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Showing posts with the label premier league

Is it Raphinha versus Yamal for the Ballon d'Or, or can Dembele achieve it?

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In a year devoid of a significant international tournament, triumphing in the Champions League is undoubtedly crucial for clinching the Ballon d’Or. Therefore, that ought to conclude the discussion about Real Madrid.  Here are the top 10 contenders for the award, based on the bookmakers' odds…  Favorites to claim the 2025 Ballon d’Or   10. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia [Paris Saint-Germain] Outstanding since his January transfer from Napoli, aiding the French team in effortlessly securing another league championship while more significantly remaining focused on achieving that coveted Champions League trophy.  9. Kylian Mbappé [Real Madrid] "Personal awards matter as well, such as the Ballon d’Or." I understand what I need to do to achieve victory, many asks both on and off the field. "When I take all the necessary steps to achieve victory, I will achieve it," says the Frenchman.  And if he fails to accomplish all that he must – which he definitely has not – then he will...

'He won't join' – Amorim clarifies reasons Gyokeres might decline summer move to Man Utd

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has shared his thoughts on the possibility of Viktor Gyokeres being attracted to transfer from Sporting CP to Old Trafford this summer.  The Red Devils have faced challenges this season in the Premier League, with Ruben Amorim’s team sitting 14th in the standings as they approach the last four games of the season.  Just four Premier League teams have netted fewer goals than Man Utd this season, and Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have faced significant criticism for their goal drought.  Hojlund netted his fourth goal in the Premier League this season during the 1-1 tie with Bournemouth on Sunday, whereas Zirkzee has managed just three.  Currently, there are intentions in the transfer market for Man Utd to acquire a new striker before the next season, with Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Liam Delap, and others mentioned.  Recent days have seen increasing speculation regarding a possible transfer for Gyokeres, with talk of a pote...

Rashford’s representative ‘seen’ with Manchester City executives as ‘noticeable presence’ in the stands… to observe Aston Villa

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Marcus Rashford’s sibling and representative, Dwaine Maynard, has been ‘seen’ with Manchester City officials as a ‘noticeable presence’ to observe his brother playing football.  Rashford joined Villa on loan in January and achieved four goals and six assists during a mostly impressive period before sustaining a hamstring injury that appears likely to sideline him for the remainder of the season.  Earlier this week, a report suggested that Man Utd and Aston Villa are currently 'negotiating' about ending his loan prematurely.  Rashford realizes that there probably won't be a future for him at Old Trafford with Ruben Amorim, so the Red Devils will consider offers. He intends to meet with his employers prior to mid-June.  However, he might have to come back sooner than anticipated if both clubs reach an agreement, as he is unlikely to recover within three weeks. This occurs despite Villa having a £40m purchase option for Rashford included in their loan deal with United....

Chelsea's ten-man list to take-over Maresca includes a UCL semi-finalist and two club legends

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Although Enzo Maresca emphasizes that the advancements at Chelsea are evident due to the owners' support during his initial season at Stamford Bridge, reports indicate that the Blues' board is now 'split' regarding the Italian's future.  In the face of fan discontent during a stretch where Chelsea has secured only seven victories in 18 Premier League matches, dropping from title contenders to outsiders for Champions League spots, reports indicate there are now ‘significant concerns regarding his style of play,’ and ‘the noticeable decline in performance from star player Cole Palmer has also attracted attention.’  Ending up in the top five will probably save him, with the UEFA Conference League serving as the icing on what would be a successful season. Even if he fails to qualify, it might not result in his dismissal. However, we've prepared a list of 10 managers that we believe the Chelsea leadership will/should consider if they decide to part ways with Maresca....

Man City ‘new De Bruyne’ possibilities feature Cole Palmer and Ballon d’Or contender

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Manchester City require a substitute for Kevin de Bruyne, but who should it be? The figures indicate that these 10 playmakers are quite alike in their playing styles.  We examined FBRef for alternatives in Europe's top five leagues that share similar traits to De Bruyne. Specifically, being extremely imaginative and forward-thinking with their passing.  Several of these players have already been associated with City, so the statistics genuinely reflect the truth.  10. Florian Wirtz [Bayer Leverkusen] Last week, the term used for Wirtz was ‘ideal’; he’s youthful, he’s an exceptional player, he seems prepared to advance to the Premier League, and Pep Guardiola reportedly is a huge admirer. So substantial, in fact, that he is prepared to accept the £94m expenditure required to acquire the incredibly skilled German, who is on track for double digits in Bundesliga goal contributions for the second consecutive season.  9. Julian Brandt [Borussia Dortmund] More than ten yea...

Should Enzo Maresca consider benching Cole Palmer? Right now, he is the least effective player on Chelsea...

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Enzo Maresca stated that Cole Palmer's lack of goals was a “mental” problem before the match, emphasizing it was unrelated to him, his strategies, or a playing style that has caused Chelsea to fall from title contenders to Champions League qualification outsiders now firmly established at Stamford Bridge.  "Absolutely, it's all in the mind." I don’t believe it’s tactical, nor do I believe it’s technical, since Cole remains the same player who scored for us this season. The type of football we play is the same as before. The manager remains the same. The club is identical. “Everything remains the same for Cole, and Cole remains unchanged.”  Palmer is evidently experiencing a deficiency in self-assurance. For an extended period during this dry spell, it seemed only a matter of time until he would conclude it, yet the confidence that characterized his exceptional football in his first season and a half at Chelsea now seems to have almost vanished, leading to the astonish...

Will the Premier League contemplate bold actions to provide promoted teams an opportunity?

