Category: Sports news

Barcelona and Edinson Cavani make contact ahead of summer move

Latest reports from ESPN have claimed that Barcelona and Edinson Cavani have made contact ahead of a summer transfer move for the Manchester United striker.

Cavani, 34, has a contract at United until the end of the 2021/22 season but has fallen down the pecking order at the club, making only eight appearances this season following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The reports suggest that the contact between both parties was to gauge Cavani’s interest following comments from the striker (via The Times) about wanting a Barcelona move earlier in the season.

Barcelona is currently on the hunt for attacking reinforcements due to the fitness issues being suffered by that section of their squad. ESPN sources report that Barcelona are only targeting players who have not played regularly for their clubs this season.

ESPN also reports that while Cavani is very much interested in a Barcelona move, he plans to speak with incoming interim manager Ralf Rangnick about his plans before making a decision.

Barcelona’s financial problems making negotiations difficult

Barcelona are in serious debt and is looking to save money anyhow they can. This includes selling off players and getting in players on loan or on a free transfer in the coming window.

The Catalan club’s financial situation is making most of their endeavours difficult, but Barcelona CEO Ferran Reverter has now confirmed the club will be able to sign players in January, but that they will have to be clever about how they fund any new arrivals.

This is why, according to reports, Barcelona is only going after players who have not played much for their clubs with hopes of getting them on loan without an obligation to make the move permanent or on a short-term contract. 

The 34-year-old Uruguayan fits what the club wants, but the club is also looking at Manchester City’s Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling, as well as Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.

Barcelona and Real Madrid battle LaLiga over CVC investment

Elsewhere, Barcelona and Real Madrid, along with Athletic Club Bilbao have written to other LaLiga clubs to support their bid to thwart private equity group CVC’s €2bn cash injection into Spanish football.

Financial Times reports that both clubs, who are still after their European Super League bid which was rejected by football governing bodies, have a counter-offer which they claim is economically superior to the CVC and LaLiga offer.

LaLiga have called the latest moves by Barcelona and Real Madrid “hypothetical”, and labelled it an “improvised proposal elaborated without the minimum rigour required”.

LaLiga will be presenting the full details of the CVC deal to all the clubs in the first and second division of the competition on December 10.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are working with Bank of America, JPMorgan and HSBC on their own alternative funding, hope to be able to convince the other clubs to pay no heed to the LaLiga and CVC deal.

Transfer Rumours: Lewandowski offered to Chelsea in potential swap deal for Timo Werner

News coming out of Germany claims that Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia has been offered the chance to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in a deal that could see Timo Werner head the other way.

Football consultant Ian McGarry made this bit of information known via The Transfer Window Podcast. McGarry claims that Lewandowski’s agent Pini Zahavi is trying to use his Chelsea contacts to seal the move as the 33-year-old striker seeks a different challenge for the last lap of his illustrious career.

Lewandowski, who currently leads the European golden shoe rankings with 14 goals has been the most prolific frontman of the past two seasons, for which he was recognised at the 2021 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony with the Striker of the Year award.

He also finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Lionel Messi, who during his acceptance speech, urged France Football to give the 2020 award (which was cancelled due to Coronavirus) to Lewandowski as he was the clear favourite for the prize last year.

The 33-year-old Polish national team captain is now in the final 18 months of his contract at Bayern Munich but there have been no talks of a renewal just yet.

And Pini Zahavi, in trying to fulfill his client’s wishes, is pushing the buttons he has at Chelsea to initiate a swap deal which will see a long-term Bayern Munich target, Timo Werner, move to Germany.

McGarry told The Transfer Window Podcast: “Pini Zahavi, often described as the original super-agent, represents Lewandowski and has done for more than two years.

“Zahavi is also a close-confidant of Marina Granovskaia and it is certainly the case that he has offered Lewandowski to Chelsea and Granovskaia.

“It’s a move which could include Werner going to Bayern.”

