Arsenal plot move to sign €45m Manchester United target in the summer

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Arsenal plot move to sign €45m Manchester United target in the summer - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Arsenal are set to revive their interest in Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez, and are pondering to launch a bid in the summer to lure him away from Vicente Calderon.

The Gunners had been in negotiations over the player earlier on in the year, but a long term injury to Tiago Mendes scuppered their transfer plans. The Spanish publication, Mundo Deportivo (relayed by Sport Witness) claim that Arsenal are planning to make a formal move for him again this summer.

Saul has cemented himself as one of the key players for Diego Simeone’s side this season, with the Spaniard gradually developing into a complete midfielder under the Argentine’s tutelage. He has bundles of energy, diligent in defensive duties, never shies away from putting in a tackle, possesses great dribbling skills and has an eye for a pass as well. And has been a big threat in the attacking third, with him being directly involved in five Champions League goals this season (3 goals, 2 assists) for the Rojiblancos.

The 21-year-old has a lot of quality on the ball and he would be a major force for Arsenal or any other Premier League side. Saul grabbed the headlines on Wednesday night after scoring a sensational solo goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League first leg semi final.

Atletico won’t let him go on the cheap, and the Gunners will have to meet his €45m release clause to secure his services. It may appear as a significant outlay for the Gunners, but given Saul’s potential and the qualities he can bring to the side, it could be worth taking the risk.

The Gunners however are expected to face a stiff competition for Saul from Manchester United and Barcelona. In fact, United have a better chance of signing him than Arsenal. The reason being, Saul is represented by Jorge Mendes, who has a good relation with United having been involved in some big money transfers (Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel di Maria, David de Gea) for the Red Devils over the years.

According to a report from Spain, Mendes apparently has urged United to sign his client Saul, and the Red Devils are planning to trigger the player’s release clause in the summer.

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Video: Bale's header earns Madrid 1-0 win over Sociedad

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Video: Bale's header earns Madrid 1-0 win over Sociedad - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Real Sociedad did enough to frustrate the visitors for 80 minutes, but Gareth Bale’s superb header sealed three points for Los Blancos, who notched up their 10th straight league win and kept their title hopes alive.

After a goal-less first half, the home side looked in control in the second half. Madrid players were tiring and were in search of an inspiration from somewhere to break Sociedad’s resilience.

Bale, who has been so valuable to Madrid this season, stepped up and scored his 19th goal of the season, with a superb leap and a well placed header from a Luca Vazquez cross.

Of his 19 goals, nine of them are headers, more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. Also, he was involved in 30 goals this season for Madrid in just 28 games. In absence of Ronaldo and Benzema, it is Bale who is carrying the team forward.

Check the goal below:

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Antonio Conte's shocking transfer decision, Eden Hazard slams Chelsea fans

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Antonio Conte's shocking transfer decision, Eden Hazard slams Chelsea fans - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte takes charge of the London club this summer and the Italian could instantly become an unpopular figure amongst the fans if he decides to sell one of their star players.

The likes of Hazard, Costa and Courtois have all been linked with moves away from the club at the end of the season and Express are reporting that the Italian is ready to sell the unhappy Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois.

Apparently, Courtois’s relationship with the Chelsea goalkeeping coach has broken down and he is, therefore, unhappy.

Although it is unwise to hold on to an unhappy player in this day, one has to remember that Chelsea have already sold Petr Cech to bitter rivals Arsenal in order to accommodate Courtois. The Belgian is not just a good player, he is one of the top three in his position.

Losing him could be a major blow for Chelsea, especially because they cannot replace him with a player of similar quality unless of course they sign Neuer or De Gea miraculously.

Express are claiming that Chelsea are looking at the Southampton keeper Fraser Forster as a replacement. Although the England keeper has been fantastic for the Saints, it is absurd to think that he is as good as Courtois.

It remains to be seen if these claims from Express are true, but if Chelsea do decide to sell the Belgian this summer, it would be a major mistake from them.

50-defining-moments-of-the-season

Meanwhile, another Chelsea star Eden Hazard has now slammed the Chelsea fans for booing him this season.

