Year: 2024

9Sep By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Report: Man United in £8m reveal as Real Madrid learn reason for Leny Yoro snub

Manchester United's significantly higher contract offer was the determining factor in Leny Yoro's decision to snub a move to Real Madrid, according to a report. The former Lille starlet was seemingly bound for the Bernabeu after becoming a mainstay in Les Dogues' defence, scoring three goals in 60 games for the 2020-21 Ligue 1 champions as a teenager. Yoro was courted by several top-level clubs during the most recent transfer window - Liverpool were also said to have been huge admirers - but he was rumoured to have had his heart set on joining Los Blancos. However, Carlo Ancelotti's side never came forward with an official offer for the 2005-born product, who subsequently made the switch to Man United in a deal worth an initial £52.4m. The Red Devils could end up shelling out close to ...

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9Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

UEFA nations Lge: Ruiz double helps 10-man Spain sink Swiss in the rain

Spain’s Fabian Ruiz scored twice as his 10-man side defeated Switzerland 4-1 in the pouring rain in Geneva to earn their first victory in Nations League A Group Four and inflict a second successive defeat on the hosts. Euro 2024 winners Spain had been held to a dour 0-0 draw by Serbia in their pool opener but found their groove in a quick start at the Stade de Geneve as Joselu and Ruiz had them 2-0 up inside 13 minutes. A red card for Spain defender Robin Le Normand after 20 minutes was a setback and brought Switzerland into the game as Zeki Amdouni pulled a goal back before halftime. But as the Swiss pressed for an equaliser late on, Ruiz netted his second and Ferran Torres also got on the scoresheet as Spain hit the hosts with lightning counter-attacks. “If there’s one thing I like t...

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9Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

LALIGA

Flick does more La Masia homework over the international break

Barcelona may not have had a game this weekend due to the international break but that hasn’t stopped new boss Hansi Flick from taking in some action at the club. The German showed up to watch Barcelona’s Juvenil A play on Sunday, showing once again how interested he is in the club’s youngsters. Flick was in attendance in a win for the youngsters too. Juvenil A ran out 2-1 winners over Badalona. Juliano Belletti’s side, who have started the season well, took all three points thanks to goals from Brian Farinas and Mauro. Barcelona’s new boss has already spoken glowingly about the club’s famed La Masia academy and it’s been previously reported that one of the reasons he got the job was his excellent knowledge of the club’s young stars after studying them intensely. It’s certainly been ...

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9Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Boost for Southampton despite facing three defeats in the Premier League

Southampton haven't had a good return to the Premier League as they have faced three defeats from their first three matches. While defensive mistakes have led to five goals conceded in the league, the attack also needs to improve and score more goals from the chances created inside the box. Therefore, the Saints are currently nineteenth in the league and alongside bottom placed Everton, are the only two teams that haven't taken any point from the first three matches. Hence, the chances of Southampton being involved in a relegation battle towards the end of the season, are increasing as well. Moreover, a new manager could be brought in at the St. Mary's Stadium if manager Russell Martin couldn't improve Southampton's on-field performance in the Premier League. However, there is a hug...

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9Sep By Silver Emmanuel5 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk clarifies future as Real Madrid star ‘rejects’ transfer chance

It has been a perfect start to the new Premier League season for Liverpool as they have recorded three wins from their opening fixtures against Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United. However, head coach Arne Slot has seen the breaks put on his fast start to life at Anfield as September saw his players jet across the globe to join up with their international teams. Van Dijk sets the record straight on future Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to the Netherlands until the 2026 World Cup - just weeks after he was considering whether to retire from international duty. The 33-year-old had contemplated ending his nine-year career with the Oranje after a last-gasp defeat to England in the sem-finals of the European Championships. But after a summer o...

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9Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

TRANSFERS

Fenerbahce confirm agreement with Juventus over Kostic

Fenerbahce have released a statement confirming an agreement with Juventus over the transfer of Filip Kostic. The Serbian was an automatic starter under Max Allegri during his first two years in Turin. However, he immediately became surplus to requirements upon the arrival of Thiago Motta. The 31-year-old has been left out of the Champions League and hasn’t been called up for any competitive or friendly fixture this season. During the summer, Kostic rejected proposals from Saudi Arabia, as well as the likes of Crystal Palace and Southampton. But with the transfer market shut almost everywhere on the globe, Turkiye became his ultimate escape route. The winger has been linked with a move to Galatasaray, but it was their crosstown rivals Fenerbahce who managed to seal the deal. Kostic w...

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9Sep By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

SERIE A

Galatasaray aiming to sign Roma’s Nicola Zalewski

Serie A giants Roma made some important moves in the summer but they could now be at the risk of losing an important squad player. Nicola Zalewski was linked with a move to PSV Eindhoven earlier in the summer but the move never quite took off. But with the Turkish window still open, he could yet depart the Giallorossi. Gianluca di Marzio have reported that Gala are trying to sign the Poland international on a permanent basis, despite having sealed their moves for Filip Kostic and Victor Osimhen already. In the last few days of the summer transfer window, Roma had attempted a swap involving Cyril Ngonge with Napoli but it didn’t materialise but it shows their willingness to move the player on. Gala has been described as a potential opportunity and the next few days will be vital in the...

