Tag: Premier league (England)

Manchester United preparing offer for £35 million Wolves midfielder

Ralf Rangnick has asked the Manchester United board to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves for his sporting project this January, and reports claim that the club is considering the signing.

Rangnick is said to be desperately pushing for reinforcements especially in the middle of the park at Old Trafford and Neves is one his prime targets.

The United hierarchy are reportedly ready to back the interim manager and submit the £35 million bid to Wolves for Neves, a player who they have gone after in the past.

The 24-year-old midfielder has two years left on his Wolves contract and is reportedly happy to be at Molineux. However, he does not look like extending his contract and United are aware of this fact.

Wolves, however, will not entertain any offers below £40 million but are more interested in keeping the midfielder at the club.

Rangnick’s midfield problems

Ralf Rangnick has struggled to implement his style at Manchester United largely due to his distrust of the club’s current midfield.

In recent times, he has settled for a 4-2-2-2 formation that is attack heavy as a result of this. Dutch midfielder, Donny van de Beek, who moved to Old Trafford from Ajax Amsterdam last season, has not been given enough opportunities to impress in the middle of the park and Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain.

Rangnick also has only Scott McTominay, Fred, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata as his other central midfield options, who don’t exactly inspire confidence in the fan base.

Sky Sports claim that as well as scouting Neves, United have their sights set on Marseille’s 22-year-old midfielder, Boubacar Kamara, who is out of contract with the French club in the summer.

United will have to move quickly though with Newcastle and Roma also interested in Kamara.

Manchester United squad not confident in Rangnick

Elsewhere, reports have emerged from the dressing room at United which claim that sections of the United squad are unhappy with the German as their manager.

The reports claim that these sections of the Manchester United squad have privately admitted the club made a huge mistake in not bringing in Antonio Conte as their new manager.

The German has developed a reputation at the club for being ‘aloof and overconfident’ and players are not taking kindly to this character display, bemoaning the missed opportunity to bring in current Tottenham Hotspur boss Conte.

Conte was touted as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement for most of the Norwegian’s tenure at Old Trafford and even after his sack. The board instead chose to go for an interim manager, allowing the Italian to get snapped up by Spurs.

The reports further claims that the disenfranchised sections of the squad are looking at playing under current Paris Saint-Germain manager, Mauricio Pochettino, next season.

The Argentine has been touted with a move to Old Trafford for more than four seasons and Sir Alex Ferguson rates him very highly which puts him in pole position for the United job after Rangnick’s interim tenure is done.

Thiago Silva signs contract extension with Chelsea

Brazilian defender Thiago Silva has signed a one-year contract extension with Chelsea to give Thomas Tuchel a huge boost amid fears of an exodus from Chelsea’s defence.

Thiago Silva signed for the Blues from PSG in 2020 for one year and extended it for another year some time during the season in which they won the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup.

Fears among the Chelsea hierarchy and fan base of losing a player who has been key to the club’s successes in recent times have now been alleviated after the defender committed to one more season, stating that it is a “real pleasure to play for the Blues”.

Silva, who enjoyed great success at Paris Saint-Germain, claims to be enjoying some of the best moments of his stellar career in England with Chelsea, who he has played for 56 times since joining in 2020.

Chelsea pleased to be extending Silva’s contract, club director says

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said of Silva at his new contract signing: “Thiago Silva’s experience, leadership and performances have been and remain very important to this squad, so we are hugely pleased to extend his contract by another year.

“We look forward to his continued influence as we seek honours this season and next, and more of the qualities that have led to him having such a big impact for us on and off the pitch.”

Silva, a 102-time Brazil international, will prove a much needed boost for Thomas Tuchel, who was in danger of losing all of his key defenders in the summer.

Like Silva, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and club captain Cesar “Dave” Azpilicueta have expiring contracts. Tuchel, who managed Silva in his last two years at PSG and was angered at the club’s decision to let him move to England, will be grateful to have the defender who he once fought to keep with him for another year. 

