Soccer RUMORS AND NEWS

Mirror "Pep Guardiola will still be manager of Manchester City next season - even if the club fails in an appeal against their Champions League ban. The City boss has indicated that he will honour the remaining 12 months of his contract after UEFA handed down a two-year European suspension..." February 17

The Score "Atletico Madrid might once have relished the challenge of resisting an opponent like Liverpool, but reaching the Champions League's quarter-finals will require a performance not yet seen from them this season. Diego Simeone's side are no longer the same Atletico famed for..." February 17

Barca Blaugranes "Barcelona have 15 days to sign a new forward after being granted permission by the RFEF and La Liga to make an emergency signing outside of the transfer window. According to multiple reports, the Catalan giants received the OK on Monday after both medical committees..." February 17

Bavarian Football Works "Bayern Munich’s front office apparently no longer unanimously feels that they definitely need to sign Leroy Sané despite the fact that Manchester City has not yet offered him a contract extension. It may all come down to whether the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepts..." February 17

The Sun "BARCELONA must include Antoine Griezmann in any deal to try and land Lautaro Martinez, according to reports. Martinez has emerged as one of the hottest strikers in Europe this season with 19 goals for club and country by the end of January. The 22-year-old is being linked..." February 17

Pro Soccer Talk "Alexandre Lacazette‘s 95th minute goal to finish off a 4-0 victory over Newcastle may seem meaningless, but to him it meant the world. The 28-year-old Frenchman snapped a 10-match goalless streak across all competitions when he found the back of the net for the first time since..." February 17

Sky Sports "Pep Guardiola would be a "good fit" as Juventus' manager if he chooses to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, amid the club's ban from European football competitions, according to Alessandro Del Piero. City have been prohibited from participating in all..." February 17

The Telegraph "Manchester City accept that some players will want to leave at the end of the season if the Champions League ban is upheld. Pep Guardiola has nevertheless told the squad that they need to remain “focussed and professional” until the campaign is over with three..." February 17

Royal Blue Mersey "Everton have sorely missed Idrissa Gueye ever since he left the club in the summer, with a succession of players having lined up at the defensive midfielder position since then. Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who was supposed to be his heir apparent, has struggled mightily with unfortunate..." February 17

The Busy Babe "There is no doubt the summer transfer window could be very exciting for Manchester United. There is a lot of incredible young talent in the English Premier League and two of the most exciting, Jack Grealish from Aston Villa and James Maddison..." February 17

Barca Blaugranes "Barcelona’s search for a new forward took an interesting turn on Monday with a report that Leganes’ Martin Braithwaite could be the man to arrive at the Camp Nou. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have been impressed with the 28-year-old ever since he arrived in..." February 17

Bavarian Football Works "Here’s something fun to contemplate. According to top sports lawyer John Mehrzad, Manchester City players may have grounds to terminate their contracts if the club’s Champions league ban is upheld by the CAS. This could open the door for Leroy Sane to move..." February 17

The Sun "ARSENAL transfer target Gabriel has thrown open the door to a £30million move from Lille to London. The defender’s displays in the French top-flight have attracted huge interest with both Everton and Paris Saint-Germain also keen. Mikel Arteta was leading..." February 17

Barca Blaugranes "Guillermo Amor, Barcelona’s director of institutional relations, said on Saturday that Barcelona are still awaiting authorisation from the RFEF to bring in a forward to replace Ousmane Dembele. Barcelona have been linked with a host of players over the last week or so,..." February 16

We Ain't Got No History "Chelsea have started talking with £100m-man Jadon Sancho's representatives regarding a summer transfer, if France Football are to be believed. Sounds great, right? Well... Even if we ignore the questionable logistics of the report itself — French media..." February 16

Hot Time In Old Town "Sometimes, transfers come together extremely quickly. Other times, they take time. Lots of time. Such is the case with new Chicago Fire signing Boris Sekulic. It’s been nearly a month since the initial reports about the transfer, and today Chicago Fire FC finally..." February 16

