Mpira

FC Barcelona right back Sergino Dest will not be moving to Manchester United in this transfer window. United were said to be “exploring the possibility” of signing the American and even held talks over a potential loan move to shore up Erik ten Hag’s right-back options. However any deal would have been dependant on finding a suitor for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. While Crystal Palace and West Ham United were credited with an interest, that does not seem to be possible at this stage. Earlier today during his pre-Leicester press conference Erik ten Hag poured cold water on suggestions that Dest could be moving to Old Trafford: “We will play with this squad this season,” he said, indicating that United had concluded their transfer business. He did add that United would react to a “great opportunity” should one arise, just “like any big club.” That may have left the door ajar for a late bit a wheeling and dealing, however it appears that there were no tricks from the Dutchman here. The reliable And...

Nottingham Forest present Man City’s next opponents and the manager might opt to rotate with Julian Alvarez waiting for his chance Erling Haaland has experienced part of Pep Guardiola’s management. He has seen the Manchester City boss customise his tactics to suit a signing, abandoning the use of a false nine that propelled his side to successive titles, bringing in a conventional centre-forward and enabling the Norwegian to score six goals in four games. He has been lavished with praise – Guardiola said his new striker was “born” to score goals – albeit with inferences he can always improve. But now he could see a different side of Guardiola: the cold, clinical decision-maker who can deny the disappointed a Pep talk to explain why they have been exiled from his side. That might not be Haaland’s fate yet: the City manager suggested his new recruit might be able to plough on until the World Cup gives him a break. “He is 22 years old, he’s young and recovers well. I think he is able to p...

Chelsea are trying to get one or two more signings over the line during these last couple days of the transfer window, but it really has now hit crunch time. Thomas Tuchel wants two more attackers, but as of right now, they are only really close to signing one new one. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona is the priority for Tuchel but the club have been going back and forth in negotiations for many weeks now. Will it finally get over the line? Well, I had Ben Jacobs answer some Chelsea transfer questions exclusively for Si & Dan Talk Chelsea this morning, and he spoke on Aubameyang, Zaha, Neymar, Ronaldo, Gordon, De Jong, Gallagher, Gilmour, Broja, Ziyech, and much more…. Jacobs had the latest on Aubameyang, and he believes that this one has always been close and is still likely to go through. Jacobs said: “It’s clear that Barcelona want a straight-cash deal. Even if they move for Marcos Alonso it will be separate to Aubameyang. Chelsea purposefully put a lower cash o...

Crystal Palace may be sensing some weakness in what’s been a less than ideal start to first-team life for Conor Gallagher at Chelsea, and according to The Times, have submitted a £27m bid to test the waters. Of course, regardless of any other factor, £27m in this market should get them automatically laughed out of the room. Other Premier League clubs have been interested in Gallagher as well (Everton, for example), and rightly so after his impressive season on loan at Palace last season, but thankfully so far Chelsea have shown no interest in letting him go. The 22-year-old has featured in all four of our games so far, starting the last two. While neither of those two starts have ended in glory for the Academy star, we managed to overcome his sending off on Saturday, so we can chalk that up as a learning experience and move forward. Palace’s bid for Gallagher could also be a reaction to the supposed revival of our interest in Wilfried Zaha, but that would be a poor trade for us, especi...

Manchester United are scouting Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, according to reports. The Manchester Evening News claims the midfielder has caught the eye of Manchester United, with the Reds monitoring his development in the Scottish Premiership only eight months after his transfer from MK Dons. O’Riley is only 21 and he started in Celtic’s 9-0 win over Dundee United on Sunday. A bitter pill for Dylan Levitt to swallow! Last season, the former Fulham academy star scored four goals and created five more in 25 games for Celtic, where he is under contract until 2026. The report also states that there are no signs of an imminent approach. So, with that in mind, another year at Celtic will see O’Riley gain experience in the Champions League and that may have a negative impact on his valuation from United’s perspective. The SPL side have been drawn in the same group as Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk. That proposes the chance to see O’Riley come up against some of the best player...

