Author: cimi

90min rounds up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating around the world…

Vinicius Junior has opted to stay at Real Madrid despite eye-watering offers from Saudi Pro League sides. (Fichajes – Spain)

Inter are trying to hijack the free transfer Barcelona have lined up for Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah when his contract expires this summer. (Calciomercato – Italy)

In a bid to raise funds for the acquisition of Matheus Cunha, Manchester United have put Rasmus Hojlund up for sale. Several Serie A sides have shown interest in the mercurial striker. (TEAMtalk)

United are ready to pay the £64m release clause in Victor Osimhen‘s Napoli contract to pair him with Cunha. (TuttoJuve – Italy)

Following the impending departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool would be willing to splash €70m (£60m) on Barcelona right-back Jules Kounde. Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with the bucaneering defender. (El Nacional – Spain)

Barcelona, however, have no intention of losing Kounde. In fact, the Catalans are lining up a contract extension for the Frenchman to extend his stay in Spain until 2030. (El Nacional – Spain)

Rodrygo has been tipped to leave Real Madrid this summer. Liverpool and Arsenal are two sides that have shown interest in the Brazilian winger who has lost faith from the capital club. (Fichajes – Spain)

Arsenal are leading the race to sign long-term goalkeeper target Joan Garcia from Espanyol. (SPORT – Spain)

Ruben Amorim has personally identified Garcia as United‘s first-choice transfer priority when recruiting a shot-stopper this year. (El Nacional – Spain)

Liverpool hope to tempt Adam Wharton away from Crystal Palace in a deal that could be worth more than £50m. (The Sun)

Chelsea have stepped up their efforts to sign Juventus’ €100m (£85.8m) forward Kenan Yildiz. The Blues are leading Manchester United in a race which also includes Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. (Caught Offside)

Real Madrid are considering a surprise approach for former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri as a potential replacement for Carlo Ancelotti. (Fichajes – Spain)

Man Utd are interested in signing Inter wing-back Denzel Dumfries and could lodge a bid worth just under £35m. (Inter Live – Italy)

Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is poised to be the subject of a €55m (£47.2m) bid from Chelsea. (Fichajes – Spain)

If Allegri is chosen ahead of Xabi Alonso as Madrid’s next boss, the Spanish manager is keen on bringing Barcelona‘s Ferran Torres to Bayer Leverkusen. (El Nacional – Spain)

Manchester City‘s initial €40m (£34.3m) offer for Porto’s Diogo Costa has been swiftly rejected, although Pep Guardiola’s side are lining up a second bid closer to his €60m asking price. Manchester United are also keenly watching events unfold. (Caught Offside)

Arsenal are interested in Valencia’s young Spanish gem Yarek Gasiorowski and have made contact with the 20-year-old’s representatives. (Football Transfers)

Tottenham Hotspur have accepted that Yves Bissouma‘s future lies outside north London. Spurs would be willing to accept £35m for the 28-year-old, who has been admired by clubs from Saudi Arabia, Spain and Italy. (TBR Football)

David Moyes is plotting a reunion with his West Ham stalwart Tomas Soucek at Everton next season. (The Sun)

READ THE TRANSFER RUMOURS OF THE PAST FEW DAYS HERE

A teething period was expected when Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool dugout. After all, how could a relatively inexperienced coach from Eredivisie replace Anfield’s talismanic leader?

Well, those fears have been allayed during the Dutchman’s debut season on Merseyside with Liverpool having scooped the Premier League title. He’s joined an esteemed cohort of just four other foreign coaches to have finished top during their first season in the competition.

But Slot’s success would not have been possible without the foundations put in place by his predecessor. Klopp, the only other Liverpool coach to have won the Premier League, forged an impressive arsenal during his time with the Reds and transformed the club’s supporters from doubters into believers.

Comparing the two vastly different coaches and their journeys to Premier League glory is not straightforward, but it’s a task we have undertaken regardless.

You can’t win the Premier League without an impressive ensemble, that much is clear. Both Liverpool’s title-winning squads have been packed with superstars, with plenty of crossover between the rosters. In fact, eight players who made league appearances during the 2019/20 campaign – and Caoimhin Kelleher – remain in the current squad, including the bulk of the defensive unit and the irreplaceable Mohamed Salah.

Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were integral to Liverpool’s first Premier League title but they have since been replaced by Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa. Liverpool now have more variety and depth in the final third, even if they’re not quite the attacking juggernaut they were with their fabled front three in the Klopp era.

Liverpool’s midfield is certainly more talented in 2024/25, stacked with technicians as opposed to workhorses. There is no longer room for Jordan Henderson and James Milner figures – bar the lesser-spotted Wataru Endo, of course – with the class of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai coming to the fore instead.

