Athletic
Manchester United ‘ready to snap up Cristiano Ronaldo in stunning transfer’
Manchester United are ready to snap up Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus this summer. And should the Portuguese icon be available, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘would not hesitate’ in sanctioning a move for his former team-mate. Ronaldo, 36, is set to consider his options after Sunday’s Serie A final day, following a desperately disappointing season for the Old Lady. Juve currently sit fifth in the table, trailing the Champions League places by a point. But even if Andrea Pirlo’s side do clinch a top four berth, Ronaldo may opt to leave a year before his contract expires. And according to The Athletic, Man United chiefs are ‘monitoring’ their former No7’s situation with increasing interest. Solskjaer, 48, remains ‘in touch’ with Ronaldo, and even asked him for a character reference before signing Br...
Premier League issues major announcement on fan attendance for last two games
Only home fans (a limited number) will be able to attend the final two league games of the season, as confirmed by the Premier League. This update comes from The Athletic, following suggestions that away supporters could be permitted access to the stands as part of the 10,000 spectator figure previously touted. “The Premier League today confirmed the final two match rounds of the 2020/21 season will be limited to home fans, subject to the Government easing lockdown restrictions,” as the Premier League statement read. “Following consultation with clubs, it was agreed matches would not be open to away supporters due to varying operational challenges across the League and the need to deliver a consistent approach, while maximising the opportunity for home-fan attendance. “The safety and secur...
Manchester City in bizarre spat with Opta
Manchester City are in another battle with stats boffins Opta over Pep Guardiola’s managerial record. But Opta acknowledged Saturday’s 2-1 win over West Ham as the moment Pep reached his double ton. The Athletic report that City officials made the case in a meeting with Opta. The report adds that games that are decided on penalties are what’s causing the stats imbalance. Opta and City also held differing views over their incredible winning streak. The stats experts said that the win against Swansea made it an English record of 15 wins in a row in all competitions. But City think they already hold the record when they won 20 in a row during a dominant 2017-18 season. However, one of those games was won on penalties against Wolves in the Carabao Cup. Opta stats recorded that as a draw, which...
Tottenham players unhappy with Jose Mourinho methods
Tottenham Hotspur players are reportedly frustrated with Jose Mourinho’s training methods a scenario which has split the dressing room. Mourinho is under pressure following a return of 12 points from Tottenham’s last 12 Premier League games. Spurs were knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup at the last-16 stage by Everton earlier this month, though they are still in the Europa League and through to April’s EFL Cup final. However, The Athletic claims that Mourinho is losing support from some key members of his squad due to the way that he works. The former Manchester United and Chelsea boss is said to have drastically altered the approach taken by predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, whom he replaced in November 2019, by easing the workload on his players – something that has not gone down well ami...
Arsenal agree deal with Real Madrid for Martin Ødegaard
Real Madrid playmaker Martin Ødegaard will join Arsenal on loan for the rest of the season after the clubs agreed to terms this evening. That is according to The Athletic, who report that a temporary move has now been given the green light by both parties. The Norwegian will fly to London on Sunday ahead of undergoing a medical with the Gunners on Monday morning, when it is expected the deal will be made official. Given his status as an elite sportsperson, Ødegaard is also exempt from COVID-19 quarantine protocols, meaning he will not have to self isolate, if he returns a negative test. The 22-year-old will be Arsenal’s second signing of the window after the acquisition of Mat Ryan from Brighton. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for ...
Frank Lampard under serious threat of being sacked as Chelsea boss
According to a damning on-the-whistle report from The Athletic, Frank Lampard’s job at Chelsea is under serious threat after the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City. The loss to Pep Guardiola’s side marked Chelsea’s fourth in their last six Premier League games, the Blues have won just once over this period – against West Ham – who they are now level on points with. It’s not just the results though, the Blues have lost to sides that are firmly contenders for European competition like Wolves and Everton – whilst they were stunned by rivals Arsenal on Boxing Day. The Athletic report that the west London outfit have now begun to ‘explore alternative plans’ in regards to the team’s future, with the consideration that Lampard will be sacked if this run continues. Chelsea now sit eighth in the Premier...
Fulham vs Tottenham in ‘serious doubt’ after coronavirus outbreak
Tottenham’s game with Fulham on Wednesday evening is in ‘serious doubt’ after a number of people at the west London club tested positive for coronavirus. It comes just a day after Manchester City’s trip to Everton was postponed after City returned five positive cases of COVID-19. The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that it had received a new high of 18 positive cases after the latest round of testing. The Athletic have claimed that Fulham are in serious danger of being unable to fulfil tomorrow’s fixture with an unconfirmed amount of coronavirus positives. There has, however, been no official comment from the Craven Cottage side. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begin...
Liverpool star set to leave on free transfer at end of the season
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is reportedly expected to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of his contract in the summer. The Netherlands international has been a hugely important part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad for some time now, but it looks like he’s now heading for the Anfield exit instead of landing a new deal. This is currently looking the most likely scenario, according to The Athletic, who report on how Liverpool tend to have a firm stance on new contracts for players over 30. Wijnaldum is surely still an important part of this squad and many fans would surely rather he stayed for a little while longer, even if it might not be the most sensible financial decision. Liverpool have plenty of other options in midfield so should be in a strong position in that departme...
Trent Alexander-Arnold set to be out for a month
Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to miss four weeks with a calf injury, The Athletic have reported. The right-back went down with the injury during the 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday and it is believed that he will now be out of action until December. The 22-year-old is likely to miss Liverpool’s next three Premier League fixtures against Leicester, Brighton and Wolves as well as the Champions League clashes with Atalanta and Ajax. This is another blow to Jürgen Klopp in what has been a period of serious injuries to first-team players, with Virgil van Dijk recently ruled out for what is likely to be the rest of the season. Liverpool have also lost Fabinho, Thiago Alcântara and Naby Keïta for extended periods since the start of the campaign. Get more stories like this on Twitter ...
Bayern star ready to accept pay cut for La Liga return
Bayern Munich midfielder Javi Martinez is willing to take a pay cut to re-join Athletic Club Bilbao this month but negotiations have stalled, as per Marca. Martinez, 31, is said to have been negotiation to join on a two-year deal with the option of a third, with Bayern now open to selling for less than €10m – which was their original asking price. However, talks have hit a brick wall in recent days despite Martinez willing to reduce his salary from Bayern – reported to be €8m per annum – to be in line with others in the squad at San Mames. It is claimed by the report that Martinez only intends to return to Los Leones if he is to return to La Liga during his career and already has a verbal agreement to join the club this summer, should Bayern facilitate a deal. A year ago, the Basque club’s...
Arsenal fans back Raul Sanllehi, Edu’s reported plan for Matteo Guendouzi
Arsenal supporters have taken to social media after reports of midfielder Matteo Guendouzi being put up for sale this summer. The Athletic are reporting that the Frenchman is a potential candidate to be sold when the transfer window reopens in order to raise funds so that head coach Mikel Arteta can bolster his squad in other areas. Furthermore, the report claims that Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also likely to be sold. In relation to Guendouzi, it’s claimed that the decision to consider offers for him is because of his disciplinary issues this season. Back in February The Athletic revealed that the Frenchman’s omission from the matchday squad against Newcastle United was due to Guendouzi being deemed the aggressor in a clash with an unnamed teammate. And there was reportedly more disciplinar...
