Category: Football (Premier League)

Reputable German journalist Christian Falk suggests that Liverpool might entertain the idea of allowing Mohamed Salah to leave for free rather than selling him to a Saudi Arabian club in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Despite an enticing £150 million offer from Al-Ittihad last summer, Liverpool opted to retain Salah’s services. However, with the looming departure of manager Jürgen Klopp, speculation about Salah’s future at Anfield has intensified.

Falk, the head of the German outlet Bild, reveals that Liverpool remains undecided about Salah’s future. He indicates that the club is willing to forgo a transfer fee in 2025, preferring to let Salah depart on a free transfer, having already recouped the initial investment made in him when he arrived from AS Roma.

Falk stated, as cited by TBR Football:

“Mo Salah might go to Saudi Arabia. In the summer there was an offer, but Liverpool are still not sure whether to let their superstar go. I’ve heard that Liverpool can even imagine letting him go on a free transfer as they’ve already made their money back from what they paid Roma for him.”

Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma for £34.3 million in 2017, Mohamed Salah has established himself as one of the club’s greatest players. With 204 goals and 88 assists in 332 games, the Egyptian has been a prolific contributor to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

In the current season, the 31-year-old has been instrumental in Liverpool’s success, leading the Premier League table with 18 goals and nine assists in 27 appearances across all competitions.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his satisfaction with veteran midfielder Jorginho amid ongoing discussions about extending the player’s contract.

The Brazilian-born Italy international is approaching the final months of his current deal at the Emirates Stadium. However, Arsenal holds the option to prolong his tenure for another year.

Jorginho made the switch to Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea in January 2023, adding his name to the list of players who have transitioned between the two clubs.

Despite receiving limited playing time, the 32-year-old midfielder has emerged as a crucial figure in Mikel Arteta’s squad, contributing his wealth of leadership experience.

During a press conference on February 9, Arteta addressed the potential extension of Jorginho’s contract beyond the current season. While expressing his satisfaction with the player, Arteta emphasized that the decision rests with sporting director Edu and the club’s board. He stated, as quoted by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano:

“I’m really happy with him; that’s all I can say. The contract is for Edu and the board to manage. His impact and his ability to influence big matches are tremendous.”

Since joining Arsenal, Jorginho has featured in 38 matches across all competitions, tallying one goal and two assists.

As the conclusion of his current contract approaches this summer, it remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old will continue his tenure at the Emirates Stadium.

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Roméo Lavia will not be part of Chelsea’s lineup for the Carabao Cup final clash against Liverpool on February 25.

The midfielder has encountered challenges since his move to west London from Southampton for £53 million last summer. An ankle injury shortly after his arrival was followed by a hamstring issue that sidelined him since late December.

Despite joining Chelsea, Lavia has only featured once, playing 32 minutes in the club’s league victory over Crystal Palace on December 27. When asked if Lavia could make an appearance against Liverpool, Pochettino stated in his recent pre-match press conference:

“No. He is not training with the team. He is still recovering. But no, no, impossible. Still not on the pitch.”

Lavia, 20, made 34 appearances for Southampton in the previous season. Before his time with Southampton, he had a stint at Manchester City but only managed two appearances under Pep Guardiola.

Kalvin Phillips has candidly discussed his departure from Manchester City, expressing feelings of being “useless” during his time at the club.

After playing in just four league matches for Manchester City this season, Phillips secured a loan move to West Ham United during the January transfer window. Since joining City from Leeds United in the summer of 2022, he has made only 16 league appearances.

Making his debut as a starter for West Ham against Bournemouth, Phillips’s match was marred by an early mistake. Despite criticism, particularly from Roy Keane following an error against Manchester United, Phillips is gradually regaining match fitness after struggling with a shoulder injury at City.

Reflecting on his time at Manchester City, Phillips admitted feeling “very sad” about leaving the Etihad and confessed to feeling “useless” due to the lack of playing time.

“It’s a massive decision for me and my family, but I think it was a decision that I needed to make because I wasn’t getting much game time,” Phillips shared with West Ham’s official website.

“The one thing that I wanted when I left Man City in January was to be back playing and to be enjoying myself playing football as well.

When you don’t play football for so long, you kind of feel a little bit useless because you’ve not been doing anything. So, for me, it was just more coming to a good club with good fans and just enjoying my football again.”

Despite initial sadness about leaving Manchester City, Phillips quickly shifted his focus to embracing his new opportunity at West Ham.

“I was very sad when I knew that my next step had to be to move on, but I got over that quite quickly and was just more excited than anything to get down here and see the place and see how London is, which is very busy,” he added. “I was very excited to get going.”

Phillips aims to secure a consistent run of games at West Ham to regain his form, with hopes of earning a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

Marco Verratti found himself on the receiving end of a rare yellow card after a referee enforced one of football’s most unusual rules.