Manchester United throw their hat in the race for Timo Werner

Elsewhere, Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick is now looking forward to a reunion with the striker according to reports.

Werner looked to be heading to Liverpool before the Blues hijacked the transfer for £47.5 million last summer. Things have not quite worked out for the striker at Stamford Bridge but he is still not short of suitors.

Rangnick, who just got his England work permit, is reportedly exploring the possibility of signing Werner for United in the summer.

It is important to note that Rangnick’s deal with United is a six-month interim manager role with a two-year consultancy role following immediately after.

This means that Rangnick will not manage Timo Werner directly if this shock signing happens for United, who will be losing Edinson Cavani at the end of the season and will be shopping for a replacement.

Werner is also a target for Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

“Sign the contract now,” Andreas Christensen receives warning on Chelsea contract situation

Andreas Christensen and Chelsea have been in a standoff for a while over the defender’s future at Stamford Bridge, frustrating all parties involved.

The 25-year-old Danish international will be out of a contract with Chelsea in the summer, but the club is doing all they can to keep him.

Chelsea believed they had finalised a five-year £140,000 per week agreement with his representatives in the summer, but Christensen’s demands changed which has clearly frustrated the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

The defender has refused to put pen to paper over what was offered and is now demanding a four-year contract with a higher pay, to the chagrin of the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

Simon Jordan, former owner of Crystal Palace, sternly told the Dane in an interview with talkSPORT to stop delaying the negotiations and pen a new contract.

Jordan sternly advised Christensen that he needs to sign a new contract at Chelsea before they go out and sign another “£50 million defender”.

Simon Jordan: It’s degrees of loss for Christensen

The business mogul and former Crystal Palace owner believes that the only party who will lose from this standoff is Christensen, due to Chelsea’s current pull in world football as well as the club’s spending power.

Jordan told talkSPORT: “I think it’s a degree of loss for him [Christensen].

“You’re sitting with arguably one of the best coaches in the world, in arguably one of the biggest clubs in the world, with probably a financial contract in front of you that would make most people’s eyes water as an employee, and you’re sat there going: ‘Well, I’m worried about my next contract’.

“How about you worry about this contract, being good enough to play for Chelsea in five years.

“You might find yourself in a situation where you may not be good enough to play for Chelsea in three years’ time but Chelsea still have to pay you, so what a nice position to be in.

“The problem is for Christensen, with due respect to Christensen being a decent player, Chelsea can replace him with whoever they want.

“If Chelsea lose Christensen on a free transfer, he gets all that money in his next contract because no one has to pay anything for him, and Chelsea will rock out and sign a £50m centre-back.”

Tuchel fires warning to Christensen

The Denmark international has claimed that he would like to continue his career at Chelsea and has professed a love for the club. However, his negotiation antics have all but betrayed other sentiments.

Thomas Tuchel recently froze Christensen out of the side in what is now confirmed to be a ploy to get the defender to make up his mind about the contract.

The Chelsea boss, when speaking at the pre-Watford press conference on Tuesday, said: “I have no good news. It was my understanding weeks ago that Andreas wants the same as me and the club.

“This is why, for me, it was a zero-problem situation because everybody wanted the same as I understood it. We are waiting for a long time now for confirmation.

“It’s on Andreas to act how he acts on the pitch, off the pitch and walk the talk. He tells us he loves Chelsea, that he wants to stay and be a big part, because he is a big part of a big club.

“I think he is the perfect fit, he is not done yet here, his career here is not finished. He can still develop and be a big, big player. But like I said it’s on him. We want the commitment. Hopefully, we get it.”

Christensen was dropped from the side after the 1-1 draw against Burnley at the start of November. Tuchel is hoping the selection decision will push Christensen to agree and sign a new contract. 

“We have the hope it influences the contract situation a little bit,” Tuchel added.

“My understanding was in a very short period we would have good news. I said around the international break that for me, it is a matter of days that we think we can give good news about Andreas.

