All posts by h716a5.icu

Inter Miami are MLS Cup “favourites because of Lionel Messi”, says David Beckham’s former LA Galaxy team-mate Robbie Keane.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Herons boast star-studded squadArgentine icon a talismanic presenceExpected to compete on multiple frontsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Herons collected a first major trophy in 2023 as eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi inspired them to Leagues Cup glory within weeks of his arrival in the United States. An untimely injury prevented him from steering the Florida-based outfit into the play-offs.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi is expected to push Inter Miami into contention for silverware on multiple fronts in 2024, with domestic and continental honours there to be chased down by the most-decorated player of all-time. He will not have things all his own way, with the Galaxy and a number of other ambitious outfits determined to block his path, but the Argentine icon will take some stopping.

WHAT KEANE SAID ABOUT MLS

Three-time MLS Cup winner Keane admits as much, with the Irishman telling : “I’ll be watching MLS this season, as I always do. It was a big part of my career, being there five-and-a-half years and winning three championships, so I always look out for LA Galaxy. They haven’t had the best time in the last couple of years and with the history of the club they should be always fighting for the play-offs and the chance to win the MLS Cup. We know how difficult that league can be, but I hope they can hit a bit of form and get to the play-offs this season. You’d have to say Inter Miami are the favourites because of Messi. He’s a top player, and you look at the players that they’ve brought in, with the Barcelona guys coming back and Luis Suarez now there as well, it will be interesting to see. They’ve definitely got every chance to win the MLS Cup, no question about it.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & INTER MIAMI?

Inter Miami are off to a winning start in 2024, having overcome Real Salt Lake in their season opener, and will be in California on Sunday – with the potential for more A-list guests in Hollywood – when they line up against the Galaxy.

Jude Bellingham scored a stunning solo effort as he returned to Real Madrid training from ankle injury.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Bellingham rejoined Real Madrid trainingScored a brilliant individual goalSuffered ankle injury against GironaWHAT HAPPENED?

Bellingham has remained out of action since Real Madrid's La Liga encounter against Girona on February 10 where suffered an ankle strain. The English midfielder has now successfully recovered from his injury and re-joined the club's training on Friday where he scored a brilliant individual goal.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The England international has enjoyed a rich vein of form since moving to Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. He has scored 20 goals across all competitions in 29 appearances and has provided eight assists. In his last game for the club, Bellingham had netted a brace as his side thrashed in-form Girona 4-0.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JUDE BELLINGHAM?

The 20-year-old could make it into Carlo Ancelotti's matchday squad on Saturday as La Liga leaders take on Valencia in a crucial encounter.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Ugurcan Cakir to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to former Turkish international Ali Kemal Denizci, who claimed in a recent interview with Radyospor (via Leeds Live) that both Leeds and Newcastle United are lining up a move for the Trabzonspor goalkeeper at the end of the current campaign.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Denizci goes on to claim that the 26-year-old is keen on leaving Turkey after helping his side lift their first Turkish Super Lig title for 38 years, with the Whites and the Magpies looking to be the most likely destinations for the 18-time capped Turkey international.

“One to keep an eye on”

While it is undeniable that Illan Meslier is a fantastic young goalkeeper with an incredibly exciting future in the game, considering just how impressive Cakir has been for Trabzonspor in recent years, it is easy to see why Victor Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the shot-stopper to Elland Road this summer.

Indeed, over his 35 Super Lig appearances this season, the £16.2m-rated talent was imperious between the Trabzonspor sticks, keeping ten clean sheets, as well as making an average of 3.5 saves – the joint third-most in the league – and conceding just 0.9 goals per game.

These returns have seen the £22k-per-week shot-stopper who Conor McGilligan dubbed both “incredible” and “one to keep an eye on” average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as Abdullah Avci’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of Turkish football.

As such, while it would reportedly take an offer in the region of $50m (£40m) to secure the signing of the 26-year-old this summer, should Leeds go on to seal their place in the Premier League ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, this would appear to be a price well worth paying for Orta – as Cakir would undoubtedly help to shore up the Whites’ incredibly leaky defence next season.

AND in other news: Leeds handed huge boost as early Brentford team news emerges, Marsch will be buzzing

Bruno Lage has endured a decent first season as manager of Wolves, leading them to their third top-half finish in the Premier League since being promoted in 2018.

The next aim for the Portuguese manager is to lead his side into the European places next term and with a major rebuilding job potentially on the cards this summer, it might well turn into reality.

