Tag: Premier league (England)

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has urged struggling striker Romelu Lukaku to find “peace on the pitch” in order to regain his scoring form, while also claiming that the club are going to do everything to help him.

The 28-year-old Belgium international was brought back to the club after a successful spell away from the Premier League to spearhead a title challenge for the Blues this season. Chelsea spent a whopping €115 million to secure his services from Inter Milan but the striker has not provided returns for that amount, scoring only five goals in 13 Premier League appearances.

Lukaku made matters worse after granting an interview to a Sky Sports Italy programme where he talked fondly about his time at Inter Milan, his distaste for the way Chelsea is currently set up, and his dream of returning to Italy. He also urged his former strike partner Lautaro Martinez to stay put at Inter Milan, which aggravated Chelsea’s fan base a lot.

Thomas Tuchel was asked about the striker’s performances after the Blues’ defeat at Manchester City, where he was a passenger in the side that turned out for the Blues.

“We do everything to help him. I think this is absolutely the wrong question because it is focusing on one player,” Tuchel replied.

“There will not be more pressure than he puts on himself and we need to find a mix between all the expectations, all the pressure and still to be relaxed enough to play your best game.

“It is not only about pushing, squeezing, not only about demands, but it is also about feeling peace and relaxed on the pitch. Things will fall in their place when we keep on working hard.”

Chelsea scoop awards at FIFA’s The Best awards ceremony

Elsewhere, Chelsea were the most represented team in FIFA’s The Best awards on Monday night. This time, however, the club had three award winners in Thomas Tuchel who bagged the award for The Best Men’s coach, Emma Hayes who bagged the award for The Best women’s coach, and Édouard Mendy who finally was recognised on the global scale with the award for The Best goalkeeper.

Four players across the club’s men’s and women’s teams also made it into the FIFPro World XI teams for both categories.

Unlike the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the awards for FIFA The Best are voted for by a journalist, club captains, fellow players, coaches and fans.

Jorginho and N’Golo Kante made it onto the FIFPro men’s team in recognition of their excellent 2021 while Magdalena Eriksson and Millie Bright made it into the Women’s 11, as voted by their fellow professionals.

Jorginho and Kanye were both key in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League run as well as their national teams’ runs to the Euro 2020 title and UEFA Nations League title respectively.

Meanwhile, Emma Hayes’ Chelsea Women side were dependent on captain Eriksson and vice-captain Bright who led the team on the pitch to three domestic trophies and the UEFA Women’s Champions League final where they lost to Barcelona Femeni, whose captain Alexia Putellas bagged the award for The Best Women’s Player of 2021.

Reports have surfaced of Manchester City planning a surprise bid for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr following the serious competition for Erling Haaland’s signature.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly identified Vinicius, who is currently enjoying the best form of his Real Madrid career, as a potential alternative to Haaland.

The Brazilian winger is one of Carlo Ancelotti’s most trusted players this season, contributing to 25 of the goals scored by Los Blancos this season (15 goals and ten assists).

Spanish outlet AS reports that Haaland has his heart set on playing for Real Madrid where he could link up with Vinicius. This knowledge is what led Guardiola, according to another Spanish outlet El Nacional, to turn to Vinicius Jr.

The former Red Bull Salzburg striker has scored 21 goals and provided ten assists this season for Borussia Dortmund in only 19 games for the German side, having sat out quite a few matches due to injuries at different times.

Manchester City realise that the upcoming battle for Haaland’s signature as well as the reports that the striker would rather make the move from Germany to Spain than to England, has forced them to seek alternatives.

Vinicius is also being considered as a replacement for Raheem Sterling, whose contract extension talks are not going as planned.

Madrid plot mega Haaland and Mbappe deals

Manchester City may be wise to cast their net elsewhere as reports have also emerged of Real Madrid plotting the bid to end all bids for both Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’ Kylian Mbappe.

Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke was in the news earlier giving an ultimatum to Haaland to make a decision on his future. The striker, incensed at the pressure he is being put under by the club, declared boldly that he will be making a decision soon.

His reported statement where he claimed to want to play for Madrid will give the Spanish giants a boost in their preparation for the summer. With Mbappe, however, Madrid will only have to worry about PSG’s efforts to convince him to stay.

The Parisiens are looking to hire Zinedine Zidane at the end of the season which could throw a spanner in Madrid’s plans as the 23-year-old is a big fan of the former Madrid coach and wants to work with him.

Commentator comes under fire for backhanded comment in City’s win over Chelsea

As the behind the scenes action gets hotter for City, their actions on the pitch have also gone up a notch.

In their 1-0 win over Chelsea to widen the gap at the top to 14 points, commentator Jim Beglin called the Citizens stadium by a name used by rival fans as a jab towards Manchester City.

“You can hear the annoyance around the Emptyhad,” Beglin was heard saying during his commentary of the game.

Manchester City fans expressed displeasure, and Beglin went on Twitter to apologise for his words.

“I have the greatest respect for Manchester City Football Club,” he tweeted.

“In no way was my verbal error today intended to cause City fans any offence.”

According to reports, Arsenal have held talks with the representatives of Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans over a possible transfer this January.

The Gunners have reportedly invited the Belgian’s reps over to London Colney on a few occasions over the past few weeks to discuss his move from Leicester to London as they seek midfield reinforcements ahead of a busy period.

The 24-year-old will be out of a contract with the Foxes in the summer of 2023 and talks between both parties have failed to progress. Tielemans is reportedly looking for Champions League football and doesn’t feel confident of getting it at Leicester.

Arsenal, meanwhile, look on course to be playing in the competition next season, which could play in their favour as they seek to convince the former Monaco man to put on the Arsenal colours.

GOAL also reports that Tielemans is a long-term target for Arsenal, who, after the meeting with his reps, are now starting to put plans into place to sign the 24-year-old.

Arsenal is understood to be in the race for Tielemans alongside Liverpool, who have also been following the player for some time.

Tielemans has not rejected a new Leicester City contract, claims Rodgers

The Foxes have lost Wilfred Ndidi to the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, and will not want to lose another midfielder at such a crucial stage in the season.

However, talks of Tielemans rejecting a new contract at the King Power stadium have been quashed by Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers in the past.

“There’s reports, but there’s (been) no turning down,” Rodgers said back in October.

“I think there’s just dialogue between the club and Youri’s people. I think the club are waiting to hear back. But that’s something that’s out of my control.

“What I can control is his mentality, his commitment to the team, and you cannot question that.”

Arsenal have also lost Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey to the AFCON tournament. Granit Xhaka is out with COVID-19, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles is now with AS Roma on loan.

Manager Mikel Arteta is desperate for signings to replace them and many options have been considered, including Tielemans.

Juventus duo weighing up Arsenal move

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s targets, Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Arthur Melo are reportedly interested in playing for Arsenal and would welcome a move to the Emirates this January.

The Bianconeri duo, who have both struggled this season under Massimiliano Allegri, have been linked with the Gunners in recent weeks.

Injury to Federico Chiesa, however, could prevent Arsenal from getting Kulusevski, whose stock at Juventus should rise as the club looks for a winger to play in place of Chiesa.

As it stands, there has been no contact between Arsenal and Juventus and the Gunners will now wait to decide if they’ll make a move.

The search for midfielders has taken Edu Gaspar and Arsenal to Brazil where they have identified two potential long-term solutions to their midfield problem.

The Gunners will be without Thomas Partey and Mohammed Elneny as both midfielders will be representing their countries at the 33rd African Cup of Nations which starts on Sunday, January 9 2022.