The Telegraph "Mino Raiola has claimed that it will not be “impossible” to get Paul Pogba out of Manchester United this summer after revealing he has held talks with Juventus over a potential move. Pogba is hoping to finally quit Old Trafford this summer after being denied moves to Real..." February 16

Daily Star "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future as Manchester United is in some doubt after Ed Woodward failed to deliver all of his transfer targets in January.  The Norwegian has repeatedly said he is overseeing a rebuild at Old Trafford which is no quick fix but he has the backing..." February 16

ESPN "Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he had sympathy for his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola in the wake of the English champions' two-year ban from European football dished out by UEFA for allegedly breaching Financial Fair Play rules. With City's domestic title..." February 16

The Sun "Villa, then cash strapped and in the Championship, were willing to sell their star man for that meagre price as they desperately needed the money. Club chiefs were in a race against time to pay off  debt and save Villa from the prospect of going into administration — or..." February 16

Mirror "Aston Villa will break the bank to keep Jack Grealish at Villa Park.  Boss Dean Smith has hinted that the Birmingham club’s talismanic playmaker is in line for an eye-watering new deal to ward off interest. Grealish has emerged as Manchester..." February 16

Express "Chelsea will pay the £23million Inter Milan want for Matias Vecino this summer, Express Sportunderstands. Inter’s ex-Blues boss Antonio Conte will offload the Uruguay midfelder, 28, to fund his own transfer plans. Chelsea face competition from Everton for Vecino,..." February 16

ESPN "Manchester City will appeal UEFA's decision to ban the club for two seasons from European competition -- including the Champions League -- after the governing body found them guilty of breaching financial fair play rules. UEFA announced on Friday that the reigning Premier League..." February 15

Bavarian Football Works "UEFA’s bombshell ban of Manchester City from the Champions League is far from set in stone. Appeals upon appeals are likely to draw out the process, and the English club may find a way to get their ban delayed, reduced or removed..." February 15

The Score "On Friday, Manchester City were hit with a two-year ban from European football for breaching UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations. Here, theScore explains what these rules are, what City allegedly did, and what happens next. What is Financial Fair..." February 15

We Ain't Got No History "Earlier this week, reports emerged of an impending meeting between Chelsea and Sassulo regarding the future of one Jérémie Boga, with the former Chelsea Academy standout’s buyback clause specifically set to be a topic of discussion. This meeting was a follow-up..." February 15

Angels On Parade "It’s official: Bradley Wright-Phillips has signed with Los Angeles Football Club. The news was confirmed by the club on Friday after the player announced it last weekend. Wright-Phillips, 34, joins after seven seasons with the New York Red Bulls. A midseason trialist..." February 15

AC Milan Offside "Milanista NonEvoluto is reporting that Atlético Madrid will scout AC Milan captain and centre back Alessio Romagnoli on Monday against Torino in the league. The Spanish side are looking for a strong defensive reinforcement and have..." February 15

Four Four Two "West Ham’s Winston Reid has agreed a loan move to Major League Soccer outfit Sporting Kansas City. The 31-year-old defender has been sidelined for almost two years with a serious knee injury. " February 15

Waking The Red "Toronto FC aren’t the only ones making a significant splash lately. As I’m sure you know by now, Major League Soccer has two teams joining the party this season. The most talked about of the two, Inter Miami, seemed to lack acquisitions. After finally naming a head coach,..." February 15

LAG Confidential "Reports have emerged this week that the LA Galaxy are trying to sign Argentine defender Alan Franco. Argentine-based reporter Cesar Luis Merlo first broke the news. Franco, 23, has played his entire career to date at Argentine outfit Independiente, with whom he won..." February 15

We Ain't Got No History "Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is not in a hurry decide his future, now that he’s stuck at the club until the end of the season. While Lazio have apparently offered a pre-contract already, stepping into the void left by Serie A title rivals Inter Milan, they are not alone in..." February 15

The Busy Babe "Jadon Sancho was only 17 years old when he left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017 (for £8m), in hopes of finding more first-team action. The England international did more than just that over the last two years, emerging as one of the most exciting young players in..." February 15

