Sports

TRANSFERS: Ronaldo, Coutinho in race for big moves

Published

3 years ago

April 2, 2022

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United are reportedly expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford this summer. The Portugal international re-joined the Red Devils from Juventus last year and has enjoyed an impressive goal scoring return, finding the back of the net on 18 occasions in 32 appearances.

Ronaldo has a contract with the club until June 2023, with the option of a further 12 months, but there have been claims that he wants to leave during this summer’s transfer window.

Man United are currently facing a battle to finish in the top four in the Premier League, as they fight to secure Champions League football for next term.

According to Football Insider, the 20-time English champions are expecting Ronaldo to push for a move away from Old Trafford in the upcoming market. The report claimed that Man United could be prepared to let him leave on a free transfer due to the savings that they would make in terms of his wage packet.

Ronaldo is not believed to be considering moving away from European football at this stage of his career, and there have been suggestions that Paris Saint-Germain could be an option for the 37-year-old. Still in the Premiership, cash-rich Newcastle are reportedly ready to offer Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho a £1million bonus to convince him to join them over Aston Villa this summer after the Brazilian smash hit on loan in the Midlands. According to Sport, the Magpies have already started to explore a deal for the Brazilian through intermediaries with a significant bonus heading in the direction of Coutinho were he to choose Newcastle.

Coutinho has been a revelation since swapping Barcelona for Aston Villa on loan in January, scoring four goals and adding three assists in 10 matches so far. A permanent switch to Villa Park is reportedly Barcelona’s ‘priority’, with a deal mooted to be around £33.5m – but Newcastle’s reported interest could complicate any switch to the Midlands.

Newcastle found themselves in a fierce relegation battle in January but key signings of Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Matt Targett and Bruno Guimaraes has lifted Eddie Howe’s side to 14th in the table.

While Newcastle have professed caution about expectations in the summer, with money no object under the Saudi owners, the report in Spain stated that he is seen in the north east as a key player to build around as they look to push for trophies.

The 29-year-old’s huge £480,000 a week wages at the Nou Camp won’t be matched in England and Villa are currently paying just under 25 per cent of those weekly wages for six months, around £120,000 a week. Villa boss Steven Gerrard has made no secret of the fact he would like the club to sign his former Liverpool team-mate come the end of the season. But Gerrard has also welcomed interest in Coutinho from rival clubs as it proves Villa secured a coup by signing the Brazilian in January.

READ ALSO:

“For me it doesn’t make any sense to make any decisions now,” Gerrard said last month when quizzed on whether they are pushing to get Coutinho permanently.“When he’s physically in the right place, when he’s comfortable and happy and enjoying his football, we all know we’re dealing with a world-class talent.

“We just need to keep enjoying him, to keep him healthy from now until the end of the season and I’m sure he’ll help us. To watch him and work with him and see him get back to his top form and enjoy his football again is a pleasure.”

Asked about whether Villa is the place for Coutinho to fall in love with the game again, Gerrard added: “Phil was successful at Barcelona but he had difficult periods as well. He got to the stage where he needed a change of scenery and a different movie.

“We want to be that movie for him because if we want to get to where we want to be, we need to build it around talents like Phil, because at his best he is a high-level player.

“All good teams have game-changers who the opposition are really concerned about before a ball is kicked. Phil has that status and he is giving belief to his team-mates.

“Our strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings want him alongside them because he delivers on the big stage. I don’t control transfer fees or wages.

“All I can do is give my opinion to (sporting director) Johan Lange, (chief executive) Christian Purslow and the owners. They are watching the games and they will make the final decision. Phil has shown what he is capable of so far.”

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are reportedly set to extend the contract of Vinicius Junior this summer.

THE NATION

Related Topics:Coutinho Ronaldo TRANSFERS

Up Next

My target was to take Nigeria to Q/Final World Cup in Qatar – Gernot Rohr

Don't Miss

BREAKING: Eguavoen resigns as Eagles’ technical adviser

Sports

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Super Eagles players

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, following Libya’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.

This result leaves Rwanda with five points from five matches, rendering them unable to surpass Nigeria in the standings, even if they win their upcoming match against the Super Eagles in Uyo.

READ ALSO:

Currently, Nigeria leads Group D with 10 points, followed by Benin with six points, Rwanda with five, and Libya at the bottom with four points.

Sports

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.

Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.

The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.

That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.

– ‘It shouldn’t be happening’ –

“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.

“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”

READ ALSO:

Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.

“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.

“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash — and that’s what this is.”

Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.

“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this.”

At an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson declared that a gruelling training camp had left him with the conviction “that I’m tougher than I believed I was.”

“When I agreed to this fight and started training, I thought ‘What was I thinking of?’ But I’ve finished the process. The fight is the party. All the hard work is done.”

At a final press conference in Texas on Wednesday, a stony-faced Tyson pointedly declined to engage in the pre-fight hype.

“I’m just ready to fight,” he said. “I’m looking forward to fighting.”

– Injury fears –

A global audience of several million watching on Netflix, and tens of thousands inside the AT&T Stadium, will be watching on Friday to see whether Tyson’s hard work pays off.

His opponent Paul — who was born six months before Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their infamous 1997 rematch — rose to prominence as a Youtuber, before turning his attention to boxing.

Since his first fight against a fellow Youtuber in 2018, Paul’s opponents have included a basketball player, mixed martial arts fighters and other professional boxers. In 11 fights he has won 10 (seven by knockout) and lost one.

“I feel really good, sharp, powerful and explosive. It’s going to be a short night for Mike,” Paul said at Tuesday’s open workout, where he appeared wearing a bizarre head-dress in the form of a rooster.

It goes without saying that a prime, 1980s-era Tyson would almost certainly have dealt with Paul within a few minutes.

Does he retain enough residue of the talent and destructive power that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986, at the age of 20 years and four months? Bob Arum, the legendary 92-year-old boxing promoter who has seen it all, is unequivocal.

“The answer is no,” Arum told Secondsout.com last month. “A 58-year-old guy, no matter how good they were, no matter how athletic they were, are not gonna be able to fight.

“You can’t throw punches like you’re supposed to, you can’t do a lot of things. I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him relatively no chance.”

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

Sports

Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan

Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan was arrested on Wednesday amid allegations that he misused the organization’s funds for personal purposes, as reported by local media.

Jordaan, renowned for his pivotal role in securing South Africa as the host for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, sought to block his arrest on Tuesday by filing an urgent application.

However, the Johannesburg High Court is scheduled to hear his case only on Thursday, leaving him vulnerable to arrest.

READ ALSO:

The arrest stems from a raid by police on the SAFA offices in March, after which police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the allegations are that “between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board.”

Jordaan, 73, and his reported co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, are due to appear in court later on Wednesday.

Neither Jordaan nor SAFA responded to a request for comment from Reuters, but in his affidavit to court seeking to block his arrest, he denies any wrongdoing.