The North London club has also lost Ainsley Maitland-Niles who has gone to AS Roma in the Serie A on loan for the rest of the season, further thinning their midfield. They also saw their bid for Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho fail as the former Liverpool man chose to move to Aston Villa for the rest of the season to reunite with his former teammate Steven Gerrard.

Head coach Mikel Arteta admitted that Maitland-Niles’ departure means that Arsenal will have to double up their efforts to find midfielders who will fit their style for the rest of the season.

“We are very, very short at the moment,” Arteta said to journalists on Friday. “We are going to move and look for options because we are very short there.

“If it’s the right player, we can afford and we can do what we want to do, we will discuss it and come to the best possible decision. We are open.”

Here is the latest news from Arsenal’s efforts to find the best midfield talents to strengthen their squad ahead of a busy January window.

Arthur Melo approach considered by Arsenal to Juventus

The 14-time FA Cup champions have discussed the potential loan signing of out-of-favour Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo according to reports.

Arthur Melo moved to Juventus in 2020 from Barcelona in a swap deal that saw Miralem Pjanic move to Camp Nou. Neither move has worked out for both clubs, but Barcelona have managed to find a temporary solution for Pjanic by sending him to Besiktas in Turkey on loan.

Arthur, meanwhile, is in limbo at Juventus where manager Massimiliano Allegri only uses him when his hands are forced. The former Gremio talent has failed to impress in Europe since after his first season at Barcelona.

Juventus now want to cut their losses on the 25-year-old and have put him on the market. He has attracted quite a few suitors, with Arsenal being one of them.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal’s technical director, Edu Gaspar, is considering a loan move for Arthur in order to provide Mikel Arteta with enough options in the midfield in this crucial time of the season.

The Golden Premier League trophy holders are yet to reach out to Juventus, however, as the discussions are still being held. Reports on Arsenal’s decision will be made available in the coming days.

Arsenal target 20-year-old Brazilian Serie A star who plays for Palmeiras

Another young Brazilian could be making his first forays into Europe like Gabriel Martinelli, according to reports.

Danilo, 20, is a midfielder that is attracting a lot of attention from sides in the top five European leagues and Arsenal is reported to be one of those sides.

Brazilian outlet R7 claims that Edu has presented a €20 million bid to Palmeiras for Danilo who has been noted to have similarities with Thomas Partey who Arsenal will be without in the coming weeks.

Sources in the Arsenal camp claim that Danilo is seen as a long term successor to Granit Xhaka who could be leaving the Emirates at the expiration of his contract in 2024. However, he is also very raw and will need some working on before he is fully ready to take on the rigour of a top-five European League and possibly, European competitions as Arsenal are on course to make it back into either the Champions League or the Europa League next season.

His club, Palmeiras, is also one of the richer Brazilian clubs and this could stand in the way of his transfer to Arsenal as a €20 million bid could be deemed unimpressive by the club.

Three other names on Arsenal’s radar

Fabrizio Romano also claims that Arsenal are monitoring three other midfield options for a January transfer.

Olympique Lyonnais’ Bruno Guimaraes – another Brazilian – has been a long time target of Edu’s but it is reported that a deal for the midfielder could be unlikely as Lyon are demanding £40 million for his transfer.

In recent weeks, the Gunners have also been tipped to move for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria who is also being monitored by the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Liverpool.

The Gunners are also monitoring another Serie A player in Empoli’s 20-year-old ace Samuele Ricci, who has been dubbed “little Jorginho”.

The Hammers have enjoyed a brilliant season in the Premier League this season and have successfully established themselves as genuine top-four challengers, as Leicester City did between 2015 and 2018.

However, they have had some problems of late which manager David Moyes is looking to solve by reinforcing key positions in the squad in the January transfer window.

Hammers fans are expectant after the arrival of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky who promised the fans that he would support the club to achieve its goals this season, starting with a foray into the transfer market.

Here is the latest transfer news to come out of the London stadium in light of that promise.

Moyes sees new Jesse Lingard in Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli

Forgotten Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli could be getting the opportunity to revive his career with a move to the London Stadium, according to reports.

