Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has this evening provided an update on Arsenal’s pursuit of Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, also hinting that the widespread reports of the north Londoners’ £45 million summer transfer budget are wide of the mark.
Arsenal’s winger hunt
Rumours of Arsenal’s interest in Zaha’s services have been mounting of late, as the Gunners look to piece together a squad capable of reestablishing themselves in the Premier League’s top-4.
Unai Emery and co. are known to be on the lookout for reinforcements out wide, with a rake of wingers having already been touted as potential arrivals at the Emirates this summer.
Yannick Carrasco and Ryan Fraser, meanwhile, have been the pair most persistently-linked.
However, after seemingly encountering problems in moves for both the Dalian Yifang and Bournemouth stars, Arsenal appear to have switched their attentions firmly to Zaha.
Palace standout Zaha enjoyed a superb campaign last time out, notching 10 goals and 10 assists across 34 Premier League appearances.
Wilfried Zaha celebrates after scoring during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Recent reports, though, have insisted that the explosive Ivorian has set his sights on a Selhurst Park departure this summer.
Not only that, but Zaha’s main suitors, Arsenal, are said to be the 26-year-old’s club of choice.
Significantly, the Eagles’ attacker is known to be a life-long fan of the Gunners:
Arsenal knocked back
As such, it came as little surprise when Arsenal’s opening offer for Zaha arrived this past Monday.
The bid, though, was worth just £40 million:
Not only did Crystal Palace reject the proposal on the part of their fellow Londoners out of hand, but the Eagles’ hierarchy were said to have been left ‘incensed’ and ‘furious’.
£70m cut-off point
Arsenal, though, are not thought to have been deterred, with a follow-up bid expected to be forthcoming imminently.
And Kaveh Solhekol has this evening provided an update on the situation. which the Gunners’ faithful will no doubt be thrilled to hear.
The Sky Sports reporter suggests that Arsenal could in fact raise their bid for Zaha as high as £70 million.
‘A pinch of salt’
Significantly, it was also added that Unai Emery likely has considerably more than the rumoured £45 million transfer budget at his disposal to bring in new players this summer:
Chelsea have reportedly decided to delay the announcement of Frank Lampard being appointed as their new manager, after both Facebook and Instagram ran into problems.
Lampard is set to take over from Maurizio Sarri, after the Italian left Chelsea last month.
Despite winning the Europa League with the Blues, Sarri left for Juventus and a return to Serie A.
That left Chelsea looking for a new boss, and Frank Lampard quickly became the frontrunner.
Fast forward to the present, and Lampard should soon be confirmed as Chelsea’s next manager.
While Sky reported this week that Chelsea were aiming for an announcement before Thursday, though, a Wednesday reveal has been delayed by social media outages.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Fans display a Frank Lampard flag prior to the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Derby County at Stamford Bridge on October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Chelsea fans have to wait a bit longer
Both Facebook and Instagram have suffered outages throughout Wednesday.
The social media platforms struggled to load any form of video and image content.
This has caused mass hysteria on Twitter, where Facebook and Instagram’s problems have become viral hashtags.
As a result of these outages, Chelsea have actually had to delay their announcement of Lampard, according to a report by the Mirror.
They claim that ‘the Blues were forced to delay the official confirmation after popular social media websites Facebook and Instagram crashed on Wednesday afternoon.’
Their report continues by explaining that ‘the Blues have 17.4million followers on Instagram and a whopping 48million fans on Facebook, and it is understood they held off on the announcement until the bugs are fixed.’
There is currently no indication as to when both Facebook and Instagram will be fixed, but one would imagine that a Lampard announcement is now more likely on Thursday.
The new-look midfield of Premier League giants Spurs appears to be beginning to take shape, following Tanguy Ndombele’s arrival being made official, and reports stemming from Spain suggesting that the north Londoners are closing on a deal for Real Madrid starlet Dani Ceballos.
Spurs set sights on Ndombele
The links between Lyon standout Tanguy Ndombele and Tottenham have been one of the talking points of the summer transfer window so far.
On the back of their Champions League final heartbreak at the hands of Liverpool last month, widespread reports suggested that Daniel Levy and co. were finally ready to make a splash on the arrivals front.
Spurs had of course not signed a single player since January of 2018, when Lucas Moura arrived from PSG.
Ndombele, though, long looked set to break that 18-month long fruitless streak, with Mauricio Pochettino having identified the Frenchman as the ideal long-term successor to Mousa Dembele.
