Tottenham are readying a bid for Shakhtar Donestk attacking midfielder Willian according to Sky Sports.
The north London club are going through something of a revamp this summer, with new boss Andre Villas-Boas eager to make his inherited squad his own.
With Luka Modric looking extremely likely to leave the side this summer, AVB is eager to add to his midfield creative options, and has been scouting Europe for suitable replacements.
The Brazil international has impressed domestically and in the Champions League in his time in Ukraine, and seems destined for a move to a bigger club.
Chelsea are known suitors of the South American star and have had a number of offers turned down by the eastern European outfit.
However, Spurs are ready to enter the race for Willian’s signature and are preparing an offer this week.
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Tottenham fans are absolutely crucifying Kieran Trippier, despite the Englishman picking up an assist in the 2-0 win over Watford.
There was a subdued atmosphere around Wembley on Monday night as Mauricio Pochettino’s side cruised past Watford.
Whether it was the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, the novelty of Wembley finally wearing off, or simply the end of season blues, both the players and the fans seemed like they weren’t really too fussed about the Monday night clash.
Nowhere was this lack of commitment more apparent than in defence, where Pochettino’s side quite frankly looked half asleep.
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The game was won comfortably in the end thanks to Harry Kane firing in the second goal from a Trippier cross, but the visitors certainly had enough chances to make a game of it, due mainly to silly mistakes at the back from Spurs.
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Trippier is taking plenty of stick for his display, after Richarlison had far too much space on several occasions.
The 27 year-old seems to be the first choice over Serge Aurier, but fans are not happy with his defending on Monday night, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Oh dear, the news Liverpool fans have been fearing for a little while now has broken…. Raheem Sterling wants out. Although his agent has since claimed that things have been “blown somewhat out of proportion”, smoke without fire is rare, and with the Reds’ season confirmed as a failure, claims of seeking trophies and success lend some backing to potential desires to leave.
The 20-year-old has been one of the Merseysiders’ standout performers this season, with his performances far above the level ordinarily expected of such a young talent. He’s led the line for the club, scored the most Premier league goals from open play of anyone in the squad and has worked well when deployed from his natural wide role.
Reports claim that £35m may be needed to lure him away, and should Brendan Rodgers lose the England international a replacement would be needed. But, Liverpool need a player with scope to improve, one able to play all across the front three and one able to fit into the Northern Irishman’s set-up… and all of this for a relatively low fee. Difficult, then! However, here are FIVE options…
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Alexandre Lacazette
Perhaps the ideal solution to the problems at Liverpool is Lacazette. The France international has been, arguably, the most impressive player away from the giants of the game in European football this term, smashing 27 Ligue 1 goals in 33 outings to fire unfancied Lyon to a shock title challenge – they ultimately lost out to PSG, though. In recent days the player himself has suggested that he may leave, which has alerted the Reds.
With pace, an eye for goal and the ability to play on either flank or as a main centre-forward, Lacazette is ideally suited to a Rodgers team, an could provide cover for Daniel Sturridge or potentially work in tandem with him. He is also able to fill Sterling’s role from wide.
Mauro Icardi
Another impressive player on the continent right now is Icardi. The Argentine is not dissimilar to former Kop hero Luis Suarez in his playing style, with high-energy hustle and bustle what is on offer from him. Icardi is, though, a very talented player, with his 19 goals for an Inter Milan team entrenched in midtable battle showing just what he’s capable of in the final third.
Chelsea are the side believed to be leading the race for his signature, but Liverpool have been linked with him since the summer of 2014, so they could opt to swoop.
Saido Berahino
West Brom’s Berahino has enjoyed a fine breakthrough season. The Baggies ace has always had the talent, but often a perceived lack of application has cost him in his pursuit of becoming a Premier League-standard attacker. However, he’s knuckled down at the Hawthorns this term, and a return of 14 goals is impressive given that he’s still only 21.
Liverpool are one of a host of clubs thought to be looking at him this summer, and with West Brom unlikely to be able to resist sizable offers, he could head to Anfield. A quick striker able to occupy roles on the flank or at the apex of a midfield diamond? Perfect.
Stevan Jovetic
Jovetic presents an interesting option. Supremely talented and celebrated during his time with Fiorentina, the Montenegrin certainly has ability. However, his two years at Manchester City have been quiet to say the least, with injuries and competition having limited his playing time. Is he good enough? Could he be saved by Liverpool?