Hazard has had a season to forget so far, but he was quick to point out that the fans should be more grateful for what he has done for the club in his time at Stamford Bridge.

“I thought the fans were booing because they didn’t want me to be replaced,” he said.

“Supporters pay for their tickets and they want to be entertained. If they are not happy they are entitled to boo. But people mustn’t forget what I have done for Chelsea.”

“We are having a tougher time than normal but we will get over it. I never doubt my abilities.”

He also rubbished the rumours about his departure this summer.

He said: “A lot of nonsense gets talked about my future but I have four years left on my contract.”

“I’ve long told myself that one day I would have a season like the one I’m going through.”

“Chelsea have not had a good season and neither have I. We are working hard to improve.”

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Chelsea willing to pay the necessary fee for Man Utd midfield target

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Chelsea willing to pay the necessary fee for Man Utd midfield target - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea are looking to strengthen their midfield options this summer and it is being reported that the Premier League giants considering making an offer for the highly talented Ajax midfielder Riechedly Bazoer.

Bazoer has attracted a lot of interest from several European heavyweights like Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and Bayern Munich because of his outstanding performances this season and Chelsea are willing to submit an acceptable offer of around 31 million Euros for the Holland midfielder.

The Blues have been linked with the likes of Nainggolan, Andre Gomes amongst others over the last few months and it makes sense for them to consider Bazoer as well. The young Ajax midfielder’s maturity belies his years and in the right environment, he can develop into a world class midfielder.

Recently Bazoer turned down a move to Napoli despite Ajax accepting an offer and it remains to be seen if he will accept a move to Chelsea. The player himself said earlier that he wishes to stay at Ajax and continue his development with regular first-team football.

Regardless of this talent, it might not be possible to play week in week out at a club like Chelsea and the player will be forced to make a choice if Ajax do accept Chelsea’s offer when it is submitted.

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Liverpool made contact with £58m French midfielder's agent, face competition from Man City

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Liverpool made contact with £58m French midfielder's agent, face competition from Man City - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Liverpool are among a number of top European clubs in pursuit of AS Monaco’s highly talented midfielder Thomas Lemar, according to reports in France.

According to French publication L’Equipe, Liverpool and Manchester City have contacted the player’s representatives, while there have been interest from Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid as well.

The German champions made an offer for the player in January and remain strong favourite to land the 20-year-old, who has scored five Ligue 1 goals and laid on a further three assists in 23 appearances this season.

Liverpool had previously shown an interest in the player before he joined Monaco from Caen, and the player’s versatility – ability to play in the no 10 and also on the flanks – will appeal to the Reds manager, though Monaco are demanding a fee around £58m that took Anthony Martial to Manchester United last summer.

Upon his arrival at Merseyside, Klopp pledged to give chances to young players at the club, and by handing debuts to the likes of Sheyi Ojo and Connor Randall, his approach is very clear.

The Reds are also reportedly monitporing 17-year-old winger Jonathan Ikone, who is also wanted by Juventus and Manchester United this summer.

The highly talented youngster is capable of operating on either flank, and has been a top performer for PSG’s u19S this season. However, he may opt to move elsewhere in search of regular first team actions, and could leave the French giants on a free transfer at the end of the season.

There is also an apparent interest from Liverpool in PSG’s young left-back Ballo Fode Toure. According to Footmercato, a host of Premier League clubs including the likes of West Ham, Manchester City and Southampton are keeping a close eye on the 19-year-old who has yet to sign a professional contract with the French giants.

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Incoming Chelsea transfer is the 'right choice' for club, claims Blues fan favourite

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Incoming Chelsea transfer is the 'right choice' for club, claims Blues fan favourite - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea fan favourite Gianfranco Zola has backed the appointment of former Juventus manager Antonio Conte.

The Chelsea legend claimed that Conte is the right choice for Chelsea and will help move the club forward with his ideas, philosophy and personality.

Zola said: “Antonio is the right choice for a strong club with prestige like Chelsea. He must bring his football ideas to a league, a culture and a different nation, and will have no problems.”