When questioned on the future of his side’s midfield enforcer last week, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas admitted that Ndombele had set his sights firmly on an exit:
‘It would have to be very substantial offers to advance with Tanguy , who would prefer to leave.’
‘If he left – which isn’t the case today – we would look to recruit someone with experience. For the moment nothing has happened, but the door is ajar.’
Tottenham confirmation
And, despite ensuing rumours over the course of the weekend that Juventus had reignited their pursuit of the 22-year-old, it was still widely-predicted that Spurs would eventually beat off all competition to secure Ndombele’s signature.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City shoots while under pressure from Tanguy NDombele Alvaro of Lyon during the Group F match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester City and Olympique Lyonnais at Etihad Stadium on September 19, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Given their side’s infamously-stubborn negotiation tactics, though, it no doubt came as a huge source of relief for Tottenham fans across the globe when the French international’s arrival was finally made official this evening.
In an announcement across the club’s social media channels, Ndombele’s signing, on a hefty 6-year deal, was confirmed for an undisclosed fee:
Ceballos next up?
And, on a day where the Spurs’ faithful saw their side break what must have felt like a 2-window transfer ban with not one, but two signings (Jack Clarke also arrived from Leeds), positive news has continued to flow for the capital outfit.
Reports stemming from Spain, courtesy of AS, claim that Tottenham and Real Madrid have agreed on the basic terms of a loan deal for Dani Ceballos.
Mauricio Pochettino is said to be pushing hard for Ceballos, who starred throughout Spain’s recent U21 European Championships triumph.
The 22-year-old is widely-regarded as one of the finest young talents in La Liga, but has major struggled for game-time since making the move to the Bernabeu from Real Betis in the summer of 2017.
As such, a temporary move away from the Spanish capital could well prove the most beneficial route for Ceballos’ long-term development.
Tottenham, though, are reportedly confident in their chances of making the gifted midfielder’s move permanent next summer, if Ceballos manages to sufficiently impress over the course of the 2019/20 season.
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 28: Dani Ceballos of Real Madrid in action during the La Liga match between Rayo Vallecano de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas on April 28, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Spurs midfield exits
Links to Ceballos of course come amid mounting rumours that Christian Eriksen could move in the opposite direction this summer.
The futures of both Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier, meanwhile, appear far from certain as things stand.
As a result, in the case that Eriksen and one of the aforementioned pair (most likely Wanyama) do eventually depart north London, it is entirely possible that Mauricio Pochettino and co. could look to bring in yet another midfielder.
Giovani Lo Celso and Bruno Fernandes, both of whom have been touted as potential arrivals in north London already this summer, appear viable additions.
Tottenham XI
As such, in the case that Ceballos, and theoretically Lo Celso, both join Ndombele in Tottenham’s midfield ranks for next season, Mauricio Pochettino’s men could line out in some variation of the following XI in 2019/20:
(The line-up also accounts for a shake-up at full-back, with Max Aarons and Ryan Sessegnon arriving, Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier on the move, and Juan Foyth awarded for his impressive Copa America displays with a starting berth at right-back).
The reliable Alfredo Martinez of Onda Cero has this evening provided a number of updates on La Liga giants’ Barcelona’s work on the transfer market.
Barca eyeing reinforcements
On the back of their Champions League semi-final humiliation this past season, Ernesto Valverde’s Barca have been linked with a whole host of moves on the transfer front.
The Blaugrana’s frontline understandably appears to be the main area of concern for the club’s board.
With Philippe Coutinho having failed to perform under the weight of expectation at the Camp Nou, Luis Suarez some way short of his brilliant best, Ousmane Dembele struggling with persistent injuries and Malcom seemingly not up to the standard required of a Barcelona player, it should come as little surprise to find that attacking reinforcements look set to arrive in Catalunya this summer.
Griezmann AND Neymar?
To this point, the two main players touted as potential arrivals have been Antoine Griezmann and Neymar.
Atletico star man Griezmann is set to be on the move this summer, having announced his intention to depart the Wanda Metropolitano back in May:
‘It’s been an incredible five years. Thank you very much for everything. I will take you in my heart.’
And Barca have long been the favourites to secure a deal for the French World Cup winner.
Speculation surrounding the future of PSG wide-man Neymar, meanwhile, has majorly ramped up over the last couple of weeks, amid claims that both the Brazilian and Barcelona are keen on a reunion this summer.
Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. celebrate during the Copa Del Rey Final between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
And, as per the aforementioned update from Alfredo Martinez, regarded as Tier 1 when it comes to Barcelona transfer news, the Spanish champions appear to be pushing forward with their attempts to coax both Griezmann and Neymar to the club.