Silva said at his new contract signing: “To play here with Chelsea is a real pleasure. I never thought I would play for three years here in this great club, so I’m very happy to stay for another season.

“I will continue to give everything for this club and for the supporters, who have always been by my side since I arrived.

“It’s amazing to have this relationship with the fans and not only that but the players, staff and the whole club.

“I am going to give everything to keep playing at this level in the most important league in the world.”

Manchester United prepare summer bid for West Ham star

Manchester United are back in the race to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United and have reportedly prepared a bumper summer bid for the midfielder.

The Sun reports that the Red Devils are closely monitoring his situation and will be one of the first to move for the midfielder, who is valued by his club at £100 million.

The 22-year-old has been the subject of various transfer speculations since last season but stayed put at West Ham to help them achieve more than what they did last season.

The Hammers are on course for another finish in the European places, proving that last season was not just a purple patch for them. Rice has been a key part of the team that is making West Ham fans dream.

That dream could be over in the summer as United are reportedly ready to match West Ham’s valuation of the player once the summer transfer window opens.

The move, however, will depend on West Ham missing out on UEFA Champions League this season, which is the team’s target after they reached the Europa League last season.

Where Rice could fit in at Old Trafford

Ralf Rangnick is reportedly on board with the move by United hierarchy as he seeks to build a strong team to achieve the club’s objectives and one which he will most likely pass on as he takes a role higher up in the hierarchy of Old Trafford.

Manchester United have received calls from their fans to find midfielders who can provide adequate cover for the defence while starting attacking moves.

None of the current crop have been able to fulfill that role expertly at Old Trafford, but Rice could slot in seamlessly and provide exactly what United need.

Rangnick reportedly wants to mould the system around Rice, a far cry from their attack-heavy style in the past few seasons.

After failing to sign any midfielder in the summer following the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, signing Rice could be the missing piece of the United puzzle to take them back to the top of England.

West Ham boss David Moyes will no doubt be vying to keep hold of Rice but as stated earlier, his leverage will weaken if West Ham fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Graeme Souness urges City to hijack United’s move for Rice

Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness has advised Manchester City to hijack any deal for Declan Rice.

Souness sees the West Ham man as an “obvious replacement” for the ageing Fernandinho and believes City would benefit from the player’s talents.

“Jack Grealish’s transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City for £100million means that’s where the bidding is likely to start for Rice, who’s four years younger at 22,” Souness told the Sunday Times.

“City already have the strongest group of players in the history of English football, but still collect the best players they can.

“Yes, they have Rodri, but Fernandinho’s 36 and in the final six months of his contract, so Rice is an obvious replacement because they have the finances and are buying when they are on top.

“City, Chelsea and United will all pay a premium for Rice. The only argument you can offer if you’re buying is that he’s not a striker and that’s where the big money generally goes. It might take Rice to another level.”

Souness also admitted that Rice has already gone on to surpass his expectations.

“At first, I feared he might become one of those ‘steady Eddies’ who play it safe and square all the time and say they ‘recycle possession’ rather than have an impact on matches for their teams,” Souness said.

“I still want him to see the picture and deliver the pass earlier, to make more telling passes in the final third, but that could come with confidence and he rarely gives the ball away.”

Rangnick offers olive branch to wantaway Man Utd players

Ralf Rangnick has come out to plead with Edinson Cavani and Donny Van De Beek to give Manchester United another chance.

Both players have struggled to earn minutes since joining United last season from Ajax and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.

Cavani has battled fitness issues but is down the pecking order, despite being one of the most effective strikers at the club with the best goal per minutes ratio. Van De Beek, on the other hand, seems like a forgotten player as he has only been given a total of two Premier League starts in his time at United.

Cavani is ready to end his adventure with United and move on in January especially with Cristiano Ronaldo back at the club and has had contacts with Barcelona and clubs in South America.

Ralf Rangnick has now admitted that he is desperate to keep the striker as he seeks a strong finish for United this season. The interim manager also pleaded with Van De Beek, stating that the young Dutchman will get chances to play.

We have to keep them, Rangnick admits

Ahead of their 2022 calendar opening game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rangnick said of Cavani’s situation: “We’ve had quite a few conversations in the last couple of weeks and he’s probably the player with whom I have spoken most.

“I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player. His professionalism and his work ethic is just amazing, and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season.

“He knows that. He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him. I know from some players that they would want to leave, but we spoke about Edi and he knows that I will definitely not let him go.

“For me, he is a highly important player for the rest of the season, so we will definitely need Edi. For me it’s clear that Edi has to stay.”

About Van De Beek, Rangnick said: “As I have got to know him he’s got a top mentality, he works hard in every training session.

“He’s a team player through and through and there will be games where he will get his chance to play, I’m sure.

“Of course it’s difficult for him right now, because he also wants to play for the Dutch national team. He wants to play in the World Cup in Qatar and in order to do that he needs to get game-time here.

“But I still believe that we should keep him, that he should stay here, definitely until the end of this season and try to get as much game-time as he possibly can.”

Manchester United and Barcelona plan outrageous swap deal

Catalan media outlet ARA have come out with reports that claim Manchester United and Barcelona are exploring a swap deal for Anthony Martial and Ousmane Dembele.

Martial has expressed his desire to leave United in recent weeks after a lack of playing time in the last 18 months. His contract at Old Trafford still runs till 2023, but it remains to be seen if he will ever get back into the club’s plans.

United blocked one of Martial’s exit paths in December when they turned down a loan offer from Sevilla, who were only willing to pay a part of the player’s huge wages.

Dembele, on the other hand, has his contract expiring at the end of the season and is making life difficult for Barcelona who are trying everything they can to renew his contract according to manager Xavi Hernandez’s wishes.

The reports now claim that Barcelona, who have grown tired and frustrated with Dembele’s antics concerning his renewal, are willing to help offer Martial a way out of United.

Barcelona, in a move that can only be described as weird, now wants to bring in Martial on a six-month loan and send Dembele the other way.

Barcelona looking for way out of Dembele situation

It has been reported that Dembele is demanding an outrageous €40 million per year salary alongside a signing-on bonus of €20 million to stay at the club.

He has missed over a hundred games since signing for Barcelona in 2017 but is still highly rated by the club.

However, with the signing of Ferran Torres and Dani Alves needing to be registered, Barcelona will have to free up space in their wage structure. Dembele’s standoff has reportedly made it easy for the Catalan club to decide to part ways with him.

Rangnick: Martial’s exit must benefit the club

Manchester United have long been admirers of Dembele and have inquired about the 24-year-old in the past. The signing of Sancho makes a deal complicated but rumours in the past few weeks suggest that Dembele is still wanted at Old Trafford.

Martial hasn’t played under Rangnick who confirmed that the striker’s absence is not due to injury.

The German manager said in a press conference about the striker’s wish to leave: “But it’s a question not only of what he wants to do but a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see.”

Injury hit Chelsea faces setback to recall player out on loan

Chelsea are having an injury crisis at the worst moment in their season and have suffered even more setbacks as their attempts to recall one of their players on loan has failed.

The Blues have lost left-back Ben Chilwell for the rest of the season after a surgery on the torn ACL which he suffered back in November requires a recovery period of eight months.

Emerson Palmieri was a key part of Italy’s Euro 2020 title winning side but was never going to be a key player at Chelsea. The left-back risked not being selected for Italy’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers playoffs as well as the tournament itself should the Azurri qualify.

Emerson Palmieri left Stamford Bridge for Olympique Lyonnais on loan after discussing with his national team boss, Roberto Mancini who encouraged him to find options to play more.

He has made 15 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season for Lyon who are currently 13th on the log, plus three in the Europa League, contributing one goal and one assist.

Chelsea prefer not to go into the market in January for a replacement for Chilwell but have attempted to recall Emerson to support Marcos Alonso in January. The French side have reportedly blocked the move as there is no clause in the loan contract that allows for a recall.

Chelsea academy graduate Ian Maatsen who is currently playing on loan for Coventry in the Championship is another option that the Blues are exploring, but it doesn’t look likely either.

