Month: August 2020

9Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa tipped to complete £50m transfer as Wesley update emerges

Said Benrahma of Brentford celebrates victory with Ollie Watkins of Brentford during the Sky Bet Championship match between Brentford and Cardiff City at Griffin Park on December 11, 2019 in Brentford, England. Darren Bent has backed Aston Villa to seal the stunning double signing of Brentford pair Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins. The attacking duo were instrumental for Brentford in the Championship this season, with Benrahma contributing to 26 goals (17 goals, nine assists) and Watkins finishing as the division's joint top scorer with 26 strikes. Villa boss Dean Smith is known to be a fan of both players having coached them during his stint as Brentford head coach and he's believed to be keen on a reunion. It's being reported elsewhere that Villa could have to pay up to £50milli...

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9Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Chelsea hope to sign Man City’s John Stones in ‘bargain £20m deal’

John Stones of Manchester City during the FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Port Vale at Etihad Stadium on January 4, 2020 in Manchester, England. Chelsea are hopeful they can strike a bargain deal with Manchester City over a move for John Stones. Defenders have become a priority at Stamford Bridge as Frank Lampard looks to address their problems at the back. The Englishman has four centre-backs but has lost trust in all of them throughout the campaign. It has been a particularly leaky year at the back for the Blues - who have let in 54 goals in the Premier League, the most in the top 10. Lampard has eyed a number of defenders, including Declan Rice, Jose Gimenez and Gabriel Magalhaes. And the latest is City ace Stones, who has fallen down the pecking ord...

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9Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Juventus hand Pirlo his first manager’s role

Andrea Pirlo during the press conference of the unveiling of Andrea Pirlo as new U23 team coach at Allianz Stadium on July 31, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Serie A champions Juventus stunned Italian football on Saturday by naming World Cup-winning midfielder Andrea Pirlo as manager on a two-year contract even though their former player has no previous experience in the role. Pirlo, 41, was promoted to the senior job one week after being named coach of Juve’s under-23 side, who play in the Italian third tier, and without having taken charge of a match. The decision came hours after the Turin club sacked coach Maurizio Sarri following their Champions League last-16 exit to Olympique Lyonnais on away goals on Friday. Former Chelsea manager Sarri had been in charge for one season and led Ju...

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9Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

UCL

Champions League: Bayern crush Chelsea to set up Barca quarter-final

Bayern Munich's Polish forward Robert Lewandowski (2nd L) celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League, second-leg round of 16, football match FC Bayern Munich v FC Chelsea in Munich, southern Germany on August 8, 2020. Robert Lewandowski struck twice and set up two more goals as Bayern Munich cruised past Chelsea 4-1 on Saturday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 7-1 aggregate victory and remain on course for a treble of titles. "We're already excited. Barca are a quality side but we want to compete with them," Bayern defender David Alaba said. "We will go to Portugal with confidence and, after the last few months, we have nothing to hide from." Bayern, who won the domestic league and Cup double and have won ...

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9Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Wolves lose Jonny to ACL surgery ahead of Europa League finale

Jonny Castro Otto of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Villa Park on June 27, 2020 in Birmingham, England. Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed that defender Jonny Castro Otto has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. The Spanish wing-back, 26, will undergo surgery to repair the injury he picked up in the first half of Thursday's Europa League meeting with Olympiakos at Molineux. The injury looked innocuous as Jonny chased back towards his own half to retrieve the ball following a Wolves corner. But his right leg buckled underneath him and although the medical staff tried to patch him up he couldn’t continue. Jonny screamed in pain on the touchline and Wolves have now revealed th...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Juventus fire Sarri after Champions League exit

Head coach Maurizio Sarri of Juventus looks on prior to the Serie A match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at Allianz Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Italian club Juventus sacked manager Maurizio Sarri on Saturday, a day after being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League.  “Juventus Football Club announces that Maurizio Sarri has been relieved of his post as coach of the First Team,” the Serie A champions said in a statement. The 61-year-old Italian took charge of Juventus last June and guided the team to their ninth consecutive Serie A title this season. “The club would like to thank the coach for having written a new page in Juventus’ history with the victory of the ninth-consecutive championship, the culmination of a personal journey that led him to cli...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Real Madrid star gives heartbreaking interview after loss to Man City

Raphael Varane of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at Etihad Stadium on August 7, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom. It’s fair to say Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane had a night to forget against Manchester City. The French defender - who many regard as one of the best centre-backs in world football - produced two huge errors to allow Raheem Sterling and then Gabriel Jesus to score during a 2-1 defeat. After just nine minutes Varane was dispossessed in his own penalty area by Gabriel Jesus, who teed up Raheem Sterling for an easy tap-in. Karim Benzema did equalise for Real before half-time to give Zinedine Zidane’s side hope of progressing to the quarter-finals. But that hope was extinguished with a...