First off, Martinez suggests that the former’s move to the Camp Nou from Atleti should be completed this week.
The plan would then be to hold Griezmann’s presentation on the 10th of June.
On Neymar, meanwhile, a meeting between the Brazilian’s father and a representative from Barcelona is set to take place in Brazil tomorrow, during which a potential return to Catalunya will be mapped out.
Dembele to Bayern?
While such a pair of signings would obviously mark remarkable business on the part of the Blaugrana, they would not come without sacrifices being made.
And, though most rumours regarding potential big-money departures from Ernesto Valverde’s squad this summer have surrounded Philippe Coutinho, Martinez instead suggests that it could be another of Barca’s attackers who is on the move.
The player in question is Ousmane Dembele. Martinez claims that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich could lure the Frenchman to Germany for 100 million Euro, with Dembele viewed as an alternative to Manchester City’s Leroy Sane.
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah scores during of the African Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Egypt and Uganda in Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mohamed Salah was on target as Africa Cup of Nations hosts Egypt ensured they emerged from Group A with a perfect record despite a stern examination by Uganda.
Liverpool striker Salah’s free-kick and a second goal from Aston Villa midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady before the break secured a 2-0 win.
But the scoreline flattered them on a night when Sebastien Desabre’s side, who finished second in the group with four points and take their place in the last-16, more than gave as good as they got in Cairo.
Egypt keeper Mohamed El-Shenawy had made a number of good saves before Salah curled a left-foot free-kick over the wall and past keeper Denis Onyango in the 36th minute.
Skipper Elmohamady smashed home a second in first-half stoppage time to clinch a third successive victory for Egypt, all without conceding a goal.
Salah almost made it 3-0 early in the second half, only to be denied Onyango, who is a doubt for the knockout phase after being stretchered off with 18 minutes remaining.
England Women head coach Phil Neville wants his side to “develop the serial winner mentality” – and warned going home from the World Cup on the back of a semi-final defeat “would represent failure”.
The Lionesses produced the most impressive display of their campaign in France so far with a 3-0 win over Norway on Thursday to progress to the last four of a major tournament for the third successive time.
Waiting next in Lyon on Tuesday night are defending champions the United States, who ended the hosts’ challenge with a 2-1 win at Parc des Princes as they remain very much focused on what would be a fourth World Cup triumph.
England produced an impressive display to see off Norway in Le Havre (Richard Sellers/PA)
It is such determination to be the best which Neville believes the current England squad must emulate if they are to make the most of their opportunity.
“A semi-final defeat would represent failure. This England team is ready to win now,” Neville said, quoted in several national newspapers.
“I think the FA (Football Association) know I am doing a good job but I said to the players this morning that it would be easy now for them to think ‘whatever happens now, we have got to the semi-final, my reputation is intact, we’ll probably get invited to Downing Street, everybody loves us at home’. I don’t want that.
“We have to develop the serial winner mentality. We have to develop that ruthlessness.
“I don’t want us saying that there is no pressure on us. That’s the safe way to think. We have to be even braver.
“The only way for us to go back home is as winners. If we don’t, we have to keep striving to understand that losing in a semi-final is not OK.”
Neville accepts England will have to raise their performance levels yet again to get past the USA, whose “ruthlessness is their strength”.
He said: “We have got to be 20 per cent braver than we have ever been before to win this game.
“This is the game we wanted. We have always known that when we got to the World Cup, we were going to have to beat the USA if we were going to win the tournament.
“We have reached the moment now where we have to deliver. This is the moment my players have been waiting for.
“We are not going to back away from this challenge. We have planned and prepared for this.
“We are in great shape. I don’t think they will look forward to playing us. If they are looking at teams who can challenge them, we will be number one or two on their list.”
Former Olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger provided some advice to the England Women squad at the World Cup (Guy Hinks/PA)
Neville had arranged for Dame Katherine Grainger – the most-decorated British female Olympian with five rowing medals, three silvers coming before gold at London 2012 – to record a video for the squad as they prepared for the quarter-final against Norway, for his players to “hear her message – winning hurts”.
He added: “We have to suffer and go beyond our expectations. We have to trust in the pain we have gone through and the sacrifices we have made and go with your heart and your head and accept it is going to hurt.
“What she told them had a more powerful effect than anything I could have said.”
With France losing to the USA, England are among the top three European sides at the World Cup, which will secure a place for Great Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The squad is set to be made up of players from other Home Nations, and Neville is relishing those opportunities ahead.
