La Liga
Barcelona plan to get rid of two attacking players to reduce surplus wage bill – report
Barcelona plan to get rid of Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho this summer as they look to reduce their wage bill, Spanish publication Sport claims. The Catalan giants have been permitted to register Lionel Messi, but they have given assurances to La Liga that they will bring their wage bill within the new salary cap. For this to happen, they may need to offload several high-profile players, and Griezmann and Coutinho are among the top candidates who look set to be offloaded. It was recently claimed that Griezmann has been offered to return to Atletico Madrid in a part-exchange deal that could see Saul Niguez move to Camp Nou. Negotiations are still ongoing between the clubs, and it is now reported that the Blaugrana would prefer to sign Joao Felix in a straight swap deal for the Fre...
Atletico Madrid targeting Manchester United man
Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has emerged as a target for Atletico Madrid, according to a report by 90min. Lingard has been at Man Utd since the age of seven, earning his first professional contract in 2011. He had loan spells at Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Derby County, before becoming a regular at Old Trafford in the 2015/16 season. He has since made 210 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring 33 times – including the winner in the 2016 FA Cup final. Lingard celebrates his FA Cup-winning goal Following the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, he fell down the pecking order at Man Utd and went out on loan to West Ham United in search of regular playing time. It was at the Hammers where he recaptured his best form, scoring nine and ...
Barcelona friendly cancelled after dispute over location
Israeli club Beitar have cancelled a friendly with Barcelona after the Catalan giants refused to hold the event in Jerusalem, reports Dawn. Three weeks ago, the Times of Israel reported that the two clubs had agreed to play a pre-season friendly on August 4 – less than two weeks before the La Liga season was due to begin. However, La Blaugrana have refused to hold the event in Jerusalem due to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, demanding to play elsewhere instead. Beitar owner Moshe Hogeg viewed the demand as a political gesture and has cancelled the game as a result. Speaking on Facebook, as quoted by the Times of Israel, Hogeg said: “With great sorrow, I had to cancel the game against Barcelona. “A game against Beitar Jerusalem should take place in Jerusalem. This is a very ...
Bayern Munich star considering transfer, with Man City and Real Madrid interested
Robert Lewandowski is considering leaving Bayern Munich this summer, according to Sky Sports journalist Marc Behrenbeck (via Football Daily). Lewandowski joined Bayern Munich in 2014 on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at rivals Borussia Dortmund. Since then, he has enjoyed a highly successful time at the Allianz Arena. Lewandowski has been sensational for Bayern Munich In his 329 appearances in all competitions for the Bavarians, he has scored a staggering 294 goals. This has helped his side to seven Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokals, and a Champions League. However, there are rumours that the Poland international could be on his way out of the Bundesliga this transfer window. Behrenbeck claims that the striker feels like his story at Bayern is complete and now wishe...
Barcelona man could be set for €15m Premier League move
Barcelona are confident that they will sell Martin Braithwaite in the next few days, according to Spanish outlet Sport. Braithwaite arrived at Barcelona in February 2020 for a €18 million fee from Leganes. The club had to be granted special permission from La Liga to sign him outside of the transfer window, following an injury crisis in forward areas. Braithwaite at Euro 2020 The Danish striker has often been a bit-part player at the Camp Nou, making more appearances as a substitute than as a starter. In his 53 outings for La Blaugrana, he has scored eight goals, including a winner in last season’s Copa del Rey semi-final against Sevilla. With the arrivals of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, the 30-year-old is moving further down the pecking order. As a result, it is looking increasingly l...
Barcelona agree to swap 20-goal star for 26-year-old defensive midfielder – report
Barcelona have agreed to sell Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid in a swap deal that would see Saul Niguez move to the Camp Nou, COPE reports. The Blaugrana have yet to register any of their new signings, and it has been reported that they need to reduce their wage bill by another €175 million to meet La Liga’s salary cap. It won’t be a straightforward process, and the Catalan giants are expected to offload several high-profile players in the coming weeks in order to meet the financial rules. Griezmann has been one of those touted to leave the club, and it is now reported that they have agreed to swap him with Atletico for the services of Saul. The move would allow them to free up around €12m in wages with an amortisation of around €60-70m, which was reportedly the price t...
