Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are no longer interested in appointing Erik ten Hag as their next manager.
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PSV Eindhoven have reportedly decided against signing Sergino Dest on a permanent deal following the Barcelona loanee's ACL injury.
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Leeds United fans will be ecstatic after their triumph over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday; however, Daniel Farke suffered an injury blow during the clash and he could now be without one of his star men for a period of time, as cited by journalist Phil Hay.
On Saturday, the Whites put on a commendable performance in front of a large travelling support as they comfortably saw off Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, with goals from Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville making sure of three points for the visitors.
Moving up to 41 points, Leeds remain third in the Championship standings and seven points behind Ipswich Town in second position; however, they did gain ground on fourth-place Southampton, who could only muster a draw at Watford. Farke expressed his delight at being able to claim a clean sheet against a stern opponent, as he stated in his post-match press conference:
"I’m especially pleased that we travel back today with a clean sheet against a really good and dangerous side. We didn’t allow them to have much. They had their spells in possession but in terms of big chances, there was not too much."
Leeds star who lost 19 duels was as good as Summerville vs Blackburn
The Whites continued their bid for promotion with a hard-fought win on Saturday afternoon.
By
Robbie Walls
Dec 9, 2023
"It was important after a few weeks where we have conceded one goal, sometimes even two goals, today to return absolutely rock solid defence with a clean sheet. It’s a really good performance and a massive win for us. I’m pretty delighted."
Right now, the Whites find themselves in a fantastic run of form, having won nine of their last 11 fixtures in the English second tier, illustrating their credentials as a genuine contender for promotion. Nevertheless, they may now have to do without one of their key men for upcoming matches against Sunderland and Coventry City, according to journalist Hay.
As per BBC Sport, Sam Byram was withdrawn in the 70th minute of the Whites' 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers and subsequently replaced by loanee Djed Spence. Taking to social media platform X, Athletic journalist Hay has now shared quotes from Farke detailing the reason for his substitution, revealing that the 30-year-old could now be set for a spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue, possibly missing Sunderland and Coventry over the next six days.
In what will come as a major blow for the Whites, Byram's absence could breed a prolonged opportunity for Spence to gain regular minutes at full-back. Nevertheless, Byram has been a magnificent capture on a free transfer and the former Norwich City man has been ever present this term, registering one goal and a solitary assist in 19 appearances across all competitions (Byram statistics – Transfermarkt).
Labelled "fantastic" by German coach Farke last month, Byram led the way at Ewood Park for his side, making four tackles, three clearances and winning four out of his five ground duels (Byram statistics – Sofascore). Looking ahead, Leeds United fans will hope that Byram can return to action as soon as possible as the Elland Road outfit continue their tilt at promotion.
Manchester City are in talks to bring an exciting new teenager to the Premier League in January, according to a reliable journalist.
The Sky Blues already have four squad members in their first-team set-up who are aged 21 or under in the form of Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku, showing that the club have a strong reputation for developing up-and-coming stars. Phil Foden, 23, looks a sure-fire component of the new City era, and the likes of Micah Hamilton have recently broken through as well.
Pep Guardiola will be looking to see if there are any further promising talents who would be available for him to sign during the window which opens next month, and if the following update is to be believed, he’s already set his sights on one candidate in particular.
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The Sky Blues are looking to secure the services of a new prospect next month.
By
Chloe Chadwick
Dec 19, 2023
Partizan’s attacking midfielder Matija Popovic has worked his way up through his club’s various youth ranks to become a regular feature of their academy sides, but there’s a strong possibility that the 17-year-old will be moving onto new pastures over the next couple of weeks (Transfermarkt – Popovic statistics).
The Serbia youth international’s deal is set to expire on December 31st, as per the above outlet, and with the teenager yet to be offered the chance to extend his stay, an exit is looking highly likely, with the hierarchy at the Etihad Stadium having been alerted to his situation.
Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Man City are in talks to sign Popovic when his deal expires, with the youngster having even attended a match in person.
"Manchester City are trying to hijack deal to sign Serbian 2006 born talent Matija Popovic as free agent, talks ongoing. Popovic was at Man City game in Belgrade last week. AC Milan, in talks to sign Popovic since October but nothing been signed/sealed yet.”
Since the start of his career, Popovic has 21 goals and five assists from 25 appearances, showing how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s actually comfortable playing in three different positions, which is a big plus at such a young age.