“As I understood it, the club wants the same, the player wants the same, and the coach wants the same: to stay. That’s why we need the commitment and we can continue.”

Ajax looks to out-of-favour Tottenham winger as attacking reinforcement

Ajax Amsterdam have reportedly expressed an interest in signing academy player and current Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn on loan in January.

Bergwijn spent three years in the famous Ajax Amsterdam academy before moving to PSV Eindhoven to continue his development.

He made his debut for PSV’s senior team in 2014 while still in the PSV youth setup and in 2017 he finally nailed promotion to the senior team where he impressed and became one of the most sought-after wingers in football during his three-year senior team career at the club.

The 24-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur who fended off interest from Barcelona and Inter Milan to sign the forward from PSV Eindhoven in January 2020 in a deal worth around £26.7million.

He was a mainstay in José Mourinho’s Spurs, getting the Mourinho treatment sometimes but being called upon regularly. However, he has struggled for game-time under new head coach Antonio Conte, who seems not to be keen on using the Dutchman.

Conte doesn’t believe in him, Dutch reporter claims

The Dutch reporter who is the source of this news claims that new Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is not the biggest fan of the 24-year-old.

“Conte doesn’t see it in him at all,” said the Dutch football reporter, Mike Vermeij.

“Conte is also the one who thwarted Bergwijn’s transfer from PSV to Italy. Inter Milan were interested at the time but Conte didn’t need him. 

“Conte has only said two words to Bergwijn in two weeks at Tottenham Hotspur. That is why Ajax can consider (signing) him.”

Bergwijn has not found it as easy as when he first joined the club and could consider a return to a club where he started his youth career, according to Vermeij.

Antonio Conte responds to Bergwijn transfer speculations

In the press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Spurs versus Brentford match, Conte responded to questions about the speculation that Bergwijn could join Ajax in the January transfer window.

“We are talking about a player that has important skills,” the Italian manager said. “It was a pity for me but not for the national team that he scored [during the November international break].

“I would have liked to have had him during the two weeks of the international break to know him much better. But he has great quality – he’s great one-vs-one, very fast, great quality to beat the man and score.

“Now we are working, he is understanding what I want from him. For me he’s one of the three strikers, he can play in every three positions for the strikers.

“He is a player I have to make an important evaluation [of] but he is in our squad and I count on him.

“[Against Brentford] he’s ready and available. Against Mura he had a problem and otherwise he should have played, but tomorrow he’s available.”

Arsenal youngster keen on loan move in January

Folarin Balogun is keen to leave Arsenal in the winter transfer window for the sake of more game time as he has struggled to impress Mikel Arteta since being promoted to the senior squad.

Balogun signed a contract extension last summer after negotiations which lasted for several months that looked sometimes on the edge of breaking down.

The Hale End product has been in the dynamics of the first team since 2020 but has only made two Premier League appearances for the club, one of which was the 2021/22 season opening day loss to newly-promoted Brentford in August 2021.

He was a trusted part of the Europa League squad last season, however, and showed some of the quality which he regularly shows with the Arsenal U-23s, where he has been made to play this season since after the opening day.

Various reports now claim that the 20-year-old American, born to Nigerian parents but raised in England, is keen on getting senior team experience and as such, is seeking a loan move in January.

Three Championship clubs including Middlesbrough, managed by sacked Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, are looking to have him in their ranks from January.

It is also reported that French Ligue 1 side, Saint-Etienne, is ready to challenge the three Championship clubs for his signature in January.

Balogun speaks up on his situation

The England youth international has spoken up about his situation within the Gunners squad 

“I have played youth football for a little while, I have obviously scored a lot of goals at that level and improved at that level drastically from when I started,” Balogun said.

“I do feel like I am ready for a new challenge but I am not sure what that might be, it might be a loan or if I am needed at Arsenal then I am here and the gaffer knows that.

“I know the potential I could have and that I need to achieve is massive. I haven’t achieved it yet. What I see now I would just describe as glimpses, things that need to be worked on and can be improved.