Barcelona defender on Everton’s radar
Everton are looking at Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet this summer, according to Spanish outlet Sport. Lenglet joined Barcelona from Sevilla back in 2018 for a fee of €35 million. His career at the Camp Nou got off to a good start, shaping a formidable partnership with Gerard Pique as his side won the 2018/19 La Liga title and reached the Champions League semi-finals. Lenglet in action for Barcelona However, the Frenchman has failed to reach those heights since and has become an unpopular figure at Camp Nou. Last season, he conceded four penalties, with three of them coming in crucial games against Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. With the younger options of Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza coming through, as well as the arrival of Eric Garcia from Manchester City, Lenglet...
Real Madrid targeting Euro 2020 star
Real Madrid have become the latest club to show interest in Danish winger Mikkel Damsgaard, according to Spanish outlet Marca. Damsgaard signed for Sampdoria in the summer transfer window of 2020 from Nordsjaelland, arriving on a four-year contract for approximately €7 million. He made 18 starts last season in Serie A and another 17 off the bench, scoring twice and assisting a further four times. Damsgaard celebrates his stunning free-kick against England But it was at this summer’s European Championships where he really made his mark. Following Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest in Denmark’s opening game against Finland, the 21-year-old got his chance in the starting XI. He made a huge impression, scoring beauties against Russia and England as his side reached the semi-finals. This has at...
Manchester United negotiating personal terms with €50m-rated star, PSG also interested – report
Manchester United have been allowed to negotiate personal terms with defender Raphael Varane ahead of his potential move away from Real Madrid, Sky Sports reports. Varane has emerged as United’s top central defensive target, and the club have now been permitted to hold talks with the Frenchman over his contract demands. Paris Saint-Germain are also in talks with Varane’s entourage, and it is reported that United want to make sure that Varane is committed to joining them. They are still reluctant to pay a big fee as the centre-back could sign a pre-contract in January. This could yet prove a stumbling block towards a potential transfer. Sportslens view: United recently made a huge outlay to land long-term target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. He could provide an upgrade in the wide at...
Messi miles ahead of Bayern and Chelsea stars in Ballon D’Or race
The 2020/21 season has officially come to a close, and it’s around this time when we start to speculate about our award winners. The Ballon d’Or is the most high profile individual award in the game, recognising the world’s best player from the past 12 months. With the season over, we’re now looking at our potential winners. Two months ago, we compiled a list of the leading candidates for the prize. Since then, we’ve had a Champions League final and a summer of international football. Some of the list has aged well. Other parts….not so much (whose idea was it to give Antoine Griezmann an honourable mention?). Anyway, two months on, and we now have a clearer picture of who our 2021 Ballon d’Or winner could be. Lionel Messi The Copa America has tipped the balance in Messi’s favour As things ...
Manchester United must pay €50m to sign world-class star, they have offered €45m – report
Real Madrid are reluctant to sell Manchester United target Raphael Varane this summer unless their €50 million price tag is met, Spanish publication ABC reports. The Frenchman has entered the final year of his contract, and he has yet to show any intention of exceeding his stay with the Madrid heavyweights. The centre-back is eyeing a new challenge after a decade with Los Blancos, and United are regarded as the front-runners to land his signature. They have made a bid of around €45m for the World Cup winner, but Los Blancos are adamant that they won’t sell him for less than €50m. They have no plans of negotiating the price, and are open to keeping Varane for the final year of his contract if there are no suitable offers. Sportslens view: Los Blancos recently parted ways with...
Report claims Wolves man who scored 16 goals last season is a target for Atletico Madrid
Wolves forward Rafa Mir is a summer transfer target for Atletico Madrid according to a report from AS (print edition, July 12th, page 15). The 24-year-old moved to Molineux from Valencia in January 2018 for around £1.8 million (Daily Mail). He has struggled to make an impression for Wolves, however, playing just four games for the club and failing to score a single goal. Atletico are allegedly chasing Wolves ace Rafa Mir – ZUMAa181 20210516_zaa_a181_285 Copyright: xJoaquinxCorcherox The striker is out of contract with the Black Country outfit in just 12 months time. And it seems as though he could be heading for the exit door. Atletico Madrid targeting Rafa Mir swoop That’s according to today’s print edition of Spanish newspaper AS. It is suggested that Diego Simeone is keen to bring in mo...
