TRANSFERS: Ronaldo, Coutinho in race for big moves – Newstrends
Connect with us

Sports

TRANSFERS: Ronaldo, Coutinho in race for big moves

Published

2 years ago

on

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:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Sports

Court orders Juventus to pay Ronaldo £8.3m

Published

22 hours ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

Cristiano Ronaldo

Court orders Juventus to pay Ronaldo £8.3m

Juventus have been ordered to pay Cristiano Ronaldo £8.3m in owed wages by an Italian court.

Ronaldo, 39, agreed to defer wages when football in Italy was halted by the Covid pandemic in the 2020-21 season.

The Portuguese had claimed he was owed more than £17m by his former club.

READ ALSO:

The Court of Arbitration said the club should pay what the player would have received after tax and other deductions.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner spent three seasons in Italy with Juventus between 2018 and 2021, helping them win two Serie A titles.

He left for his second spell with Manchester United and after 16 months at Old Trafford joined Saudi club Al-Nassr.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner – awarded to the world’s best player – was ranked by American business magazine Forbes as the world’s highest-paid sportsman in 2023, with earnings of £109m.

Court orders Juventus to pay Ronaldo £8.3m

Continue Reading

Sports

Arsenal need support, love, after Champions League exit – Arteta

Published

1 day ago

on

April 17, 2024

By

Arsenal need support, love, after Champions League exit – Arteta

 

Mikel Arteta says he has to show his Arsenal side “support and love” after Bayern Munich knocked them out of the Champions League.

Joshua Kimmich’s second-half header in Germany gave Bayern a 1-0 win on the night, and a 3-2 aggregate victory in their quarter-final.

It was a second successive defeat for Arsenal, who lost control of the Premier League title race last Sunday as Aston Villa beat them 2-0.

“I wish I had the right words to say to the players to make them feel better. What I am going to do – and all the coaching staff too – is to be close to the players.” Arteta said.

“I feel so grateful to be the coach and to work with them every single day.”

Arsenal were chasing a first Champions League semi-final spot since 2009, with Arteta accepting his team were inexperienced at this stage of the competition.

This was their first quarter-final appearance since 2010.

“We haven’t played this competition for seven years and we haven’t been in this stage for 14 years,” he said. “There’s a reason for it.

“We want to do everything fast-forward, super-quick, in one season. I think we have the capacity and the quality to be in the semi-final because the margins are very small.

“Those margins are coming from something else that maybe we don’t have yet. We have to learn it.

“When you look historically, it took other clubs seven, eight or 10 years to do it. Today, that’s not going to make us feel better that’s for sure.”

The Gunners, who need City to drop points if they are to win the league for the first time since 2003-04, return to Premier League action at Wolves on Saturday.

“What I need to do is stand right next to them and give them support and our love and we have to pick it up because on Saturday we have a big, big game,” said Arteta.

“We are still playing for the Premier League. The Premier League is there and we really want it. We have to show now that we are capable of turning this around.”

Continue Reading

Sports

It’s massive win, says Bellingham as Real Madrid knock out Man City from UCL

Published

1 day ago

on

April 17, 2024

By

It’s massive win, says Bellingham as Real Madrid knock out Man City from UCL

Manchester City are out of the Champions League following a penalty shoot-out defeat they suffered Wednesday night in the hands of Real Madrid in an epic encounter at the Etihad Stadium.
After a 1-1 draw on the night that left the teams tied 4-4 on aggregate, Antonio Rudiger scored the winning spot-kick after Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic had their attempts saved to see the 14-time winners progress 4-3 in the shoot-out.
Rodrygo had given Carlo Ancelotti’s side the advantage on the night and in the tie with an early goal on the counter-attack but Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser took the game into extra-time, in which neither heavyweight could deliver the knockout blow.
It was a back-to-the-wall effort by Madrid and Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions were applauded from the pitch even in defeat.

But their hopes of an unprecedented second successive treble are over. It is Madrid who face Bayern Munich in the last four.

Bellingham: This was beautiful

“It’s a relief because you put so much into the game,” said Bellingham, speaking to TNT Sports.

“To win the game was a massive reward.

“It is incredible. Moments like this are magic and it just comes down to mentality.”

Man City 1-1 Real Madrid (Agg 4-4, Madrid win 4-3 on pens)

Sky Sport

 

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content