PHOTO: Chelsea agree new five-year-deal for midfielder

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

PHOTO: Chelsea agree new five-year-deal for midfielder - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has signed a new contract with the Blues that will tie him at the club till 2021.

The 20-year-old has made 13 appearances for the Blues since making his debut in 2014, and has played only 10 minutes of Premier League football in 2016.

Loftus-Cheek joined the club when he was eight years old, and naturally it is satisfying for him to seal a long-term professional contract at his boyhood club.

“The club have done so much for me since I started here as an under-eight and now I want to repay the faith they have shown in me with my performances on the pitch,” he said. 

Chelsea’s policy of giving more importance to established superstars have seen the club neglecting the rise of academy youngsters to a great extent. Talented young players across the world are being signed at the club regularly, but surprisingly, very few get the opportunity to represent the club at the senior levels.

Despite a managerial change at Stamford Bridge this season, following a series of poor results under Jose Mourinho and the re-appointment of Dutchman Guus Hiddink on temporary basis, Loftus-Cheek has only made nine appearances in all competitions.

The good thing is, however, has never been loaned out, which shows the club sees him as a prospect for the future, and have hopes on him.

He has been an integral part of Chelsea’s youth side, and enjoyed a huge success for the junior side, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2012 and 2014, the Under-21 Premier League in 2014 and the UEFA Youth League in 2015.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1LRLjVr
Read More

Man Utd and Chelsea could miss out on duo after major development

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Man Utd and Chelsea could miss out on duo after major development - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Everton have announced that Farhad Moshiri will become the majority shareholder at the Merseyside club.

The British-Iranian businessman purchased a 49.9% stake in the Premier League club and the deal was confirmed by Everton this weekend.

Chairman Bill Kenwright finally brought an end to the decade-long search for investment. Moshiri is valued at £1.3bn by Forbes. The former Arsenal shareholder decided to sell his stake at the London club to his business partner, Alisher Usmanov, on Friday.

He then went on to pay around £87.5m for the Everton shares. It is understood that Everton are valued at around £175m.

The report states that there is an agreement for Moshiri to purchase more shares in future and become the majority owner of Everton football club. The deal is a mere formality now, subject to Premier League approval.

Moshiri will own Robert Earl’s stake in Everton, along with that of Kenwright and the director Jon Woods.

Kenwright will remain as Everton’s chairman for an interim period and will work with Moshiri during this period.

The major advantage of getting the deal done early will be the extra funds for transfers next summer. The Toffees have been promised considerable transfer funds by their new shareholder.

Earlier it seemed that the likes of Stones, Lukaku and Barkley might be headed towards the exit. However, Everton’s elevated status in the transfer market now will help them keep their stars as well as strengthen the spine of their side.

The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are thought to be interested in Lukaku and Stones.

Furthermore, the likes of Barkley and Stones are set to be offered better contracts this summer.

The British-Iranian businessman is also keen to work on Everton’s stadium plans and will help them relocate in near future.

 

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1Tik6TV
Read More

Chelsea to face Liverpool as the European elite prepare for ICC 2016

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Chelsea to face Liverpool as the European elite prepare for ICC 2016 - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea are set to face each other in the International Champions Cup 2016 this summer.

The tournament is expected to begin towards the end of July after the Copa America and the European Championships.

Liverpool enjoyed a commercially successful pre-season trip to the Far East and Australia last summer and are set to return to the United States before the 2016/17 campaign.

It seems that Jurgen Klopp will need to prepare for a high-octane clash in his first ever pre-season with the Reds. However, it is unlikely that the German will be concerned about this. Instead, he might relish the prospect of facing a number of Europe’s best sides in the International Champions Cup.

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Inter Milan and AC Milan will be joined by the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea in the International Champions Cup this summer.

Liverpool will face Chelsea in Los Angeles, before heading to San Francisco for their next match.

The Reds took part in the ICC in 2014 and enjoyed a good tournament. Former manager Brendan Rodgers guided them to the finals of the ICC 2014, where they were beaten by Manchester United in the final in Miami.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1TLERWz
Read More

Major transfer development, Man Utd's £300k-a-week target drops huge hint

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Major transfer development, Man Utd's £300k-a-week target drops huge hint - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Real Madrid slumped to yet another defeat against Atletico Madrid last week and Cristiano Ronaldo’s shocking rant against his teammates went on to steal the headlines.

The Real Madrid forward has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu since last summer and the Portuguese has now dropped his biggest hint that he is not satisfied with the quality of players at the club.

