Alejandro Garnacho’s influence continues to grow, with Cristiano Ronaldo Jr taking to donning his Manchester United shirt for homework duty.
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Everton could accept an offer in the region of £50m for a star player before 30th June.
Everton transfer rumours
Despite their points deduction, Everton were able to stave off relegation from the Premier League this past season, finishing 15th in the league and 14 points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town. Sean Dyche must now turn his attention to the summer transfer window, where he will no doubt be keen to improve his squad and take a step closer to returning the Toffees to their glory years.
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Recently, it was reported that Everton have made an approach to sign Davinson Sanchez from Galatasaray this summer in an attempt to bring the former Tottenham defender back to the Premier League just one year after he left the north London outfit. Elsewhere, the Blues are said to have made contact over the availability of Corinthians' Wesley Gassova.
The Toffees are also still interested in Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis, despite having a €30m (£25.5m) bid rejected for the 24-year-old in January, while Dyche has reportedly told Everton chiefs to sign Elijah Adebayo from Luton Town this summer, seeing him as a strong option to come in and bolster his attacking options.
Everton may accept bid to sell £50m star in coming weeks
However, while Everton fans will no doubt be pleased to see their side being linked with a number of new names this summer, it is expected that the Merseyside outfit will also have to move on some players in the coming weeks and months.
Football Insider reported on 21st May that Everton will need to sell at least one of their “big” stars before they submit their accounts at the end of June to help balance the books. And now, the outlet is claiming that the club could accept an offer for star midfielder Amadou Onana before 30th June as they see the Belgian as a sellable asset, which could be important with PSR regulations to stay on top of.
The report adds that at least five elite European clubs, including French champions PSG and German powerhouses Bayern Munich, are interested in the 22-year-old, who Everton are likely to accept bids of up to £50m for.
Losing Onana would be a major blow for Dyche and co. The midfielder has been a mainstay in the Everton XI since his transfer from Lille in 2022, notching 72 appearances and playing a key role in some major results for the club.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino picked out Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure for particular praise after a victory over Arsenal last year.
"They were absolutely brilliant from start to finish, Everton yesterday. I can't give them enough credit. The two boys in midfield, Doucoure and Onana, terrific," he stated.
"Two huge midfielders, they covered loads of ground, they got in the faces of Arsenal, pressed Arsenal when they had the ball. Defensively as a team, their work rate was extraordinary and it got them a result, and a deserved one by the way."
Onana is also one of Everton's best passers, with only Idrissa Gueye bettering the Belgian's success rate of 84.9% in the Premier League last term, while he also won the most aerials duels per game in the Toffees midfield.
Getting a fee for him this summer would be one thing, but adequately replacing him would be a separate challenge for Dyche in the coming months.
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti provided an update on Riccardo Calafiori's injury after the Arsenal star was involved in a freak clash against France.
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Crystal Palace have identified a potential new addition this summer in the shape of a goalscoring winger, as Oliver Glasner looks to continue his revolution at Selhurst Park.
Olise's future in doubt
One of the biggest question marks for the South London outfit surrounds the future of Michael Olise. The talented winger has suffered another injury-studded campaign this season, but remains a highly-sought after talent across the Premier League and Europe.
Chelsea thought that they had bagged a bargain last summer when they triggered his £35m release clause, only for Olise to opt to stay put and pen a new deal at Selhurst Park, which has reportedly seen that clause jump to £60m.
That is not thought to be a major obstacle though, and all of Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United are thought to be interested in signing him this summer, with United in particular having made him a primary target.
It remains to be seen whether or not he will leave this summer, with reports claiming that he is keen to play Champions League football if he were to leave South London ahead of the new season.
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He is not the only player who may depart though, with teammate Eberechi Eze also in high demand across the Premier League, amid interest from Tottenham and Manchester City, though Palace have attempted to ward that off by slapping a £60m price tag on his head too.
Now, it appears Palace are already making plans for new life in attack, and are closely monitoring another young gem.
Palace watching Serie A star
That comes as Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness] claim that Glasner's side are one of several Premier League clubs keeping tabs on young winger Matias Soulé. The 21-year-old Argentine is contracted to Juventus, but has spent the season out on loan with Frosinone, where he has managed to grab 11 goals and 3 assists in 33 Serie A outings.
