Manchester United have reportedly offered their out-of-favour striker Rasmus Hojlund on loan to German champions Bayern Munich as they look to offload the £72m flop this summer. Hojlund has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford to end his nightmare spell with the Red Devils. It was earlier reported that Serie A giants AC Milan are also keen on signing the Danish forward.
Hojlund offered to Bayern MunichYet to respond to Man UtdAC Milan eyeing loan moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils have approached Bayern to initiate talks over Danish forward Hojlund. United would ideally want the striker to leave on an initial loan deal, but with an option to buy next summer. The Bavarian club are yet to respond to United's approach.
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Fabrizio Romano reported last week that Italian giants AC Milan have made contact with United over a potential loan deal for Hojlund, with discussions via intermediaries ongoing over a €6 million (£5m/$7m) loan fee, with a €45m buy option and full salary coverage.
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It has been made very clear that Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim is not planning to rely on Hojlund for the 2025-26 campaign. The Denmark international was not afforded a single minute of play in Saturday's pre-season friendly with Fiorentina.
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A move away from Old Trafford would be ideal for Hojlund, who has had a nightmare time in England since joining United from Atalanta in the summer of 2023. However, several reports claim that the 22-year-old striker is planning to stay put and fight for his place in Amorim's squad, despite the Portuguese manager signing a host of attacking options this window, including a new No.9 in Benjamin Sesko.
Ex-England star Micah Richards believes Eberechi Eze will be an "amazing" signing for Arsenal, while downplaying Gabriel Martinelli's importance.
Richards tells Arsenal to sign Eze
Downplays Martinelli's importance
Concerned about Gyokeres
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Manchester City defender Richards believes Arsenal need a new left winger and that Martinelli should be more of an "impact player" off the bench. The ex-Aston Villa man added Crystal Palace's Eze would be a great signing, but he also isn't convinced summer recruit Viktor Gyokeres will be Arsenal's silver bullet in attack next season.
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WHAT RICHARDS SAID
He said on The Rest is Football podcast: "How many times have we said Arsenal need a new striker? We said it every week last season. They’ve needed one for a while now. I still believe they need a left winger as well…they’ve been linked with Eze haven’t they. I think Martinelli can definitely do a job but he’s more of an impact player right now, great to have off the bench, so if they could get Eze that would be amazing.
"In terms of Gyokeres, I think it’s a very good signing but I still think there are question marks if he can do it at this level consistently. I’ve watched loads of videos of him and I think he’s really good with his movement, he’s a really clever striker. I don’t think people should expect him to hold the ball up really well because I saw some times when it came off him but he still scored two goals in the match so he got lots of praise. He will cause teams problems though and he’s exactly what Arsenal needed, for sure."
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Arsenal have been urged to sign an out-and-out striker for years and now they have recruited Gyokeres, they seem may be in a better position than ever before to win their first Premier League title since 2004. If they can keep Martinelli and sign Eze, although he will not come on the cheap, the Gunners could be a force to be reckoned with in 2025-26.
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WHAT NEXT?
It remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta's Arsenal will make a concerted effort to sign England international Eze or if they will stick with Martinelli, who scored ten goals and added six assists in 51 games last season.
Cristhian Mosquera has said goodbye to his Valencia team-mates ahead of his move to Arsenal, and also spoke about his sadness in leaving Los Che.
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21-year-old said goodbye at Paterna training round
Fee for centre back could exceed €20m
Mosquera says "Valencia is my home"
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The 21-year-old reported to Valencia's Paterna training ground along with his team-mates, but rather than participate in pre-season, he was there to say his goodbyes. Mosquera will be making the switch to north London for a fee that could exceed €20m (£17m/$23m).
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The centre-half spoke of his excitement, but also his sadness, ahead of the move. He refused to speak more about his departure, as while the move is likely to go ahead, the agreement is only verbal at this stage. Mosquera joined Valencia as a 12-year-old boy, making 90 appearances for the club's first team. A highly-rated prospect, Mosquera has represented Spain at all youth levels from U15 to U23s.
WHAT MOSQUERA SAID
As he was leaving the training ground, Mosquera told reporters, per Marca: "Valencia is my home and it always will be. I arrived when I was 12, and now I'm leaving as a grown man, a little sad because you've been here your whole life, but decisions in football are like that. Now a new era begins.