There were promising signs in the 1-0 win over Southampton, although plenty of room for improvement In all of the praise that Erik ten Hag gave his team after the 1-0 win over Southampton, there was one line that was a bit of a tell: “I think we did a lot better than against Brentford.” That wouldn’t be hard, and is a very low base, but it does illustrate a wider point. One of the reasons that 4-0 defeat to Brentford was so bad - even beyond the sensation of Manchester United losing like that - was because it all came from a side that was failing to do the very fundamentals of his system. It wasn’t just a team working through a new system but a team working through moves they’d never been introduced to before. That was only compounded by what many sources now feel was Ten Hag’s underestimation of just how high the level in the bottom half of the Premier League can be. So, it hasn’t just been an adaptation for the players but an adaptation for the manager. That came across in some of hi...

Man United are edging closer to bringing in the Brazilian winger before the end of the summer transfer window. Erik ten Hag looks set to finally get his man with Manchester United edging closer to the signing of Antony from Ajax. Earlier this week,  MEN Sport  reported that United were feeling confident about signing the Brazilian winger. On Friday, Antony slammed his current club for blocking his move to Old Trafford due to how late it has come in the window. The 22-year-old was left out of the Ajax squad to face FC Utrecht on Sunday and it is understood by the  Manchester Evening News  that a €100m package is close to being agreed. Should he come in, Ten Hag will now have decisions to make on what will be his best starting XI. Here is what we at the  MEN  consider to be United's best team, should Antony sign, as things stand. With a lack of goalkeeping options available, David de Gea remains the number one 'keeper at the club. The four players in front of...

It’s Real Madrid’s best start to a season since 2018. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid team maintained their 100% record in 2022/23 by seeing off Espanyol thanks to a late brace from Karim Benzema. That came after Joselu cancelled out Vinícius Júnior’s goal in the first half. The game was one which was won in the midfield and with some smart attacking movements at both ends to make the difference in front of goal, even if Espanyol did end up with central defender Leandro Cabrera between the sticks. Here are three stats that help to understand the game: 2018/19: The last time Real Madrid won their three opening LaLiga matches It may seem no mean feat for Real Madrid to have racked up nine points from a possible nine at this stage of the season, but it’s far less common than you may think. This season has been particularly tricky given that building works at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu mean that Almería, Celta Vigo and Espanyol have all been disposed of away from home. The last time Real ...

Arsenal are ready to firm up their interest in Real Madrid attacking midfielder Marco Asensio, according to The Mirror. The Lowdown: Pepe’s departure On Friday, it was announced that Gunners winger Nicolas Pepe had joined Ligue 1 outfit Nice on a season-long loan. The Ivory Coast international arrived at the Emirates Stadium in 2019 for a club-record £72m fee but has since struggled to maintain a place in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI. Despite featuring in 20 Premier League matches last season, the 27-year-old only actually started five, depicting a frustrating lack of game-time for the former Lille winger. The Latest: Asensio interest Having let Pepe join Nice on loan for the season, a berth has opened up for Arteta to add an extra attacker to his squad ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline. As a result, a number of attacking players have been linked with moves to the Emirates, among them Wolves winger Pedro Neto. According to The Mirror, Arsenal are now ready to firm up their interest i...

The Camp Nou crowd are already falling in love with  Robert Lewandowski , with the Polish striker scoring two more goals in a 4-0 win over  Real Valladolid  on Sunday night, after also netting a brace last weekend. The Polish striker scored the first and third goals of the convincing victory, with  Pedri  netting the second and  Sergi Roberto  adding a fourth in stoppage time. Right from the off, the Catalan side went on the attack, playing with more urgency than they did in their other home game so far, when they were held by  Rayo Vallecano . It took just six minutes for  Lewandowski  to get involved, striking the post with a header and watching the ball roll along the goal line. But, in the 24th minute, he had his first official Camp Nou goal, stretching to turn in a brilliant  Raphinha  cross. Ousmane Dembele  got an assist too, setting up  Pedri  for a pass into the bottom corner just before the break. Despi...