Ronaldo’s shocking admission will further fuel speculations that he is headed to PSG or maybe the Premier League.

Manchester United have been linked with the Real Madrid superstar since last season and at one point it seemed that an Old Trafford return cannot be ruled out. The Premier League giants will be encouraged by Ronaldo’s comments if they are indeed interested in a summer move.

The Real Madrid hierarchy will not be happy with the player’s comments about his teammates. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how the other players at the club react to his astonishing remarks.

Cristiano claimed that if his teammates were as good as him, Real Madrid would be at the top of the table. The Portuguese superstar went on to justify his comments by saying that a quick look at his stats will prove his point.

“If everyone was as good as me, maybe we would be first,” the Portuguese said.

“If a team does not play with the best, [it] is difficult to win a long competition.”

“From what the press says it seems like I am doing [expletive] but the numbers and statistics do not lie. They are there,” he added.

Although these comments could just be a simple selfish remark from Ronaldo, it could also mean that the player is fed up with life at Bernabeu and wants a move away.

An interesting summer lies ahead for Real Madrid, Ronaldo and his suitors.

 

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1UuyI1E
Read More

Man Utd confident of signing midfield engine after major development

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Man Utd confident of signing midfield engine after major development - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester United target Saul Niguez has rejected a contract extension at Atletico Madrid.

The highly talented box to box midfielder has been linked with a move to England since last summer. It seems that he might not satisfied with the terms of the contract and this could be a major boost for his suitors, including Manchester United.

Van Gaal was desperate to add some energy to his midfield in the summer and Saul would be an ideal option for the Red Devils. Manchester United are confident that this is the right time to poach the talented midfielder away from Spain.

However, the Dutchman is expected to leave at the end of the season and it will be interesting to see if the new Manchester United manager is interested in Saul or not.

The Spanish midfielder has a 34 million pounds release clause and if Atletico chooses to stand firm, the price tag could drive United and other interested parties away from the player.

Without doubting his talent, Saul is simply not established enough to command that sort of fee and the top clubs are likely to want proven internationals for that kind of money.

 

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1RdgBYK
Read More

Chelsea's shocking target to replace club legend, could be a huge mistake

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Chelsea's shocking target to replace club legend, could be a huge mistake - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea have identified the Crystal Palace centre back Scott Dann as a priority summer target.

The England defender has been outstanding for the Eagles and is expected to fill the void left by John Terry. The Chelsea captain has not been offered an extension at the club and is leaving at the end of the season.

Dann would cost in the region of 20 million pounds according to Daily Mail and Chelsea are keen to get the experienced stopper.

The report also states that long-term Chelsea target John Stones could be headed to Manchester City after the arrival of Guardiola.

Chelsea are set to appoint a new manager at the end of the season and the general consensus is that the Blues will opt for the former Juventus manager Antonio Conte. If that happens, it will be interesting to see if the Italian chooses to splash out for Dann.

Although the former Birmingham defender has been very solid for Palace this season, there is no doubt that there are better talents out there in Europe for a similar price.

And judging by what Conte did at Juventus, it is highly unlikely that he will overpay for a limited player who will be past his peak in a couple of seasons.

 

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1oR1FsL
Read More

Southampton 1 Chelsea 2: Three things we learned

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Southampton 1 Chelsea 2: Three things we learned - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Both Southampton and Chelsea have been in great form recently and a good match of football was expected when the two sides met at St. Mary’s. Southampton initially got the lead courtesy a Shane Long’s strike. Unfortunately for the hosts, Cesc Fabregas nullified the damage and Branislav Ivanovic scored to give the Blues all the three points.

Here are three things we learned from the game

Ivanovic looks miles better, playing centrally

The centre-back pairing for Chelsea looked excellent today. Cahill and Ivanovic both dominated the box and dealt with a very attack minded Southampton well. Ivanovic looked so much more comfortable playing centrally than he has as a full-back. The player’s significant dip in form this season has got him much criticism. Last season, Matic was a rock in the midfield which respited the defence including right-back Ivanovic. He didn’t have to run back as much as Matic had it covered and the full back could make attacking runs without worrying about tracking back. However, this season, the midfielder’s form also took a severe dip and the lack of adequate cover in the midfield hurt the defence. Ivanovic was pretty much being skinned on the flank.

He operated centrally today in the absence of Zouma and Terry and looked far more comfortable. He was solid at the back but his biggest contribution on the pitch was obviously the winning goal. Once John Terry is back in the side, Hiddink should consider choosing Ivanovic to partner the Chelsea captain over Cahill, who has been average at best for some time now.

Kenedy over Oscar?

