Club
Sergio Aguero nets brace as Manchester City finish season in style with Everton bashing
Sergio Aguero scored a brace in his final Premier League appearance as Manchester City thrashed Everton 5-0. The hosts flew into the lead after just ten minutes as Kevin De Bruyne rifled a stunning effort past Jordan Pickford from 20 yards. And three minutes later they made it two as Gabriel Jesus cut inside before lashing past the England goalkeeper. The Toffees kept their heads up and won themselves a penalty as Ruben Dias took down Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the striker bore down on goal. But Gylfi Sigurdsson’s effort from the spot was well saved by the diving Ederson who kept City’s 2-0 lead intact heading into half time. City put the game to bed less than ten minutes into the second half as the brilliant Phil Foden shifted onto his right foot before lashing past Pickford from 12 yards. ...
Arsenal sack U23 coach after 30 years at the club
Arsenal have sacked U23 coach Steve Bould, ending his 30-year association with the club. The 58-year-old former defender has held various coaching positions at Arsenal since retiring in 2000. An official announcement is still to come from the club but he will leave the Gunners in the coming days. Bould led Arsenal’s U18 side to Premier Academy League titles in 2009 and 2010 as well as the FA Youth Cup in the 2008/09 season. He was then promoted to become assistant to former manager Arsene Wenger in 2012, a role he served for seven years before he was reassigned as U23 coach in 2019. Arsenal’s U23 side only finished 10th in the Premier League 2 this season under Bould, but the team has produced Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe, who have emerged as highly influential members of Mikel Arteta’...
Report: Lionel Messi accepts new Barcelona deal
Lionel Messi will stay at Barcelona. The official announcement will be treated as Barca’s big signing of the summer and the latest important media outlet to confirm the news is ‘BeIN Sports’. Journalist Achraf Ben Ayad, who follows Barca news very closely, says that Leo Messi has decided to stay. The Argentine missed the final game of the La Liga season and he did not train on Friday either with the club’s permission. The striker has taken holiday before going to Argentina to play in the Copa America. It seems like Leo Messi wants to decide on his future before the Copa America starts in June so the Argentinian’s new deal could be confirmed in the next two weeks. Leo Messi will have to accept a contract with a lowe salary than his current one due to Barca’s complicated financial situation....
Liverpool boss refuses to confirm Gini Wijnaldum’s departure
Jurgen Klopp refused to confirm whether Gini Wijnaldum is set to play his final game for Liverpool this weekend, but insisted the midfielder’s commitment to the Reds cannot be questioned. Wijnaldum’s contract at Anfield expires next month, and there is no sign of the 30-year-old agreeing a renewal. Bayern Munich and Barcelona have been strongly linked with the Dutch international, who is likely to captain the Reds on Sunday in their crunch clash with Crystal Palace at home. Klopp refused to be drawn on Wijnaldum’s future at a press conference at Kirkby on Friday, telling reporters: “There’s nothing to say in this moment. We have a game to play. We will see after the final whistle on Sunday.” Later, though, he was asked whether the idea of such an influential player – Wijnaldum has made 50 ...
Nuno Espírito Santo to leave Wolves after four years
Nuno Espírito Santo will leave Wolverhampton Wanderers by mutual consent after the club’s final Premier League game of the season against Manchester United on Sunday. The 47-year-old has been in charge at Molineux for four years, arriving in 2017. In a statement on the club’s official website, Espírito Santo said: “Since the first day we arrived at Compton, our ambition was to make a positive change and push this football club forward, and I am proud to say that we did that every single day. “We achieved our goals, we did it with passion and we did it together. “Sunday will be a very emotional day, but I am so happy that the fans will be back in Molineux and we can share one last special moment together, as one pack.” Under the Portuguese, Wolves were promoted from the Championship as cham...
Victor Moses completes Spartak Moscow permanent move
Spartak Moscow have completed the permanent signing of former Super Eagles winger Victor Moses from Chelsea. Moses spent last season on loan at the Otkritie Arena, with Spartak having the option to take him permanently should he impress. Spartak Moscow manager, Domenico Tedesco, has revealed how Victor Moses has been a great help to his side since his arrival from Chelsea. The 30-year-old joined the Red and Whites on a season-long loan from the Blues last summer for his sixth spell away from the Stamford Bridge outfit. The former Nigeria international has continued to prove his worth at the club, helping them to their current second spot on the league table. The Russian side have now taken up that option and are expected to pay Chelsea 4.5m euros for the services of the Nigerian internatio...
