FOOTBALL
Why are Premier League clubs desperate to sign Josko Gvardiol?
Josko Gvardiol is one of the hottest prospects in European football, and it is no surprise that he is attracting interest from several top clubs.
The Croatian defender signed a new contract with RB Leipzig in September 2021, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors about his potential move to a bigger club.
The deal ties him to the Bundesliga outfit until 2027, but a release clause of £97million ($118m) is set to become active in the summer of 2024.
Gvardiol’s stock has been rising since he helped Croatia finish third at the World Cup in Qatar.
He has already been linked with several top clubs, with Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool among those interested in securing his signature.
Chelsea were the club most keenly interested in the defender last summer, but the two parties failed to agree on a fee.
The initial discussions started at €70million (£60.5million) but rose to €80m and finally €90m, before ultimately collapsing.
Instead, the Blues signed Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile for less money than what Gvardiol would have cost.
Despite the failed move, Chelsea’s interest in the Croatian has not diminished. The struggles of Kalidou Koulibaly in his debut season in the Premier League have led to speculations that the Blues might try to sign Gvardiol in the summer.
Gvardiol’s impressive performances on the field have caught the attention of Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, and the director of football at the Premier League champions, Txiki Begiristain.
There have been informal talks between the two parties.
Gvardiol’s nickname, ‘Little Pep,’ is mainly a nod to the similarities between his surname and Pep Guardiola’s, although it also echoed their playing careers.
The Croatian began his career as a central midfielder, just like Guardiola.
City have already enquired about the defender’s availability in the past, and given the chance to sign a player of his quality, they would undoubtedly be in the mix for his signature.
However, City already have five senior centre-backs on their books, which means that one of them would have to leave before they can sign Gvardiol. Aymeric Laporte would be the most likely candidate for an exit.
Liverpool is another club that is interested in the Croatian defender.
The Reds’ recruitment figures have been closely tracking his development, and they also have a good relationship with Leipzig, having bought Naby Keita and Ibrahima Konate from them in the past.
However, Liverpool’s transfer priorities lie elsewhere, with strengthening their midfield department being their primary focus this summer.
Jurgen Klopp’s first-choice centre-back partnership remains Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, and Nathaniel Phillips providing backup.
Matip will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and Phillips is expected to leave in search of regular game time. L
iverpool may need to bring in another centre-back as cover, but it is unlikely to be Gvardiol, given the competition for his signature.
Despite the interest from several top clubs, Leipzig is in no hurry to sell their star defender.
They signed him from Dinamo Zagreb back in 2021, and their then-sporting director Markus Krosche announced that “we have signed one of the best defensive talents in Europe.”
Head coach Marco Rose has also stated that he wants Gvardiol to stay, and the Croatian has expressed his happiness at the club.
He has stated his desire to play in the Premier League, but he hasn’t specified when he wants to make the move.
Whether or not Gvardiol moves this summer remains to be seen.
The promising young center-half has caught the attention of several top European clubs.
His performances at Leipzig have shown that he has the talent to succeed at the highest level.
While his current contract ties him to Leipzig until 2027, few expect him to see it out, and a move to one of Europe’s top clubs seems increasingly likely.
Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.
Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.
Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –
🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:
“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”
(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC
— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024
“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.
Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo
On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.
With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.
England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.
In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.
Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.
Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC
— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024
“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.
“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.
We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti
“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”
“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”
FOOTBALL
PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby
Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.
While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.
Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.
MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details
Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24
Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Date and Time – 3rd March 2024, 21:00 IST
Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star
MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head
Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.
MCFC vs MUFC – Likely XI
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Akanji, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Alvarez, Haaland, Foden
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Amrabat, Casemiro, Manioo, McTominay, Fernandes, Rashford, Garnacho
MCFC vs MUFC – Fantasy XI
Grand League Team
Goal Keeper – E Moraes
Defenders – M Akanji, K Walker, H Maguire
Mid Fielders – Kevin De Bruyne, B Fernandes, R Hernandez, Casemiro
Forwards – E Haaland (VC), J Alvarez, M Rashford (C)
MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11, Grand League (Source: X)
Head-to-Head Team
Goal Keeper – S Ortega
Defenders – M Akanji, K Walker, R Varane
Mid Fielders – K De Bruyne (C), B Fernandes (VC), B Silva, Casemiro
Forwards – E Haaland, J Alvarez, M Rashford
MCFC vs MUFC, PL 2024 Dream11, Head to Head (Source: X)
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