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Harry Kane broke an Erling Haaland record after becoming the quickest player to reach 50 Bundesliga goals following his hat-trick against Augsburg.

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• Kane scores hat-trick for Bayern
• Fastest man to reach 50 Bundesliga goals
• Smashes past mark held by Haaland

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England captain bagged a treble in Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Augsburg on Friday night at Allianz Arena. As a result, the 31-year-old reached a half century of Bundesliga goals in just 43 matches – beating former Borussia Dortmund star Haaland's feat of 50 goals in as many games.

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  Kane swapped Tottenham for Bayern in the summer of 2023 and since then he has scored a remarkable 64 goals in 62 appearances. While he is still searching for his first-ever trophy, the striker is breaking all kinds of records in German football – which is not to be sniffed at.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In September, Kane became the top English scorer in Champions League or European Cup history with 33 goals in 45 games, passing Wayne Rooney's old mark of 30. He also became the first English player to score four goals in a Champions League match as Bayern thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Kane will hope to continue his stunning goalscoring form when Bayern host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Ilkay Gundogan admits that Manchester City are fighting for their lives in the title race and must beat Liverpool this weekend.

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• City in dire form
• Have not won in six games in all competitions
• Play league leaders Liverpool this weekend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City have been in roundly terrible form in recent weeks and have failed to win any of their last six games. They have lost their last three league matches, going down 2-1 to Bournemouth, 2-1 to Brighton, and, astonishingly, 4-0 to Tottenham at home. Despite those results, City remain second in the Premier League table, but they are eight points behind the Reds ahead of this weekend's clash between the two clubs at Anfield.

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  City also threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in midweek, a new low in Pep Guardiola's worst-ever run as a manager. Now, Gundogan has made it clear to his team-mates that they must beat Arne Slot's side this weekend to have any hope of winning a fourth successive Premier League title. City have not won at Anfield since 2021, when they ran out 4-1 victors, with Gundogan scoring twice.

• WHAT GUNDOGAN SAID

  Speaking to , the midfielder said: “To stay in the title race probably yes [it is a must-win game], because 11 points would be a huge gap.

  “It’s still early in the season. There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of things can happen, not just on our side but at every other team. But obviously we have to look at ourselves and try to do the things we can do better, as quickly as possible. We take it, stay humble, head down and try to put in the work in the next few days and prepare as good as possible for a tough game.”

  He added: “I don’t know what’s going wrong. It is a bit inexplicable. Sometimes you will struggle in some games, no matter who the opponent is. Even when you play at home against a side you should dominate, you will concede chances, because every team is good enough right now to create something.

  “But then 75 minutes in, 3-0 up and controlling the game, we gave it away so easily. They also were ruthless. It is probably more us to blame but they just punished us in every situation they got, scoring three goals. Obviously it is very tough to take.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  City's clash with Liverpool this weekend is perhaps the biggest game of the season so far. After that encounter, Guardiola's side play Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

A high-earning member of the Arsenal squad is keen to leave north London this summer, with sporting director Edu Gaspar also prepared to green-light a loan deal.

Players who could still leave Arsenal before deadline day

Mohamed Elneny, Cedric Soares, Mika Biereth, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga have already left Arsenal, but it is believed that a few more squad members could join them.

Arsenal contact elite European club over signing £150,000-per-week forward

The north Londoners have reached out to them.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 25, 2024

Elneny and Soares departed following the expiry of their contracts late last month, while Biereth sealed a £4 million permanent move to Austrian side Sturm Graz after spending the second half of 2023/2024 on loan there.

Lokonga agreed to join Sevilla on loan, which includes a £10 million option to buy, with Tavares also moving to Lazio on loan. Unlike Lokonga's deal, the latter's transfer will become permanent next summer for around £7.5 million, so Tavares has penned a five-year contract with Marco Barono's side as a result.

The likes of Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Kieran Tierney, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been linked with Arsenal exits in the past fortnight as well, with manager Mikel Arteta potentially about to see a few more departures.

Fulham are believed to be in talks over a deal for Smith Rowe at around £35 million, which would be their club-record transfer fee, while both Tierney and Zinchenko think that Arsenal will sell them this summer after Riccardo Calafiori's arrival.