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9Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich looked at Inter Milan defender Federico Dimarco if Alphonso Davies left

Alphonso Davies seems to be set on leaving Bayern Munich when his deal expires next year. What was once a surefire extension has now been in limbo for the past few years and with Real Madrid lurking in the shadows, the Rekordmeister is in a tough position. That got them looking at alternatives, one of which was Federico Dimarco from Inter Milan: 'Federico Dimarco was one of the names discussed internally at Bayern as a potential replacement for Alphonso Davies in the beginning of the summer. 'Bayern had three names on the list and Dimarco was one of them. But then Davies ended up staying at the club and Dimarco never considered leaving Inter this summer'. – Fabrizio Romano as captured by Twitter account @iMiaSanMia If Bayern is still looking at left-backs, go to the red side of Mi...

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8Sep By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Man Utd star Matthijs De Ligt speaks out on his mistake during Netherlands win

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt admits his mistake ‘sucks’ after Netherlands’ 5-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday evening.Ronald Koeman’s side delivered an impressive performance in the opening game of their new Nations League campaign with United striker Joshua Zirkzee scoring his first international goal after just 13 minutes. Ermendin Demirovic pulled Bosnia and Herzegovina level before Tijjani Reijnders put the Dutch back in front shortly before half time.Cody Gakpo extended the Netherlands’ lead before Edin Dzeko capitalised on an error from De Ligt to pull a goal back for the visitors. After a ball was played into the box from the right flank, De Ligt opted to leave the cross which allowed Dzeko to score from close range. Wout Weghorst and Xavi Simons...

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8Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

TRANSFERS

Hwang Ui-jo leaves Forest for Turkey, this time for good

Korean forward Hwang Ui-jo has rejoined Turkish team Alanyaspor on a one-year deal, the club announced Friday. The club did not disclose the transfer fee in a statement on its website. The move comes after Hwang played for Alanyaspor on loan in the second half of the 2023-24 season and failed to play a single minute upon his return to Premier League side Nottingham Forest so far this campaign. Alanyaspor is a club based in the southern Turkish city of Alanya and currently sits in 16th place on the 20-team Super Lig table as of press time Sunday. The club finished in eighth place last season, during which Hwang picked up one goal and one assist in eight Super Lig matches. The return to Turkey marks the latest twist in what has also been a tumultuous few years for the 32-year-old...

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8Sep By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea Could Start A Trend By Leaving Cole Palmer At Home

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer was the star of last season for the Blues, but it is unlikely his skills will be seen in European competition this season. Palmer won’t be on the plane to Greece, Germany or Kazakhstan this season as he has been left out of Chelsea’s UEFA Europa Conference League squad. He could theoretically be added to the squad in January, but whatever happens, he won’t play European soccer again in 2024. Premier League teams often leave their star players out of matchday squads for the group stages of European competitions, opting to blood their young players in these theoretically easier and lower-stakes games, and save their stars for Premier League games and the latter stages of European competitions later in the season. But it is rare that a key player is left completely of...

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8Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

Champions League

PSG Receive Boost Ahead of Crucial Champions League Fixtures Against Girona, Arsenal

The international window hasn’t been kind to Paris Saint-Germain with key players like Vitinha, Désiré Doué, and Warren Zaïre-Emery suffering injuries. After the alarm bells went off with their midfield suffering multiple blows ahead of an intense next few weeks, there’s a sigh of relief. The Parisians have a mix of good and bad news as club football returns this week and the UEFA Champions League kicks off this month. PSG will face Stade Brestois on September 14 and the Spanish side Girona on September 18. Afterward, the Ligue 1 side face Stade de Reims on September 21 and Stade Rennais on September 27 before their showdown with Arsenal on October 1. As a result, the capital club need all their players healthy for these next couple of weeks and while they suffered scares, L’Equipe ...

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8Sep By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

SERIE A

Will Danilo retire from international football? He gives his answer

Although Danilo has not started games for Juventus this season, he remains a regular for the Brazil national team and even captains them. At 33, many players retire from international football to focus on their club careers, but Danilo has shown no signs of considering stepping away from the Brazil squad. He continues to enjoy his time with the national team. After Brazil’s early elimination from Copa America, some sections of the Brazilian media suggested that Danilo should step aside to make room for a new generation of players to help rejuvenate the team. However, Danilo has continued to make himself available for selection, and following Brazil’s recent match, he was again asked if he would consider international retirement, as some fans had previously urged him to do. He said, as ...