“The performances I am putting in are all I can do at the moment. I know that I am going in the right direction.”

Balogun is inspired by fellow Hale End graduates Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka who have not only gone on to secure prominent first team roles but also gotten England senior team call-ups.

“This time last year Emile was playing 23s football, so that just shows how quickly things can change in football,” Balogun added.

“I know that I need to be patient and I have complete faith in the gaffer. Whatever the plan is I will give 100 percent and I know it will work out.”

Arsenal look to shake things up in January

Balogun is not the only Arsenal player looking for a way out of the club.

Fellow Hale End product Eddie Nketiah is looking to leave the club and has rejected the Gunners’ latest contract offer to extend his stay beyond this summer when his contract runs out.

He’ll be free to talk to teams in January, and except anything changes, will be leaving Arsenal in June 2022 for free.

Alexandre Lacazette is also on his way out, as the 30-year-old striker’s agents are on the lookout for the best deal for him. Several clubs including AC Milan and Atlético de Madrid are interested in Lacazette.

However, 90min have claimed that the north London side are interested in signing Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa Almeida “Gabigol” who is looking for a return to Europe after a horror spell at Internazionale.

Gabigol is a central striker who can play on the right wing as well, a good replacement for the soon-to-be absent Nicolas Pepe.

The Flamengo striker would also have little problems adjusting to life at the Emirates Stadium as compatriots Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes will be there to help him adjust.

He could also be a fan favourite as he has admitted his admiration for Arsenal legend Thierry Henry many times in the past, and claims to model his game on the legendary Gunner.

Swiss star has heart set on Liverpool move in the summer

Reports suggest that Liverpool is the favoured destination for Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder, Denis Zakaria, who is being courted by a host of clubs.

The highly sought-after 25-year-old has expressed a wish to work with Jurgen Klopp and is not keen on renewing his contract with Gladbach according to reports.

Zakaria signed for the German Bundesliga outfit in 2017 after starting off his football career in Switzerland playing for Servette and Young Boys. He broke in immediately into the team’s starting line up and has remained a key player ever since, playing 138 games to date for Gladbach.

The defensive midfielder, who has been compared to Patrick Vieira, has been a key player for the German side over the past couple of years as he has played 138 times.

Gazzetta Dello Sport, the source of the reports, claim that a host of Premier League clubs including Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as AS Roma, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus are all interested in the defensive midfielder.

But the report states that Liverpool is Zakaria’s favoured destination as he “dreams” of a move to the Premier League to work under Jurgen Klopp.

Monchengladbach would reportedly demand between €8 million and €10 million for him in January.

Liverpool can offer Zakaria a much better financial package

The Swiss international is a versatile player who can not only provide cover for the defence, but can be used as a box to box midfielder in the mould of Georginio Wijnaldum and also as a centre-back.

Zakaria is strong, energetic, a superb tackler and a great passer of the ball and is quickly developing into a fine all-round midfielder in the same mould as Premier League legendary midfielder and current Crystal Palace boss, Patrick Vieira.

Barcelona was one of the first clubs to contact him through his representatives according to reports, but more reports suggest that Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez isn’t completely certain of the move as it’ll mean losing Frenkie de Jong.

Among his current suitors, only Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool can offer him a good financial package as well as a winning project to be a part of.

However, the interest from both City and Bayern are not as concrete, making it easier for Zakaria to chase his dream move to Liverpool.

The midfielder is also reportedly still open to the Barcelona switch if the Liverpool move falls through.

Liverpool fans excited about Denis Zakaria links

Liverpool fans on Twitter are very excited about the links to the Swiss international and are calling for Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to go for the defensive midfielder in January.

It is worthy of note that Liverpool have a strict transfer policy which makes it such that they rarely sign players, even going a whole season on two separate occasions without a new player.

Fans of the club are excited about the links and the news coming out of the 25-year-old’s interest in playing at Anfield, and this could be a way for the already out of favour FSG to score some points with the fans.