Matias Soule this season
Games
33
Goals
11
Assists
3
Expected assists
6.3
Shots on target per 90
0.54
But he will not be returning to Juventus, the report claims, with the Old Lady looking to cash in on his good form in order to fund their own transfer business. As a result, they 'expect to receive offers' of around 30m-35m euros for his services (£26m-£30m), while Palace and Brentford are named as the two clubs most keen on striking a deal.
And in what could perhaps be a boost for both, Soule has already admitted his dream to play in England's top flight: “If they give me the choice of a league, I would go to England. Everyone knows that it’s one of the best leagues, it would be a dream to play there. I would also like to be able to stay at Juventus.”
The fee represents just about half of what Palace would receive should Olise depart the club this summer, and would allow them plenty of flexibility to strengthen elsewhere ahead of the new season. But they will have to fight off rival Premier League interest should they decide Soule is their man.
These two teams are rivals, so check back in after they play the Leagues Cup final
Darlington Nagbe isn't ready to call it a rivalry quite yet. Denis Bouanga isn't either. It's getting there, though. When two teams are this good and run into each other this often, there's bound to be some strong feelings behind it.
Sunday's Leagues Cup final isn't just a final. It isn't just a match with a trophy on the line. It's not even just about defining a competition still yet to be defined. For the two teams playing in it, this is a chance to be the unquestioned best. Sunday's matchup is a chance to show who really runs the show.
On one side is the Columbus Crew, MLS' defending champions. Last season's MLS Cup winners have hardly missed a beat, establishing themselves, once again, as a contender. If you wanted to design a perfectly-constructed MLS team, the Crew would be pretty damn close. From top to bottom, from the front office to the last guy on the bench, the Crew are the benchmark.
Standing across from them is another team that continues to set the pace in this part of the world: LAFC. Since the club arrived in MLS, LAFC has been elite. This team's vision centers around proving that it can do things better than everyone else, and truthfully, they have.
Last year they did better than almost everyone else. LAFC made it all the way to the MLS Cup final before falling to, of course, the Crew. Now, nine months later, these two teams are meeting again with another trophy on the line.
And yes, there are still some hard feelings on both sides.
"You start to see it a little bit in the lead-up to it," Crew forward Christian Ramirez told GOAL. "There were a couple of comments and interviews that they've had about revenge and about writing us down as the favorites and stuff like that, which, to be fair, they can say all that stuff, and maybe that's their motivation and something that pushes them, but we just have to stay in our lane and do what we've been doing."
Added Bouanga: "I don't think there's a rivalry yet. Columbus is a very good team. Tomorrow is a final, but it's a different kind of match. We're looking forward to playing tomorrow, and this is going to be a different game than it was at MLS Cup."
GettyMLS Cup after-effects
Whatever happens on Sunday, it's part of an overall story, and a story that is still being written.
Realistically, it began in Columbus on Dec. 9. It was on that day, in front of a home crowd, that the Crew outlasted LAFC to lift the MLS Cup. In the months since, it's become quite clear that that match wasn't a fluke or a one-off. These teams are here to stay.
That's why they're both in the the Leagues Cup final, having outlasted the best Liga MX and MLS can throw at them. Nine months later, there's still some bitterness that could very well define this latest clash.
That part began in July when the Crew thumped LAFC 5-1 in their first rematch. Ahead of the next one, LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez told the media that he wants them to proclaim the Crew as favorites, reigniting some of the tensions ahead of this finale.
Will that carry over? Will recent results factor into Sunday's meeting?
"I think it always depends on the game and how the game starts," Nagbe told GOAL. "It could just feel like another game against another opponent, or it could start a little chippy or things are said here and there. You won't know until the game starts how the game is going to feel or going to go."
Hugo Lloris wasn't on the team last year. He only joined LAFC this winter. He knows plenty about bouncing back, though, and he can sense that LAFC are eager to do just that.
"When we lost the Euro final against Portugal at home, we managed, two years later, to win the World Cup," the French star told GOAL. "I think in every situation that you face, there are a lot of things to learn from. Obviously, it's a new season and it's a different competition, but what we can say is that we are going to face the best team in the league right now. They are full of confidence. They managed to play the final of the Champions League League and they are in good form in the regular season.
"I think there is everything there for a big game, and we just hope to manage the game in the way we want and to get that trophy."
AdvertisementMLS MediaThe Crew keep rolling
The Crew, by their own admission, started slow. It happens. They played to the last possible game last season, had about a month off, and then were right back at it for preseason ahead of a CONCACAF Champions Cup run. They made it to the finale of that, but ran out of gas, losing to Pachuca.
