Ligue 1
‘Interesting’ – €45m centre-back with ‘a body like Van Dijk’ reacts to Liverpool links
Lille defender Sven Botman was heavily linked with Liverpool in January as manager Jurgen Klopp sought a quality centre-back. Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were all out injured, and the Reds were forced to play Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at the back. Liverpool brought in Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies on transfer deadline day but are still likely to bolster their backline in the summer and have already been linked with RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate. It remains to be seen whether they are still keen on Botman, but he is under consideration at an array of top sides after his impressive campaign with Lille. The French side are two wins away from pipping Paris Saint-Germain to the title, and the 21-year-old has been crucial to their rise. Lille have conceded only 22 league goals, givin...
Memphis Depay will join Barcelona this summer on one condition
Memphis Depay has agreed to join Barcelona this summer if they can meet one condition. Depay has been one of Lyon’s main men since signing from Manchester United in January 2017. In his first full season in Ligue 1, he was the league’s joint-third top goalscorer with 19 – a tally beaten only by Edinson Cavani and Florian Thauvin. Depay has been excellent for Lyon The forward suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in December 2019 which put him out for the season, but he has bounced back from this and returned to his best form. This term, he has 19 goals and 10 assists in the league, making him one of only nine players from Europe’s top five leagues to hit double figures in both categories. Depay was one of Ronald Koeman’s main transfer targets when he first arrived at Barcelona. How...
Big two dwarf £470m star on rich list – move to Madrid or Barcelona would have fuelled jump
Three of football’s biggest superstars have retained their places in the top 10 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. According to Forbes, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are raking in massive amounts of money every year. Messi and Ronaldo have swapped places on this year’s list, but they lag miles behind Conor McGregor’s $180 million annual earnings. However, while the big two have seen their income increase over the past 12 months, Neymar has suffered a slight reduction. Sportslens takes a look at the three high-earning footballers. Lionel Messi – Barcelona – $130 million Messi has edged back in front of Ronaldo in the standings, pocketing a staggering $130m to claim second spot on the list. A lucrative lifetime endorsement deal with adidas helps to keep Messi’s bank bala...
PSG President reportedly in personal talks with Spurs star as he eyes summer swoop
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi wants to sign Tottenham Hotspur right-back Serge Aurier this summer, according to FootMercato. The Ivory Coast international left the Parc des Princes for Spurs in 2017 and has established himself as a key player for the club, featuring in 110 games. However, Aurier has just a year left on his current deal and is said to be available for around €12 million. PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino is also keen on having the 28-year-old back at the club, and discussions are ongoing between them and Tottenham. The Ligue 1 giants are ready to offer the defender a four-year contract and a salary of around €7m per season. Aurier has always been open to returning to Paris, and he remains as determined as before. He has also been linked with a move to Real ...
Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona stars could beat Lewandowski for 2021 Ballon D’Or
The Ballon d’Or is arguably the most prestigious individual award in modern football, celebrating the beautiful game’s best player from the previous year. Now it is worth noting that the Ballon d’Or is not the be-all-and-end-all of football. It’s often biased towards those who shine in the Champions League. Media hype, big moments, and trophies won usually take precedence in the voting over individual performances. In fact, all Ballon dOr winners since 2007 has either won the Champions League or been the competition’s top goalscorer, and all since 2007 have reached at least the semi-finals stage. With no obvious standout, however, this summer’s international tournaments could be decisive. Lionel Messi and co. will compete in the Copa America, while Europe’s finest battle it out at the Euro...
Juventus eyeing up return for former striker if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves
Juventus have set their sights on two strikers in case star man Cristiano Ronaldo departs this summer. Ronaldo came to Juventus in the summer transfer window of 2018 for a club-record fee of €100 million. 33-years-old at the time, it was hoped that the Portuguese would be the man to bring them to European glory, having not lifted the Champions League trophy since 1996. On an individual level, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been a smashing success in Turin. He is just one goal short of the century mark for the Old Lady, having made 130 appearances in all competitions. As things stand, he leads the Serie A Golden Boot race with 27 – six more than Romelu Lukaku, Dusan Vlahovic and Luis Muriel in joint second. Ronaldo is on the verge of hitting the 100-mark at his third club In contrast,...