The same could be said for Kiwior, as the Italian is capable of replacing the former Spezia star at both centre-back and left-back, with reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano backing that his exit is indeed a possibility.

While the aforementioned appear to have potential suitors, especially Smith Rowe who appears to be on the verge of a Fulham move, it is a completely different story for second-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Ramsdale wants to leave Arsenal with Edu prepared to green-light loan

The England international lost his place to David Raya last season, and his lack of action has seemingly put buyers off Arsenal's £35 million asking price.

That is according to talkSPORT, who also claim that Ramsdale is keen to leave Arsenal and Edu is prepared to green-light a loan if they can't find a permanent buyer. The 25-year-old, who earns around £120,000-per-week at Arsenal, is currently not close to joining any club, despite interest from Southampton.

Ramsdale faces spending another season on the bench if he cannot secure a move away before August 30, and that is something the former Bournemouth shot-stopper is very eager to avoid.

Napoli boss Antonio Conte has told the Serie A club's board he wants another Chelsea player alongside Romelu Lukaku, as talks continue over the Belgian joining them with Victor Osimhen potentially heading the other way.

Chelsea in talks with Napoli over Lukaku and Osimhen

Earllier this week, reliable journalists like The Athletic's David Ornstein and GiveMeSport's Ben Jacobs shared news that Chelsea are in talks with Napoli over a swap involving Lukaku and Osimhen.

£16.8 million man agrees to join Chelsea as Boehly seals another signing

He looks set to be their tenth addition of the window.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 1, 2024

Lukaku has already agreed a three-year contract to join Napoli from Chelsea, and the Belgian is willing to take a pay cut so the move can happen, but the west Londoners are yet to shake hands on a final fee with the Serie A side.

Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca's men are still in the market for a new striker, motivating them to discuss the possibility of Osimhen trading places with Lukaku. The Nigerian had agreed terms on a move to PSG but is believed to favour Chelsea if they can strike a deal with Napoli.

The transfer could even be done on loan with an obligation to buy next summer, as Todd Boehly and co are reluctant to pay the 25-year-old's £110 million release clause.

"Chelsea are in talks with Napoli over Victor Osimhen, whilst Romelu Lukaku has already agreed to a pay cut and a three-year contract to move to Naples," wrote Jacobs on X earlier this week.

"#CFC don't want to pay the €120m+ release clause but are keen on Osimhen should the structure change or price drop. Loan with option has been discussed, as David Ornstein called. Also understand Napoli have raised a loan-option into an obligation should Chelsea qualify for #UCL. Spoke about Osimhen yesterday on the London is Blue podcast. Door not shut. Osimhen also impatient to move, which has caused Napoli to re-assess their position.

"Osimhen has agreed terms with PSG but is understood to be in favour of Chelsea should a club-to-club agreement be reached. PSG talks over a fee/structure haven't progressed to date.

"Saudi offer for Osimhen won't be made unless the Nigerian striker gives a green light after rejected three offers from Al-Hilal 12 months ago. Napoli wanting Lukaku helps Chelsea, as does Osimhen putting pressure on Napoli to leave as soon as possible."

It appears Conte's desire to sign Lukaku will be key for Chelsea getting Osimhen over the line, but the ex-Stamford Bridge boss has now set his sights on another player at Cobham, who could also help to facilitate a deal.

Conte tells Napoli to sign Casadei alongside Lukaku in Osimhen swap talks

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Conte has told the Napoli board he likes Cesare Casadei, and Chelsea are willing to include the Italian in a deal for Osimhen alongside Lukaku.

"Something that has now come to light via SPTC sources that might help Chelsea’s chances is that Conte has also told the Napoli board that he likes Cesare Casadei, and Napoli have already had an interest in the Chelsea midfielder prior to Conte’s arrival," wrote Phillips on his Substack.

"Chelsea now know this and will be willing to add Casadei to the deal as well. Once again, it will be on Napoli though and the overall deal, and whether they will accept Casadei as ‘part’ of the deal. But Casadei has now been mentioned in talks as well as Lukaku."

