Inaki Williams has quickly become a hit with the Athletic Bilbao fans since his promotion from the youth feeder team, Bilbao Athletic. The 20-year-old starred in last week's 1-0 win over Real Madrid and received a standing ovation from the San Mames upon his substitution. More was known about how a player with the name 'Williams' came to appear in the Basque-only zone that is Bilbao, rather than his footballing ability. That has all changed however since becoming the first Black player to score for the club, and many of Europe's top sides are turning their heads in his direction. Williams, … [Read more...]
Infographic: Lionel Messi’s penalty misses
If there's one glaring weakness in Lionel Messi's near-perfect game, it is his penalty taking. Lately the Barcelona record-breaker has made headlines because of his awry penalties rather than the bucketload of goals he grabs every week. His miss against Manchester City last night was the fifth penalty Messi has missed in the last 12 months for club and country, proving that he is in fact human after all. It is a weakness slowly growing into Messi's game after he had almost perfected the art of penalty taking, rarely missing from the spot. However, it appears as if an element of pressure has … [Read more...]
Ings focused on Burnley despite Sociedad talks
Burnley manager Sean Dyche has spoken out about striker Danny Ings' recent trip to Sociedad ahead of a proposed transfer. The Clarets boss said that Ings is enjoying his football at Turf Moor and remains fully committed to their fight against relegation. He also revealed that he has no concerns with Ings' intentions, making light of the 22-year-old's weekend sojourn. "You know the hats and the donkeys you used to get back in the 70s, which my folks used to bring back and tell me they were fantastic - he brought me one of them, which I thought was a nice gesture,” the Burnley boss told … [Read more...]
Messi outshining CR7 as Barca surge continues
Barcelona and Lionel Messi are breaking records once again, rekindling the memories of the team that won multiple honours under Pep Guardiola. The club have won their last 11 games since defeat at Real Sociedad, equalling the run set under Guardiola in 2008/09. Manager Luis Enrique received plenty of criticism early on in the season, yet is quick to dismiss these records comparing him to Guardiola and Tito Vilanova. "I care about titles, not records," the former Barca man was quoted at the weekend. Enrique may receive his titles with the club firing in all three major competitions, and Real … [Read more...]
Liverpool Transfers: Reds want £17m Barca keeper
Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen ahead of a reported £17 million transfer this January. According to the Daily Star, the Reds want to bring in the German either on loan or permanently to solve their current goalkeeping nightmare. Current number one Simon Mignolet has been heavily criticised this season for a series of errors, leading to him being benched at the end of 2014. Liverpool want ter Stegen to become their new number one for the forseeable future. It is thought that Barcelona have similar intentions for 22-year-old ter Stegen, who … [Read more...]
Newcastle closing in on 18-year-old Spaniard
Newcastle United are hoping to complete a deal for Racing Santander forward David Concha soon, after the youngster made the trip to Tyneside last month. The club are in advanced talks with Concha, who was shown around the training ground by Ayoze Perez and watched the Tyne-Wear derby with his parents during the visit, and could loan the youngster back to Racing for the remainder of the season. Concha can also play on the wing and has been impressive in the Segunda Division for Racing this season. Summer recruit Perez, who has made a decent impact since joining the club, also came from … [Read more...]
Arsenal Transfers: Illarramendi a target
Asier Illarramendi is reportedly a target for Arsenal, but the midfielder may have to wait until the summer to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium. Illarramendi has been linked with a number of clubs after struggling to break into the team this season, with Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Inter Milan leading the chase to sign him. However, Marca has today reported that Arsenal are monitoring the 24-year-old's situation, but won't be signing him until the summer. This is because Arsene Wenger is focussed on bringing in a defender rather than any other player, making steady progress in … [Read more...]
Man Utd Transfer News: De Gea agent sparks Madrid rumours
David De Gea's agent Jorge Mendes has been quoted in a Spanish newspapers saying that the goalkeeper's situation could change with Real Madrid keen on him. There has been plenty of speculation that Madrid want to negotiate a swap deal involving Gareth Bale, and Mendes has not denied the prospect of this happening. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Mendes said, "I do not know the future, things change every five minutes. We all know that in football nothing is impossible. "David is a Manchester United player and has a contract. You have to respect that." De Gea has one year left to run on his … [Read more...]
Moyes plotting transfer moves for Everton & Spurs stars
David Moyes is looking to the Premier League for potential transfers to strengthen his Real Sociedad side. Steven Pienaar and Etienne Capoue are reported targets for the Scot, whilst Joel Campbell is also on his radar. Any deal for those players is only likely to be on a temporary basis with cash tight at the Anoeta. Both Pienaar and Capoue have seen their playing action limited this season and Moyes is hoping they would prefer swapping the bench for a stint in Northern Spain. Campbell, who previously played in La Liga with Real Betis, is another target but could choose to link up with a … [Read more...]
Man United Transfer News: Otamendi on radar
Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly scouting Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi, and could start a bidding war to get their hands on the expensive Argentinian. The 26-year-old is highly rated and Valencia have a massive buyout clause in the defender's contract, but that hasn't stopped the two English clubs. Arsenal are after Villarreal's Gabriel Paulista, but have been monitoring Otamendi for some time, as have United. Scouts from Old Trafford were rumoured to have stepped up their pursuit of Otamentdi by attending Valencia's game against Almeria on Saturday, but the defender picked … [Read more...]