All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester City’s deal to sign an “incredible” star is now advancing following positive talks, and he can’t wait to seal a move to the Etihad Stadium, according to a report.

Man City planning to move swiftly in the transfer market

Man City’s season ended on May 25th, with a 2-0 victory at Fulham securing qualification for next season’s Champions League, but this year it is a very quick turnaround, as they return to action on June 18th, taking on Wydad Casablanca in the new-look Club World Cup.

As such, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has confirmed that City are looking to get new signings through the door as soon as possible.

With the transfer window now open for an initial 10 days, in order to allow teams to register players for the Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola’s side are looking to get a deal done for an attacking midfielder, with Kevin De Bruyne seemingly heading to Napoli.

That is according to a report from GiveMeSport, which states productive discussions have now been held over a deal for Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, which means the move could be wrapped up in a matter of days.

Man City extensively scouting £100m+ star alongside Ait-Nouri transfer

The Citizens are making some statement moves as they look to reclaim the Premier League title.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 2, 2025

Cherki can’t wait to seal a move to the Etihad Stadium, and the deal is now edging closer to completion, with Lyon looking to hold out for a fee of £35m.

City are hoping to complete the move prior to flying out to the United States for the Club World Cup, and they are also confident about striking an agreement for AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders.

"Incredible" Cherki could be ideal De Bruyne heir

Florian Wirtz was heavily linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium, but there were concerns about the total package amounting to around £253m all-in, so signing the Lyon star could be a savvy move, as it would free up funds to strengthen other areas of the squad.

Not only that, but there are plenty of signs the Frenchman could be an ideal heir for De Bruyne, most notably ranking in the 99th percentile for assists and shot-creating actions per 90 over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders.

At 21-years-old, the “incredible” starlet is at a good age to be a long-term success at the Etihad Stadium, and his attacking numbers for Lyon this season are arguably already approaching world-class level.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Ligue 1

30

8

11

Europa League

12

4

8

Coupe de France

2

0

1

Cherki could be a fantastic signing at just £35m, and it is promising news that a deal could be wrapped up before City jet out for the Club World Cup.

Nottingham Forest are preparing for a tilt at European football next term and could now have an advantage in their pursuit of a Brazil international with high-level pedigree, per a report.

Nottingham Forest kickstart summer window with triple deal

Nuno Espirito Santo isn’t wasting any time after his side secured a place in the Europa Conference League and news broke earlier this week of a statement triple deal that has occured at the Tricky Trees.

Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Cuibano and Jair Cunha are poised to join Nottingham Forest in a three-pronged transfer that will reverberate around the continent, showcasing that their recruitment staff are looking far and wide to source talent to juggle a congested schedule.

Brazil international Jesus has spoken about his upcoming move to the City Ground, signalling his intent to continue thriving in new surroundings after helping the Brazilian champions to claim their first title since 1995.

He stated: “I achieved the goals I had here at Botafogo, being champion of the Libertadores and the Brasileiro, two championships of great expression.

“Now I hope to continue my journey in this new challenge of my life. Now I have the opportunity to play for Nottingham and I hope to have a great championship there.”

Nottingham Forest now readying next step to sign 20-goal African superstar

Marinakis isn’t messing about.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 4, 2025

The trio mentioned won’t be the only new stars to arrive in the East Midlands, with Manchester City stalwart Jack Grealish a potential swap candidate with Morgan Gibbs-White if the Citizens firm up their interest in the latter over the coming weeks.

Continental football will allow Nottingham Forest to access a new calibre of player if they look hard enough on the market, and they have now reportedly been given the green light to pursue a renowned Brazil midfielder.

Forest look to bring Douglas Luiz back to the Premier League

Per The Nottingham Post, Nottingham Forest have been given the green light to pursue Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz amid his desire to return to England following a frustrating spell in Italy.