With Wolves playing the last game of their season away to title challengers Liverpool on Sunday, the supporters will want to end the campaign on a high, although Lage may have pleased the Molineux faithful already with one recent development.

Addressing the possibility of transfer activity in the summer, Lage explained: “Maybe we need two or three players to increase the quality and number of players in our squad.

“We cannot let what happened two years ago when it’s hard to replace a player like Raul (Jimenez).”

Wolves fans will love to hear it

These comments suggest that Lage is aiming to bring in a number of players first before there will be any outgoings at Wolves, something which will surely delight the Old Gold support.

With Ruben Neves’ future remaining uncertain following what looked like an emotional farewell at Molineux last week, and Joao Mourinho’s contract expiring at the end of the season, then it’s clear that Lage will need to act fast to bring in potential replacements.

The club have recently been linked with high-calibre players such as Joao Palhinha and Sebastian Rode, and these targets could enhance the Wolves squad ahead of what could be a massive 2022/23 campaign at Molineux.

Whatever happens, Lage has endeared himself to much of the Wolves support with his solid first season in charge, and if it weren’t for a late collapse due to some poor results, then he might even have a European campaign to anticipate later in the year.

For now, the Molineux faithful can content themselves with the manager’s burning desire not to be left short on quality or quantity within his squad once the 2022/23 season gets underway.

AND in other news, Wolves plotting bid for “special” £25m gem who “rules midfield”, Lage will love him

Celtic are reportedly edging closer to signing Portuguese starlet Jota on a permanent deal, with the winger having dazzled on loan for the Hoops this season.

What’s the word?

As per the Daily Record, a deal for the 23-year-old is expected to be confirmed this week following a ‘final round of talks’, with parent club Benfica set to sanction his departure on a £6.5m deal.

The Lisbon-born gem was a relative unknown prior to his deadline day arrival on a season-long loan deal last summer, although has since proven instrumental in the Glasgow outfit’s tenth Scottish Premiership triumph of the last 11 seasons.

While not yet confirmed, the imminent permanent deal could prove vital to Ange Postecoglou’s side retaining their title next term, as they also attempt to navigate their way through the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2017.

The next Jinky?

It would no doubt be a travesty for all concerned were the £4.95m-rated speedster not to be at Parkhead next season, although all the indications are that he will be, handing him the chance to truly solidify his emerging cult status.

The fleet-footed wideman has proven a revelation in Glasgow thus far, notably netting ten goals and registering a further ten assists in the Scottish top-flight in the 2021/22 campaign, with such form seeing him dubbed “unbelievable” by the man who brought him to the club, Postecoglou.

The £7.1k-per-week playmaker has caught the eye of fans and pundits alike with his dynamic displays and bravery in possession, with pundit Owen Hargreaves praising the loanee for being so “direct” in his play.

Whisper it quietly, but such eyecatching showings have even evoked memories of a figure entrenched in the club’s folklore and one of the Old Firm outfit’s legendary ‘Lisbon Lions’ – Jimmy Johnstone.

Affectionately nicknamed ‘Jinky’ for his ability to bamboozle defenders with both trickery and cunning, the former Scotland international remains an iconic figure both in his home country and beyond, having notably been dubbed the “Flying Flea” by the French press following a particularly standout display against Nantes.

A star of the ’60s and ’70s at Celtic Park – having risen through the club’s youth ranks  – the European Cup winner is arguably the greatest and most talented player to have adorned the famous green and white jersey, playing an integral role as Jock Stein’s side claimed nine successive league titles between 1965 and 1974.

Such is his importance to the history of the team and its supporters, he was even immortalised with a statue outside the club’s home ground in 2008, with the legendary status of Jimmy ‘Jinky’ Johnstone set to be retained for generations to come.

To replicate the success of such a club hero may appear unlikely, although in Jota, Postecoglou has seemingly uncovered his own one-of-a-kind, unique diamond, with it an exciting thought as to just how high the young man can go.

For those of a Celtic persuasion, they will be praying that his development can continue in Scotland as the club enjoys further success over the years to come. Perhaps more importantly, however, will be the hope that he can simply continue to entertain, as the great Johnstone so often did…

IN other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho still faces an uncertain future with the 35-year-old’s contract set to expire next month with manager Bruno Lage keen to keep the Portuguese veteran on.

What’s the story?

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness) who claim that Lage has asked the Wolves hierarchy to offer Moutinho a new contract whilst Europa Conference League winners AS Roma are reportedly keen.