Casadei signed for Chelsea from Inter Milan in 2022 for around £12 million, spending the first half of last season on loan at Leicester City under Maresca, before re-joining Mauricio Pochettino for the second half of 23/24.

Harry Kane sustained a muscle tear during Bayern Munich's clash with rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, the club have confirmed.

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• Bayern drew 1-1 with Dortmund
• Kane withdrawn in first half
• Thigh injury now fully diagnosed

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane was hauled off with discomfort in his thigh just 33 minutes into Bayern's 1-1 draw with Dortmund. Jamie Gittens opened the scoring for the hosts shortly before Kane was substituted, while Jamal Musiala came up with a late goal to rescue a point for the Bundesliga leaders.

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  Bayern boss Vincent Kompany insisted post-match that his star striker was hopeful the problem wasn't actually too severe. However, Kane returned to Bayern's Sabener Strasse training complex on his day off on Sunday to undergo a scan on his thigh, and results have concluded he has torn a muscle.

• WHAT BAYERN SAID

  A statement from Bayern on Sunday morning read: "Harry Kane suffered a small muscle tear in the back of his right thigh during yesterday's Bundesliga match between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. This was the result of an examination by FC Bayern's medical department. This means that FC Bayern will have to do without Harry Kane, 31, for the time being."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE & BAYERN?

  Bayern have crucially not put a timeframe on Kane's recovery, though estimate he will miss two weeks and could return for Bayern's final game of 2024 – a home match against RB Leipzig on December 20.

  Kane's team-mates are back in action on Tuesday at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal before a Bundesliga clash with Heidenheim at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Leeds United's lacklustre start to the new season continued away in the Midlands on Saturday afternoon, Daniel Farke's men left to take a point from the Hawthorns following a 0-0 draw with West Brom.

To be honest, it was a pretty decent point considering what's happened over the last week.

Leeds drew 3-3 with Portsmouth on the opening day before being hammered by Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup in midweek as they shipped six goals in their opening two matches for the first time since 1959. Yeah…it's not great, is it?

Then came the hammer blow of losing Georginio Rutter and his absence was more than felt this weekend. Leeds had just six touches in the opposition box, the lowest throughout Farke's entire managerial career.

Going into the break, they only had a 50% pass accuracy in the final third. It makes for grim reading.

The latest on Rutter's future

Just hours after Leeds had suffered defeat to Boro, it was confirmed that Brighton had activated Rutter's £40m release clause.

It was heartbreaking, it was anguish, particularly for a fan base who have already seen Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville walk through the exit door.

So, when will Rutter be confirmed? Well, Farke admitted during his pre-match press conference that he had already said his goodbyes to the squad.

Leeds paid £25m for him in 2023 so they are making a mighty fine profit on the player. That said, the prize of reaching the Premier League would bring even greater riches and they may well struggle to get there now without the Frenchman and Summerville.

Joel Piroe was the man to replace Rutter against the Baggies on Saturday but didn't take his chance to shine in a worrying display.

Piroe's performance in numbers

The Dutchman has rather flattered to deceive since being signed from Swansea City last summer.

During the 2023/24 campaign, Piroe registered a haul of 16 goals and three assists, but struggled in the number 10 role, despite 50% of his strikes coming from that position in the team.

As a result, it was frustrating for supporters to see Piroe selected in that area of the field again against West Brom.

Hauled off after 64 minutes for Joe Rothwell, he vacated the pitch having had 23 touches, far fewer than goalkeeper Illan Meslier's 49 touches.

The 25-year-old registered a dismal haul of just six passes, of which none created a goalscoring opportunity. For someone playing a role such as Piroe's, you should be expected to create. After all, Rutter ended last term with 16 assists, 13 more than his Dutch colleague.

To make matters worse, the former Swansea man ceded possession 13 times and won just one of his eight duels.

The attacker was subsequently slated after the game as he was handed a 4/10 match rating by journalist Beren Cross who described his outing as 'a familiar and poor display' which 'left a lot to be desired'.

So, it wasn't a great audition from Piroe as Farke attempts to solve the Rutter-shaped hole in his side.

It's a long old season and Leeds will surely improve but the omens are not good if an internal solution is sought in that number 10 role. For their next clash, the manager must try something else and put Piroe back on the bench.