When asked about his departure, Mosquera added: "I prefer the club to talk first , and then whatever happens, it will happen. It's exciting, but it's also sad."
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WHAT NEXT?
The Alicante-born centre back will have to be content with backing up the imperious partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba. That will not be easy, as Mosquera appeared in 37 out of Valencia's 38 games in La Liga in 2024/25. The youngster can learn plenty from those established stars however, and probably feels that at just 21-year-old, he will have time to grow into a prominent role with the Gunners.
Cristian Romero is considering rejecting Tottenham’s new deal to join Atletico Madrid, with Diego Simeone pushing to land the Argentine defender.
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Atletico prioritise Romero as defensive leaderTottenham push new deal, captaincy offerSimeone plotting major summer squad revampFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Romero has emerged as Atletico Madrid’s top defensive priority this summer, with the Argentine defender reportedly prepared to reject a lucrative contract extension from Tottenham. Despite Spurs' offer to make Romero their highest-paid player and the promise of a key role, the 27-year-old is pushing to join Diego Simeone’s project at the Wanda Metropolitano. According to Atletico have submitted a bid worth €55 million (£47m/$61m) plus €15m (£12m/$17m) in add-ons, but Tottenham remain firm in their €70m (£60m/$81m) valuation.
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Rojiblancos are undergoing a major rebuild following their early exit from the Club World Cup and a squad reliant on players over the age of 30. Meanwhile, Simeone is determined to rejuvenate the team with high-calibre, battle-ready talent, not backups or stopgap solutions, and Romero is viewed as a perfect fit for his aggressive and intense system. The club have already signed creative midfielder Alex Baena and want Romero to be the defensive leader of a new cycle aimed at overtaking Barcelona and Real Madrid in the league.
WHAT JULIAN ALVAREZ SAID
Julian Alvarez, who joined Atletico from Manchester City last year, has openly endorsed the move, expressing hope that Romero will follow him to the Spanish capital. He said recently: “I hope it happens. He's a great player, one of the best centre-backs in the world, for me. A national teammate and a great person. This great addition would help the team a lot.”
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ATLETICO MADRID?
Negotiations between Atletico and Tottenham are expected to continue in the coming days, as the Spanish side attempt to structure a deal closer to Spurs’ demands through performance-related add-ons. If successful, Romero would become the most expensive defender in Atletico’s history.
أعلن نادي البنزرتي التونسي عن مواجهة فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي وديًا، ضمن معسكر الإعداد الذي سيخوضه الأحمر بـ تونس خلال الأيام المقبلة.
ويستعد النادي الأهلي، لخوض معسكر في تونس، خلال الفترة من 18 يوليو الجاري حتى 26 من نفس الشهر، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.
طالع | قرار جديد حاسم من الأهلي ضد وسام أبو علي
ونشرت الصفحة الرسمية لـ نادي البنزرتي عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “يجري فريقنا مباراة دولية ودية مع فريق النادي الأهلي المصري يوم الجمعة 25 يوليو 2025، الساعة السادسة مساء (18:00) بملعب نزل La Cigale – طبرقة”.
الأهلي عاد لاستئناف تدريباته، بعد غياب لمدة 18 يومًا عقب انتهاء مشاركته في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية التي أقيمت مؤخرًا في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
Shay Given admits it would be "amazing" to see Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola face Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi at the FIFA Club World Cup.
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Premier League giants heading to U.S.
Opportunity to make more history
Argentine icon will also be on show
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WHAT HAPPENED?
There is a chance of that happening, with some of the finest teams in world football preparing for a global gathering in the United States. City will be there courtesy of their Champions League triumph in 2023 – which formed part of a historic treble.
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MLS outfit Inter Miami, who rewrote the record books when savouring Supporters’ Shield glory last season, have accepted a special invitation to an expanded tournament taking place on American soil.
Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream now
WHAT SHAY GIVEN SAID
Guardiola could cross paths with former Barcelona charge Messi in the knockout stages, if both clubs can progress that far, with ex-City goalkeeper Given – speaking in association with DAZN – telling GOAL when asked about a fun reunion: “It would be amazing. Messi, for me, one of the best players to ever grace the planet.
