Champions League

Subterms

    More stories

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid is ‘IMMINENT’ as Dortmund star snubs Premier League transfer and agrees six-year deal

      by

      JUDE BELLINGHAM’S move to Real Madrid is “imminent”, according to reports from Spanish media.The Borussia Dortmund and England man, 19, is understood to have agreed terms with the LaLiga giants as he prepares to sign a six-year deal.
      Jude Bellingham looks set to become a Real Madrid playerCredit: Getty
      Marca believe Bellingham to Real Madrid could be sealed after Dortmund’s final game on SaturdayCredit: Marca
      And he could be confirmed as a Los Blancos player as early as next week after the conclusion of the Bundesliga season.
      Dortmund will win their first German title in 11 years if they beat Mainz on Saturday – a game Bellingham could miss through injury.
      Nevertheless, it would be the perfect farewell for the teenager – who has been sensational for Dortmund since joining from Birmingham in 2020.
      He has contributed 14 goals and seven assists in 42 club appearances this season.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      He was also sensational for England at the World Cup.
      And according to Marca, a “definitive” move to Real Madrid could come to fruition in the coming days.
      Representatives from the 14-time European champions recently flew over to Germany to discuss a transfer.
      His touch, vision and ability to burst into the area are all characteristics that have seduced Carlo Ancelotti’s men into aggressively pursuing the England international.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Jude Bellingham has been superb for Borussia Dortmund this season
      Bellingham’s contract offer from Real Madrid is said to be worth around £87million.
      And it is believed he has left more lucrative offers on the table in order to play for the club – with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool all circling over the last 12 months.
      He will join up with fellow young midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni as they bid to finally shift veteran legends Luka Modric and Toni Kroos from the first team.
      But there is work for Real Madrid to do as the Copa del Rey is the only trophy they have managed to collect this season.
      Barcelona strolled to the LaLiga title, with Xavi’s men 11 points clear of Los Blancos ahead of the final two rounds of fixtures.
      And Ancelotti’s outfit were thrashed 5-1 on aggregate by Man City in the semi-finals of the Champions League. More

    • 238 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Pep Guardiola brutally roasted by fans after bizarre comment about watching Man Utd’s 1999 Treble ‘as a little boy’

      by

      FOOTBALL fans have been left dumbfounded after Pep Guardiola’s remark about watching Manchester United’s treble-winning side “as a little boy”.The Spaniard, 52, is hoping to replicate Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1998/99 team with Manchester City as they eye the FA Cup and Champions League titles to go with their Premier League trophy.
      Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are going for the Treble this seasonCredit: PA
      🗣️ “It was once in the lifetime in the UK, one team, it was United, the way they won against Bayern Munich in Camp Nou. I was there as a little boy.”Pep Guardiola is not thinking about achieving a treble until he has two of the three secured 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pQNUiwu5JG— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 24, 2023

      Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1998/99 Man Utd side are the only English side to complete the TrebleCredit: Getty
      If they accomplish the feat, they will become just the second side in English history to win all three trophies in the same season.
      But Guardiola has baffled the footballing community with comments about where he was during Man Utd’s Treble triumph.
      Aged 28, he was captain of Barcelona at the time.
      And the Catalan giants even came up against Ferguson’s United in the group stage of the Champions League that season, albeit without Guardiola as he was ruled out of both games with a knee injury.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      Yet despite being in the prime of his career, Guardiola has bizarrely claimed he was a child at the final – held in Barcelona – when United secured the Champions League in dramatic fashion against Bayern Munich.
      Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I will start to think about the treble if we are able to go to Istanbul [to face Inter in the Champions League final] with the two titles in the pocket.
      “Then after, I will concede: ‘Okay, we won one title, we can do it’.
      “It was once in the lifetime in the UK, one team, it was United, the way they won against Bayern Munich in Camp Nou. I was there as a little boy.”
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
      Guardiola was playing for Barcelona when Man Utd won the Treble in 1999Credit: Getty
      Guardiola’s comments have been ridiculed by fans on social media – who were quick to point out his age in 1999.
      One said: “As a little boy? Bro was 28 years old and Barcelona captain lmao 😂😂.”
      Another added: “I am shocked….. this man can lie 😂😂😂 Pep was almost at the end of his playing career in 1999 😂😂 little boy.”
      And a third replied: “Dude was 28 years old and captain of FC Barcelona in 1999. Who is he kidding??”
      It has been suggested the phrase “little boy” was lost in translation, with Guardiola meaning “young man”.
      He had won five LaLiga titles and one European Cup by the time Man Utd claimed their Treble.
      The last of his 11 seasons in Barcelona’s first team came in 2000/01, before he moved to Italy and ended up retiring in 2006 after stints in Qatar and Mexico.
      Guardiola is gearing his Man City side up for their final Premier League game of the season away at Brentford on Sunday.
      They then face Man Utd in the FA Cup final on June 3, before the Champions League final seven days later against Inter Milan. More

