Manchester City
21/22 Preview: Can Manchester City defend their title?
After a year of disappointment, Manchester City bounced back in fine fashion, cruising to the Premier League title while coming close to winning an unprecedented quadruple. This season, they will be back for more. But they cannot expect things to be as comfortable this time around. With several of their rivals strengthening, the Cityzens will need to be at the top of their game to retain the title. Strengths Where do we begin? Just one glance at Man City’s squad is enough to make anyone jealous. Last season, they scored the most goals in the division while also conceding the fewest. This shows their immense strength at both ends of the pitch. But the really frightening thing is their depth. Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte, Bernardo Silva – these are just a few of the players who weren’t s...
Shock report links Tottenham with move to sign £300k-a-week Premier League star
Tottenham Hotspur are eying a deal to sign Manchester City ace Raheem Sterling, according to a report from The Sun. Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to bolster his attacking ranks this summer, especially with Harry Kane facing an uncertain future in north London. And what an incredible signing Sterling would be for Tottenham. The City star has two years remaining on his current £300k-a-week deal at the Etihad Stadium. Tottenham eyeing blockbuster Raheem Sterling deal The Sun reckon that Spurs could swoop for the 26-year-old this summer. The pacy winger is still yet to sign a new deal with Man City. Sterling would certainly add some much needed pace and directness to Spurs’ attack. The former Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers ace has bagged an incredibly impressive 114 goals...
Arsenal identify £63m-rated playmaker as alternative target to James Maddison – report
Arsenal have identified Bernardo Silva as a potential alternative to Leicester City playmaker James Maddison, The Mirror reports. The Gunners are searching for a creative midfielder, and they have recently been linked with a move for Maddison, who could cost £70 million. It is now reported that Silva has emerged as an alternative target after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola acknowledged that he wants to leave. Sportslens view: Silva has been with the Cityzens for the past four seasons, registering 35 goals and 44 assists from 201 appearances across all competitions. He was in-and-out of the starting lineup last term with the emergence of Phil Foden and could drop further down the pecking order with Jack Grealish’s arrival. It is not surprising that he would like to leave the club b...
Pep Guardiola on Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and potential summer exits
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was quizzed about the club’s chances of signing Lionel Messi and Harry Kane ahead of the Community Shield clash against Leicester City tomorrow. The Cityzens secured the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a British-record £100 million fee last night. However, the main focus was on Messi after Barcelona confirmed the decision to part company with the Argentinian forward. The Premier League champions are among the favourites to sign Messi on a free transfer. When asked about the possibility, Guardiola said that the Argentine is not in the club’s thoughts after the surprise announcement. He said: “We spent £40m on Jack Grealish. We paid £100m and brought £60m in the last year. “He will wear the No 10 because we were incredibly convinced with ...
Samuel Edozie set to debut, Predicted Manchester City line up (4-3-3) vs Leicester City
Manchester City take on Leicester City in the Community Shield on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side won the Premier League for the third time in four years last term, but the campaign ended on a low note with a Champions League final loss. The club will be aiming to do better this time around. They will kickstart the 2021/22 campaign with a Community Shield clash against FA Cup holders Leicester City. The Foxes are missing key players due to injuries, but City are also without several first-team stars due to their participation at the European Championships and Copa America. Formation: 4-3-3 Predicted Line-up: Ederson has yet to return to training after Brazil’s run to the Copa America final. Zack Steffen looks set to start between the sticks. The backline will have experienced faces. Joao Ca...
Soumare and Maddison start, Predicted Leicester City line-up (3-4-1-2) vs Manchester City
Leicester City face off against Manchester City for the Community Shield on Saturday. The Foxes created history last season by lifting their maiden FA Cup title with a slender 1-0 win over Chelsea. They could not secure a top-four finish thereafter, but they will try again to qualify for the Champions League this term. Before that, they have the chance to win more silverware with a Community Shield clash against Man City. The Foxes have been hampered by defensive injuries, but they take on a City side that is far from full strength. The English champions could be missing several players that have yet to return to training after international commitments. Formation: 3-4-1-2 Predicted Line-up: Kasper Schmeichel had a superb European Championships with Denmark, and he is now back in the ...