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Reports have revealed that the Reds are indeed keen, and after reviving Daniel Sturridge’s career, perhaps a Premier League giant’s trash could be their treasure again. He appears well-suited to Rodgers’ way of playing, with neat skills and decent finishing ability partnered by an ability to occupy any role in the final third.
Luciano Vietto
21-years-old, pacey, able to play as a striker and from out wide and unlikely to command vast wages, Vietto ticks the boxes for Liverpool. The Argentine has been impressive for Villarreal in La Liga this term, finding the net on 12 occasions to keep the Yellow Submarine in the driving seat for European qualification – a big deal considering their recent relegation/promotion blip.
Liverpool are understood to be keen, but he appears to be a background target.
David Moyes hopes Ryan Giggs’ impending appointment to his coaching team helps Manchester Utd beat Real Madrid to Spurs’ Gareth Bale, according to Clubcall.
Giggs, 39, is set to be confirmed as part of new boss David Moyes’ backroom staff in a player/coach role in the next month after the former Everton manager met him for talks last week.
Moyes wants to bring some key members of his Goodison Park technical staff with him, including head of recruitment Ian Atkins, but United’s top summer transfer target is a player who Sir Alex Ferguson tried but failed to sign in 2007.
Bale’s future at Tottenham is up in the air after his side’s failure to earn Champions League qualification, although many believe it would have been in doubt anyway as the player wants to win trophies and now has his pick of the world’s clubs.
However, only Real Madrid and United are thought to be realistic contenders for the 23-year-old’s signature and the two great euro rivals look set to battle it out for his affections this summer.
Real Madrid will move for Bale if they decide to part company with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has two years left on his Bernabeu contract and is unsure about committing for the long-term.
United do not necessarily need to sell before they can enter the race, but are looking to make room in their top-heavy squad by getting rid of Wayne Rooney.
Spurs may prefer to sell Bale abroad but in the past they have always caved in to United when the money has been right, allowing Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov to follow their hearts north.
If it comes down to a straight choice, Bale’s family and feeling for the club will come into his decision and United hope Giggs – who the Welshman idolised as a teen growing up in Cardiff – could help their cause.
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Bale watched United’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Old Trafford in March in a private box with permission from Tottenham.
Leeds fans are furious after their club announced a new sponsorship deal with Uber.
You’d be hard pushed to find a group of fans more frustrated by their club right now than Leeds (okay, maybe Sunderland).
The fans have had to look on in despair as their playoff push has evaporated into thin air, and they’re now just waiting for the season to end.
While fans are worrying about what the future holds, their club have today announced a new partnership with taxi company Uber.
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The club’s official Twitter account stated the deal would “help reduce congestion and address the transport challenges” around Elland Road on match days.
Supporters are now blasting their club for not helping local firms rather than multinational companies.
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All too often in recent transfer windows the club have found lesser talents in foreign leagues rather than focusing on what’s right under their nose, and it’s fair to say fans’ transfer frustrations are being echoed by their thoughts on the new deal.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
With 33-year-old Michael Carrick looking increasingly likely to end his long-term stay at Old Trafford in the not too distant future, Louis van Gaal is arguably in desperate need for a new centre-midfielder going into the 2015/16 campaign.
When the former England international was missing from the star-studded Manchester United line-up last season, the overall balance in the team was thrown completely off kilter, leaving many Red Devils fans scratching their heads over just what was so badly missing.
Towards the end of the campaign, it became clear that the likes of Ander Herrera and Daley Blind – whilst offering their own unique qualities to the side – just couldn’t adequately replicate Michael Carrick’s calming influence on the team.
So then, with talk of the new season already present within the wider footballing community, Louis van Gaal has reportedly set his sights on 26-year-old Belgian international and Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder, Axel Witsel.
However, as the bustling no. 28 is also reportedly keen on making the switch to Juventus this summer, are Manchester United ultimately going to miss out on the services of Axel Witsel whether they like it or not?
The Old Trafford faithful will likely be keeping their fingers crossed. Whilst the Belgian may not be able to match Michael Carrick’s skills precisely for the Red Devils next season, he would nonetheless offer a rather impressive individual skill-set for Louis van Gaal to consider ahead of the new campaign.
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Carrick himself wasn’t much of a ball-winner or incredibly combative in the middle of the park. His unmatched vision and flawless composure on the ball often made up for his weaknesses in the modern game, and helped saw his side triumph far more often than not.
