Manchester United are locked in a race with Barcelona to sign 18-year-old Royal Antwerp star Arthur Vermeeren, according to a report.
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Former Everton star Michael Ball believes that the club may struggle to sign Denzel Dumfries this summer.
The Netherlands international has been in excellent form for his country at Euro 2020.
The right-back has scored two goals in two games, netting in the 3-2 win over Ukraine and the 2-0 victory over Austria, as they have sealed their qualification to the knockout stages.
Dumfries has been with PSV Eindhoven since 2018 and has emerged as a regular for the Dutch club, playing 124 times in total and scoring 22 goals, while registering 34 assists.
Ball believes that plenty of clubs will be monitoring the 25-year-old amid his exceptional displays at the tournament and he has been linked with the Toffees.
He is valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt but Ball thinks that price will increase as clubs formalise their interest.
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Marcel Brands will obviously know a lot about him, he is a good player but with the teams that will probably be showing interest, it could be a bidding war for him if he has a good Euros, and maybe Everton could be priced out if he carries on the form that he’s in right now.”
Ball played for PSV between 2005 and 2007 and knows Dumfries well, having watched him closely across the past few seasons in the Netherlands.
Aston Villa reportedly believe they have a ‘decent chance’ of signing Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe this summer, according to The Northern Echo.
The Villains have previously had a £25m bid for the 20-year-old rejected by the Gunners, but Dean Smith is expected to continue pursuing his services as he propels a summer recruitment drive [The Northern Echo].
Smith Rowe has yet to sign a new deal at Arsenal, whilst reports have indicated that the Midlands club could firm up a second offer for the youngster, believed to be around the sum of £30m [Football Insider].
The England under-21 international is only under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2023, something that the Villa Park hierarchy are keen to exploit [Football Insider].
Villa have already beaten Arsenal to the chase for Emiliano Buendia [The Mirror] and signed Emiliano Martinez from the north London club last year, while they could also pounce upon the Gunners’ reported reluctance to pay Sheffield United’s £35m asking price for Sander Berge [Sheffield Star].
Upon hearing these developments, many Aston Villa diehards took to Twitter to express their opinions on this latest news.
Replying to popular Twitter outlet The AVFC Faithful, here is how some Villa supporters summarised the situation with Smith Rowe:
“I’m not too bothered if we get him or not but it would be hilarious”
Credit: @av_reece
“Smith Rowe needs the step up in his career”
Credit: @josh_priv3
“LADSSSSSS”
Credit: @DG_Avfc
“I genuinely feel like we’re doing this just to wind them up for thinking they’d get Grealish”
Credit: @KishinJay
“If this is the case, Arsenal clearly haven’t said “he’s not for sale at any price” and must have given a sign that they would sell him. Concerning if you’re an Arsenal fan tbh”
Credit: @TomRutherford17
“Can’t see this one happening, if it did Arsenal fans would riot! Losing their best keeper and then one of their best young talents would show the decline and pulling power”
Credit: @cji1981
In other news, Aston Villa are interested in a swoop for an international midfielder.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has revealed how a Zoom call with ex-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa helped him to rediscover a spark.
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There are plenty of rough diamonds who have gone on to make the grade at the highest level, with the latest being Luton Town's Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu
Over the past two decades Premier League clubs have increasingly turned to overseas transfers to bolster their squad. It therefore seems counter intuitive that there would be an influx of non-league players making it to the top level.
Yet, this is exactly what has happened.
Despite Premier League clubs casting their talent nets wider than ever before, there have still been plenty of players slipping through the cracks and entering the character-building world of part-time football.
Here are some of the lucky few who managed to bounce back from this disappointment to return to the summit of English football, with Luton Town's Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu making history as he becomes the first player to feature for the same club at non-league and Premier League level.
Leeds United transfer target Harry Wilson could form a superb partnership with Raphinha, having already wowed Marcelo Bielsa with his displays before.
Reports in the summer of 2020 had claimed that Bielsa’s side were keen on bringing the Wales international to Elland Road, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.
