'Eddie, will you hurry up and win a trophy!'
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The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Arne Slot makes Liverpool transfer declaration amid Alexander Isak speculation
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has refused to be drawn on the club's position regarding Alexander Isak. But he has reiterated the club will only sign the right player for the right fee if they want to join. Since a £110million bid for Isak was rejected earlier this month, the club have not returned to negotiations although they have never formally walked away from pursuing a deal. Isak's decision to go public on Tuesday, accusing Newcastle of breaking promises and saying he 'can't continue' and 'change is in the best interests of everyone', has intensified speculation about the striker's future. Newcastle's response was to say: 'We have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee those conditions being met.' It adds extra spice for when the two teams meet at St James' Park on Monday, with Isak expected to absent again as he continues to train away from the squad. 'I am happy with the squad but if we think there is a player who can really make us better then this club has always shown they can bring them in,' said Slot, who has already benefited from a £300million-plus spending spree this summer, offset by more than £200m of sales. 'But it needs to be everything we want: right transfer fee, right position and the player wants to come to us. 'I don't think (it will be a busy end to the window) because (that would mean) I would be unhappy with the squad and I am happy with the squad. 'I say two players for each positions is ideal, but sometimes less is more so you are not disappointing players.' Slot rejected the suggestion their trip to the north east would be made easier by Isak's absence and the turmoil surrounding the club. 'I don't think they are a club with troubles,' he added. 'I assume Isak is not playin but they still have Anthony Gordon as a nine, they have Anthony Elanga as a right winger and Harvey Barnes from the left – and Jacob Murphy is not even playing. 'This is the Premier League, we all have a lot of options and Newcastle have them as well.' However, Slot's options have been reduced at right-back with new signing Jeremie Frimpong ruled out until after next month's international break with a hamstring injury sustained in their opening victory over Bournemouth. 'The medical team were completely right about Jeremie to tell me that I had to take him off because he is out until the end of the international break and that happened during the game,' he said. 'I think I got criticised a bit for taking him off, didn't I?' Joe Gomez was pressed into action for 18 minutes despite having had just two training sessions after three weeks out with injury and as a result was not able to train three days in a row afterwards. He could still be in contention at Newcastle, with Conor Bradley, named in Northern Ireland's squad for next month's games, only returning to training himself on Thursday. 'At the moment we only have two injuries, but unfortunately it is two in the same position,' said Slot. 'The good thing is we have other players that can play there. Wataru Endo played there for a few minutes, Dominik Szoboszlai has already played there. There are other options we can explore.'
Scotsman
17 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Celtic and Rangers have become united and common kinship may not end any time soon
Pain is name of game in Glasgow right now after nights of European torture for fans Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... According to some, the Old Firm is an outdated concept. You put yourself at risk even by uttering the term in some parts of Glasgow. 'No such thing, mate,' might come the reply. 'Been obsolete since 2012.' Maybe, maybe not. Still, it's notable that the clubs are themselves doing their best to be united – reunited? - in some form of common kinship, as distasteful as the thought might be to some. There are even reports of them being engaged in a tug-of-war for the same player - the currently clubless 38-year-old Jamie Vardy, which perhaps says it all. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Patronise the Old Firm. Rangers, Celtic Ltd.' That's what was written on a newspaper seller's sandwich board in the famous old Scottish Referee cartoon from the early 1900s. Well, their business now is anarchy and discord. They are vessels for unloading fury. Never mind Old Firm, make that Old Ferment. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reacts during the 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty. | SNS Group If fans aren't streaming out of games just 20 minutes in, they are staying behind afterwards to vent their anger having spent large parts of the preceding 90 minutes demanding chairmen and chief executives get themselves somewhere that rhymes with the eponymous hero of Steven Spielberg's new film, The Life of Chuck. Speaking of Spielberg, what would an alien have made of trips on successive nights this week to Ibrox and Celtic Park, homes of Scotland's two biggest football clubs? It was startling enough for a football writer to have experienced this double bill and view the level of unhappiness of display. Both stadiums were in uproar. Rangers being in crisis does not necessarily mean Celtic are in clover. Not these days, at least. The Parkhead club have higher ambitions than simply outdoing their old rivals – or do they? Therein might lie the problem. Of course, Rangers' issues are of a different standard to those of Celtic, something that might secretly delight those supporters of the Ibrox side who still contend they are the superior club in the city. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad More pain at Rangers before it gets better? Even the aforementioned alien visitor, with no knowledge of either club, or even football, would be able to appraise the contrast in situations. In terms of Rangers, it might very well get a lot worse before it gets better, perhaps as soon as Sunday when Russell Martin's undercooked side face a tricky clash against St Mirren in Paisley. The under-pressure manager has already been forced to engage in some fighting talk and, following the 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge on Tuesday, brought up the fact the club have been in Celtic's shadow for '13, 14 years, bar one season'. The point being that no one can expect answers in just over seven weeks, his tenure thus far. As for Celtic, as poor as it might have been in Wednesday's goalless draw with FC Kairat Almaty, there's still a decent chance they will turn things around in the second leg, cue the sound of another £40 million falling into their bank account. If so, however, what's next? They are still left with a clearly unimpressed manager whose working relationship with those above him seems broken to some extent. He didn't necessarily say anything new in the post-match press conference but some of what he said still made the ears prick up. He stressed that he had known earlier this summer what was required in terms of incoming players. 'For whatever reason,' he added, 'we have not been able to do that.' Rangers head coach Russell Martin presided over a 3-1 defeat by Club Brugge. | SNS Group These are already uncertain times with Rodgers now well into the final year of his contract. Will he stay or will he go does not even seem like an issue now. He's going, very likely with another treble to his name. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And that sums it up. Celtic's problem is that they are in their own world of so-called pain. It must have been surreal for the watching Paul McStay to hear chants of 'Sack the Board!' echoing around Parkhead since it was a reminder The Maestro, who is based in Australia these days, was very much back home. He heard the same chants back in the really bad old days when Celtic were levels beneath Rangers and at risk of going bust. In a way, it might have been sweet music to Rodgers, since it means he's escaping the flak. The Celtic board's current parsimonious approach might be linked to the fact they gave the manager a decent sum last summer and much of what it went on was sitting behind Rodgers in the dugout for most of the match or else sitting in the dressing room for the second half. Arne Engels has lost his place along with Auston Trusty and Paulo Bernardo. Adam Idah, meanwhile, faces an uphill struggle to prove he can be the centre-forward Celtic need despite Rodgers sanctioning £9 million being spent on him 12 months ago. Indeed, the Irish striker may already have blown it. 'I couldn't wait,' said Rodgers when asked about Idah's withdrawal after just 45 minutes. Ouch. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Newcastle 'agree personal terms' for striker transfer after Alexander Isak bombshell
Newcastle are desperately trying to sign two strikers in the final stages of the summer transfer window as the Alexander Isak situation shows no signs of reaching a conclusion Newcastle have reportedly agreed personal terms with Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen as they desperately try to end the summer transfer window on a positive note. The Magpies began their Premier League campaign without a recognised centre-forward in the squad, with Alexander Isak on strike and Callum Wilson having left on a free transfer for West Ham. Eddie Howe was forced to use winger Anthony Gordon in the position as they drew a blank In a 0-0 draw with 10-man Aston Villa on Saturday. Newcastle have missed out Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, who both joined Chelsea, Hugo Ekitike, who signed for Liverpool, and Benjamin Sesko, who opted for Manchester United. They have also been frustrated by their pursuit of Yoane Wissa, who remains a Brentford player after a £40million bid was rejected this week. Howe wants two strikers signed before the window closes on September 1, with uncertainty surrounding Isak after he went public with his anger at the club blocking a move to Liverpool. That has led Newcastle to target Strand Larsen, who netted 14 goals in 35 Premier League games last season. The Express and Star reports that, while Newcastle are yet to hold discussions with Wolves, they have made progress with the Norway international. While he is not agitating for a move, he would be keen to play Champions League football this season and has agreed personal terms. There remains one very obvious barrier to a deal, however, with Wolves valuing their striker at £60m. Having been on loan last season, Strand Larsen only officially joined the club on a permanent basis earlier this summer. Wolves paid Celta Vigo £23m to turn his move into a permanent transfer having initially paid £2.5m as a loan fee. They would therefore make a huge profit on Strand Larsen, but his departure would leave manager Vitor Pereira short of options up front. His situation is very different to that of Wissa's. The Brentford striker has deleted all mention of his current club off his social media accounts and is desperate to force through a move to St James' Park. But Brentford are holding firm on their £50m valuation, which has held things up. Brentford have completed the £42.5m signing of Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth, but he is considered a replacement for Bryan Mbeumo, who left for Manchester United for £71m, not Wissa. All of this is playing out with Isak still in isolation at Newcastle, training by himself, waiting for Liverpool to return with another bid. The Reds have not made a second offer after their initial £110m one was rejected, but Isak went public this week. 'The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time,' he wrote. 'To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. "When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now – and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself." Newcastle released their own statement, denying the allegations while suggesting that Isak could still be reintegrated into the squad, if their valuation is not met.
