Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has said that he is fairly relaxed over the future of Jadon Sancho at the club. The England international has been heavily tipped to seal a Premier League move during the summer and report have even claimed that Manchester United have agreed personal terms with the forward.
Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish believes he may struggle to make the England squad with his current playing position on the wing. The 24-year-old has stood out for the Villains in the Premier League this term with seven goals and six assists but most of those contributions have come from the left side of the attack.
In an interview covered by The Mirror, Grealish acknowledged that he has a tough job of commanding a regular role with the national team, given the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford play out wide at the moment. He added that he would preferably favour a central midfield role, though he has rarely played in that position since the Villains return to the top-flight.
(more…)England international Declan Rice has indicated that he is content playing for West Ham United amid the recent speculation over his future. The 20-year-old has been widely linked with a big-money move to Manchester United and of late, there has been the gossip that the Red Devils may approach to land his signature at the turn of the year.
In a report covered by The Mirror, Rice indicated that he has more than four years remaining on his current deal with the Hammers and he is at the best place at the current point of time, he told: “I signed a five-year contract with West Ham last year, which will keep me at club till I’m 24, and for me this is the best place to be right now. I am playing for a manager who has given me my chance and played me week in week out. I’m improving every week and although I see all this speculation, I don’t really think about it too much. It’s all talk until something happens – and nothing has – so I’m just focused on West Ham, doing my best and making fans happy.”
(more…)Arsenal legend Ian Wright has said that Marcus Rashford does not have the vision of being a centre-forward as he does not make runs into spaces with the anticipation of receiving the ball. The England international started the season with a bang as he scored a brace against Chelsea but he has since managed just the single goal through a penalty kick.
Speaking on Star Sports, Wright said that Rashford must take the gamble with his movement in the box rather than remaining stationary. Elsewhere, the former Arsenal star pointed out that the United graduate is trying too much to impress when he has the possession of the ball and that has contributed to the recent slide in form.
(more…)England international Harry Maguire has expressed his delight after making the switch to Manchester United from Leicester City. The 26-year-old was touted to seal the transfer to Old Trafford at the start of last month, but the Foxes’ reluctance to lower the asking price has meant that the deal has been completed prior to the transfer deadline.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Maguire admitted that he is elated to secure the move to the Red Devils and he is looking forward to winning trophies with the club. He added that he has been impressed with the manager’s philosophy of building a young team and he is excited by what the future holds for the club.
(more…)Former Leicester City midfielder Vicente Iborra believes Harry Maguire has the credentials to be as good as Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, should he make the move to Manchester City. The England international has been with the Foxes for the past two seasons but it remains unclear whether he will be at the club amid interest from both City and Manchester United.
Speaking to AS, Iborra acknowledged that his former teammate is a great player and he can develop into a world-class ace, should he make the switch to the Etihad Stadium, he said: “He is a great player. He’s very powerful, with good balance, great at bringing the ball out and he can score goals. He had a great World Cup and is a super footballer. His transfer to Manchester City could be like Van Dijk’s to Liverpool.”
At present, both City and United are said to be interested in the former Hull City man but the latter are understood to hold the advantage. Pep Guardiola’s side are currently £15m short of matching the Foxes’ £80m valuation, but they remain confident of pursuing the defender, who is said to be eager to feature in the Champions League.
Aside from Maguire, the Mancunian giants have also been associated with a potential move for Rodri from Atletico Madrid but so far, they have yet to strike a transfer agreement. The Citizens were hugely impressive during the previous campaign as they became the first-ever club to secure a domestic treble in England.
Still, there was the disappointment of coming short of the Champions League crown and it remains to be seen whether they can take the extra step next term. The Citizens have a Community Shield game against Liverpool at the beginning of August before the league opener against West Ham United on the road.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has expressed his delight after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to the first-team fold after a year out with a serious knee injury. The England international picked up the damage during the Champions League semi-final tie against AS Roma last term and Klopp thereafter suggested that the attacker could miss the entirety of the 2019/2020 season.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier has admitted that he has not experienced the best of seasons with the north London side following the World Cup last year. The England international was one of the standout performers for the Three Lions in Russia last summer, but his form has dipped in the current season to the point that he is no longer a regular starter with the national side.
Former Tottenham Hotspur marksman Teddy Sheringham believes Harry Kane may start considering his future with the club, given their struggles to compete for regular silverware. The north London side have failed to win any of the previous four matches in the Premier League and this has dropped them right into the top-four battle with a genuine chance of missing out on Champions League football next term.
Dan Ashworth has decided to leave his position in the English FA to take on a new technical director role at Brighton and Hove Albion.