    • 213 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      Mo Salah rages ‘there’s absolutely no excuse’ as Liverpool miss out on Champions League after ‘having everything’

      by

      MO SALAH vented his frustration after Liverpool missed out on Champions League football. Liverpool needed Manchester United to lose against Chelsea on Thursday to stay in the race for the top four.
      Mohamed Salah fumed as Liverpool missed out on the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      The Liverpool ace said there was ‘absolutely no excuse’Credit: Getty
      However, Man Utd romped to a 4-1 win during the fixture, as Casemiro led the charge with a starring performance.
      Taking to Twitter to vent his fury, Salah declared: “I’m totally devastated.
      “There’s absolutely no excuse for this. We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed.
      “We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down.”
      Liverpool saw their top four dream take a huge dent after a draw against Aston Villa last weekend.
      The 1-1 draw ended a winning streak of seven games.
      It is the first time the Reds have failed to qualify for Europe’s most prestigious tournament since 2017.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST NO DEPOSIT CASINO OFFERS
      Reacting to Salah’s tweet, one fan said: “King. Always 👑.”
      A second typed: “We love you, Mo. We go again next season 👊 ❤️.”
      While a third added: “We love you Mo. ❤️.” More

    • 200 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea ratings: Lewis Hall a rare bright spot as Mudryk hauled off early after embarrassing miss

