Premier League
Mourinho is Frustrated at the Transfer Market
Manchester United Manager’s efforts so far at the current summer transfer market have almost been at the realm of window-shopping as he has not been able to by some of his desired players.
He told ESPN FC that he is not happy with Manchester United’s transfer window and is ready to accept signing just one more player before the August 31 deadline.
His ‘purchase’ so far has been limited to the £90 million he splashed on DR Congo’s Belgian player, Romelu Lukaku who he signed from Everton and the £30.75 million spent to get Benfica defender, Victor Lindelof.
Efforts to sign Inter Milan winger, Ivan Perisic, and a top-class defensive midfielder have so far proven unsuccessful. But ESPN FC reported that Mourinho is within £5 million of meeting Inter’s valuation of Croatia international, Ivan Perišić, who has flown to China on the Italian club’s preseason tour.
Interest in Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Tottenham’s Eric Dier has failed to result in a breakthrough, however, and Mourinho admits he may be forced to settle for just one more new signing this summer.
“We always want more,” Mourinho told ESPN FC in an exclusive interview. “We always feel there is room to improve, and I cannot say that I am happy with our transfer window.
“What I can also say is that it is a difficult transfer window and I don’t blame anyone — it is just a reality of things. The market is going in such a direction that many players are difficult to get, not to say impossible.
“Every club is powerful and they don’t want to sell or their demands are really high, so the market is difficult.”
Mourinho said his objective is still to sign two more players, but even if they arrive before the end of August, the Manchester United manager claims they will have lost crucial preparation time in preseason.
“Everton started really strong in the market without the Lukaku money,” Mourinho said. “AC Milan, without selling players, are buying non-stop, so it depends on the moment, the objective, maybe on new owners.
“What I will say is that, a long time ago, we thought about four players to strengthen our squad, but it is really hard to do it. If we do the third and forget the fourth, I would be quite happy with that because I know it is difficult.
“At the moment we have Lukaku and Lindelof, two players I know well. I worked with one before and the other is from the Portuguese championship, which I follow every weekend.
“I am happy with them and I know that they will succeed at the club.
“The market ends on August 31, so there is plenty of time, but obviously, the objective for me as manager is always to have the players as soon as possible and try to coach them in the team and develop the team with them and Lukaku and Lindelof arrived to train in time for day one.”
A VAR decision chalking off what looked to be a late winner for Chelsea at Aston Villa on Saturday has damaged the Premier League, the London club’s manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
His side thought they have completed a remarkable comeback when substitute Axel Disasi netted in second-half stoppage time, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review penalised a push by Benoit Badiashile in the build-up.
“Me and you and everyone in the stadium watching the game, they didn’t see a foul on the pitch and then VAR changed the decision of the referee. For me that was a normal challenge. The decision was there and that’s it,” Pochettino told broadcaster TNT following the 2-2 draw.
“For me, it damaged a little bit the Premier League and English (football). If we want to be the best league in the world it should be protecting the spectacle and the decision … (it) damaged myself, damaged my team, my players, the fans,” he added.
Chelsea were 2-0 down at the break but goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher put them level before the late goal was overturned.
“The performance was very good and we played really well. It is true in the first half we conceded easy … to play Villa, who are fighting for the top four, I am pleased with the team and the players were good,” Pochettino said.
Villa boss Unai Emery said his side, who are currently in fourth spot and seven points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, still had their sights set on qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Spurs, however, have three games in hand.
“We have to try to keep being consistent with the players we have and I believe in the players … in Premier League we are fighting with Tottenham for fourth position,” he said.
-Reuters
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah appeared to have a heated exchange with manager Juergen Klopp shortly before the Egypt international was brought on as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 Premier League draw at West Ham United on Saturday.
Salah, who has not been at his best since returning from injury last month, was brought on in the 79th minute, just after the Hammers’ second goal levelled the game.
He appeared angry with Klopp on the touchline before he was introduced and continued to remonstrate with his manager as fellow substitute Darwin Nunez pushed him away from the German.
Klopp tried to play down the incident, telling reporters: “We spoke about that in the dressing room and it’s done for me, that’s all.”
But Salah seemed to have a different perspective and refused interviews with reporters in the mixed zone, saying: “There’s going to be fire today if I speak.”
Saturday’s draw further dented Liverpool’s already slim chances of winning the Premier League in Klopp’s final season with the club and leaves them reliant on rivals Arsenal and Manchester City dropping points in the run-in.
-Reuters
Leicester City earned promotion back to the Premier League on Friday after nearest rivals Leeds United were beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers, ensuring the Championship leaders will finish in the top two in the standings.
This means that the Super Eagles duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, both players of Leicester City again taste action in the English Premier League next season.
The result of Leed City and QPR left second-placed Leeds’s chances of automatic promotion from the second-tier Championship hanging by a thread. They trail Leicester by four points with one game left to play and are only a point ahead of Ipswich Town, who have two games in hand.
It was a dream first half for QPR as the London side scored two goals without reply.
First Ilias Chair scored with a deflected effort from outside the area, while a curled finish from Lucas Andersen midway through the first half made it 2-0.
Leeds tried to up the pressure in the second half but with little effect, with French forward Georginio Rutter pulling a shot wide from the middle of the penalty area.
Scottish forward Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field both scored headers from set pieces in the second half to complete the 4-0 win.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke turned to his bench to try and influence the game and it was one of those substitutes, striker Mateo Joseph, who came closest, seeing his close-range attempt turned wide by Rangers keeper Asmir Begovic
-Reuters
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