Axel Witsel however – despite also paying witness to some pretty swift passing skills and admirable ease with the ball at his feet – may even represent a much more rounded option for Louis van Gaal next season. When it comes to breaking up play and winning possession from the opposition, displaying nice touches with his teammates across the whole pitch, and ultimately possessing the skills of a pure box-to-box man – the 26-year-old really doesn’t disappoint.
He helped win the Russian league this season with his current employers Zenit, and although the Belgian international certainly comes across as a somewhat bulky player when he goes about his business, Witsel nonetheless displays some surprisingly quick-feet and smart ideas for someone of his stature. When given adequate creative licence to do so, the current Petrovsky Stadium favourite certainly shows himself to be no one trick pony.
As is usually the case with Europe’s most coveted talent though, Manchester United are not the only team to have registered an interest in signing the Zenit man ahead of the 2015/16 campaign. Champions League finalists – Juventus – will also reportedly be after the combative midfielder as the new season approaches, and as the player himself has already spoken admirably of the club ahead of a potential move this summer, the signs ultimately don’t look too promising for Louis van Gaal’s current outfit.
Perhaps such a notion should hardly come as much surprise in today’s game. Although Manchester United undoubtedly have some real spending power behind them this summer, their previous signings for the 2014/15 campaign really didn’t shine the club in the best light in all honesty. Yes, the likes of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao certainly offered a great deal on paper, but as they failed to have much influence out on the pitch for the Red Devils last season, it remains questionable as to which direction the club are actually heading in these days.
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Juventus on the other hand have proven to be very shrewd with their spending capabilities, yet equally ambitious when it comes to delivering the results. The combined transfer fees of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba came to less than £8 million in total. Especially with their recent run in the Champions League in mind, there is therefore very little doubt over Juventus’ ability to reassert their dominance in Europe in the next couple of seasons.
However, considering that Massimiliano Allegri’s side have recently acquired the services of German World Cup winner, Sami Khedira – Manchester United may end up with a chance of signing Axel Witsel after all.
It might not have been his preferred destination with all things considered, but Old Trafford would nevertheless offer the in-demand Belgian the chance to make his mark in the Premier League, and that is an opportunity very few foreign stars ultimately see fit to turn down.
Most of Europe would have been stunned by the event taking place at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night. Barcelona was being overrun, outplayed and humiliated by a stronger and much more lethal force. In Manchester, Alex Ferguson would have had a sinking feeling; despite knowing the Premier League title was wrapped up and his side were the kings of England, United are currently far from matching the excellence set by Bayern in the Champions League.
It would be premature to write about this Bayern team as if they were the champions of Europe already. Let’s not take too much away from a fantastic Dortmund side, currently the joint best in Europe and yet one who saw the Bundesliga champions clinch the title with a 20 point gap. United put together a similar feat in England, but the road to glory was nothing like that of Jupp Heyncke’s Bayern.
And that’s what they are. We speak so glowingly of Pep Guardiola and what his Bayern side might achieve in the future, but many are quick to forget that this is Jupp Heyncke’s team. This is a team who have been piecing together something as dominant as this for a number of years. It’s a side in Europe who are unrivalled in terms of depth. It’s a side who look infinitely stronger and more dangerous than the last two Bayern teams who reached the Champions League final. In England, we’re a little way off seeing a team who can match the side who shocked the world by putting Barcelona to the sword, in the Champions League semifinal no less.
For much of this season we’ve looked on at the products in Europe, both as a collective in terms of leagues and of individual clubs. We’ve questioned the merits of English football and whether it is still the undoubted best in the world. Yet at every stage of the Champions League, and notably with every emphatic statement in domestic competition, we’ve been provided with more and more indicators that the Premier League is falling well behind.
It’s already been said that this Manchester United team won the title because they were the best in a distinctly poor season for English football. Manchester City did very little to put together a strong defence of their title and Chelsea haven’t been a regular in the title picture for two seasons. When United stretched their campaign into Europe, they were far from convincing. They were left to rely on Robin van Persie at various points, while the defensive or attacking frailties of their opponents offered United safe passage out of the group stage.
Bayern’s biggest shock of the season in Europe came with a loss away to Bate Borisov. On the night, Heyncke’s men were also guilty of failing to take their chances. The game at home to Arsenal also should have raised some eyebrows; a marker that will stand as Bayern’s only loss so far in 2013.
The importance for United will be to ensure they retain their league title next season, and you can already sense where they’re likely to strengthen this summer. But then what? Bayern Munich have a side who blew away one of the best attacking sides in Europe in Borussia Dortmund, taking back the Bundesliga title in the process and marching thunderously on to the European Cup final. Next season, Guardiola will arrive, as will Mario Goetze and at least two or three others. How much further can you strengthen a side who humiliated Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate?