Former Barcelona man emerges as transfer target for Chelsea

While it has been reported that Chelsea are not looking to fill up the spot left by Ben Chilwell’s injury by signing a new player, the club has still identified a possible signing should their loan recall plans for Emerson and/or Maatsen totally fall through.

Everton fullback Lucas Digne has emerged as a prime target for Tuchel’s side in case they cannot get Emerson back. The former Barcelona man is reportedly ready to move on from Everton and would welcome a move to Stamford Bridge.

Italian journalist Angelo Mangiante, who broke the news, wrote: “Lucas Digne is the ideal player to replace Chilwell. He is Premier League proven and he has already played very well in one season in Rome with Rudiger.

“Digne is very good defensively and his crossing ability is pretty great too. He is Chelsea’s main goal.”

Chelsea will, however, face competition from Internazionale and Napoli who further reports claim to be interested in the 28-year-old. A move back to the Serie A could also interest the French defender, who once plied his trade at AS Roma.

Chelsea in dire straits with player fitness issues

Thomas Tuchel’s side’s setback was compounded on Wednesday evening when both Reece James and Andreas Christensen suffered injuries that are likely to rule them out for the next few weeks at least.

The German prefers a tactical system that relies heavily on attack-minded wing-backs and three central defenders but the injuries to both James and Christensen mean that his options are now severely limited.

The Blues seem to have failed in their bid to recall Emerson and are currently looking at recalling Maatsen. Tuchel has cut an exasperated figure with everything happening at the club.

“We can try to find players who are ready to play,” he said after the Brighton game which saw them drop two important points.

“We have no more wing-backs, we have everybody injured. Players coming back from Covid situation and they’re playing, playing, playing. I will always protect my players. I want to digest this and not talk about the next game.

“This is the reality, this is where we are and we have to adapt to the demands of the situation which you are in. This is what I am saying. I competed very hard for the win at Brighton at home.

“I don’t know what I can expect from my players in terms of physicality, intensity or minutes. Nobody knows anymore because we have never done something like this. We play trial and error and see what I can do. I will protect my team. We can play better but we need the full squad over weeks and weeks.

“If you see the impact from N’Golo Kante that he has if he only plays 30 minutes. One single player if you add the minutes that he is missing over a season, if you add the minutes over Mateo Kovacic it is too much.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang offered way out of Arsenal by former teammate

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be returning to his former club Saint-Etienne according to latest reports.

Aubameyang has been speaking with his former teammate at Saint-Etienne, Bakary Sako, who has come out to reveal that the talks are mostly about convincing the striker to return to the French club.

The ostracised Arsenal striker is currently at Gabon’s camp to prepare for the African Cup of Nations. As the national team captain, Aubameyang will be expected to lead the line for his country.

His future after the Afcon with Arsenal is uncertain, however, as his current situation doesn’t look to have an end in sight. His reps have started looking for other clubs and now, his former teammate is offering him another way out.

Sako rejoined Saint-Etienne after stints at Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers But is yet to make an appearance for the club. The midfielder played with Aubameyang in his first stint at the French club between 2009 and 2012.

He is now trying to play agent for the club by convincing Aubameyang, who is still one of the world’s elite strikers to return to the club where he first made his name.

It is not easy to leave London, Sako says of Aubameyang’s situation

The Gabonese striker moved to North London in 2018 and became a fan favourite immediately.

He has grown to love the environment, even choosing to stay out of a new-found love for the environment. He was rewarded with a bumper contract which is worth around £350,000 a week.

Sako, who spent some time in London with Crystal Palace over two different stints admitted that London is a hard city to say goodbye to.

“I am trying to attract him,” Sako said in a press conference. “Wouldn’t you like to see Aubameyang back at Saint-Etienne? We all feel the same. I am very serious when I tell him to come, even if it is in a joking tone.

“I don’t know if it is possible, but I hope he will respond favourably. It is difficult because he has been at Arsenal for a long time, it is not easy to leave London.”