“They will have dissected what he did in Turin and Italy. He has a significant pedigree, even with the national team one sees his hand and his team’s idea.”

The former Chelsea player also urged the Italian manager to learn the language as soon as possible and claimed that Conte should form a good relationship with the English media.

He added: “The English newspapers like to press and demand. He must build a relationship of mutual respect. Then, also learn the language, sooner the better: the translators are not enough.”

The Italian national team manager will take charge of the Blues once he has fulfilled his Euro 2016 commitments with his country.

Chelsea got rid of Jose Mourinho towards the end of 2015 and appointed Guus Hiddink as the interim manager for the remainder of the season. However, the Dutchman was never a long-term appointment and will be replaced by Conte.

The Italian is the long-term successor of Jose Mourinho and will look to take the London club back to the top of English football after a disastrous season. The Premier League champions are currently 9th in the table and will not be playing in the Champions League next season.

 

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Wenger demands loyalty from Arsenal fans ahead of planned protest

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Wenger demands loyalty from Arsenal fans ahead of planned protest - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Arsene Wenger’s pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Norwich City gives an indication the Frenchman is under loads of pressure.

After making a great start to the season, Arsenal somehow have managed to throw away a glorious opportunity to win the Premier League this season. It has led to an unrest among the fans, as three of Arsenal’s supporter groups intend to protest at the Emirates, calling for a “Time for Change”

Fans from the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, the Black Scarf Movement and Red Action will hand out placards and urge the crowd to hold them up after 12 and 78 minutes, as a sign of protest aimed at the hierarchy and manager Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal are currently fourth in the league, and are fighting to hold off Manchester United for the Champions League spot. Wenger feels that the fans have been manipulated by a minority into protesting.

“Apart from an agenda – a personal agenda, a big ego – there’s not a lot behind it,” he said. “When people pretend to be Arsenal fans and, every week, they come out against the club, you cannot say it’s not manipulation. They look for their own agenda, to get people on Twitter and social networks, and it becomes a way to behave. Ideally, it’s a little bit easier when everyone stands behind the team but that’s not an excuse.

He says that fans should remember how he kept Arsenal competitive with his team’s consistent involvement in the Champions League over a decade at a time when the incomes of the club were restricted by the repayments of debts following their move to a 60,000-seater stadium.

It is really shocking to see that Wenger is being sentimental here and trying to justify what he did for the club. In truth, Arsenal fans do acknowledge his immense contribution to the club, and respect and worship him, but that doesn’t mean he is above all criticism.

“When we built the stadium the banks demanded I signed for five years,” he added. “I did it. Do you want me to tell you how many clubs I turned down during that period? I have shown I am committed.”

“When we built the stadium, we knew we’d have five to seven difficult financial years where we had to pay the money back: we had to be three years in the Champions League out of five and have an average of 54,000 people [to meet costs], and we didn’t know we would be capable of that. We had to sell our best players every year to survive but we didn’t do three years out of five in the Champions League. We did five out of five. Now the club is in a stronger position and we can compete again with our main opponents.”

Wenger suggested that he offered a verbal guarantee to the bank investors that he would remain at Arsenal to provide the stability the club needs and ensure the Gunners met their targets of Champions League football, on a shoe-string budget.

“The banks wanted the technical consistency to guarantee we had a chance to pay back [the loan],” he said. “I did commit and I stayed, under very difficult circumstances. So for me to find [his critics] are reproaching me for not winning the championship during that period I think is a bit overboard. I accept criticism but I think that it is a bit too far.”

The Frenchman signed contract extensions in 2004 and 2007, and rejected lucrative offers from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City, during that period.

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Club confirms surprise agreement, €120k-a-week star heading to Man Utd

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Club confirms surprise agreement, €120k-a-week star heading to Man Utd - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester United keeper Victor Valdes is on his way back to Old Trafford after his loan spell with the Belgian club Standard Liege was cut short prematurely due to medical issues.

The former Barcelona star failed to make an impact at Old Trafford since signing for them. The Spaniard also fell out with manager Louis Van Gaal and was then banished from the first team.

