Month: April 2022

Home / Month: April 2022

PAULO DYBALA was once heralded as the next Lionel Messi.

Unfortunately for him, Messi had no intention of abdicating his crown as the king of Argentine football any time soon.

And now a stumbling career will see Dybala released by Juventus as a free agent this summer – with the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United the frontrunners to land him.

Yes, the 28-year-old has still enjoyed a largely successful career in Italy with five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias and a Champions League final in seven seasons with Juventus.

But it certainly has fallen well short of the heights many expected – and Dybala hoped – it would hit.

Born in Laguna Larga in Cordoba, Argentina's second city, Dybala's surname links back to his grandfather Boleslaw Dybala, a Pole who fled his homeland during World War II and settled in South America.

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But it was the side of his mother he followed by ending up in Italy – with his great-grandmother from Naples.

He earned a move to Palermo after nine years with Instituto in his home city.

Dybala joined the club's academy aged ten in 2003 and made his professional debut for the first team at 17.

His record-breaking prowess – as the youngest goalscorer, playing 38 consecutive league games, hitting two hat-tricks in the same season AND scoring in six straight matches – quickly earned him plenty of attention in Argentina.

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MANCHESTER UNITED are outright favourites to sign Everton's Richarlison.

That's according to bookmakers Ladbrokes, who've significantly altered their betting market after a flurry of activity over the last 24 hours.

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The Red Devils were previously available at 5/1 to bring Richarlison to Old Trafford.

But they are now 2/1 frontrunners to complete a deal for the Brazil international in the upcoming transfer window.

Richarlison has scored 47 goals and provided 12 assists for Everton since his £35million switch from Watford in 2018.

He's also become a regular at international level for Brail, scoring 10 times and helping to win Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 24-year-old is contracted until June 2024, and recently insisted that he would like to play Champions League football with the Merseysiders.

But that's unlikely to happen in the near future with Frank Lampard's side in 17th position and deeply embroiled in a relegation battle.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "It's looking increasingly likely Richarlison will leave Everton.

"The latest odds suggest he'll be the latest in a long list of names to move between Goodison Park and Old Trafford."

Richarlison next club

Ladbrokes odds

  • Manchester United – 2/1
  • Real Madrid – 5/2
  • PSG – 15/2
  • Inter Milan – 8/1
  • Barcelona – 10/1
  • Tottenham – 10/1
  • Arsenal – 10/1
  • AC Milan – 10/1

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Reports in Brazil claim a move could be on the horizon whether or not Everton avoid the drop.

Goal Brazil claim United have been keeping tabs on Richarlison for two years and could be the ideal successor to Edinson Cavani.

Carlo Ancelotti, who managed Richarlison during his tenure at Goodison Park, could prove useful for Real Madrid, who are second in the betting market at 5/2.

PSG and Inter Milan come next at 15/2 and 8/1 respectively, with Barcelona, Tottenham, Arsenal and AC Milan all locked together at 10s.

When previously asked about his future, Richarlison told Goal: "Look, I have two more years on my contract here.

"It's hard to talk about leaving, because I have great affection for Everton

"It’s very complicated to talk about leaving, I’m not prepared for this moment, but the we never know tomorrow.

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"We have to be aware and prepared for everything. Let’s make this season there so that, in the next one, we can see what will happen."

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MAURICIO POCHETTINO will cost Paris Saint-Germain £12.5million if they wish to sack him this summer, according to reports.

The Argentine manager's future came under serious threat following his side's Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid earlier this month.

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And there was more disappointment for the former Spurs coach at the weekend.

Poch watched on as his team of stars were dismantled 3-0 by fellow Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.

And while PSG still hold a 12-point lead at the top of the table, it appears increasingly likely that they will look to change manager at the end of the campaign.

Man Utd have been heavily linked with Pochettino as they search for a new permanent boss.

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Ralf Rangnick is currently in temporary charge until the summer, but Poch and Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag have both been muted as the frontrunners for the Red Devils vacancy.

