Rumour Has It: Man City continue to make Messi plans, Guardiola closer to extension

Manchester City are reportedly making plans to sign Lionel Messi next year.

Messi, 33, sensationally requested to leave Barcelona during the close season, but ended up staying with the LaLiga giants.

However, the six-time Ballon d Or winner is out of contract at the end of the season and City continue to eye the star forward.

 

TOP STORY – MAN CITY CONTINUE TO MAKE MESSI PLANS

Manchester City are making plans to sign Barcelona captain Messi, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The report says the Premier League giants are trying to attract Messi with the idea of playing in England before finishing his career with fellow City Football Group (CFG) club New York City in MLS.

 El City prepara dos tentaciones para convencer a Messi

Borussia Dortmund want Aarons

According to a recent report from Sky Sports News, Borussia Dortmund are the latest club to enter themselves into the race to try and sign Norwich City defender Max Aarons. 

There is a continually growing list of clubs around European football that want to secure the signing of Aarons which includes Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and RB Leipzig. However, most of them want to try and get a deal over the finish line in the summer transfer window as opposed to January. 

Norwich are willing to let the teenager sensation leave the club for a fee believed to be worth around £30 million, with Tottenham contemplating whether or not to try and poach him with a deal that would be agreed upon before the January window ends. 

Either way Norwich Cit…

Chiellini: Juventus has given us all so much, it is time to give back

Giorgio Chiellini insists he and his team-mates are determined to repay the faith shown in them by Juventus and help put their recent struggles behind them.

The Bianconeri bounced back from successive defeats by Chelsea and Atalanta with a routine 2-0 win over bottom side Salernitana in Serie A.

Goals from Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata sealed victory for the visitors at Stadio Arechi. Juve dominated, enjoying 73.9 per cent of the ball, having 18 attempts, with seven on target, and finishing the match with a 92.9 per cent passing accuracy in contrast to their hosts completion rate of 75.9.

Dybala sliced a late penalty over the bar – his first spot-kick miss for Juve since 2017 – but the three points were already assured. 

But despite the win, Juve r…

Hertha confirm talks with World Cup winner Khedira

Sami Khedira is in talks with Hertha Berlin over a return to the Bundesliga, the German club s chief executive has confirmed.

Juventus midfielder Khedira is expected to leave the Serie A champions before the transfer window closes on Monday.

The contract extension the World Cup winner signed in 2018 is up at the end of the season, but he is set to depart early having failed to appear in a single matchday squad for Juve this term.

Khedira initially had a big impact after joining the Turin club in 2015, scoring 19 goals in 77 games across three successive title-winning Serie A campaigns.

He has since played just 22 times in the competition, suffering with injuries and falling out of favour entirely under rookie coach Andrea Pirlo.

Khedira spoke of a…

From Conte and Tuchel’s clash to Kane’s heroics – Premier League best moments

Erling Haaland had already made history by the time of Ronaldo’s tantrum after his hat-trick in the Manchester derby made it three consecutive trebles at home in the Premier League. More records have tumbled for the Norwegian since with his 20th top-flight goal coming before January and in only 14 matches, both new records, while he recently went past Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s previous joint-feat of scoring the most goals (34) in a Premier League season.

Young Lions soaring

Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka were two of the stars of the World Cup in a brilliant redemption story after the disgusting racist abuse they received after Euro 2020. The duo had shone for United and Arsenal respectively ahead of the mid-season break for the tournament in Qatar and picked up where th…

Injury concerns for Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish ahead of FA Cup final

Pep Guardiola admits he does not know if Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish will be fit for next weekend’s FA Cup final.

Manchester City’s attacking duo, and defender Ruben Dias, missed the1-0 final-day defeat at Brentford through injury.

The champions, who face Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday as they bid to complete the second leg of an historic Treble, were consigned to defeat by Ethan Pinnock’s late goal.

With De Bruyne and Grealish missing completely and Erling Haaland left on the bench, it was a scratch City side and those established stars who did play, like Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, had little impact.

But Guardiola said: “Congratulations to Brentford for the victory. It’s difficult to faze them, how quick they play, how aggress…

Mourinho congratulates Napoli on already winning Scudetto

Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has congratulated Napoli on already wrapping up the Serie A title, despite the season only being halfway complete.

Napoli are 12 points clear of closest challengers Milan at the summit after winning 16 of their opening 19 games and losing just once.

They are just the third different team in Serie A history, after Juventus three times and Inter once, to have won that number of games in the first half of a season.

Roma will look to halt Napoli s momentum at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday, but regardless of the result, Mourinho can only see one outcome in the title race.

I ll say what I always say: they have already won the Scudetto, and deservedly so, Mourinho said at Saturday s pre-match press conference.

Th…

Who is reportedly on Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea wishlist this summer?

Guiding Chelsea to a against Manchester City out in Portugal last weekend, there is no doubt that Thomas Tuchel has made quite the impact at Stamford Bridge since taking charge back in January.

Landing their third straight victory against Pep Guardiola’s domestic champions over the past six weeks, The Blues also lifted their first Champions League title since that famous night in Germany nine years ago.

With last summer’s club-record signing bagging the winner in Porto, it has been widely reported the former PSG boss will be given a real treasure chest worth up to £200million.

With it expected that veteran defender Thiago Silva should be extending his stay in the capital, we have taken a look at three other stars who have been linked with a move to West L…

Inzaghi: Champions League success ´a huge step´ for Serie A

Simone Inzaghi has congratulated Milan and Napoli on joining Inter in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and says it is a huge step for Serie A.

Italy s top flight will have three representatives in the last eight of the competition for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

With Juventus and Roma also through in the Europa League and Fiorentina progressing in the Europa Conference League, six Italian clubs are through to the quarters of UEFA competitions for the third time ever after the 1998-99 and 1990-91 seasons.

Inzaghi, whose Inter side will face Benfica over two legs in the next round, believes it can only be a good thing for Italian football when their teams hold their own on the continent.

We all played great games, he said at a pres…

December 17th: Sunday’s European Double – 3/1 Special, Tips & Predictions

With all of Europe’s elite now at the heart of a stacked winter schedule, Sunday promises a host of heavyweight affairs from across the continent.

On a Sunday fixture list that is highlighted by Manchester United’s trip to historic rivals Liverpool, we have found a pair of intriguing betting markets that are worth keeping an eye out for.

16:30 Liverpool vs Manchester United

While Liverpool might have been left hugely frustrated last season as they missed out on claiming a crucial top-four finish, Jurgen Klopp’s side have come roaring back this time around. Enjoying what has been a major purple patch and firing on all cylinders, the former Borussia Dortmund boss will be smelling the chance for his squad to make another heavyweight statement on Sunday afte…