The midfielder has been identified as a backup option to Jesse Lingard, who Moyes is still keen on working with. However, with Lingard’s decision to see out the rest of his contract at Old Trafford this season making things complicated, Alli could be brought in instead.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke made these claims after The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that Alli will be allowed to leave north London over the winter after struggling for game time under new manager Antonio Conte.

Alli has a contract with Spurs until 2024, and Ornstein claims that the 25-year-old will most likely leave on loan because Spurs will be demanding a sizeable fee from any club that inquires about him at this time.

West Ham have lost Said Benrahma to the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament where he is representing defending champions Algeria, leaving some big attacking boots that need filling as the games come thick and fast in England.

West Ham and Gabriel Barbosa deal unlikely, says journalist

Journalist Paul Brown has come out to say that the Hammers’ pursuit of Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa, also known as Gabigol, is all but impossible for the club to pull off.

The 25-year-old Flamengo striker had an unimpressive first stint in Europe a few years back and after finding his form again in the Brazilian Serie A where he was discovered, has been linked with a move back to Europe in recent weeks.

West Ham has been at the forefront of those links with reports claiming that the Hammers have gone ahead to contact Flamengo about the possibility of signing Gabigol.

The London club, according to Spanish outlet Sport, tabled a six-month loan offer worth €6 million for Gabigol who has scored 84 goals and provided 26 assists in 124 games for Flamengo. Flamengo quickly rejected the offer, stating that they will only listen to offers that involve paying the striker’s release clause of €33 million in full.

Brown claims that West Ham will lose out on Gabigol if they do not shell out the fee that Flamengo is asking for, stating that they have “no hope in hell” of getting the 25-year-old on loan.

West Ham eye Divock Origi as potential striker transfer target

An unnamed ex-West Ham staff, according to reports, has claimed that the club are considering a move for Liverpool clutch-man Divock Origi.

The unnamed staff claimed that Origi is available for a decent fee and West Ham could be tempted to go for the striker this month as they are in desperate need of one.

The unnamed ex-West Ham staff, who broke this news via his Patreon where he goes by the username “ExWHUemployee” also added that club chiefs have always admired the Belgium international while Moyes is not his biggest fan.

This means that the transfer is not likely, but Hammers fans were advised by “ExWHUemployee” to keep their eyes peeled for the possibility of the transfer.

Paris Saint-Germain have made an official offer to Antonio Rudiger to move to Parc De Princes, according to Foot Mercato.

Rudiger is out of a contract this season at Chelsea and despite all the efforts of the Blues to get him to put pen to paper on a new contract, his future remains uncertain.

Real Madrid are said to be the only other club that have contacted the player directly for a move, while Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich have indicated interest in the past.

The 28-year-old reportedly wants a move to Madrid but the financial implications of signing the former AS Roma defender continue to be a problem stopping negotiations, even with Chelsea.

Recently, it was reported that Real Madrid have stopped actively pursuing the German, who they saw as Sergio Ramos’ perfect replacement because they were made to believe that he was using them to get a bumper contract at Chelsea.

However, claims have been made that Rudiger is in love with the Spanish club and dreams of playing there someday, but it remains to be seen if Madrid will be back in the mix for the defender’s signature.

PSG have now thrown their hat in the ring, having been observing things from a distance, with a €7 million per-season deal which is a lot closer to what the defender is demanding from Chelsea and all other clubs looking to sign him.

The Ligue 1 club are looking to tempt him away from a potential move to Real Madrid and have therefore proposed a more lucrative salary package: a €7 million per-season deal, according to the report. The move would become official when his contract with Chelsea expires in the summer.

Rudiger will be left with a choice to continue at Chelsea by taking what the club is offering, moving to his dream club Real Madrid for whatever they are offering, or following the money to PSG.