This summer, though, the Crew have figured it out. Cucho Hernandez is scoring goals in bunches. The midfield, led by Nagbe, has survived the loss of Aidan Morris. Pieces have been added and head coach Wilfried Nancy continues to pull strings. The Crew are as good as ever.
"It was catching our second wind a little bit," Ramirez says. "We came down from that high of winning MLS Cup, and then immediately focus on CONCACAF Champions Cup to be able to then make a run at that and continue to still stay relevant in the league. That took a lot of energy. We weren't training as much as I know Wilfried would have liked and sometimes that can lead to flat performance.
"Once we were able to get a few days off and then get on the training pitch for two weeks, I think it really helped us to get our minds sharp and ready to go. It was almost like a little in-season mini-preseason for us. I think it's the right time for us to peak and then start to level out for league play again to then make another run at this."
Since May 15, the Crew have lost just twice in all competitions. The defending MLS Cup champions look ready to defend and add a bit more along the way. The team standing in their way, though, is a much different one than the one they've seen in the past.
USA Today ImagesLAFC's big stars
With LAFC, it all starts with Bouanga. He's a menace, potentially the best player in MLS. He scored 38 goals in all competitions last season to lead them to MLS Cup. This season, he already has 22 goals. He's the star, the player that the Crew will be keyed in on from the opening whistle.
"I enjoy it. I like the pressure," Bouanga says. "I think big players come from big matches. I like being decisive whether I'm scoring or I'm assisting. This is where I shine."
Bouanga isn't alone. LAFC added Lloris this winter, bringing in the ex-Tottenham goalkeeper to further solidify their defense. And, just this summer, they added Olivier Giroud, France's all-time leading goalscorer.
The league hasn't seen much of Giroud, who has been limited to appearances off the bench, but the ex-Arsenal and AC Milan star could very well make the difference as he looks to win a trophy in his first few weeks as an LAFC player.
"He's a player that talks a lot about his experience," Bouanga says. "He brings leadership. He opens space for me. We have a team that can really defend, which allows us to be aggressive in our style."
Added Giroud's long-time teammate Lloris: "He is looking forward to playing in the game (Sunday) because he's still looking for his first goal with LAFC. I think (Sunday) is probably the best moment to do it, but in the end, I think he is the kind of player who would prefer to win and not score. That's his mentality, but if he can do both, that's even better."
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USA Today ImagesEstablishing a culture
There are clear differences on both sides of Sunday's final. LAFC represents glitz and glamor, the Hollywood lifestyle propped up by superstars. The Crew, meanwhile, come off as more blue-collar in comparison.
Make no mistake, though: these two teams have far more in common than they do differences.
Ramirez has seen both sides. He was a member of LAFC for the club's first two seasons in 2018-19. After stints with the Houston Dynamo and Aberdeen, he's now in Columbus, where he scored a key winner in last season's Eastern Conference final to pave the way for the club's MLS Cup triumph.
So what do the two teams have in common? Culture, and a commitment to it.
"You have to have a clear identity," Ramirez said. "It's about, first, how you want to play, but also the type of person you want to bring in to fill that void of players who possibly leave or left. From top to bottom, everybody needs to feel like they're contributing so that you never feel left out.
"For myself, for example, early on in the year, I wasn't involved much, and then got injured, and then got an opportunity, and now I'm here. I never felt like I was fully out, and it goes for anybody on the roster: they feel really involved throughout. I think that that goes a long way to earning respect on the player side for the front office staff and coaching staff. It's great."
Lloris has only gotten a glimpse of that culture, but that was what got him in the door in the first place. He didn't have to come to MLS to play with LAFC but, after meeting with the club, he knew he wanted to.
"To be honest with you, when I met the LAFC people, this is how they presented to me," he said. "The club is really ambitious. Every time you are engaged in a competition, you try to win it, and that's what we are trying to do. In this League Cup, obviously, it's been a really busy schedule, but we managed to get stronger and stronger. Now we just need to make sure that we are ready for the final. This is the most difficult step in this competition, but I'm really looking forward to playing that game."
La Liga chief Javier Tebas has revealed that this season's fixture between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid could be played in the United States.
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Emile Smith Rowe has revealed his delight at "finally" signing for Fulham after his Arsenal exit.
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Smith Rowe completes Fulham moveFulham could pay up to ÂŁ34m for wingerPlayer explains rationale for transferWHAT HAPPENED?