These are your Manchester City evening headlines on Sunday, August 28 Here are your Manchester City evening headlines on Sunday, August 28. Xavi reacts to Bernardo stance Barcelona manager Xavi is not giving up on signing Bernardo Silva from Manchester City but accepts it will be difficult to get a deal done after Pep Guardiola ruled out selling the Portuguese last week. Bernardo scored in City's 4-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, with Guardiola's side coming from behind to win thanks to a hat-trick from Erling Haaland. The midfielder has been a target for Barcelona all summer, and the Portuguese international featured for City in the friendly match in aid of ALS research against the La Liga club on Wednesday evening. However, with the Blaugrana unable to move many players on from Camp Nou, a move away from City appears unlikely for Bernardo. Crystal Palace disagree on Haaland 'red card' Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has slammed the officials ...

Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a shock move to Chelsea all summer-long but it now looks increasingly unlikely that a switch to Stamford Bridge could be on the cards There was a time this summer when Chelsea were offered the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. The club's new co-owner Todd Boehly was keen on the idea but it's understood Thomas Tuchel turned down the opportunity. It's understandable that Boehly would want a superstar like Ronaldo for business reasons. Likewise, it's understandable Tuchel doesn't want the 37-year-old, who has been criticised for his attitude and his adaptation to press in a demanding system. One man who knows all about that is Ralf Rangnick, who was the interim manager at Manchester United last season and worked with Ronaldo. The Portugal international still finished last season as the club's top goalscorer, but was widely criticised. He's made it clear this summer that he wants to leave Old Trafford as he still has the de...

Newcastle United will reportedly make a bid to try and sign Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos. The Lowdown: Continuing pursuit It was reported last week that the St. James’ Park outfit are continuing their pursuit of Ramos, as they look to bring in a new striker before the transfer window closes. Benfica are thought to have included a massive €120m (£100m) release clause in his contract as part of his most recent deal, but he could be sold for less – the Eagles have a reputation for developing top talents and selling them on when the time is right. The Latest: Bid incoming As per Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness), the North East club ‘will present an offer’ to Benfica worth just over €40m (£33.6m) for Ramos. They are trying to ‘anticipate the competition’ for his signature, which includes fellow Premier League rivals Everton, Leeds United, Southampton and Wolves. The Verdict: Get it done Given the level of competition for Ramos and their desperation for a new number nine, this is a de...

Before the Bianconere's big kick-off to the 2022/23 season, which will begin in the biggest club competition, the UEFA Women's Champions League. Juventus Women coach, Joe Montemurro has named his first squad of the campaign for the Mini Tournament that will take place in Vinovo and will start with the match against Racing FC Union Luxembourg tomorrow night at 20:30 CEST. Here is the list in full: SQUAD LIST 1 Aprile 2 Pedersen 5 Nilden 7 Cernoia 8 Rosucci 9 Cantore 10 Girelli 11 Bonansea 12 Lundorf 13 Boattin 15 Grosso 16 Peyraud-Magnin 18 Beerensteyn 19 Zamanian 21 Caruso 22 Bonfantini 24 Arcangeli 32 Sembrant 33 Duljan 38 Forcinella 71 Lenzini 77 Gunnarsdottir

Man United have contacted Real Madrid about the prospect of bringing Casemiro to Old Trafford before the transfer window closes. Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho once told Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro that he would become the "best central midfielder in the world" amid the Reds' interest in his signature. As reported by the Manchester Evening News , United have contacted Madrid about the possibility of signing the Brazilian midfielder before the transfer window closes in just over a fortnight's time. The Reds' move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot has broken down and they are desperate to add to their midfield options. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong remains an active target for United, although it is now more than three months since they first registered their interest. The club is not yet sure if Casemiro would be open to the idea of a move, but have contacted Madrid to try and gauge an understanding. The Brazilian remains a key part o...

