'City can send a statement'
Former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov says City can send a statement that they are "getting back to their best" if they win their two-legged play-off to reach the last 16 of the Champions League. After surviving a scare against Club Brugge on Wednesday, City now face a play-off against either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid."Pep Guardiola said in his press conference that they will be in a stronger position in a couple of weeks but they are going to have to go out there and beat one of the best teams to get to the knockout stages - it's as simple as that," he told BBC Radio 5 Live."City have had some wonderful games against Real Madrid over the last three or four seasons, great games to watch - and if it's Bayern Munich, it's the return of Vincent Kompany."If City can win it, it is going to send a statement to the rest of Europe that they are getting back to their best."
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Telegraph
14 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Liverpool break British transfer record to sign £116m Florian Wirtz – and here is why
Liverpool have agreed a £116 million fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz, in a deal that could become a British transfer record. After weeks of negotiations, Premier League champions have secured the German international's services with the 22-year-old becoming the most expensive Liverpool player ever. He will sign pending a medical. Liverpool will pay an initial £100 million with a further £16 million in add-ons, based on performance triggers. Although the initial outlay does not break the British record Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo two years ago, it has the potential to eclipse it should Wirtz's Anfield career prove successful. Liverpool hope that proves to be the case. Wirtz's arrival represents a major coup as Bayern Munich and Manchester City were forced to concede defeat in the race for the German international's signature after he indicated his preference to move to Anfield. City withdrew after citing the financial commitment required to complete the deal before the Bundesliga champions were also informed of Wirtz's intentions. Liverpool's move will be seen as a major statement in their bid to defend their title, Wirtz becoming the second recruit as the promise of a 'big' summer is realised. Liverpool have already bought Wirtz's former Bayer Leverkusen team mate Jeremie Frimpong for £30 million and are expected to sign left back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth. They were alerted to Wirtz's possible availability as other suitors made him a prime target, thrilled to discover the prospect of playing under Arne Slot was so attractive to one of Europe's top-rated young players. Owners Fenway Sports Group have long argued that huge funds were available for the right player and have been true to their word. The previous Anfield transfer record - the £85 million paid for Darwin Nunez in 2022 - has been shattered. However, Liverpool recognised it was a matter of when, not if, they broke the £100 million barrier if they wanted to lure world class players to Merseyside. Wirtz's versatility makes him especially attractive to Slot, who made no secret of his desire to add more quality before the next pre-season. He has been earmarked to play as a number 10, but is equally comfortable as a wide has been the stand-out player in a Leverkusen team that has become one of Europe's most talked-about clubs under outgoing manager Xabi Alonso. His 10 Bundesliga goals helped his side finish second in the table, behind Bayern, and alerted interested clubs. Liverpool can display Olympian levels of smugness Towards the end of Liverpool's march to their 20th title, an Anfield anniversary of sorts casually slipped by without fanfare. It is just over two years since a lone fan arranged for a light aircraft to circle the stadium demanding owners Fenway Sports Group sell up to an unspecified organisation with 'more ambition'. 'FSG OUT - KLOPP IN - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,' read the attached banner. As commemorations go, admittedly this rates low on the notability scale of memorable Anfield moments of recent times. Nevertheless, when the plane circled it was a dilemma for the reporters rolling their eyes looking to the skies as they contemplated whether one attention-seeker reflected deep-rooted and broad frustration among the Liverpool fanbase, or if the looks of bemusement and slight embarrassment from the 55,000 fans told a more accurate story. Most of those present decided upon the latter. The trigger for the 'protest' before Liverpool's home fixture with Manchester United in March 2023 was the club's transfer strategy over successive windows, the American owners often accused of counting the pennies with their net spend while Premier League rivals seemingly splashed out mega-millions every summer. Given Liverpool won 7-0 on the day of the aircraft stunt, the stand against the regime was as badly timed as one of Darwin Nunez's runs to beat the offside trap. Today, in the immediate aftermath of the Premier League champions committing to a British record transfer to sign Florian Wirtz, the misguided demonstration has aged worse than a heavily botoxed Hollywood actor. Mocking aside, the anti-American sentiment was not entirely without support among those sympathetic to the idea of pressuring Liverpool's