Tag Futebol

Real Madrid are willing to pay £190m to sign Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, according to Don Balon.

What’s the story?

The Egyptian international’s scintillating form for the Merseyside outfit has attracted the attention of many figures in the football world.

The 25-year-old has scored 41 goals in all competitions, including 31 in the Premier League.

On Sunday night, the attacker was crowned the PFA Player of the Year, which has sparked worry in some Liverpool fans that they will lose their key star.

According to Don Balon, Real Madrid hold a strong interest in Salah and are now willing to pay £190m to seal his signature.

The report suggests that the figure is in the region that the Reds would consider, but they are expected to be tough negotiators.

Should Liverpool fans be worried?

At this stage, everything seems rosy at Anfield, and there would be nothing to suggest that Salah is an any way unhappy.

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How could he be? The Egyptian is the main man at Liverpool, he cannot stop scoring and is potentially three results away from lifting the Champions League trophy.

However, Real Madrid do not come calling every day, and there may be a part of Salah that wonders if this will be his only chance.

At the end of the day, if the former Chelsea player decides to leave, Liverpool can only do so much before he gets his way.

Romelu Lukaku’s agent has put a cat amongst the pigeons with comments that the Everton striker is better than Chelsea’s Diego Costa and will be looking for a Goodison Park exit soon.

The Belgium international’s future has been a point of contention for a number of months, with the powerhouse striker linked with a move away from the Merseyside club.

Lukaku recently changed his agent to the outspoken Mino Raiola, who also represents Paul  Pogba and a host of other top players.

The Italian representative has stated that Lukaku is too good for Everton and will be playing in one of the continent’s top teams in the near future if he has anything to do with it.

“If we had met each other earlier, he wouldn’t have played for Everton,” Raiola is quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“Maybe somewhere else, maybe he would still be at Chelsea. I want to be clear: Romelu is a better striker than Diego Costa and could have done the same as the Spaniard did this season.

“But the Chelsea directors had decided to buy another star than giving confidence to one of their young boys.

“Juventus was interested in him last summer but I want to be clear: I don’t think one of the Italian teams can pay that amount of money for one player. It’s almost impossible.

“We have never said he would leave at the end of this season. We will see what happens in the summer, but the Everton directors don’t have to think Rom will play there for the rest of his career.

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“Later on, he’ll play for one of world’s best teams: PSG, Manchester City, Manchester United or Bayern Munich. Big names, but nothing is impossible as Rom has great potential.”

Lukaku lit up Goodison Park while on loan from Chelsea last season but has struggled to find his best form consistently since a £28 million move to Merseyside last summer.

Raiola’s words are sure to be a frustration for Roberto Martinez, who previously stated that Lukaku had not changed agents in order to fashion a move away from Everton.

Roberto Martinez hailed Wigan’s performance despite losing at Manchester City and is convinced the Latics will beat the drop.

A goal from Carlos Tevez seven minutes from time earned City all three points to leave Wigan in the Premier League relegation zone but Martinez says there are plenty of positives to take from the game.

Wigan created enough chances to win the game with Shaun Maloney, Arouna Kone and Franco di Santo all going close and Martinez admits they paid the price for not putting them away.

However the Spaniard says if they continue to play the way they did at the Etihad Stadium, they will get out of trouble.

“We didn’t take the chances, it is as simple as that,” Martinez revealed. “I thought we were magnificent from start to finish. We created four very good chances. I don’t think many teams come to the Etihad and create four very good chances in open play.

“Those chances need to finish in the back of the net and that’s why we lost the game. If we do that in every game, we will get a lot of points. I couldn’t be prouder of the performance.

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“We limited them to two shots on target, I don’t think many teams have done that. My players deserve huge credit. The performance is exactly what we need.”

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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is ready to sell winger Anthony Martial, who earns £70,000-a-week according to the Daily Mail, this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says that the Portuguese boss is willing to move a number of players on this summer as he looks to close the gap to Manchester City next season, with Martial among the individuals that could leave Old Trafford at the end of the season – along with Paul Pogba, Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian.

The France international has found first-team starts hard to come by following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal during the January transfer window, and looks to have fallen behind both the Chile international and Marcus Rashford in the pecking order on the left wing.

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How has Martial done in general this season?

The 22-year-old started the campaign well with one of his main highlights being when he scored one and assisted three more in the Red Devils’ 4-1 win against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League in September.

In total, the wide man has scored 11 goals and provided a further 10 assists in 41 appearanes in all competitions for United during the current campaign, but he has only played 96 minutes of Premier League football since the 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United at St James’ Park at the start of February.

Would Mourinho be right to sell him this summer?

