- All Sports
Quick Sports
English Premier League Soccer (Soccer)
Latest News & Results
According to The Mirror, former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has been subjected to ‘sickening’ threats and harassment, reportedly receiving alarming messages from an agent.
The report claims that he was sent a series of Whatsapp messages by an agent who alleges that the player owes him money from his move to Turkish club Besiktas in September.
The agent reportedly sent the player a series of messages on Whatsapp during Besiktas’s 3-1 defeat to Fenerbahce this weekend.
The agent’s messages escalated from promising to cast a curse on Bailly to derogatory insults following an on-field penalty conceded by the player.
Soon after he conceded a penalty for handball after which he got another message saying: “I am happy to see what my curse is doing to you. You are not a man. You are a big Mickey Mouse.”
This was followed by a dozen of messages that even ‘threatened to send people’ round to him.
Another message as revealed by The Mirror said: “I will not let you f*** me in my own country. You will see what happens after I open a fraud case against you.”
Bailly has informed Besiktas officials, who are to initiate a police report regarding the threats.
He is represented by his uncle Severin Bohui who insists he was the only person involved in the deal and no other agent was involved.
Bohui highlighted the agent’s persistent threats and blackmail attempts, stressing that no contractual agreement existed between Bailly and the agent. The situation was described as a security concern rather than merely a FIFA-related matter.
He told Mirror Football:
“He’s not stopped sending him threats, messages and blackmails. He is insinuating Eric owes him some money, because he was part of the people who brokered his move to Besiktas. Therefore Eric should pay him some money.
“I asked Eric if he signed any intermediation contract with this guy, he said no. I also asked the club if they knew this guy or if they asked him to speak to Eric on their behalf, they also said no. Same old story of agents trying to barge in deals.
“One thing is for sure this guy has not stopped harassing Eric. He even sent him a message today after their defeat to Fenerbahce. He’s threatening to send people out to him so I don’t think blocking him will solve the problem. This is more of a security issue than a FIFA one.”
The Ivorian defender, who had a six-year spell at Manchester United before leaving on loan to Marseille and eventually joining Besiktas on a free transfer.
The post Former Manchester United star becomes victim of sickening threats appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/former-manchester-united-star-becomes-victim-of-sickening-threats/
Callum Wilson was not impressed by the actions of Guglielmo Vicario during Newcastle’s clash with Tottenham on Sunday evening.
Eddie Howe’s side came into the contest with the intention of getting back to winning ways after their disappointing 3-0 loss to Everton mid-week.
But it was obvious from the off that the congested fixtures and the long list of injuries had taken their toll on the players.
Destiny Udogie scored midway through the first half before Richalison doubled Tottenham’s lead.
Ange Postecoglou’s side didn’t slow down in the second half as the Brazilian grabbed his second before Heung-Min Son scored the fourth from the spot.
Joelinton grabbed a consolation goal at the end with the game finishing 4-1.
Speaking after the game, Wilson addressed an incident between him and Spurs goalkeeper Vicario.
“Yeah I mean there’s a way to win isn’t there,’ he told Sky Sports.
‘The goalkeeper goes up for a header he starts pulling faces and messing around and It’s just a lack of respect I thought, I said my piece and we’re grown men and we move on.’
“It’s a lack of respect!”
Callum Wilson explains his clash with Guglielmo Vicario towards the end of their 4-1 loss
pic.twitter.com/lPIrRb0Cl0
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 10, 2023
The post “It’s a lack of respect” – Callum Wilson calls out Tottenham star appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/its-a-lack-of-respect-callum-wilson-calls-out-tottenham-star/
Robert Lewandowski has equalised for Barcelona in their huge top-of-the-table clash with Girona after the Catalan giants fell behind early in the match.
Artem Dovbyk put Girona 1-0 ahead after 12 minutes when La Liga’s surprise package of the season countered fast up the pitch.
The game has been a very entertaining affair with back-and-forth action and that resulted in Robert Lewandowski finding an equaliser just seven minutes later.