The former Aston Villa man moved to the Serie A giants for a fee eclipsing £40 million last summer, but has struggled to settle, and he is now pining for a return to the Premier League after failing to nail down a place in their starting line-up.

Douglas Luiz for Juventus in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

26

Goals

0

Assists

0

Labelled “underrated” by Paul Merson, only 8% of his 19 appearances in the Italian top-flight have been starts and he has struggled to move ahead of the likes of Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli in the Old Lady’s engine room pecking order.

Nottingham Forest could be left exposed in midfield if Gibbs-White were to leave, which is something supporters would be wary of heading into a campaign where they could stand a chance of competing for Europa Conference League silverware.

Luiz possesses a wealth of experience both domestically and on the continent, making him an ideal addition to freshen things up if Espirito Santo’s men can strike a deal.

Being kicked out of a major tournament isn’t something that happens very often in football. In fact, it’s an incredibly rare event, but it has happened.

From match fixing scandals, to financial foolishness, to plain stupidity, here are 10 times clubs were kicked out of various competitions.

1 Club Leon (2025) Denied place in expanded Club World Cup

FIFA expanded their Club World Cup to include 32 teams from 2025, but Mexican side Club Leon were booted out of the competition after falling foul of the rules regarding multi-club ownership.

They had qualified via winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2023, with rivals Pachuca – who are also owned by Grupo Pachuca – winning the tournament a year later.

With these clubs unable to participate in the same competition, Leon were eventually booted out. FIFA created a play-off match between MLS outfit LAFC and Mexican side Club America to decide which team will take their place.

2 Juventus (2006) Relegated to Serie B

The Calcipoli scandal shook Italian football, but no club was more affected by the consequences than Juventus. Uncovered in May 2006, it was a major sports controversy in Italy’s Serie A and Serie B football leagues. It involved several clubs, executives and football bodies, including Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio, Milan and Reggina.

The scandal was revealed through telephone tappings, exposing relations between club executives and referee organisations during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons, with accusations of referee selection to favour specific clubs.

Juventus, the league champions, were severely penalised, being stripped of the 2004/05 Serie A title, relegated to Serie B, and downgraded to last place in the 2005/06 season.

While popularly known as a match-fixing scandal, no match-fixing violations were found for Juventus in intercepted calls. The club was absolved of wrongdoing, but sporting executives Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo received lifetime bans.

A subsequent investigation implicated other clubs, though they weren’t put on trial due to the statute of limitations.

Legal battles ensued, with damage claims and appeals, leading to controversy and ongoing debates. Juventus returned to Serie A, eventually dominating with a record nine consecutive league titles.

3 Marseille (1994) Relegated to Ligue 2

After winning the Champions League the season before, Marseille were kicked out of Ligue 1 in 1994 after a bribery scandal that changed French football forever. The French football bribery scandal, known as Affaire VA-OM, unfolded during the 1992/93 French Ligue 1 season in a match between Valenciennes and Olympique de Marseille.

Marseille president Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernès sought to influence the game by bribing Valenciennes players, including Jorge Burruchaga, Jacques Glassmann and Christophe Robert.

The aim was to ensure Marseille’s players remained fresh for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final against Milan. Glassmann refused the bribe, exposing the scandal. Despite winning the match and the league title, Marseille faced severe consequences.

The scandal led to Marseille being stripped of the title, but runners-up Paris Saint-Germain declined to be named champions, resulting in no official winner for the 1992/93 season. Tapie, Bernès, Burruchaga, Jean-Jacques Eydelie and Robert were convicted of corruption in subsequent trials.

Tapie and Eydelie served jail terms, while Bernès, Burruchaga, and Robert received suspended sentences. The aftermath included Marseille’s relegation to Division 2 for the 1994/95 season due to financial difficulties. Glassmann, who refused the bribe, was honoured with the 1995 FIFA Fair Play Award.

4 Ismaily (2019) Kicked out of CAF Champions League

In 2019, Egyptian club Ismaily were disqualified from the competition following the disruption of their fixture against Club Africain.