However, according to L'Equipe, Pochettino will only become available if PSG opt to fork out £12.5m to get rid of him.

They will also have to pay compensation to all of the backroom staff he brought in.

The PSG boss currently earns around £920,000 per month and is not expected to walk away from that contract by choice.

ROMELU LUKAKU has said goodbye to his Chelsea team-mates as he hopes for a move back to Inter Milan, according to reports.

The Belgian has struggled at the European champions since his move from Inter.

He has just 12 goals across all competitions this term and has started 11 games from the substitutes bench.

Lukaku even admitted he was "NOT happy" with his situation at Chelsea, with boss Thomas Tuchel choosing "to play with another system."

The forward also insisted he "will RETURN to Inter" at some point in his career… which could be sooner rather than later.

According to AS, Inter are working on a summer return for Lukaku.

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And Lukaku is already saying his goodbyes to his Chelsea team-mates.

Reporter Fabio Bergomi told CMIT TV, as quoted by AS: "The Belgian told a friend that he had already said goodbye to his team-mates."

Lukaku has also been named the Serie A Player of the Season, edging out Cristiano Ronaldo for the award.

He played a vital role in Antonio Conte's title winning side last season, scoring 24 goals in 36 appearances.

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KALVIN PHILLIPS is reportedly edging towards extending his contract with Leeds United in a huge blow to Manchester United's transfer plans.

The Red Devils had identified the 26-year-old as one of three targets to strengthen their midfield this summer.

Despite only managing 12 starts in the Premier League this season due to injury, United wanted Phillips to marshal a new-look midfield partnership with fellow England international and West Ham star Declan Rice.

But the Mancunian giants' transfer plans have been thrown into chaos as Phillips has no intention of leaving Elland Road.

The Whites want to keep hold of their prized asset whose contract expires in 2024 and according to The Times, they are planning to offer him a new and improved deal to fend off any potential interest.

And The Times also claim that Phillips will likely put pen to paper to stay with the Yorkshire club where he made his bones.

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Although no figures have yet been reported, Leeds are willing to largely increase the £38,000-a-week Phillips currently earns.

Along with United, West Ham were also keen on signing Phillips, who has become a staple in the England set-up since making his debut in 2020.

The Hammers had a club-record £55million bid for Phillips knocked back by Leeds just before the transfer deadline in January.

And the Times also recently reported that Aston Villa were willing to outbid the Hammers and offer Leeds £60m for the defensive midfielder.

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CRISTIANO RONALDO has issued a battle cry to his Portugal team-mates ahead of their World Cup play-off clash this week.

Portugal made their route into the winter World Cup difficult after a shock 2-1 loss in the group stages to Serbia saw them finish in second spot.

And now Ronaldo and his compatriots will first have to get past Turkey in the play-offs on Thursday to have any chance of competing in the Qatar World Cup later this year.

Then Fernando Santos' side need to dispose of the winners of the other play-off clash between Italy and North Macedonia five days later to earn a spot amongst football's elite on the world stage.

But Ronaldo's laser-focused on helping Portugal secure their position in the World Cup which he feels is his homeland's rightful place to be.

Speaking on Instagram, he said: "Total focus on the 2022 World Cup. 'Proud, as always, to represent Portugal.

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"We know that the path will not be easy, we have the utmost respect for the opponents we will face and who share the same goals as us.

"But together, we will fight to put Portugal in its rightful place. Let's do it."

If Portugal come unstuck in the play-offs, it will be the first time they've failed to get into the competition since 1998.

The 2016 European Champions will be counting on Ronaldo to put on the scoring boots that saw him score a hat-trick in Man United's 3-2 win over Tottenham earlier this month.

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MANCHESTER UNITED sensationally have fewer players in the England squad than Crystal Palace for the Three Lions' next batch of friendlies.

The stunning revelation comes after Gareth Southgate made a number of changes to the squad to face Switzerland and Ivory Coast.