21-year-old Baba Rahman was scapegoated for Shane Long’s header as the Southampton striker pounced on a mistake from the defender and clipped the shot beyond Thibaut Courtois. The Chelsea keeper was also slow to react and come off his line. But Rahman’s mistake was more obvious and he was immediately replaced by Kenedy, something that will only hurt the youngster’s confidence. The attacking Kenedy operated as a makeshift left-back for the rest of the game.

The summer signing has done pretty well for himself and the attacker played as a defender and still managed to impress. Perhaps Hiddink subbed him in because of his attacking strengths since Baba Rahman wasn’t going forward enough. Regardless, the change worked.

Considering the amount of work the 20-year-old put in, coupled with his skill, he definitely makes a case for his inclusion in the starting eleven more often. The player he should come in for has to be compatriot Oscar. Oscar’s role in the side has been a confusing one. He has been used as a number 10, a box-to-box midfielder and even further behind and he really hasn’t done all too well in any position to warrant a consistent starting spot. Chelsea can cash in on him in the summer and get most of the money they spent on him back. They have a perfect replacement for him already in the team and at the moment, Kenedy’s ceiling looks much higher than where Oscar is right now.

Hiddink can get Chelsea a European spot

With 36 points, Chelsea are now only 5 points behind sixth placed Manchester United and a European spot for next season. While Europa League is not that attractive, there is absolutely no doubt that the Blues will want to finish as high up in the table as they can and getting a European spot would be a big achievement considering the way things were when Mourinho was still in charge. Guus Hiddink has steadily done his job with the team. The quality was always there but the confidence had been lost, for one reason or another, under Mourinho.

Chelsea remain unbeaten under Hiddink in the Premier League and going by their current form, there is no reason why they cannot make a serious case for a European berth by the end of the season.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1WR068L
Read More

4-3-3 vs 4-2-3-1: Key players return for Pellegrini, Liverpool team news, possible line ups, stream info

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

4-3-3 vs 4-2-3-1: Key players return for Pellegrini, Liverpool team news, possible line ups, stream info - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Liverpool vs Manchester City
League Cup Final
Venue: Wembley Stadium 
Date: Sunday, 28th February, 2016
Time: 16:30 GMT 
Live Stream: Sky Sports  

The Reds have won this competition more than any other side. City, on the other hand, are going for their second league cup triumph in three years.

Liverpool last won the competition four years ago, which was incidentally the last time they won a trophy. A win on Sunday would be just four months after Jurgen Klopp took charge of Liverpool replacing Brendan Rodgers. 

The Reds are heading into this match on the back of some recent good performances. While they have won only twice in their last seven matches in the league,the Reds have managed to move into the last 16 rounds of Europa League, after winning 1-0 against Augsburg over two legs. 

Team Head-to-head

The importance of the League Cup goes just beyond the crunching numbers for Liverpool. The club have won only two trophies in the last decade. Post Rafa Benitez era, two of Liverpool’s last three managers have failed to win anything. While a lot of work still needs to be done, there is no better way of injecting a belief among the players than by winning a trophy. 

City have scored for fun in this season’s League Cup campaign, although they struggled a bit against Everton in the semi-finals. 

Manuel Pellegrini’s side head into the fixture on the back of a 3-1 win away to Dynamo Kiev in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie. 

Liverpool vs Manchester City: Team News 

Defence remain the major headache for Klopp. Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren has returned to training this week, but the game may have come too soon for them. Kolo Toure might get a chance to play alongside Mamadou Sakho at the back. 

City are getting close to a clean bill of health, with Pellegrini revealed in the press conference that Jesus Navas, Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony are all back in contention. 

Liverpool vs Manchester City: Possible Lineups

Possible Liverpool lineup: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Henderson, Can; Milner, Firmino, Coutinho; Sturridge

Possible Manchester City lineup: Caballero; Clichy, Kompany, Otamendi, Sagna; Fernando, Fernandinho; Silva, Toure, Sterling, Aguero.

Liverpool vs Manchester City: Key Stats 

1 – This will be the first time Liverpool will face Manchester City in the final in any competition 

8 – liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight games against City in cup competitions

12 – It will be Liverpool’s 12th League Cup final, a record for the competition 

Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City 

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1n3Ofrv
Read More

Man United vs Arsenal combined XI: Only 3 United players makes the cut

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

Man United vs Arsenal combined XI: Only 3 United players makes the cut - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Arsenal face Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday. The Gunners comfortably annihilated United when they met earlier this season but the Manchester side has mostly got the upper hand as far as this tie is concerned.