Guardiola’s target has been deployed as a right-winger and a centre-forward alongside his usual role as a number ten, so his versatility to operate in areas outside of his own would make him a useful option to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur.
The Partizan starlet has even had a taste of what it’s like to compete and be successful having been crowned Serbia's Under-17s Champions with his boyhood club, so he should possess an excellent winning mentality that would be required of him in the top-flight.
As described by football scout Jacek Kulig, Popovic is a hugely “talented” dynamo with bags of potential to offer, so if the board are able to get this deal over the line, it could be a huge coup.
Ademola Lookman, Atalanta's Europa League hero, could cost £30 million ($38m) in the summer transfer window amid interest from Premier League clubs.
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Liverpool and Tottenham are both battling to sign an "intelligent" Premier League attacker who's currently having a breakout season, according to a new transfer update.
It's fair to say that Liverpool have been linked with plenty of players ahead of the January transfer window, with Sporting CP central defender Goncalo Inacio one who continues to be backed to move to Anfield. Both Newcastle United and Manchester United are also believed to be in the mix, though.
There have also been calls for the Merseysiders to acquire the services of a defensive midfielder, with Fulham's Joao Palhinha mooted as someone who can make a big difference in that area of the pitch.
There is also a chance that Jurgen Klopp could add to his attack, even though he has five great options in Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, and it looks as though another Premier League ace could be on his agenda in the near future.
According to a new update from Football Insider, Liverpool are interested in signing Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan, joining Spurs in the race to snap him up even despite the player having recently signed a new contract at Molineux.
"Liverpool and Tottenham are monitoring red-hot Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed the two Premier League giants are assessing the 27-year-old with a summer move in mind and are unlikely to swoop this month.
"Scouts have been blown away by Hwang‘s performances for Wolves this season since his move into a centre-forward role. The South Korea international, who will play at the Asian Cup this month, can play on the left, right and through the middle, and has particularly impressed in a more central role."
Hwang is enjoying a brilliant season for Wolves, already scoring ten times in the Premier League in 2023/24 to date, including a winner against Manchester City and a brace in the recent 4-1 victory away to Brentford. Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil is clearly an admirer of the 27-year-old, saying of him recently:
"The main thing is his goals, and the second thing is his understanding of the game, the structure and how we try and do things. He has a really good intelligence around what we ask him to do, which is helpful when you’re trying to implement something new."
Fabrizio Romano says Southampton want to sign “unbelievable” talent
But he’s barely played this season…
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Henry Jackson
Jan 1, 2024
Granted, Hwang moving to Liverpool wouldn't guarantee him regular playing time, given the calibre of players at Klopp's disposal, but there is always the risk that Salah will leave at the end of the season, which could afford the South Korean a prominent role in the Reds' attack.
Hwang has scored and assisted regularly in the Premier League and Bundesliga for a sustained period now, with 46 and 22 coming his way respectively in total, and there is no reason why he can't find another gear in a Reds shirt if he joins this summer.
Luke Young has reflected on his special six-year spell at Wrexham following his release by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side.
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The outspoken Swede arrived at Camp Nou in 2009, but it soon became clear that he and the Catalan coach were not compatible
Pep Guardiola and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are two absolute footballing legends. One has become one of the greatest managers in the world, winning absolutely everything there is to win at Manchester City, and building great club teams both in the north-west and at Barcelona.
Ibrahimovic, by comparison, is a maverick, an almost overly-assured individual who believes wholeheartedly in his own hype, and is perhaps right to do so. Across 827 club games, he has scored 496 goals and provided 204 assists. A Swedish icon, he remains one of the best strikers ever to step foot on a pitch.
It is perhaps little surprise, then, that the pair butted heads at Barcelona, leading to an iconic falling out…
Mutter the word striker around the Emirates Stadium right now and it's likely you'd reduce an Arsenal supporter to tears.
If there is one thing the Gunners are crying out in this January transfer window it's attacking reinforcements and they can't come soon enough.
It's an issue that's plagued Mikel Arteta's men over the last month, with the north Londoners now having won just one of their last seven matches in all competitions. That continued against a dogged Liverpool side as Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup following a 2-0 defeat.
It's difficult to justify a loss in the circumstances. Arteta's side had countless chances, 18 of them in fact. However, only five of them were on target, while 'four big chances' – as classified by Sofascore – were missed.
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Matt Dawson
Dec 25, 2023
It summed up Arsenal's recent showings. Against West Ham they had 77 touches in the opposition's penalty area without scoring and against Fulham last weekend, scored just once and laboured to defeat.