“From a City point of view, with the profile of the club, it just feels like if they can get their hands on it… It’s a big ask with so many big clubs – Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final were phenomenal, the likes of them and Real Madrid will have the same ambition to get their hands on this trophy. As an ex-City player I would love to see them win it, but it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be tough.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Given the prize money on offer, and the opportunity to make history by becoming the first winners of the 32-team Club World Cup, Given added when asked if City and demanding coach Guardiola will be taking the event seriously: “Very much so. I think as well with the prize money at stake and the season that they’ve had, with no trophies, they would maybe class this as part of the season and winning a trophy.
“It’s a big tournament. Some of the biggest clubs in the world will be there. I think Guardiola will see this as an opportunity to make a bit of history as a club – the first one, get that gold badge on their chest for the next four years. They will be world champions, and that’s a big statement.
“Anything that Pep Guardiola is involved with, he wants to win. He’ll be hurting on the back of not winning anything. They would have thought the FA Cup final would soften that blow a little bit, but Crystal Palace had other ideas. They look like they are strengthening in the window, a couple of players may be coming in before the Club World Cup, so I’m sure that he wants to get his hands on this trophy.”
Rangers could now be without an “important” 17-goal player for a chunk of the rest of the season, according to a new update that will concern Barry Ferguson.
Rangers starring under Ferguson with wins over Fenerbahce and Celtic
The Gers are still basking in the glory of their 3-2 win away to rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, following Hamza Igamane’s late winner at Parkhead, having initially blown a 2-0 lead.
While the result may not necessarily make a huge difference to the grand scheme of things in the title race this season, it was further proof that Rangers are heading in the right direction under Ferguson, who remains in temporary charge for the time being.
The Scot has guided his side into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, following last Thursday’s penalty shootout win over Fenerbahce at Ibrox, and he will now be dreaming of getting the job on a permanent basis.
Should Rangers go all the way in Europe this season, there will only be increased calls for Ferguson to take charge in the long term, in what promises to be an exciting end to the campaign. A fresh blow has now emerged regarding a key player, however, which the boss won’t want to hear.
Rangers could lose Cerny for 8 matches
According to The Daily Record [via Ibrox News], Rangers attacker Vaclav Cerny could miss as many as eight matches for squirting water at Celtic fans after the winning goal on Sunday.
A ban appears to be coming the 27-year-old’s way, and while it may only be as short as two games, there is no guarantee that it won’t be more. He would only miss domestic fixtures, however, not Europa League outings.
Vaclav Cerny
Cerny has been such a key player for Rangers throughout this season, so Ferguson will be sweating over not having him available for a string of league matches.
The Czech has scored 17 goals in total – 11 in the league and six in the Europa League – also registering four assists, and Philippe Clement was complimentary of him during the time working together at Ibrox, saying:
“Vaclav showed a lot of composure in his moments, and it’s those moments that I want to see more and more from the team. He’s been working hard for the team and the club. He’s a player who is just in the building and people forget that; some players need six months to adapt to a new environment. In that way, he has already done some really good things and he will only grow in the future to become more important for the club.”
"Pathetic" – Pundit slams Sutton's comments following Rangers win at Celtic
He is just trying to get a rise out of Gers supporters.
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Henry Jackson
Mar 18, 2025
Hopefully, the authorities don’t feel that Cerny’s behaviour at Parkhead is worthy of a long ban – it could be argued that what he did wasn’t overly malicious – but if not, other attackers will need to step up in his absence.
