AC Milan
Donny van de Beek accused of making Manchester United move with ‘big boy’ attitude
Donny van de Beek has been accused by Marco van Basten of leaving Ajax for Manchester United with a “big boy” attitude, with the Dutch icon of the opinion that too many players depart Amsterdam believing that they have already made it. Van de Beek is among those to have been brought down to earth with a bump after leaving the comfort zone of life in his native Netherlands. A £35 million ($49m) switch to Old Trafford has not played out as planned for the 24-year-old midfielder, with only two Premier League starts taken in as questions are asked of his value to the Red Devils’ cause. Van Basten, who made his name at Ajax before going on to win the Ballon d’Or three times with AC Milan, told Ziggo Sport of Van de Beek and his struggles in England: “It just shows what a great life they have wh...
Five defining games in Inter Milan’s title-winning season
It’s been a while since we could say this, but Inter Milan are Serie A champions. After nine successive years of Juventus lifting the trophy, they have finally been toppled by former boss Antonio Conte. It’s been a sensational league campaign for Inter, who have got their hands on their first piece of silverware since 2011. Romelu Lukaku shone up front, while the defence was rock solid. Here are five crucial games in their Serie A triumph. Benevento 2-5 Inter Milan Lukaku’s brace was a sign of things to come Off the back of a dramatic 4-3 opening day victory against Fiorentina, the Nerazzurri continued with another hatful of goals. The visitors quickly raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening half-hour, with Lukaku scoring a brace either side of a Roberto Gagliardini strike. Gianluca Caprari p...
English FA ‘exploring all options’ to prevent Super League repeat
English football is set for a fan-led review, under the direction of former sports minister Tracey Crouch, following the fall-out from the widely criticised breakaway plans. Twelve of Europe’s leading clubs — including the Premier League’s “big six” — announced late Sunday they had signed up to compete in the Super League. But the plans dramatically unravelled two days later as clubs withdrew following an outpouring of outrage from fans, governing bodies, players and politicians. Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all swiftly confirmed they would not be moving ahead with the proposals, which would have seen founder members exempt from relegation. Bullingham is determined there must be no repeat of the chain of events, which caused an uproar throug...
European Super League shelved as more clubs withdraw
The European Super League collapsed on Wednesday as eight of the 12 founding members from England, Italy and Spain abandoned the breakaway project. The project collapsed after it came under massive pressure from fans, politicians, football officials and even the British royals. Founder and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli told Reuters he was reluctantly calling time on the new league. This was after six English clubs withdrew on Tuesday, with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid following suit and AC Milan indicating they would too. “The voices and the concerns of fans around the world have clearly been expressed about the Super League, and AC Milan must be sensitive to the voice of those who love this wonderful sport,” the Italian club said in a statement. Agnelli said he still believed in the...
FIFA chief to break silence as Super League plunges Europe into crisis
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to deliver his verdict on the European Super League on Tuesday after the widely condemned breakaway competition triggered threats of legal action and punitive measures. European body UEFA will look to support from the world football chief at its congress in Switzerland as it attempts to quash an initiative that threatens its prized Champions League and the health of domestic competitions such as England’s Premier League. Twelve powerful clubs – six from England, and three each from Spain and Italy – have signed up for the Super League, which offers guaranteed spots for its founding members and billions of dollars in payments. Currently, clubs have to qualify for the Champions League each year through their national competitions, and face a length...
UEFA exco member: Super League clubs will be thrown out of Champions League
Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid could be kicked out of this season’s Champions League this week, according to the Danish FA chairman Jesper Moller. Moller, who is a member of UEFA’s Executive Committee, says the teams involved in the new Super League could face sanctions following Sunday’s groundbreaking announcement. One team that wasn’t part of the Super League’s unveiling was Paris Saint-Germain, who are the only semi-finalists currently not involved in the new competition. “The clubs are going out, and I expect that to happen on Friday, and then you have to see how to finish the Champions League,” Moller told DR Sport. He added: “There must be one extraordinary executive committee meeting on Friday. I have an expectation that the 12 clubs will be thrown out.” As things stand, ...