      by

      CHELSEA stars yet again failed to prove their worth as they were smashed at Old Trafford by Manchester United.The Blues were comfortably beaten 4-1 as the Red Devils confirmed their spot in the Champions League next season.
      Chelsea were uninspiring against Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      Conor Gallagher failed to command the midfieldCredit: Getty
      Mykhailo Mudryk looked out of his depth at Old TraffordCredit: AFP
      Lewis Hall was one positive for Chelsea on the wingCredit: Getty
      Mykhailo Mudryk continued to struggle to prove himself after the club spent £88.5million to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk in January as he spurned multiple chances.
      Conor Gallagher another player that failed to impress, despite his constant running, the England international was unable to produce any moments of quality.
      However, Lewis Hall was one bright spark for Frank Lampard’s side as he looked dangerous at times, cutting in from the wing.
      The youngster should have had an assist after putting the ball on a plate for Kai Havertz, only for the German to put his header wide.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      Joao Felix was also able to walk out with some pride after netting a late consolation goal after coming on as a second-half substitute.
      Here is how SunSports’ Phil Thomas rated the Chelsea players.
      KEPA – 6
      Was left without a prayer for all four goals, but did at least make impressive stops to deny Eriksen and McTominay.
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      CESAR AZPILACUETA – 6
      Superb sliding tackle to stop Martial adding a second when he had no right to win the ball. Never gave up what became a lost cause.
      Most read in Football
      TREVOR CHALOBAH – 5
      Actually didn’t have a shocker, but can hardly claim bragging rights on the back of a hiding.
      WES FOFANA – 4
      Nowhere near Casemiro for the opener, gave away the penalty and passed straight to Fernandes for the fourth. Enough said.
      LEWIS HALL – 7
      Lewis Hall managed to have a good game despite the resultCredit: AP
      His emergence has been a rare bright spot for Chelsea his season. Teed up a couple of sitters for Mudryk and Havertz – who both missed.
      NONI MADUEKE – 5
      Constantly got the ball in space on the right. If only he had been able to do something productive with it.
      ENZO FERNANDEZ -7
      A class act, and showed it once again. Never shirked wanting the ball and sprayed some great passes around – especially to tee up Gallagher.
      CARNEY CHUKWUEMEKA – 6
      Fizzed an early strike a yard over and knocked some intelligent passes in a decent enough performance.
      MYKHAYLO MUDRYK – 4
      Mudryk should have scoredCredit: PA
      Missed an absolute sitter early on – £88.5m clearly doesn’t buy you what it once did. No surprise to see him hooked.
      CONOR GALLAGHER – 5
      Lively, always on the go, but also guilty of a horrible miss after Fernandez played him in.
      KAI HAVERTZ – 4
      Such a stylish footballer, but not a centre forward, fluffed a simple header and let Casemiro get away from him for the opener.
      SUBS
      Joao Felix did well enough to score in his cameo off the benchCredit: Getty
      JOAO FELIX (for Havertz, 63): Caused more panic in United’s defence in two minutes than Havertz managed in over an hour. Fitting that he got the consolation 7
      CHRISTIAN PULISIC (for Mudryk, 63): Guilty of a pretty cheap shot by jumping into De Gea. The fact it was his only contribution said a lot. 5
      Read More on The Sun
      D.FOFANA (for Gallagher, 81) 5, ZIYECH (for Madueke, 81) 5, LOFTUS-CHEEK (for Chukwuemeka, 81): 5
      Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Alfie Gilchrist and Édouard Mendy were unused subs. More

    • 238 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd 4 Chelsea 1: Red Devils breeze into Champions League as Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro toy with Blues

