Lea Schuller made the difference as Germany secured a place at the Olympic women's football tournament in a 2-0 win over the Netherlands on Wednesday.
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Leicester City have been linked with a move for Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi after his impressive start to Euro 2020.
What’s the story?
The 26-year-old has provided two assists in two games for Roberto Mancini’s impressive Italy side in this summer’s tournament, attracting the attention of multiple sides across the continent.
According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport (as reported by Sport Witness), the Foxes and fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Berardi, with a £43 million price tag muted.
Rudkin must swoop
The pacey forward has been a standout performer for his boyhood club for many seasons now, and 2020/21 was one of his best campaigns yet.
Berardi bagged 17 goals and provided eight assists in just 30 Serie A appearances last term as Sassuolo finished in a highly respectable eighth position in the top-flight table.
He’s become synonymous for bursting down the right-hand side before cutting inside on his favoured left-foot and burying the ball into the opposition’s net.
It’s something that’s currently missing from Brendan Rodgers’ side, with Harvey Barnes and Marc Albrighton the only recognised wide men in the Foxes’ first-team squad.
AS Roma winger Cengiz Under has returned to his parent club following a disappointing 12-month loan spell at the King Power Stadium, meaning the current FA Cup holders are targeting that position this summer.
After narrowly missing out on a Champions League qualification spot for the last two consecutive seasons, Jon Rudkin must swoop for Berardi and provide Rodgers with the extra quality he needs to break into the top four.
With the likes of Jamie Vardy already plying their trade with the Midlands outfit, the addition of the 6 ft beast could be the final piece of the jigsaw that Leicester require to return to Europe’s elite cup competition.
Berardi would provide balance to the Foxes’ front line, allowing Rodgers to play with two natural attacking wide men with Barnes on the opposite flank. The duo could look to feed Vardy through the middle or go for goal themselves.
It would be an attacking trio that would strike fear into any opponent, and the club’s supporters will surely be hoping that Rudkin swoops for the 26-year-old ahead of Leicester’s domestic rivals.
And, in other news…Rudkin can find Leicester’s ideal Morgan heir in £9m-rated monster, Rodgers needs him
Laura Woods has seen an obsessed stalker who left her living in “real fear” jailed for 14 months following a two-year campaign of harassment.
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A major update has emerged on Manchester United’s Jacob Carney, regarding Sunderland’s pursuit of his services.
According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Sunderland are closing in on a deal to sign 20-year-old goalkeeper Jacob Carney on a free transfer from Premier League side Manchester United.
The Sun on Sunday (14/05/2021, p59) claimed that Burnley and Brighton are also interested in Carney, with the former said to have made an offer to Carney. Lee Johnson’s Sunderland now look set to beat both of them in the race to land his signature.
Earlier this year, Portadown manager Matt Tipton lavished praise on the “excellent” shot-stopper, who was on loan to the Northern Irish side from Manchester United. He told News Letter:
“Manchester United are in contact with me after every game and obviously regularly with Jacob directly, so they seem pleased with his progress at Portadown.
“It is unfortunate for Jacob not yet to have that clean sheet but it should not take away from his excellent performance levels.”
Sunderland fans will be buzzing by this update. It shows a sign of intent from the club to snap up a talented young prospect ahead of serious interest from clubs in higher divisions.
As the report stated, Premier League side Burnley have made a contract offer to Carney, yet it still appears as though he is set to join Sunderland instead of Sean Dyche’s team. This also shows that Sunderland are an attractive club to join despite being in League One, which the supporters will surely be delighted about.
Lee Burge is set to be the only senior goalkeeper on Sunderland’s books next month as Remi Matthews is due to leave in the coming weeks. This means that there is a gaping hole in Johnson’s squad that now needs to be filled ahead of next season.
Having three first-team goalkeeper options is ideal for the club, as it only takes one injury to end up with no cover if you have two on the books. Therefore, bringing in young Carney may allow Johnson to use him as the club’s U23s goalkeeper as well as his third-choice in the first-team.
At the age of 20, Carney could also have plenty of potential to improve as a player. Although Manchester United are allowing him to leave, he must have impressed for Premier League teams to show an interest in him, with Burnley and Brighton in the race.
That suggests that he’s shown enough to prove that he has a bright future in the game – perhaps just not at the very top level. Sunderland fans can get excited about a talented prospect joining the club this summer.
AND in other news, Sunderland dealt blow on £3k-p/w ace with “glowing reports”, fans will be gutted…
Pundit Noel Whelan has suggested that Steve Bruce will be on the phone to Arsenal immediately to try and sign Joe Willock, following Alan Nixon’s £50 million war-chest update [Football Insider].
As Newcastle United look to improve on their 12th placed Premier League finish last time out [BBC], Bruce hasn’t dipped his toes into the transfer market water just yet.
The Toon have been linked with moves for the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Matt Grimes respectively [Shields Gazette], but Whelan reckons that the Magpies hierarchy will be focusing their attentions on an alternative reported target.
Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, the former Leeds United striker indicated that the Toon will be pulling out all the stops to acquire Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock, after journalist Alan Nixon indicated the North East side would have around £50 million to spend this summer [Sportslens].
Discussing that claim, the pundit said: “If that’s accurate, that’s Bruce’s first phone call.
“They need fresh faces and hungry players. He’s definitely one of them. He’s shown that appetite to go out from Arsenal.
“He’s shown Arsenal what they are missing and showing Newcastle what they could have.
“He’s got energy, he can get goals, he’s always positive. But they need more than that.”
