In honour of Real Madrid's 122nd anniversary, Los Blancos legend Cristiano Ronaldo shared a photo on Instagram that Liverpool fans won't like.
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A report from the continent has claimed that West Ham want to sign a league's rising star player to succeed Jarrod Bowen, despite his new contract.
Bowen, who has starred under manager David Moyes this season, is being rewarded with the club's undoubted faith with the Englishman recently putting pen to paper on a new and improved West Ham contract. The England international has officially put pen to paper on an extension till 2030, which would take Bowen into his 30s when the deal is set to expire.
Bowen is currently the club's top scorer and arguable star player so far alongside summer signing James Ward-Prowse. He also netted the winner in last season's Europa Conference League final to earn West Ham their first trophy since the 1980s.
The former Hull City star has attracted interest from the likes of Jurgen Klopp, according to some Liverpool transfer rumours, but they may now have to pay over the odds to prise Bowen away from the London Stadium next year – if they can atoll. Here's every word Moyes said on Bowen's contract and what it means for the club.
“We’re delighted Jarrod has agreed a new deal. It’s a brilliant piece of business from the club to tie him down to a new long-term contract. His goal in Prague will live long in the memory for everyone connected to West Ham – it’s given him a platform to go from strength to strength and we’re really reaping the benefits, he’s getting better and better. He’s a fantastic boy and an outstanding professional – I’m sure his positive progress will continue over the course of his new contract.”
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten also said this news is absolutely "fantastic" for the club.
“It’s fantastic news," said Steidten. "It’s a sign of the strong position the Club finds itself in when an England international is committing his long-term future to the football club. We’re delighted he’s signed a long-term deal and looking forward to him continuing to flourish at West Ham in the peak years of his career.“
Despite this big development at West Ham, a report from Turkey claims that the Hammers actually want to replace the winger with Galatasaray star Kerem Aktürkoğlu. The left midfielder registered more assists than any other player in the Turkish Super Lig last season, and has gone on to maintain that from over 2023/2024.
Akturkoglu's haul of three goals and four assists is apparently attracting interest from West Ham, who are said to be real admirers.
That is according to Türkiye Newspaper, as relayed by Sabah, who shared the latest West Ham transfer news on Monday. They claimed the morning after Bowen's contract announcement that the player is still expected to join Liverpool for a "large transfer fee" at the end of the season. They say in their picture headlines that West Ham "want Kerem", who they call an "assist king", to "replace Bowen" – and are "seriously" interested in the 24-year-old.
Manchester United and Liverpool have been put on high alert after Julian Nagelsmann revealed when he would likely leave his role as Germany boss.
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Newcastle United are believed to be in the race to sign a highly rated prospect from Dortmund's fabled youth ranks, and he's been called "one of the best" at beating defenders one on one.
The Magpies have enjoyed a highly impressive few weeks of action, having recovered from an iffy start to the season to show their mettle once again. Granted, two points were dropped late in the day at West Ham last weekend, but the 2-2 draw was still a perfectly respectable result, and the 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League is still fresh in the memory of many Newcastle supporters, in what was a legendary night at St James' Park.
What is clear is that Eddie Howe has gradually built a fantastic squad since taking charge, adding quality and depth in all positions, which helped his side finish fourth in the Premier League last season. That's not to say that new faces don't need to be added once the coming transfer window opens, with an opportunity to sign players arising in January.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions however mean that Newcastle can't simply spend whatever they like – Lewis Hall's deal was even intentionally structured to prevent further stress on their finances – and while it is clear that they are in a strong financial position, they will need to be shrewd in the markets once again in 2024.
That shrewd outlook appears to be targeting up and coming players with potential to grow huge sell-on values, as according to Bild [via Metro], delivering a transfer update on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the Magpies are one of the clubs who are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund's latest hot prospect.
Chelsea are also mentioned as potential suitors for the 18-year-old, but it is Arsenal who are the overriding favourites to snap him up, according to the report. Bynoe-Gittens only signed a new deal with Dortmund last week, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028, so it isn't going to be easy to prise him away.
It is exciting to see Newcastle be in the conversation for the teenage winger, especially from a club so renowned for producing top talents, and it shows how far they have come in recent years, in terms of being in the picture to sign such players against the likes of the Gunners and Blues.
Dortmund teammate Karim Adeyemi has spoken highly of Bynoe-Gittens' playstyle in the past, describing him as "one of the best" when it comes to taking on defenders in isolation: "He has no fear. For me, he is one of the best players one-against-one I have ever seen, to be honest. He will be a really good player."