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Thus, three is on the verge of turning into six. Once the last formalities of Ipswich’s relegation are finalized, most likely this weekend, the last six teams promoted from the Championship will have immediately returned to the lower division.  This information isn’t fresh, as the trapdoor has been steadily closing on the promoted trio since Wolves eventually took action a few months back, but the enormity of that trio’s failure becomes more evident with each passing week.  The conventional ’40-point barrier’ has rarely been a true necessity for survival in the Premier League, yet witnessing teams unsteadily achieving mathematical safety over a month before the season concludes, without hitting that target, remains unsettling.  The previous season was quite similar, as Nottingham Forest's points deduction created a false impression of how near the teams that were promoted and then relegated were to those ranked higher. Forest struggled last season, but even without the po...

Leicester City declares club icon Jamie Vardy will depart at the end of the season'

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Jamie Vardy has announced he will depart Leicester City after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, marking the end of a truly extraordinary career in Premier League history.  The 37-year-old, who notably ascended from non-league anonymity to Premier League champion, revealed his choice in a heartfelt video shared by Leicester on Thursday afternoon.  His exit will signify the conclusion of a 13-year tenure at the club, during which he netted 181 goals in 460 matches across all competitions and emerged as a symbol of Leicester’s contemporary era.  Vardy transferred to Leicester from Fleetwood Town in 2012 for £1 million—a record transfer fee for a non-league player at that time. He faced a challenging first season at Championship level but would later lead Leicester to promotion, survival, and ultimately the championship.  "Each time I advanced to a new level, I was caught off guard, but when it occurred, I ensured I worked as diligently as possible to remain there," ...

Arteta ‘angry’ as Carragher criticizes ‘mediocre’ Arsenal player ‘not impacting anyone’

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Jamie Carragher criticized an Arsenal player for having an “average season” following the Gunners' draw with Crystal Palace, which left Liverpool requiring only one point to claim the Premier League title.  The Gunners went ahead two times during the evening with goals from Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard, but were brought level thanks to brilliant strikes from Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta. In the final ten minutes, they were lucky to secure a point, as Palace pressed hard for the win.  Both teams have more important matters to attend to, as Palace is getting ready for their FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa on Saturday, while Arsenal is set to play Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final next week.  However, this was Arsenal's 13th draw of  the season and the ninth where they dropped points after leading, and they might not have lagged so much behind Liverpool this year if it weren't for their captain's lackluster dis...

Huijsen is 'seriously contemplating' one proposal following interest from Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea

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Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen is 'deeply contemplating' one proposal following interest from Premier League teams Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.  The Cherries defender has been outstanding for Andoni Iraola’s team this season, as Bournemouth sits ninth in the Premier League after falling out of the European spots in recent weeks.  Several players in Bournemouth’s team are drawing interest from clubs higher in the Premier League standings, with Huijsen specifically sought after by multiple teams.  Huijsen’s performances, which have earned him two caps for Spain this season, have caught the attention of clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle.  During a recent episode of the Market Madness podcast, transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano provided insights regarding Huijsen’s future, stating: “Based on what I'm hearing, Arsenal is also showing interest.” Newcastle hopes for his arrival, but securing a deal with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsena...

Man City aim to break Chelsea's record after Man Utd's historic blunders with two poor transfers

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Transfers will never cease; they will continue indefinitely. It will never be conclusively determined who has triumphed in transfers.  Considering the constant discussions about potential transfers, many of which are unlikely to occur, it's understandable to assume that there is an ongoing signing season.  The summer transfer window may be several months off, yet this isn't preventing eager, click-hungry media from acting as if there's a lot going on in the whimsical world of football.  The absence of real narratives on the field has led to the emergence of unprecedented absurdities, as Manchester City seemingly readies to establish a new British transfer record with a £171m ‘bid’ for a Barcelona player who, in reality, is going nowhere.  However, history might still unfold this summer as the majority of the alleged ‘Big Six’ pursue top-tier strikers, so let’s examine the present and five prior British transfer record-holders.  Moises Caicedo transferred to Chel...

Chelsea player Mudryk ‘cleared lie detector test’ as Shakhtar president asserts positive drug test ‘not his responsibility’

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Mykhaylo Mudryk has “passed” a polygraph examination as he asserts he “didn’t mean to do anything wrong” after testing positive for drugs earlier in the season, as stated by Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin.  Mudryk has faced challenges in making the anticipated impact at the Blues since his transfer to Stamford Bridge from Shakhtar Donetsk for £89m in January 2023, registering five goals and four assists in 53 league matches.  The Ukraine international was 'temporarily suspended' by the Football Association in mid-December following a standard urine test that showed an "adverse result."  Chelsea released their own statement: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association has recently reached out to our player Mykhailo Mudryk regarding a negative result in a standard urine test.  "The club and Mykhailo both endorse The FA's testing program, and all our players, Mykhailo included, undergo regular testing."  "Mykhailo has unequivoc...

Transfers Liverpool, Arsenal, and Man City need for the 2025/26 Premier League title challenge

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Certain teams require a total redesign. Some people simply require that one crucial element. However, every team on this list – from title-contending Arsenal to whatever Manchester United currently is – has a noticeable gap that needs to be addressed before the 2025/26 season arrives.  We’ve listed the top 10 areas that require attention in the Premier League this summer.  10. Manchester City: Right defender   We were caught between Manchester City and Aston Villa both needing right-backs in the summer transfer window of 2025, but Pep Guardiola’s team had the advantage since Unai Emery currently has one available, even if Matty Cash is a player the Spaniard will probably look to replace this summer.  Rico Lewis has faced challenges this season and is a player Guardiola wants to utilize in midfield, while Matheus Nunes, a natural midfielder, has been filling in at right-back due to Kyle Walker's absence, who lost his starting position and was loaned to AC Milan in Jan...