appearances, but he will walk through the St Mary’s exit doors at the end of the 2020-21 season after failing to reach an extension agreement with the club. The Saints have announced the 31-year-old’s departure, thanking him for his sterling contribution to their cause while insisting he will always hold a special place in the heart of the club’s supporters. “Southampton Football Club can today confirm that Ryan Bertrand will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season,” a statement on the club’s official website read. “Bertrand was a key part of the te...
Arsenal to compete with Manchester City to sign defender with 19 international caps
Arsenal could compete with Manchester City to sign Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand during the summer transfer window, Goal.com claims. Bertrand has been with the Saints for seven years, but he looks set to head for the exit door after negotiations over a new contract broke down. The 31-year-old will be available on a free transfer when his deal expires next month, and the Gunners are among the top contenders to secure his services. Sportslens view: The Gunners were linked with a move for Bertrand in January, but a deal failed to materialise before the deadline. As a result, the north London club have had to cope with just one specialist left-back in the first-team squad in Kieran Tierney. Cedric Soares and Granit Xhaka played there recently when the Scot was nursing a knee ligament inj...
Oliver Kahn rules Bayern Munich out of race to sign Erling Haaland in summer due to high fee
Erling Haaland moving to Bayern Munich is “unimaginable” at this time, according to the club’s future CEO Oliver Kahn. Haaland has established himself as one of the most prolific frontmen in Europe since joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, and is attracting attention from a number of top clubs heading into the summer transfer window. Bayern are among those being linked with a swoop for the Norwegian, but Kahn claims that they won’t be able to match his price tag in the current financial climate. “Sorry, whoever spoke about that didn’t understand the situation,” the Bayern director, who will succeed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as CEO later this year, told Bild. “A package that costs – as we heard – over €100m is unimaginable for FC Bayern at the moment.” Kahn went on to insist that Bayern ...
Christian Pulisic dismisses Chelsea exit rumours
Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has dismissed rumours he could quit Stamford Bridge this summer. The United States international has found himself in and out of the side under Thomas Tuchel and admitted he was “very frustrated” not to start against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg earlier this month, giving rise to speculation he could seek a move this summer. However, Pulisic says he isn’t going anywhere and is “up for the challenge” of proving himself in west London. When asked whether he saw his long-term future at Chelsea, Pulisic told ESPN: “Yeah, I’m obviously happy here. It has been an incredible two years. “People have always doubted and said: ‘Oh, he’s not playing, does he want to go here, does he want to go there?’ I’m always up for a challenge, I love c...