Football transfer news

Liverpool trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson are joined by Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne on the 2019/20 Premier League Player of the Season shortlist, which features seven players in total.

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is also nominated off the back of his Premier League Golden Boot triumph, while Southampton forward Danny Ings joins the list. Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope completes the nominations for the prestigious prize determined by a fan vote.

It’s time to decide! ?

Who should be crowned the @premierleague Player of the Season?

Vote here ?? https://t.co/e98qXrenNd#FUT20 #PL pic.twitter.com/CxCPa8BPko

— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) August 7, 2020

Alexander-Arnold has enjoyed his best season yet and is already arguably the best right back in the world at the age of just 21. He played in all 38 games as Liverpool secured a first league title since 1990 and a first ever in the Premier League era.

Mane enjoyed another fine season as one third of Liverpool’s famous front three, scoring 18 times in all competitions. Henderson, meanwhile, has already been crowned FWA Footballer of the Year after standing out both on and off the pitch this season.

In Manchester, De Bruyne staked his claim to be recognised as the best midfielder in the world this season by registering 20 Premier League assists, equalling the all-time record set by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry during the 2002/03 campaign.

Vardy’s 23 Premier League goals powered Leicester to the brink of Champions League qualification, with the Foxes ultimately finishing fifth. The veteran star remarkably surpassed 100 total Premier League goals during the campaign, despite not playing top flight football until he was 27.

Ings enjoyed the most prolific league campaign of his career date, netting 22 times in 38 appearances. It was the first time since 2014/15 that he managed double figures in a league season and his tally even surpassed the 21 he netted for Burnley in the Championship in 2013/14.

Pope returned to his best form in Burnley’s goal after missing the whole of the 2018/19 season through injury and kept 15 clean sheets. His performances were a key reason why the Clarets returned to the top half of the table, finishing tenth.

Fans can vote for their choice of winner here.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!

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Since 2014, Atletico Madrid have consistently registered brilliant defensive numbers.

There are a myriad of reasons for this. For one, Diego Simeone – the cult of personality at the head of Atleti’s modern revival – has bred a very specific footballing philosophy in the Spanish capital over the past decade.

Derided by purists as being anti-football and heralded by pragmatists as edgy antiheroes, Simeone’s sides have consistently been nigh-on impossible to break down. Shaping up in two compact banks of four when out of possession, Atleti’s tireless work rate and freakish discipline make them a nightmare to play against. Many giants have been slain at home and abroad, after being tactically outclassed by Simeone.

Then there’s the individual quality of their back four. During this period, the likes of Diego Godin, José Gimenez and Stefan Savic have performed super human defensive feats – and that’s just a few of the centre backs who have passed through Wanda Metropolitano.

Above all else though, the key figure in Atleti’s stingy defensive record is a lanky 27-year-old from the tiny Slovenian town of Škofja Loka.

Jan Oblak arrived at the club in 2014 with big shoes – or gloves – to fill. Thibaut Courtois had just returned to Chelsea after what was probably the most successful loan move of all time. The big Belgian helped Simeone’s side reach two Champions League finals and seal an impossible La Liga title the previous season.

Oblak was more than up for the task though, usurping Miguel Angel Moya as Atleti’s number one halfway through his debut campaign and never looking back. The €16m the club paid Benfica for his services has proved to be an incredibly shrewd piece of business, especially in a transfer market in which Kepa Arrizabalaga’s poppadom wrists cost four times that.

The remarkable consistency displayed by the Slovenian makes it challenging to pinpoint the exact moment when he became the best goalkeeper in the world.

After cementing his place as Simoene’s number one goalkeeper, Oblak’s first full season in the Spanish capital was phenomenal. He did not miss a single second of La Liga action, conceding just 18 – yes, 18 goals – and keeping 24 clean sheets. Unsurprisingly, the former remains a joint league record.

Oblak has maintained a similar level of stinginess in subsequent seasons. The highest amount of goals he has ever conceded in a domestic campaign for Los Rojiblancos is 27, which he has done on two occasions. Even in these fallow years, Atleti still comfortably finished in the top three with Oblak one of their top performers. His save percentage has never dipped below 0.750 throughout his time in Madrid as well. A truly incredible feat.

These records say a lot about Oblak as a player. While many modern keepers are more adept with their feet than their hands, the Atleti stopper’s approach is a refreshing throwback. He is a traditional goalkeeper whose singular purpose is stopping the ball hitting the back of the net by any means necessary.

Kepa + money for Jan Oblak. How likely do you think this move is to happen? ? pic.twitter.com/E6q39K9nK5

— 90min (@90min_Football) July 17, 2020

There’s no danger of Oblak being described as a ‘sweeper keeper’ as he has consistently registered one of the lowest average distances away from his goal when performing defensive actions in La Liga. His distribution skills may also be lacking by modern standards – but these skills are not required in Simeone’s system. It’s a match made in heaven.