“I will be the coach that takes the team to the Olympics. I have not thought about it but obviously when the USA won, it confirmed our place in Tokyo and it is exciting,” he said.
“Seven out of the eight teams in the quarter-finals were from Europe and qualifying for the Olympics was one of the targets I had for this year.
“It is going to be very special, but let’s go and win a World Cup first.”
Manchester United have completed the signing of right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace in a £50million deal, according to reports.
PA understands United will pay £45million up front with £5million in add-ons for the 21-year-old, who will receive a five-year contract at Old Trafford.
He will become the second summer signing made by boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after Daniel James joined from Swansea.
Daniel James was Manchester United’s first summer signing on June 12 (Simon Galloway/PA)
Apparent leaked pictures and video of Wan-Bissaka wearing next season’s United shirt began to appear on social media on Friday, seeming to indicate that the player had passed his medical and agreed terms.
PA has contacted United for comment.
Wan-Bissaka was part of the England squad that exited the Under-21 European Championship in the group stage last week.
The right-back endured a difficult time in Italy, where Aidy Boothroyd overlooked him for the Young Lions’ last two group matches after his late own goal in the opener against France led to a 2-1 loss.
The under-21s boss believes Wan-Bissaka’s error in that match may have been down to the ongoing speculation about his club future.
Aaron Wan Bissaka appears dejected after his injury-time own goal saw England Under-21s lose to France (Nick Potts/PA)
“For a young player who all he knows is Crystal Palace academy and Crystal Palace it would be daft not to say that in some way he must think about it,” Boothroyd said.
“I would not be truthful if I told you anything other than that. What I will say is because he doesn’t say too much you don’t get to find out too much. Aaron keeps things to himself.
“He is a very private guy. When that speculation is flying around it is bound to turn your head. But having said all of that had he not scored the own goal we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Aaron Wan-Bissaka caught the eye during his breakthrough campaign at Crystal Palace (Martin Rickett/PA)
Wan-Bissaka is yet to make his senior international debut and only made his first appearance for Palace 16 months ago.
Wan-Bissaka has made 46 appearances in all competitions for Palace where he won the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards.
Romelu Lukaku joined Manchester United in the summer of 2017, moving from Everton for a fee reported to be around £75 million.
Lukaku was a rather prolific goalscorer for the Toffees. In his final season on Merseyside, the Belgian netted a staggering 25 goals and assisted six in 36 league outings.
However, since his big-money move to Old Trafford, Lukaku has struggled to regain that exceptional form.
The 26-year-old’s debut season in Manchester saw him score 16 and assist seven in 34 league appearances.
Considering United are generally seen as a better side than Everton, you would have expected Lukaku’s goal count to rise in the league, not decline.
Lukaku had similar struggles throughout this past season.
In 42 games across all competitions, the Anderlecht youth product scored just 15 and assisted four.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 10: Bernd Leno of Arsenal reaches for the ball as Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United shoots during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on March 10, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Lukaku to Inter Milan?
After two seasons with the Red Devils, though, Lukaku could well be on his way to Italy.
Back in April of this year, Lukaku expressed a desire to play in Serie A.
Although, at the time, Lukaku did state that he was focused on United:
“Playing in Serie A is a dream, it would be really a dream.
“I hope to be able to play sooner or later, even if at the moment I am focused on the United.” As quoted by Sky Sports News.
However, since that interview, Lukaku has been pretty heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan.
Then, earlier this week, Lukaku’s agent would confirm that Inter are indeed trying to sign his client:
“Lukaku is a dream and is not easy to realize it… but yes, Inter are trying to get him. Romelu has expressed his wishes (to leave Man United)”
While Inter may struggle to afford the Belgian, who United reportedly want £75 million for, there is still a chance that Lukaku could depart United this summer.
That would leave just Marcus Rashford as a senior out and out striker at Man United.
So, United will probably need to purchase a replacement centre-forward,. As such, here are three potential options.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 30: Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 30, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Ben Yedder
The first player Man United could bring in this summer is Sevilla forward, Wissam Ben Yedder.
Ben Yedder has already been tipped as a replacement for Lukaku in recent days.
The Manchester Evening News, citing France Football, claimed that Ben Yedder has a €40 million release clause, and that United would be willing to match it, should Lukaku leave.
€40 million does seem like somewhat of a bargain in today’s market, given the season that Ben Yedder has just had.
In the 28-year-old’s 2018/19 campaign, he would play 54 games across all competitions for Sevilla. In those 54 games, Ben Yedder scored an impressive 30 goals, also chipping in with 11 assists.
