Category: Slides

Manchester United will head into the new season on a losing note after Aston Villa beat them in a pre-season friendly.

Man Utd don’t begin their Premier League campaign until next week, when they will play Crystal Palace. They were given an extra week to prepare after being involved in the delayed Europa League over the summer.

However, things didn’t go to plan for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, as Villa – whose game against Manchester City was postponed because of their opponents’ European commitments in August – claimed victory.

Villa’s new signing Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game to give them a 1-0 win.

Solskjaer fielded a relatively strong side, although he was still without some first team regulars.

Dean Henderson, who is preparing to compete for the number one spot this season, started in goal instead of David De Gea.

Diogo Dalot, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw formed United’s back four.

New signing Donny van de Beek joined Scott McTominay in midfield, and Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Dan James played in behind Odion Ighalo.

Bruno Fernandes was not involved, having recently returned from Portugal, where he was attending the birth of his child.

However, United will still have been disappointed to miss out on the win, against a Villa side who also claimed the scalp of Arsenal in their most recent friendly before this one.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HAVE signed Italy international Alessandro Florenzi on a season-long loan from Roma, the Ligue 1 champions announced on Friday.

In a statement PSG said that they had an option to buy the 29-year-old full-back, who will likely replace Thomas Meunier following his departure for Borussia Dortmund, come the end of the season.

He is the first new face to arrive in the French capital during this summer transfer window, with the other major move being the permanent signing of Argentina international forward Mauro Icardi, who had also been on loan.

“We have extraordinary challenges ahead of us this season, and it will be a pleasure and an honour to face them alongside my new teammates, who are some of the best players in the world,” Florenzi said in a statement.

Florenzi has spent almost his entire career playing for his hometown team Roma, where he has played 280 matches over eight seasons after coming through the youth ranks in the Italian capital.

However he has not been a key player the plans of the Serie A side’s coach Paulo Fonseca despite becoming club captain in 2019 following the departures of fellow Romans Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi.

Despite being sent out on loan to Valencia in the second half of last season Florenzi is still a part of Roberto Mancini’s Italy set-up and played for the ‘Azzurri’ in their 1-1 Uefa Nations League draw with Bosnia earlier this month.

He has played 36 times for his national team, scoring twice.

Florenzi arrives at PSG with last season’s Champions League finalists in the midst of an internal coronavirus crisis that has left seven of their first team stars positive for the disease.

A second-string line-up shorn of a host of last season’s regulars fell 1-0 at newly-promoted Lens on Thursday night, their first match of the new Ligue 1 season.

Thomas Tuchel’s side take on fierce rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night before another home match with Metz which was their original opening fixture on Wednesday and a trip to Nice the following Sunday.

Jadon Sancho has agreed to £250,000-a-week terms at Manchester United after the club offered “£90m plus £18m add-ons” to Borussia Dortmund in August.

The Red Devils appear to have broken through in talks for the 20-year-old, agreeing agent fees and personal terms for the youngster on Wednesday evening.

With 20 goals and 20 assists for the German side last season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has prioritised the forward this summer.

And the Guardian has revealed how much the forward has agreed to accept at Old Trafford each week.

Sancho is expected to earn £250,000-a-week by signing on at United while the agent fees have also been discussed.

But the stumbling block still in Solskjaer’s way is the £108m evaluation, which Dortmund have remained stubborn on throughout negotiations.

The Premier League giants, though, offered £90m for the 20-year-old plus £18m in performance-based add-ons last month in a bid to meet the German side’s valuation.

These payments would be made in instalments over the “next two to three seasons” by Solskjaer’s side.

Sancho has impressed throughout his time at the Westfalenstadion, having moved from United’s rivals Manchester City in 2017.

Scoring 34 goals in 99 senior appearances, it has seen the forward also secure a place in Gareth Southgate’s England side.

But United have been warned they cannot rush into negotiations due to Dortmund’s other business.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has said: “There is plenty of work to do before we get to that stage, and Manchester United need to be careful as well because they cannot leave this too late.