Sky love to make the point about the balance of power shifting from one place to another, it’s their party line alongside “best league in the world.” But how much disappointment is there that the Premier League isn’t at the head of that topic? We need to stop talking as if the rest of Europe has caught up with English clubs and their consistency in the Champions League. The clear case now is that English clubs have fallen way below while those on the continent have continued to soar.
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Manchester United may be proud of their 20th league title, and rightly so. But come the end of May, it’s possible we could be looking at the makings of another dynasty similar to what we saw in Catalonia. At the moment, the very best in England holds very little in the way of challenging or toppling the next superpower in the modern game.
Finding the back of the net for the England national side has brought Raheem Sterling back into the headlines, the focal point being Sterling’s contract negotiations with current club Liverpool.
The 20-year-old has tried to divert attention from the situation by saying he is focussed on football for the time being, and his contract will be sorted out come the summer. But does Sterling have big plans away from Anfield?
Sterling has been one to watch this term. On the opening day of the season, Raheem found the back of the net for Liverpool in a 2-1 win over Southampton. He scored again at White Hart Lane, where has was named the Man of the Match. Thus far, Sterling has six goals under his belt, as well as seven assists. Back in December, Sterling was the recipient of the Golden Boy award: an accolade previously received by Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba and Lionel Messi.
But his form and applause has also resulted in Sterling claiming he has been tired during this domestic season. This is understandable; going from a title-challenging season, to the World Cup and then a new Premier League season is always going to take its toll on a player. But the youngster was heavily criticised for admitting his fatigue.
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As Sterling has not signed a new contract, the transfer rumour mill has run wild. Arsenal are one of the teams in question hoping to secure Sterling’s signature, but they may been put off by his performance against them at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Tensions ran high between the two sides over the signing of Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, a battle which Brendan Rodgers won.
Aside from the north London club, though, Manchester City are also believed to be interested in securing his signature, as are Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Liverpool are thought to be offering Sterling a huge £100,000-a-week to keep him at Anfield, though some media outlets reporting the weekly wage could be double that. This is quite a step up from his current salary, thought to be roughly £35,000 per week. But, could the fact Sterling is cooling it on the contract front mean it’s about more than the money?
An opportunity to play for Real Madrid – if the rumours are true – may not come around again for Sterling. Could anyone turn down one of the biggest clubs in the world? Just ask Gareth Bale and you might get your answer.
Whether Raheem Sterling will be a Liverpool player or not, next season seems to be up in the air. Liverpool are keen to keep the midfielder, but he may have bigger and better offers elsewhere, especially if Brendan Rodgers’ side fail to qualify for the Champions League.
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The Reds have just eight games left to play this season, so Sterling has little time to assess his options. But, if Real Madrid are interested, you would think there is a high chance Sterling could face his old team mate Suarez in the El Clasico next year.
Mario Balotelli admits he would love the chance to play against Manchester City in Europe if Milan qualify for the Champions League.
The 22-year-old left City during the January transfer window to move back to his homeland and he has been a revelation since moving to the San Siro.
A dip in form and problems away from the action saw his time at the Etihad Stadium come to a premature end, but he has shown his true colours with Milan and looks at home back in Serie A.
However, the controversial Italy international hit-man still has feelings for his old club and admits he would jump at the chance to face them in Europe’s elite club competition next season.
“We at Milan are trying to qualify for the Champions League directly, without needing the preliminary phase,” he told mcfc.co.uk. “And I am sure that City also will qualify for the Champions League. I hope to come back to play at the Etihad.
“If that will happen I will come back with love and respect for everyone – club, players and supporters. I would love a Champions League group with Milan and City, it would be great.”
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Despite having quite a small squad available to him at Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino has taken a principled stance on the futures of Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose.
Both players look set to leave the North London club in the summer and could both stay in the Premier League, strengthening a title rival next time around.
Rose is closer to the first-team picture but Belgian international Alderweireld has been frozen out by Pochettino since his return from injury and that looks set to continue this weekend as Spurs look to inflict a fourth straight defeat on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and keep pace with Manchester United in the race for second.
We asked Tottenham fans, ahead of that crunch clash with City, whether they think it is the right call.
While the majority of Spurs fans – 61 per cent – think it is the right call, there is still a significant chunk of the fanbase that want Alderweireld to be reintegrated into the fold.
Check out the results of the poll below…
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