Barcelona eyeing up deal for Serie A defender
Barcelona are looking at a deal for AC Milan centre-back Alessio Romagnoli, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo. Romagnoli has been at AC Milan since joining from Roma in 2015. During that time, he has been a regular at the San Siro, making over 200 appearances for the club and earning 12 caps for the Italian national team. Romagnoli could be leaving AC Milan soon The 26-year-old has just over one year remaining on his current contract, and the Rossoneri are hoping to get him tied down to a longer deal. However, if he doesn’t renew he could be available at a knock-down price this summer. Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona have identified Romagnoli as a target as they look for cut-price options in the transfer window. La Blaugrana have hit some financial trouble over the last ye...
Chelsea target ‘still not close to agreeing fresh terms’, but move is fraught with danger
Chelsea continue to be linked with a summer move for AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. According to Eurosport, the 22-year-old is still not close to agreeing a new deal with Milan and could be a free agent at the end of the season. Agent Mino Raiola has been trying to negotiate a renewal, but his demands have failed to find favour with the Serie A club. SL View Donnarumma is believed to be holding out for £9.1 million per year on his next contract, which appears to be beyond Milan’s reach. However, it is debatable whether his ability and performances actually warrant such a lofty annual salary. The goalkeeper has had a turbulent time at Milan, with fans previously blasting his antics during previous contract negotiations. Repeated mistakes further angered the Milan faithful, althou...
Lingard and Garner steal the headlines, but how are the rest of Man Utd’s loanees doing this season?
Manchester United’s link with their academy is synonymous and the list of talent which has come through the ranks onto the pitch at Old Trafford is endless. However, progression into the first team isn’t something which comes easy, and even those of the most fame now – including David Beckham – sometimes have to go out on loan to prove their worth. We’ve profiled some of the United players currently out on loan this season – both young and old – and assessed what their chances are of returning to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s line-up at Old Trafford anytime soon. Jesse Lingard We’re going to start off with the players currently loaned out to clubs within the United Kingdom and undoubtedly, Jesse Lingard has started to shine since his move to West Ham United. The 28-year-old is the only name on th...
Everton tracking 22-year-old who has attracted plenty of attention from elsewhere
Everton are reportedly tracking Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has recently attracted interest from AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen. Tomiyasu has had a meteoric rise in Serie A, having joined Bologna in 2019. The Japanese defender started his career at Avispa Fukuoka before moving to Sint-Truiden for a nominal fee. His performances then attracted attention from Bologna, who he signed for in an £8.1 million deal. Since then, his market value has risen to £16.2m, according to Transfermarkt’s website. The 22-year-old is now being touted as a potential target for Everton. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, as translated by Sport Witness, Everton are ‘following’ the player with Bologna searching for a potential replacement. It is said that Milan have previously had a €15m bid reject...
Milan set to renew Ibrahimovic’s contract and pair him up with €40m signing
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to sign an extension to his current contract at AC Milan, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Ibrahimovic rejoined AC Milan halfway through the 2019/20 season on an initial six-month contract with an option to extend for a further year. After netting 11 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions, he opted to stay at the San Siro. Ibrahimovic has been as good as ever at AC Milan This season, the Swede has been one of Serie A’s most prolific forwards. Despite missing almost half of the season’s games, he is the division’s fourth top goalscorer with 15 in 16 outings, trailing behind just Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Luis Muriel. Due to this form, the Rossoneri are keen to keep the veteran striker at the club for another year, according to Italian outlet ...
AC Milan target duo as they prepare to let winger go
AC Milan are eyeing up two wingers in the summer, with Samu Castillejo expected to be transfer listed. Castillejo joined AC Milan in 2018 from Villarreal in a deal that saw Colombian forward Carlos Bacca move in the opposite direction. The Spaniard struggled to nail down a starting XI berth in his debut season, with 23 of his 31 league appearances coming from the bench. Castillejo has struggled to make an impact at AC Milan The following season, he got more opportunities, making 17 Serie A starts. However, he managed just two goals and three assists. This term hasn’t been much better for him, recording just one goal and no assists in his 24 league outings. As a result, the Rossoneri are expected to let him go in the summer, as reported by Calciomercato. At 26 years of age and with over two...