hierarchy to, if not sell up, spend more on the team. When the club confirmed they would be stepping away from the pursuit of Jude Bellingham in April 2023, for example, it triggered another episode in a long-standing philosophical debate about the pros and cons of self-sustainability models in the era of nation states with unlimited budgets, or (as subsequently occurred) clubs selling hotels and women's teams to circumvent profit and sustainability rules. Predictably, supporters of Manchester City and Chelsea will note the huge fee for Wirtz and wag an accusatory finger at Liverpool and yell 'hypocrisy' as the club which has made as much noise as any about the wild west of football's transfer system has ditched the Wyatt Earp impressions and opted to go on a spree worthy of Butch Cassidy's Hole in the Wall gang after a particularly profitable heist. In reality, Wirtz's signing is entirely in keeping with Liverpool's long-standing 'moneyball' policies. The critical difference is, in the FSG era, they have never been in such a strong position to flex financial muscle befitting their status, the most seismic shift with the Wirtz deal being that 10 years ago it was unthinkable that Liverpool could go head to head with Manchester City and Bayern Munich for a transfer record-breaking prime target and emerge victorious. They have always had the will. Now they have the way. Internally, the Anfield message in 2025 is exactly the same as when the flak about prudence was at its worst. While there are limits to what any Liverpool manager can afford, every deal is scrutinised to the same degree whether the valuation is £3.5 million, £85m or, as in this case, heading towards £116m. The fewer the red flags, the more likely the green light. Liverpool broke the transfer record for a central defender when they bought Virgil van Dijk in 2018. They did the same for a goalkeeper when recruiting Alisson Becker in 2019. They would have spent more than anyone in English football history for a midfielder two years ago if Moises Caicedo could have been persuaded to ditch Chelsea for Liverpool. In all instances, the decision to 'go big' was the consequence of incremental increases in revenues via commercial activity and on-field success, and the equally crucial skill of being as adept at selling as buying. Since FSG's 2010 takeover, Liverpool's revenues have increased from less than £200m to more than £600m, the promise John W. Henry made to oversee slow and steady progress until the club's model enabled them to pitch for the world's best spectacularly vindicated. The concept of 'Liverpool spending the Philippe Coutinho' money to sign Van Dijk and Alisson has done plenty of heavy lifting in the years since. The club would have signed Van Dijk whether Coutinho had left for Barcelona or not, as was demonstrated by the fact they had tried to do the deal six months earlier. But whatever Liverpool pay for new players this summer, they can expect to recoup plenty as the combined valuations of those available could exceed £150m. It remains to be seen what offers materialise, but it needs no stretch of the imagination to believe Wirtz will be signed with 'the Kelleher, Nunez, Elliott, Jota and Doak money'. If the Anfield board want to display Olympian levels of smugness, they could argue that the reason they can afford Wirtz is because they were prepared to be patient a year ago, the club exceptional at ignoring the 'noise' when the social media 'influencers' equate lack of spending with lack of purpose. For all that, the Wirtz deal is a gamble. Granted, it is a calculated and meticulously thought-through one, but when you commit so much, the pressure to deliver intensifies, not just on the recruit, but on those who push hardest for his signature. The greater the proven quality in an elite division such as the Bundesliga, the fewer the doubts. That's why such a premium is paid. But my word, it is a hell of a lot of money for one footballer. Van Dijk and Alisson looked like no-brainers at the time they posed for their club photograph and duly delivered. Naby Keita and Nunez - who cost a combined £145m - will be filed in the warning from history chapter, despite their impressive medal haul. As with all such captures, Wirz will arrive amid reassuring messages about extensive scouting, data models with performance indicators suggesting the 22-year-old is already one of the world's most creative young footballers on an upward trajectory, the presumption being his value will soar during the course of his contract. The mini biographies will locate youth coaches who always knew he was destined for greatness, and there is a reason so many of those with aspirations to win the Champions League next season wanted him. Excited supporters will see only guarantees of success, while rivals will ponder - as Liverpool often have when musing upon the huge fees paid by others - if signing one player for the price of three truly is good value. Either way, Wirtz's Anfield arrival is not just a statement. It is the shoutiest proclamation of intent as Liverpool look to defend their crown and pursue the Champions League.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Liverpool agree British record £116MILLION Florian Wirtz transfer as breakdown of how fee will be paid is revealed
