Football Express News understands that Manchester United will look to sign Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar in the January transfer window. The Dutch defender is entering the final year on his contract and it is Manchester United’s interest that is keeping him from negotiation new terms with Paul Lambert’s Aston Villa. United boss Louis van Gaal has already spent big since he joined the club this summer but failed to purchase a new central defender, playing youngster Tyler Blackett, who despite impressing is not expected to hold down his place in the starting eleven. Vlaar has worked with Van Gaal…
Author: Staff Writer
Tottenham Hotspur captain Younes Kaboul has slammed his side’s performance against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend. Spurs suffered their second loss of the new Premier League season after West Brom stole three points with a goal from James Morrison at White Hart Lane on Sunday. And, the defender has hit back at his own team-mates for their dogged performance. “We’re all disappointed, of course, after this poor defeat,” Kaboul told the club’s official website. “I think we played with a slow tempo all of the game and we never looked dangerous, a threat for West Brom. “I am still…
Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling is insisting that the Champions League is not to blame following their defeat to West Ham United at the weekend. The Merseyside club are back in the Champions League after five years without it and they got off to a winning start against Ludogorets in the week, but their defeat to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday has seen Brendan Rodgers side hit a worrying spell of form. “We can’t use playing in the Champions League as an excuse because there are other teams in the Premier League doing exactly the same as us…
Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez has claimed that Angel Di Maria is ‘irreplaceable’ and that his sale to Manchester United is hard to understand. Both Xabi Alonso and Di Maria were sold by Madrid this summer to Bayern Munich and Man United respectively in transfers that left many fans of the European champions questioning. Sanchez, who enjoyed a fruitful spell with Madrid between 1985 and 1992, hinted that Madrid’s debts are to blame for the sales. “It’s very hard to tell from the outside how Di Maria and Alonso’s departures went down within the club,” he told AS. “The approach…
Italian league leaders Roma have warned Manchester United that midfielder Kevin Strootman is ‘not for sale’. United boss Louis van Gaal is a huge admirer of the Dutch international and has been heavily linked with a move, prompting some reports to call on United to make a substantial bid in the January 2015 transfer window. Strootman is currently out of action, having suffered a damaged cruciate ligamant injury which saw him miss the World Cup with his country. But, Roma have been quick to discuss his pending return and warn United off making a move, saying the midfielder is ‘not…
Lionel Messi proved the creator as Barcelona thumped Levante 5-0 on Sunday evening. The Catalan side headed into the game with struggling Levante having not conceded a goal and having won all three of their opening La Liga matches. And, despite struggling to break a stubborn back-line, it proved once again to be Barca’s night and indeed another excellent performance from Leo Messi. The Argentine forward was largely silent for the opening 20 minutes but he burst into life around the half-hour mark, finding Neymar with a delightful through ball, who opened the scoring having rounded the home keeper. Messi…
Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Radamel Falcao at Manchester United after the Colombian made his first start on Sunday. The Spanish side have been long term admirers of the former Monaco striker but lost out to Manchester United this summer, who made a two-year loan deal completed on transfer deadline day. Falcao, who struggled last season for French side Monaco due to a knee injury, missed the World Cup with his country and despite United having a option-to-buy clause in his contract – it is understood that any slight knee issues and he could return to Monaco.…
Former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has hit back at Brendan Rodgers for not appreciating his efforts at the club. The Danish defender was linked with a move away from Anfield last summer with Barcelona heavily linked but he later joined former club Brondby this summer after the arrival of Dejan Lovren at Liverpool. And, Agger believes that Rodgers failure to find time to build a relationship between the two saw him leave. “Let me put it this way, the manager and me were perhaps not on the same page in all of last season. For most of last season at…
Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has said that Louis van Gaal does not rate Luke Shaw. Dutch boss Van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford this summer shortly after Shaw had made his move from Southampton to United in a £30m deal, but the England international has been struggling to maintain his fitness and has somewhat lost his place to another new signing – Marcos Rojo. Rojo, who featured for Argentina in the World Cup final this summer, is unlikely to be displaced by Shaw with Van Gaal keen on the former Benfica man. And, former Fulham boss and United…
Former Sturm Graz boss Darko Milanic has agreed terms to take charge of Leeds United, Football Express News understands. The 46-year-old coach was manager of Sturm Graz, who currently sit in the middle of the Austrian top division, but after interest from Leeds United, he ended his time at the club, buying out his own contract according to some reports. The former Slovenia international will now take charge at Elland Road, following the sacking of Dave Hockaday by Leeds owner Massimo Cellino. As a coach, Milanic has been largely successful, winning the Slovenian Championship on four occasions and the domestic…