Manchester United’s first Premier League away game of the season is at Brentford on Saturday (17:30 BST kick-off). Erik ten Hag’s side will be looking to pick up our first points of the campaign, following the defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday, but there is an interesting sub-plot to our trip to the Gtech Community Stadium, with new signing Christian Eriksen returning to the club he only departed in June. The Dane played a huge part in keeping Thomas Frank’s side in the division after joining from Internazionale in January. Eriksen featured just 11 times for the west Londoners, scoring once, but he conjured four assists and Frank’s side won seven of those games, lifting them from relegation trouble to a comfortable 13th-placed finish. He can hope for a warm welcome from home supporters come Saturday then, although that hasn’t necessarily been the case with United players returning to their old stomping grounds so soon after leaving. Here are five examples from the last 2...

Man United have identified Adrien Rabiot as a possible transfer target. With the Frenkie de Jong saga still dragging out, Manchester United are at that stage in the transfer window where other options have to be looked at. Erik ten Hag’s stance on bringing in a new central midfielder has probably only heightened after yesterday’s dreadful performance against Brighton & Hove Albion. This morning a new name has been thrown into the mix; Adrien Rabiot. It’s The Athletic with the claim, who state that the Reds are ‘working on’ a deal to recruit the Frenchman this summer. The 27-year-old has emerged as a ‘leading option’ for Man United transfer, with Rabiot entering into the final 12 months of his contract with Juventus. This suggests he could be available on a deal cheaper than his typical market value. The Athletic add that United ‘must decide’ whether to press ahead with this signing, irrespective of what happens with De Jong. Or, wait for a decision from the Dutchman first before de...

City have begun the Premier League season without addressing their main weakness. Judging by the ease with which Manchester City saw off West Ham on Sunday, you wouldn't have known that they'd suffered a hefty transfer blow earlier in the week. Two Erling Haaland goals took the three points for City and the headlines, as he swiftly put to bed any doubts about his ability to adapt to Pep Guardiola's system and the Premier League. But it was further back on the pitch, specifically at left-back where the most interesting Guardiola innovations were happening. By and large City's transfer window has gone pretty well, but the whole Marc Cucurella saga has definitely left a bitter taste in the mouth. City identified Cucurella as their main left-back target early in the summer, but had offers of £30m, £35m and £40m rejected by Brighton. City refused to bid any higher, and so the Spaniard ended up going to Chelsea in a deal worth around £63m. Following the sale of Oleksandr Zinc...

Hugo Lloris has reflected on Tottenham's start to the season and given his thoughts on Sunday's Premier League clash vs Chelsea Hugo Lloris has called on Tottenham players to "increase the mental aspect" as they aim for a very successful campaign in north London. Victorious at the weekend with a convincing 4-1 victory over Southampton, Antonio Conte's men sit top of the Premier League after the first round of games. The Lilywhites were in complete control against the south coast club and perhaps should have won by more given the amount of openings they created over the 90 minutes. Starting the season with a win for the second year on the trot, Lloris believes Spurs have made big improvements during Conte's tenure but now it's about reducing the gap with the Premier League's best and also Europe's best in the Champions League. "Yeah but last season we started with three wins and three clean sheets. But with different feelings," said the Wo...

Callum Hudson-Odoi was not selected as part of the matchday squad last night, and while the 21-year-old did make the trip with the rest of the team (unlike Marcos Alonso or Timo Werner or Emerson), his absence has led to some renewed rumor-mongering already. Southampton, fresh off their poor 4-1 defeat against Spurs yesterday, appear to be leading the charge, and are “pushing” for a loan. Fabrizio Romano’s claiming an exclusive on this, though the idea of Hudson-Odoi maybe going out on loan has been whispered about for quite some time, even as he now looks fully over the mystery neurological ailment that practically ruled him out for most of the second half of last season. Chelsea do have a bloated squad in many respects still, and certainly an overabundance of attacking options, some of whom will necessarily have to miss out each weekend even with five substitutes able to be used now. Hudson-Odoi’s still very young (not turning 22 until the start of the World Cup) and while expectatio...