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8Sep By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

NEWS

S. Korea seeking redemption vs. Oman in World Cup qualifier after dismal showing at home

South Korea will look to redeem themselves in their next World Cup qualifying match against Oman on Tuesday following a disappointing performance on home soil to begin the ongoing round last week. South Korea and Oman will square off for their second Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat. The kickoff is 6 p.m. Tuesday local time, or 11 p.m. the same night in South Korea. South Korea, ranked 23rd, couldn't have scripted a more frustrating start to the third round last Thursday, when they were held to a goalless draw by No. 96 Palestine at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Captain Son Heung-min struck the woodwork in a wide-open chance in the late minutes, while midfielder Lee Kang-in also wasted a few op...

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8Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

NEWS

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich praises the team after resounding 5-0 Nations League victory

Germany kicked off the Nations League campaign with a 5-0 thumping of Hungary. Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala was magnificent, delivering a goal and three assists. Bayern teammate Aleksandar Pavlović linked up with Musiala to score Pavlović’s first international goal in the 77th minute. Today’s match also represented Joshua Kimmich’s first international match since being named captain for Die Mannschaft. In his postgame interview (via @iMiaSanMia), Kimmich said, “It was important that we won today. The first half was good, we could’ve scored more goals. The first 5-10 minutes of the second half were not easy. Rob [Andrich] made a great tackle to deny the equaliser. Then we scored the second through a counter from a corner and then the game became more open. Overall we controlled the...

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7Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Declan Rice and Jack Grealish give Lee Carsley winning start to England reign

After all the focus on the soundtrack, Lee Carsley’s first game as England manager was certainly loaded with narrative. The inevitable line is that you couldn’t script this but, well, it’s really the first thing you’d script. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scored the goals in a 2-0 England win over Ireland, the national team they both left, to also overcome a constant chorus of boos. If anything, such a response seemed to counter-productively drive them on, in the way that often happens. At least for a time. This win really just evolved into the sort of win over a smaller country that England have long learned to expect under Gareth Southgate, albeit with one important twist. The attacking under Carsley was different throughout and, for a brief period, quite exciting. There was a sens...

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7Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

NEWS

Brazil edge Ecuador as Rodrygo strike ends winless World Cup qualifying run

Rodrygo scored the winning goal in the first half as Brazil defeated Ecuador 1-0 in Curitiba to end a four-game winless streak in World Cup 2026 qualifying. The 23-year-old Real Madrid swinger scored with a shot from outside the box in the 30th minute, which was deflected by a defender and went in off the right-hand post. Victory boosted the Seleçao’s qualifying campaign after they had lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina at the end of 2023 after a 1-1 home draw with Venezuela. Seeking an early goal to settle their nerves, the hosts almost got it when Vinícius Júnior closed down keeper Hernán Galíndez, whose clearance ricocheted off the forward and into the side netting. After Rodrygo’s opener, Moisés Caicedo was denied a leveller, first by Alisson’s save and then by Gabri...

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7Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

BUNDESLIGA

Leverkusen ‘Invincibles’ star ‘will leave at the end of season’

Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah has put a host of Europe's top clubs on red alert after confirming this season would be his last with the club. The 28-year-old had been heavily linked to an exit from the defending Bundesliga champions in the summer window, with German giants Bayern Munich showing plenty of interest.However, a move failed to materialise as Tah ultimately stayed put with the club. Yet it now looks to be a matter of time before he does depart, with Tah explaining his reasons for wanting to seek pastures now. In an interview with German outlet Suddeutsche Zeitung, the defender pointed to Leverkusen's thrilling unbeaten season as a key reason why he felt it was the right time to leave. 'I've been in Leverkusen for nine years, I experienced all the ups and downs h...

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7Sep By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal receive Riccardo Calafiori injury update after Italy scare

Arsenal have seemingly received a positive update on the fitness of defender Riccardo Calafiori. During the summer transfer window, the Gunners paid in the region of £42m to sign one of Bologna's star men from last season.The 22-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game, being restricted to substitute outings against Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion. However, Calafiori was included on the left-hand side of a back three on Friday night as Italy recorded a 3-1 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League. Despite conceding after 13 seconds, the Azzurri fought back to post one of their most notable victories since winning the European Championship three years ago.Nevertheless, the evening was not a perfect one for Luciano Spalletti and his side after Calafiori was fo...

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7Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

LALIGA

Ancelotti trusts 25-year-old Real Madrid defender amidst injury woes – report

The left-back position at Real Madrid appeared set to undergo a big change this summer with Alphonso Davies widely linked with a transfer.In the end, however, Real Madrid did not get the Canadian defender over the line as Bayern Munich refused to accept a lower fee for the youngster. Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia thus started the new season as Carlo Ancelotti’s preferred options in the department with the Frenchman taking the starting role. Both players, however, have seen regular minutes in tandem. Garcia earns Ancelotti’s favourWhile Mendy began the season as the manager’s preferred option at left-back, Garcia only had to wait until match day 2 to get his first start of the season. Benefitted by the Frenchman’s suspension, the 25-year-old played all 90 minutes against Real Valla...

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