Manchester United need a big-name signing but cannot afford Cristiano Ronaldo, according to manager Louis van Gaal.
Ronaldo, 30, has been linked with a return to Old Trafford as reports of a rift with new Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez persist.
Van Gaal would like to see United make a huge signing, having added the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Matteo Darmian.
To compete with Europe s and the Premier League s best, Van Gaal said United needed a big name.
Chelsea have Eden Hazard, he can always make goals, he said.
Manchester City have [Sergio] Aguero, it s the same type. Barcelona have Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. We, as Manchester United, have to compete with these clubs. So we have to look…
Alan Pardew and Slaven Bilic have lavished each other with praise ahead of what the former has described as an unexpected top-of-the-table Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and West Ham at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Palace went into the international break in good form, sitting fourth in the league having claimed back-to-back wins over Watford and West Brom.
London rivals West Ham are likely to provide a stern test, with Bilic s men unbeaten in their last five Premier League games and looking comfortable in sixth.
Speaking ahead of the visit of his former club, Pardew said: What you really hope for [after the break] is that we can keep the focus of the group. It s a tricky situation.
It is a top-of-the-table encounter, which is good for two…
Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Cuisance has joined Venezia for a reported €4.5million fee.
Cuisance, 22, impressed in his debut season with Borussia Monchengladbach, in which he became their youngest player to start a Bundesliga match, before making the switch to Bayern in August 2019.
However, he failed to make his mark on the Bundesliga champions, playing just 333 minutes across 11 appearances in the top flight.
A loan spell at Marseille last season then offered the midfielder more regular game time as he managed 23 outings in Ligue 1, along with featuring six times in the Champions League.
Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann has now opted to allow Cuisance to move on as the former France youth international leaves for Venezia on a three-and-a-half-…
Rumoured Paris Saint-Germain transfer target Grzegorz Krychowiak claims he is fully focused on Poland s Euro 2016 clash with Switzerland on Saturday, when Robert Lewandowski will be expected to end his goal drought.
PSG are claimed to be interested in signing Krychowiak from Sevilla, with the widespread reports about the player in Spain, France and back home potentially a source of distraction ahead of the round-of-16 tie in Saint-Etienne.
But the 26-year-old midfielder insisted there is no chance his mentality with be affected for the crucial game at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
I am prepared 100 per cent for this match against Switzerland, he said when asked about the PSG rumours.
I m very well prepared. The group-stage matches are history. Every game is…
Best odds: 23/20
Bookmaker:
The Serie A has become far more interesting over the last couple of seasons with Juventus no longer the undisputed owner of the Scudetto. The two Milan clubs, one after the other, managed to steal it, and Napoli remain close to the top as well.
In the third round of 2022/23, Napoli will travel to Florence to take on Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi Stadium on Sunday evening.
Fiorentina
There are several clubs not quite at the level where they would be fighting for the crown in the Italian game but aspiring to get as close to the top as possible. Fiorentina are one of them.
Having finished in seventh place the last time around, the Viola booked a place in the qualification process for the Europa Conference League, and…
Eredivisie crisis club Twente are one of four teams that have been fined by FIFA for breaching rules surrounding third-party ownership.
Twente, Dutch champions in 2009-10, are said to be in danger of losing their professional licence after being banned from European competition for three years in December for deliberately misleading the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in regard to its relationship with Malta-based investment firm Doyen Sports.
An independent investigation into the club s management structure recommended most of the board stand down and this month Twente were forced to withdraw a submission of their financial returns for 2014-15.
The discovery of a second agreement with the agent of Dusan Tadic, who was sold to Southampton in 2014, followi…
Market: Arab Contractors win
Odds: 13/10 @
Looking to extend on their recent purple patch in midweek, Arab Contractors will make the trip to a struggling Aswan on Thursday night.
Starting with the hosts, last seen putting in yet another toothless display as they slumped to a 1-0 loss away at Haras El Hodood on June 1st, the Aswan find themselves in the midst of a nightmare run of form. Once again at the heart of a relegation scrap when opening their penultimate Premier League appearance, Ayman El Ramady’s men have lost each of their last four domestic appearances on the bounce. Crashing out of the Egypt Cup on May 7th as they fell to a penalties defeat away at fellow relegation contenders El Daklyeh, Thursday’s hosts could face another tricky test here. Must…
Franck Ribery s potential retirement could open the door to the Frenchman taking a non-playing role at Salernitana, says club president Danilo Iervolino.
Reports have suggested the 39-year-old winger, who captains the Serie A outfit, could announce his retirement as early as next week after suffering from a spate of knee injuries.
Having joined Salernitana from Fiorentina last year, the former France international has played just twice across all competitions this season, failing to appear since August.
Now, it appears that his time on the pitch is set to come to an end but Iervolino has revealed discussions have taken place regarding the potential for him to assume a backroom role.
We are talking to each other, he told DAZN. Frank is a great champion o…
With a stacked weekend schedule from across Europe on our hands, we have a host of intriguing meetings that are worth keeping an eye out for. So, for those of you looking to stick on a Saturday acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth taking note of.
Saturday April 23rd
BST 15:00 Exeter City vs Rochdale
Starting with Saturday s hosts, last seen earlier in the week getting hit with a 2-0 loss away at Tranmere, there is no doubt that Exeter will be seeking an immediate response here. Still holding a four-point buffer from dropping out of the top-three and tipped as a landslide pick to make a League One return this season, Matt Taylor s side should be smelling a real chance this weekend. Previously enjoying a nine-match unbeaten run prior to t…
Leon Balogun felt he was “coming home” after re-signing for Rangers on a one-year deal to become Michael Beale’s seventh summer recruit.
The 35-year-old centre-back won the cinch Premiership and Scottish Cup during two seasons at Ibrox before he joined QPR in 2022.
Balogun’s arrival on a one-year deal – subject to international clearance – comes after the Ibrox club confirmed defender Leon King would be out for a significant period of time with an ankle injury.
After joining the Gers squad in their Germany training camp, the Nigeria international told the club’s official website: “I am just excited to be honest.
“It is still a bit unreal but it is very real, so I am just really, really happy to be back at Rangers – it feels like coming…