Liverpool fans are not just the only fans hoping to sign him. Fans of all the clubs to which Denis Zakaria is linked have started tweeting and sending messages to their clubs to pull a rabbit out of their hats by signing the midfielder.

Manchester City record signing admits he could have been with city rivals instead

Manchester United missed out on the opportunity to sign Jack Grealish, as the player has revealed that he was ‘really close’ to completing a move to Old Trafford in the summer of 2020.

“I was really close to going [to Manchester United], but nothing happened in the end,” he told The Telegraph ahead of a potential return to Villa Park for City’s game on Wednesday night.

“We played United in a pre-season game on Saturday and I wasn’t supposed to play in a cup game at Burton. But after the United game I said to [Christian] Purslow and my agent ‘if I’m not leaving, I’ll sign my new contract.’”

“I went in with my dog on Tuesday morning, signed the deal, and played later that day.”

It was in this new contract that Aston Villa added the £100 million release clause which Manchester City forked out the following season for Grealish.

“We all agreed on the clause and if any team hit that, it’s a win-win because it means I’ve had an unbelievable season and Villa got £100 million,” Grealish added.

Grealish also admitted that walking away from Villa was hard, but Champions League football was too much to pass up on.

“You only get one shot at your career and it just flies by,” he continued. “I feel Villa are going towards that [Europe] but I just didn’t know how long it was going to take for us. If I hadn’t come here, I would have regretted it forever.

“You look at most of my England team-mates – I was probably one of the last to play [in the] Champions League. I’ve played four times in it now and loved every moment. 

“It’s the one we all want to win. The manager has come here and won everything else, we’re all desperate to win it and I’ve come here to try and help them.”

Grealish admits to tough adaptation period at City

“It’s been harder than I expected,” Grealish said to The Telegraph when asked about how he has found life at City since his £100m move.

“I’ve found it a lot more difficult than I thought I would, adapting to a different manager and teammates. At first I thought I’d have more of the ball, get more assists and goals but it doesn’t work like that at all.

“I’ve had nowhere near as much of the ball as I used to get at Villa.”

However, City manager Pep Guardiola believes that Grealish is being too hard on himself, claiming that the attacking midfielder needs to give himself more credit.

“If you analyse the games [and whether] he played bad. Absolutely not. With the quality he has it is difficult to play bad. But the way we played and the expectations every few days… It is completely different to what he lives at Aston Villa. But he did it incredibly well there.

“Now he comes back from the international break injured and now hopefully come back step by step to his best form.”

Guardiola, however, still expects a lot more from Grealish in the remainder of the season, saying that City ‘will be in trouble’ if Grealish isn’t at his best.

“I don’t think so, we will be in trouble! We have to see it right now, the best of course. Absolutely not, I am not thinking the best of Jack Grealish we will see next season. I want to see it this season!”

Gerrard wants a warm welcome for Grealish at Villa Park

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has urged Villa supporters to give Grealish a warm reception if the 26-year-old is fit enough to make the trip from Manchester.

“Jack very much deserves a warm welcome. I have no doubt he will get that, this is his club and it will be when his career is over because he was here as a little boy,” Gerrard said in his pre-match conference.

“He came through the academy, the club has benefited a lot from what Jack has given and we very much wish him well in terms of the remainder of his career. But obviously not tomorrow for 90 minutes!

“I can feel what he has been through because I have been there myself when you have that opportunity to move on from your club.”

Chelsea in danger of losing Antonio Rudiger after defender rejects latest contract offer

Antonio Rudiger has rejected Chelsea’s latest contract offer for an extension of his time at the club, giving his main suitors, Real Madrid, even more hope in their chances of signing him this summer.

The 28-year-old defender joined the Blues in 2017 from Roma for £27 million and has gone on to make 166 appearances in all official competitions for the Blues, scoring nine goals.

His appearance record could have been more robust if not for Frank Lampard who didn’t count on the defender during his year-and-half stint as Chelsea manager, even leading to exit rumours for Rudiger.

