Mesut Ozil emerges as transfer option for Barcelona
Arsenal attacker Mesut Ozil could make a surprise return to La Liga this summer with Barcelona seemingly keen on his services.
The Germany international has been added to the Catalan club’s shortlist as they look to find a suitable replacement for Paris Saint-Germain-bound Neymar. Neymar is expected to travel to Qatar later this week where he will undergo a medical before sealing his world-record £196m move to Parc des Princes.
The Brazilian has been a pivotal player for Barcelona alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and his departure is likely to leave a huge void to fill ahead of the Spanish Super Cup. Real Madrid will have the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo when they take on Barcelona in the first-leg of the competition on August 13, and the absence of Neymar could significantly reduce the forward strength.
According to Don Balon, Barcelona have identified Ozil as a probable replacement for Neymar, should they fail to clinch a deal for top target Philippe Coutinho. The Copa del Rey winners are willing to pay a club-record sum for the Reds attacker, but unfortunately, Jurgen Klopp is adamant that the Brazilian won’t be sold at any cost. read more …
SPURS MUST SHOW AMBITION
Premier League side Tottenham Hotspurs are keen on avoiding the Arsenal problem when they were building the Emirates Stadium and had to slow down in the transfer market. They had issues of not lifting any titles despite playing good football, with many putting the lack of silverwae down to the squad depth, and the fact that the team continued to lose its core stars because they always showed a lack of ambition in the transfer market.
In a similar move, Spurs lost wingback Kyle Walker to moneybags Manchester City this summer. There are rumours that Eric Dier could exit this season as well though the club is keen on avoiding that. Soon it might be difficult to retain stars like Christian Eriksen, Danny Rose and Dele Alli as major European clubs would desperately seek their signatures. read more …
Michael Owen: Liverpool are ‘on the cusp’ of signing Naby Keita
Former Liverpool striker-turned-pundit Michael Owen insists that the Reds are close to securing the club-record signing of midfielder Naby Keita from RB Leipzig.
The Guinea international put up an all-round performance for the Bundesliga newcomers last season as his eight goals and eight assists helped the club to a second-place finish.
The Reds have failed with two bids worth £50m and £66m for the midfield enforcer this summer, and they are set to return with a third offer of £70m, which many sources believe would be sufficient to seal an agreement. In a report by The Mirror, Owen suggests that his former club are ‘on the cusp’ of signing Keita, who has already earned comparisons with Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante for his tireless workrate.
“They are on the cusp of signing Keita, and that could be an amazing signing if that came off,” he told The Mirror. Meanwhile, he also praised the club’s recruitment of Mohamed Salah, who has significantly bolstered the Reds attack ahead of their Champions League playoffs next month. read more …
Ashley Cole is interested in becoming a coach or a scout
Ashley Cole is a 36 year old defender who in a few month´s time will be reaching the 37 age mark and the veteran performer himself knows that his playing career is almost over but the English player is already thinking about ways of remaining influential in the world of football even though it might be outside of the actual pitch.
The current contract of Cole sees him staying with the MLS side LA Galaxy until December of 2017 and his future beyond that remains unknown at this point in time as the player has not talked about his plans when his deal with the American club expires.
However, there is something that Ashley Cole has actually talked about and its in relation to taking up a coaching or a scouting position with his former club Chelsea.
Throughout the entire playing career of Cole, he has performed with: Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, As.Roma and his current club LA Galaxy.
Out of all those clubs mentioned, it´s with Chelsea that Ashley Cole managed to lift major pieces of silverware and made a name for himself as one of the best defenders in the world of football. read more …
TIME FOR SHAKESPEARE TO PROVE HIMSELF
Most enterprises spend a fortune trying to convince investors that they could be a green ROI chip but no Harvard Business School strategy can me effective than winning the premiership with a coach that many have written off as mediocre due to his near success syndrome of bygone years, a midfielder – N’GoloKante – bought from an unknown team in a hardly followed league and worst of all am €400,000 supporting striker – RiyahdMahrez – who is now valued at €40 million.
It reeked of a club that had the ability to make the most of what is given to them.
