Barcelona
‘Certainly no chance’: James Pearce claims Liverpool star definitely won’t leave this month
Earlier this week, Todo Fichajes reported that Georginio Wijnaldum has already decided to quit Anfield and join Barcelona as a free agent this summer. The report claimed that Wijnaldum has turned down a new contract offer from Liverpool as it didn’t meet his expectations. However, according to James Pearce of The Athletic, Wijnaldum’s situation has remained unchanged. He hasn’t turned down a new deal, and Jurgen Klopp, the Reds boss, is hopeful that he can convince the former Newcastle United midfielder to stay at the club. The 30-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and he is free to hold talks with clubs abroad. Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is a keen admirer of the player and wanted to sign him during the summer. The Catalan giants didn’t have th...
Barcelona Plan to Keep Antoine Griezmann Despite Hunt for New Striker
Barcelona have no intentions to sell French forward Antoine Griezmann, as reported by Sport. Griezmann signed for Barcelona in the summer transfer window of 2019 for an astronomical €120m fee, off the back of five highly successful years at Atletico Madrid. It was hoped that he could be the man to replace Neymar, who left for a world record fee in 2017. Griezmann enjoyed his best days at Atletico Madrid However, things have not gone to plan for Griezmann at the Camp Nou. He has scored just 20 goals in 68 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan giants, and has reportedly been involved in feuds with captain Lionel Messi and manager Ronald Koeman. There were rumours that the Blaugrana were willing to cut their losses on the World Cup winner and let him go. However, Sport has dism...
Report: Celtic want midfielder Rodgers described as ‘real talent’ as Barca plot Jan move
According to The Sun, Celtic are keeping tabs on the situation of Leicester City midfielder Sidnei Tavares as he enters the last six months of his contract. The 19-year-old is also on the radars of the likes of Juventus, Porto and Bayern Munich, while Marseille manager Andre Villas Boas attempted to snap him up last January. However, it’s Spanish giants Barcelona that are looking more than ready to make a move for Tavares during the January transfer window. The La Liga heavyweights are hoping that Leicester will be keen to cash in on him in order to prevent losing him for nothing at the end of the season. However, should the Foxes hold on to the Portugal youth international beyond the January transfer window, Barca have a gentleman’s agreement with the club to be Tavares’ first choice dest...
Opinion: Ronald Koeman could transform Barcelona with key January signing
Barcelona have been very poor under new manager Ronald Koeman and they are fifth in the Spanish League standings right now. They will need significant additions to the squad during the January transfer window in order to close the gap with the league leaders. Key areas that need strengthening Barcelona must look to sign a quality right-sided winger who will add more goals and creativity to the team. The Spanish giants have been overly reliant on Lionel Messi to create and score goals this season. Youngster Ansu Fati has done quite well so far but he has started just six league games and Koeman cannot rely on him to deliver every week for the remainder of the season. Antoine Griezmann has been quite poor by his standards and he has managed to score just three goals in 15 La Liga games...
Arsenal interested in signing Barcelona’s Puig on loan
Arsenal are interested in signing Riqui Puig on loan from Barcelona in the January transfer window, according to Spanish media outlet Sport. The 21-year-old is a graduate of La Masia and made his debut for the senior side in 2018. He has made 19 appearances for the first team during which time the central midfielder has provided three assists. This season, he has made just four appearances in all competitions and is yet to start a single game. It is clear that Puig does not feature in Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman’s plans and a loan move in next month’s transfer window seems likely. It is understood that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has requested the club to sign the player on loan. The Gunners are struggling to create chances in front of goal this season and Puig has been identified ...
Where Next For Diego Costa?
After an underwhelming third spell at Atletico Madrid, Diego Costa is back on the market as a free agent. One of football’s most divisive characters, the forward has been cherished for his goalscoring ability, as well as reviled for his antics on the pitch. The Spaniard was once one of the most feared strikers in the world, hitting the 20-goal mark on two occasions as he won two Premier League titles at Chelsea. However, his best days seem far behind him, scoring just 12 league goals in 61 appearances since returning to Atletico Madrid. Furthermore, the 32-year-old comes with a lot of baggage. His salary was an estimated €300k per week, he has a concerning injury record, and has missed several games in his career through suspension. But, if he can get back to his best, then he should ...
