Premier League

Subterms

    More stories

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea transfer blow as Celtic sell Croatia World Cup star Josip Juranovic to Union Berlin for £10m fee

      by

      CHELSEA have been dealt a transfer blow after Celtic sold World Cup star Josip Juranovic to Union Berlin for £10million.Juranovic, 27, was one of the stars of the World Cup for Croatia.
      Juranovic will be joining Union BerlinCredit: Getty
      The right-back helped the 2018 finalists reach the last four.
      But they lost to eventual winners Argentina before beating Morocco in the third place play-off.
      Juranovic’s fine form alerted the likes of Chelsea and he was even linked to Barcelona.
      But according to Sky Sports, Union Berlin have won the race for his signature.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      The German side will pay Celtic a £10m fee.
      Union Berlin are fifth in the Bundesliga and are just eight points off league leaders Bayern Munich.
      A win over Hoffenheim on Saturday could lift them up to second.
      Celtic had wanted to keep Juranovic in Glasgow and held talks over an improved new contract.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      However, neither party could reach an agreement before he departed for the World Cup late last year.
      Celtic have seemingly already replaced Juranovic.
      They announced the signing of Canada right-back Alistair Johnston.
      The Hoops paid an initial fee of £3.5m for the CF Montreal defender More

    • 250 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Rico Lewis up for Man City fight after practising Thai Boxing from age of FOUR under ex-British champion dad’s tutelage

      by

      RICO LEWIS is one Manchester City player who will definitely be up for the fight in the weeks ahead.Pep Guardiola questioned this week whether his squad are in the right frame of mind for a title scrap with Arsenal in the second half of the season.
      When he was younger Lewis practised Thai BoxingCredit: Instagram @phoenixmuaythai
      Rico Lewis as a child with his coachCredit: Instagram @phoenixmuaythai
      Rico Lewis has been the surprise package of Man City’s season so farCredit: Getty
      He put in a strong game against Spurs
      Yet he knows he can count on 18-year-old sensation Lewis — who grew up practising Thai Boxing from the age of four under the tutelage of his former British lightweight champion dad.
      Lewis said: “That was just something I did when I was a bit younger. It probably helped me a lot with balance and agility and stuff like that.
      “My dad never did anything to do with football but now he is involved in it and he loves it just as much as I do now.”
      His dad is known as ‘Ku Rick’ at the Phoenix Muay Thai Boxing gym he runs on the outskirts of Manchester — and says young Rico was ‘amazing’ at Muay Thai in his early years before football took centre stage.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Maybe Tottenham midfielder Pierre Emile Hojbjerg did not realise — as he seemed determined to kick the youngster out of Thursday night’s game.
      Lewis said: “He just kept telling me he wasn’t meaning to do it — whatever that means. I didn’t really take much notice.
      “Every time he’d say that. It didn’t really make much sense.”
      Guardiola once again showed his faith in Lewis by picking him ahead of Kyle Walker for the crucial 4-2 win over Spurs.
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
      He repaid that faith with a typical all-action display — while his superb block on the line from Ivan Perisic’s shot turned out to be a pivotal moment.
      City’s former Under- 18s skipper could not have envisaged at the start of the season he would be regularly keeping Walker out of the starting XI.
      But he says the England full-back has been a mentor to him, adding: “We’ve had talks about stuff and been pretty open about everything that happens between us like selection and things like that. I get on really well with him.”
      Here’s how City may line up against Wolves on Sunday More

    • 250 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag tells his stars they can beat league leaders Arsenal again… even without suspended Casemiro

      by

      ERIK TEN HAG has told his players ‘you’ve beaten them once now do it again’ as they prepare to face table-toppers Arsenal.Manchester United are the only team to win against Mikel Arteta’s side in the Premier League this season when they triumphed 3-1 at Old Trafford back on September 4.
      Erik ten Hag was on the brink of engineering a 10 game win streak before Michael Olise’s late stunner on Wednesday nightCredit: PA
      The Gunners have gone on a run of ten league wins and two draws since then to sit five points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.
      But Red Devils boss Ten Hag said: “They are in a great run. There is a really good spirit in their team so we know what to do.
      “It is up to us to beat their run and we will do everything to do that.
      “We have to be really good. We need a really good performance. But if we do, I think we have a good chance also to get out of that performance a good result.”
      READ MORE ON MAN UNITED
      Ten Hag has been quick to dismiss the impact of Casemiro’s suspension for Sunday’s game at The Emirates.
      He picked up another yellow card in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Wednesday that ended United’s nine-game winning run.
      But Ten Hag said: “We beat Arsenal last time without Casemiro. We have an idea of how to deal with that.”
      While many think Arsenal will falter in the second half of the season, Ten Hag says he is not surprised to see them top and could even spot their potential while beating them in September.
      Most read in Football
      He said: “In the moment we played them, you could already see that the manager and the coaching staff were already working for a long time on the team.
      “I think they deserve the position where they are now. It is a really good structure, how they play. It is a really good mentality and a winning attitude in the team. That is why they are top.”
      Diogo Dalot and Anthony Martial will be checked before travelling to London, where Jadon Sancho is unlikely to feature despite returning to training on Tuesday.
      Last month Ten Hag said the 22-year-old was “not in the right status or fitness state” having done an individual fitness programme in the Netherlands rather than travel to the squad’s winter camp in Spain.
      Asked when Sancho will make a first-team return, Ten Hag said: “I can’t answer that. 
      “He is making the next step. because it’s true (Tuesday) he was for the first time in team training, but team training is the final day before the game. So, we will extend that in the coming days, the coming week and then go step by step.” More