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8Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Man United urged to wrap up deal to sign Jadon Sancho

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League group L match between Manchester United and AZ Alkmaar at Old Trafford on December 12, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Manchester United should look to complete a deal to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund as quickly as possible, according to Jason Cundy. The Red Devils have been strongly linked with a move to sign the 20-year-old attacking midfielder from Borussia Dortmund this summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to strengthen his squad ahead of next season. Sancho is widely considered to be one of European football’s most promising young attacking talents, with the midfielder having scored 17 goals and made 16 assists in the Bundesliga this season. Manchester United are yet to...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Real Madrid’s Takefusa Kubo moving to Villarreal on 1-year loan

Takefusa Kubo of Real Mallorca celebrates 3-3 during the La Liga Santander match between Real Betis Sevilla v Real Mallorca at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on February 21, 2020 in Sevilla Spain. Real Madrid has loaned out 19-year-old Japan international Takefusa Kubo to Spanish La Liga rival Villareal, a source with knowledge of the matter said Friday. Both the clubs and the Japan midfielder have agreed to the terms and a formal announcement will be made after he passes his medical. Kubo, an electrifying talent, joined Real Madrid in 2019 from J. League first-division side FC Tokyo, and was promptly loaned out to Spanish top-flight side Mallorca. He scored four goals and recorded four assists in 35 games for Mallorca, which was relegated to the second division. Villareal, which ...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

No disappointment if Willian leaves Chelsea, says Lampard

Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United tackles Willian of Chelsea during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said he is unsure if Brazilian winger Willian will remain at the English Premier League soccer club next season but expects no bitterness from both parties if he does depart. British media has reported that Willian is on the verge of joining Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on a three-year deal after his current employers only offered him a two-year extension which left him disappointed. The 31-year-old Willian’s contract expires at the end of Chelsea’s Champions League campaign. Lampard’s side take on Bayern Munich in the last-16 second-leg on Saturday, a game Willian will...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Arsenal leading race to sign Real Madrid outcast

James Rodriguez of Real Madrid looks on during the Copa del Rey match between Ral Madrid and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 6, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Arsenal have expressed serious interest in the services of James Rodriguez, who is tipped to leave Real Madrid this summer. According to AS, James Rodriguez is on the verge of leaving Real Madrid this summer.  The playmaker is not included in Zinedine Zidane’s plans going forward, with the player himself asking the manager to not consider him for the Champions League fixture against Manchester City.  It has now put a host of clubs on red alert, with Arsenal, in particular, showing a lot of interest. Rodriguez’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has already been trying to find a new club for his client for wee...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Steven Gerrard eager to reward Rangers fans with Premiership win at an empty Ibrox

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard celebrates during the Europa League play off second leg between Rangers and Legia Warsaw at Ibrox Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland. Steven Gerrard is confident Rangers can build on their opening day win at Aberdeen when they take to an empty Ibrox on Sunday. The Gers kicked off their campaign with an important three points last weekend as Ryan Kent netted the only goal of the game. St Mirren are the first visitors to Ibrox in Premiership action this term but there won't be the usual fanfare to greet Gerrard and his players. “Certainly in the league it’s been a long time since we played at Ibrox," Gerrard said. “We’ve had some preparation games there already this season with Coventry and Motherwell, but it’s been some time since we ...

