So now we know: Lionel Messi is leaving Barcelona.
Having pushed hard to force through an exit a year ago, the Argentina superstar appeared set to commit his long-term future to the Spanish club by signing a new deal this offseason.
However, his Camp Nou days now appear over due to economic and structural obstacles , despite reportedly agreeing to take a 50 per cent wage reduction. Put simply, the dire financial situation means Barca cannot keep their prized asset.
Unless there is another dramatic twist to the saga (and we definitely should not rule that out just yet), Messi must find a new home.
So where could the six-time Ballon d Or winner end up? The list of options appears to be short, albeit varied.
Hello, Paris!
Paris Saint-Germa…
According to a recent report from France Football, Nicolas Pepe is going to be the subject of a big bid from Italian side Inter Milan during the summer transfer window. They’re said to be gearing up for a bid in excess of £60 million for the winger, who has also been linked with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool as of late. Lille’s former valuation of the 23 year old was £70 million, although beyond the money, the biggest factor in the mind of the player himself is said to be the chance to play in the Champions League. Pepe is also an Ivory Coast international having made his debut back in 2016, with many considering him to be one of the brightest young talents in world football today.
Pepe has been with Lille since back in 2017 when he made the jump over from …
Andres Iniesta says Barcelona are determined to leave Stamford Bridge with a win over Chelsea in their Champions League semi-final.
The first leg will be held at Stamford Bridge in London ahead of a return leg at the Camp Nou, and Iniesta insists his team will adopt an attacking approach against the Blues.
We will go out with a winning mentality, trying not to commit any mistakes, because they are so costly here, Iniesta said.
We always go out to win, but we have to think that this is a two-legged tie and we have two matches coming up. We will have a tough game on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old scored the decisive goal in 2009 at Stamford Bridge which sent Barca to the Champions League final, and he admitted that he has fond memories of that strike.
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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag “can’t be bothered” with criticism of the job he is doing at Old Trafford and claims he has only been able to pick his strongest team once in 18 months.
The Dutchman delivered an encouraging first season, winning the League Cup and finishing in the top four, but this campaign has been far more difficult.
They were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage and are in a battle to finish in the top six in the Premier League, with his position coming under scrutiny following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority purchase and takeover of the football operations.
Boss ||
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
United can salvage their season by winning the FA Cup and they aim to reach a second successive final…
France striker Olivier Giroud said Les Bleus are aiming to reach at least the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and claimed England are particularly afraid of Didier Deschamps side.
The 1998 winners were drawn in Group C and will face Australia, Peru and Denmark as they look to improve on 2014 s march to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 1-0 by Germany.
Giroud scored four goals in eight appearances as France ran out winners of World Cup qualifying Group A ahead of Sweden and the Netherlands.
The 31-year-old expressed his belief in the talent available to Deschamps, and also indicated he had gauged the mood of the England internationals he plays alongside at Emirates Stadium.
We obviously want to get out of this group, but I have always respected…
Christian Benteke redeemed himself by scoring for the first time this season and ended Crystal Palace s long wait for an away goal as Roy Hodgson s resurgent team defeated Leicester City 3-0 in the Premier League.
Benteke incurred the wrath of his team-mates by taking a penalty against the manager s orders and failing to score in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth last weekend.
The Belgium international made amends by scoring his first goal of the campaign at King Power Stadium, before setting up Wilfried Zaha for the visitors second five minutes before half-time.
Leicester had a goal ruled out and saw Wilfred Ndidi sent off in the second half, as the 2015-16 champions failed to force their way back into the contest, Bakary Sako adding gloss to the scoreline for th…
West Ham United have made a bid for Brentford star Said Benrahma, according to . It has been reported that the Premier League club have offered the Championship side an initial transfer fee of £17 million plus add-ons for the Algeria international, who can play as a winger or as a forward.
Brentford are yet to officially respond to the offer from fellow London club West Ham, although the Bees are looking for close to £25 million as transfer fee. Brentford reached the Championship playoff final last season, while the Hammers narrowly avoided the dreaded drop from the Premier League.
Last season, Benrahma made 42 starts and four substitute appearances in the league for the Bees, scoring 17 goals and providing nine assists in the process, according to . Back in 2018-19, …
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On Saturday afternoon, Mauricio Pellegrino s struggling Saints will make the journey to Craven Cottage for their FA Cup third-round tie. With pressure ever growing on their Argentinian boss, Southampton will be looking to pick up their first win in their last nine attempts.
Fulham
On paper, Fulham boss Slaviša Jokanović should be confident about causing a third-round upset on Saturday afternoon. Currently sat 10th in the Championship table, the Cottagers are still in contention for a playoff spot come the end of the season. Four points adrift of sixth-placed Leeds, the west London sides major problem this year has been their inconsistency. Embarking on a six-match winless run last November, the Cot…
Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi scored in a 2-1 victory over Milan as Liverpool became the first English team to win all six Champions League group games in a single season.
Although they fell behind to a Fikayo Tomori strike, the Reds rallied to round off a perfect group-stage campaign.
And this result meant Milan not only failed to join their opponents in the next round but also missed out on a Europa League spot.
Liverpool saw out a historic win – their first at San Siro against Milan – with little trouble.
5 Mo Salah is the first player to score 20+ goals in five consecutive seasons for Liverpool in all competitions since Ian Rush from 1981-82 to 1986-87 (six in a row). Famous.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Despite knowing the stakes, …
Manchester City are interested in signing Eden Hazard from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 if they are unable to bring Lionel Messi to the Etihad Stadium, according to . It has been reported that City have identified the former Chelsea attacking midfielder as an alternative to Messi.
Premier League giants City are interested in signing Messi in the summer of 2021 when he becomes a free agent at Spanish and European giants Barcelona. The Argentina international worked with City manager Pep Guardiola at Camp Nou.
Hazard joined Madrid from Chelsea in the summer of 2019. The Belgium international, who can also operate as a winger, had injury problems last season and could not make an impact. The former Lille star is not having a great time this season either. According to…