La Liga champions Real Madrid reportedly want to sign 25-year-old Belgian playmaker Youri Tielemans from Premier League club Leicester City in 2023. According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Youri Tielemans is the subject of interest from Real Madrid over a possible Bosman move in the 2023 summer transfer window. The Belgian playmaker has entered the final year of his contract with Premier League club Leicester City. Youri Tielemans has established himself as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League since joining Leicester City from AS Monaco nearly three years ago. The Foxes initially signed the 25-year-old on a short-term loan deal before completing a permanent transfer in the following summer transfer window. The Belgian international has featured 157 times thus far for Leicester, chipping in with 24 goals and 24 assists. But Tielemans faces an uncertain future at the King Power Stadium after entering the final year of his contract. Such a situation has ca...

Juventus and Atletico Madrid cancelled a friendly meeting in Tel Aviv on Saturday, but the match will now take place in Italy. Juventus and Atletico Madrid will face off at the Serie A giant's training ground on Sunday after security concerns led to the cancellation of a pre-season friendly in Tel Aviv. The teams had been due to meet at Bloomfield Stadium on Sunday, but heightened tensions in the Gaza Strip raised doubts over whether the match could take place in Israel. Earlier on Saturday, it was announced that the contest had been cancelled, but Juventus have now revealed the match has been moved to Italy. "Originally scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv, the game between the two footballing giants will now be played in Turin at the Juventus Training Centre in Continassa," read a statement from Juve. The friendly, which will serve as both teams' final outing before they begin their respective league campaigns, will take place behind closed doors. Juve begin th...

Man United defender Luke Shaw is confident the club can make progress under Erik ten Hag this season. Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw believes everyone has bought into manager Erik ten Hag's philosophy during pre-season ahead of Sunday's Premier League curtain raiser against Brighton. Ten Hag, who watched his side conclude their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano last weekend, will be determined to make a winning start to life in charge in M16. The Dutchman was appointed as manager back in April and has attempted to transform the mood at the club over the summer. Although summer signings have been few and far between, United have made progress during pre-season, with their performances showing that they have already been given an identity again by the new boss. They produced some slick football on their pre-season tour, providing proof that the players are buying into what Ten Hag expects of them. And after such a disappointing cam...

Erling Haaland has explained what motivates him, with the new Manchester City striker disproving a number of lazy criticisms. There was a moment in Erling Haaland's Manchester City debut in Green Bay where he was presented with a decent opportunity to score, but opted to square the ball to Jack Grealish, with a block seeing the chance go begging. It felt uncharacteristic for a player who has scored so many goals from exactly the position he declined to shoot: on the angle, about 10 yards out, having been played in on the shoulder of the defender. However, Haaland's latest interview as a City player has perhaps explained why he didn't shoot - and why he might not shoot in future. It comes after weeks of questioning from fans and pundits outside of City, trying to convince themselves that Haaland won't continue his goal-a-game form from RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. The main theory to support that hope has been that Haaland will need time to adapt to Pep Guardiola...

City's squad is currently smaller than it was last season, but they might have addressed a more pressing issue. When the clock strikes 11pm on 1 September and the transfer window closes, Manchester City will be pretty happy with their summer business. This has been the busiest transfer window at the club since 2017, with a major squad shake-up after four Premier League title triumphs in five years for Pep Guardiola's side. Five first-team squad members have left the club: Fernandinho left after his contract expired, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko joined Arsenal for £45m and £30m respectively, Raheem Sterling left for Chelsea and Zack Steffen joined Middlesbrough on a season-long loan. Other sales - including that of Ferran Torres in January - mean that City have so far raised over £230m in player sales in 2022. That allowed them to sign Erling Haaland for £51m, Julian Alvarez for around £14m and Kalvin Phillips for £42m. The main gripe that supporters, and indeed some at...