It’s difficult to say.

The France international clearly has plenty of ability and often makes an impact when he is on the pitch, but if the Portuguese manager feels he isn’t doing enough on a consistent basis then there shouldn’t be too many arguments if he leaves Old Trafford.

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With Sanchez and Rashford available on the left he certainly has plenty of attacking options, but United fans may point to the former’s disappointing form following his January move from Arsenal as a reason to keep hold of Martial, who came under criticism from his own supporters following the 1-0 defeat against West Brom on Sunday.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, with just over one year left on his contract Mourinho may well be tempted to sell Martial if he receives a big offer, but he should also consider that he moved Mo Salah and Kevin De Bruyne on previously.

Martial has the potential and time to replicate the performances of those two at this level, and it would be a mistake to sell him in that regard.

He’s been labelled a Premier League flop, but that has not stopped rumours circulating that Radamel Falcao will be on his way to Anfield at the end of this season.

For many, this is a bit of a left field rumour. A Manchester United player joining Liverpool is almost unheard of these days as there is definitely no love lost between the two sides.

Regardless of a deep routed rivalry, if Falcao were to join Liverpool, is there a danger of him being the Reds’ next Mario Balotelli?

It is no secret that Falcao has not lived up to the expectation this season. But let’s not forget this player regrettably missed the World Cup due to injury. The World Cup brought James Rodriguez to the forefront of football fans’ minds, and even secured him a move to Real Madrid.

Falcao’s injury has plagued him ever since. He has not been fully fit for large chunks of the season, but despite not being on form, he has still managed four assists and four goals for goals for Van Gaal’s men. He has been somewhat of a let down, but he does not get the minutes needed to make a real difference on the pitch.

But would Liverpool really sign a Manchester United player? Unlikely. The rivalry runs all too deep. Manchester United fans may not want him any longer, but do Liverpool want a player who isn’t scoring goals, and played at Old Trafford? It would be a bad move.

Liverpool are also linked with Burnley striker Danny Ings and QPR goal machine Charlie Austin. They should try to move for these players, as one or even both could be set for life in the Championship if their respective sides cannot win their battles for Premier League survival.

Falcao and his £43million price tag currently appears to be too much of a gamble, particularly if you see how Balotelli turned out, and he only cost Liverpool £16million.

Falcao needs another venture where he can thrive, and more importantly, play first team football. But Liverpool, and perhaps even the Premier League, certainly isn’t it.

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Park Ji-Sung is on the verge of retiring from professional football as a result of QPR’s battle against relegation from the Premier League, according to his father.

The South Korean midfielder joined the Super Hoops from Manchester United in a £2m deal last summer, and has endured a tough spell in London.

His stint at Loftus Road has been blighted with injuries, limiting him to just 22 appearances.

During his brief playing time he has been helping the club in their battle against the drop, but has been unable to drag them from the foot of the table.

His father, Park Jung-Song, says that the toils of this season have effected his son, and confessed the could consider quitting the sport:

“Nobody knows the future, but I think he has made his mind up to retire. He thinks he’s played enough,” he is quoted by The Metro.

“He’s never had times like this with PSV Eindhoven or Manchester United. My son has had difficult times at QPR this season; it was a new experience to him.

“Ji-Sung said it’s difficult to keep his feel for the game as his playing time is inconsistent, but he doesn’t have any hard feelings.”

The 32-year-old retired from international football in 2011, in a bid to prolong his club career.

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He is set to discuss his future with manager Harry Redknapp at the end of the season.

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West Ham United’s London Stadium has had its problems with crowd trouble this season, and that might well be taken to a new level if Millwall visit the ground next term.

The bitter rivals have not actually locked horns since a Championship clash in February 2012, which West Ham won 2-1 on home soil.

There is a real possibility that the two teams could meet next season, however, with Millwall making serious strides in the Championship in recent months.

Neil Harris’ side beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 on Tuesday night to move into sixth position in the table, and they are very much one of the form teams in the Championship as we approach the final weeks of the 2017-18 campaign.

Next up for Millwall is a trip to Sheffield United this weekend, before hosting high-flying Fulham for what promises to be a huge match on April 20.

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The West Ham fans have been reacting to a possible meeting with their great rivals next season, and it seems that a number want it to happen.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Mats Hummels has hinted that he is ready to leave Borussia Dortmund and sign for Manchester United this summer.

Since Louis van Gaal took charge at Old Trafford the German defender has been repeatedly linked with a move to Manchester. And now the rumour mill cranking up once again with the 26-year-old admitting he would like to move abroad and out of the Bundesliga after a difficult season with Borussia Dortmund. Van Gaal is extremely keen to sign the World Cup winner but would he make a good summer signing for the Red Devils?