With Manchester United putting in disappointing performances, it came as a little surprise that the combined eleven went 8-3 in Arsenal’s favor (Note: Only available players qualify)

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech (Arsenal)

David de Gea is arguably one of the finest goalkeepers in world football right now and has single handedly won his team a bevy of points. However, against him is another world-class goalkeeper in the form of Petr Cech who has also won his team a host of points, like John Terry promised. His 85 saves are 27 more than the Spaniard and Wenger’s only summer signing could prove to be the difference if the side manage their first title in over a decade.

Right-Back: Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

The young Spaniard has developed incredibly well and has become the undisputed first choice in his position at the Emirates in a short span of time. With Matteo Darmian out injured, Bellerin walks into the combined eleven but even if the Italian was available, juxtaposing the duo’s form this season, Bellerin would have been the preferred choice for our eleven.

Centre-Back: Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Smalling has played his part in more clean sheets this season than any other centre-back in the league and has been one of the few success stories for van Gaal in a forgettable season overall for the club.

Centre-Back: Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)

Partnering the Englishman would be Arsenal’s Koscielny. The Frenchman has been consistently been solid for the Gunners and has once again proved why he has been regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the league for a while now.

Left-Back: Nacho Monreal (Arsenal)

With Luke Shaw out and Marcos Rojo returning only now, once again, it’s a case of no competition for Monreal. To be fair to him, has done exceedingly well for himself this season proving to be one of the most reliable full-backs in the Premier League. He has also successfully displaced Kieran Gibbs as the club’s first choice left-back

Def. midfielder: Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United)

schneiderlin

 

A little bit controversial, but we picked Manchester United’s Morgan Schneiderlin over compatriot Coquelin, who has been brilliant for the Gunners even since he was instilled in the starting eleven by Wenger last season. The French international has been in and out of the side and it is no coincidence that United look much better with him in the team as he can keep things ticking, help in the transition from defence to attack and most importantly shield the defence adequately.

Central Midfielder: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)

Partnering Schneiderlin in the midfield is England international Aaron Ramsey who has taken a number of midfield positions for Arsene Wenger this season in the prolonged absence of Santi Cazorla. He has scored four times and assisted thrice in the league. No United midfielder has had the same kind of output.

Left Winger: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)

The only other United player in the line-up is a surprise inclusion in the form of young Lingard. He has directly contributed to six goals in his last nine appearances in all competitions and has been another success story of this otherwise unimpressive season. With Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain not impressing vastly, Lingard was our choice in the eleven.

Attacking Midfielder: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

With an eye dropping 17 assists this season, Ozil’s inclusion in the eleven doesn’t come as a shock. Juan Mata’s form has been incredibly patchy this season. Ozil did very well against United in the previous game and would have to have the same kind of impact once again

Right Winger: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

The Chilean is one of the most dangerous players in the league but hasn’t made a significant contribution since returning from injury a few weeks back. However, with Memphis Depay faltering this season, Sanchez doesn’t face any worthy competition for inclusion in a combined eleven

Striker: Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)

giroud

With seven goals and three assists, Anthony Martial has lived up to the hype that surrounded him when United secured his services. The 20-year-old is a doubt for the game anyway but we anyway had Olivier Giroud leading our combined eleven. With 12 goals and 4 assists, in the league, the France international has done well for himself after all the doubt surrounding his abilities to adequately lead Arsenal earlier this season.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1LLivOl
Read More

From France: Chelsea open talks to sign €45m Man Utd long term target

♠ Posted by Unknown in ,

From France: Chelsea open talks to sign €45m Man Utd long term target - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

When I wrote yesterday that Conte might be interested in signing Edinson Cavani from PSG, I was merely speculating. But it seems, the Blues are keen to sign the Uruguayan, and are preparing the grounds for a mega summer transfer, if reports from France to be believed.

Cavani has reportedly grown frustrated at PSG, being consistently used by Laurent Blanc in wide areas. For a striker of his calibre, it is disappointing to say the least to be not playing in the #9 role. At 29, Cavani is still good enough to play for major European clubs, and would be a handsome addition to the squad for any manager.

Manchester United, Chelsea and few other Serie A clubs have been linked with a move for the €45m-rated striker, but it seems the London giants are making early moves ahead of other potential suitors.

According to reports in France, relayed by TMW, Chelsea have approached PSG, and have started discussions over a possible for move for the Uruguayan. I don’t think, PSG would stop him from leaving, should Chelsea offer a handsome transfer fee.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News



from Soccerlens.com http://ift.tt/1XQMBHa
Read More