Leeds hit gold on Bielsa signing who's now worth even more than Rutter

Leeds United managed to sell this former star on for a huge amount.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 16, 2024

Christian Pulisic has explained how “pressure” impacted his “difficult” spell at Chelsea, with the USMNT star now thriving again at AC Milan

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• Joined Premier League giants in 2019
• Won the Champions League during four-year spell
• Left for Italy in 2023 & rediscovered spark

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United States international Pulisic moved to Stamford Bridge in 2019 having initially proven his worth in Europe with German giants Borussia Dortmund. He would become a Champions League winner while in west London, with the history books being rewritten there, but scored just 26 goals through 145 appearances.

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  Issues with form and fitness did Pulisic’s cause few favours, as a starting berth became difficult to nail down, and the decision was taken to embrace a new challenge in 2023 when leaving England and moving to Italy. The 26-year-old forward is now playing with a smile on his face at San Siro – despite currently nursing a knock.

• WHAT PULISIC SAID

  Pulisic has told of his reversal in fortune: “It’s not to say it’s easier now (at Milan) than it was with Chelsea, but there was a time in Chelsea where I felt on top of the world and I was playing great and that confidence and that no-fear mentality was easy to have. And there was also a time when that was extremely difficult because I wasn’t getting the time. I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch in some kind of way. Now, I’m in a really good head space where I feel quite confident. I feel a lot of trust from the club in a lot of ways.”

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  'TIME FOR A CHANGE'

  Pressed further on whether those struggles represented the first setback of his senior career, Pulisic added: “For sure, it was difficult. I became very used to my environment in Chelsea. I learned so much, won a lot and was really happy with how things went in certain ways. But when it’s time for a change, you can feel it with all of your being. If I wanted to reach that next level, this is a step that I had to take.”

Nottingham Forest are reportedly on the cusp of completing another deal this summer following their latest capture of Ramon Sosa.

Nottingham Forest eye late additions

After picking up their first point of the season on the Premier League opening weekend, Nuno Espírito Santo's side remain active in the transfer market as it heads towards the end of the window. The Garibaldi are eyeing up a move for fresh blood in attack, and have already seen one bid turned down for Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez, who scored 23 goals in last season's Eredivisie.

Nottingham Forest make move to sign £35k-p/w ace, his club don't want him

He could be a valuable addition in the final stages of the summer.

By
Ben Browning

Aug 18, 2024

Meanwhile, they are also understood to be chasing defensive reinforcements and a goalkeeper, with the arrivals of Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa having already bolstered their frontline.

But it is a far cry from recent transfer windows, which have seen them cram the arrivals lounge at a rate only matched by Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge, a series of events which led to them sailing too close to the wind with financial fair play.

Despite their more settled nature this time around, they are always on the hunt for upgrades, and they may be ready to revisit a player they know well before the end of the transfer window.

Montiel on verge of Forest return

That comes as one journalist claims that Forest have agreed a deal to re-sign right-back Gonzalo Montiel ahead of the transfer deadline in what would be a bizarre move.

The Argentine, who featured six times as they lifted the Copa América over the summer, spent the 2023-24 campaign at the City Ground but appeared to fall out of favour towards the back end of the campaign, failing to feature in games between February and April, though he did start the final four games of the season.

But despite Montiel's loan move having an option to buy the defender included, the club chose not to activate it, sending him back to Seville instead. Now, it is reported they are set to buy him this summer after all, with the initial decision perhaps influenced by potential financial fair play repurcussions ahead of the June 30th PSR deadline.

As per Spanish journalist Fernando Serrano, the defender is "very close" to signing for Forest once more, with the Argentine having agreed personal terms on a four-year deal at the City Ground. Meanwhile, Forest have tabled a 12m euros (£10.2m) offer to sign him, comprising 9m euros up front (£7.7m) plus a further 3m euros (£2.5m) in add-ons.

There is no mention of whether Sevilla have accepted the offer, but given that it is likely of a similar value to the option to buy Montiel in the initial loan and the Argentine is down to the final two years of his £23,000 a week deal, it could well be enough to bring the World Cup winner back to the City Ground permanently.

