Month: May 2023

Youri Tielemans will not be joining Leicester in their quest to return to the Premier League. 

The midfielder’s contract expires this summer and he is set to walk away from the relegated club. 

A number of top teams in England and abroad are interested in signing the Belgian international on a free transfer. 

We take a look at Tielemans’ options and analyse where he would fit in best. 

Something’s not Wright

There was much speculation that Tielemans would leave Leicester last summer but no club were willing to match their valuation.

In retrospect, it would have been best for both parties if the 26-year-old had left. 

Though the Foxes would not have recouped much of a fee, Tielemans did not perform at the level expected of him, which Ian Wright recently blamed on a move not materialising. 

Wright said: “Tielemans’ drop-off this season is quite sad, you know. It [missing out on transfer] has got to have had some effect. 

“I thought he would have got the move and he was playing the kind of football where you’re thinking, ‘Yeah he can’t stay there for much longer’. 

“But what’s happened is that you watch him and he hasn’t got the dynamism that he had.” 

No-brainer

Though Tielemans has plenty of ability on the ball, his lack of pace and defensive nous have often been highlighted. 

These concerns and a general decline in form over the past couple of seasons may have put clubs off buying the Belgian, both last summer and then in January. 

Yet now he is available on a free transfer, his acquisition is something of a no-brainer for any team looking to bolster their midfield. 

Premier League rivals Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham have all been linked, while Roma are also said to be interested. 

For Tielemans to be an asset for any of those clubs, his levels of performance will have to rise from what we have seen this season but he could thrive in the right system. 

Youri’s choice

Of the teams linked with Tielemans, there are some where he looks a better fit than others. 

With Granit Xhaka leaving Arsenal and the Gunners generally looking to strengthen their pool of midfielders, the playmaker could be a smart purchase. 

Yet beyond the lack of a transfer fee, it is hard to see what Tielemans would bring to a Liverpool midfield requiring more industry or a Manchester United squad that already has plenty of technical players. 

He would seem a better fit in Newcastle’s midfield three as Eddie Howe looks to widen his options ahead of next season’s Champions League campaign. 

It would seem likely that Tielemans will receive more than one offer and have some element of choice over where he goes next. 

A team that plays possession football, where he has a good chance of getting regular time on the pitch without too much defensive responsibility would be a smart choice. 

The slower pace in Italy with Roma could be perfect if the midfielder decides to leave England. 

After a couple of disappointing campaigns, it is easy to forget the quality that this two-footed maestro possesses. It is time for Tielemans to make the right decision and resurrect his career.

Caolan Boyd-Munce has agreed a one-year contract extension with St Mirren, who have confirmed star striker Curtis Main, Charles Dunne, Joe Shaughnessy and Richard Tait will all move on.

The 23-year-old midfielder joined Saints in March on a deal until the end of the season and the club has taken up the option to extend that until the summer of 2024 with an appearance-based option for another year.

The Northern Irishman – who began his career at Glentoran and had spells at Birmingham and Middlesbrough – made three appearances for the Buddies last season with his first start coming in Saturday’s match against Rangers at The SMiSA Stadium.

Manager Stephen Robinson told stmirren.com: “Caolan was never going to come into the first team fold straight away because he hadn’t played for a long time.

“What we could see three months ago, he is now starting to achieve. Sometimes, that gamble is worthwhile.

“He’s different from what we have. He will find passes and put people through on goal as he gets fitter and stronger.

“We believe that come August/September, he has a real chance of starting games for us and pushing on. There’s so much more to come from him.”

“The option for a different type of midfielder who is similar to an Ethan Erhahon (who left for Lincoln in January) makes us stronger as a squad.”

Robinson, who has 20 players under contract for next season, did not expect 31-year-old striker Main, a key player since joining from Shrewsbury two years ago, to extend his time in Paisley.

The former Morecambe and Motherwell manager will also have to bolster his defence this summer.

Club captain, Shaughnessy, 30, joined the Buddies from Southend in 2020 and was out of the team earlier in the season.

Fellow centre-back Dunne, 30, arrived from Motherwell two years ago while full-back Tait, 33, also signed from the Steelmen in 2020.

In a general squad update, the Buddies website said: “Offers were made to Charles Dunne, Curtis Main and captain Joe Shaughnessy, but all three have decided that their futures lie elsewhere.

“With over 250 combined appearances between them, we thank them immensely for their respective contributions to St Mirren and wish them the very best in their new challenges.

“Richard Tait also departs after almost three years at the club where he made 87 appearances and scored three goals. We sincerely thank Richard for his contributions and wish him the very best in whatever comes next.

“Tony Watt and Thierry Small have returned to their parent clubs, Dundee United and Southampton, respectively. We thank them for their time at St Mirren and wish them all the best for their future.