That was similar at the Emirates, although how they didn't score is beyond any who bore witness to the game. It's only right, therefore, that the club's attack is criticised after such a result.
With Gabriel Jesus ruled out of Sunday evening's cup tie through a minor knee injury, Arteta decided to give Kai Havertz the honour of leading the line over Eddie Nketiah.
The German was chosen as the centre forward for the first time since the Community Shield and in the opening exchanges he played quite well. Havertz was a constant option, pressed well and got into the right positions.
|
Kai Havertz vs Liverpool |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes Played |
88 |
|
Touches |
35 |
|
Accurate Passes |
12/18 (67%) |
|
Shots on target |
2 |
|
Shots off target |
3 |
|
Dribble Attempts |
0/2 |
|
Key Passes |
2 |
|
Duels Won |
2/14 |
|
Possession Lost |
11x |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
|
However, his forward play was indecisive, toothless and lacking a golden touch. The former Chelsea star happened to pass up two of those aforementioned 'big chances'.
In the opening 45 minutes he curled a shot from range straight at Alisson but the biggest of chances came towards the end of the half. He took the ball inside the Liverpool penalty area but couldn't sort his feet out and only managed a tame effort straight at the goalkeeper.
Also boasting just a 67% pass success rate, this was a display that failed to set the world alight. That being said, he wasn't the worst on show in Arsenal colours. Step forward Bukayo Saka.
Since breaking through the Hale End academy Bukayo Saka has been rather immune to criticism. Rightfully so. This is a player who finished the last campaign as Arsenal's joint-top goalscorer. It's also an individual with nine goals and 12 assists this term.
However, the £195k-per-week earner was in poor form at the Emirates this weekend and deserves an equal share of the blame.
Saka did score against Fulham last week, albeit from a matter of yards out, but it feels like the incisive finishing we've got so used to seeing from the 22-year-old has deserted him.
He now only has one goal in his last seven matches and sums up the dire patch Arsenal's forward line finds themselves in. The England international passed up one of those earlier mentioned big chances, somehow firing over the bar from a cross in the second half when it looked easier to score.
|
Bukayo Saka vs Liverpool |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes Played |
90 |
|
Touches |
61 |
|
Accurate Passes |
26/36 (72%) |
|
Key Passes |
1 |
|
Shots on target |
1 |
|
Shots off target |
2 |
|
Dribble Attempts |
0/4 |
|
Duels Won |
4/12 |
|
Possession Lost |
20x |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
|
That typified a display that was certainly not classic Saka who on more than one occasion saw his route to the penalty area blocked by an irremovable Joe Gomez who won four out of his seven contested ground duels.
Saka, on the other hand, failed with all four of his attempted dribbles and won just three of his ten ground duels. The right winger will of course have better days at the office but it must be a worry that even Arteta's most reliable of commanders is finding life difficult at the moment.
The academy graduate must get better, as must his colleagues in the offensive line.
Los Blancos have now won six of the last 11 European titles available, and as their rivals head towards transition, they are only getting stronger
After Real Madrid hoisted their 15th European Cup on Saturday at Wembley, the club's veterans had one key piece of advice for 20-year-old first-timer Jude Bellingham. "Some of my team-mates have five or six titles, and they said enjoy your first as it's a feeling like no other when you reach the top of the mountain," he said following Los Blancos' 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
It was certainly a memorable final. Madrid, as is the case so often in the Champions League, were second best for long stretches. But they rode their luck, and after a handful of crucial saves from Thibaut Courtois and the fortune of Niclas Fullkrug hitting the post, they came alive. It took a corner, converted by the 5'7 Dani Carvajal, to help them find their stride, and Madrid saw out the last 20 minutes as Vinicius Jr provided the finishing touch.
Yet, despite the Dortmund pressure and the lack of quality from an often erratic Madrid side, there was something all so predictable about the outcome. Real Madrid win; it's just what they do.
They have now claimed six Champions League titles across the last 10 years – only three other clubs (AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Liverpool) can claim to have won as many European Cups in their entire history. This is what sporting dominance looks like.
The concern for their rivals is that there are few signs that Los Blancos' run will stop any time soon either. What was supposed to be a period of rebuilding has become a measured renewal. Madrid's best players are all in their prime – or slightly short of it – and with arguably the most electric forward in world football soon to enter the ranks while other clubs enter transitions of their own, Saturday's win may well go down as the start of another decade of continental superiority at Santiago Bernabeu.