World-class striker snubs Real Madrid to wait for Messi at Paris Saint-Germain
It seemed like Kylian Mbappe would be announced as a Real Madrid signing in the summer of 2021 after the French forward had reportedly asked the Paris Saint-Germain board to let him leave at the end of the season. However, since then, a lot has changed for Mbappe, PSG, and Real Madrid. Diaro GOL reports that Mbappe has considered not to make a move next summer to the Santiago Bernabeu as the 22-year-old forward wants to see out his contract at the Parc des Princes. Another reason is that the former AS Monaco star wants to experience a season with Lionel Messi who has been tipped to sign for Paris Saint-Germain next summer. With Thomas Tuchel being sacked a few days ago, former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has been tipped to take over the role. Pochettino reportedly wants L...
2020 In Review: From COVID-19 to Liverpool to Maradona, looking back at a wild, wild year
2020 has been quite the year, one for the history books, for better or worse. We break down the 10 things we will remember 2020 for. Lunch is on Marcus: Rashford’s campaign to help school children Footballers have a unique position of influence, especially the younger ones in today’s era, with their millions of followers on Twitter and Instagram. While almost all players take part in some form of community service or philanthropic endeavours, Marcus Rashford decided to use his social media as a platform to appeal to UK lawmakers who were about to end a program that allows free lunches to millions of schoolchildren. Eventually, the lawmakers decided to cave into his request and made sure the program stays running. This not only bought to light the potential influence a young footballer can ...
Joan Laporta plans to replace Koeman with the world’s best coach at Barcelona
Ronald Koeman may have his Barcelona days numbered as the potential president of the club does not plan to keep the ex-Everton manager in the dugout. Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman started his era at the club in very good style as he decided to get rid of aged players while also winning his first three league matches in charge of the club. However, in recent months, his exploits have taken a nosedive down to the south as the Blaugrana are looking very inconsistent and in extremely poor form. Joan Laporta and Victor Font have both made it absolutely clear that they will vouch against the Dutchman’s continuity at the club. Laporta himself has been extremely vocal about his plans going forward and initially wanted to land Pep Guardiola at the club. However, his extension with Manchester City ha...
Lionel Messi demands drastic overhaul at Barcelona to stay past 2021
Barcelona must do all they can to keep hold of Lionel Messi and the latest lists of demands he has made make absolute sense in regard to the situation. Barcelona captain Lionel Messi is reaching the end of his contract at the Camp Nou and with every passing day, he is closer to being a free agent. As a matter of fact, he can discuss and agree to join a club based out of Spain from January 1 but that looks unlikely considering that his latest comments suggest he may end up prolonging his stay at Barca. While the Argentinian sees the Camp Nou as his home and wants to call it a day on his career there itself, it is of no surprise that he wants to be part of a world-class squad in his final years at the top level. Unfortunately, the current Barcelona roster has a lot of gaping holes that need ...
Jurgen Klopp: Mo Salah is happy at Liverpool
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp moved to dismiss speculation over Egypt forward Mohamed Salah’s future saying on Thursday he is happy at the Premier League champions. The 28-year-old gave an interview in Spain last week in which he said Barcelona and Real Madrid were top clubs and “who knows what will happen in the future”. This led to speculation over whether he was seeking a new longer-term contract beyond 2023 or he was upset Trent Alexander-Arnold had been given the captain’s armband for the Champions League group match with Midtjylland. “We do not speak about deals — well, not with you (the media). Why should we start now?” said Klopp at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s game with struggling West Brom. “Mo is in a good mood, always a good moment. He is in really good shape and that ...
The Best Late Goals in Football
Scoring a late goal is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling parts of football – unless you happen to be on the receiving end! The sport’s history is littered with late goals that have helped teams win trophies, clinch promotion, avoid relegation or get one over their closest rivals. As none of the Sportslens team can remember much further back than the 1970s, we take a look at some of the best late goals of the past five decades. Michael Thomas vs Arsenal (1989) Arsenal travelled to Liverpool on the final day of the 1988/89 season needing to win by two clear goals to pip the Merseyside outfit to the title. Leading 1-0 with just seconds to play, Michael Thomas broke free of Liverpool’s defence to fire home and secure top spot for the Gunners. The look of abject horror in the home ranks mer...