Barca Blaugranes "Getafe boss Jose Bordalas says losing Angel Rodriguez would be a big blow to his side amid speculation Barcelona want to sign the 32-year-old. Barcelona are keen to bring in a forward to cover for Ousmane Dembele, and Angel is one of the favourites as he has a buyout..." February 15

Bavarian Football Works "Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho has been having an incredible season, with a maddening twelve goals and thirteen assists so far this Bundesliga. This has prompted some of Europe’s top clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool to be interested in him. Now, it’s..." February 15

The Big Lead "Even after a successful treble-winning campaign last season, Manchester City had their sights on even higher honors in 2019-20 and the seasons ahead - specifically, the club's first-ever UEFA Champions League title. This afternoon, that door slammed shut, as UEFA banned the club from..." February 14

USA Today "FC Cincinnati coach Ron Jans is accused of using a racial slur, resulting in him "stepping away" from the team while an investigation is completed, The Enquirer has learned. The issue came to the team’s attention Thursday when it was notified by Major League..." February 14

The Guardian "Paul Pogba wants to leave Manchester United in the summer but his chances of securing a swift exit are likely to be hampered by the club setting an asking price of around €100m (£83m). Juventus remain interested in re-signing the midfielder and Real Madrid..." February 14

The Busy Babe "Leicester City’s James Maddison has emerged as one of the top midfield talents in the Premier League over the last couple of years, and could soon be on his way to Old Trafford. Manchester United have been linked with the 23-year-old for a few months, and according to a..." February 14

Daily Mail "Jose Mourinho has spoken to Dele Alli about the controversial coronavirus video which has landed the England star in trouble with the FA. Mourinho insists Alli reacted the right way with an immediate apology and a show of regret after a social media post shared with privately with..." February 14

ESPN "Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed new signing Odion Ighalo to make an immediate impact against Chelsea. Ighalo will train with his new teammates for the first time on Sunday after spending two weeks in quarantine, having arrived from China amid..." February 14

Sport Witness "Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has spoken to Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo about the great time he’s having at the club. Following a season in which he won the Champions League and many individual prizes, he claims it’s now time to do it..." February 14

We Ain't Got No History "Chelsea have secured the signature of the most excellent Hakim Ziyech, who will thus be joining the club in the summer to add plenty of creativity, excitement, flair, and even a bit of much needed attitude into our front line. A theoretical attacking trio of Ziyech, Christian Pulisic,..." February 14

Managing Madrid "Real Madrid have set Stade Rennais midfielder Eduardo Camavinga as one of their targets for next summer’s transfer window, according to a report from MARCA’s Carlos Carpio. Camavinga, a technically gifted defensive midfielder, is still 17 years old and could..." February 14

Barca Blaugranes "Real Betis boss Rubi discussed the possibility of his striker leaving the club for Barcelona on Friday. Loren Moron has had a solid season with Real Betis thus far, and it’s brought Barcelona knocking amidst their striker search. Rubi made it clear in his press..." February 14

Hot Time In Old Town "His name has been floating around the rumor mill for a couple weeks, and now it appears the Chicago Fire may actually be close to signing Argentinian attacker Ignacio Aliseda. So, who is he? Aliseda is a left winger for Defensa y Justicia, a mid-table side in the Argentina..." February 14

talk sport "Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s ‘mini pre-season’ in Dubai will put them in a commanding position for a top four surge. The north London side have spent the last few days in the United Arab Emirates, making the most of having no Premier League fixture last..." February 14

Four Four Two "City have been drawn against Real Madrid in the last 16 of Europe's leading competition, with the first leg scheduled to take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 26. City have never reached a Champions League final and have not even reached the last four..." February 13

Managing Madrid "Paris Saint-Germain will offer Kylian Mbappe a big contract extension this summer, one which will match Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s current salaries, according to AS. Until this moment, Mbappe has refused to engage in these negotiations, but PSG will be hoping to convince..." February 13

ESPN "Manchester United have told new signing Odion Ighalo to stay away from their Carrington training base because of fears over coronavirus, sources have told ESPN. The striker has been training at the National Taekwondo Centre, next door to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium,..." February 13