Aubameyang has played 128 league games for the Gunners and scored 68 goals for them in the time he’s been at the Emirates. He has 165 total appearances for the Gunners and has scored a total of 92 goals.

Saint-Etienne currently sit at 20th in Ligue 1 and the club could do with Aubameyang’s goal scoring abilities to help them avoid relegation.

Jack Wilshere offered new lease of life as a footballer

Elsewhere, Brazilian outfit Fortaleza has offered former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere a route back into football.

The 29-year-old is currently without a club but has been training with his former side Arsenal to stay match fit in case any club comes calling.

Brazilian media reports claim that Fortaleza has identified the midfielder as one of several high profile signings they want to bring into the club as they prepare for their first ever season in the Copa Libertadores.

“I want to return to Inter,” Romelu Lukaku says

Sky Sports Italy have released a teaser of an interview with Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku whose comments have sent shockwaves throughout the Chelsea fan base.

Lukaku rejoined Chelsea from Inter Milan for £97.5 million in the summer, ten years after he left the club to seek more opportunities.

The striker has scored a decent seven goals in 18 appearances for the Blues but has struggled to show his Inter form due to injuries, COVID-19 and Thomas Tuchel’s tactics.

The 28-year-old striker spoke to Matteo Barzaghi of Sky Sports Italy about his feelings following the move from Inter, his time at Chelsea, and his love for Italy.

“After two years in Italy, where I worked so hard at Inter with the fitness staff and nutritionist, I feel better than ever,” the former Manchester United man.

“However, I am not happy with the situation at Chelsea, that is normal. I think the coach chose to play a different system, I just have to not give up, keep working and be professional. I am not happy with the situation, but I’m a hard worker and I mustn’t give up.”

Lukaku apologises to Inter fans

Inter supporters turned on the 28-year-old and called him a ‘traitor’ for asking the club to accept Chelsea’s transfer offer.

Lukaku has always wanted to return to Stamford Bridge and didn’t hesitate to take the chance when it came knocking.

Now Lukaku has expressed some regrets on the way the transfer player out and apologised to the fans of the Nerazurri.

“It wasn’t meant to happen like that,” Lukaku said. “The way I left Inter, the way I communicated with the fans, this annoys me, because this might not be the right time to say it, but back then it didn’t feel like the right moment either.

“Now I think it’s right to speak, because I said that I will always have Inter in my heart and I genuinely hope to one day go back to play there. I am in love with Italy, this is the time to let people know what really happened, without bad-mouthing anyone, because that’s not my style.

“I want to apologise to Inter fans, because I think the way I left should’ve been done differently. I should’ve spoken to you first, because the things you did for me, for my family, my mother, my son, those will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“I really, genuinely from the bottom of my heart hope to come back to Inter, not at the end of my career, but while I am still at the level to win more trophies.”

Manchester United block Anthony Martial exit

Anthony Martial may be spending the rest of the season at Manchester United against his wishes after the club blocked a potential loan move for the Frenchman to Sevilla.

Anthony Martial told Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick earlier in the week that he wanted to leave Old Trafford and the manager gave his okay to the board to find a way out for the 26-year-old. Martial has not had many suitors but preferred to move to LaLiga with Sevilla among the few clubs who have inquired about his availability in January.

Sevilla went ahead to table a loan move with no option to buy. The Andalusian club also inserted a clause that would see them pay half of the striker’s wages in the duration of the loan but Manchester United have thrown the proposal out, leaving Martial in limbo.

 

Reports from Spain claim that Sevilla’s argument for including that clause is that Martial’s price could go up if he performs well in LaLiga. The striker is currently valued between €32-€35 million and his current contract at Old Trafford runs till 2024. While Sevilla’s argument makes sense from a logical standpoint, Manchester United has no interest in closing the deal, seeking instead to totally take off Martial’s wages from their books.

Martial earns between £300,000 and £350,000 a week at Manchester United and Sevilla offers to only cover half of this fee in their loan, which sums up to between £150,000 and £200,000. United is only interested in selling Martial outright or in loan deals that cover his full wages, and are also open to keeping Martial until his contract runs out in 2024.