The Polish star is not having a good season in a Barca shirt but he climbed high to produce a brilliant header from a corner to make it 1-1.
? FC Barcelona Goal
?? Lewandowski
— Barça Spaces (@BarcaSpaces) December 10, 2023
Lewandowski ? pic.twitter.com/PIA1yzYMJW
— Barca Stuff Indonesia (@barcastuff_idn) December 10, 2023
Pictures from beIN Sports.
The post Video: Lewandowski puts poor form aside to equalise for Barcelona in top-of-the-table La Liga clash appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/video-lewandowski-puts-poor-form-aside-to-equalise-for-barcelona-in-top-of-the-table-la-liga-clash/
Man United and Tottenham head into the January transfer window in search of a centre-back but both clubs will find it “impossible” to sign one Premier League star.
Both clubs have had limited options in the position in recent weeks with Lisandro Martinez and Micky van de Ven out of action with long-term injuries.
Man United manager Erik ten Hag doesn’t trust Raphael Varane anymore, while Ange Postecoglou is not the biggest fan of Eric Dier; therefore, a new player is a must next month.
A target for both Premier League clubs is Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who the Eagles value at £60m, but Football Insider reports that a deal in January is “impossible” and that the England star will remain at Selhurst Park for the rest of the season.
Guehi is a key player for Palace and with a contract at the London club until 2026, the Eagles are in no rush to sell the defender.
Man United and Tottenham will likely run into this situation with their other targets as well because clubs will not want to sell their best players mid-season.
The Premier League duo may need to get creative and just be patient for their injured stars to return.
The post Man United and Tottenham will find £60m transfer for Premier League defender “impossible” during January window appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/man-united-and-tottenham-will-find-60m-transfer-for-premier-league-defender-impossible-during-january-window/
Liverpool are not believed to be in the race for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha ahead of the January transfer window as Bayern Munich continue to monitor the midfielder’s situation.
The German champions made a move for the Portuguese star during the summer and agreed a €65m fee with Fulham to complete the transfer. However, the Bundesliga club could not get the transfer over the line as it collapsed due to the Premier League club failing to find a suitable replacement before the transfer window shut.
Ahead of the January window, The Standard reports that Bayern are still interested in Palhinha, but it remains to be seen if Fulham will allow the midfielder to leave mid-season.
According to transfer expert Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are one team that will not be signing the Fulham star as the Reds are not pursuing a deal.
Understand Liverpool are not pursuing João Palhinha, much like last summer, despite links.?? pic.twitter.com/luR9uYm9d7
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) December 10, 2023
Liverpool are still in the market for another midfielder who can play in the number six role as Jurgen Klopp has had to use Alexis Mac Allister in that position so far this season and it is not where the World Cup winner is best.
Wataru Endo has struggled in Premier League matches this season and therefore, the Merseyside club are keeping an eye on the market.
Palhinha will not be heading to Anfield in 2024 but the avenue to Bayern Munich is still open and other clubs will certainly join the race over the coming months.
The post Transfer expert says Liverpool are not in the race for €65m Premier League star appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/transfer-expert-says-liverpool-are-not-in-the-race-for-e65m-premier-league-star/
Former Man United and Liverpool star, Michael Owen, has stated that Bruno Fernandes didn’t fancy playing the Reds at Anfield after picking up a suspension against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag’s side were embarrassed by the Cherries at Old Trafford as they fell to a 3-0 defeat, but maybe the most embarrassing thing on the day was Fernanades’ yellow card.
With the game essentially over, the Portuguese star picked up a fifth yellow of the season late in the game for dissent, which means the midfielder is suspended for the Liverpool match next Sunday.
The Man United captain would have known he was on the brink of a suspension which has prompted Owen and others to say that Fernandes simply didn’t fancy the trip to Anfield next week.
Michael Owen criticises Man United captain Fernandes for yellow card
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Owen said via the Daily Mail: “I wonder how many yellow cards he’s had for dissent and waving his arms about.