      by

      MISSION ACCOMPLISHED for Erik ten Hag with Champions League qualification confirmed.Now after Sunday’s final game of the season at Old Trafford it will be mission impossible.
      Casemiro scored a header at Stamford Bridge in October – and he haunted the Blues againCredit: Getty
      Bruno Fernandes struck home the third goal from the penalty spot after he was caught by Wesley FofanaCredit: Getty
      Despite Kepa Arrizabalga’s best efforts, Marcus Rashford made it four after coming off the bench for the injured AntonyCredit: PA
      His task, should he choose to accept it, is to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final.
      Just as in the famous series and films it seems a ridiculously difficult problem to solve.
      Ten Hag will point to the victory here in the derby on January 14th as proof it can be done.
      But Pep Guardiola’s men have lost only once since then in all competitions, a run of 25 games.
      READ MORE IN MAN UNITED
      They have built up a head of steam that promises to take the blue trophy winning machine through Wembley and to Istanbul to complete a treble.
      While they have already won at Wembley once this season in the Carabao Cup Final, it is a shame for the Red Devils they can’t play the game here where the fortress has been rebuilt.
      They have not lost at Old Trafford in the league since the opening day of the season and victory on Sunday will see them equal a club record 27 wins at home in all competitions this season.
      They only needed a point to confirm their place in the top four but, orchestrated by the brilliant Casemiro, they waltzed to victory.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      At the same time they shuffled past Newcastle into third by two points with just that final game left.
      It was always going to be too easy against a lamentable Chelsea outfit who have now lost eight of Frank Lampard’s ten games in charge.
      His final farewell from Stamford Bridge this Sunday promises to be very different to his first when he departed as the club’s greatest ever goalscorer.
      Mind you the chants of ‘Super Franky Lampard’ from the away fans suggests they don’t blame him for this sorry slide.
      They were already confirmed to finish in the bottom half before this game and could end the season as low as 14th.
      Lampard made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 on coronation day at The Etihad last Sunday.
      Out went Raheem Sterling, who had a slight injury concern, Thiago Silva and Ruben Loftus-Cheeks replace by Mykhaylo Mudryk, Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke.
      It meant at an average age of 23 years 238 days this was the youngest starting eleven for Chelsea in Premier League history.
      It was a glorious early summer evening of work for Man United who took their chancesCredit: Reuters
      Mind you it didn’t matter who in this expensive bloated squad played, they all downed tools some time ago.
      Their resistance here lasted only six minutes.
      Casemiro had rescued a point at Stamford Bridge last October with a looping header in injury time.
      And he used his head to outwit Chelsea again here.
      Christian Eriksen’s delivery from a free-kick was perfect for him to rise highest and nod the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
      He would help set up number two as well in first-half injury time with a superb clipped through ball with the outside of his right boot to release Jadon Sancho.
      The winger rolled a pass to the unmarked Anthony Martial at the far post who couldn’t miss.
      Before that on 24 minutes there had been the sad sight of Antony being stretchered off after twisting his ankle after a challenge from Trevoh Chalobah.
      That looks like him out the Cup Final. The good news for United fans is that after missing two games with injury and illness top scorer Marcus Rashford was on to replace him.
      He showed no effects from his short absence and would add a goal to his career best tally for a season and reach the 30 mark.
      United came close to a third just after the break when Sancho teed up Bruno Fernandes whose thunderous shot crashed off the angle.
      He would get on the score sheet in the 72nd minute slotting home the penalty he had won.
      After a positive first half, Chelsea were all at sea for most of the secondCredit: Reuters
      After converting the kick there was some pushing and shoving between the two sets of players as Chelsea’s frustrations boiled over.
      It was Fofana’s outstretched boot that had conceded the kick on a nightmare night for him.
      Having also lost Casemiro for the opener his loose pass across his own box on 78 minutes then set up the Red Devils’ fourth.
      Fernandes profited picking it up and laying on an assist for Marcus Rashford who followed up after seeing his first shot parried.
      Chelsea would get a consolation in the 89th minute with a great run and finish from Joao Felix leading to ironic chants of ‘we’ve scored a goal from the away fans’.
      Only relegation-threatened Everton, rock bottom Southampton and Wolves have less than their 37 in the league this season.
      Read More on The Sun
      Chelsea’s players are not physically on the beach but their fans probably wished they were.
      As for United the sunnier climes of European football in the Champions League await once more. More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd ‘join transfer race for World Cup and Champions League winner’ but fans say ‘he’s just not needed’

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED fans have been left completely underwhelmed after the Red Devils were linked with a move for Benjamin Pavard.The Frenchman has been at Bayern Munich for four years and established himself as one of their first-choice full-backs.
      Pavard arrived at the Allianz Arena from Stuttgart in 2019Credit: AFP
      But reports indicated he could be on his way this summer with clubs enquiring about his availability.
      Man United have reportedly joined the queue for the 27-year-old – but fans aren’t best please with the news.
      One said on Twitter: “No. Don’t do this.”
      Another fan added: “Absolutely not needed.”
      READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS
      While another supporter said: “Why are we always linked with older players?”
      German outlet Kicker carried the initial report that Pavard has become of interest to Old Trafford chiefs.
      This is despite the fact that United are already well-stocked in full back areas, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia occupying the left-back area and Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka the main right-backs.
      But Pavard comes with pedigree having won the World Cup in 2018 with France and the Champions League with Bayern in 2020.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      He has has made 29 appearances for Bayern this season, scoring four goals and registering a single assist.
      His at club level has been far more fruitful than with France, where Pavard was sensationally accused of leaking dressing room information during the World Cup.
      Bayern’s season had at one stage appeared to be heading towards a potential treble as the domestic season went into the March international break.
      But the baffling decision to sack Julian Nagelsmann and replace him with Thomas Tuchel has been followed by an incredible collapse.
      The European powerhouse were quickly knocked out of the Champions League and German Cup and now face losing the league if Dortmund win on the final day of the season.
      Bayern have won the last 10 Bundesliga titles. More