Sevilla may keep pursuing a deal for the striker as they will be losing key striker Youssef En-Nesyri in January when Morocco travel to Cameroon to fight for the African Cup of Nations title.

 

Rangnick says Martial’s transfer wishes are ‘understandable’

The Frenchman was signed by Louis Van Gaal in 2015 for £36 million to become the world’s most expensive teenager at the time. Wayne Rooney, United’s all-time leading goalscorer was nearing the end of his time at Old Trafford at the time and Martial’s performances gave fans hope for the future following Rooney’s departure.

Louis Van Gaal left and Martial didn’t find favour under Jose Mourinho, being relegated to a squad player as Marcus Rashford broke through to stake a solid claim for the starting striker role. He saw a little resurgence in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first season at the club, scoring 17 Premier League Goals, and later going back to being a squad player and even being frozen out of the squad at times.

Under Rangnick, Martial seems to have no hope of getting regular minutes and has now considered his time at United to be over.

Rangnick says that the 26-year-old’s feelings are understandable.

“He explained to me he’s been at Manchester United now for the last seven years and he feels it’s the right time for a change, to go somewhere else,’ the German manager said.

“I think in a way this is understandable, I could follow his thoughts, but on the other hand, it’s also important to see the situation of the club.

“We have Covid times, we have three competitions in which we still have high ambitions and we want to be as successful as we can be.

“I told him ‘listen, as long as there is no club showing interest in him [he will stay]’ and it should not only be in the interest of the player it should also be in the interest of the club.”

“So far, as far as I know, there has been no offer from any other club and as long as this is the case he will stay.”

 

Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the verge of a January move to AS Roma from Arsenal

Arsenal and AS Roma are now in more advanced talks about a possible deal for out-of-favour Gunners midfielder, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, according to Italian transfer journalist, Gianluca Di Marzio.

News of the the midfielder moving to the Serie A broke earlier in December but there was no substance to the talks at the time. However, Di Marzio has come out to claim that Roma boss Jose Mourinho wants the versatile midfielder and a deal is in the offing.

Roma’s sporting director Tiago Pinto is claimed to favour an initial six-month loan deal with the option of making it a permanent transfer.

A four-year contract has been touted, and Fabrizio Romano has reported via his Twitter page that the fee will be in the region of €10 million. The loan fee, however, is yet to be agreed.

Maitland-Niles frustrated with Arteta and Arsenal

Maitland-Niles debuted for Arsenal during the 2014/15 season but had to wait till 2017/18 to really have a good run in the club, making 83 appearances from that season until 2019/20.

The 24-year-old spent last season on loan with West Bromwich Albion after falling down the pecking order at the Emirates and could have moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of the 2021/22 season.

However, talks with Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay at Arsenal and now, those talks look to be empty words as the midfielder is still down the pecking order at the Emirates.

He has only played 11 times for Arsenal in all competitions this campaign and has grown frustrated with the manager and the club.

Jose Mourinho considers the midfielder a valuaboe asset to have as he can cover any role in the midfield, which is why Roma have contacted Arsenal about a deal for him.

Maitland-Niles prefers a central midfield role, however, and Jose Mourinho could offer him that role as Roma is lacking in midfield quality.

The Englishman will become the fourth English player to move to Serie A in the past decade. The Serie A was never a popular league among English players who chose to move abroad, with many preferring Spain, Germany and neighbouring Scotland instead.

He will join Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham at Roma, and AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori in the Serie A should the move materialise.

Arteta keen on Coutinho transfer

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reportedly given the green light to sign Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho, according to Spanish transfer news website, Fichajes.net.

The Gunners will be losing Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny to the African Cup of Nations and will be needing some midfield reinforcements.

On Arsenal’s January transfer plans, Arteta said: “It would be useful to change something, even if it is never easy.

“We are working towards this, to understand what our needs are, and to find the right solutions.

“I don’t think we are going to be able to sign players just for this short period of time.

“I think it’s a little bit unrealistic. But we will sit down now and make the right decision if we can.”