Latest news with #Bundesliga
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool dealt transfer blow after Chelsea reach striker agreement over rivals
Liverpool are keen to add new faces to their side this summer with Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong among those who could be signed but the Reds have stumbled into an issue with another Bundesliga star Chelsea are not ready to shelve their transfer interest in Hugo Ekitike, despite agreeing a deal to sign Liam Delap. Liverpool manager Arne Slot had already identified the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, with talks progressing over a move. He was seen as a possible replacement for Darwin Nunez - the Uruguayan striker having been linked with an Anfield exit over the coming months. But it appears that a move to Merseyside is no longer the only option for Ekitike if he wants to make the move to England. According to Sky in Germany, the forward is being eyed by Premier League rivals Chelsea. It is suggested that the Blues are still pushing for his signing despite also being on the verge of sealing a deal for Liam Delap. Chelsea have decided to activate a £30m release clause written into his contract at Portman Road. Manchester United were previously credited with an interest but now appear to have fallen behind in the race for Delap. The former Manchester City forward has enjoyed a productive debut campaign with Ipswich having netted 12 goals despite the club's instant return to the Championship. Ekitike, 22, has also shone this term having netted on 22 occasions in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt. Speaking recently, former Frankfurt CEO and current board member, Axel Hellmann, confirmed there was Premier League interest in Ekitike. He said: 'I would love to have him at Frankfurt for another ten years, if possible. 'But we are realistic. He is one of the best high-potential players in Europe at the moment and he is only 22. That means he has a great future. 'He is a clever guy. He loves to listen and learn. I would love him to stay another couple of years. But the market is the market and half of the Premier League clubs are interested in signing him.' He added: 'Besides the Premier League, there are other markets for him that he has opened doors to with his performances. I think he would also fit in other leagues and with big clubs in Southern Europe.' Ekitike started his career with French side Reims before he made a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain. He was loaned to Frankfurt last term, with the German club activating a permanent option in the deal. He still has four years left to run on his contract. Away from Ekitike, Liverpool look set to sign two of his Bundesliga colleagues. Jeremie Frimpong has flown to the UK to undergo a medical, while his Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz has also been identified as a major target.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Daily Schmankerl: Arsenal getting serious about Bayern Munich's Leroy Sané, RB Leipzig's Benjamin Šeško?; Real Madrid to steal Florian Wirtz from Liverpool?; LFC to make blockbuster deal for Hugo Ekitiké; Manchester City wants familiar face?; and MORE!
Madrid making late run at Wirtz? (ESPN) Bayern Munich is out of the race for Florian Wirtz, but Real Madrid could be swooping in at the last minute to make a play for the German star: Real Madrid are now in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, says AS. Liverpool had been thought to have a free run at the Germany international when Bayern dropped their interested, but now his former boss Xabi Alonso has been unveiled as new manager of Los Blancos, the 22-year-old could opt to move to Madrid. Though his transfer will cost upwards of €100m. The Alonso factor With his feet now on the ground in Spain, the ex-Bayern Munich midfielder could be spearheading a last ditch effort for the Wirtz, though it does seem like the German is too far down the road with Liverpool to reconsider his options. LFC getting serious with another BuLi target? (@Plettigoal) Liverpool FC has reportedly already secured Bayer Leverkusen ace Florian Wirtz for the summer transfer window and could be looking at another young, Bundesliga talent in Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitiké: The next big target from the Bundesliga: Understand FC Liverpool are now seriously in the race for Hugo #Ekitike! Talks have taken place. Slot/Edwards keen on him. The biggest rival at the moment: Chelsea. Eintracht Frankfurt have not yet received an offer. Markus Krösche still demand €100 million. #LFC #CFC Advertisement If true, Liverpool is taking some big swings this summer, eh? Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show: Season 4, Episode 45 (Bavarian Football Works) It was a long-time coming, but Bayern Munich finally got its man. The club announced the signing of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah, so now we can officially dive deep into what this means moving. Let's kick things off with that and then explore some of the other hot button items at Bayern Munich these days. This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show: How will Jonathan Tah fit at Bayern Munich and how will his presence affect Kim Min-jae's future in Bavaria. The longer Leroy Sané's saga goes on, the more teams are — allegedly — creeping out of the woodwork to show interest. Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur are among them, so let's discuss. The Champions League finale is at the Allianz Arena this weekend. Bayern Munich failed in in its quest for finale dahoam, but Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain will do battle. Lert's talk about how it all got to this point. Gunners getting serious with Sané (ESPN) Arsenal FC might start to turn up the heat on a pursuit of Bayern Munich's Leroy Sané: Arsenal are lining up a move for Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané, reports the Times. The Gunners are believed to be keen to agree to a pre-contract agreement with the 29-year-old, who is set to become a free agent next month when his contract expires at the Allianz Arena. Previous reports have indicated that Sané would prefer to choose a club in London as his next destination, and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with interest in him. McAtee to Leverkusen? (Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg via ESPN) Seeking to rebound from losing Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen could be working with Manchester City on a deal with 22-year-old attacking midfielder James McAtee: Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City are in direct contact about a possible move for James McAtee while other Premier League and Serie A clubs are also interested in the 22-year-old attacking midfielder. Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 7, Episode 46 (Bavarian Football Works) Like any good story (or maybe good horror story in this case), it must come to an end. Advertisement The Bayern Munich transfer saga with Florian Wirtz is over, as the club lost to Liverpool, so now it is time to eulogize it and put it out of its misery with one last show. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show: Some final takes on why it was such a big deal that Bayern Munich missed on Florian Wirtz — and why losing him to Liverpool was a massive failure. A conversation with BPW staffer Jack Laushway, who sat down with Florian Wirtz (and other members of Bayer Leverkusen) ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Let's talk about what he learned about the star attacking midfielder. Why Bayern Munich should go get VfB Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade if it really likes him that much — and how the Bavarians can make it work even with the presence of Harry Kane this season. City to make shock move for Palmer? (Simon Phillips via Cole Palmer was part of Manchester City's youth academy and now his old club might want the Chelsea FC attacking midfielder back in the fold: Manchester City recently enquired about re-signing Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, who is also of interest to Liverpool. Hoeneß names players who've shaped Bayern (kicker via @iMiaSanMia) Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeneß named the players who he think helped form the club into what it is today. Advertisement 'Franz Beckenbauer number one, Gerd Müller number two, both at a similar level, plus Sepp Maier. Later, Kalle Rummenigge and Paul Breiter. As a player, I won everything, but I wasn't there long enough,' said Hoeneß. Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 7, Episode 45 (Bavarian Football Works) Bayern Munich wanted Florian Wirtz but the transfer fell apart rather quickly. This is what we have for this episode: Is the board to blame for the Florian Wirtz transfer falling through? Is the Wirtz transfer situation comparable to more successful transfer situations such as those of Harry Kane and Michael Olise? What might Julian Nagelsmann have said to Wirtz? Should Bayern focus on purchasing Eberechi Eze and/or Kaoru Mitoma? What did Vincent Kompany have planned for Florian Wirtz? What did the board have planned for him? Should Bayern really focus on finding buyers for Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry? Galatasaray are seemingly interested in Leroy Sané; does he need a fresh start? Does Bayern need to have excellent players in every position to be able to compete at the highest level? Some reflections about the DFB Pokal final between VfB Stuttgart and Arminia Bielefeld as well as what it shows about German football and the Bundesliga An ode to Robert Lewandowski as he scored his 100th goal for FC Barcelona Steffen named coach at Bremen (@Plettigoal) Werder Bremen has locked up Elversberg manager Horst Steffen as its new coach: Bavarian Podcast Works — Reaction Show: Bayern Munich was bested by Liverpool for Florian what? (Bavarian Football Works) Well, it's over. Advertisement Bayern Munich lost out to Liverpool FC in the race for Florian Wirtz. It was a choke job of epic proportions, which we have not seen the likes of since the tortoise and the hare. Instead of integrating one of Germany's best players, Bayern Munich will slide down a level of player to try and find a player or two who can inject some life into the attack without disrupting the good things that Bayern Munich already has going. talk about what happened, what went wrong, why Wirtz ultimately chose Liverpool and where Bayern Munich might go from here. It could be a cruel summer... United wanted Delap, but he's likely headed to Chelsea(Daily Mail via ESPN) Manchester United wants Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap: Manchester United plan to trigger Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap's £30m release clause in order to sign the 22-year-old this summer. Advertisement Per Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg, Delap is likely headed to Chelsea FC: It will take €100M to get Šeško (ESPN) If Arsenal FC wants RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, it had better be ready to pay a hefty sum: An offer worth €100m will be required to land RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, reports the Telegraph. Arsenal are reportedly still interested in the 21-year-old amid their search for a new No. 9, but it looks as though his valuation could see the Gunners prioritise other options after Sesko scored 13 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches last season. More from
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Rangers placed on Vaclav Cerny red alert over Wolfsburg 'fire sale' as Cyriel Dessers makes transfer stance clear