The defence is almost identical – Ibrahima Konate has replaced Joel Matip – and Alisson still resides between the sticks. This spine of talent has been crucial in both title charges, although Liverpool’s defenders offered stronger performances on an individual basis in 2019/20.

Overall, Liverpool’s current squad is more technically proficient and boasts similar stamina and work rate out of possession. They now have more weapons at their disposal than they did five years ago, even if they are a less dominant force.

Liverpool were renowned for their high intensity approach under Klopp. The animated German demanded similar energy from his players on the pitch, which he received in abundance. They smothered their opponents, harrying defenders and midfielders into regular errors. When the well-oiled press was bypassed, an aggressive defensive line was on hand to stifle opposition forwards.

Their breathless approach worked wonders, with each cog functioning in perfect harmony within the wider machine. Opponents couldn’t match their work rate or quality, neither of which let up across a staggering campaign.

But, as has been reflected upon frequently, Liverpool have adopted a more measured approach under Slot. The Dutchman is a fierce admirer of Pep Guardiola, something which has become increasingly evident as the season has wore on. The Reds still work tirelessly in and out of possession, setting traps all over the pitch, but control is now far more important.

Slot’s side rarely blitz their opponents in quite the same manner but they are still capable of strangling them, albeit with possession and order rather than pure explosivity.

Many of the crew Liverpool relied upon in 2019/20 have still been difference-makers this term. Alisson has continually provided crucial interventions. Van Dijk has been defiant in the heart of defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold has pulled the strings with his dazzling distribution. But it’s Salah who has proven most integral to Liverpool’s success under Slot.

The Egyptian has toppled countless records while producing figures which dwarf his 29 goal contributions during Liverpool’s first title win – and has almost single-handedly dragged the Reds to the crown. Had it not been for his genius, the campaign could have been vastly different.

Of course, he had help in 2019/20. Mane and Firmino provided 42 goal contributions in the league collectively, taking weight off Salah’s broad shoulders. Six other players produced four or more goals to chip in but it was more or less the forward triumvirate who were solely responsible for Liverpool’s attacking output.

Liverpool’s indefatigable trio at the top end of the pitch allowed them to be more conservative in midfield, using the likes of Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum as shields for the back four. With Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the engine room, Slot’s four-man backline has been offered less protection.

Manchester City have been the dominant force in English football since Guardiola’s arrival, but two underwhelming seasons for the Cityzens have opened the door for Liverpool success.

City were the team to beat in 2019/20 but Liverpool sauntered past Guardiola’s fatigued superstars with little fuss. The Reds finished 18 points above their title foes and the defending champions, with third-placed Manchester United an astounding 33 points behind Klopp’s men. Talk about domination.

Liverpool have taken advantage of City’s underperformance this season, too, but they have had another challenger to overcome. On this occasion, Arsenal have been the side closest to them and while the Reds were long in the driving seat before wrapping up the title, the Gunners have been a constant presence in the back of their minds.

Admittedly, Arsenal, who have finished runners-up during the past two seasons, have been below their best this term, widening the gap between themselves and top spot even further. But Liverpool have only been able to beat what’s in front of them and they have done that with aplomb.

Liverpool were undoubtedly stronger under Klopp than they have been in Slot’s debut term. They accumulated 99 points in 2019/20 and lost just three Premier League games – two of which came after the title had been wrapped up. They won 26 of their opening 27 matches and had all but clinched silverware by Christmas.

While Slot’s side have been exceptional and still have matches to play, they have not been quite as dominant. Even if Liverpool win all their remaining fixtures, they can only manage 94 points, and their success has certainly been less emphatic this time around.

But that matters little. It’s not how you win the title but the winning it that matters, with Liverpool having the added bonus of celebrating this season’s triumph in front of home supporters – something they were unable to do during the coronavirus-hit 2019/20 campaign. That is a priceless feeling.

READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Arne Slot intends to keep his emotions in check if his players are able to secure the Premier League title against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

The Reds need just a point from their clash with Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League semi-finalists to deliver Slot the title in his first season at the helm.

The Dutchman has experience of winning top-flight titles, after besting Ajax and PSV Eindhoven with previous employers Feyenoord, but he revealed in the build-up to the game that he won’t be going crazy if and when Liverpool get over the line.

“I enjoyed it a lot when Feyenoord won the title – but I don’t go crazy,” Slot said. “It wasn’t like I ran three times around the stadium. I was just very, very happy inside and I shared my emotions with the people around me and the fans. But I will never be the one who is the loudest nor the weirdest in the moment. I’m not like that.”

Liverpool’s success this season has caught many by surprise. Though Slot wasn’t expected to struggle, the transition to his way of working from the eight-and-a-half-year tenure of Jurgen Klopp has been seamless – allowing the club to take advantage of a rare off-season for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal also haven’t been able to keep pace with Liverpool in the Premier League, but Slot says he’ll leave the analysis of the job he’s done to others – his primary responsibility being to assess the performance of his wider coaching team.