“An offer to Youth Academy graduate Jay Henderson remains on the table.”

Preston striker Ched Evans has confirmed he has undergone successful surgery for what the club described as “a serious medical condition”.

The 34-year-old revealed in April that he had developed a condition which could have “potentially life-changing consequences”.

Evans revealed on North End’s website that surgery had gone well and that he expects to return to action next season.

“I’m five weeks post-surgery and the surgery went really well,” he said.

“It took three hours. They went in through my throat, they removed some bone and some plates which were compressing my spinal cord, but the surgery went really well.

“I met with the surgeon last week and he was really pleased with how I’m recovering.

“He said once the bone has fused to the cages that my neck will be as strong as ever, which was the best news we could have wished for.

“It also means that I’ll be back next season doing what I love to do: scoring goals and winning games with Preston.”

Rivals Manchester City and Manchester United clash in the FA Cup final this weekend.

Here, we look at some of the key talking points ahead of the Wembley encounter.

The Treble

City head to Wembley hoping to complete the second leg of a glorious Treble.

The Premier League title is in the bag and the Champions League final against Inter Milan is still to come.

Adding spice to the occasion is the fact that United are the only other English club to have achieved this feat, back in 1999. Their fans would certainly love nothing more than to stop their neighbours emulating them.

Champions League final influence

It will be interesting to see how much of a bearing the Champions League final has on City manager Pep Guardiola’s selection.

The European competition is the one great prize that has eluded him during his time at City and is undoubtedly his priority.

He could opt to hold players back with that in mind. However, this is not his normal way and, with a week between the fixtures, there is time for rest and recovery.

Guardiola will also need to keep his star players sharp and there can be few better games in which to do so than a Wembley final.

Ten Hag recovery

Erik ten Hag has lifted spirits at Old Trafford after a dreadful 2021-22 campaign in which they got through three managers.

There have still been some bad defeats along the way — most notably 4-0 at Brentford, 6-3 at City and 7-0 at Liverpool — but the Dutchman has generally earned credit for the way he turned the team around.

He won the Carabao Cup and got them back into the Champions League. There was even talk of a title challenge at one stage as they hit form mid-season.

United are still some way off where they aspire to be, but winning the FA Cup would cap a promising campaign.

Haaland chasing more headlines

Erling Haaland has written his name all over this season.

The prolific Norwegian has had a sensational impact at City, scoring 52 goals in all competitions.

Dixie Dean’s near century-old all-time single-season record of 63 may be beyond him now but he will be hungry for more and to add a significant, competition-winning strike to his tally.

He is not the only dangerman in the City side but he will be the one feared most by United.

United options

United’s pursuit of Champions League football fuelled a strong finish to their Premier League campaign.

With players also staking claims for cup final places, they secured third place with a run of four-successive wins.

This has given Ten Hag the pleasant problem of deciding which players to leave out.

The make-up of the attack could be particularly interesting with Marcus Rashford now fit after illness, Antony close to returning from injury and Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho having done their cases no harm in recent weeks.

Gilly Flaherty insists injuries to key players will not stop England enjoying success at the World Cup this summer.

Sarina Wiegman was forced to omit skipper Leah Williamson and Euro 2022 Player of the Tournament Beth Mead from her squad due to ACL injuries, while Chelsea star Fran Kirby also missed out due to a knee problem. 

The Lionesses boss turned to in-form Tottenham striker Bethany England to fill the void left by Mead’s absence, while Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright were included after injury issues. 

And Flaherty, who hung up her boots in January, believes Wiegman has the strength in depth at her disposal to conquer the world. 

Speaking exclusively to LiveScore, she said: “Everything seemed to go the right way for the team at the Euros last summer and now they have to deal with more difficult circumstances.

“The injuries will have an impact on the team but it opens the door for others to step in and take their chance.”

Speaking at the unveiling of a mural for Chelsea star Guro Reiten, who recorded the most assists in a record-breaking 2022-23 Women’s Super League campaign, Flaherty revealed she is excited to see how England use last summer’s experience to their advantage in Australia and New Zealand. 

Sixteen of the 23-strong group Wiegman selected for last summer’s Euros are heading to the World Cup, with Millie Bright set to captain the side in the absence of Williamson.

Five of England’s nine goalscorers from that competition are also involved, as well as two of the top three scorers in the WSL this season in England and Rachel Daly.

Flaherty, 31, said: “It’s going to be tough but it’s a knockout competition.

“If they can get out of the group they have every chance of going all the way.

“There are other very strong teams. I think Australia will do well. The fact it’s a home tournament gives them an edge and they’ve got a lot of key players returning from injuries.

“I think USA will be strong, too. Obviously they had a disappointing Olympics [in 2021] but they’re world champions.

“They’ll be very motivated to make sure they put up a better fight and hold on to their trophy this time around.”

