As reported by Spanish outlet Don Balon, Manchester United are ready to sanction a controversial double summer switch that could see two European football superstars move clubs.
What’s the story?
The future of David De Gea at Man United has been an ongoing saga for years but with interest from Spain never really going away, the situation could be coming to a head this summer.
That’s according to Don Balon, who say Real Madrid are still desperate for his signature, with the feeling reciprocated by the goalkeeper himself.
However, Mourinho is only open to the deal if they land a special talent of their own, Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, say the outlet.
Is he worth the hassle of finding a new goalkeeper at United and losing one of their most consistent performers year after year?
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Kroos could be king
Toni Kroos is one of Madrid’s most important players, often running the show in the middle of the park. With a current season wide pass completion rate of 92%, 12 assists and 3 goals, he is one of the most creative outlets in the entire Madrid side, which is no mean feat when you consider the stars they possess.
At 27, he’s arguably coming into his prime, meaning he could potentially make a Manchester United midfield with Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba also in it unstoppable.
That prospect may be worth it for Mourinho, especially if he feels like he can replace shot stopper De Gea who, while always impressive, plays in a position that may be less of a priority for United right now.
After trouncing Rangers twice in two weeks, Celtic are back in action this afternoon at home to St Johnstone and Brendan Rodgers has given fans a boost by handing two young stars their first ever starts for the club.
Michael Johnston and Anthony Ralston have both featured extensively for the club’s development side, both in top form during last week’s Scottish Youth Cup Final. Rodgers was in the stands that night and obviously liked what he saw.
Ralston has featured for the first team previously, from the bench, but Johnston is making his debut.
It’s turned what was a routine fixture into one of great intrigue for Hoops fans who will be eager to see how the duo do. Supporters will be particularly eager to see young Johnston, who is a crowd pleasing, exciting, attacking midfielder.
Can the two player stake a claim for a more regular start next season?
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…
According to the Daily Mail, Everton boss Ronald Koeman and the Merseyside club’s director of football Steve Walsh scouted Malaga forward Sandro Ramirez during Sunday’s La Liga fixture with Celta Vigo.
What’s the story?
Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur have both been credited with an interest in Malaga’s 21-year-old forward Sandro, who has scored 14 times in 28 La Liga appearances during the 2016-17 campaign.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Everton have stepped ahead of their rivals in the race after head coach Koeman made a personal check on the former Barcelona forward at the weekend.
Sandro was on the scoresheet in his team’s 3-0 win over Europa League semi-finalists Celta, and it is understood that Koeman and Walsh were both seen in discussions with the forward’s agent Gines Carvajal ahead of a potential move to Goodison Park this summer.
Everton appear certain to lose leading scorer Romelu Lukaku this summer, and whilst Sandro, who is valued at £6.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, would not be a direct replacement for the Belgian, a release clause of just over £5m has led to a number of clubs watching the Spaniard this season.
What are Sandro’s credentials?
Sandro, who is a three-time Spain Under-21 international, came through the youth system at Las Palmas before joining Barcelona in 2009 – spending four years in the famous La Masia academy.
The attacker’s first-team debut for the Catalan giants came during the 2014-15 campaign, and he managed seven goals in 32 appearances for Barcelona before being allowed to leave last summer.
It was Malaga that won the race to sign Sandro, and the quick striker has thrived at La Rosaleda – managing 14 league goals for a team that currently sit down in 11th position in the table.
The Spaniard might have failed to make the grade at Camp Nou, but his form throughout the 2016-17 campaign has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League scouts.
Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas is just one example of a number of players who have thrived in Spain but failed to deliver in England. Sandro, however, has time on his side, and the fact that he is available for just over £5m in this summer’s transfer window suggests that there will be a serious battle for his signature.
Liverpool and Southampton have a curious relationship in the transfer market, namely one of Southampton buying a player for cheap, waiting for him to play well at Anfield and then selling him to the Merseysiders for double or triple of the previous fee.