The Parisiens’ sporting director, Leonardo Araujo, will have to pull all the stops he can to beat both clubs to Rudiger’s signature in the summer, as reports claim that he’s the driving force behind PSG’s bid for Rudiger.

Rudiger is a professional, Tuchel says

Thomas Tuchel will cut a frustrated figure at the Rudiger questions but professionalism demands that he keeps answering the questions when they pop up.

The German tactician was quizzed about his compatriot’s situation with the club following their win against Chesterfield in the FA Cup third round.

“I don’t know if it helps if I take him out for a lot of coffees, it might even push him out!” Tuchel said to journalists.

“I don’t feel he needs a lot of coffees with me.

“He is a guy who needs to trust you. He needs to feel the connection and trust. He needs to feel it by minutes and actions.

“I don’t feel Toni needs a lot of words, coffee talks or invitations for dinners or whatever. He is a top professional. This is what he proves and nothing has changed. The talks are in good hands. I trust the club 100%, trust in the player and it is a no problem situation for me.

“Also, Toni can still deliver, he did a fantastic match in a back four. He is super reliable. Nothing has changed, the points of view haven’t changed and once something changes. You will be the first to know.”

Chelsea are offering Rudiger £140,000 a week, £60,000 short of the £200,000 that the defender is looking to earn. However, the 28-year-old defender is also looking for his last big payday which is why he is holding off for a better offer.

Antonio Conte is looking to replicate the success he had with Victor Moses at Chelsea with one of the Premier League’s sharpest wingers in Adama Traore.

The Italian has rekindled Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger and the London club are plotting a fresh bid for the Spanish international.

Conte has a heavy reliance on wingbacks for his systems to function. Victor Moses is the archetype Conte wingback and the manager has tried to replicate his success with Moses since leaving Chelsea.

At Spurs, Conte has Emerson Royal as his main option for that position but the Brazil international is more of a fullback and his conversion into a Conte-type wingback is not working out for the Italian.

The Athletic are reporting that Conte and Tottenham’s technical director Fabio Paratici are keen to repeat the trick with 25-year-old Traore. 

Traore could have been a Spurs player this season but Wolves blocked the Spaniard’s loan move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Wolves facing apathy from Traore regarding new contract talks

The West Midlands club are currently in a bind trying to convince Traore to put pen to paper on a contract extension.

The 25-year-old Barcelona academy graduate has 18 months remaining on his current deal at Molineux and currently looks to only be interested in seeing off the rest of his contract.

Wolves are hoping that Traore sign in order to be able to make the most from his sale which looks likely in the coming months. As it stands, the club is at risk of losing him for less than his £20 million valuation which could deny them of much needed funds to bolster their squad.

Both sides could benefit from a potential deal as the fee is within Tottenham’s financial powers. The Athletic also claims that Tottenham is willing to include Matt Doherty, who they signed in 2020, in a player plus cash deal in order to tempt Wolves into letting Traore go.

Conte wants signings but warns Spurs fans that transfers are not a quick fix

Conte is determined to rebuild the squad and club chairman Daniel Levy is willing to back him.

However, the Italian has asked for patience from Spurs fans as he rebuilds the side, saying that the transfers will not solve the problems in the side immediately.

Speaking after the club’s Carabao Cup semi final first leg loss to Chelsea on Wednesday, Conte said: “Now we need to have patience and a lot of time and we will try to rebuild a good situation for Tottenham, now we are in the middle.

“We have to be prepared to struggle in every game, to try to get three points.

The Italian also compared his Tottenham squad to Chelsea’s, who beat them 2-0 on the night.

‘If you compare the two teams there is not a comparison. We are talking about a team ready to win – today we have seen the difference between the two teams,” Conte added.

“We are a team in the middle. There is a lot of work to do, in this moment, it is very difficult to understand which part you take to improve because there is a lot of situations to improve.

“We have to be humble, to understand the situation at the moment and continue to work to improve our players, then we will see.”