Manchester City
Barcelona open negotiations to sign £22.5m-rated Chelsea target, contact made with agents
Barcelona have held initial negotiations with the representatives of Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero regarding a free transfer, Sky Sports News claims. The Argentine has netted 258 goals over the past decade for the Cityzens, but it has been confirmed that he will leave them when his contract expires this season. Aguero’s farewell appearance for the club could come against Chelsea in the Champions League final, which is scheduled to be played on May 29. There have been suggestions that the Blues could then attempt to sign the 32-year-old, but the Blaugrana are aiming to beat them to the striker’s signature. Aguero is free to negotiate a pre-contract with an overseas club, and the Catalan giants have opened talks with his agents regarding a free transfer. Sportslens view: Aguero has y...
Aston Villa offer Villa Park as alternative venue for Champions League final
Aston Villa have offered up Villa Park as a potential venue for the Champions League final, with doubts surrounding the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. With Manchester City and Chelsea sealing their places in the final this week, attention has turned to the finale. Both English clubs are set to receive 4,000 tickets each, with UEFA targeting a return to normality with fans in stadiums. However, it is not yet guaranteed that English fans will be able to travel to Turkey, with the UK government set to announce their guidelines for the next easing of lockdown. Turkey is also still in a state of lockdown. There are also other logistical problems, with English fans needing to pay for COVID-19 tests before flying to another country. With all the complications surrounding the planned venue, Vil...
Man City plan contract talks with £150,000-a-week star after ‘incredible’ performance vs PSG
Manchester City are planning to renew midfielder Fernandinho’s contract for another season after his impressive run of form in recent months, The Mail reports. The 36-year-old has been a mainstay in the Cityzens squad since he arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, but his playing time has reduced this term. The Brazilian has played over 2,000 minutes of first-team football, but he has managed only 11 starts over the course of the Premier League season. Despite this, he is hugely valued by Pep Guardiola and was recently preferred over Rodrigo for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Guardiola described the midfielder’s performance as ‘incredible‘, and it is now reported that the club could extend his contract which expires in June. It was recen...
Fabrizio Romano: Leeds target with 182 EPL goals wants to join one club because of Argentine
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero wants to join Barcelona at the end of the season, according to Sky Sports journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Argentine is leaving the Etihad Stadium as a free agent this summer and has been linked with Leeds United. The Elland Road outfit want to sell Rodrigo after a disappointing campaign, and head coach Marcelo Bielsa is said to be keen on Aguero as a replacement. The Leeds boss is a huge fan of his compatriot, but a move does not look likely going by Romano’s latest update. “I want to say that Kun Aguero wants to join Barcelona,” the journalist said on the Here we go podcast. “He is pushing to go to Barcelona – he wants to play with Leo Messi. Contacts are going on. Barcelona won’t decide anything before the end of the season, ...
Premier League releases statement about return of fans
The Premier League have released a statement regarding the return of supporters to stadiums. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom in early 2020, all football in the country was postponed in March and did not resume until June. The end of the 2019/20 season was played behind closed doors. The 2020/21 campaign began in September, with all games still being played in empty stadiums. Fans briefly returned to certain grounds in December, but they were soon shut again. Arsenal fans in attendance in their fixture against Burnley in December The Premier League hoped that spectators would be able to attend the last two games of the season. Now, they have reaffirmed that ambition in a statement via their official website. They have confirmed that subject to a government decision,...
Manchester City handed UCL boost after Kylian Mbappe injury update
Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe will reportedly start the Champions League clash with Manchester City from the bench. The Parisians face off against City in their semi-final second leg tonight, with Pep Guardiola’s side holding a 2-1 lead on aggregate. Goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez at the Parc des Princes give City some breathing room, but the tie is by no means over. However, PSG will have to attempt a comeback without talisman Kylian Mbappe. It was reported in the run-up to the game that Mbappe could miss the game due to a calf injury. According to Telefoot journalist Julien Maynard, the French superstar will not be fit to start against City. Info @telefoot_TF1 Gêné au mollet, Kylian Mbappé ne devrait pas débuter la rencontre Manchester City – PSG. Mauricio ...
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...
Liverpool behind Man City and Thomas Tuchel’s side in race to sign £100m-rated star
Liverpool are lagging way behind Manchester City and Chelsea in the pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland, Football Insider claims. The Reds have experienced a dismal defence of their league title and currently face the prospect of missing out on the top four. The club are seven points adrift of the Champions League places with a game in hand and no longer in control of their own destiny. Irrespective of how their season finishes, the Reds are likely to make marquee signings this summer, and they appear set to sign Ibrahima Konate. Haaland is reportedly a player of interest for the club’s hierarchy, but it is suggested that they are unlikely to afford his signature. Dortmund have shown a reluctance to sanction Haaland’s sale this summer, but it is claimed that he c...
PSG need ‘mother of all upsets’ in Champions League semifinal against Man City
Manchester City put one foot in the Champions League final following a 2-1 first-leg win over Paris Saint-Germain last week. You can watch this and other Champions League games live online. PSG opened the scoring 15 minutes into the game as Marquinhos rose above everyone to meet Angel Di Maria’s inch-perfect corner-kick delivery. However, City bounced back in the second half, with Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez producing two long-range efforts to turn the match on Paris’ head. Despite lagging a goal behind, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will have their say at the Etihad on Tuesday night. Manchester City Preview A victory in Paris was City’s 50th in Europe’s elite club competition and sixth on the trot, which is also their best-ever winning run in the Champions League. The Cityzens ...
Can Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain prevent another all-English Champions League final?
Throughout the bulk of the 2010s, English clubs notoriously struggled in the Champions League. Chelsea won the competition in 2012, but it would be another six years before another Premier League club reached the final. The self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’ wasn’t looking so hot, but that changed in the 2018/19 season when we got only our second all-English final. Liverpool pulled off a stunning comeback against Barcelona at Anfield, while Tottenham Hotspur had a memorable night of their own in Amsterdam, progressing on away goals after Lucas Moura’s second-half hat-trick. Two years on, and another all-English final could be on the cards. Manchester City defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the away leg of their semi-final, while Chelsea welcome Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge after a 1...
‘Incredibly focused’: Pep Guardiola ‘personally satisfied’ with performance of 26-year-old Man City star
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reserved special praise for defender Nathan Ake following the 2-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Netherlands international made his return from a long-term hamstring injury last month, and he has since made only two league appearances. Ake was picked to start alongside Aymeric Laporte in the central defence yesterday, and he produced a solid display where he made five clearances. Speaking after the game, Guardiola was personally pleased over Ake’s display, who has experienced a tough debut campaign savaged by injuries. He told Mancity.com: “He was one of the reasons I am so personally satisfied.” “I love the nice guys and he is one of the nicest but he struggled a lot this season with injuries. “I am pleased for all of us. Defe...
Eight changes for City, Arsenal star may miss out, Baggies winger could return
The 34th round of fixtures in the Premier League features some important matches at both ends of the EPL table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. The action got underway on Friday evening, with Southampton and Leicester City fighting out a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s. James Ward-Prowse put the home side in front from the penalty spot, but Jonny Evans bagged an equaliser for the Foxes. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made eight changes to his starting XI for the visit to Crystal Palace on Saturday. However, his tinkering didn’t impact the outcome as City eased to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Selhurst Park – Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres got the goals. Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck were on target as Br...