    • 238 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      I played Champions League football for Man Utd in 2003, but now I am a builder and trained plumber

      by

      ON March 18, 2003 Lee Roche was thrown in at the deep end – handed his Champions League debut against Deportivo La Coruna in a 2-0 defeat.Some five years later, he was left on the football scrapheap and now works on building sites installing cavity wall insulation, and is a trained plumber.
      Former Man Utd youngster Lee Roche made his Champions League debut in 2003Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Today, Roche is a builder and trained plumber

      Now 42, Roche was given a free transfer two months after his bow in Europe’s premier club competition.
      And when a football career petered out after spells at Wrexham, Burnley and Droylsden, the youngster had to come up with a different plan in life with the help of the PFA.
      COMING TO AN END
      At the age of 27, Roche was admittedly fed up of the game.
      He’d bounced from a loan deal at Wrexham to Burnley, then back to Wrexham again.
      read more on Man Utd
      Injuries began to take their toll, and the former England U21 star lost his hunger for playing.
      “I was coming home and not wanting to even watch football on the TV, he told Planet Football.
      After he was released by the Welsh club, he trained with Royal Antwerp and former United youth Warren Joyce.
      But when a move failed to materialise, he signed for non-league Droylsden in 2007.
      Most read in Football
      It was there he started to think about a life after the beautiful game.
      Promising youngster Roche was released by Man Utd in 2003 and after bouncing around at different clubs needed to find a different careerCredit: Getty
      Roche, chatting to PFA member Don Goodman, was helped by the organisation to retrain in a new careerCredit: Twitter @PFA
      With the help of the PFA, Roche now has his own cavity wall insulation business
      The PFA supported the lost talent and helped him retrain in another profession.
      Today, Roche is a qualified plumber and has his own cavity wall insulation business.
      “I have had a few fellow workers on the building sites asking me about United and how have I ended up here,” he revealed.
      “It can get pretty tiresome so I don’t go shouting about that I played for United. I do think young players today should be made to train as something, so they know about the real world.
      “Most of them probably don’t have a plan to fall back on if they don’t make it as a professional.”
      BAPTISM OF FIRE
      Roche made two starts for United, but it was always in scratch sides.
      His debut came in 2001 in a Worthington Cup tie against Arsenal – a 4-0 thrashing in a team that featured mainly reserve players.
      In 2001 Roche appeared for Man Utd for the very first time against Arsenal in a Worthington Cup tieCredit: PA
      Roche, up against Arsenal striker Kanu, couldn’t believe the size of his opponents feetCredit: PA
      “Sylvain Wiltord scored a hat-trick and I remember Kanu being a massive handful – I couldn’t get over the size of his feet,” Roche joked.
      “At one point, he flicked the ball over my head and volleyed it, but it went just over the bar, thankfully, otherwise it would have been one of those goals which would have been shown forever.
      “There was no hairdryer from Sir Alex afterwards because he knew we had been up against it. I took what I could from that game and tried to learn from it.”
      A year later, Roche came on as a sub against Newcastle United in front of a packed house at Old Trafford in a 5-3 win.
      “It was unbelievable, coming on in front of 75,000 fans at Old Trafford,” he said.
      “I did okay, but I remember Sir Alex talking to me afterwards because Alan Shearer had beaten me at the far post to win a header, so he told me to get up first and not let the forwards do that to me.”
      THE BIG LEAGUE
      Roche’s third and final performance for United was in the Champions League.
      Roche made his final appearance for United against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      At half-time Roche was hauled off as United lost 2-0 to the LaLiga sideCredit: PA
      He appeared against Deportivo, who at the time were LaLiga challengers to Real Madrid and Barcelona.
      Playing in a back three with Laurent Blanc and John O’Shea, the Red Devils look disjointed in a different formation.
      Roche, himself, was hauled off at half-time with the Premier League giants trailing 1-0 at the break.
      “I was up against (Albert) Luque and thought I had done alright, but I wasn’t going to come off and start arguing with Sir Alex,” he said.
      “Giggsy told me to keep my chin up and that I had not done anything wrong. Sir Alex didn’t tell me why I had been substituted, but I didn’t want to overthink it.”
      ‘NO REGRETS’
      Despite how his football career turned out, Roche is thankful for his time at Manchester United.
      Although he doesn’t have any regrets, there is one thing perhaps he might’ve done different.
      “I don’t have any regrets,” Roche revealed.
      Despite his career not panning out how he had hoped, Roche was no regretsCredit: Rex
      “The only thing I would point out is that I was known at United for being really quiet, so perhaps I should have been more assertive and mingled more with the lads.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I’d be straight off home after training to hang out with my own group of friends. I look back now at team-mates like John (O’Shea) and Darren Fletcher and think I should have been more like them and gone out and socialised.
      “I think it would have gone down better with United.” More

