Ousmane Dembele s signing for Barcelona had become emblematic of Josep Maria Bartomeu s turbulent presidency.
An untenably ballooning wage bill saw the club face bankruptcy in the aftermath of Covid-19 restrictions and in a need to cut wages, the French attacker has become an expendable asset.
However, Dembele is reportedly determined to make keeping him at Barcelona more feasible, despite being set to leave at the end of the season.
TOP STORY – DEMBELE OPEN TO BARCELONA WAGE CUT
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Ousmane Dembele is prepared to reduce his salary in order to sign a new contract at Barcelona, Sport reports.
Dembele s agent Moussa Sissoko and the Barcelona board reportedly met and the assertion was m…
There were several European hangovers in the Premier League as an already congested title race tightened up over the weekend.
Tottenham still lead Liverpool on goal difference after respective 1-1 draws at Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Chelsea were beaten at Everton.
Manchester United and Manchester City played out an insipid derby, while Arsenal s miserable domestic campaign continued with a home defeat to Burnley.
Leicester City and Southampton were the big winners, as victories over Brighton and Hove Albion and Sheffield United left them firmly on the heels of the leading duo.
Amid all the action, there are always some points of interest you may have missed. Here are some of the quirkier�…
With battles from across Europe looking like they will go down to the wire, we are treated to another action-packed weekend of fixtures. So, for those of you that are looking to stick on a Saturday accumulator, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday May 13th
BST 13:00 Venezia vs Perugia
While Venezia might have been disappointed after only collecting a 1-1 draw away at Cosenza last weekend, Saturday’s hosts are enjoying what has been a stellar run of form over the past few weeks. Opening May with a rampant display on home soil as they cruised their way to a 5-0 romp against Modena, the mood in Paolo Vanoli’s camp should be at a real high. With their sights firmly set on clinching an immediate Serie A return in 2023…
He wants to come.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta did not mince his words when speaking about the possibility of the Blaugrana signing Raphinha.
Last week, Chelsea struck a deal with Leeds United – reported to be worth around £55million with add-ons taking the total fee to more than £60m – to take the Brazil winger from Elland Road to Stamford Bridge.
That agreement seemingly saw Chelsea pip London rivals Arsenal to the post after a high-profile pursuit.
Yet a deal that seemed set for a swift resolution has, as of yet, not been completed, and that is because, if Laporta is to be believed, the 25-year-old is prioritising a switch not to Stamford Bridge, but Camp Nou.
Barca have been consistently linked to Raphinha, who has established hi…
Borussia Dortmund reportedly intend to try and sign Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig at the end of the season. according to German publication Bild.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper has had a rather illustrious career so far. His journey started in the youth setup of Hungarian club MTK, and he joined Liverpool straight from their Under-18 side in 2008. He spent five years on the books at the Merseyside club, but he never made a single competitive first-team appearance for them and instead, he had loan spells with Hereford United, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City. He left as a free agent in 2013, joining RB Salzburg as a free agent and moved on to their German sister club in 2015. Now he is a regular first choice between the posts and has been a very important part of all the success Leipzi…
Julian Alvarez says it is a privilege to play with Erling Haaland at Manchester City, calling the Norway forward the best in the world .
The two were among the fresh faces at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, brought in to fill an attacking void left by the departure of Sergio Aguero a year prior.
Despite superb form during his final months at River Plate, Alvarez has found himself playing second fiddle to former Borussia Dortmund attacker Haaland, who has been almost unstoppable.
But the Argentina international believes it is an honour to call the Leeds-born forward his team-mate, and thinks the pair will learn from each other over the course of their partnership at City.
First and foremost, it’s a privilege playing with him, Alvarez s…
Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of reaching 1,000 career goals as long as he continues to look after his body, according to Jorge Andrade.
The five-time Ballon d Or winner netted his 900th goal for club and country in Portugal s 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia on 5 September.
Ronaldo then added to his tally with a late winner in the 2-1 victory over Scotland three days later, setting him on his way to reaching the four-figure milestone.
Former Portugal star Jorge Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, backed his compatriot to do just that.
With Cristiano Ronaldo, nothing is impossible, Andrade said to Stats Perform.
Since we ve watched football, the idea of the 1,000 goals is associated with our great ido…
Marco Reus faces a desperate wait to learn whether his Qatar 2022 World Cup ambitions are over after suffering suspected ankle ligament damage.
The Germany forward sustained the blow on Bundesliga duty with Borussia Dortmund in the derby against Schalke on Saturday, having to be stretchered off the pitch during the first half.
His pain was apparent, and with Germany s World Cup opener against Japan less than two months away, Reus may struggle to recover full fitness in time.
Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic said Reus felt severe pain , while match-winner Youssoufa Moukoko said he would hope and pray his team-mate recovers soon.
There is no one I talk to more often than our team doctor at the moment, Terzic said. Today it hit our captain. It is extremely…
Boss Carlo Ancelotti has praised flawless Jude Bellingham as Real Madrid look to go back to the LaLiga summit.
The midfielder’s brace, including a last-minute winner, secured a dramatic 2-1 win at Barcelona last weekend.
Bellingham has 13 goals in 13 games since his £88.5million move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer and is hunting more against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, having won the Kopa Trophy this week as the world’s best player under 21.
Victory will take Real back to the top of LaLiga on goal difference after Girona moved three points clear following Saturday’s 4-2 comeback win at Osasuna.
Beautiful night at the Balond’or for the first time. Very honoured to be awarded with the Kopa Trophy. Thank you to all teammates, members of staff an…
Manchester United have confirmed that defender Willy Kambwala has completed a move to Villarreal in a deal worth £9.9million.
Kambwala, who joined United from French Ligue 2 club Sochaux in 2020, has signed a five-year deal with the La Liga side.
United have a buy-back option for the next three years and a sizeable share of any sell-on fee.
Kambwala had 11 months left on his contract at Old Trafford but refused terms to sign a new one for the Red Devils.
The 19-year-old made 10 Premier League appearances for the Erik ten Hag last season, with his debut coming in a 2-0 defeat to West Ham in December.
United s decision reflects the club s policy of cashing in on academy graduates who are not going to be first-team regulars or are coming out of …