Football Blog (Page 209)

[ad_1] West Ham United are scouring Europe for potential midfield transfer targets, 90min understands, and have been impressed by Eredivisie duo Edson Alvarez and Ibrahim Sangare. The Hammers were one of the more active teams in the summer transfer window, adding the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Lucas Paqueta, Thilo Kehrer and Emerson Palmieri to David Moyes’ previously threadbare squad en route to a net spend of just under £150m. Central midfielder Flynn Downes was another addition to Moyes’ ranks, joining from Championship side Swansea, and the 23-year-old has impressed in his eight appearances to date – the majority of which have come in the EuropaRead More →

[ad_1] Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin has welcomed the prospect of once again going up against NYCFC in the Eastern Conference Final. The two sides met at the same stage of the Playoffs last year, with NYCFC coming out 2-1 winners at Subaru Park thanks to Talles Magno’s 88th-minute strike. The Cityzens then went all the way to lift MLS Cup, beating the Portland Timbers on penalties in the final. However, the Union had no fewer than 11 players missing due to health and safety protocols this time last year, with key figures like Alejandro Bedoya, Andre Blake, Jack Elliott, and Kai Wagner allRead More →

[ad_1] The World Cup is on the horizon, but there’s still plenty of club football to plough through before we get there (a message I’m sure managers will be drilling into their players’ heads). There are some big movers in this week’s power rankings, while two teams have entered the top ten for the first time in what is surely the highpoint of their respective seasons. Let’s tuck in… United had a great week / Alex Pantling/GettyImages Erik ten Hag’s stock is sky-high. He oversaw Manchester United’s enthralling 2-0 win against Tottenham, metaphorically bodied Cristiano Ronaldo and then saw his team claim a 96th-minute equaliserRead More →

[ad_1] Bernardo Silva has stressed his commitment to Manchester City this year but has left the door open for a move away in the summer. The Portugal international was keen to leave the club during the summer, with Barcelona keen to get a deal done, but the cost of any potential transfer was far too much for the Catalan side after their hectic summer. 90min understands that Barcelona have made it clear to Silva that they plan to reignite their interest in 2023, with sources confirming that the Blaugrana are keen to get a deal done as soon as possible – perhaps even in January.Read More →

[ad_1] Edwin van der Sar has confirmed that Ajax wasted little time in rejecting Arsenal’s summer bid for centre-back Lisandro Martinez before his eventual move to Manchester United. The Argentine endured a tricky start to life in England but has enjoyed some excellent performances in recent weeks, living up to the expectations that came with his £56.7m move from Amsterdam during the summer. Ajax had planned on keeping Martinez following the departure of manager Erik ten Hag to United, and Van der Sar has now confessed that a bid from Arsenal was rejected earlier in the window. “It was our opinion they should stay forRead More →

[ad_1] 90min rounds up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating around the world… Manchester City are interested in striking a deal to sign Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, who has struggled to replicate his best form at Stamford Bridge. (Simon Phillips) As he approaches the end of his Borussia Dortmund contract, Youssoufa Moukoko is leaning towards joining Liverpool, who are ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race for the young striker’s signature. (Sport) Manchester United have offered a €6.5m-a-year contract to AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who is also wanted by Tottenham and Newcastle United. (Calciostyle) Arsenal have cooledRead More →

[ad_1] Austin FC booked their place in the Western Conference Final with a 2-1 win over Texas rivals FC Dallas on Sunday evening. Having already seen off Real Salt Lake on penalties in their MLS Cup Playoffs debut, the Verde and Black were the heavy favorites in front of another sold-out crowd at Q2 Stadium. And it didn’t take long for Josh Wolff’s side to assert their dominance, taking a 1-0 lead through Moussa Djitte after some heavy pressure in the 26th minute. Just three minutes later, Sebastian Driussi carved open the Dallas defense and finished into the far corner to give ATX a convincingRead More →

[ad_1] Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win at home to Athletic Club on Sunday night, securing impressive back-to-back wins following El Clasico disappointment. Ousmane Dembele put Athletic to the sword from the off and headed Barcelona in front, before turning provider for Sergi Roberto to double the lead. Robert Lewandowski got in on the act for the hosts, who were in complete control and eased their way into half-time with the game essentially won already. With the hard yards already ran, Xavi’s side dropped the tempo somewhat in the second half and played the game at a canter. Athletic failed to capitalise on that despiteRead More →

[ad_1] The reigning Major League Soccer champions are through to the next round.  New York City FC triumphed 3-1 over CF Montreal on Sunday at Saputo Stadium, as goals from Heber, Talles Magno and Maximiliano Moralez secured their ticket to the Eastern Conference final.  It only took NYCFC six minutes to earn the lead, opening up the scoring with a header by Maxi Moralez into an empty net. A collective offensive effort by NYCFC inspired the goal, as Heber and Gabriel Pereira worked together to push forward and drag Montreal defenders to the right, leaving Moralez completely open to find the back of the net. Read More →

[ad_1] Mikel Arteta admitted his Arsenal side dropped their performance levels as Southampton fought back to earn a draw on Sunday. Granit Xhaka had given the Gunners the lead with a well-taken finish from Ben White’s cross, but Stuart Armstrong brought the Saints level by firing beyond Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal dropped points for just the second game in 11 outings. Arteta’s side remain at the top of the Premier League table with a two-point lead over Manchester City and the former midfielder said he had no disputes over the final result. “No complaints. This is football. We were really good in the first halfRead More →