“It is for other people to judge,” Slot continued. “It would be a bit weird to judge myself, but I can judge the performance for my staff and the medical staff – and they should get a lot of credit over the course of the season.”

“If you start to work here, then quite quickly you get a certain feeling,” he added on the bond he’s creating with the club and supporters. “I feel part of it. But to say I am a scouser now would be too much. The good thing about the people here is that they welcome you from the start and you feel part of them.

“But it would be weird if I said after ten months that I feel the same as people who have lived here for 30 or 40 years. Ask me after ten years.”

READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim insisted that the decision to let Marcus Rashford and Antony leave the club on loan was worth the short-term pain for the long-term gain.

The two forwards, who are both on course to return to Old Trafford when their deals with Aston Villa and Real Betis respectively expire at the end of the season, have impressed away from Manchester. Antony has been directly involved in nine goals while leading Betis into La Liga’s Champions League qualification spots and the Conference League semi-finals.

Rashford has averaged a goal or assist every 94 minutes for Villa this year, delivering a brilliant individual display against Manchester City in midweek which captured the renewed verve and vigour he has enjoyed away from his boyhood club.

United have desperately struggled for any sustained attacking threat in the duo’s absence. As Amorim admitted this week: “We lack a lot of things in the team. We saw with Milan in the past, a lot of problems – big teams that when you get inside [the club and understand], in one context, it’s really hard. And in January we lost Rashford and Antony and we didn’t bring new ones – [it] was a risk.”

However, the Portuguese boss defended the club’s transfer activity. “There are things here that are more important than scoring ten more goals this season. We are trying to do something that is more important. We can hurt the squad now but in the future it will help the club.”

Amorim revealed that is was “my idea” to let Rashford and Antony leave, but insisted that the club’s hierarchy offered him their full support. “That is clear,” he said. “I try to help the team and sometimes help the players that needed something different – that’s all.”

The 40-year-old coach has previously explained that he “couldn’t get Marcus [Rashford] to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it”.

United’s transfer policy wasn’t the only aspect of Amorim’s tenure he defended before his side’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.

The former Sporting CP manager had asked to remain with the Lisbon outfit until the end of the season before ultimately accepting United’s ultimatum of joining now or never. “If you ask me four months ago, with all the problems, maybe I have the feeling I should be stronger in saying I will start at the beginning of the season,” Amorim admitted.

“But today, I am feeling it is something that is going to help us in the future.

“We are suffering a lot here. There is a lot of frustration but I feel, in this moment, maybe because we are near the end, this is the most important time, maybe, in the next few years.

“We are going to use all the information to prepare better the next few years, so [I have] no regrets.”

READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Peering through a pair of mirrored sunglasses with another set resting on his peroxide blonde hair, Barcelona’s triumphant teenage phenom Lamine Yamal declared that Real Madrid simply “can’t beat us” this season.

Yamal provided the assist for two of Barcelona’s goals in a bonkers 3-2 victory over their arch-rivals in Saturday night’s Copa del Rey final. This season, the Catalan giants have already romped to a 4-0 thumping at the Santiago Bernabeu and cantered through a 5-2 demolition of Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final, proving the 17-year-old’s point.

After a one-sided first half saw Barcelona take a 1-0 lead which did not accurately reflect their dominance, the introduction of Kylian Mbappe, swiftly followed by Luka Modric and Arda Guler, shifted the momentum in Madrid’s favour. The returning French talisman equalised with the first direct free kick of his senior career before Aurelien Tchouameni headed the capital club into the lead.

Yet, as Yamal laughed after the game, Barcelona weren’t worried. “If they scored one goal, it wouldn’t matter, if they scored two, it wouldn’t matter either,” the teenager shrugged. It was Yamal’s devilish scooped pass which teed up Ferran Torres for an 84th-minute equaliser, sending the contest into extra time and the early hours of Sunday morning before Jules Kounde struck a final blow in the 116th minute.

“This year they can’t beat us,” Yamal said, “and that’s been proven.”

There was a growing possibility that this engrossing final may never have even taken place. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea broke down in tears during the pre-match press conference when discussing the pressure exerted on officials by Real Madrid’s in-house media channel. The reigning Spanish champions boycotted their press duties before belatedly turning up for the showpiece.

Yamal wasn’t the only one to aim a jibe at Real Madrid. At the final whistle, former Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique tweeted in Catalan: “In the end, the good guys always win.”

No one could argue with Yamal’s assessment of Barcelona’s superiority over Real Madrid in this season’s Clasicos, but his teammate Frenkie de Jong questioned his celebratory outfit. “Everyone has to do what they want. But there wasn’t any sun, so there’s no point in wearing sunglasses,” the Dutchman tutted.

READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP