• The Olympics are from July 24 to August 9 but players are usually given three weeks rest afterwards. Liverpool kick off the new season at Ipswich Town on August 17.
• News coming out of Old Trafford features Matthijs de Ligt having talks with Manchester United and the 24-year-old is interested in leaving Bayern Munich for a challenge in the Premier League.
Image: /BBC
Mo Salah reported for pre-training at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre on Wednesday. He underwent routine testing following more than seven weeks away from the club.
On Thursday, he was subjected to newly installed coach Arne Slot’s fitness routines which he has devised with performance coach Ruben Peeters.
Players start with a six-minute race test which has replaced Jurgen Klopp’s famous lactate tests. Salah last played for the Reds on May 19, when they beat Wolves 2-0.
Egypt wanted Mo for their Olympic squad but Liverpool have overruled that because they want him available for Slot’s opening games of the new Premier League season.
The Olympics are from July 24 to August 9 but players are usually given three weeks rest afterwards. Liverpool kick off the new season at Ipswich Town on August 17.
Man United players back for training
United players returned for pre-season training ahead of their friendly against Norwegian club Rosenborg on Monday.
Andre Onana, Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo, Antony, Casemiro, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hannibal Mejbri met with new coaches Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Rene Hake.
First team coach Steve McClaren was also in attendance alongside Erik ten Hag. A cardiologist and nurse were on hand to give the players a medical test.
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Villa eye golden boy Joao Felix
The 2019 Golden Boy award winner Joao Felix transferred to Atletico Madrid for a staggering £113m (Sh18.68bn) and helped the club to the La Liga title and was named player of the season. However, behind the scenes at Atletico, his relationship with coach Diego Simeone deteriorated fast.
Felix still has a five-year contract at the Spanish giants but both player and club are anxious to part company. He has been out on loan.
Apparently, he has three options. He could return to his boyhood club, Benfica in Portugal or Barcelona, where he has played on loan. Finally, and most interesting, Aston Villa are interested in taking him.
Coach Unai Emery believes he can recapture Felix’s former high-level performances having admired his talent in La Liga.
De Ligt features in Ten Hag’s plans
News coming out of Old Trafford features Matthijs de Ligt having talks with Manchester United and the 24-year-old is interested in leaving Bayern Munich for a challenge in the Premier League.
Coach Erik ten Hag wants De Ligt to team up with Lisandro Martinez in a 4-3-3 formation and considers this partnership as his strongest defence if the deal goes through.
Ten Hag and the centre-back worked together at Ajax. However, 60,000 Bayern fans have signed a petition begging their club not to sell.
Dortmund forward attracts Chelsea
Chelsea want to strengthen their attack to support Nicolas Jackson and the wider players.
Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi has scored five goals and made two assists in 35 appearances and at just 22, fits in with the Chelsea strategy of signing younger players on long contracts.
Adeyemi played as a central striker at RB Leipzig but has played on the wing for Dortmund. Chelsea met the player’s representatives last week to work out a deal which I understand is in the region of £30m (Sh4.94bn).
Napoli are selling Victor Osimen this transfer period so they can open the door to sign Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku.
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Surprising homecoming for Gordon
Anthony Gordon will return from the Euros to discover that Newcastle have a new improved contract waiting for him.
The Geordie club has responded to Liverpool’s interest by tearing up his current contract – which has two years to run – and offering him fresh terms.
Coach Eddie Howe values Gordon, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes — who have also been approached by Premier League clubs.
What next for Grealish?
Pep Guardiola rates Jack Grealish because he knows how good he can be when on form.
However, the beginning of the new season is crucial for Grealish and he is quite literally on trial during which he must prove himself all over again. If he fails to ignite his talent, then Manchester City will sell him.
Arsenal were reported to be interested. However, I can tell you positively that they were never interested. The reports were the result of an incorrect website article.
Grealish attracted a lot of sympathy after being left out of England’s Euros squad and even Aston Villa fans have forgiven him for leaving the club in 2021. They would welcome
him back. City accept they would not recoup the £100m (Sh16.51bn) paid because he turns 29 in September.
With Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez away on international duty and Jeremy Doku taking a holiday, Grealish could start the new season on the left wing.
He has been proving to the club how serious he is by publicising his training schedule on social media and he will enjoy a complete pre-season programme so he can hit the ground running on August 18 when City open their account away at Chelsea.
Hurzeler will bring colour to Brighton
Newly installed Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler admitted in his first press conference that his age, 31, is being questioned by fans and the press. Can a man at such a young age compete with the best in the world’s elite league?