Despite all the evidence being there for years it has only been in the past two seasons or so that Oblak has begun to be perceived as the world’s best. A lot of this has to do with the regression of some of his rivals, with David de Gea and Manuel Neuer both shadows of their former glorious selves.

A string of statement performances in high profile fixtures have also helped Oblak’s cause, none more so than his heroic display against Liverpool back in March.

The last properly big game before COVID-19 brought football to a grinding halt around the world, the Reds went into the second leg of this Champions League round of 16 tie 1-0 down. A quick glance at the stats without knowing the final scoreline would seem to suggest that Jurgen Klopp’s title winners got the job done as well.

Good luck to Atletico but the idea that was some kind of Simeone masterclass is ridiculous. They were completely outclassed in normal time. Best #LFC performance in 2020 so far. Atletico rode their luck, survived and then punished a massive mistake.

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) March 11, 2020

Liverpool enjoyed 71% possession, had 34 shots on goal and had an xG of just under three. However, the Reds didn’t account for Oblak putting in one of the great all-time European goalkeeping performances.

The Slovenian made nine saves in the contest. Some of them were beautiful. A finger tip stop to keep out Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s low drive and a point blanc block to deny Roberto Firmino were particular highlights as Oblak provided the platform for his side’s dramatic 3-2 victory at Anfield.

It’s something he’s done many times before. With Oblak between the sticks – by far the best goalkeeper on the planet – what’s to stop Atleti ending their Champions League hoodoo this time around?

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Bayern Munich will face Schalke on the opening day of the Bundesliga season next month, as Borussia Dortmund play host to Borussia Monchengladbach.

The fixtures were announced on Friday morning, with title hopefuls RB Leipzig playing host to Mainz in the opening round of fixtures, which kick off on 18 September.

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The #DFL has published the #Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 fixture lists for the 2020-21 season ?? https://t.co/AcDbADeFe6 pic.twitter.com/pauUMX81cd

— DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga (@DFL_Official) August 7, 2020

Christmas hasn’t all come at once, however, as we’ll have to wait until the winer for the first Der Klassiker of the new campaign. That comes on the weekend of 7 November, as Bayern travel to the Westfalenstadion in what could be a decisive clash in Bayern’s defence of their title.

The defending champions follow up their opening fixture with a trip to Hoffenheim, while Dortmund travel to Augsburg on Matchday two.

The first Revierderby between Dortmund and Schalke comes on the weekend of 26 October, the same day Bayern face Frankfurt, while Leipzig take on Hertha and Gladbach make the long trip south to Mainz.

? 2020/21 Bundesliga fixtures MD1-17:

? #FCBS04
? #TSGFCB
? #FCBBSC
? #DSCFCB
? #FCBSGE
? #KOEFCB
? #BVBFCB
? #FCBSVW
? #VFBFCB
? #FCBRBL
? #FCUFCB
? #FCBWOB
? #B04FCB
? #FCBM05
? #BMGFCB
? #FCBSCF
? #FCAFCB#FCBayern #MiaSanMia #packmas pic.twitter.com/jdpjdGPmuM

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) August 7, 2020

Bayern finish their season with the visit of Augsburg, while Dortmund end their campaign with a tricky home tie against Bayern Leverkusen.

Bayern won the 2020/21 season after a barnstorming end to the campaign earned Hansi Flick a full-time tilt at the head coach role. Niko Kovac was dismissed after a questionable start, but 19 wins out of 20 saw Flick’s Bayern charge to the title for an eighth successive season.

The Bavarian side’s recent dominance of the Bundesliga has meant only one other team has lifted the title since 2009. Dortmund won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012, and they will be looking to topple FC Hollywood having finished as runners-up in the past two seasons.

Get these in your diary! ?#Schedule2020 #DieFohlen pic.twitter.com/xvOOPyBtoJ

— Gladbach (@borussia_en) August 7, 2020

Leipzig will be equally hopeful of the first league title of their short history following a strong 2019/20 season, while Marco Rose’s Gladbach may also fancy their chances despite the collapse of what looked like a serious challenge last term.

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Bayern Munich head coach Hans-Dieter Flick has said that he understands if Thiago Alcantara, who has been heavily linked with Liverpool, wants to leave the Bundesliga champions to test himself in the Premier League – but would still be disappointed to see the player go.

Thiago joined Bayern from Barcelona in the summer of 2013 and has won the Bundesliga every year that he has been in Germany. But he has now entered the final 12 months of his contract in Bavaria and reports in recent months indicate he is seeking a fresh challenge at the age of 29.

Liverpool have been the club most closely associated with Thiago for a number of weeks.