    • 238 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea new-boy Noni Madueke is ‘mentality monster’, one of Europe’s best youngsters & plays like Robben, says top coach

      by

      CHELSEA’s latest arrival Noni Madueke is “a mentality monster” who plays like Arjen Robben.That is the verdict of personal skills coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, who worked with Madueke during the last two summers to hone the attacking skills that persuaded the Blues to pay PSV Eindhoven £35million for the England Under-21 international.
      Noni Madueke is the latest signing to arrive at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
      Saul Isaksson-Hurst has been working with Noni Madueke
      Isaksson-Hurst, whose other professional clients include Brentford’s Rico Henry and Ligue 1 club Reims’ on-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, said: “Noni is one of the best young forwards in Europe.
      “I’ve worked with a lot of top players but his intensity, mentality and desire to be the best is second to none.
      “I call him a mentality monster — he’s really driven and has very clear goals and ambitions.”
      Madueke’s willingness to do everything he can to become a better player led to his agent contacting Isaksson-Hurst in the summer of 2021.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      The former Tottenham and Chelsea academy coach said: “We did a few weeks, three or four sessions a week.
      “He went back to PSV and exploded on to the scene and was linked with a lot of clubs.
      “We carried on talking, and then last summer, he actually flew me out to Marbella to do some intense training while he was on holiday.”
      Isaksson-Hurst has also worked with young Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior, Chelsea wideman Omari Hutchinson and Norwich defender Max Aarons.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      Saul Isaksson-Hurst works one-on-one with players
      Arjen Robben enjoyed an outstanding career playing for some of the biggest clubs in EuropeCredit: Getty
      He said: “A player comes to me and I look at their position and where they play on the pitch. Then I look at what the game-changing moments are for that player and develop practices where we can develop and master the skills required.
      “Noni’s super-strength is cutting in from the right and working with his left foot, a bit like Arjen Robben.
      “We worked on a lot of variations of that, but also on how he could cut in using his right foot.
      “For a forward player, it’s about assists and goals, what is going to help him break lines and give end product.”
      You might expect big clubs like PSV to do such fine tuning themselves, but Isaksson-Hurst, 45, explained: “Some coaches will do ‘extras’ but the same thought process might not go into it.
      “I’ve worked with top players and I know how to design practices to get those game outcomes.”
      Isaksson-Hurst works on a consultancy basis for Arsenal.
      Madueke has been confirmed as a new Chelsea signingCredit: Twitter @ChelseaFC
      In addition, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Birmingham are among the clubs that use his MyPersonalFootballCoach app to supplement their in-house coaching.
      Madueke, 20, has followed former PSV team-mate Cody Gakpo, 23, now at Liverpool, to the Premier League in the current transfer window.
      And Isaksson-Hurst said: “Gakpo is a very good player, but for me Noni is right up there and is going to make an immediate impact.
      Read More on The Sun
      “He has everything. He is technically unbelievable. Physically, he’s a specimen — but most important are his mentality and desire to be the best.”
      Reece James and Ben Chilwell are back in training as they recover from knee and hamstring injuries, but neither is expected to play against Liverpool tomorrow. More

    • 250 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Graham Potter admits ‘there’s no guarantee this is going to work’.. as Chelsea to take January spending to £189m