But Rudiger found favour again with Thomas Tuchel, becoming a key member of his compatriot’s Chelsea. No Chelsea player has played more minutes in all competitions for the club this season than Rudiger, leading to renewal talks which have not progressed until now.

The 28-year-old centre-back’s contract at Stamford Bridge will expire this summer and Goal reports that Chelsea’s latest offer to Rudiger was around £7million per year (£140,000 per week), much less than his teammates Timo Werner, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz and Romelu Lukaku.

Reports coming from Spain claim that Rudiger is looking for around £10m per year (£210,000 per week), which Real Madrid is prepared to offer the rejuvenated defender when his current deal runs out at Chelsea.

Thomas Tuchel calm about the Rudiger situation  

Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, whose trust in the defender has made him into a mainstay at the club and one of the Premier League’s scariest defender is calm about the situation and also wants him to stay.

“We know that [he can speak to foreign clubs in January], of course,” Tuchel said at the beginning of November. “It is pretty clear what we want but it is not like this in football when the coach or club wants something and things happen.

“You have to accept that sometimes it can arrive and you end up in situations where things are in a bit of a delay and take time but I am very, very sure that Toni feels also how respected and what an important role he plays in this club.

“I’m calm because I feel Toni is calm. I feel the situation here is calm inside and from here we go.”

Transfer insider, Fabrizio Romano has reported that the German defender would love to remain at Stamford Bridge but the club’s offer is not acceptable amid interest from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Chelsea in danger of losing their whole defense in June

Andreas Christensen is also an important player under Tuchel and is in a similar contract standoff situation with Antonio Rudiger.

The 25-year-old Denmark international has been at Chelsea since his teens, when he joined the club’s academy from Brøndby in the Danish league almost a decade ago.

Malang Sarr is down the pecking order of defenders at Chelsea but is also looking for an exit route out of the club via a long-term loan option in January according to his agent Federico Pasterello (via Gazzetta dello Sport).

Veteran defenders, club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva are also out of contract in June which has placed a lot of pressure on the club’s management.

Chelsea, however, are linked with a number of high-profile centre-backs including Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Fenerbahçe’s Attila Szalai.

Chelsea is the 2021 Club of the Year as winners in the 2021 Ballon d’Or awards are revealed

Chelsea have been recognised for their achievements as a club as France Football awarded them the 2021 Club of the Year at the Ballon d’Or gala on Monday.

France Football unveiled two awards at the 2021 Ballon d’Or awards gala: “Striker of the Year” and “Club of the Year”.

Both award categories are the third and fourth introductions by France Football in the past three years, following the Kopa Trophy for best young player under the age of 21 and the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper.

Robert Lewandowski, who missed out on his Ballon d’Or due to COVID-19 restrictions forcing France Football to cancel last year’s gala, won the Striker of the Year award, while Chelsea won the Club of the Year award.

The Blues were the standout team in this year’s Ballon d’Or nominations for both the male and female categories following an excellent year in which the men’s team won the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup, and the women’s team won the English Women’s Super League.

Captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante were on the 30-man shortlist for the men’s award, while Pernille Harder, Sam Kerr, Jessie Flemming and Fran Kirby were on the 10-woman shortlist for the women’s award.

Edouard Mendy was also nominated for the Yashin award following his brilliant season with The Blues but lost out on the Yashin Trophy to Gianluigi Donnarumma.

How Chelsea won the Club of the Year award

Chelsea became a dominant force under manager Emma Hayes and that dominance was on full display in 2021 as expected.

It was a smooth run to the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League where they faced the unmovable wall of Barcelona Femeni, captained by 2021 Ballon d’Or Feminin winner, Alexia Putellas.

This was after they had wrapped up the WSL in England for the second time in a row to claim their fourth title, the most in the competition’s 11-year history. A win in the UWCL final would’ve also meant that Chelsea would be the first club to have their men’s and women’s teams be European champions.