Of course, Newcastle United fans already have a flavour of the 21-year-old’s quality after his major impact on loan at the club during 2020/21 [SB Nation].
Becoming a star man in his temporary stint, the midfielder notched an impressive eight goals from 14 fixtures for Bruce’s men [Transfermarkt].
Unbelievably, this goal barrage led him to finish as second-top goal-scorer for the Magpies behind only Callum Wilson [WhoScored]. Clearly supremely talented, he would be a coup for the club if they were to secure his services on a permanent deal.
Already reported to have been courted by Newcastle United who are ‘increasingly confident’ about acquiring him ahead of 2021/22 [Chronicle], the St James’ Park faithful will be desperate to get a deal done, just as Whelan suggests.
In other news, Newcastle United are interested in a Premier League defender.
Brazil coach Dorival Junior says he will bring Neymar back into the national team as long as the Al-Hilal attacker gets fit following his injury.
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Charlotte FC are in advanced negotiations to sign Uruguayan starlet Luciano Rodriguez from Liverpool Montevideo, GOAL understands.
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This is set to be one of the busiest and most critical summers in the history of Crystal Palace Football Club.
Not only will the south London outfit have to contend with the departure of former manager Roy Hodgson, but over a dozen first-team players are currently heading for the exit door when their contracts expire at the end of the month.
Under Hodgson, the Eagles secured four mid-table finishes in the Premier League, but the former England boss has left behind an unstable side with the oldest average age in the top-flight.
Several big names have been linked with succeeding the 73-year-old at Selhurst Park, including Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Nuno Espirito Santo. However, a move for Swansea City boss Steve Cooper may be a more realistic option.
The young tactician has done a brilliant job in his two years with the Swans, guiding them to consecutive play-off finishes in the Championship, and he may feel ready to take the next step in his promising career.
With that in mind, if he did take the job, how would Cooper’s starting XI look next season once the summer transfer window has concluded? Here’s our prediction…
Cooper often played 3-4-1-2 throughout last season at the Liberty Stadium, but we’re tipping him to change to a slightly more cautious formation should he take charge of Palace.
In goal, Vicente Guaita didn’t have his best season in 2020/21, though his previous heroics should be more than enough for the Spanish shot-stopper to keep his place between the sticks.
We’re tipping mass changes to occur across the backline and not just because of the different system. The likes of Gary Cahill, Mamadou Sakho and Scott Dann are all set to become free agents at this moment in time.
However, the high-quality performances of Cahill last term should be enough to earn him a new deal, and reported transfer targets Joe Worrall (£10m) and Victor Nelsson (£9m) would provide the pace to cover for the ageing 35-year-old star.
Central midfield is another area of the pitch where Palace could lose key men, with James McCarthy and James McArthur yet to be offered a new deal.
Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher (£15m) is thought to attracting interest from Palace chairman Steve Parish after an impressive loan spell at West Bromwich Albion and he could partner fellow target Jon Moncayola (£10m) in the capital club’s engine room.
The dynamic duo would provide the legs and energy needed to play in Cooper’s set-up, and the experience of club-captain and set-piece specialist Luka Milivojevic sitting just behind them will add stability.
Promising academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell may just get the nod in the left-wing-back position ahead of Jeffrey Schlupp due to Cooper’s track record with young players, while the sale of Wilfried Zaha would be enough to fund a move for Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga.
Zaha has continuously been linked with a £40m move to either Tottenham Hotspur or Everton this summer as the 28-year-old aims to fulfil his ambition of playing in Europe.
With money tight at Palace and any potential manager needing a significant transfer kitty to rebuild the squad, his departure could finally be on the cards.
Boga himself would likely cost at least £30m, meaning a strike partnership of Christian Benteke and Jean-Phillippe Mateta would bear the burden of scoring enough goals to avoid relegation.
And, in other news…Parish must sanction swoop for £18m-rated wizard this summer, Palace need him
Adin Ross has revealed that he was beaten to a luxurious Miami mansion by Lionel Messi following the Argentine’s stunning move to the United States.
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The midfielder once looked destined for the top, but never made an appearance at the senior international level
It's the summer of 2014, and the New York Red Bulls are facing Arsenal in what would end up being Thierry Henry's testimonial. It wasn't known as that at the time, of course, as Henry had yet to announce he would retire at the end of that MLS season, but it had all the feelings of a goodbye game. The club he is most associated with travelled across the Atlantic to visit his new home, as fans both old and new gathered for a match that very much honored the French icon.
Henry, of course, received the loudest reception of the day as supporters on both sides applauded their hero. Arsene Wenger also received a large ovation from the New Jersey crowd. But, Henry aside, the player that received the most attention wasn't an Arsenal hero of yesteryear; it was Gedion Zelalem.
Just 17 years old at the time, Zelalem was a rising star in the Arsenal academy. He was also at the center of an international tug-of-war between Ethiopia, Germany and the United States. At Red Bull Arena that day, there were signs in the crowd pleading him to choose the U.S. men's national team, as the race was seemingly between the U.S. and Germany for a player of Zelalem's caliber.
On Saturday, the USMNT and Germany will face off in a friendly as both march towards the 2026 World Cup, and Zelalem will be on neither side. Once a highly regarded prospect at Arsenal, a legitimate German youth international and the potential savior of U.S. Soccer, Zelalem never made an international appearance for any of the three senior teams he was eligible to represent.
So what happened to Gedion Zelalem, the U.S.-eligible wonderkid and future Arsenal star that was once dubbed the next Cesc Fabregas? Well, to put it lightly, he didn't have the luck needed to reach the level many thought he would.