Former Palace star Southgate's shake-up saw FOUR players exchanged for the upcoming friendly clashes.

Reece James, Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tammy Abraham all missed the England camp due to injury.

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The crocked quartet were replaced with Palace youngster Tyrick Mitchell, Kyle Walker-Peters, Sam Johnstone and Ollie Watkins.

Mitchell will link up with Palace pal and England debutant Marc Guehi along with Conor Gallagher, who's on loan with the Eagles from Chelsea.

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The trio's inclusion in the England set-up is the first time Palace have had this many stars in the national squad since Ian Wright, Geoff Thomas and John Salako represented the Three Lions in 1991.

In comparison, United have just two stars in the England camp this time around in Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.

The pair were not joined by their Red Devils cronies Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho who were shock absentees from the squad.

Both were overlooked by Southgate, who feels that they haven't been up to par domestically this season to earn a spot in the Three Lions setup.

JOSH WARRINGTON likes the idea of Wayne Rooney leading him into a fight.

But he joked his fellow Leeds fans will never accept him doing a ring-walk with a Manchester United icon.

Leeds native Warrington's open to Man United legend Rooney walking him to the ring.

Former IBF featherweight champion Warrington and Derby boss Rooney struck up a friendship in October after a Liverpool Arena show — based on their shared loves of both boxing and rugby league.

But the vicious rivalry between Elland Road and Old Trafford fans means that England legend Roo will unfortunately never truly be welcome up the M62.

Ahead of Saturday’s rematch with current IBF 9st champ Kiko Martinez at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, Warrington grinned: “I met Wayne at a show and we had a photo.

“I did get a few Leeds fans message me — asking what I was doing hanging around with a sc*mer!

“But he is a real boxing man and he approached me and started talking about Leeds Rhinos, he is a proper rugby league fan too.

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“We were both going back to the same hotel and he said he wanted to walk with me. I thought, 'fxxxing hell, all right then’.

“Because I still look at him as a great England player — but always a sc*mer.

ARSENAL WOMEN have released a new collection of Stella McCartney gear that will be debuted this weekend.

The Gunners have teamed up with adidas to provide a new range of luxury items for players and fans alike to wear.

The partnership marks the first ever collaboration between adidas by Stella McCartney and a women's football team.

Training shirts will be worn prior to this weekend's North London derby against Tottenham in the WSL, and will be available for fans to buy for £85.

The range also includes a £110 hoodie, £200 trainers and a pair of £75 t-shirts.

For £110 each, supporters can get their hands on woven pants and leggings, while a bumbag will set you back £90.

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The collection is completed by a £45 baseball cap and £17 pair of socks.

Orders will begin shipping on 28 March.

Speaking about the collaboration, star striker Vivianne Miedema said: "It’s great to have a collection created for our team, and even more so that Stella McCartney has designed it.

"The designs are amazing, and I can’t wait to wear the pre-match jersey on the pitch as we get into such an important time in the season."

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WAYNE ROONEY and Patrick Vieira are being inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame.

The pair will become the first players to be part of the Class of 2022 and a shortlist of 25 other retired stars will be announced this afternoon.

A public vote will open and, from that shortlist, six more former players will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Former Manchester United striker Rooney, 36, now manager of Derby, is second in the Prem's all-time scoring list with 208 goals.

He said: “It’s a huge honour for me to be named in the Premier League Hall of Fame, alongside an incredible group of players who have already been inducted.

“Growing up, I watched the Premier League as far back as I can remember.

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“My dream was always to become a professional footballer, score goals and win trophies — and I was lucky enough to win the Premier League five times.

“I have so many brilliant memories from my years playing for Everton and Manchester United and I’m really proud of what we achieved.

"To enter the Hall of Fame is very special for me  and I’m grateful to be recognised.”

Vieira, 45, was captain of the Arsenal Invincibles team which did not lose a game in the 2003-04 campaign.

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