Roma, managed by ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho, have offered the 35-year-old the opportunity to take on a new challenge in Italy with his fellow countryman Mourinho reportedly appreciative of ‘the characteristics and personality of the player.’

Moreover, there is a suggestion that Moutinho could become the Portuguese manager’s assistant in the future with the midfielder turning 36 in September.

Lage will be furious

Although some supporters will accept the idea of Moutinho leaving as a free agent, Lage will be furious that his wishes to keep the experienced midfielder at Molineux have been ignored if a contract extension isn’t offered.

Despite not being a long-term option for Wolves, the £100k-per-week Moutinho has been excellent since arriving from Monaco in 2018, making 176 appearances for the Golden Boys in his four seasons in the Black Country.

Furthermore, Match of the Day commentator Gary Mowbray once referred to the midfielder as being a “Rolls-Royce.” 

With 144 caps for Portugal alongside a total of 774 club appearances, Moutinho’s experience is second-to-none and therefore his potential departure will certainly be a major blow.

Moreover, it appears likely that fellow midfielder Ruben Neves will be seeking a new challenge after five years at Wolves, with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal keen on the 25-year-old.

Therefore, if both Moutinho and Neves are to depart, Wolves will need to put together a brand new midfield which will certainly be a risk.

However, it could also provide Lage with the opportunity to build a team of players he wants with the vast majority of the current squad players he inherited.

The 35-year-old’s Molineux farewell was always going to come within the next year or two but to have his request of offering the midfielder a contract extension ignored, Lage will be furious if his fellow countryman leaves as a free agent.

AND in other news: Negotiations underway: Lage handed big Wolves transfer boost that supporters will love

West Ham have been heavily linked with Leeds United talisman Kalvin Phillips in recent months, with the Hammers targeting a midfield partner for Declan Rice.

However, their chances of signing him took a hit when the Yorkshire side maintained their Premier League status on the final day and it would seemingly take a huge bid to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.

While fans might have been hoping to see Rice and Phillips play together, as they did so successfully for England at the European Championships last summer, it seems unlikely that the Hammers will be able to keep Rice at the club for his whole career.

The 23-year-old recently rejected an eight-year contract from the club and has been widely tipped to return to Chelsea in the near future, having spent much of his youth career at Stamford Bridge.

Fortunately for David Moyes, the club may already have a ready-made replacement for Rice in Conor Coventry.

The academy graduate has captained various West Ham youth sides and has experience out on loan with Peterborough in the Championship and MK Dons and Lincoln City in League One.

Last season was his most successful loan yet, as the 22-year-old helped MK Dons earn a spot in the playoff positions, making 22 appearances for Liam Manning’s side, in which he contributed one goal and one assist, averaging an impressive 6.8 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas was full of praise for Coventry in 2020, saying:

“Conor Coventry’s an exciting talent. He’s definitely someone Moyes is aware of.”

After a strong spell in League One last season, another year of regular football in the Championship could be exactly what Coventry needs before he can start to establish himself in Moyes’ first-team squad.

Although the club would receive a significant amount if Rice were to leave and fans might expect a big-money signing as his replacement, Coventry stood out in a strong MK Dons side next season as one of their best tacklers, dribblers and passers, which suggests that he has the attributes to replace Rice in the future, so he deserves a chance to show what he can do.

And, in other news… West Ham should seal move for PL gem, Moyes needs him

An update has emerged on Tottenham’s pursuit of Pervis Estupinan in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Marca, Fabio Paratici is now eyeing a deal to sign the left-back from Villarreal alongside an interest in landing his teammate Pau Torres.

The report claims that the Spanish team are open to cashing in on the £15m machine as they see this as a great opportunity to make money off of their Champions League run in 2021/22.

Silenced Robert Lewandowski

Estupinan would be an excellent addition to the squad to compete with Ryan Sessegnon as he is a young talent who has caught the eye with his displays in Europe.

Villarreal beat Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the Ecuador international helped to silence Lewandowski in a 1-0 win at home in the first leg.

The Polish centre-forward played the full 90 minutes and blanked in front of goal as he registered one shot on target and ended the match with a SofaScore rating of 6.6.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Estupinan made an eye-catching six clearances, one interception and three tackles throughout the game as he impressed at left-back to ensure that Lewandowski, or any of his teammates, did not get anything out of him.