“Possibly you don’t fancy going to Anfield. I wouldn’t at the moment. I’m not sure you’re thinking of the next game when you’re in the thick of playing.
“He should be responsible, he should be a good ambassador, a leader for the team. We all know referees are clamping down on that and he gets booked an awful lot for a player who hardly puts his foot in and tackles really he gets booked an awful lot.”
The post Former Man United star says Fernandes didn’t “fancy” trip to Anfield after picking up suspension appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/former-man-united-star-says-fernandes-didnt-fancy-trip-to-anfield-after-picking-up-suspension/
Championship side Stoke City have sacked their manager Alex Neil following 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Despite a substantial 18-player overhaul during the summer, the Potters have managed only six wins in 20 league fixtures, as they sit in 20th place, a mere two points clear of the bottom.
And the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday proved to be the final straw for Alex Neil, who was let go earlier today. Paul Gallagher stepped in as interim manager for the upcoming clash against Swansea, assisted by Alex Morris and former Stoke player Ryan Shawcross.
Chairman John Coates expressed gratitude for Neil’s work at the club while emphasising the club’s quest for a fresh direction.
He highlighted the need for immediate improvement and the appointment of Neil’s successor to steer the team towards success.
He told the club website:
“Alex is a man of absolute integrity who has given his all for Stoke City and we would like to thank him for his hard work during his time with the club.
“We are grateful for the building blocks he has helped put in place in bringing together a group of players in whom we have a huge amount of faith regarding their ability to turn things around this season, and who can help us achieve longer-term success.
“However, with the way the results have been so far, we have made the difficult decision to seek a new direction for the team at this time.
“Nothing matters to me more than the success of our club and we are now working towards the appointment of Alex’s successor.”
Stoke City spent 10 seasons in the Premier League from 2008 to 2018, under Tony Pulis, and then Mark Hughes.
They were one of the toughest grounds to come to during Pulis’ reigns whose style of play made it a frustrating night for the opponents.
Since their relegation, they have not been able to win the promotion back to the Premier League.
The post Championship side sack their manager after latest defeat appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/stoke-city-sack-manager-after-latest-defeat/
Sky Sports commentator and pundit, Gary Neville, believes one Tottenham star should not have seen the final whistle of their match with Newcastle following a challenge on Callum Wilson.
With Spurs 3-0 ahead in the match, the Argentina defender planted his studs on Wilson’s ankle as the Newcastle striker was picking himself up off the ground.
Romero was given a yellow card for the incident but, despite a VAR check, it wasn’t upgraded to a red.
After seeing the challenge again, Neville could not believe Romero got away with what he had done. The Sky Sports pundit said via talkSPORT: “He’s got away with it this time but one thing is for certain, it’s something Spurs have got to do about it.”
The Man United legend also labelled the World Cup winner “crazy” after the tackle was committed.
Romero is known for being a very aggressive defender and has already picked up three red cards in 2023.
It would have been a big blow for Tottenham if the centre-back had been sent off as Ange Postecoglou is short on players for that position.
The decision would not have changed the result as Spurs were already 3-0 ahead when the incident occurred but for fans, it is another decision from officials that will have them confused.
The post “Got away with it” – Gary Neville believes “crazy” Tottenham star should have seen red vs Newcastle appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/got-away-with-it-gary-neville-believes-crazy-tottenham-star-should-have-seen-red-vs-newcastle/
Transfer news: Araujo future, Chelsea star certain to leave, Man City exit & Newcastle links with Ju
Barcelona and Ronald Araujo on the same page amid Bayern interest
I want to start today’s column by again clarifying my information on the Ronald Araujo situation. While it’s true that he’s a player Bayern Munich really like, with Thomas Tuchel really insisting for the signing, this is far from a straightforward deal for them.