Indeed, Sadio Mane, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne have all left St. Mary’s for Liverpool in recent summers with mixed results, but according to ESPN, the Reds are considering prising another player away from the south coast outfit in the form of Ryan Bertrand.
Admittedly, the England international is enjoying another solid season and Liverpool are in desperate need of a left-back, with Alberto Moreno proving so inadequate Jurgen Klopp as preferred to field midfielder James Milner there for the majority of the campaign.
With that in mind, we asked Liverpool fans earlier this week whether they’d back a summer transfer swoop for the one-time Chelsea ace and according to the results of our poll, a significant 64% would.
But are you part of the Liverpool majority, or should the club be targeting a different left-back? Let us know by commenting below…
What has often been forgotten in this Premier League season is that Chelsea’s revival from last seasons’ debacle has been nothing short of miraculous. Sure, the squad has plenty of players who won the league for Jose Mourinho in 2015, but to go from tenth to first in the space of a year is a striking improvement.
When a team wins the title, there are always reasons you can point to which prove that they were the best team, and up until Tottenham Hotspur’s recent winning streak – ended by West Ham United at the London Stadium – there was simply no other side in the league who had any claim to being the best team this season. And even then, it seems as though only sentimentality can place Spurs ahead of Chelsea.
The stats below bear this out.
Tottenham, for example, may have had the most shots in the league this season – in fact, the most in Europe’s top five leagues – but it’s Chelsea who have the best conversion rate in the Premier League. At almost 21%, the Blues don’t spurn chances, and it’s been exactly this kind of efficiency that has led to a league title and a possible double in Antonio Conte’s first season.
Their devastating ability on the counter attack has meant that they have racked up the most dribbles per game in the league this year, too, with Eden Hazard completing four dribbles per game by himself, and attempting over five.
There are two striking stats about this rise to the top, however. Whilst it is true that both Manchester clubs spent more money than Chelsea in the summer transfer window, it was Conte’s Blues who started the most expensive line-up of the season when his side were beaten by Crystal Palace in April.
And yet, despite this, Chelsea have used more players who have come through their own academy than almost every other team in the league. Money is one thing, but it’s hardly everything.
The fact that Chelsea are so high up on all the lists of statistics is thoroughly unsurprising given they won the league. And yet, it also just goes to prove that the best team won the league, despite what people might say about Tottenham’s achievements this season. Spurs did well to finish second. But Chelsea were the best.
According to The Metro, Chelsea have been given a boost in their attempts to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti this summer with the player’s agent admitting that he could be tempted by a move away from the French capital.
Blues manager Antonio Conte is looking to bring in a new central midfielder before the start of next season with the futures of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas far from certain, and he has been linked with the Italy international as well as the likes of Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko.
And the Italian boss may have been given the biggest hint that the 24-year-old could be ready for a move to Stamford Bridge with his agent saying he could be ready to leave PSG and play for a team that wins trophies with the Ligue 1 outfit losing out to Monaco in the title race.
In an interview with Tuttosport, via Football Italia, his agent Donato Di Campli said: “There’s the will of PSG to keep him at all costs.
“Now it’s clear: money isn’t enough. Appeal is also needed, and in the last four or five years, the French club haven’t done enough to improve in that regard.
“Juventus are much more attractive because champions are attracted to winning teams.”
Even though PSG want to keep him, the admission will certainly give Conte hope that he could tempt the midfielder to move to the Premier League.
Here are three reasons Chelsea must step up their bid for Verratti…
Quality
Paris St Germain’s Marco Verratti (R) challenges Malmo’s Nikola Djurdjic during their Champions League Group A stage match at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, September 15, 2015. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen Picture Supplied by Action Images
The 24-year-old is more of a forward-thinking midfielder than someone like N’Golo Kante, and the duo could prove to be a brilliant – if small – partnership in the middle of the park next season if Chelsea signed the Italian.
Verratti scored three goals and provided a further eight assists in all competitions for PSG this term and as well as loving a tackle, he is also great at running the ball and completed 58 of the 66 take-ons he attempted in Ligue 1.