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8Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Wolves reach settlement agreement with UEFA after FFP breach

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Portuguese midfielder Pedro Neto (C) celebrates with team-mates after putting the ball in the Liverpool net, a goal that was subsequently ruled out by VAR due to an offside in the build up to it during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England, on December 29, 2019. Wolverhampton Wanderers will be allowed to register only 23 players instead of 25 if they qualify for the Champions League next season after breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, European soccer’s governing body has said. In a statement released to British media, UEFA said Premier League side Wolves had reached a settlement agreement with it under which the club will pay 200,000 euros ($235,720.00) ...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

UCL

Manchester City down Real Madrid to reach Champions League quarter-finals

Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at Etihad Stadium on August 7, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus were on target as Manchester City kept their cool to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola's side held the advantage having recorded a 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu in the first-leg back in February, meaning Real needed to score twice without reply to advance in 90 minutes. Their objective didn't change when Sterling opened the scoring for City after just nine minutes, but the goal would have had alarm bells ringing fo...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

UCL

Lyon beat out Juventus despite Cristiano Ronaldo brace in Champions League shock

Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo kicks the ball during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Juventus and Olympique Lyonnais (OL), played behind closed doors due to the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus, at the Juventus stadium, in Turin , on August 7, 2020. A Cristiano Ronaldo brace was not enough to save Juventus from a Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon, despite winning 2-1 in Turin. Juventus started the match with speculation that defeat would bring about the sacking of their manager Maurizio Sarri. Things looked bleak for the former Chelsea boss when Memphis Depay coolly converted a penalty after Houssem Aouar was brought down by Rodrigo Bentancur early in the first half. That left Juve n...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool dominate as Premier League announce nominees for end of season awards

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson captain of Liverpool during a training session at Melwood Training Ground on June 30, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool trio Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award. Unsurprisingly, the list is chock full of Reds stars after they steamrolled to their first top-flight title in 30 years. Henderson, who has already won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year prize, is a front-runner for the award, with Man City’s Kevin de Bruyne also in contention for the top individual gong. De Bruyne, who is the only City nominee, had a phenomenal campaign where he assisted a record-equalling 20 goals – level with Arsenal legend Thie...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

€15m Arsenal central defensive target signs for Monaco

Axel Disasi of Reims during the Ligue 1 match between Marseille and Reims at Stade Velodrome on August 10, 2019 in Marseille, France. Arsenal have missed out on target Axel Disasi after the defender signed for Monaco on a five-year contract. The 22-year-old former France youth international defender had also been linked to Southampton, Wolves and Roma but has opted to move south to Monaco from Reims in a deal worth €13m plus €2m in add-ons. Congolese-born Disasi told the principality club’s official website: “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate my qualities at the highest level and to continue my progress in a club with high ambition.” In April Reports claimed officials from the Gunners had made contact with the French club after watching the centre-half closely all season...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Leeds United preparing multi-million pound bid for 7-goal midfielder

Harry Wilson of Bournemouth celebrates after he scores a goal to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion at Vitality Stadium on January 21, 2020 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a summer transfer move for Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson according to The Sun.  Wilson has spent a number of seasons on loan away from Anfield, and it seems unlikely that he will be involved in Jurgen Klopp’s plans for next year’s league campaign. The 23-year-old was on loan with AFC Bournemouth last term, and chipped in with seven goals and two assists in his 35 appearances for the Cherries. But his performances were unable to stop Bournemouth from being relegated into the Championship after a disappoint...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Willian closes in on Arsenal deal

Willian of Chelsea scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Watford FC at Stamford Bridge on July 04, 2020 in London, England. Arsenal are close to completing the signing of midfielder Willian from Chelsea on a three-year deal. Arsenal moved into pole position to sign the Brazil international by offering a three-year contract earlier this week, and are now on the verge of beating off competition from Barcelona and Inter Miami. Along with the length of the deal, joining Mikel Arteta's rejuvenated side and the chance to work with fellow Brazilian Edu are the reasons Arsenal are favourites to secure Willian's signature. Despite wanting the 31-year-old to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have refused to offer...

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7Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Everton: Club looking at Thomas Lemar

Thomas Lemar during UEFA Champions League match between Atletico de Madrid and Liverpool FC at Wanda Metropolitano on February 18, 2020 in Madrid, Spain . A report in Le 10 Sport (via Sport Witness) has confirmed that Everton are interested in a move for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar. The reports state that Everton have a lot of interest in the deal but that Atletico’s demands could complicate any move. While it is unknown how much the Madrid club want for the World Cup winner, but considering they spent £63m on him in 2018, you might think it could be close to that amount. The Toffees have also been linked with a move for Leon Bailey, so it will be intriguing to see who Everton go for. Since moving to Spain, Lemar has made 72 appearances, in which he has scored three goals a...

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