La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly ramping up their efforts to sign French striker Amine Gouiri, valued at €40 million by OGC Nice. According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Amine Gouiri is becoming a top target for Real Madrid in the ongoing transfer window. OGC Nice will look to recoup €40 million from the French striker’s sale, with  Los Blancos  ready to loan him back to the Ligue 1 club for the 2022/23 season. Amine Gouiri has come leaps and bounds since joining OGC Nice from Lyon nearly two years ago. The 22-year-old has gone from being a promising striker to one of the best attackers in Ligue 1 in the last couple of seasons, excelling as the leader of the French club’s attacking unit. The French striker has a solid record of 28 goals and 18 assists in 84 appearances thus far for Nice. And Gouiri’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with several high-profile clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid, setting their sights on him. Real Madrid had initially ...

ANGE POSTECOGLOU  has shrugged off suggestions James McCarthy may be heading for the Celtic exit before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. The Republic of Ireland midfielder, 31, made only six starts in 13 appearances after agreeing a four-year deal last August following his departure from Crystal Palace. That has triggered reports McCarthy may be looking elsewhere for game-time, but his former Wigan team-mate Gary Caldwell insisted the anchorman still had a lot to offer and there would be a queue of clubs across the border willing to snap him up, as CQN reported during the week. SEEING DOUBLE…James McCarthy, backed up by Josip Juranovic, in action during the 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Dundee United at tannadice in March. The smooth operator failed to make the substitutes’ bench for the opening-day 2-0 win over Aberdeen last Sunday while Aaron Mooy, who plays in a similar position, made his debut in the second-half shortly afar agreeing a two-year switch to the cham...

Manchester United start life under Erik ten Hag with a Premier League match against Brighton on Sunday afternoon. Summer signing Lisandro Martinez could make his full Manchester United debut against Brighton at Old Trafford - and Cristiano Ronaldo is also in line for a surprise start on Sunday afternoon. Ronaldo, 37, missed the pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia due to a family issue amid speculation surrounding his Old Trafford future. Along with his agent Jorge Mendes, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner held crunch discussions with Erik ten Hag and other United figures at their Carrington base last week. A definitive update has yet to be provided - but Ronaldo is still a United player for now and has been busy putting in the hard yards after going without so much training this summer. He played 45 minutes in the last friendly match against Rayo Vallecano and might have to lead the line for the impending Premier League opener. Without the Portugal captain, Ten Hag regularly d...

Some might say curses are only real if you believe in them, but no one’s ever accused footballers of not being a superstitious bunch. And just like with crop circles or Bermuda Triangles, if you choose to believe, if you want to believe, there’s ample evidence to fuel your belief. As with tetraphobia (fear of the number 4) or triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13), enneaphobia (fear of the number 9) may be irrational, but we only have to look at the likes of ...  deep breath  ... Fernando Torres, Álvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, Gonzalo Higuaín, Mateja Kezman, Franco Di Santo, Hernán Crespo, Tony Cascarino, and Chris Sutton to at least begin to question our reality. Basically, unless your name is Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, the No.9 Chelsea shirt is not for you (in the Premier League era). Tammy Abraham boldly declared that he would end the Curse, but just when it looked like he did, it struck back with vengeance. Romelu Lukaku never stood a chance. Head coach Thomas Tuchel isn’...

Chelsea seem to have joined their Premier League rivals in a race for young wonderkid Benjamin Sesko, who has been dubbed the 'next Erling Haaland' Chelsea's rollercoaster summer continues to take shape as Thomas Tuchel looks to find the right balance in his squad for the upcoming season. The German coach has made two signings so far and moved on a handful of players, but plenty more activity is expected from the Blues. Tuchel bemoaned his lack of new options after a 4-0 loss to Arsenal in pre-season, claiming he had the "same players" to work with after a challenging first half of the transfer window. That could quickly change though, with talks of Brighton defender Marc Cucurella defender becoming signing number three and  football.london  understands the 24-year-old would be open to the switch. The move for the Spaniard would help bolster the defensive ranks at the club, which needed some attention after the loss of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. Howe...