Statement of intent
Britain Football Soccer – Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group A – Emirates Stadium, London, England – 23/11/16 Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti in action with Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez Action Images via Reuters / John Sibley Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
There is no doubt that after five impressive seasons with PSG that Verratti is rated as one of the best central midfielders in Europe right now, and with the likes of Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid linked with the 24-year-old, it would be a huge statement of intent by Chelsea if they could bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Having worked with the Italian during his time in charge of the national team, there is no reason why Conte can’t compete with some of Europe’s biggest clubs and convince him to move to London.
Price tag
According to reports in The Sun last month, Antonio Conte was said to be lining up a £55m bid for Verratti and if he could sign the unsettled Italian midfielder for that amount this summer, it would be a bit of a no-brainer.
With another target Tieumoue Bakayoko set to cost around £42m despite only really having one season as a regular for Monaco, Chelsea may feel they are getting better value for money if they pay more for a player that has shown his quality at PSG over the course of the last five seasons.
According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea are aiming to complete a £125m triple deal to sign Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, AS Roma centre-back Antonio Rudiger and Juventus left-back Alex Sandro.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Blues unveiled Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero as their first summer signing on Saturday and Antonio Conte is hoping that they are about to seal three big-money moves.
The Daily Telegraph says that talks are progressing for the £35m and £30m deals for Bakayoko and Rudiger after fees were agreed with their clubs, while the Premier League champions will step up their negotiations for £60m-rated Juve star Alex Sandro, in what could be a club-record deal if it goes through.
The progression of the moves will be a relief for Conte, who has been unhappy at the club’s lack of action in the summer transfer window so far.
Chelsea are ready to spend big then?
They are, and they need to.
While they did brilliantly well in winning the Premier League title last season, Conte will know that the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal will all spend big to try and rival them next season, while the Italian also wants a stronger squad for their Champions League endeavours.
The fact that Chelsea have also recouped around £62m from player sales this summer already, according to the Daily Telegraph, means they are in a strong position to make purchases.
Will the trio be successful at the Bridge?
They certainly will be.
Conte was keen to bring in a new centre-back to challenge the likes of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta next term and Rudiger will certainly do that following some impressive performances for Roma.
Comfortable in possession and versatile, the 24-year-old would be a strong addition to the backline.
Meanwhile, Alex Sandro would surely have to be the first-choice left wing-back if joined for a club-record fee, and he can make a big impact at both ends of the pitch for the team.
Finally, Conte obviously felt that he needed a new partner for Kante in the middle of the park and Bakayoko could be the man to fill the void following an outstanding season for Monaco last time out.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, it’s clear that Conte wants to spend big this summer and he will be happy with how his business is going if he brings the trio of stars to the club.
Never too far away from the headlines, Cristiano Ronaldo has been the talk of the footballing world after rumours of his unhappiness at Real Madrid surfaced.
After winning the La Liga title and leading Real Madrid to back-to-back Champions Leagues, Ronaldo must certainly feel on top of the world.
The Real Madrid star has been away with Portugal at the Confederations Cup but took the time to do a spoof Q&A session with the lads at 442oons, who asked questions sent from you the fans.
The Sixpad poster boy gives Ed Sheeran a run for his money while also showing off his fidget spinner skills. A couple of phone calls to old friends send the transfer rumours spiralling out of control and the Portugese’s rivalry with Messi could be moving from La Liga to a very special location.
442oons catches up with the superstar for all this and more in the first of a two part Q&A spoof series above.
Manchester United came from behind to beat Real Salt Lake 2-1 and make it two wins from two on their American tour on Monday night, and Red Devils fans were full of praise for Jesse Lingard after his stand-out performance.
The 24-year-old started and put in an influential first-half performance, playing a key role in United’s equaliser when he linked up well with Romelu Lukaku before providing a through-ball for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who finished into the bottom corner.