Meanwhile, the men’s team braved many odds as they picked up the pieces of a season in which they could’ve ended outside the places for European competition. 

Thomas Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard and helped transform the team into a club that nobody wants to play against, eventually beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League and later Villarreal in the Super Cup.

This was after battling their way back into the top four to earn a chance to qualify for the 2021/22 Champions League in case things didn’t go their way in the final.

Chelsea men’s team currently top the 2021/22 Premier League table while Chelsea women’s team are in second place and looking to defend their title from their perennial rivals, the Arsenal women’s team.

As it stands, Chelsea remains in pole position to win the 2022 Club of the Year award, which will definitely please fans.

Controversy as Gianluigi Donnarumma beats Édouard Mendy to 2021 Yashin Trophy

Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma won the 2021 Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy award on Monday night, seeing off competition from Chelsea’s Édouard Mendy.

Donnarumma is only the second goalkeeper after Liverpool’s Alisson Becker to receive the award named after Russian icon and former Ballon d’Or winner, “The Black Spider”, Lev Yashin.

Both PSG shot-stoppers were in the running for the trophy but the voting goalkeepers, ex-goalkeepers and journalists bestowed the victory on Donnarumma due to his heroics at the Euro 2020 tournament.

The Yashin trophy is France Football’s response to calls for football bodies to recognise the sport’s most However, one of the most under-appreciated position every year.

Lev Yashin, who the trophy is named after, is the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or award in its 65-year history. Other great goalkeepers have since been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, but the award is usually skewed in favour of attacking players even if a goalkeeper outdid the competition.

Prior to the Yashin Trophy win for the 22-year-old Donnarumma, he was named the best goalkeeper in the world for 2021 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

He beat Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer to that award, with Mendy coming in third.

Edouard Mendy misses out on an important recognition

Donnarumma is a deserved winner but Edouard Mendy is deemed to be more deserving of the award than the 22-year-old PSG and Italy goalkeeper.

Donnarumma also finished in 10th place in the Ballon d’Or rankings while Mendy was totally snubbed for the list, which only served to fuel the controversy surrounding the Italian’s win.

Mendy is the first black goalkeeper since Brazil and AC Milan legend Dida in 2007 to win the Champions League and the first African goalkeeper since Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar in 1985 to lift an European title.

Just like both legendary goalkeepers, he received no recognition for his stellar efforts which helped his club to major honours, further fuelling the heated discourse around how black talents in football tend to be overlooked.

The 29-year-old Senegalese shotstopper remains an inspiration for black and African players, however, as opined by Cameroon icon Jacques Songo’o.

“It’s a great pride and I’m so happy that African goalkeepers have reached this level,” Jacques Songo’o told GOAL. “We have the respect now and we have shown that with work we can reach these places.

“When you have the chance, you have to take it, and when Mendy joined Chelsea it wasn’t necessarily as first-choice.

“There was already [Kepa], who had played for the Spanish national team. But Mendy came, worked hard, put pressure on his rival, and when he got his chance, he took it. It doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Donnarumma’s 2021 heroics not enough to seal PSG starting spot regardless

Despite being the talk of the year alongside Mendy, Donnarumma has not been able to replicate the Senegalese’s achievement of seizing the starting spot from his club’s current number one.

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has shown a preference for Keylor Navas – who finished ninth in the Yashin Trophy rankings – in big games, while Donnarumma handles the smaller games.

Mino Raiola, Donnarumma’s agent, has, in characteristic fashion, begun to cook up a media storm about his client’s situation at the club, claiming that Donnarumma may be leaving PSG soon.

PSG president president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has come out to quash the rumours suggesting that Donnarumma could depart the French giants following Raiola’s comments, however.

Al-Khelaifi simply said after the Yashin Trophy was presented to Donnarumma: “Gianluigi Donnarumma is simply extraordinary, he will contribute to the success of Paris Saint Germain in the coming seasons.”