Valdes was asked to train alone after he refused to play for the U21s to improve his fitness following his injury.

The World Cup winner was desperate for a move away from Manchester United during the summer, but a move to Turkey fell through at the last minute. Manchester United then decided to send the  €120k-a-week star on loan to Standard Liege in January, probably to get his wages off their books.

The Spanish keeper made eight starts for the Belgian club since joining them and has kept just one clean sheet.

The Belgian club have announced that they have decided to cut short Valdes’ loan due to medical reasons. What exactly happened to the player is still unknown, but Standard Liege have released an official statement confirming Valdes’ return to Manchester United.

The club statement read: “As we decided to give more play time to the youth players at the end of the season and because they couldn’t be selected for medical reasons, the Spanish goalkeeper and the Greek midfielder have decided in agreement with the club to finish their loan at the end of this week.”

“Standard Liege wants to thank Ioannis and Victor for everything they did for our club, especially during the successful campaign on the way to the Belgian Cup.”

“We also wish them the best in the rest of their professional career.”

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Chelsea star comments on London derby, Harry Kane, Conte and more

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Chelsea star comments on London derby, Harry Kane, Conte and more - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea manager Guss Hiddink described it as a ‘normal rivalry’ that doesn’t need any “extra scrutiny” ahead of the Blues’ London derby clash with Tottenham on Monday night.

His players, may have a different view to that. If Manchester United manage to beat Leicester City on Sunday, it will make the game all the more interesting. It will add as an extra incentive to stop Spurs from winning the league.

The most important thing, however, is to win the game. It is an important game for the fans and the players. Chelsea forward Pedro has played many high octane derby matches during in time with Barcelona, and he is fully aware of what it is like to be a part in a derby match.

“Is it another incentive that beating Spurs will stop them winning the League? Yes. But the most important thing for us is to win this match,” said Pedro, as quoted by Evening Standard.

“The fact it could have an effect on the championship and be advantageous to Leicester is secondary. Leicester have played really well this season and deserve to be where they are.

“I realise this is a big big game for the Chelsea fans, the players. I know it is a really important derby in England and a match that is always played with a lot of passion and emotion.”

While, Chelsea have hardly anything to play for this season, but for this game, they have an extra incentive. The players are determined to maintain Chelsea’s impressive home record against Spurs. The Blues haven’t lost at Stamford Bridge against their derby rivals for 26 years. It’s a long time.

To put things into context, Pedro was only two years old when Gary Lineker’s headed sealed a victory for the away side back in 1990. The domination over Spurs is simply remarkable.

Tottenham will be without one of their key players Dele Alli, after the PFA Young footballer of the year was given a three-match retrospective ban for punching West Brom’s Claudio Yacob, but Mauricio Pochettino, who has verbally agreed to extend his contract with Spurs till 2021, will be counting on his leading goal scorer, Harry Kane, to deliver the goods for him.

Pedro has only good words left to say for the Spurs striker who has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season. The Spain international added:

“Harry Kane has shown his class over a couple of years now and scored a lot of goals in the League.

“He is an excellent player because he is tall, physically strong, but also technical. He is their main threat going forward but they have many players coming in from behind and playing on the wings.

As for his own performance, Pedro initially struggled to make a strong impact in England since joining from Barcelona, but seems to have settled in nicely now. It has been a tough season for him and for Chelsea, but he wants to finish the season on a high.

Pedro enjoyed a trophy laden career at Barcelona, where won the La Liga, Spanish Cup and Champions League with the Blaugrana, but finds himself in a different situation this season. Chelsea were knocked out of all four competitions by March, and to make the matter worse, they won’t be playing in the Champions League next season as well.

“It’s been very strange for me that I am not fighting for trophies this year,” he said. “It is not something I’m used to. I have never been in this position before, people know about my past in Barcelona.

“But it is just a blip for Chelsea. It is the first time in many years that Chelsea have been in this situation.