The Athletic’s Phil Hay in fact had also suggested that Wilson is “very highly rated by Leeds (and Victor Orta especially) for a while and he’s always on the list of possibles. With Wilson, it would depend on price and what Liverpool intend to do with him. One to watch, possibly.”
Now, Mercado Ingles have revealed that the Whites are in negotiations with Liverpool over a deal for the 24-year-old, and could finally bring him to the club this summer.
Dubbed as an “exceptional talent” by Bielsa himself after Leeds’ 4-1 triumph over Derby in which Wilson played for the Rams, it was no surprise why the Whites boss was left wowed by his performance.
As per Sofascore, he finished with a 7.0 match rating, which was by far the highest of any Derby player, as he looked to single-handedly drag his side into the game.
The £60k-a-week earning ace provided the joint-highest number of key passes of any player on the pitch for either side with three, while he also completed one out of his two dribbles and earned one free-kick too.
It was no surprise then that reports last summer suggested that “Marcelo Bielsa is a big admirer of the versatile attacker, who he regards as extremely talented and with the potential to develop into a real star.”
Given Leeds already have an outstanding winger in Raphinha who gets people off their seats, bringing Wilson into the fold could give Jack Harrison some real competition on the opposite flank as they jockey to see who partners the Brazilian.
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But with the Welshman’s superb free-kick ability and technique – Jurgen Klopp even said his “shooting is world-class” – Leeds could have a fascinating combination of dribbling and skill with both Raphinha and Wilson in tandem.
Meanwhile, Leeds United are in talks with this Premier League star…
Whether it's meeting celebrities on the sideline or celebrating with his family, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner looks to be loving life in Florida
The first thing Lionel Messi did after scoring was hug his kids. Never mind his adulate team-mates, the screaming fans or the celebrities that lined the field, filming every moment. Messi, having just curled in a majestic free-kick in stoppage-time to seal victory on his Inter Miami debut, was keen to share a moment with his family.
Everything felt pre-ordained last Friday at DRV PNK Stadium, which is, disappointingly, some 45 minutes from Miami. Messi entered the game against Cruz Azul in the second half, with the scores level but his new side being increasingly outplayed. Everything for the next 35 minutes went as smoothly as it possibly could've. Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender pulled off a string of diving stops, while fellow debutant Sergio Busquets got away with a few fouls.
Inevitably, in the 93rd minute, Messi was handed his moment. He was hacked down, just to the left of the goal, and about 25 yards out. The problem with fouling Messi in that spot is that he's scored this goal countless times before. He knows the exact curve, zip, and dip of the ball. This isn't calculation as much as muscle memory at this point.
Of course, the 36-year-old's left foot delivered, sending the stadium into raptures, and marking the Argentine's arrival into American soccer in perfect fashion. There aren't enough heart-warming moments in football, especially when big-money, big-brand players are involved. Everything feels too flashy, too curated. But that second, that free-kick, was absolutely perfect.
And so starts the Messi years in Miami. They may not be that successful on the pitch for the Argentine, despite his electric start. They may not even be particularly watchable all the time. But for those who tune in, as well as for the man himself, they will be immensely fun.
How to watch Roma against AC Milan in Serie A in the US as well as kick-off time and team news.
Roma and AC Milan will be involved in a head-to-head top-fourSerie A battle when the two teams clash at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho's men slipped to a 3-1 loss at Atalanta in mid-week and find themselves with the same number of points as the Rossoneri, who had picked up a 2-0 league win over Lecce last time out.
Now both teams, who also have the same goal difference, need a win in order to gain the advantage in the race for the fourth spot on the Serie A table.
GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream live online.
Manchester City Football Partnerships and Pathways manager Fergal Harkin no longer looks to be in the frame for the sporting director role at Celtic, according to the Daily Record.
An openly kept secret to many, the Celts have made plans for a major restructuring mission at the club after a disastrous 2020/21 campaign. Needing to rebuild the brains behind the operation alongside the playing staff, Harkin was seen as many as the preferential candidate for the role. This is owing to his contacts within the game and high-level experience in Manchester.