As things stand, my understanding remains that Araujo’s priority is to stay at Barcelona, while Barca also consider him a key player, so talks over a new contract will happen soon. Araujo is ready to discuss a new deal with Barca, so they are on the same page and that’s what I expect will happen.
Of course, Araujo is a top player so it’s normal that a big club like Bayern would be interested, but there has never really been any change to the situation, despite reports. The message from the player’s camp has always been that he’s very happy at Barca, so let’s see now how contract talks will progress – it’s one of the priorities for the Barca board.
Could this Chelsea defender be heading to Crystal Palace?
One player we can expect to move on from their current club is Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah. It’s been clear for some time now that he will leave this January, after he came close to a move in the summer, though at the time he turned down an offer from Nottingham Forest.
At the moment, however, there is nothing advanced with any particular club, despite recent links with Crystal Palace, while at points there have also been rumours about Tottenham. I’m not currently aware of any talks taking place, but that will happen soon, because Chalobah will be leaving Chelsea this January, for sure.
The plan has been clear for some time – Chalobah wants to play more, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen for him at Chelsea because they have different plans in that position. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see where Chalobah ends up, but we will surely see some talks taking place soon for what looks like an inevitable January move.
Pep Guardiola’s honest words about Kalvin Phillips
Pep Guardiola has been very honest about Kalvin Phillips – another player who seems certain to move on from his current club this January.
Speaking earlier this week, Guardiola publicly apologised to the player for not using him more, saying: “He doesn’t deserve what has happened to him and I’m so sorry. It’s just because I visualise some things and visualise the team and things – and I struggle to see him.”
Guardiola has been very honest, he has appreciated Phillips’ behaviour but he’s simply not a part of his vision. There’s interest from English and Italian clubs, so things will happen in the next weeks for sure. As I’ve been saying for a while now, he will leave in January, there seems to be no doubt about that.
Congratulations to Mohamed Salah for 200 Liverpool goals
I wanted to pay tribute to Mohamed Salah after he scored his 200th goal for Liverpool – he is a special player and scoring that number of goals for a top club is not something that should be underestimated.
I’m often asked if I could have seen this coming from Salah after watching him in his time in Italy with Fiorentina and Roma. He struggled in a brief spell at Chelsea as a youngster, as fans here will know, but he was incredible in Serie A, first in loan spells at Fiorentina and Roma, and then joining the latter of those clubs permanently. I’m not really surprised that he’s been so good for Liverpool.
In terms of his contract, he signed a new deal recently and all is good between Salah and Liverpool, I wouldn’t want to make any predictions beyond that. I also don’t know if I can predict the Golden Boot race yet as it’s too early, but for sure it looks like Salah can be up there competing with Erling Haaland.
Dominic Solanke’s fine form continues amid West Ham interest
Dominic Solanke’s fine recent form continues as he scored in a memorable 3-0 win for Bournemouth away to Manchester United yesterday. I’ve been impressed with him this season as he always looked like an excellent player with great potential, but he’s now showing it more consistently.
In terms of a transfer, he’s happy at Bournemouth but many clubs are tracking him, including West Ham. Let’s see what will happen, but for the moment I understand he’s happy there and performing very well.
Are Newcastle really tracking Matias Soule?
I’ve had some fans asking me about Newcastle links with Juventus youngster Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at Frosinone. My understanding is that there is nothing concrete there, and he won’t be ending his loan spell at Frosinone this January.
Of course I’m not surprised to see stories about a player like this as he’s a really great talent, he’s been doing doing fantastic. Still, Juventus consider him an important part of their future, and there are talks over a new deal ongoing. I’m also sure the Argentina national team will be tracking him for his first senior call-up soon.
The post Transfer news: Araujo future, Chelsea star certain to leave, Man City exit & Newcastle links with Juve wonderkid appeared first on CaughtOffside.
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/transfer-news-araujo-phillips-chalobah-soule-solanke/
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min delivered a high-class performance in the win over Newcastle United.
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1844050/tottenham-news-son-heung-min-harry-kane-newcastle