      by

      GRAHAM POTTER incredibly admits “there is no guarantee” Chelsea’s massive spending spree will halt the club’s slump.Rival bosses Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Frank yesterday stuck the knife into the Blues’ whopping £189million January transfer splurge.
      Graham Potter has revealed that Chelsea’s spending may not solve the club’s current issuesCredit: Getty
      Brentford manager Frank branded Mykhailo Mudryk’s £88m deal as “insane”.
      And Liverpool chief Klopp added: “They fix problems differently to us. I’m not sure they can do that for the next ten years.”
      Potter is set to unleash Ukrainian winger Mudryk, 22, at Liverpool tomorrow, while Noni Madueke completed his £35m move from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
      Chelsea have also signed £35m defender Benoit Badiashile from Monaco, £10.5m striker David Datro Fofana from Molde, £11m Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama and forward Joao Felix on a £9.7m loan deal from Atletico Madrid.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      But Chelsea chief Potter confessed the mega spending is a huge gamble, insisting: “There is no guarantee that this is going to work.
      “With every decision you go into you should have the humility to say we haven’t got all the answers.
      “You’ve got to make the best educated guess you can and try to predict what may happen.”
      Chelsea are tenth in the Prem and out of both domestic cups.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      And Potter added: “The players we have identified are young with quality.
      “They are all starting their careers so they are all ambitious.
      “They are not here to be fourth, they are here to win. So those are the upsides — but is there a life without risk? No.
      “Whatever you do there is risk it might not work.”
      Chelsea have splashed out a massive £465m since new US billionaire owner Todd Boehly took charge last summer.
      Frank revealed he tried to sign Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer — but was put off by the £30m the Ukrainian club demanded.
      He said: “Mudryk is a good player but nearly £100m? That is a lot.
      “He shows great signs of potential but needs to do a bit more. However, that is price tags these days and it is insane.”
      Mykhailo Mudryk is one of the latest arrivals in an £88million dealCredit: Getty
      Yet after Chelsea gazumped Arsenal to land Mudryk, Potter is backing his new Ukrainian star.
      Potter said: “He is a young player who has a lot of potential.
      “He brings speed, directness and one-v-one ability to just eliminate an opponent. He’s such an exciting player.
      “Now we have got to help him adapt to the Premier League.”
      Potter is planning team- bonding sessions so the new signings can integrate quickly.
      Yet he will not recreate the ballet dancing that he used at previous Swedish club Ostersunds.
      He said: “We need to bring the group together.
      Read More on The Sun
      “It would be a mistake to replicate things we did at Ostersunds. There’ll be no Swan Lake here!
      “But building trust in a team, empathy and self-awareness, you can still do that without having to do a dance project.” More

    • 263 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson hails Jurgen Klopp ahead of 1,000th game as Liverpool boss vows to end Kop slump

      by

      SIR ALEX FERGUSON hailed Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp as he joins the managers’ 1,000-game club.Klopp reaches the landmark against Chelsea on Saturday.
      Jurgen Klopp set to take charge of his 1,000th game in management this weekendCredit: Getty
      The German has been praised by Sir Alex FergusonCredit: Getty
      United legend Fergie who oversaw 2,155 matches, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Jurgen Klopp to the LMA 1,000 club.
      “He is undoubtedly one of the most gifted managers in world football.
      “The many trophies he won confirm his status amongst football’s elite.”
      Meanwhile, Klopp smiled a little, stroked his beard and declared: “Yeah, it’s really grey now.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      “I’m not sure if that’s because it’s just my age or working for Liverpool.”
      Yet as he goes into his 1,000th game as a manager, the famously feisty German insisted his whiskers are all that have changed about him in the 22 years since he first took charge of Mainz 05 and kept the club in Bundesliga 2.
      Instead he vowed he is still bristling for the challenge, and declared: “I was full of power when I first started — and I still am.”
      The challenge he faces going into today’s crucial clash with Chelsea is the biggest since announcing himself as the Normal One of Anfield just over seven years ago.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      From being two games short of a history–making Quadruple last season, Klopp’s side now lie ninth and are ten points off a Champions League spot with a game in hand.
      Klopp himself described the 3–0 loss to Brighton as the “low point” of his Kop career.
      Having also lost 3–1 to Brentford in the league game before that Seagulls shock, he could become the first Reds manager since 1953 to ship three goals in three successive top-flight clashes if Graham Potter’s men also make hay against his creaking defence.
      Add on the massive January spending by today’s opponents Chelsea, along with other huge outlays by Liverpool’s rivals and Klopp’s challenge only gets bigger.
      He has only won six of his 19 clashes with the Stamford Bridge club since arriving on Merseyside in 2015, having taken a sabbatical after quitting his second club, Borussia Dortmund.
      If Klopp, 55, is feeling the strain he is working hard to hide it.
      In a deft dig at Chelsea’s trolley dash in the market, he said: “Interesting. I can’t explain it, I have no idea.
      “But if the numbers are true then it’s impressive — Chelsea fix problems differently to us.
      Klopp’s first club was German side MainzCredit: Getty
      “I can’t see the spending of many clubs stopping, that is how it is these days.
      “The job I do now is completely different to the one I did 22 years ago.
      “When I went to Mainz with seven games to go we won six — had we lost one more we would have been in the same as League One here.
      “Yet one thing has not changed — you always have to be nosey, be curious, look around the corner for solutions.
      “And most important of all, be busy. You must always try to develop.
      “Back then when I started out I never thought of these numbers — 1,000 games? A crazy number really.
      “Not all of the days have been good but you keep trying to go in the right direction.
      “I didn’t know all of that 22 years ago but I’ve learned the hard way.
      Klopp has been feeling the strain recentlyCredit: Getty
      “My job is not the most relaxing, it is not a job where you get a lot of holidays, but it’s the best job for me — I’m blessed.”
      He did not feel very blessed after that 3-0 loss at Brighton, although there was this week’s relief of a 1–0 FA Cup third round replay victory against Wolves.
      With four figures up in his managerial career, but with the chances of more silverware dropping dramatically this season, he is hoping a result here can re-motivate a squad that has been looking older and more tired than him.
      Klopp knows the problems he is facing and has already signalled there must be major alterations come summer.
      He stressed: “When you don’t take your chances and the opposition take the first of theirs — that’s a good sign for a bad period.
      “So we have to start defending again at an incredibly high level and by doing that we will make more chances.”
      Klopp, who expects to have striker Darwin Nunez, 23, back after a two–game injury absence, also knows luck has not been with him.
      He said: “Look at Arsenal — they are doing incredibly well and well deserved.
      Klopp is expecting Darwin Nunez to improveCredit: Alamy
      “Yet take five offensive players out because of injury like has happened to us?
      “But after a really low point we showed against Wolves what can happen if we stick together.
      “That’s what we have to build on now.
      “It’s not just about style. We have to defend together.”
      Ever the gegenpressing optimist, he is still looking to get on the front foot.
      He added: “I know this might sound strange.
      Read More on The Sun
      “But this club is in a good position, it is sound, and looking ahead everything will be possible again.”
       LIVERPOOL (likely): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Matip, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, Salah, Nunez, Gakpo. More