Recruitment has especially been a major stumbling block for Celtic in the past twelve months, which needs urgent replenishment. Conscious towards a whole market of talented young players in the Premier League 2 and beyond, the Irishman was reportedly earmarked to play a major role in the Hoops summer renovation [The Scottish Sun].
Concerningly, this prospective move has now fallen by the wayside [The Scottish Sun]. Not only that, the Irish Independent state that the former Finn Harps player was never actually offered the position, which is quite the twist seeing as previous reports [Football Insider] went so far as to claim a deal for the ‘massive’ Hoops fan was ’90 per cent’ done.
Celtic are now believed to be tracking other options, with Belgium assistant Shaun Maloney believed to be the firm favourite for the job [Daily Record].
News of the proposed deal collapsing is a bitter blow for the Celtic support. Still without a new manager since Neil Lennon’s February resignation, the Hoops face a rather uncertain beginning to the 2021/22 campaign [Irish Times].
Labelled as a “fantastic” potential appointment by pundit Noel Whelan, you can’t help but feel the Hoops could’ve done with Harkin’s big club influence at Celtic Park [Football Insider].
Champions League qualifying is set to commence in a matter of weeks for the Celts [The Scotsman]. Time is indeed of the essence at Parkhead, and the Glasgow giants will need to provide the Celtic Park faithful with some clarity sooner rather than later.
Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar is reportedly available for £25m this summer, and Liverpool must swoop for the talented technician as they seek a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.
What’s the story?
According to French outlet L’Equipe, the 22-year-old’s value has plummeted after an underwhelming campaign with the Ligue 1 giants, meaning a potential bargain is there to be had.
The report claims that Aouar would be open to offers coming his way, but with Arsenal also thought to be interested in acquiring his services, Jurgen Klopp may have to move quickly to secure his signature.
Liverpool must swoop
Liverpool will be glad to see the back of a testing 2020/21 campaign, where serious injuries to several key players destroyed their hopes of retaining their Premier League crown. The Reds recovered admirably in the latter stages of the season, winning their final five games to secure a Champions League qualification spot.
However, there are still expected to be several changes made by the Merseyside club over the coming months as Klopp looks to freshen up his first team squad, and a successor to Wijnaldum should be top of the wish list.
The Dutch international is expected to join Barcelona on a free transfer once his current contract expires, leaving a substantial hole in the Liverpool engine room.
Wijnaldum offered a unique combination of skills which will be hard for any player to replicate, with the 30-year-old often impressing through his work rate, technical ability and eye for goal.
Nevertheless, when comparing the two midfielders’ numbers, there are some surprising similarities.
Despite Aouar regularly playing a slightly more advanced role at the Groupama Stadium than the one Wijnaldum often played in Klopp’s system, the France international still matched the Liverpool man’s 0.6 tackles per league game this season, and his total of 0.6 interceptions per league game was only just under Wijnaldum’s 0.7.
In an attacking sense, Aouar completely outperformed his counterpart. Admittedly this is partly down to the tactical responsibilities placed upon Wijnaldum, but it’s still telling all the same.
Aouar recorded 2.3 shots per league game compared to Wijnaldum’s 0.8, made 1.3 key passes where the Dutchman made just 0.6, and also pulled off 1.5 dribbles in contrast to Wijnaldum’s 0.9.
After Manchester City found life tough against an impressive Lyon side back in 2018, Pep Guardiola was quick to lavish praise on Les Gones’ midfield maestro.
“Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible. We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality,” marvelled the City boss.
With Aouar having a market value of £45m (Transfermarkt), Liverpool could solve their midfield problem with a clever cut-price deal this summer. Their director of football Michael Edwards must swoop for the Frenchman and provide Klopp with the tools he needs to mount another title tilt next year.
In other news… Liverpool heading for massive transfer mistake over £30m liability, Klopp must avoid