Let me add my congratulations to Manchester City and their manager Pep Guardiola and his star-studded team in winning the Premier League title for this season. Their style of play, entertainment and commitment has been superb and they thoroughly deserve to be champions. Of course, many will say that with City’s spending power they should be the main contenders however I have been told that Pep and his club owners do not intend to stop opening their wallets. City have crashed out of the Champion’s League, much to everyone’s surprise, and that is a situation which Pep will not allow to happen again. To begin with the manager is targeting three more players to build on the club’s success and address the Champion’s League failure. I have been given the list of players who are being closely monitored: Julian Weigl of German side Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred, Napoli’s Jorginho and Jean-Michel Seri from Nice are Pep’s midfield targets. Each would cost in excess of £40million. Thomas Lemar the $90million rated French forward of Monaco is the target front man. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard would be Pep’s ideal signing but Chelsea are never going to let that happen. Pep explained, “It is impossible to challenge for the biggest trophies without serious investment. We must have the very best players and the best cost a lot of money.” No doubt Jose Mourhino over at United and Antonio Conte, if he stays at Chelsea, will be pointing out City’s commitment to their own boards of directors as they hold out their hands for more money.
Mo is going nowhere
In case Liverpool fans have been worrying about the opposition interest shown in their super striker goal machine Mo Salah, I can confidently tell you not to worry. Despite interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain, I have learned that Mo has no intention of seeking a move away from the Reds. He enjoys an excellent relationship with his manager Jurgen Klopp and is very popular with the players and the fans adore him which is not surprising! Mo’s agent Ramy Abbas has even talked about extending Egyptian Mo’s current five-year deal at Liverpool.
Liverpool players on the mend
Liverpool tell me that their defensive injuries are improving. Dejan Lovren limped off in the closing stages of their 3-0 win over Bournemouth at Anfield but I am told it is muscle tightness rather than a long term problem. Dejan has been enjoying great success working alongside Virgil van Dijk and the two have formed a solid partnership. Fellow centre-back Joel Matip is out for the rest of the season with a thigh injury however Joe Gomez is regaining fitness. The Reds are in third place in the table and only two points behind Manchester United. This Saturday they away to West Brom which they would expect to win but don’t forget what Albion did to Manchester United in their last match. By the way, Liverpool have already earned £57million from their excellent run in the Champion’s League and if they reach and win the final that will exceed £70million! Jurgen Klopp’s side are up against Roma for a place in the final, with the first leg at Anfield next Tuesday and the return is at the Stadio Olimpico the following Wednesday.
Dele learns control
Dele Alli is convinced he has finally beaten the challenge to remain cool when provoked by opposing defenders. The Spur’s striker is now a marked man who frightens defensive players with his speed and skill and many seek to take him down. In the past he has suffered a three-match ban for punching West Brom’s Claudio Yacob and has seen a whole series of yellow cards. However Dele says, “I’ve been trying to improve a lot of aspects of my game and I want to keep my head when I am strongly challenged. In the game against Stoke I knew what Ryan Shawcross was trying to do to me. He is a nice guy but he plays aggressively. I wanted to play my own game and not react and I was really happy that I managed to do that. I am a better player for it.”
Arsenal facing big fixture problems
Arsenal’s dreadful away form, where they have lost five in a row, means that Burnley are only two points behind the Gunners and Arsene Wenger’s team could even finish seventh. UEFA has confirmed that a seventh place for a Premier League club will give them a Europa Cup place next season however it would mean playing pre-season qualifiers and that would come just 11 days after the finish of the World Cup final. Arsenal were planning to play Atletico Madrid in an international tournament in Singapore that also includes Paris St-Germain. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that players need three weeks holiday for a complete rest before resuming in the Premier League next season but that is looking very doubtful. The World Cup stretches between June 14 and July 15 and many Arsenal players will be on duty for their national teams. Arsenal have never finished out of the top four under Wenger until last season when they finished fifth but this season has developed into another Gunner’s nightmare.
Conte denies Vialli comments
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has criticised his friend and ex-Juventus playing colleague Gianluca Vialli for claiming that he desperately wants to leave Chelsea. It is well known that Antonio is not happy with Chelsea buying and selling players without consulting him however he said, “I respect Gianluca but we haven’t spoken in a while and I know he is doing his job as a journalist. But what he said is his opinion and it is not my opinion. The people who stay very close to me know very well my intentions – to stay, to stay here, to continue my job here. When I go to my house I know that I gave everything…for this club…120 per cent. Sometimes it is difficult to sleep with these types of problems.” Chelsea are currently in 5th place but seven points behind Tottenham who hold the last Champion’s League place at the moment.