Southend have secured an urgent court order allowing the payment of players and accountants before deadlines that threaten the club’s survival.

A lawyer for the National League side told a specialist judge they would “simply cease to exist” if payments to playing staff and for the filing of overdue accounts were not made on Wednesday.

Judge Sebastian Prentis heard at an online hearing that players could “walk away” if they did not receive their salaries due at the end of this month, while the National League had said it would withdraw the club’s membership if accounts were not filed “by close of business”.

The insolvency and companies court hearing comes after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) issued a winding-up petition against the non-league club over a £275,000 tax debt.

Earlier this month, Southend – who dropped out of the English Football League at the end of the 2020/21 season – were given more time to clear the debt as the owners look into the sale of the club.

Barrister Hilary Stonefrost, representing the loss-making side, told Wednesday’s hearing it needed a “validation order” to unfreeze a bank account and make payments.

She said this was “to ensure the business of the company can survive under its present ownership long enough for a sale of the company’s shares to new owners”.

“The salaries of the footballers and the footballing staff need to be paid today… and if they are not paid they can walk away,” she said.

“The National League has said that if they did not file accounts before close of business today then they will withdraw their membership of the league.”

Ms Stonefrost apologised for the lateness of the club’s court application, saying management was “very occupied with putting the sale together”, including it being “marketed in America”.

In March, it was reported that the club’s parent company had appointed General Sports Worldwide, an American agency, to explore the market for potential buyers or fresh investment.

Ms Stonefrost told the hearing that agents were instructed to produce an “investment prospectus”, saying negotiations were being conducted with prospective buyers who had passed “the financial requirement test”.

She said club chairman Ron Martin, who observed the online hearing, had given an “undertaking” that sale proceeds would be used to pay HMRC and creditors.

Southend’s parent companies, South Eastern Leisure UK Limited and Martin Dawn Plc – both Mr Martin’s family companies – have “always funded this club”, Ms Stonefrost said.

She said it was “not necessarily in a timely manner” but money has been raised to pay debts.

The club came close to going out of business earlier this year before settling an outstanding bill of £1.4million with HMRC, which has issued a number of winding-up petitions against Southend in recent years.

Ms Stonefrost told the court there was a “short-term liquidity” problem with the parent companies in relation to a “huge development in Southend”.

Judge Prentis said £25,000 of the club’s current HMRC debt had been paid – with the petition due to be reconsidered on July 12.

He said the “manifestly insolvent” club had to provide to the National League accounts for 2020 and 2021, having not filed any to Companies House since July 31 2019.

The judge said that unless players were paid they had the right to leave within 14 days “without providing any value to the company through transfer fees”.

He granted part of the requested order to cover payments to accountants, footballing staff and lawyers, but said he was “concerned” over “weak” evidence that the club could meet a second National League deadline of June 2 to pay HMRC in full as well as all football creditors.

The case will return to court on Monday, when Ms Stonefrost said the judge will receive a National League letter saying it has changed the June deadline.

She also committed to providing confidential information on the sale process and detail on how money from a sale would be handled.

Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag will lead the teams out at Wembley this weekend in the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.

Ahead of Saturday’s showdown in the capital, we have taken a closer look at the City and United managers.

Past meetings

This season’s Premier League encounters are the only times these managers have faced off, with City winning the first encounter 6-3 in October before United came back to win 2-1 at Old Trafford in January.

But while they do not have a huge history of playing against one another, these bosses know each other well.

Ten Hag left Go Ahead Eagles in his homeland in 2013 to become head coach of Bayern Munich II — the reserve team of the perennial Bundesliga champions, who were then managed by Guardiola.

The United boss said the Catalan inspired him, with the pair talking regularly and the Dutchman watching him very carefully. Ten Hag has previously described his training sessions as “a joy to watch”.

Guardiola clearly thinks highly of his cross-city rival, who he said would have made an excellent successor for him at the Etihad before his United appointment was confirmed.

Trophies

Guardiola, arguably the greatest coach of this generation, boasts an eye-watering medal haul.

The 52-year-old has won 11 top-flight titles — three LaLiga crowns, three Bundesliga titles and now five Premier League triumphs. Guardiola oversaw a pair of Champions League victories at Barcelona, which he hopes to add to against Inter Milan in June’s Istanbul finale.

Pep has also won domestic trophies aplenty wherever he has been, with Saturday offering the chance to win his second FA Cup.

The freshly-crowned LMA Manager of the Year takes on a man that led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles during his time in Amsterdam, as well as a pair of KNVB Cups and the Johan Cruyff Shield.

Ten Hag’s first silverware as a manager was the Regionalliga Bayern title in 2014, while this season’s Carabao Cup victory was his latest triumph and first at United.