Sodhi, Santner, Bracewell and Phillips took 5 for 114 in between them to sink the hosts in Karachi
Deivarayan Muthu11-Jan-2023
Devon Conway reached a quick hundred•AP
New Zealand suffered a late collapse of 6 for 37 on a slow, grippy Karachi pitch, but the attacking enterprise of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson prior to that gave their spin-heavy attack a defendable total to work with. After Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson made the early incisions in Pakistan’s chase of 262, New Zealand spin quartet muzzled the hosts with their subtle variations and forced the series into a decider on Friday.Despite wickets falling around him, Babar Azam offered Pakistan hope with 79 off 114 balls, but could not find a higher gear to keep the asking rate in touch.Mitchell Santner did his thing by relentlessly attacking the stumps and holding his length back. Michael Bracewell, who is more of a batting allrounder for his domestic side Wellington, was the most economical spinner, returning 1 for 29 in his ten overs.Ish Sodhi, who returned to the side in place of Henry Shipley, bowled into the pitch and often drew mis-hits from Pakistan’s batters. The legspinner bagged the prized scalp of Babar, the second-last Pakistan batter to be dismissed, and all but sealed New Zealand’s series-levelling win. Glenn Phillips, who is now a reluctant wicketkeeper because of a back condition, added to New Zealand’s spin stocks in an ODI World Cup year, trapping Haris Sohail lbw. The spinners had combined figures of 30-0-114-5.It was Southee and Ferguson who set the tone for New Zealand’s successful defence. After testing Fakhar Zaman with six inswingers, Southee ran one away from the left-hander on a Test-match length and kissed his outside edge. Gone for a seven-ball duck. With a number of New Zealand fast bowlers absent through injury, Ferguson took the new ball along with Southee and blasted out Imam-ul-Haq with a 153kph bouncer.Babar Azam tucks one away•AP
Babar repaired the innings with Mohammad Rizwan, adding 55 together for the third wicket, but they needed 99 balls to get there. The New Zealand spinners kept hiking the asking rate and drawing errors from Pakistan’s batters. Babar tried to take the chase as deep as possible, but his men were bowled out in 43 overs.Earlier in the day, Mohammad Nawaz thrived on the sluggish pitch, finding grip and turn with even his quick darts. Nawaz’s bowling wasn’t just about grip and turn. A delightful cocktail of drift, dip and turn breached the defences of Williamson in the 35th over. Skid and zip off a fairly slow pitch undid Tom Latham, who is among the best players of spin in New Zealand’s line-up. He was responsible for four wickets in New Zealand’s collapse of 6 for 37.Pakistan had also started well, with Naseem Shah striking in his first over once again. After having sent Conway packing for a golden duck in the first ODI, the fast bowler had Finn Allen slashing a catch to Nawaz at short cover for 1 in the second. Williamson then combined with Conway for a game-changing 181-run second-wicket stand.During those early exchanges, Conway struggled for timing and often lost his shape when he tried to over-hit the ball. Williamson, meanwhile, was in control from the get-to.The New Zealand captain started his innings with a trademark dab to deep third and then displayed greater intent in the powerplay. He scythed Naseem over backward point and shovelled Mohammad Wasim in the air over midwicket for fours. Williamson was the first to notch up his half-century off 52 balls, with Conway joining him in the same over.Williamson was then reprieved twice in a space of four balls in the 22nd over. When Wasim first dug one into the pitch, he spliced a pull to midwicket, where Haris dropped an overhead coach. Three balls later, Rizwan, the wicketkeeper, spurned a chance after Wasim brushed Williamson’s glove.Conway then showed signs of his fluent best, countering Pakistan’s spinners with his variety of hard sweeps, including the reverse. After reaching his first fifty off 57 balls, he needed just 32 more for triple-figures. When Babar tried to coax a few quiet overs from part-time spinner Agha Salman, Conway took him for 12 off eight balls and helped put him out of the attack. Conway even charged at Wasim, audaciously pumping him over point for six. Just when he looked good for more, Naseem conjured up a wicket before Nawaz took over and wrecked New Zealand’s middle order.Santner fought gamely at the death, scoring 37 off 40 balls, before he was run out off the penultimate ball of the innings. He also stepped up with the ball and ensured there would be no way back for Pakistan, despite Babar’s resistance.
It might be a tired cliché, but last night felt like a game of two halves for Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou’s side played host to Manchester City, and set out to pick up their fourth Premier League win on the bounce.
Unfortunately, a goal from the recently returned Erling Haaland made sure that didn’t happen, and while the visitors could have been three or four up in the first half, the Lilywhites had bountiful chances of their own in the second 45.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City
Spurs
Stats
City
0
Goals
1
1.12
Expected Goals
2.09
55%
Possession
45%
2
Big Chances
4
11
Total Shots
12
8
Corners
3
512
Passes
412
All Stats via Sofascore
However, while there were several players who put in solid shifts for the North Londoners, there were still some who let themselves down, such as Pedro Porro, who the manager should never have started.’