The youngest-ever Premier League coach says: “I always say: ‘I’m a young man but I am not a young coach. I have been able to gain a lot of experience. Of course, I don’t have experience in the Premier League but you have to start somewhere. This is my start.”
As coach at German side St Pauli, he achieved promotion to the Bundesliga after only 18 months in charge.
Hurzeler replaces Roberto De Zerbi, who fell out with the club over their recruitment policy.
He said: “Roberto had a huge impact on the whole football world. I liked the football Roberto played... with a lot of courage and some very interesting elements in ball possession. It’s part of my job to follow different trends in international football. In the end, the Premier League is the best in the world. They have the best coaches. You can learn a lot of things. But it’s important to have your identity and philosophy.”
Hurzeler has a somewhat chequered past. During his time at Pipinsried, a German lower-league club, he collected 46 yellow cards and six red cards in 91 matches!
On being reminded that he collected seven bookings last season, he said the last one was a few months ago.
“So I am improving,” said Hurzeler.
I think this new addition to the Premier League is going to be entertaining but whether he will be up to the task, we will have to wait and see.
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Nunez owes it all to Klopp
Darwin Nunez has spoken fondly of the help he received from Jurgen Klopp and the improvement in his motivation and attitude.
He admitted that the intense pressure is at a different level in the Premier League compared with his time in Portugal. Nunez joined the Reds in 2022 for a basic £64m (Sh10.5bn), which could rise to a club record of £85m (Sh14bn) with add-ons.
The price has already reached £75m (Sh12.4bn) based on appearances. He is currently scoring goals for his native Uruguay at the Copa America. He scored 18 goals last season with 13 assists and won the Carabao Cup.
He said: “To be honest, playing in the Premier League isn’t easy at all. It’s difficult. Players are stronger and there’s a higher level of intensity. Jurgen Klopp helped me improve some of my skills on the pitch.”
Palace lose Olise to Bayern
I am worried about Crystal Palace’s ability to perform in an ever-demanding Premier League. Selling Michael Olise, one of their best players, to Bayern Munich on a five-year- deal has robbed them of a potential match-winner.
The 22-year-old joined Palace in July 2021 and scored 16 goals. The lure of playing for a top European side was too good for Olise to ignore and Bayern paid Palace £50m (Sh8.3bn) for a player who cost them £8m (Sh1.3bn).
Meanwhile, Palace’s attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze has performed well for England at the Euros, where he has shown a natural ability to create space for his teammates and has been praised by coach Gareth Southgate.
Transfer News…
Manchester United have agreed a £26.7m (Sh4.4bn) bid for Mason Greenwood from Marseille. Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership, the club is determined not to sell prized assets cheaply which has happened in the past. Paul Pogba and Raphael Verane both left for free.
Greenwood held talks over his future at the Carrington Training Centre on Monday morning and was told he was heading to France on Wednesday.
I am told that United have only £50m (Sh8.3bn) to invest in bringing in new players due to the FA’s financial sustainability rules. That is the main reason they have not finalized a deal for top priority, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
United have also made it known that Jadon Sancho is available for £40m (Sh6.6bn). In an ideal world, United would collect around £80m (Sh13.2bn) for Greenwood and Sancho which could then be used to make a bid for Benfica’s Joao Neves. The Reds say they won’t go above £70m (Sh11.5bn) but Benfica want £85m (Sh14bn). Neves has attracted attention from Manchester City and Liverpool.
Bologna striker Joshua Zirkee has agreed personal terms with United and his agent has agreed a commission. However, United might raise their £34m (Sh5.6bn) offer to pay his fee in instalments. Ten Hag wants Zirkee as competition for Rasmus Hojlund up front.
Wolves centre-half Max Kilman has completed his move to West Ham. Newly appointed Hammers’ coach Julen Lopetegui was impressed with Kilman during his spell at Molineux
last season. After Wolves rejected a £25m (Sh4.1bn) offer, West Ham returned with a £40m (Sh6.6bn) bid. Kilman has warned his new colleagues that Lopetegui will push them to their limits in training as he attempts to raise standards at the club.
Leicester have signed Bobby De Cordova-Reid from Fulham on a three-year contract.
He said: “Turning up here was a special moment, looking around and seeing the infrastructure. It’s got the wow factor. I can‘t wait to get going.”
Arsenal are in talks with Bologna’s Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori. I am told the player has agreed personal terms and the transfer fee will be £27m (Sh4.4bn).
Ipswich Town have agreed deals for Manchester City striker Liam Delap, who was on loan at Hull last season and scored eight goals. They also want Hull City winger Jaden Philogene. The two deals will cost the Tractor Boys about £38m (Sh6.3bn).