This illustrates what an enormous talent Bynoe-Gittens is, and the hope is that he will enjoy a similar trajectory to another fellow English player who shone at Dortmund in Jude Bellingham.
It seems clear that Arsenal are leading the way to sign the former Manchester City youth team ace – who has won one cap for England's Under-21s to date – but the lure of St James' is clear these days, with that stunning aforementioned win over PSG showing what a top side Newcastle are and what a fantastic following they have.
Patrick Mahomes, accompanied by his wife Brittany, graced the opening of the Kansas City Current's state-of-the-art stadium on NWSL season opener.
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West Ham United have made a solid start in the Premier League this season, sitting on 14 points and above the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United after eight games. The Hammers have also impressed in Europe, winning both of their Europa League games so far. After flirting with relegation last season, David Moyes will be both relieved and excited by his side's change of fortune in England's top flight.
The Scot could yet add even more improvements in the January transfer window, too, as West Ham look to book their place in European football for a third consecutive campaign, with scouts sent to watch one particular target.
After losing Declan Rice to Arsenal in the summer transfer window, West Ham's summer spending was wise, and went on welcoming the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus, and Edson Alvarez, all of whom have hit the ground running at the London Stadium.
|
Player |
Price |
|
Mohammed Kudus |
€43m (£37m) |
|
Edson Alvarez |
€38m (£33m) |
|
James Ward-Prowse |
€35m (£30m) |
|
Konstantinos Mavrapanos |
€20m (£17m) |
|
Andy Irving |
€2m (£2m) |
Much of the credit for the Hammers' smart spending deserves to go to the recruitment team at the London Stadium, who could yet make more moves come the January transfer window, which could include welcoming a left-back.
The latest West Ham transfer news has claimed that the club have sent scouts to watch Guilherme Arana in his country's recent draw against Venezuela. According to 90min, the London club, alongside Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers, watched Arana, as the battle to secure his signature commenced.
West Ham's interest in the Atletico Mineiro left-back is reportedly the most advanced, which could result in a January move, as they potentially look to life without Aaron Cresswell. When the winter transfer window opens, the Brazilian certainly looks like one to keep an eye on.
Earning a consistent place in the Brazil squad, Arana has endured an impressive rise as of late and remains an important part of Atletico Mineiro's side after recovering from a long-term injury. So far this season, the left-back has made 20 appearances for his side, earning the interest of the likes of West Ham, in the process. As a result of his performances in Brazil, Arana has earned plenty of praise, including from Zach Lowy, who previously posted on X:
"Arana joined Sevilla in Jan 2018, and, having left Brazil after the holiday season, arrived in Spain overweight. Took a while to get into prime fitness and lose weight, but never really fit into Sevilla’s side. That said, he was a different animal in Brazil, deadly going forward."
Arana's stats are some impressive numbers, too. According to FBref, Arana wins 1.39 aerial duels per 90, attempts just over 63 passes per 90, and makes 1.55 interceptions per 90, with all three stats in the top 70 percentile compared to other left-backs at a similar level. With that said, West Ham may have identified a talented player, making January all the more interesting.
Lionesses star Chloe Kelly joined the final leg of a 178-mile walk to Anfield to raise awareness for motor neurone disease (MND) on Monday.
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Farhad Moshiri's seven years as owner of Everton football club have been chaotic, to say the least.
Record-breaking transfers, relegation battles and a whole host of managerial sackings have all culminated in their demise towards the foot of the Premier League table and while moving into a state-of-the-art stadium in 2024 could transform their mood, it could have the opposite effect if the Toffees are a Championship club by that point.
The Toffees have survived relegation by the skin of their teeth in recent campaigns and unless Sean Dyche somehow performs some miracles, another battle against the drop is on the cards.
Unfortunately, the main reason for their downward spiral has been their constant lapses of misjudgement in the transfer market, paying the price for shelling obscene amounts of cash on disappointing talent.
The likes of Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Sandro Ramirez, Yannick Bolasie, Davy Klaasen and Cenk Tosun – a list that is by no means exhaustive – have all foregrounded the bitterly disappointing transfer strategy that has been carried out since Moshiri took to the helm.
Everton have ultimately fallen victim to throwing money down the drain on talent that promised to deliver so much and it was the arrivals of Bolasie and Morgan Schneiderlin in 2016/17 that kickstarted this trend.
Everton captured the defensive midfielder for £24m from Manchester United in January 2017, reuniting him with former manager Ronald Koeman, who he spent a season under at Southampton.
The Frenchman originally left St Mary's for Old Trafford in 2015 for a similar fee but struggled to make inroads into the first team during Jose Mourinho's time in charge.
He only featured on 47 occasions for the club and struggled to hold down his place in the matchday squad, perhaps foreshadowing how the rest of his career would plan out.
Departing the club in acrimonious circumstances, Schneiderlin later revealed that he "lost himself as a player" at Man United due to a multitude of reasons, but it was the demands set by then manager Louis van Gaal that affected him the most.
He said: "It was not just the manager's fault, it was my fault, too. My role was not the one I had at Southampton. I felt restricted in my game. I felt they wanted to change things in me. I was not thinking as me, I was thinking about what pleased the coach.
"When you reach that point, every pass you make, everything you do, you don't play free. Something stopped me from being who I was. I wanted so much to do well and it is one of the most frustrating things ever."
Having lost himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world, the Frenchman struggled to recapture the form that saw him burst onto the scene at Southampton as a youngster, and pay back the original price tag with exceptional performances.
Schneiderlin arrived at Everton when Ronald Koeman was spearheading their charge towards Europe and he would have expected the 27-year-old, at the time, to become the anchor of their ship.
A tough-tackling defensive midfielder with a sublime passing range, Schneiderlin boasted the desirable ingredients for a European charge in the Dutchman's possession-based style.
The 6 foot 1 anchorman had previously showcased an ability to recycle possession for his team, caress line-breaking passes through to his attackers and read the game superbly to sniff out danger.
Those were all attributes that saw Rio Ferdinand earmark him as a replacement for Michael Carrick at Man United and Koeman partnered him next to the energetic and tenacious midfielder, Idrissa Gueye.
Although he promised to deliver those sought-after attributes for the Toffees, instead the Frenchman, quite simply, didn't endear himself well to the Goodison Park faithful and this was embodied by his lack of discipline on and off the field. In 88 appearances for the club, he was shown 14 yellow cards and three red cards, channelling his aggression in the wrong way.
Given his subpar performances, Schneiderlin's exit was mooted for a while, but it didn't happen till the summer of 2020 as OGC Nice paid £2m to lure him back to France.
During his three-and-a-half-year stint at the club, he earned a whopping £22.8m in wages, as per Capology.
Indeed, when adding his initial transfer fee of £24m to that total, Schneiderlin drained Everton of a staggering £46.8m, as the club's finances took a monumental hit without significant returns on the pitch.
|
Everton's highest earners 2016/17 |
Weekly wage |
|---|---|
|
Morgan Schneiderlin |
£120k |
|
Romelu Lukaku |
£90k |
|
Yannick Bolasie |
£75k |
|
Kevin Mirallas |
£70k |
|
Ashley Williams |
£70k |
Remarkably, the Frenchman's wage of £120k per week saw him become the club's highest earner after signing in the 2016/17 campaign. He was on more money than several key players in the squad, including Romelu Lukaku, Idrissa Gueye and Ross Barkley.
Schneiderlin unfortunately symbolises Everton's habit of draining the club's resources on woeful talent.
Since leaving Goodison Park in 2020, the 33-year-old has become a journeyman, plying his trade in three different countries.
Having made 59 appearances for Ligue 1 giants OGC Nice, he moved to the other side of the world to sign for Western Sydney Wanderers, but only made 11 appearances in the A-League before packing his bags once more and relocating to Greek Super League side, A.E Kifisias.
While his career has taken a downward spiral, much like Everton's fortunes, Schneiderlin admitted in a recent interview during his brief time in Australia that he could still be at Manchester United if he played to his full potential, as per the Daily Mail.
He said: "I know if I played to my full potential, with freedom, I would not be in Australia right now.
"Maybe I would still be at Manchester United. When I signed, I wanted to be a legend there. That is why I am mad with myself and it will be hard until the end of my life.
"My friends ask, 'Why are you saying this?' But I know myself and what I can bring. I know this time at Manchester United affected me for the longest period in my career. I was so frustrated I couldn't give what I wanted."
The Frenchman failed to recapture the form that saw him become one of several big-money departures out of Southampton and ultimately, never recovered from his damaging spell at Man United, nor his disastrous time at Everton.
Chelsea reportedly have no plans to sell Reece James but Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah could be sold to stave off financial breaches.
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Manchester City midfielder Rodri has revealed he needs some time to rest after an uncharacteristically shoddy display against Real Madrid.
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