    • 225 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Where Tottenham’s ‘Magnificent Seven’, including Soldado and Paulinho, who were signed with Bale money in 2013, are now

      by

      IN 2013, Spurs were forced to blow up their squad following the world-record sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.The Welshman had scored 26 goals in the previous campaign, sweeping the Premier League’s various individual awards ahead of the likes of Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard.
      Spurs recruited the ‘Magnificent Seven’ in the summer of 2013
      Gareth Bale was unveiled at Real Madrid in September 2013Credit: AFP
      But there was a problem – Tottenham missed out on Champions League qualification by a point.
      Daniel Levy was bullish that he could keep his star asset, but Real Madrid turned on their charm offensive and it soon became just a matter of when, not if.
      So Spurs got busy, signing seven new players for more than £100million – as the line went, they’d ‘sold Elvis, and signed The Beatles’.
      But while Bale was off winning Champions League titles with Madrid, Spurs’ new signings were producing contrasting performances.
      read more tottenham news
      So let’s take a look at what became of the ‘Magnificent Seven’.
      ROBERTO SOLDADO – £26m
      Spurs thought that they had secured a prolific goalscorer in SoldadoCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      Soldado, 37, joined Levante from LaLiga rivals GranadaCredit: AFP OR LICENSORS
      Spaniard Soldado was probably the most exciting of the acquisitions, when he arrived from Valencia for £26m, fresh from wowing at the Confederations Cup and banging in 24 goals in LaLiga.
      Despite no lack of trying, his time at White Hart Lane was a disaster, however, as he only managed seven goals in 52 Premier League appearances – with five of them coming from the penalty spot.
      Levy did manage to squeeze £10m out of Villarreal for his services in 2015, and he has since played for Fenerbahce and Granada.
      Most read in Football
      Now 37, he plays for Spanish second division side Levante – where he has 10 goals in 47 games across two seasons.
      PAULINHO – £17m
      The Brazilian struggled to make an impact at SpursCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Paulinho played for Saudi side Al-Ahli after reinventing himself in ChinaCredit: AFP or licensors