In December van Gaal insisted that he didn’t need to splash the cash on a defender in the January transfer window but maybe he has changed his mind. United currently have nine defenders on their books with none of them making over 20 appearances in all competitions this season. The stats show that van Gaal is still unsure of his strongest back four with Phil Jones making the most amount of appearances.

It is clear that while van Gaal doesn’t know his strongest side there will continue to be errors in defence which has already led to a lot of goals which should have been better defended. Eight of the nine defenders have played at least nine games this season so it is clear someone needs to come and take control.

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Hummels has played in the Bundesliga for his entire career and has won the league twice as well as being runner up in the Champions League. Hummels was an integral part of Germany’s team in the World Cup last year and he could really teach the Red Devils back four a thing or two.

As well as skill, he has a power and elegance that is currently missing in the United starting XI. Fans have doubted for a while whether he had enough speed to be a top-money signing but he answered all the doubters in Brazil. He was Germany’s key player in their match against France and after being ill at the beginning of the tournament he rose to be a true star of the tournament. It is great to see defenders with enough skill to put the right tackles in but also have the pace to attack. Many have been saying the Premier League side needs more depth in key positions and it looks like Hummels could be a keen to sign for van Gaal.

Hummels’ talent does have its downfalls though. He will come at yet another cost and after some of van Gaal’s summer signings from last year haven’t quite had the impact they had hoped it wouldn’t be a surprise if the owners were more conscious of putting their hands in their pockets.

Statistics also show that when a player has played abroad his whole life it takes time to adjust the Premier League so while Hummels may be a great signing it would take him time to find his place in and settle. Hummels would surely want to be a constant in the Manchester United team which could mean one of our England youngsters could lose his regular place in the XI.

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It looks like Hummels is ready for a change of scenery and if the career he has had so far is anything to go by then he would make an excellent buy. Manchester United just need to see if the pros would outweigh the cons. Manchester United may end up winning but England may lose out once again.

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Bacary Sagna is expected to be one of many players that will leave Arsenal this summer.

Arsene Wenger is planning a big summer shake up with lots of players expected to leave and join the North London club and the departure list is said to include the right back.

30-year old Sagna has been at Arsenal for 6 years and has been offered a one-year extension deal on his contract which expires next summer. Sagna is not happy with what Arsenal have offered and was hoping for a longer deal, but they have concerns over his long-term fitness after he broke his leg twice last season. The French player who has had some good years at Arsenal now believes he will leave the club in the summer with PSG and other clubs interested.

Wenger recently spoke to the press regarding his concerns over Sagna’s injury-prone history but also reiterated his support of the Gunners defender.

“He has criticised his own form recently but the things you never question from Bacary are his commitment, his mental attitude, his desire to win and his intelligence,” Wenger told The Guardian.

“If he has not been playing as he would expect, it is down to his injury. It takes time to come back, and he has played through a lot of pain – in fact, he is one of the strongest players I have met when it comes to doing that.

“He’s hugely respected here, and if he’s not at the level we know he can achieve then we are tolerant because we know it’s not down to a lack of commitment. It’s just because he has come back from a long-term injury”

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Arsene Wenger has already had his chief scout Steve Rowley looking at possible replacements for Sagna, amongst other players as the Emirates looks set for a summer clear out. There have been plenty of names bounced around but David Villa, Pepe Reina, Etienne Capoue and Victor Wanyama are some of the more likely players to be courted by Wenger.

The Arsenal board confirmed their support for their manager at a general board meeting this week and will continue to back Wenger in his rebuilding of the Arsenal team even if they don’t qualify for the Champions League next season.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left Arsenal in the January transfer window to join Liverpool, but he has not cut ties with his former club completely.

The England international seemed to keep a close eye on the Gunners’ Europa League quarter-final against CSKA Moscow at the Emirates.

It was a straightforward contest for the North London outfit as they secured a 4-1 victory, with Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette both scoring twice.

Rampant results have been few and far between for Arsenal this season, but on Thursday night they managed to find the back of the net four times inside 35 minutes.

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Mesut Ozil has had his critics throughout his time with the Gunners, with many accusing him of not showing up in important matches.

However, against CSKA, the German World Cup winner was influential and nabbed two assists.

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Oxlade-Chamberlain, who spent close to six years at Arsenal, had an enjoyable week of his own as he scored a thunderbolt in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at Anfield.

The 24-year-old, though, took time to congratulate Ozil’s performance with a series of emoji’s on his former teammate’s Instagram page.

Ox showing some love to Ozil on Instagram tonight!