Rumour Has It: Juventus makes signing Man Utd's Pogba top priority

By Sports Desk February 28, 2022

Paul Pogba's future at Manchester United has been the subject of widespread speculation.

The 28-year-old midfielder will be out of contract at the end of this season.

Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are among the sides linked with the World Cup winner.

TOP STORY – JUVE TO PRIORITISE POGBA DEAL

Juventus have made signing Manchester United midfielder Pogba their top priority, reports Calciomercato.

Pogba has regularly been linked with a move away from Old Trafford as he stalls on a new deal with the Red Devils.

The Frenchman spent four years with the Bianconeri from 2012 to 2016 and they are dreaming of his return.

 

ROUND-UP

- Mundo Deportivo reports that Roma are leading the way to sign Mexico international Hector Herrera, who is expected to leave Atletico Madrid at the end of this season.

- Milan have swooped in on Newcastle United target Sven Botman and are set to beat them to the Lille defender's signature, claims Calciomercato.

- Milan midfielder Franck Kessie's next destination is becoming more likely, with Barcelona moving closer to sealing a deal for the Ivorian on a free transfer, reports SPORT.

- Fichajes reports that Crystal Palace have enquired with Real Madrid about their asking price for midfielder Dani Ceballos .

- Robert Lewandowski is out of contract in 2023 and wants a new deal with Bayern Munich but no talks have yet taken place, claims Fabrizio Romano.

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  • Lopetegui ready to ease pressure as he targets first home win Lopetegui ready to ease pressure as he targets first home win

    Julen Lopetegui says he expects to be under pressure after West Ham's recent struggles at home but hopes to put that right against Ipswich Town.

    West Ham have won just one of their six Premier League matches so far, away to Crystal Palace, but have lost all three of their home fixtures, conceding eight goals and scoring twice.

    Having failed to win any of their last four in the league, along with a heavy 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup before last week's draw at Brentford, Lopetegui is coming under a little pressure already.

    However, the Spaniard is not fazed by that, explaining his team are working hard to change their fortunes at the London Stadium.

    "Always it's very important to win, and that's why we work hard every day. We want to win for sure," Lopetegui said.

    "Ipswich are a good team, and all our thoughts are on Saturday.

    "Our job is to live under pressure, and it is normal because we haven't won at home yet. That's why we are working, to try and win on Saturday against Ipswich."

    Meanwhile, the Tractor Boys are still searching for their first win since being promoted back to the top-flight.

    There is reason to be optimistic though, as Ipswich have drawn each of their last four outings, including 2-2 against Aston Villa last weekend.

    Kieran McKenna is expecting another tough test but knows his players will show their competitiveness once again.

    "I know it is another big game, another big challenge and one to look forward to," McKenna said.

    "Let's hope we can make it really competitive. I don't think there [will be] many weeks this year where we are going to blow teams out of the water, so we need to work really, really hard to be competitive.

    "We hope we can be really clinical in our execution when we have our moments and defend their moments well to give ourselves a chance to get a result."

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    West Ham – Tomas Soucek

    Tomas Soucek netted his 29th Premier League goal for West Ham United in their 1-1 draw with Brentford, overtaking Milan Baros (28) into second place for the top Czechia scorers in Premier League history.

    He is now only behind Patrik Berger (38 goals), a record he will be keen to start chasing down.

    Ipswich Town – Sam Morsy

    No player has more Premier League yellow cards this season than Ipswich midfielder Sam Morsy (four) and was perhaps lucky not to receive a second against Aston Villa last weekend.

    Since his Ipswich league debut in September 2021, only one player has more yellow cards in the league in England's top four tiers than Morsy's total of 40, but given his importance to McKenna's side, the manager will be hoping he can avoid another.

    MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

    West Ham have lost just one of their eight Premier League meetings with Ipswich (W3 D4), a 1-0 home loss in March 2001. Their last such meeting was a 3-1 victory for the Hammers in March 2002.

    However, Ipswich won their last two league meetings with West Ham, beating them 1-0 away and 5-1 at home in the 2011-12 Championship campaign.

    West Ham have lost their three home Premier League games this season, the first time they have started a season with three home defeats. The Hammers have not suffered four defeats in a row in the top-flight at the London Stadium since the final four home matches of Manuel Pellegrini's reign in November-December 2019.