The disqualification stemmed from Ismaily fans hurling stones and water bottles at match officials and players from the visiting Tunisian club, leading referee Neant Alioum to call for the teams to retreat to the changing rooms during stoppage time, with Club Africain leading 2-1.

CAF’s decision to expel Ismaily from the competition parallels a previous disqualification of Algerian side Entente Sportive de Setif in 2016 after a similar episode against Mamelodi Sundowns. As a result of Ismaily’s expulsion, their results in Group C were nullified.

The club was eventually reinstated after CAF overturned the decision, stating there was no evidence of an invasion or targeted aggression towards the visiting team.

5 Fenerbahce & Besiktas (2013) Banned from European football

Turkish football clubs Fenerbahce and Besiktas faced UEFA sanctions following a domestic match-fixing scandal from 2011. UEFA banned Fenerbahce from European football for two seasons and imposed a suspended third-season ban.

Besiktas received a one-season ban from UEFA competitions. Both clubs were implicated in a 2011 Turkish league scandal, leading to convictions for 93 individuals, including Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim. Yildirim received over six years in prison but was released pending an appeal.

The UEFA disciplinary panel considered evidence over several months and ruled that Fenerbahce would miss the upcoming Champions League and any subsequent European competitions. Besiktas, implicated in the 2011 Turkish Cup final, were excluded from the next Europa League.

The Turkish Football Federation had previously imposed bans on players and officials but took no action against clubs involved in the scandal.

6 Lazio & Milan (1980) Relegated to Serie B

After a match-fixing scandal, Milan and Lazio were relegated to Serie B, while three Serie A and two Serie B clubs faced five-point deductions. The Italian Football Federation banned 20 players, half of whom had represented the Italian national team.

Notably, Paolo Rossi, a key figure in the Azzurri team that won the 1982 World Cup, received a reduced two-year sentence. Milan’s president, Felice Colombo, was initially banned for life but later received a six-year suspension.

The scandal originated in the state-run Totocalcio competition era, leading a struggling merchant, Massimo Cruciani, to approach a restaurant owner, Alvaro Trinca, with a match-fixing scheme. The Totonero black market in football betting facilitated their plan.

Despite facing heavy losses, Cruciani and Trinca filed a complaint, leading to arrests and subsequent sanctions by the Italian Football Federation, casting a dark shadow over Italian football.

7 Real Madrid (2015) Disqualified from Copa del Rey

Real Madrid were disqualified from the Copa del Rey in 2015 for fielding an ineligible player, Denis Cheryshev, during the round-of-32 match against Cadiz on December 2. Cheryshev scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory, but it was later revealed that he should have been serving a one-match suspension.

Despite Real Madrid’s appeals, the Spanish Football Federation maintained its decision. The competition judge acknowledged that Cheryshev was not personally notified about his ban, a crucial requirement for the suspension to take effect.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insisted that the club received no communication from the federation regarding Cheryshev’s suspension and vowed to take the matter to appeals and the arbitration court. Cheryshev had incurred a one-game ban after receiving his third yellow card in the 2014/15 Copa del Rey campaign while on loan at Villarreal.

8 5 Armenian football clubs (2023) Massive Armenian match-fixing scandal

This match-fixing scandal was so audacious, we can’t help but wonder how these clubs thought they would get away with it. The Armenian Football Federation (FFA) has just suspended the country’s second tier and disqualified five teams due to evidence of their involvement in match-fixing.

Around 45 individuals, including club owners, players, and coaches, have received life bans, with an additional 13 individuals banned for varying periods for their roles in match manipulation. The FFA cited “undeniable evidence” from international organisations and law enforcement agencies for its decision.