Lukaku then went on to score the winning goal but it was Lingard who stole the show after not only doing his bit from an attacking point of view, but he also defensively too.
Manchester United supporters were quick to react to the forward’s performance via social media, and they were full of praise for the showing of the England international.
While some felt that he was the best player on the pitch, others were impressed with his movement and passing.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Rangers are amongst the teams in discussions with free agent Ryan Tunnicliffe this summer. The former Fulham man was released by the Cottagers at the end of last season having spent the latter half on loan to relegated Championship side Wigan Athletic.
Pedro Caixinha has already made a heavy amount of signings this summer in positions all over the team but it seems as if he is in the market for another midfielder to strengthen his options in the middle of the park.
Resources are stretched at Ibrox right now and pursuing a free agent makes financial sense, especially so if they can bring a player of real quality in that can enhance the first team.
Whether Tunnicliffe can be that man remains to be seen but he doesn’t have an intriguing career history, from the youth ranks to last season.
These are the FOUR need-to-know details about this potential signing…
He was once Man United’s top midfield prospect, ahead of Paul Pogba
Football – Manchester United v Sheffield United FA Youth Cup Final Second Leg – Old Trafford – 10/11 – 23/5/11 (L-R) Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, Michael Keane, Michele Fornasier and Ryan Tunnicliffe with the trophy after winning the FA Youth Cup final Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine Livepic
Ryan Tunnicliffe had a fantastic footballing education at Manchester United, spending his youth career there until 2014 when at the age of 21 he left to join Fulham. In fact, at one point, he was one of the highest-rated prospects coming through their academy, winning the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year Award in 2010/11 ahead of the likes of Michael Keane, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. That was the United U18s side that won the FA Youth Cup.
While obviously all three of those players have gone on to have brighter careers than Tunnicliffe, it is proof he has a natural ability about him that if nurtured properly could perhaps reach its potential finally. Former winners of that award include Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck.
Is the Scottish Premiership and Rangers the right place for him to showcase his skills and prove he still has a good career ahead of him after being released by Fulham?
His career at Fulham was hindered by the Magath debacle
It’s clear that things didn’t pan out at Fulham in the way Ryan Tunnicliffe would have liked. He joined the London side when they were still in the English Premier League, signing for his former youth coach at Manchester United Rene Meulensteen. However, he was unceremoniously replaced with the legendary Felix Magath, a move that turned out to be a disaster for the Cottagers.
Tunnicliffe was caught up in that drama at the very start of his Fulham career and although he went on to make 59 appearances for the club, he never really got going or had a manager that believed in him the way Meulensteen obviously did.
That’s at least a factor that Rangers fans should consider before judging his spell at Fulham too harshly.
He has decent Championship experience despite never finding a home
Despite never really proving himself at Fulham, he has racked up a fair amount of Championship appearances, making close to 150 in the division in loan spells at Peterborough United, Blackburn Rovers, Wigan and Ipswich Town over the years. However, he’s obviously never really found a club that he can call home since leaving Manchester and it’s perhaps something Rangers can offer if he can prove he has the ability to be a success at Ibrox.
Rangers can be a very welcoming place for players with a passionate and loyal support desperate to see heroes emerge and take the challenge to Celtic over the next couple of seasons. If Tunnicliffe can perform consistently in the Scottish Premiership he’ll become that hero and find a place to settle down and develop his game.
He’s versatile and suits Caixinha’s pragmatic style
Able to play through the middle from defensive to attacking midfield, Ryan Tunnicliffe can also be an effective presence on the left hand side of midfield if Pedro Caixinha decides he needs a more pragmatic option on the flank.
He’s not your typical creative type midfielder but a committed player who loves a tackle and winning the ball back from the opposition. Rangers’ midfield was accused of being lightweight an ineffective last term so it makes sense for Pedro Caixinha to be pursuing players who can add a bit of dig into that area.
He is tidy in the pass though and will keep things ticking over, perhaps allowing more creative players in Caixinha’s first team to flourish.