Football Consultant Reece Chambers previously dubbed him “really impressive” and that is exactly what he was in that clash with the Bundesliga giants as he silenced the legendary striker.

He was also superb in Villarreal’s other Champions League outings as he made ten appearances in the competition last term, making 2.9 tackles and interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game – winning the ball back for his team on a regular basis.

These statistics suggest that he was defensively solid throughout the tournament, whereas Sessegnon made 2.2 tackles and interceptions and 1.5 clearances per match in the Premier League.

At the age of 24, Estupinan would also be a player Antonio Conte can work with over time to develop him into the perfect full-back for his system. He is a player with the potential to improve as he is yet to reach the peak years of his career and he would, therefore, be an investment by the club whilst also making an impact in the here and now.

Spurs will be playing in the Champions League next season and he has proven that he can be a solid defender in Europe’s top competition.

AND in other news, Paratici and Conte now eyeing Spurs swoop for £45m-rated “machine”, he’s Eriksen 2.0…

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United transfer target Rasmus Kristensen.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic journalist revealed that, following numerous reports claiming that a deal for the Red Bull Salzburg right-back was all but done, the 24-year-old is now travelling to Leeds in order to complete a medical – with the Denmark international expected to officially become Victor Orta’s second summer signing by Wednesday evening.

Hay went on to state that the full-back looks set to put pen to paper on a five-year deal at Elland Road, with his transfer fee believed to be in the region of £10m.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Assuming his medical goes to plan today, Rasmus Kristensen will be a Leeds United player by the close of play. Five-year contract, fee in the region of £10m.”

When asked whether his medical take place on international duty with Denmark, Hay added: “No, travelling to Leeds. Denmark have a day off today, has been given permission to come here.”

Supporters will be elated

Considering just how exciting a talent Kristensen evidently is, Hay’s update suggesting that the right-back looks set to become the Whites’ second signing of the summer is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful elated.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Indeed, over his 29 Austrian Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £13.5m-rated full-back was in breathtaking form for Matthias Jaissle’s side, scoring seven goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

The £14k-per-week full-back also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Salzburg keep 13 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 clearances and winning 5.7 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per fixture.

These metrics saw the 24-year-old average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as RB’s second-best performer in the league but also as the fourth-best player in the Bundesliga as a whole.

As such, with both Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling facing lengthy spells on the sidelines due to injury, and with Kristensen very much looking to be a remarkable piece of business for just £10m, Hay’s update that Orta is now extremely close to completing the signing of the Dane is undoubtedly fantastic news for Jesse Marsch and supporters of the club alike.

AND in other news: “They’re tempted…”: Phil Hay drops big Leeds transfer hint that supporters will love

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has coached many players throughout his illustrious managerial career.

The one name that has made more appearances than any other figure to have played under Guardiola is Raheem Sterling.

With 292 appearances under the Spaniard, the winger has scored 120 goals and delivered 85 assists in addition to winning numerous domestic titles with the Citizens.

However, it seems as though the Englishman’s journey at the Etihad Stadium could be coming to an end soon as reports have suggested that Sterling would be open to leaving the club.

Should the 27-year-old find himself waving goodbye to the club this summer, this could force City and Guardiola into having to sign a suitable replacement or heir for him.

One player that the Manchester club have been linked with recently that could fit this bill is AC Milan winger Rafael Leao.

In 115 appearances for the Serie A club, the 23-year-old has scored 27 goals and delivered 21 assists across all competitions.

His latest campaign, which ended with Milan lifting the Serie A title, saw the Portugal international find the net 11 times and supply ten assists in 34 league appearances.

This shows just how capable the player is at scoring and creating goals, in a similar way to Sterling, who has 131 strikes and 95 assists to his name during his time as a City player.

To compare the two players from their latest domestic campaigns, Leao made more successful dribbles, crosses and interceptions than the City star, showing how impressive he is with and without the ball.

Labelled as a “pure talent” by Nuno Gomes, Leao reportedly has a price tag of €100m (£86m), which could be worth paying due to his young age and the fact that he has proven how much of a deadly attacking player he can be for one of Europe’s top clubs.

The youngster was also praised for an “extraordinary” goal he scored for Milan with just six seconds on the clock back in December 2020 by journalist Alex Goncalves.

If City do cash in on Sterling this summer, whatever money they potentially get for the England international should then be used on launching a move to sign Leao.

In other news: Pep can land his own Thiago Silva as Man City plot bid for “incredible” £54m “monster”