Celtic finally set for windfall as Arsenal reportedly eye £25m 51-goal hitman
Arsenal are weighing up a move for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Telegraph Sports. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen his attack, and while it appears that he has missed out on Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, another Frenchman and former Hoops star is now on his radar. Dembele is currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, but he has not scored or assisted in six appearances across the La Liga and Champions League. Injury and fitness issues have hindered the 25-year-old from impressing, and whether Diego Simeone’s side will be keen to activate the option to buy him for around £30 million remains to be seen. Dembele’s form has not stopped Arsenal from casting glances at him, though, and he is available for £25 million this summer. Celtic a...
Ligue 1 POTY: Who deserves to win player of the year for 2020/21?
The nominees for Ligue 1 player of the season have been announced, with Paris Saint-Germain, Lille, AS Monaco and Lyon players all involved. While the Ligue 1 title race is yet to reach its conclusion, Lille remain three points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain with just two games remaining. The latter do have a significantly improved goal difference, so any slip up from Christophe Galtier’s side could change everything. Who are the nominees Neymar (PSG) Kylian Mbappe (PSG) Memphis Depay (Lyon) Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco) Burak Yilmaz (Lille) Neymar Starting with Brazilian star Neymar, it is quite frankly a surprise to see him on this list. Neymar has only featured in 16 Ligue 1 matches this season, due to being injured for the vast majority of the campaign. Despite scoring eight goals and ...
Leeds reportedly in contact with €20m French attacker PSG want
Leeds United are keen on bringing Brest attacking midfielder Romain Faivre to Elland Road this summer and have been in contact with his representatives, according to Le Parisien (via GFFN). However, they face huge competition from Paris Saint-Germain for his signature. PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino was impressed with Faivre’s performance against his side in a Coupe de France match and will go all-out to secure his services. They are ready to blow Leeds and others away in the race by offering Bandiougou Fadiga – who is currently on loan at Brest – as a makeweight to clinch the deal. Brest are expected to demand around €20 million for Faivre, and Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, AC Milan, Rennes and Nice are also keen on him. Leeds brought in Raphinha fro...
Neymar: I am happy and proud to remain at PSG
Neymar has signed a contract extension with Paris St-Germain, keeping Brazil forward at the French giants until 30 June 2025. The 29-year-old said “happiness” was the main factor in signing a new deal. Neymar, who joined PSG in a world-record £200m deal in 2017, had been linked with a move away, including a return to Barcelona. “I have grown as a person here, as a human being and as a player, too,” he told the PSG website. Neymar was in the final year of his contract, having signed a five-year deal on his initial arrival. He has scored 85 goals and registered 51 assists in 112 games for PSG. However, he has had a difficult relationship with the club’s fans at times and was booed after expressing a desire to move back to Barcelona in 2019. Neymar said he had undergone a “very positive evolu...
Barcelona looking at trio as they aim to find a long-term replacement for club legend
Barcelona have got their eye on three central midfielders as they look for a long-term replacement for club legend Sergio Busquets. Busquets first joined Barcelona in 2005, arriving at the famed La Masia academy. He made his debut for the first team in September 2008 under Pep Guardiola. Since then, he has been a key part of their side. He has made over 600 appearances for the Catalan giants, winning eight La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues, and seven Copas del Rey, as well as a World Cup and a European Championship with his national team. Busquets was part of Barcelona’s best side The defensive midfielder is renowned for his class and composure on the ball, controlling things in the middle of the park while offering protection to the back four. However, the time is approaching when B...
Manchester City reach Champions League final after home win over PSG
Manchester City have reached the Champions League final for the first time in their history, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on aggregate. PSG thought they had made the perfect start when referee Bjorn Kuipers pointed to the penalty spot after an alleged handball by Oleksandr Zinchenko. However, VAR stepped in and overturned the decision after replays showed that the ball hit the Ukrainian’s shoulder. Not long afterwards, the hosts took the lead on the night and went two ahead on the tie. A brilliant pass by Ederson found Zinchenko down the left, who cut it back for Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian’s shot was blocked, but the ball fell perfectly for Riyad Mahrez, who slotted through the legs of Keylor Navas. The visitors weren’t deterred by this, and came within inches of netting an immediat...