Why Postecoglou shouldn't have started Porro
After starting the game against Ipswich Town over the weekend on the bench, there would’ve been hope among some of the Spurs faithful that Postecoglou would keep Porro there for last night’s game.
Unfortunately, the Australian decided to start him at right-back, and to the surprise of very few, it turned out to be a sizeable mistake, as even while he might have a great pass on him, time after time this season, he has proven himself incapable of defending.
It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by journalist Mitch Fretton, who described him as a “familiar” problem while football.london’s Alasdair Gold gave him a 5/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘had a tough night’ against Jeremy Doku, which is quite the understatement.
The Belgian turned the former Sporting CP ace inside out all night, and if it wasn’t the tricky winger giving him problems, he was creating them himself.
For example, in his 90-plus minutes of action, the 25-year-old endeavoured to give the ball away 12 times and did so for Haaland’s disallowed goal at the end of the game.
Overall, it was another horror show for the error-prone full-back, and it’s clear that Postecoglou made a massive mistake in starting him over the player who started there on the weekend.
The Spurs star who should've started against City
With Archie Gray starting at centre-back alongside Kevin Danso and the lack of other defensive options, it will come as no surprise that the player Postecoglou should have started over Porro last night was Djed Spence.
The former Middlesbrough full-back has been a revelation since breaking into the first team this season – as evidenced by the crowd’s roar upon his arrival last night – and considering how dismal the Spaniard has been for much of the campaign, he should have been in from the first whistle.
Not only can he help out in the final third – he already has four goal involvements in 20 appearances this year – but he’s also far more secure and reliable when it comes to the defensive side of the game, which, even in the modern game, is incredibly important for a full-back.
Spence vs Porro
Statistics per 90
Spence
Porro
Tackles
3.02
2.31
Tackles Won
2.50
1.67
Tackles + Interceptions
4.06
3.50
All Blocks
1.77
1.62
Shots Blocked
0.73
0.60
Passes Blocked
1.04
1.03
Aerial Duels Won
1.15
0.43
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season
For example, when we compare their underlying numbers, the “unbelievable” Englishman, as dubbed by Ian Wright, comes out ahead in the majority of relevant defensive metrics, including but not limited to tackles, tackles won, all blocks, shots blocked, passes blocked, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.
Lastly, on top of having the better defensive numbers on paper, the £20m titan also appears to be far better at anticipating the movements of opposition wingers, as unlike Porro, he rarely seems to find himself on the floor after mistiming a tackle.
Ultimately, while the team certainly weren’t dreadful last night, Postecoglou got it very wrong not starting Spence, and we can’t see him making the same decision in the Europa League next week.
A £70m star in the making: Spurs hit gold with "incredible" Ange signing
The ever-improving ace has become an essential player for Spurs this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed an easy goalscoring chance in the final minutes as Al-Nassr faced elimination from AFC Champions League.
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Ronaldo squandered an easy late chance
Al-Nassr out of Champions League
Went down 3-2 against Kawasaki Frontale in semis
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo and Al-Nassr crashed out of the AFC Champions League semi-final as they went down 3-2 against J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale on Wednesday. Al-Nassr were trailing 3-1 at one point in the second half before Ayman Yahya pulled one back for the Saudi giants in the 87th minute. The Portugal icon then got the easiest chance of the match to restore parity but failed to convert it. Mohamed Simakan sent a long ball into the Kawasaki penalty box that was headed down by Aymeric Laporte to set up Ronaldo one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The veteran forward went past the custodian with a delicate touch, but failed to push the ball into the net with his left foot.
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The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star has yet to win silverware in Saudi Arabia since moving to the Middle Eastern country in January 2023. With their elimination from the continental competition, Ronaldo is all set to experience yet another trophyless season. In the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr are trailing league leaders Al-Ittihad by eight points with five matches to go in the season.
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WHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?
Stefano Pioli's side will be next seen in action on May 7 as they host Al-Ittihad in a crucial league clash. Ronaldo and Co have to win the game to keep their title hopes alive.