    • 200 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea ‘step up Mason Mount contract talks as Liverpool target England midfielder in shock summer transfer’

      by

      CHELSEA are reportedly set to step up their attempts to tie down Mason Mount to a new contract.The midfielder has 18 months left on his current deal at Stamford Bridge.
      Chelsea are reportedly set to offer Mason Mount a new contractCredit: Getty
      This means that he could walk out of the club on a free transfer in 2024.
      However, Chelsea want to keep hold of their star midfielder and will offer him a new contract, according to The Guardian.
      The report says that so far, the club have not met Mount’s wage demands but they are optimistic of sealing his future.
      The England international is currently one of the lowest earners in the first team with his wages around £75,000 per week.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      The club are looking at options should they lose Mount, with Brighton’s Moises Caicedo seen as an option.
      Manager Graham Potter would help the Ecuadorian settle at the club, having been his boss at Brighton.
      The report also suggests that Liverpool are interested in signing Mount this summer.
      Serie A giants Juventus have also been credited with an interest in Mount.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      Should a contract fail to be signed with Chelsea, it would severely dent the amount of money that the club could demand.
      Fans would likely not be happy to see Mount leave as he came through the ranks at Cobham.
      Since 2019, Mount has been one of the Blues’ key players in the midfield. More

    • 163 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Leicester complete £17.5m Victor Kristiansen transfer as Denmark Under-21s star signs five-and-a-half-year contract

      by

      VICTOR KRISTIANSEN will watch his new Leicester City teammates for the first time against Brighton this weekend after confessing his move was: “a no-brainer.”The 20-year-old left-back became Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the January window after snapping up the Danish Under-21 star from FC Copenhagen on a five-and-a-half year deal.
      Victor Kristiansen joined Leicester City in an £17.5million dealCredit: Getty
      Leicester, currently 15th in the Prem, will pay an initial £12.25million which could rise to £17.5million with add-ons.
      However, the deal was not pushed through in time to meet yesterday’s noon deadline, ruling Kristiansen out of a speedy home debut against the Seagulls.
      Speaking to LCFC.com, he said: “It feels amazing. It’s really exciting to be here and I’m so excited to meet everyone at the Club, as well as the fans.
      “The Premier League is probably the best league in the world, and Leicester is a top team, so of course, I was excited.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      “It was a no-brainer for me to say yes to this great opportunity.”
      Kristiansen is actually 18 months younger than Leicester’s current left-back Luke Thomas, but has made more than 70 appearances for the Danish champions, including 24 this season.
      Rodgers welcomed the move as he looks to create more competition within his squad, after losing a pair of left-backs, Ryan Bertrand and James Justin as well as right-back Ricardo Pereira to injury.
      The Foxes will be hoping he can help turn the side’s current slump around.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      Leicester City have not won a game since before the World Cup.
      This worrying slip has seen them fall back into the relegation battle as they sit only two points above the drop zone. More