Florian Wirtz will soon complete the most high-profile transfer of the summer after Liverpool finally agreed a deal to sign the German superstar for a fee that could rise to £116million. Mail Sport reported last week that Liverpool were confident of doing a deal and were just finalising the details of add-ons and bonuses. And they have now struck an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for a base £100m fee that will rise to an English record £116m based on those bonuses which include winning the Premier League and Champions League with Wirtz at the heart of those potential successors.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
A guide to the Club World Cup as Man City, Chelsea and Messi prepare for action
The Fifa Club World Cup, which involves Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea, begins this weekend. Here, we examine the new-look 32-team tournament. Advertisement The basics Manchester City were the last winners of the Club World Cup in its old format in 2023 (PA) The Club World Cup is not a new concept but this is the first to be staged on a scale more akin to an international tournament. Previously a short annual event featuring each continent's champions, the competition has been expanded hugely. It will now be played every four years and follow the format used from 1998-2022 by the traditional World Cup (without the third-place play-off). There are eight groups of four with the top two from each advancing to the last 16. The first game takes place on June 14th (the early hours of June 15th Irish time) with the final on July 13th. Hosts 📍Where the #FIFACWC action will unfold. 🏟️ — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 2, 2025 The tournament is being staged in the United States – one of the hosts of next year's World Cup – with venues predominantly along the eastern side of the country including New York, which will host the semi-finals and final, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta, Orlando and Miami. Seattle and Los Angles are the only two west coast venues. Teams The #FIFACWC group-stage is locked in. 🔐 — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 1, 2025 There are 12 European qualifiers and six from South America, four each from Africa, Asia and North America/Caribbean and one from Oceania. An extra side from the host nation (Inter Miami) make up the 32. In European terms, the Champions League winners from 2021-24 were automatically entered – Chelsea (2021), Real Madrid (2022 and 2024) and City (2023). Paris St Germain's recent success counts for 2029 qualification but they claimed their slot based on ranking points alongside Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. There is a limit of two teams per country, meaning the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona, Napoli and AC Milan miss out despite having a higher ranking than other teams. The cap was relaxed for Brazil because the country produced four different South American champions in succession (Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo). Chelsea and City Chelsea will be bidding to follow up their Conference League triumph with further success (Jane Barlow/PA) Chelsea are first in action against LAFC in Group D on June 16th, with games against Flamengo and ES Tunis to follow. Bayern Munich could lie in wait in the last 16. City open against Morocco's Wydad Casablanca on June 18th and also play Al Ain of Abu Dhabi and Juventus in Group G. Real Madrid are a potential first knockout round opponent. Advertisement Other notable games England captain Harry Kane will lead the attack for Bayern Munich (Andrew Milligan/PA) The tournament begins with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami taking on Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14th. PSG's first outing since winning the Champions League sees them play Atletico Madrid the following day. Trent Alexander-Arnold could make his debut when favourites Real Madrid start against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal on June 18th and Harry Kane's Bayern have an intriguing opener against Boca Juniors on June 20th. Prize money 32 clubs, one tournament, one champion. Be there when history is made at the #FIFACWC ! 🤩🏆 — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) May 28, 2025 The tournament has had its detractors but Fifa has sought to banish any apathy by allocating a huge prize pot of $1 billion (€861 million). This makes it the most lucrative event, on a per-game basis, ever staged. The money to be awarded will vary by continent but European teams will take home around €35 million just for participating and could scoop €114 million if they win it. Controversies Lionel Messi's involvement in the tournament has raised eyebrows (Mike Egerton/PA) The revamped Club World Cup has not been without issue, primarily due to its positioning in the calendar. With European seasons beginning in mid-August, the complaints about fixture congestion and workload have been numerous. Fifa also received considerable criticism for awarding the host nation spot to Inter Miami – and therefore Messi – without them having been crowned Major League Soccer champions. Recent comments by president Gianni Infantino apparently urging participating clubs to sign another ratings-driver in Cristiano Ronaldo alerted the cynics further. Advertisement There was also a late change to the line-up with LAFC winning a 'play-in' to replace Mexico's Club Leon, who were excluded over their owners' links to another entrant in Pachuca. Where to watch Streaming service DAZN has the primary rights to the competition and will show all matches live and free of charge.