    Indeed, West Ham have won just five points in their opening six Premier League matches this season (W1 D2 L3), the fifth time in the last nine seasons they have had five or fewer points at this stage of the campaign.

    Meanwhile, Ipswich are winless in all six Premier League games this season (D2 L4), only once starting a top-flight season with a longer winless start, in 1969-70 (seven games).

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    West Ham – 51.3%

    Draw – 23.8%

    Ipswich Town – 24.9%

  • Bremer to have surgery after suffering ACL injury Bremer to have surgery after suffering ACL injury

    Juventus centre-back Bremer will undergo surgery after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against RB Leipzig.

    The Brazil international was forced off six minutes into Juve's 3-2 win over Leipzig on Wednesday, with the club confirming the extent of his injury on Thursday.

    Bremer has been key to Thiago Motta's side so far this season, playing every minute in Serie A with the team yet to concede a single goal in six matches.

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    Juventus were also dealt another blow, with midfielder Nico Gonzalez suffering a thigh muscle injury.

    "Bremer and Nico Gonzalez underwent diagnostic tests which revealed an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the left knee for the former and a low-grade injury to the rectus femoris of the right thigh for the latter," the club said in a statement.

    "Bremer will undergo surgery in the coming days."

  • Szoboszlai 'loving' midfield unity with Mac Allister and Gravenberch Szoboszlai 'loving' midfield unity with Mac Allister and Gravenberch

    Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai "loves" playing alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in Arne Slot's new-look midfield.

    Szoboszlai had an up and down first season at Liverpool following a big-money switch from RB Leipzig.

    The Hungary international has started eight of Liverpool's nine matches this season, including Wednesday's 2-0 win over Bologna in the Champions League.

    Szoboszlai has formed a strong midfield trio alongside Mac Allister and Gravenberch, and he is revelling excelling in the unit.

    He told Liverpool's official website: "I love to play with them. I said it before, a lot of qualities what these two have – but the whole team [as well].

    "The midfield is not enough. Of course it's an important role but we need everybody, we need the bench as well, we need the whole squad because there's going to be times where it's going to be hard and I think there are still 60 games to come!"

    Slot has been shortlisted for the Premier League's Manager of the Month award in September.

    Liverpool sit top of the standings with 15 points, having won all but one of their league matches under Slot, losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in September.

    "If you take the Nottingham Forest game away then it's a perfect start," added Szoboszlai.

    "We are top of the league and we have to continue like this."

    The Reds take on Crystal Palace in Saturday's early kick-off in the Premier League.

    Slot is looking to become just the fourth manager in Premier League history to win each of his first four away games in the competition after Felipe Scolari (first eight), John Gregory (five) and Bobby Gould (four).

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta

    Mateta has scored 15 goals in his last 11 home games for Palace in all competitions, netting multiple goals in five of these 11 appearances (four braces, one hat-trick).

    Liverpool - Mohamed Salah

    Salah has scored in all three of Liverpool’s Premier League away games so far this season.

    There have been nine previous occasions of a player scoring in his side's first four on the road in a single campaign – Salah could be the first player to do so twice (also in 2021-22).

    MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

    Liverpool have won all three of their Premier League away games this season – only in 1990-91 and 2019-20 have they ever won their opening four away games in a league campaign.

    Palace, on the other hand, remain winless in their six Premier League games so far this season (D3 L3). Only in 1992-93 (eight), 1994-95 (seven), 2004-05 (seven) and 2017-18 (seven) have they gone longer without a win from the start of a top-flight campaign, being relegated at the end of the first three of those.

    In 30 previous Premier League meetings between Palace and Liverpool, 14 have been won by the away side (47%). This is the highest away win ratio of any of the 109 fixtures to be played 30+ times in the competition's history.

    Palace have conceded more Premier League goals against Liverpool than they have against any other opponent both overall (69) and at home (38). Indeed, the Reds are responsible for the Eagles' two biggest home defeats in the competition’s history (6-1 in August 1994, 7-0 in December 2020).

    Each of Liverpool's last four Premier League defeats against Crystal Palace have come at Anfield – they are unbeaten in their last nine at Selhurst Park (W8 D1) since a 3-1 loss in November 2014.

    Palace have lost 11 of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (W1 D2), though that sole victory was in their last such meeting at Anfield in April.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Crystal Palace - 18.5%

    Liverpool - 60%

    Draw - 21.6%

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