Manchester City has officially started going after last season's Premier League leader in goals and assists, Harry Kane. Even though Tottenham doesn't want to move on from Kane, the 27-year-old has reportedly expressed his wishes to be gone. Man City reportedly sent Spurs an original offer of around $140 million guaranteed with an opportunity to swap players.
With two matchdays already complete, England's footballing template has been executed perfectly so far at Euro 2020.
First: infinite pre-tournament hype, especially in connection to a burgeoning young star — in this case, Phil Foden. Then, earn some decent results in the group stage without looking overly encouraging on the pitch. Finally, get through to the next round, provide some hope, then lose in heartbreaking fashion late in the game or on penalties.
It's a pattern so often repeated that any England fan worth his salt has put it to memory.
Luxembourg is rarely a country that is mentioned in discussions of European football. A victory over the Republic of Ireland and a good performance against Portugal during World Cup qualifiers back in March made a few headlines, but few people outside of Luxembourg understand how far football has come in the country in the last decade.
As the world heals from the pandemic, pick-up matches are on their way back as well. Pick-up matches exemplify all the best parts of soccer: intense rivalries, healthy competition and the opportunity to sharpen your skills.
Borussia Dortmund has today completed the signing of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel from VfB Stuttgart.
The 23-year-old Swiss completed an $18.2 million move to the Westfalenstadion after making 65 appearances for Stuttgart. He arrived in Germany in 2014, signing with Hoffenheim's under-19s, before eventually moving on loan to Augsburg in January 2019. Stuttgart first signed Kobel on a season-long loan last year, when he kept 11 clean sheets in 33 appearances as the Swabians secured promotion back to the Bundesliga.
After Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both suffered season-ending injuries within the span of two weeks this past fall, Liverpool's title defense appeared to be over.
Joel Matip was left as the only healthy first-team center back, but soon the Cameroonian — who himself battled his share of injuries in the first half of the campaign — succumbed to a season-ending groin injury in January.
The 2020-21 season was a banner year for Americans abroad. USMNT players have been winning trophies all over Europe, including regulars at Barcelona, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund; in a week, we’ll see an American win the Champions League for either Chelsea or Manchester City. But Saturday was not a great day for keeping U.S. internationals in Europe’s top flights, with a number of Americans relegated to lower tiers or unable to gain promotion.
Not long ago, Central Scotland was home to a generational footballing talent. Scouts from across Europe descended on the coastal city of Dundee to watch teenage sensation Ryan Gauld as he slalomed past Premiership defenders and picked apart backlines with his inch-perfect passes.
Standing 5-5 (he has since grown to 5-7) with an innate quickness and a deft left foot, Gauld quickly drew comparisons to Lionel Messi — gaining him nicknames such as: "Baby Messi," "Mini Messi" and "Aberdeen Messi" (the last one a tribute to the youngster's hometown).
In the lower reaches of the English Football League, teams are largely comprised of journeymen. Squad turnover at this level is high, and with shorter contracts and higher financial volatility, players often play on different teams from season to season.
But few footballing nomads have ever reached the migratory magnitude that goalkeeper Josef Bursik has achieved this season. Thanks to numerous injury dilemmas at the Championship and League One level, the 20-year-old Stoke City goalkeeper has played for four different clubs in the 2020-21 campaign alone.
LONDON — Had a cruel twist of fate not intervened, Kiyan Prince might have graced the Premier League, earned England caps and shared pitches with the biggest names in soccer.
Sadly we will never know as in 2006, when aged 15, he received a single fatal stab wound to the chest outside his school after going to the assistance of a boy being bullied.
He was a highly-rated academy prospect at Queen's Park Rangers at the time and a professional career loomed with his coaches predicting he could go all the way.