Alas, it never came to be as the fairy tale ran its course sooner than latter and by January defending champions Leicester were battling from being relegated from the very league they won few months ago.
In the most painful or perhaps cruelest of ways the board members decided to sack the coach that potentially stands as the only man in history to deliver them the premier league title. The Foxes in a likewise move most clubs take when sacking their managers decided to hand the reins to Ranieri’s hand right man – Craig Shakespeare. read more …
Jordan Pickford to decide on future after England duty
Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has insisted that he will evaluate his future following the England’s Under-21s bid to lift the European Championship this summer.
The shot-stopper will fly out with his teammates on Monday ahead of their crunch clash against reigning champions Sweden on Friday.
Pickford was one of the standout performers for Sunderland alongside Jermaine Defoe last term, but this was not sufficient to keep the Black Cats in the Premier League for yet another campaign. The Wearside outfit had been playing with relegation over the past few years, but this year was not to be theirs after they failed to gather a winning run in the backend of the season.
The 23-year-old earned his maiden call-up to the senior England squad earlier in the season, and the Black Cats graduate admits that he would like to stay put in the top flight in order to better his international hopes. However, any further decision on the future could be made after Euro 2017 which Pickford is determined to win with the Under-21 side. read more …
WENGER TO KNOW FATE AFTER FA CUP CLASH
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he “does not know” if the game against Chelsea would be his last in charge of the team.
The board of the club is set to meet after the game and there the fate of the French coach would be decided.
Wenger’s contract is set to lapse this summer. He has been with the club since 1996 but is now on the verge of being sacked after the club reached a new low – missing the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
Wenger says his focus is wining the FA Cup for the team. He said winning the title is not for farewell sake but for the team to achieve something. In his two decades at the club, Wenger has lifted three Premier League title and six FA Cups. He did a back to back in 2014 and 2015. read more …
Pochettino Says Tottenham Have Improved over Last Season
Mauricio Pochettino says that Tottenham have improved a lot in the space of a year.
The club were surprise title contenders last season, but they were unable to sustain the title challenge towards the end of the campaign and lost out to Leicester City. This was a huge blow for the club after having been regarded as one of the finest outside the top four. This season has been an improvement over the last campaign, as the club has been able to remain in the title race even against the big guns like Chelsea and Manchester City.
Speaking ahead of the game with Arsenal during the weekend, Pochettino claimed that the north London outfit have come a long way since the days when they were just barely managing to qualify for the Europa League. Unlike in the past, Spurs will be the favourites to win victory over Arsenal considering that they have been extremely strong at White Hart Lane in recent seasons. read more …
BARCELONA MOVE AHEAD WITH JOHAN CRUYFF STADIUM PLANS
La Liga champions Barcelona have taken a step further with the plans for a Johan Cruyff Stadium.
The club president Josep Maria Bartomeu presented the plans of the stadium with Sant Joan Despi council. The event was just outside the city of Barcelona at the MerceRodoreda Cultural Centre. The commissioner for the EspaiBarcaJordiMoix, and the Mayor Antoni Poveda joined Bartomeu in presenting the plans to the public.
The first brick for the Johan Cruyff Stadium could be laid this year while the whole project can be rounded off in the 2018/19 season with planning permissions being processed, according to the Spanish club.
“The idea would be to lay the first brick in July. We have been working on this project for the last seven years. The name ‘Minestadi’ will no longer be used and from now on it will be the Johan Cruyff Stadium,” Moix said during the ceremony. read more …
Three Points Counted More Than Performance against Burnley, says Liverpool’s Mignolet
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has issued a rallying cry to the players after a splendid 2-1 win over Burnley during the weekend.
The Belgian international claims that Liverpool should now use this victory as a stepping board towards securing a place in the Premier league’s top four. With the possibility of winning the title all but ruled out, the club are effectively trying to finish in the top four and ensure a return to the Champions League next season. Since 2009, the club has had only one Champions League campaign, and it is extremely disappointing for the club which has won the trophy five times in the history.
After appearing to lose his place to Karius,Mignolet seems to be back in favour once again. He has been the club’s regular starter, but he watched Ashley Barnes gave Burnley the lead early in the first half. read more …