Borussia Dortmund
Jude Bellingham explains why he chose Borussia Dortmund over Manchester United
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham says that he had no second thoughts about joining the club despite interest from Manchester United. Bellingham had his breakout season with Birmingham City in the Championship last term, registering four goals and three assists from 41 appearances. In the back-end of the campaign, there was much speculation over his next club, but Dortmund eventually won the race to land his services. Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo, Bellingham said that United have a fantastic squad, but he had already made his mind up to join Dortmund. He added that he was clear with his thoughts and emphasised that playing time was the prime reason behind his decision to join the Bundesliga outfit. He said: “United have a fantastic squad, but I was so focused and so happy...
Bayern Munich chairman rules out Erling Haaland move
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has dismissed reports that the club are eyeing up a move for Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland. Bayern currently own the world’s most prolific striker in Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international has scored 97 goals over the past two seasons and could break the Bundesliga single-season record if he hits six more league goals this term. Lewandowski has been brilliant this season However, Lewandowski is set to turn 33 in the summer, and a long-term replacement will be needed. Haaland has been touted as his successor. Rummenigge has played down the links to the 20-year-old, insisting that they are not looking to replace Lewandowski just yet. Speaking to German outlet Bild, Rummenigge said: “I don’t know where the rumours have come from. I c...
Real Madrid prepared to sell six players to fund moves for Mbappe and Haaland
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has claimed that Real Madrid are willing to sell six senior players as they look for the funds to sign young superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Mbappe has been a known target of Real Madrid for a while now. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene in the 2016/17 season with Monaco and has since gone on to score over 100 goals, including one in a World Cup final. Mbappe could break the world record transfer fee Haaland is also reportedly on Los Blancos’ radar. The Norwegian made his breakthrough at the start of the 2019/20 season with RB Salzburg and has continued to impress with Borussia Dortmund, scoring 34 league goals in 36 outings. Both players are expected to dominate the game for many years to come. As a result, they have become two of the most so...
Borussia Dortmund name their price for Erling Braut Haaland
Borussia Dortmund have slapped an enormous €180 million price tag on star striker Erling Haaland, reports ESPN. Haaland made his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season. He first caught the eye with his prolific performances for RB Salzburg in the Champions League group stages. He carried this form into the second half of the season with Dortmund following his transfer in January 2020. Haaland is a man in high demand He has since established himself as one of the world’s very best strikers, scoring 49 goals in as many games for the Black and Yellows. This has attracted the attention of several of the world’s biggest clubs. However, ESPN claims that any club willing to sign the 20-year-old will need to stump up an eye-popping €180m for his services. This would be the second most expensive tr...
Manchester United could let Donny van de Beek leave this summer
Donny van de Beek could be set to leave Manchester United this summer, according to 90min. Van de Beek joined Man Utd in the summer transfer window of 2020 from Ajax for approximately £40 million. The Dutch midfielder’s time at Old Trafford has not worked out as hoped. Since scoring as a substitute on his debut against Crystal Palace, he has started just two league games and 12 in all competitions, failing to score. Van de Beek’s opening day goal against Crystal Palace was his last at club level Competition for places in Van de Beek’s position is high at Man Utd. PFA Player of the Year favourite Bruno Fernandes already occupies the attacking midfield position, while club-record signing Paul Pogba and veteran Juan Mata can also play there. However, the Dutchman has undoubted ability. In Aja...
Champions League flashback: Liverpool and Man City’s chance for revenge + 2020 Final repeat
The fixtures for the Champions League quarter-finals have been drawn, with several enticing fixtures. Manchester City were the first side out of the pot, coming up against Borussia Dortmund, while Porto got drawn against Chelsea. The final two fixtures see repeats of recent finals, with Bayern Munich facing Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid playing Liverpool. In anticipation of the next round of European games, here is a look back at some of the best clashes between these sides. Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund Balotelli’s equaliser was not enough to prevent an early exit for Man City Rather surprisingly, this is only the second time that these two sides have been drawn up against each other. The first came in the group stages of the 2012/13 season. It was a very different Borussia ...
