Given the level of some of his performances this season, it feels somewhat strange to say Crystal Palace paid less than €10 million to sign Michael Olise from Reading three years ago. It has certainly proven a bargain signing for the Eagles, who will possibly cash in five or six times as much for his services this summer.
When great Premier League wingers today are discussed, the left-footed ones who predominantly play on the right, the name of Mohamed Salah rightly stands out, and there are much younger ones, like Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, who also deserve to be in such conversations. However, at the age of 22, Olise is arguably right up there with the latter two, even though he hasn t yet had the chance to prove his quality on the great stage that Champions League footbal…
Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol says Lionel Messi continues to get better and has backed him to win his fifth Ballon d Or next week.
The four-time winner is a firm favourite to lift the 2015 prize at Monday s gala in Zurich ahead of team-mate Neymar and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Puyol says the Argentina captain remains a cut above the rest in global football and is amazed at the hunger he has to continue to win titles despite his glittering career to date.
He told Omnisport: I don t know who s going to win. In my opinion, Leo Messi is the one who deserves it. He s the best in the world and in history probably.
He gets better every day, he is still growing, he is still hungry, which is very important, and I think he s going to win his fift…
Former Egypt coach Bob Bradley believes Mohamed Elneny s versatility could make him a hit for Arsenal in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old completed a move to the Emirates Stadium from Basel earlier this month and could make his debut for the Gunners in Sunday s clash with Chelsea.
Elneny fulfilled a variety of midfield roles during his spell with the Swiss champions and Bradley, who coached him at international level between 2011 and 2013, says the former Al Ahly trainee will offer much more than tough tackling for Arsene Wenger s side.
He is an all-round midfielder capable of playing different roles, Bradley told NBC Sports Pro Soccer Talk. He reads the game, he moves well and he can play a little bit deeper.
He s an all-round midfielder who …
Niklas Sule believes he is ready to become a leader in his third season at an increasingly youthful Bayern Munich.
Bundesliga champions Bayern have been drained of experience since the end of last term, having lost Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Rafinha and Mats Hummels.
The latter s departure for Borussia Dortmund is set to place even more expectation upon centre-back Sule s shoulders.
Used more often than Hummels and Jerome Boateng last season, the 23-year-old will begin the new campaign as a first-choice in his position and with the responsibility of building a new defence alongside Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez.
The Germany international views the changes around him as an opportunity, not a burden.
I want to take more responsibility, pla…
Prediction: Tottenham win
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The Premier League returns later on tonight when Liverpool go head to head with Norwich City, but beyond that, we want to take a look at the late Saturday game between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. These two teams represent what it means to be a truly historic club in English football, with both holding accolades that most teams could only dream of possessing. Tomorrow evening, however, that isn t going to mean a thing, as both teams attempt to register their first three points of the campaign.
Tottenham
While Tottenham s summer transfer window didn t go quite as well as many had hoped, they still brought in a few exciting new faces. Plus, when you re coming off the back of a Champions League fina…
Everton have announced star defender Lucas Digne has signed a new four-year contract.
The new deal sees the 27-year-old commit to spending the prime of his career at Goodison Park following stints at LaLiga outfit Barcelona, Ligue 1 clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Lille, and a season-long loan at Roma in Serie A.
During his nearly three seasons on Merseyside, the set-piece specialist has quickly become a key component of the Toffees defensive unit, and their attack, playing 97 games in all competitions.
Digne has recorded six assists in 16 league games this season, one short of his total in 35 matches from 2019-20, while he claimed four goals and four assists in his debut 2018-19 Premier League campaign.
The France international has expressed his desire…
Market: Both teams to score
Odds: 10/11 @
In a derby showdown at the Amex on Friday night, Brighton will welcome Crystal Palace to the south coast when this weekend s Premier League fixtures open up.
Starting with the hosts, eventually managing to extend on their FA Cup adventure thanks to an extra-time 2-1 win away at West Brom, Brighton should find the mood in their camp at a recent high. More than deserving of their victory at the Hawthorns last week, Graham Potter s men have gained a host of plaudits so far this season. Last seen on Premier League duties claiming an action-packed 3-2 win away at a downbeat Everton, the one-time Swansea boss still finds his side battling it out in the top-half of the table. Signing off 2021 with a 1-1 draw away at defending E…
Manchester United have broken with modern tradition and made a footballing decision that everyone seems to think is a good one.
The appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the season was confirmed on Monday, a day after caretaker Michael Carrick managed a creditable 1-1 draw at Premier League leaders Chelsea.
While he hasn t been a coach for the best part of three years, Rangnick s legacy in the Bundesliga and his influence on some of Germany s finest minds makes him a shrewd appointment for United, not least because he will take up a two-year consultancy role after 2021-22.
This, then, is a decision taken by United with a view to long-term changes to their fortunes, not simply a quick fix to arrest poor results. Still, with more than ha…
Former Cardiff City midfielder Stephen McPhail has warned the club s current crop of players to keep their cool against Swansea City.
The Welsh sides meet on Sunday in the first top-flight derby between the pair and McPhail knows all about the intensity of the rivalry.
He was sent off for two bookable offences in consecutive meetings with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in the 2008-09 season and wants Malky Mackay s men to learn from his mistakes.
I messed up a couple of times, McPhail, now with Sheffield Wednesday, told WalesOnline.
In my first derby away I made a late, rash tackle during the second half.
I had totally forgotten I had been booked earlier after a misjudged tackle which put me on the wire.
In the second match the ball fell to me after w…
Chelsea forward Armando Broja was carried off on a stretcher after appearing to suffer a serious knee injury during a friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Broja has assumed a more prominent role at Chelsea since returning from a season-long loan at Southampton, making 18 appearances this term and scoring his first Blues goal in October s Premier League win over Wolves.
The Albania international was selected to lead the line against Villa, with Graham Potter looking to get his Chelsea squad up to full speed ahead of the Premier League s resumption later this month.
However, Broja was carried from the field after going down clutching his left knee, following an early collision with Ezri Konsa, having fallen awkwardly when appearing to catch his stud…