This week, IFAB, the lawmakers of football, sparked controversy by announcing trials for sin-binning players and issuing blue cards.

Although sin-bins are already in use at grassroots levels for dissent, their potential expansion to include cynical fouls has stirred debate. Under this rule, players could face a 10-minute stint in the technical area after receiving a blue card.

The news prompted reflection on some of the more peculiar decisions made by referees in top-tier football. One such incident involved then-Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Verratti during a 2-0 victory over Nantes in 2017.

In a moment of audacity, Verratti, in acres of space, chose to dramatically kneel and head the ball back to his goalkeeper, Kevin Trapp, after receiving a pass. Referee Johan Hamel promptly halted play, booked Verratti, and awarded Nantes an indirect free-kick.

The decision left PSG bewildered, but according to the letter of the law, Verratti’s “deliberate trick” had breached the rules.

IFAB’s stance on the matter is clear: “No trickery may be used to get around the terms of the amendment to Law 12.” The rules specify that while a player can pass the ball to their goalkeeper using various body parts, any deliberate trickery to circumvent the law warrants a caution for ungentlemanly conduct.

This rule wasn’t exclusive to Verratti; Inter’s Ivan Perišić also fell afoul of it during a match against Roma, executing two kick-ups before heading the ball back to his goalkeeper, Samir Handanovic.

UK media personality Simon Jordan has launched a scathing attack on former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard following his move to FC Seoul.

Lingard, who had been without a club since parting ways with Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 season, has now surprised many by signing with the South Korean outfit.

Jordan didn’t hold back in his criticism of Lingard, accusing him of squandering his talent and opportunities and prioritizing social media over his footballing career. In an interview with talkSPORT, Jordan expressed his disdain, stating:

“Good riddance to bad rubbish. Wasted his time, wasted his career, wasted his opportunities, wasted his time at Nottingham Forest, wasted Nottingham Forest’s money, and this is the level he’s now at.”

He continued, highlighting Lingard’s potential and past achievements but lamenting his failure to fully capitalize on them:

“Well done. All the talent you had, all the opportunities you’ve had, you’ve played for the biggest club in world football in my view Manchester United and you spent more time worrying about what you look like. Good player. No doubt he’s a good player, but he’s a waste of time now.”

Jordan also criticized Lingard’s attitude, suggesting that his focus on social media antics rather than on-field performance reflected a broader cultural issue within Manchester United during his time there:

“At times he embodied the culture that was going on inside Manchester United with players who were more concerned about what’s happening on social media and what they look like with their ridiculous little antics rather than what they were doing on the football pitch, and that is only because the player had the talent. My harshness is based upon that. He wasted people’s time, specifically his own.”

Despite Lingard’s departure from Forest last year, where he was linked with surprising moves to clubs like Barcelona, the forward has opted for a fresh start in Russia, leaving behind a mixed legacy at his former clubs.

Chelsea have issued an injury update ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday, February 12.

Throughout the 2023-24 season, Chelsea has grappled with significant injury concerns affecting several players. While some long-term injured players like Christopher Nkunku and Ben Chilwell have made their return, the club continues to face absences from key personnel.

The club’s official website has provided an update on the injury status of players leading up to the Palace match. Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Roméo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Marc Cucurella remain sidelined and are unavailable for selection.

However, there is positive news regarding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who has made strides in his recovery. He has resumed partial training with the first team, signaling a potential return to action shortly.

Sanchez, who joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer, has registered five clean sheets in 19 appearances across competitions this season.

Additionally, Benoit Badiashile, who was substituted off during their FA Cup fourth-round victory over Aston Villa midweek, is currently undergoing medical assessment. Badiashile had previously dealt with a hamstring injury earlier in the season but has managed to make 12 appearances across competitions since then.

Former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris revealed his efforts to bring Declan Rice back to Stamford Bridge long before his move to Arsenal. During his tenure alongside Frank Lampard, Morris advocated for Rice’s signing, emphasizing the midfielder’s potential contribution to the team’s midfield dynamics.

In an interview on the No Tippy Tappy podcast, Morris disclosed that he had reached out to Rice about a potential return to Chelsea, citing the player’s release from the club’s academy as a teenager.

Despite Rice’s interest in rejoining Chelsea, the proposed transfer faced obstacles from the club’s board, ultimately leading to Rice’s eventual move to Arsenal.

Morris recalled his persistence in urging Lampard to consider Rice as a valuable addition to the squad, particularly given N’Golo Kante’s intermittent availability due to injuries.

Despite initial reservations from Lampard, Morris highlighted the subsequent enthusiasm from the manager after closely evaluating Rice’s potential.

Despite initial momentum, the proposed transfer was overshadowed by other signings, and negotiations stalled. Rice later joined Arsenal in a high-profile £105 million transfer from West Ham United, a move that Morris believes Chelsea missed out on, considering Rice’s quoted price of £60-65 million at the time.

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards recently lauded Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott for his outstanding form this season. Richards, a former England international, holds the 20-year-old in high regard and admires his versatile skill set.

Elliott joined Liverpool from Fulham’s youth academy in the summer of 2019 in a deal valued at €1.7 million. Despite initially progressing through Fulham’s ranks, he swiftly made his mark at Anfield and solidified his place in the senior squad during the 2021-22 campaign.

Although sidelined by injury for a period, Elliott has made a remarkable comeback and emerged as a key player for Jürgen Klopp’s team this season. Impressed by Elliott’s growth, Micah Richards shared his admiration for the young midfielder on the Rest Is Football podcast, stating:

“He’s a quality player. When he was at Fulham, there were whispers around ‘who’s this whiz kid, he’s left-footed, can play number 10, can play on the wings, can score goals’.

“Then, when he came to Liverpool, he’s got everything but because he’s sort of in a team which have been challenging for the Premier League and the Champions League, it’s always going to be difficult.”

Approaching his 100th appearance for Liverpool, Elliott’s journey is significant for a player of his age, according to Micah Richards. He remarked:

“But now, he’s approaching 100 games? 100 games for Liverpool, that is massive. I love him as a talent. I just hope he’s got all the tools to go to the next stage because sometimes it’s very difficult when a team’s constantly competing at the highest level. But I rate him so highly. He’s got everything.”

Barring any setbacks, Elliott is expected to reach the milestone in Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League match against Luton Town on February 21.

Chelsea forward Mayra Ramirez has revealed her dream dinner table guests, expressing her admiration for football icons from both the men’s and women’s game.

Ramirez’s list includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama for the men’s category, while for the women’s category, she chose the United States forward Alex Morgan and Brazil’s Marta.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Ramirez shared her excitement about the prospect of having Valderrama, Ronaldo, and Messi at her dream dinner table, emphasizing Valderrama’s profound impact on Colombian football.

She expressed her admiration for Messi and Ronaldo, highlighting their remarkable contributions to the sport.

Ramirez also acknowledged the significance of having female role models at the table, citing Morgan and Marta as inspirational figures for young aspiring footballers.

Reflecting on her own journey, Ramirez recently made headlines with her move to Chelsea from Levante, setting a new world-record fee in women’s football. Her impressive performance in the Liga F, where she scored six goals in seven matches, caught the attention of Chelsea, who signed her in the winter window as a replacement for the injured Sam Kerr.

Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his frustration after Al-Nassr’s defeat to Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final on Thursday, February 8. Despite returning from injury for this match, Ronaldo’s comeback was marred by a 2-0 loss, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Aldawsari scoring for Al-Hilal.

The defeat left Ronaldo visibly frustrated, and his emotions spilled over onto the pitch. In the 53rd minute, he received a yellow card for angrily kicking the ball into the crowd after a foul was called against his team. Even after the final whistle, Ronaldo’s irritation was palpable.

He appeared furious when an on-field official appeared to block his path as he attempted to lead his team to collect their runner-up medals.

The victory for Al-Hilal will undoubtedly boost their confidence ahead of the upcoming Saudi Pro League matches. Al-Nassr, currently trailing Al-Hilal by seven points in the league standings, will look to regroup as they prepare to face Al Fateh on February 17.

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal will face Al-Raed on February 18 as they aim to maintain their lead at the top of the table.

Former player Mesut Özil took a sly dig at his ex-club Real Madrid’s rivals Atlético Madrid amid reports of the introduction of blue cards in football.

A new blue card is set to be introduced to prevent players from showing dissent or committing cynical fouls, leading to their temporary removal from the field of play for 10 minutes.

Given Atlético Madrid’s reputation for playing a defensive and physical style of football under manager Diego Simeone, Ozil couldn’t resist poking fun at their approach. He posted on X, suggesting humorously:

“So Atlético Madrid will only play with 6 players then?”

Ozil, who moved from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid in 2010 for €18 million, enjoyed three successful seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu, showcasing his playmaking abilities. Despite his brilliance, he never managed to secure the Champions League title during his time with Real.

Known for his light-hearted social media presence, especially after retiring at the end of the 2022-23 season, Ozil didn’t miss the opportunity to tease Tottenham Hotspur in December 2023. After Spurs endured a record of losing five consecutive Premier League games despite taking an early lead in each, Ozil quipped:

“Who else should be able to break that record? Bottle job FC is back.”

While the blue card concept promises to revolutionize football by ensuring fair punishment for misconduct, its effectiveness remains to be seen and could potentially lead to longer and more drawn-out matches.