Gareth Southgate names 26-man squad for World Cup qualifiers
The latest England squad has been released ahead of the upcoming international break. The Three Lions are set to begin their qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the closing days of March. They begin by welcoming San Marino to Wembley before a trip to Albania. Finally, they’ll face Poland at home. Several players miss out on the squad through injury. Leicester City duo James Maddison and Harvey Barnes have been sidelined in recent weeks, while wingers Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish are also unavailable. Regular number one Jordan Pickford misses out after being substituted early against Burnley, while Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez remain long-term absentees. Jesse Lingard has earned a recall to the England setup following an impressive loan spell at West Ham United. John ...
Rio Ferdinand says Man United ‘should give everything’ to sign top summer target
Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United to give everything to bring Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland to Old Trafford this summer. The Red Devils are likely to pursue a new centre-forward, and it was recently reported that Haaland is the priority target for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Ferdinand is a huge admirer of the 20-year-old’s talents, and speaking on his YouTube channel, he said that Haaland would be the ideal signing for his former side. The 42-year-old urged the Red Devils to do their best to sign Haaland as he can get the club winning trophies and bring back the glory days. He said: “You know what, they’ve just got to go and give everything to get Haaland – I don’t care.” “I don’t like to talk about players coming from other teams, but this guy man, we can’t affo...
As Bundesliga clubs suffer losses, Man Utd, Tottenham and co eye summer transfer deals
Clubs in the top two tiers of German football suffered a drop of 5.7% revenue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may lead to increased pressure on Bundesliga clubs in the summer transfer window to sell some of their prized assets. Football in Germany was brought to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, with over a quarter of the season still left to play. The leagues eventually restarted again in May, with all games being played behind closed doors. Bundesliga matches have been played without spectators for the last year The new season kicked off in the middle of September, with spectators still not allowed back into stadiums. This has hampered the revenues of many clubs across the German leagues. The 18 Bundesliga clubs generated revenue of €3.8 billion for the 2019/...
Another injury blow for Liverpool, Barcelona sweating on key player
The Champions League has reached the knockout stage, and the round of 16 features some exciting UCL fixtures. We’ll update this story with reports, results and the latest Champions League highlights as the second-leg games are played. The action is already underway, with Juventus facing Porto while Borussia Dortmund host Sevilla. Juventus XI: Szczesny, Cuadrado, Bonucci, Demiral, Alex Sandro, Chiesa, Rabiot, Arthur, Ramsey, C Ronaldo, Morata. Porto XI: Marchesín, Manafa, Pepe, Mbemba, Zaidu, Sergio Oliveira, Uribe, Otavio, Corona, Marega, Taremi. Can Juve turn around their #UCL last 16 tie? — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 9, 2021 Dortmund take a 3-2 lead into their #UCL second-leg vs Sevilla… Dortmund XI: Hitz, Morey, Can, Hummels, Schulz, Delaney, Bellingham, Dahoud, Reus, Haza...
Boost for Barcelona as Paris Saint-Germain star misses out
The Champions League takes centre stage over the next two weeks as the eight second-leg ties in the round of 16 are played across Europe. The action gets underway on Tuesday with a pair of fixtures that are finely poised. Juventus head into their second meeting with Porto needing to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg. Borussia Dortmund will fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-finals as they hold a 3-2 advantage over Sevilla. Liverpool continue their quest for Champions League glory as they go head-to-head with RB Leipzig on Wednesday. The Reds lead 2-0 after the first leg, and it would be a surprise if they failed to progress to the last eight. Paris Saint-Germain are also well placed to go through as they hold a 4-1 lead over Barcelona. However, PSG star Neymar will miss th...
Pundit says Chelsea target could leave if club fails to qualify for Champions League
European football expert Lars Sivertsen believes that Erling Braut Haaland will push for a summer move if Borussia Dortmund fail to qualify for the Champions League. Dortmund’s 4-2 defeat against Bayern Munich on Saturday left them sixth in the Bundesliga, four points behind fourth place with 10 games remaining. The 20-year-old has been linked with all of Europe’s top clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Sivertsen suggested it could be difficult for Dortmund to keep hold of Haaland if they don’t force their way back into the top four in Germany. “I think the plan was very much for him to stay at Dortmund for one more year but, of course, everyone in Norway wants to know what will change if they don’t make the Champions League,” Sivertsen told talkSPORT. “He...