Flick has stated he would rather the midfielder stays in Munich next season and beyond, although he wouldn’t hold it against him if he decides he wants to go elsewhere.

“I can understand when a player is concerned,” the Bayern boss told Sport1. “Thiago played in Spain for Barcelona and in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich. If he wants to try the Premier League now, I totally understand.

“But it would be a shame because Thiago gives our game that certain something. That’s why I would like to have him as a coach on the team for the next few years, but life would go on.”

It was reported in Germany last month that Thiago has rejected Bayern’s offer of a new four-year contract, surprising his club in the process because they were the original terms he was asking for.

It was also then claimed in Germany soon after that it is the player’s ambition to join Liverpool and that Jurgen Klopp had asked the Anfield hierarchy to pursue a deal.

At the end of July, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge publicly confirmed that Thiago has expressed a desire to leave, telling Sky Deutschland, “Thiago told Hasan [Salihamidzic] some time ago that he would like to try something new at the end of his career. We have to accept that.”

Whether Liverpool will actually make an approach remains unclear. Even though Bayern are rumoured to have lowered their asking price from €36m to €30m in an effort to try and lure in buyers, Liverpool have been reported to value the player at no more than about £18m.

The new Premier League champions have also been focusing more on a back-up left-back since the domestic season finished and have had an opening £10m bid for Norwich’s Jamal Lewis rejected.

The latest from the Liverpool Echo on the club’s interest in Thiago is that there are ‘no plans on making a move for Thiago at the present time’.

But German publication Kicker claims that there remains mutual interest in a transfer from both the player and Klopp – with Liverpool’s owners putting the breaks on for now, at least, until more player sales are finalised and the Reds can better spend within their means amid the coronavirus crisis.

Kicker further notes that discussions are also ongoing as to whether Thiago even fits with Liverpool’s vision and project in terms of his age and somewhat patchy injury record.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!

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It may have started a year ago, but the 2019/20 Europa League is still going strong. Not because it’s an incredibly long competition, but the circumstances are a such that we’ve had to wait a little bit longer for European football this time around.

An eventful, goal-laden round of 16 is now behind us, with eight sides left to battle it out for a major trophy on the continental stage.

Wolves are three wins away from Champions League football. ? pic.twitter.com/5E7INADEfC

— 90min (@90min_Football) August 6, 2020

Here’s your full breakdown of who, what and when.

Before diving in to the fixtures, it’s best to run through the new format once more. As we’ve seen in the Champions League too, all matches from hereon in will be played in a one-off knockout style clash. To minimise the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible, neutral venues will host the remaining seven matches. It’s a bit like the World Cup, and it’s great.

The Europa League quarter-finals will be played at four venues across Germany. They are: Schalke’s Arena AufSchalke, Koln’s Rhein Energie Stadion, the MSV-Arena in Duisburg and the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.

Originally, Gdansk in Poland was due to host the 2020 final, but that will now be changed to Koln’s RheinEnergieStadion, with next season’s final to be played in Gdansk instead.

The draw has already been made for the quarter-finals, with conflicting results for both Premier League sides involved.

Wolves reached this stage with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Olympiakos, meanwhile Manchester United brushed aside LASK with a thumping 7-1 aggregate triumph.

Quarter-final fixtures are:

Monday 10 August: Manchester United vs Copenhagen – RheinEnergieStadion

Monday 10 August: Inter vs Bayer Leverkusen – Dusseldorf Arena?

Tuesday 11 August: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel – Arena AufSchalke

Tuesday 11 August: Wolves vs Sevilla – MSV Arena

As mentioned, on paper it is United who have the easier draw compared to Wolves. However, if both teams win their ties, then it confirms that at least one English side will compete in the Europa League final as the two will have to come face to face.

That, of course, means that the winners of Inter against Leverkusen with take on either Shakhtar Donetsk or Basel for a place in the final.

? The quarter-finals are set!

? Who will reach the last 4?#UEL pic.twitter.com/1NjZwCdYYU

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 6, 2020

With the quarter-finals taking place on 10/11 August, there is no let up for the sides left in the competition as the new format aims to conclude the tournament as soon as possible to leave adequate time for clubs to prepare for the coming campaign.

That means the sides who reach the semi-finals will have just six days to prepare, with even less time before the final takes place.

Semi-final dates and venues:

Sunday 16 August: Wolves / Sevilla vs Manchester United / Copenhagen – Stadion Koln

Monday 17 August: Inter / Leverkusen vs Shakhtar Donetsk / Basel – Dusseldorf Arena?

Final date and venue:

Friday 21 August: Winner of first semi-final vs Winner of second semi-final – Stadion Koln

For more from Ross Kennerley, follow him on Twitter!

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