Club owners with Russian passports, Russian players and coaches, as well as Ukrainian, Latvian and Belarusian footballers, were reportedly among those banned. Teams such as Lokomotiv Yerevan, Aragats, Torpedo Yerevan and Masis were disqualified from the championship following suspicious results, including scorelines like 12-0, 0-12, 1-8, 9-2, 0-7, 0-8, and 8-2.

FC Yerevan, which had withdrawn from the 2019/20 Premier League due to financial and technical problems, were also disqualified for match-fixing.

9 Parma (2015) Relegated to Serie D

Parma used to be a real force in Italian football. Players like Hernan Crespo, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon were just a few of the greats to wear their beautiful kits. Unfortunately, in 2015, it all came crumbling down for the old giants.

The two-time UEFA Cup winners were relegated to the fourth tier of Italian football due to their inability to secure a new owner. The club declared bankruptcy and had been seeking a buyer to address their financial troubles.

Parma’s relegation followed a series of financial challenges, including a late tax payment that led to their exclusion from the Europa League during the 2014/15 season.

10 Rangers Relegated to Scottish Third Division

In 2012, Rangers as we knew it ceased to exist. They had to start anew from the fourth tier after a financial crisis led to their expulsion from the Scottish Premier League.

The decision by Scottish Football League clubs marked a significant downturn for the Gers, who faced administration before a takeover led by Charles Green.

Rangers had initially wanted to join the second tier, but 25 out of 30 clubs voted for them to begin at the bottom of the footballing hierarchy in Scotland. This move contrasted sharply with Rangers’ historical prominence and average attendance of over 45,000 at their Ibrox stadium.

The club have since made their way back to the top of Scottish football, winning their first title since their relegation under Steven Gerrard in 2020/21.

After officially missing out on Dean Huijsen, Liverpool are now reportedly working behind the scenes to sign an alternative defensive reinforcement in this summer’s transfer window.

Huijsen ignores Liverpool and Chelsea interest to join Real Madrid

With Virgil van Dijk’s new deal lasting just two years and Ibrahima Konate yet to put pen to paper on a new contract of his own just one year before he becomes a free agent, Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on signing another centre-back this summer.

And for some time, it looked as though it could be Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen who arrived. Even the Cherries reportedly expected former chief Richard Hughes to snap up the defender’s signature.

Liverpool set to sign one of the fastest players in the world within days

He looks set to become their first signing of the summer.

ByTom Cunningham May 17, 2025

As Liverpool know all too well, however, a Real Madrid call is not one that a player often rejects and Huijsen has more than just answered. The Spaniard, before the transfer window has even opened, has officially completed his move to join the Spanish giants, where he will line up next to Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold next season.

It’s a killer blow for those at Anfield, who will be sick of the sight of Real Madrid following the Alexander-Arnold saga and now this. But Florentino Perez may not be done there with Liverpool.

In a repeat of his deal to sign their academy graduate on a free, the Madrid chief has now reportedly set his sights on signing Konate at the end of his Liverpool deal next summer. Losing Alexander-Arnold for free was a blow, but losing Konate for the same bargain price should be a reality that the Reds avoid at all costs.

With Huijsen no longer an option and Konate doubt creeping in, Hughes has reportedly been forced to turn his attention towards an alternative option.

Liverpool working to sign Nathan Zeze

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool are now working behind the scenes to sign Nathan Zeze from Nantes this summer in a move that would see them jump ahead of Bournemouth.

It’s a deal that would certainly make sense, too – the Cherries see Zeze as an ideal replacement for Huijsen, meaning that the Reds could skip a step altogether by signing the Frenchman first.

Minutes

1,493

2,324

2,410

Progressive Passes

2.77

4.96

3.92

Tackles Won

1.33

1.01

0.97

Ball Recoveries

3.73

3.91

3.32

Although the 19-year-old has struggled to match Huijsen when progressing play, his numbers out of possession highlight a player who could be an ideal candidate to replace Konate in the coming years.

Included in an “elite” group of players by football talent scout Jacek Kulig last season, Zeze has only kicked on ever since. In the face of a centre-back dilemma, Liverpool could do a lot worse than turning towards the young Nantes star when the summer transfer window swings open.

An “incredible” £100m midfielder who is among Liverpool’s top targets is now open to leaving his club this summer, according to a report.

Reds set sights on new midfielder

It has been an unbelievable first season in the Anfield dugout for Arne Slot, with the Dutch manager securing the Premier League title despite making very few additions to the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp.

However, it appears as though Slot is now looking to put his own stamp on the squad, and bringing in a new midfielder seems to be of particular interest as we approach the summer transfer window.

The Reds are now preparing to submit a £34m offer for Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong, whose future at the Camp Nou is now uncertain, while they are also in the race for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, although it will take £80m to prise the Englishman away from the Eagles.

Liverpool make approach for "exceptional" £30m gem amid Brazilian scouting

The Reds are looking to fend off competition from elsewhere.

BySean Markus Clifford May 3, 2025

Earlier this year, it was reported that Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is a top target for Slot, and there has now been a positive update on the Merseysiders’ pursuit of the central midfielder.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Gibbs-White is now open to leaving Nottingham Forest this summer, with the Englishman set to consider his options if the Tricky Trees fail to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

Forest are keen to keep hold of the 25-year-old, but there is growing interest in his signature, with Manchester City and Newcastle United also in the race alongside Liverpool, which could make it difficult to keep hold of him if they fail to finish in the top five.

However, a deal will not be cheap, as Forest may only be willing to sanction a departure for a fee in the region of £100m.

"Incredible" Gibbs-White deserves big move

Despite a stellar campaign, it is looking increasingly likely that Forest will miss out on Champions League football, having now fallen to sixth place after a poor run, which could cause Gibbs-White to look for the exit door, and there are plenty of signs he could be a solid signing for Liverpool.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man has excelled since signing for Forest, most notably impressing in an attacking sense, picking up five goals and nine assists in 30 Premier League outings this season.

ESPN’s Janusz Michallik was also left impressed by the Forest star’s work rate in their 2-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur last month, taking to X to single him out for high praise.

At 25-years-old, there is every sign that Gibbs-White is now entering his prime, and he could be a top-quality addition to Liverpool’s midfield, but Forest are in a strong negotiating position, with the midfielder contracted until 2027, and shelling out £100m would be a risk.

Already thinking about potential life without loanee Marcus Rashford, Aston Villa are now reportedly battling Paris Saint-Germain to sign an in-demand winger who’s ready for a new challenge this summer.

Aston Villa's transfer plan

Even though the race for Champions League qualification is yet to reach a conclusion, Aston Villa are seemingly already preparing for the summer transfer window, which could be busy on all fronts.

The Premier League already received a glimpse of the players that Unai Emery is capable of attracting in the January transfer window and, if reports are anything to go by, the Spaniard’s pull-power could be on full show yet again this summer. That said, any incomings are unlikely to come without the sacrifice of departures amid reported PSR concerns.

As a result of those issues, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast over just who could be heading for the exit door at Villa Park this summer. The vultures are seemingly beginning to circle around Emery’s best talent too, with Chelsea reportedly interested in Ollie Watkins and Liverpool eyeing a summer swoop to sign Morgan Rogers.

Given that both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio are on course to leave at the end of their respective loan spells from Manchester United and PSG, losing Watkins and Rogers at the same time could leave Villa’s attack almost entirely decimated.

NSWE would rather sell 4 Aston Villa stars on £6m a year to keep Martinez

The Villans could shift some valuable deadwood.

BySean Markus Clifford May 10, 2025

What those exits could allow Aston Villa to do, however, is sign an in-demand winger who would instantly ease their loanee woes and reinforce Emery’s frontline once and for all.

Aston Villa battling PSG to sign Fofana

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are now battling PSG to sign Malick Fofana from Lyon this summer. The winger has enjoyed an impressive season at the French club, who are enduring financial struggles of their own, and now has a queue which includes PSG, Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle United in pursuit of his signature.

Despite Lyon’s financial struggles, any deal to sign Fofana in the coming months will not come cheap. Reports indicate that the Ligue 1 side have set a hefty price tag of around €50m (£42m) to sell their 20-year-old star.

Dubbed “explosive” by analyst Ben Mattinson earlier this season, Fofana has scored 11 goals and created another six in all competitions throughout the current campaign and could be worth splashing out on this summer.

For £42m, Villa could sign a player who’s keen on a new challenge and one who could become both the present and future of Emery’s frontline.

Liverpool are Premier League champions in waiting and could now make a surprise move in the transfer market that would make headlines across the globe, per reports.

Liverpool looking to build on impending Premier League success

The Reds are set to become league winners under Arne Slot and there is plenty of excitement over what comes next at Anfield once the summer window opens. Despite being the Premier League’s strongest side this term by far, resting on their laurels won’t be permitted by anyone connected with the club as they strive towards establishing themselves as England’s elite club for years to come.

Expectedly, the Reds hierarchy are well down the line in identifying targets and Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen is on the radar amid his £50 million release clause being set to become active this summer. Barcelona’s Raphinha could be a statement arrival at Liverpool if they can meet his £77 million price-tag. However, it remains to be seen whether they free up space by cashing in on Luis Diaz.

Milos Kerkez is an obvious pursuit for Slot to help provide competition for Andy Robertson in the form of the Cherries full-back, with the latter well into his prime despite his importance to the cause.

Better than Frimpong: Liverpool want to sign "one of the best FBs in Europe"

Liverpool could be about to forget about Jeremie Frimpong with a move for a Premier League right-back.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 23, 2025

Ultimately, Liverpool will be the go-to club for agents to try and plot a way for their clients to earn an elite move, and plenty of players will be offered to the impending champions over the duration of the window. However, it is more likely that the Reds will be ambitious in their mission to continue thriving under Slot, and Simon Phillips has dropped a claim of sizeable proportion involving one of their summer targets.

Simon Phillips: Liverpool 'sniffing around' Cole Palmer

According to Chelsea journalist Phillips, Liverpool are “sniffing around” Chelsea star Cole Palmer alongside Premier League rivals Manchester City, who are said to have made an enquiry about the Three Lions international.

Valued at £85 million+, the Manchester-born midfielder has enjoyed another successful campaign despite being off-colour in recent weeks, registering 14 goals and nine assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Cole Palmer’s key Premier League statistics – 2024/25

Chances created

78

Pass accuracy

83%

Shots

115

Shots on target

46

Completed dribbles

44

Touches in opposition box

136

Admittedly, Palmer’s form has dropped in a difficult period for Chelsea, though they remain in the hunt for a Champions League slot under Enzo Maresca. Conceivably, the Blues missing out on a place in Europe’s premier competition could ignite the fire of a controversial move to one of their Premier League rivals, but it would be a difficult deal to conclude for all parties.

Either way, a swoop for Palmer, who has been labelled “outstanding” by Paul Dickov, would illustrate a heavy level of ambition from Liverpool as they strive towards defending their title next term.

Following a disastrous start to life at Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers are reportedly already considering sacking Valerien Ismael and could yet hire a former MLS manager in his place.

Ismael already under pressure at Blackburn

Coming in to replace John Eustace, who completed a shock move to Derby County, many would have been hoping for Ismael to pick up where the man he replaced left off. That has proved to be anything but the case, however. Since arriving, the former Watford manager has won once in eight games, which has seen Blackburn fall from play-off hopefuls to mid-table obscurity in the Championship.

Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Norwich City

01/03/2025

Derby County 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

08/03/2025

Stoke City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

12/03/2025

Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Cardiff City

15/03/2025

Portsmouth 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

29/03/2025

Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Middlesbrough

04/04/2025

Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday

08/04/2025

Luton Town 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

12/04/2025

After finally picking up the first win of his reign last time out, Ismael will be desperate to see his side kick on and finish the season strongly in the remaining four games.

The Blackburn boss told reporters after defeating Luton: “Congrats for the boys. Until the red card it was the gameplan we expected. In the first half we wanted to be really strong as we knew we had to face the challenge with a team who are fighting to survive.

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

“They put a lot of balls in the box so you have to defend and show togetherness and we made it perfectly. In the transition we didn’t play well. We wanted to get more in behind but the main focus was to stay strong. That was the first step and the second one was to get behind them and we made it perfectly with the goal we scored.”

Even after that long-awaited victory, however, Blackburn may already be running out of patience and could reportedly turn towards a fresh candidate.

Blackburn considering Wayne Rooney

According to talkSPORT, Blackburn will now consider hiring Wayne Rooney if they decide to sack Ismael in the coming weeks, offering the former MLS manager a much-needed lifeline in the process. The Manchester United legend has endured a nightmare spell in the technical area in recent times, with his stint at Plymouth Argyle the last in a growing list of failed moves.

There’s no doubt that Blackburn would be taking a major risk. As disappointing as Ismael has been, it could be argued that he needs a full summer in charge before those at Ewood Park deliver their full judegment.

Blackburn must act with caution and not fall down the path that Birmingham City once followed by hiring Rooney. The Blues were play-off hopefuls under Eustace, but decided to welcome the Premier League icon nonetheless.

That same campaign they soon sacked their new manager and relegation followed. Blackburn, at all costs, should avoid taking the same risk.

Arsenal have held talks to sign a once-marquee forward “in recent days”, and he was likely impressed by Mikel Arteta’s side last night as they hammered Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in hugely important Champions League win

Arsenal wowed on-lookers with a stunning victory over the European champions on Tuesday evening, courtesy of two sublime free-kicks from club-record signing Declan Rice and a brilliant Mikel Merino finish.

Journalist "told" Arsenal could sign £112m attacker wanted by Real Madrid

The Gunners could go head-to-head with Carlo Ancelotti’s side off the field as well.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 8, 2025

Eduardo Camavinga was also sent off in the dying minutes of the game and the France international is set to miss their return leg in Spain as a result, compounding Real’s misery in what was a real night to forget for the La Liga heavyweights.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

It was a statement performance by the Gunners, who put Real to the sword and placed one foot in the Champions League semi-final draw, but history shows they cannot take the second leg at the Bernabeu lightly, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men have sparked unlikely comebacks in previous seasons.

“I’m very proud, we had a very complete and big performance collectively, and you need that in the organisation and what we had to do to dominate the game and to create Madrid problems,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real.

“This night is about all two factors, one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off is something I haven’t seen before, so playing with that energy, with that commitment, with your crowd makes a huge difference. And then magic moments, individual moments that decide all matches and the first two goals of Declan sums up the night.”

Following last night’s display, Arsenal’s odds of winning the tournament have increased dramatically, and supporters will be hopeful they can put Real to bed and go on to make history by winning their first-ever Champions League title.

An impressive run in Europe would also do wonders to attract key summer transfer targets, with new sporting director Andrea Berta already working on potential Arsenal signings for next season.

Arsenal hold "fresh" Leroy Sane talks "in recent days"

As things stand, the north Londoners still have a chance of signing former Man City forward and Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane on a Bosman deal.

The Germany international, who once commanded a £137 million price tag when he was at Eastlands, could leave for nothing if his contract is allowed to expire on June 30th, but Bayern remain at work to tie him down.

That is according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who also says Arsenal have held “fresh talks” with Sane “in recent days”.

The 29-year-old has 11 goals and five assists to his name in all competitions this season, adding to his overall total of 59 strikes and 54 assists since joining the Bavarians, and he’s a proven big-game player.

There is little denying Sane would be an excellent alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, but much will hinder on Bayern’s attempts to wrap up a new deal.

With only nine Premier League wins under his belt as a manager in the top flight, it’s fair to say Daniel Farke has his work cut out for him right now to arrest the current Leeds United slide.

With four defeats from their last five league clashes, Leeds now sit just one point above the depressing relegation zone, as Sean Dyche’s equally relegation-troubled Nottingham Forest sucked the Whites deeper into the relegation pit by beating them 3-1 at the City Ground before the international break.

Yet, despite the West Yorkshire outfit hanging on for their lives, and Farke’s wretched record in the top division, it appears as if the ex-Norwich City boss will be kept on, for the time being at least.

Surely, though, if the results continue in their gloomy downward trajectory, the plug will have to be pulled.

But, until then, the under-pressure German has some big decisions to grapple with to try and save his job in the long run.

Decisions Farke needs to make to save his job at Leeds

Sack season is also in full swing now in the Premier League, with bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers getting rid of Vitor Pereira recently, after extending a vote of confidence his way.

Farke will hope he doesn’t follow Pereira in being the next managerial casualty, with the German now facing the decision to make a number of changes to his regular starting lineup.

One of those includes dropping the likes of Brenden Aaronson if he is to remain in the Elland Road dug-out moving forward.

Unfortunately, Farke does appear to be staunchly loyal to certain members of his camp, even when they’re obviously falling below their expected standards, with Aaronson selected now by the German a high 59 times, to hit-and-miss results.

Only one of his ten goals for the West Yorkshire giants under Farke has fallen in the Premier League, and with both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto waiting in reserve, switching out the ex-Union Berlin playmaker for either the Welshman or Italian could seriously boost the relegation-threatened side in attack.

Farke might also help the wins to start flowing if he selects Lukas Nmecha as his sole striker more often, heading into crunch games this November and December, with the ex-Wolfsburg striker stylishly putting away a goal against Forest, which is his second for the club already, despite only amassing 279 minutes of total league action.

The German will also know he needs to change up his defence, with Jaka Bijol receiving plenty of pelters for his recent performances.

However, Farke didn’t exactly help out his tiring defence at the City Ground.

Bielsa signing must be given the boot by Farke

Another compelling argument to get rid of Aaronson from the first team picture, away from his hot-and-cold reputation, is the fact that he’s a remaining relic of the dismal 2022/23 squad that was relegated to the Championship.

The only other dire member of that team that featured against Dyche’s hosts was Jack Harrison, who is somehow still getting minutes under Farke, many years on from his Leeds peak.

25/26

11

0

22/23

40

6 + 10

21/22

38

10 + 2

20/21

37

8 + 8

19/20

49

6 + 8

18/19

42

4 + 4

Indeed, looking at the data above, it’s clear that the former Manchester City youth product was a dependable first-teamer many moons ago at Elland Road, with an impressive collection of 66 combined goals and assists for the Whites.

Leeds managerial great Marcelo Bielsa even once hailed Harrison as a “big influence” during his heyday down the left channel.

But, right now, the 28-year-old needs to be put out of his misery, on his subdued return to the Whites first team fold, after a two-season-long loan stay at Everton.

Last time out versus Forest, when strangely placed into the side at left-back, Harrison would clatter into a Forest shirt late on, clumsily, to gift Elliot Anderson his game-clinching penalty.

Moreover, away from that moment of stupidity, the below-par number 20 still manages to pocket a steep £90k-per-week salary at the Premier League newcomers, despite having no goals or assists to shout about this season from 11 forgettable outings.

Recent reports have also suggested that Harrison could be sold in January if Leeds can win themselves some more reinforcements in attack.

Still, if Farke wants to send out a message that he isn’t going to stand by and watch standards slip, he will try to offload the shoddy winger in the transfer window, anyway, as he attempts everything in his power to keep his precarious position.

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