Fulham have completed the signing of Smith Rowe for a reported fee of up to ÂŁ34 million ($44m), with the Englishman signing a five-year contract at Craven Cottage. The 24-year-old made a total of 115 appearances for the Gunners but has explained his excitement at moving across London.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Smith Rowe fell down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta last season and was limited to just three Premier League starts. He is a three-time England international, however, and will hope to convince the Three Lions' new manager to pick him based on his Fulham displays.
WHAT SMITH ROWE SAID
Smith Rowe told Fulham's website: "I’m finally here, so I’m really happy for me and my family – it’s a good moment. I’m really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible so I could get going with my team-mates. Listening to the project, speaking to the Manager, and seeing what players we have here already, I think it’s an exciting project for me, and definitely the perfect step for my career going forward."
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
Fulham wrap up their pre-season preparations with games against Benfica, Sevilla, and Hoffenheim. They open the Premier League season on August 16 against Manchester United.
Les Bleus have the most talented squad at the Summer Games, as well as the support of an expectant home crowd
Thierry Henry, in typical style, articulated just how much an Olympic gold would mean for France.
"If you don't come to such a tournament for the gold," he told the Olympics website, "there is no point coming."
Of course, this seems a rather obvious sentiment. Henry is one of the best players to ever kick a football, which isn't achieved by having an apathetic attitude towards the sport. Elite athletes tend to care.
Still, Olympic soccer remains a confusing thing – a strangely polarizing tournament given the unquestionable prestige of taking home a gold medal, regardless of the sport. And it seems, for this iteration of the tournament, no one is better positioned to do just that than France.
There are undoubtedly some talented teams to be found, which kicks off in earnest Wednesday. But France, in front of the millions of expectant fans, led by a national legend, and buoyed by the deepest squad in the tournament, really should run away with a medal that might just mean a lot more than the football world might have you believe.
(C)Getty ImagesThe squad
Kylian Mbappe, we are told, wanted to play for this Olympic team. That would make sense. There is a certain romanticism to it all. The Parisian kid, playing for his country, in his hometown, his team well-positioned – if not favored – to win Olympic gold. The narrative was already written. All Mbappe had to do was just the standard Mbappe things – score a lot of goals.
There's precedent here, too. Neymar, for example, did it for Brazil in 2016 to great success. But Real Madrid prevented Mbappe from representing his country. And that made a lot of sense. Mbappe is probably exhausted. Madrid want to protect his legs – and his broken nose.
Still, look beyond Mbappe, and this remains a vastly experienced squad loaded with talent. The star man is Michael Olise, who just made a big-money move to Bayern Munich. But it's not just him, either. France is home to arguably the best wealth of youngsters in world football – and most of them will be on display for Thierry Henry's side at the Olympics. Throw in the veteran presence of captain Alex Lacazette up front, and this looks a formidable team.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesThe star man
Perhaps most important, France possess the advantage of having a real match-winner to turn to. Olise was never an unknown quantity, but he did improve immensely for Crystal Palace last year. Formerly a mercurial talent who would pop up in moments, the attacking midfielder became a game-changing presence – constantly involved, playing a key part of every sequence.
And his impact expanded as a result. In just 19 Premier League appearances, he provided 16 goal contributions. The advanced stats are even kinder. He is in the 99th percentile among goals per 90 minutes, 87th in successful take-ons, and 99th in expected assists – an accurate calculator of how effective his final pass was. In other words, Olise, at 22, is looking a lot like an elite attacking midfielder. No other country at this Olympics can boast that.
Getty ImagesThe manager
Henry's managerial credentials, at a club level, are admittedly mixed. This idea, one of a club legend entering into coaching, is admittedly dicey territory. And Henry made the jump too early. When he took the Monaco job in 2018, he hadn't taken charge of a senior club side. It was a disaster waiting to happen. And it proved as such. Monaco were 19th when Henry was dismissed from his post after just two months – and he could have few complaints.
His resume has improved since then. A successful stint with Montreal Impact, and solid return to the Belgian national team setup as an assistant bolstered his credentials. He reportedly turned down the opportunity to coach the France women's national team, and was in the mix for the USMNT job in 2022.
A return to the youth national team scene, with his home country, seemed a shrewd move. And thus far, it's been a successful one. Henry has shepherded a talented group to a handful of promising results. This sense of gravitas seems to connect with a younger generation who know him more from legends cards on FIFA and YouTube clips than watching him tear up the Premier League. He appears to be the right man to get the job done.