Moreover, as Sevilla finished 6th in La Liga last season, they do not have the lure of Champions League football, which is good for United, who will also be playing in the Europa League in the forthcoming campaign.
SEVILLE, SPAIN – MAY 18: Wissam Ben Yedder of Sevilla FC reacts during the La Liga match between Sevilla FC and Athletic Club at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on May 18, 2019 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images)
Sebastien Haller
The next player that Man United could target is Eintracht Frankfurt forward, Sebastien Haller.
At 6ft 2, Haller is a much more like for like signing to replace Lukaku, unlike Ben Yedder, who is just 5ft 7.
Haller has spent two years in Germany honing his craft, after completing his move from Dutch side, FC Utrecht.
The 25-year-old had a decent debut campaign for Frankfurt that saw him net 13 and assist seven in 36 ties.
Haller then improved his goalscoring form in the 2018/19 season. He would score 20 and assist 12 in 41 outings across all competitions.
Haller’s Bundesliga record was particularly impressive, with the forward having bagged 15 goals and nine assists in 29 fixtures.
However, with Frankfurt already losing one of their top strikers, Luka Jovic, to Real Madrid this summer, they may be opposed to letting go of another key forward.
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – MAY 12: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Sebastien Haller of Frankfurt looks on during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Commerzbank-Arena on May 12, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Simon Hofmann/Bundesliga/DFL via Getty Images)
Mauro Icardi
The final player that Manchester United could target to replace Romelu Lukaku is Mauro Icardi.
Should Lukaku move to Inter, the club may be keen to cash in on Icardi.
It has also been reported by reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano that Edin Dzeko is close to signing for Inter.
Should Antonio Conte’s side land both Lukaku and Dzeko, they would have four first-team strikers, including Icardi and Lautaro Martinez.
So, Man United may well be able to work Icardi into any potential deal for Lukaku.
Reports have already emerged that Inter Milan would be willing to offer Icardi plus cash for the Belgian.
Icardi made 36 appearances last season for Inter, scoring 17 and assisting 5 in that time.
Since taking over at Newcastle United Rafa Benitez has done an outstanding job.
The ex-Liverpool boss would earn promotion to the Premier League with the North East club in the 2016/17 season.
The Magpies then overachieved massively in their first season back in the English top-flight, finishing in 10th place.
This past season was not quite as impressive but Benitez still managed to guide Newcastle to a 13th place finish.
However, it was announced on the 24th of June that Benitez will leave Newcastle on June 30th 2019, when his contract expires.
It is with disappointment that we announce manager Rafael Benítez will leave Newcastle United upon the expiry of his contract on 30th June 2019.
Benitez is rumoured to have a £12m-per-year job offer from China.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Rafael Benitez, Manager of Newcastle United looks on prior to the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United at Amex Stadium on September 24, 2017 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Perez to follow in Benitez’s footsteps
With one of their best ever managers set to depart, Newcastle could also be set to lose one of their better players.
According to the Independent, Ayoze Perez is reluctant to sign a new deal with Newcastle, following the departure of Benitez.
Perez featured 41 times for Newcastle this past season, scoring 13 and assisting 4.
As per the report from the Independent, the Magpies were hopeful of signing Perez to a new deal but the striker may now favour a move to Valencia.
Benjamin Mendy arrived at Manchester City in July of 2017 from AS Monaco for a fee in the region of £51m.
Since making the switch to England’s top-flight, Mendy has been stricken with injury problems.
The Frenchman would feature just eight times for the Citizens in his debut campaign, only three of those games were as a starter.
Mendy would be fully recovered from his cruciate ligament rupture for the start of the 2018/19 campaign with City.
The 24-year-old had a very positive start to the Premier League season. Mendy would start City’s first four league outings and earn four assists in said games.
However, Mendy was once again sidelined with a foot injury before eventually having to have knee surgery.
In total, Mendy has missed a staggering 78 games for City since completing his move in 2017.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 29: Benjamin Mendy of Manchester City battles for possession with Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on October 29, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Mendy back to full health?
While Mendy’s injury woes must have been horrible, a rather amusing stat has emerged from them.
Due to his injuries, Mendy has made just 28 appearances for club and country since signing with City.
As a result, Mendy has earned himself a trophy every 4.6 appearances.
Luckily for the left-back though, the Evening Standard have reported that Man City are confident Mendy is over his injury struggles.
City’s medical team are said to be convinced that Mendy will be able to play a full season in the upcoming campaign.
The Citizens had previously been rumoured to be interested in Leicester’s Ben Chilwell. But the report from the Standard alleges that is no longer the case.