Kylian Mbappe was left astonished to realise that his Real Madrid co-star Luka Modric has more major titles to his name than his own age.

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• Real Madrid beat Pachuca to lift the Intercontinental Cup
• It was Modric's 28th major trophy with Real Madrid
• Croatian happens to be the most decorated player in club history

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  At 39, Modrić continues to defy expectations with his longevity and remarkable influence on the field. Over the years, he has amassed six European Cups, cementing his place in history as a key player in Real Madrid’s dominance on the continental stage. Additionally, his trophy cabinet includes six FIFA Club World Cups, five European Super Cups, four La Liga championships, two Copa del Rey titles, and five Spanish Super Cups.

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  Modric is officially Real Madrid’s most decorated player, with 28 titles after the latest Intercontinental triumph, an honour he holds with pride. He is trailed by teammates Dani Carvajal, who boasts 27 trophies, and Nacho Fernández, with 26 titles. Club legends Marcelo and Karim Benzema, each with 25 trophies, complete the top five.

• WHAT MODRIC & MBAPPE SAID

  During celebrations, a candid moment between Modric and Mbappe highlighted the awe inspired by the Croatian’s achievements. As a cameraman noted that the club skipper had secured his 28th major title, Mbappe, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday, reacted with a mixture of admiration and surprise. “More than my age,” he remarked with a smile. “Let’s hope to win another one for him and for all the others who are here.”

  Whereas, reflecting on his latest triumph, Modric expressed immense pride. “It’s a unique feeling,” he told the club's official media.

  "We already did it in the last title, in the Super Cup. This title is very important and I'm very happy to win it for the sixth time. It's a unique feeling to win titles with Real Madrid. I hope it gives us confidence for what's next because there are a lot of games ahead of us. A very demanding season."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MODRIC?

  Modric’s next opportunity to add to his already staggering tally of trophies will come in January 2025, when Real Madrid compete in the Supercopa de Espana. However, before that, he will focus on continuing his excellent form as Real Madrid prepare to face Sevilla this Sunday in a La Liga fixture.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with Alexander Isak, but Nigel Winterburn does not expect a new striker to be signed in the January transfer window.

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• Another transfer window now open
• Gunners said to be in the market for more firepower
• Doubts cast over big-money deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners are, having narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in back-to-back campaigns, considered to be in the market for more firepower. Mikel Arteta is supposedly eager to bolster an attacking unit that currently includes Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

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  There has been talk of a big-money raid being launched on domestic rivals Newcastle for prolific Sweden international Isak. He is, however, said to come with a nine-figure price tag and Winterburn doubts that amount will be spent midway through the 2024-25 campaign.

• WHAT WINTERBURN SAID

  The legendary title-winning former Arsenal left-back, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked if Emirates Stadium will soon welcome another goalscorer through its doors: “I don’t think that is going to happen this season. I don’t see it happening in January. There is always a massive debate: Would I like to see an out-and-out goalscorer at Arsenal? Probably, yes. But then I want to be greedy and say only if it fits into the formation of what the team are trying to achieve.

  “We all just jump on the bandwagon and go ‘if you get a goalscorer, you are going to pick up significantly more points’. Actually, we don’t know that and are guessing. We believe it would help. It’s a difficult one. If they are going to look at something like that, it is going to be for next season. We’ll see.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Winterburn is not convinced that Arsenal need another No.9 at present, with it more important for them to return walking wounded to the field. He added: “I think Arsenal’s problem at the moment is the fact they have picked up so many injuries. What those injuries do is give you a lesser opportunity to, what you call in the modern game, affect the game from the bench. With the amount of substitutions you can now use, that is as important as your starting XI.

  “With Arsenal we are seeing that they re-strengthened defensively in the summer, yet all of the problems have really been defensive. People say [Martin] Odegaard was out, yes he was, now [Bukayo] Saka’s out and those two are key players as well, but it’s still stretched. Partey has had to move around for a lot of games to right-back, when he has been influential in midfield. You are always tinkering with your squad and your formation. I think that bit of stability moves away. It’s going to be debated not just among Arsenal supporters but everybody until the day that Arsenal do buy what they class as a big striker. Whether that is going to happen or not, I have no idea.”