Tottenham speak to two Bundesliga managers as they hunt for new boss
Reuters Tottemham Hotspur have reportedly stepped up their search of finding a new manager by speaking to Hansi Flick and Ralf Rangnick. The North London side currently have former midfielder Ryan Mason at the helm on an interim basis following the sacking of Jose Mourinho last month. Mason has won three out of his four Premier League matches in charge – helping Spurs climb to sixth in the table. And with European football looking all-but secure for next season, Daniel Levy is now turning his attention to finding a permanent boss to take over in the summer. Tottenham were keen on luring Julian Nagelsmann away from RB Leipzig, but it has been confirmed that he will take over from Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich. According to the Guardian, Spurs have spoken to Flick about him potentially moving...
Barcelona secure 500 million Euro loan
Barcelona have secured a €500m loan from Goldman Sachs, with €100m arriving immediately to cover unpaid wages. Like many of the clubs who had signed up to the Super League project, Barca are struggling financially in the wake of the COVID pandemic and in need of fresh funds. President Joan Laporta has seemingly found the key with a loan worth €500m from American investment bank Goldman Sachs. ESPN claim there will be €100m arriving immediately, so Barcelona can settle outstanding payments owed to players. The club’s gross debt is said to now be almost €1.2 billion. Sources told ESPN the situation with outstanding payments was so bad that the squad was preparing to take the matter to the Spanish Footballers’ Association. Barcelona agreed with the players to defer payment of their wages duri...
Real Madrid deny contacting Max Allegri to replace Zinedine Zidane
A lot spoken about the future of Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid in the last few hours, as well as who could replace him should he decide to leave. It was even said that ‘Los Blancos’ had reportedly made an offer to Massimiliano Allegri, something which the club have since denied. It hasn’t been confirmed that Zidane will leave Madrid at the end of the season, nor that ‘Los Blancos’ have made an offer for Allegri to be his replacement. At the moment, everything remains the same. Massimiliano Allegri or Raúl will succeed Zinedine Zidane this summer, should the Frenchman decide to leave Real Madrid. (Source: AS) pic.twitter.com/Y2cisfYwOy — Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 18, 2021 It was without a doubt this morning’s top news story. If Madrid had offered Allegri 10 million a year, ...
Taiwo Awoniyi gets UK work permit, set to leave Liverpool permanently
Fulham and West Brom are interested in signing Taiwo Awoniyi after he was granted a UK work permit for the 2021/22 campaign. Awoniyi linked up with Liverpool in 2015 but is yet to feature in an official game for the Reds. The Nigeria international has spent the past six years on loan at different clubs across in Europe and is currently with Bundesliga club Union Berlin. According to Goal the 23-year-old and his family were finally granted UK permits this week, following a lengthy application process. Aside from Fulham and West Brom, Stoke City have also registered interest in the forward, while Union Berlin are also keen on signing him on permanent deal. German clubs Stuttgart and Wolfsburg are also keen on signing him this summer. Liverpool are open to selling Awoniyi but will only accept...
Harry Kane tells Tottenham he wants to leave this summer
Harry Kane has reiterated his stance that he wants to leave Tottenham this summer. The 27-year-old has grown frustrated over the club’s inability to compete at the highest level, having seen his side fall out of contention to secure Champions League football for next season. Spurs have long been reluctant to entertain bids for their talisman but the England captain is hoping that they will soften their stance after his long service to the club. Daniel Levy will demand a huge fee for Kane – who prefers a move within the Premier League – as he is on a long-term deal until 2024. Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are potentially viable destinations, although it is still unclear as to whether a move will materialise. All three of the aforementioned Premier League giants have signif...
Manchester United boss: Fans will give us ‘extra lift’ in final few games
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the return of fans will give Manchester United an “extra lift” in their final few games of the season. Supporters will be inside Old Trafford for the first time since March 2020 for United’s final home league game of the season, against Fulham, and after two defeats on the spin at home the United manager is hoping their support will give them a boost. After recent protests, Solskjaer is also hoping the supporters will get behind the team and hopes the game won’t be “marred by violence.” Solskjaer said: “Of course you hope that the game against Fulham will not be marred by any violence or over the top things. “I know our fans, I know the Manchester United fans, they’re the best fans I’ve had and I’ve got such a great relationship with them and they know how to ...