      Another that arrived off the back of a stellar Confederations Cup, Spurs fans thought they were getting ‘the Brazilian Frank Lampard’ when Paulinho arrived in N17.
      Initial performances were steady, with a late back-heeled winner at Cardiff prompting pandemonium among the travelling supporters.
      Things went downhill very quickly, however, with Paulinho being red carded in Andre Villas-Boas’ final game in charge, before becoming a nervous wreck barely capable of completing a five-yard pass by the end.
      He was offered a career lifeline by Chinese Super League giants Guangzhou Evergrande, where he became a big star – via a very strange, if not totally unsuccessful year at Barcelona.
      Paulinho, 34, linked up with Saudi side Al-Ahli but signed a deal with Corinthians in 2022.
      VLAD CHIRICHES – £8m
      The Romanian struggled to cut down on his mistakes at TottenhamCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The Sun
      A considerably scarier-looking Chiriches playing for Sassuolo in Serie ACredit: Reuters
      Fans were excited at Chiriches’ arrival, as they thought they’d unearthed a hidden gem from Steaua Bucharest, with a penchant for playing the ball out from the back.
      And while he was very laid back, it often proved to be to the team’s detriment, as his casual style tended to gift opponents easy goals, while leaving fans’ hearts in their mouths.
      Like Soldado and Paulinho, Chiriches lasted two seasons at the Lane, before being shipped off to Napoli.
      The Romanian managed just 48 appearances across four seasons at San Paulo, before joining Sassuolo on loan two years ago – before making it permanent for just shy of £10m.
      Last summer, he was snapped up by Cremonese – and at 33 still plays in Serie A.
      NACER CHADLI – £7m
      Chadli became a useful player in his three years at SpursCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      One of the more successful acquisitions of that summer, Chadli became a popular figure at Spurs despite an underwhelming start.
      The Belgian joined from FC Twente, having scored against Tottenham home and away in the 2010-11 Champions League campaign.
      But it was not until his second season that he really began to shine, scoring 13 goals as Mauricio Pochettino began to transform the club’s fortunes.
      He left for West Brom in 2017, eventually joining Istanbul Basaksehir in 2020, via stints at Monaco and Anderlecht.
      This season, the Turkish team loaned the now 33-year-old to Belgium side KVC Westerlo, who he has scored five goals in 23 games for.
      ETIENNE CAPOUE – £9m
      Etienne Capoue struggled to make a big impact at SpursCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Capoue helped Villarreal beat Manchester United in the Europa League finalCredit: Getty – Pool
      Neither wildly awful nor outstandingly memorable, Capoue is possibly the most forgettable player of the seven.
      With Sandro having regressed due to knee injuries, Capoue initially seemed to be the perfect foil for Mousa Dembele in his place.
      But the Frenchman fell out of favour despite steady performances, although was hung out to dry following a few awful displays as a makeshift centre-back.
      He lasted one season beyond Pochettino’s arrival in 2014, before joining Watford.
      Capoue made 11 outings in the Championship in the first half of the 2020-21 season, before signing for Villarreal in the January transfer window.
      And his impact was immediate as he helped the Spanish side beat Manchester United in the Europa League final – the club’s first major trophy in their history.
      While he was also crucial in their Champions League run last season to the semi-final.
      CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN – £11m
      Eriksen was a talismanic figure at Tottenham for more than six seasonsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Eriksen is now starring for Man UtdCredit: Getty
      Without doubt the most successful acquisition of that summer, Christian Eriksen was an outstanding, indispensable member of the squad for six years, before eventually departing for Inter Milan in January 2020.
      A bargain at £11m, the Dane, 31, papered over cracks during Tim Sherwood’s tenure, pulling out a brilliant goal or moment of genius time and time again to dig the team out of trouble.
      He then became vital to Pochettino’s side, so much so that they struggled to adapt whenever he was absent.
      Eriksen admitted his desire to ‘try something new’ after losing the 2019 Champions League final and joined Inter six months later.
      The playmaker helped Inter win the Serie A title last season, but his playing career hung in the balance after he suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
      However, he returned to the Premier League last season on a short term deal with Brentford.
      His excellent performances earned Eriksen a move to Man Utd, where he has enjoyed a stellar season this campaign, although injury reduced his appearances to 41 games.
      ERIK LAMELA – £30m
      Lamela joined Spurs just two days before Bale’s move to Madrid was confirmedCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
      Erik Lamela became the last of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ to depart North London for Spain.
      Argentine Lamela, 31, actually had a bizarre start at Spurs, starting just three league matches in his first season before disappearing back to his homeland following a back injury early on in Tim Sherwood’s tenure.
      He returned following his compatriot Pochettino’s arrival, wrestling for a starting berth before sustaining a troublesome hip injury in October 2016 that would keep him out for 13 months.
      Read More on The Sun
      Lamela again recovered and returned to action – chipping in with 255 appearances before joining Sevilla in a swap deal with Bryan Gil heading in the opposite direction.
      His most memorable moment will be his ‘rabona’ strike in the 2-1 defeat against Arsenal, with his strike winning the Premier League Goal of the Season award. More