£100m man on the verge of completing record breaking transfer to Manchester City
Jack Grealish is closing in on a move to Manchester City. According to The Athletic, City are on the verge of agreeing a £100 million deal with Aston Villa over the transfer of the 25-year-old. Grealish would become the most expensive transfer in Premier League history. That accolade previously belonged to Gareth Bale following his £85m move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013. It will also surpass the £89m Manchester United paid Juventus in 2016 for Paul Pogba, which was then a world-record fee. The Villa captain is expected to have a medical in the next 48 hours if negotiations continue to progress, claim The Telegraph. Villa’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have attempted to persuade Grealish to stay and sign a hugely improved contract, which has led to a slight dela...
24-year-old on Postecoglou’s radar, Celtic target will decide future after the Olympics
Celtic have been linked with a move for Japanese defender Ko Itakura. According to Daily Record, the 24-year-old has put his future on hold to concentrate on his country’s participation in the Tokyo Olympics. Japan have made it to the semi-finals of the football tournament, and Itakura is unlikely to decide his future until after the Games. Celtic desperately need defensive reinforcements after a miserable start under newly appointed manager Ange Postecoglou. The Hoops have already signed Carl Starfelt, but they are keen to bring in another centre-back before the transfer window closes. Itakura can also operate as a central defensive midfielder, and his versatility would come in handy for the Scottish giants. The Manchester City defender was on loan in Holland last season and is unlikely t...
Manchester City enter talks to sign £100m star with 19 goal contributions last season – report
Manchester City are in direct contact with Aston Villa to sign midfielder Jack Grealish, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano claims. The Cityzens have identified the England international as one of their top targets this summer, and they have now made a formal approach. However, Villa remain hopeful of convincing the 25-year-old to stay. They have offered a new and improved contract to their captain. Sportslens view: Pep Guardiola is a keen admirer of Grealish, and he reportedly plans to play him in his preferred number six position at City. Romano has not specified any further details, but City may have to pay a British-record fee of around £100 million to sign the Englishman. The valuation is not out of the reach of the Mancunian giants, who will have boosted their revenue after anot...
Manchester City prepare fresh deal for resurgent English forward
Manchester City will try to tie Raheem Sterling down to a new long-term contract ahead of the new campaign, The Athletic reports. Despite experiencing an underwhelming 2020/21 season by his standards, the 26-year-old forward regained his confidence at Euro 2020. Though many found Gareth Southgate’s decision to entrust Sterling with such a prominent role following a disappointing season a bit awkward, the winger repaid the gaffer’s trust with a string of blistering showings. The former Liverpool man single-handedly carried England through to the knock-out stages, scoring the winning goals against Croatia and the Czech Republic during the group phase. He continued to impress in high-stake knock-out fixtures, soaking up the limelight as the Three Lions’ headline performer. Sterling’s indiffer...
Manchester City set to green-light youngster’s permanent move to Hellas Verona
Manchester City and Hellas Verona are reportedly locked in talks over the highly-rated Serbian midfielder Ivan Ilic. According to reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Italian outfit are closing in on a permanent €8million deal for the prodigious deep-lying playmaker. Manchester City and Hellas Verona are in advanced talks for Ivan Ilić. The midfielder is close to re-join Verona on a permanent deal [fee around €8m]. 🔵 #MCFC Verona have also asked FC Bayern for Joshua Zirkzee on loan – but there are two clubs in the race. @MatteMoretto — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 28, 2021 Ilic spent the last season on loan at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, becoming a regular first-team fixture under Ivan Juric. Despite his tender age, the 20-year-old clocked up 29 Serie A appearanc...
Report: How Levy is feeling right now after holding transfer talks with £150m star
Tottenham Hotspur are confident that Harry Kane will stay at the club beyond the summer transfer window. The Sun dropped a clanger earlier this week, claiming that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had accepted a £160 million offer from City for the England captain. Kane, who told Gary Neville in May that he would hold talks with Levy over his future, has already stated his desire that he would like to leave. Spurs are unlikely to block a move for him, considering what he has done for the club. City have already made an offer of £100m for the 27-year-old striker, which was immediately rejected. Kane has three years remaining on his current deal, and something closer to £150m could convince Levy to listen to offers. According to The Athletic, Spurs have reiterated that the player is not ...