“The one thing Dortmund will want to do is to bring in a replacement.

“They will either want Sancho in their squad for next season or a replacement. One of those things must happen after the transfer window has closed.”

United fans were left in meltdown yesterday as coach Mike Phelan followed Sancho on Instagram, sparking a transfer theory among supporters.

Newcastle have confirmed the arrival of sought-after Norwich left-back Jamal Lewis in a deal worth £13.5m.

Lewis has inked a five-year deal running until the summer of 2025 and completes a stunning week of signings at Newcastle following the arrivals of Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson.

The Northern Ireland international was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool earlier in the window.

Liverpool earmarked Lewis as the ideal back-up for first-choice left-back Andy Robertson and had a £10m offer rejected.

Norwich, who were relegated last season, were holding out for £20m from the Premier League champions but have now agreed to sell to Newcastle for a fraction of the price.

Newcastle have moved to sign a new left-back after loan deals for both Danny Rose and Jetro Willems expired at the end of last season.

Lewis, 22, made 28 appearances in the Premier League last season returning one goal, no assists with an impressive tackle success rate of 79.7%.

Fulham have signed PSG and France international goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan.

Areola, 27, spent last season on loan at Real Madrid and played nine times for them, including two Champions League ties.

“I am very happy everything is done,” said Areola. “[Manager] Scott Parker called me and I had a good feeling. He said he really wanted me.

“Fulham’s a historic club in London and I’ve heard a lot about the stadium.”

The 6ft 5in Arreola has played three times for France and was an unused member of their 2018 World Cup-winning squad.

He added: “I hope this season will be a good one for us. I want to bring my energy and do everything for this team to keep us where we belong.”

Fulham co-owner Tony Khan, whose team won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League last season, said: “Alphonse has experience at the very highest level.

“He’s played in France’s national team, won the league title with PSG, had success at RC Lens, Bastia and with Villarreal, and most recently he played for Real Madrid as they won La Liga last season.

“We’re excited he’s joining us, and he’ll be an excellent addition.”

Georginio Wijnaldum will discuss his Liverpool future with manager Jurgen Klopp once he returns to Melwood from international duty with the Netherlands, reports say.

The 29-year-old, who has entered the final 12 months of his current Liverpool deal, has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona after being earmarked as a top transfer target by his former international boss Ronald Koeman.

Liverpool have been unable to agree terms on a new contract with Wijnaldum and he is currently on course to leave the club for free next summer when his existing terms expire.

The Premier League champions are also monitoring Thiago’s future at Bayern Munich but will only sanction a deal for the Spain international if Wijnaldum leaves.

Thiago, who is also in the last year of his contract, is desperate to move to Anfield but Liverpool are refusing to match Bayern’s €30m (£27.3m) asking price for the 29-year-old.

Barcelona’s interest in Wijnaldum intensifying, the Netherlands international is set to thrash out his Liverpool future with Klopp in the coming days to find out whether he will be staying or going this summer.

Wijnaldum has played an instrumental role in Liverpool’s success in England and Europe since signing from Newcastle in a £24m deal in the summer of 2016, making 35 starts during their first ever Premier League-winning campaign last season.

Moreover, Liverpool’s No.5 finished last season with the best pass success rate at the club in the Premier League (90.8%)

AC Milan have confirmed the arrival of highly rated Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy.

The Serie A giants have agreed a €10m (£8.9m) loan fee with Serie B outfit Brescia and will pay a further €20m (£17.8m) to make the switch permanent next summer.

Tonali is regarded as one of Italian’s best young prospects and leaves boyhood club Brescia after they were relegated from Serie A last season.

Inter and Juventus have both been heavily linked with a move for the Italy international in the last 12 months but gave Milan a free run at his signature.

Neither side are currently in the market for a player of Tonali’s ilk but the fact they have allowed such a hot prospect to join a direct rival unchallenged has certainly raised eyebrows.

The 20-year-old impressively managed one goal and seven assists in his maiden Serie A campaign last season with 1.9 key passes pg and a dribble success rate of 78%.