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GettyHome field advantage?
Global perception of Olympic Men's soccer is admittedly mixed. On the women's side, it means a lot. A lack of age restrictions mean that international sides can take their best players to every tournament. And more broadly, there's a real prestige to it.
The men's game doesn't share that. It's effectively a youth tournament with U23 restrictions – and the lack of FIFA recognition means that club teams aren't obligated to release their best young talents. The result is a relative sense of apathy towards the pursuit of a gold medal. For home nations, though, it's different. One only has to look at the scenes at the Maracana in 2016 after Brazil won Olympic gold – wild fans, Neymar in tears – to see that this could be truly meaningful for the host nation.
And although excitement on the ground in France has been measured, with Michel Platini dubbing the tournament "no Olympic sport" the fans lining the streets when Henry carried the torch last week painted a different picture. There's a real unity, which could be vital in the weeks ahead.
Manchester United are upping their efforts to sign a "complete package" in the summer transfer window, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to make his presence felt.
Ratcliffe wants big summer at Man Utd
Ratcliffe is now the part-owner of the Red Devils, with the boyhood supporter's acquisition being completed earlier in the year, and he is certainly making a positive early impression. He is bullish about taking United back to the top of the English game, promising to knock Manchester City and Liverpool off their current "perch".
In order for that to happen, some significant business will need to be conducted in the summer, ensuring that some top-quality players arrive at Old Trafford – those who Erik ten Hag and likely incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth feel are the best options to take the team forward.
A plethora of names have been linked with joining United in recent weeks, with additions potentially coming in all over the pitch in order to increase the depth on show and the strength of the best possible starting lineup.
Centre-back is a position that needs improvement considering there are question marks over the long-term worth of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof – and Juventus ace Gleison Bremer has been talked about as an option to come in.
Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is seen as an alternative to the Brazilian, with the 26-year-old winning an average of three aerial duels per game in the Premier League this season, as well as 5.3 per match in the EFL Cup, in which the Whites reached the semi-finals.
In attack, Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen has emerged as an option for United, as the Nigerian enjoys another impressive season for the reigning Serie A champions, scoring 11 goals in just 15 league starts in 2023/24 to date.
Man Utd pushing to sign "complete package"
Now, a fresh transfer update has dropped courtesy of The Mirror, which claims that Manchester United are "ready to firm up their interest" in Bremer, having been linked with him a number of times in the past.
It could even be that Ashworth is a driving force behind the move if and when he comes in, with the report stating that "it's been claimed by reports overseas that he has endorsed Bremer, although this is unconfirmed."
Bremer does feel like a genuinely strong choice for United at this point, and there is plenty to admire about him as a player, making him an exciting target.
His aforementioned aerial prowess highlights his dominance in that area of his game, but he has also enjoyed an 86.7% pass completion rate in Serie A this season, showing that he is also more than competent with the ball at his feet. Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as the "complete package", further outlining his all-round ability.
Appearances
28
8
19
16
18
18
Starts
28
7
14
13
12
13
Goals
2
0
1
1
0
1
Assists
0
1
0
2
1
1
Aerial duel wins per game
2.9
0.4
1.1
3.0
1.6
0.7
Clearances per game
3.9
2.3
4.3
3.3
3.5
1.8
Tackles per game
1.8
1.4
0.9
1.0
0.7
0.8
Bremer could be viewed as Lisandro Martinez's ideal centre-back partner moving forward, and at 25, his peak years should still hopefully be ahead of him, much like the Argentine.
Ian Bell is set to be confirmed as England’s batting coach at the U19 World Cup.While Bell missed the entire 2019 season due to injury, he plans to continue his playing career in 2020 and has beaten several more established coaching candidates to the role.The appointment underlines how well thought of Bell is and suggests he can look forward to a career in coaching when his playing career end. He will be 38 in April and is out of contract at Warwickshire at the end of the 2020 season.The next edition of the U19 World Cup, featuring 16 sides and ODI playing regulations, will be staged in South Africa in January and February.England finished a disappointing seventh in the previous tournament played in New Zealand in 2018. India won the trophy after beating Australia in the final. Jon Lewis remains the head coach of England U19s.Former England batsman Bell this year played no part in Warwickshire’s County Championship campaign for the first time since 2000, after his comeback from a foot injury sustained during the Pakistan Super League in Feburary was ruined by a tendon issue in his left knee. It was the first time he had failed to play at least one first-class game since making his debut for the club in 1999 at the age of 17.