This season

City are looking to write their name in history by matching United’s 1999 Treble heroes. Guardiola’s side saw off Arsenal’s impressive title charge during an unrelenting end to the season that led them to be crowned with three games to spare — their fifth in six years and third in succession.

Inter stand in their way as City make their second Champions League final appearance on June 10, where they would have the chance to wrap up the Treble, unless Ten Hag’s Red Devils can put a spoke in the wheel at Wembley.

United have improved vastly on last season’s wretched campaign to finish third in the Premier League, securing a Champions League return on the back of ending their six-year wait for silverware.

Ten Hag became just the second manager in the club’s medal-laden history to win a major trophy in his first season at the helm with February’s Carabao Cup triumph against Newcastle.

Now comes the chance to add another trophy to the cabinet with a statement victory that would end their neighbours’ Treble dreams.

Sarina Wiegman has named her England squad for the Women’s World Cup.

With Fran Kirby already ruled out due to a knee problem, Wiegman had a number of injury issues to contend with before picking her Lionesses for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

Bethany England has been recalled to replace the injured Beth Mead, who has not been able to recover from her ACL surgery in time to travel Down Under.

The Tottenham forward has bagged 12 goals in as many games for the North London club this season but missed out on the most recent England fixtures.

Captain Leah Williamson is also a notable absence for the Lionesses, the 26-year-old ruptured her ACL in the Women’s Super League defeat to Manchester United in April.

Chelsea’s Millie Bright is the player to take the place of the Arsenal defender having been in recovery for a knee problem of her own.

Manchester United’s Katie Zelem also returns to the squad, while Lucy Bronze and Jordan Nobbs have also staked their claim despite picking up injuries in the latter stages of the WSL season.

Jess Park, Maya Le Tissier and Emily Ramsey have been named on standby.

Wiegman’s message

Wiegman has issued a rallying call to her players ahead of their World Cup campaign but warns that they must be at their best if they are to replicate their success at Euro 2022.

She said: “I have huge belief in this squad and we’re very fortunate to be selecting a fantastic group of players to travel to Australia. 

“We know we will face tough challenges from strong teams, and we will have to be competitive from the first match on July 22.

“We will do everything to be at our very best again this summer.”

“It is important the players get some well-deserved time to rest and recover over the next few weeks before we start the final preparations to get them ready.

“We learned a lot of positive lessons about how to get the players fit, fresh and ready from the Euros last summer and we know what we have to do to make sure we hit the ground running in the right way when the tournament starts.”

England’s World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City).

Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Laura Coombs (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United).

Forwards: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Bethany England (Tottenham), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Katie Robinson (Brighton), Alessia Russo (Manchester United).

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more details become available. Please keep refreshing the page. 

Norwich have signed Jack Stacey on a three-year deal following the defender’s release by Bournemouth.

The 27-year-old joins the Sky Bet Championship side from July 1 and becomes head coach David Wagner’s second summer signing after the arrival of Ashley Barnes from Burnley earlier this month.

Stacey featured 10 times for the Cherries in the Premier League this season and leaves after four years at the Vitality Stadium.

He told the club’s website: “I’m really looking forward to getting started. It’s a club whose ambitions match mine.

“One of the main things I spoke about with the head coach (Wagner) and with Stuart (Webber, sporting director) is playing intense, fast, forward football, something I believe will suit my style of play and something that I can fit into.”

Wagner added: “Jack is a player we’ve been aware of for some time. He has a lot of experience, throughout the Football League and in the Premier League, and a great attitude and desire to drive this football club forward.

“He has all of the characteristics that a modern-day full-back requires and knows exactly what it takes to be successful at this level.”

Jota described Celtic as a big club with “a lot of soul” as he looked forward to the Scottish Cup final against Inverness at Hampden Park on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Portuguese winger is looking to help the Hoops to a domestic treble against the Championship side after winning the cinch Premiership title for the second year in a row and beating Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Viaplay Cup final.

Jota who signed from Benfica on a five-year deal last season after a loan spell at the Parkhead club, has become a fans’ favourite and he told CelticTV: “This is such a big club with a lot of soul.

“I see clubs with soul and that is what I want for my life and my career and Celtic is no different.

“We are probably one of the best clubs in the world in terms of passion, in terms of soul and our fans speak for themselves.

“That’s what I want to do, every time I step in Celtic Park or away game I feel the extra push from the fans.

“It is just an amazing feeling that not a lot of athletes can have and I just want to get the best from it.”

Jota, who scored the only goal of the game against Rangers in the semi-final at Hampden Park to take his tally to 14 for the season, is “very excited” about the final where the Hoops are overwhelming favourites to beat the Highland club and complete the clean sweep.

He said: “It is something that we have been working hard for since day one.

“We wanted to win the championship and be in the two cup finals so one is done (final) so another one to go.

“So we go strong, again, definitely.”