Cerny enjoyed a superb campaign at Ibrox despite his team's struggles - registering 18 goals and nine assists in 52 matches Rangers' chances of signing Vaclav Cerny on a permanent basis have been boosted after parent club Wolfsburg's financial woes were revealed. The Czech Republic international caught the eye in his season-long loan spell at Ibrox, scoring 18 goals and nine assists in 52 matches for a Gers team that finished the campaign without a trophy. The 27-year-old is set to return to Germany later this summer for pre-season but reports in Turkey claim that Trabzonspor are preparing a £9million bid for the winger. However, Wolfsburg's latest accounts could suggest that the Bundesliga side will be forced to sell players on the cheap this summer. Die Wolfe had a disappointing season in 2025/26, finishing in 11th place - seven points adrift of the top half. Former Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl took up the reins last summer but was sacked with two weeks of the campaign still remaining while the departures of club legend and managing director Marcel Schafer also caused further upheavel. The Volkswagen Arena side banked £40million from the sale of Micky van der Ven to Tottenham in 2023 but have since splashed out huge sums on the likes of Lovro Majer, Joakim Maele and Tiago Tomas. Cerny arrived in Germany from FC Twente in the summer of 2023 for around £8million and has scored five times in 25 matches for Wolfsburg. As reported by Braunschweiger-Zeitung, the German Football League (DFL) have now published the financial figures of each club in the top-flight from the 2023/24 season - and it doesn't make good reading for Wolfsburg. The accounts show that the 2009 Bundesliga winners have made a loss of just over €15 million (£12.63million), a staggering drop from the €118,000 (£99, 362) profit published in the previous calendar year. Wolfsburg's new managing director Michael Meeske added: "Despite higher revenue from marketing, a deficit was incurred. The balance sheet was also impacted by the transfer activities." Elsewhere, Gers frontman Cyriel Dessers insists he is happy at Ibrox and has shut down talk of a summer exit. The Nigeria international - who netted 29 goals in 55 matches last season - has been linked with a move to Greek Super League duo Olympiakos and AEK Athens. However the 30-year-old is adamant he won't be going anywhere and is looking forward to a break before reporting back to Auchenhowie for pre-season on June 30. Speaking to SportsBoom, he said: "I still have two years left on my contract with Rangers. It's a fantastic club, and I'm happy there. "When you score that number of goals, it's normal for other teams to show interest. I've seen the links with Olympiacos, but I don't know anything specific about that. "These kinds of rumours are normal, but for now, I'm staying focused and looking forward to enjoying my holiday in a few weeks."
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Erik ten Hag plots two Man Utd transfers after taking over at Bayer Leverkusen
Manchester United could see former boss Erik ten Hag attempt to land two of their players who are up for sale after being appointed Bayer Leverkusen head coach following Xabi Alonso's exit Erik ten Hag is set to look at Manchester United as he plots his first moves as Bayer Leverkusen boss. The Dutchman was appointed as the Bundesliga side's head coach following Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid. Taking over at Leverkusen marks Ten Hag's return to football following his sacking by the Red Devils in October, after overseeing a disappointing start to the season. That does not appear to have deterred him from casting an eye on Old Trafford when looking at the signings he hopes to make for his new team. Leverkusen could yet come away with a good deal from such an approach. United are ready to listen to offers for any of their squad following a dismal season season which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League. And Ten Hag appears keen to land a United duo who have little hope of a future at the club. Kicker claim that both Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are being discussed by Leverkusen's decision-makers. A move for Antony has been deemed more likely, after the Brazil international impressed on loan at Real Betis. The former Ajax ace failed to break into Ruben Amorim's plans and United are keen to cash in on a player they signed for £82million. Garnacho meanwhile has been told to find another club by Amorim. The Argentina international reacted badly to being left on the bench for the Europa League final against Spurs before being left out of United's squad for their 2-0 win over Aston Villa on the final day of the season. Napoli appear to be the frontrunners for his signature after seeing a bid rejected in January. Garnacho however, is part of the Red Devils' squad that was defeated by an ASEAN Allstar team in Kuala Lumpur before moving on to Hong Kong as part of a post-season tour. Amorim was unfazed by questions suggesting Garnacho's presence on the trip was unusual ahead of a possible exit. "It is not a surprise,' he said. "He is a player of Manchester United – all the players are here. Some players are injured and it was better for them not to fly here to play these two games. It is a normal situation." However, Amorim was spotted trying to stifle a laugh with his hand when Amad was asked whether he hoped Garnacho would remain at the club. The Ivory Coast international would like to see his team-mate stay. Amad said: "Alejandro is a really good player and we need good players in the team. I know Garna really well, so I hope to have Garna next season. It is not really a big issue for the team. Everything is good now."
Qatar Tribune
11 hours ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Bundesliga club Werder Bremen sign Horst Steffen as new coach
Berlin: Werder Bremen have signed Horst Steffen as their new coach, the Bundesliga club said in a statement on Thursday. Steffen will replace Ole Werner, who parted ways with Bremen after opting not to sign a new deal amid frictions with the board. 'Horst's expertise and personality impressed us during our conversations. He's done some incredible work at Elversberg over the last seven years. Horst plays an attacking and attractive brand of football and leads a team extremely well,' managing director of professional football Clemens Fritz said. This season, Steffen guided tiny Elversberg to third in the second tier with a vibrant brand of attacking football. They narrowly missed out on promotion to the Bundesliga when they conceded in stoppage time in the play-off with Heidenheim on Monday. 'The fact that Werder got in touch with me was first of all recognition for myself and my work,' Steffen said. Bremen finished eighth in the Bundesliga season just finished. Details of the contract were not disclosed, but according to media reports, the coach signed a deal until 2028 and Elversberg are to receive compensation between 300,000 euros ($340,590) and 350,000 euros. (dpa)