“All of the players and the club in general are looking forward to changing what happened this year. We want to put the club back where it belongs. The same players will be here, plus a few signings, so we will certainly be able to challenge for more titles.”

Pedro sincerely hopes that Chelsea will return strongly next season under new manager Antonio Conte. The former Juventus manager who has signed a three year deal with the Blues, met with the Chelsea players earlier this month and left a strong impression on them.

“He is a great coach and that is why the club have put their faith in him for the future.

“He came to the training ground and watched us in training, met the players as well. But we are still thinking about the here and now, playing against Tottenham and the other games to come. We want to do something for our fans who have stood by us all year.”

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Dortmund's Marco Reus mocks Bayern Munich on Twitter, then deletes message

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Dortmund's Marco Reus mocks Bayern Munich on Twitter, then deletes message - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus was in no mood to miss an opportunity of taking a sly dig at their fierce rival Bayern Munich, after the German giants lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League first leg semi final at Vicente Calderon.

Despite dominating loads of possession, and were superior in almost every department of the game in terms of statistics, Bayern had failed to breach Atletico’s defence, after Saul Niguez gave the host an early lead.

Reus grabbed a screenshot of the statistics from the match and posted on social networking site Twitter, adding “Statistics don’t mean much if this is the result.”

The German forward quickly deleted the post, but he was not quick enough to stop someone from grabbing a screenshot of his post beforehand. Check the image below, courtesy Spanish publication AS:

reus

 

[post under social media]

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Liverpool in 'advanced talks' with La Liga outfit to sign 6ft 3in defender

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Liverpool in 'advanced talks' with La Liga outfit to sign 6ft 3in defender - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori has been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.

The highly talented Portuguese defender has failed to make his mark since joining the Reds under Brendan Rodgers from Liga Sagres.

According to a report from Football Insider, Liverpool are in advanced talks with La Liga outfit Deportivo La Coruna in order to secure a permanent summer transfer away from Merseyside.

The talented centre back spent some time on loan in La Liga earlier and impressed with Granada. Later he was loaned out to Bordeaux and Aston Villa as well.

The former Sporting player will now look to end his Liverpool nightmare and head to Deportivo where he plans to kick-start his stagnating career.

When Ilori joined Liverpool in 2013, he was highly rated within the game and had attracted a lot of attention especially due to his remarkable pace as a defender.

Although Liverpool are looking to offload the likes of Toure and Skrtel this summer, the Reds still have to develop the likes of Joe Gomez and with Matip coming in, it is highly unlikely that Ilori will get a chance to revive his Liverpool career.

A move away is best for all parties involved.

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Man Utd to offer €45m for La Liga star after recommendation from Mendes

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Man Utd to offer €45m for La Liga star after recommendation from Mendes - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester United have been linked with a quite a few central midfielders lately.

The Red Devils are also expected to make a move for the likes of Renato Sanches and Toni Kroos this summer. It seems that a central midfield signing is definitely on the cards at Old Trafford this summer.

Super agent Jorge Mendes has apparently urged Manchester United to look at his client Saul Niguez.

Apparently Mendes has informed United that if they sign the young Atletico midfielder, they can have a great player for a decade.

The Spanish midfielder from Atletico Madrid has been earning rave reviews for his performances in Europe this season. Recently his outstanding solo goal against Bayern Munich also raised eyebrows.

Mendes has good relations with Manchester United and has worked with the Old Trafford outfit in the past during the transfers of several star players including De Gea and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Saul is a phenomenal talent and one of the most complete central midfielders his age right now.

It will be interesting to see if Manchester United make a move for him this summer. But if they do decide to take Mendes’ advice and sign the player, they would be getting a future world class midfielder.

Manchester United have failed to replace club legend Paul Scholes ever since he retired and someone like Saul could definitely fill that void, even though he is not the same type of player.

Furthermore, Saul is on the cusp of being considered as an elite talent and if United act quickly they might still get to sign him for a reasonable fee.

Reports from Spain are claiming that Manchester United fully trust Mendes’ judgement and are willing to pay upto 45 million Euros (the player’s release clause) for the Spaniard this summer.

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